Newton
It does what now?
Yep this was once the future of your home. A garbage can sized rolling bunch of nothing. Check out it's amazing memory and fine voice simulation.
They always come back:
A laundry list of failed CONsumer friendly robot prototypes have since been unleashed on the world. The most anticipated and failed is Honda's Asimo
Yep this was once the future of your home. A garbage can sized rolling bunch of nothing. Check out it's amazing memory and fine voice simulation.
They always come back:
A laundry list of failed CONsumer friendly robot prototypes have since been unleashed on the world. The most anticipated and failed is Honda's Asimo
Sam's Seafood.
Sequoia Sempervirens.: Sam's Seafood.
They Always Come Back:
Sam's is no more. It has now become Kona. The building still stands but the new owners could care less about it's tiki background let alone the history of this establishment.
Update: Kona is no more. It has become Don The Beachcomer's. It's tiki status has been renewed. THEY ALWAYS COME BACK!
Vintage ads.
Click an image in order to superimbigulate.
Via
Thank you Christy for sharing these fine ads. I'm speechless.
I just want to say that the picture of Joe Conrad is my new favorite image.
Anita Bryant
Family values and Florida go hand in hand. No other person embodied those two things more than Anita Bryant. Anita showed us that with a little vitamin c and a lot of hatred in your heart you too can be a winner.
Bryant was crowned Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and was a second runner-up in the 1959 Miss America beauty pageant at age 19, right after graduating from Tulsa's Will Rogers High School.
In 1960, she married Bob Green, a Miami disc jockey, with whom she eventually raised four children, including Gloria and Robert Jr. (Bobby).
Her three biggest pop hits were: "Till There Was You" (1959); "Paper Roses" (1960) (successfully covered 13 years later by Marie Osmond); and "In My Little Corner of the World" (1960). She placed a total of eleven songs in the Top 100.
In 1969 she became a spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission, and nationally televised commercials featured her singing "Come to the Florida Sunshine tree" and stating the commercials' tagline: "Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine". Here she is in all her beauty.
In 1977, Dade County, Florida (now Miami-Dade County) passed a human-rights ordinance that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Anita Bryant led a highly publicized campaign to repeal the ordinance. The campaign was waged based on what was labeled "Christian beliefs regarding the sinfulness of homosexuality and the perceived threat of homosexual recruitment of children and child molestation."
Her view was that "What these people really want, hidden behind obscure legal phrases, is the legal right to propose to our children that theirs is an acceptable alternate way of life... I will lead such a crusade to stop it as this country has not seen before." The campaign was called 'Save Our Children', the start of an organized opposition to gay rights that spread across the nation. Jerry Falwell went to Miami to help her.
Bryant made the following statements during the campaign: "As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children" and "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters." On June 7, 1977, Bryant's campaign led to a repeal of the anti-discrimination ordinance by a margin of 69 to 31 percent.
The fallout from her political activism had a devastating effect on her business and entertainment career. Her contract with the Florida Citrus Commission was allowed to lapse in 1979 because of the controversy and the negative publicity generated by her political campaigns and the resulting boycott of Florida orange juice.
Her marriage to Bob Green failed at that time, and in 1980 she divorced him, although he reportedly has said that his fundamentalist religious beliefs do not recognize civil divorce and that she is still his wife in God's eyes. Some observers feel that her husband pushed her to get involved in the political activism that eventually led to her downfall and loss of income. Kathie Lee Gifford, who worked as a live-in secretary/babysitter for the Greens in the early 1970s said in her autobiography that Green had a ferocious temper and could be very possessive and emotionally abusive and that Anita was not very happy.
Due to her divorce, many fundamentalist Christians shunned her. No longer invited to appear at their events, she lost a source of income. With her four children she moved from Miami to Selma, Alabama, and later to Atlanta, Georgia. In a Ladies Home Journal article she said, "The church needs to wake up and find some way to cope with divorce and women's problems."
She now lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, and says she does charity work for various youth organizations while heading Anita Bryant Ministries International.
They Always Come Back:
Florida still hates Gay folk. Anita has revived her career. She returned to her high school in Tulsa on April 21, 2007, to perform in the school's annual musical revue.
Bryant was crowned Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and was a second runner-up in the 1959 Miss America beauty pageant at age 19, right after graduating from Tulsa's Will Rogers High School.
In 1960, she married Bob Green, a Miami disc jockey, with whom she eventually raised four children, including Gloria and Robert Jr. (Bobby).
