...
A favorite back in the day . . .wait ...a favorite today..!!
...tom...
Showing posts with label nostalgia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nostalgia. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Lest we forget...
...
Photo Source: The Big Picture, Boston.com.
...tom...
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
...
With confidence in our armed forces with the unbounded determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."
Photo Source: The Big Picture, Boston.com.
...tom...
Friday, December 3, 2010
A sad day in Wrigleyville...
...
Rest easy Mr. Santo, rest easy my friend.
...tom...
Photo credit: flickr user wfbakker2 via Wikimedia Commons
Rest easy Mr. Santo, rest easy my friend.
...tom...
Monday, May 3, 2010
Chattanooga Choo Choo
...
Going old school here. When music had form, function, and was actually performed rather than 'produced'.
...tom...
Going old school here. When music had form, function, and was actually performed rather than 'produced'.
...tom...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Route 66 Backroads || journeys from 'the Mother Road'
...
'Route 66'
The name conjures an icon of the American way of life: always on the road seeking the next grand vista ...the next travel adventure, breaking through all obstacles of geography, climate, and native populations unfortunate enough to stand in the way of manifest destiny.
As the Old West and the frontier vanished and the automobile became a fixture in American life, Route 66 became the 'Mother Road' of the American dream. "From Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 Backroads takes you on a tour of the Main Street of America and beyond."
... snip ...
The Bottom Line
So how does Backroads work, as a total package..??
.
...Read the rest of the review at my Epinions dot com review page.
...tom...
.
'Route 66'
The name conjures an icon of the American way of life: always on the road seeking the next grand vista ...the next travel adventure, breaking through all obstacles of geography, climate, and native populations unfortunate enough to stand in the way of manifest destiny.
As the Old West and the frontier vanished and the automobile became a fixture in American life, Route 66 became the 'Mother Road' of the American dream. "From Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 Backroads takes you on a tour of the Main Street of America and beyond."
Image source: kbeeg at flickr.com
... snip ...
The Bottom Line
So how does Backroads work, as a total package..??
.
...Read the rest of the review at my Epinions dot com review page.
...tom...
.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monolithic Oil
...
OK, OK. These music and video posts are so cheap . . .but what the hey.
"Monolithic Oil Corporation. We want you to . . .pay."
...tom...
.
OK, OK. These music and video posts are so cheap . . .but what the hey.
"Monolithic Oil Corporation. We want you to . . .pay."
...tom...
.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Treasure is fun..!!
...
I think every kid who has ever read Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe has dreamed of one day sailing the high seas, plundering ships, taking treasure, and never going to bed until they wanted to...
Then we grow up and find our spot in the grown-up world. Which usually does not involve sailing, plundering, and other pirate-y stuff.
But even today we can be taken back to those days by news of old shipwrecks newly discovered and gold coins and storms at sea and brave men long gone.
I first learned of Odyssey Marine Exploration several years ago when they made the news for discovering the sunken wreck/remains of the SS Republic off the coast of Georgia. Bound for New Orleans from New York, she carried 80 passengers and crewmembers and a large supply of goods and money to help aid the rebuilding South after the American Civil War. After sinking in a storm in October 1865, the shipwreck was lost for over a century.
The site of the shipwreck was found in 2003, confirmed by discovery of the ship's bell and an archeological excavation of the site began late that year.
Since then the company has discovered several other shipwrecks around the world and at widely varying times in history.
Recently, the Odyssey company reported their discovery of the wreck of the HMS Victory which sank during a storm in the English Channel in 1744. She is reported to have carried nearly 4 tons of gold and other period artifacts.
Gawd, who can not begin to dream of sailing the high seas and treasure and adventure of grand scale when hearing stories like this..??
Anyway, check out the Odyssey Marine Exploration for tons of more information. Make sure you have your imagination turned on and your wanderlust tuned in.
...tom...
.
I think every kid who has ever read Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe has dreamed of one day sailing the high seas, plundering ships, taking treasure, and never going to bed until they wanted to...
Then we grow up and find our spot in the grown-up world. Which usually does not involve sailing, plundering, and other pirate-y stuff.
