Category:
Money
Money
Parakeet demands tax refund
Jo-Jo Kay the parakeet was paid $615 a year by the Kay Jewelry chain to go around to their stores and say the phrase "It's Okay to owe Kay." Of this money, $20.50 went to income tax and $12.30 to Social Security. However, Jo-Jo claimed $25 in deductible travel expenses and $1 in charitable contributions (given to the zoo). This dropped his total income to $589, which was less than the $600 personal exemption. So Jo-Jo asked for a refund.
The IRS responded by pointing out that Kay Jewelry wasn't paying Jo-Jo the minimum wage, which meant they were liable to have their property (including Jo-Jo) seized as a penalty.
The picture shows Jo-Jo standing on the head of Internal Revenue Commissioner T. Coleman Andrews. [Milwaukee Sentinel — Jun 24, 1955]
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 10, 2013 -
Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Government, Money, 1950s
What a Life!
Always good to keep your sense of humor in hard economic times.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 07, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Money, 1940s, Europe
Parker Brothers Billionaire Game
Perhaps it's wise that this 1973 game is no longer manufactured. Hard to imagine it being very popular in today's economy. But if you still want a set, so you can pretend to be part of the 1%, check out the link to Amazon below.
More info here.
And here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 27, 2012 -
Comments (9)
Category: Games, Money, Outrageous Excess, 1970s
Dollar Dance
If money could talk.....
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 22, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Money, PSA’s, Cartoons, 1940s
Follies of the Mad Men #188
Subtext: our arcane, byzantine loan policies are as horrifying and deadly as this nausea-inducing hybrid nightmare creature we chose as our new mascot.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 31, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Products, Money, Fictional Monsters
The Thrifty Pig
The Big Bad Wolf was a Nazi?!? Who knew?
Learn more here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 02, 2012 -
Comments (2)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Dictators, Tyrants and Other Harsh Rulers, Government, Money, Propaganda, Thought Control and Brainwashing, PSA’s, Cartoons, 1940s
ATM Machine Unveiled in 1966
According to Wikipedia, this wasn't the very first ATM, but it was among the earlier, prototype models. I like how the caption presciently refers to the machines as "future monsters." Google news link: Saskatoon Star Phoenix, October 31, 1966.I'm young enough that I can't remember the first time I used an ATM machine. Their presence was something I always took for granted. But people 50 or older probably remember when these machines started to appear in the 70s.
Better quality picture:
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 23, 2012 -
Comments (13)
Category: Money, Technology
Pay Phones
What was once normal and not-weird becomes weird with the simple addition of that magical ingredient, "time."
Imagine an era when NYC had "tens of thousands" of payphones!
The other two segments of this video are less strange, but still worth watching.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 06, 2012 -
Comments (12)
Category: Communications, Money, Technology, 1940s, 1950s
Bowdoinham’s 100-year Savings Fund: Part 2
I posted two weeks ago about Bowdoinham, the town that put money away back in 1912 to fund its 250th Anniversary party this year. I sent an email to the Bowdoinham Historical Committee trying to get more details and recently received this response:the outcome of that story was that, yes, funding remained intact and has grown substantially after all these years.
There was $500.00 originally raised in 1912- mostly small donations of .25 here and there (it was a lot then!). It all added up. Remarkably, it stayed intact and is now being used to sponsor the many activities that Bowdoinham is planning in celebration during the coming year. You can read about it here: http://bowdoinham250.org/
There will be some funds reserved and kept to seed future celebrations. We are very fortunate that members of our town had the foresight to do this for us!
There was $500.00 originally raised in 1912- mostly small donations of .25 here and there (it was a lot then!). It all added up. Remarkably, it stayed intact and is now being used to sponsor the many activities that Bowdoinham is planning in celebration during the coming year. You can read about it here: http://bowdoinham250.org/
There will be some funds reserved and kept to seed future celebrations. We are very fortunate that members of our town had the foresight to do this for us!
So their 100-year plan was actually a success! They didn't reveal (at least, not to me) how much money their plan created, but a 1912 article in The Youth's Companion calculated that if they raised $400, they should have around $20,000 in 2012, assuming an interest rate of 4 percent. Since they raised $500, they should have a bit more than that. Enough to have a nice party, but not enough to make them all millionaires.
The Youth's Companion article also revealed that a box was buried in 1912 containing various curiosities, and it should be opened sometime this year:
In a sealed box, to be opened at the time of the celebration in 2012, were placed, among other things, letters from scores of those who contributed to the fund. Many of the letters were from Bowdoinham people, or the descendants of Bowdoinham people in other states or in foreign lands. In some cases the writers described the probable Bowdoinham of 2012 or the imagined conditions of life at that time. No doubt the letters will create much amusement when they are read a century from now.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 13, 2012 -
Comments (2)
Category: Money, Parades and Festivals
The Town That’s Been Waiting 100 Years for 2012
Here's a story that ran in the Oakland Tribune (and quite a few other papers) back in March 1912:
So 100 years has now elapsed. What happened to the money? Is it still there? Did it grow into millions of dollars? I'm curious to know.
Bowdoinham still has a 250th Anniversary Committee, so I guess I'll send them an email. I'll report back when I have more details.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 01, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Money, Parades and Festivals
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |