Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
Several years back, I started the Old Man Blog category. It involves thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
I was never in a war. My time in uniform wrapped up during the last century. The post 911 era slowly killed my spirit for patriotism and my enthusiasm for politics.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Common flashlight batteries are now locked up like diamond jewelry.
Welcome Home Troops – Looking Ahead
Kristi Noem is sealing off the border. Any day now, cartel drugs will no longer be available anywhere in WA.
People will no longer need cash to support a drug habit. There will be no more need to steal, and we can all go back to how things were in the last century.
Back to a time before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Will Northwest HIDTA be shut down when cartel drugs stop entering the US? Have recent US Dept. of Homeland Security efforts reduced the need for Northwest HIDTA services?
A genuine seaport town – sending the message that the ways of the last century are best when managing public safety and a modern society. Don’t bring your Whidbey crap here.
Preparing to honor the fallen and later celebrate our nation’s freedoms this weekend.
Went in yesterday to purchase beer. Our local, small town grocery store has a new policy: All must show ID to buy beer. If Mom & Pops go through the line with beer, both must show ID. This happened last time I went shopping there with my wife.
I was born in 1960. Yesterday, I was asked for ID. I had forgotten about the new policy, but quickly remembered.
I mentioned to the cashier in a cheerful way that I have been legal to buy beer for about 45 years now.
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
Wife and I went out to a local grocery store to pick up veggies and beer.
Wife is up front with credit card to pay while I unload cart behind her. Cashier (friendly and professional) needs to see both of our IDs to make beer purchase.
Both of us were born in the 1960s. Wife told me/pointed out that the store had put up a bold type sign in advance notifying of this new policy.
Over the past few years:
Some places simply want you to state your DOB. Some want to see ID and some want to scan ID.
This was the first time both adults had to show ID for one adult to pay for beer.
Really like the jalapeño cheese bagels at Safeway.
Normally pluck out one or two and they go into a plain paper bag similar to what we carried for school lunches back in the 70s.
Yesterday, these plastic bags were stocked in place of the regular paper ones. I am confused now about what version of bags are meant to be used or avoided based on saving the planet. In the 70s we were taught not to be a litterbug. Recycling was a thing.
The plastic bagel bag was a dandy for cleaning out the cat litter box today. We promise not to throw it all out the window as we blast down the highway, or leave it at the beach next time we go out.
Give the planet a break and reach for these super lightweight, environmentally-friendly produce bags. Use caution when loading sweet potatoes, ears of corn, bananas, etc. Using two, three or four of the lightweight bags creates enough strength to recreate the use of the old bags that were not OK for the global environment.
Also, be sure to allow plenty of time and patience to pick away at the proper end of the bag in order to try and get it open. Using several bags for a few sweet potatoes requires the attempt at opening the bag steps to be repeated multiple times for the same size produce purchase.
Took a look on the web to see if others were sharing on this topic. No such luck. Independent thinking and blog posts appear to have been scrubbed away. The web is now about trying to sell you stuff.
Possibly of interest:
A local Mom and Pop’s restaurant is still using the banned and evil plastic bags that are best suited for their customers to carry home hot menu selections.
Above: Seen at the grocery store checkout yesterday.
Below: 7/30/25
Below: 3/20/25
Current culture may not be very satisfying. Maybe it isn’t great for selling magazines. Turn away from the present and slip away into another time with these selections.
I have wondered if movies over the past 15 years or so have relied more on special effects, fantasy based themes, comic book characters from the past, medieval characters with special powers, lighting bolts delivered from giant swords, etc. All this because American culture these days may not be too interesting.
Possibly of interest:
When I was a kid, reality TV was The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
The Night of the Squid:
Also, about this time in history: The first man on the Moon.
We recently took a road trip and we were away for a couple nights. We did a little retail shopping. That opportunity is limited where we live.
We came home and took a few days to fully unpack. Days after the trip, we found this loss prevention tag on a new pair of shoes. A call to the store resulted in their request to bring the item back to have the tag removed. Hundreds of miles of driving was not on our list of things to do. It was recommended that we take the shoes to a store closer to home. Not happening.
Many related YouTube videos are available, so we went to learn more. Seems like this issue is common, but the gadget we have is attached with a cable and the ones we found on the web had a different sort of fitting/locking mechanism.
We saw various references to explosions of ink or loud alarm noises should the unit be tampered with.
We decided to use bolt cutters to cut the cable. It worked super easy. No ink. No Air Raid Siren.
Was the tag scanned out when we paid for it? We heard no alarm when we left the store. I am in my early 60s and am often asked for my DOB to buy beer. No similar prompt to remove loss tag at checkout?
Next time, we will check for tags before rolling out.
AI
Wanted to blur out part of the store receipt above. On Mac Photos, the old way was to retouch by creating a blur. I have enjoyed this feature for things like blurring out a car license plate you don’t want to show. The new AI way seems to want to insert distorted characters in place of what was there.
I like the old blur it out way, not the new insert characters way.
