Middle Age Meandering

Lorenzo Tartamella

2011-10-13T12:20:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone ! I am officially making this place my personal blog page and open to everyone. I call this STRIKE BACK MARKETING and If you wish to contribute; call me! You know the number ! I would first of all like to thank Ed for allowing me to contribute and take over this Blogger.com spot. I hope I can maintain this section as well as he has over the years.

Who Mourns for Galileo?

2011-09-01T20:17:00.003-04:00

I created this video after researching online what happened to the very cool full scale mock-up of the Galileo Shuttlecraft built for the original TV series STAR TREK . Enjoy !

A Futile Fight

2011-08-08T20:06:00.001-04:00

Unless you pay no attention to the news, you've heard about the loss of 30 American soldiers who were in a helicopter that took a lucky hit from a Taliban grenade launcher in Afghanistan. Aside from the sadness I feel about their loss, I also think about their families, especially those who have children, whose lives will be permanently altered by their absence. I also feel the deaths of these men were totally unnecessary as we shouldn't be wasting our resources fighting these primitive, barbaric people who will never give up their demented ideology no matter how long we stay there. The saddest part of all is that when our government finally decides to withdraw from the region, the country will again be taken over by whatever the strongest (most evil) faction happens to be, thereby all our American losses will have been in vain. The body count may not be as high as during the Vietnam war, but we are again letting our government fight an unwinnable conflict year after year after year. And don't get me started on all the money being wasted...........

TV Programmers just don't care!

2011-08-07T19:28:00.009-04:00

I'm writing this brief commentary of Sunday August 7, 2011. Back in 1996 a new TV channel was launched, known as TV LAND. The new station featured a variety of television programming from the 1950s through the 1990s. Its inaugural season featured the Emmy-Award-winning I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, The Honeymooners and The Ed Sullivan Show. Great detectives were featured every Saturday, with programs including Honey West, Dog and Cat, Burke's Law, Nero Wolfe and Ace Crawford, Private Eye. "TV Land Goes West" presented Shane, Barbary Coast, Have Gun, Will Travel and Best of the West. "Hooterville Saturday" featured Petticoat Junction and Green Acres; and "Sunday in the Barracks" laughed with the military in The Phil Silvers Show and Hogan's Heroes. Many other classics were added giving adults and children a great place to enjoy the clean, family friendly programming that is lacking on television today. However, over time, the station began to abandon most of the classics and cater to the younger generations with shows like Third Rock from the Sun, Scrubs, Boston Legal, The Cougar, High School Reunion and disfunctional family shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Roseanne. Today, a Sunday, when many kids are spending much of their time watching TV, the TV LAND lineup starting at 8AM has The Nanny for an hour then Happily Divorced until 11am then Hot in Cleveland ALL DAY until 8pm. All three shows rely mostly on sexual humor and innuendo. Sadly, this new generation will probably never experience the plethora of wonderful shows from the distant past.
If there is anyone out there that still doesn't realize why our culture continues to deteriorate, it's because our children are being fed only specific types of programming with total disregard to the long term effects on the future of society. By the way, TV LAND is owned by MTV Networks Entertainment Group. What does that tell you? We will all pay dearly because TV programmers just don't care.

Can our country be saved?

2011-03-12T14:29:00.000-05:00

This video of Senator Bernie Sanders (of Vermont) on the floor of the Senate, is really good as he tries to convince his colleagues just how bad things have become and why, in an effort to steer them into doing what's right for America. Unfortunately, his honest, blunt and true words usually fall on deaf ears. If all our elected officials had the empathy of someone like Bernie Sanders, our country would be thriving by leaps and bounds.

Talented? Yes - Honorable? No way!

2011-03-07T22:47:00.003-05:00

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard about the rants of actor Charlie Sheen because the media is spending quite a bit of time on this person. He's become more famous for his pathetic behavior than anything else he's done in his life. I have difficulty feeling sorry for him as he was born into an affluent family and had every opportunity to make much better choices. Not only did he choose a playboy lifestyle, he has a history of violence towards women and the drugs and alcohol have definitely taken their toll on him. The only positive thing I can see for spending so much media time on Mr. Sheen is to show everyone how NOT to live one's life.

Idol Worship

2011-03-06T20:43:00.004-05:00

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but my wife and I watch American Idol. If you enjoy hearing new, talented, (or sometimes terrible) singers then I guess this is a harmless way of passing some time, but what I want to touch on here is how fanatical people get towards these singers and celebrities in general. At the end of each American Idol season, the final contestants go back to their respective home towns to meet some of their fans. Well actually, they meet thousands of their fans. It's unbelievable how many people show up to see someone who has done nothing more than sing on television for a few months. I realize idol/celebrity worship is nothing new, but it has always seemed a bit strange or wrong to me. I think admiration of this magnitude should have to be earned by doing great deeds along with living an honorable and respectable lifestyle. That's something that many celebrities, sports figures, and politicians do not do. Yet, they are still put on pedestals by so many. Too much idol worship can doom an entire civilization. We need to keep our priorities in order, and swooning over the American Idol should be way down the list. That's just my middle aged opinion.

The " King of Fitness" has passed away

2011-01-24T19:53:00.001-05:00

I was totally surprised to hear that fitness guru Jack Lalanne had died on January 23th, 2011 from complications with pneumonia at his California home. He was 96 but his agent said he exercised right up until the end. I must admit that I don't recall ever seeing an episode of his long running (53-85) TV series but thanks to You Tube and his website I was able to learn about this extraordinary person. He knew and preached the right way for anyone to treat their body and was great at getting his point across. He wasn't just showing you some good exercises, he was rationally explaining why exercise and eating healthy foods was the key to health and vitality. The lessons he taught are still perfectly relevant today. He seemed like he was ahead of his time but it wasn't rocket science, it was very basic stuff. Eat right and exercise. The same things any healthy person or a doctor would tell you today. It's not magical, it's just logical.
Considering many others including Bob Hope and George Burns lived longer, I wonder if genetics plays a major role as I thought Jack would live way past 100. Most of us won't even make it to 96 but we should all try to stay as healthy as we possibly can so we can enjoy every day (as he did) until the very last day of our lives. That's just my middle aged opinion.
Thanks for the inspiration Jack. I won't forget you or your philosophies for living.............Farewell.

