Remember when?

[marv2]

Back in the day,the[cloak room]was where i got my first kiss,hehehehe!!!

Back in the day, the cloakroom is where "some" frisked the girls! LOL!!!!!

[robb_k]

Back in the day,the[cloak room]was where i got my first kiss,hehehehe!!!

Wow! You were an early starter!!! [[if you're talking about grammar [[elementary) school. I don't remember the high school classrooms having "cloakrooms".

[arr&bee]

Yeah robb,i hung out with older guys and learned a thing or two,hehehe!!

[nativeNY63]

Landlines - rotary or the lighted push button style phones, w/the 10ft. twisty cord
Computer modems - made that crazy fax machine like beeping sound
Fax [[facsimile) machine - took you about 4 tries before it went through
Mimeograph machine - descendant of the copier, with awful purple ink

[nativeNY63]

20th Century throwbacks:
Cars -
Yugo/Dart/Cavalier/ Grenada
Homes-
Levittown/townhouses/ ranches
Cereal [[hot) -
Cream of Wheat/Wheatena/alphabet soup
Jewelry -
horn necklace/class ring [[Josens)/rubber band as bracelet
Shoes -
espadrilles/moon boots [[Uggs pappy
Beverages -
Schlitz or Pabst Blue Ribbon beer [[dads loved it)/Bartles & Jaymes [[our #1 wine cooler - still sold!)

[Jerry Oz]

Landlines - rotary or the lighted push button style phones, w/the 10ft. twisty cord
Computer modems - made that crazy fax machine like beeping sound
Fax [[facsimile) machine - took you about 4 tries before it went through
Mimeograph machine - descendant of the copier, with awful purple ink

LOL. I still have my landline. Just got a cell two years ago.

I'm surprised you didn't mention the 30 seconds or so that it took to log into the internet when it made that god awful connection sound. And then, when it took 30 minutes to download a two minute video.

[arr&bee]

How bout the little calculator that you carried in your note book,gotta count those numbers.

[robb_k]

Landlines - rotary or the lighted push button style phones, w/the 10ft. twisty cord
Computer modems - made that crazy fax machine like beeping sound
Fax [[facsimile) machine - took you about 4 tries before it went through
Mimeograph machine - descendant of the copier, with awful purple ink

Shouldn't that read: "ancestor" of the copier? Didn't the mimeograph machine come FIRST?
I'm asking, because so often the gremlins go back into the past and change things that happened, that I've thought happened that way all my life.

Having copy machines before mimeo machines would be quite a trick. But, I guess that's no harder to believe than believing that the leader of the richest and most powerful country in The World could live for over 70 years and NOT come across the information that cleaning fluid is toxic to humans and probably all biological lie forms.

[nativeNY63]

Shouldn't that read: "ancestor" of the copier? Didn't the mimeograph machine come FIRST?
I'm asking, because so often the gremlins go back into the past and change things that happened, that I've thought happened that way all my life.

Having copy machines before mimeo machines would be quite a trick. But, I guess that's no harder to believe than believing that the leader of the richest and most powerful country in The World could live for over 70 years and NOT come across the information that cleaning fluid is toxic to humans and probably all biological lie forms.

Thanks again, Robb! Always mix up the two.

[nativeNY63]

Home remedies -
Iodine
Hanging bedwetter's sheets out the front window [[as curtains)
Clothes on the line w/wooden clothespins

Movies -
Sticky floor/usher [[not the singer) w/dim flashlight/ sneaking in food from the corner deli store/sneaking to the other side to see another movie, in the mall [[no multi - or cineplexes back then or by the side door/the cartoon before the "feature" [[70's lingo)

[Jerry Oz]

Home remedies -
Iodine
Hanging bedwetter's sheets out the front window [[as curtains)
Clothes on the line w/wooden clothespins

Movies -
Sticky floor/usher [[not the singer) w/dim flashlight/ sneaking in food from the corner deli store/sneaking to the other side to see another movie, in the mall [[no multi - or cineplexes back then or by the side door/the cartoon before the "feature" [[70's lingo)

How could you forget to add putting kids in the trunk of the car when going to the drive-in? I thought everybody did that. Also, remember the old speakers you had to put on your window at the drive-in with that horrible fidelity? I remember times when it rained and ruined the trip. Another time, a huge spider crawled up the windshield and hot as it was outside, we rolled up the windows and kept an eye on the cracked one [[with the speaker) to make sure that monster didn't crawl inside!

