Just for Fun!

The good old days?

THE YEAR 1909


The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :

************ ********* *********

The average life expectancy was 47 years.

fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only


Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.


Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone..


There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles

Of paved roads.


The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.


The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!


The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.


The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year ..


A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .


Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which

Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '


Sugar cost four cents a pound.


Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen..


Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.


Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used

Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.


Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from

Entering into their country for any reason.


Five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke


The American flag had 45 stars.


The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!


Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea Hadn't been invented yet.


There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day..

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..




Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'

( Shocking? DUH! )


Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.


There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A.!

Plus one more sad thought; 95 percent of the taxes we have now did not exist in 1909

The Future of Computing

For those of you who know me, you are abundantly aware of my need to rail on about the direction computers of been going. I have patently disagreed with how technology has been implemented, especially when it comes to hand held devices. I believe most scientists would be nowhere without science fiction authors like myself because, while they have the imagination to dream where they can go with new discoveries they lack the editors imagination to ask what purpose it serves.

Since most of you are sick of me railing on about cell phones I'll pick an example from the history books. There was a time in this country when a person could go into a movie theater and watch a film while breathing in laughing gas from a mask, so as to enhance the viewing experience. It was a short run fad of the roaring 20's. At the same time, just down the road someone would be having a tooth pulled with no pain-killers at all. The real use of the gas was not yet imagined. There's dozens of examples, from the solid state (digital) watch to post-it notes.

So here we are with ever more sophisticated cell phones and we aren't scratching the surface of what we can do with existing technology because people aren't asking themselves the important questions like; how can we eliminate the learning curve on this device? or how can this device be integrated with our lifestyle to bring the right information at the right time?

The answer is...well I'll stop writing about it and just show you, because this guy did it. Take a look.

Romantic Nerds!

Don't forget to come on by Mugs Coffee shop today (Saturday), and meet the Llama. Yep you heard me!

This Chick Is Amazing

What else can I say. Look her up on ViennaTeng.com

Steve Martin on the Banjo?

Despite the appearance of Paul Schafer this still worth viewing. Is there anything Steve Martin can't do? Try reading one of his books some time. They're great.

3 Ways to Fail...

...your drunk driving test!



Curtis & Leroy saw an ad in the Starkville Daily News Newspaper
in Starkville, MS. and bought a mule for $100.
The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day.
The next morning the farmer drove up and said,
"Sorry, fellows, I have some bad news, the mule died last night."



Curtis & Leroy replied, "Well, then just give us our money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

They said, "OK then, just bring us the dead mule."

The farmer asked, "What in the world ya'll gonna do with a dead mule?"

Curtis said, "We gonna raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead mule!"

Leroy said, "We shore can! Heck, we don't hafta tell nobody he's dead!"
A couple of weeks later, the farmer ran into Curtis & Leroy at the
Piggly Wiggly grocery store and asked. "What'd you fellers ever do
with that dead mule?"
They said, "We raffled him off like we said we wuz gonna do."

Leroy said,"Shucks, we sold 500 tickets fer two dollars apiece and
made a profit of $898."

The farmer said,"My Lord, didn't anyone complain?"


Curtis said, "Well, the feller who won got upset. So we gave him
his two dollars back."

Joke that will Offend Someone I'm Sure...

I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, government health care, real estate prices, the stock market, the federal deficit, Iraq,Afghanistan, global warming, my savings, Social Security, credit card debt......

I called the Suicide Hotline. I got a call center in Pakistan , told them I was suicidal.

They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.....

Lazy Mom Pic

You gotta see it to believe it.

Prisoners

I wonder where they filmed this one because I don't think you'd find that many people willing to help keep someone locked up in my town. Watch and then tell me what you think at sufferingrancor.info

Amazing High Dive

This is something out of my nightmares. 130 feet. I've watched this kind of thing before but it just hit home how nutty you have to be to do this.



Check out "Suffering Rancor," if you want to read an amazing book.

I love this Band!

• Stand Up by Fireflight

More Fireflight music on iLike

Winter Joke 2009

I like this one. Remember, "Suffering Rancor," by Andy R. Bunch is a great gift idea for the Fantasy Fan in your life.

On a bitterly cold winters morning a husband and wife in
Dublin were listening to the radio during breakfast.

They heard the announcer Say, "We are going to have 8 to 10
inches of snow today. You must park your car on the
even-numbered side of the street, so the Snowplows can get
through.

"So the good wife went out and moved her car.

A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the
radio announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of
snow today.

