The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

That storyline, by the way, includes a bit of a coming-of-age moment for Terry:

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm rereading the storyline that introduces Sandhurst as Normandie's husband, and a lot of her present attitude goes back to her feeling that she owes her aunt for raising her as a child, and if Aunt Augusta wants her to marry Sandhurst, that's her obligation. Given what Sandhurst *does* during this storyline, it's hard to imagine feeling any kind of obligation to him at all -- he goes to great lengths to get Pat sent to prison after Pat and the kids save his life -- but Normandie is, in many ways, still a child playing grownup in terms of the way she looks at the world. That was five years ago, but I don't see that she's had a lot of emotional growth since then.

Oh, and lest we think Abraham & Straus failed to do its opening day duty...

(Kind of a lesser effort compared to what the other stores are doing, and besides, white shirts make a lousy background for hitting.)

Those are a lot of words to talk about a white shirt.

 

[Fading Fast]

That storyline, by the way, includes a bit of a coming-of-age moment for Terry:

So how many years did Sandhurst fake being in a wheelchair for? Also, that's some non PC talk from Terry.

 

[LizzieMaine]

This took place in 1937, so he's been pulling the wheelchair scam at least since then. I can't imagine Normandie didn't suspect anything long ago, but I can easily imagine her either wilfully overlooking or thoroughly rationalizing it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And incidentially, that incident came directly after both Sandhurst and Pat learned that Normandie was pregnant. When Normandie informed Pat, she said "the child has to have someone to call 'father' -- even if it's Tony," and it seems pretty clear to Pat what that means. Hence the emotions.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Probable cause for a search warrant. Surely the good padre knows a cop or two who can get the ball rolling.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Oh, and lest we think Abraham & Straus failed to do its opening day duty...

(Kind of a lesser effort compared to what the other stores are doing, and besides, white shirts make a lousy background for hitting.)

$2.50 for a white dress all cotton shirt. I checked out an online inflation source and was informed of an inflation rate of 1,640.59%. That plays out at $41.01 in 2022 . With what Brooks Brothers charges, that could be quite a bargain. Thread count is an issue.

 

[Fading Fast]

$2.50 for a white dress all cotton shirt. I checked out an online inflation source and was informed of an inflation rate of 1,640.59%. That plays out at $41.01 in 2022 . With what Brooks Brothers charges, that could be quite a bargain. Thread count is an issue.

Interestingly, at Uniqlo today - a mass market "fast" retailer - a men's white dress shirt costs $40. But you note the key point, how do you compare the quality of an A&S store-brand shirt in 1942 to a Brooks Brothers or Uniqlo today? My guess is a 1942 A&S store brand is closer to Uniqlo today as both are more mass-market retailers than Brooks, but that's just a guess.

 

[Harp]

Normandie is, in many ways, still a child playing grownup in terms of the way she looks at the world. That was five years ago, but I don't see that she's had a lot of emotional growth since....

A Jewish proverb holds that a man and woman in love can make their bed
on the edge of a sword. ....assuming, of course, these two are adults.

And the issue of adulthood....
Anna Mecklin and Richard Wilhite are guilty of First Degree Murder.
In the former instance infanticide after quicken qualifies Murder 1; the latter charged
committed an equally heinous act, and both mandate emancipation.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("Good-bye Mama, I'm Off To Yokohama...")

The United States has not yet won the battle of war production, but War Production Board chairman Donald M. Nelson declared last night that "we have reached the turning point. Speaking before the annual dinner of the American Society of Newspaper Editors at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Mr. Nelson pointed out that the combined production of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union already is much greater than that of the combined Axis nations, and by the end of this year, he predicts, we will have exceeded the combined reserves built up by our enemies. "During the next year or so," he predicted, "we are going to work harder and sweat harder than ever before in our lives. But we can see ourselves working toward victory."

Congressional circles speculated today that President Roosevelt, by message or otherwise, might ask postponement of action on labor legislation until after his anti-inflation program has been implemented. The Senate is scheduled to debate labor issues on Monday, beginning with the Connolly Plant Seizure Bill. Some legislators believe that the President may present a message dealing with inflation and price-freezing, but also with his views on current proposals for implementing a base work week of 48 hours.

Rationing of coffee and tea is being held out as a possibility by the Office of Price Administration, but officials of that agency stress that no direct preparations for such rationing have yet been made. If those commodities do go on the ration, it is expected they will use the same ration-book system to be implemented for sugar starting next month. Both coffee and tea are imported products, and shortages have already developed due to transportation handicaps.

In the last days before the end of the defense of Bataan, troops were forced to survive by eating monkeys, mules, and horses, and paid $2.50 for a single cigarette. So reports United Press correspondent Frank Hewlett, who was with the last group of American soldiers withdrawn to Corregidor on April 9th. "In the last days," he reports, "there were 10,000 patients in the two field hospitals, and another 10,000 suffering from malaria but sticking it out." Thousands of exhausted, hungry men were left behind on Bataan to wait for the Japanese.

(It's like the Hill Page come to life.)