[marv2]

LOL. I still have my landline. Just got a cell two years ago.

I'm surprised you didn't mention the 30 seconds or so that it took to log into the internet when it made that god awful connection sound. And then, when it took 30 minutes to download a two minute video.

I had just gotten rid of my old, trusty flip phone about 2 years ago.

[marv2]

Home remedies -
Iodine
Hanging bedwetter's sheets out the front window [[as curtains)
Clothes on the line w/wooden clothespins

Movies -
Sticky floor/usher [[not the singer) w/dim flashlight/ sneaking in food from the corner deli store/sneaking to the other side to see another movie, in the mall [[no multi - or cineplexes back then or by the side door/the cartoon before the "feature" [[70's lingo)

Home remedies [[mostly for kids)

Fletcher's Castoria
St. Joseph's Children's aspirin [[orange-flavored)
Band Aid
Castor Oil
Campho-Phenique [[grandma used this on every type of injury)
Vick's Vapor Rub
Johnson&Johnson Liquiprin
Vick's Formula 44, Children's Cough Syrup
Bactine
Bayer's Children's aspirin.

[robb_k]

I had just gotten rid of my old, trusty flip phone about 2 years ago.

I still have mine. It's TERRIBLE for texting. I have to hit 3 keys to make one letter! But, at least I can call out and retrieve my calls.

I still much prefer it to my "smartphone", which, after 5 years, I can't figure out how to use. And I set off programmes all the time, which I don't want on, and can't turn off, and I can't do anything I actually WANT to do because I'm touching too hard or too soft, and setting it off. The only reason I keep it is to retrieve my forgotten passwords, which can't be sent by email, and can't be told over the phone by a human. And I forget them every time I need to use them again. And I refuse to store my passwords on my computer because spyware might read them, and I won't write them on paper, because I'm gone from each home for 8 or 9 months, and someone could get in and copy them.

[nativeNY63]

Home remedies [[mostly for
Fletcher's Castoria
St. Joseph's Children's aspirin [[orange-flavored)
Band Aid
Castor Oil
Campho-Phenique [[grandma used this on every type of injury)
Vick's Vapor Rub
Johnson&Johnson Liquiprin
Vick's Formula 44, Children's Cough Syrup
Bactine
Bayer's Children's aspirin.

Bayer's was orange flavored too. Don't forget Cod Liver oil! Flinstone vitamins.

[nativeNY63]

Let's continue, shall we:

Adolescent/ teen crushes:
"Jenny" - Lionel's [[the original one) The Jeffersons
Willis's girlfriend [["Miss Jackson, if you're nasty! ") - Diff'rnt Strokes; and years later as Tupac's boo in Poetic Justice; clearly NOT "Lil' Penny" on Good Times
Jayne Kennedy in the Penitentiary movies [[we hated that her real-life husband was in the movies!!) Unfortunately, she's...lets just say she's gained a wee bit o' weight. Check out her Instagram feed.
Pam Grier in all those "blaxploitation" flicks. Several years later, she starred, w/Richard Pryor, in "Greased Lightning." True story of 1st black NASCAR driver.
Lola Folana on tv series/variety shows.

Doggie close-ups:
Lassie/Scrappy Doo [[Scooby's runt)/Rin Tin Tin/Benji/Beethoven

Kiddie shows & Saturday toons:
Voltron/Ultraman/Speed Racer [[original)/Transformers [[original & commercial - "Robots in disguise ")/Spinner & Paddlefoot [[cartoon had live action human lips!)/Charlie Brown Specials/Hot Wheels [[and the toys)/Super Friends and The Wonder Twins [["Wonder Twins activate...shape of a...")

The REAL wonder years:

Everlast stand-up punching bag/concrete weights/ skating rinks/Homeroom/Swatch watches

and those beloved tv ads:
BK - "Where's the Beef?!" [[Sarah Pella) and "Have it your way"/Mckee Dee's - "You deserve a break today."/Coca-Cola - "I'd like to buy the world a Coke...."[[followed by that weird "Hands Across America" thing/Charmin - "Pu-leeeeezzzzeee don't squeeze the Charmin!" [[Mr. Whipple)/Burger Chef - "That's what you get at Burger Chef..."

