Let's Bring Back: Part Three, H-K

Welcome to Part Three of "Let's Bring Back." If you missed our discussion on what this is all about, click here.

Note: If an item on this list is highlighted in blue, you can click on it, if you wish, for a description.

Let's bring back...

Handwritten thank-you notes



Show your gratitude by writing a simple thank you note.

Sending a "thank you" by email is better than no "thank you" at all but a handwritten thank you note adds an extra personal touch missing in electronic communication.

Keep a little drawer of stamps and stationery at hand. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. A few lines written on the back of a postcard will do.

Studies show that expressing gratitude has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others.



Hat boxes


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Hats were once commonly stored in decorative hatboxes to protect them from dust or being crushed or misshapened. And, as Gloria Swanson demonstrates above, hat boxes were used for travelling. Particularly handy if you're taking both your trilby and your Homburg.

And while we're bringing back hat boxes, let's bring back hats!







Head scarves

This...



Not this...




Nor this either...





Home wet bars



Need we explain why no home is complete without a wet bar?

Comes with complimentary houseboy/bartender, naturally...





Imperfect smiles

Think Anna Paquin...



Rather than the perfect line of Chiclets teeth on Jessica Simpson...



But let's not go overboard and take imperfection as far as Shane MacGowan...





Jukeboxes



Have you ever seen a jukebox in a McDonald's? Possibly, but not likely.
Update: I was wrong.

Jukeboxes were a staple in diners all over Canada and the United States and were especially popular from the 1940s through the mid-1960s.



Drop a nickel in the slot and select a tune!

The Infomaniac Jukebox would play only songs we like, of course.

Anyone trying to slip in a rap song will be BANNED.



"The Kindness of Strangers"



I have always depended on the kindness of strangers
- Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire

While the Random Acts of Kindness movement may sound a little too "Oprah" for you, their hearts are in the right place.

Their aim is to inspire people to practice kindness and pass it on to others.

We here at Infomaniac agree.

An act of kindness can only take a moment or it can be a commitment of time on a regular basis...it's your choice and that's part of its appeal.

Need some ideas? Click here.


Which of the above would you Bitches like to bring back?

And would you add anything to this "H-K" list?

Come back soon for Let's Bring Back: Part Four.  

Let's Bring Back: Part Two, D-G

Welcome to Part Two of "Let's Bring Back." If you missed our discussion on what this is all about, click here.

Note: If an item on this list is highlighted in blue, you can click on it, if you wish, for a description.

Let's bring back...

Discreet voices



We do not want to hear your cell phone conversation. Do not make us print out this guide on How To Practice Cell Phone Etiquette and shove it down your throat.



Door-holding etiquette





A polite gesture that only takes a moment and your good manners will be appreciated...sometimes. 

I'm surprised by the number of people who do not say "thank you" when the door is held open for them. Nonetheless, I shall continue to hold doors open. But I'll remember your face, beeyotch, and the door will be slammed shut in it next time.


Dressing screens





Disappear behind a dressing screen and saucily toss your petticoat over the side as you continue to undress.



Elegance



When Suzy Parker gracefully steps out of this car, not only will she look fabulous; her knees will stay together.



Elevator operators





That's right. Men and women in uniform used to press the elevator buttons FOR you!

"Ground floor: Perfumery, stationery, and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food. Going up..."

And while we're at it, let's bring back beautiful elevators like this Canadian Art Deco beauty!





Evening strolls



Rather than collapsing onto the couch for a night of TV re-runs, get up off yer arse and enjoy a leisurely stroll through your neighbourhood.

You can gossip about your neighbours' decorating tastes. It's easier to see into their houses when their lights are on at night!



Fainting couches



I couldn't do without mine. Hand me my cold compress and vacate the room, please.


Fans, handheld



Not simply a charming way to keep cool, handheld fans have their own secret language!...





Garden parties





Tea, cocktails, finger foods, and croquet and horseshoes in a idyllic outdoor setting.

Not your typical BBQ with Uncle Fred showing up in his "Kiss the Cook" apron with a burnt weenie.


Which of the above would you Bitches like to bring back?

And would you add anything to this "D-G" list?

Come back soon for Let's Bring Back: Part Three. 

While You're Waiting...

While you're waiting for the next installment of "Let's Bring Back," why don't you put on a fresh pot of coffee?

Let's Bring Back: Part One, A-C

Welcome to Part One of "Let's Bring Back." If you missed our discussion on what this is all about, click here.

Note: Links for some of the following words/terms are provided if your first language is not English...or for those of you who are still too young to live at the Villa of Queens Old Homosexuals' Haven Retirement Home and would not know what a "car tail fin" was if it fell off and hit you on the head.

Let's bring back...

Aging naturally



The Advanced Style blog and book show stylish older women, living life to the fullest. Please try to avoid the Jocelyn Wildenstein look and age as nature intended you to. Every wrinkle tells a story, don't it?



At-home doctor visits



I don't know about you Bitches, but when I'm feeling poorly, I don't fancy travelling across town to wait for two hours in a waiting room full of sick people, another half hour waiting in the examining room, and then making the return trip home. And yet, that's exactly what I have to do. Calling Dr. Kildare!

Oh, and while we're on the topic, I was recently given the option of having this instead of seeing a doctor face-to-face in the actual room with me. I'm not living at a remote weather station in Antarctica or a small archipelago in the middle of the ocean, ffs!



