Snub Nose .38 and Greenie Stick-M-Caps: Vintage Toys

How times have changed... 50 years ago what little boy wouldn't want this toy? No one questioned back then if it was appropriate to be left under the Christmas tree or not.

Today, toys like this can't be sold due to safety concerns, but the ‪‎NRA‬ would endorse it and the ad anyway under the guise of 2nd Amendment.

I know if I was a 9 year old boy 50 years ago, I'd want this under the tree and I'm sure my father would have been just as happy to make sure it was there.

Today, I still think it's cool but totally inappropriate for our times.


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The Home Of Santa Claus: Proof That Saint Nicholas Is Real!

A brief history of Saint Nicholas aka Santa Claus..

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Santa Claus's home traditionally includes a residence and a workshop where he creates - often with the aid of elves or other supernatural beings - the gifts he delivers to good children at Christmas. Some stories and legends include a village, inhabited by his helpers, surrounding his home and shop. 

In North American tradition (in the United States and Canada), Santa lives on the North Pole, which according to Canada Post lies within Canadian jurisdiction in postal code H0H 0H0 (a reference to "ho ho ho", Santa's notable saying, although postal codes starting with H are usually reserved for the island of Montreal in Québec). On December 23, 2008, Jason Kenney, Canada's minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, formally awarded Canadian citizenship status to Santa Claus. "The Government of Canada wishes Santa the very best in his Christmas Eve duties and wants to let him know that, as a Canadian citizen, he has the automatic right to re-enter Canada once his trip around the world is complete," Kenney said in an official statement. 

There is also a city named North Pole in Alaska where a tourist attraction known as the "Santa Claus House" has been established. The US postal service uses the city's zip code of 99705 as their advertised postal code for Santa Claus. A Wendy's in North Pole, AK has also claimed to have a "sleigh fly through". 

Each Nordic country claims Santa's residence to be within their territory. Norway claims he lives in Drøbak. In Denmark, he is said to live in Greenland (near Uummannaq). In Sweden, the town of Mora has a theme park named Tomteland. The national postal terminal in Tomteboda in Stockholm receives children's letters for Santa. In Finland, Korvatunturi in has long been known as Santa's home, and two theme parks, Santa Claus Village and Santa Park are located near Rovaniemi. 

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Sinterklaas. He was a 4th century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (now Demre) in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In continental Europe (more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany) he is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. In 1087, the Italian city of Bari, wanting to enter the profitable pilgrimage industry of the times, mounted an expedition to locate the tomb of the Christian Saint and procure his remains. The reliquary of St. Nicholas was desecrated by Italian sailors and the spoils, including his relics, taken to Bari where they are kept to this day. A basilica was constructed the same year to store the loot and the area became a pilgrimage site for the devout, thus justifying the economic cost of the expedition. Saint Nicholas was later claimed as a patron saint of many diverse groups, from archers, sailors, and children to pawnbrokers. He is also the patron saint of both Amsterdam and Moscow.

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and simply "Santa", is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric aspects who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24. The modern figure was derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, which, in turn, may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver Saint Nicholas. A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek and Byzantine folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.

Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots (images of him rarely have a beard with no moustache). This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" and of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast. This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, children's books and films. The North American depiction of Santa Claus as it developed in the 19th and 20th century in turn influenced the modern perceptions of Father Christmas, Sinterklaas and Saint Nicholas in European culture.

Let's Play In The Snow

Remember those days when you'd sit in school wishing for a snow day but had no idea what you'd do if you had the day off? Boy, those were the days.

Here's An Erpi Classroom Film produced by Encyclopedia Britannica Films, Inc., in collaboration with Lawrence E. Briggs, M.S., Massachusetts State College. It's a  little educational video (circa 1945) titled "Play In The Snow".  In the video, children enjoy winter sports, making a snow man, playing fox and geese, sledding and skiing.

It's astonishing to me that this video was made and shown to kids in the classroom. I mean, did kids nearly 70 years ago need to be shown how to dress properly and  how to spend a  fun filled day outside after it had snowed? If you told me that this film was made a few years ago to be shown to kids today, I'd  think it was a sad commentary on our youth but somewhat necessary.

I don't know if kids know what it's like to play outside all day after a snowstorm, they are such couch potatoes. It seems that they would much rather sit-in and play their Xbox or Play Station video games rather than go outside for any length of time and enjoy themselves.

It's a shame my friends and I had some great times back in the day enjoying our snow days. Maybe if some kids today watched this video in school it would inspire them to give it a try.

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Frisky Frolics

It's been a while since I've posted a cartoon but seeing as a snowstorm is heading our way, I figured why not post a nice wintry cartoon that would remind us of how fun it could be to frolic outside during winter.

Playing outside this time of year seems to be something that kids around here don't do much of anymore.

Day 1 of 12 Twelve Days of Christmas; Christmas with Abbott and Costello

Seeing how there hasn't been a whole lot of earth-shattering news or happenings going on around here lately, I've decided to post some fantastic filler for the next 12 (or so) days in celebration of Christmas.

My first day of Christmas posting is a clip from the old Colgate Comedy Hour which featured a classic bit from my all time favorite comedy team, Abbott & Costello.

What makes this clip so special is that it is one of the only times, that I can remember, where Budd Abbott gets the short end of the scam. It is really funny and will definitely put a smile on your face before heading out  to fight the Christmas shopping crowds. Enjoy!


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