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Blue Laws

Blue laws…. laws that prevent you from doing things on Sunday, like drink alcohol or buy a hammer!  Why “blue?”

Please rate, comment and favorite over at YouTube as well.  Thanks!  :-)

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92 Comments and 17 threads

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  1. okay4now says: 51

    Hwk: When I lived in Germany I loved them; well, not at first because I was unuse to the planning ahead routine, but once I did let stuff ‘hang’ starting on Saturdays at around 2:00 and ending on Mondays it seems like real Sundays fell–and fell on all alike in equal amounts.

  2. bsomebody says: 50

    I don’t like the idea of blue laws in the US. In other societies that combine religious and legal institutions, then that makes mores sense. In this country, attempts to legislate morality often do not produce the desired effect, but it will often allow a candidate to gain re-election. Wonder if that has anything to do with it. :???:

  3. In Bergen County New Jersey there are Blue Laws set up to prevent most stores and malls from being open on Sundays. These were mainly set up 40+ years ago thinking that closing the stores would ease traffic on busy NJ highways 4 and 17. To me all they do is force people to shop in nearby Passaic County or Rockland County NY taking business from the stores……………..while they get highly taxed by the towns they are in! They might as well tell the Giants, Jets and Nets not to have games on Sundays!

  4. hotrocky says: 48

    Religious laws are an abomination. Whose business is it if I regard all days equally?

  5. pandion says: 47

    Choych? 0:06 ;-)

    Here in the state of Georgia, you cannot buy alcoholic beverages of any kind on Sunday, but you can go to a bar and drink as much as you can and then drive home. To me, it would make more sense, and be much safer to be able to drink at home.
    Blue Laws are just out dated restrictions that make the politicians happy, and make them seem righteous.

  6. I think that Blue Laws enacted by the adults living in a community are like parental controls on a computer in a home with children.

    They both shape the environment where the effected people live.

    Ocean City, New Jersey has been a “dry” town for over 100 years. No alcoholic beverages can be sold or consumed in the coastal barrier island community.

    Because of this, Ocean City is the vacation resort of choice for families with young children, and it has a large number of senior citizen residents who wanted to retire to a quiet community.

    It is what the people who live there want, so blue laws are okay by me.

  7. leoNard says: 45

    The Doors- Peace Frog / Blue Sunday
    There’s blood in the streets, it’s up to my ankles
    She came
    There’s blood on the streets, it’s up to my knee
    She came
    Blood on the streets in the town of Chicago
    She came
    Blood on the rise, it’s following me
    Think about the break of day
    She came and then she drove away
    Sunlight in her hair
    She came
    Blood in the streets runs a river of sadness
    She came
    Blood in the streets it’s up to my thigh
    She came
    Yeah the river runs red down the legs of the city
    She came
    The women are crying rivers of weepin’
    She came into town and then she drove away
    Sunlight in her hair
    Indians scattered on dawn’s highway bleeding
    Ghosts crowd the young child’s fragile eggshell mind
    Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven
    Blood stains the roofs and the palm trees of Venice
    Blood in my love in the terrible summer
    Bloody red sun of Phantastic L.A.
    Blood screams the pain as they chop off her fingers
    Blood will be born in the birth of a nation
    Blood is the rose of mysterious union
    There’s blood in the streets, it’s up to my ankles
    Blood in the streets, it’s up to my knee
    Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago
    Blood on the rise, it’s following me

    The Doors – Peace Frog/Blue Sunday lyrics are the property and copyright of their owners.
    The Doors – Peace Frog/Blue Sunday lyrics provided for educational purposes only.
    [records] is my word request…[albums]…[vinyl discs]…Blue Blue Electric Blue

    :mrgreen: Bowie – Live by request
    An amazing performance!!!
    :lol:

    …for sundays only~<a href="Pheek – Blue Blue So Electric Blue
    …sorry soul much blue, I’m blown away like blew :lol: …badfinger and Badfinger – Baby Blue (Kenny Rogers Show 1972)
    …green tea ice-cream for MARINA with dates on sunday :smile: yeah-hay

  8. senior says: 44

    What is the origin of the Bloody as used by the English when cursing?

  9. NathanD says: 43

    I was wondering where the word [Lollygag] and/or [Lollygagging] come from.

  10. gandalf says: 42

    Hi Marina. I was wondering where “O’clock” came from. One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock, rock… OK, maybe four on the ol’ clock or something? Please investigate.
    Gandalf

    • Evan Owen says: 42.1

      “O’clock” is short for “of the clock” — “clock” itself coming from a German word meaning “bell,” since early clocks had bells to chime the hour. “O’clock” passed into Welsh as “o’r gloch,” cloch being Welsh for “bell.”

