CigarBanter

Cigar Banter => Daily Cigar Deals Discussion => Topic started by: CigarBanter on July 08, 2025, 12:36:14 AM

Title: 7/8/2025
Post by: CigarBanter on July 08, 2025, 12:36:14 AM
Happy Tuesday! In between insults we'll occasionally discuss cigars.  Join in and perhaps learn something along the way. Warning: don't proceed if you have thin skin but don't be afraid to post either... And welcome aboard!
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 06:00:39 AM
Morning, twofers.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 06:01:55 AM
Joe:

Door #1 - Oliva 10-Cigar Sampler - 10/37.50
    2 - Oliva Serie 'O' Robusto (5" x 50)
    2 - Oliva Master Blends III Robusto (5" x 50)
    2 - Oliva Serie 'G' Robusto (4.5" x 50)
    2 - Oliva Serie 'G' Robusto Maduro (4.5" x 50)
    2 - Oliva Connecticut Reserve Robusto (5" x 50)

Door #2 - Nub 460 Maduro - 10/44.99
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 06:02:57 AM
Sis:

Door #1 - Graycliff Double Espresso Series (Robusto) - 15/69.99

Door #2 - Nica Libre Toro - 10/29.99

Door #3 - H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez (Toro) - 5/29.99
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 07:00:02 AM
Morning, twofers.
Good morning, DaveDave.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 07:02:18 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 07:42:47 AM
That was a streak buster for sure.

Wordle 1,480 6/6

⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛🟩⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 07:42:50 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 07:43:31 AM
Wordle 1,480 4/6*

⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟨🟨🟨⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 07:56:55 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 07:59:10 AM
Wordle 1,480 4/6*

⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟨🟨🟨⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
You made me look stupid on this one. I actually had two words to choose from (as far as I could think of) on that last attempt, and I guessed correctly.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 08:04:05 AM
I know that I must have gotten some sleep last night, but it seemed like I was awake several times each hour. I'm not feeling at all rested. That's unusual for me. I'm ok with 4-5 hours, but there's usually no waking up in between.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 08:13:06 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
I've said the same thing about laundry. I have no idea how we got it all done before.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 08:16:20 AM
Wordle 1,480 4/6*

⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟨🟨🟨⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
You made me look stupid on this one. I actually had two words to choose from (as far as I could think of) on that last attempt, and I guessed correctly.
I didn't have many options left by time I got to the 4th guess. Looks like there were 7 possibilities, and 2 of them I've never heard before.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 08:19:13 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
I've said the same thing about laundry. I have no idea how we got it all done before.
I'm pretty sure that previous generations got more wearings between washings. They definitely had less clothing too. I love an older house with charm, but the closet space is always lacking.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 08:30:05 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
I've said the same thing about laundry. I have no idea how we got it all done before.
I'm pretty sure that previous generations got more wearings between washings. They definitely had less clothing too. I love an older house with charm, but the closet space is always lacking.
It's the towels for me. I'm washing towels every other day. In my heart, I know I'll miss the kids when they finally move out. But in my head, I'm just thinking about the washer/dryer and the dishwasher finally getting a break. :D
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 08:34:37 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
I've said the same thing about laundry. I have no idea how we got it all done before.
I'm pretty sure that previous generations got more wearings between washings. They definitely had less clothing too. I love an older house with charm, but the closet space is always lacking.
It's the towels for me. I'm washing towels every other day. In my heart, I know I'll miss the kids when they finally move out. But in my head, I'm just thinking about the washer/dryer and the dishwasher finally getting a break. :D
I don't think previous generations bathed as often either.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 08:50:42 AM
Wordle 1,480 4/6*

⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟨🟨🟨⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
You made me look stupid on this one. I actually had two words to choose from (as far as I could think of) on that last attempt, and I guessed correctly.
I didn't have many options left by time I got to the 4th guess. Looks like there were 7 possibilities, and 2 of them I've never heard before.
I've never looked it up before, but that was kinda cool. What I learned is that I actually still had 6 possible choices when I took my final attempt, and I didn't know three of those words.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 08:52:28 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
I've said the same thing about laundry. I have no idea how we got it all done before.
I'm pretty sure that previous generations got more wearings between washings. They definitely had less clothing too. I love an older house with charm, but the closet space is always lacking.
It's the towels for me. I'm washing towels every other day. In my heart, I know I'll miss the kids when they finally move out. But in my head, I'm just thinking about the washer/dryer and the dishwasher finally getting a break. :D
I don't think previous generations bathed as often either.
Ours didn't bathe every day when they were little, but now that they're teenagers, damn. Towels, towels everywhere!
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 09:05:46 AM
Samplers and 5ers galore at the Page today:

