The United States ended production of the penny yesterday. For more than 230 years, the penny has circulated through American piggy banks and cash registers. But rising production costs – each penny now costs nearly 4 cents to make – and shifts in consumer behavior have made it impractical to keep producing them.
When I was a kid, someone - maybe my Uncle Joe - etched this little ditty in to the back of my brain, where it's pretty much stayed for the last 65 or so years:
Find a penny
Pick it up
And all the day you'll have good luck.
According to Googles' AI thing, this belief is thought to have roots in ancient times, when metals were considered to be gifts from the gods, bringing protection and prosperity. The saying specifically refers to picking up a penny that is heads-up, while finding one tails-up is sometimes associated with bad luck.
The tradition is a modern version of an old superstition dating back to ancient times, where finding any kind of metal was believed to bring good luck.
The modern version focuses on the penny, with many people believing that a heads-up penny will bring good luck for the rest of the day.
Some versions of the superstition suggest that if a penny is tails-up, you should flip it over before picking it up to ensure you get the good luck.
In the past, a penny was worth much more and could have made a significant difference in a kid's day. They'll have to come up with another jingle for the kids of the future. I wonder when they'll actually call to take them out of circulation.
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Residents at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City were recently instructed to take down Christmas decorations displayed before the authorized timeframe. The notice came from Balfour Beatty Communities, the private company managing on-base housing, which cited lease agreements that restrict when holiday décor can be displayed.
According to a memo sent to residents, decorations should only be put up within 30 days of the designated holiday. The message stated that some homes had already begun displaying Christmas items and requested that residents remove them until the appropriate period.
The housing company clarified that decorations for Christmas may be displayed starting the week after Thanksgiving and should be taken down by the first week of the new year.
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Bazooka was a both a penny candy and Bazooka Joe was a comic strip character featured on small comics included inside individually wrapped pieces of Bazooka bubblegum. He wore a black eyepatch and nobody ever bothered to tell us why. He was one of the more recognizable American advertising characters of the mid-20th century, due to worldwide distribution, and one of the few identifiable ones associated with a candy.
With sales of Bazooka bubble gum down, Bazooka Candy Brands announced in November 2012 that they would no longer include the comic strip in their packaging. Both of my brothers and I would save the wrappers, and one day my brother TJ sent in for a toy boat they had featured. When it got to him, it mighta been three inches long, and it didn't even float. Go figure...
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The Wildwood (NJ) Boardwalks’ iconic Sightseer Tram Cars are entering a new chapter. After more than seven decades rolling along the Boardwalk, the Wildwoods Boardwalk 'Special Improvement District' is testing hybrid and all-electric models to ensure the iconic yellow-and-blue trams keep running for generations to come.
These of the infamous 'Watch the Tram Car please' recording that would play over and over as the little tram-train made it's way along the boards. It frightens me a little that I actually remember when it cost a dime to jump on and hitch a ride. Five bucks this past year...
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New Jersey has some of the most ambitious clean-energy targets in the country. Governor Phil Murphy’s administration committed to 100 percent clean electricity by 2035, phasing out fossil fuels in favor of wind, solar, and nuclear power.
The recent election of Mikie Sherrill - an uber-lib Dem who's promised to not only follow his lead, but expand on it - to replace him all but guarantees that New Jersey's power grid - and the residents of the State - are fucked.
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HVAC filters for almost half the price of big box or hardware stores.
Many other sizes available. Find the size you use here...
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The existence of the cross was largely forgotten until about 10 years later when a filmmaker using a drone rediscovered it in the footage.
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Another unique gift idea for the woman in your life...
(Christmas is coming, ya know...)
Click on the picture for more information on this beautiful bracelet
It's a one of a kind gift - and it comes to you with free shipping!
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I remember a store in Sarasota when I was a kid, the owner would step into the backroom and leave a new curious kid alone, just to see what kind of person you were.
ReplyDeleteAlso speaking of candy, my shelf is full right now but if it weren't that bottom piece would do very nicely!
I was taught that if you spotted a Penny on the ground and it was face up, you were to put it in your shoe and that would bring good luck for the rest of the day. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't.
ReplyDeleteThe cross is not evergreens, think you may have it backwards.
ReplyDelete