Our Favorite Nuke Songs

To carry over from yesterday's topic, you can see how prevalent fear of a nuclear Armageddon was in the 1980's just by perusing our music. There are so many songs that reference nukes, or that have themes many suspect are referencing the cold war climate of fear.

There are two that are the most notable and memorable for me, and I am sure most of you are familiar with them: '99 Red Luft Balloons' by Nena and 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' by Ultravox. I can actually remember a few times getting real tears in my eyes as I watched the video for this song. I loved this song. Even though the video was about a meltdown at a nuclear reactor, it still was about coming to grips with the possibility of dying because of this new nuclear technology. Here it is, in its 80's awesomeness:



Just take a gander across the music charts and you will see numerous examples. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to listen to almost any album of the 80s without hearing at least one reference to 'the bomb' or nukes or Russia. Here is a partial list of some nuke related stuff I remember, feel free to add to this list by posting in comments:

Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Enola Gay - OMD
Russians - Sting
Distant Early warning - Rush
Ask - The Smiths
Love Missile F1-11 - Sigue Sigue Sputnik


Plus, there were tons of songs/artists that had total annihilation imagery to their songs, for instance, '1999' by Prince; Some stuff by Tears For Fears that although not explicit, seemed to be about nuclear issues; videos like 'Land of Confusion' by Phil Collins; 'Is There Something I should Know' by Duran Duran ('you're about as easy as a nuclear war...')and then songs like 'Forever Young' by Alphaville that really did seem to evoke the GenX notion that life is short, so 'Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May...'

Or, what will be more readily recognizable to may readers here, the notion of 'Carpe Diem'! Seize the Day!

'The Day After' - Our Worst Nightmare

Today, the spectre of terrorism hangs over the heads of our children and haunts them on a daily basis. When we were kids, we had the threat of something even more insidious - nuclear annihilation.

That is not to imply that terrorists could not eventually get their hands on nuclear weapons, its just that when we were kids the nuclear arms race was a huge, pressing issue that was discussed on the nightly news every day and that was VERY REAL in our world as a definite risk.

I recall looking as a child at maps in the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper that showed the effects to different neighborhoods if a nuclear bomb went off in downtown. I was in the category of people who would survive the initial blast but would perish in years, or even months, from excessive radiation exposure. I can recall thinking that I'd rather go in the initial blast instead of linger around to see the effects, and I wondered if we should one day move to a house closer to downtown. No child should have to have these thoughts as a part of his/her reality.

There is nothing that will wipe out of our psyches the fear created by living under such a threat as a child. In fact, sometimes I wonder how it has effected me personally, as I was quite obsessed with these thoughts throughout much of the 1980's. I also wonder how it has affected Generation X as a whole. If anyone knows of any books that address this issue, I'd love to know about them.

One of the biggest events in 1983 was the made for TV movie 'The Day After'. It shook our entire nation and provided the imagery for our neuroses about nuclear war. In this clip, I provide the most distressing and pivotal scene of the movie, when Kansas City is nuked. These images have played in my head from the time I first viewed it at age 13 until this very day, and surely I am not alone in this. It is very distressing to watch, even to this day.

I suppose it was the fear of this kind of war with the Soviet Union that prompted my great interest in following the final days of the Evil Empire and the fall of the Berlin Wall.


Thanks to Youtube user x4073 for this video.

Pac Man Fever!

Who didn't LOVE this song? This is something else I always connect with roller skating. Except for '867-5309 Jenny' (or whatever that's called), this was the most played song at the skating rink during my big years there, 1981-1982. I would always hurry up my Pac Man game to get out there and skate when the DJ played this one. It was an absolute PacMan mania that was shared by just about every kid there.

I could not locate an actual video for this song (although I vaguely remember once seeing a lame video of some kind). I did find this one which features the song and some PacMan memorabilia. Thanks to youtube user dungar013 for this video.

Don't Forget the Free Jewelry Giveaway!

I just wanted to post a reminder that there are only two days left to enter the giveaway for a piece of my gemstone jewelry inspired by the 1980's. If you have not entered, it only takes a minute. Just click on the post for September 15th and follow the directions to enter.