Her three biggest pop hits were: "Till There Was You" (1959); "Paper Roses" (1960) (successfully covered 13 years later by Marie Osmond); and "In My Little Corner of the World" (1960). She placed a total of eleven songs in the Top 100.
In 1969 she became a spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission, and nationally televised commercials featured her singing "Come to the Florida Sunshine tree" and stating the commercials' tagline: "Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine". Here she is in all her beauty.
In 1977, Dade County, Florida (now Miami-Dade County) passed a human-rights ordinance that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Anita Bryant led a highly publicized campaign to repeal the ordinance. The campaign was waged based on what was labeled "Christian beliefs regarding the sinfulness of homosexuality and the perceived threat of homosexual recruitment of children and child molestation."
Her view was that "What these people really want, hidden behind obscure legal phrases, is the legal right to propose to our children that theirs is an acceptable alternate way of life... I will lead such a crusade to stop it as this country has not seen before." The campaign was called 'Save Our Children', the start of an organized opposition to gay rights that spread across the nation. Jerry Falwell went to Miami to help her.
Bryant made the following statements during the campaign: "As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children" and "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters." On June 7, 1977, Bryant's campaign led to a repeal of the anti-discrimination ordinance by a margin of 69 to 31 percent.
The fallout from her political activism had a devastating effect on her business and entertainment career. Her contract with the Florida Citrus Commission was allowed to lapse in 1979 because of the controversy and the negative publicity generated by her political campaigns and the resulting boycott of Florida orange juice.
Her marriage to Bob Green failed at that time, and in 1980 she divorced him, although he reportedly has said that his fundamentalist religious beliefs do not recognize civil divorce and that she is still his wife in God's eyes. Some observers feel that her husband pushed her to get involved in the political activism that eventually led to her downfall and loss of income. Kathie Lee Gifford, who worked as a live-in secretary/babysitter for the Greens in the early 1970s said in her autobiography that Green had a ferocious temper and could be very possessive and emotionally abusive and that Anita was not very happy.
Due to her divorce, many fundamentalist Christians shunned her. No longer invited to appear at their events, she lost a source of income. With her four children she moved from Miami to Selma, Alabama, and later to Atlanta, Georgia. In a Ladies Home Journal article she said, "The church needs to wake up and find some way to cope with divorce and women's problems."
She now lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, and says she does charity work for various youth organizations while heading Anita Bryant Ministries International.
They Always Come Back:
Florida still hates Gay folk. Anita has revived her career. She returned to her high school in Tulsa on April 21, 2007, to perform in the school's annual musical revue.
Colorforms
Colorforms, invented by Harry Kislevitz, are toys produced by the Colorforms Corporation. Colorforms are paper-thin, die-cut vinyl sheet images and shapes that can be applied to a slick cardboard background board, much like placing paper-dolls against a paper backdrop. The images stick to the background via static cling and can be repositioned to create new scenes. The original box sets began appearing in the 1950s and feature bright shapes and "modern" basic designs, expanding into cartoon character sets. Later Colorforms licensed various properties, producing box sets supporting various TV series and movie releases.
(via wikicrapedia)
They Always Come Back:
Colorforms are now classified as an educational toy. You can fine them here.
I Hop
Possibly the most infectious jingle ever. Acid induced family fun!
Hell is open for business. Stuck in this commercial hell Timmy gets a plate of offal and shy lil' Suzy gets a cockpot that instantly stirs up memories of inappropriate touching. Mom gets sliced tomatoes and Crisco on a bed of greens as Dad enjoys testicles marinara for all eternity.
Oh those wary faces.
Oh that suspicious food.
I like the way the family is introduced running to Ihop and then, after they see that crap on the table, they are shown running away from Ihop.
Ihop is everywhere man.
Based in Glendale California Ihop has 1,344 locations across the country.
They will be a future subject on this blog. I cant see the number of pancake houses increasing. I'll wait them out. They have to fall out of favor sometime. My favorite is the one near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. I once watched a lovely drunk prom date throw up into a bus-tray and when she was all done she made out with her handsome date. The busboy didn't get to see her throw up but he did pick up the bus-tray a few moment later and gagged as it was full of orange juice glasses and warm Bacardi smelling vomit.
"Vintage" Halloween Costume
You never know what you are going to get when you yell "Trick or Treat" wearing this Village People outfit.
