Monthly Archives: April 2020


I was in the six item express lane at the store quietly fuming.

Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries.
Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward
looked into the cart and asked sweetly, “So which six items would you like to buy?”
(Wouldn’t it be great if that happened more often?)
—————————— ——————————
Because they had no reservations at a busy restaurant, my elderly neighbor and his wife were told there would be a 45-minute wait for a table.
” Young man, we’re both 90 years old,” the husband said.
“We may not have 45 minutes.”
They were seated immediately.
—————————— ————————

The reason Politicians try so hard to get re-elected is that they would “hate”
to have to make a living under the laws they have just passed.
—————————— ————————
All eyes were on the radiant bride as her father escorted her down the aisle.
They reached the altar and the waiting groom. The bride kissed her father and placed something in his hand.The guests in the front pews responded with ripples of
laughter. Even the priest smiled broadly. As her father gave her away in marriage,
the bride gave him back his credit card.
—————————— —-

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get
used to the idea.
—————————— ————————

Three friends from the local congregation were asked, “When you’re in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?” Artie said, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband,
a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man.” Eugene commented,
“I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people’s lives..”  Al said, “I’d like them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!'”
—————————— ——————————

Smith climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God.
Looking up, he asks the Lord. “God, what does a million years mean to you?
” The Lord replies, “A minute.” Smith asks,
“And what does a million dollars mean to you?
” The Lord replies, “A penny.” Smith asks, “Can I have a penny?
” The Lord replies, “In a minute.”
—————————— ——————-
A man goes to a shrink and says, “Doctor, my wife is unfaithful to me. Every evening, she goes to Larry’s bar and picks up men. In fact, she sleeps with anybody who asks her! I’m going crazy. What do you think I should do?”” Relax,” says the Doctor, “take a deep breath and calm down. Now, tell me, exactly where is Larry’s bar?”
—————————— ——————-
John was on his deathbed and gasped pitifully,
“Give me one last request, dear,
” he said.”Of course, John,” his wife said softly.
“Six months after I die,” John said,
“I want you to marry Bob.”
“But I thought you hated Bob,” she said..
With his last breath John said, “I do!”
—————————— ——–
A man goes to see the Rabbi. “Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it.”The Rabbi asked, “What’s wrong?”The man replied, “My wife is going to poison me.”The Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks, “How can that be?”The man then pleads, “I’m telling you, I’m certain she’s going to poison me. What should I do?
“The Rabbi then offers, “Tell you what.
Let me talk to her, I’ll see what I can find out and I’ll let you know.
“A week later the Rabbi calls the man and says,
“I spoke to your wife on the phone for three hours. You want my advice?
“The man said, “Yes” and the Rabbi replied,
“Take the poison.”

cynical but humorous statements

Just read that 4,153,237 people got married last year, not to cause any trouble but shouldn’t that be an even number?

Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool, so I gave him a glass of water.

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

If I had a dollar for every girl that found me unattractive, they would eventually find me attractive.

I find it ironic that the colors red, white, and blue stand for freedom until they are flashing behind you.

When wearing a bikini, women reveal 90% of their body… men are so polite they only look at the covered parts.

A recent study has found that woman who carry a little extra weight, live longer than the men who mention it.

Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?

America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won’t cross the street to vote.

You know that tingly little feeling you get when you like someone? That’s your common sense leaving your body.

Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish?

My therapist says I have a preoccupation with vengeance. We’ll see about that.

I think my neighbor is stalking me as she’s been googling my name on her computer. I saw it through my telescope last night.

Money talks …but all mine ever says is good-bye.

You’re not fat, you’re just… easier to see.

If you think nobody cares whether you’re alive, try missing a couple of payments.

I always wondered what the job application is like at Hooters. Do they just give you a bra and say, “Here, fill this out?”

I can’t understand why women are okay that JC Penny has an older women’s clothing line named, “Sag Harbor.”

My therapist said that my narcissism causes me to misread social situations.  I’m pretty sure she was hitting on me.