Aside from the contest, you may want to take a look at some of the pieces in my 'Meditations' shop. Just click on my 'Looking Very 1984!' picture on the top righthand side of this page to shop. Please consider supporting this blog (which I spend quite a bit of time on)by doing some of your Holiday shopping with Meditations Gemstone Jewelry.

Thanks for listening to my sales pitch and don't forget to enter!

The poll on 1980's movies is also ending in 2 days - if you have not voted, scroll all the way to the bottom to cast your vote.

Maxwell Caulfield - Simply Hot.

Okay, trapped in the 80s moms. I needed a dose of something hunky today and I just knew that you did too (sorry to my male readers!).

Maxwell Caulfield fits the bill BIG TIME. I loved looking at him in 'Grease 2', even though he can't sing worth a damn! He has a kinda-sorta Brad Pitt look to him, which I can't complain about.

We talked about him on here a bit several weeks ago, and I know we all have been hankering for more since then. Well, here it is: a collection of shirtless scenes from the TV show 'Dynasty'. Enjoy!

Thanks to youtube user storyofshirtless for this video.

Pac Man on Skates

Forever in my mind, Pac Man goes with roller skates.

I played that game while on roller skates so many times, even today I find it difficult to play without thinking of those skates. As part of a family that didn't have any fancy, newfangled video games (like an Atari or Coleco), my only option was to play video games as I found them in public places, most notably the mall or the skating rink.

This was hands down my very favorite game (at least until Ms. Pac Man was released!). I fed coins into the hungry machine one after the other.

Who didn't love those dots, the fruit, the ghosts? The red ghost was always the meanest bastard around, and still is, but I love him too ;-) I played that stupid thing until the joystick was covered with sweat and I had joystick pains in my wrist and elbow. Some cute boy or other would always play after me, careful to note whether I hung around to see him demolish my performance.

I remember 1982 being a HUGE year for me and Pac Man. Who could resist its allure? Compared to the 'basic' video games like Pong, Frogger, and Asteroids, Pac Man was really advanced in its graphics and creativity.

I recently bought a version of PacMan on a battery operated unit that plugs into the television and eats up batteries like crazy (this makes it almost as expensive to play as the arcade games were way back when!). I suck. Sometimes I wonder if putting on my roller skates would make me play just a little bit better. I ought to try it one day.

What The Hell is 'Grace Jones'?

I don't know what the hell that's all about.

Grace Jones was more a thing than a person, more a created 'package' designed to be weird and counter culture and shocking and just as different as all getout. Introduced to most people with the song 'Demolition Man' and and in the James Bond movie 'A View To a Kill', Jones was the walking embodiment of pretentious weirdness.

The thing about her, though, is that she was not authentically weird in the way of, let's say, Boy George or Pee Wee Herman. She was kind of a slick manufactured version of something offbeat. It was like she was made on an assembly line somewhere in Hong Kong out of injection molded plastic.

I could not decide if she was stunningly beautiful or downright gruesome. My opinion of her always vacillated between those two extremes. I can tell you that I found nothing beautiful in her voice or acting talents, for sure.

The thing that is quite interesting about Jones, however, is how iconic her image is of an age of angular lines, shoulder pads, and androgyny. Even if someone had never heard of Grace Jones, I could show them a picture of her and they would immediately know the score, immediately know what she did for a living and when she lived.

I know some people enjoy her music. In the early 90's I can remember being in quite a few bars when Grace Jones came on. I usually left the dance floor.

I know that some of you dear readers will not like today's appraisal. I can't help it, I can't love EVERYTHING from the 1980's. So, to all you fans out there, change my mind. Make the case. Leave your comments. I am always open to influence.

Thanks to youtube user crazedvole for today's video.

Election Time Memories - Willie Horton

In the spirit of this interesting political season, I bring you the most memorable feature of the 1988 political campaign - the Willie Horton tv advertisement. This advertisement was made by the Bush campaign (for those of you outside of the U.S., 'Bush the 1st' was George W. Bush's father and was president before Clinton). Some have speculated that this ad is the one that caused the landslide win for Bush against Michael Dukakis.

I remember this controversy vividly. I am very much into politics, and this was the first year of that for me, the first election I voted in. I have to admit that I had no idea what I was doing. I voted for Michael Dukakis. Today I hear him in interviews and I think to myself 'I voted for THAT GUY??' I will wager that most people look back at their first vote and think 'what in the world was I doing???'