      …un, dau, tri, pedwar, pump, chwech
      meddai clychau Aberdyfi.

      (“one, two, three, four, five, six, say the bells of Aberdovey.”) :smile:

  11. sniperskaya says: 41

    Marina, I get the whole Blue Laws thing as I grew up in a state that had Blue Laws, but how did the term “Blue Balls” come to be? And why the fascination with the color blue in the English Language? For example: Blue Laws, Blue Balls, Blue Moon, Blue Blood, Blue Book, True blue, etc. Is that something that is peculiar to the American version of English or do other countries have colors that they like too? What color(s) does Russia prefer? Has that changed with the fall of the Communist government? Just curious…

  12. traveller23 says: 40

    Although I don’t consider wikipedia any sort of authority upon which one should risk one’s reputation, they do have an interesting list of blue laws all across the US that are technically still on the books, most of which are circumvented one way or another (not unlike the sodomy laws that exist in many states, which are almost never enforced). It really surprised me.

    Oh, I don’t know if Utah still had this system, but they did up to the early 90’s, but in Washington state (or at least parts of washington state — it could be a county thing) you can’t buy strong liquour in grocery stores. Wine and beer, no problem, but not vodka, absinthe, brandy, or the like — you have to go to a special dedicated store for that sort of thing. I would argue that such practices are residual blue laws, designed to regulate a perception of morality.

  13. seesixcm6 says: 38

    Dear Marina,
    I just got back from Riverside, unpacked and did my laundry, and you’ve already posted two videos: “Blue Laws” and “Spoonerisms.” You posted many videos while I was gone for twelve days, too!
    We’re lucky that “Blue Laws” are a thing of the past. Now, many retail stores are open seven days per week and usually remain open during holidays. I enjoy shopping on Sunday, when I don’t have to rush from work or other projects. :grin:
    Have you ever been to the Hollywood Hills on a weekend? There are places to park and you can look down and see the lights of the Cities. If it gets cold, we can go to the back seat of the car and cover ourselves under a blanket, It can get so warm, the car windows might fog up! :razz:
    I hope you enjoyed watching the Grammy awards. I didn’t see you in the audience on TV, but I didn’t have much time to watch the TV show. :shock:
    Seesixcm6

  14. Capman911 says: 37

    I think Blue Laws vacuums. We haven’t had them here is a long while, but when we did it made for one boring Sunday. So most everyone around here didn’t like them neither did I.

  15. James says: 36

    Here is my new video … Rate it or I will kill your family ( careful James…. you sound like alx :razz: )

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlnZv29QHQg

  16. BigBhd95 says: 35

    Marina ;-) last time i experienced blue laws was back in the early
    60’s at college in terra haute indiana :evil: they did not sell alcohol
    on sunday( and maybe other things that didnt matter much at the time) compared to drinking that is :lol: the student cafateria was also closed after breakfast on sunday, no lunch or dinner, & that
    really made us BLUE :oops: the food was not that good anyway :shock: :cool: B.B. :cool:

  17. pat says: 34

    I can’t even believe Blue Laws exist. By all means break them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O05NWnCtEq8

  18. I guess this guy got a little antsy about the blue laws,
    so he made a run for the border.
    I fought the law- The Clash. A crazy police chase
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upIiKsnZRhg

    To save Leonard time, I’d help him out
    with these oldies and moldies.
    Here is the original version by the Crickets
    I Fought The Law –The Crickets 1959
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYyWWf7JKg

    And a popular cover:
    Bobby Fuller 4 on Hollywood a Go Go
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXN8354RT-4

  19. traveller23 says: 32

    To me, some of the most droll blue laws involve strip clubs in a few states. Specifically, if the club doesn’t sell alcohol, full nudity is allowed. If alcohol is sold on the premises, the dancers have to wear TWO sets of underpants, one over another — often a sheer cut-off flesh colored set of nylons with a g-string over it. Still…weird. Further evidence that most laws are written by people who are just extremely bored and think that the mere fact that they enact legislature is a virtue in and of itself…

    Sigh.

  20. The only Blue Laws left in Indiana are the ones prohibiting on-site sales of alcohol, except in restaurants selling a certain volume of food, and new car sales(??). When I was a drinker, I simply went to Illinois, a half hour drive, where no such law existed. Now that I no longer drink, and I don’t buy new cars so regularly that I can’t wait a day, I’m largely unaffected by them. Our State Legislature is on the brink of killing the booze one, ‘tho.