https://www.cigarpage.com/post-freedom-week-summer-snackables.html
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 09:17:46 AM
Good morning Tony and Dave.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 09:19:05 AM
Good morning Tony and Dave.
Morning, TripleDigitsDave.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 09:29:19 AM
Today is Tuesday, July 8, the 189th day of 2025
with 176 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus. Evening stars are Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Venus.



On this date in history:


In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read in public for the first time, to people gathered at Philadelphia's Independence Square.

In 1835, the Liberty Bell cracked while being rung during the funeral of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in Philadelphia.

In 1909, the Wright Brothers demonstrated their airplane for an enthusiastic crowd at Fort Myer, Virginia.

In 1950, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur was designated commander of U.N. forces in Korea.

In 1951, Paris celebrated its 2,000th birthday. The city was founded sometime around 250 A.D. by a Gallic tribe known as the Parisii.

In 1969, U.S. troops began withdrawing from Vietnam.

In 1991, Yugoslav leaders signed an accord calling for an internationally observed cease-fire in Slovenia and Croatia.

In 1994, North Korean President Kim Il Sung died at age 82. He had led the country since its founding in 1948.

In 2009, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, benefiting from a robust economy, was easily re-elected.

In 2010, a French surgeon said he had performed the first successful transplant of a complete face, giving a 35-year-old disfigured man every feature, including tear ducts.

In 2011, space shuttle Atlantis began the 135th and final mission of the U.S. space shuttle program that started in 1981, a two-week voyage to the International Space Station with a cargo of supplies and spare parts.

In 2014, in an escalating conflict, Israeli airstrikes pounded the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and rockets were fired at Israel. A statement from the military said the strikes were made to "stop the terror Israel's citizens face on a daily basis." The airstrikes began a 50-day war between the two sides.

In 2019, the so-called "Terminator" of the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- Bosco Ntaganda -- was found guilty of war crimes by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands.

In 2022, Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister who retired from office in 2020 after a bout of health problems, was shot dead at a train station while making a campaign speech for a parliamentary candidate.

In 2024, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in southeast Texas as a Category 1 storm. The storm was responsible for more than 70 deaths after slamming parts of the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula and the United States.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 09:32:37 AM
Today's Birthdays

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include:

artist Artemisia Gentileschi in 1593;
inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1838;
musician Billy Eckstine in 1914;
chemist John Pemberton in 1936;
oil magnate John D. Rockefeller in 1839;
U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller in 1908;
actor Marty Feldman in 1934;
actor Jeffrey Tambor in 1944 (age 81);
musician John Lee "Jaimoe" Johnson (Allman Brothers Band) in 1944 (age 81);
ballet dancer Cynthia Gregory in 1946 (age 79);
actor Kim Darby in 1947 (age 78);
musician Raffi Cavoukian in 1948 (age 77);
chef Wolfgang Puck in 1949 (age 76);
actor Anjelica Huston in 1951 (age 74);
writer Anna Quindlen in 1953 (age 72);
actor Kevin Bacon in 1958 (age 67);
actor Robert Knepper in 1959 (age 66);
musician Toby Keith in 1961;
musician Joan Osborne in 1962 (age 63);
actor Rocky Carroll in 1963 (age 62);
actor Billy Crudup in 1968 (age 57);
actor Michael Weatherly in 1968 (age 57);
musician Beck Hansen in 1970 (age 55);
comedian Sebastian Maniscalco in 1973 (age 52);
actor Alfredo Narciso in 1973 (age 52);
actor Milo Ventimiglia in 1977 (age 48);
actor Lance Gross in 1981 (age 44);
actor Sophia Bush in 1982 (age 43);
musician Jamie Cook (Arctic Monkeys) in 1985 (age 40);
actor Jake McDorman in 1986 (age 39);
actor Jamie Blackley in 1991 (age 34);
actor/musician Maya Hawke in 1998 (age 27);
actor/musician Jaden Smith in 1998 (age 27).

Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 09:41:04 AM
Today's Over/Under is 11
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: razgueado on July 08, 2025, 09:48:29 AM
Morning, muchachos.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: razgueado on July 08, 2025, 09:51:28 AM
Today's Birthdays

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include:

artist Artemisia Gentileschi in 1593;
inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1838;
musician Billy Eckstine in 1914;
chemist John Pemberton in 1936;
oil magnate John D. Rockefeller in 1839;
U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller in 1908;
actor Marty Feldman in 1934;
actor Jeffrey Tambor in 1944 (age 81);

musician John Lee "Jaimoe" Johnson (Allman Brothers Band) in 1944 (age 81);
ballet dancer Cynthia Gregory in 1946 (age 79);
actor Kim Darby in 1947 (age 78);
musician Raffi Cavoukian in 1948 (age 77);
chef Wolfgang Puck in 1949 (age 76);
actor Anjelica Huston in 1951 (age 74);
writer Anna Quindlen in 1953 (age 72);
actor Kevin Bacon in 1958 (age 67);
actor Robert Knepper in 1959 (age 66);
musician Toby Keith in 1961;
musician Joan Osborne in 1962 (age 63);

actor Rocky Carroll in 1963 (age 62);
actor Billy Crudup in 1968 (age 57);
actor Michael Weatherly in 1968 (age 57);
musician Beck Hansen in 1970 (age 55);
comedian Sebastian Maniscalco in 1973 (age 52);
actor Alfredo Narciso in 1973 (age 52);
actor Milo Ventimiglia in 1977 (age 48);
actor Lance Gross in 1981 (age 44);
actor Sophia Bush in 1982 (age 43);
musician Jamie Cook (Arctic Monkeys) in 1985 (age 40);
actor Jake McDorman in 1986 (age 39);
actor Jamie Blackley in 1991 (age 34);
actor/musician Maya Hawke in 1998 (age 27);
actor/musician Jaden Smith in 1998 (age 27).
Twelve
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: razgueado on July 08, 2025, 10:12:40 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
They pay an insane amount for daycare.  Or they don't have kids, which is built into the theories of economic development - developed nations produce fewer children.

Personally, I married a teacher, and we didn't rush to have kids.  We both came from conventional sole-breadwinner, nuclear family homes.  We didn't start having kids until we'd been married seven years, I had a career established, and we'd bought a house.  So she had the option of being a stay-at-home mom, which she exercised.  That decision obviously reduced the household income, which we're still having to make up, but we also didn't have to pay for daycare, and in fact Carol generated some income and tax advantages by providing daycare for other families in the neighborhood.

But that started 36 years ago, and things have significantly changed, which worries us for our sons. 
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 10:15:56 AM
Today's Over/Under is 11
9
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 10:16:45 AM
Morning, muchachos.
Morning, Page2Raz.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 10:21:39 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
They pay an insane amount for daycare.  Or they don't have kids, which is built into the theories of economic development - developed nations produce fewer children.

Personally, I married a teacher, and we didn't rush to have kids.  We both came from conventional sole-breadwinner, nuclear family homes.  We didn't start having kids until we'd been married seven years, I had a career established, and we'd bought a house.  So she had the option of being a stay-at-home mom, which she exercised.  That decision obviously reduced the household income, which we're still having to make up, but we also didn't have to pay for daycare, and in fact Carol generated some income and tax advantages by providing daycare for other families in the neighborhood.

But that started 36 years ago, and things have significantly changed, which worries us for our sons.
Yeah, things are just a little different these days. :D
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 10:25:03 AM
But things aren't all bad these days. Apparently, TSA will no longer require you to remove your shoes when going through security.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 10:41:19 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
They pay an insane amount for daycare.  Or they don't have kids, which is built into the theories of economic development - developed nations produce fewer children.

Personally, I married a teacher, and we didn't rush to have kids.  We both came from conventional sole-breadwinner, nuclear family homes.  We didn't start having kids until we'd been married seven years, I had a career established, and we'd bought a house.  So she had the option of being a stay-at-home mom, which she exercised.  That decision obviously reduced the household income, which we're still having to make up, but we also didn't have to pay for daycare, and in fact Carol generated some income and tax advantages by providing daycare for other families in the neighborhood.