The Nelsons fade into history

2011-01-13T20:55:00.001-05:00

In case you missed it, David Nelson died on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011.
Huh? Who?
Well, David Nelson was the eldest son to Ozzie and Harriet Nelson who from1952 to 1966 had a wonderful television sitcom about their family along with younger brother Ricky. David Nelson portrayed a fictionalized version of himself alongside the other family members. The show was about the ideal American family of the 1950s (and in my opinion, of any time). The situations that David and his brother Rick got into were a far cry from today's dysfunctional and over-sexed television sitcoms. Their problems seem minor today, but spoke volumes to the viewers of the time. As the family fumbled through one misunderstanding after another, the audience would learn humorous lessons about life in a cleaner, more gentle way.
Today, when America's youth spend an ever-increasing amount of time watching television, the shows have lost the innocence; the family values; and the simple, clean humor. The images of a loving family are replaced by a constant bombardment of bad role models and ever-decreasing morals. Young viewers today are more likely to walk away from a television show with lessons of deceit and exploitation, rather than lessons about friendship, family and doing the right thing no matter what.
There have certainly been exceptions over the years, even in the past few decades with shows like Happy Days, The Cosby Show, Full House, Home Improvement and Family Matters but I still wish classic shows like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show and many others would be shown regularly instead of back to back nightly episodes of the "pathetic character" sitcoms of the past twenty years. If I had my own television station, those mostly forgotten shows would be regular viewing and the passing of David Nelson might be more than just a quick news blurb. That's just my middle aged opinion. David has now joined his mother, father and brother to continue their adventures in heaven.

Breaker one nine for a radio check...........

2011-01-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

Do you remember CB radios? Their most popular time was the 1970's (especially after the success of Smokey and the Bandit) but they continued somewhat into the 80's and now are more of a novelty still used by some truckers. I had a CB radio when I was around sixteen and enjoyed the anonymous communications with others. In retrospect it was kind of like the "chat rooms" of our computer age but for some reason chat rooms always seemed kind of creepy to me. I had a large antenna at my house that would give me extended range and if you were lucky, your signal could "skip" across the atmosphere allowing you to briefly chat with someone hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
With the tremendous advances in technology, there's not much point in having a CB but many of us have fond memories of long ago when they were really fun to use. "10-4 and goodbye"

"For Mature Audiences Only"

2011-01-06T20:37:00.005-05:00

I often chuckle or cringe when a movie or video game is labeled "For mature audiences only" since a truly "mature" person would not find these things along with other such media to be entertaining. Or what about the "adult" section of many video stores? Does someone who is truly an "adult" need to be watching pornography? Yet the amount of "mature adults" who enjoy these types of media is quite large.
I have to admit that I rarely even watch R rated movies as the sex, violence and profanity are often just too much for my taste. Maybe that makes me an oddball in our society but I'd rather be odd than one of those so called "mature" individuals. That's just my middle aged opinion.

"Buddy, can you spare a dime?"

2011-01-06T20:25:00.002-05:00

We've all heard over the years about this country or that country receiving millions of dollars in "foreign aid" from our government. With the exception of emergencies, I think most of this money should be put to good use here in our own country. The United States has so many problems that with adequate funding, could be vastly improved. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our schools are sub par, our homeless or poverty level individuals are growing, criminals are released early as there are not enough jails to house them all, millions of people have no health insurance, social security benefits struggle to go up even though everything costs more, etc., etc. America shouldn't be aiding other countries until we have our own backyard taken care of. That's just my middle aged opinion.

"When we were everyone"

2010-10-30T20:17:00.002-04:00

Please give this song a listen. It's about a time when we were "one" America without our cell phones, video games and the internet. If you're lucky enough to be older, you might feel a sense of sadness for what is gone from our culture and will probably never return..........

"Another great one has left us"

2010-10-20T21:12:00.004-04:00

Unless you pay no attention to the news (and there are many that don't), you probably heard about the death of actor Tom Bosley. Along with being a great actor, (most notably Howard Cunningham from Happy Days), by all accounts, he was a very nice man as well. His onscreen persona was that of a great dad who was easy going, had a good sense of humor and could talk to his kids in a way that they would actually listen. I was lucky enough to grow up with the Happy Days show in the 1970s and loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, great family shows are sorely lacking now. Even reruns of great shows like Happy Days are rarely shown but that's another story. Anyway, with each passing year as we lose more and more decent individuals of good character, it saddens me and makes me say "another great one has left us." Goodbye Mr. Bosley.

Check out this funny clip from Happy Days at:Great Old TV Shows

"some machine's doin that for you"

2010-10-14T21:49:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you've heard a recent news story of how Google is financing research for a driverless car. They claim it is to "help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions". Google CEO Eric Schmidt said "your car should drive itself. It just makes sense."
It just makes sense?
On what planet is it a good idea for computers/machines to take over control of our cars and create a generation of people who no longer know how to drive. Although, by the time this comes to pass, computers and technology will have already dumbed down our society where we no longer think for ourselves or lift a finger to do anything. I'm probably being a bit too pessimistic but I feel like something is going terribly wrong in this world. Since it's all happening relatively slowly, I think many people don't take notice. I tend to believe that technology is both the best thing and the worst thing to ever affect mankind. I pray that my negative predictions for the future are wrong................

Was Iraq a waste of time, money and lives?

2010-08-30T21:06:00.001-04:00

President Obama is claiming firmly and finally the ending of U.S. combat missions in Iraq.
Okay, sounds good but what does that mean for Iraq? Since there is still no established government or strong enough army/police force, violence is on the increase and I'm sure plans are afoot by a variety of factions hoping to take power when the opportunity arises. America still has tens of thousands of military personnel in the country taking their chances as they try to continue to establish order in this "wild west" location. All I can say is "good luck". I believe the invasion of Iraq had nothing at all to do with protecting "our freedom" so my deepest sympathies go out to all the soldiers who were killed, maimed or emotionally disturbed by their experience and to all the innocent civilian Iraqis who suffered or died and will continue to, as our goals to change the ways of this primitive, often barbaric country are never realized. And don't even get me started on all the money spent that we could have used right here in America.

What more of a sign do we need?

2010-05-26T21:27:00.006-04:00

I know major oil spills don't happen everyday but why do we continue to risk the devastation from them? When will we as a nation move on to better/cleaner forms of energy? I realize the changes would be difficult, costly and lengthy but it would be so good for our country. Imagine if we didn't have to depend so much on foreign countries for our energy needs and our environment was never again polluted by these accidents or the exhausts of our millions of cars. I hope that because of this recent oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, not a single additional oil rig is ever constructed out there. Hopefully, these offshore rigs will eventually fade into history........................

Will real "change" ever come?

2010-01-28T13:00:00.008-05:00

I don't know if it is the current situation in my personal life, my current age or my ever growing concern for this country as well as the rest of the world, that has made me pay more attention to political matters than ever before. Like many, I listened to President Obama's State of the Union address on January 27, 2010 and thought I would express some opinions here.The speech was very well written although I have always wondered how much of any presidential speech is actually written by the president himself. As usual, the speech was well read, being that Obama is very good at using his teleprompters in such a way that it barely looks like he is reading something. What I took from the speech is what I've taken from many of Obama's speeches which is, "I have many good ideas if only we (meaning the government) would work together to actually implement changes." I sense he's starting to get a bit frustrated. My belief that Obama may have just too much common sense and concern for the general masses of this country, makes him seem like an odd president. I'm not saying he's a bad president, he just seems out of place in a government that runs primarily on greed and some past presidents who were more concerned about self gratification. If a government makes decisions with the underlining thought of "what's in it for me?", then the general populace of a country doesn't stand much of a chance for a good life. The president has many adviser's and doesn't make off the cuff decisions, so based on all that I have observed and his recent speech, I continue to believe that Mr.Obama sincerely cares about America and will continue to try and legislate positive changes for us all, however, I'm not holding my breath, since there are so many who could care less about their fellow man and that's why "change" may be slow if ever in coming.

No matter when, education is always a good thing

2010-01-25T10:55:00.003-05:00

My wife asked to post her blog here and naturally, she's more than welcome so here it is.
I'm a 46 year old woman, and in August, I went back to college to earn my Bachelor's Degree. It'll take me over three years attending full-time to finish, but I feel like, with the economy in the state it's in, there's no time like the present to take control of your life to better your financial situation. My husband lost his job a year ago from a company he thought was solid and would weather the economic storm. Out of the blue, it tanked, and he, along with 8 or 10 other guys, were told to pack up their things and head on home. We had to think fast! I continued my job working as a para educator in one of our town's elementary schools. Since my husband had extra time on his hands, he began working on a website idea that he hadn't had time to create prior to losing his job. It took him a few months working 12 to 16 hour days - everyday - to complete it, and it's fabulous (http://www.greatoldtvshows.com/). We launched the site in April, and even though it's been slow going, it showed definite steady progress in the 9 months it's been up. In July, however, since we have no school which means no income for me, I acquired another job in a local pharmacy which allowed me to work full-time until school started at which time I moved to part-time (evenings and weekends). However, a month after I started that part-time job, I decided to go to college to improve our finances. This venture has been quite a new experience for me as I have never attended college having chosen to take a different path after high school including marriage and children. I am enrolled in an adult degree program through Union Institute and University. It's a great program because there are three options of how you want to attend that best fits your schedule for example, you can choose the online option, the cycle option (independent study with week long attendance), or the weekend option which is an independent study while attending the campus residency for 5 weekends per term. This schedule allows adults to continue to work at their jobs while working toward a college degree. I have to admit that I have really been enjoying the whole experience (even the extensive amount of reading and writing) because I have been forced to push and stretch myself more than I thought I could. So, it's a win-win for both my husband and me! Because I had no college credits going in, I am looking at earning the full 120 credits to graduate. This will take at least three years attending full-time - meaning 12 credits per term - (including the summer). It's time consuming, and sometimes I wish I didn't have to read or write another word, but I'm giving it my best shot because I know that in a few years, I will be able to get a better job making more money! My husband, in the mean time, has started a business designing and building websites for small businesses in our area for a very low fee. He has a small portfolio so far, but business is starting to pick up with word of mouth from happy customers! Check that website out if you have (or know someone who has) a small business and may benefit from a website at a very reasonable price. (http://www.everybodyhasawebsite.com/). Between the two of us, we are working toward creating a better future for ourselves, and we hope that, by the time we're both 50 years old, we will have done the hard work and be on our way to a secure financial life...together!

Does it really matter?

2010-01-21T20:30:00.007-05:00

If you have been listening to entertainment news recently, you are probably aware that changes for Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien just didn't work out. Primarily because each were getting low ratings for their respective shows. Let me point out that the reason a show gets low ratings is because the writing on the show just isn't that good. Even someone like myself who thinks these two are nice guys, is not going to watch them tell bad jokes and do stupid skits night after night. Now it has been made public that Conan O'Brien will receive over 30 million dollars to satisfy the agreements of his contract in order for NBC to get rid of him and apparently put Jay Leno back on The Tonight Show. That's right folks, Conan is going to receive more than 30 million dollars to stop coming to work! My issue is not with his good fortune but with putting Jay Leno back on The Tonight Show. I remember almost twenty years ago when it was announced that Jay would be the new host, ousting David Letterman. I thought it was a wise choice since Jay seemed to have a more "mature" and cleaner sense of humor than Mr. Letterman and even though he wasn't Johnny Carson, he would carry on The Tonight Show in the manner in which Carson did. If Jay Leno brings his current writing staff with him back to The Tonight Show, he might as well just retire. As Conan has now proved, it's not the host of the Tonight Show that really matters. It's the material (jokes, skits, etc.) written and without good material, even Pee Wee Herman could handle the job. I just wish these two funny guys knew who to hire as writers and maybe both their shows could have been successfull.

When will we not worry about terrorism?

2010-01-15T15:36:00.006-05:00

I never imagined in my youth that the biggest threat to peace in this world would be terrorism. The thing about terrorists is that they don't necessarily look any different than anyone else(so they're hard to detect), they don't necessarily all stay together in one location(so they're hard to eliminate or isolate) and they never seem to have a justifiable reason for their violent actions. But they do seem to have an ongoing and endless group of individuals who are willing to join them and partake in their activities. That is why I believe that we may never be able to "not worry" about where and when a terrorist action will take place. Even if you are able to kill a group of terrorists, you can't get them all. It's like trying to kill every ant in an ant mound. Some will survive and regroup to terrorize another day. Whenever I visit New York City, it's always in the back of my mind that Manhattan is an excellent spot to detonate a nuclear bomb in order to kill off the most people in a small area. As I'm walking the city streets with my wife, I'm thinking "with our luck, this will be the day that a terrorist group sets off a bomb of that magnitude". I strongly believe that with all the nuclear bombs that currently exist is this world, one will eventually be acquired by terrorists who will try to use it. There is certainly a possibility that it will never happen but (for some undetermined reason) the terrorists want to inflict as much pain and suffering as they possibly can and have no feelings (other than accomplishment) for what they have done and obviously, they would like to top the actions commited on Sept. 11, 2001. I fear these despicable human beings will continue to be among us for many more generations so even if we all have to tolerate extensive security measures everywhere, we just have to accept that this is the way of life for now on and pray that no evil plans of terrorists are ever successful.

AVATAR is no TITANIC

2009-12-25T17:10:00.009-05:00

I don't normally do movie reviews but felt compelled to do so in the case of the new movie "Avatar" which my wife and I recently drove twenty miles from our home to watch. Some theaters around the country show the movie in 3D (with the glasses) but that isn't available in our area. First, let me clarify that this movie was created by the very talented and successful producer/director James Cameron. I consider his epic film "Titanic" to be one of the best movies ever made. That being said, I had high expectations for "Avatar". What a letdown it turned out to be. The story is very similar to what we Americans did to the Indians during the earlier times of this country. The military was definitely portrayed in a negative light. The tone of the film was often dark, depressing and overly violent. I didn't really feel much of an emotional attachment to any of the characters and since actress Sigourney Weaver is so well known for her Ripley character in the "Aliens" movies, I felt like I was watching some bizarre continuation of that series. For me, "Titanic" was a much more impressive movie. Maybe young people who play lots of video games might think Avatar was a visually "cool" movie because it has a kind of video game look about it but this lengthy film(which cost over 200 million to make) was just not worth the $25.00 my wife and I spent at the theater and even after it comes to DVD and finally TV, I will probably never watch this movie again.