Bosco
Once the rival of Hershey’s, Bosco has virtually disappeared from grocery shelves in California. Bosco, mmmm, Bosco. Chocolaty goodness in a bottle. Add it to milk, pour it on ice cream, take it straight from the bottle for a chocolate rush the makes your elbows pulse with chocotricity. Bosco, poured on zombies for that "just right" blood look in Night of the Living Dead . Bosco, (Not Hershey’s) was poured down the drain when Marion Crane attempted to wash away her sins and head back to Phoenix at dawn... then Mother intervened.
Bosco, the medium of choice for artist Vik Muniz when he decided to paint the last supper. Bosco Bosco BOSCOOOOOO!
Bosco, first created in New Jersey in 1928 survived the great depression, WWII, the Korean war, Vietnam, The gulf war but sadly not the Terminator era. I guess Cal ee for ni ans just dont like chocolate.
Bosco is unique as a chocolate syrup since it has only natural cocoa with no artificial flavors added. No corn syrup is used in the production of Bosco, only cane sugar. Malt extract is added, which combined with Bosco cocoa powder yields the distinctive Bosco taste.
Bosco was once packaged in glass jars, but, more recently sold in plastic squeeze bottles.
One good thing that came out of New Jersey. Bosco!
They Always Come Back:
Bosco is sold in two supermarket chains in California:
How's Markets and Stater Bros . If you cant find either of these stores try Bosco Online.
The Ditto Machine
A spirit duplicator (also referred to as a Ditto machine ) was a low-volume printing method used mainly by schools and churches. The term "spirit duplicator" comes from the alternative term for alcohols, which is "spirits." Alcohols were a major component of the solvents used as "inks" in these machines. The spirit duplicator was invented in 1923 by Wilhelm Ritzerfeld. The best-known manufacturer in the United States was Ditto Corporation of Illinois, hence that name.
A ditto machine used a solvent like methylated spirits or ammonia to transfer ink from the master copy (the template, if you will) onto other pieces of paper.
The master copy was a smooth, waxy piece of paper which was thickly inked when printed. The procedure for printing on a master was like the reverse of a carbon-copy; instead of writing on the normal paper and having the carbon underneath, the text and pictures were printed onto carbon paper of varying colours to transfer print to the master. If you want to know exactly how thickly a master was inked, put your printer on the best quality and print about two or three passes onto the same sheet of paper (so that you are printing over the previous printing, I mean).
The master was then wrapped around a drum, and the solvent was applied as the drum rotated. The solvent either softened or melted the ink so that just enough of it would stick to the blank sheets of paper. A lot of the copies produced in this way came out with purple ink because purple “provided the best contrast” As you can see in the following photo Ditto copies were far from easy to read.
Both the isopropanol and the methanol found in ditto solvents are toxic substances. These chemicals can cause a host of medical problems when humans are improperly exposed. Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) guidelines recommend the use of personal protective equipment during exposure to methanol, however, most chemists work with methanol and isopropanol wearing only medical exam grade gloves, goggles and a working fume hood as the chief, no-ingested or inhaled reaction with methanol is limited skin irritation.
Ditto machines were popular in schools and churches as no electricity was needed to make quick stinky copies. Nothing smells quite like a fresh slightly wet Ditto copy.
They have gone the way of the typewriter and the dictaphone.
They Always Come Back:
Thanks to the efforts of this site they are not forgotten.
Libbyland Dinners
Boy the 70's sure were great. Kids got to eat what they wanted. Too bad what they wanted actually tasted worse than school food and left you feeling dirty and ashamed.
Libbyland Dinners were one of the worst meals made for kids. But... as a kid, ya gotta try it. After all, it offers up pirate fun and who eats better than pirates? Oh yea... everyone.
Libbyland Dinners, manufactured by Libby of course, were made in the early 1970's around the time McDonalds had their McDonaldLand campagin. In a time where the HungryMan dinner reigned supreme it was a breath of fresh frozen air to see a meal designed especially for kids. Too bad it offered up some creepy food. Artificial grape flavored scalding applesauce was my favorite! Each meal came with a package of powdered Pink Strawberry Quick-esque mix. Not a meal for the Sabbath but eh... its a meal.
These frozen meals featured fantastic pop-up packaging that would provide minutes of fun while you choked down the partialy edible meal. The front pop-up panel featured hidden pictures ala HIGHLIGHTS for Children.