Whew! I'm wiped out!! Enjoy reminiscing.

[Jerry Oz]

Oh my goodness, Jayne Kennedy! Remember when Phyllis George held out from CBS' NFL pre-game coverage and they replaced her with Jayne Kennedy? Good googly moogly, THANK YOU PHYLLIS!!!!!! And they had Jimmy The Greek actually laying odds on live TV for the games. What the actual ****? And football was better back then, IMO. But Jayne Kennedy... We couldn't stand her husband, Leon Isaac Kennedy. Bad actor who had the nerve to marry every young black American male's dream girl. An unforgivable sin.

My first TV crush was on Denise Nicholas and Karen Valentine on "Room 222". I'm a lifelong Denise Nicholas fan. Loved her in "Let's Do It Again", which is unofficially my favorite movie. And as kids, we were let into movies to see "Coffee" and "Foxy Brown". That probably wasn't a good idea. Pam Grier's "attributes" on those huge screens had a permanent impact on my awareness of women. And Lola Falana's legs were the only reason why my brother and I switched away from Monday Night Football to watch the Bill Cosby show.

What about the fast food joints that no longer exist that were probably better than the ones that survived? Burger Chef, Zantigo, Sister's Chicken & Biscuits, Rax Roast Beef, Shakey's Pizza were some of them.

Lastly, am I the only one who learned the hard way why iodine and mercurochrome are NOT the same thing in spite of their similar appearance?

[marv2]

I want an orange Fanta right now!

[nativeNY63]

Oh my goodness, Jayne Kennedy! Remember when Phyllis George held out from CBS' NFL pre-game coverage and they replaced her with Jayne Kennedy? Good googly moogly, THANK YOU PHYLLIS!!!!!! And they had Jimmy The Greek actually laying odds on live TV for the games. What the actual ****? And football was better back then, IMO. But Jayne Kennedy... We couldn't stand her husband, Leon Isaac Kennedy. Bad actor who had the nerve to marry every young black American male's dream girl. An unforgivable sin.

My first TV crush was on Denise Nicholas and Karen Valentine on "Room 222". I'm a lifelong Denise Nicholas fan. Loved her in "Let's Do It Again", which is unofficially my favorite movie. And as kids, we were let into movies to see "Coffee" and "Foxy Brown". That probably wasn't a good idea. Pam Grier's "attributes" on those huge screens had a permanent impact on my awareness of women. And Lola Falana's legs were the only reason why my brother and I switched away from Monday Night Football to watch the Bill Cosby show.

What about the fast food joints that no longer exist that were probably better than the ones that survived? Burger Chef, Zantigo, Sister's Chicken & Biscuits, Rax Roast Beef, Shakey's Pizza were some of them.

Lastly, am I the only one who learned the hard way why iodine and mercurochrome are NOT the same thing in spite of their similar appearance?

Thanks for that, Jer. I originally had merc...not gonna do it! in the post. But after spending about 5 minutes trying to spell it; gave up and figured they WERE the same! 'Cause alls I remember is that they both had you casting a orange sheen like a certain occupant in D.C.!

[nativeNY63]

I want an orange Fanta right now!

Or Orange Crush! [[not the Broncos defensive line, though)

[nativeNY63]

Here we go again!
Hood sports:
Sandlot football [[tackle in the street!)/handball & stickball/water hydrant in Summer

Home remedies 2:
Liquid bandaid/rubbing alcohol/ Witch Hazel/Mom's dabs of spit/shoes w/holey sole? Newspaper or cardboard!

Hobbies:
Going to the library [[to read for fun, not school)/Columbia House Club, mail order CDs/Oprah's Book Club/stamp or coin comicbook collecting/bottle caps/marbles [[glass ones)

Banks in the 80's & 90's:
Chemical Bank/ Fleet Bank

"Big box" stores [[60's & 70's version):
Alexander's/ Korvettes/ Sears & Roebuck Co./Crazy Eddie's [[audio)/The Wiz [[audio)/Dr. J's [["urban wear")

Before streaming, there was Netflix before it was Netflix [[just series runs of classic tv, such as I Love Lucy)/ before downloading and music services, Revolt/Tidal/iTunes, etc. There was Limeware & Napster.
Before cable, Showtime & HBO, there was Turner Network.

