More questions, more answers and less hype.

Hi Carolyn,


For startsies, I did a cart before the horse thing with your Thanksgiving last week. It's  later than I thought. 


 Regardless, I hope your  particular Thanksgiving situation went well..




 Other minutiae to pass along. Saw the first promo for the next part of the Hobbit series. Gosh awful clever of them to make all parts of the movie at once and then just let it out one year at a time, eh. And this Benedict Cumberbatch dude seems to be everywhere lately.

 Finally, with all of your references to the good Doctor,  I feel almost like I am out of the loop big time here but I have simply never seen a single episode of Dr. Who and I don't really even know the premise behind it. I totally couldn't miss your  all-encompassing enthusiasm, though.


 I hope the 50 year item doesn't disappoint.



 Okay, now for the second 10 of those questions and answers.



Which ideal should predominate within a community, personal freedom or selfless co-operation?



I'm going for selfless co-operation as the final yardstick but personal freedom as the immediate barometer. Boy, was that a political, offend nobody and everybody at the same time, answer or what? The bottom line depends on all those involved having a sense of community or the greater good and adjusting their personal feelings and demands accordingly.




If you were in charge of the whole place, what are two things that would be on your short list to change? (a thinly disguised " Pet Peeve " question.)

 Mine at the moment would be to change the whole scene about tobacco products. Cigar, cigarettes et al. should be way more expensive than the products out there to help people quit this powerful addiction. - Spoken like a former smoker.




Secondly, I would lose all of this " Black Friday " lunacy. In the last couple of years it has blossomed in blight-like fashion here in Canuckland, and we are now bombarded by commercials probably as much as you guys down there.  There simply isn't any level on which the kind of savage and frenzied behaviour it encourages can be justified. Call me Ebeneezer Scrooge but  overextended credit problems,  debt counselling and debt/bankruptcy occurrences would, no doubt, be significantly reduced if this holiday season didn't come with so much commercial hype. Black Friday seems to be the starting gun for a month long race of conspicuous consumerism.

 I believe this is the " baggage" attached to the yuletide season that you spoke of earlier, Carolyn.




Do you feel your privacy is in jeopardy?

Yes, but not to the extent that I'm gonna  hermitize myself or take my money and hide it in a sock under the bed. I don't spend extensive time out in the social media end of things, as a rule.  Actually, this blog is my main venture out there on a regular basis.  I have some friends who are prone to using social media as a secular confessional and I think they put their privacy up for grabs from the outset. They seem to like it that way, though.

" You get what you settle for." as Thelma said.









Is personal privacy more important than national security?

Yikes.  A rhetorical question if e're there was one.



What do you think the political landscape of the planet will be by 2113?



I think the Euro monetary unit will have disappeared just because  solvent countries in the EU like Germany will be unwilling to continue being monetarily tethered to their more economically shaky union neighbours. 

Worldwide, all those countries who have henceforth flourished monetarily will be flush with citizens lusting after Bimmers , Audis and Mercedes. Germany will still do just fine. Economically, the centre of power will have shifted almost completely to The Pacific Rim, I'm thinking.



When do the needs of the many not outweigh the needs of the few?


Whenever a society recognizes and values compassion.




Who let the dogs out?

Well, it wasn't me!



Is it ever acceptable to lie?

If there ever was a  super short word that has a  super long list of definitions its " lie" .

 It's acceptable to lie whenever the consequences of telling the truth are clearly and demonstrably more damaging than those of telling a suitable lie. Parents know it, teachers know it and Jack Nicholson knew it too. " You can't handle the truth" 



Are we alone in the universe ?


Like you said earlier, Carolyn, it would be terrible if nobody else was home in this unfathomably huge universe. I don't think we are, at all.

I sure hope I am still about when we find out!










Do you believe in true love ?

Yes. I believe in it more than I believe in just about anything else. I am more able now than I was in my 20's, 30's and 40's to see just how magical it is. Magical is a fairy tale word, I know, but its the  only word that fits here.  

