A QUARTER OF A CENTURY HAS FLOWN BY.

I just came across a scrapbook that I made in 1997, 25 years ago.  I had kept information that interested me at the time.  Here's a list of some treasures:

1. Certificates of Deposit

An Arundel Federal advertisement for a 6.60% Certificate of Deposit.  I wrote on the newspaper ad: "This is a misprint!"  I don't remember what that was all about.

2.  Gasoline

A copy of an editorial cartoon that shows a man taking money from his wallet to pay $129.99 for one gallon of "self service regular."

The cartoon caption reads: "Season's greetings from the oil companies."

 3.  Unintentionally Insensitive? 

A Carroll County Times staff writer submission:

"A 25-year-old Carroll County girl was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center Friday evening following an accident."

4.  Ist Mittagsschlaf Gut?

A German observation from some magazine I've forgotten the name of:  Lots of folks like to take an afternoon nap after eating a big lunch.  It is felt that such a habit is not "gut."  The nightly eight-hour sleep time should be all one needs.

 5.  EMAIL Available?

A picture of an 82-year-old lady from Minnesota trying unsuccessfully to push through a giant snowdrift to get to her mailbox.  Frustrated, she says, "I prayed for good weather. The Lord didn't hear me."

6.  W C

An advertisement from The New Republic for the release of a six-movie compilation starring famous comedian W. C. Fields.

"Pool Sharks" - his first movie  (1915)

"The Golf Specialist" - his first sound film.

"The Dentist"

"The Fatal Glass of Beer"

"The Pharmacist"

"The Barber Shop"

If you are feeling sad about something, watch any one of these funny films and "feel good again!"

7. Those Damn Age Spots

An advertisement for Topifram,  a "new face creme" to eliminate age spots, brown marks and freckles. For sale at K-MART.

The product is still "going strong" today, but K-MART isn't.

8.  Ho Hum, Nothing to Do!

A quasi-obituary for the famous "MAYTAG Repairman" who recently passed away at 79.

Jesse White is best known as the MAYTAG character who never has anything to do because the company's appliances are so good.     

He appeared in 60 movies and innumerable television shows, but liked his MAYTAG role the best.

9. A Slippery Slope?

A note from The Washinton Post talks about some New York police officers who had some fun at the Washington, D.C. Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The note indicates that officers got drunk while in uniform, pulled fire alarms, harassed guests, and supposedly "... took off all their clothes ... and went sliding down the (lobby's) escalator which was slicked down with beer. ..."

That reminds me of a time when Elaine and I were staying at a hotel in Wilmington, Delaware.  At the same time, there was a raucous police conference taking place there.

We peeked into the conference area to see what was going on and saw a Randallstown neighbor of ours having a "great time" with a young female police officer.

Our neighbor was a Baltimore cop and his "beloved" wife was an undercover police operative. His wife had declined to attend the conference.

Seeing him act like this would not normally have bothered us, but last week at a community meeting he had publicly hugged and kissed his wife, saying she was the only lady he would ever love. Yeah, I'll bet!

When he saw us, he turned white and pretended that he didn't know us.

We didn't tell his wife.  A while later she divorced him.  I wonder why.

10.  B.C.

A cartoon strip for B.C. by Johnny Hart.

Two cavemen are contemplating the ocean.  One says,

"Remember how we used to go skinny-dipping when we were kids?"

The other guy responds,

"Yeah! What fun we had skinny-dipping!"

The first guy then says,

"Especially when skinny put up a fight."

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