But that started 36 years ago, and things have significantly changed, which worries us for our sons.
Yeah, things are just a little different these days. :D
True, different is the key word.  Used to be there were a network of many stay at home moms so they could relieve each other and cover for transportation, Dr. visits, whatever.  Now stay at home moms are mostly isolated, have to be a babysitter full time and take care of all that outside stuff on their own so not such a good deal. As kids, we used to disappear first thing in the morning, hang with all the other kids all day.  Crash at one house for lunch and be home for dinner and noone worried.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 10:45:46 AM
Page 3

Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 10:46:04 AM
and...
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 11:13:17 AM
And the start of Amazon Prime days.... >:(
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 11:14:37 AM
...and a page 3 lull?
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: razgueado on July 08, 2025, 11:24:40 AM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
They pay an insane amount for daycare.  Or they don't have kids, which is built into the theories of economic development - developed nations produce fewer children.

Personally, I married a teacher, and we didn't rush to have kids.  We both came from conventional sole-breadwinner, nuclear family homes.  We didn't start having kids until we'd been married seven years, I had a career established, and we'd bought a house.  So she had the option of being a stay-at-home mom, which she exercised.  That decision obviously reduced the household income, which we're still having to make up, but we also didn't have to pay for daycare, and in fact Carol generated some income and tax advantages by providing daycare for other families in the neighborhood.

But that started 36 years ago, and things have significantly changed, which worries us for our sons.
Yeah, things are just a little different these days. :D
True, different is the key word.  Used to be there were a network of many stay at home moms so they could relieve each other and cover for transportation, Dr. visits, whatever.  Now stay at home moms are mostly isolated, have to be a babysitter full time and take care of all that outside stuff on their own so not such a good deal. As kids, we used to disappear first thing in the morning, hang with all the other kids all day.  Crash at one house for lunch and be home for dinner and noone worried.
That time had already passed by 1996 when #1 son was born. Carol never really had a network of other moms, but did have her mother in the first few years, then we moved close to my clan when Christian was 4.

But yes, we had an advantage in that Carol was a degreed teacher, with special certifications in literacy, assessment, and special education. And I worked in tech and frequently taught university and private classes, so there was always advanced computing capacity at home. So while I was usually away from home 10-12 hours a day, Carol could substitute educational activities and organized outings for the kind of running free all day that she and I grew up doing. And in truth, such running free landed me in some sketchy situations in middle school that, but for the grace of God could have altered my life for the worst, so we never intended to let our kids be far from watchful eyes.

Yes, economics have changed, but it IS still possible to do what we did. It's just that in these days of easy credit, people don't want to make those choices. I haven't bought a new vehicle since before I was married, and there were significant periods of time where Carol and I shared one vehicle. I've only owned two homes, neither of which was remotely "requisite" for my income level. I had to be creative about financing to buy the first house, and rely on family connections for the second. I started a business and was successful at it until the tech bubble burst in 2002, then had to go through bankruptcy and start over. I had to sacrifice income potential and endure long commutes for the sake of stability. After bankruptcy, I was forced to learn to live within my means. And I married very, very carefully, after having carefully considered what I wanted from a life partner, and listened to my mother, before I encountered Carol. And then I had to make my marriage work, learn to negotiate, because divorce is financially debilitating, and would have been frowned upon by my family. Besides, if you think marriage is difficult and time-consuming, try divorce and co-parenting.

Modern life, even before I married in 1989, had cultivated the myth of living in the moment and the illusion that it could be afforded. The cost was debt, and the breakdown of family connections - clan - that were historically indispensable. People have lost the motivation to think in terms of sacrifice and obligation, and now they smugly say, "that's just not possible anymore." But it is. It's just hard. And it was always hard.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: razgueado on July 08, 2025, 12:24:11 PM
...and a page 3 lull?
Yeah, yeah.

What were you saying?
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 12:39:23 PM
Connections
Puzzle #758
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟩🟪🟪
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟩🟩🟩🟩
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 12:40:46 PM
 Connections: Sports Edition
 Puzzle #288
 🟡🟡🟡🟡
 🔵🔵🔵🔵
 🟢🟢🟢🟢
 🟣🟣🟣🟣
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 02:18:05 PM
Almost time to log off, which means it's almost time for some Ubering. Hazzuh!
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 04:28:03 PM
Busy day ahead. Just completed my first round of ubering. With all the back and forth, I'm just assuming most school districts prefer their parents unemployed.
It's the only thing that makes sense sometimes.
I really don't understand what people do that don't work from home or have that kind of flexibility.
They pay an insane amount for daycare.  Or they don't have kids, which is built into the theories of economic development - developed nations produce fewer children.