This meal distraction was perfect for kids trying to hold back tear of disgust as they chowed down the vulcanized burger or "Fried Parrot" (It was really fried chicken but damn, it was a tough ol' bird.)
Not only did these dinners entertain you while eating they provided motivation to finish the prison-type food by embossing pictures into the bottom of the TINfoil tray. "Eat it all and you'll see the monkey!" If I heard that now I'd call the police and asked to be put in a foster home. It's amazing to think that a simple drawing of an animal actually motivated children to eat. Here, now, in this future we live in, the only way a kid would eat slop is if there was a free download code at the bottom of the tray or perhaps a picture of Pete Wentz's's's wiener.
They Always Come Back:
They are gone forever but crappy food marketed to kids is big.
Libbyland Meals were the granddaddy of Kraft Lunchables. If you want to know just how bad Libbyland meals were just pick up one of these kids meals and enjoy the moment that occurs 10 minutes after you eat it, when your mouth starts stinging and you taste benzine.
Sensurround
In the history of movie gimmickry, which includes The Tingler Electroshock, Smellovision and 3-D, Sensurround is by no means the least effective or the most offensive. Like its predecessors, it was seriously defined as an attempt to break through film's customary sensory limits. More honestly, it was a means of luring the credulous into paying good money for a bad picture. Sensurround consisted of nothing more than a bank of woofers that emit low-pitched rumbling sounds, causing the theater to vibrate in a mildly alarming manner whenever earth tremors are seen to move, shake and ultimately destroy Los Angeles.
(click on the above image to get an idea of what viewing a Sensurround film looked like. Enough to give you a headache eh?)Sensurround was Universal Studios proprietary system that premiered with the 1974 film EARTHQUAKE. The system did not fair well. During its initial release, with the film Earthquake, theater owners were subjected to a $500.00 a week rental fee plus they has the dubious honor of being guinea pigs in a grand experiment. The low frequency signal produced by the system could not be contained within the theater. During this time many older theaters had been remodeled and it was common for a single screen theater to be split into two theaters. That split meant there were side by side theaters with a common wall. That common wall could never contain the fury that was Sensurround. The Godfather II was released at the same time and was booked into the same houses as Earthquake. The vibration was so distracting that theater owners were forced to make a decision and it was not in favor of the $500.00 a week fee. Theater owners who stuck it out had other problems too. The Gruaman's Chinese Theater had to install a net below the ceiling to ensure bits of the old plaster and woodwork did not rattle loose and fall on patrons. Several theater adjacent stores reported damage from the system. A mall pet store reported that mall bound theater system killed its goldfish. It was a disaster tailor-made to accompany a disaster.
Here is a section taken directly from the Sensurround sound installation manual:
"The Sensurround Model II system developed by MCA Universal brings a new dimension to the motion picture theatre. It is designed to generate special audible and sub audible effects not yet possible to reproduce on presently available systems. The audience will actually be participating in the film. The torso will vibrate. So will the diaphragm. Flesh and auditory nerves will receive the sensations one might feel while experiencing the event depicted on the screen. Rather than the structure-shaking resulting from a natural disaster, this vibrating movement is actually airborne. Although some vibration can be felt - on thin wall surfaces, the amplitude is so small that no appreciable displacement can be measured. Also, the Sensurround effects will not cause hearing damage. The system is composed of high-level electro-acoustic with solid-state power amplifiers capable of up to 1000 watts of audio power. The system develops 100 to 120 dB sound pressure level (SPL) on the "C" scale in the theatre. "
Universal made sure the system would work no matter what type of film you were projecting. 70mm magnetic or 35mm optical, Sensurround worked. It took its cues from markers on the film.
It was a system that could awe but it had its flaws. One man suffered a cracked rib from the system. Other people fell ill. Nausea and vomiting were common.
Also... it seemed that the Sensurround system, if it were on a musical scale, emitted "the brown note." It could rattle your bowels clean. Yet another reason why theater owners frowned on the system.
It was used on only four films Earthquake (which won an Oscar for sound) Midway, Rollercoaster and, its last gasp, Battlestar Galactica.
The only two surviving Sensurround systems are currently at Dolby Laboratories.
They Always Come Back:
There will always be some sort of gimmick added to films. Ride the current 3-d wave if you must. If you want good old fashioned shaky gut rumbles buy the EARTHQUAKE DVD (The one released 2006) and enjoy its SENSURROUND 3.1 technology. You can also check the store for Sensurround products.
