TopShelf TG Fiction in the BigCloset!
Or Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, or simply Happy Holidays!
I hope that everyone here has a wonderful day, and please remember that even in the worst of times there are people who care about you here. Even when life seems to be too much to bear, all you have to do is reach out a hand and ask for help.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
If you prefer, you can donate through Patreon:
Become a Patron!
Thank you!
Comments
To you and yours
Thank you, Dallas. And a “happy holidays” to you and yours as well. May the season be filled with friends and all the good members of your family! :)
— Emma
Happy Solstice too!
Merry Christmas, Dallas!! And everyone!
Now for the important question of the morning...where did I put the Christmas Cookies? -insert maniacal sugar-infused laughter here-
Hope everyone has a great day!!
Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas! May God bless you and yours!
Hugs!
Rosemary
And a safe one
To Joyce and all others in possible danger from California floods
Merry Christmas to you as well!
I had a wonderful night down in Old Town with friends. I sense a blog post!
But today is for family.
Gillian Cairns
Merry Christmas indeed
Christmas time is a time for family. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of the season, that gets lost. Give your loved ones an extra warm hug.
We're doing the family dinner on Saturday the 27th. My grandson is a fire fighter and is working today and tomorrow.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
Family?
Some times Family is the group of people you are born into and wed with. At other times, Family is the people you choose to associate with irrespective of any blood relations.
Even if you are still on speaking terms with your blood-family or have blood-relations available within a reasonable distance. Please also remember those who are far away from any blood-related family, or those that are sole survivors of their family group, or those that have been disowned or cast out or alienated by their own family group, or those that are too ashamed to contact their own family for whatever reason.
Many (but unfortunately not all) on the social fringe will appreciate a non-judgemental gesture of a helping hand or simply time to lend a listening ear.
Thank you!
Armistead Maupin’s memoir comes to mind
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_Family
If you need cheering up
then watch this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQGk3VQhLNI&t=18s
It is a compilation of the best of the ads from a UK store called John Lewis. Almost zero product placement but fantastic story telling.
If you are in the Uk then this years Waitrose ads (part of John Lewis) are superb.
Samantha
Me Too
Many of my favourite people have contributed to this thread, so all I can do is join in and echo their wishes.
I do like the John Lewis ads!
Blushes to admit..
Growing up on the outskirts of Sheffield, "Coles's" ( the sadly now closed and much missed branch of John Lewis) was the iconic store. All my school blazers were bought at Coles. My sister bought her bridesmaids' dresses there. My brother bought his JVC Walkman there.
When I moved to Nottingham, Jessops was the Local John Lewis store. These days, all the stores are called "John Lewis" which is a sad example of corporate homogenisation.
However, if I have to buy a toaster, a kettle or a TV, John Lewis is my first port of call.
Oh yes, and we get a "Waitrose" food delivery once a month.
So no bias from me at all.
I do love their Christmas Adverts. They are real examples of brand reputation, rather than product placement. Harbingers of a "better vanished time" to quote Neil Peart of Rush.
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."
There are a few companies in the US…….
That actually put out some cute advertising, but most are the usual commercial claptrap.
The ones that come to mind right away are the Coke Christmas commercials - especially the ones they used to run with the polar bears drinking a Coke, and Anheuser-Busch used to make some beautiful Christmas commercials with the Clydesdales.
There have also been some funny commercials over the years. Occasionally there are a few during the Super Bowl, but there are the classics like the Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” commercials, or even the “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz” commercials from Alka-Selzer years ago.
Nowadays, our TV commercials seem to be over-run with drug company’s trying to sell their latest drug, or some ambulance chasing lawyer trying to drum up a few more law suits. And if you like to watch late night TV, there are always the commercials for Quest or some other phone sex wannabe, lol.
Personally, I miss the “Go see Cal!” commercials from my time in Southern California. The best part was watching what type of animal he had as his dog Spot in each one, lol.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
I can still do them in my head . . . .
And, while I've got you, what was "a beautiful place to lease or buy a beautiful car?" And, what was located at the Firestone Exit of the Longbeach Freeway in Southgate? And finally, where did the surf meet the turf? :)
— Emma
Gaaah!
Pete Ellis Dodge!
Dangit, Emma...those commercials were nicely dead and buried in the recesses of memory, and now are reanimated as zombies shuffling about making a mess of all these cars' paint jobs. If only there was someone who would repaint 'em cheap for $99.95 no matter what they are...
The Duke of . . .
. . . Earl Scheib!
— Emma
Oh my God!
I had forgotten about that one! Do you remember the AAMCO Transmission monkeys?
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
I Still Remember
The Paul Hogan beer commercials!
I seem to remember that Fosters……
Is supposed to be Australian for beer, lol.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
When I Landed
In Sydney in January 1966 the only Australian beer I had ever heard of was Fosters. Two other newbies and I went to a pub in Woolloomooloo (a Sydney suburb) and asked for pints of Fosters. The Italian barman sneered at us Poms (Englishmen) and said they did not serve that Victorian piss in NSW. We could have Tooheys or nothing!
Aussies were very parochial about their beer. In Victoria, Fosters, in NSW, Tooheys, in Tasmania, Boags, in Queensland, XXXX, in South Australia, Coopers and in WA, Swan. Fosters were better at advertising and exported to the UK and USA. The ads they showed in the UK and the USA were legendary.
They're a bit more open-minded these days.
Fosters is not beer
(this applies to the version brewed in the UK)
Perhaps it was once upon a time but honestly... there are better lagers out there.
Most US brewed beer is so weak that I call them 'gnats piss impersonators'. Fosters is in that ilk.
I live around 1km as the crow flies from a proper brewery. Real taste, even their lager.
Sadly, my Beers of choice are not readily available around here. Properly kept and served Wadworths 6X is pure nectar as is Harvey's (of Lewes) Best is not far behind.
If I had to choose between Fosters and Water, I'd choose the latter.
Samantha
Paul Hogan
In his Crocodile Dundee persona, he also did a Subaru Outback commercial.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann