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rolandlytle

4 weeks ago

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5 Jun 2021

I had this quiz on SS several years ago and thought maybe new members would like a try.

Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about. Ratings at the bottom.

1. Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside jukeboxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines on the telephone
8. Newsreels before the movie
9. P.F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels... if you were fortunate)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S&H green stamps
16. Hi-fi's
17. Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19. Blue flashbulb
20. Packards
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers
25. Wash tub wringers

If you remember 0-5 = You're still young
If you remember 6-10 = You are getting older
If you remember 11-15 = Don't tell your age,
If you remember 16-25 = You're older than dirt!

I might be older than dirt but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.

I had 18!

Meredith (James) added a few more, but I do not know how to change the scoring.

26. 8-track tape players
27. Under the dash Record players
28. Duck tail haircuts
29. Poodle Skirts
30. Cloverine salve ointment
31. Henry J cars
32. Sock hop dances
33. Outhouses
34. Redball Jets
35. Shoe repair shops
36. Alleys behind houses
37. Waiting for a Radio to Warm-up
38. Cherry Cokes that had real bits of cherries in them
39. Black Cow floats
40. Car hops

5 Jun 2021

Quote by Leila
Quote by rolandlytle
Quote by Leila
I'm Leila from Iran. I was a teacher in my country. I came here to publish my stories which mostly happened during my career.

I enjoyed your first story. It was an interesting mix of sexy and heroic. I am looking forward to reading more about your time in Iran and how you dealt with the daily hypocrisy in your life.

When did you move to Great Britain?

I will publish another story soon. I moved about three years ago.

I hope one of your stories will cover the changes you had to make, moving to a different culture. I always find the perspective of a new person to a culture on that culture fascinating.

On YouTube, I like to watch peoples' thoughts about the US and how things were different than they thought they would be. Unexpected adjustments to a new culture and views about how things were better, worse, or just different than they thought it would be.

Having been to several other places myself, I was always surprised about how truly uninformed I was about those places.

I would also be interested in your thoughts about what your homeland's future will be. I have known several people from different parts of Iran, and my wife's family has Iranian roots.

5 Jun 2021

Quote by MagnificentBastard

This is as true as 'Murphy's Law.' An idea to live your life by.

Parachuting is not often a problem for people that have acrophobia, as I do. When looking out a plane at hundreds or thousands of meters, the earth is so far below you that it does not look real and does not cause the typical fear response in people. You can work yourself up to trigger an acrophobic response. think of it like sitting in a room on the 80th floor of a building. That will not usually trigger acrophobia, but if the individual overthinks about it, they may cause themselves to react to their actual fear. Psychologically the best height to trigger acrophobia is approximately 10.4 meters/ 34 feet. (about three stories in a building) Militarys' around the world use that height to climate jumpers to landing and rolls.

BTW, when I said jumping was better than sex, I was referring to freefall, but the rest is great too. You can do what is called 'tandem jumping,' where expert skydivers carry you. You can experience freefall that way without a lot of training, but I do not know how it compares to being alone as you plummet to Earth. I have been told it is pretty amazing. You will reach speeds of 60mps/100fps, and that is fantastic.

I read a story from a new member, Leila. I thought it was quite good. Give it a try if you can.
https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/drama/-an-educational-leap-.aspx

Now I will sit awhile to watch last night's games.

5 Jun 2021

Quote by Leila
I'm Leila from Iran. I was a teacher in my country. I came here to publish my stories which mostly happened during my career.

I enjoyed your first story. It was an interesting mix of sexy and heroic. I am looking forward to reading more about your time in Iran and how you dealt with the daily hypocrisy in your life.

When did you move to Great Britain?

5 Jun 2021

Quote by MagnificentBastard
The Five Secrets To A Man’s Happiness

1. Find a woman who can make you laugh
2. Find a woman who is a good cook
3. Find a woman who is compassionate
4. Find a woman who is great in bed
5. And most importantly, ensure these four women never meet.