  21. moyibi says: 30

    I’d like to know the origin and meaning of the phrase [the jig is up].

  22. Che Mero says: 29

    Went I was living in Connecticut I commented on this subject about six months ago.

    The stupid package stores (liquor stores) would be closed on Sunday and Holidays, the day you really wanted to buy booze.

    More than once I had to go across the state line into RI to buy alcohol. That package store did a great business on Sundays. Parking lot always full of cars with CT plates.

    This Blue Law have the reverse effect because people get so worried about not having alcohol on Sunday they would over buy on Saturday.

    This just promoted alcohol abuse because if the booze is there you’re going to drink more of it.

    Epic Pilgrim fail :shock:

  23. dietrio says: 28

    I would like to know where the word [Porno] comes from. Cause if I think about it I can’t really relate porn or porno with the actual meaning.

  24. swampwiz says: 27

    Marina, what is a “choich”?

  25. nick980 says: 26

    planets go [ super nova ] when they are really old

  26. James says: 25

    [pathetic fallacy]

    HAHA! Phallus…

    HAHA! Pathetic Phallus…

    HAHA!

  27. Evan Owen says: 24

    Hey, anyone else get the “Anti-Virus Soft” virus? It disables all your applications, hijacks Internet Explorer, claims your computer is infected with viruses, says “Click here for the scan you computer,” and asks for your credit card number to buy their “anti-virus software.” Yeah, right. :evil:

    Comcast’s McAfee software didn’t catch it or remove it; I ended up hiring one of their techs to track it down and excise it. :neutral:

  28. Evan Owen says: 23

    Old customs:

    Speaking of Connecticut, there’s a custom in New England that if, on the first day of a new month, the first thing one says is “rabbit,” one will have good luck for the rest of the month.

    “Rabbit!!!” :lol:

  29. Evan Owen says: 22

    Blue Laws, cont.
    Last time I was in a pub in Aberystwyth (Wales), Sundays were dry. The manager told us to drink up at 11:40 PM Saturday eve, warned us again (looking very stern) at 11:50 and 11:55; we were out the door, still singing “Hymns and Arias”, at 11:59:45. :lol:

  30. Evan Owen says: 21

    Blue Laws:

    In the town of Lynden, Washington, near where I live, there was a long-standing law against allowing dancing anywhere that liquor was served. (The town was founded by conservative Dutch farmers.) “You allow drinking and dancing, then soon some drunk is dancing with another man’s wife, and you have a fight on your hands. We don’t want that here,” explained Mayor van Weerdhuizen. :shock:

    Marina, if you ever do the Seattle-Vancouver drive again, the Lynden border crossing usually has a much shorter line than at Blaine. :grin:

  31. Evan Owen says: 20

    This just in from Bob (Morris) via Twitter:

    Quote of the day: Capitalisation is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse. :lol:

  32. hitoshi says: 19

    so why blue? is that because blue has the meaning of “rigid or strict”? anyone?

    • Evan Owen says: 19.1

      hitoshi-san, I think most of us Americans have forgotten or never knew the answer to that question. The term “blue laws” was old when I was a child, and I am 55.

    • hitoshi, I think you may have it correct.

      No one really knows since in Reverend Samuel Peters’ 1781 book, General History of Connecticut he did not elaborate on why the color blue was chosen.

      It has been speculated that the color blue could be related to the following:
      - Bluenose, American slang expression for a member of the Church of Scotland, recorded since 1698

      - Bluenose, American slang expression from 19th century onward for someone excessively prudish. Since this use comes after Peters, this use may be a result of the blue laws.

      - Blue blood is an expression from the Spanish phrase “sangre azul”, indicating nobility or noble descent.

  33. wetsuit5 says: 18

    Blue Laws no longer have a place in our society.
    This is government support of religion.
    As I respect all religions, it is only to the peaceful and personal extent.
    There are so many religions.
    We cannot have each one of them or any one of them have a mandated effect on the society as a whole supported by the government.
    I reject radical islam and it’s external effect on it’s society.
    So in order to reject radical islam I give up the blue laws that support other (my) religions.
    I don’t want some chanter telling me to go to prayer 5 times a day, so I’m willing to give up church bells doing the same thing.
    That sort of thing extends to all aspects that tend to support any religion.

    • leoNard says: 18.1

      RIGHT ON!!!….we are all born wet with our mother suit :lol: …I prey when I’m hungry and unstore my grains like [SAND]…gotta learn how to get my big com-puter serving ME :lol:

      Is it legal to pray for my computer/Is it legal to make you pray for my computer?…..

