Old times.

[BIGMIG]

Hi,

Great thread, but you know the irritating thing?

We might yearn for the golden days of our youth, but without these modern, newfangled and ufathomable innovations like the internet we would not be discussing this.

Peter

Very true we can't deneigh how technology has advanced the past 100 years or so,absolutely amazing when you stop and think about it.It is what has seemed to happen to society in general, and what most rational people would consider just common sense right and wrong that most of us grew up with back in 40's,50's,in our country's
that has seemed to have gotten lost along the way.


And Mike you sure brought back memories when you mentioned all the crazy things I did with my neighbor friends with knives and bow and arrows when we were kids (must say we were old enough to know better at the time  ) Like standing out in a field shooting arrows straight up into the air and loosing sight of them and standing there with our hands covering the top of our heads hoping they were not going to hit us on the way down.     How the hell did we make it through those early years---    ;D    


Got to pass this on as it kind of sums up how things are today and what a lot of this world has turned into.I have thought of this many times over the years since it happened.


Back in the early 80's when I was still working as a railroad engineer out of a very small town (mabe 500 to 600 people in this little railroad town,and everybody knew everybody here) I was driving down the single main street of town going home after working all night on a run back to this town and railyard. ( should note I was driving back to my real home where I live now about 100 miles away from that town.)  About half way down the main street out standing next to the shoulder of the road was this little kid somewhere between 2 and 3 years old wearing just a diaper (a kid that should have been out of the diaper stage long before this time ) who had his middle finger extended "flipping me off" as I drove buy like he was and old pro at doing this.The little basta'' ''d
even moved his arm following me as I was passing buy.His mother (one of the local sperm depositorys in the town)
and a couple of her boyfriends were all holding up a can of beer in their hand and laughing like hell as I passed by.
I figured this was there big inertainment for the day at 9:00 oclock in the morning.In some ways when this story is told there is a bit of humor in it,but in reality it is a very sad situation and pretty much sums up what has happened to our world we live in today.This little scum bag mother was known by me---she had 4 kids at that time all by different fathers,was living on wel-fare and was at that time still not even 21 years old.


Pretty much sums up todays world the way I see it-----------pretty sad



                                 Larry


P.S.    And before one of you jokers ask----"NO" none of her kids were mine---

[afv]

As Bigmig says technogology has advanced and does make me wonder, from the time of the pharaos up to the victorian times any form of transport was horse and cart even in the second world war as we were struggling to put something in the air other than a biplane, the german army still used horse and cart transport, then 20 years later a man stepped onto the moon, a giant leap ---- in technology in a short period of time
regards  Jack.

[sevoblast]

I have no problem with technology. The incredible advances even in my short life time of 62  years are astounding. Without them, we would, as mentioned, not be talking as we are electronically from all over the globe about out wonderful electronic toys amongst other things.

That being said, I think most of us are talking of the detioration of our mores, morals and cultures as we knew them and grew up in them. The obsession with safety and protection of everyone in western cultures, both physically and emotionally, in effect has made most of our current populations completely unaware of the realities of life. This is not a kind world, it is very dangerous and unforgiving. We in EU and USA, and to an extent Japan, are blessed by a hugely successful, safe, kind, and rich culture that is the envy of most of the world.

I am a pretty observant guy, and I have watched in my country the deterioration of what I would consider our cultural morals and just plain common sense over the last 20 years. I was not joking in my story about the wayward bull when I mentioned the consequences to my father if I was beaten today as I was then, and the other charges I would have faced. It is really quite pitiful. Here in Krim, things are still handled the old way. If someone is a little to familiar with your sister, well the brothers, uncles, or cousins handle that little problem. Steal from me? You better have a visa to another city or country, because I'll find you and take care of business one night. Touch or harm my wife? May God have mercy on you, because I won't. Is this place perfect? Oh hell no! It is a filthy, poor, backward, and difficult little place with bad roads, bad cops, bad administration, and corruption you would not believe, with computers and flush toilets.

US culture is best summed up by a conversation I had with a senior officer lo some 10 years ago or so. We had both just returned from an extended stay in what could not by any measure be termed a holiday spa, and were sitting at 05 having Irish coffee as we were wont to do on a Sunday morn, being close neighbors. He looks at me out of the clear blue and says "Top, what the hell happened? We both went away for these long months, and our country changed while we were gone. I can't say any one thing, but I feel it, even in my own family. Do you?" My answer was "Yes, sir, I do. It is different now. Something changed while we were gone. It's as if we are not welcome here, with our 'old fashioned' morals and sense of justice and common sense. And sir, I don't like it at all. It bodes no good for our beloved country." How right I was. Looking back now, I see the changes started some 30 years ago, and things are still changing, but not for the better. I am now a dinosaur. I hold the door for women, I'll pick up a child and help it if the little dickens falls and hurts itself. I am a polite driver, and could care less if you get to the next light or intersection 3 seconds before I do. If a clerk makes a mistake in giving me change, to wit, too much change, I'll point out his/her mistake and correct it. What I see happening now is almost lunacy. No one is "foolish", or "short", or "fat', or "blind", or "stupid", or intelligent, well mannered, etc.  You are "weight challenged", or "sight challenged", or "mentally challenged", or "mentally advantaged", as if no one wants to see reality. PC I am not and will never be, hence the term "VCO" for my lovely and charming bride....Vertically Challenged One, all 152cm of her. It is one of our many little family jokes. If you are an idiot, and do some idiocy to or near me, I will let you know in no uncertain terms that you are indeed an idiot.