Let’s step away from the 2024 grocery store and take a trip back to about 1970. The old hardware store in town is a good place to get a key made. Some human interaction is part of it.
People used to repair their own small appliances like toasters and lamps. The hardware store might have repair parts available. The appliances and the repair parts were probably manufactured in a location such as Indiana, Michigan or Ohio.
There’s also a shop in town where you can get your TV repaired instead of throwing it away and buying more. There’s a gas station that will install a new fan belt, check under the hood, do an oil change, give directions or sell you a map, etc.
For food, the gas station has a pop machine and a Cold War era vending machine with candy, gum, and little packs of crackers. Maybe two or three of these.
The place smells like auto transmission fluid and gear oil. Not a bad thing-happy to go back.
If you were a kid in the 70s, you could walk into a gas station and ask if they had any inner tubes for floating around in the water. We did this in Kitsap County (Hockett & Olsen) In the early 1970s. They would find various inner tubes and pump them up to see if they would hold air. They would install an air valve if needed. All free of charge.
Gas stations are mostly gone now. Mini-marts with 24 hour corndogs, nachos and giant cans of beer have taken their place. If you have car trouble, this is probably not the place. Today, the mini-mart will honor your EBT needs.
Missing Man Formation
Back at the (open 24 hours) grocery store- looks like whoever used to operate the floor cleaning rig has gone on to join the WWII veteran who made keys at your local hardware store back when American made cars were attractive, powerful and cool. Trucks were simple and attractive too, they even sold small ones there for awhile.
The floor machine company still makes a unit with a place for a human operator to be seated. Maybe if you purchase the unmanned operations control module or the software to make it work, you can send someone else home.
Here it comes, moving from right to left:
A flashing light and loud/industrial audio warning every few seconds will alert shoppers that nearby cleaning operations are currently underway.
There it goes. Whoever operated the unit can now be removed from the Christmas card/bonus list. Extra space at the office party is now available.
Old Gas Cans
People used to work in US factories making various models of metal gas cans:
These sort of lasted forever. They were easy to use. I have a plastic version from the early 90s that works well. It has a simple air vent. Just right.
Quality replacement parts were sold for years. This kit appears to no longer be available.
Related:
Our laundry room fan stopped working. We went to a big box store to see if they had a replacement part/unit. We only needed the fan motor-nothing else.
In the old days, things would be fixed or repaired. Today, the idea is to throw it away and start over as if the unit had never been installed to begin with.
November 1st. Many people are out shopping. Maybe they came for the pine cones, pressure-treated with industrial cinnamon scent. You can smell these out into the parking lot.
The wait is over:
Heading out to run errands, go shopping, looking for a place to park, etc. It will begin to get back to normal around the second week of January.
Shipping box shows keys are included, no keys are included in damaged box.
Trying to confirm if I need to order/reorder keys. Does this unit ship with keys?
Hard to get a straight answer.
Sep 10, 2024 update:
Received this excellent answer:
“There are no keys, nor any place to use keys. There are no physical locks on the carrier. There are “lock icons” which indicate the direction to turn the locking ring to “lock” the support arms in place. This is purely an information icon, not a security device.
The carrier is excellent, works very well with a vehicle with a protruding read bumper it can rest on but you must provide your own security if you plan to leave it and/or a bike attached and unattended.
John Wayne generation not heading out to grab beer for the big weekend. Also not over at the new car dealership picking out one of the attractive cars or simple pickup trucks of the 1960s and 70s.
My favorite beer styles are NW or West Coast IPA, German Pilsner and Mexican beer. Here, in the Grays Harbor area, German beer appears to be unavailable. That adds a certain mystique.
I live in an area where beer selection is limited:
The shelf space available is occupied with what is new and most popular. Fizzy, Kool-Aid colored hard seltzers, lite beers, super, extra light low calorie/low carb beers, etc.
Local store recently reorganized the retail floor and some items have moved to new locations. Went looking for Q-tips and usually buy the store brand. I asked a friendly member of the staff and was directed to the new location of this product. I was told that the item must be paid for prior to leaving the beauty/personal care/cosmetic section. No problem with me. I do not bitch to the friendly person who is helping me. I believe that no person at the local outlet made a decision to create these changes.
I’ve got my blog to ask questions. Here goes.
It’s clear the WWII generation is mostly gone now. I can understand that some items are of high value (diamond engagement rings, electronics, etc.) and need to be paid for on the spot. I understand that some items may pose a risk to children (prescription medication, fifth of booze, shotgun shells, etc.) and may need to be sold only to adults.
Not yet understanding why generic/store brand Q-tips fall into any special category.
I was happy will all aspects of their service and I would go with them next time.
Our laundry room fan stopped working. We went to a big box store to see if they had a replacement part/unit.
In the old days, things would be fixed or repaired. Today, the idea is to throw it away and start over as if the unit had never been installed to begin with.
Alternative media provides an update on the banning of gas powered outdoor equipment:
Unlike many local newspapers, alternative media is good with maintaining an active comment section. More than 3,000 comments are posted with the video above.