That is funny, Ping.

Elizabeth, I believe the Nationals will show improvement this year. I would be surprised if they finished last. I even think they will end the season with a winning record.

By the way, since so many of you have mentioned eating bugs, I would like to know the most unusual food you have ever eaten? In Honduras, I ate monkey brain fresh from the skull. They used the head and cut a hole in the top, and then you use a fork to get a piece of the brain out and eat it, ala tartare. I did not like it, but I ate four pieces so that I did not seem rude. The people who fed three friends and me were proud to provide us with that rare delicacy.

4 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
The Padres are the best team in baseball and beat the Metros 4-3 in a game much less close than it sounds. Another game tonight, though I think we'll be going out to an actual restaurant. Good game, Larry!

Still looking for a replacement for Justified. We're considering lobotomies, to cut out our memories of the show, so we can watch it again.

Yes, the Padres are a good team, especially since Tatis is back, but the Mets faced their best pitcher in that first game. The Cubs are in a four-game series with SF, and then they have three more games in SD.
There are several TV series that you may like to fulfill your 'Justified' fix. 'Longmire' and 'Banshee' are pretty similar. Also, there is 'Wynonna Earp.' That show is an entirely different genre (supernatural), but I found the style of humor that made 'Justified' so good. There is also 'Deadwood.' The only fundamental differences between those two shows are that 'Deadwood' is based in the old west and a more ensemble cast. If you have not seen it, 'Deadwood' is worth the time. I like your new avatar.

The weather is nice today. I fell into an episode today when I was startled by a Plummer that I had forgotten was due. My son helped me out.

'Caveman' is an excellent movie!

I will have some Earl Grey today and read a few more stories.

3 Jun 2021

Quote by MagnificentBastard
HALO?!?

Come on. Tell us a bedtime HALO story. Please. You’ve got plenty of skydiving ones too.

I’m curious, were you offended by the song referencing someone being poured out their boots? You know the one I’m referencing? I actually love it. I’d want that blast of reality if I was airborne brave. I grew up around a bunch of paratroopers. Sadly, that band of gnarly men was disbanded for poor behaviour. I wasn’t condoning their behaviour. It was bad. But Jesus, these guys jumped for our country. Brave, stupid men of the Canadian Airborne. I remember on military days seeing hundreds of army men floating down from the sky, just like the image on their burgundy t-shirts. Yup. Those were the days before being able to control the shutes. Sigh. Good childhood memory.

Grandpa Roland, tell us a HALO story. Free beer if it includes Rachel Welch.

Ping, I am very rarely offended by anyone.

I do not have any interesting stories about the few HALO jumps I did. A good jump is by its very nature, routine. If jumping at 6,100 meters or more is not routine, then you will often end with a splat. The feeling is unbelievable, better than sex! It might make a good poem. Rachel Welch was one of the most talented, intelligent, and beautiful woman ever.

3 Jun 2021

Hi Inspirators and Spacers alike!

Padres are a good team. I hope Tatis is back from injury soon. Padres/Cubs series was a lot more competitive than the scores indicated. The Cubs were lucky to get the sweep. Next Monday-Wednesday, the series in San Diego could go the other way.

Ping, I get you about the proper safety equipment. I loved skydiving. The type of safety checks and equipment is obviously paramount. I skydived, even did HALO jumps, but I would not ride a motorcycle. You can be safe, but other drivers seem to hate motorcyclists. Most of the motorcycle accidents I have seen or heard about were car drivers being stupid. I knew a lady that had the handle 'Sugar Tits' back in the days of CB radios.

E and Linda, it is great to have you both drop-in.

I will have a wee bit of the herbal, sit down, and read some stories.

1 Jun 2021

Quote by Survivor
Every sailor in the US Navy learns to swim in boot camp. You are tested in the first week of an 8 week recruit training period. I was tested and passed because I knew how to swim. When I pointed out my name on the testing sheet, I dropped a drop of water on it. I got a stare from the petty officer recording the scores. The next day I was told I had failed the test and needed to go to swimming classes. I took the class one session, passed it again, and that was that, learning a lesson in petty tyranny in the process.

During the next weeks, the current companies in training took part in typical physical competitions, including swimming. I was placed on the 4 man freestyle swimming relay in the final position. Our team won that competition. In addition, that swimming win was added to other wins, and our company was awarded a pennant for that training period. From then on, as the yeoman and guidon bearer for the company, I carried that pennant along with the company banner whenever we marched as a company to any new training classes.

My learning to swim before that is a different story.

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/learning-to-swim.aspx

Wow, Larry! I was also the guidon bearer for my boot camp company. It was common for the guidon bearer to be yeoman, but I was the marching/military training specialist in my case. I had been on the drill team in ROTC and knew the drill manual by memory. I made sure everyone was at their best at marching and keeping a proper bunk and locker. I taught everyone how to spitshine their shoes too. Our CC even loaned me out to two other companies to teach them proper spitshine techniques. He then gave me shit when one of those companies beat us in a personnel inspection, but later, when everyone else was busy, he gave me a big smile and attaboy because he ragged on that CC that a boot got them first place. I loved boot camp. I did notice in my time in the navy that most sailors were not good swimmers. You can not dog-paddle in five-foot seas. The Padres/Cubs series should be a good one. I am going to watch the first game (from yesterday) after I finish this post.

Verity, I have not seen your new story yet. Has it been posted?

BTW, today is Rick's (Snoop) birthday. I have not heard from him lately, but I know he still pops in from time to time.

Getting some green tea today and am sitting down to watch the game.

1 Jun 2021

There is so much going on in the coffee house now that we go through a whole page in a day or two. It is so good to have so many Inspirators.

Ping, would you like some fine cheese to go with your whine? I have not enjoyed camping since my days in Central America.

Today is a day of remembrance for more than one reason.

Memorial Day is a day I never look forward to, but I am lucky. I personally only know a dozen people that died in the service. I do know others that have known far too many dead brothers-in-arms, especially from the Vietnam era. That was a different time in the US. I knew people that would tell stories about being harassed when they return to America because they were in Vietnam. One story about departing a plane in Atlanta in uniform and being called baby killers stands out. Things are not like that now. Military members and veterans are treated much better. On this day each year, I have a drink for all the people I knew and those I did not know who sacrificed themself for their nation. "To fallen friends and comrades!" Cheers.

Today is also the one-hundredth-year anniversary of the beginning of the Tulsa Race Riots. It is hard to believe that so many things have improved in a century, yet that same hatred that caused that horrible event and so many more like it still exists in so many people today. I went to high school in Charlotte, NC, while it and Boston were in the courts about busing, including the Supreme Court. The busing of students to integrate the school systems was a divisive issue at the time. There were regular protests near the school, and often our courtyard would fill up with blacks at one end and whites at the other. I was not popular with certain people due to having several black friends. It was especially bad for me when I began dating a black lady in my senior year. I was ostracized by many, both black and white. I even got beat up three times and almost a fourth time, except a friend helped me out. (That is a great story that I should share on this site) Racism has always been a cause that I step up to fight because of my background.

Now I step off my soapbox and get a cookie with some milk if I can find some. I have not dunked a cookie in a while.

I got a few more stories/poems read today. I am impressed by the overall quality of the writing posted here. It makes me proud to be a part of the Stories Space family.

Larry, the three-game series of the Padres at the Cubs, starts tomorrow. It should a great match. I am glad the Padres will not be sending Darvish to the mound during these three games.

31 May 2021

Quote by verbal
Ooh, good thread!

Kurt Vonnegut
Larry McMurtry
Shirley Jackson
John Irving
Stephen King

Honorable mention:
David Foster Wallace
Neil Stephenson
Toni Morrison
John LaCarre
Cormac McCarthy

The problem of picking a top five of anything is that you always leave people out. I did not even think of Steven King, or he might have been on my list too.

