OT - Fireworks?
All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston.
The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net |
OT - Fireworks?
"CatNipped" wrote in message
... All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped That's been the case in Southern California for years. Most cities ban personal fireworks, but have fireworks shows. There is much less danger of a well orchestrated fireworks show causing a fire than there is when individuals shoot them off in the streets or their backyards. I've never heard of a fire caused by a fireworks show. I have heard of many house fires and bush fires started by use of illegal fireworks. Joy |
OT - Fireworks?
"CatNipped" wrote in message ... All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped Banned. Totally. Texas does not need more fires, even tiny ones, in this difficult year. I've seen the horrible news photos. Also, since this is a cat group, I read somewhere that cats are notoriously frightened by fireworks, both by the lights and by the noises. Not that any cat lover would think of placing a cat in such a scary setting. I assume this is true? Jay |
OT - Fireworks?
J J Levin wrote:
Banned. Totally. Texas does not need more fires, even tiny ones, in this difficult year. I've seen the horrible news photos. Also, since this is a cat group, I read somewhere that cats are notoriously frightened by fireworks, both by the lights and by the noises. Not that any cat lover would think of placing a cat in such a scary setting. I assume this is true? I've been with friends and their *dogs* at fireworks times and the poor things were cowering under beds or desks, etc. One of my friends always used to take her dogs to a place out of town every July 4, that wasn't near any fireworks, just so they wouldn't have to go through that. But my cats are pretty much oblivious to firecrackers and big fireworks booms. Maybe an occasional ear twitch after a particularly loud sound, but that's about it. Then, back to sleep. Joyce -- It is better to give than to lend, and it costs about the same. -- Unknown |
OT - Fireworks?
We don't open our curtains after dark, so my cats have never seen fireworks,
but they don't appear to be bothered by the noises (thank goodness since our idiot neighbors spend thousands of dollars in fireworks at least twice a year). -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net "J J Levin" wrote in message ... "CatNipped" wrote in message ... All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped Banned. Totally. Texas does not need more fires, even tiny ones, in this difficult year. I've seen the horrible news photos. Also, since this is a cat group, I read somewhere that cats are notoriously frightened by fireworks, both by the lights and by the noises. Not that any cat lover would think of placing a cat in such a scary setting. I assume this is true? Jay |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 1, 4:07*pm, "CatNipped" wrote:
All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. *That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. *Huh? *Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? *Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? *There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? *Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? CatNipped Your questions: 1.Yes they're different, LOL. 2. No, but city and county parks are usually regularly *watered* and maintained by their municipalities so yes, they are not as tinderbox dry. 3. Municipalities fireworks displays (we have a lot here as personal fireworks either possession or display will land you in the slammer with a huge fine) are coordinated (the beautiful displays combined with appropriate musical tributes) and carried out by *professinals* who do not, like the natives, blow off their extremities with foolish Duh actions while celebrating (with and without alcohol intake). I used to be a rabid fireworks participant as laws in south FL are lax and rarely enforced for private detonating. I would spend two hundred bucks on the 4th and New Years (I was working then). My kids loved the "ground crawlers": the "tank", the "spider", etc. much more than what I liked: two stage mortar (that'll blow your head off) and bottle rockets. Get out and take in your nearest municipal display Monday: you won't be disappointed. |
OT - Fireworks?
Our municipal parks have *not* been watered - the city cut back on such
"luxuries" months ago before asking residents to voluntarily stop watering lawns. The draught here is *serious* and we've been almost completely surrounded by wild fires for weeks now. -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net "hopitus" wrote in message ... On Jul 1, 4:07 pm, "CatNipped" wrote: All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? CatNipped Your questions: 1.Yes they're different, LOL. 2. No, but city and county parks are usually regularly *watered* and maintained by their municipalities so yes, they are not as tinderbox dry. 3. Municipalities fireworks displays (we have a lot here as personal fireworks either possession or display will land you in the slammer with a huge fine) are coordinated (the beautiful displays combined with appropriate musical tributes) and carried out by *professinals* who do not, like the natives, blow off their extremities with foolish Duh actions while celebrating (with and without alcohol intake). I used to be a rabid fireworks participant as laws in south FL are lax and rarely enforced for private detonating. I would spend two hundred bucks on the 4th and New Years (I was working then). My kids loved the "ground crawlers": the "tank", the "spider", etc. much more than what I liked: two stage mortar (that'll blow your head off) and bottle rockets. Get out and take in your nearest municipal display Monday: you won't be disappointed. |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 1, 3:07*pm, "CatNipped" wrote:
What do you think? *Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? In the UK in my time (centuries) things have changed a lot on the fireworks front. When I was a kid city run displays were rare and most people had a bonfire etc in their back gardens on November the 5th. Even "organised" displays were quite amateur like the one in a local church that let my youngest brother who was about 6 at the time light Roman candles (he wondered what would happen if he put a lit one on it's side and caused a mass panic). As kids we'd save our pocket money for weeks and the local sweetshop would sell them...yes they'd quite happily hand over what amounts to an incidenary device (and we all susbscribed to the belief that the brighter and/or louder it went BANG the better it was) to small children. We all used to lust after the big boxes of them and hope our parents really loved us enough for the "Standard Fireworks Big Party Box"! (and yes, they did pack fireworks in cardboard boxes! Dad used to have an old biscuit tin in the shed and all fireworks went in there and he was very careful that the lid only came off to take them out and went straifght back on- none of you will be suprised that every October there were masses of public service annoucements showing burn victims to remind us to be careful) I'm getting a bad case of nostalgia here.....the morning after the air reeked of fireworks and us kids would go round hunting for the empty cases to see who could find the most... but apart from November the 5th no-one ever lit fireworks. These days very few people hold Bonfire Night parties in their gardens but there are loads of big council run displays. A kid could not purchase a firework and anyway only a few specialist shops stock them they aren't displayed in a glass cabinet next to the sweets any,more. However they are now lit more often than once a year- we used to have near neighbours (down the short side street next to the house) who set them off on every possible occasion- New Year 2004 was like living in a war zone- our New Year's Eve party for a couple of years went outside about 5 to midnight and stood on the corner watching their display (And it was quite spectaculary garish!). The first year Dunzi (RB- God that hurts!) and Sarsi seemed fascinated and watched them out the window but they didn't bother after that Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 1, 5:07*pm, "CatNipped" wrote:
All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. *That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. *Huh? *Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? *Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? *There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? *Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped I'm no expert by any means, but it looks to me like the professional fireworks displays go so high in the air that embers really don't reach the ground. And for any ground effects they do, they'll have firefighters present "just in case." Hopefully they'll mow and further prep the area too. I don't really like fireworks in any shape or form, but for the kids it's like banning Christmas. They so look forward to it. Our state/county in all its wisdom passed a ban on the *use* of individual fireworks. You can still sell them, and buy them, but you can't pop them. Dumb. Like I said, I hate fireworks even under wet conditions. They scare the cats and upset the livestock. If any of my neighbors do it, I totally plan on ratting them out. There's a hundred acres of waist-high dead prairie grass between us and them. Way too dangerous. Sherry |
OT - Fireworks?
