OEMnMs--Initials Inspired By OEM

Fiddling around with OEM while thinking of terms for elderly, I came up with Officially Elderly Man and Ma'am. Being whimsical, the initials can be OEMnMs, possibly confused with the candy M&M's/m&m's. Why am I thinking about "elderly"? It's what's floating my boat this month. First, I'll give a quick ref to the common OEM meaning.

OEM, Original Equipment Manufacturer

The traditional term OEM is commonly known as Original Equipment Manufacturer. "What Does OEM Mean and How Does It Work?" states that it's "a term used in the manufacturing industry to describe companies that produce components or products that are sold to other companies to be integrated into their own products."

OEM, Officially Elderly Man/Ma'am (Perusing Word Candidates)

On the track of OEM for elderly term, I also thought about some "o" modifiers besides "officially", such as "omnipotent", "omniscient", and "outstanding", inspired by "Adjectives That Start With O | List & Examples".

I also gave some thought to "m" nouns. I thought about "maven", "merrymaker", and "mirther"/"mirthling". I decided against "minion" and "melange". Ah, "man" and "ma'am" would do, deciding that OEM would be my shortcut tongue-in-cheek Officially Elderly MnMs.

I'd been wondering about the term "elderly" as being vague. Much of my article describes my meandering for age categorizations for "elderly".

AARP and Ages 50, 18

AARP is an organization that seems to emphasize 50 as a starting point for post-earnings grouping ("retired" being part of the organization name. Age to join? "While AARP is dedicated to people over 50, anyone 18 and older can join for as low as $15 for the first year with automatic renewal."

More explanation of age grouping--"What Is Membership Under Age 50? (Formerly Known as an Associate Membership)":

We offer Membership to those 18 or older. Members between the ages of 18 and 50 enjoy all the benefits of membership that are not restricted by law or contract, such as age-restricted insurance products."

Generational Age Groupings

 Parents Site

I ran across several sites with age groupings, helpful for the alphabet soup generation categories. The ages don't neatly span 20 years. "A Year-by-Year Guide to the Different Generations" shows a table with generation names and birth year spans (info lightly tweaked)

The rest of the article describes the group names, birth-year spans and characteristics (good bird's eye view).

Notable excerpt about boomers and millennials

Boomers are named for the population "boom" that occurred after World War II, ..." and "Millennials are currently the largest generation group in the US, just recently surpassing the boomer generation. As of 2025, there were 74.2 million millennials in the US, making up 21.8% of the country's population.

 McCrindle Site (Silent Generation Referred to as Builders)

"The generations defined" specifies describes the Silent Generation (born from 1925 to 1945) as "Builders":

generation ‘built’ so much of the society we know today. This generation has also displayed their resilience through some tough times: starting life after a Depression, hearing stories of World War I from their parents and living through World War II.

 Kasasa Site (Gen Y AKA Millenials), from December 2025

"Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, Gen A and Gen B explained" provides another varying insight to generational groupings, particularly splitting Gen Y into Y1 and Y2, two categories AKA Millennials.

• Gen Y: Gen Y, or Millennials, were born between 1981 and 1994/. They are currently between 29 and 44 years old (around 74 million in the U.S.)
• Gen Y.1 = 29-33 years old (around 32 million people in the U.S.)
• Gen Y.2 = 33-44 (around 42 million people in the U.S.)

The term “Millennial” has become the popular way to reference both segments of Gen Y .... “Millennial” is widely credited to Neil Howe, along with William Strauss. The pair coined the term in 1989 when the impending turn of the millennium began to feature heavily in the cultural consciousness.

 Site that Uses 65 (Medicare Eligibility) as Elderly Age Start

"What Age is Considered Elderly? A Complete Guide for Seniors and Families" states "Someone is typically considered elderly at 65 years old, which is the age recognized by Medicare and many senior benefits programs in the United States", but also adds descriptions of eligibility programs that change 65 as "elderly" term, such as social security benefits for different ages, senior discounts, and lifestyle differences. For examples:

• Independence (60-70): The first stage is independence, when the older adult manages the activities of daily living without help.
• Interdependence (70-80s): Interdependence is the second primary stage. During this period, seniors need help with completing daily activities, such as preparing meals, maintaining the home, or performing personal hygiene tasks, like grooming.
• Dependency (70+): Dependency is the third stage, as briefly mentioned earlier, wherein the older person is burdened by chronic health conditions or impairments and requires more assistance with their daily activities.