31 May 2021

The Mets put a beat-down on the Braves yesterday and got rained out again today. Sara can be happy with the continued good play of their young catcher William Contreras. He is the 23-year-old younger brother of the Cubs All-Star catcher Willson Contreras. Larry, I am looking forward to the Padres at Cubs three-game series starting tomorrow. The Cubs have broken their franchise record by using 41 different players by the end of May, but five other teams have used more this year than the Cubs. Injuries are running rampant throughout baseball. By the end of the season, injuries may impact division standing more than any other factor.

With the help of a double dose of anti-anxiety meds and Liz by my side, I made it through our cookout. It went much better than I thought it would.

I will have a Miss Moneypenny cookie. They are said to be extremely sweet, especially when they are warm.

Cheers!

31 May 2021

I hope a haiku counts.

by Uejima Onitsura

These useless dreams, alas!
Over fields of wilted grass
winds whisper as they pass.

Translated from Japanese and a miracle, it rhymes in English.

31 May 2021

In alphabetic order:
Isaac Asimov
Agatha Christie
Charles Dickens
George Orwell
Count Lev N. Tolstoy

I did not include poets; if I had, two poets would be in the mix:
Emily Dickinson
T.S. Eliot

Interesting note: Only Issac Asimov was listed on more than one group of choices.

30 May 2021

hello1

hello1

Good day to everyone.

I read seven stories yesterday, and now, this morning, I have three new ones before 10:00 am. I am so glad that we are getting so many pieces of prose and poetry.

There is so much baseball data that you must dig into the 'deep weeds' to glean it all, but today I saw a stat from Statcast that shows the difference in modern baseball. As of yesterday, the major leagues have 81 pitchers that have an average fastball velocity of 96 MPH or higher. When I graduated high school, it was a hand full at most.

I am getting a cuppa Darjeeling tea to relax me for the stressful day to come.

Now I will be watching yesterday's Cubs game against the Reds.

29 May 2021

robot

29 May 2021

hello2

hello2

hello2

Cheers mates.

Oh, Bond. The spy that drank watered-down gin. I did like Connery. I was sad when he passed last year.

I hope deGrom faces the Braves. It is baseball at its best when great pitching meets great hitting. BTW, I found an interesting quirk to the reliever three-batter rule. If the game is stopped for weather or any other reason during an inning, that reliever must still pitch to meet the three batter limit even if the delay is hours or days. The only way out of the rule is injury or ejection.

Sara, those watermelon cookies looked so good! I will eat one with my herbal tea today.

I am a wee bit worried about tomorrow. We are having guests for a cook-out, and I have not been around new visitors since my condition worsened. With my occasional mental zone-outs and my paranoia, I am not good around new people. We have several neighbors coming over. I have met them before, that is what Liz told me, but with so many people in the house, I am worried it will affect me worse. That is what happens when I go out to crowded places quite often. Liz says she will stay with me; she is excellent at keeping me grounded. With her help, I hope things will go well. I will take some meds before they get here.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

BTW, I am really behind on my reading. Be patient, and I will get to all the stories and poems. They are all so good and entertaining. Some days they are what gets me out of bed.

27 May 2021

For the baseball fans; players being paid millions of dollars can still play like little leaguers.

27 May 2021

I have been rewatching two shows.

1. 'The Ranch' is a comedy/drama series on Netflix. It has an all-star cast, with Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliott, Debra Winger, Elisha Cuthbert, and Debra Jo Rupp. It was canceled last year.

2. 'The Boys' follows a team of non-superpowered vigilantes as they combat superpowered individuals who abuse their abilities on Amazon Prime. The series has an ensemble cast that is great and this parody/dark-humored show has interesting storylines. It is R-rated with excessive gore and violence plus a lot of sexual references. It is like GOT with its violence, but basically on nudity. It may have more violence and gore than GOT. I like its sarcasm and often gallows humor. Season three is greenlit and I hear they may have a spin-off coming next year, or sooner. based on a group in superpower college based on G-Men from their comics.