      [][]M A R I N A[][]…I request to [prey] on [prayer]…soul my well being is funny :smile: thanK*U & beas beha(i)ves :lol:

  34. sgt_wise says: 17

    Hey there Marina, i would like to know where the phrase [to curry favour] comes from, as it seems a bit odd you would use a food to gain favour.

  35. We just lost our sunday shopping law. It is more convenient to be able to shop on Sunday and not everyone can take that day off, nurses for example. However, what it did accomplish, was it protected people who worked in the retail sector, traditionally lower paying jobs that are shift work… they used to be able to count on having that day off. Now here in Canada you can refuse to work on a religious holiday… but we all know what that means… you dont get hired, you get your hours cut etc. Heaven forbid if your holy day isnt Sunday I might add. Now they have another day to cycle into thier schedules where they may or may not work that day. If not a Sunday law, something else should be put in place to protect retail workers… something as hardcore and real as the old Sunday law. Perhaps that no employee can work 2 sundays in a row or that each employee must declare a fixed day off at time of hire.

  36. raven62 says: 15

    Some of the laws are good, but not being able to have a beer at home on Sunday I think is dumb. :evil: But I do think the stores should be closed so people can go to church, if they choose too, or be able to relax from our fast pace life style. :smile: I think the version they had in Arkansas was good, only businesses dealing with food or automotive stuff were allowed to be open. This was because people had to eat and fix their cars so they could go to work the next day. Europe is like that too, but the Pubs and Bars were open on Sunday. :mrgreen:

  37. kolia says: 14

    [ pathetic sympathy ] what that’s mean???

  38. wyo550 says: 13

    I love Blue laws
    My lawyer is a Navi
    http://filmonic.com/avatar-concept-art

    Book one arrives tomorrow on a pallet
    Book two will deal with a Wyoming whorehouse in 2039
    Book six describes a “hotel” in 2750, where I’m the dead pimp

    As for “blue law” I’m defining the laws of physics that control the characters in both books, so they’re related and the audience will understand the mutation in the sub-species and go from one book to the other…as though they’re already quantum themselves.

    Sorry you didn’t respond to my invitation to be paid for helping design the language of the 24th Century in your spare time. Here’s a name from the post-Apocalyptic 24th Century:
    Writer/John/984764
    Occupation/ call sign/ number
    (because, after the Apocalypse, what you did was more important than who you were)

  39. I would like the request [z's] and as to why they are used to represent someone sleeping? :?:

  40. Picasso went through his blue period phase

    Think about that for a minute

    • leoNard says: 11.1

      my minute is down with thought~~~~~~~~~~~~~the price is up~~~~~~~A while back I posted; asking about when Soupy Sales used “blue” humor, for like that of two meanings: of almost like “suck my titties” with luck From the cities and flucking with the kiTTy….two meaNings, one for smArt children and the other 4 less-smArt children…..gotta go and act like a tree and leave a bowel movement to suit the mAsses…………..I’m getting atTack, step back :razz:

  41. howard says: 10

    Hey Marina Marina, just wondering how the word or phrase [Dogfights] came about. This would be the air to air combats that the military uses. It would not be the term used when two dogs fight. I love dogs to much. Thanks for all the great shows. Howard

  42. miraaanda says: 9

    Hey, I’d like to request the phrase [close, but no cigar.] Does it have anything to do with Freud?

  43. Hi Marina, was looking at http://www.oddee.com/item_96959.aspx and was wondering what is the origin of the word [paredolia]

  44. Excellent; it might be interesting to include a quotation from Rev. Samuel Peters from his 1781 book. Also, there’s a popular Greek song NEVER ON SUNDAY. Rate five (5) at YouTube.

  45. mrbbishop says: 6

    You have to live in one of those places someday! ;-)

  46. rpms1957 says: 5

    FIrst time here. I would like to request the word [deadline]. Thanks

  47. Chemikal says: 4

    I love how Marina is trying to have good pronunciation in her videos.
    But then she fails and says “the tiurm still exists today” or “missing chiurch” or “bliu laws”. :-)

  48. Chemikal says: 3

    Funny how the Church sometimes has nothing to do with faith, or with God.
    Don’t sell hammers on a Sunday? Give me a break…

  49. Chemikal says: 2

    Right then, what have we got here?
    I think I’m developing a slight British accent. It must be all the Top Gear I’ve been watching recently. :-)

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