Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
When the majority of us were kids, we remember our parents telling us about their childhoods and it seemed like some black and white movie era a gazillion years ago. I remember seeing their photos from the 40’s and 50’s and couldn’t conceive how they got by back then. Well, my kids are 13 and 16 and think the same thing about my childhood and it’s really kind of freaky. They really think I lived amongst the dinosaurs and when I think back compared to today, we sure as hell did.
Of course only 7 channels on TV, no internet or video games – that angle has been hashed out to death - but my kids never heard the term “Saturday Morning Cartoons.” I lived for Saturday morning, I mean lived for it: Bugs and Scooby, Speed Racer, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. But in today’s Politically Correct society, many of these shows would not exist or be modified to milquetoast crappola. It would be Smiling Albert, or Calorically Challenged Albert (on the WB) who would be a Type 1 diabetic and teach the kids about the basic food groups which has been changed 1,000 times since we were kids. And we would have “Speed-Limit” Racer without Chim Chim the monkey in the Mach 5 trunk, thanks to PETA (How do I manage to mention those psychos every damned day?) Scooby Doo would have to change the characters as Velma would be black (played by Wanda Sykes) and Shaggy would be Hispanic (played by Cheech Marin) and Daphne, an Asian (played by Margaret Cho.) The Road Runner would never feature giant anvils, strap-on rockets, and the Coyote plummeting a mile to the canyon floor. Actually they wouldn’t be allowed to perform any physical harm on each other and the plot would change to the Coyote sending nasty emails to the Road Runner, but his system would download a virus and go KABOOM! Meep Meep!
I’ll tell you one HUGE thing that has changed: 99.9% of all parents don’t hit their kids anymore. And that’s a problem with our society as so many of the little bastids need to be thrown a good beatin’ every once in a while, that’s for sure. My dad used to whack me and my brother with the strap, and man did that ever leave a mark. When you were a little kid, that would put an element of fear in your head and you knew what would bring it about. Jeez, when my dad jumped up from his chair and reached for his buckle we spread like cockroaches and fled for our lives. It never meant he didn’t love us, and it sure as hell taught us some respect. And remember being sent to bed without dinner? Who the hell has done this since the war in Vietnam ended? That was absolute torture for a fat little turd like me. I felt like Papillion, locked in a cell for days, catching giant bugs and eating them to survive. Can you even imagine trying one of these stunts today? DYFS would be knocking down your door and your kids would be living with some well to do Jewish couple and his 3.5 kids out on Long island.
When I was a kid I loved a big juicy rare burger on the grill. Now of course you could literally kill your children with undercooked chop meat and be brought up on charges of manslaughter. My kids have only known “well-done” dried up knots of beef they call cheeseburgers. The other day I cooked up a few of my favorite Bubba Burgers (thee most awesome if you haven’t tried ‘em) and served it to the chillins “medium - rare.” The two of them raved like looneys about how delicious they were and now realize that charring the hell out of your meat doesn’t taste all that swell.
One of my best memories of all as a kid was that nobody bitched when a man lit up a cigar in public. (Except at my dad who smoked DeNobili and Parodi’s that smelled like cat shit wrapped in tar paper.) I vividly remember the tantalizing smell of good cigar at a restaurant or a ball game and thinking that I would like to do that when I became a man one day. It’s wonderfully nostalgic thinking back to outdoor family cookouts – dad using charcoal briquettes in some flimsy p.o.s. barbeque while my uncles lit up cigars, drank ice cold Pabst Blue Ribbon or Rheingold Extra Dry, and b.s.’d about baseball, world affairs, or whatever was topical at the time. That memory is literally branded into my cerebellum and I can still smell the sizzling hotdogs, searing Italian sausage, and smoldering Cuban long filler that permeated the entire neighborhood. By today’s PC agenda ridden standards that would be considered a carcinogenic death march. By my standards, that was one hell of a way to grow up.
Damn, we had it pretty good back then.
Until tomorrow,
Tommy Z.
JR Cigar blog With the Zman
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Special: We're Biting The Bullet...
Valid thru Midnight, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 while supplies last.
Sink your teeth into this deal!
