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The Art of
Conditions may vary depending on your hemisphere.
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I've always enjoyed taking things apart and reassembling them in (one hopes) working condition. Back in my Jr High years, Dad gave me a reel-to-reel tape recorder (3" reels). Guess he moved up to a dictaphone or something. I took it apart and got it back together and it lasted for years.
From my oldest brother, I inherited a 1950s General Electric Alarm Clock-Radio. I just found a picture of the clock part - I am whelmed with nostalgia.
The radio part (not shown) attached on the right side. When I got it, the radio attachment didn't work. After some investigation, I realized the tab with four metal strips on the radio side, that slid into a slot on the clock, was partially broken off, and by inserting something as simple as a piece of cardboard, the strips made contact and, voila, the radio and clock-alarm worked like new.
Shortly after fixing it, I came home and my older brother (not the one from whom I got the clock) had the shell open on the radio part, and was smashing the tubes into the guts, imagining rocket ships crash-landing.
Not the first or last thing of mine he would destroy like that. RIP both bros.
Originally posted (edited since) on A♠ Hobby Thread, Dec 27, 2025
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December the Tenth Month?
Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec; Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten. Which made no sense after they added two months… at the beginning. They couldn't have added them at the end? Guess they didn't want to have Eleventober and Twelvthember. Still, if January were the eleventh month, swiftly-passing little February would be the last month. Then March 1 would be New Year's Day again. That might be a nice change. (Sure, it sounds simple at first, but in implementation, this could get more confusing than Daylight Saving Time!)
for the month of December are
Sohilarious (until December 21)
and
Catchacold (December 22 onwards).
Click here to see the complete set of Zoodiac signs.
2019: Christmas on Wednesday this year. Strangely enough, New Year's Eve is exactly one week later. So, with two mid-week holidays, expect the holiday world to be useless from 5pm Friday Dec 21 through 9am Monday Jan 6. Perhaps useless is too strong a term. Of limited productivity, then.
Then I ran across this classic Varga work, so I couldn't resist including it, too.
when cynics stop and pause
And after they have looked at me
Believe in Santy Claus!
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Heh… roller skates.
As a young'n middle of the last century, I tried on the skates that clamped on my PF Flyers. Once. Didn't go far. I think they didn't stay on well. And I'm fond of modes of transport that include brakes.
Fast forward to early this century, and I and the three kids all got in-line boots. I was surprised to find I mastered them immediately. Some experience water- and snow-skiing probably helped.
We enjoyed going to the park (in town, not on our country driveway) and skating around and around… until that day…
…there was a steep hill with a turn right at the bottom. I saw one kid zip down and, to my great surprise, zip around the turn like a pro.
Then a second kid zipped down, made the turn, and I heard a scream.
Dad, being an idiot, immediately headed down the hill, and about half-way down I realized I was unlikely to make that turn and was going too fast.
I threw myself off the path, trying to land on my butt with feet out front, but instead flipped over head-first and cracked my head on a rock. Only time I was ever glad I was wearing a helmet! I actually blanked out for a moment.
Third kid was at the top of the hill, certain he had just seen most of his family wiped out.
Fortunately, I was the only one injured. I walked down and found one kid delighted to have successfully made the turn, and the other, who had screamed, had merely fallen safely after turning.
I never went skating again.
Posted by: mindful webworker - rocker and roller skates at December 07, 2024,
as comments here and here on Ace of Spades ♠
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From Mindful Webworkshop #16 — Christmas, Dec 25, 2016
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