One less positive role model

2009-12-15T20:54:00.009-05:00

Unless you live in a cave, you've recently been hearing many news reports regarding famous golfer Tiger Woods. Since I don't have an interest in golf, I have never paid much attention to him but he did appear to be a very nice, decent family man with a great smile. Now it seems the only positive thing I can say about him is that he's an exceptional golfer. The world is discovering that Mr. Woods has been quite the "tiger" for many women and even after marriage and children he continued his liaisons while somehow keeping it a secret from the general public as well as his wife. Aside from the obvious problems with this behavior, he also sets a poor example to everyone who looks up to and respects him. Young people learn their behaviors from adults. In fact many adults justify their actions by saying "well if he does it" or "if she does it" and after all, president Clinton did it. Some are trying to imply that Woods has a "sex addiction." In my opinion that's just a fictious way of excusing ones actions. Shame on you Tiger Woods. You've now become one of the many out there who obviously don't care about honor, commitment and respect.

"WHY?"

2009-11-05T21:59:00.001-05:00

Does anyone remember a fairly recent commercial where a mother (a white mother) takes her daughter to a playground, and just after arriving, a friend of the daughter's (a black girl) shouts from nearby to come over and play with some friends (some black friends)? The mother quickly holds her back suggesting she play 'over there,' pointing to a group of white children. The daughter just looks at her mother and asks "why?" The mother has no answer. End of commercial. That question of "why?" has always been on my mind, too. I've never understood racism. There is no basis for its existence. It's as if, long ago, someone of authority and respect decided he or she (probably a he) didn't like a dark skinned person or persons for some stupid reason, and his followers thought he was right, so they decided to be prejudiced, too. Then they taught their offspring that idea and so on and so on. Sadly, racism is very much alive and well even now in 2010. There may not be separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, but the racist thoughts still exist in many minds throughout the world. However, there are also many who have come to realize just how ridiculous, immature and ignorant prejudice actually is. Those are the only types of people I will associate with so I guess that makes me prejudice against the prejudiced. I can live with that.

Simple advice from an exceptional man

2009-10-09T18:05:00.010-04:00

I recently heard that fitness guru Jack Lalanne turned 95 years old. That's right 95 years old. Is he being pushed around in a wheelchair? No. Is he using a cane or walker? No. Is he laying in bed all day waiting for death? No. He is actually so fit that he still works out at least 2 hours per day. He says about an hour of weights and an hour of aerobics. I must admit that I don't recall ever seeing an episode of his long running TV series but thanks to You Tube and his website I can see him now and I find this man to be an extraordinary person. He knew and preached the right way for anyone to treat their body and was great at getting his point across. He wasn't just showing you some good exercises, he was rationally explaining why exercise and eating healthy foods was the key to health and vitality. Another thing about his shows is that they are perfectly relevant today even though they're now many decades old. He almost seems like he was ahead of his time but it wasn't rocket science, it was very basic stuff. Eat right and exercise. The same things any healthy person or a doctor would tell you today. It's not magical, it's just logical. I urge anyone of any age to take a closer look at this man and his philosophies for living. After all, he has proven himself to be right. Okay, at 95, he does look pretty old but compared to most of that age he not only looks better but obviously feels better. Most of us won't be that fortunate but we should all try to stay as healthy as we possibly can so we can enjoy every day until the very last day of our lives.
NOTE: The videos below are amazing in that he was telling "us" these things some fifty plus years ago. They are short so check them out and if you want to see complete episodes go to www.jacklalanne.com

The spooky fun of Halloween

2009-09-27T21:13:00.017-04:00

Halloween is coming soon. Remember years ago when it was usually perfectly safe to go trick or treating miles away from your house without your parent or other adult being an escort/bodyguard? I spent my early life in a town called Westbury, on Long Island in New York. It wasn't Mayberry but apparently my parents weren't too concerned about me and my brothers and sisters being off on our own somewhere, whether it be Halloween or any other day of the year. If I had my 47 year old mind back then, I might have thought badly of my parents for allowing that but I truly believe the amount of perverts, bullies, and various other nasty people were much less numerous than they are today. Halloween is still considered by some as an evil celebration but most people just enjoy dressing up, getting candy and going to parties. I've had this great idea for the ultimate Halloween party location. Imagine building (from the ground up), a "Haunted Mansion". I'd find a location miles from anywhere and create what appears to be a very old (but large) house at least 3 floors high. The top floor would be the Halloween party location and all you'd have to do is get up to it. That wouldn't be easy because the house would be designed to scare anyone who enters it with booby traps, scary sounds and ghostly apparitions all over. The party floor would be sound proof and the windows would be blacked out so when you drove up to the house it would really seem like a creepy vacant place. If not for other parked cars and new arrivals you might think you're at the wrong address. You could even set up hidden cameras so those who made it to the party could observe the other guests as they struggle in fear to find their way to the third floor. If you wanted it to be a yearly challenge for your guests you would have to redesign this haunted "funhouse" every year. Unfortunately, I never had the enormous amount of money to spare on such a project so I'll have to just continue with decorating around my front door and living room.

Did that radio station just play Britney after an Eagles song?

2009-09-24T12:47:00.032-04:00

Does anyone remember the days when many radio stations would play Jimi Hendrix followed by The Jackson Five, then a Glen Campbell song? That was certainly a good way to introduce a young person like myself to different genres of music. I spent many hours of my preteen life (in the early 70's) listening to New York's "Musicradio" WABC. They were playing the newest pop songs and played them very frequently. I vaguely recall something known as "instant replay", where they would actually play the same new song twice in row. Over the years, I've decided that I prefer what has now become the norm for radio stations and that is to play only a specific chosen genre or decade. Even though I love to occasionally listen to ABBA, I don't want to hear Van Halen next. I recently had a DJ job at a local radio station working the 7-12PM slot. The general manager (a nice guy) is also the program director. He basically purchased a collection of mixed genre songs that were deemed very likable for the "average" listener specifically the average female listener. These songs are from the 60's through now and were all in the top forty at one time or another but Rock songs were mostly excluded. My gripes while working there were several things. First, there were very few Rock songs. Being a guy, I love most rock music except for Heavy Metal. Second, I would be jumping from one decade (and genre) to the next. For example, I might play the classic Eagles song "Hotel California" then have to play a Britney Spears song right after that. Those two artists just don't belong on the same radio station in my opinion. And finally, the songs that we were playing never changed. The computer would simply shuffle the same set of songs around so as not to be heard at the same time each day. The station's small collection did not include the many thousands of other great songs from the past four decades and although the station boasts variety, if you listen often enough, within a week or two, you'll have heard almost every song on the play list. I will admit that if a station is playing strictly old songs then obviously they will eventually go through their entire collection no matter how big it is. That's why great DJ's are very important to keep people listening. So for the station manager's reasons and my own reasons, I no longer work there. Anyway, I'm glad most radio stations today stick with a specific genre instead of trying to include everyone's taste in music. I can enjoy songs from The Andrew Sisters to Pat Benatar to Dolly Parton. Or Dean Martin to Ozzy Osbourne to Kenny Rogers. Basically anything but RAP. But I don't want to hear all those artists together. When I'm in the mood for any of them, I'll find a station that plays their music style. That's just my middle aged opinion.