 No wonder so much of art and music  is dedicated to or inspired by true love.



To the cave we now go. My last offering was actually public washrooms. I think yours, this time is a treadmill. Been thinking of getting one of those but I just can't find anywhere to put it. Here's my riddle for this week:

Round, sometimes square and occasionally oval

 

Welcomed when full and satisfied when empty.

Don



All images sourced from Google Images

Fig. 1 - containsmoderateperil.com
Fig. 2 - luxuryloft.com
Fig. 3 - sodahead.com
Fig. 4 - girlsonfilmblog.blogspot.com
Fig. 5 - shamaninthecity.com
Fig. 6 - onefemalecanuck.com
Fig. 7 - blo.knowyourmoney.co.uk
Fig. 8 - k1d6r4y.deviantart.com
Fig. 9 - izismile.com

Dr. Who and The golden Rule

Good morning, Don and everyone!

We’re having a bit of cloud with possible snow flurries today. Thankfully, it is nothing like the storm that hit New Mexico and Texas. Sounds like this one is from you, Don! Turn-about is fair play I guess.

This week my husband and I have been catching up the latest of Matt Smith as Dr. Who in anticipation of the 5oth anniversary show, The Day of the Doctor. Saw it yesterday. Missed the simulcast, caught the rerun. Was it as good as the hype? Yeah. I enjoyed it. I’ll have to see a couple more times to just get all the information that was imparted. The acting was good, the script was well written, the directing was well done… We even got to see a bit of Tom Baker as he is today. Older now, nice head of white hair, still able to carry a line and hold a conversation with Matt Smith which in and of itself could be a challenge.

However, it has left many questions. Is this the end of Dr. Who? Is this the beginning of a whole new story line? Is Matt Smith going to carry on? Or will there be a new Dr. Who to head up this new adventure? I’m curious as to what my students have to say. There are several who are ardent Dr. Who fans, so I imagine the discussion tomorrow will be lively. One thing that is interesting is that all of them agree that Matt Smith is the Dr. to watch. For my generation, Tom Baker was the man.

I enjoyed your answers, Don! I especially enjoyed “Why are we here?” Because we’re not there! And the Golden Rule. One of my favorite tear-jerking movies is Pay it Forward.  Do the good deed whether it can be paid back or not. There is nothing else that goes with that: just do it. I think the random acts of kindness are in this same category. And yeah, one size fits all. I’m not sure many young folks understand the Golden Rule, but they don’t hesitate to act out of kindness.

I’ve been working on another non-fiction writing project. It is something to get my feet wet with discipline, research and writing – easing into the Wired Generation project. I’m close to getting my thoughts together to put a small non-fiction  ebook together for woman. It has been an interesting process so far. I never seem to have enough time, there always seems to something more to investigate, and scientists (bless their hearts) just don’t know how to impart their information to the general public! Scientists need interpreters! The other issue is lack of information. Women have been around for a while now and there seems to be a big hole in the scientific community as to how women work!

Rant over – onto the cave. Glad you liked the picture – it was one I couldn’t resist.

I have been looking, fiddling, re-arranging the word order for your riddle, and I’m just about ready to cry UNCLE!

But, I’ll try “journal” as the answer to your riddle.

And yes, nail clippers answers my last riddle.

Here is this week’s installment:

Pumping fast and furious

Struggling with slope

Never going anywhere

Watching the world go by

As you work up a sweat

 

 

Still looking for new authors to showcase! Contact me!

 

Have a great week, everyone.

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving – enjoy!

Carolyn

 

 

All images downloaded from Google Images

Fig 1 – John Hurt Hints retrieved from sciencefiction.com

Fig 2 – Nov 23 – Dr. who 5oTh retrieved from www.theepictimes.com

Fig 3 – Tom Baker Scarf retrieved from www.reddit.com

Fig 4 – Remember retrieved from Cici Bean at letyourheartbeyourguide.blogspot.com

Fig 5 – Fay it Forward movie poster retrieved from www.moviegoods.com



Never ask a question you can't answer.