"Sherry" wrote in message
... On Jul 1, 5:07 pm, "CatNipped" wrote: All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped I'm no expert by any means, but it looks to me like the professional fireworks displays go so high in the air that embers really don't reach the ground. And for any ground effects they do, they'll have firefighters present "just in case." Hopefully they'll mow and further prep the area too. I don't really like fireworks in any shape or form, but for the kids it's like banning Christmas. They so look forward to it. Our state/county in all its wisdom passed a ban on the *use* of individual fireworks. You can still sell them, and buy them, but you can't pop them. Dumb. Like I said, I hate fireworks even under wet conditions. They scare the cats and upset the livestock. If any of my neighbors do it, I totally plan on ratting them out. There's a hundred acres of waist-high dead prairie grass between us and them. Way too dangerous. Sherry I live in Northern NJ. There are organized fireworks on the 4th, but the NY Police Commissioner was just on the radio, warning NY residents not to drive to Pennsylvania to buy fireworks. Private fireworks are illegal in NY, and he specifically said that people who cross the border to buy illegal fireworks will be arrested and their cars will confiscated (as they do in drug cases). Jay |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 8:01*am, "J J Levin" wrote:
people who cross the border to buy illegal fireworks will be arrested and their cars will confiscated (as they do in drug cases). For some reason this gives me the mental image of a guy walking up to someone and saying "Psst! Wanna score?" "What you got?" "Weed, speed, Crack.Charlie. E's" "No thanks I don't want that sh*t...anything else?" Dealer goes very furtive and leans over and whispers "I can let you have 2 primo Catherine Wheels" "Got any Roman Candle?" "WOW! That's really heavy sh*t man!" Thanks right now I need a laugh and please no one wonder how I know the slang- call it a sign of a misspent youth (which if the bits I remember were true I don't think I misspent them at all) Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
LOL! Your post sent me back to a childhood of playgrounds set in concrete.
Bones had to be sticking out of skin before anyone was sissy enough to go home crying to mom when we fell off the top of the monkey bars or "tightrope walking" on the top of the extra tall swing set - not to mention trying to get the swing to go completely around in a circle and more often than not banging into the steel posts instead. Then there was the ever popular child's game of "Lawn Darts" where children stood on opposite sides of the lawn and threw very large steel spikes at the target at one child's feet - can't tell you how many times I had to pull a dart out of my leg. There were public pools that kids could attend alone at any age, dive off the high dive 25 - 30 feet above the deep end of the pool, and drown if the lone "lifeguard" happened to be flirting with a pretty girl at the time. Not to mention being basically kicked out of the front door with a backpack of sandwiches at first light and not allowed to come back (even had we wanted) until after dark. I lived next to a large copse of wild woods with many wild animals, such as nutria (think rats on steroids - they could take on a large dog and win). there were streams to cross on a fallen log, trees to climb to serious heights, ropes strung across the trees to swing on like Tarzan or make a rope bridge. To build tree houses we had to "borrow" from our garages machetes, axes, hammers, ten-penny nails. saws, etc. - all of which we were never taught how to safely use - we either figured it out or lost a piece of finger. Any less serious injury was treated with spit and a mud pack (it's amazing how few infections we had - I guess we built immunities pretty quickly). I sometimes think that we were still practicing "evolution in action" in those times. Anyone smart enough to live through a childhood like that had the privilege to grow up to marry and contribute to the gene pool. I walk past the playgrounds of today, with their moss and wood chip ground cover - nothing high, nothing steel, everything a very light plastic, no monkey bars, no see-saws and more often than not totally deserted (how could kids possibly have fun on those unthrilling, vanilla "toys"). And children have to be accompanied by parents, they're not allowed to venture anywhere on their own now-a-days (even if they should desire a few minutes away from their Nintendos and WIIs). It's all pretty sad really. And I'm sure it's why so *MANY* of our children in the US are seriously overweight and having *HEART ATTACKS* in their *TEENS*!!! That was unheard of when I was young. There was maybe one poor child in the whole school whose single mother coddled into overweight and that poor child was teased and hounded to misery (there weren't any awareness programs about the damage this did). I can say, righteously, that I was not a teaser - having lost my dad at age 4 and being brighter than my peers caused me enough teasing and grief from my peers that I could empathize all too well. -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net "Lesley" wrote in message ... On Jul 1, 3:07 pm, "CatNipped" wrote: What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? In the UK in my time (centuries) things have changed a lot on the fireworks front. When I was a kid city run displays were rare and most people had a bonfire etc in their back gardens on November the 5th. Even "organised" displays were quite amateur like the one in a local church that let my youngest brother who was about 6 at the time light Roman candles (he wondered what would happen if he put a lit one on it's side and caused a mass panic). As kids we'd save our pocket money for weeks and the local sweetshop would sell them...yes they'd quite happily hand over what amounts to an incidenary device (and we all susbscribed to the belief that the brighter and/or louder it went BANG the better it was) to small children. We all used to lust after the big boxes of them and hope our parents really loved us enough for the "Standard Fireworks Big Party Box"! (and yes, they did pack fireworks in cardboard boxes! Dad used to have an old biscuit tin in the shed and all fireworks went in there and he was very careful that the lid only came off to take them out and went straifght back on- none of you will be suprised that every October there were masses of public service annoucements showing burn victims to remind us to be careful) I'm getting a bad case of nostalgia here.....the morning after the air reeked of fireworks and us kids would go round hunting for the empty cases to see who could find the most... but apart from November the 5th no-one ever lit fireworks. These days very few people hold Bonfire Night parties in their gardens but there are loads of big council run displays. A kid could not purchase a firework and anyway only a few specialist shops stock them they aren't displayed in a glass cabinet next to the sweets any,more. However they are now lit more often than once a year- we used to have near neighbours (down the short side street next to the house) who set them off on every possible occasion- New Year 2004 was like living in a war zone- our New Year's Eve party for a couple of years went outside about 5 to midnight and stood on the corner watching their display (And it was quite spectaculary garish!). The first year Dunzi (RB- God that hurts!) and Sarsi seemed fascinated and watched them out the window but they didn't bother after that Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 9:01*am, "J J Levin" wrote:
