Yeah robb,i hung out with older guys and learned a thing or two,hehehe!!
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
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!)
How bout the little calculator that you carried in your note book,gotta count those numbers.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
I want an orange Fanta right now!
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.!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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)
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!!!
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 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.
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)
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)
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.
Last edited by lakeside; 05-23-2020 at 06:22 PM.
You had...leftovers?....rich kid!
Mary Kay, w/the pink Caddy; still around! Avon too. Amway Cookies. Shaklee still kicking also.
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