9 Truly Upsetting Vintage Super Bowl Party Recipes
On Super Bowl day there are only two food groups: dips and grilled things.
Back in 1967, when the Super Bowl began, America was surfing a wave of convenience foods that put a new and gross twist on your favorite Game Day buffet foods. Here are the key 1960s dishes for your Super Bowl buffet:
1. Mustard "Dip." (1960s Rule: All Dips Must Be Molded.)
How 2 lousy inches of snow paralyzed a metro area of 6 million.
On Tuesday, snowfall of just over 2 inches shut down metropolitan Atlanta’s roads, schools, churches, government offices and businesses. Thousands of flights were cancelled at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. More than 2,000 school children were separated from their parents, and spent the night in buses, police stations, or classrooms. It seemed that the only places open were Waffle House and Home Depot, the former serving hash browns and coffee and the latter opening up its stores as makeshift shelters. People who didn’t camp out in supermarket aisles and hotel lobbies were trapped in cars for 10, 16, 20 hours as they tried to make commutes that normally take just 30 minutes.
Surely to everyone else in the world, the staggering sight of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States brought to a standstill by a few flurries seemed comical at first. Oh, those Southerners, they don’t know how to drive in the snow! Indeed, as I tried to get home from work Tuesday evening, my tires spinning uselessly in an icy patch just yards from Peachtree Street, a trio of tourists snapped camera-phone pictures and laughed. I’m sure my Honda’s enshrined on someone’s Facebook page with a witty caption. Inevitably, people began to compare the gridlocked cars heading out of downtown Atlanta to the Walking Dead poster, Southerners trapped by a “snowpocalypse” instead of the zombie variety.
But before nightfall, the situation in Atlanta had grown more tragic than comic. A baby was delivered by her father in a car on I-285, the “Perimeter” highway that circles the city. Parents en route to pick up kids dismissed from school early were stranded on highways. The Facebook group #SnowedOutAtlanta contained desperate pleas from moms trapped in frigid minivans with toddlers and adults worried about their elderly parents—stuck without medications.
What happened in Atlanta this week is not a matter of Southerners blindsided by unpredictable weather. More than any event I’ve witnessed in two decades of living in and writing about this city, this snowstorm underscores the horrible history of suburban sprawl in the United States and the bad political decisions that drive it. It tells us something not just about what’s wrong with one city in America today but what can happen when disaster strikes many places across the country. As with famines in foreign lands, it’s important to understand: It’s not an act of nature or God—this fiasco is manmade from start to finish. But to truly get what’s wrong with Atlanta today, you have to look at these four factors, decades in the making.
1. Atlanta, the city, should not be confused with Atlanta, the region.
Distinguishing between the city proper and the metro region is no semantic quibble. The city itself, population just over a half million, represents only a fraction of the metro’s 6 million residents. Kasim Reed, mayor of Atlanta, is the face you see on CNN and the guy called out by Al Roker, but he’s only one of more than 60 mayors of the towns and cities that make up the Atlanta region, which, depending on whose metric you use consists of 10, 15, or 28 counties (each with their own executive officers).
Metro Atlanta’s patchwork of local governments is rooted in early Georgia history; the state has more counties—159—than any other in the country, save Texas. But while other metro areas strove to consolidate city and county operations in the mid-to late twentieth century, Atlanta grew more balkanized. In the 1970s, while then-mayor Richard Lugar helped to consolidate Indianapolis with Marion County, creating Unigov and making Indianapolis one of the largest cities in the country, the city of Atlanta witnessed an exodus of 160,000 people. The white flight of the 1960s and 1970s, triggered by integration of schools and housing, was followed by reverse migration as blacks from the Northeast and Midwest returned to the Atlanta region but opted to move into the suburbs of DeKalb, Fulton and Clayton counties. Atlanta the city, became—and despite a slow uptick in population, remains—the commercial district to which people commute from Atlanta, the suburbs.
So on Tuesday, as schools, businesses and governments, announced plans to close early, everyone who works in Atlanta headed for the freeways to get home or collect their children. In a press conference Wednesday morning, Mayor Reed reported that one million vehicles were part of the mass exodus from downtown. We’re not morons, Northerners: The problem was not one of Southerners’ inability to drive on icy roads, but of too many cars headed for congested highways. And that brings us to the next history lesson.