When we first received these way-cool, ceramic, covered cigar boxes with twenty Gurkha East India 7.00 inch by 50 ring gauge Churchills inside, we put them on sale for 99 bucks just to move the monstrous oversized boxes out of our warehouse. We figured that a $99 price tag and just $2.50 shipping on a box that probably costs u closer to 10 bucks to pack and ship, was a hell of a deal on an item that was supposed to retail at $180.00
However, these cigar boxes have gone absolutely nowhere, so we're biting the bullet, taking our lumps, and blowing them out of here at $69.95. Really, if I was better businessman or just a heartless a-hole, we shoulda just returned the whole batch, but - and this is the honest truth - in my entire lifetime in the cigar industry, have never returned a single cigar to any manufacturer. One of the reasons JR buy so well is because our vendors know that once we say we'll take something, it's sold, and it's not coming back some day to haunt them
This is a deal that... Well, when you see the ceramic piece the cigars come in, in person, you'll realize that neither we, nor the manufacturer made any money on these cigars
Gurkha East India Churchills in a Ceramic, Covered Cigar Box
MSRP: $180.00
JR Price: $99.95
Email Special Price: $69.95
Medium Brown Ecuador Sumatra Wrappers
Maduro Connecticut Broadleaf Wrappers
Of course only 7 channels on TV, no internet or video games – that angle has been hashed out to death - but my kids never heard the term “Saturday Morning Cartoons.” I lived for Saturday morning, I mean lived for it: Bugs and Scooby, Speed Racer, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. But in today’s Politically Correct society, many of these shows would not exist or be modified to milquetoast crappola. It would be Smiling Albert, or Calorically Challenged Albert (on the WB) who would be a Type 1 diabetic and teach the kids about the basic food groups which has been changed 1,000 times since we were kids. And we would have “Speed-Limit” Racer without Chim Chim the monkey in the Mach 5 trunk, thanks to PETA (How do I manage to mention those psychos every damned day?) Scooby Doo would have to change the characters as Velma would be black (played by Wanda Sykes) and Shaggy would be Hispanic (played by Cheech Marin) and Daphne, an Asian (played by Margaret Cho.) The Road Runner would never feature giant anvils, strap-on rockets, and the Coyote plummeting a mile to the canyon floor. Actually they wouldn’t be allowed to perform any physical harm on each other and the plot would change to the Coyote sending nasty emails to the Road Runner, but his system would download a virus and go KABOOM! Meep Meep!
I’ll tell you one HUGE thing that has changed: 99.9% of all parents don’t hit their kids anymore. And that’s a problem with our society as so many of the little bastids need to be thrown a good beatin’ every once in a while, that’s for sure. My dad used to whack me and my brother with the strap, and man did that ever leave a mark. When you were a little kid, that would put an element of fear in your head and you knew what would bring it about. Jeez, when my dad jumped up from his chair and reached for his buckle we spread like cockroaches and fled for our lives. It never meant he didn’t love us, and it sure as hell taught us some respect. And remember being sent to bed without dinner? Who the hell has done this since the war in Vietnam ended? That was absolute torture for a fat little turd like me. I felt like Papillion, locked in a cell for days, catching giant bugs and eating them to survive. Can you even imagine trying one of these stunts today? DYFS would be knocking down your door and your kids would be living with some well to do Jewish couple and his 3.5 kids out on Long island.
When I was a kid I loved a big juicy rare burger on the grill. Now of course you could literally kill your children with undercooked chop meat and be brought up on charges of manslaughter. My kids have only known “well-done” dried up knots of beef they call cheeseburgers. The other day I cooked up a few of my favorite Bubba Burgers (thee most awesome if you haven’t tried ‘em) and served it to the chillins “medium - rare.” The two of them raved like looneys about how delicious they were and now realize that charring the hell out of your meat doesn’t taste all that swell.
One of my best memories of all as a kid was that nobody bitched when a man lit up a cigar in public. (Except at my dad who smoked DeNobili and Parodi’s that smelled like cat shit wrapped in tar paper.) I vividly remember the tantalizing smell of good cigar at a restaurant or a ball game and thinking that I would like to do that when I became a man one day. It’s wonderfully nostalgic thinking back to outdoor family cookouts – dad using charcoal briquettes in some flimsy p.o.s. barbeque while my uncles lit up cigars, drank ice cold Pabst Blue Ribbon or Rheingold Extra Dry, and b.s.’d about baseball, world affairs, or whatever was topical at the time. That memory is literally branded into my cerebellum and I can still smell the sizzling hotdogs, searing Italian sausage, and smoldering Cuban long filler that permeated the entire neighborhood. By today’s PC agenda ridden standards that would be considered a carcinogenic death march. By my standards, that was one hell of a way to grow up.