You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the
street, so the snowplows can get through. "The good wife
went out and moved her car again.

The next week they are again having breakfast, when the
radio announcer says, "We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of
snow today. You must park ...." Then the electric power went
out …

The good wife was very upset, and with a worried look on her
face she said, "I don't
know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park
on so the snowplows can get through?"

Then with the love and understanding in his voice that all
men who are married exhibit, the husband replied, "Why don't
you just leave the car in the garage this time."

Funniest Christmas Decoration Ever

Original Text Below:

"Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever.Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard."

My thanks to http://shorterandsweeter.blogspot.com/2009/12/greatest-christmas-decoration-ever.html

Amazing Book Sponsor

We've been getting questions, like why does a fantasy book sponsor a web blog about funny or amazing stuff. The easy answer is that it's an amazing book.

In "Suffering Rancor," Andy R. Bunch, has created a world that is rich and unique, yet not entirely unfamiliar. It pulls readers through cinematic scenes with realist characters at a roller-coaster pace. Seldom does a book take on such epic themes and still remain packed with action. This book will resonate with your heart and rock your view of reality.

But "Suffering Rancor," is amazing in another way. Just as there is a growing Indie Music and Movie genre, there is fast becoming an Indie Book genre. Groups like Bizzarro Press of Portland, OR. have grabbed a sizable market catering to the kinds of books that didn't have a wide enough appeal to interest the five big imprints. Now that the work is out there, of course, the fandom grows and so do sales.

While Suffering Rancor isn't as far out of the mainstream in its story line, the author chose a method of publication that would allow him to produce and promote the book in unique ways. For example Andy was able to pick his own cover artist and include 20 images internally. That's where artist Corey Pennington comes in.

Working together to give more visual effect to the story provides readers a better experience--similar to the way graphic novels aid in story telling. Rumors abound that Suffering Rancor will see its day as a graphic novel, which is another option thanks to the unique Indie publishing style. Corey and Andy are also planning a limited run of 100 books which are completely hand crafted. Each one will be slightly different with saddle stitched spines, leather or wood binding, and unique hand drawn internal art. Imagine buying a book that came with collected artifacts from a world that exists only in the mind of its creators. Now you are getting a taste for the vision of this amazing novel.

A third truly unique thing about Suffering Rancor is how the creators are choosing to promote the book. This blog for one, but also in local signings. The book debuted in Paul's Elbow Room which is a downtown Vancouver fixture. Much of the book was written in the downtown Denny's which has since been torn down, or coffee shops around Vancouver and Portland. Both Corey and Andy are firm in their desire to preserve the books connection to the P-town and Vantucky area, and to the Pacific NW. While not shunning the many wonderful, local book stores, both Corey and Andy want to reach an audience that doesn't read a lot of books or spend much time appreciating art. They believe this book can entertain even the modern ADHD crowd.

A typical book signing for these two is a party. They like to involve local musicians, and hit local art events like last Thursday, and First Friday. They spend their marketing budget on local providers like Sparkfire Agency, and Cara Cottingham's Shameless Productions Radio show on Koug.fm.

"Suffering Rancor," is available through:
Barnes and Noble.com
Amazon.com
iUniverse.com

or on the shelf at:
Barnes and Noble Janzen Beach
Mugs Coffee in Hazel Dell
Angst Gallery on Main Street
Jitterbug Coffee

Or come to there next scheduled signing at First Friday;
Vancouver's First Friday Artwalk featuring Dancing in the Street
Friday, September 4th from 5:00 - 9:00pm
As always, admission is free!

Dance your way through Artwalk. Main Street will be closed from 7th to 11th for dancing in the street. Starting at 5:00 enjoy Swing, Cumbia, Zydeco, Ballroom and more. Shops will be open and our local restaurants will be serving outside. It's Artwalk with a whole new twist!

* Seven galleries to explore.
* Admission is Free.
* Turtle Place at Main and 7th: Learn Zydeco with Cascade Zydeco and refresh yourself at Burgerville's new mobile kitchen, the Nomad, and the Tin Cantina.
* Main and 7th: El Parral hosts Cumbia - it's Salsa, but better.
* Main and 8th: Vancouver Ballroom brings Swing to Main Street.
* Main and 9th: Arthur Murray will demonstrate all types of dance and the band "There She Goes" plays music live!
* Main and 11th: Enjoy the Mountain View High School Jazz Band.




For more writing by Andy R. Bunch visit Shortstorysby: