Pass on the Postum, but pick up pickleball pointers

From Oct. 17, 2009:

For 100 years, people have been drinking the beverage Postum. It can no longer be found on grocery shelves. Can you tell me why and is there a similar substitute?

Kraft Foods dropped Postum in 2007 for the perfectly logical reason that not very many people bought it.

My personal opinion, based on sampling some of the stuff at my grandma's house, is that it was taken off the market because it tasted like mud.

Postum was a grain-based, non-caffeinated coffee substitute. It had its day and was especially popular among Mormons and other folks who weren't supposed to drink coffee. It was developed by the Post cereal people in 1904 and named for cereal magnate C.W. Post.

As for a substitute, I would suggest taking lawn clippings and dirt, boil them up, strain it and drink up.

I recently saw an article in the paper about a big pickleball tournament. The article said it's the fastest-growing sport in the nation. Pickleball ... give me a break. What's it all about?

What do you mean "give me a break"? Just because you don't know what it is doesn't mean you should sneer at it. If something around here needs to be sneered at it, I'll do it. I'm a trained professional.

Pickleball is a racket sport played on a badminton court with a 34-inch high net. It is played with a sort of whiffle ball and wooden paddles that are bigger than a ping-pong paddle and look smaller than a racquetball racket.

Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, a former congressman from Washington state and Bill Bell, a businessman. It was named for Pritchard's dog, which used to chase down errant balls and hide them in the bushes.

The first known pickleball tournament was in 1976, and the USA Pickleball Association, the sport's governing body, was formed in 1984.

Pickleball is not as strenuous as tennis or racquetball but is still a good way to get some exercise.