"Sherry" wrote in message ... On Jul 1, 5:07 pm, "CatNipped" wrote: All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston.. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped I'm no expert by any means, but it looks to me like the professional fireworks displays go so high in the air that embers really don't reach the ground. And for any ground effects they do, they'll have firefighters present "just in case." Hopefully they'll mow and further prep the area too. I don't really like fireworks in any shape or form, but for the kids it's like banning Christmas. They so look forward to it. Our state/county in all its wisdom passed a ban on the *use* of individual fireworks. You can still sell them, and buy them, but you can't pop them. Dumb. Like I said, I hate fireworks even under wet conditions. They scare the cats and upset the livestock. If any of my neighbors do it, I totally plan on ratting them out. There's a hundred acres of waist-high dead prairie grass between us and them. Way too dangerous. Sherry I live in Northern NJ. There are organized fireworks on the 4th, but the NY Police Commissioner was just on the radio, warning NY residents not to drive to Pennsylvania to buy fireworks. Private fireworks are illegal in NY, and he specifically said that people who cross the border to buy illegal fireworks will be arrested and their cars will confiscated (as they do in drug cases). Jay MileHigh LE is warning us not to drive the 70 miles up to buy them in Wyoming, where anything goes, including strutting around in gunbelts. LOL *as if* either Wyoming OR PA have the cop resources after the budget cuttings of personnel to station cops at the fireworks stores/tents OR police the interstates to intercept., arrest, or confiscate *anything* including felony AMW poster boys. I will say one thing for FL AFA fireworks toothless law-enforcing: they warn it is illegal to set them off, but you can buy them all over the state when both 4July and New Years approach, and no one has to sweat law enforcement unless you set something off in front of the station house. There are many accidents happening because of the populace injuring themselves with the merchandise but at least LE does not make LOL hypocrites of themselves by making empty threats they no way can carry out. Best fireworks I ever bought there were imports from Texas, where just like everything else, they got the biggest and baddest. |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 9:13*am, Lesley wrote:
On Jul 2, 8:01*am, "J J Levin" wrote: *people who cross the border to buy illegal fireworks will be arrested and their cars will confiscated (as they do in drug cases). *For some reason this gives me the mental image of a guy walking up to someone and saying "Psst! *Wanna score?" "What you got?" "Weed, speed, Crack.Charlie. E's" "No thanks I don't want that sh*t...anything else?" Dealer goes very furtive and leans over and whispers "I can let you have 2 primo Catherine Wheels" "Got any Roman Candle?" "WOW! That's really heavy sh*t man!" Thanks right now I need a laugh and please no one wonder how I know the slang- call it a sign of a misspent youth (which if the bits I remember were true I don't think I misspent them at all) Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball You did forget "Special K". You and I would get along fine in RL. I understand East Ender. But not the Royals speech. |
OT - Fireworks?
On 07/01/2011 04:25 PM, Joy wrote:
wrote in message ... All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped That's been the case in Southern California for years. Most cities ban personal fireworks, but have fireworks shows. There is much less danger of a well orchestrated fireworks show causing a fire than there is when individuals shoot them off in the streets or their backyards. I've never heard of a fire caused by a fireworks show. I have heard of many house fires and bush fires started by use of illegal fireworks. Joy One thing the "powers that be" don't even consider is "air pollution. For that reason (and many others) I am against it. MLB |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 12:49*pm, MLB wrote:
On 07/01/2011 04:25 PM, Joy wrote: *wrote in message ... All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 11:01*am, hopitus wrote:
You did forget "Special K". That must be American over here "Special K" is a diet breakfast cereal! Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 10:32*am, "CatNipped" wrote:
LOL! *Your post sent me back to a childhood of playgrounds set in concrete. Bones had to be sticking out of skin before anyone was sissy enough to go home crying to mom And even then my youngest brother broke his leg after he got hit by a car- cos he was trying to ride his bike with no hands like my eldest brother was. Jim (elder brother) convinced Ron (younger brother) to limp home (half a mile away) then claim to have fallen down the stairs at home so Jim wouldn't get in trouble Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
|
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 11:01*am, hopitus wrote:
K". You and I would get along fine in RL. I understand East Ender. I had one laugh yesterday sort of...I'd stopped in the "Bells" and 2 American ladies came in first of all they weren't too happy as they thought Bow Church was the one that you had to be born within hearing of to be considered Cockney- it's actually St Mary Le Bow in the city so I directed them then they started asking us all if were cockney what did it mean to be cockney? Aaron said he was born in Bow but we didn't all use rhythming slang and as I walked past for a laugh I said "Aaron! Go up the Apples!" so the next thing I;ve got these 2 ladies assuming I am an authetic cockney and no amount of explaning that I was born in Romford worked then they said there's no history around here... I took them outside.... the "Bells" is about 200 feet from the first act of violence by a suffragette just standing out there I can see that and am near the site of a convent mentioned in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"- the infamous red handed Gladstone statue is in sight but the real story is on the other side of the road and the memorial plaque is there. Cross the road and the turning on your left is Fairfield Road where they used to have fair but it was stopped for licentious behavour (possibly to the modern Mayfair) and about half way down now relabelled "Bow Quarter" is the old Bryant and Mays' match factory where the famous match girls strike took place ....I could have shown them the meeting place of the first London Co- Operative food store but it;s currently under scaffolding In the end they almost wanted to come back and hire me as a tour guide.... but after all the things I told them when I mentioned the Minnie Lansbury clock they asked "Is she related to Angela Lansbury" (Sort of Minnie was her grandfathers first wife when the clock needed work done she put £5K or so into the fund) and shot off to take photos Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 1:30*pm, Lesley wrote:
On Jul 2, 11:01*am, hopitus wrote: You did forget "Special K". That must be American over here "Special K" is a diet breakfast cereal! Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball LOL to young and reckless ravers (party people) in USA urban life, it is *both*, that's how it was named in rave circuits. |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 3:09*pm, Lesley wrote:
On Jul 2, 11:01*am, hopitus wrote: K". You and I would get along fine in RL. I understand East Ender. I had one laugh yesterday sort of...I'd stopped in the "Bells" and 2 American ladies came in first of all they weren't too happy as they thought Bow Church was the one that you had to be born within hearing of to be considered Cockney- it's actually St Mary Le Bow in the city so I directed them then they started asking us all if were cockney what did it mean to be cockney? *Aaron said he was born in Bow but we didn't all use rhythming slang and as I walked past for a laugh I said "Aaron! Go up the Apples!" so the next thing I;ve got these 2 ladies assuming I am an authetic cockney and no amount of explaning that I was born in Romford worked *then they said there's no history around here... I took them outside.... *the "Bells" is about 200 feet from the first act of violence by a suffragette just standing out there I can see that and am near the site of a convent mentioned in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"- the infamous red handed Gladstone statue is in sight but the real story is on the other side of the road and the memorial plaque is there. *Cross the road and the turning on your left is Fairfield Road where they used to have *fair but it was stopped for licentious behavour (possibly to the modern Mayfair) and about half way down now relabelled "Bow Quarter" is the old Bryant and Mays' match factory where the famous match girls strike took place ....I could have shown them the meeting place of the first London Co- Operative food store but it;s currently under scaffolding In the end they almost wanted to come back and hire me as a tour guide.... but after all the things I told them when I mentioned the Minnie Lansbury clock they asked "Is she related to Angela Lansbury" (Sort of Minnie was her grandfathers first wife when the clock needed work done she put £5K or so into the fund) and shot off to take photos Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball You have a lotta historical stuff around where you live. I envy Britain's history, including all the violence, head-offing, etc. We have so little comparatively. |
OT - Fireworks?