This commercial is known for being the spot from political history most charged with racial overtones. I thought it would be apropos to remember it since this ad has been mentioned so many times as an example of mud-slinging this week. I just had to feature it for those of you who were not of voting age yet and, thus, had no interest in things like this.

Now I'm waiting for the 'Willie Horton' ad of the 2008 election. Which side will it be on?


thanks to youtube user pholly1 for this video.

Dr. Scholls Sandals

Any child of the seventies or eighties must remember the wild popularity of 'Dr. Scholls Exercise Sandals'. Back then they could be purchased almost anywhere. I had a blue pair exactly like the one in the photo. I loved that little bump under the toes. I loved the loud sound and I, as a bratty middle-schooler, purposefully walked more loudly than needed.

'Candies' had an almost identical shoe, probably ripped off from Dr. Scholls, who invented theirs in the 1960's. I think I remember a young Anna Nicole Smith modeling those for Candies.

By the mid 80's, these sandals rapidly fell out of favor as anything resembling clogs, or anything 'natural' looking went by the wayside in favor of the 'slicker' and more modern garb that the 80's is known for. Out with the clogs, in with the jelly shoes!

I read that they are experiencing a new surge of popularity in recent years because Carrie Bradshaw wore a pair on 'Sex and the City'. That's interesting, I actually can finally afford to buy something that Carrie wore (no Manolo Blahniks for me, thank you!). There is also probably a resurgence due to the recent interest in footwear with body strengthening and back straightening in mind, with brands such as 'Earth Shoes' and 'MBT' recently in the spotlight in the past decade.

I'm gonna get me a pair. I hope they have not changed at all. A blue pair. I'll let you know if my legs get more shapely!

An 80's Exercise Guru

Thanks to Youtube user OofusTwillip for this video.


Who didn't love Richard Simmons, one of the premier exercise gurus of the 1980's? Even if you thought his exercise philosophy was garbage, you had to laugh at his melodrama and funny persona.

Many people don't rememeber that he didn't just have those 'Sweatin' To The Oldies' exercise tapes - he also had his own tv show. I remember my mother sometimes watching this program (I don't, alas, remember her working out, EVER).

Richard Simmons is from New Orleans, and I can remember twice seeing him walking around downtown. I also knew a guy in the Catholic Church we went to as a kid that grew up with him and claimed to be his best friend. He carried in his wallet a real photo of Richard that looked like it was taken at Sears before he became well-known.

Check out the guy exercising in those tube socks in this video. And Richard is pretty priceless as he works out fully clothed and with his 'fabulous' Cabaret styling.

Brooke and her Calvins.

Here is another quick spot featuring the gorgeous and totally 80's Brooke Shields.

Its funny to think of how there were so many 'designer' products that were advertised on tv. You rarely see that any more. We used to see lots of commercials for Calvins and Chanel and ... you name it. Later in the decade and into the 90's there were a bunch of Ralph Lauren commercials, and I seem to rememebr having seen one just a few years ago. For the most part, however, they disappeared. I guess advertisers figured all their wealthy customers could afford newfangled remote controls and commercial free cable t.v., so their messages were being lost on the poor, sweaty masses.

I think I may have had ONE pair of Calvins, off a sale rack somewhere, a season too late. Surely I had to save up tons of Christmas and birthday money to afford those!

New Poll - Which Movie Most Reflects Our Favorite Decade?

Today I have up a new poll.

You've gotta figure out which movie most reflects the spirit of the 1980's, our favorite decade. Is it the teenage ramblings of 'The Breakfast Club?' Is it the corporate greed of 'Wall Street?' Only you guys know the answer! Scroll down to the very bottom of the page for the poll.

While you are scrolling, take a look at a few days ago for the free gemstone bracelet giveaway, which is still ongoing. Go ahead and enter. It only takes a minute. I will never use your contact info to send you silly spam or anything like that. Just go ahead and enter, you just may win!

'How Soon Is Now' - The #1 Best Song of the 80's!

In my opinion, this is just 80's awesomeness at its apex.

The Smiths/Morrissey are a strange choice, I know, but this song is just SO PERFECT. Although I don't love all of The Smiths' songs across the board as I do The Cure's, I liked them lots and this one is just the best.