Before podcasts, blogs, vblogs, their was Public Access.

Rap & Hip-hop's legacy was Kurtis Blow/Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five/Treacherous Trio/Run-DMC

Before there was Nat Geo/The History Channel/ Snapped!/Cosmos [[w/the strange-talking astrophysicist guy from the planetarium) we had In Search of... [[w/Leonard Nimoy, Spock)/ Unsolved Mysteries - hosted by a very android-sounding Robert Stack and Nova/the original Cosmos w/late Carl Sagan, "..there are billions of billions of billions..."
Also, Wild Kingdom hosted by Marlon Perkins and The Crocodile Hunter [[late Bill Irwin, who rarely hunted crocs! Daughter, Bindi, just recently got married and has her own show. Crikey!!

Apparel:
Everyone and his mother has a clothing line[[s). Even His Orangeness' daughter does! We had these: Cross Colours/Karl Kani/Bennetton/Fubu/Rocca Wear/Sean John/Dapper Dan

Kiddie apparel:
Osh Kosh By Gosh/Garanimals/Underoos
Moms had the frumpy-dumpy housedress and fuzzy/furry slippers.

What about when SNL was funny? In the hungry and salad days. Think Eddie Murphy/Jimmy Fallon [[no so funny since he unseated Jay)/ Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players: Dan, Gilda,John,Garett, and Chevy. They brought the funny and never let it go, son!!

Last word. I promise. 2 megabestellers - The Preppy Handbook & What to Expect When You're Expecting. Hot fashion terms? Yuppie and buppie.

Have at it, guys! I'm gonna catch a nap. Bye.

[Jerry Oz]

Thanks for that, Jer. I originally had merc...not gonna do it! in the post. But after spending about 5 minutes trying to spell it; gave up and figured they WERE the same! 'Cause alls I remember is that they both had you casting a orange sheen like a certain occupant in D.C.!

Oh my goodness, iodine goes on a cut like water. Mercurochrome goes on a cut like a flame thrower. Especially since I wasn't expecting it. I think that cut still stings from that stuff and it's been healed for 50 years.

[Jerry Oz]

Here we go again!
Hood sports:
Sandlot football [[tackle in the street!)/handball & stickball/water hydrant in Summer
We also played curb ball and on the playground, dodge ball. And remember tetherball? Girls used to destroy all the boys at tetherball. And we also played "Chicago", our name for 21, which was one-on-[[however many) basketball. Make a shot and if you sank three free throws, you could take it out to try to make another.

Home remedies 2:
Liquid bandaid/rubbing alcohol/ Witch Hazel/Mom's dabs of spit/shoes w/holey sole? Newspaper or cardboard!
Did your mom hold up a napkin and tell you to lick it so she could wipe something off, like a scrape?

Hobbies:
Going to the library [[to read for fun, not school)/Columbia House Club, mail order CDs/Oprah's Book Club/stamp or coin comicbook collecting/bottle caps/marbles [[glass ones)
Collected comics for years. My brother and I would catch the bus downtown to go to the comic book store or to the grindhouse to watch movies. Remember "Weekly Reader"? Always loved it when the teacher opened up the box with all of the books we ordered.

Banks in the 80's & 90's:
Chemical Bank/ Fleet Bank
Remember Savings & Loans?

"Big box" stores [[60's & 70's version):
Alexander's/ Korvettes/ Sears & Roebuck Co./Crazy Eddie's [[audio)/The Wiz [[audio)/Dr. J's [["urban wear")
Rinks, Woolworth, Gold Circle

Before streaming, there was Netflix before it was Netflix [[just series runs of classic tv, such as I Love Lucy)/ before downloading and music services, Revolt/Tidal/iTunes, etc. There was Limeware & Napster.
Before cable, Showtime & HBO, there was Turner Network.
Remember when HBO came on every day at 4:30 or 5:00 PM and the last movie ended just after midnight? And WTBS made me an Atlanta Hawks fan and I was 600 miles outside of Atlanta.