CatNipped wrote: All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. Apparently Texans are more intelligent than Arizonans! Last year they revised the laws to make sale of fireworks to the general public legal in Arizona. (It's not legal to set them off many places, but who will pay attention to that?) Considering the fact they have not quite gotten the worst wildfire in Arizona history under control yet, and the entire Southwest (including Arizona, New Mexico and Texas) are suffering from severe drought conditions, with the Forest Service banning campfires in the various camping areas, this really does not seem the proper time to relax the rules against private use of fireworks, does it? However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? I don't know how such displays are organized and run in Texas, but most places have plenty of professional fire-fighters at hand to oversee the proceedings for public shows. (And the big shows use a lot of set-pieces, which are formally constructed in specific places - hopefully with fire-extinguishers ready to hand.) |
OT - Fireworks?
CatNipped wrote: We don't open our curtains after dark, so my cats have never seen fireworks, but they don't appear to be bothered by the noises (thank goodness since our idiot neighbors spend thousands of dollars in fireworks at least twice a year). "TWICE a year"?? July 4th and what else? Cinco de Mayo? Guy Fawkes Day? |
OT - Fireworks?
J J Levin wrote: I live in Northern NJ. There are organized fireworks on the 4th, but the NY Police Commissioner was just on the radio, warning NY residents not to drive to Pennsylvania to buy fireworks. Private fireworks are illegal in NY, and he specifically said that people who cross the border to buy illegal fireworks will be arrested and their cars will confiscated (as they do in drug cases). Jay That's smart! Putting that kind of teeth in the law may have some effect. Banning their sale in Minnesota when I was growing us didn't do much good - people just went over the state lines to Wisconsin or Iowa and bought 'em there. |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 3:39*pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
wrote: J J Levin wrote: I live in Northern NJ. There are organized fireworks on the 4th, but the NY Police Commissioner was just on the radio, warning NY residents not to drive to Pennsylvania to buy fireworks. Private fireworks are illegal in NY, and he specifically said that people who cross the border to buy illegal fireworks will be arrested and their cars will confiscated (as they do in drug cases). Jay That's smart! *Putting that kind of teeth in the law may have some effect. *Banning their sale in Minnesota when I was growing us didn't do much good - people just went over the state lines to Wisconsin or Iowa and bought 'em there. Repeating myself: Just in case you are unaware, the Fed DEA is in on drug sweep confiscations complete with their manpower. The DEA is NOT in on ATF police work (separate Fed LE) and ATF due to Fed budget cutting major slashes, has much less enforcement personnel to date. I doubt AZ is rolling in cops to even enforce your (ahem) lady guv's immigration edicts (looks that way in media, anyway) and any "teeth" anywhere you don't have enough cops to take care of crime business are going to be baby kitten teeth, not fangs, as felonies and regular crime *here* are taking up remaining officers' time and effort....ergo, don't look for LE to come running in riot gear to your aid when you report your neighbor's kids setting off stuff next door Monday night. I live in reality, not how I wish things were, especially "how things were back then". A lot of "how things were back then" would get you quick in the slammer these days: three examples: child abuse, pet abuse, and extreme hoarding, as seen in the tv these days. All three went on unimpeded "back in the day". |
OT - Fireworks?
Lesley wrote: In the end they almost wanted to come back and hire me as a tour guide.... but after all the things I told them when I mentioned the Minnie Lansbury clock they asked "Is she related to Angela Lansbury" (Sort of Minnie was her grandfathers first wife when the clock needed work done she put £5K or so into the fund) and shot off to take photos .....And then we wonder why American tourists have a bad reputation in Europe! At least, in the UK they are justified in expecting the natives to speak English. (One of the prime complaints against us in other countries.) |
OT - Fireworks?
Lesley wrote: On Jul 2, 11:01 am, hopitus wrote: You did forget "Special K". That must be American over here "Special K" is a diet breakfast cereal! Here, too! (Where does it mean something else?) |
OT - Fireworks?
"Lesley" wrote in message
On Jul 1, 3:07 pm, "CatNipped" wrote: What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? ...When I was a kid city run displays were rare and most people had a bonfire etc in their back gardens on November the 5th. ... I'm getting a bad case of nostalgia here.....the morning after the air reeked of fireworks and us kids would go round hunting for the empty cases to see who could find the most... but apart from November the 5th no-one ever lit fireworks. These days very few people hold Bonfire Night parties in their gardens but there are loads of big council run displays... However they are now lit more often than once a year- ... ...New Year 2004 was like living in a war zone- ...The first year Dunzi (RB- God that hurts!) and Sarsi seemed fascinated and watched them out the window but they didn't bother after that... Well, round here (West London / Heathrow), there's a very large Asian population. They celebrate all sorts of religious festivals (Eid and Diwali, to name but two) with fireworks, usually in their back gardens - though the local authority (London Borough of Hounslow) also runs a few organised displays for these occasions. The law on fireworks is quite strict - who can supply, buy, and use them - and at what hour of the day - though the latter doesn't seem to be enforced! -- MatSav |
OT - Fireworks?