But even today we can be taken back to those days by news of old shipwrecks newly discovered and gold coins and storms at sea and brave men long gone.
I first learned of Odyssey Marine Exploration several years ago when they made the news for discovering the sunken wreck/remains of the SS Republic off the coast of Georgia. Bound for New Orleans from New York, she carried 80 passengers and crewmembers and a large supply of goods and money to help aid the rebuilding South after the American Civil War. After sinking in a storm in October 1865, the shipwreck was lost for over a century.
The site of the shipwreck was found in 2003, confirmed by discovery of the ship's bell and an archeological excavation of the site began late that year.
Since then the company has discovered several other shipwrecks around the world and at widely varying times in history.
Recently, the Odyssey company reported their discovery of the wreck of the HMS Victory which sank during a storm in the English Channel in 1744. She is reported to have carried nearly 4 tons of gold and other period artifacts.
Gawd, who can not begin to dream of sailing the high seas and treasure and adventure of grand scale when hearing stories like this..??
Anyway, check out the Odyssey Marine Exploration for tons of more information. Make sure you have your imagination turned on and your wanderlust tuned in.
...tom...
.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A beautiful life too short...
...
She was a bright star a bit before my time. But from my first viewing of Some Like It Hot I was hooked.
image circa 1953
Sure some of it was the hormones of a teenage male. But I also like to think my addiction was due to the sheer innocence and vulnerability of both the film character and of the beautiful Marilyn.
No one did comedy and 'sexy' on the silver screen any better. Not a dirty, wink-wink, nudge-nudge 'sexy'. But 'sexy' that was pure and feminine and wholesome and devastating.
These pictures are from 1947, near the beginning of her career. She had a bit (and uncredited) part in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim and did nothing of consequence for several more years.
These pictures are a stunning 'time-capsule' look at a young lady yet untouched by the expectations of others and the many troubles of her later years.
We can only imagine what might have been had her personal devils and the expectations and demands of other not consumed her spirit and body.
All the photos featured here are found at shorpy dot com. They define their site as:
It truly is an amazing site that will bring something new to you every day. You can not expect more from any website.
...tom...
.
She was a bright star a bit before my time. But from my first viewing of Some Like It Hot I was hooked.
Sure some of it was the hormones of a teenage male. But I also like to think my addiction was due to the sheer innocence and vulnerability of both the film character and of the beautiful Marilyn.
No one did comedy and 'sexy' on the silver screen any better. Not a dirty, wink-wink, nudge-nudge 'sexy'. But 'sexy' that was pure and feminine and wholesome and devastating.
These pictures are from 1947, near the beginning of her career. She had a bit (and uncredited) part in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim and did nothing of consequence for several more years.
These pictures are a stunning 'time-capsule' look at a young lady yet untouched by the expectations of others and the many troubles of her later years.
We can only imagine what might have been had her personal devils and the expectations and demands of other not consumed her spirit and body.
All the photos featured here are found at shorpy dot com. They define their site as:
... a vintage photography blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago.
It truly is an amazing site that will bring something new to you every day. You can not expect more from any website.
...tom...
.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A lazy Sunday morning . . ..oh so long ago...
...
No, not today.
But a warm, lazy tropical day two generations, if not more, ago.
...
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Address to joint session of the U.S. Congress, December 8th, 1941
It seems so ...strange to remember a day when the people of the United States were united in a common cause. When 'the enemy' was so clearly defined, and clearly identifiable. When the national will was so clearly and resolutely fixed on achieving a common goal.
Hopefully it will not require a similar act or a similar conflict to once again draw the many together to meet a common challenge.
God watch over us and guide us into the future . . .and remember the few remaining soldiers and sailors still among us from World War II.
...tom...
.
No, not today.
But a warm, lazy tropical day two generations, if not more, ago.
...
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Address to joint session of the U.S. Congress, December 8th, 1941
Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
...
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.
But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
...
With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our People - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941 a state of War has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
It seems so ...strange to remember a day when the people of the United States were united in a common cause. When 'the enemy' was so clearly defined, and clearly identifiable. When the national will was so clearly and resolutely fixed on achieving a common goal.
Hopefully it will not require a similar act or a similar conflict to once again draw the many together to meet a common challenge.
God watch over us and guide us into the future . . .and remember the few remaining soldiers and sailors still among us from World War II.
...tom...
.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Time for Christmas letters folks..!!
...
It is a few short weeks until Christmas and I know that many of you are looking for some help on crafting that ultimate Christmas letter.
We have all received those 'form letter' Christmas cards/mailings. They brag about 'Bill's promotion to Vice-President' and the news that 'Ashley was the Lead in the school play' and 'Joshua was appointed to the Naval Academy while placing on the First-Team All-State football team. We are so proud!!' News about pets and trips and parties and victories and celebrations and 'Grams and Grampa' and cars and new jobs and crafty investments and . . .arrggghhhh!!
It all teams together to make you wonder if your family was the only one to have even a smidgen of bad luck, failure, or disappointment in the year drawing to a close.
With that frame of mind, my wife drafted our own family Christmas Letter in 1997. Yes, that cheap, computer-printed, glob of ersatz 'holiday cheer' had finally wormed its way into our family Christmas routine. Well . . .at least the way my darling wife envisioned it.
Me..?? I was set to do battle. To parody the puffy and putrid prose that permeated our personal piece and all that we received.
I composed an 'anti-Christmas letter' that we copied onto the back of my wife's pitiful (sorry dear!) summary of our year.
I can say without crossing my fingers that peeps much preferred my 'getting real' version to the prettied-up, 'life is sooo good..!!' letter composed by my wife. ( At least they admitted to that after a few drinks on New Years Eve.)
That letter I offer now as an example of one 'irregular tradition' that our family suffers each year. ( The briefest of background: Our oldest daughter, Kate, was then in the 7th grade; our twins, daughter Karen and son John, were then in the 4th grade. Names changed to protect the not-so-innocent. )
Without further delay: The 1997 sleeper's family Christmas letter:
...
Merry Christmas to You and Yours
The really real Christmas letter
Welcome to the Smith Family 1997 interactive Christmas letter, ver. 3.01.1 Your earnest participation will give you the feeling that "you were there" as you spend 1997 with our family.
Please select one answer at each multiple-choice question.
(If you need to "download" something to view this interactive letter, please remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward!)
Correct answers are given below. Good Luck!!
January was a well-remembered month as on the 28th we finally:
February was a month well-remembered as:
March was the month that we had:
April was that memorable month that John:
May:
June, July, August were all really:
September is fondly remembered because:
October this year, for Halloween, we began working on their costumes:
November found Dad left at home for Thanksgiving while the rest of the family traveled out of town because:
December was memorable for everyone pitching in to:
We hope that this past year has found you and all of yours
in good health and best spirits!!!
Correct answers (in no particular order): c, a, a, b, a, b, c, a.
(...We are sure you, and we, will like your answers better than ours anyway!)
...tom...
.
It is a few short weeks until Christmas and I know that many of you are looking for some help on crafting that ultimate Christmas letter.
We have all received those 'form letter' Christmas cards/mailings. They brag about 'Bill's promotion to Vice-President' and the news that 'Ashley was the Lead in the school play' and 'Joshua was appointed to the Naval Academy while placing on the First-Team All-State football team. We are so proud!!' News about pets and trips and parties and victories and celebrations and 'Grams and Grampa' and cars and new jobs and crafty investments and . . .arrggghhhh!!
It all teams together to make you wonder if your family was the only one to have even a smidgen of bad luck, failure, or disappointment in the year drawing to a close.
With that frame of mind, my wife drafted our own family Christmas Letter in 1997. Yes, that cheap, computer-printed, glob of ersatz 'holiday cheer' had finally wormed its way into our family Christmas routine. Well . . .at least the way my darling wife envisioned it.
Me..?? I was set to do battle. To parody the puffy and putrid prose that permeated our personal piece and all that we received.
I composed an 'anti-Christmas letter' that we copied onto the back of my wife's pitiful (sorry dear!) summary of our year.