Before podcasts, blogs, vblogs, their was Public Access.
The cheapest and most entertaining programs were on public access. Until a bunch of goofs decided to get all of the slots and presented cheap homemade talk shows that booked people who were neither relevant nor interesting.

Rap & Hip-hop's legacy was Kurtis Blow/Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five/Treacherous Trio/Run-DMC.
I didn't like rap until the mid-80s. My cousin Tony played so much Public Enemy and Boogie Down Production, I remain a fan of both acts to this day.

Before there was Nat Geo/The History Channel/ Snapped!/Cosmos [[w/the strange-talking astrophysicist guy from the planetarium) we had In Search of... [[w/Leonard Nimoy, Spock)/ Unsolved Mysteries - hosted by a very android-sounding Robert Stack and Nova/the original Cosmos w/late Carl Sagan, "..there are billions of billions of billions...
Don't forget That's Incredible, which made teenager Byron Allen a star and no doubt led to his becoming the rarest of breeds: an African-American billionaire. I'll never forget the time some idiot tried to catch a bullet in his mouth and it ripped through his lip.
Also, Wild Kingdom hosted by Marlon Perkins and The Crocodile Hunter [[late Bill Irwin, who rarely hunted crocs! Daughter, Bindi, just recently got married and has her own show. Crikey!!
Remember when Marlon Perkins would jump into four feet of water and wrestle with a 20 foot Boa Constrictor? Did it every few weeks and I would wonder why the camera crew would let this old dude fight such monsters. Then I realized the snakes were drugged and he was never in danger at all. And also, when they would clip a tag on a Wildebeest's or lion's ear and insist that it didn't hurt, in spite of the drugged animal's writhing in obvious pain when they did it?

Apparel:
Everyone and his mother has a clothing line[[s). Even His Orangeness' daughter does! We had these: Cross Colours/Karl Kani/Bennetton/Fubu/Rocca Wear/Sean John/Dapper Dan
You're not going far enough back. I remember window paned blue jeans and elephant and monster-legged bell bottoms. Also, daishikis and stacked heels. None of which was truly fly unless you made sure you walked around with your afro pick stuck in the back of your head.

Kiddie apparel:
Osh Kosh By Gosh/Garanimals/Underoos
Moms had the frumpy-dumpy housedress and fuzzy/furry slippers
Garanimals were classic. Designed for fashion-fuzzy moms so they could match their kids' clothes without embarrassing them in front of their friends. And I'll never forget the time when my mother bought me a pair of husky pants in the seventh grade. That was enough to make me lose weight.

What about when SNL was funny? In the hungry and salad days. Think Eddie Murphy/Jimmy Fallon [[no so funny since he unseated Jay)/ Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players: Dan, Gilda,John,Garett, and Chevy. They brought the funny and never let it go, son!!
SNL was great when it started. John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, and Lorraine Newman hit the ground running. And Bill Murray replaced Belushi. He was so unfunny, he gave a classic monologue that I'm pretty sure saved his career. People started laughing half way through it and he was the star of the ensemble for the rest of his tenure. SNL made Steve Martin a star. And when the original crew left, it went in the dumpster until Eddie Murphy [["featuring Eddie Murphy") came along. A lot of his best stuff was on Saturday Night Live. BTW: Do you remember ABC tried to riff SNL with a show called "Friday"? It's where Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus got the big breaks. Andy Kaufmann famously blew it up on live TV once by refusing to finish any of the skits.

Last word. I promise. 2 megabestellers - The Preppy Handbook & What to Expect When You're Expecting. Hot fashion terms? Yuppie and buppie.
Rich Man, Poor Man. Roots. Jaws. And it was the era of the first movie blockbusters like Star Wars, Jaws [[again), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Rocky and others.

Have at it, guys! I'm gonna catch a nap. Bye.

Those days are gone for good. Of course, today's kids will have similar memories of good times 30-40 years from now.

[Jerry Oz]

By the way, a thought occurred to me last night and I want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way. Was the '80s a wasted decade? When I watch movies and TV shows or listen to music from the '80s, nothing in popular culture, art or fashion remains. The hair. The clothes. Electric drums and drum machine patterns that didn't even try to sound like real drums. Synth lines. Even the music production and arrangements of the '80s was unique to that era. It was mostly gone by the '90s and it's completely gone now.