Hi Carolyn,


Self-cleaning clothes, eh. Do the people who make washers, dryers, irons, clotheslines, and such know about this?  Hanging out the wash is certainly one of those absolutely ingrained activities for many of us. All the dryer sheets in the world can't quite duplicate the fresh aura of a shirt that just spent the day flapping in a warm breeze.

"Never, " as the lawyers say, " ask a question you don't know the answer to. "


 So, with that, and your recent inquiry in mind,  I hereby submit answers for those twenty questions let loose last time around. I won't do all twenty this week, as that would be verbal abuse of a  sort. How 'bout ten this time and ten the next.







What is your definition of personal success?

When I can go to bed at least nine nights out of each ten and can say truthfully “ That was a good day.”





What do you expect from your government?

I expect my government to make life better for far more people than it makes life worse for.


Who or what is a Kardashian and why are they deserving of any kind of scrutiny whatsoever?

A Kardashian, from what I’ve seen, is the epitome of empty celebrity - someone famous only for being famous. They deserve scrutiny and study only to the extent that they demonstrate how popular culture, at its worst, trivializes the important and importantizes ( hey - a new word! ) the trivial.

What tradition do you think is most worth keeping?

Toughest question of all in some ways. Any tradition that promotes togetherness, fundamentally for its own sake ( like Thanksgiving) is worth preserving. Any tradition that promotes mirth and laughter ( like April Fools Day ) gets the nod too. Any tradition that brings family together to recall and celebrate the life of a loved one works too, like a funeral or memorial celebration,. If I had to pick the most valuable one, the celebration of a life well-lived would prevail.





How much (insert your noun here) is too much and why?


 I’m gonna choose political correctness for my noun here. And I'm gonna let the picture, courtesy of Hallmark Cards, do the talking:

As Bruce Dern once said in Support You Local Sherriff (a good movie for light-hearted holiday viewing BTW)

"This is just dumb and stupid!"












Which Batman villain is the most dangerous - the Penguin, the Joker, Cat Woman, or the Riddler?




This is almost too easy - The Riddler, man, The Riddler. Long life to he, or she, who riddles! Honorable mention to The Joker, though.










Why are we here?

I know the answer to this question. I just can’t put it into words. The best I can do is, we’re here because we’re not there.



Is Organized religion relevant? Why/Whynot.

It is  relevant as a means of organizing groups of charitable and sincere individuals to help those who have suffered major setbacks, either from natural disasters or personal circumstances beyond their control.



What tradition do you think is least worth keeping?

Halloween, hands down. Not for the ghoulish or costume part at all , but for the dietary overindulgence aspect. It’s not a commemoration of any significant event or noble tradition or an opportunity for families to gather together. It’s just a chance to get a bunch of candy.



Do we have any moral duty to our fellow humans?

The Golden Rule rules. Be it the old school “ Do unto others…” iteration , the old testament “ Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself “ version, or one of the more casual modern day expressions, it’s a simply beautiful and beautifully simple concept to live by - One size fits all.



Okay, into the cave. Incidentally, I really like the cave pic you used last time. 

 I believe your last one is nail clippers. It didn't come to me in a Eureka moment like the last one, but it was the "10" thing that blew me in this direction.


Here's mine:

Masculine, feminine and neutral versions available

Opportunity to reflect, relieve and compose

An absolute necessity

 

 

 

Hopefully all of your Thanksgiving ministrations and situations go off and go on as planned. Enjoy, enjoy.

 

 

Don

All pictures sourced from Google Images:

 

Fig. 1 - azprintables.com

Fig. 2 - connect.westheights.org

Fig. 3 - techobuffalo.com

Fig. 4 - Hallmark.com

Fig. 5 - dc.wikia.com

Fig. 6 - clotheslinerevival.blogspot.com

 

Alone in the Unverse, Laundry and Self-cleaning clothes

Good afternoon, Everyone! Don, thanks for the questions! I was looking at them and realized that my answers are different now than they would have been five or ten years ago. And I must admit that there are several questions I have no idea how to answer! “Who are the Karadashians and why should I care” should really be question.  

