Diehard Coffee Drinkers Beware

Postum is a roasted wheat bran and molasses beverage in powder form that can be used instead of coffee, assuming you want it hot. It is deemed by some to have a malty, slightly nutty, and roasted grain flavor. Unlike coffee, it is significantly milder and sweeter than coffee and lacks the bitterness and acidity of coffee, resulting in a smoother, more comforting taste. It is said to be compared to liquid versions of toasted brown sugar or burnt toast with molasses. It can be an acquired taste. Black coffee typically has a dry, bitter finish. In addition to the original flavor, coffee-flavored and cocoa-flavored versions have been introduced. Diehard coffee fans will not be impressed.

Post Cereal Company founder, C. W. Post, developed the caffeine-free beverage in 1895. As a student of Dr. John H. Kellogg, who deemed caffeine to be unhealthy, Postum was marketed as an alternative to coffee. Some religions did not recognize coffee as a healthy beverage because of the dangers of caffeine addiction. Postum to the rescue. Decaffeinated coffee was nearly unheard of after its initial circa 1910 introduction to America. The drink was a common staple for many in the early twentieth century, and it was the closest thing to coffee available during the 1940s. 

Eventually, Post Cereal Company became General Foods and merged into Kraft Foods Inc. Eliza's Quest Foods assumed the trademark rights and secret recipe in 2012 and is still touted as a trendy, wholesome beverage for those who have never darkened the door of a Starbucks. Sold in select food stores nationwide, the drink is pricey and hard to find if on a top shelf.

Let Freedom Sting

The Northrop F-89D Scorpion, the definitive production variant, was an upgraded model of the first all-weather, twin-engined jet designed from the outset as an interceptor, relying on advanced radar and rocket armament rather than cannons. It served as the primary backbone of the North American Air Defense Command during the early Cold War, designed to intercept Soviet bombers. The Scorpion was a replacement for Northrop's P-61 "Black Widow" that saw limited combat toward the end of World War II but found its place in the Korean War. Above are F-89Ds from the 59th Fighter Squadron stationed at Goose Bay, Canada. 

The Scorpion series entered USAF inventory in 1950. The D-model first flew in 1951, but production was disrupted by the same issues encountered on early models, before full production was resumed during 1953. Because the jet engines were positioned so low to the ground, sucking up debris could be a problem. Scanning the tarmac and runway became standard procedure before take-off. The final variant was the F-89J, converted from 350 F-89Ds, that replaced the standard wingtip's fifty-two "Mighty Mouse" missile pods with 600-gallon fuel tanks and fitted a pylon under each wing for a single MB-1 Genie nuclear rocket, sometimes supplemented by up to four conventional Falcon air-to-air missiles attached to the wing tanks. With the advent of supersonic interceptors, the Scorpions were relegated to Air National Guard units in northern air bases before they were all retired in 1969. The last F-89, a "J" model from Maine's Air National Guard, was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in July of that year for permanent display. 

The nickname Scorpion arose from its up-swept tail and high-mounted horizontal stabilizer, distinctly accentuated when on the ground.