How this Geezer did it in the beginning

[johnike]

What's an ocean? We ain't got none of them around here.

 

[Paul B]

They are like a desert, but wetter. Today is Father's Day so my Daughter and Grand Daughter are taking me to dinner by boat because how else would you go to dinner in the summer. :wavehand:

 

[johnike]

Have a great Fathers Day Paul.

Sent from corn and bean land.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks John, you to.

 

[reeftanknewbie]

Paul,

Happy father's day my friend.......

 

[SpartaReef]

This has got to be one of the funniest posts I've seen on this forum! I'm only 25, and can only imagine what life was like before computers were around. I'm the assistant manager at the biggest auto parts store in town, and love to listen to the old guys about their catalog racks and pricing lists. too funny!

Now excuse me while I clean up the coffee I just spilled :lmao:

I'm 31 and remember when my mom first brought home a computer, nothing like today, and the internet wasn't the internet yet, it was darpanet or something like that and only the military used it. I remember helping my stepdad look for parts in those old catalogs. So much has changed in my lifetime, can't imagine how it must feel for Paul.

Paul,
I'm still on page five, but I finally found this. This thread could be used in your book is think. Thanks for serving when you were called. You are a hero to me. Both in your service to the country and in your service to this hobby. Can't wait to catch up on this thread. Taking notes!

 

[Paul B]

I'm the assistant manager at the biggest auto parts store in town, and love to listen to the old guys about their catalog racks and pricing lists.

Before I got drafted I was a mechanic for Oldsmobile and berfore that I was a mechanic for a gas station. Those guys in the auto parts store could find you a part much quicker with the catalog than you could today with a computer. And the catalog didn't crash.
You don't gove old timers enough credit. Life revolved around smarts, not technology. :thumbsup:

 

[Paul B]

Today if the power goes off, there is pandamonium. (yes, big word early in the morning)
When I was a kid and the power went off we lit a candle and hung out with our friends. There was no air conditioning or color TV anyway and there was only 1 or 2 shows on TV anyway and we usually didn't even want to watch them. (Ed Sullivan was about it)
There was no computers, cell phones so no texting or calling and no one bothered you with stupid questions like "where did you go last night" or how was the party.
When you saw the person, you said, "Hey whats up?" and that was the end of the conversation because we didn't care what you did last night or how the party that we were not invited to was.
When I drive around today about half the people have a cell phone in their hand or on their ear. I guess a lot of people need input from other people to get through their day. I like to make my own plans and form my own ideas without any help. I love it when I hear people say "Oh God, I couldn't live 5 minutes without air conditioning" Yes they could, and did for 3 million years before the thing was invented. I just tell them to get a life and get over it, sweating is normal and won't kill you. My wife likes the AC and had it on last night. I slept on the couch without the air. I like it better because I am a Man and not a Girly man. :bum: Today I am going to my boat to clean it and do some collecting. I have AC on the boat when it is at the dock, but I never put it on. It's a boat and AC is stupid on a boat.
I have to clean the boat because my Grand Daughter took me out to dinner by boat and there are chewed up cookies and all sorts of bodily fluids all over the boat and I keep a clean boat, not a girly boat, a clean, Manly boat.:wave:

Of course I have a cell phone that I use maybe twice a day to get together with friends, usually on the boat. I don't think I ever called anyone in my life just to talk. That is for girls, kids or people with nothing to do or no idea how to di it themselves.
OK I do send pictures of my Grand Daughter to friends, but I am allowed because she is cute. OK, so there is a little Girly man in my, but a very little.

 

[Khemul]

Technology is great if you are good with the delivery on dodging questions in retail. "Do you have this item in stock" "Oh, let me check...darn computer...oh, it stopped working...sorry, check again later".

Ah, what people did before technology. Probably had happier customers... :idea:



Although, I am quite certain this paved over swamp down here is uninhabitable without AC.

 

[Paul B]

Yes happier customers and you even had to talk to the customers.

 

[Khemul]

... you even had to talk to the customers.

Do not engage the customer in conversation. Avoid eye contact. Move to the nearest escape route as calmly and quickly as possible. If trapped and unable to avoid contact, ingest the cyanide tablet given at orientation. Basic retail survival. :lolspin:

 

[randalljames]

Thought you would like this Paul, new specimen we caught in our anchor today in 60 ft of water, some sort of sea fan. Seems happy in his new home.

 

[randalljames]

 

[Paul B]

That is a cool gorg, unfortunately it is not photosynthetic and needs massive feedings. But I would have put it in my tank if I found it as I love those things.

 

[SpartaReef]

Thank You Coral Surfer, same to you.



Sometimes I read to them and sometimes I just try to console them that it won't be too bad when they get eaten. After all, they are worms.
So that is about all you have to do to prepare them.
To keep them, I built a worm keeper.
It is described on here quite a few times.
I am sure it is also on my tank thread here
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1711320

OK going to try my hand at your diy worm farm.... Ordered black worms.... Gotta build it.... Do you mind telling me what kind of paper towels you feed them?

 

[Paul B]

I feed them whatever paper towels I find on sale, brown paper bags are even better. But if you build this thing it needs like a month to cycle enough to keep worms, otherwise they will croak and turn into smelly snot. You need to fill it with fresh water and put something dead in there like a horse, or maybe an earthworm, but it has to cycle. Then you need to add a few blackworms for a couple of days then add some more. I also add eggcrate for real estate for bacteria. This is not a five minute project and needs time before it will keep worms.
Remember I didn't tell you to do this, I just told you what "I" do.

 

[SpartaReef]

OK, how does this look? I should be able to cycle it with the worms themselves and will watch them closely.

The saran wrap is to prevent splattering from the water wand.

 

[Paul B]

It seems OK but hard to tell. Take out the heater, cooler is better and put the pump in a small container with an open top, the worms sink and you don't want them going in the pump. Also make the angle on that trough not as steep or the worms will wash right into the tank instantly. Just a gentle slope is better.
If you cycle it with worms, you can't put all your worms in at once or it will get stinky in 30 minutes. Put in some worms every day for a while and watch for cloudy water. It is OK to get cloudy but if it gets to cloudy, there will be no oxygen and the worms will croak, and stink.

 

[SpartaReef]

How about that angle? And I have a net at the end in case any try to crawl away... It is secured by rubber band. No heater yet, but the temp in basement is pretty low... Around 70. I put four freshwater snails in there to get it started...

 

[Paul B]

That is better. Instead of the net just put a container in the tank as they will go right through the net and if they get in the net, they will get entangled in it and you won't be able to get them out.
They will make it to the container no matter what you do and they congregats in places where I suck them out with a baster. You need a baster every day for that and to feed them to your fish.