And as to “Are we alone in the universe?” Great question. Of course, science fiction is based on the premise that we’re not alone. The Enterprise just would not have had any place to go if we were by ourselves. Can you imagine looking at all the planets and finding no one home? Scary!

On to more mundane things. Like you a couple of weeks ago, Don, I’ve been doing a lot of laundry this week; getting the summer clothes cleaned up and put away, dragging out the fall/winter clothes. It’s like Christmas! I open a bag and there it is! The sweater I’ve been looking for or the corduroy plants I’ve been wanting to wear – and in just the right color too!  Anyway, the laundry… read an article by Shelia Dharmarajan on self-cleaning clothes.

Apparently, there is a coating that is applied to fabric that repels every day stains like ketchup, chocolate and oil. The inventors have even found a way to deal with the smell by adding antimicrobial additives to the coating. That might really add an interesting twist to a dog’s nose if it’s tracking you.

To me, the downside is by the time you get all the additives worked into the material, and the clothes made, you have actually created a small version of a space suit. Nothing gets in or on, nothing gets out. The stiffness of the material would be something to consider – can you bend your knee? Sit down? Would this apply to socks and underwear? And can you imagine the sewing machine that would be needed for this? The industrial strength needle and hammer hitting pressure needed to just to get the needle through the fabric would be mind blowing.

And what would you do with the clothes once you out grow them? Do you really want to wear that shirt forever? It would be great for kids! But kids grow fast! Then what do you do? The clothes are virtually indestructible!

I keep floating back to your questions. As to which tradition do I think is worth keeping most – Thanksgiving. Christmas is okay, but it seems to come with a lot of baggage. Thanksgiving, however, doesn’t. Good food, good company, and if we’re lucky, good weather. My brother-in-law also hopes for good college football. I hope for left overs, good conversation and family I haven’t seen in a year.

I know that Canada celebrated Thanksgiving a month ago. And if I remember right, Don, you had a houseful. How’d it go? We’re getting ready to celebrate it in about 2 weeks.

Okay – the riddle cave!

I just love that last 3 minutes of inspiration! Eye drops it is! Well done!

And my guess for yours is “hammer”.

My offering this week:

Clipping away

Clip by clip,

Sliver by sliver

First the tips at the bottom

Then on the 10 in-between.

 

Have a great week, everyone!

And Don, have you tried to answer your questions? I think it would be a great survey for everyone to take. The only think that needs to be on it is the year of birth. I fact, I think I’ll made a few changes and see if I can get multigenerational answers for my project. Thanks, Don!

 

Carolyn

 

All images downloaded from Google Images

Fig 1 – Starship Enterprise – Hey U Guys retrieved from www.heyuguys.co.uk

Fig 2 -  Is bigger better? retrieved from www.manilla.com

Fig 3 - Timing Error: Worldbuilding retrieved from phrdspace.typepad.com

Fig 4 – Thanksgiving Chapel retrieved from commons.wikimedia.org

Fig 5 – Phraya Nakhon Cave retrieved from commons.wikimedia.org

 

Twenty Billion and Twenty.

 



Hi Carolyn,

 

 

Before hitting the main vein here I have to touch on something which did sorta blow me away. I ran into it at techobuffalo.com last week ( posted Nov. 9^th by Brandon Russell and attributed to Time magazine .) Just a couple of sentences should do it:

 

 

“ New data from NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, which exists solely to hunt planets, suggests that there are about 20 billion Earths in our galaxy alone. That’s how many planets scientists estimate are about the same size as our own, and also reside in that ideal Goldilocks Zone around their host star where temperatures are potentially hospitable for living organisms”

The “ are we alone” odds makers may need to do some re-jigging, perhaps.




