I found this here and, although it’s been around for a bit, I thought it interesting:
The year is 1906.
One hundred [and three] years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906:
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. 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 in the U.S. took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all U.S. 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 in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30.
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn’t been invented yet.
There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. 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.”
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the USA (disproved – see comment by OM).
Possibly the original American Gothic at nebraskahistory.org
I change jobs fairly often – I happen to be a change agent, so I get called on often to help change the culture of an organization. Sometimes that means changing the personnel, sometimes not. What it does mean is that for a period of time, when I first arrive, most people are on their best behavior.
I’ve heard this called the “honeymoon period.” I prefer to call it “the period of suspended judgement.” People aren’t ignoring things, we just haven’t yet decided how we are going to react. This is what I had in mind when I found this little slogan below:
I realize this is just a cartoon, but isn’t this reflective of the expectations of society? Trying to be something we aren’t, instead of celebrating who we are? It’s fine (and noble) to better ourselves, but why do we set ourselves up for failure? This rhino will never be a unicorn anymore than I will ever be ___________ (insert the name of anyone you believe to be attractive), however, it’s ok to work on being an outstanding rhino.
I’m working on it. Join me in my celebration of a better rhinohood.
"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon
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"Experience is something you get... right after you need it." - Steven Wright
Don'stuff 