So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Harp]

Not that I mind premature holiday festive cheer all that much, find it more amusing overall.
At Xmas I give out stockings to the gals at the office which I stuff with film CDs and Central American
coffee ground at a hood cafe. Amazon provides the CDs and I normally buy the stockings at CVS.
I like these socks, large and embroidered with an alphabet letter. Whenever they appear-usually way
before Turkey time, I act fast and nail the Js and Ks cause they go quick.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Running one of my favorite movies The Final Countdown (1980) on my VHS-recorder right now, because the recorder now runs without interferences, since yesterday.

Hypothetical:
IF the story would have turned and the USS Nimitz would have sail into Pearl Harbor 1941, could the navy have been able to re-engineer major parts of her??

 

[Fifty150]

 

[Zombie_61]

Running one of my favorite movies The Final Countdown (1980) on my VHS-recorder right now, because the recorder now runs without interferences, since yesterday.

Hypothetical:
IF the story would have turned and the USS Nimitz would have sail into Pearl Harbor 1941, could the navy have been able to re-engineer major parts of the her??

If the engineers understood the more advanced components of the ship and the materials were available, maybe. Or they might have been able to construct crude "elementary" versions of Nimitz' technologies that would still have been more advanced than anything else anyone had seen in 1941, just to give themselves that slight edge. Or they might not have had the materials and/or knowledge to build/rebuild the nuclear reactor that powered Nimitz, so everything else would have been useless simply because the ship wouldn't have been able to move.

"Knowledge is power." - Sir Francis Bacon, 1597. A person might have the necessary information but still not know what to do with it. Some time around the turn of the century I was told by a representative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that the main reason they/we haven't gone back to the moon is because generations have passed since we last did that and that even though they have all of the schematics, specifications, and drawings available to them, the newest generations can't figure out how to build a lunar lander. They can't even understand how the engineers back in the 1960s and 70s made the Apollo Lunar Excursion Modules work because the technologies were so different then.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Riding with our smalltown's railcar always again reminds me, how relaxing it's to be a man! Beeing a woman must be just horrible all the time. When they sit diagonal-opposite to you in the four-seatgroup, they either cross their legs looking totally uncomfortable, or have their hands in their lap or have their bag on their lap from time to time.

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

Trivial I reckon. But how come I seem to be seeing more nice, and some not so nice, western style hats with a squared off front brim? Rather than a nice rounded front, matching the rest of the hat. Makes me go hmmmmm. Could that be to set one's Bud Light on? Trivial, fo'sho but kinda gives it a cowboy wannabe look. Maybe lead singer in a honky tonk band, or at least the bass player....

 

[Zombie_61]

Trivial I reckon. But how come I seem to be seeing more nice, and some not so nice, western style hats with a squared off front brim? Rather than a nice rounded front, matching the rest of the hat. Makes me go hmmmmm. Could that be to set one's Bud Light on? Trivial, fo'sho but kinda gives it a cowboy wannabe look. Maybe lead singer in a honky tonk band, or at least the bass player....

I think you're talking about what I've heard people refer to as a "shovel" brim. I'm not a devotee of the "western" hat so I don't know how long it's been around or popular. In this part of southern California I mostly see straw western hats worn by latinos riding horseback or doing yardwork, and their styles are all over the map.

 

[Hercule]

Would you rather see the front brim turned down such as to be almost vertical? Don't forget the honking big fanned out feather gorget on the front, and maybe a snake skin hat band for good measure.

 

[Hercule]

I think you're talking about what I've heard people refer to as a "shovel" brim. I'm not a devotee of the "western" hat so I don't know how long it's been around or popular. In this part of southern California I mostly see straw western hats worn by latinos riding horseback or doing yardwork, and their styles are all over the map.

My wife likes to watch, of all things, bull riding and that type of hat with that odd looking brim seems to be part of the "uniform." It's all you see. I've never understood the aesthetic appeal of that type of brim but that's all you seem to see anymore (outside of work a day hats). I'm more amused at the apparent proportions of those things. Some would seem to rival the size of a sombrero!

 

[Zombie_61]

Halloween has devolved into adult females dressing like prostitutes, and drunken thugs shooting each other on the streets. Children are no longer safe to go door to door, for fear of pedophiles. And in some parts of the world, flamboyant men dress as female prostitutes, and engage in public displays of "boy-kiss-boy".

I don't think Halloween has "devolved" into what you've mentioned, but rather it has been that way for decades and we're more aware of it now because we're constantly bombarded with information. It seems everybody wants to pull on your coat these days for one reason or another, and they're usually reaching for your wallet at the same time.

