Category Archives: Commentary

When Coffee Jumped From 10 Cents To 15 Cents A Cup

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Americans Perplexed By A 15 Cent Cup Of Coffee – 1954

Go into the supermarket and examine just about any product. You will notice shrinking packaging and products. You are getting less and paying more.

Tropicana orange juice just shrunk again – from 64 ounces to 59 ounces to 52 ounces and now 46 ounces. Coffee is sold in a pound can, but contains about 11.3 ounces of product.

In 1954 the price of coffee was rising, and the answer was not shrink the cup, but raise the price. A 50% price hike to be exact, from ten cents to fifteen cents.

Even after World War II many places still sold a nickel cup of coffee.

The original news slug reads: Continue reading →

How We Lose Our Liberty -1946

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Henry Luce Founder Of Life Magazine On The Threat To Liberty When The Government Tries To Fix Social Problems, Rather Than The People Fixing Them- 1946

Henry Luce photo via: PBS

Henry Luce, the founder of Time, Fortune and the modern Life magazine was prescient in what might become of the United States in the future if we rely upon the government to solve social issues.

While reading Lloyd Morris’  Postscript To Yesterday – America: The Last Fifty Years,  (Random House) 1947, I came across this passage describing Life magazine and Luce’s views: on the matter. Continue reading →

Metallica Plays “Am I Evil” Live With Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler

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Brian Tatler Joins Metallica For A Rare Full Length Performance of “Am I Evil” – June 26, 2024

It may be one of the most recognizable opening riffs in all of heavy metal.

But the band who wrote it achieved limited commercial success. They did however influence countless other heavy metal bands – the most important of them being Metallica.

During a concert in Oslo, Norway on June 26, 2024, Metallica brings Brian Tatler on stage and does something they have rarely done: perform Am I Evil in its entirety. Metallica singer and guitarist James Hetfield sounds absolutely great here.

Diamond Head

Am I Evil was written by Diamond Head’s guitarist Brian Tatler and vocalist Sean Harris. The song was released in Great Britain in 1980 on the album Lightning To The Nations Continue reading →

Yankees Old-Timers’ Day – Yesterday Versus Today

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1965  – The All-Time Greats Show Up, A Game Is Played & History Is On Display

Today – Only Ex-Yankees, A Few Notable Players Attending, A Lot Of “Who’s He?” & No Old-Timers’ Game, With A Scofflaw Sponsor

Will The Yankees PLEASE Stop Holding “Old-Timers’ Day”

1965 New York Yankees Old Timers’ Day program

The Yankees Old-Timers’ game on Saturday, July 31, 1965 honored All-Time Award Winners.

The players were names that every person knew. Either by seeing them play or having their fathers or grandfathers talk about them. The ballplayers attending represented what made Old-Timers’ Day a special day.

The master of ceremonies, Yankees broadcaster and former Cardinals catcher Joe Garagiola began announcing the players over the public address system. A dizzying assortment of former superstars names echoed within the vast Yankee Stadium: Bob Feller, Pee Wee Reese, Continue reading →

Dr. Cole Helps Men To Stop “Wrecking Your Manhood” -1903

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NIGHT LOSSES THAT DULL THE MIND, WEAKEN THE BODY, DESTROY THE SEXUAL STRENGTH AND CHANGE THE MAN ARE UNHEALTHY AND SHOULD BE CURED

In this advertisement from The St. Paul Globe of July 18, 1903, Dr. Alfred L. Cole does not explicitly say what condition he is treating in “night losses”, but it sounds extremely perilous.

The mores and morals of the time would not permit the condition to be talked about in polite society.

But, reading between the lines, Dr. Cole proposes to stop men from having wet dreams. Continue reading →

The Sexy Women’s Lingerie, Corsets, Nightwear & Undergarments Of The Early 20th Century

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What The Early 20th Century Woman Wore Under Her Clothes

Sexy Lingerie, Corsets & Other Flattering Clothing

Gimbel Brothers Department Store Catalog 1910

What was considered sexy 100 years ago might not draw the same conclusions today.

To look her best, the woman of the late 19th and early 20th century was stuffed into a variety of tight fitting and often times restrictive undergarments.

Much like today with online shopping, store catalogs offered goods of all sorts to the public without the need to first try on the merchandise.

Gimbel Brothers Department Store Catalog 1910

From nightgowns to corsets to petticoats to chemises to reducing garments, women could buy a wide variety of underclothing, never setting foot in a store. Continue reading →

July 4, 1918 New York City & A Parade To Unite Americans

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July 4, 1918 When Patriotism Was On Full Display

Greatest July 4th Parade In History of U.S., Held On Fifth Avenue
General view of the great parade proceeding up Fifth Avenue, New York City. photo: Underwood & Underwood July, 4, 1918

There was a time when July 4 did not mean merchandise sales, and a three or four day weekend with barbecues. Continue reading →

Two Of The Dionne Quintuplets Turn 90-Years-Old Today

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Annette and Cécile Dionne Turn 90 On May 28, 2024
(see update at end of the article)

Turning 90 is still considered a feat of longevity and cause for celebration.

But for two Canadian women, Annette Dionne Allard and Cécile Dionne Langlois, turning 90 on  May 28 will still be a bittersweet day. Their siblings are dead and much of their early lives were lived under constant scrutiny.

Annette and Cécile, are each one fifth of what were the world’s most famous sisters.

When it was announced that five baby girls were born to Oliva-Édouard and his wife Elzire Dionne on May 28 1934 in rural Callendar, Ontario Canada, the world went into Dionne Quintuplet-mania.

The Dionne’s were the first known set of quintuplets to survive infancy. Continue reading →

May Day Gathering In New York For Socialists And Communists

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May 1 Brings Out The Socialists And Communists In 1930s New York

Socialists Hold May Day Celebration In Central Park
Shown above is a scene on the Mall in Central Park, New York City on May Day as the Socialists listened to the various speakers. The Mall was crowded to capacity. credit: Acme May 1, 1935

In 1930s New York socialism was a popular draw. Continue reading →

The Terrible Truth – Marijuana Use Leads To Being A Junkie 1951

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73 Years Ago American Teens Were Warned About The Dangers Of Pot

In the pantheon of anti-drug films The Terrible Truth (1951), a ten minute short, holds a special place in my heart.

Not because of its low production values. Not because its message is totally alarmist. But akin to many stag films of the same period, Continue reading →