Kowalski Heat Treating Blog - Kowalski Heat Treating

Happy Pi Day

March 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Now, you are likely thinking this will be a blog about some wonderful pie recipe I found (ok, pick one HERE.) But actually, it’s about another Pi (π), as today is National Pi Day (and also Albert Einstein’s birthday). One of the most mysterious and essential numbers in mathematics, pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Despite being studied for thousands of years, Pi continues to reveal surprising properties and remains an enigma in the world of mathematics. From ancient civilizations to modern supercomputers, Pi has a rich history filled with remarkable discoveries, mind-boggling calculations, and intriguing trivia. So, put away your dessert plate and enjoy this wonderful trivia and information, and wow your friends with your new knowledge (think Norm from Cheers). Enjoy, and thanks to Google, Wikipedia and pioneerwoman.com for the info.

Mistakes Happen

March 7, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Sometimes the best made plans of those putting in a good day’s work can turn out to be a mistake. Adding numbers, counting items, writing code or just trying to fill an order, we can err in our efforts. Recently I read about the word “dord” that made its way into the famous Merriam-Webster dictionary back in 1939. What began as a request from one of the writers was misinterpreted to be a actual word (story below). It caught my attention, so I went looking for some other errors I had not heard of and included them too. Here’s to all of us who have made a mistake that went unnoticed for some time, and thanks to those who forgave us – (and extra thanks for those who invented spell check in Word) – and to Google for the info. Enjoy!

SWEET! Desserts

February 28, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to exhibit at a trade show in Vegas SHOT SHOW- (Shooting – Hunting- Outdoor – Tactical), joining 65,000+ others. We do a lot of PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! work in this field, processing various knives, components for wonderful customers (thank you!!). As many do when in Vegas, we had an evening out on the town, and I found myself holding a dessert menu after polishing off a wonderful meal with my team. I passed, but did take note of the habit of finishing a satisfying meal with a sweet dessert – a culinary tradition that many people follow. While some may elect to eat sweets before or in between courses (think lemon ice YUM!), while others simply dig into pie or brownies at any time of the day (Jackie knows to never leave the pie out), most adhere to the standard operating procedure of dessert after the main course. I decided to dig a bit and learn more about how and when this food order came about. (I heard about a guy who always ate his dessert first – his logic was, he loved dessert so much, he didn’t want to be full afterwards and not savor the experience (Brilliant!). So, here’s some history and trivia about the tradition – (pass the fudge topping please). Thanks to historyfacts.com and tastingtable.com for the insights. Enjoy!