A new drink today. To test the machine to the maximum, a cappuccino is ordered. A smile on the control panel assures me this was not a challenge for the crafty AI entity inside the machine. After a bunch of hissing and spitting, a lovely signature cappuccino is produced. One sip and it is to the clock. The clock is set for March 9, 1924. The location is the Elysee Palace in France. The duration is two hours. Once the plunger is pulled we find ourselves in a meeting of the French Cabinet..
The French Cabinet is holding an emergency meeting to consider extraordinary measures to stabilize the collapsing franc, which dropped to 117.60 francs against the British pound sterling. fro reference in 1919 shortly after WWI the Frank stood at 25 Franks to the pound.
How the French got here is a matter of trying to extract reparation from Germany for the costs of WWI. When the Germans got behind on payments the French and Belgium took over the Ruhr industrial regon of Germany. In response the German government began printing money to pay reparations but was only successful in causing runaway inflation. The French cabinet now needs to approve a plan to get inflation undercontrol. It will not be until 1924 that the Dawes plan set up a payment schedule that brought back normaacy to France and Germany.
The plan was named for Charles Dawes an American who devised the plan and revieved the Nobel Prize since it averted financial collapse of both German and France. We were here to see the beginning of the recognition that such a plan was needed. The alarm takes us to my couch where no plan is needed dfor a nap. My text alert goes off and I see it is Linda Hill. Here text reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “signa…” Find a word that starts with “signa” and use it in your post. Enjoy!
If you want to see how other bloggers handled the prompt go to Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/03/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-9-2024/
Signa by John W. Howell © 2024
“Well that was an interesting history lesson.”
“You mean it?”
“Of course I do.”
“Yurn around.”
“Why?”
“I want to see if your fingers are crossed.”
“You don’t think I could uncross them as I turned around?”
“You are a lot of things but not a cheat.”
“Okay I had them crossed.”
“I don’t know why you don’t recognize the signaficence of history?”
“I do it’s just that I’m focused on the here and now.”
“I can vouch for that.”
“Speaking about here and now.”
“VooDoo Ranger right?”
“Signaficent mind reader.”
“Uber here?”
“Ober there.”
Photo by Dan Antion
“Oh, my goodness. Now I’ve seen everything.”
“I think maybe there are more things for you to see.”
“What is that thing?”
“It’s a Rarie.”
“A dump truck?”
“No a Tip-a-Rarie.”
“Fell for that.”
“Like a rank amateur.”
Fiction Favorites 
Love the truck. Purchased a similar five-window model for to and from college. Got me there and back for a grand outlay of $150. Drove the wheels off it and sold for the same price. Rare then and especially now. Thanks for spurring my memory, John!
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Sounds like a great memory. Thanks for sharing, Grant. 😊
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Hey – no making fun of us rank amateurs!!
Liked the story, John!
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Thanks, GP. I think in some respects we are all rank amateurs.
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I guess it really is a long way to Tip-a-Rarie. And I have to wonder if they take francs . . .
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Ha ha ha. Love it. 😁
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😉
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You got me with that groaner, too, John. Thanks for the history lesson and a laugh.
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Always happy to lay out a low form of humor. Thanks, Dan.
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It was the groaner that did me in, too! Well played!!
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Thank you, Liz.
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You’re welcome, John.
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😁
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Geez. The decisions made after WWI really screwed up a lot of things.
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Some didn’t get straightened out until the 30s and in the case of Germany until after WWII
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Yeah. If you need a world war to fix things, major mistakes were made. That seems to be how it’s taught in school nowadays.
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“Ober there.” LOLOLOL I enjoyed this a lot, John.
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Thank you, Kymber. 😁
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Does your wife ever choose to walk to the bar instead of taking the rusty, funky Uber?
Thanks for the history lesson, John. It’s too bad that while the Dawes act brought Germany and France out of inflation, it would take only 10-12 years to see the coming of a war under Hitler.
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So true. Thanks, Mary.
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Great post, John, a lesson in history. It looks like you’ll have to tip the Uber driver.
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Good point, Tim
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I’d clear the road to watch this go by. Better yet–I’m behind the wheel watching everyone else clear the road.
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A question. Do you go back and pick up the pieces that fall off or keep going?
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You keep going. The key is to act like you own the road…and floor it like hell.
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Wear goggles to protect your eyes from the grit that rises off the floor.
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Oh, groan. But that truck is a CLASSIC!
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Yes it is. Thanks, Noelle.
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LOL! Love the truck, John. Tip-a- Rarie…🤣
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Thank you, Deborah.
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Liked the story, loved the ending. 😂
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Thank you, Laura.
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An interesting trip into history. I love these posts. I learn things I didn’t know. But the Uber ride this time…I have my doubts. 🙂
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I have my doubts too. I can just feel the grit flying into my face as we move down the road.
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HI John, well, I find these little bits of history very interesting. A great picture from Dan
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Yes it is.
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Well done, John — through and through. I love the old truck photo too. Hugs.
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Thank you, Teagan.
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Looks like my first vehicle. I knew how to impress the ladies. 😎
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That would impress them for sure. 😁
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I’m not sure if I should take any of this history lesson at face value, or at about 25 francs to the pound.
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I would go with 25 to the pound.
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That was super clever…signatastic in fact. Well done.
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Thank you, Monika.
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Hahaha! Love the truck. Quite the ride. As for the history lesson, merci beaucoup!
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So welcome for the lesson. The truck may be a little dirty.
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Just a tad…
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😁
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Where are the history teachers who are like John Howell? If this was part of what I learned, I slept through the lesson, because the teacher wasn’t like you. Keep those Ubers and their stories coming! I loved this one.
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Than you, Jennie. You are too kind.
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You are welcome, John. 😍
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😊
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Yeah, sounds nice but I’m still a “ you put the lime in the coconut , drink it all up” guy 🐳
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I understand, Big T. Thanks for the comment. Next time do a sign in so we can see your pretty face.
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That was a fascinating lesson. I’ve heard many things about Germany printing money, but not this.
I did hear that it was good for papering a wall.
Tip a rarie… okay John and Dan … smart Alecs. OR did John come up with that on his own?
Whatever, I sure love a good joke.
Thank you!
🐂🐂🐂🐂
I typed rarie into the emoji search and got this
𝌋 cont -rarie -ty
𝌋 one for each!
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I was the one who raised the rarie. I love the cont-rarie-ly emoji. 🐂🐂🐂🐂
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Ah… figures, after all, you are rarie!
𝌋Ẍ 𝌋Ẍ 𝌋Ẍ 𝌋Ẍ
(a square O, for those who aren’t hip!.)
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𝌋X 𝌋X 𝌋X 𝌋X I’m hip.
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Yes you are!
🌹𝌋X 𝌋X 𝌋X 𝌋X💋
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Now you win. 🤗😘
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🤗😘
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Nice.
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Might have to stop and air up that tire. The driver probably carries a hand pump.
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So true. Maybe just carry the thing to the bar. Need twenty volunteers
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