Goombah,

I have some 8mm film transferred to DVD of all my families childhood movies. They include family trips. For us, Mackinaw Island in the UP was a popular vacation. I have fond memories of the many sites within our state area that we'd visit, including the many religious type sites we'd visit, like the tallest crucifix in the world (don't remember how huge) we once visited Notre Dam College, and many of our vacations were at a cottage on one of the great many lakes in Michigan (until my dad finally bought our own cottage). Some of the fondest memories I have of family time. Ha ha I remember being on the road to vacation and my dad stopping at the, then fairly new, McDonalds. With a family of 6, it must have been expensive even at that time, although I never felt any kind of crunch. You're sparking some fun memories for me (or I am as I babble on).

TIS

SC, they haven't been back for at least 10 years. It seems most times they've been back was around Christmas and it's too cold. They may have driven by the lake, but I'm not sure. I don't go anywhere near the lake in the dead of winter in Michigan.

You guys and gals from the midwest MUST read some of Jean Shepherd's books! He's the guy who wrote "A Christmas Story" - ("you'll shoot your eye out").... he wrote a lot of autobiographical stuff about growing up in the mill towns of northern Indiana just off of Lake Michigan and he's absolutely hysterical. A few of his stories involve vacations in the area and I'm sure you'll all be able to relate to them.

He has four books that are absolute joys to read.

a christmas story is a book?

No. That movie was based on one of his short stories which is in one of his books.

Yeah he was from around here. "The Region" is different than the rest of Indiana.

SC,


Thanks, I'll try to keep that name in mind. I am not familiar with her work.



TIS

HIS work.

I'd recommend checking him out in the library, TIS. If you liked the movie "A Christmas Story", you'll like his books.

Fantastic pics Goombah!

Glad you had a nice vacation.

Thanks for the recommendations, SC. I like reading humorous books and have not read any of Jean Sheperd's works. If the sense of humor is anything like it was in "A Christmas Story," it will be right up my alley.

goombah, I think you'd really like the stories. Coming from our generation and having an interest in Americana, you'd definitely find humor in them.

I'd suggest starting off with "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" and "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories". They're easy reads written in a fun style and make perfect books for a summer read.

Do you guys get that commercial advertising GE locomotive or something like that? Where they play "Take My Breath Away" and all the mechanics/construction workers chime in? The guy on the thingy(?) rolling by saying "my love". Ha ha ha. It's hilarious.



TIS

No, never saw it. It sounds like it would be my kind of commercial. It's probably on youtube.

Of course, You Tube. God, I love modern technology. All these big burly guys singing. ha ha ha. I love the guy at the end and just their expressions. LOL

TIS

Haha. Love youtube. Now you never have to miss anything.

While I'm on a roll. I posted this a while back. A "new" commercial to California. I just think it's neat.

TIS

(CNN) -- It captivated millions of people around the world for eight days in the summer of 1969. It brought glory to the embattled U.S. space program and inspired beliefs that anything was possible.

Moon landing hoax theorists point to the "rippling" flag as evidence the landings were faked.

It's arguably the greatest technological feat of the 20th century. And to some, it was all a lie. Forty years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon, a small cult of conspiracy theorists maintains the historic event -- and the five subsequent Apollo moon landings -- were staged. These people believe NASA fabricated the landings to trump their Soviet rivals and fulfill President Kennedy's goal of ferrying humans safely to and from the moon by the end of the 1960s.

"I do know the moon landings were faked," said crusading filmmaker Bart Sibrel, whose aggressive interview tactics once provoked Aldrin to punch him in the face. "I'd bet my life on it."

Sibrel may seem crazy, but he has company. A 1999 Gallup poll found that a scant 6 percent of Americans doubted the Apollo 11 moon landing happened, and there is anecdotal evidence that the ranks of such conspiracy theorists, fueled by innuendo-filled documentaries and the Internet, are growing.

Makes it all the more unbelievable that the original films of the landing were "accidentally" erased.

NASA released new and improved enhanced versions of the film this week ... it was digitally enhanced much like old movies are now. I find it hard to believe that these original films were lost by mistake.

I always thought that was suspicious

This bird has been driving me crazy the past few days -- right outside my kitchen window (of course all the windows are open).

Any bird lovers here? I posted this to YouTube to see if anyone knows WTF it is...

I'm glad I'm not the only one that hears these birds, especially in the morning. My girlfriend thinks it's a mocking bird, but that's a completely uneducated guess. I don't know for sure, but I know that sound perfectly because I wake up to them every day around this time of year. They make all sorts of sounds and never seem to have a repetitive or rhythmic sound.

A mockingbird would be WAY too ironic and appropriate; I'd accept that. But I'm just curious cuz it's practically now a roommate that I'd love to tell him to STFU already!!

Interesting too that three years later moon exploration halts.

My brother had to go to the hospital over the weekend because he was complaining of severe abdominal cramps. They thought it may have been his appendix. He's okay, though. It turns out that he had a huge "gas pocket" that the doctors told him came from eating too many artificial sweeteners called sugar alcohols. Evidently, they use them in sugarless gums and whatnot. Anybody ever hear of such a thing?

On Saturday we went to Kalahari to spend the day at this indoor water park. We had a great time all day till we decided to go on this one family slide. we were in line waiting and we seen 2 guys in their late teens/ early twentys take a piss on the ledge where we were waiting. we were so disgusted that we reported them and they got escorted out. After that I sat in the hot tub for bit.

Urine a bad mood, huh Miggie?

PB, my mother is diabetic. Often, people will buy her sugar-free chocolates, and she's been told to only eat a few at a time, as they are sweetened with the same ingredient used in Ex-Lax. I don't know if that's related or not, but thought I'd pass that along.

All sweeteners stimulate the pancreas. So, you've got to be careful about doing so if you are diabetic.

I just watched America sing "Sister Golden Hair" on PBS. I have never felt so old in my life .

That's a classic.