03-23-2016, 07:34 AM | #71 | ||||
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Re: 1980s American Cars, Guns, Gadgets and Consumer Goods [Atmosphere, look, minutiae
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(Fuel taxes are definitely higher in Canada than the US at this point - there's more road infrastructure to pay for and fewer people to pay for it.) Quote:
(That said, your FBI agent will probably be able to discover something taking place at the time - nobody can keep a smuggling operation completely secret.)
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Rob Kelk “Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” – Bernard Baruch, Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950 No longer reading these forums regularly. Last edited by robkelk; 03-23-2016 at 07:47 AM. |
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03-23-2016, 07:44 AM | #72 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: Background for Clayborn Allen (mill owner) and Courtney Allen (preppie son)
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In '88, I don't think the public was even aware of who ran Iraq, much less having any clue Saddam was plotting an invasion of Kuwait. Iran-Contra was still being talked about, despite it being earlier in Reagan's era, mostly because of Bush's alleged role in it during the election season.
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
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03-23-2016, 08:50 AM | #73 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Background for Clayborn Allen (mill owner) and Courtney Allen (preppie son)
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03-23-2016, 11:24 AM | #74 | |
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
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Re: Background on SA Maria Lucia Estevez (FBI computer supergeek from privileged fami
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A quick glance at the list shows a lot of DECSYSTEM, PDP, and IBM machines in the list, along with some others such as Burroughs machines. All of these machines could run proprietary OSs specific to them, but most could just as likely run a variant of UNIX; BSD and AT&T System V where knee deep in the Unix Wars in the 80's. Sun OS is also an option, if she had her own workstation at home. Suffice to say, she's more than likely a *nix guru. Access to ARPANET outside of a campus or other direct "node" is probably going to be problematic for the time and location; ISPs still had the "new industry smell". Personally, around '93 or so I was calling io.com in Austin (long distance from Everett, WA) to get on the (pre WWW) Internet. Chances are she has more than on email account/address, given her background. Probably more than one on ARPANET, and probably FidoNet, given it's up-and-coming popularity with any "power-users" of the time who didn't have access to ARPANET. As an aside, the larger number of different systems and OSs during the 80s probably warrants thought about enforcing familiarity penalties for Computer Operation skill and related. (and yes, I called into that io.com) C |
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03-23-2016, 12:23 PM | #75 |
Join Date: May 2007
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Re: 1980s American Cars, Guns, Gadgets and Consumer Goods [Atmosphere, look, minutiae
I don't know if any of this will be helpful, but here are some random facts that I recall from growing up in New Hampshire in the 80's:
Dunkin' Donuts started in the northeast and was extremely dominant in the area during the time period (it still pretty much is). TV commercials featuring Fred the Baker saying, "Time to make the donuts," were common. Walmart didn't expand into New England until the 90's and Target came even later. Back then we had K-Mart, Sears, Lechmere, Ames, Bradlee's, Zayre, Caldor and probably some others I can't remember. While not a New England specific thing, McDonald's food came in styrofoam containers back then. I recall a pack of Marlboros cost somewhere between $1.15-$1.25 in New Hampshire and I had no problem buying them at nine years old. In 1994 I went on a 28 day canoe trip on the Allagash with Outward Bound. Near the end of the trip I snuck away from the group and went into Allagash (the town) to buy candy bars. One detail I distinctly remember was that the little general store I went to sold some serious looking chainsaws behind the counter. Of course that was 1994, like I said, but I don't imagine it was that much different in 1988.
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03-23-2016, 12:34 PM | #76 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: 1980s American Cars, Guns, Gadgets and Consumer Goods [Atmosphere, look, minutiae
One thing I remember is people getting around the "no smoking" prohibition in school by buying chewing tobacco. There was no carding for tobacco back then in rural areas - not sure about the urban areas, to be honest - and due to growing up in Pennsylvania I'm uncertain about carding for alcohol. (Pennsylvania's one of the weird states whose Liquor Control Board's state-owned liquor stores has a monopoly on wines and spirits, and even beer is only available in the bars - you can buy six-packs of cans or bottles, and even twelve-packs of cans at the bar - or at distributors. Beer was not available at the general stores or supermarkets, unlike most other states. I'm uncertain as to the laws in Maine, though.)
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
03-23-2016, 01:41 PM | #77 | |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Background on SA Maria Lucia Estevez (FBI computer supergeek from privileged fami
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03-23-2016, 04:02 PM | #78 | |
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Land of the Beer, Home of the Dirndls
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Re: Background on SA Maria Lucia Estevez (FBI computer supergeek from privileged fami
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03-23-2016, 04:15 PM | #79 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: 1980s American Cars, Guns, Gadgets and Consumer Goods [Atmosphere, look, minutiae
Maybe not so great on specifics but general stuff I would do for this would be:
- Read (or re-read) some Stephen King books, since he sets so much of his stuff in Maine, starting in the 60s onwards IIRC; also the atmosphere is generally creepy of course and may provide ideas. For throwing in general background info, check the following: - Openings dates and domestic box office take for movies in 1988 are as follows. This seems more useful than the more retrospective look at most popular movies of 1988 that you'd get from IMDB : http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1988 - Billboard Hot 100 single for 1988 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billbo...ingles_of_1988 - List of albums hitting gold, platinum etc. at the time: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1...on-anita-baker The Cosby Show continued its multi-year domination as the most watched TV show at the time. Bill Cosby is considered the living embodiment of family rectitude, something I would play for laughs given the chance, that's just me though. It's about to be overtaken by Roseanne, the allegedly hilarious sitcom of a loud fat harpy who terrorises her long-suffering family. This kicked off in Oct 1988 but hasn't yet penetrated the national psyche. Last edited by mr beer; 03-23-2016 at 04:19 PM. |
03-23-2016, 04:27 PM | #80 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: 1980s American Cars, Guns, Gadgets and Consumer Goods [Atmosphere, look, minutiae
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My mom hated Roseanne, probably because it struck a bit too close to home; I enjoyed it because the middle child reminded me a lot of me. :)
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
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1980s, high-tech, monster hunters |
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