"That Was Then" Trivia

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In ancient Rome admission to events in the colosseum
for the majority of the middle class people was free.
The person had to be a free citizen and had to have
a ticket (called a tessera). These were provided by
the wealthy citizens and by companies, guilds, and
organizations as promotional items, payments, and
even bonusses for services rendered.

Most of the tesserae(pl) were made of clay pottery shards
about the size of a penny. They were stamped with
gate number, tier level, and seat number. This helped
Colosseum workers get the 80,000 people to the correct
marble stone seat.

Wealthier citizens, senators, elite soldiers, and nobility had
to purchase their tesserae. But they enjoyed the carnage
from the lowest two tiers and were provided cushions to
put on the marble.

In medieval Europe, wedding ceremonies often took place in baths. Participants stood in a large tub as food was passed-around on small boats.

Price of a box of Girl Scout cookies when they debuted in 1936: 25 cents.

Average cost of a movie ticket in 1940: 24 cents.

(I'd rather go to the movies than eat Girl Scout cookies, anyway.)

In 1924 a new Ford cost $265.

Around 1968, in candy stores, there was a 5-cent column and an 8-cent column for candy bars.

Until about 1975, Bazooka bubble gum cost 1 cent each.

Around 1969, the New York Daily News went up to 8 cents, then went down to 5 cents.

In the early 1970's, one could get a slice of pizza and a LARGE coke for 35 cents.

Gas cost 35 cents a gallon all through my childhood--until 1973, when it shot up into the 50's because of the first Oil Embargo.

Up until 1972 or so, tolls on the Triborough (now the Robert F Kennedy) Bridge were a quarter. One used to throw the quarter into a machine from his/her car.

Cigarettes were about 55 cents a pack in 1976.

In the 13th century, Europeans baptized children with beer.

Beer became more popular than wine in
European countries during the middle ages
due the "Little Ice Age" effect on growing
grapes.

This beer preference carried over to North
American as it was colonized.

Cool!

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The Pilgrims refused to eat lobsters because they thought they were really big insects.

Parrot tongue and ostrich brains were considered delicacies in the Roman Empire.

In the Middle Ages chicken soup ws considered an aphrodisiac.

This is not history or important facts.
Just a story from That Was Then......

When I was 7 or 8 my dad would take me
overnight fishing for catfish on the Missouri River.

We would walk out on 'wingdams' that stretched
from shore out into the river about 200 feet.
These were groups of 3 wooden pilings spaced 15 feet
apart and bound one to the next with heavy steel cables.
All along were boulders that we walked on. We had to
carefully negotiate around each set of piling as we
worked our way out to the end of the wingdam.

The best fishing was at the furthest point out into
the river, leeward side, where the fish fed.. away
from the fast current.

People didn't swim across the Missouri. The ones
who did were usually found a few months later.
It has strong currents and deep whirlpools. Especially
at the spot we would fish.

No city lights, just our flashlights. Lanterns were too
clumsy to bring. Fishing poles, tackle boxes.. that was
enough, and not slip off the rocks.

It would be pitch black out there.
I could hear the deep burbling of the current.
Whirlpools would sneak by.. they had an even deeper gurgle.
Like a big drain.
The noise was subtle. Almost silent. Sinister.
But I knew it was down there.

I swear.. back those days, there were more stars.
I would lay, propped between boulders and look up at them.
Watching the backbone of the universe slide across for hours.
It was So dark.

Often the fishing was dull.
We'd be out in that river till dawn.
Black, black except blueish and reddish and crystal white stars.
Silent. Faraway murmuring.
It would whisper it's power to me.

I would start to fade asleep, but then jerk awake.
Had I slipped down a little?
Best... not move. Sit tight. Try to piece another constellation.

Slowly I Would fall asleep.
I was floating along. Slow. Swirling slowly along.
Water moving on three sides of me.
I was Huck Finn.
My raft was made of rocks.

When the water finally growled a bit too loud,
I would sort of freak awake and actually kick a
leg to brace.... but I hadn't slipped.

That shock would keep me awake for another star session.

My eyes worked then.
Everything was possible.
The 'world of humans vs me' hadn't started yet.
I wouldn't have a clue about AS for years.
Things were good.
I was me.

Awww, Tunkan, I LOVED that----I'm really glad you posted it!! ! Yeah, things sure are different when you're a kid----not a care in the world.....

^^ Thank you Cat. ^^
It was late, I couldn't sleep.
I was reading this thread, trying
to remember some trivia that I know...
instead, my tired brain drifted to the river story.

When I woke up, I went to delete it
as it was off topic, not trivia.
I do appologize, but the memory was nice.

..and now, we return to our regular programming...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cotton remains nature's most wonderful fibre.
Today it is even used for flight clothing by astronauts.

It was first worn by the original peoples of what is now
Mexico. Cotton cloth remnants and cotton bolls have
been discovered in caves there. Accurate dating places
their age at the equivalent time to 6000 years BC.

The next oldest use of cotton occurred in regions
of Pakistan and Egypt at the equivalent time to 3000 years BC.

No need to apologize!

~~~~~~~~~

America's first minimum wage, in 1938, was 25 cents an hour.

The cost of things in 1926:

• Pound of steak: 37 cents
  
• Dozen eggs: 45 cents
  
• RCA radio: $150
  
• Frigidaire Refrigerator: $395
  
• Chevrolet: $510
  
• Grand Piano: $625
  
• New York to Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania Railroad: $3