Within 30 days, District Attorney William O'Dywer will be wearing the insignia of an officer in the United States Army, serving at the rank of Major or Lieutenant Colonel in the Provost Marshal's Office or Military Intelligence. The 52-year-old Brooklyn prosecutor has passed his physical examination and will soon be trading his $20,000 a year job for $4000 or $5000 a year from the Army. He will not, however, resign the office of District Attorney during his period of active duty.

(An Army officer like -- I dunno -- Major William O'Dwyer?)

(Instant potatoes?)

April's list of the "First Fifteen" radio programs, compiled by the C. E. Hooper Company, lists "Fibber McGee & Molly" as the nation's most popular air feature for the third consecutive month, with Bob Hope second and "The Aldrich Family," starring Brooklyn's own Pvt. Ezra Stone, third.

("Southpaws vs. Human Beings?" Mr. Holmes, for those who don't know, is missing his left arm, hence the gallows humor. And gawdblessya Jack Pierce -- somewhere, Cookie knows you're still out there.)

("Holy socks!")

("Pretending?")

("Ooops, let me fix that divot...")

(That's got to weigh at least 250 pounds between the metal and its contents. So, 2 cents a pound. But at least, oh, 120 pounds of that is -- non-meltable -- so it's safe to say Mr. Scrapmonger got cheated! HA HA HA SUCKER!)

(Evil Baritone: "FOR THAT I WILL SHOOT YOU!" Heroic Tenor: "COME ON LETS SEE YOU DO IT!")

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm happy to see Mary Shanley get her job back, but I wonder how much of that is good behavior and how much of it is Valentine being desperate for detectives?

And with this, Jerry and Anna are lost to history.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand what woman might THAT be?????

Ha ha, it isn't even recapped.

Mr. Gray is handling this, I must say, with unaccustomed restraint.

"Besides, shouldn't you be working on those complaints from the Board of Medical Licensing?"

"Tall and skinny, with queer-looking feet." In other words, every man in this strip.

Loose Lips!

That's called using your initiative!

Well, it can't be that Pop's going into the Army. Can it?

 

[Harp]

Pat seems ol' sod; reckon Cork by the likes, or Sligo, inismuch probably as balad
tells ran off at just gone sixteen with a local battalion of the bold IRA. A man eschewed
British Army and Royal Navy, just lookin at the lass Barbara wishin' tide hadn't turned south,
but here for reasons deep seated solitaire. A rover by nature but now on the run. Methinks a prince
who travels beneath curse and bootheel.

 

[Fading Fast]

("Good-bye Mama, I'm Off To Yokohama...")
...

There's something comforting in that, despite everything going on in the world, the scratches are still on the front page.

...


(It's like the Hill Page come to life.)
...

Great call on it being like a Hill Page, Lizzie.

...

(An Army officer like -- I dunno -- Major William O'Dwyer?)
...

That would be perfect, like it was scripted out of Hollywood.

...

And with this, Jerry and Anna are lost to history.
...

That is a surprising verdict.

...

"Besides, shouldn't you be working on those complaints from the Board of Medical Licensing?"
...

Between Dr. Meager and the Doctor in "Little Orphan Annie," the medical profession is not being portrayed favorably in the world of comicstrips lately.

 

[Harp]

Anna Merckling escaped Justice. Man 1 against infanticide is a prosecution nod to trial
practicalities with all things considered; however, Man 1 should have been tendered for plea,
and, if rejected, upped to Murder 1.
------
And that woman was probably Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, all decked out to the nines,
wielding a niblick.

 

[Harp]

^ Scratches best known beforehand, as in the case when the Pegasus fell apart HumptyDumpty.
Approached for answers, I told each and all conerned to ride Baffert and O'Brien barn paddock full out
for exacta, switched for good measure with Bob's bet top dog. Exactamundo exacta.
A gambler has to ride the rain and the sunshine.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Pat seems ol' sod; reckon Cork by the likes, or Sligo, inismuch probably as balad
tells ran off at just gone sixteen with a local battalion of the bold IRA.


Fergal O'Hanlon was from Ballybay, County Monaghan, if the ballad in question is prototype.

 

[Harp]

Sung at The Cork & Kerry no less lad. A Sox enclave full to the rafters, wherein a Cubs fan risked
life and limb and all that's holy just to imbibe incognizant among the heathen riffraff.

 

[LizzieMaine]

(Maybe, just maybe, they need to give up on the Normandie.)

A new Soviet offensive breaking thru Finnish-German lines on the Karelian Isthmus north of Leningrad has annihilated another 1800 enemy troops, and seized a number of fortified positions, it was reported today in Moscow dispatches. The Moscow radio, monitored in London, also broadcast a Pravda dispatch which said that on the northern front Soviet fighter planes of the northern Russian fleet shot down seven German bombers and eight fighters while damaging twelve others from fleets attempting to raid Murmansk.

U. S. Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall and Harry L. Hopkins yesterday told American fighting men in Northern Ireland that industrial war production at home is nearing its peak, and will soon enable our command-trained troops to strike at the enemy in Europe. Marshall and Hopkins flew to American bases in Northern Ireland from "successful and important conferences" with British leaders in London. They reviewed a great parade of American artillery and infantry which passed in a seemingly-endless line of trucks, gun carriers, command cars, jeeps, and artillery.