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:
Lesley wrote: In the end they almost wanted to come back and hire me as a tour guide.... but after all the things I told them when I mentioned the Minnie Lansbury clock they asked "Is she related to Angela Lansbury" (Sort of Minnie was her grandfathers first wife when the clock needed work done she put £5K or so into the fund) and shot off to take photos ....And then we wonder why American tourists have a bad reputation in Europe! At least, in the UK they are justified in expecting the natives to speak English. (One of the prime complaints against us in other countries.) I don't understand. What did she say that was objectionable? I mean, she was on the right track, wasn't she? Minnie *did* have a connection with Angela, if not by blood, then by marriage, so how was this an example of being an obnoxious tourist? Joyce -- Cats' hearing apparatus is built to allow the human voice to easily go in one ear and out the other. -- Stephen Baker |
OT - Fireworks?
New Year's Eve.
-- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, Created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message ... CatNipped wrote: We don't open our curtains after dark, so my cats have never seen fireworks, but they don't appear to be bothered by the noises (thank goodness since our idiot neighbors spend thousands of dollars in fireworks at least twice a year). "TWICE a year"?? July 4th and what else? Cinco de Mayo? Guy Fawkes Day? |
OT - Fireworks?
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:
Lesley wrote: On Jul 2, 11:01 am, hopitus wrote: You did forget "Special K". That must be American over here "Special K" is a diet breakfast cereal! Here, too! (Where does it mean something else?) It's a drug name in the US as well. I believe it's ketamine, but I might be wrong. Ketamine is a heavy-duty animal trank, often used for anasthesia during surgery. I'm wondering what "Charlie" is, if it's not what American soldiers called the North Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam war. And *what* are Catherine Wheels and Roman Candle?? It sounds like someone's building a torture dungeon. Joyce -- Cats' hearing apparatus is built to allow the human voice to easily go in one ear and out the other. -- Stephen Baker |
OT - Fireworks?
On 3/07/2011 3:32 AM, CatNipped wrote:
LOL! Your post sent me back to a childhood of playgrounds set in concrete. Bones had to be sticking out of skin before anyone was sissy enough to go home crying to mom when we fell off the top of the monkey bars or "tightrope walking" on the top of the extra tall swing set - not to mention trying to get the swing to go completely around in a circle and more often than not banging into the steel posts instead. Then there was the ever popular child's game of "Lawn Darts" where children stood on opposite sides of the lawn and threw very large steel spikes at the target at one child's feet - can't tell you how many times I had to pull a dart out of my leg. There were public pools that kids could attend alone at any age, dive off the high dive 25 - 30 feet above the deep end of the pool, and drown if the lone "lifeguard" happened to be flirting with a pretty girl at the time. Not to mention being basically kicked out of the front door with a backpack of sandwiches at first light and not allowed to come back (even had we wanted) until after dark. I lived next to a large copse of wild woods with many wild animals, such as nutria (think rats on steroids - they could take on a large dog and win). there were streams to cross on a fallen log, trees to climb to serious heights, ropes strung across the trees to swing on like Tarzan or make a rope bridge. To build tree houses we had to "borrow" from our garages machetes, axes, hammers, ten-penny nails. saws, etc. - all of which we were never taught how to safely use - we either figured it out or lost a piece of finger. Any less serious injury was treated with spit and a mud pack (it's amazing how few infections we had - I guess we built immunities pretty quickly). I sometimes think that we were still practicing "evolution in action" in those times. Anyone smart enough to live through a childhood like that had the privilege to grow up to marry and contribute to the gene pool. I walk past the playgrounds of today, with their moss and wood chip ground cover - nothing high, nothing steel, everything a very light plastic, no monkey bars, no see-saws and more often than not totally deserted (how could kids possibly have fun on those unthrilling, vanilla "toys"). And children have to be accompanied by parents, they're not allowed to venture anywhere on their own now-a-days (even if they should desire a few minutes away from their Nintendos and WIIs). It's all pretty sad really. And I'm sure it's why so *MANY* of our children in the US are seriously overweight and having *HEART ATTACKS* in their *TEENS*!!! That was unheard of when I was young. There was maybe one poor child in the whole school whose single mother coddled into overweight and that poor child was teased and hounded to misery (there weren't any awareness programs about the damage this did). I can say, righteously, that I was not a teaser - having lost my dad at age 4 and being brighter than my peers caused me enough teasing and grief from my peers that I could empathize all too well. Most of that is due to the culture of suing if a child gets hurt. If local councils choose to put in play areas for children, they have to be as safe as possible and have signs all around saying that children have to be supervised at all times and that any use is solely at the user's risk. Combined with the general culture that sees 'outside' as a big scary place and that 'unsupervised' children are 'neglected', and you have an indoor culture. According to current wisdom over here, children should not be left unsupervised for any length of time until they are at least 12. I was walking to and from school which was just under a mile each way by the time I was 7. Sometimes I walked with friends, but often I walked alone. I knew how to cross a road, and not to talk to strangers /unless it was an emergency/. I knew how to dial emergency on a public phone, and knew my next door neighbour's phone number (we didn't have a phone) if something happened and needed to contact my parents. I fell over and grazed verious bits of me more times than I could coung, got sunburnt, got beat up by a boy I liked once, and was even approached by a stranger once (I don't know if he was dangerous or just 'not right in the head' - I ran home). I went to the shops for Mum to pick up milk and bread and like you had the kicked-out-in-the-morning, be-home-by-dusk curfew. WOuldn't, and couldn't, happen now though - that would be considered neglect. Yowie |
OT - Fireworks?
I can't imagine what it must be like to live in a place of such history -
any longer than a couple of centuries' worth. -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, Created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net "Lesley" wrote in message ... On Jul 2, 11:01 am, hopitus wrote: K". You and I would get along fine in RL. I understand East Ender. I had one laugh yesterday sort of...I'd stopped in the "Bells" and 2 American ladies came in first of all they weren't too happy as they thought Bow Church was the one that you had to be born within hearing of to be considered Cockney- it's actually St Mary Le Bow in the city so I directed them then they started asking us all if were cockney what did it mean to be cockney? Aaron said he was born in Bow but we didn't all use rhythming slang and as I walked past for a laugh I said "Aaron! Go up the Apples!" so the next thing I;ve got these 2 ladies assuming I am an authetic cockney and no amount of explaning that I was born in Romford worked then they said there's no history around here... I took them outside.... the "Bells" is about 200 feet from the first act of violence by a suffragette just standing out there I can see that and am near the site of a convent mentioned in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"- the infamous red handed Gladstone statue is in sight but the real story is on the other side of the road and the memorial plaque is there. Cross the road and the turning on your left is Fairfield Road where they used to have fair but it was stopped for licentious behavour (possibly to the modern Mayfair) and about half way down now relabelled "Bow Quarter" is the old Bryant and Mays' match factory where the famous match girls strike took place ....I could have shown them the meeting place of the first London Co- Operative food store but it;s currently under scaffolding In the end they almost wanted to come back and hire me as a tour guide.... but after all the things I told them when I mentioned the Minnie Lansbury clock they asked "Is she related to Angela Lansbury" (Sort of Minnie was her grandfathers first wife when the clock needed work done she put £5K or so into the fund) and shot off to take photos Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furball |
OT - Fireworks?