 Senior, Elderly, Geriatric, Three Similar Terms

For me, "senior" needs quick context to avoid confusion with school grade group also known as seniors. "What is the Difference Between Elderly and Geriatric?" states as follows:

Elderly is an age descriptor used to refer to older adults. The term is generally used for people over the age of 65, although definitions can vary. The term is used both in research and in wider society.

Some research breaks the elderly into two categories: “early” and “late” elderly. Early elderly largely refers to those aged 65 to 74, while late elderly includes everyone over 75.

Elderly is more commonly used to describe someone’s age or to group older individuals based on their age, while geriatric is considered to be a more medicalized term.

Senior Discounts (Common Term)

Although I've avoided using "senior, I did run across some resources that seem to practically use "senior" as a beacon. For that matter, common magic words together are "senior discount", not "elderly discount".

"What Discounts Can Seniors Get?" and "List of Senior Discounts on Restaurants in 2026" have extensive lists. The first resource shows discounts by categories that include eateries, retail stores, grocery stores, inns, travel means, and wireless plans. The second resource lists eateries alphabetically, discount amount, and age eligibility.

Caution About Discount Offerings

On a related note about senior discounts, a YouTube video cautions senior-discount-minded people to guard against discounts that aren't. "7 Grocery Chains SCAMMING Seniors in 2025 (Hidden Tricks EXPOSED)" is gutsy enough to name chains and accuses them of cheating and manipulation. Check out names, such as Kroger, WalMart, Publix, Safeway, Albertson's, Costco, Meijer (supercenter chain). (At the YT description area, click "Show Transcript" to view the text at the right side of screen.) Note the segment about "shrinkflation", which starts at the 7:20 mark.

Speaking of "shrinkflation", view the comparison sets of pix at "'This Move Got Someone A Promotion And A Pretty Bonus': 35 Absolutely INFURIATING Photos That Prove Shrinkflation Is Alive And Well".

OEMnMs, Anyone?

After having explored "elderly" meanings, I've decided that I'd maybe use the term OE, OEM, and OEMnMs while in the company of people who look old enough to qualify for senior discounts. Meals R us!!

Reusing/Repurposing 2-Liter Soda Bottles--Self-wraparound Tubes

Economical! Easy! What kind of uses? What's special about common 2-liter soda bottles?

• Free with product purchase, these bottles are made of Polyethylene Terephthalate, aka PET plastic, recyclable, labeled with "1" inside the triangle.
• Using xacto or similar cutter for piercing slits and scissors, the resulting wraparound tube takes little effort
• Two recommended uses--YMMV
• Wrapping stick devices (trek poles, canes, walking sticks, camera monopods) around chair posts
• Loosely managing wires, cables, and cords into neater bundles
• Cut and curl, in this case, NOT hair salon business, but the PET plastic characteristic

My Discovery of the 2-Liter Soda Bottle's Wraparound Characteristic

I had eyed possible reuse/repurpose of an empty 2-lliter bottle (bottom trimmed off) as a bedpost dust cover for a hat. I felt the gadget could use extending. I trimmed off both the top and bottom of another empty 2-liter bottle. When I cut the cylinder of the second unit, I discovered that it curled around itself. Interesting!

PET Plastic Bottle Info for Cut and Curl

From Google search AI for "why do pet plastic bottles curl when you cut the sides apart"

PET plastic bottles curl when cut because of ,,, injection stretch blow molding. ... a small plastic tube (the preform) is heated and stretched in multiple directions at once. When you cut the sides apart, you release that built-up tension, causing the plastic to naturally curl and shrink back toward its original shape. During manufacturing, the plastic’s molecular chains are pulled straight and locked into position as the plastic cools. ... Cutting the sides apart breaks the structural continuous loop of the bottle. ... the stretched molecular chains act like microscopic rubber bands, causing the edges to curl.