Magic Mountain Trolls
In 1969, the Newhall Land and Farm Company formulated the idea to create a more thrilling alternative to the Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm amusement parks. The company selected Valencia as its location, and construction began that year. The park was a combined effort of Sea World and NLFC and cost approximately 20 million dollars to build. It was also a sneaky way to get people to realize Valencia could be a possible real estate option. With plenty of land to sell and a hot new amusement park in its midst, the town of Valencia was sure to thrive. When the park opened on May 29th, 1971, there were 500 employees and 33 attractions. The admission price in 1971 was $5 for adults, and $3.50 for children between the ages of 3 and 12.
In the 1971 season, Magic Mountain obtained permission from Warner Bros. to use the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. However, the park did not begin using these characters for nearly ten years. Instead, in 1972, they began using trolls as the park mascots.
The trolls Bleep, Bloop, and King Troll, and the Wizard became a recognizable symbol of Magic Mountain. These characters were used until 1985. The trolls (and wizard) were the mascots of change. Disneyland at the time was using the ticket system. You received a ticket book upon entering Disneyland and had to surrender a ticket every time you wanted to go on a ride. The tickets were graded A-E. "E" being the most popular and also the fewest in the book of tickets. You were forced to buy more tickets if you wanted to ride all the good rides. The troll-filled park offered up a new option. One admission price-NO TICKETS. Once you paid to enter the park you could ride all day for free. The trolls represented freedom. Freedom to do whatever you wanted and not be taxed by the mouse. Magic Mountain's admission policy was one of the reasons Disneyland no longer works on the ticket system. The Magic Kingdom had to drop that policy in order to remain competitive. Bless you Trolls (and Wizard.)
They Always Come Back:
The Trolls will never return. They are gone forever. So... it looks like I'll have to force them back. You can get a Troll emblazoned shirt here. The troll shirt contains a very special message.
In the 1971 season, Magic Mountain obtained permission from Warner Bros. to use the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. However, the park did not begin using these characters for nearly ten years. Instead, in 1972, they began using trolls as the park mascots.
The trolls Bleep, Bloop, and King Troll, and the Wizard became a recognizable symbol of Magic Mountain. These characters were used until 1985. The trolls (and wizard) were the mascots of change. Disneyland at the time was using the ticket system. You received a ticket book upon entering Disneyland and had to surrender a ticket every time you wanted to go on a ride. The tickets were graded A-E. "E" being the most popular and also the fewest in the book of tickets. You were forced to buy more tickets if you wanted to ride all the good rides. The troll-filled park offered up a new option. One admission price-NO TICKETS. Once you paid to enter the park you could ride all day for free. The trolls represented freedom. Freedom to do whatever you wanted and not be taxed by the mouse. Magic Mountain's admission policy was one of the reasons Disneyland no longer works on the ticket system. The Magic Kingdom had to drop that policy in order to remain competitive. Bless you Trolls (and Wizard.)
They Always Come Back:
The Trolls will never return. They are gone forever. So... it looks like I'll have to force them back. You can get a Troll emblazoned shirt here. The troll shirt contains a very special message.
Kelbo's
In the ever shrinking world of Tiki bars Kelbo's was ranked among the best. While it didn't feature any truly original drinks and the food was sub-par the atmosphere was spot on.
The interior was the creation of Eli Hedley. "One of the weirdest businesses in California, where weird businesses are a perfectly normal thing, is run by a 42-year-old ex-grocer ... who makes a living out of things the Pacific Ocean throws back," began a story in Life magazine in January 1946. As his beachcombing decor found favor on Hollywood sets and in the homes of stars, celebrities often dropped by the San Pedro home. "They'd come down there and disappear from Hollywood," Bassham says of the stories he's heard from his mother and three aunts. "The way he was, he'd pull a copa de oro flower off the vine, fill it with champagne and say, 'Here, drink this.' " Actor Raymond Burr was a close friend, who at one point optioned daughter Marilyn Hedley's book, "How Daddy Became a Beachcomber." The business grew, and by the 1950s, Hedley was in demand as a tropical decorator. He worked on tiki-themed Los Angeles nightspots, such as Don the Beachcomber and Kelbo's. The hostess area of Kelbo's featured what could only be described as a glowing Lucite wall filled with crap. Matchbooks, forks, knives, starfish, you name it encased in a glowing wall. A monolith to be discovered by some future civilization lies in a landfill somewhere. The ceilings were draped in fishing nets that held a virtual museum of sea bounty. Yes, Fugu were included. The preserved blowfish with a solitary Christmas light in the belly. The Pico location had a dance hall called the Coco-Bowl. It was a great room, dark, with palm trees and tiki's and a bandstand at the far end. For a while, Kelbo's had Francis Ford Coppola as a dishwasher until he was fired. His mind seemed to be elsewhere.