27 May 2021

Quote by MagnificentBastard
I just had some of the best bubble gum gelato. I wonder if it is made with real cats named bubble gum?

Eating cat gelato!? Is your name ALF? Worldmeter is a reference I often use. Why would you not want a big-ass bar on your bike? Are you a teetotaler? Alfred Hitchcock is one of the top five greatest directors of all time. BTW the squirrel's name was Phat Gus.

Jeff, nice calicos, but where did you get those names? My granddaughter named our two cats. If it had been me, I would have called them Cat and Felix. (or maybe Stop-It and God-Damn-It. That is usually what Liz is yelling at them) Army of the Dead has not been getting very good reviews. (IMDB is a 5.8) How would you rate it? I am still on the Mets train to win the East, but they need to start getting healthy. Do they blackout the Mets games when they are playing out of your area? (like in Chicago)

Xander, I could bring my DVDs with me, and we could watch Glee tomorrow.

Sara, you asked about Butterscotch. He is a strange cat. After I take a bath, he licks and nibbles my feet and toes while I dry off.

Nothing for me today, but have a wonderful day, my friends.

26 May 2021

hello2

I wanted to mention something today but forgot earlier. The US Covid death toll has passed 600,000 (nearing the total military deaths in the Civil War), but the number of new deaths has dropped dramatically, and more than half of all adults have been vaccinated. But yesterday, the world death tolls crossed 3,500,000. Africa, South America, and southwest Asia (especially India) deaths are still climbing. Some are predicting 5,000,000 by the end of the year. The WHO has stated that the world death totals may be 25-40% higher on a conservative estimate.

A situation I have followed during the Covid pandemic is US federal institutions. The VA has had more than 12,000 veterans' deaths. And the military death toll is at 315. That is more than the number of fatalities in Afganistan over the past eight years.

BTW all of the federal institutions (military, VA, and prisons) are not counted in the US numbers listed by the media.

I did not want to bring everyone down, so here is one of my kittens, Bubblegum.

MagBass, I enjoyed that squirrel video. Thanks!

26 May 2021

Hi, fellow Spacers! hello2

hello2

I found two kaiju cookies in my pocket from yesterday. I will share if anyone wants one. *drops it into the cookie jar*
A bit of herbal tea for me today.

Gillian, You are too kind. I understand about your dad. I have wandered off a few times. I went missing a while back for about six hours. The police found me napping in a small park. (I guess I got tired) That rarely happens anymore. We learned a few things to keep me at home. Liz never thought about a GPS doohickey. *just realized doohickey is a real word*

Elizabeth, I liked the 'cannot sleep' cartoon. sign5

sign5

I hope you all saw the Super Flower Blood Moon last night and maybe the lunar eclipse that caused it. It was beautiful. love10

love10

24 May 2021

Quote by itsxanderkaidyn
I'm feeling too many emotions at once today (good ones, don't worry) and yet...I could cry. I think I'll glue myself to Jane for awhile.

Hi everyone!!!

It is always a good day when you can pop by Xander.

Jeff, your Mets are doing OK. Right now, with all the injuries, they just need to win a few. When the big boys get back, they can catch up.

It is nice to see so many new faces around here. It seems we can have our own U.K. branch. I am looking forward to Verity's first work. No need to be worried about your stories as long as I am around. I described a dry mouth as 'a dry dessert.' You can not get any worse than some of the stuff I have posted. If you ever need help, there are so many outstanding writers on Stories Space, and they have always been friendly and helped me out.

I need some writer brains today. I was having problems with words today. What is the difference between a homonym and a heterograph? Also, the same with homograph and heteronym? I know homophones are in there somewhere too? I have spent an hour online trying to figure it out. Help, please.