I can say without crossing my fingers that peeps much preferred my 'getting real' version to the prettied-up, 'life is sooo good..!!' letter composed by my wife. ( At least they admitted to that after a few drinks on New Years Eve.)
That letter I offer now as an example of one 'irregular tradition' that our family suffers each year. ( The briefest of background: Our oldest daughter, Kate, was then in the 7th grade; our twins, daughter Karen and son John, were then in the 4th grade. Names changed to protect the not-so-innocent. )
Without further delay: The 1997 sleeper's family Christmas letter:
Image source: hopenharmony via flickr dot com
...
The really real Christmas letter
Welcome to the Smith Family 1997 interactive Christmas letter, ver. 3.01.1 Your earnest participation will give you the feeling that "you were there" as you spend 1997 with our family.
Please select one answer at each multiple-choice question.
(If you need to "download" something to view this interactive letter, please remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward!)
Correct answers are given below. Good Luck!!
January was a well-remembered month as on the 28th we finally:
a) took down the Christmas tree,
b) realized we had blown our retirement fund buying all these presents,
c) dug the car out of that da** snowdrift.
February was a month well-remembered as:
"..uhhh,.......ahhhh, who the heck remembers February!"
March was the month that we had:
a) green eggs and ham to celebrate the holiday (Karen's idea),
b) green kool-aid to celebrate the holiday (Kate's idea),
c) green left-overs that were celebrating taking over the refrigerator (no one had any idea!)
April was that memorable month that John:
a) wanted to play baseball on the 5th,
b) did not want to play baseball on the 10th,
c) denied he had ever known what "baseball" was on the 15th.
May:
Ahh, dear, sweet May........unfortunately, our lawyers say we are not to discuss May until the grand jury inquiry is concluded........(You know how slow the legal system can be.)
June, July, August were all really:
a) hot, hot, hot..,
b) full of idiots saying "it's the humidity not the temperature",
c) typical for this latitude and longitude.
September is fondly remembered because:
a) the kids all went back to school,
b) we forgot to pick up the kids from camp until after school had begun,
c) all the kids' grade-point averages were 4.0 for at least one day.
October this year, for Halloween, we began working on their costumes:
a) at the beginning of the month,
b) that Monday evening just before the big day,
c) oh heck, we smeared some burnt cork under their eyes and told 'em they were 'ath-a-letes'......(I am not sure they bought it.)
November found Dad left at home for Thanksgiving while the rest of the family traveled out of town because:
a) the in-laws had warned "that bastard better not come around again!"
b) he had to work that weekend ...always, a great excuse for a road trip,
c) the electronic bracelet goes off whenever he is more than 100 feet from the transmitter. (See May above.)
December was memorable for everyone pitching in to:
a) get all those little things done in time for the 'holidays' (like this letter!)
b) get Mom that "Merry Maid" as a Christmas present,
c) help Dad find that list of projects to complete in 1997 . . .(he lost it in, ...oh...maybe mid-January.)
in good health and best spirits!!!
Correct answers (in no particular order): c, a, a, b, a, b, c, a.
(...We are sure you, and we, will like your answers better than ours anyway!)
...tom...
.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
It's Wabbit Season..!! huh huh huh huh...
...
I had no idea.
As I believe everything I read on the innertubes, I now know that 56 years ago yesterday the Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. cartoon short "Rabbit Seasoning" debuted in theaters across the country.
Wow. Did clicking that link bring back a flood of memories. All of these Warner Bros. cartoons eventually became staple fare for every kid who grew up watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.
I think I may have just screwed any possible productivity for the rest of my day.
Between NFL football, finding more Bugs and Daffy cartoons, and the last game at Yankee Stadium . . .hmmm, the missus will not be happy I am afraid...
I suppose I still better get the rest of the lawn mowed...
...tom...
.
I had no idea.
As I believe everything I read on the innertubes, I now know that 56 years ago yesterday the Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. cartoon short "Rabbit Seasoning" debuted in theaters across the country.
Wow. Did clicking that link bring back a flood of memories. All of these Warner Bros. cartoons eventually became staple fare for every kid who grew up watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.