"Yowie" wrote in message
... On 3/07/2011 3:32 AM, CatNipped wrote: LOL! Your post sent me back to a childhood of playgrounds set in concrete. Bones had to be sticking out of skin before anyone was sissy enough to go home crying to mom when we fell off the top of the monkey bars or "tightrope walking" on the top of the extra tall swing set - not to mention trying to get the swing to go completely around in a circle and more often than not banging into the steel posts instead. Then there was the ever popular child's game of "Lawn Darts" where children stood on opposite sides of the lawn and threw very large steel spikes at the target at one child's feet - can't tell you how many times I had to pull a dart out of my leg. There were public pools that kids could attend alone at any age, dive off the high dive 25 - 30 feet above the deep end of the pool, and drown if the lone "lifeguard" happened to be flirting with a pretty girl at the time. Not to mention being basically kicked out of the front door with a backpack of sandwiches at first light and not allowed to come back (even had we wanted) until after dark. I lived next to a large copse of wild woods with many wild animals, such as nutria (think rats on steroids - they could take on a large dog and win). there were streams to cross on a fallen log, trees to climb to serious heights, ropes strung across the trees to swing on like Tarzan or make a rope bridge. To build tree houses we had to "borrow" from our garages machetes, axes, hammers, ten-penny nails. saws, etc. - all of which we were never taught how to safely use - we either figured it out or lost a piece of finger. Any less serious injury was treated with spit and a mud pack (it's amazing how few infections we had - I guess we built immunities pretty quickly). I sometimes think that we were still practicing "evolution in action" in those times. Anyone smart enough to live through a childhood like that had the privilege to grow up to marry and contribute to the gene pool. I walk past the playgrounds of today, with their moss and wood chip ground cover - nothing high, nothing steel, everything a very light plastic, no monkey bars, no see-saws and more often than not totally deserted (how could kids possibly have fun on those unthrilling, vanilla "toys"). And children have to be accompanied by parents, they're not allowed to venture anywhere on their own now-a-days (even if they should desire a few minutes away from their Nintendos and WIIs). It's all pretty sad really. And I'm sure it's why so *MANY* of our children in the US are seriously overweight and having *HEART ATTACKS* in their *TEENS*!!! That was unheard of when I was young. There was maybe one poor child in the whole school whose single mother coddled into overweight and that poor child was teased and hounded to misery (there weren't any awareness programs about the damage this did). I can say, righteously, that I was not a teaser - having lost my dad at age 4 and being brighter than my peers caused me enough teasing and grief from my peers that I could empathize all too well. Most of that is due to the culture of suing if a child gets hurt. If local councils choose to put in play areas for children, they have to be as safe as possible and have signs all around saying that children have to be supervised at all times and that any use is solely at the user's risk. Combined with the general culture that sees 'outside' as a big scary place and that 'unsupervised' children are 'neglected', and you have an indoor culture. According to current wisdom over here, children should not be left unsupervised for any length of time until they are at least 12. I was walking to and from school which was just under a mile each way by the time I was 7. Sometimes I walked with friends, but often I walked alone. I knew how to cross a road, and not to talk to strangers /unless it was an emergency/. I knew how to dial emergency on a public phone, and knew my next door neighbour's phone number (we didn't have a phone) if something happened and needed to contact my parents. I fell over and grazed verious bits of me more times than I could coung, got sunburnt, got beat up by a boy I liked once, and was even approached by a stranger once (I don't know if he was dangerous or just 'not right in the head' - I ran home). I went to the shops for Mum to pick up milk and bread and like you had the kicked-out-in-the-morning, be-home-by-dusk curfew. WOuldn't, and couldn't, happen now though - that would be considered neglect. Yowie And I think we're the worse for it, unfortunately. Our future doesn't look too bright when you consider how unprepared most children of our culture will be to face it. But I guess every generation has said that about the next. -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, Created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net |
OT - Fireworks?
"CatNipped" wrote:
I can't imagine what it must be like to live in a place of such history - any longer than a couple of centuries' worth. There are several houses in the village I live in which were built before 1492. -- Adrian |
OT - Fireworks?
Yowie wrote:
On 3/07/2011 3:32 AM, CatNipped wrote: LOL! Your post sent me back to a childhood of playgrounds set in concrete. Bones had to be sticking out of skin before anyone was sissy enough to go home crying to mom when we fell off the top of the monkey bars or "tightrope walking" on the top of the extra tall swing set - not to mention trying to get the swing to go completely around in a circle and more often than not banging into the steel posts instead. Then there was the ever popular child's game of "Lawn Darts" where children stood on opposite sides of the lawn and threw very large steel spikes at the target at one child's feet - can't tell you how many times I had to pull a dart out of my leg. There were public pools that kids could attend alone at any age, dive off the high dive 25 - 30 feet above the deep end of the pool, and drown if the lone "lifeguard" happened to be flirting with a pretty girl at the time. Not to mention being basically kicked out of the front door with a backpack of sandwiches at first light and not allowed to come back (even had we wanted) until after dark. I lived next to a large copse of wild woods with many wild animals, such as nutria (think rats on steroids - they could take on a large dog and win). there were streams to cross on a fallen log, trees to climb to serious heights, ropes strung across the trees to swing on like Tarzan or make a rope bridge. To build tree houses we had to "borrow" from our garages machetes, axes, hammers, ten-penny nails. saws, etc. - all of which we were never taught how to safely use - we either figured it out or lost a piece of finger. Any less serious injury was treated with spit and a mud pack (it's amazing how few infections we had - I guess we built immunities pretty quickly). I sometimes think that we were still practicing "evolution in action" in those times. Anyone smart enough to live through a childhood like that had the privilege to grow up to marry and contribute to the gene pool. I walk past the playgrounds of today, with their moss and wood chip ground cover - nothing high, nothing steel, everything a very light plastic, no monkey bars, no see-saws and more often than not totally deserted (how could kids possibly have fun on those unthrilling, vanilla "toys"). And children have to be accompanied by parents, they're not allowed to venture anywhere on their own now-a-days (even if they should desire a few minutes away from their Nintendos and WIIs). It's all pretty sad really. And I'm sure it's why so *MANY* of our children in the US are seriously overweight and having *HEART ATTACKS* in their *TEENS*!!! That was unheard of when I was young. There was maybe one poor child in the whole school whose single mother coddled into overweight and that poor child was teased and hounded to misery (there weren't any awareness programs about the damage this did). I can say, righteously, that I was not a teaser - having lost my dad at age 4 and being brighter than my peers caused me enough teasing and grief from my peers that I could empathize all too well. Most of that is due to the culture of suing if a child gets hurt. If local councils choose to put in play areas for children, they have to be as safe as possible and have signs all around saying that children have to be supervised at all times and that any use is solely at the user's risk. Combined with the general culture that sees 'outside' as a big scary place and that 'unsupervised' children are 'neglected', and you have an indoor culture. According to current wisdom over here, children should not be left unsupervised for any length of time until they are at least 12. I was walking to and from school which was just under a mile each way by the time I was 7. Sometimes I walked with friends, but often I walked alone. I knew how to cross a road, and not to talk to strangers /unless it was an emergency/. I knew how to dial emergency on a public phone, and knew my next door neighbour's phone number (we didn't have a phone) if something happened and needed to contact my parents. I fell over and grazed verious bits of me more times than I could coung, got sunburnt, got beat up by a boy I liked once, and was even approached by a stranger once (I don't know if he was dangerous or just 'not right in the head' - I ran home). I went to the shops for Mum to pick up milk and bread and like you had the kicked-out-in-the-morning, be-home-by-dusk curfew. WOuldn't, and couldn't, happen now though - that would be considered neglect. Well, these are kind of opposite extremes. I agree that kids are way, way overprotected these days, and I don't think it's just the fear of a lawsuit. It's a culture of fear - the boogeyman is around every corner. I started noticing this back in the 80s when I became friends with a woman who had a son from a previous marriage. He was like 14 years old and she wouldn't let him ride public transportation to school. WTF?? I took buses when I was much younger than that. She said, "You grew up in a small town, so it was safer. We live in a city." Well, I was going into Boston without parents, via public transit, when I was his age. Her response: "The world is a lot more dangerous now." I don't agree. Some things have gotten worse, but I don't think the everyday lives of most kids have gotten so much more dangerous. Parents are afraid of kidnappings - but most kidnappings are done by the "other parent" (who lost custody) after a divorce, etc. There aren't a lot more random strangers looking for kids to grab off the street and molest, no matter how many TV shows tell us there are. And don't get me started on the fear of germs! We're making children much sicker by keeping them in such sterile environments. And of course, we're breeding super-bacteria that *will* be scary and dangerous, and unstoppable, because of all the disinfectants and antibiotics we use. On the other hand, Catnipped's description of her childhood environment seems kind of extreme in the other direction. I don't think there's anything sissy-ish about going home when you're injured, even if all your bones are still inside your skin. And I also think it's really weird for parents to kick their kids out for the day and not allow them in until dinner. After I finished my chores, I came and went pretty much as I pleased when I was a kid, and often times I would be gone for the whole day - I'd get home for dinner, and nobody grilled me about where I had been. But if I'd wanted to come in earlier, I could have. It was my house, too. I had the same attitude about Smudge. I knew that her life would probably be shorter if she were allowed outside, but since she had such a strong drive to go out, I felt that a longer and safer life indoors would also have been an unbearable life. You can't protect them from everything. And in the end, Smudge died of something that would have happened even if she'd spent every day of her life cooped up in my apartment. Joyce -- What business is it of the state how consenting adults choose to pair off, share expenses and eventually stop having sex with each other? -- Bill Maher |
OT - Fireworks?
On 07/02/2011 01:20 PM, hopitus wrote:
On Jul 2, 12:49 pm, wrote: On 07/01/2011 04:25 PM, Joy wrote: wrote in message ... All sales on fireworks have been banned this year in and around Houston. The chance of more wild fires and the danger to homes is too great to risk even a "sparkler" to ignite the draught ravaged foliage. That's perfectly understandable to me - why take the chance of some dumb@44 setting the city on fire. However, they're still planning a "Freedom Celebration" in Houston and some surrounding cities. Huh? Are their fireworks somehow different from privately owned fireworks? Are the parks and other places they're planned somehow spared from the draught? There is still a big "debate" about this going on, but as of right now, the celebrations are going to go ahead as planned. What do you think? Should city-run fireworks be banned also, or allowed? -- Hugs, CatNipped That's been the case in Southern California for years. Most cities ban personal fireworks, but have fireworks shows. There is much less danger of a well orchestrated fireworks show causing a fire than there is when individuals shoot them off in the streets or their backyards. I've never heard of a fire caused by a fireworks show. I have heard of many house fires and bush fires started by use of illegal fireworks. Joy One thing the "powers that be" don't even consider is "air pollution. For that reason (and many others) I am against it. MLB You have perfect right to "against it" and air pollution is a reality but I know where you are and you know my whereabouts as well....and LOL I guess SLC is not smelling the stinking smoke from the wildfires here (not around MileHigh) and in AZ....it blows all the way up here when the wind is right (SSW). My bad to consider a liittle cloud of gunpowder smoke a drop in the bucket of pollution around here. Having zilch to do with anything practical.....some of my happiest memories are riding home from a 4th extravaganza with singed hair, blackened beyond laundering clothes, and smelling of mortar charges and gunpowder we were forced to ride in the truck bed all the way home (Pismo Beach boardwalk, 1983). Dear Hop: It is not the individual fireworks I am against -- it is all of them all over the world making a mess of what (long ago( used to be fresh air. It is a drop in the bucket, I know, but that bucket is already full. |
OT - Fireworks?
On Jul 2, 4:18*pm, wrote:
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote: * Lesley wrote: * In the end they almost wanted to come back and hire me as a tour * guide.... but after all the things I told them when I mentioned the * Minnie Lansbury clock they asked "Is she related to Angela * Lansbury" (Sort of Minnie was her grandfathers first wife when the * clock needed work done she put 5K or so into the fund) and shot off * to take photos * ....And then we wonder why American tourists have a bad reputation in * Europe! *At least, in the UK they are justified in expecting the natives * to speak English. (One of the prime complaints against us in other * countries.) I don't understand. What did she say that was objectionable? I mean, she was on the right track, wasn't she? Minnie *did* have a connection with Angela, if not by blood, then by marriage, so how was this an example of being an obnoxious tourist? Joyce You are right; she did NOT say anything objectionable. What I believe Lesley was LOL pointing out was not a big deal of Merkin tourists being "obnoxious" but simply pointing out that as tourists out of USA , they have the attention span of a gnat when someone *they ask* on the street (a stranger, if you will) tries to inform them of the answer to their historical question......they run off to shoot photos of the local sights . Kinda airhead behavior but not obnoxious, just thoughtless. Feel free to disagree with my interpretation. |
OT - Fireworks?