My video shows a few items for using the wraparound tubes. It also shows images of the process for tube lengths of 5", 6", and 7". I have also included images of a 1-liter bottle process and images of a dinkily-made 1-liter bottle that I'd advise against. The experiment showed that the dinky bottle did not result in self-coil, this, no wrap grip.

PET Plastics Resources

"The masterful design of the two-liter plastic soda bottle"
Contains lots of info about how They make the 2-liter bottles, chemical composition, wall thicknesses and shapes, shapes of the top and bottom PSIs.

"InSide Coca-Cola Plastic Bottles Factory: How PET Plastic Bottles Are MANUFACTURED"
Contains info that overlaps "masterful design" YT video, but shapes differ.

"How Are Plastic Bottles Made? | History of Plastic Bottles"
YT description excerpt--

From the pioneering discoveries of the late 19th century to the state-of-the-art production processes of today, we explore the evolution of plastic bottles from petrochemicals to packaging.

"PET Bottle Recycling: Waste to 3D Printing Filament"
YT description excerpt--

PET Bottles are everywhere, but did you know that you could recycle them into 3D printing filament and this at home! ... I used the parts of an old Ender-3 to build a filament maker out of it. I also tested the strength of this material, ...

"PET101 What is PET Plastic"

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic is a lightweight, durable, and recyclable material widely used for food and beverage packaging worldwide. ... PET can be recycled, over and over, and turned into something new; ... PET plastic packaging is imprinted with the #1 inside a triangle.

"What is PET Plastic? | Polyethylene Terephthalate Overview"
YT description excerpt--

the product is made from Polyethylene Terephthalate, or PET for short. This material is most used in plastic bottles and is popular for its strength while remaining lightweight.

Unsure of Secure Modified-PET Wraparounds? Bands for Wraparound Tubes

If apprehensive about PET wraparound tube holding capability, consider enhancement with on-hand items, such as Velcro cable ties, spare watch bands, small-dog collars. Suggesting skipping DIY bands; search Amazon directly for "Velcro cable ties". A result that caught my eye was a 180-pack with lengths of 4, 6, 8, and 10 inches and up to 6 colors for $7.99.

Incidentally, if you want to try the pet collar option as I show in the video, visit "Dog collar size chart".

Additional Odds N Ends, Chair Terminology and Diagrams of Chair Parts

I got a great load of info and diagrammed images of chairs! I was curious about chair part names, particularly post supports between seats and back rests. My video examples point out posts that are front, back, and sides, including those at arm rests.

• "Chair Terminology Guide"
• "The Parts of a Chair (Dining, Desk and Armchair Diagrams)"
• "Parts of a Chair"
• "27 Parts of a Chair: Chair Anatomy Diagrammed"
• "Vintage Furniture Terms"

Have trekking poles, canes, walking sticks, or monopods that you'd like to easily keep wrapped around a chair post? Have wiring, cables, and cords that could use better bundling? Hope this article and video help inspire you to reuse and repurpose PET plastic bottles into helpful items.

More Ideas For Reuse/Repurpose of Cut Plastic Bottles and Milk Jugs

Recently, I'd blogged about reusing and repurposing plastic bottles and plastic milk jugs. The main idea for the bottles was using cut bottoms for holding upside-down almost-empties of shampoos and lotions. Let gravity and time help you get the last smidges, The main idea for the milk jugs was using cut parts for common household purposes. (Milk jugs are easy to cut and have handles as well as pour openings.)

• "Get the Most Out of Shampoo/Lotion Bottles, Etc." (article | video)
• "Reusing and Repurposing Plastic Milk Jugs" (article | video)

As of late, I've accumulated more empty plastic containers and ideas, broadening uses. The video shows items I hope inspire uses beyond my previous reuse/repurpose videos. The last video section shows use of a cut gallon milk jug to store nested plastic bottle bottoms.

Pedialyte Bottle As Curiosity for Its Shape

I wondered about Pedialyte being in squarish bottles. Various other hydration drinks also come in squarish bottles. From Google AI when I asked "why are some hydration beverages in square bottles".

Hydration beverages, including water, juices, and sports drinks, are increasingly packaged in square bottles primarily to optimize space, enhance brand visibility, and improve stability.

I hope the images I selected on the title page and thumbnail pique your interest in trying out reuse/repurpose of common plastic containers you run across.