Every decade before the '80s still is reflected in today's society. Watch a movie like Krush Groove, Beat Street, 16 Candles, Beverly Hills Cop, or War Games and you'll see what I mean. Absolutely nothing from that decades popular culture is still around and I wonder why. It's weird. Am I wrong?

[marv2]

I still have mine. It's TERRIBLE for texting. I have to hit 3 keys to make one letter! But, at least I can call out and retrieve my calls.

I still much prefer it to my "smartphone", which, after 5 years, I can't figure out how to use. And I set off programmes all the time, which I don't want on, and can't turn off, and I can't do anything I actually WANT to do because I'm touching too hard or too soft, and setting it off. The only reason I keep it is to retrieve my forgotten passwords, which can't be sent by email, and can't be told over the phone by a human. And I forget them every time I need to use them again. And I refuse to store my passwords on my computer because spyware might read them, and I won't write them on paper, because I'm gone from each home for 8 or 9 months, and someone could get in and copy them.

LOL! I had the hardest time texting on my flip phone! People were waiting for my response and would go "you still there?" LOL! I preferred my to my smartphone too in many ways. No one wanted to steal it and I never hit the wrong button for anything.

[marv2]

By the way, a thought occurred to me last night and I want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way. Was the '80s a wasted decade? When I watch movies and TV shows or listen to music from the '80s, nothing in popular culture, art or fashion remains. The hair. The clothes. Electric drums and drum machine patterns that didn't even try to sound like real drums. Synth lines. Even the music production and arrangements of the '80s was unique to that era. It was mostly gone by the '90s and it's completely gone now.

Every decade before the '80s still is reflected in today's society. Watch a movie like Krush Groove, Beat Street, 16 Candles, Beverly Hills Cop, or War Games and you'll see what I mean. Absolutely nothing from that decades popular culture is still around and I wonder why. It's weird. Am I wrong?

The 80s to me was like one long Friday night and Saturday morning. I did important things that weren't really that important to me. If that makes sense. I had a lot of fun in the 80s. It is the 90s that was a big nothing to me. I cannot remember anything truly unique about the 90s. I can remember all sorts of things about the 70s, but I have to grab a photo album to start remembering the 90s.

[marv2]

By the way, a thought occurred to me last night and I want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way. Was the '80s a wasted decade? When I watch movies and TV shows or listen to music from the '80s, nothing in popular culture, art or fashion remains. The hair. The clothes. Electric drums and drum machine patterns that didn't even try to sound like real drums. Synth lines. Even the music production and arrangements of the '80s was unique to that era. It was mostly gone by the '90s and it's completely gone now.

Every decade before the '80s still is reflected in today's society. Watch a movie like Krush Groove, Beat Street, 16 Candles, Beverly Hills Cop, or War Games and you'll see what I mean. Absolutely nothing from that decades popular culture is still around and I wonder why. It's weird. Am I wrong?

No you're not wrong. Even music videos have disappeared.

[nativeNY63]

Scholastic Reader w/those boxes of eagerly anticipated books too.
Sports Illustrated for Kids was dope!
Borders Books in the WTC. Would sit there, in the cafe area, reading books. Coles Books in the mall.

[Jerry Oz]

Scholastic Reader w/those boxes of eagerly anticipated books too.
Sports Illustrated for Kids was dope!
Borders Books in the WTC. Would sit there, in the cafe area, reading books. Coles Books in the mall.

My mom subscribed to Highlights For Children. Used to love that monthly arrival in the mail. Always turned to Goofus And Gallant before anything else. She also used to read to us frequently enough that she raised three kids who loved reading. Green Eggs and Ham and Are You My Mother? were two books I remember to this day. Also remember my first grade teacher reading from Sally, Dick and Jane.

Surrounded by books and people who loved them, I had no choice but to be a reader.

[Jerry Oz]

The 80s to me was like one long Friday night and Saturday morning. I did important things that weren't really that important to me. If that makes sense. I had a lot of fun in the 80s. It is the 90s that was a big nothing to me. I cannot remember anything truly unique about the 90s. I can remember all sorts of things about the 70s, but I have to grab a photo album to start remembering the 90s.

