CarTunes on Parade

While going through some old pictures from the past, I ran across these pictures from the summer of 2005. These are the "CarTunes on Parade" which were placed around downtown and midtown Detroit, partially for the Major League Baseball All Star Game, which was held at Comerica Park. The pictures I have selected are a few of my favorites. The first car pictured is my favorite of all the cars. This was at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Elizabeth, near Comerica Park. I liked this car, because the Tigers were (and still are) my favorite baseball team, and I enjoy seeing them play. The second car is called  "Small Business", and was located at One Woodward Avenue. It is reminiscent of any small business owner, and their drive to own and operate a successful business. I like seeing the flames and record player on this car, as it takes "Fire Power" to keep your business running smooth like a record

This car is the Motown tribute car, located at Woodward and Larned, with many of the old motown acts from the 1960s and '70. The car had the likes of The Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Four Tops, the Temptations, The Jackson Five, and many more. 

This Transformer type CarTune was another favorite. This was located at Campus Martius Park, and was taken at the Detroit Jazz Festival. This is a favorite because of it's action figure design, and futuristic elements. 

The Yellow Submarine car , located at Hart Plaza near the Ampitheatre, was another of my favorites. The octopus looks like it is hitching a ride with this gentleman, who is thoroughly shocked and intimidated by it 

Oh my HoJo!

As I am going through some of my late grandmother's items, I run across this folder from the Howard Johnson chain of hotels. The folder was from the Chattanooga, TN HoJo, which is now a La Quinta Hotel. She was in Chattanooga to visit her sister, my great-aunt, who lived in Tennessee at the time. I became interested in the history of Howard Johnson, both the hotels and the restaurants (one was located in Highland Park, Michigan, at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and California, next to what is now Highland Park City Hall). According to the site  HoJoLand, one Howard D. Johnson was in debt after his father's passing. He had taken over a pharmacy and ice cream parlor in Quincy, Massachusetts in the late 1920s. His restaurants grew and grew, and he even gave food to the troops during the second World War.  In the 1970s, there were around 500 hotels with the Howard Johnson name. As of 2019, there is only one surviving Howard Johnson restaurant in Lake George, New York. I find this folder interesting, as you do not see these types of folders in many hotels anymore, except for when you might need some local attractions during your stay. You still have phone directories, glasses and an ice bucket for your cold drink of water or whatever beverage you prefer, a Gideons Bible or New Testament in the nightstand drawer, or a local tourism magazine/ My favorite part of this folder is the postcards and the questionnaire. There was even an old application for an American Express money card, which someone could use during their stay or eat at  at any Howard Johnson Motor Lodge or restaurant across the country. Doubt that the card or application could be used today, at over 40 years old. 

YouTube Friday: Ed Butowsky in ESPN's 30 for 30 - Broke Montage

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope 2019 is going well so far. For the first YouTube Friday video of the year, I have selected this video from Ed Butowsky's YouTube channel. The documentary this comes from, titled Broke,  is one of the "30 for 30" series that was originally on ESPN some years ago. I always say that all sports leagues should make the documentary required viewing at rookie orientation, as well as at preseason/postseason meetings,  when they get to the topic of financial literacy and how to (and not to) spend your money, as well as colleges, where there are young men and ladies thinking about going professional in sports. I think that people can learn from others who have lived through this experience or have worked with people who have gone broke.