That’s something I haven’t thought of in a long time, but you’re right. I’m sure in our litigious nanny-state form of society, such things are as unheard of as lawn darts and diving boards. We had chemistry sets for kids back then. All I remember doing with them was mixing everything together to see what would happen.
I had a chemistry set when I was a kid. I actually did a lot of the experiments, and although my understanding of chemistry isn’t much advanced from what it was when I was 13, I’m reasonably certain none of the things you could make with the included samples could be combined to make anything very dangerous. Weak acids, non-toxic catalysts, very little that requires the application of flame and so forth. Most of what those kits are trying to demonstrate are simple chemical reactions, and even the most seemingly mundane of substances—baking power and vinegar, say—can do the job. (Not so say you couldn’t make it far more exciting by adding in some common household cleaners.)
The ones they sell today—just look online—seem to be about the same as the kind I had. But maybe the nanny-state was already in effect by the mid-1980s.
Also, anyone else remember the Silverhawks? They were like cyborg bird people in space, with roughly the same kind of depth of purpose and narrative as the Thundercats. Very little, that is.
I mean, seriously, how could you watch an opening like this and not immediately want to go out and buy the toy?
Dude, i had sooooooo many muscle men. i think my mom still has em in a big popcorn tin somewhere. i think thats my favorite memory that has been jogged by this thread so far.
may i suggest we all change our avatars to a muscle man from this page:
We used to have a big sharpened metal file..that we used to play chicken with..that’s a game where you throw the file at some ones foot and if they move their foot they’re chicken..
I quit that game when the file impaled my big toe..
We used to have a big sharpened metal file..that we used to play chicken with..that’s a game where you throw the file at some ones foot and if they move their foot they’re chicken..
I quit that game when the file impaled my big toe..
We used to do that with throwing stars we bought at the flea market, 3 for $1. Thankfully, they tend not to penetrate very deep if they’re not sharp and thrown by redneck kids who have no idea what they’re doing, so most of my mishaps were minor.
I think they’re illegal in a lot of states now. We live in a truly sad time.
Yes, I think the 70s were the last time that parents were unconcerned about whatever the hell the kids were doing outside. Once the 80s came along and youth became Atari®osclerotic and stopped going outside, then parents became used to them being inside and the great outdoors became a great unknown to them, making them afraid to send the de-clawed offspring out there like so many domesticated house cats. Along with the rise of cable TV and 24 hour news looking for any parent-scaring story of the hour they could inflate to epidemic proportions and the rise of soccer moms influencing public policy and product design (add a dash of trial lawyers doing what they do best) and the overall best intentions-gone-astray attempts to make everything in the world danger and injury-free, has led to some real lame-ass toys, orange-tipped gun barrels and all.
My mom used to pop pooping dogs in the butt from an upstairs window before I acquired this. Last time I had my hands on it I shot a kid dead in the chest at near point blank range. He went home and told his daddy on me.
Later I upgraded to this number. That’s me at the trainfire range, Ft Dix circa 1961
Yes, I think the 70s were the last time that parents were unconcerned about whatever the hell the kids were doing outside. Once the 80s came along and youth became Atari®osclerotic and stopped going outside, then parents became used to them being inside and the great outdoors became a great unknown to them, making them afraid to send the de-clawed offspring out there like so many domesticated house cats. Along with the rise of cable TV and 24 hour news looking for any parent-scaring story of the hour they could inflate to epidemic proportions and the rise of soccer moms influencing public policy and product design (add a dash of trial lawyers doing what they do best) and the overall best intentions-gone-astray attempts to make everything in the world danger and injury-free, has led to some real lame-ass toys, orange-tipped gun barrels and all.
I seemed to be a bit of a tweener as far as this goes. Most of my memories as a kid were in the woods making forts, swimming in gross/dangerous canals, and of course re-creating the ‘84 Olympics in my front yard. The main rule that I had was to get home when the street lights turned on, even when I was 6 years old. I was born in ‘75. Seemed like I had less restrictions as an elementary-aged child running the neighborhood vs. when I was in middle and high school largely due to the points brebro stated.
I’ve found myself frustrated as a parent at times where I catch myself overly concerned about my kids doing something that they should simply enjoy doing.
I had a cork pop gun..they don’t make them anymore way tooo dangerous..a good little girlfriend of mine grabbed the gun stuck it in her mouth and wanted me to fire it..I didn’t want to do it..I was such a wuss…and she pulled the trigger and knocked out her two front teeth ..lots of crying and bleeding involved..
I told them I didn’t do it…got whupped anyway..never liked that gun after that..
