MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Garden Soil Vs. Potting Soil…What’s The Difference?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Garden Soil Vs. Potting Soil…What’s The Difference?

Raising a healthy plant can be intimidating. In addition to having to account for all the different amounts of water & sunlight they need, you also have to be mindful of your plant’s soil & how often it needs to be replaced. Because, while all dirt may look the same when it stains your pants,…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Do TV Judges Have Any Real Legal Authority?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Do TV Judges Have Any Real Legal Authority?

A longtime staple of daytime TV, at some point or another everyone who’s ever watched Judge Judy has wondered: does she, or any other TV judge, really have any actual legal authority? Judith Sheindlin actually used to be a real, live judge back in the day. Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York City,…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Do British Royalty Have Last Names?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Do British Royalty Have Last Names?

The coronation of King Charles III is finally official, as of Saturday (5/06/2023). But one question that popped up in the minds of many watching the ceremony was: what is Charles’ last name? When you’re British royalty, you’re rich…you’re famous…and you never have to use a last name. I mean, yeah…being famous means everyone already…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Best Way To Remove A Bandage?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Best Way To Remove A Bandage?

Anytime something unpleasant needs to be done, someone will ultimately say,  “Okay…better just go ahead & rip off the Band-Aid”, as the traditional belief is that it’s better to just do the unpleasant thing quickly to get it over with. It could be anything that could bring about some sort of physical or emotional pain.…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Meaning Behind “4/20”?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What’s The Meaning Behind “4/20”?

Weed is coming to Maryland on July 1st, following last year’s vote to legalize cannabis when 67.2% of our fellow citizens decided to make left-handed cigarettes legal.  But even if you’re not a marijuana enthusiast, you’re still probably aware that April 20, or 4/20, is the unofficial holiday for those who partake. It’s a day…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Electrolytes & Do You Need More of Them?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Are Electrolytes & Do You Need More of Them?

Some folks, like myself, will reach for a sports drink like Gatorade instead of plain water following an intense workout, because sports drinks are supposedly filled with electrolytes, which we’re supposed to replenish after strenuous activity…right? But what exactly are electrolytes? And does your body really need to be filled with them? Electrolytes are a…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: It Okay To Use A Public Charging Station?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: It Okay To Use A Public Charging Station?

It’s a simple question:  when is it okay to use a public charging port to power your cellphone or laptop?  The answer is also simple, but more scarily frustrating:  never! Imagine: you’re sitting at the airport, waiting for your departure…and your phone’s about to die. But wait…there’s an empty USB port at a charging station…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Does “Just Joshing You” Mean?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Does “Just Joshing You” Mean?

If anyone’s ever tried to give you a false answer to an earnest question, they may have followed up their response with “I’m just joshing ya!”  But who is this Josh fellow, and why do folks invoke his name when trying to pull the wool over our eyes? The phrase “just joshing you” arose out…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Is “The Grapevine” and Why Do We Hear Things Through It?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Is “The Grapevine” and Why Do We Hear Things Through It?

Whenever someone’s sharing some juicy details with you about something of questionable veracity, but they want to try & be cagey about where they got their information, sometimes they’ll say they “heard it through the grapevine.” They might say, “I heard through the grapevine John & Sarah are getting divorced,” or, “I heard through the…

MUNDANE MYSTERIES:  Where Did The Term “86” Come From?

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Where Did The Term “86” Come From?

Pretty much everyone has heard of the expression “86”, which means to do away with something (like, “Yeah, 86 that order!”). But where did it come from & why? Well, there are a few schools of thought as to its origin, though none of them are actually official. Some possibilities… The restaurant business in the…