Personally, I married a teacher, and we didn't rush to have kids.  We both came from conventional sole-breadwinner, nuclear family homes.  We didn't start having kids until we'd been married seven years, I had a career established, and we'd bought a house.  So she had the option of being a stay-at-home mom, which she exercised.  That decision obviously reduced the household income, which we're still having to make up, but we also didn't have to pay for daycare, and in fact Carol generated some income and tax advantages by providing daycare for other families in the neighborhood.

But that started 36 years ago, and things have significantly changed, which worries us for our sons.
Yeah, things are just a little different these days. :D
True, different is the key word.  Used to be there were a network of many stay at home moms so they could relieve each other and cover for transportation, Dr. visits, whatever.  Now stay at home moms are mostly isolated, have to be a babysitter full time and take care of all that outside stuff on their own so not such a good deal. As kids, we used to disappear first thing in the morning, hang with all the other kids all day.  Crash at one house for lunch and be home for dinner and noone worried.
That time had already passed by 1996 when #1 son was born. Carol never really had a network of other moms, but did have her mother in the first few years, then we moved close to my clan when Christian was 4.

But yes, we had an advantage in that Carol was a degreed teacher, with special certifications in literacy, assessment, and special education. And I worked in tech and frequently taught university and private classes, so there was always advanced computing capacity at home. So while I was usually away from home 10-12 hours a day, Carol could substitute educational activities and organized outings for the kind of running free all day that she and I grew up doing. And in truth, such running free landed me in some sketchy situations in middle school that, but for the grace of God could have altered my life for the worst, so we never intended to let our kids be far from watchful eyes.

Yes, economics have changed, but it IS still possible to do what we did. It's just that in these days of easy credit, people don't want to make those choices. I haven't bought a new vehicle since before I was married, and there were significant periods of time where Carol and I shared one vehicle. I've only owned two homes, neither of which was remotely "requisite" for my income level. I had to be creative about financing to buy the first house, and rely on family connections for the second. I started a business and was successful at it until the tech bubble burst in 2002, then had to go through bankruptcy and start over. I had to sacrifice income potential and endure long commutes for the sake of stability. After bankruptcy, I was forced to learn to live within my means. And I married very, very carefully, after having carefully considered what I wanted from a life partner, and listened to my mother, before I encountered Carol. And then I had to make my marriage work, learn to negotiate, because divorce is financially debilitating, and would have been frowned upon by my family. Besides, if you think marriage is difficult and time-consuming, try divorce and co-parenting.

Modern life, even before I married in 1989, had cultivated the myth of living in the moment and the illusion that it could be afforded. The cost was debt, and the breakdown of family connections - clan - that were historically indispensable. People have lost the motivation to think in terms of sacrifice and obligation, and now they smugly say, "that's just not possible anymore." But it is. It's just hard. And it was always hard.
I very much appreciate the quality banter, but I'll admit that I had to go back to see what the original topic was.

And with all that said, I had to quit working for the day to bring Joseph to his baseball game.

I'll be sitting in the +93° for the next couple of hours.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 09:30:04 PM
 Connections: Sports Edition
 Puzzle #288
 🔵🟢🔵🔵
 🔵🟣🔵🔵
 🟡🟡🟡🟡
 🟢🟢🟢🟢
 🟣🟣🟣🟣
 🔵🔵🔵🔵
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 09:35:19 PM
Connections
Puzzle #758
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟪🟪🟪🟪
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 09:49:35 PM
Tony, how was the ballgame?
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 10:00:42 PM
Many extras

Strands #492
“So extra”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 10:07:21 PM
Ironically, many many extras on this puzzle.

Strands #492
“So extra”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵🔵
🔵
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: A Friend of Charlie on July 08, 2025, 10:08:14 PM
Tony, how was the ballgame?
They were pretty evenly matched but the good guys won.
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: LuvTooGolf on July 08, 2025, 10:16:21 PM
Tony, how was the ballgame?
They were pretty evenly matched but the good guys won.
Boom!
Title: Re: 7/8/2025
Post by: Travellin Dave on July 08, 2025, 11:45:37 PM
Tony, how was the ballgame?
They were pretty evenly matched but the good guys won.
So which team was it?   :P ;D