Number one super guy

2009-09-21T10:38:00.006-04:00

Remember the 70's cartoon show Hong Kong Phooey? It was about a mild mannered janitor who worked at a police station and when necessary, would secretly change into the superhero known to all as Hong Kong Phooey. No one seem to notice that this janitor/superhero was a talking dog and his sidekick was actually a cat who usually was responsible for their success. This was a very sweet show that I have fond memories of and it's now available on DVD. You can find it along with so many other kids shows from the past at www.greatoldtvshows.com

Are you a thrill seeker?

2009-09-20T19:22:00.018-04:00

I often wonder why many people take life-threatening risks just for fun. Take sky diving and mountain climbing for examples. Sure you might get an emotional thrill from it or a great sense of accomplishment but what if by accident you cripple or kill yourself? Then you may be labeled reckless or foolhardy or even selfish. Yes selfish, for putting your personal needs of thrill seeking ahead of the needs of your family and friends who want you to be a part of their lives. You could argue that there is risk in everything we do, especially just driving a car. Well that is something most of us must do for one reason or another. It is usually not optional and is generally safe. Some people in this world even choose to do very dangerous things for a living. I'm not talking about policemen, firemen or the military because they must take risks to aid others. But what about race car drivers or motorcycle daredevils? The odds of living a long life in these "professions" seem low. Even though Evel Knievel and his son lived to brag about their jumps, lots of other daredevils have not been so lucky. Also, when Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in the 2001 Daytona 500 race, I felt more sorry for his wife and kids and wondered why he was even out there racing. I doubt it was for the money. I think it was for the continued thrill of racing. Although a freak accident, his death was essentially by choice. It may be fun to watch people who make their living taking risks or to take those risks yourself, but I believe that life is already too short. Why increase the odds of making it any shorter? The many risk takers in the world would probably say to me that I should try it before I knock it. Well, I don't have to try jumping off a tall bridge (even attached to a bungee cord) to know the obvious risks. I'm in no way telling anyone what they should or shouldn't be doing when it comes to risky business. I would jump out of a plane if it were going to crash, I would climb a mountain if I were being chased by a wild animal, I would speed in a car if I had to get a seriously injured person to a hospital but I would not do something dangerous just for the thrill of it or for the money.

The worst day on Earth

2009-09-07T15:46:00.007-04:00

Recently, I posted about the possibility of extending ones life with some sort of new drug. So I decided to touch on another possibility that would render any such life extension irrelevant. There are very few things that man or nature can do to extinguish all life on earth but there is one we know for sure: a giant asteroid from space will impact our planet. We now know that it has happened here before and can and will happen again, eventually. After all, there are millions of these "rocks" floating around in space. Inevitably, one will cross paths with the earth, but will it be five years from now, fifty years from now, maybe a thousand years from now? No one knows, although NASA is at least trying to find and monitor any asteroids in our solar system that could potentially be a threat.The good news is, anything of substantial size, heading in our direction, will probably be spotted years before impact, giving us plenty of time to figure out how to divert it. That's assuming we continue on a course of advancing technology. So even though I'm not losing sleep over this doomsday event, I feel sad for the people in the future who might have to experience the worst day on earth. This video explains that day.

Would you drink from the Fountain of Youth?

2009-08-31T15:45:00.056-04:00

Although I'm only in my 40's, I have started to occasionally think about the fact that I will eventually no longer exist on this earth. It's the most frightening and sad thought I ever have. I don't want to get into whether there is anything after death, but rather I want to briefly discuss the concept of immortality. To my knowledge, no one has ever found a fountain of youth that extended their life indefinitely, but what if you did? Would you really take that drink? The characters who are immortal in movies and books are usually unhappy and often feel loneliness, but imagine for a moment that scientists develop a drug that, when injected, somehow stops your aging process at whatever age you currently are. I believe that if we don't destroy ourselves with some other technology, we will eventually accomplish this. At what age would you want to take this drug? I know I wouldn't want to always be a teenager. Thirty-five or even forty seems like an ideal age to me. Although, that option would only be available to those who were that age or younger when the drug was actually invented. Also, if it became available thirty years from now and you were in your seventies or eighties, would you even bother to take it? By the way, this drug would probably not prevent you from possibly dying from an illness, accident, or crime; it simply stops the aging process so you would still be expected to take reasonably good care of yourself. Obviously, if most of us were no longer aging and dying, the planet's population might get out of control, and I must admit that the whole idea of a society filled with people who weren't getting older just seems wrong to me. So, what's so great about living forever anyway? Well, you would certainly bear witness to a great deal of historical events, but if you didn't have wealth, when would you ever reach retirement? Can you imagine having to go to work for centuries? I think that a single lifetime is not enough to experience everything this world has to offer. There can always be something new to see or do if you had unlimited time. However, if no such drug is ever created and one day I happen to discover the mystical Fountain of Youth during a trek through a forest or jungle, I would elect to just drink from my canteen, because even though I dread my mortality, I could not bear the heartache of watching my wife, children, family and friends, grow old and die while I continue to be forever young. I'd rather live a normal lifespan counting on there being an "afterlife" that included all my loved ones, than live with sadness forever because I was too afraid to find out for myself.

What a character

2009-08-11T12:58:00.013-04:00

Being pretty young in the 1970's, I didn't watch much of All in the Family. My parents probably enjoyed it and like so many others, were stunned by what Archie Bunker was able to say on television way back then. The series is available on DVD at www.greatoldtvshows.com. This is a funny clip from the show that includes the Jeffersons.

Digital music is fine with me

2009-08-05T11:40:00.015-04:00

Do you remember your first record player? Mine was something like the one pictured here. Technically it was portable since you could close it and carry it like a little suitcase but it would need an electrical outlet wherever you decided to use it. It had the standard 3 speeds but I only needed the 45 and 33rpms. Mostly just the 45rpms since that was what I was buying as a kid. I vaguely remember thinking why should I spend so much money on an album when I only want that one song I hear on the radio. So over a matter of years I had collected a fair amount of 45's. I did buy some albums as a teenager but quickly moved on to cassette tapes because they could be played in a car or on a portable (battery powered) cassette player. I skipped over the 8-track tapes because that technology was already fading by the late 70's. There were a few problems with the cassettes. First, if you wanted to listen to just a particular song, you had to guess where that song was located on the tape by pressing fast forward then possibly rewind then possibly fast forward again, unless your favorite song happened to be the first track on the tape. Second, the tape ribbon itself was somewhat vulnerable to dust, liquid, heat, etc. and might occasionally get stuck or eaten by your tape player. And the final problem with cassettes is that if you play them often enough, they will wear out, just like a record. So I was thrilled when the compact disc was born. I was also amazed at how a laser light beaming on this cool looking mini record, could somehow produce sound. Unlike cassette cartridges, there were no moving parts. Nothing could break or wear out. I really felt we had come as far as we possibly could in music technology with these new CD's. They did have to be handled somewhat carefully because they could get scratched and would occasionally skip like a record but overall they were a vast improvement. My favorite feature of a CD is the ability to select any song on it by pressing the button that takes you through the song tracks by number. No more searching with fast forward or rewind. That was over twenty years ago when I never would have imagined that music would now be stored on very tiny computer chips, not just a few songs but thousands of songs. How cool is it to have a device hanging from your keychain or in your pocket that has every song you ever liked stored in it? There are those out there that insist music sounds better on records or tapes but since most of us (including myself) can't tell the difference, digital music is fine with me. You can check out a huge selection of music/video players here at Amazon.