Damn, we had it pretty good back then.
Until tomorrow,
Tommy Z.
JR Cigar blog With the Zman
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Special: We're Biting The Bullet...
Valid thru Midnight, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 while supplies last.
Sink your teeth into this deal!
When we first received these way-cool, ceramic, covered cigar boxes with twenty Gurkha East India 7.00 inch by 50 ring gauge Churchills inside, we put them on sale for 99 bucks just to move the monstrous oversized boxes out of our warehouse. We figured that a $99 price tag and just $2.50 shipping on a box that probably costs u closer to 10 bucks to pack and ship, was a hell of a deal on an item that was supposed to retail at $180.00
However, these cigar boxes have gone absolutely nowhere, so we're biting the bullet, taking our lumps, and blowing them out of here at $69.95. Really, if I was better businessman or just a heartless a-hole, we shoulda just returned the whole batch, but - and this is the honest truth - in my entire lifetime in the cigar industry, have never returned a single cigar to any manufacturer. One of the reasons JR buy so well is because our vendors know that once we say we'll take something, it's sold, and it's not coming back some day to haunt them
This is a deal that... Well, when you see the ceramic piece the cigars come in, in person, you'll realize that neither we, nor the manufacturer made any money on these cigars
Gurkha East India Churchills in a Ceramic, Covered Cigar Box
MSRP: $180.00
JR Price: $99.95
Email Special Price: $69.95
Medium Brown Ecuador Sumatra Wrappers
Maduro Connecticut Broadleaf Wrappers
Posted by zman at 10:39 AM | Link | 35 comments
Subscription Options
You are not logged in, so your subscription status for this entry is unknown. You can login or register here.
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
No, Zman, we had it great back then.
I could go on for days about how wonderful it was, I graduated in '67 from HS, so, I can tell you that kids knew repect in those days. And sit inside and play some freakin' game? Hell no! it's beautiful out there! Go outside and play! Bats, gloves and a stick ball game on the stret along side your house. I grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Jersey, on a Sunday the smell of pasta sauce (gravy) cooking would kill you. And BBQ, with actual charcoal briquets. They had to drag my old pos charcoal BBQ away from me, damn near out of my cold dead hands, to get me to go to gas. I KNOW I'm going to be writing more later but I gotta work now.
I could go on for days about how wonderful it was, I graduated in '67 from HS, so, I can tell you that kids knew repect in those days. And sit inside and play some freakin' game? Hell no! it's beautiful out there! Go outside and play! Bats, gloves and a stick ball game on the stret along side your house. I grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Jersey, on a Sunday the smell of pasta sauce (gravy) cooking would kill you. And BBQ, with actual charcoal briquets. They had to drag my old pos charcoal BBQ away from me, damn near out of my cold dead hands, to get me to go to gas. I KNOW I'm going to be writing more later but I gotta work now.
Posted by dodger_fan on May 13, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Damn, Zman, you're gonna make me cry.
Think about all the stuff we did that today would land your parents in jail for child abuse.
-riding a bike, without a helmet
-playing tackle football in the lot, without pads
-launching Estes rockets, without eye protection or parental supervision
-walking, by yourself, to the local market, swimming hole, etc.
Man I miss the carefree days when all of the PC do gooders didn't exist and kids could have fun. And those Saturday morning cartoons!! My parents used to b*%ch that I couldn't get out of bed for school, but on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn I'd be parked in front of the tube watching Superman, Space Ghost, Aquaman, Roadrunner or whatever cartoon entertainment was on.
My favorite memory is of my father's annual party. We'd go to 9th Street (the Italian market) in Philly and get a bushel of crabs, 500 clams and a whole pig. There'd be a keg of beer for the adults and all the soda the kids could drink. Bocce and football were the games of the day. Man, I can still smell that roasted pig (and yeah, someone did murder the poor sucker).
Think about all the stuff we did that today would land your parents in jail for child abuse.
-riding a bike, without a helmet
-playing tackle football in the lot, without pads
-launching Estes rockets, without eye protection or parental supervision
-walking, by yourself, to the local market, swimming hole, etc.
Man I miss the carefree days when all of the PC do gooders didn't exist and kids could have fun. And those Saturday morning cartoons!! My parents used to b*%ch that I couldn't get out of bed for school, but on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn I'd be parked in front of the tube watching Superman, Space Ghost, Aquaman, Roadrunner or whatever cartoon entertainment was on.
