We previously discussed how the United States was sharply criticized in a government-supported newspaper in China for the long lines of voters who had to wait for hours to cast their ballots. Now, the happiest place on Earth, has announced its new leader: Xi Jinging. Xi was selected without any lines of citizens, who of course were not allowed to vote at all.
The regular decade transition occurred by an orchestrated vote of the Community Party Congress with his appointment as general secretary after a meeting of senior Communists. The Chinese people were informed of the selection as Xi walked into the Great Hall of the People with other Politburo members.
The rise of Xi to power is viewed as another affirmation of a new “red nobility” class — leaders who come from families with a long communist power pedigree. Xi is the son of a hero of the revolution and three other members have similar family ties. With continuing scandals involving the gathering of huge wealth by Communist leaders, China now fits every definition of an aristocracy using Communist controls to protect its power and wealth. Think of Louis XIV in a Mao jacket.
Source: CBS
Blackjack gum is sick.
Mike,
I figured as much 😉
DS,
Now why would they do that unless it was designed to humiliate and shame the youngsters!
SwM,
Thanks good buddy See ya on the boards later
Blouise, I loved black jack gum. They sell it at Central Market grocery store here. Happy Birthday!!!!!
Mike,
Blackjack was licorice flavored and right up there with anise hard candy in popularity. It was a love it or hate it chew.
One of the grandkids always makes the trip to a specialty candy store and I fully expect to unwrap a few packs of blackjack today along with a bag of blackjack taffy.
Blouise,
I’m one of those crazy people who hates the taste of Licorice, perhaps that’s why it made o impression on me, even if it was around in NYC.
I remember docs making house calls. When the Asian flu hit in the 50’s the Spinelli house was like a TB ward. Our great Dr. Becker came about 4 times to check on us.
Mike, blackjack gum was around in your day, maybe just not a NYC thing. It was an acquired taste which I happened to like. The secondary advanatage was many dudes wouldn’t bum a piece off of you when you had blackjack because they hated it.
“Mike, blackjack gum was around in your day, maybe just not a NYC thing.”
Nick,
I think you’re right about it being a NYC thing, because I was a gum chewer.
Bazooka, or Wrigley’s Spearmint. As for Doctors making house calls my family Physician in Queens Dr. Cohen made house calls as late as 1969 and he was a full service Doctor. When I broke a leg at six, he came to the house, set up the means for me to be brought to his office, X-Rayed the break and put it into a cast. This grateful six year old, who broke his leg at 5:00pm was back in my bed, sandbags around my cast, by 10:00pm. What a great man and a great Doctor
Raff,
I recall lassie as well….. But…. forthe life of me i dont recall a phone….Recall watching it at the grandparents house on Sundays….. Black and White Stechel Carlson….. Tubed TV…. Ah yes…. June Lockheart….. The future mom on Lost in Space…..
Mike:
Here is a scarlet letter type of news article out of Idaho.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Fourth-graders-who-flunk-reading-have-faces-marked-179713151.html
“The students were allowed to choose their own incentive to meet the reading goal, but instead of a reward, the class chose a punishment: Students who failed to meet the goal could either stay inside at recess until it was met, or have their faces written on by classmates who met the goals.”
Darren,
While I love kids and believed they should be allowed reasonable autonomy, as I practiced with my own, they are still far to immature to not be properly guided. This teacher in effect let the inmates run the asylum. One of the things that I learned from my own childhood is that many children have the capacity to be thoughtlessly cruel. The stigmatization done by this could potentially last a lifetime of one feeling not good enough. All of my studying of the human condition is that people learn best from positive reinforcement, rather than negative derision.
Strangely, as I was typing my above post, I looked over and saw a bag of Cracker Jack on the kitchen counter. I have family over at the house and someone must have bought one. What happened to the box? Guess it’s been a long time since I had some. Of course they’re all gone now. Doesn’t seem right without the box though.
The box regulated how fast a person devours the cracker jacks. The box had a small opening on the side to ration out a few bits. This new bag tears easily affording a wider port to put your hand in and grab a load of cracker jacks; which seems to speed up consumption.
The nutrition label lists the bag as having three servings. Laughable. It should be measured in number of seconds the bag will last in the hands of a middle aged Generation X’er.
Time to go hide the empty bag.
Wow, I’m only in my mid 40’s and I remember 23 out of 25. I must be from a backwater.
I remember the vacuum tube test machines at Safeway. You could bring in an old radio/tv tube, test it, and if it didn’t work you could buy a new one in the cabinet below.
Everything was anti-PC back then it seemed by comparison. I used to walk from grade school to the mom & pop store that was in someone’s remodeled garage a block away. Candy cigarettes was a favorite. They had names that were mockeries of the brand name. Later, they came out with an even more cool (or Kool) version. It was a thicker one that you could blow white powder out of like you were really smoking it. Later, we had Big League Chew. Gum that was marketed like chewing tobacco.
Blackjack gum was one of the more innocent pursuits I guess.
When we were teenagers, almost none of us smoked, but probably a quarter of the guys chewed Copenhagen. If you smoked, you were considered a stoner, but if you chewed, you were more of a cowboy type which was what was considered cool.
Funny how things were perceived.
AY,
I did see Andy Griffith, but Lassie was on years earlier.
Raff,
You saw the Andy Griffith show certainly…..Sara the operator….. Or was the real operator Otis….. Just joking there…..
OS,
I remember all f those, but I never had a crank phone. I remember seeing those on TV shoes like Lassie!
You’re probably not gonna get much mileage here….. Tonight at least…..
Did you see last man standing….. I laughed really hard….. Not as much as now…….
Awaaaaa…. You’re so kind………. I’m getting teary eyed…..
I remember the good old days when Vince Treacy regularly confronted language which he considered to be offensive.
Vince Treacy 1, February 16, 2010 at 5:53 pm
AY, the acronym “J.A.P” is highly offensive to many, including me.