My 60 year kindergarten reunion is coming up soon and I’m worried about the 175 pounds I’ve gained since then.

Denny’s has a slogan, “If it’s your birthday, the meal is on us.”  If you’re in Denny’s and it’s your birthday, your life sucks!

The pharmacist asked me my birth date again today.  I’m pretty sure she’s going to get me something.

On average, an American man will have sex two to three times a week Whereas, a Japanese man will have sex only one or two times a year. This is very upsetting news to me.  I had no idea I was Japanese.

The location of your mailbox shows you how far away from your house you can be in a robe before you start looking like a mental patient.

I think it’s pretty cool how Chinese people made a language entirely out of tattoos.

Money can’t buy happiness, but it keeps the kids in touch!


The reason Mayberry was so peaceful and quiet was because nobody was married. Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney, Floyd, Howard, Goober, Gomer, Sam, Earnest T Bass, Helen, Thelma Lou, Clara and, of course, Opie were all single. The only married person was Otis, and he stayed drunk.

precious words of wisdom

FROM ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER

Written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. Rooney has passed away but used to be on CBS’s 60 Minutes TV show.

I’ve learned….That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person

I’ve learned….That when you’re in love, it shows

I’ve learned ….That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day

I’ve learned….That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world

I’ve learned…That being kind is more important than being right

I’ve learned….That you should never say no to a gift from a child

I’ve learned….That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to helphim in any other way

I’ve learned….That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs afriend to act goofy with

I’ve learned….That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart tounderstand

I’ve learned….That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when Iwas a child did wonders for me as an adult

I’ve learned….That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, thefaster it goes

I’ve learned….That money doesn’t buy class

I’ve learned…That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular

I’ve learned…That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved

I’ve learned….That to ignore the facts does not change the facts

I’ve learned….That when you plan to get even with someone,     you are only letting that person continue to hurt you

I’ve learned….That love, not time, heals all wounds

I’ve learned….That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am

I’ve learned….That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile

I’ve learned….That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them

I’ve learned….That life is tough, but I’m tougher

I’ve learned….That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I’ve learned….That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere

I’ve learned….That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time beforeshe passed away

I’ve learned….That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he mayhave to eat them

I’ve learned….That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks

I’ve learned….That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his littlefist, you’re hooked for life

I’ve learned….That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happinessand growth occurs while you’re climbing it.

I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get don

It’s National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP WEEK TO YOU!

SIX LITTLE STORIES

{1} Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer all the people gathered, But only one boy came with an umbrella. That’s FAITH.

{2} When you throw babies in the air,They laugh because they know you will catch them. That’s TRUST

{3} Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, But still we set the alarms to wake up. That’s HOPE.

{4} We plan big things for tomorrow In spite of zero knowledge of the future. That’s CONFIDENCE.

{5} We see the world suffering, But still we get married and have children. That’s LOVE.

{6} On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence :”I am not 80 years old; I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience” That’s ATTITUDE.

Have a happy day and live your life like the six stories. When I was a child, I thought nap time was punishment. Now it’s like a mini-vacation.

“GOOD FRIENDS ARE THE RARE JEWELS OF LIFE… DIFFICULT TO FIND AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLACE

www.garbowski.net

Flying man

This video clip of a flying man (on top of a drone) was shot in Naples, FL – about 60 miles south of Sarasota — saw nothing about it in the paper.  Shades of the old Buck Rogers!

Perhaps your next aviation adventure should lean in this direction!! “The video below was sent to me by a friend. Afterward, I found several others including one where he set a world record for distance traveled of 7,388 ft. The board has 4 small turbojet engines (used in RC model aircraft) for lift and 2 smaller ones on the side for stabilization. The backpack is full of fuel (not flotation).  There is a remote to control the vertical thrust. The control of the craft is through shifting one’s balance (along with a computer to aid in stabilization).” This 5 minute video just in from an event in Naples, Florida.Caution:
This may blow your mind!
Just click on the link below. 
  The Incredible Flyboard Air 

www.garbowski.net

When Cars Didn’t all Look Alike

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After world war II, 1940’s
and 1950’s cars became lower, longer and broader in look, as well as more massive and hefty. The semi automatic transmission
 was
introduced by Hudson, and the driver could change between manual and semi-automatic with the push of a button.

