Breadman

On occasion, you may have heard it said of some wonderful gadget, “This is the greatest invention since sliced bread!” This is intended to be both a compliment and a reference to how revolutionary and world-changing the invention is. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that while people have been slicing bread for eons, pre-sliced, packaged bread has only been available since 1928, when Otto Frederick Rohwedder introduced the world’s first mechanical bread slicer on July 7th that year.

I don't know if I could imagine life without sliced bread? In 1930 Wonder begins to sell pre-sliced bread and wouldn't you know it the toaster sales skyrocketed two years later!

By 1933, only five years after its introduction, American bakeries were turning out more sliced than unsliced bread. Rohwedder sold his invention to the Micro-Westco Co. of Bettendorf, Iowa, and he became vice-president and sales manager of the Rohwedder Bakery Machine Division of Micro-Westco, Inc. Rohwedder retired to Albion, Michigan in 1951 with his wife Carrie.

So after 89 years think of all those inventions that have been compared to the bread slicer. Like this blog, it sure is the best thing since sliced bread. 😛

Put Your Hands Up! #TBT

I know I know 40 years ago today Star Wars came out but how many of you remember 31 years ago today when we all went outside for 15 minutes and held hands creating a human chain across America? Wait what you do not remember Hands Across America??

Hands Across America was a national event that benefited the USA for hunger and local homeless charities. At 3 PM Eastern time on May 25, 1986—30 years ago today—6.5 million people held hands in a (sort of) continuous line from coast to coast.

An estimated 7 million Americans participated in “Hands Across America” to raise money for the nation’s hungry and homeless at $10 bucks a pop just to say you were part of History. Thanks to my grandma I was part of that history! We closed down a major highway in town to join hands but I also remember how it was not one long line. I mean come on we live in the middle of farm country that is a lot of open roads.

Yet somehow we did make history it has been reported that the longest unbroken section of the chain was allegedly in Illinois! Even thou that was more down south we will take!

In order to allow the maximum number of people to participate, the path linked major cities and meandered back and forth within the cities. Just as there were sections where the "line" was six to ten people deep, there were also undoubtedly many breaks in the chain. However, enough people participated that if an average of all the participants had been taken and spread evenly along the route standing four feet (1.2 m) apart, an unbroken chain across the 48 contiguous states would have been able to be formed.

Hands Across America raised $34 million. According to the New York Times, only about $15 million was distributed after deducting operating costs.From Wiki Pedia

So who remembers doing this? Did you do it? Let me know in the comments below now if you will please excuse me I need to go watch Star Wars.