The restaurant industry is a tough one, with often razor-thin profit margins, labor shortages, and intense competition for consumer’s dollars. National chain restaurants, whether company owned or franchises, are not exempt from such issues. National chains operate restaurants in standalone locations, in shopping malls, large stores, in turnpike rest areas, food courts, at highway interchanges,…
Author: Larry Holzwarth
There are many heroes of the American Revolution, some of them near mythological figures, such as Molly Pitcher, Paul Revere, and Nathan Hale. Many others, whose sacrifices and services contributed immeasurably to American independence are overlooked by the historical record, at least by most Americans. For every Lafayette, steeped in fame and remembrance, there are…
David Letterman first gained national attention as a comedian through appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. By 1980, his growing fame and somewhat different approach to comedy encouraged NBC to offer him his own show. Letterman remained with NBC until he was denied his opportunity to take over the Tonight Show upon Carson’s…
Winter storms, those marked with snow, ice, sleet, and whiteout conditions, occur from early fall through late spring. Today’s weather forecasting technology allows for early, and usually accurate predictions of such events. Such was not always the case, and even when it was, warnings were not always heeded. Winter storms present dangers which include snow…
For fans of history a well-presented museum brings the past to life. Museums inform, entertain, and allow visitors to enter a different world. Some living museums, including Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport, are entertainment and tourist destinations, as well as windows to the past. Other museums, including the ten presented here, are…
World War II was marked with two great submarine campaigns. The German Navy used its U-boat fleet to attempt to deny Great Britain the war materials and supplies necessary for it to continue to prosecute the war. After the American entry into the war the United States Navy carried out a submarine campaign against Japan…
Myths enshroud the history of the American West, and many of its legendary figures. But the ultimate fate of many western figures is often different from that expected from their legendary exploits. Both Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson became referees for heavyweight boxing matches, for example, after gaining fame as gunslingers and gamblers. Others became…
What constitutes a great play is often in the eye of the beholder. Fans of the victims of a great play bemoan missed calls by officials. They claim some of the NFL’s greatest plays occurred because of misinterpretation of rules, unseen interference, or some other explanation of the calamity to their team. Meanwhile, fans of…
Local mores and political currents have long created controversy over the subjects taught in public schools. They also affect the conduct of students and teachers. Dress codes for students and teachers vary widely across the United States. So does the subject matter in classrooms, presenting the same topics in widely differing curricula. The controversies have…
July 14, 1789, today celebrated in France as Bastille Day, is generally regarded as the beginning of the international convulsions known as the French Revolution. It actually began much earlier than that, in the salons and slums of Paris. The Estates General became the National Assembly the preceding June, weakening the powers of the First…
Life is a dangerous proposition. From the moment we enter the world it tries to take us out, or so it seems. Germs and pathogens attack us from all sides. We are directed to eat sensibly, exercise, and avoid killers such as stress and unhealthy foods, all in an attempt to preserve our mortal existence for as long as…
The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” When it comes to technologies from the past believed dead and gone, Ecclesiastes may well be correct. Ships may again cruise the world’s waterways powered by the winds,…
Life is a dangerous proposition. From the moment we enter the world it tries to take us out, or so it seems. Germs and pathogens attack us from all sides. We are directed to eat sensibly, exercise, and avoid killers such as stress and unhealthy foods, all in an attempt to preserve our mortal existence…
Founded in 1846 using a donation from a British scientist, James Smithson, the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum. It holds well over 154 million items in its 21 libraries and 19 museums, operates research centers, and works with affiliate museums in 45 states, as well as in Puerto Rico and Panama. The National…
The number 1 million still stands as a measure of impressive achievement for many, though over time loftier goals have supplanted it. Still, one must get to 1 million before passing it on the way to greater records. Someone had to be the first to reach 1 million in any endeavor, in the arts, in…
The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” When it comes to technologies from the past believed dead and gone, Ecclesiastes may well be correct. Ships may again cruise the world’s waterways powered by the winds,…
There are some that believe all wars can be avoided, but the history of humanity belies that position. History demonstrates humanity going to war for diverse reasons, including acquisition of territory, of slave labor, over religious differences, and in all too many cases genocide. Self-defense is another reason for warfare, often unavoidably in response to…
Military actions and life have long been a subject for the film industry. Virtually every war in which American troops were involved, and many in which they were not, have been given the Hollywood treatment. In most film and television presentations, much of what Hollywood portrayed of military life was and is simply wrong. One…
Legends and myths abound. Some have, through repetition, become accepted as fact by subsequent generations, despite clear evidence they are false. For example, there are people who still believe the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes really prowled the streets of Victorian London. Obviously, he did not. Others continue to repeat the disproved story of dozens, if…
As dynasties go the reign of the Tudors was relatively short (1485-1603) but it holds its own in terms of infamous characters, nefarious schemes, and bloody events. It began in the aftermath of the Wars of the Roses, and reached its peak with the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The first English colony in North America occurred…
The ruins of ancient civilizations prove the existence of cultures thousands of years gone which nonetheless rival our own in many aspects. Take the Roman Colosseum, as an example. It was but one of many such arenas which stood across the Roman Empire, in varying sizes depending on the local population. As with today, the…
Humanity gathered in communities, which evolved into cities, from the Neolithic age. Their reasons for creating communities included mutual protection, from the elements as well as from other communities. Gradually, they developed systems for the sharing of water, trade, the disposal of waste, and the means of government. From humble dwellings clustered together larger cities…
Misconceptions about the environment and the changes wrought upon it by human activity are widespread. In some cases they are deeply held beliefs, resistant to challenge. In others they are simple misunderstandings. But they are certainly legion, in a variety of areas concerning the environment, changes to it, and to its future. Whether one accepts…
During its existence from 1922 to 1991, the Soviet Union remained a land of contradictions. It maintained a shroud of secrecy over its operations and people, other than when it crowed loudly of its accomplishments, signifying the superiority of the communist system over the decadent capitalists of the west. The Soviet government, under a succession…