My favorite memory is of my father's annual party. We'd go to 9th Street (the Italian market) in Philly and get a bushel of crabs, 500 clams and a whole pig. There'd be a keg of beer for the adults and all the soda the kids could drink. Bocce and football were the games of the day. Man, I can still smell that roasted pig (and yeah, someone did murder the poor sucker).
Posted by lgiamo on May 13, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Damn Zman, you had it great. We only had 3 channels when I was a kid (PBS didn't count; they showed math classes and crap like that.) Sunday night was the other time we all lived for; The Wonderful World of Disney, and then Bonanza. It didn't get any better than that.
Fortunately, I grew up on a long cul-de-sac that had at least about 10 boys around my age, and only one girl. we played baseball, or flies and rollers, or hotbox, or workup most of the time; that is when we weren't playing football, basketball, or Cowboys and Indians. We all had toy guns and coonskin caps, and had contests to see who could die the best (I guess we were budding young actors). We blew up toads, caught crawdads and lizards, and tried to see what could make Mom scream the loudest (it was little grass snakes).
But you knew you had pushed things too far when your Mom said "just wait till your father gets home". You knew your ass was gonna get blistered. But you learned to NEVER do that again.
When my kids were little, if they were real bad, I'd whack their butts one time with my open hand. After that I never had to do it again; I would just raise my hand like I might, and they would straighten up.
Unfortunately both of them think smoking a cigar is a mortal sin; they get that from their mother.
Fortunately, I grew up on a long cul-de-sac that had at least about 10 boys around my age, and only one girl. we played baseball, or flies and rollers, or hotbox, or workup most of the time; that is when we weren't playing football, basketball, or Cowboys and Indians. We all had toy guns and coonskin caps, and had contests to see who could die the best (I guess we were budding young actors). We blew up toads, caught crawdads and lizards, and tried to see what could make Mom scream the loudest (it was little grass snakes).
But you knew you had pushed things too far when your Mom said "just wait till your father gets home". You knew your ass was gonna get blistered. But you learned to NEVER do that again.
When my kids were little, if they were real bad, I'd whack their butts one time with my open hand. After that I never had to do it again; I would just raise my hand like I might, and they would straighten up.
Unfortunately both of them think smoking a cigar is a mortal sin; they get that from their mother.
Posted by roadlizard7 on May 13, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
You know, back in my day - I'm 45 - there were the "real" Roadrunner cartoons, and then somewhere in the mid- to late-70's, they edited 'em and made 'em all PC where you'd never actually SEE Coyote go "splat" in a little poof of dust. I remember actually SEEING one of these original, un-cut, un-edited versions some years back - man, the memories it brought back! I didn't REALIZE how much those P.C. edits affected the experience of the cartoon...
Yeah, the whole P.C. thing bites. But what are you gonna do, really? You've got these damned über-liberals that are eroding personal freedoms, and then on the other side, you've got personal liberty being fought over by the religious right. Meanwhile, we're all hosed today.
And that kind of sums up why I'm pretty much hopeless about our future as a society. I think things are going to get far, far worse in my lifetime, and there's not one damned thing you or I can do about it. As much as it pains me to say, I think we as a society are doomed - utterly screwed.
Yeah, the whole P.C. thing bites. But what are you gonna do, really? You've got these damned über-liberals that are eroding personal freedoms, and then on the other side, you've got personal liberty being fought over by the religious right. Meanwhile, we're all hosed today.
And that kind of sums up why I'm pretty much hopeless about our future as a society. I think things are going to get far, far worse in my lifetime, and there's not one damned thing you or I can do about it. As much as it pains me to say, I think we as a society are doomed - utterly screwed.
Posted by cottygee on May 13, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Hey Lizard, Blowing up frogs and seeing who could die the best is a PC retard's calling card for crissakes.
Posted by zman on May 13, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Pabst Blue Ribbon and Rheingold Extra Dry... Holy moly I haven't heard those names in a hundred years.
Posted by V-Twin Vern on May 13, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Not to be PC, but I can almost understand wearing a brain bucket while riding a bike these days.
In our day, bikes had one speed and had a coaster (rear) brake only. If you jammed on the brakes and went down, it was on your side, so you'd end up with a scraped knee or elbow. These days, with hand brakes, the front brake grabs more, due to a shorter cable, so the possibility exists that you could go right over the handlebars and land square on your head. A brain bucket could save your life in that instance.
I intended to shake up a few of the PC'ers with the bit about frogs and dying contests.