 

[Hercule]

9-11 observances.

I'm sorry, I just can't watch them and I never could. I was home at the time and had the TV on. I watched the events go down as they happened. I really have no need nor desire to relive them every year.

That being said, I have twice visited the Shanksville memorial. It is a very moving and peaceful place and I encourage anyone who is able to visit sometime.

 

[Edward]

I don't think Halloween has "devolved" into what you've mentioned, but rather it has been that way for decades and we're more aware of it now because we're constantly bombarded with information. It seems everybody wants to pull on your coat these days for one reason or another, and they're usually reaching for your wallet at the same time.

Halloween changed a lot from when I was a kid in Ireland in the 70s and 80s. Back then we had the traditional folk-festival, and it was a lot more 'home-made' - you could buy a cheap, plastic 'false face' in the shop, some nuts and bits, but it was very much non-commercial. We still used a real turnip for Jack O'Lanterns. Since moving to England in 1999, I've not had a Jack O'lantern as I can't find a turnip big enough and the idea of using the non-popular pumpkin just doesn't appeal. It rather breaks my heart to see back in the old country the thousands of years old tradition of the turnip being fast supplanted by the commercialised pumpkin sold back to Ireland from the West as a commercialised distortion of the original. Otherwise, it's been interesting to see Halloween become more of a thing in England. I would say that whereas when I was a primary school age child we had Halloween and the English had their bonfire night, Halloween is now as big as Guy Fawkes in England, and has a much more universal appeal. I like to see the fireworks locally on bonfire night, though I'll pass on it as a "celebration". Notably, while very clearly an Americanised version of Halloween, what I see in England still very much concentrates on the traditional ghosts and ghoulies / horror aspect: the 'generic fancy dress' angle that seems to have become a norm in the USA doesn't appear to have taken off over here.

9-11 observances.

I'm sorry, I just can't watch them and I never could. I was home at the time and had the TV on. I watched the events go down as they happened. I really have no need nor desire to relive them every year.

That being said, I have twice visited the Shanksville memorial. It is a very moving and peaceful place and I encourage anyone who is able to visit sometime.

I feel sorry for a niece who turns twenty today. Not the only person I know with a birthday today, but the only one I know born on the actual day itself. Lucky for her she doesn't live in New York itself, but in Bristol.

I'm sure the option to reflect for those directly touched by it is important, though the extent of media coverage feels a touch exploitative. I also feel sorry for the kids born to mothers after their fathers died in 9/11. I've seen a lot of media coverage of them in particular; it can't be pleasant going through your life having other people define you by that event. I just hope they don't have dome to them ever what the Daily Mail did here in the UK on a significant anniversary of the Dunblane massacre (the paper raked social media for photos and evidence of bad behaviour by the surviving kids, and suggested they were wasting the lives they'd been lucky enough to still have, unlike their dead classmates et cetera. Appalling stuff).

 

[Hercule]

I feel sorry for a niece who turns twenty today. Not the only person I know with a birthday today, but the only one I know born on the actual day itself. ....

Forgive me, but the true sorrow is that you are letting an unfortunate coincidence define your niece's birthday for you. You should, in my opinion, celebrate the fact that despite (or is it in spite of?) the horror of the events of that day and the darkness which abounded in the world, amid it all a new life entered the world on that day full of hope, optimism, and potential for the future. Unlike most, you have something considerably brighter by which to remember and commemorate the date. Try not to let recognition of one taint the celebration of the other.

 

[Zombie_61]

Halloween changed a lot from when I was a kid in Ireland in the 70s and 80s...

My own experience with Halloween has changed over the years as well, but it seems the reverse of what you've described. In the 60s and early-70s it was easier to go out and buy a packaged costume (usually manufactured by Ben Cooper) that consisted of a cheap vacuformed mask with a rubber band stapled to it to hold in on your head, and a pajama-like coverall with the character's name emblazoned across the chest that completely ruined the effect. Eventually I and my friends grew older and felt (rightly so) it was better to create our own home-made costumes, so we did. In this part of the U.S. pumpkins were always the base item needed for Jack O'Lanterns, and my dad usually carved ours purely because he seemed to enjoy it. Over the last couple of decades or so Halloween has become big business here, becoming the second largest (i.e., money spent on retail goods) holiday; Christmas is still number one.

Halloween used to be my favorite holiday simply because I enjoyed dressing up and playing the part, but my back problems really took the wind out of those sails (chronic pain will do that) and now I just look forward to annoying my wife on Halloween by watching classic horror movies that she couldn't care less about.