　

Carolyn, I have had a most engrossing week with your “ what question would you ask of the wired generation” item from back a bit. I haven’t stepped in front of any buses whilst contemplating it, but it’s a hearty smorgasbord of food for thought. This is such a good example of a seemingly innocent inquiry that turns into, after the mental swivel chair treatment, a real killer question.






Fish or cut bait time is here, though. I have to confess that it has become like that infamous potato chip or a Beatle song for me. I can’t stop at just one. So I hereby submit Twenty Questions for the Wired Generation.

I must say that each and every one of them comes to you with a monstrous amount of interrogative angst invested therein.








　

　

What is your definition of personal success?

What do you expect from your government?

Who or what is a Kardashian and why are they deserving of any kind of scrutiny whatsoever?

What tradition do you think is most worth keeping?


How much (insert your noun here) is too much and why?


Which Batman villain is the most dangerous - the Penguin, the Joker, Cat woman, or the Riddler?

Why are we here?


Is Organized religion relevant? Why/Whynot.


What tradition do you think is least worth keeping?





Do we have any moral duty to our fellow humans?

Which ideal should predominate within a community, personal freedom or selfless co-operation?


If you were in charge of the whole place,  what are  two things that would be on your short list to change?


Do you feel your privacy is in jeopardy?


Is personal privacy more important than national security?


What do you think the political landscape of the planet will be by 2113?


When do the needs of the many not outweigh the needs of the few?


Who let the dogs out?

Is it ever acceptable to lie?


Are we alone in the universe ?


Do you believe in true love ?



　

So there they be....



　

The kitchen renos you were inquiring about have been put to the side, a ce moment, by family matters, but the folks will be there to rip, gouge and destroy the old kitchen landscape, partially during the time we are in Mexico in February. I have certainly discovered that my better half and I have some fundamental philosophical differences on this item. Growing up in a household where the mantra was, if it isn't worn out you don't replace it and if it isn't broken you don't fix it, has come back to haunt me, big time. I'm being cast as a cross between a walking anachronism and a Luddite on this one.




Okay, I’m champing at the riddle bit here. What time I didn’t spend on your wired generation question query, I spent on your revised riddle and wow,I was still shooting blanks on it until about three minutes ago. As I contemplated it one last time before throwing in the riddle towel, the light bulb came on. ! You’re talking about glasses cases. The open mouthed or latched lid part that was blowing me off course is what tipped me off. Funny how the grey matter works, sometimes.


Here's my riddle for this breezy autumn week:

 

Driving force in constructive and destructive activity

Hitting the point with force and repetition

Mind the claws

 

 

 

 

And that, as they say, is all he wrote.

 

 

Don

 

 

 

All images sourced from Google Images:

 

Fig. 1 - rt.com
Fig. 2 - commons.wikimedia.com
Fig. 3 - blog.chron.com
Fig. 4 - hdwallpapers3d.com
Fig. 5 - our-compass.org
Fig. 6 - motivated.co.nz
Fig. 7 - sodahead.com
 



TV Now and Then: Some things just never change

Good morning, Don. I was fascinated to read about Halberstam and his book, The Fifties. And like you, I was present for nine years in the 50s, and all I remember is centered around being a kid. I do remember my folks talking about Korea and maybe my dad would get called up and how heated my mom reacted to how quiet and cold my dad was about the possibility. Then I was caught up in being a child of the 50s and hearing about Sputnik and how the Russians were going to take over because they had the “high ground”. As a child, I remember the words, the intensity of the feelings, but it was decades later before I really understood what caused those reactions in the important adults in my life.

I’m not surprised about the spying thing – it seems to be a common problem among politicos in every country. This time the US got caught. I wonder how many times the US has found out about the spying of other governments and has chosen not to report it. I’d like to believe there is some sense of nobility in our government. Or maybe this is how we got so many concessions from other countries…

Elvis. My mom was convinced he was the bad news as far as music was concerned; that he would destroy mankind by distracting and subverting the teenagers of the world. She never missed an Elvis movie. She just couldn't get over the eyes.