In our day, bikes had one speed and had a coaster (rear) brake only. If you jammed on the brakes and went down, it was on your side, so you'd end up with a scraped knee or elbow. These days, with hand brakes, the front brake grabs more, due to a shorter cable, so the possibility exists that you could go right over the handlebars and land square on your head. A brain bucket could save your life in that instance.
I intended to shake up a few of the PC'ers with the bit about frogs and dying contests.
Posted by roadlizard7 on May 13, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Hey Z, I will never forget the "Saturday Morning Shows". They still air from time to time, in my head. "Land of the Lost" was one of my favs, and you can get all three seasons on DVD, btw. Sid and Marty Krofft, you know were experimenting with some form of illegal substance. Are you kidding?! Lidsville, Dr. Shrinker, The Bugaloos, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (which really peeked my manhood, or childhood) were so of my favorites. I've purchase a number of cartoon seasons, for the main reason I've never see them again if I don't.
Geez, I grew up drinking from the hose, riding my bike in the street until the sun went down and being the "Old Man's" original television remote.
Maybe these higher gas prices will "Push" families to stay home and spend time with each other! Holy crap, I'll bet that never crossed the minds of those "We hate the combustion engine" libs. If families get tighter, their mentality don't fit.
Love the Blog, Z!
Later Kids
Geez, I grew up drinking from the hose, riding my bike in the street until the sun went down and being the "Old Man's" original television remote.
Maybe these higher gas prices will "Push" families to stay home and spend time with each other! Holy crap, I'll bet that never crossed the minds of those "We hate the combustion engine" libs. If families get tighter, their mentality don't fit.
Love the Blog, Z!
Later Kids
Posted by Old Man Metal on May 13, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
There was also the Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons, with Dizzy Dean and Peewee Reese, brought to you by Falstaff beer. I remember their commercials, with the Old Timer, and the guy who was so big, you only saw a little of him, like his knuckles dragging the ground.
Sorry to infringe on your copyright, old timer.
Sorry to infringe on your copyright, old timer.
Posted by roadlizard7 on May 13, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
I can think of a myrid of things I did as a kid growing up that I really wouldn't care if my son did them, but the world is so scary now, and you don't want to leave your kid alone with the crazies in the world.
However, he does know what Saturday morning cartoons are thanks to the WB and lack of cable or dish at the robert-household. He watches it for almost 5 hours straight with the only thing interrupting it is when he finally gets me out of bed and has me make him homemade waffles. And of course he pours the gallon of syrup on them and gets sugar-wired like we did in our youth too.
Corporal punishment for kids is bad. I have only spanked my son once. But you are 100% correct about most kids lacking respect. But what I have learned respect is earned. Some adults don't deserve respect from kids. I teach my son the difference.
However, he does know what Saturday morning cartoons are thanks to the WB and lack of cable or dish at the robert-household. He watches it for almost 5 hours straight with the only thing interrupting it is when he finally gets me out of bed and has me make him homemade waffles. And of course he pours the gallon of syrup on them and gets sugar-wired like we did in our youth too.
Corporal punishment for kids is bad. I have only spanked my son once. But you are 100% correct about most kids lacking respect. But what I have learned respect is earned. Some adults don't deserve respect from kids. I teach my son the difference.
Posted by robert on May 13, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
I haven't spanked my kid either. But at nearly 16 years of age, I'm beginning to think maybe he WOULD benefit from havin' his hide tanned by his old man. >:-{ (I keep tellin' myself - "two more years 'til college","two more years 'til college"... LOL)
Posted by cottygee on May 13, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
That was so good, tommy. Some really good memories just came up. Not that my childhood was anything like it, mind you, but it was close enough. (especially the belt, switches from the hedge, even the good old rusty metal fly swatter.
Do you remember how important that damned little thing in the cracker jack box was? Seriously? Can you remember how great it was to find the cartoon in Bazooka Joe gum?
Can you imagine trying to explain to some little kid with a $6 spinning, light up lollipop that plays a Britney spears song, just how important it was to find the postage stamp sized comic in the gum, or getting the extra odd peanut when your parents split that little damned box of cracker jacks three ways?
I can almost see the blank look already.
Do you remember how important that damned little thing in the cracker jack box was? Seriously? Can you remember how great it was to find the cartoon in Bazooka Joe gum?