Attention spans (are you Bitches still with me?)



Bandstands



Music in an outdoor setting, free and accessible to all.



Beautiful train stations (e.g. New York’s Penn Station was an architectural treasure before its demolition in 1963)



Let's bring back the death penalty for developers who don't respect architectural heritage.



The Carol Burnett Show



Reruns of The Carol Burnett Show would be a welcome break from reality television. In the meantime, thank goodness we have our Thom's Redundant Variety Hour!


Car tail fins





I ♥ chrome and fins.

I can't tell a modern Honda Accord from a Honda Civic from a Toyota Camry. Bring back automotive style, design and character.


Courtship



Woo before you screw.

AyeM8y asked yesterday, "Can we bring back casual sex and one night stands?" So there may be some dissension amongst you regarding the revival of courtship.


Covered bridges



Also known as "kissing bridges." What a perfect place to court your sweetheart. Or give him a blowjob if you're AyeM8y.



Which of the above would you Bitches like to bring back?

And would you add anything to this "A-C" list?

Come back soon for Let's Bring Back: Part Two.

Happy Birthday, Thom!

It's a little late in the day but let's all wish Thom a happy birthay!

How about we celebrate with some "high class biscuits and cakes?"...


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NOTE: Don't you Bitches forget to join us on Sunday for Part One of Let's Bring Back.

Let's Bring Back

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
-"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell


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Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t enjoy living in an age of instant-this and digital-that, smart-this and techno-that. Nor would I care to return to an era before civil rights, gay rights, or women’s rights.

But from time to time, Mistress MJ hearkens back to days of yore and wonders about some of the things we’ve given up along the way in our modern world.

In her book, “Let’s Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By,” author Lesley M. M. Blume celebrates objects, ideas and people from bygone days that should be reintroduced to society.



Over the course of the next week or so, Mistress MJ will be posting (based on some of the items listed in the book) a number of things we should consider bringing back. I couldn't narrow it down to just a few items because I concur with many of the author's choices. Therefore, I'll be posting the lists in installments.

We’ll start with Part One on Sunday.

We hope you’ll join us!

NOTE: The top photo depicts a drive-in waitress or carhop. Carhops aren't listed the book but I'd bring them back anyway. And of course they'd wear roller skates!

Coloured Toilet Paper

When was the last time you purchased a roll of toilet tissue in any colour other than white?



Toilet paper was once available in a rainbow of colours such as pink...



Green...



Lavender, blue, and yellow.



You could choose a colour of toilet paper to match or complement the colour of your bathroom.



Coloured toilet paper was popular in the U.S.A. and Canada until the 1980s when it fell out of favour because of health and environmental concerns.

Coloured toilet paper is back.

The scented three-ply toilet tissue by Renova will come in Black, Fuchsia, Cyan, Red, Yellow, Orange, and Apple Green.



And it has built-in moisturizing lotion.

They say their product is eco-friendly and dermatologically tested.



Will you wipe your butt with it?

Bathroom Relaxation Unit

During recent bathroom renovations, Mistress MJ installed a Hall-Mack Relaxation Unit, especially for your needs.

The Relaxation Unit provides ample space for toilet paper, cigarettes, matches, ashtray, magazines and newspapers.


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What would you add to the Relaxation Unit?

Quote of the Week

Mistress MJ awards the "Quote of the Week" to Cookie for:

"Zuckerberg you midget cock punching mother fucking father sucking piss drinking asshole."

Full post here.


Note: "Quote of the Week" is a new series here on Infomaniac. YOU could be quoted next.

Wenis Wednesday - Spaghetti Edition

"Anthony! Anthony!"

Wednesday is not just Wenis Wednesday...Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day.

Allow me to explain. And thanks to our Thom for enlightening me.

Boston-based "Prince Pasta" is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Watch this 1969 commercial for "Prince Pasta" which ran for 13 years...



The cry of "Anthony! Anthony!" became as recognizable in American pop culture as "Stella!" in "A Streetcar Named Desire."

"Advertising for the company during the period before the 1950s was mainly done in Italian newspapers since spaghetti and macaroni were considered an ethnic food.

Around 1953, Mr. Pellegrino hired the advertising firm of Jerome O'Leary of Boston where they created the famous slogan "Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day." This was an attempt to introduce non-Italians to pasta products. The advertising at this time was done on radio. Prince sponsored "The Stan Freberg Show"; and later did television commercials sponsoring the Sunday Night Movie of the Week. This was a big advancement for Prince. Joseph P. Pellegrino II continued to take an active part in the business in the early 1960s with aggressive advertising and promotions. In 1969, the famous "Anthony" TV commercial was introduced to the public."

Now you know.

What are your Italian food preferences, Bitches?


NOTE: A happy Rosh Hashanah to our 3.5 Jewish readers.You got upstaged by the Italians when Thom sent me the photograph.

Back to School - Career Corner

Are you a woman over 40? Of course you are.

Now that school is back in session, we here at Infomaniac offer the "mature" student an appealing career training opportunity.



Important, well-paid positions and a sound future await the woman who trains as a FLORIST.

If you want to work in a flower shop or open your own shop, write today for information on how to become a florist. If you are a flower lover but do not wish to become a professional florist, ask about our course in Home and Show flower arrangement.

Why not start your own home flower delivery service? Imagine the fascinating people you'll meet!...


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Now that you've seen one of our career options, tell us what you'd REALLY choose to do if you could make a career change.