I am going to drown my frustrations with some green tea and a hand full of kaiju cookies. (Thanks, Sara)

21 May 2021

Hi, everyone.4zb2BuSlYaHxrIAb

Sorry for my disappearance. I was in the hospital for almost a week with an infected liver. With my dementia, that was awful! A steady routine helps me get through things, and everything was different in the hospital. They let me come home several days early because of it. I have been in bed a lot since getting home. I have a drainage bag coming out of my side, which sucks, but I will have to wear it for 4-6 weeks.

I am back and reading. I met a lovely young lass from the UK, Harley. I see she has popped in here, and that is great. Mostly watching baseball, but I am actually writing on paper. It looks like little kids' writing. My wife was laughing at it yesterday.

I am sorry I missed out on the kaiju cookies. Maybe Sara can make some more. A Sci-Fi channel on YouTube, The Templin Institute (I love this one), just recently had a series of the old Godzilla monsters on there.

I will have some tea and a cookie. I am still waiting to get my appetite back. The good news is that the illness did help me lose 35 pounds in a month.

By y'all!

hello1

hello1

hello1

read2

2407_group_hug

21 May 2021

Quote by Rumple_deWriter

How y'all are? Just so y'all know, odds are I wont be around as much as usual for the next few weeks. Here's why:

My number three great-grandchild will be coming home from the hospital today. 'Addy' checked in at six pounds twelve ounces and is ready to dominate family activities for some time to come. For those keeping counts, she's g-g kid number three and g-g daughter number two and is the first-born of my own first born's first-born.

Later in June, I'll head up to Lawrence, Kansas for a week of getting back in touch with the two earlier models of my great-grandkids. After days of doing this and that type family stuff, I'll tag-along with them plus their parents on our way to Phoenix. And so now you know why I'll probably be mostly out of pocket for awhile. ;)

Later, Inspirators. they

That is such great news. It is always great to be with the grandkids. I am still waiting for a g-g kid. My oldest grandkid is 18 now. He is still living in my house with my youngest son and his family. I hope you have a wonderful time with your family. Remind them who the clan head is, my friend.

21 May 2021

Quote by henrietta_fielding
Good to catch up with all your news. Mum was discharged from hospital yesterday, so fingers crossed that the pain relief she was given is sufficient to cope at home. It's her 90th birthday tomorrow.

WOW! That is excellent news! I bet your mom is glad to be out of the hospital. Happy birthday to her, and I hope she is feeling better. She will be in my prayers.

21 May 2021

Quote by Rachel_92
Recommendation by a friend.

It is great to have new faces on the site. I hope you enjoy your time here. Hope to see some of your writing, or maybe in the coffee house section of the forum.

26 Apr 2021

4,590

26 Apr 2021

Salutations All!

Hi, Kim. I wish I could find some volleyball on my channels, as I do not have ESPN. I loved playing VB in the navy. I even got to play on a British team while posted to an RAF base. I was a top-notch digger.
You and Al make quite a team.

I wish playing catch was still possible, Scott. Playing catch with my grandkids would be great.

Jeff, your talent is obvious. Trust yourself. The hardest part is sitting down and typing. Please keep us updated so that I can buy your book. Can I pre-order?

I am not a fan of the seven-inning doubleheaders, but it should count as one if that is a complete game. If the pitcher throws a shutout, it counts as a complete game and a shutout. Madison Bumgarner pitched a no-hitter but did not count as one. That is wrong.

My son and daughter-in-law will not get the vaccine because they are young (in their thirties), and it will not affect them. When I explained why it was a good idea and did not cost anything, they told me it was not my business because Liz and I have had our shots. My youngest son and his wife are very headstrong, but I still respect and love them both.

Karl (Actung) has written a very nice piece of prose, 'Butterfly.' I recommend it.

Have a great day; my granddaughter has come in to play with the kittens.

26 Apr 2021