 

[Hercule]

I must admit that when my son was younger I truly enjoyed making costumes for him. Highlights have been an ear of corn, a Mariachi, a traffic light, a spaceman, a pez dispenser, and his last one: a refrigerator with a severed head in the freezer. Thank goodness for duct tape and cardboard boxes!

 

[Tiki Tom]

and his last one: a refrigerator with a severed head in the freezer.

You, sir, are a genius and a great dad.

 

[Fifty150]

Over the last couple of decades or so Halloween has become big business here, becoming the second largest (i.e., money spent on retail goods) holiday; Christmas is still number one.

There are certain retail spaces around here which are only open for holidays. The space is leased for the entire year. But the shop owner empties out the store and lays off the employees between holidays. Valentine's day candy, flowers, cards. Then Mother's day candy flowers, cards. Father's day gifts like ties, socks, coffee cups - all printed with "Happy Father's Day". Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, to New Year's Eve. I guess it makes sense to only open for business when people will buy your stuff. Why waste good money on things like payroll and benefits for full time employees?

 

[Hercule]

You, sir, are a genius and a great dad.

Thank you, you're too kind. Other costumes I forgot were a cowboy (he was probably 2 at the time and we have a picture after we wrestled the camera away from him of a crying cowboy. I made a vest out of cow patterned material for that one.), a chicken, Perry the Platypus, a lawn Gnome, and Gilligan. Typical for kids, our son had different events and activities that he dressed up for, and why waste an opportunity for another costume, hence multiple costumes some years.

 

[Harp]

Aawww, those photos are so sweet. Lucky man Herc. You are a great dad!!!!!!

 

[Edward]

Forgive me, but the true sorrow is that you are letting an unfortunate coincidence define your niece's birthday for you. You should, in my opinion, celebrate the fact that despite (or is it in spite of?) the horror of the events of that day and the darkness which abounded in the world, amid it all a new life entered the world on that day full of hope, optimism, and potential for the future. Unlike most, you have something considerably brighter by which to remember and commemorate the date. Try not to let recognition of one taint the celebration of the other.

That's always the approach that has been taken, and I agree entirely. The media overkill (even here in England) just doesn't always help.

My own experience with Halloween has changed over the years as well, but it seems the reverse of what you've described. In the 60s and early-70s it was easier to go out and buy a packaged costume (usually manufactured by Ben Cooper) that consisted of a cheap vacuformed mask with a rubber band stapled to it to hold in on your head, and a pajama-like coverall with the character's name emblazoned across the chest that completely ruined the effect. Eventually I and my friends grew older and felt (rightly so) it was better to create our own home-made costumes, so we did. In this part of the U.S. pumpkins were always the base item needed for Jack O'Lanterns, and my dad usually carved ours purely because he seemed to enjoy it. Over the last couple of decades or so Halloween has become big business here, becoming the second largest (i.e., money spent on retail goods) holiday; Christmas is still number one.

Halloween used to be my favorite holiday simply because I enjoyed dressing up and playing the part, but my back problems really took the wind out of those sails (chronic pain will do that) and now I just look forward to annoying my wife on Halloween by watching classic horror movies that she couldn't care less about.

I love a good costume too. Friends used to run a cabaret / burlesque night that I attended, about fifteen years ago now - I really used to push the boat out for that. The wife and I always also loved World Zombie Day when it ran in London. It's something I've missed in recent years, really must get back into. I still have my eye on upgrading my Eddie (RHPS) with one of Magnoli's jackets.

There are certain retail spaces around here which are only open for holidays. The space is leased for the entire year. But the shop owner empties out the store and lays off the employees between holidays. Valentine's day candy, flowers, cards. Then Mother's day candy flowers, cards. Father's day gifts like ties, socks, coffee cups - all printed with "Happy Father's Day". Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, to New Year's Eve. I guess it makes sense to only open for business when people will buy your stuff. Why waste good money on things like payroll and benefits for full time employees?

That's the ways of the market. I read a while back that florists here in the UK make over half their income for the year in the two weeks either side of Valentines and Mother's Day. Makes me wonder how some of them keep going the rest of the year. But then isn't the origin of Black Friday that that's the point in the financial years when most businesses begin to hit profit for the year - "in the black", hence the Black Friday appellation?

Thank you, you're too kind. Other costumes I forgot were a cowboy (he was probably 2 at the time and we have a picture after we wrestled the camera away from him of a crying cowboy. I made a vest out of cow patterned material for that one.), a chicken, Perry the Platypus, a lawn Gnome, and Gilligan. Typical for kids, our son had different events and activities that he dressed up for, and why waste an opportunity for another costume, hence multiple costumes some years. View attachment 361038 View attachment 361039

Love the fridge, that's superb!