Kelbo's was the creation of Thomas KELley and Jack BOuck. They opened two locations in Southern California. Kelbo's-Fairfax. 101 north Fairfax Avenue across the street from CBS Television City. (Home of the Twilight Zone series) That location featured an outdoor garden and wishing well. The wells first coin was dropped by Lucille Ball with Desi standing at her side.
The other location was Kelbo's-Pico. 11434 West Pico Boulavard. That location closed almost 20 years ago and is now the home of FANTASY ISLAND Gentleman's club. Nothing remains of the spectacular interior.
They Always Come Back:
Kelbo's sadly will not be resurrected. I wish there was better news. In honor of Kelbo's, They Always Come Back has created some products based on the Kelbo's cocktail napkin logo. You can find them here. (Along with some other goodies.)
If you would like a close approximation of what Kelbo's was like visit BAHOOKA in the city of Rosemead California. The creator of Bahooka learned the Tiki Restaurant business while working at Kelbo's for ten years. Bahooka opened in 1967. It is more nautical than tiki but the spirit of Kelbo' lingers there.
R.I.P. Kelbo's
Mexican Jumping Beans
In the 70's through the early 80's Thrifty's Drug and Discount Stores would announce the end of summer buy selling Mexican jumping beans. They were a seasonal item that would show up late August just as summer vacation ends. The name is really a clever marketing device as the reality of the bean and its need to hop around is repulsive and quite sad. First off they dont look like beans at all. They are some sort of pod segmented into thirds. Second they dont jump they just move. Third, its not the bean it is the creature inside that is doing all the work.
Lets take look into the sad life of the Mexican jumping bean.
The common jumping beans sold in novelty shops throughout the southwestern United States come from a deciduous shrub (Sebastiana pavoniana.) The jumping bean shrubs grow on rocky desert slopes and along arroyos in the region of the Rio Mayo in the states of Sonora and Chihuahua. One of the best places to see this shrub is in the vicinity of Alamos, Mexico, known locally as the "jumping bean capital of the world."
Just as pineapples are not apples, Eggplants are not eggs, and republicans are not publicans, the jumping bean is not a bean, nor is it a seed. It is actually a small, thin-shelled section of a seed capsule containing the larva of a small gray moth called "the jumping bean moth" (Laspeyresia saltitans). After consuming the seed within the capsule section, the robust, yellowish-white larva has the peculiar habit of throwing itself forcibly from one wall to the other, thereby causing the jumping movements of the capsule. Mexican jumping bean capsules typically separate into three parts or sections, some of which contain a moth larva. It is these separate sections (technically called carpels) that are sold as "jumping beans."
The "beans" jump as a survival measure in order to protect themselves from the heat which can cause them to dry out. The ultraviolet rays from the sun stimulate them to jump, even in cool temperatures, but leaving them in the sun for extended periods will dehydrate and kill them.
These creatures are doomed from the start.
They were harvested and packaged, usually in groups of four, placed into a foam-lined Lucite case, and shipped off to Thrifty's so they could be sold to kids. Kids who would toss them about, throw them, keep them in their jacket pocket for months at a time, and then, throw them away. Inside the larva, or as I like to call it, MAGGOT, is subjected to unfathomable abuse. It is just trying to become a damn moth. Now if they were sold with the name "Twitching larva from Mexico" I doubt they would be on the counter at Thrifty's next to the Bubble Yum.
Even though they are a disgusting form of life they still have the right to survive. To me, the idea of the" Magical Mexican Jumping Bean" is horrible. Buying an object with no indication there is a living thing inside is horrible. Imagine buying a punching bag that squeaked every time you hit it. Funny and kinda cute until you realize there is a living thing struggling to survive inside.
Since Thrifty's is now Rite-Aid they no longer sell these "beans."
They Always Come Back:
They are all over the internet. There are sites that never mention or bury the fact there is a living creature inside. If you need to buy some please treat them with the respect they deserve.
