[pedonbio]

I feel the need for a thread that discusses things that seem like little things, but have a major bearing on our lives, like the "Modern Marvels" thread, but for attitudes.

This was kicked off by reading a letter sent to my favorite advice columnist, Dan Savage. He is a bit of a marvel himself, a gay writer with a sex/relationship advice column; but that's for later. This week he published a letter from a straight 60-ish guy who was complaining that it takes an hour or so for Viagra to kick in. Dan explained that Viagra is a miracle drug, and a boner delayed is not a boner lost.

But to me the real surprise was the letter writer. I realized that 20 or 30 years ago it was an accepted fact that between 50 and 70 almost all of us would become boner-challenged. It was expected that age meant an end to boners. In just a few years our attitudes have changed; now we all, like the letter writer, figure that sex just goes on at on, albeit with a few boner delays. One side effect is the syphillis epidemic among residents of retirement homes, but that is hardly an inconvenience.

[DruulEmpire]

I can swear that the average person used to hate to type.  Now it's all we do.

Pal interjects: maybe the average person who uses internet forums like this one, but IME in the larger world, most folks don't actually type... they hunt and peck (on their phones) using only their thumbs and instead of producing anything resembling properly written English, they utter an endless stream of short chunks of semi-intelligible text akin to leet speak. -Pal

[gOOber]

There was a time when nude infant photos were not prima facie evidence of **43**.

[solvegas]

There was a time being a patriot was something to be proud of. Now it gets you investigated by the IRS. 

[tdotter]

Manners.It's not any specific age group either but it just seems that there are so many people who are just rude,ignorant or don't know any better.I notice the lack of manners from people has really deteriorated over past 10 years or so.

[solvegas]

Manners.It's not any specific age group either but it just seems that there are so many people who are just rude,ignorant or don't know any better.I notice the lack of manners from people has really deteriorated over past 10 years or so.

Manners have been going downhill for a lot longer than the last 10 years. People were shocked how the Smother Brothers would talk the way they did on TV about President Nixon 40 years ago. It wasn't just political but personal. Heck, Lyndon Johnson got grief like that too.

[rtpoe]

The entire concept of privacy and personal "space".

Now that we can all post our innermost thoughts, intimate details, and all are comings and goings out where the entire world is free to see them, it's become almost a requirement for functioning in society that you do the same.

[pedonbio]

There was a time being a patriot was something to be proud of. Now it gets you investigated by the IRS.  

It has always been the last refuge of scoundrels. No change.

[luvdemwhoppers]

girls wear heels to the Laundromat. here anyway.

[pedonbio]

girls wear heels to the Laundromat. here anyway.

About 1980 a line of books, the "Dress for Success" books came out, telling us all about standards of dress. I haven't read one in decades, but it might be interesting to see how much things have changed. One of the few things I recall was a discussion of the difference between Boston business dress and West Coast business dress. A few months ago I did a short-term job for an East Coast company and, among other things, reviewed their employee handbook, which had a dress code which forbade wearing jeans. Clearly nobody from corporate had any experience with West Coast business.

Jeans and heels--A great combo for the front office.

[pedonbio]

My father was born in 1908. He grew up and, as an adult, attended the funerals of both parents.

That may be the most monumental social change to have ever happened.

The average person born before the first decade of the Twentieth Century would not have reached adulthood (age 18) with two living parents.

[gonZo]

It has always been the last refuge of scoundrels. No change.

Patriotism, or the IRS?

[pedonbio]

Patriotism, or the IRS?

Depends on whether you listen to Samuel Johnson* or Rush Limbaugh.

----------
*EDIT: Yes, I know he was referring to Edmund Burke. An accurate observation, IMHO.  

[Djoser]

I thought this was a call for the proletariat to rise and take what is righfully its. 

[luvdemwhoppers]

cell phones, texting sexting, does anyone remember rotary dial?