Gingered Cat Dream

The video represents my autumn 2018 sessions of recording Ginger, a calico cat that probably inspired my recent vivid dream earlier this month.

The Vivid Dream

The dream cat was a small, whitish kitten, later looking larger and not so young--its left side looking tawny, its right side very reddish brown.

Initially, his/her appearance started out as a slender kitten, seemingly docile, not skittish, yet reserved in its approach toward me as I cautiously approached him/her. The dream shifted to a stack of newspapers I'd retrieved for a neighbor. Having ditched a few daily papers, I decided to save the 5" diameter Sunday paper for later lollygagging over.

The cat came back into the dream, this time no longer a teeny kitten, but maybe three times larger. I stroked it from head to tail on the tawny side; it then turned around to display its dark-fur side for me to stroke. I cooed it with "I bet you've owned a few people over time."

My significant other came into view. I told him I wanted to feed the cat. I perused a name--Ginger. It wasn't exactly a ginger, and wasn't a calico. I said, "Let's feed it." I pulled out my container of milk. I looked for tuna. Ginger patiently waited, as if it knew patience was the socially correct behavior to exhibit.

The Dream as Mishmash of Events

I awoke from the dream, wondering how I wove it. The dream seemed a mishmash of some events, both recent and long-ago:

• Encountering dog-owner walkers whose dogs were varying sizes, breeds, and colors (more details below)
• Encountering real-life Ginger (friendly calico cat) (more details below)
• Loosely arranging newspapers retrieved while a neighbor on out-of-area trips
• Searching for a pouch of tuna to feed Ginger (actual tuna search on the previous day)

Dog Walkers' Dogs

Maybe I integrated recent encounterings with some dog owners walking their dogs of various colorations. One owner someone walks three of his smallish dogs, two that had similar dark colors for my dream cat. I'd kiddingly call out "Mush!" as they approached or passed by us. Some other dog owners walked dogs of various breeds, sizes, fur types (short, longish, curliness), and fur colors.

Real-life Ginger Encounter (Friendly Calico Cat)

I met a real-life Ginger in fall of 2018. Back then, I uploaded "Eye-caught Snippet, Calico (male, I've been told)".

Four September 2018 "captures", each about a week apart. Friendly enough to snuggle up to my ankles."

For my blog item video, I revisited the original clips from September 2018, editing it anew, and also adding encounters from October and December. For my title page and thumbnail, I pasted some images that somewhat resemble my dream cat Ginger (not an artist), and the real Ginger.

Cat Resources--Mainly Calico and Tortoiseshell

While poking around the web for cats and kittens that resembled my dream Ginger, I also ran across related info. Big takeaway--calico cats are NOT a breed, but color schemes. Calicos are three-color types of cats and can have the colorations across several breeds.

"What Is the History of Calico Cats? Interesting Facts"

Calicos are a coat pattern. There is no such thing as a Calico breed, but there are many breeds that can sport the coloration. ... They are typically white with distinctive patches of black and orange of varying degrees.

"10 Types of Tortoiseshell Cats (With Info & Pictures)"

the word “tortoiseshell” refers to a distinctive color-patterned coat. The bi-colored coats look like the shell of a tortoise, hence the name, and their appearance is similar to a Calico. ... Color combinations are often black and orange, and some have red, ginger, or chocolate mixed into the coat. ... Calicos typically have white mixed in with the fur, whereas a tortie will not.

"Tortoiseshell Cat: Info, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts"

Tortoiseshell and calico cats resemble each other with their multi-colored patterns. However, there is one significant difference. The latter has the same mix but on a white background. Otherwise, you’ll see the same group of colors, from cream to orange to black—and everything in between! If a tortoiseshell cat has a tabby pattern, people call them torbies.

Other variations ... mosaic, which is a mix of a bunch of colors all over the cat. A pet with a chimera pattern has one shade on one side and another on the other side. You’ll find both long-haired and short-haired kittens.

"Tri-color Cats: Tortoiseshell, Calico, and Everything In Between!"