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The US-made cars offered huge trunk sizes, width and length.

In the 1940s a new car cost about $800 and

a gallon of gas was about 18 cents, not a bad deal.

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In the 50s, chrome was introduced to more cars and also a more luxurious

look in a country slowly getting back to its feet after the war.

The 1950s saw a huge boom in American car manufacturing,

and during that time, the US made more cars than England,

France, Japan, Sweden and many other nations put together –

and many times over.

The 50’s
was the decade of cars, and the huge demand

saw both Ford and GM hit the 50 million car mark.

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www.garbowski.net

  • With a July 2015 population of 8,550,405, New York is the most populous city in the United States, more than twice the size of the second largest city, Los Angeles.
  • About 1 in every 38 people living in the United States resides in New York City.
  • New York has the highest population density of any major city in the United States, with over 27,000 people per square mile.
  • Over 3 million of New York City’s residents are foreign-born; over one-quarter arrived in 2000 or later.
  • Nearly 2 million New Yorkers are under the age of 18.
  • New York City has more people than 40 of the 50 U.S. states.
  • New York City comprises over two-fifths of New York State’s entire population.
  • New York City has grown by over 1 million people since 1990.
  • The 2014 median age in New York City was 35.8 years, almost two years lower than the national median of 37.7 years.
  • Over one-third of the population 25 and over in New York City has a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 30 percent nationally.
  • There are nearly 400,000 more women than men in New York.
  • There is a birth in New York City every 4.4 minutes.
  • There is a death in New York City every 9.1 minutes.
  • The borough of Brooklyn on its own would be the 4th largest city in the United States; Queens would also rank 4th nationally.
  • Approximately two-thirds of dwelling units in New York are renter-occupied, over twice the national average.
  • The average commute for New Yorkers is just over 40 minutes, about 14 minutes longer than the national average.
  • New York City has the largest Chinese population of any city outside of Asia.
  • More persons of West Indian ancestry live in New York City than any city outside of the West Indies.
  • New York has the largest Puerto Rican population of any city in the world.
  • More Dominicans live in New York than any other city in the world, barring Santa Domingo.
  • Over 2.4 million Hispanics reside in New York City, more than any other city in the United States.
  • The Black nonhispanic population of New York City numbered 1.89 million in 2014, more than double the count in any other U.S. city.
  • Half of all New Yorkers speak a language other than English at home.
  • Over 200 languages are spoken in New York City.

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/data-maps/nyc-population/population-facts.page

NYC Population Factswww1.nyc.gov

Cars from Old Detroit

Today’s cars may be faster, safer, more luxurious and get better gas mileage –
BUT THEY DON’T EVEN COME
CLOSE ON LOOKS !
When Detroit Was In Its Full Glory

956 Ford Thunderbird


1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible



1960 Plymouth Fury


1959 Chevrolet Impala 2Dr hardtop

1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria


1958 Cadillac Series 62 Seda

1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V Four Door Landau

1957 Buick Roadmaster 2 Door Hardtop

1957 Lincoln Premiere four-door Landau

1959 Buick 2 Door Convertible


1959 Edsel Citation
Ford lost $350 million ($1.55 billion in 2009 dollars) on the Edsel venture



1958 De Soto




1959 Mercury Colony Park Country Cruiser

1958 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special

1958 Dodge Custom Sierra

1949 Oldsmobile 88

1959 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

1949 Kaiser Virginian

1960 Imperial Crown Convertible

1953 Studebaker Commander

1949 Pontiac Four Door

1960 Chevrolet Impala Four Door Hardtop

1959 Mercury Four Door Hardtop

1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Two-Door Sedan

1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser



1954 Mercury Sun Valley


1960 Chrysler Valiant


1960 De Soto Fireflite

1960 Chevrolet Corvair

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

1960 Mercury Colony Park Country Cruiser

1956 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville

1957 Dodge Royal Lancer

1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer


1957 Lincoln Premiere

1960 Dodge Polara Matador

1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

1950 Studebaker Starlight

What a trip down memory lane!
Be sure to share with all your really old friends! 
How many do you remember?