Just how small we are

2009-08-02T20:36:00.014-04:00

Recently, my wife and I were getting ready for bed while watching TV when suddenly everything went dark, then a flicker of light again, then total darkness. It always seems startling, and maybe even spooky, to have your electricity suddenly go out without any notice. Fortunately, our one and only flashlight was nearby. After calling the power company, we stepped outside in our "sleep" clothes to perhaps learn what caused the blackout, and boy was it black out! Our house is located on the outskirts of a small town in Vermont. We have no neighbors and no street lights. After the initial awe of how dark it was, we looked up to see a clear sky with millions of stars visible thanks to a moonless night. Since the weather was obviously not the cause of the blackout, we figured someone may have hit an electrical pole with their car. Without the A.C. it was too warm in the house to fall asleep, so we decided to stay outside awhile and gaze at the beautiful star filled sky. The picture above is a fair representation of what we saw. As I joked about how this would be a good time for an extraterrestrial visit, and hoped one would come, my wife pointed out how small we (as a planet) are in this vast universe. In fact, scientists have deduced that if all the sand on earth was the universe, our planet would be smaller than a single grain. They also know that if you could travel in a spacecraft moving at the speed of light (which is over 186,000 miles per second), it would still take over 4 years to reach the nearest star/solar system from us. I mentioned alien visitors again and noted that distance was probably the reason we aren't visited everyday. My wife thinks we may simply be a very insignificant planet among the almost infinite amount of planets in the universe. Anyway, the point of this article is that although we think our world is so big; size is extremely relative. Play this short video to see just how small we are.

When will the next "giant leap for mankind" happen?

2009-07-20T16:33:00.008-04:00

Although I consider myself middle aged, I'm not quite old enough to remember the historic day of July 20th, 1969. I was only six and a half and not even a bit concerned with such things as a man walking on the moon. It would have been nice to be at least ten years older. I must have been somewhat influenced by the space program back then because I do remember wanting to be an astronaut when I grew up. I also remember getting an "A" on an elementary school assignment where I built a Saturn rocket model that included the removable command module and lunar lander. Anyway, the reason I'm talking about this is because of the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon. It still amazes me that NASA actually accomplished it, especially with only 1960's technology. The three men pictured above certainly deserve to be forever honored for their skill and heroism. I wonder if they were totally aware of the enormous risk that was involved with all the things that could possibly go wrong on their mission. If you want to witness some of those risks along with the teamwork and spirit of NASA, a great movie to watch is Apollo 13 or From Earth to the Moon. There is one thing, however, that bothers me a little with regards to the space program - how far we haven't come since 1969. Think about it. It only took 66 years from man's first flight by the Wright Brothers to man landing on the moon. You would think forty years past that point we would already be colonizing Mars. Unfortunately, with accident setbacks and budget problems, traveling to other planets is still science fiction. It would be an interesting coincidence if the first landing on Mars was exactly 66 years from the first moon landing. If so, I hope I'm still around to witness that historic and amazing event.

You might just make it after all

2009-07-15T17:07:00.009-04:00

I've always loved The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I think my favorite character was the pompous Ted Baxter played by Ted Knight. This series along with many others are just not shown much anymore which is a real shame. They are available on DVD at greatoldtvshows.com

Is anyone not using a digital camera?

2009-07-15T15:48:00.015-04:00

Remember back in the day when you not only had to buy lots of film for your camera, you also needed to buy flash bulbs or later flash cubes or later flash bars? Then eventually someone figured out how to make a permanent (rechargeable) flash bulb built into all cameras. Remember how you wouldn't know whether you captured a great picture or not until you had your film developed somewhere which used to take several days or more, until they set up those 1 hour photo process centers? Unless of course you owned a Polaroid camera that spit out a small picture after each press of the shutter button. I remember some people would very carefully hold the new picture with just a few fingers and wave it in the air like it needed to dry and/or would perhaps develop faster. Also, without a "negative" you couldn't make extra copies. We would all learn years later that those insta-prints would fade or discolor. But thanks to our ever advancing technology, we now have those beloved digital cameras. No flash bulbs to buy, no film to buy, no developing to pay for, and you can see if your picture is correct right away. If not, just take another one as the memory cards generally will hold hundreds of photos. The only significant problem with these new cameras is the "shutter lag". Yes, I can't tell you how many times I've captured the back or side of someones head or missed the swing of the bat because of this very slight delay when depressing the shutter button. A minor problem with these new cameras is that they are so small. My wife and I don't particularly care for the super small and thin models that are now being sold. You can purchase ones that look and feel more like a classic 35mm camera but they cost much more. A nice little plus for having one of these cameras is your kids can "play" with them. When my kids were little they couldn't touch my camera because they would waste precious film. Now the only thing you would have to replace occasionally are the batteries or some cameras are rechargeable, so these new cameras can be an amusing pastime for kids. These days you can get a halfway decent one for around one hundred dollars, so even if it breaks, it's not a great loss. I often question the importance of some of our recent technological advances but not in the realm of photography. It's all good. Except for maybe how anyone can now "photoshop" pictures. But that's another story.........

Do I really need 200 million dollars?

2009-07-12T10:07:00.004-04:00

How many of you play the state lotteries on a regular basis and how many just play when the jackpot is very high? The reason for bringing up this subject is to talk about the ridiculously high jackpots. Why have just one set of winning numbers when you're talking about so much money? For example, there have been jackpots totalling hundreds of millions of dollars, and the only time that amount would possibly be divided up is if several people picked the exact same winning numbers. I believe there should be a winner for every one million dollars in the total. Think about it. With a two hundred million dollar jackpot, you could have 200 separate winners of one million dollars each, which for the average person, would be plenty. I believe the amount of people playing lotteries set up like that would be even higher than they are now, producing regularly higher jackpots and therefore many more million dollar winners. Everyone I've ever discussed this with tends to agree, and nobody seems to know why this way is not done. Even after paying the taxes on the one million dollars, my wife and I would be thrilled to suddenly have all that extra money. That's just my middle aged opinion.

If you've seen one you've seen them all?