“Lawmakers would establish temporary sales and use tax relief and a temporary grant program to accelerate the transition to electric-powered machinery.”
“However, workers have questioned the bill’s practicality.”
“Electric chainsaws are not going to work for our industry,” Washington Contract Loggers Association executive director Jerry Bonagofsky told the Capital Press. “What you see out there may work for homeowners, possibly some light landscaping, but for commercial operations, it’s not going to be efficient enough or productive enough.”
A move by WA elected officials to ban gas powered equipment doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Be Sure To Tune In For The Super Bowl DOD Jet Flyover Before The Big Game
Bringing all the swagger that comes with decades of undeclared/unwon wars. The US Dept. of Defense was established after WWII, in the late 1940s. DOD owns a significant track record with undeclared wars.
If ethanol made a lot of sense we wouldn’t have to subsidize it or mandate its consumption:
We are hearing about a US Armed Forces Recruiting crisis. Maybe veterans, young people and their parents and grandparents are starting to wonder what The Troops are fighting for in undeclared/unwon wars. I am.
Governments at various levels are now in the habit of setting deadlines for new restrictions, bans and mandates.
Photos above: Recently purchased store brand LED bulbs for general home use.
I’ve been using various brands of LED bulbs at home for years now. This past week, 3 or 4 of them went out, one at a time. The ones that went out were not all the same brand. My take is that they are not lasting any longer than the bulbs I used 35 years ago.
When I was a kid, lightbulbs were made in places like Ohio, Indiana or Michigan. They were the cheaper/simpler version. Household appliances, auto parts, kids bikes, lawn equipment and tools may have also been manufactured in those locations. Things were made to be fixed or repaired, not thrown out.
Possibly of interest
Old Man Blog category:
Thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
It’s a busy time of year. Give yourself a break and have a meal without putting a whole lot of time and planning into it.
Ultra Lightweight Produce Bags
Give the planet a break and reach for these super lightweight, environmentally-friendly produce bags. Use caution when loading sweet potatoes, ears of corn, bananas, etc. Using two, three or four of the lightweight bags creates enough strength to recreate the use of the old bags that were not OK for the global environment.
Also, be sure to allow plenty of time and patience to pick away at the proper end of the bag in order to try and get it open. Using several bags for a few sweet potatoes requires the attempt at opening the bag steps to be repeated multiple times for the same size produce purchase.
Took a look on the web to see if others were sharing on this topic. No such luck. Independent thinking and blog posts appear to have been scrubbed away. The web is now about trying to sell you stuff.
If you are in the right grocery store, you may have access to a modern credit union, located immediately adjacent to the retail floor. Alaska USA Federal Credit Union was one we used to enjoy.
Alaska is a positive trademark. It represents an independent spirit, a sense of adventure, a rugged outdoor world, a large fishing industry, the 49th state, a major airline was named after it.
Years ago, we purchased a digital photo frame that worked well for a long time. It began to glitch out so we unplugged it and went to look for a new one.
Our old frame was not connected to, or interactive with smart phones, email, social media, Wi-Fi, the internet, etc. This was a nice chance to view some photos in the living room and to be away from all that. We loaded a huge number of photos using a thumb drive. Simple and easy.
Today, it seems that the frames available for sale are interconnected with all of the above. You can invite friends and family to send photos that will be displayed on your photo frame. “Users can react with a heart to photos that are uploaded for added connection.” No Thanks. We are wanting to escape social media and setting up new accounts requiring user names and passwords for a bit.
Not here to take anything away from those who take joy in all the new features, just would prefer to keep it simple and go with a stripped down model. We had one before, we would like to purchase another one now. View our old one here.
As time goes on, I realize that the consumer choices we have are becoming more restricted by a combination of government and big business policies, not Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden or the next bad guy DOD will be going after in distant lands.
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Trying to recruit a younger generation for US military service – Late 2023
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens. This was not the case in the Vietnam War era. More wars = less freedom? Ask your recruiter or elected official. Post in comments and let us know what they told you.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
I am in my early 60s and was asked for ID to purchase some legal product. The store took it a step further and scanned my driver’s license into their ID card reader system. I did not fuss about it because I was a few hours from home and wanted to get on with my day. Not sure what the company is trying to accomplish with this.
My view is that adults are 18 years old and should be treated as such. I am OK with the store checking IDs for someone who looks like they are still in high school. People in their 60s can not be mistaken for someone under 21 years of age. Over the past year or two, it is common to get ID checked when buying beer. Again, I am 62 years old.
Pet Peeve:
Beer websites have an honor system these days. You must make up an over 21 birth date in order to study brewery offerings. Underage people who desire to view a brewery web site will be stopped by this bogus honor system?
We drank underage for years with no help whatsoever from the internet.
Thanks for risking your ass in Iraq & Afghanistan-working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
While at the same Silverdale, WA BevMo! store, a couple of people in military camo uniforms showed up to do some shopping. Since the catastrophic military failure of 911, and the undeclared/unwon wars that followed, it seems common to see the troops in camo out doing some shopping.
Here in WA, that’s how it goes for some retailers.