2. Since the 1950s, the car—and the highway—has dominated Atlanta’s transportation system.
Between noon and 5 p.m. Tuesday, those million drivers headed for the “Downtown Connector,” the highway that bisects the heart of Atlanta, the city, and, ahem, connects its suburbs to the rest of the country. (If you’ve ever taken a road trip to Florida or the Georgia Coast, you’ve doubtless idled on the Connector.) Construction on this main artery, where interstates 75 and 85 converge as they pass through the city, began in the 1950s, and in the process tens of thousand of people were displaced and hundreds of residential acres bulldozed, further decreasing the density of the city’s population and triggering more sprawl to the suburbs. In the 1960s, Mayor Ivan Allen, who lured the Braves to Atlanta and is credited with helping the city navigate the tumult of the Civil Rights era, was not able to convince the region to support construction of a transit system. Highway construction, on the other hand, continued apace, abetted by construction-happy legislators.
3. The transit that eventually was built does not serve the whole region.
In the early 1970s, Atlanta finally got some transit. But the system that was created, MARTA (the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), serves only the city of Atlanta and the two counties in which its boundaries fall, DeKalb and Fulton. In 1965 and 1971 votes, residents of the other adjoining counties—Cobb, Clayton, and Gwinnett—rejected MARTA, with votes following racial lines. A 1971 compromise hammered out in the statehouse hamstrung the transit authority’s governance, restricting its use of income for operations and service, meaning that MARTA has not be able to add more service or increase frequency even as the region’s population has grown. In the 1990s alone, 650,000 people moved to metro Atlanta, most of them settling in the northern suburbs.
Ironically, as the metro area grew over the past three decades, those suburban counties have become more diverse, more crowded and more congested. But even if those new residents wanted to use MARTA, it wouldn’t be easy for them to do so. There are few connections between MARTA and systems such as Cobb County Community Transit (CCT), which mostly operates bus routes between major commercial centers in Cobb and the heart of downtown Atlanta. Among the stranded vehicles Tuesday were regional buses. Indeed, a CCT bus spun its tires right behind me, to the amusement of those tourists. Clayton County’s bus service was eliminated in 2010, a victim of the recession.
4. Metro voters rejected transit relief in a 2012 referendum.
In a rare showing of regional allegiance, local leaders supported a referendum on a special tax for transportation improvement, known as T-SPLOST, in July 2012. But voters, suspicious of the government’s ability to carry out the plans, rejected T-SPLOST resoundingly.
Christopher Leinberger of the Brookings Institution, who has studied Atlanta congestion and development for three decades, wrote in his 2013 report“The Walk-Up Wake-Up Call: Atlanta”:
“Given that Atlanta’s primary reason for economic success over the past 175 years has been as the transportation hub of the Southeast U.S., this lack of investment is disappointing. It is as if the reason for the region’s very existence, transportation, has been forgotten. The overwhelming loss of the July 2012 transportation ballot measure is just the latest example of turning a blind eye to the reason for Atlanta’s economic success.”
And that brings us back to Atlanta’s present snowbound state. There was no coordination around school closings, because there are more than two-dozen city and county school systems in “Atlanta.” There was little coordination between highway clearance and service to city streets because “Atlanta” is comprised of dozens of municipalities connected by state and federal highway systems. In one of the most surreal episodes today, Charley English, the head of the Georgia Emergency Management Association, asserted that gridlock wasn’t severe around 3 and 4 p.m. Tuesday, never mind that traffic maps glared red and motorists had already been sitting on freeways for hours at that time. Mayor Reed claimed that the city had done its part getting motorists out of downtown Atlanta, and that getting them the rest of the way home was up to the state. Gov. Nathan Deal, who outrageously called the storm “unexpected,”never mind weather reports warning of the snowfall, at his morning press conference of the relief that will come with a thaw. An act of God might have triggered the fiasco, but wishing for another one to bring it to an end is hardly leadership.
As a Walking Dead fan, I appreciate all those jokes on social media, but as an Atlantan, I’m concerned that this storm revealed just how unprepared we are in case of real disaster. If Atlanta, the region, wants to get serious about public safety, its mayors, county officials, and state officials will need to start practicing regionalism instead of paying lip service to it. And whether threatened by a dangerous pandemic, a major catastrophe, or just two inches of snow, we need to have ways to get around—and out of—the city other than by car.
The coolest lady I have ever had the pleasure to know just passed away.
My amazing, ornery, loving, bossy, beautiful, demanding Aunt Jean left this world.
Aunt Jean was an amazing lady, and a lady is absolutely what she was.
She lived in NYC for many years and after I moved there we would share stories.
Or rather, I would listen to her cool stories and realize mine paled in comparison
She worked in the Empire State Building in the secretary pool.