The '90s was a null zone for me musically. I had too much fun in the '80s that the '90s couldn't possibly measure up, especially as a married man instead of a guy in his 20s who was set loose like the previous decade. But I can still see the '90s influence on fashion, movies, music and other cultural areas. I see the '70s, '60s and '50s everywhere, too. But it looks like the '80s was the most fun decade but also culturally insignificant. The '80s were the time equivalent of Las Vegas. I had more fun then than any other time but what happened in the '80s stayed in the '80s.

[nativeNY63]

My mom subscribed to Highlights For Children. Used to love that monthly arrival in the mail. Always turned to Goofus And Gallant before anything else. She also used to read to us frequently enough that she raised three kids who loved reading. Green Eggs and Ham and Are You My Mother? were two books I remember to this day. Also remember my first grade teacher reading from Sally, Dick and Jane.

Surrounded by books and people who loved them, I had no choice but to be a reader.

Never subscribed. But always read it either in the school library or at doctor's office. I grew up on the Dr. Seuss books too. So did my kids. They were reading chapter books early. They love reading just like Pops! When the 3 of them were old enough to have a library card, I gave each a bag to fill out. You would have fell over watching me and the little NativesNYs lined up by the trunk, eagerly pulling out there book bags for the library! Yeah, some will call it nerdy. But so what. Two of the young uns are adults. And the 3rd is a teenager. Mom produced an avid/voracious reader. [[funny, you usually see those 2 words only connected to books) And I was able to do the same w/my guys! Bookworms unite!!!

[nativeNY63]

More "big box" stores:
Lambston's [[second tier Woolworths) /Duane Reade [[if Rite Aid was more organized & well lit)/D'Gastino's [[whole foods before there was Whole Foods)/Kresge [[another 5 & dime)

[nativeNY63]

One of Mom's 3 jobs was working at a co. called Manpower, Inc. Like a 70's style of temp/employment agency. She was responsible for entering those punch cards into a "computer" . Being a resourceful single parent, of 2 boys, she bought home boxes of them. Then, instructed baby brother and I to use them as drawing paper! Needless to say, gang, if i'd saved HALF of those punch cards, I'd be richer that Jeff Bezos#AmazonWorldDomination!!!

[arr&bee]

oh my goodness, jayne kennedy! Remember when phyllis george held out from cbs' nfl pre-game coverage and they replaced her with jayne kennedy? Good googly moogly, thank you phyllis!!!!!! And they had jimmy the greek actually laying odds on live tv for the games. What the actual ****? And football was better back then, imo. But jayne kennedy... We couldn't stand her husband, leon isaac kennedy. Bad actor who had the nerve to marry every young black american male's dream girl. An unforgivable sin.

My first tv crush was on denise nicholas and karen valentine on "room 222". I'm a lifelong denise nicholas fan. Loved her in "let's do it again", which is unofficially my favorite movie. And as kids, we were let into movies to see "coffee" and "foxy brown". That probably wasn't a good idea. Pam grier's "attributes" on those huge screens had a permanent impact on my awareness of women. And lola falana's legs were the only reason why my brother and i switched away from monday night football to watch the bill cosby show.

What about the fast food joints that no longer exist that were probably better than the ones that survived? Burger chef, zantigo, sister's chicken & biscuits, rax roast beef, shakey's pizza were some of them.

Lastly, am i the only one who learned the hard way why iodine and mercurochrome are not the same thing in spite of their similar appearance?

leon kennedy had some success as a dj back in the day-leon the lover,wasn't he from detroit?

[arr&bee]

You guys are right about the 80's,the drum machines were awful but some of the early decade shows were ok,marv i'm with you on the 90's-a nothing decade,and i ain't in love with the 2000's either.

[marv2]

My mom subscribed to Highlights For Children. Used to love that monthly arrival in the mail. Always turned to Goofus And Gallant before anything else. She also used to read to us frequently enough that she raised three kids who loved reading. Green Eggs and Ham and Are You My Mother? were two books I remember to this day. Also remember my first grade teacher reading from Sally, Dick and Jane.

Surrounded by books and people who loved them, I had no choice but to be a reader.

Oh God, there have to be some old Highlights magazines going all the way back to the 60s somewhere still in my mother's house. When I was in grade school that was like serious literature to us! LOL!