TV. Oh, that was the other subversion as far as my folks were concerned. We actually didn’t get a TV until 1960. We lived in Gunnison and Silverton and reception was poor at best, lack of vertical hold made us all sick while watching, snow patterns often defeated the picture… it wasn’t until we moved to Denver that I realized what color The Lone Ranger’s horse was, Black Beauty was more than a blob on the screen, and Lawrence Welk was actually directing a band instead of just swinging his arms around.

As a teenager, I spent many Saturday afternoons in the basement watching Dr. Who, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Hokey at best, pure imagination that extended my boundaries beyond my own neighborhood. It was great training that set me up for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs in the 1960s. I admit that the 1950s were important - they did set us up for the explosion of technology and advancements that occurred on the 1960s. Scientifically, the 60s have yet to be beat.

You’re right, Don, about the power of social media. TV was the way for almost 50+ years. Now, the internet, Facebook, Twitter and the other medias are quickly taking its place. For us personally, TV has become a way to watch old movies and catch up on the weather. I have a few favorite shows I watch now and then, but nothing that locks me into a weekly must see.

I take that back – there are some shows that when they’re on, I like to watch them. But they’re not on the big 3 networks! I’m adjusting to the strange scheduling of Discovery, National Geo, ScyFi, PBS. The flexibility of these stations staggers the mind! All my childhood and adult life we’ve been locked into premiers  and new season openers happening only in the fall, or winter if it is a mid-season replacement, with maybe 18 shows a year and the rest of the time locked into reruns. And the reruns were deadly! I was so thankful for tapes and dvd!

These new stations do split seasons – run other shows in between instead of reruns, and don’t seem to be afraid to end a show if it just isn’t making it.  One of the things I really like are the weekend saturations of all the old shows before the new season opens. This will be the case of Dr. Who which will celebrate 50 years with a Day of the Dr on Nov. 23^rd. I’ve watched the trailers and I can say I am stoked! I am ready! And there will be many previous episodes shown before the new session opener. Is it the 23^rd yet?

Can you tell I don’t get out much?

 

Playing cards – really?! How did I miss that? Ah well.

I’ve looked back over my last riddle and discovered that it really isn’t well written. So I’m going to try it again.

Ponderous and bulky

Sleek and slim

Sheath or shell

Tuck into pockets or purses 

Made of wood, cloth or plastic

Some with metal trim

Latch lid or open mouthed

To slide, snuggle and protect

That which is seen to behold

 

In the meantime, I’m working to get the December website organized. December is when we showcase the books Wormhole has published this year. This year we have 4 – A new Captain Jackson, The Touching Lands Dance, a Fantasy Collection and a Best Science Fiction Collection. We did that much editing this year, Don! Here’s to us! And here’s to the writers who are talented, prolific and wonderful to work with. We’ll be finishing a series in January, The Search, and staring another series, The Telepath’s Song. And I have fascinating stories lined up for January, February, March and April so the spring is off to a great start! It is so interesting to work months in advance of what is really happening next. Sometimes I get confused as to who is doing what when! But it all works out by the first Friday of each month.

 

Don, I seem to remember you talking about kitchen renovations. How are they going?

Later folks,

Carolyn

 

All images downloaded from google images

Fig 1 – BBC New special Report 1998 retrieved from news.bbc.uk

Fig 2 – Elvis Presley: I am an Elvis Fan retrieved from www.popmatters.com

Fig 3 – Flash Gordon retrieved from www.doctomacrolcom

Fig 4 – Warehouse 13 retrieved from www.fanpop.com

Fig 5 – 50th Anniversary Convention retrieved from www.doctorwhotv.co.uk

Fig 6 – Side LInes: May 20112 retrieved from americandigest.org

 

 

Hitting the Books

Hi Carolyn,

This week I'm hitting the books.



A few weeks ago I snagged this volume at a library fundraiser for the hospital where I volunteer. At exactly 800 pages its a  hefty read but man it just flew by.  This book put things into perspective in a big way.  I enjoyed Mr. Halberstams writing so much I've gone on a bit of a binge and downloaded a couple more of his works. I'm already well into the next one.