>calico” and “tortoiseshell” refer to coat patterns, not breeds. These color combinations are the result of genetics and can appear in any breed, though they are more commonly found in breeds like American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, and Persian. ... A “tortico” is a combination of classic tortie and calico markings, featuring large patches of orange and black brindling on a white background."

"What Is a Chimera Cat? Genetics & Traits Explained"

A chimera cat is a feline whose cells contain two distinct sets of DNA, resulting from the fusion of two embryos in the womb, making it one of nature's most fascinating genetic phenomena. ... chimerism involves two separate zygotes combining into one individual.

"Two-faced and chimera cats – what causes this striking phenomenon?"

calico and tortoiseshell cats are not the same as chimeras, even if they have similar markings. ... some tortoiseshell cats are mosaics. This means a single fertilized egg resulted in a variety of genetic lines. ...Calicos and tortoiseshells display a wide variety of coat patterns and colors. These may include different colored eyes and “split” faces, but that doesn’t mean they are true chimeras.

In case you're inclined to view videos contrasting calicos and tortoiseshell cats, search for YouTube's "calico vs tortoiseshell cats".

Painted Rocks Borderline, Rock Star Treatment

The video is star-studded with previously encountered painted rocks. The rock star treatment includes starshape outlining of the 48 rocks and two limestone path enders.

My topic evolved from revisiting "Painted Rocks Borderline" (article | video), from 2018. At that time, I used Dreamweaver for web page, PaintShopPro for graphics, and MS Movie Maker for video. Since then, I've moved on to Bluefish for web page, GIMP for graphics, and OpenShot for video.

I concluded I no longer had the raw video input(s), so picked my finished 2018 video apart and used newer skills and different on it. I gave it star quality with wordplay and imagery renovations/innovations. The video's rocks piqued my wordplay about rocks.

Rock Theme Playlist for the Blog Topic

Rock and roll was a natural inspiration for my painted rocks topic. I've created a playlist with songs that include "rock". Eh, MOST of listed songs have "rock" in their titles. Exceptions are "No Man Is An Island" (opposite sentiment to "I Am a Rock"), "Rocket Man" ("rock" syllable), "Roxanne" (phonetically includes "rock").

"Life Is a Rock" by Reunion is my anthem choice. The first listed version in the playlist has no lyrics. The second one has lyrics; the chorus is Reunion's, but a DJ does the narration parts. BTW, I made it a point to gather YT vids that included lyrics. Enjoy the good rockin' music!

Mini-background on Painted Rocks Trend

About a decade ago, painted rocks were trendy, mostly individual ones left for others to find. In 2018, I published a blog article pertaining to a neighborhood painted-rocks path. I also uploaded a video featuring the path, 48 painted rocks, "bracketed" by a couple of larger limestone rocks. The blog article "Painted Rocks Borderline" ( includes sections titled "Rocks and Pebbles" (size differentiations) and "Painted Rocks Background" (kindness rocks).

Icy During January-end of 2026

Brrr! What a cold several days starting with Sunday, January 25! I recorded the whiteness (mostly ground level) in the morning after the previous night's sleet. Also recorded the next three days, skipped the fifth day, then recorded the sixth day.

The sixth day was thawedful in front, but still icypatched in back. This freeze was forecast/forewarned by weather people starting the previous week. There had been dire warnings that 245 million people, over half of US population, could be affected by the severe weather.

The stocking up of groceries by so many shoppers! It was like grocery shopping at a holiday eve--all cash registers operating, and several shoppers deep per register! We had gone the day before the actual eve, anticipating that going the night before the freeze would be REALLY unwise.

My first recording shows Sunday, January 25 at 7:32 AM. It was 17 degrees. I ventured out onto the front porch, then gingerly stepped onto the back patio a few feet. Crunch, crunch. I ventured as far as the far end of the patio bench.

The next three days of recording the back was through glass of the storm door. I skipped recording on the fifth day. On the sixth day, the front was totally thawed. The back was almost totally thawed, enough that I wasn't chicken to step onto the concrete.

We're expecting another couple of days of freezing weather, but no precipitation that could freeze and weigh down and break tree branches as in 2023. No power outage this time around, as had occurred in 2021 and 2023.

• "Feb 2021 Deep Freeze to Aftermath" article | video
• "2023 Ice 'N' Arborgeddon" article | video