Can you imagine trying to explain to some little kid with a $6 spinning, light up lollipop that plays a Britney spears song, just how important it was to find the postage stamp sized comic in the gum, or getting the extra odd peanut when your parents split that little damned box of cracker jacks three ways?
I can almost see the blank look already.
Posted by briandg on May 13, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
As much as I lament many of the changes that have come over the years, I gotta agree with roadlizard7 and robert that it ain't all bad. Some of those safety things and such are probably pretty good ideas that we can live with (and help the kids to live, even). Don't get me wrong, I also grew up in a time that allowed me to do a few things that I maybe shouldn't have survived, but I can't help thinking "what if things had gone just a little differently," you know?
Anyway, good for you, Z, for teaching your kids how a properly cooked burger tastes. I see you're raising those kids right.
And I was too young for Pabst Blue Ribbon when it was most popular, but it seems to be making kind of a comeback. I had my first one a couple of months ago and it wasn't bad. Of course, it was the last drink if the evening, so I can't attest to my judgement....
Anyway, good for you, Z, for teaching your kids how a properly cooked burger tastes. I see you're raising those kids right.
And I was too young for Pabst Blue Ribbon when it was most popular, but it seems to be making kind of a comeback. I had my first one a couple of months ago and it wasn't bad. Of course, it was the last drink if the evening, so I can't attest to my judgement....
Posted by hawaiian brian on May 13, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
You know Brian, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain
cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.
And that, Brian, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.
Quoted from Cliff on Cheers, which is also a good show I miss. And I'd love to have a bar like that near my house. Nevermind, I do.
cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.
And that, Brian, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.
Quoted from Cliff on Cheers, which is also a good show I miss. And I'd love to have a bar like that near my house. Nevermind, I do.
Posted by roadlizard7 on May 13, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Hey, I'm not saying I want to live in the past, and of course a lot of things are better now - I just wanted to illustrate how some beautiful memories from yesteryear have been eradicated by those PC dirtbags who think they know what's best for our lives and want to tell us how we should live.
Posted by zman on May 13, 2008 at 1:32 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Hey dodger_fan I grew up in Jersey and got out of H.S. a year before you. Those were the days. We never locked our doors; didn't have computers, video games or cell phones but always managed to communicate with each other. As kids we spent all our time outside either playing sports or building forts in the woods. Some of the shows I enjoyed would not even be allowed on T.V. today...Heckle & Jeckle; Amos and Andy are just a couple. Funny stuff but far from PC today! I got my share of spankings and I don't think they hurt me any. I know they didn't discourage me either. I just considered them slight bumps in the road of life and continued on! PBR was my first beer of choice and it still tastes good. Thanks for bringing back some fond memories Z-Man.
Posted by Brian W. on May 13, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Z-man I almost forgot...back in the day fur coats were accepted.(This is to get Kitty-Canine involved!!!)
Posted by Brian W on May 13, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
You guys are old, man.
Posted by Garfiend on May 13, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Nostalgia is always about those simple pleasures. Simple pleasures like saturday cartoons and decoder rings, or even cap guns. simple pleasures are always the easiest to destroy.
When are PC dirtbags ever going to get around to eliminating the things that ruin the simple pleasures? Whereas we used to run around with cap guns and GENUINE LEATHER HOLSTERS, now, kids got softair pellets. How are the 5 million annual tons of plastic snotballs dumped in lawns nation wide PC?????
Myself, when I fired a projectile, it was LEAD, it was FAST, and it was DANGEROUS. Oh, and it KILLED things, too.
The dead squirrels that hit the ground in just my lifetime would probably outweigh the entire years paintball production, and man, I tell you, I never had to look at no stupid orange glop of crap on the end of the muzzle.
I'm kind of sorry that you didn't get to grow up with a .22 and a fishing rod. A root beer, a sandwich, and a hickory tree or river bank. A buy who thinks as much as you do would have enjoyed the hell out of the time there, especially if you could have stolen one of your dad's stogies!
When are PC dirtbags ever going to get around to eliminating the things that ruin the simple pleasures? Whereas we used to run around with cap guns and GENUINE LEATHER HOLSTERS, now, kids got softair pellets. How are the 5 million annual tons of plastic snotballs dumped in lawns nation wide PC?????
Myself, when I fired a projectile, it was LEAD, it was FAST, and it was DANGEROUS. Oh, and it KILLED things, too.
The dead squirrels that hit the ground in just my lifetime would probably outweigh the entire years paintball production, and man, I tell you, I never had to look at no stupid orange glop of crap on the end of the muzzle.