I existed for all but one month the fifties ( if you include in utero time ) but  I wasn't fully present for most of it. So I figured I'd  see what I missed while I was here, through the eyes of David Halberstam.

Yes, it's about the U.S. in the 50's and I'm up here in Canuckville, but as continental bedmates, we Canadians share the same heritage, pop culture and the same future in more ways than twelve.



The fifties were, as Halberstam notes " a more complicated and interesting decade than most people imagine". He goes on to point out that " so many of the forces which exploded in the sixties had begun to come together in the fifties".






 
 
 
 
 

Being a boomer who, as Freddy Mercury sang  " grew up strong and proud in the shadow of the mushroom cloud"  I was especially taken by the number of behaviours that sprang up then and are still in full bloom. 





Russia detonated its first a-bomb in mid-1949 so now  both sides in the cold war  had to keep an eye on each other with more than just spies and  agents on the ground. 

 

 

 

The U2 high altitude spy plane is born in the early fifties and keeps the CIA and the White House in the loop as to whats happening over in the other guys back yard. Russia manages to shoot one down and pretends to be outraged.  Fast forward to 2013 and the same folks are doing the same things and eavesdropping on political leaders cell phones to boot. Incredibly, the U2 is still in service and expected to be so for another 8 or 9 years. The more things change the more they... etc.

 

 
 
 
 
 
In the early summer of 1953 a greasy-haired truck driver in Memphis finally got up the courage and walked into a recording studio owned by one Sam Phillips with the intention of making a recording for his mother. This was to be the point at which everything in popular music changed, observed Leonard Bernstein a few years afterwards. " Because of him" Bernstein continued, " a man like me barely knows his musical grammar anymore"  Another  admirer, John Lennon, would echo his sentiments later on. " Before Elvis", he said " there was nothing."


As Neil says .. " Hey hey, my my,  Rock and Roll will never die! "

 

 

Television would come of age in the fifties. Revlon was the leading cosmetics maker in America in the fifties but not by much. That would change once it decided to sponsor The $64,000  Question, a simple TV quiz show and the earliest of reality shows in that respect. Its sales virtually doubled in the first six months thereafter. A whole phalanx of imitators would pop up soon after. Its mushrooming popularity would also lead to its being the first "fixed" show to get its own Senate Subcommittee investigation, and the findings would mortify its legions of ardent fans. Hmmmmm a reality show that isn't real. Imagine that!
 

 

 

As well as its addictive nature and pseudo-intimacy television would, as Halberstam points out, " cast everything it touched"  This powerful ability to construct reality would become even more effective as a political tool as JFK would so effectively demonstrate in the infamous Kennedy-Nixon debate only a few years later. Jump ahead again to the present and see that while this is still the case TV is starting to be thrown over in that respect by the real-time two-way intimacy of the web and social media.
 

 

 

I'll be continuing in the same vein with my Halberstam-fest. The next tome of his I've tied into is The Powers That Be which looks at the big three networks that held sway in North American media for so long. I figure it should be especially interesting as I think we've seen them finally begin to loose their grip on electronic media only within the last few years.


 

 

 

To the cave we now go: My last item was actually playing cards. 52 of them unless you include the jokers - those two that can be wild, depending on the game. I too must claim complete befuddlement ( is there such a word?) on your last riddle. It's been a most hectic time around here lately and I've not been able to really concentrate on it enough yet. I am also going to give your what question would I ask of the wired generation a bunch more cranial time too. In fact I have to say I don't even have a riddle to offer up this time so this will be a hiccup week for riddles.

 Back next time with a vengeance, I assure you.


Don


All images sourced from Google Images

Fig. 1 - bloghpb.com
Fig. 2 - tutorvista.com
Fig. 3 - reddit.com
Fig. 4 - news.yahoo.com
Fig. 5 - atomicredhead.com
Fig. 6 - vintage45.wordpress.com
Fig. 7 - hypebeast.com