Hootinger

Who was the physics guy on PBS? Julius Sumner Miller or something?

lol no. Glad to find out this is universal

Agreed. I stopped drinking and I actually have good sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

I used to make fun of red dog so much. Thanks for bringing back that memory. lol

When I started college I wanted to get my PhD and be a history professors. It is what Ive wanted to do since like middle school. In undergrad, we were told that this is a great path and all the boomer profs would retire soon and we can basically pick where we want to work. Well, three things happened..... 1. The great recession caused a HUGE decrease in professorships available for the humanities and social sciences. = fewer jobs 2. The Boomers did not retire. = fewer jobs 3. The advent of online / virtual classrooms meant you didnt need as many profs to teach intro courses (you become basically tech support for the Blackboard page). = fewer jobs I dont think, maybe, 1 or 2 people in my graduate cohort ever made it to academia beyond part time/per course adjuncts at community college. I have a low of friends who are much smarter, better organized, etc. than me who work in dead end fields while I somehow made it work. I do feel guilty, yes.

I used to call the book "Island of the Blue Buttholes." That has nothing to do with the conversation, but I felt it needed to be shared.

Thanks, much appreciated. I've found that not having an account works for me and I am much happier without it. Whenever I did something or went somewhere, I always felt pressure to take a great picture for facebook or have some witty comment to post. I dont think about that now and I can be more present. I know that isnt the case for everyone, so Im not looking down at those who maintain a social media presence, but it was for me.

I mean, yeah that would be smart. I added them early on into facebook. We are the same age, went to the same college, and had mutual friends.

I deleted my account in June of 2020 and never looked back. There were a lot of factors why, but to be honest, the main reason is that I was about to get a promotion at work. The previous manager was fired due to making inappropriate jokes or comments.  I was told I was being promoted to fill her roll. The thing is, her husband still worked at the company and I was Facebook friends with him. Once it was announced I got his wife's job, he could easily go through the last 15 years of my Facebook history and find some dumb joke I made. He and his wife are the type of people to do that Anyways, reddit is the only social media that I have. 

I am on the state public emoloyss retirement system. I expect that to be gutted and then I work til I die. 

That koala show was on Nickelodeon I believe. 

Yep. Those are my shoes. They are even laced correctly (with the laces going straight across).

It was the best Earth Day park cleanup ever!!!!

Lol! I forgot about that one. Too funny.

All were great. I thought Harvey was the most clever.

Same. Flew too close to the sun. It cost me health-wise. I am in a much better place now.

2001 was the first class of the new millennium as there was no Year 0.

I do not. I have really nothing in common with the younger millennials.

Which one had the Mormon girl that everyone hated?

Works hangovers ever are not from alcohol, but eating fast food.

Team Ladybug

We ironically want to save the world, irl.

I can kinda explain that one. The origin of Aladdin and genie stuff is from Middle East folklore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One\_Thousand\_and\_One\_Nights). The same genre that has genies also had the story of Sinbad the Sailor. Though not as prominent in western stories, there were still cartoons and references to it during the time we grew up (case in point: The Beastie Boys included shout-outs to Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves in the title track on License to Ill). As a result, our brains made a connection between Sinbad and genies. This subconscious connection was made more apparent as Disney's Aladdin and the comedian Sinbad gained popularity around the same time. We naturally associated the two together without knowing it.

I knew Mandela did not die in prison because in 3rd grade, a kid beat me in a speech contest by doing a report on Nelson Mandela, who had been released from prison just prior to the contest. I did my report on Jim Abbott who was an MLB pitcher with only one hand. Anyone can sit in a prison cell for 27 years, but I would like to see Mandela throw a no-hitter with only one hand. >:( Anyway, the fruit of the loom absolutely had a cornucopia.

Same

Totally random, but is this in Fairborn, Ohio?

My McDonalds, in the middle of nowhere, used to have Normal Rockwell prints on the wall. Now it looks like some death cube.

I stopped listening to music at 17 in 1999. I have exclusively listened to NPR since then (sometimes Catholic radio or ESPN, but about 90% NPR).

History squad in full effect

Same. Got advanced degrees in history. I now do data analytics.

I knew that the Haitians in Springfield were not eating any cats and/or dogs. They do have a decent restaurant in town.

We are the generation that knows what Inspect Element does.

Second place was Space Camp, or something. Third was the board game....and shame.

Oh no.....looks like the cartoon intro had the WTC. The feels are too much right now :( https://preview.redd.it/biiqhp95r3kg1.jpeg?width=1117&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a258037a10fe70e4da09f1529f1a4d4785c5c98

I forgot about it until yesterday. I honestly don't care. It used to be like a big social event, but I don't know anyone in our age cohort who really cares. 

You described exactly where I live and grew up. One thing I found out is that you can be a stale blob regardless of where you live or move to. If you move across the country, your fresh start and chance to grow will still count on your getting out the door and doing stuff. The only difference is that, when you move, you have to memorize a new set of names and street directions. I found that I changed myself while still living in the bar/church midwestern town. I thought if I moved somewhere, I would still just drink a couple times a week and scroll through social media, the only difference is the zip code change. So, I did the 90s thing and "became the change I wanted to see in the world." I dropped all social media (except reddit, obv). I stopped drinking booze because it made me fat and lazy. I started working out and eating better. I got involved in more stuff (book clubs, church groups). I started volunteering (I donate blood every week). I attend some cool lectures and performances at the arts center. I learned a new field (data analytics...I suck ass at it, but I am learning). I can honestly say that I do not have the mid-life crisis stuff. I feel more complete from these changes. It may not work for you, it's just what worked for me.

* The $1 hair gel from Kohls. * The candle place at the mall. * The incense that everyone had.

