The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Friday, February 20, 2009

Decades

Things are running late around here today. I am finally setting up Faye's new computer. It's been sitting in the box for three weeks so I suppose it's about time.
It's not a lot of fun setting up a new computer, especially a PC. And, even more especially, when you don't want the stuff they try to get you you to buy. I am not a fan of Norton Security, nor MS Office. So these have to be removed. Then I have to download AVG Free and Open Office and set those up instead. So I am multi-tasking today.

Meanwhile, this post is about decades. You know, ten year periods of time. The 40s, the 50s, the 60s, etc. Well, that's how the media describes them. I don't. My interpretation is a little different.

Since I was born in 1946, my decades run from the 6th year of one to the 5th year of the next. My 60s is, for example, 1966 to 1975. It's how I view them, it's also how I see the "themes" of these decades.

My 50s ran from 1956 to 1965. That took me through the "cool" James Dean and do wop music into the surfer days and then into the Navy.

The 60s were free love, drugs, and experiments in music (from folk to rock to jazz and blues). The Disco Era ended them. Well, ended the music experimentation. The drugs and sex were still plentiful.

1976 to 1985 was the Disco Decade. A time of plastic, of conspicuous consumption, bell bottom Angel Flight suits, wide collars, and strobe lights. Vacuous music with a single beat played in the background. It was also the decade that saw the demise of the muscle car, along with cheap loans.
And the end of my first marriage.

1986 to 1995 saw me move twice. It also saw the beginning of a new life with a wonderful woman. It was the decade of computers. It saw the start of linking computers. First through electronic bulletin board systems and then the Internet.
Huge technology gains over that period expanded communication like never before.

1996 to 2005 is the decade of terrorism to me. Terror attacks, unrest throughout the world.

We are in the middle of another decade and I don't have a theme for it yet.

12 comments:

Neo said...

exclude the 50's if we follow the same time path, 62-72 space, explore, land on the moon Nixon, gov't corruption and gas shortage,
72-82 make new friends, learn a new city, come in contact with middle school and high school almost died in a car crash make new friends again
82-92- move out, get married divorced and meet my 2nd wife job-get fired-job-get fired, etc
92-2002- kid comes along, get a job that I keep, work to fulfill my career, 2nd divorce, custody of daughter and the best years my life had (till now that is)
2002-present- happy fired again to get the best job that ever came along and not living behind the eight ball as finances go and very happy with my life now.

Pearl said...

I'm calling the "Ohs" the "Naughts". No one knows what the hell I'm saying but I feel clever doing it.
:-)
Pearl

Douglas said...

Neo - Yes, the decades do not go from x0 to y0, they overlap. And, I think, according to our birth year. So yours will be different than mine and others will have their own.

Pearl - You have a right to feel clever... since you are. No one seems able to label these first ten years of the 21st century. I notice people saying in "Two Ten" when they mean "two thousand and Ten" but what to say when you talk about 2008? I always say "twenty oh 8". I like the "oh" over the "naught", though.

Neo said...

shouldn't that be aught? like the rifle 30.06

Anonymous said...

Neo, that would correclty be thirty 'ought six, ' representing the missing "n"

Although in British English we always refered to it as the thirty oh six.

Douglas, I was surprised to see you refer to the date as twenty oh eight, I would love to see the old ways returned, this two thousand and eight for the year doesn't gel right with me.

AV

Douglas said...

Neo - Yes, that's a possible. "Twenty aught 6" but that is awkward.

AV - I did not know the Brit version of the term used "oh". The American terminology was always "thirty aught six". I agree with you and the worst is calling it "two oh eight" is worse to my ears. I usually shorten it to "oh eight" or "oh six", etc.
unless I am talking about 1908, or such, of course.

Robot Nine said...

Good insight. Now that you say it Douglas I was born in 1964 and have always thought the same way without really realizing it.

Wow, such patience. I got a new computer a week or two ago and hooked it all up IMMEDIATELY! Like a schoolboy at Christmas! What patience you and Faye have.

Alan

Douglas said...

Alan - Faye has the patience. In this case, it was more like reluctance, though. She knew she would have to give up those 80s era MS-DOS games when she moved to the Vista OS. And I like to do a little planning in advance of setting up a new one. You cannot just transfer stuff from an old Win98SE machine to a Vista system. This went a lot smoother than my own upgrade.

Steven said...

www.dosbox.com

I run 80's and 90's dos games on my OSX box!

Douglas said...

Steven - I am reminded of an exchange I had with a Mac user who complained that US Robotics was "bad" because they forced him to either find a PC user and borrow his machine, or use a DOS emulator, to do updates and upgrades on his USR modem. In the end, after much debate, I told him to get a modem from Apple and quit whining. I don't know why I am reminded, I just am.

Michael said...

You know, I wish I could experience a real Disco Decade. I reckon I would fit right in.

So far, I'm reaching the end of my second decade (2001-2010). My first one was sort of unmemorable, but happy. My second one, overall, is great. Cool idea for a post, and I think I'll be reflecting in the same way some day.

Michael.

Michael said...

You know, I wish I could experience a real Disco Decade. I reckon I would fit right in.

So far, I'm reaching the end of my second decade (2001-2010). My first one was sort of unmemorable, but happy. My second one, overall, is great. Cool idea for a post, and I think I'll be reflecting in the same way some day.

Michael.