Wondering About Barber Poles

When I was young and living in Pennsylvania, a lot of the barber shops had rotating "barber poles" hanging outside of their shops.  You don't see them much anymore and in a lot of areas, jurisdictions prohibit moving signs.  So, how did these striped poles become the sign of a barber shop.

To answer my question, I had to do a little research.  The red and white pole was a representation of the bloody white rags that were wrapped around a pole out in front of bloodletting establishments.  Here is an example of a red and white barber pole:

The original pole had a brass wash basin at the top that represented the vessel in which the leeches were kept and the bottom represented the basin that collected the blood.

Of course, here in the U.S.A., we had to add blue stripes, also.  Gee, I wonder if it had any connection to our flags colors.

So, why did I post about barber poles today?  Well, my wife was complaining about my long hair and wondered when I was going to get it cut.  So, I decided to appease her and got out my big trusty scissors and. . . .

For some reason, I just couldn't do it.  Heck it has taken years to get my hair and beard to this point.  Anyway, it has seemed to have reached its longest limits, but maybe it is just resting for awhile and then will start growing again.  Up until I retired (actually I just quit working), I kept my hair cut and my beard trimmed.  Either way, I still look quite ugly, so why bother. . . Now, you all have a great day, you hear? 

Update:  A commenter who has known me almost all my life, mentioned about how neat a haircut I had when I was younger.  Here is a picture showing me in my favorite car and sprouting a short, neat hair cut: