Major Matt Mason

2 thoughts:

1) my parents wouldn't let me have one, it was too much like a toy solider, and not enough like an astronaut.

2) how weird was it watching a 60 second commercial? I haven't seen one that long in ages.

This....

was my favorite toy...until I got it. The cars just ran on a track. You didn't do anything but watch. They weren't like slot cars where you controlled speed. You just turned them on and sat there like a house plant. I dug them out of my mom's attic a few years ago and managed to get one of the cars operational. My kids were bored in about 3 minutes.

There were a lot of shitty toys out there!

My old (and once cool) college roommate is -- as an adult -- into slot cars. I'm talking about where grown men have slot car rallies and actually schedule said D&D-like gatherings on Saturdays and both at people's (apparent) basements and actual set locations where people can "compete."

The only beauty of this is the level of unabashed honesty that at least male college roommates can share -- even decades later -- when he asks if I want to check-out all this fun and I retort with the three very simple words, "you're an idiot."

i95 wrote:

My old (and once cool) college roommate is -- as an adult -- into slot cars. I'm talking about where grown men have slot car rallies and actually schedule said D&D-like gatherings on Saturdays and both at people's (apparent) basements and actual set locations where people can "compete."

From the "No Shit?" Department....

When I graduated from college, my brother tried to talk me into opening my own business - a slot car store. We would have tracks, and sell slot cars and rent out the track time, etc. He said that it was going to be the next big thing - like baseball cards or something.

For some reason I thought that a job with health insurance was a better idea.

i95 wrote:

My old (and once cool) college roommate is -- as an adult -- into slot cars. I'm talking about where grown men have slot car rallies and actually schedule said D&D-like gatherings on Saturdays and both at people's (apparent) basements and actual set locations where people can "compete."

The only beauty of this is the level of unabashed honesty that at least male college roommates can share -- even decades later -- when he asks if I want to check-out all this fun and I retort with the three very simple words, "you're an idiot."

A couple of years ago I dusted off all my old slot car stuff and got everything working. My kids love them but I never realized how fragile that old stuff is...all of it broke in short order. I know a guy who also is really into slot cars. He has a costly and elaborate set up. I just got the old stuff working.

along those lines, I had a friend who opened a dart store. Which might have been a good idea had he lived in London, but it was here, in Michigan.

I don't think he ever made enough to make a loan payment.

clothier wrote:

along those lines, I had a friend who opened a dart store.

Now, if that guy opened a crack store and ran the promotion, "buy a rock and get a free sledgehammer," THEN who'd be laughing?

Some monumentally over optimistic broad in my neck of the woods just opened a bead store in a strip mall.

Selling beads.

And I assume string or something.

How far up your ass does your head have to be to think that's a viable business model.

I can't help but think of the old Saturday Night Live routine about the Scotch tape store.

laststandchili wrote:

Some monumentally over optimistic broad in my neck of the woods just opened a bead store in a strip mall.

Selling beads.

And I assume string or something.

How far up your ass does your head have to be to think that's a viable business model.

I am far from an astute business man (balance sheets available as proof) but I see some businesses opening and just don't get it. Today I noticed a relatively new dry cleaning store closed. It opened less than 1/4 miles from an existing store, and no more than a mile from TWO others. I can't understand how someone looked over this situation and then went ahead and sunk their money into such a situation.

i have that same feeling sometimes about advertising.

did the company really think just repeating their name over and over for 30 seconds really think that would draw people into their store? How exactly did that pitch meeting go with the ad company?

What did Larry Tate say to seal the deal? "trust me'?

clothier wrote:

I haven't seen one that long in ages.

Interestingly, that's the same thing Mrs.clothier said to the UPS guy just yesterday.

really? you went to all the trouble to find the picture but didn't bother using sound?


slacker.

laststandchili wrote:

Some monumentally over optimistic broad in my neck of the woods just opened a bead store in a strip mall.

Selling beads.

And I assume string or something.

How far up your ass does your head have to be to think that's a viable business model.

You are such a GUY. Making your own jewelery is fun and kewl!

The Goddess wrote:

laststandchili wrote:

Some monumentally over optimistic broad in my neck of the woods just opened a bead store in a strip mall.

Selling beads.

And I assume string or something.

How far up your ass does your head have to be to think that's a viable business model.

You are such a GUY. Making your own jewelery is fun and kewl!

Yeah. And it can also be an expression of your individuality. It's also...wait...snort...I can't do this anymore.

clothier wrote:

i have that same feeling sometimes about advertising.

Speaking of advertising, I am seriously at a loss of how anybody could find pasta bread bowls the slightest bit appetizing? Primo said it best:



You don't mix a starch with a starch.

fat americans will eat anything.


that's the logic, anyway. Plus, you gotta know it sucks.

The Goddess wrote:

GREAT movie!