I'm kind of sorry that you didn't get to grow up with a .22 and a fishing rod. A root beer, a sandwich, and a hickory tree or river bank. A buy who thinks as much as you do would have enjoyed the hell out of the time there, especially if you could have stolen one of your dad's stogies!
Posted by briandg on May 13, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
You guys are old, man.
Posted by Garfiend on May 13, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Like vintage cigars and fine wine...better with age!
Posted by Garfiend on May 13, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Like vintage cigars and fine wine...better with age!
Posted by Brian W on May 13, 2008 at 2:24 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Right, Brian W.
'63 through '67 were the greatest years ever! Even if my 20's were nothing to sneeze at. I graduated from East Paterson Memorial, Brian, now Elmwood Park.
How about Mel allen and "what a combination, all across the nation, Baseball and Ballentine!"
'63 through '67 were the greatest years ever! Even if my 20's were nothing to sneeze at. I graduated from East Paterson Memorial, Brian, now Elmwood Park.
How about Mel allen and "what a combination, all across the nation, Baseball and Ballentine!"
Posted by dodger_fan on May 13, 2008 at 2:29 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Right, Brian W.
'63 through '67 were the greatest years ever! Even if my 20's were nothing to sneeze at. I graduated from East Paterson Memorial, Brian, now Elmwood Park.
How about Mel allen and "what a combination, all across the nation, Baseball and Ballentine!"
Posted by dodger_fan on May 13, 2008 at 2:29 PM
I was a little west of you...Morris Hills in Rockaway. every time Mel Allen was on T.V. I'd get in an arguement with my father. He's was a diehard Yankee fan and I was and still am a Dodger fan!
'63 through '67 were the greatest years ever! Even if my 20's were nothing to sneeze at. I graduated from East Paterson Memorial, Brian, now Elmwood Park.
How about Mel allen and "what a combination, all across the nation, Baseball and Ballentine!"
Posted by dodger_fan on May 13, 2008 at 2:29 PM
I was a little west of you...Morris Hills in Rockaway. every time Mel Allen was on T.V. I'd get in an arguement with my father. He's was a diehard Yankee fan and I was and still am a Dodger fan!
Posted by Brian W on May 13, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
I feel a Ballentine Blast coming on. Yeah, there it goes. Gotta leave the room for a while, be back later.
Posted by Garfiend on May 13, 2008 at 2:55 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Geez, Brian, that must have been tough! My Dad was a diehard Brooklyn fan, first game he ever took me to was at Ebbets field. We would sit and make fun of Mel and the yankees together. It was a great father son activity! I got a bat signed by the '55 world champions.
And now.....and now....we get yankee leftovers - Joe Torre.
And now.....and now....we get yankee leftovers - Joe Torre.
Posted by dodger_fan on May 13, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
My football and baseball coaches had a cigar going constantly. That smell along with summertime heat or that cool autumn air brings back great memories.
My Father had a certain, pre-whoopin' look. That's usually all it took. You knew that look and better heed its warning, or else.
I have two daughters, 19 and 22. I've never had to hit them because they were always great kids (maybe boys need it more). I have been tempted to hit their boyfriends, though.
We've passed along some of the great traditions to them, so in spite of technology, they still know how to barbecue, make awesome lemonade and enjoy family time together. We played Pictionary on Mother's Day for hours.
Salmon is the meat of choice in our family. They're both away at college now, so our time is precious when they're home.
It seems to me like everyone was equal when I was a kid, now all this PC crap makes us more aware that we're not. Back then, we could still afford to go to the games - Sonics, Seahawks, Mariners...
My Father had a certain, pre-whoopin' look. That's usually all it took. You knew that look and better heed its warning, or else.
I have two daughters, 19 and 22. I've never had to hit them because they were always great kids (maybe boys need it more). I have been tempted to hit their boyfriends, though.
We've passed along some of the great traditions to them, so in spite of technology, they still know how to barbecue, make awesome lemonade and enjoy family time together. We played Pictionary on Mother's Day for hours.
Salmon is the meat of choice in our family. They're both away at college now, so our time is precious when they're home.
It seems to me like everyone was equal when I was a kid, now all this PC crap makes us more aware that we're not. Back then, we could still afford to go to the games - Sonics, Seahawks, Mariners...
Posted by pjandma on May 13, 2008 at 3:29 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
And now.....and now....we get yankee leftovers - Joe Torre.