www.garbowski.net

Imperial Airways 1931 to 1939

What flying was like over 100 years ago.
No in flight-movies, no wi-fi connection and worst of all no pretty stewardesses, how did they make a go of this? The aircraft looks like the tail is going to fall off with the slightest bit of turbulence.

Flying Aboard The Handley Page HP-42.

Imperial Airways 1931 to 1939 

If people had serious money in the 1930s and traveled internationally, they may well have flown on one of these large (130 foot wingspan) Handley Page bi-plane aircraft, which were the mainstay of British Imperial Airways at the time.

They carried 26 passengers in first class only, in three different compartments.  The first class saloon, the bar and cocktail area, and the smoking section.

These machines were ubiquitous, extremely safe (no passenger in a HP-42 was ever killed in 10 years of international and domestic operations from 1930 until 1940), very comfortable in seating, leg room and service, hot meals were served on bone china with silver cutlery, free liquor flowed, overnights were in the very best hotels. There was no rush, no waiting in lines and everyone was well dressed.

Flying along at a few thousand feet, one could see every interesting feature passing below.

At 95 to 110 mph. one also had time to look at the passing panorama. It took four days to a week (depending on headwinds and weather) to fly from London to Cape Town, South Africa by only flying a few hours a day, and staying at the best hotels in Europe, Cairo, Khartoum and the Victoria Falls.

All stops to India also made for an interesting choice of destinations.

 The Handley Page HP-42 “Helena” of Imperial Airways. 1932.

HP-42 “Hanno” at Samakh, Lake Tiberias in Palestine, 1931. Bi-plane aircraft, such as Tiger Moths, can land anywhere; wherever there is a stretch of grass.

 A 1930 flying magazine’s view of the new HP-42 airliner. The Bristol Jupiter engines were initially 450 hp and later bumped up to 550 hp.

The crew. The Captain, almost certainly, would have flown in the First World War (love his cigar).

Khartoum , Sudan Boarding for the flight south. Only one more overnight and then they will be taking in the sights of Lake Victoria.

There was only one class; First Class. This is the forward saloon. Note the gentleman’s pith helmet in the rack. Airspeed indicator and altitude displays – as in modern jets – are on the bulkhead.

Cabin of a Handley Page HP-42. 1931. British Imperial Airways.

The cockpit of a Handley Page HP-42 airliner. London, 1931. No powered controls here.

HP-42 airliner ready for a night flight. London’s Croydon aerodrome, 1931.

Strange Facts about America…

The following are some strange facts about America that most Americans would be shocked to learn… (Highlighted items contain a url link.)

#1      In more than half of all states in the  United States of America , the highest paid public employee in the state is a football coach.

#2      It costs the U.S. government 1.8 cents to mint a penny and 9.4 cents to mint a nickel.

#3      Almost half of all Americans ( 47 percent) do not put a single penny out of their paychecks into savings.

#4      Apple has more money than the U.S. Treasury.

#5      The state of Alaska is 429 times larger than the state of Rhode Island.  But Rhode Island has a significantly larger population than Alaska does.

#6      Alaska has a longer coastline than all of the other 49 U.S. states put together.

#7      The city of Juneau , Alaska , is about 3,000 square miles in size.  It is actually larger than the entire state of Delaware .

#8      When LBJ’s “War on Poverty” began, less than 10 percent of all U.S. children were growing up in single parent households. Today, that number has skyrocketed to 33 percent .

#9      In 1950, less than 5 percent of all babies in America were born to unmarried parents. Today, that number is over 40 percent .