Yes!!! She worked in the secretary pool!!!
She would tell me about her tiny little apartment and her lovely dresses with matching gloves.
She often complained that "young people don't know how to dress these days".
She was right, some of the outfits she wore were stunning, just stunning.
In Atlanta she lived in another tiny little apartment at Peachtree Battle.
It had too much furniture, too many mirrors and more plants than should be allowed
in an apartment.
She had those old school cigarette holders and big table top lighters.
I always thought it was so glamorous.
Her husband Pat, built this amazing vanity for her with hot pink fabric and a big mirror. She had more lipstick and stinky perfume than any one woman would ever need.
She had this horrible cat named George.
George hated everyone and would hide in the hall closet.
He was a Siamese and had that awful, grating Siamese meow.
Creepy little cat.
My beautiful Aunt drank too much, smoked like a chimney, and loved people really, really hard.
I remember once she popped me in the mouth.
I deserved it, I was being a teenage smart ass and she reached across the back seat and smacked my lips with the back of her hand.
It didn't hurt but it did shock the hell out of me.
I knew to watch my mouth around Aunt Jean.
She did not take any crap.
She was a tough woman but she was also that one person that would never let you down.
She might yell at you and make you feel awful, but she was going to take care of you when you really needed it. No matter how bad things got, you always knew Aunt Jean would be there.
She was the true matriarch of our family and her absence is almost overwhelming.
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox, stick shift (for vehicles with hand-lever shifters) or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications. It uses a driver-operated clutch engaged and disengaged by a foot pedal (automobile) or hand lever (motorcycle), for regulating torque transfer from the engine to the transmission; and a gear stick operated by foot (motorcycle) or by hand (automobile). A conventional, 5-speed manual transmission is often the standard equipment in a base-model car; other options include automated transmissions such as an automatic transmission (often a manumatic), a semi-automatic transmission, or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
I am a proponent of boys night out (girls night out too, but these are two VERY different things)
I know many women think that when men get together it's all sex talk and boobs,
but I have found that its usually movie quotes, "smell my fart" jokes and ridiculous amounts of alcohol and whatever "that dude in the bathroom" has.
I don't say that to imply men are simple......but men can be simple when they are in a pack.
Ladies, this "lets get stinking drunk and act like animals" is a necessary thing for most men
and I think most women should never see it.
No woman wants to see the father of her children so drunk he can barley stand, can't form sentences,
may or may not be naked and could be covered in vomit and piss.
It happens.
Again, not all men partake to such an extent but I've seen it and it's not pretty.
My one rule about boy's night out is.......I don't want to know.
Basically, go out, do whatever crazy stuff you need to do, and don't call me.
If you get arrested, have bail money,
If the designated drive messes up, call a cab.
In other words, have fun, take care of your own, don't make it my problem.
Well last night
or I should more accurately say this morning, around 3:00am to be exact
I got a frantic phone call from one of my dear, dear friends.
She was panicked
(it was 3:00am so I was a bit panicked as well)
Apparently, husband was out with the boys,
designated driver/owner of car decided to get smashed and is now passed out.
Car is manual transmission.
REALLY
REALLY......NO ONE CAN DRIVE A STICK SHIFT!?!
Sidebar, My loving and super intelligent father insisted I learn to drive a stick shift. First three cars I owned were 5 speed. Actually the first new car I bought had to be special ordered because I wanted a manual transmission. I like them, they are fun to drive. Oh, and if you ever travel to another country......if you want an automatic, you are going to pay out the................
Any who.....by the time I got to Midway the car was 1/2 on the sidewalk 1/2 in the street with three guys and my dear friend standing there just staring at it. Owner of car was passed out in back seat
It was a sad sight.
I slowly got the car off the sidewalk, back on all four tires and piled the lot into the car.
Dear friend drove my car as the thought of having semi conscious, drunk, possibly vomit spewing men in my car was unacceptable.
All got home safe, little 5 speed probably needs to be aligned but no worse for the wear and I got to drive a manual :)
(it would have been better had it not been the wee small hours of the morning but what are you going to do)
I will be offering manual transmission driving lessons this weekend.
If you see a small silver golf around Metropolitan, expext delays and stalls at the red lights.
“If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.
Try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness, and loneliness they’re going through. Be there for them when they come through the other side. It’s hard to be a friend to someone who’s depressed, but it is one of the kindest, noblest, and best things you will ever do.”
