Sorry, guys, work and family precluded an original story in this slot, but I did want to relate the true story of what a former coworker of mine in Tallahassee called “The Redneck Bar Mitzvah”.
Just south of Tallahassee lies one of the largest by volume natural springs in the United States – Wakulla Springs has a flow rate of 200-300 million gallons per day. It has played the backdrop to several Tarzan films, Gene Hackman’s Night Moves, and the great creature feature Creature from the Black Lagoon.
In the swimming area around the springs, which are pretty deep (over 100 feet in some places), there is a diving tower, the high platform being 22 feet above the surface. When a North Florida Boy is ready to signal his journey to manhood has started, he gathers his courage and makes the leap – hopefully not belly-flopping – in front of all his friends and family.
After this, the young man is, of course, expected to begin doing extremely stupid things on ATVs, boats, and other motorized craft. He may or may not begin to make poor decisions in his interaction with local law enforcement. Each young man’s journey is different, but they start here.
whaddup doh’
TEDs’ PLAYED A HIT
I always play good music.
No biggie, now I have time to write pt 2
There are the quarries near Bloomington, IN, where folk do the same. It’s apparently quite popular, but it never came up among my crew so I’ve never been. IIRC, some of ’em are 20-50 feet deep, and likely several deeper. [looks it up] Well. I was technically correct. So, go me!
“Limestone quarries in the Bloomington, Indiana area commonly reach depths of 90 feet or more below the surface, as the Salem Limestone formation extends to significant depths.”
Fun fact I remember, the Washington and Lincoln Memorials are built from Indiana limestone.
Think about it.
Not seen Breaking Away?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078902
+1 cutters
That’s such a great movie that’s never on cable for some reason.
I *have* seen it cable and not too long ago*. I don’t remember which channel.
I wasn’t even following it closely but I do want to catch it again – looks good.
*The definition of this is more flexible than it used to be. Could by anywhere in the last 2 years, or 12.
Never seen it, but I certainly know of it and the Little 500. Never went to that either, and oddly, wasn’t hyped up much in town.
Refund?!! Refund?!!
I didn’t know where that film was located.
That town was also the location of a fellow I met “online” back when that meant “relay chat”.
We spoke for eight hours on the telephone later but it didn’t go anywhere after I expressed further “interest”. lol oh well
I think the kids call that “ghosting” now. So brat.
Huh. It won the Best Screenplay Academy Award, slightly more meaningful then. Didn’t expect that. But led me to Kramer v Kramer, which I’ve also never seen: “Kramer vs. Kramer explores the psychology and fallout of divorce, and touches on emerging and prevailing social issues such as gender roles, fathers’ rights, work-life balance, and single parents.”
Yeah. I’ll get right on watching that.
Yeah, KvK has never in the least piqued my interest.
Oh fuck me I just remembered that my buddy who introduced me to “chat” at the school he attended in Buffalo (different from the school I attended in Buffalo) met a fella of his own whom he actually visited. Some dude at a school in… I have no idea where. Upper midwest I believe. MN, or a Dakota.
@rhy: There are many Bloomingtons. (Ten, I learn. IL, MN and IN, the biggest.)
I assumed Springfield would be in the Top 3 of most common ‘towns,’ and it quickly became more complicated: “There are varying counts for the number of places named Springfield in the U.S., ranging from roughly 33 to over 90, depending on whether the source counts only incorporated cities or includes townships, populated places, and unincorporated communities. Popularly considered one of the most common town names, there is at least one “Springfield” in 35 different states. ”
Springfield’s ‘accepted’ as #2, Washington #1 with 88. (Go Capitals? I respect Ovetchkin, but no.)
Also many Chinas. (TW: new age)
I think it was Indiana because he described a large campus (“online” was pretty much a campus experience back then).
I was wondering the same about “Newark”. Coworker mentioned a Newark, Ohio. I grew up near Newark, New York. I guess there is one in New Jersey too.
+ “-ini foods”
We used to go swimming at a quarry in NC. Huge cliff to dive off of. Supposedly 300 feet deep. Divers train there.
The cliff is 3 Mississippi high. As in you jump and swing your arms around for balance. One…. two… three-brace. Maybe 2 plus a little Mississippi. In any event, dangerously high.
Great fun. Pretty stupid too.
“The cliff is 3 Mississippi high.” I stopped for far too long to think of how you were comparing them to giraffe, whale or bananas in height or size. Confused, I got. Then reality slapped me. Like the other day when I couldn’t figure out how to padlock the dumpster area shut. (Boss ‘caught’ me in that dumbery.)
Me very learned sometimes. Whoops. *Leared.
Who counts units of time in mississippis? I thought that was a myth.
Wakulla Springs is mentioned in the niche market book Roadside Geology of Tennessee by Mountain Press.
Great series. I think they do all fifty states.
I guess Rhode Island is a tri-fold handout and Alaska’s looks like an encyclopedia.
Rhode Island is a small County with two senators.
Rhode Island is still bigger than these countries.
Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra, Malta, Luxembourg, and Cyprus
Swimming in the spring is amazing. Where the water comes in it is crystal clear. There are springs and rivers all over north Florida like that. It is so clear it looks like the bottom is right there, even if it is 30+ feet deep. Amazing.
I have a vivid memory from about a thousand years ago of something like that – a swimming hole in one of the gorges that feed the Finger Lakes. Watkins Glen, I think.
My mom’s boyfriend in those years was an asshole but to his credit he did like to travel.
Kramer vs Kramer is fantastic. Prepare to cry.
Breaking Away is also fantastic. Kelly Leak from bad news bears is great in this too. (Jackie Earl Haley) Maybe better known to the younger folk as Rorschach from the Watchmen
“Prepare to cry.” That’s not sellin’ it. Why would people go to see a sad flick? Movies can *be* sad, sure, but (to use an easy one) Schindler’s List had a bigger story to show and share. I’m not seeing the bigger story behind a nasty divorce. And I’ve never been married! Why the hell would a couple go to see that?! Is the outing a therapy sesh? Is the director trying to warn ya, or show ya ‘what’s right?’ Or is it a solo flick? *rips hair out*
Cursory search of “best sad films” and Schindler’s the only one I’ve seen, and have no desire to see the others. I’m sure there are many sad movies I enjoy. Depending on how we’re defining it, natch. The Never-Ending Story *does,* for instance.
“Each young man’s journey is different, but they start here.”
Each person’s journey is different but we all end in the same place. A lot of of crooked roads, a few good turns hopefully. We persevere and then it’s over.
Even Ol’ Yogi knew that…
We’re (OK, I’m) just as stupid into middle age! https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/971923380
If he really wanted to be irresponsible he’d learn how to dive in the caves, which go much deeper than 100’.
https://www.gue.com/exploration-history-wkp
We met one of those divers who gave a presentation to our university SCUBA club (FIU) in 98 or 99. He had all sorts of video. Dude needed a dump truck to haul around his ball sack.