Posted by dodger_fan
Hell, the Astros got Dodger leftovers with Leo Durocher in '72 and '73.
Posted by dodger_fan
Hell, the Astros got Dodger leftovers with Leo Durocher in '72 and '73.
Posted by roadlizard7 on May 13, 2008 at 4:21 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
the saddest thing is the pc crowd has managed to suplent fear for joy in children...
btw, some of the most fun i had as a kid was with vacation bible school...course i went to a country church...
btw, some of the most fun i had as a kid was with vacation bible school...course i went to a country church...
Posted by maduro man_wcp on May 13, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Posted by maduro man_wcp on May 13, 2008 at 5:13 PM
> >
> > btw, some of the most fun i had as a kid was with
> > vacation bible school...course i went to a country
> > church...
> >
Does that reference somehow involve farm animals? LOL
> >
> > btw, some of the most fun i had as a kid was with
> > vacation bible school...course i went to a country
> > church...
> >
Does that reference somehow involve farm animals? LOL
Posted by cottygee on May 13, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
That comment was NOT politically correct, Cotty.
But it was funny as Hell.ROTFLMAO
But it was funny as Hell.ROTFLMAO
Posted by roadlizard7 on May 13, 2008 at 6:05 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Why? Do sheep and goats now have a congressional lobby or sumptin'??? LOL
Posted by cottygee on May 13, 2008 at 6:11 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
And one more thing, as far as been "PC" goes. When you step inside my house, you leave "PC" on the PorCh.
Thanks for the Memories Everyone!
Thanks for the Memories Everyone!
Posted by Old Man Metal on May 13, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Regarding being PC and polite, I'll tell you one thing, guys, I just wish that I could get away with half the shit I want to. My in laws are just unbelievable. I can hardly keep my mouth shut must of the time. I always pay for it when I do blow it, and pop out with some uncouth or unpopular thought, such as, "Gee, folks, W T F DO YOU PEOPLE USE FOR THINKING WITH!?????"
The closest I've ever gotten to giving myself free reign is with her brother, and I have taken to referring to him as the village idiot on a full time basis now.
The closest I've ever gotten to giving myself free reign is with her brother, and I have taken to referring to him as the village idiot on a full time basis now.
Posted by briandg on May 13, 2008 at 8:28 PM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Mr. Tom - That was a great piece of nostalgia. Looked forward
to seeing a response by our newest member, Kitty C. Wonder
why KC chose not to share a few memories of his/her days gone
by with us. Guess there was nothing in your article to launch
KC into attack mode this time. Next article, maybe?
to seeing a response by our newest member, Kitty C. Wonder
why KC chose not to share a few memories of his/her days gone
by with us. Guess there was nothing in your article to launch
KC into attack mode this time. Next article, maybe?
Posted by korean War Veteran on May 14, 2008 at 6:21 AM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
Man, I spent all last nite thinking about the wonderful times of my childhood - and not being PC, or having to be. I worked for a company a while back that was big into PC. And this was before PC was in vogue, back in the '70s. The company, which shall remain nameless - we'll just call it Big Blue - would make a new rule everytime somebody got offended. By the time I left, in the '90s, everyone had so many rights, that nobody had any rights.
Posted by dodger_fan on May 14, 2008 at 8:33 AM
Re: Us Kids Had It Pretty Good
I'll be 43 this month and can relate to what a lot of you wrote. Saturday morning cartoons, playing pickup games of baseball all day long, riding a bike with a banana seat, charcoal grills, pitchers of Kool-Aid and iced tea, no air conditioning in the house or car. Ah memories! My dad and buddies/family would stand around the grill with their Goebels and Altes beers. I stand around the grill with a good craft beer now, but will crack a cold Stroh's for old times sake or Labatt/Molson offering.
One thing must've changed and that is the use of pesticides, chemicals, etc. When I was a kid, our neighborhoods never had any wildlife, sans a rat or squirrel. Now, there are skunks, opposums, racoons, hawks and in heavily populated suburban areas.
Great topic. I've enjoyed reading all the comments.
One thing must've changed and that is the use of pesticides, chemicals, etc. When I was a kid, our neighborhoods never had any wildlife, sans a rat or squirrel. Now, there are skunks, opposums, racoons, hawks and in heavily populated suburban areas.
Great topic. I've enjoyed reading all the comments.
Posted by Darren in Detroit on May 14, 2008 at 8:49 AM
Commenting has been disabled for this entry.