It's National Hug Day
Ok well it's actually the end of National Hug Day
so get out there and annoy the hell out of all those people with touch phobias :D
National Hug Day or National Hugging Day is an annual unofficial event devised by Rev. Kevin Zaborney now residing in Caro, Michigan USA.[1][2] It occurs on January 21 but is not a public holiday. The day was launched on January 21, 1986 in Clio, Michigan, USA.[3] There are reports of it being marked in some other countries.[4][5] The idea of National Hug Day is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often.[1] Zaborney cautions to ask first if one is unsure of the response. Whether you hug a family member or a friend or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same.[6][7]
Kevin Zaborney is credited with coming up with the idea of National Hug Day in 1986. It was included in Chase's Calendar of Events; Zaborney's partner at the time was the granddaughter of the proprietors of the publication. He chose January 21 as it fell between the Christmas and New Year's Holidays and Valentine's Day, when he thought people are generally in low spirits.[1] Zaborney considered that "American society is embarrassed to show feelings in public" and hoped that a National Hugging Day would change that,[1]although he thought that his idea would fail.[2] A 2003 study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School found that American couples spend only one-third of the time touching that French couples spend.[8]
Studies have shown that human contact has many health benefits. It has been found that human contact improves both psychological and physical development.[9] Hugging can also help build a good immune system, decrease the risk of heart disease, and decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol in women.[4] It has been shown that a couple who hugs for 20 seconds has higher levels of oxytocin, and that those who were in a loving relationship exhibited a highest increase.[5] According to the American Psychosomatic Society, a hug or 10 minutes of holding hands with a romantic partner can help reduce stress, and its harmful physical effects.[8] In a study, adults who had no contact with people had higher blood pressure and heart rate.[8] Other studies have indicated that the touch of a friend might not be as helpful as the touch of a partner but should not be avoided.[8]
but, this past week has seen a little glimmer of hope.
members of my NYC family came to see me.
In the wee small hours of Jan 1, 2014 I made a sad and sobbing phone call to a member
of said family.
Make that a pathetic phone call......but unbeknownst to me I started a ball rolling.
Last Thursday, the talented, beautiful and truly, truly gifted Maureen flew to my fair city.
Two days later Chris, Masha, and my amazing 1st gay husband David showed up.
Chris, Masha and David were a complete and total surprise.
It brought on the ugly cry y'all.
Given the amazing disappointments of the past two weeks this was truly what the doctor ordered.
You know those people in your life that just get you.....
well these are those people.
I often feel like most people don't get me.
That has been truly magnified this past year.
Often when I speak I feel like people give me a "do you have eight heads or something" look.
but these people get me,
they get my humor, they get my sarcasm
they just get me and I love them.
I don't know if I will be able to recreate my little family of beautiful misfits here
but I will continue to search for local folk that "get me"
Atlanta has some great people and as much as I have tried to connect,
I have only found that level of comfort with one or two people.
but even that has been fleeting.......
So of course it must be global warming.
I know, I know, the ice caps are melting and WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!
Actually, we are all going to die but that's got nothing to do with the ice caps. Unless of course one falls on you, then it has everything to do with the ice caps but........wait.....I'm rambling
I know, it hasn't been this cold in 20 years
but 20 years is a blip,
it's like a blip inside a blip
it's like a dust particle on a flea inside a blip (that makes no sense but you get where I'm going)
20 years.......nothing.
The US has plunged into coldness
yes, it sucks
yes, every state except Hawaii was below freezing
yes, you should check on your neighbors and make sure old people and sick people
are ok.
That guy that you normally ignore at the entrance ramp with the sign, maybe throw him that change today.
It won't kill you, but not doing it today might kill him.
That being said, this is NOT UNPRECEDENTED.
It happened 20 years ago
it will probably happen again.
The great George Carlin said that maybe, just maybe
The big guy put us here to get plastic and ozone.
For all we know this pollution and smog is all part of "the plan".
My point is this, it is incredibly arrogant to think that WE can destroy the earth.
We may destroy it for our habitation but trust me, this little blue ball will
continue to bounce long after we are gone.
So put a scarf on, grab some gloves and hunker down,
it will be 100 degrees before we know it
(and then we can all bitch about that)
The 22 sexiest alpaca hairstyles ever. They probably are more stylish than most of us
If there was a prize for the stylish animal species in the world there’s no doubt alpacas would be the winners. If you don’t agree with us just wait to see the photos featured in this post and we are sure you will change idea.
We don’t know the reason why these funny animals have such amazing hairstyles, but the fact is that every single alpaca is combed in a different way.
Aren’t you envious of their amazing hair? If you like this post, don’t be selfish, share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.