2009-07-03T21:22:00.011-04:00

Recently I saw a news story on how some towns across the country are cutting back or eliminating their 4th of July fireworks shows this year. I happen to live in one of those towns. In fact, the last show here was July 4th, 2007. Reason? Can't afford it. My reaction? No big deal. Let me explain why I feel that way. Remember when you first saw fireworks as a kid? You were either scared or amazed or both. Then as time went by, and you experienced more fireworks, (without being scared), you just enjoyed the sights and sounds. Eventually, as an adult, if you were anything like me, you began to take notice of something. The fireworks seem to look the same year after year. Sure, they're enjoyable to watch with children, friends, your girlfriend or boyfriend or wife or husband, but how much have fireworks actually changed over time? Of course, the pyrotechnic companies try to change things up or at least extend the length of the shows, and theme parks with unlimited budgets can create very elaborate shows with the inclusion of lasers, music, etc. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, since most fireworks shows are very similar, it's not a big deal for me to have a July 4th go by without actually seeing one. That's just my middle aged opinion.

Where have all the cool cars gone?

2009-06-03T09:03:00.030-04:00

I've noticed over the past 20 years or so that it has become more and more difficult for me to easily recognize a specific make or model of any car. The reason for this is that many cars have basically the same (boring) shape. In an effort to make cars more aerodynamic, the car manufacturers have taken away the uniqueness of a car that made it stand out in a crowd. They have all started to look like the Dodge Neon. And the funny thing is, young people will actually spend time and money trying to customize these cars by putting wings on the trunk, switching out the hubcaps for mag wheels and maybe even getting a custom paint job. I'm sorry but nothing is going to make a Dodge Neon (or similar car) look cool. What happened to the Cougar, the Chevelle, the GTO, the 280ZX, the Charger, the Trans-Am, and the Z-28? In 1976 you could drive off the lot with the car pictured above and have the coolest ride in town. It was naturally awesome looking and everybody knew what kind of car you now owned. When I'm on the road and see any of the cars mentioned here, it brings a smile to my face and a sense of melancholy as those days of unique looking cars drift further and further into the past. That's just my middle aged opinion. Find your favorite Great Old TV Shows available on DVD.

The Cosby Show

2009-06-02T20:51:00.013-04:00

I still have a hard time thinking of the 1980's as a long time ago. It seems like it was just a few years back. This show was a major part of that time. It was funny, clean family entertainment. This clip and others, (sprinkled throughout Middle Age Meandering), is great. You can find the series on DVD at Great Old TV Shows

I just want to make a phone call

2009-06-02T18:18:00.037-04:00

Back in the 1970's, I started to watch the original STAR TREK tv show, which by then was in permanent reruns.The reason for mentioning this is that there was a particular device used by the crew members which was called the "communicator". It was essentially a miniature walkie-talkie that had a tremendous talk range. It was mostly used to communicate with the orbiting starship or another member of the landing party. It was a very simple design. You would flip open the cover and talk. No need to hold a button down like with a walkie-talkie. There were 3 lights and only two buttons inside. I'm not sure what those buttons were for, but I thought this "portable phone" was so cool and wondered how long into the future it would take us to design and build these small but poweful communicators. I'm pretty sure these units did not have cameras, keypads, clocks, GPS or LCD screens. So you couldn't take pictures, you couldn't text message, you couldn't surf the interent and read emails, you couldn't watch movies or play video games, you couldn't use them as watches or alarm clocks and you couldn't find your way to somewhere with them. You could however, do the most important thing with it. You could talk to someone, even over a great distance. That was the idea behind the original portable phone that came out around 1984. It was about the size of a brick, weighed about two pounds and cost about $4000.00. I knew then that it was only a matter of years before the STAR TREK communicator would be a reality for us all, although the design would have to be modified with a keypad for dialing phone numbers. Instead of creating long range communicators they invented the "cell" phone. They are called cell phones because the limited transmitter range must be received by a nearby "cell" tower in order to make a call. The drawback to this system is that your phone must be in range of a tower to actually use it. That was a big problem early on but it's getting better as more and more towers are put up. However, reception has never been as good as a traditional "land line" phone. How many times have you tried to have a conversation with someone calling from a cell phone only to hear just bits and pieces? Maybe you're the one on the cell phone spinning around continuously asking "can you hear me now?" All I ever wanted from a portable phone was to make and receive calls at places where there was no access to a regular phone. That's all. These days, it doesn't really matter if you can actually talk to someone because the phones have so many other features to keep you busy. As more gadgets are crammed into them, it almost seems like the phone designers are trying to make these little devices the only thing you'll ever need or want in life. That's just my middle aged opinion. Listen to my version of Steve Martin from the movie "The Jerk" as he is saying "All I need is this".

Where are all the great old TV shows?

2009-06-02T13:47:00.012-04:00

Does it seem like most of the classic television shows from the 50's thru the 80's are rarely broadcast anymore? The only reason we've all seen SEINFELD so many times is that it seems to be shown over and over every single day. The same goes for shows like FRIENDS and EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND. Where are shows like MAGNUM P.I., THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, GOMER PYLE or FATHER KNOWS BEST? There are so many great shows from the past that are sorely missed by older folks and completely unknown to younger people. It should be noted that one of the major differences between today's TV series and those from the past is that the older shows often promoted good values and behavior. That's something our children could benefit from since I believe that watching TV does influence their emotional growth. I recently discovered that most classic TV shows are now on DVD. So, I decided to create a website that lets anyone easily know what's available and where to get them. This website, called "Great Old TV Shows," took me many months to build (and that's working 12 hours a day). So, if you were wondering why this blog called Middle Age Meandering is promoting that site, now you know. If you want to revisit the shows you grew up with, this is the place to start. Find your favorite Great Old TV Shows and don't worry, SEINFELD will be on until the end of time.

I just want to hear my messages

2009-06-02T13:39:00.016-04:00

If you were born after 1995, you probably don't remember the traditional "answering machine". It was a separate device aside from your telephone that would record incoming call messages. Originally the recordings were placed on a "reel to reel" tape. Then they evolved into using the cassette tape, then the mini cassette tape and finally a digital computer chip. When you came home, you would look at the little device next to your phone, and if someone had called, a light would be flashing. That would prompt you to press a single button on the machine, and you would immediately hear your new messages. That's it. Simple, quick, and efficient. The only time you might not get a message is if the answering machine was turned off or you had a power failure. Okay, it also wouldn't work if you never erased any of your old messages. Now we have what someone cleverly decided to call "voice mail" or "voice mail boxes". Essentially, the phone company is now the "answering machine". To get your messages you have to pick up your phone and listen for the special beep. Then, you dial the special number. Then, you enter your special code number. Then, you listen to a recording that tells you how many messages you received today. If you have old messages that will no longer be stored by the phone company, you must go thru them one by one before it will play your new messages. Have fun if you have many messages. If it's a message that you don't want to listen to in it's entirety, you have to press a sequence of numbers to speed through it and delete it. By the way, if you have precious or important messages that you want to keep for a long time or forever, you can't do that with voice mail. Only an aswering machine can save your message for as long as you want. My wife tells me that the advantage of voice mail is that you can get your messages when calling from anywhere. Well, most answering machines of the past had a feature that would allow you to do the same thing. Another great feature allowed you to listen as the message was being placed and pick up the phone if you wanted to take the call. All I want to do is walk in my house press the button and hear my new messages. I don't need the phone company recording my personal calls, forcing me to go through a button pushing ritual, and charging me money for the service as well. But that's just my middle aged opinion. Obviously this is irrelevant for those who only use cellular phones. Read my thoughts about cell phones, texting and "cell phone people".