[marv2]

The '90s was a null zone for me musically. I had too much fun in the '80s that the '90s couldn't possibly measure up, especially as a married man instead of a guy in his 20s who was set loose like the previous decade. But I can still see the '90s influence on fashion, movies, music and other cultural areas. I see the '70s, '60s and '50s everywhere, too. But it looks like the '80s was the most fun decade but also culturally insignificant. The '80s were the time equivalent of Las Vegas. I had more fun then than any other time but what happened in the '80s stayed in the '80s.

The 80s were really superficial. We didn't have any huge causes to unite behind. The theme of the day was "Everything big is good!" or "It's all about you. Only you matter" "Do whatever you want, just don't get caught"! LOL! You could probably throw in a bit of the 70s "If It Feels Good.....Do It" too.

[marv2]

You guys are right about the 80's,the drum machines were awful but some of the early decade shows were ok,marv i'm with you on the 90's-a nothing decade,and i ain't in love with the 2000's either.

The early 2000s was like, "What's the next disaster?". Work until you drop. Grab a beer and go home and sleep.

[nativeNY63]

The 80s were really superficial. We didn't have any huge causes to unite behind. The theme of the day was "Everything big is good!" or "It's all about you. Only you matter" "Do whatever you want, just don't get caught"! LOL! You could probably throw in a bit of the 70s "If It Feels Good.....Do It" too.

Isn't that when they labeled the 80's "The Me-Decade?

[marv2]

More "big box" stores:
Lambston's [[second tier Woolworths) /Duane Reade [[if Rite Aid was more organized & well lit)/D'Gastino's [[whole foods before there was Whole Foods)/Kresge [[another 5 & dime)

Duane Reade's? D'Agastino's? I know where you live, I know where live ! LOL! It use to seem like there was one in every block of Manhattan.

[marv2]

Isn't that when they labeled the 80's "The Me-Decade?

Yeah, I think that's right! Remember the movie "Bright Lights, Big City"?. That movie was very representative of the time in the way that "Saturday Night Fever" was a good depiction of the late 70s.

[marv2]

leon kennedy had some success as a dj back in the day-leon the lover,wasn't he from detroit?

He was from Cleveland. He was/is Smokey Robinson's best friend. Also remember his films "Penitentiary" in the early 80s?

[nativeNY63]

Real People was on around the same time as That's Incredible, Jer.
Guinness Book of World Records book was a must-read every year.
What about Ripley's Belive It or Not? Jack Palance [[Mr. 1 arm push-up at the Oscars) was the host. With that voice, he was perfect casting! Speaking of which...he was in the 2 City Slickers movies. Great pairing w/the peerless Billy Crystal.
[[another SNL alum)

[nativeNY63]

Variety shows: Deano's "roasts, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Andy Williams, Manchester Sisters[[?),

The REAL Tonight Show, w/Ed McMahon.[[before Jay & Fallon)
Dukes of Hazzard, the Enos spin-off. Family Matters, Fresh Prince [[before Will became the 1st Hollywood actor to command a $20m in a film!), Beverley Hillbillies, The Munsters, Andy Griffith Show [[never could do the whistle! Reminds of Otis' on Sitting on the Dock of the Bay)

[lakeside]

Tupperware parties. Do they still make Tupperware? My Mom hosted a couple
of those parties as I remember. I can't imagine that today. I guess that's what
HSN and QVC are for these days.

[marv2]

leon kennedy had some success as a dj back in the day-leon the lover,wasn't he from detroit?

Close. Leon Kennedy was from Cleveland.

[marv2]

Tupperware parties. Do they still make Tupperware? My Mom hosted a couple
of those parties as I remember. I can't imagine that today. I guess that's what
HSN and QVC is for these days.

I use to hate it when she did that! She'd make all of these nice, delicious sandwiches, punch, and other snacks for her "Tupperware Ladies....." My brother and I couldn't wait until left so that we could get at the leftovers!

[arr&bee]

You had...leftovers?....rich kid!

[nativeNY63]

Mary Kay, w/the pink Caddy; still around! Avon too. Amway Cookies. Shaklee still kicking also.

[marv2]

You had...leftovers?....rich kid!

Yeah, they were "ladies" and could not be seen eating too much. Not at all like the Block Club Ladies, now they were HOGS! LOL! Every chip and dip on the table would be gone by the time they left!