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... Yowie wrote: On 3/07/2011 3:32 AM, CatNipped wrote: LOL! Your post sent me back to a childhood of playgrounds set in concrete. Bones had to be sticking out of skin before anyone was sissy enough to go home crying to mom when we fell off the top of the monkey bars or "tightrope walking" on the top of the extra tall swing set - not to mention trying to get the swing to go completely around in a circle and more often than not banging into the steel posts instead. Then there was the ever popular child's game of "Lawn Darts" where children stood on opposite sides of the lawn and threw very large steel spikes at the target at one child's feet - can't tell you how many times I had to pull a dart out of my leg. There were public pools that kids could attend alone at any age, dive off the high dive 25 - 30 feet above the deep end of the pool, and drown if the lone "lifeguard" happened to be flirting with a pretty girl at the time. Not to mention being basically kicked out of the front door with a backpack of sandwiches at first light and not allowed to come back (even had we wanted) until after dark. I lived next to a large copse of wild woods with many wild animals, such as nutria (think rats on steroids - they could take on a large dog and win). there were streams to cross on a fallen log, trees to climb to serious heights, ropes strung across the trees to swing on like Tarzan or make a rope bridge. To build tree houses we had to "borrow" from our garages machetes, axes, hammers, ten-penny nails. saws, etc. - all of which we were never taught how to safely use - we either figured it out or lost a piece of finger. Any less serious injury was treated with spit and a mud pack (it's amazing how few infections we had - I guess we built immunities pretty quickly). I sometimes think that we were still practicing "evolution in action" in those times. Anyone smart enough to live through a childhood like that had the privilege to grow up to marry and contribute to the gene pool. I walk past the playgrounds of today, with their moss and wood chip ground cover - nothing high, nothing steel, everything a very light plastic, no monkey bars, no see-saws and more often than not totally deserted (how could kids possibly have fun on those unthrilling, vanilla "toys"). And children have to be accompanied by parents, they're not allowed to venture anywhere on their own now-a-days (even if they should desire a few minutes away from their Nintendos and WIIs). It's all pretty sad really. And I'm sure it's why so *MANY* of our children in the US are seriously overweight and having *HEART ATTACKS* in their *TEENS*!!! That was unheard of when I was young. There was maybe one poor child in the whole school whose single mother coddled into overweight and that poor child was teased and hounded to misery (there weren't any awareness programs about the damage this did). I can say, righteously, that I was not a teaser - having lost my dad at age 4 and being brighter than my peers caused me enough teasing and grief from my peers that I could empathize all too well. Most of that is due to the culture of suing if a child gets hurt. If local councils choose to put in play areas for children, they have to be as safe as possible and have signs all around saying that children have to be supervised at all times and that any use is solely at the user's risk. Combined with the general culture that sees 'outside' as a big scary place and that 'unsupervised' children are 'neglected', and you have an indoor culture. According to current wisdom over here, children should not be left unsupervised for any length of time until they are at least 12. I was walking to and from school which was just under a mile each way by the time I was 7. Sometimes I walked with friends, but often I walked alone. I knew how to cross a road, and not to talk to strangers /unless it was an emergency/. I knew how to dial emergency on a public phone, and knew my next door neighbour's phone number (we didn't have a phone) if something happened and needed to contact my parents. I fell over and grazed verious bits of me more times than I could coung, got sunburnt, got beat up by a boy I liked once, and was even approached by a stranger once (I don't know if he was dangerous or just 'not right in the head' - I ran home). I went to the shops for Mum to pick up milk and bread and like you had the kicked-out-in-the-morning, be-home-by-dusk curfew. WOuldn't, and couldn't, happen now though - that would be considered neglect. Well, these are kind of opposite extremes. I agree that kids are way, way overprotected these days, and I don't think it's just the fear of a lawsuit. It's a culture of fear - the boogeyman is around every corner. I started noticing this back in the 80s when I became friends with a woman who had a son from a previous marriage. He was like 14 years old and she wouldn't let him ride public transportation to school. WTF?? I took buses when I was much younger than that. She said, "You grew up in a small town, so it was safer. We live in a city." Well, I was going into Boston without parents, via public transit, when I was his age. Her response: "The world is a lot more dangerous now." I don't agree. Some things have gotten worse, but I don't think the everyday lives of most kids have gotten so much more dangerous. Parents are afraid of kidnappings - but most kidnappings are done by the "other parent" (who lost custody) after a divorce, etc. There aren't a lot more random strangers looking for kids to grab off the street and molest, no matter how many TV shows tell us there are. And don't get me started on the fear of germs! We're making children much sicker by keeping them in such sterile environments. And of course, we're breeding super-bacteria that *will* be scary and dangerous, and unstoppable, because of all the disinfectants and antibiotics we use. On the other hand, Catnipped's description of her childhood environment seems kind of extreme in the other direction. I don't think there's anything sissy-ish about going home when you're injured, even if all your bones are still inside your skin. And I also think it's really weird for parents to kick their kids out for the day and not allow them in until dinner. After I finished my chores, I came and went pretty much as I pleased when I was a kid, and often times I would be gone for the whole day - I'd get home for dinner, and nobody grilled me about where I had been. But if I'd wanted to come in earlier, I could have. It was my house, too. I had the same attitude about Smudge. I knew that her life would probably be shorter if she were allowed outside, but since she had such a strong drive to go out, I felt that a longer and safer life indoors would also have been an unbearable life. You can't protect them from everything. And in the end, Smudge died of something that would have happened even if she'd spent every day of her life cooped up in my apartment. Joyce -- What business is it of the state how consenting adults choose to pair off, share expenses and eventually stop having sex with each other? -- Bill Maher I think most parents (and cat slaves) did (and do) what seems best. My parents knew where I was all the time. I was hurt twice. I broke my right arm when I was 6 and sprained both arms when I was 8. Both times I was in my own back yard when it happened, and I went straight to my mother, who took me to the doctor. I knew where my kids were all the time, too. My son and many of the neighborhood kids often played in the large tree in my front yard. I made one rule - no bicycles or other implements under the tree. Luckily, none of them ever fell out of the tree. My two current cats are indoor only, because they were three years old when I got them, and had always been indoors. All my previous cats were indoor/outdoor. At one time, I did try keeping two of them inside, but they were so miserable I decided to let them be free. Joy |
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