Pesky channel logos

2009-06-02T12:16:00.017-04:00

Young people will probably never know a time when station logos were not on almost every TV channel. But for us older folks, it wasn't that long ago when you could watch any program without having this annoying little watermark permanently affixed to the corner of your screen. I believe the original intention of these was to discourage people from taping the programs and perhaps selling them. I find them distracting and some stations are starting to flash little animations along the bottom of the screen, promoting some upcoming show. This isn't during a commercial, either. I wish every television had a feature which could eliminate them, but I think they are here to stay.

Are you trying to save our planet?

2009-06-02T10:19:00.016-04:00

I have to admit that until my wife and I got together, I had never really been concerned with doing any recycling. Sure, as a kid, I collected soda bottles for the five or ten cent deposits, but that had nothing to do with saving our planet. I just wanted to buy a Hostess apple pie or see a movie. Even now, I struggle with the thought of whether or nor it makes any difference. After all, it really takes an effort to recycle. According to my wife, you're supposed to wash the soup cans and jars. You also have to keep like items separate, and unless you take your recyclables to the center often, all these items can really start taking up a lot of space. Remember, it's not just the cans and glass jars. You also have cardboard, newspapers, magazines, and plastic bottles, along with anything else you might think they will accept at the recycling center. My point is, I think many people are still not willing to put the time and effort into recycling. I'm someone who thinks that unless the majority of us are doing this, it just doesn't make that big of a difference on a global scale. On the other hand, it is a perfectly logical thing for all of us to be doing since we will eventually run out of places to put all our garbage. If you're a person who doesn't like to waste things, then you're probably going to feel good about recycling and stick with it for life. If you don't really care where your garbage goes, then hopefully your grand kids won't hold a grudge against you when they run out of room on this planet for the garbage. That's just my middle aged opinion.

Who's your friend when things get rough?

2009-06-01T22:40:00.018-04:00

"Once upon a summertime just a dream from yesterday a boy and his magic golden flute heard a boat from off the bay....." These are the beginning lyrics to the classic kids TV show called "H.R. Puff n stuff." Whoever created this yellow mushroom head character must have been on some sort of mushrooms themselves. I'm not sure if kids today would like it, but back in the early 70's, it was must see TV. Find all your favorite kids shows at Great Old TV Shows on DVD.

I have another call

2009-06-01T22:35:00.008-04:00

While talking to someone on a phone, have you ever been put on hold because the person with whom you are speaking wants to speak to someone else who is trying to call? Have you ever been put on hold more than once during the same call? The only time I don't consider these actions rude is when, at the beginning of the call, the person you are speaking with let's you know in advance that they may be getting an important call shortly that they must take. Otherwise, just ignore the beeping. They will probably try to reach you later. That's just my middle aged opinion.

Hello? You're holding a telephone!

2009-06-01T21:44:00.021-04:00

................ Does anyone agree with me that text messaging or "texting" on a cell phone is just plain silly? I can't believe this way of communicating actually caught on. Especially when the device you're using is capable of transmitting and receiving voice. That's like going to a phone booth, and instead of picking up the handset to talk and hear, you just peck at the keypad to create short, sometimes cryptic sentences, and the person on the other end actually does the same thing. After ten minutes of that, you manage to get across to your friend that you had a nice time last night. On a serious note, anyone who does this while driving is a fool. Many recent accidents have occurred due to this irresponsible behavior. Just use a telephone as it was originally intended. That's just my middle aged opinion.

Do you have to drive to the gym?

2009-06-01T13:35:00.034-04:00

Most of us realize as we get older how important exercise really is. Also, you probably have a preference of either using a public fitness center or your own fitness equipment at home. The obvious advantage to a fitness center is that the equipment they have is often superior to what one would buy for home use unless you have lots of money. In my opinion, that's the only advantage. The only reason I'm able to make a comparison here is because my wife and I live in such a small house there is literally no extra space for a workout room or even a workout area.......yet. We have a large detached garage that could be split to accommodate our own little fitness center, which is what I planning on building as soon as possible. I definitely prefer a home gym for many reasons. First, there's privacy. It's just you in a quiet room maybe listening to some music or watching a TV. Secondly, only you and/or your spouse are handling the equipment. So, you don't necessarily have to wipe down everything after each use. Third, no waiting for equipment to be available. Fourth, no pressure to show off by lifting more than you should. I'm 46, so weight lifting is getting harder and harder. Fifth is temperature. When I'm working out, I prefer the room temperature to be between 65 and 70 degrees. This prevents me from overheating when I'm really pushing myself. Finally, it's so much more convenient to walk into another room or your garage to work out rather than having to make a whole trip to a gym somewhere. That has been the most serious problem for the two of us. The only fitness center in our small town is about a 10 minute drive. No big deal right? What if the temperature outside is only 20 degrees? We live in Vermont, where it is usually very cold for about 6 months each year. So when we get home from work on a cold winters day, start a fire in our wood stove, then have a nice dinner, do you really think we want to get all bundled up to go outside again just to get to the gym, then have to take off layers of clothing, do our workout, then put the layers of clothes back on so we can get home without freezing? We've missed many workouts because of that situation. Am I just making up an excuse? I guess so, but I think it's a pretty good one. Can't wait to have a home gym. That's just my middle aged opinion.

This thing is for the TV?

2009-06-01T13:27:00.014-04:00

How many of you out there think the amount of buttons on today's' remote controls is a bit ridiculous? Yes, maybe it looks cool, like you're holding some futuristic gadget that could allow you to pilot the space shuttle or travel thru time, but are all those buttons really necessary? I've imagined a group of "techno-geeks" sitting around a table trying to figure out how to cram 100 different functions onto a single remote control. All I need to control is the channels and volume. If the remote is for a recording device, it still doesn't need so many buttons. That's just my middle aged opinion. This is all I need.

Danger! Will Robinson!

2009-05-27T14:00:00.036-04:00

Before I discovered Star Trek, and way before Star Wars, Lost in Space was my favorite science fiction series. I always thought the Jupiter 2 was such a cool spaceship. Too bad they decided to make it more for children. This is the 3rd season opening which was much more exciting than the 1st and 2nd season openings. The black & white video is funny and doesn't even mention Dr. Smith. If you want to revisit the Robinson family on DVD, go to Great Old TV Shows.