The greatest thing since sliced bread.
Entry posted by G-Manicus
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Yesterday I indicated that the following are the greatest inventions / discoveries in the history of the world:
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1) Fire
2) The Wheel
3) Football
4) TiVo
5) The NFL Sunday Ticket
I also mentioned the fact that my neighbor is able to use a projector so that we can now watch live TV on the side of his house on a 500 SF screen is also right there on my list now as well. All of this got me thinking of the phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread" and I said to myself "Self, what IS the greatest thing since sliced bread??" I decided to find out.
Well, for starters, it occurred to me that it would probably help if I knew when the whole Sliced Bread Era (SBE) began, so I consulted the always handy Wikipedia which indicated the following:
History
Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa invented the first loaf-at-a-time bread-slicing machine. A prototype he built in 1917 was destroyed in a fire, and it was not until 1928 that Rohwedder had a fully working machine ready. The first commercial use of the machine was by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri, which produced their first slices on July 7, 1928.[1] Their product, "Kleen Maid Sliced Bread", proved a success. Battle Creek, Michigan has a competing claim as the first city to sell bread presliced by Rohwedder's machine; historians have produced no documentation backing up Battle Creek's claim.[2]
For purposes of trying to devise a list of things that would constitute the greatest thing(s) since the SBE began, I've decided to use the year 1928 as the beginning of the SBE, which I think is a fair starting point. This effectively knocks Fire, Wheel, and Football off the list however. In any event, after careful consideration I now submit to you "The 15 Greatest Things of the SBE":
- Television remote
- The Internets (Thanks, Al!)
- TiVo
- NFL Sunday Ticket
- My neighbor doing that projector thingy
- Skybus Airlines ($20 round trip flights out of Columbus!)
- The NCAA Basketball Tournament
- Drive Thru Liquor Stores (BRILLIANT!)
- Seinfeld
- Ipods
- The Godfather (and no, that doesn't include that stupid 3rd movie)
- Right turn on red (of left turn for all the Brits in the crowd)
- That yellow first down line they digitally put on your screen during football games
- Radar detectors
- Three Musketeers bar (created year 3 of the SBE)
Some may quibble with this list I'm sure. For instance, the inclusion of the Three Musketeers bar could possibly be construed as simply a matter of taste (as if!). Whatever. The bottom line is that this list demonstrates that the SBE has seen some brilliant innovations which have helped to make the world a better place to live. Where would we be without the ability to make a right turn at a red light? Think of the traffic! The lost man hours! Yes, we have much to be thankful for in the SBE.
As reasonable people can disagree, by all means, if you have a suggestion for something that you feel should crack the list of Top 15 greatest things of the SBE, submit it here and it will be reviewed accordingly. Until then ...
Best regards,
G
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