Day Brightener There Are Some Goodies Here – Anybody Identify With The First One?
Day Brightener – Nostalgia
Snow in Tempe USA
Mill Avenue (1930s) In the 1930s, Mill Avenue in Tempe was already an important commercial and social hub, though the town itself was much smaller than it is today. Tempe, known primarily for its proximity to Arizona State University (ASU), had a population of just a few thousand people during this era. Mill Avenue, running through the heart of downtown, was lined with small businesses, shops, and cafes that catered to both local residents and students. The street was a central gathering place, reflecting the tight-knit community atmosphere of the time. Tempe’s economy was still largely based on agriculture, but the presence of ASU, which had opened in 1885, began shaping the town’s character and its development in the years that followed.
In the 1930s, snow in Tempe was a rare occurrence. Arizona’s desert climate made snowstorms in the region infrequent, but on occasion, a cold front would bring snow flurries to the area. These moments were memorable for the residents, adding to the charm and unique character of the community. By the late 1930s, Mill Avenue and Tempe would see more urban development, especially as World War II brought increased attention and growth to the area, but the small-town atmosphere of Mill Avenue during the 1930s remained a hallmark of the era.
In 1938, the cost of a car in Ohio could be as low as $29, which seems almost unbelievable by today’s standards. This was during the Great Depression, a time when the economy was still struggling to recover from the stock market crash of 1929. Automakers, eager to boost sales and stimulate the economy, offered rock-bottom prices for vehicles to make them more accessible to the average consumer. Cars, which were typically a significant investment, became more affordable to many Americans, though the vehicles themselves were often basic models with fewer features than those available today.
The $29 price tag was often associated with used cars, many of which had been traded in by their original owners who could no longer afford to keep them. In an era when new cars were still relatively expensive, these affordable second-hand vehicles provided transportation for families and workers who had limited financial resources. While $29 may sound incredibly low, it’s important to remember that the average yearly wage during the 1930s was around $1,700, so the affordability of a car was relative to what people were earning at the time.
Despite the low price, cars in 1938 were still seen as a significant symbol of independence and mobility. For many people in Ohio and across the United States, the ability to own a car marked a new level of freedom, enabling them to travel further for work, leisure, or social engagements. This period of affordability helped set the stage for the post-World War II boom in car ownership, when automobiles became an integral part of American life and culture.
On September 3, 1957, New York’s West Side, known as Luxury Liner Row, hosted a grand assembly of iconic Atlantic liners. The photograph captures six of these classic ships, which arrived early that morning, marking the end of the summer vacation season the day after Labor Day. From top to bottom, the vessels included American Export Lines’ INDEPENDENCE at Pier 84, United States Lines’ flagship UNITED STATES at Pier 86, Greek Line’s OLYMPIA and French Line’s FLANDRE at Pier 88, and Cunard Line’s MAURETANIA and QUEEN MARY at Pier 90. At Pier 92 was Cunard’s BRITANNIC, which had arrived on August 31. This gathering of liners, 67 years ago, collectively brought around 9,400 passengers to New York in the luxury of the era. In contrast, today, Royal Caribbean’s ICON OF THE SEAS alone can carry 7,600 passengers, nearly matching the capacity of all six classic liners combined.
Photo from the Minnesota Historical Society
A Woolworth’s Menu from the 1960s.
Day Brightener – Some Old, Some New- A Crop Of Idiots – All Amusing Nonetheless
Number One Idiot
I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants.I quickly reassured her that the ants were not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter into the hospital.
She calmed down and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants. I told her that she better bring her daughter into the emergency room right away.
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Number Two Idiot
Early this year, some Boeing employees on the airfield decided to steal a life raft from one of the 747s. They were successful in getting it out of the plane and home. Shortly after they took it for a float on the river, they noticed a Coast Guard helicopter coming toward them. It turned out that the chopper was homing in on the emergency locator beacon that activated when the raft was inflated. They are no longer employed at Boeing.
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Number Three Idiot
A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the Branch and wrote this, “Put all your muny in this bag.”; While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller’s window.
So, he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to the Wells Fargo Bank. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn’t the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either must fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, “OK” and left.
He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America.
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Number Four Idiot
A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $140.00 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $140.00.
Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $140.00.
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Number Five Idiot
A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of Scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused and said, “Because I don’t believe you are over 21.”. The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because she didn’t believe him. At this point, the robber took his driver’s license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk.
The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and she put the Scotch in the bag. The robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later.
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Number Six Idiot
A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, ” Nobody move!” When his partner moved, the startled first bandit shot him.
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Number Seven Idiot
Arkansas: It seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he’d throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So, he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape.
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Be Alert Out There! They walk among us!!
Day Brightener – More Than A Bit Philosophical
1. So, now cocaine is legal in Oregon, but straws aren’t. That must be frustrating.
2. Still trying to get my head around the fact that ‘Take Out’ can mean food, dating, or murder
3. Dear paranoid people, who check behind their shower curtains for murderers. If you do find one, what’s your plan?
4. The older I get, the more I understand why roosters just scream to start their day.
5. Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the ‘cool table’ in the cafeteria of a mental hospital.
6. You know you’re over 50 when you have ‘upstairs ibuprofen’ and ‘downstairs ibuprofen’.
7. How did doctors come to the conclusion that exercise prolongs life, when the rabbit is always jumping but only lives for around two years, and the turtle that doesn’t exercise at all, lives over 200 years. So, rest, chill, eat, drink and enjoy life!
8. I, too, was once a male trapped in a female body, but then my mother gave birth.
9. If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
10. When I lost the fingers on my right hand in a freak accident, I asked the doctor if I would still be able to write with it. He said, “probably, but I wouldn’t count on it”.
11. Woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right and exercise. But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
12. Anyone who says their wedding was the best day of their life has clearly never had two candy bars fall-down at once from a vending machine.
13. The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot.
14. When a kid says, “Daddy, I want Mommy”, that’s the kid version of “I’d like to speak to your supervisor”.
15. It’s weird being the same age as old people.
16. Just once, I want a username and password prompt to say: “CLOSE ENOUGH”.
17. Last night the internet stopped working, so I spent a few hours with my family. They seem like good people
18. We celebrated last night with a couple of adult beverages, Metamucil and Ensure
19. You know you are getting old when friends with benefits means having someone who can drive at night.
20. Weight loss goal: To be able to clip my toenails and breathe at the same time.
21. Some of my friends exercise every day. Meanwhile, I am watching a show I don’t like because the remote fell on the floor.
22. For those of you who don’t want Alexa or Siri listening in on your conversation, they are making a male version, it doesn’t listen to anything
23. I just got a present labeled, ‘From Mom and Dad’. I know darn well Dad has no idea what’s inside.
24. Someone said, “Nothing rhymes with orange”. I said, “No, it doesn’t”.
25. There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator. Only a fraction of people will find this funny.
26. Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
27. I have many hidden talents. I just wish I could remember where I hid them.
28. My idea of a Super Bowl is a toilet that cleans itself.
29. Apparently, exercise helps you with decision-making. It’s true. I went for a run this morning and decided I’m never going again.
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