Image source: cnet dot news
I think I may have just screwed any possible productivity for the rest of my day.
Between NFL football, finding more Bugs and Daffy cartoons, and the last game at Yankee Stadium . . .hmmm, the missus will not be happy I am afraid...
I suppose I still better get the rest of the lawn mowed...
Hat tips to: languagehat and MetaFilter
...tom...
.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
' Alphabet for Beginners ': letters to live by...
...William Hone was a political firebrand in the early days of nineteenth century merry old England. While his efforts in promoting the goals of the London Corresponding Society in parliamentary reform and other political efforts have faded over the years he did publish some works of long-lasting value.
In addition to a number of political pamphlets authored and published, Hone also produced some general consumption literature. One of his books is titled:
The Year Book of Daily Recreation and Information, concerning Remarkable Men and Manners, Times and Seasons, Solemnities and Merry-makings, Antiquities and Novelties: forming a Complete History of the YearYes, that is quite the mouthful. Perhaps that is why 'Poor Richard's Almanack' is remembered and this one not so much...
Included in 'The Year Book' is an "Alphabet for Beginners", perhaps best described as a secular credo for living based on traits identified by the 26 letters of the alphabet.
Such homilies as:
B e just to others, that you may be just to yourself.and other familiar and not so familiar advice are included.
N ever take credit; and, as far as possible, avoid giving it.
R evenge a wrong by forgiving it.
It is pretty amazing that so many of the ideas might still be found applicable today, nearly two hundred years later. Perhaps basic human nature changes little over the years and through the generations.
hat tip: Neatorama
...tom...
.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Mixing up the tunes to share with all...
...
We all like to play the disc jockey. Arranging our tunes to play in just the right order. Burning them to CDs or, back in the day, making a 'mix tape' to share with our friends. A cassette tape featuring our perfect mix of songs and arrangements of them in one playlist.
Well now comes mixwit dot com, a site that uses that visual metaphor of a cassette tape to let you create your own mix tapes.
Mixwit uses two music search sites to find mp3 files to add to your 'mix tape'. It creates a playlist of songs from all over the web that are sorted and maintained in any order you choose. You can then share that mix tape URL with anyone you like. Or you can simply use it for your own playlists, as I have just began to do.
You can also search for playlists of others that might contain songs, artists, or genre you like. Those mix tapes can then be saved as 'favorites' by you.
Check it out. A new experience for me at least.
...tom...
.
We all like to play the disc jockey. Arranging our tunes to play in just the right order. Burning them to CDs or, back in the day, making a 'mix tape' to share with our friends. A cassette tape featuring our perfect mix of songs and arrangements of them in one playlist.
Well now comes mixwit dot com, a site that uses that visual metaphor of a cassette tape to let you create your own mix tapes.
Mixwit uses two music search sites to find mp3 files to add to your 'mix tape'. It creates a playlist of songs from all over the web that are sorted and maintained in any order you choose. You can then share that mix tape URL with anyone you like. Or you can simply use it for your own playlists, as I have just began to do.
You can also search for playlists of others that might contain songs, artists, or genre you like. Those mix tapes can then be saved as 'favorites' by you.
Check it out. A new experience for me at least.
...tom...
.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
OK, I barely remember this one...
...
It seems it was decades ago that I was first exposed to coin-operated video games. Actually, it probably was...
But this one was definitely one of the first I remember playing. Well other than the table-top Pong games that I seem to remember from one of the old college bars I once frequented...
The growing, menacing 'music' on this recreation definitely brings old buried memories back to life. Still get that old, harried, 'I am gonna die..!!' buzz from it.
hat tip to: Mike the Mad Biologist
It seems it was decades ago that I was first exposed to coin-operated video games. Actually, it probably was...
But this one was definitely one of the first I remember playing. Well other than the table-top Pong games that I seem to remember from one of the old college bars I once frequented...
The growing, menacing 'music' on this recreation definitely brings old buried memories back to life. Still get that old, harried, 'I am gonna die..!!' buzz from it.
hat tip to: Mike the Mad Biologist
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