However, all hope is not lost. There is a thread here from one tanker who wants to go to a meet, but is diabetic, and because his wife could not come, was worried about someone to look after him. Immediately a nurse going to the meet volunteered to do the honors of checking him at the meet. That, gentlemen, is kindness, what many today would consider above and beyond the call of duty. To me, that is good old fashioned kindness and generosity. And, gentlemen, kindness and politeness comes from strength, not weakness. Never forget that, the strength to be kind and helpfull and polite. Whilst individually, none of us can effect this changing world of ours, together we can at least stave off the onrush of the barbarians, so to speak.

[panzer34]

Hi Sev and the offer I got was much appreciated by me the only problem being as money is short I wont be going to Sindon but I am hoping for tankfest next year to be honest coping with diabetes has been hard going from diet only to tablets to insulin in just 5 years  I also have arthritis and I am now seriously deaf but the diabetes took my truck driving licence away when I started Insulin so I cant work now even if the other disability's let me  my wife and two young daughters (I married late in life) my dogs and tanks are all I have left friends & relations don't want to know (a real sad Johnny no mates) but that's why I appreciate you guy's on the forum thanks lads.but you are correct about the downturn in morals & respect I have a Blue badge (Special disabled Parking) how many times I find an lazy able bodied person using a bay and I have to drag myself the full length of the car park as no near spaces available you tell the lazy young woman off what do you get? the finger that's what our local hospital is the same  (I go quite a lot) staff parking takes preference over disabled parking  without patents to look after they would not need a job when I was brought up patents came first, but now its making money to waste on useless administration and personal  staff car bays well if its any consolation there world will change as well as they get older for good or bad I don't know  I might not be around to find out but I hope so

[Tankie]

The old days had one distinct disadvantage - no 1/16 radio control tanks for as little as £50 and no cottage industries of parts to upgrade them!

One bit of nostalgia though from my youth - one of my uncles would go into Woolworths and buy me an Airfix tank or box of soldiers on a regular basis.  His brother would also help me with painting when I was too young to make a fist of it - I can remember now an airfix Bismark and a 1/24 revell helicopter he must have spent hours painting once I had bodged them together. I also had a model railway set up at his house and he was still buying me model railway wagon kits etc. at christmas when he was in his 80's.  Sadly he died a number of years ago, but some of my best tools I inherited from him.  I owe my enduring love of model making to them (and love of cricket, but that's another story).

[Woz]

When I was young I remember all the grownups being concerned about how much time kids were spending on their games consoles (I mean ATARIs) and computers (ZX Spectrums / Commadores). We did spend a lot of time in our bedrooms playing video games but we also went outside climbing trees and stuff.

As I've said in a previous post, nowadays there are few places were kids can go and play (were I live now and in the town I grew up in). If the kids start playing football in the street, then someone rings the police because the ball is hitting the cars that are parked there and all the trees have been cut down.

I also spent a lot of time playing on building sites. If you got caught you got clobbered and if you hurt yourself then it's your own stupid fault and you still got clobbered. Now all building sites are boarded up and if any kids do get in they get arrested or if they hurt themselves then the parents sue the construction company.

I'd hate to be a kid today. Sure there's lot's of fancy gadgets but there's nothing to do outside, the grownups have taken all the fun out of playing.

[panzer34]

That's the health and safety for you and bleeding heart liberals plus parasitical lawyers I can remember taking my air rifle out shooting and being stopped by he police it was not loaded so they didn't bother now it would need a fleet of Arv's everbody had a sheath knife but no body used them they were just for show yes what a race of soft wimps we have these days my own kids included

[Woz]

But kids today are growing up in a world created by their parents / grandparents. When I see a parents sitting outside their homes getting drunk on a Saturday afternoon then it's no wonder theirs kids are going to want to do what grownups do.

I

[panzer34]

Well lucky for my kids I don't smoke or drink and the only drugs I take are prescription but when I look how tough there grandma was  to me she went through the blitz and my dad WW 2 I think I turned out OK I just wish my kids would be a bit tougher and stop moaning and appreciate what I try to give them I don't always succeed  but I try

[BIGMIG]

Some of my favorite toys when I was a kid in the middle 50's was the old "Tinkertoys" and the "Erector sets "  -------Does that ring a bell for some of you older guys.     Although I think these have been around for many years even after those years. 

                        Larry