How this Geezer did it in the beginning

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Thank you and I hope you also had a good Christmas. Mine started out great. We had about 14 types of seafood on Christmas Eve at my cousin's house, then we had to leave before dessert because Greta was getting tired so we left. My birthday cake that my wife brought there we had to bring home. Then on Christmas day we went to my Daughters in Manhattan for dinner and to open gifts. Before dinner was served, my wife got sick so I practically had to carry her to the car and home as she had a fairly high fever. My Birthday cake is still there as are the gifts. I never got to see my cake and I will open the Christmas gifts probably when my Grand Son is born. :sad2:

 
Paul B said:
There is no place for humor in this serious and austere hobby. :dance:
That is the problem, this is a hobby and not that important. It's not like we are sewing those tags on stuffed animals that say "Do not to remove under penalty of the law" or placing the wings on Victoria Secret models or even making those little plastic things that are on the tips of shoe laces so you can get the thing through the hole in your shoe. We are keeping fish. For hundreds of thousands of years people just ate fish. Now we are trying to keep them alive when they were perfectly happy, and alive in the sea minding their own business. Fish are all over the place in the bible. Remember when they were walking through the desert eating Mrs. Pauls Fish Sticks? Mrs Paul was Saint Pauls Mother. (That is how he became a fisherman, or was he a carpenter? I know he wasn't an electrician) Now we get crazier than Justin Bieber's groupies.
I know people really love their fish, name them, put them in their will, get tattooe's of them etc. But they are basically food that we want to keep alive. It is the same thing as trying to keep a Hostess Twinkie alive, only a little harder.
Many of us keep a tank as a thing of beauty. Some of us should get a girlfriend, I'm just saying.:rolleye1: I love this hobby as much as anyone, but I realize it is a hobby and we are not building space shuttles. :sad2:
Some people (no one on here I'm sure) take this "hobby" much to seriousely. spend way to much money on it and worry to much. Just my opinion of course as I want to be PC although I realize I rarely am.:rolleye1:
To me there are far more important things in life even though I still care for my tank. But if my wife gets sick or my Grand kid, I will leave the tank in a minute, even if the heater is broken, there are red bugs, black ich, flukes, flounders, bryopsis the PO4 is off the scale and the scale is broken, the hermit crab is making love to the hippo tang and it is 8 below zero outside with the stock market crashing. We need priorities. I think I have them. (I just turned around to look at my tank. I am on a swivel chair, the tank looks fine so now I can go about my business, whatever that is as I am retired) :dance:
So to end this rather ridiculous post. I bid you good night.
If I offended anyone, get over it, it is not that important.
References:
Me
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I understand the PC part. Kinda gotta be on the public platform. But back to those plastic things on shoes. Those can be important. Something has to wear out the plastic part on the end of the lace so you can cuss when you have to re-lace it.
 
That is true because "aglet's" do wear out.
I lost a coral a little while ago. I don't mean it died, I mean I lost it, literally. I had this little hammar coral and it fell on the gravel. I figured I would pick it up and glue it someplace when I had time. So I saw that it was being buried in the gravel so I stuck my hand in the tank, and it disappeared down a tunnel that my shrimp gobi digs all over the tank. Now it slipped down and under the main reef structure so unless it grows legs and crawls out, it is good bye Pocahantus.
 
Thinking Paul is close to my fathers age which he was born in '44 and was in nam I believe '65-67.

Paul, I did not make the seven fishes this year maybe next year :)

Speaking of fish, my family use to sell fish and produce around 9th and market street south philly.

My grandfather selling and made the paper:



Old picture of my father and great grand father:




Picture of my daughter Isabella:



Sorry your wife got sick!

-Paul
 
Very cool pictures of your Dad and your Daughter is extreamly cute. Your Dad was older than me, I was born in 48
 
Merry Christmas Paul to you and your family. First holiday for us in 5 years...in New brunswick visiting the grand kids
 
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Capn, why is it the first holiday for you? Don't you have a calendar?
Did you forget it was Christmas?
Didn't you notice all the Christmas music on the radio and see the decorations?
Did you notice all the Christmas trees for sale and see that most of the stores were closed?
Oh you mean, it was your first Christmas together. I get it. :beer::celeb1:
Happy New Year Capn. Don't forget, it is at the end of this month :)
 
Crimson, I have a very similar picture of my Dad. He had a fish market and before that a push cart and before that he peddled fish from a bushel on his back. My Dad died at the age of 47 in 1959. When he was young, he was a Golden Gloves Boxer.
People worked very hard in those days and many kids today would just die if they had to do that which is unfortunate.
 
Paul B said:
Crimson, I have a very similar picture of my Dad. He had a fish market and before that a push cart and before that he peddled fish from a bushel on his back. My Dad died at the age of 47 in 1959. When he was young, he was a Golden Gloves Boxer.
People worked very hard in those days and many kids today would just die if they had to do that which is unfortunate.
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As a big history buff, I agree. Kids use to work in coal mines and in areas that adults were often too big to clean/work in (like chutes and craw spaces). Then child labor laws were passed to protect kids. However, it had little effect in the family business since kids still worked very hard to help put food on the plate.

Both my parents gave my sister and I what they could not have as children and somewhat spoiled us. For that I am eternally grateful.

Both my grandfathers died the same year and both were in the mid 60's. They were both good friends and when my dad's father passed first only a few months later my mom's father passed. My mothers father worked for the newspaper. My grandmother (my mom side) was a teacher. Both grandmothers are still alive one is 93 the other will be 96.
 
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Thanks reeftanknewbie, they are true life occurances but I can also make up stories if you like. :D

I don't know how kids make money today, or even if many of them know how.
I am sure I said it somewhere on here but after my dad died when I was 10, I got a job at 12. My neighbor owned a car wrecking yard, or junk yard and he gave me a job. At 12 I was cutting car parts out with an actyeline torch and mounting tires. That's how I learned to work on cars. I worked there on Saturdays for a year or two for 12 hours a day and I earned about $10.00 which was good money then. Great actually. Then on Friday nights I would clean a fish store. (eating fish, there were no aquarium stores then) and I would get about $5.00. With $15.00 I could buy just about anything in 1960. I saved my money and kept working at anything I could. Paint houses, fix cars, shovel snow, wax cars, pull weeds etc. I bought a Jeep and plowed snow. Money was easy and it still is, as long as you are not lazy and think that those jobs are beneath you.
Except for fixing cars, anyone can do those jobs. You can make $1,000. a week painting a house and it takes no skill other than being neat. If you don't know how to paint a house or shovel snow, wax a car or pull weeds, there is really no hope. :uhoh2: I realize we all want to make $5,000.00+ a week but anything is better than nothing and no one is really going to pay you for playing with your IPad.
I had some opportunities to get money for doing nothing but I chose to work, there is really nothing for nothing and I am proud to say I have always been self sufficient as is my Daughter.
This thread is named "How this Geezer did it in the beginning" or something like that so this fits here even though I probably mentioned it already. I am old and forget. Work with me here. :bum:
I occasionally look for someone to fix my computer, program a new electronic whatever, shovel my snow, but no one ever volunteers.
We went to Sicily a couple of years ago and found my Grand father's house. Anyway we searched for 3 days to find someone to take us there and translate. Finally we found this college girl who was willing to take us.
She came with a 9 person van, with a driver (gas there is about $8.00 a gallon) it was a 2 hour drive and she stayed with us for about 8 hours and charged me $250.00. If I lived there I would be a millionaire as she didn't make a cent on us. The gas alone was probably more than she charged us and she had to pay a driver. I tried to explain to her that if she had a small car and took people around, she could make a good living. But it went right over her head, I could have been speaking Swahili. There are so many opportunities to make money, all you have to do is be a little more inventive than the next unemployed guy.
In the 70s when I had this Jeep I would make over $1,000.00 a day plowing snow. Do I look smarter than anyone else? I don't think so, but I had money in my pocket.

 
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Paul B said:
I don't know how kids make money today, or even if many of them know how.

I am sure I said it somewhere on here but after my dad died when I was 10, I got a job at 12. My neighbor owned a car wrecking yard, or junk yard and he gave me a job. At 12 I was cutting car parts out with an actyeline torch and mounting tires. That's how I learned to work on cars. I worked there on Saturdays for a year or two for 12 hours a day and I earned about $10.00 which was good money then. Great actually. Then on Friday nights I would clean a fish store. (eating fish, there were no aquarium stores then) and I would get about $5.00. With $15.00 I could buy just about anything in 1960. I saved my money and kept working at anything I could. Paint houses, fix cars, shovel snow, wax cars, pull weeds etc. I bought a Jeep and plowed snow. Money was easy and it still is, as long as you are not lazy and think that those jobs are beneath you.
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This is one of the reasons why I think it should be mandatory for all men and women at the age of 18 pull two years of military service. Four years if you want the government to pay for your college. If you want to stay longer, that is your choice and follow the standard rules and rates has we do today.

While the military isn't the greatest place in the world it does offer one simple thing. It teaches team work. Furthermore, it teaches discipline and basic skills anyone can use to live.

Teach a man to fish...
 
saf1 said:
This is one of the reasons why I think it should be mandatory for all men and women at the age of 18 pull two years of military service. Four years if you want the government to pay for your college. If you want to stay longer, that is your choice and follow the standard rules and rates has we do today.

While the military isn't the greatest place in the world it does offer one simple thing. It teaches team work. Furthermore, it teaches discipline and basic skills anyone can use to live.

Teach a man to fish...
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I respectfully disagree. As the only male in my family on both sides I never joined or served. That life is not for me and I did not turn out bad. Matter of fact my father came back a different man after Vietnam according to my grandmother...no thank you. I fully respect our servicemen and what they do for our county but that life is not something I would ever want. Even for two years.

Also, it has been proven a volunteer militarily is much more efficient then a conscript.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougban...itary-draft-would-revive-a-very-bad-old-idea/

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9195/index1.html

That said, I would not run to another country to avoid a draft but at 36 and out of shape I would not be on the top of the list. Also, being 36 I would not be so easily clean slated by a drill instructor. The only thing they may want me for is my IT (computer) skills.
 
LOL, being in the military was not my first choice either, but the draft took care of that.
Of course at 36, you are way over the hill and basic training would kill you. Literally.
If you have computer skills the Army may make you a bomb technition, helicopter mechanic or sharpshooter, anything that is the farthest thing that you are suited for.
But as you said, it would definitely change you, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. I came out fine but I think I would have been fine without the Army. I was self sufficient before serving in Nam and after I came back.
But now, there is nothing that could bother me, And nothing scares me.
Oh Wait, I think my Mandarin has a headache. Oh No. :fun2:
 
Crimson said:
I respectfully disagree. As the only male in my family on both sides I never joined or served. That life is not for me and I did not turn out bad. Matter of fact my father came back a different man after Vietnam according to my grandmother...no thank you. I fully respect our servicemen and what they do for our county but that life is not something I would ever want. Even for two years.

Also, it has been proven a volunteer militarily is much more efficient then a conscript.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougban...itary-draft-would-revive-a-very-bad-old-idea/

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9195/index1.html

That said, I would not run to another country to avoid a draft but at 36 and out of shape I would not be on the top of the list. Also, being 36 I would not be so easily clean slated by a drill instructor. The only thing they may want me for is my IT (computer) skills.
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It is but an opinion based on age and experience. Both having traveled locally and abroad and seeing how other countries such has Israel and Japan handle things with youth and elders. Also note that at the good old age of 18 most kids have no clue what they want out of life let alone do for the next 30 years.

There are many countries that still mandate conscription yet allow alternative service instead of actually serving in the military. I agree, the military isn't for everyone nor do we want ever Tom, Harry, or Sally in there. However, serving others for 2 years does more good than harm in the big picture. Just look at any headline today and say otherwise.

But alas that or this is for another discussion and totally un-related to reef keeping. And yes, I've served in the military now for 27 years 4 of which are active all over the Asia Pacific region and 22 years active Guard stateside.
 
Military conscription service will always cause arguments which is why I didn't offer my opinion. You would hate it :uhoh2:
But that is correct, it has nothing to do with fish, although I did see some red tail sharks in a hole I swam in in the jungle. They are not that colorful in the wild. :wave:
 
Paul B said:
Military conscription service will always cause arguments which is why I didn't offer my opinion. You would hate it :uhoh2:
But that is correct, it has nothing to do with fish, although I did see some red tail sharks in a hole I swam in in the jungle. They are not that colorful in the wild. :wave:
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It's really all good, trust me :) One thing I've learned is that one can have a different opinion and still remain friends and civil. Like a marriage :)

My current situation I'm dealing with in regards to reefs is that I have two BioCube 29 gallon tanks and I'm a bit tired of maintaining both oddly enough. I am considering hitting up PetCo's 1$ gallon sale and pick up a 40 gallon breeder. But then I'd have to buy LED's since the two tanks have different kits and I don't want to mess what is there in case I want to give away or sell.

Or, just let them ride it out and put that money into a 100 to 190 gallon tank I've been looking at instead. Only issue is the one tank has 3 rose bubble tips that seem to want to continue to split and actually are now over loading the tank :(
 
That sounds like a big problem and a decision you have to make. I have this pain in my back and another one in my knees. But we all seem to have some sort of problems, lets just hope they are not big problems. :D
I personally would probably go for the big tank. And maybe I will try to get new knees. I want the good aluminum ones not the cheap wooden ones. :crazy1:
Yes we can all be friends no matter what our opinions are about the military, Zodiac Signs, Justin Bieber, how much fiber to put in your diet or what to feed a banded pipefish. I don't participate in arguements on fish sites as I am to old for that and as I said, it is not that important to anyone but the fish. And they have no constitutional rights. People on here call them pets but many times I consider fish, lunch. :hmm6:
 
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