I gave up alcohol on NYE. It has done nothing for me but cause problems. I am about the same age as your cousin. I am so sorry. Thank you for posting this.

I have a young adult child who is bipolar and schizo-effective, he went off his medication and became and violent drug addict. My mid life crisis has been navigating that, which has destroyed our life savings and left my spouse and I broken as people. I lost my job, developed an ulcer-like infection in the colon, and my wife became suicidal and had to be committed. Still.....I would not trade that experience for a Corvette. They are such cringy cars.

I came from the most normal working class background you can think of. Nothing special or notable. One buddy is a now a Colonel in USAF. Another is a city manager for a major US city. I am a director of a large nonprofit. I still feel like the same 17 year old driving my mom's mini van.

I was the target of bullying at my school from 6th grade until about junior year. It sucked. About 6th grade, where kids turn to assholes, I became *the* target of the bullies in my grade. It would start on the bus ride to school and would end when I got off the bus--it was like running the gauntlet. At middle school I remember being spit on, punch, tripped, strangled until I almsot passed out becuase I messed up a dodge ball, having my homework taken from me. Just about anything you can think of. I had literally zero friends and spent every weekend alone. This was at a time, at least at my school, where if you were bullied the teachers treated it like you deserved it. The teachers would chime in and refer to me as a rude nickname the bullies used, or they would make fun of me as well. This reinforced with the kids that I was a legitimate target. My grades dropped and I started to withdraw from everything. My parents got upset with me, yelling "why cant you be more like the 'Smith' boys? Do you think 'Mrs. Smith' has to put up with this from her sons?" The 'Smiths' where two of the ring leader bullies. Having you own mother take the side of your tormentors really hurt. I tried telling my parents about the bullying, but my mom just made fun of me for it and started mockingly singing this nursery rhyme song making fun of me. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TmHFMlFGao](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TmHFMlFGao) . I tried to kill myself, but I could never follow through with drowning myself in the bathtub---which was the only way I knew how to do it at 13 years old. I knew that sports was a way people made friends and got respect. So I tried out for the soccer and track team. I was treated like a piece of shit for wanting to be on the team and showing up every day and doing my best. There was no Rudy moment where I won the respect of anyone. I did make one friend, but then the other guys approached him and said "dont be friends with Hootinger, we dont like him." He told me this and stopped hanging out with me. This is a part of bullying people dont talk about. Once you are branded with the scarlet letter of loser, no one will want to show you any empathy or kindness, less they themselves then become the target of bullying. You are totally alone. Even the people who dont join in want nothing to do with you. This continued to high school. Around Freshman/Sophomore year my mom was at the grocery store and saw a kid working there who was my age. She asked, "Oh do you know Hootinger." Apparently the kid said "yeah...he's gay," which meant dumb or stupid at the time. My mom though I was a homosexual (I was not) and started asking my sister's friends (who were popular) if I was gay. Of course that took about 2 seconds to spread throughout the school. I do not come from an open and accepting area. Everyone doubled down on the bullying because my own mother started a rumor that I was gay. I tried to deny it, but they said to stop lying because my mom told them. Do you know what it is like to be bullied for being gay when you are, in fact, not gay? This hell went on until the summer of sophomore/junior year. The four ring leader bullies went joyriding in their dad's car and crashed into a tree and burned to death. The entire community was mortified. I still remember attending their memorial service in the school gym when all the teachers talked about how wonderful they were. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These people were fucking monsters who made me want to kill myself. At the time, I was honestly relieved they were dead. I know that sounds bad, but I was happy they were gone as they physically, mentally, and emotionally tortured me. Really now, even today as I think about this, I dont have negative thoughts about their deaths. I know that sounds wrong, but I just dont. After their death the bullying pretty much stopped. The instigators were dead and there was no reason to waste time and energy on me. I still didn't have any friends, but at least I was left alone. Honestly, the entire ordeal has left me a broken person. I have no self esteem, self worth, I cant stand up for myself, I am not assertive or a leader. I ended up in relationships that were abusive or I had girlfriends cheat on me. People do not respect me, and I cant blame them because I cant really respect myself. Ive tried working on these sissues as they have held me back personally and professionally. Its like telling someone with broken legs to run a marathon. I can't do those things because this has left me with deep and everlasting scars. TL/DR: 0/10 I do not recommend.

Same

It was impossible to keep the gear (saddles, etc) on the towns. They kept falling off. I stepped on the triceratops once and punctured a hole in my foot :O

I never made it past the new Orleans level

I beat that level, but it didn't make me a better person. I am still broken from the struggle. 

I dont know, man. I drank water all the time. I never really drank pop until graduate school. I hated the taste of it. The only one I could stand was Sprite. Basically I was black coffee and water until I was like 23-ish

You used to be able to walk down the sidewalk, or through a parking lot, and find tons of loose change. It would fall out of peoples pockets from they removed their keys, etc. You could then use that money to buy junk food. People dont carry cash anymore, so that is kinda gone with the wind.

You down with OPP?

Dang. I might have that right now :(

I did a lot in high school because I thought that is what college kids listened to on their cool college radio stations. I ended up going to a couple of concerts of his (one in Cincy and other in Ceveland). It was alright. I still sorta listened to them in college but I wasnt as into them as I had been in high school. I do remember when the album Busted Stuff came out in 2002/3. I was listening to it and there was a lyric like "I dream myself a thousand times around the world...but I can't get out of this place." It was like some 'aha-moment' and made me realize that the relationship I was toxic and abusive (physically and emotionally), and that I could change that. I was able to use the courage from that song, knowing that I could control my own happiness, to get out of that situation. I did, and then four months later met the person I would eventually marry. Thanks, Dave!