#10    The poverty rate for households that are led by a married couple is 6.8 percent.  For households that are led by a female single parent, the poverty rate is 37.1 percent .

#11    In 2013, women earned 60 percent of all bachelor’s degrees that were awarded that year in the United States .

#12    According to the CDC, 34.6 percent of all men in the U.S. are obese at this point.

#13    The average supermarket in the United States wastes about 3,000 lbs of food each year.  Meanwhile, approximately 20 percent of the garbage that goes into our landfills is food.

#14    According to one recent survey, 81 percent of Russians now have a negative view of the United States. That is much higher than at the end of the Cold War era.

#15    Montana has three times as many cows as it does people.

#16    The grizzly bear is the official state animal of California.  But no grizzly bears have been seen there since 1922.

#17    One recent survey discovered that “a steady job” is the number one thing that American women are looking for in a husband, and discovered that 75 percent of women would have a serious problem dating an unemployed man.

#18    According to a study conducted by economist Carl Benedikt Frey and engineer Michael Osborne, 47 percent of the jobs in the United States could soon be lost to computers, robots and other forms of technology.

#19     The only place in the United States where coffee is grown commercially is in Hawaii.

#20    The original name of the city of Atlanta was “Terminus“.

#21    The state with the most millionaires per capita is Maryland.

#22    One survey of 50-year-old men in the U.S. found that only12 percent  of them said that they were “very happy”.

#23      The United States has 845 motor vehicles for every 1,000 people.

#25     48 percent of all Americans do not have any emergency supplies in their homes whatsoever.

#26    There are three towns in the United States that have the name “Santa Claus“.

#27    There is actually a town in Michigan called “Hell“.

#28     If you have no debt and also have 10 dollars in your wallet then you are wealthier than 25 percent of all Americans.

#29    By the time an American child reaches the age of 18, that child will have seen approximately 40,000 murders  on television.

And now the summary/opinion. More to think about!   Once upon a time we were the most loved and most respected nation on the entire planet, but those days are gone. We have wrecked our economy, we have lost our values and we have fumbled away our future. But if you look close enough, you can still see many of the things that once made this country a shining beacon to the rest of the world. This article includes some weird facts, some fun facts, but also some very troubling facts. If we are ever going to change course as a nation, we need to come to grips with just how far we have fallen.

A Nice bit of History

please click on to the link (at the bottom) and watch through the end


Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer of her time, and said that when he and a million other guys first heard her sing “God Bless America” on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their eyes as they wiped away a tear or two. 
  
Here are the facts… The link at the bottom will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of “GOD BLESS AMERICA”. But before you watch it, you should also know the story behind the first public showing of 
the song.
 
  
The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we’d have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans. 
 
This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to their favorite entertainers, and no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith. 
  
Kate was also large; plus size, as we now say, and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings”. 
 
Kate Smith might not have made it big in the age of TV, but with her voice coming over the radio, she was the biggest star of her time. 
  
Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring. She had hope for America, and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she  went to the famous American song-writer, Irving Berlin (who also wrote “White  Christmas”) and asked him to write a song that would  make Americans feel good again about their country. When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her. He went to his files and found a song that he had written, but never published, 22 years before – way back in 1917. He gave it to her and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they would not take any profits from God Bless America. Any profits would go to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties from this song. 
  
  
This video starts out with Kate Smith coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the new song for the very first time, and starts singing. After the first couple verses, with her voice in the background still singing, scenes are shown from the 1940 movie, “You’re In the Army Now.” At the 4:20 mark of the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper; it’s Ronald Reagan. 
 
To this day, God Bless America stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country.  Back in 1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized just how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and worry….. And for many generations of Americans to follow. 
 
 
Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you’ll enjoy it. 
Many people don’t know there’s a lead in to the song since it usually starts with”God Bless America …..” So here’s the entire song as originally sung…..  ENJOY! 

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0

Kate Smith introduces God Bless America – YouTube