Trapped larva baking in the hot sun
Merlin
Merlin was a handheld electronic game made by Parker Brothers in 1978. Merlin is notable as one of the earliest and most popular handheld games, selling over 5 million units during its initial run, as well as one of the most long-lived, remaining popular throughout the 1980s.
Merlin was approximately the size of a primitive cell phone. It emitted beeping sounds that could creep into your nightmares. It was about as much fun as pressing the "No Sale" button on a cash register over and over until your finger calloused.
It was the first multi-game hand-held electronic game. It offered six not so challenging games. Tic Tac Toe, Music Machine, Echo, (a game similar to Simon), Blackjack 13, Magic Square, Mindbender, (a game similar to Mastermind.) Boy oh boy, just image the fun kids had on Christmas morning being able to play Tic Tac Toe with a computer in their very own hand! Imagine the parents horror as they realized the six AA batteries required to play Tic Tac Toe would not last the day. This was in a time where you could get more fun typing in 58008 on your calculator and turning it upside down.
The game does have its place in history.
The Music Machine game functioned as a musical instrument; in this mode each key was assigned a musical note, and sequences of notes could be recorded and played back. This made Merlin one of the earliest sequencers as well as an early consumer-level electronic synthesizer.
If you want a little retro reading material here is a pdf of the manual that came with the game.
They Always Come Back:
No need to scour E-bay to relive those fond memories of this really boring and primitive electronic game. You can play it now with Virtual java Merlin. If you forgot how annoying simple beeps can be, please, play the virtual game and share my pain.
Superelastic bubbleplastic
Superelastic bubbleplastic was toy product produced by the Wham-O toy company in the 60’s thru the 80’s. It was a very simple toy. It consisted of a toothpaste type tube filled with goo and a wide pink straw. The fun began as you squirt out a pea-sized amount out of the leaded tube and fastened the pea to the end of the straw. You then blew into the straw to inflate the goo, pinched the bubble off the end of the straw sealing in the air and then stared at it, knocked it around for a few minutes and then slammed it between your hands resulting in a spectacular pop that sent remnants of plastic goo into the carpet. The goo was made up of polyvinyl acetate dissolved in acetone, with plastic fortifiers added. The acetone evaporated upon bubble inflation leaving behind a solid plastic film. Acetate has been known to cause cancer and can enter the skin like DMSO and pull other chemicals along with it. Not a nice thing to give to kids but … what do they care, it was fun! The goo was multi colored and came out of the tube in bright red yellow and blue streams. In a time before this idea became commonplace with toothpaste the novelty of one tube producing multi colors was amazing. The bubbles hardened over time and if you were lucky you could have a semi deflated scrotal-like sac of balloon that could last days. The longer they lasted the greater the popping noise when you eventually smashed it.
The smell was something too. I'm pretty sure I was getting high off the stuff. The tube itself was the cause of many a cut finger. The screw top was plastic yet the actual threaded part of the tube was razor sharp. In addition the tube was soft metal that eventually was ripped open to get the last remnants of Bubbleplastic. That torn open tube was a danger as it was supersharp metal.
Superelastic bubbleplastic was taken off the market in the 80's due to concerns it may, MAY, be toxic.
They always come back:
It is still available but not by Wham-O. You can find it at your local .99 store under the name Fun Bubbles. It is made in Mexico and comes in a multi pack. It smells exactly the same and even comes in little tubes that I'm sure are made out of lead.
Good times!
Wham-O does not have one mention of this product in their official revised company history. See the lie by omission here.
The smell was something too. I'm pretty sure I was getting high off the stuff. The tube itself was the cause of many a cut finger. The screw top was plastic yet the actual threaded part of the tube was razor sharp. In addition the tube was soft metal that eventually was ripped open to get the last remnants of Bubbleplastic. That torn open tube was a danger as it was supersharp metal.
Superelastic bubbleplastic was taken off the market in the 80's due to concerns it may, MAY, be toxic.
They always come back:
It is still available but not by Wham-O. You can find it at your local .99 store under the name Fun Bubbles. It is made in Mexico and comes in a multi pack. It smells exactly the same and even comes in little tubes that I'm sure are made out of lead.
Good times!
Wham-O does not have one mention of this product in their official revised company history. See the lie by omission here.
Vintage ads.
Not feeling all too well. Taking a break from everything to get better. In the mean time enjoy these vintage ads via our friends at VINTAGE ADS.
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