Watching Shock Top Slowly Turn Irish
Category: Culture
Woman Trapped In Display Window Since 1920
Spring Break, She Is A’Coming
To me, it looks like Spring Break in the French Quarter. But then again, I’m not well-traveled and have never seen a Brisbane Parade before. This image was taken on January 26th, aka Australia Day, clearly a warm day down under. It’s a national holiday, marking the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of Great Britain’s flag by Governor Arthur Phillip. And they celebrate with bikinis and floats, as Governor Phillip would have wanted.
Over-The-Shoulder Look Back
We’ve all seen the celebs walk the red carpet, then pause to give this look.
Granted, they weren’t wearing a calico flour sack like Nemukwunga the Umbakumban. Aborigines living in Groote Eylandt used the sacks as loincloths when modesty was forced upon them. But who could blame them? Flour sacks used to come in all kinds of fun prints!
During the lean years of the Depression, folks would re-purpose the sacks into dresses, shirts, and tea towels.
Of course, some people wear sacks better than others.
And how about those shoes, ladies? I assume the men don’t see them.
Fabulous.
Pace Yourself, Fran
I didn’t even know we had a territory in Samoa, but that’s not surprising, is it? We even have a flag there, a mish-mash of Samoan/USA colors, but it’s odd, truth be told.
It looks like a cheap decal or a page in a first grade coloring book. I get the symbolism of the bald eagle (he looks determined), but as to why he’s clutching a war club and fly-whisk, you got me. They’ve kept this flag longer than I’ve been alive, so I guess it’s all good over there.
The population is about the size of my Austin-suburb city, so surely they have a Starbuck’s and a TJ Maxx and all that’s needed in life. As usual, it makes me want to bust out with songs from “South Pacific.” Isn’t it lovely?
Last Call: Last-Ditch Effort To Make Your Date Attractive
When You Give Up Booze For Lent But Then Your High School Sweetheart Comes To Town And You Hope God Can Forgive You
The Wichita Lineman Is Still On The Line
Proud To Be A Coalminer’s Imp
This mischievous little cutie really was a coalminer’s daughter in Yorkshire, England in 1952. Employment in coal mines fell from a peak of 1,191,000 in 1920 to 2,000 in 2015.
Add that to the list of sooty jobs I’d never want.
Have you ever heard of such a thing?
Time Out For A Tire Seat
All images by photojournalist Carl Mydans in the oil boom town of Freer, Texas in 1937.
Groovy, Man, Groovy
Here we see three wasted Indochinese men being unproductive after their opium fix. LIFE magazine didn’t mince words:
This woman took a hard pass on addictive substances and showed up to the warehouse on time to dry some crepe. 
The article presented a violent look at the Indo-China region, with Tran Dang Man (aka “The Pirate”) lifting his sword in allegiance to the French, whom he and his 25 Annamite troops joined as professional bandits.
French Indochina is now today’s Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.
Cambodian soldiers man a guard tower on a highway leading to Saigon, while the bullock carts hauled rice below, hoping that the 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun wasn’t pointed their way.
In down times, men in Saigon perched on fences like birds on a wire.
This toddler seems to be wondering what the future holds.
Now You’ll Never Get Her Off Your Back
I Don't Get It 