Ask Rachel

Interesting fact: About 2,200 American local print newspapers folded from 2005-21. All the more impressive that we’re still standing. Let’s see how we’re still standing at closing time on Friday.

Interesting fact: I guess you should feed an aquarium of fish whatever they will eat in about 2-3 minutes. Then try not to get anxious about your own pace of eating.

Interesting fact: Just because the film’s director and composer say that “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie doesn’t mean they’re right about it.

Interesting fact: This #OneChipChallenge tortilla chip monstrosity is made with Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers, both of which tally more than 2 million Scoville heat units. I wonder how many Scoville heat units I, personally, would tally.

Interesting fact: 7Up is so named for its seven ingredients, including lithium citrate, which was intended to offer a mood lift (but was later banned by the FDA). Also, 7Up was patented as a cure for hangovers. Sounds better than lavender oil.

Interesting fact: First result on Google indicates that coffee only helps hangovers by preventing you from having a caffeine headache on top of a hangover headache and a regret headache

Interesting fact: Aspen leaves are actually red, orange and yellow all year long. They just have so much chlorophyll that you can see only the green, until production fades in the autumn. Now you, too, can sound like a nerd on your fall foliage drive.

Interesting fact: Sprite has been reformulated in Europe to remove 30% of the sugar. If they had removed 42% of it, I’d be a devotee.

Interesting fact: In other countries, it’s common to pay a bathroom attendant the equivalent of anything from 10 cents to $2 to use the facilities. I’m thinking of opening my bathroom to the public.

Interesting fact: “To the nines” is a reference to the nine Muses, unless it’s a corruption of some Scottish phrase “to then eyne,” meaning “to the eyes.” Me, I like to dress to the fives. Occasionally the sevens.

Interesting fact: When the U.S. acquired the Mexican Cession in 1848, Durango was considered part of New Mexico. There but for la gracia de dios go we.

Interesting fact: The first Harley-Davidson is indeed more than 100 years old, rolling off the line in 1904, the same year the first biker shaved for the last time.

Interesting fact: Johnny Appleseed was actually a real estate speculator: planting trees to claim land, which he later sold to tech bros at a ridiculous profit.

Interesting fact: You know that smell of a jar of pennies? That’s actually human body odor: sweat interacting with metal. Yum.

Interesting fact: Face mask sales generated $743 million on Etsy in 2020. Bat Masks would have doubled that, easy

Interesting fact: The word “golf” actually derives from the Dutch word “kolf,” meaning “club.” So a five-iron is in fact a “club club.” And a rich man owns a whole bag of good old boy’s club clubs.

Interesting fact: Pickleball’s popularity is growing more than 20% a year and is the fastest-growing sport in America. Maybe the U.S. Postal Service should get involved.

Interesting fact: An infectious disease expert with the Mayo Clinic says you are more likely to catch a bug in the airport than on an airplane. Except, where do you think all the people on the airplane came from, hmm, Dr. Mayo?