(And somewhere, one Cuthbert Behan says "don't worry, boys, it's all set.")

The Brooklyn and Long Island Automobile Dealers Association has sent a letter to President Roosevelt, imploring him to have the Government officially buy up the 1942-model cars now frozen from sale under rationing regulations. The dealers argued that accumulating insurance and storage charges for the impounded cars will drive them into "involuntary bankruptcy" unless the Government takes action.

A 52-year-old German-born Bowery resident began serving a thirty-day term in the workhouse after being found guilty of disorderly conduct. Police said Ernest Kuske "threw the Bowery into an uproar" by shouting "Heil Hitler! Down with Roosevelt!," and though Kuske claimed he did so while drunk, Magistrate Thomas A. Aurelio handed down the workhouse sentence, announcing his intention to make an example of Kuske to fellow Germans who might share his views.

"Displeased Reader" writes in to argue against the idea of setting clocks ahead another hour on top of the present Eastern War Time. "The new war time has been a hardship for many who must arise at an early hour," DR declares. "They will not complain because they know their suffering will help a just cause. But why impose on them any unnecessary burden in the hot weather when the late sunset hour, according to the clock, will mean that many bedrooms will be too hot to permit sleep at the usual retiring hour?"

("Wha's wittalleese homehs?" sputters Joe. "I t'ought we got ridda Hamlin!" "He cawls hisse'f 'Casey' now," growls Sally. "'Splains a lot," mutters Joe.)

(Bold though his opinion on butter may be, I fully agree with Mr. Lunt.)

Mayor LaGuardia this week unveiled his official "war car," a former New York Police Department radio car specially equipped for His Honor's personal use. The vehicle retains its green-and-white police color scheme, but it is distinguished by the large "NYC" letters painted in white on the green hood, two oversized red emergency lights similar to those found on fire engines, another light equipped with a special lens that flashes the word MAYOR when a switch is thrown, bumpers painted in special luminous blackout paint, and five white enameled stars painted front and back. It is noted that full Army generals are only entitled to four stars on their staff cars.

Old Timer John P. Pfalzgraf writes in to say that yes, indeed, not only was tobacco grown by the Dutchmen of Old Brueckelen, but also wolves, bears, and coyotes freely roamed the wilderness of Long Island. The tobacco "wasn't as good as the Cuban variety," he says, "but it could be smoked and satisfied the Dutchmen and the local Indian tribes," although it was "rank, like the present Connecticut variety." Mr. Pfalzgraf adds that the old-timer who told him these facts also told him that there was once a time when whales abounded in Long Island Sound, and that the oyster beds of that time "yielded oysters a foot long." And, he says, you can look it up if you don't believe him.

The Sunrise Drive-In Theatre at Valley Stream opens for its 1942 season next Thursday night, with "Western Union," featuring Randolph Scott, Robert Young, and Virginia Gilmore as the opening attraction.

The recent musical success "Pal Joey" comes to the Flatbush Theatre next week after a 49-week Broadway run. The show will appear at the Flatbush substantially unchanged from its original production, with David Burns and Vivienne Allen reprising their Broadway roles. Vivienne Segal and George Tapps will star. The show, featuring the music of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, is based on characters originated by John O'Hara in his series of "New Yorker" magazine stories.

(Her smile is thanks enough.)

(Well now, we haven't seen Fat Hermann in a while, and he doesn't even get the center drawing.)

(Firemen who don't know how to hot-wire?)

(It didn't take long for Leona to get used to being the Lady of the Manor again. And poor Kay is just counting the days until the WAACs start taking enlistments.)

(What, no "Fido?" No "Prince?" No "Fala?")

(Mr. Hix spends a lot of time around the dogtracks.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

This Assistant Director Foxworth has a very good press agent.

I have that actual Red Cross First Aid Hand Book, and it doesn't say anything about slacks.

"I never heard of you!" Sure, rub it in -- DICK Tracy.

"Mmmmm!" says Sandy. "BONES!"

Kayo will grow up one day to be a very wealthy man.

Yes, I'm sure Stretch will be terribly disappointed when he finds out.

You people really ought to get a cat.

Listen, kid, if you want advice, you should be getting it from Shadow.

And nowwwwwwww......

Are you SURE? It might be Henry Morgan, the comedian, and the skull is one of his sponsors.

 

[Harp]

Waller won at Jamaica and Colchis thieved the Chesapeake Stakes. Alsab proved knave Jack,
so the kid's a busted flush and shot his bolt. The handle is healthy. A wealthy and wise jackpot
succor for ace handicappers; all before the integral differential calculus crows crapped all over
the trackrail. Those railbirds of yesteryear; many of whom were simple lost souls really had guts.

Marshall knows the US Army is currently unprepared to take on the professional Axis.
Making a soldier takes time; a solid noncommissioned core, supply logistics take even longer.
Time waits for no man, and the Solomons will prove testing. But the Americans are armed
with the M1 Garand, the finest rifle ever produced.