The sound of Morrissey's voice, and his lyrics, create a kind of polarization. There is no one who says 'I kinda like them'. Its really a love or hate relationship most people have. It speaks to me. To my husband, its just depressing, whiny noise. I can understand that perspective, but its just wrong. Downright wrong.

'Lovesong' - The 2nd Best Song of the 80's!

The Cure. Robert Smith.

Need I say more?



Thanks to youtube user emulatorII for this video.

'Bizarre Love Triangle' - 3rd Best Song of the 80's

This is such a great song. I must have danced to this a million times while sneaking into clubs with fake ID's in the late 80's.

New Order was awesome, they have many great songs, but this is my favorite. In fact, I like it so much, today I'm calling it the 3rd best song of the 1980's (according to me, of course). Enjoy this video and then check back tomorrow for #2!

Also, don't forget to enter my jewelry giveaway in the post below this one.

FREE Blog Giveaway - 'Meditations' Jewelry!

Hi everyone. Some of you may have noticed that in addition to doing this blog, I am also a jewelry designer. I love to create pieces that are unique, with a naturalistic feel and organic materials like gemstones, pearls and shell.

Starting today, I am having a giveaway of a piece of my jewelry. No, its not a black rubber bracelet (sorry!). The giveaway is for a bracelet (pictured above) called 'Miami Vice'. I wanted to make something reminiscent of this iconic 1980's tv show, and this is what I came up with - some of the colors of South Florida that became popular during our favorite decade. It seems as if EVERYTHING was aqua and pink back then. I can remember quite a few outfits I wore with this color combo, which seems to be getting popular again in fashion and graphic design.

The bracelet is approx. 8 1/2 inches in length, is crafted of silver plated non-tarnishing copper wire, and features semiprecious gemstones of Amazonite and Rose Quartz. It features a handcrafted hook and loop style clasp.

Here's the thing, guys. I am offering this free item to introduce you to my shop in case you have never ventured there. I cannot spend so many hours on my blog without, at some point, making some money. My husband is always scolding me for focusing too much on this blog and not enough on my business! So, help me out here. Take a look. Think about people you need to buy holiday gifts for. Maybe there is something in my shop that they will like. Or, maybe you have a special event coming up and want something new. If not, that's okay, too - all I'm asking is that you try to support my efforts by taking a look. One nice bonus is that I am giving away a free ring, copper bookmark, or hair pin with every purchase for the month of September!


To enter the contest, follow the following rules:

1) Go to my website at www.meditations.etsy.com

2) Take a look around and buy as much as you can afford (just joking, LOL)

3) No, really, take a look around and find your favorite piece in my shop.

4) Come back here to the comments section and post the name of your favorite and why you like it. Make sure you leave an email address or a link through which I can trace your email account to contact you.

5) That's it! On October 1st, my son will write a random number on a piece of paper. That number post will win the bracelet.

6) Unfortunately, this contest is only open to addresses in the U.S. and Canada.

GOOD LUCK!

The 'Bubble Yum', 'Bubblicious' and 'Hubba Bubba' Years

The 80s were definitely the heyday for the 'big' gums like 'Bubble Yum', 'Bubblicious' and 'Hubba Bubba'. During these years all kinds of fruity candies became very popular, and gum got REALLY big and long-lasting in flavor - I guess this was due to some kind of candy-making technology ;-)

No one who was a kid or teen in the 80s was without that trusty, bulky pack of gum in their pocket at all times. I used to chew it so much my jaws were always in pain.

Enjoy remembering the heyday of these flavorful globs with this Bubble Yum commercial from the early 1980's.

Houston, We Have A Problem!

I am adding this second post for today just to give a bit of support to a rightfully concerned region here in the Gulf Coast: Houston/Galveston.

I'm glad it wasn't us this time, but I gotta admit I am quite worried for Houston. The feeder band winds of Hurricane Ike are crazy here this morning and we have some localized flooding in my neighborhood - and we are over a five hour drive away from Houston.

I can't imagine what it will be like for Houston today. Just remember that you will come out the other side of the mess at some point in time and be 'normal' again. Good luck, guys.

Rockin' with 'Rock Band' - 80's Style!

I gotta say, I've only played the 'Rock Band' video game once but I LOVED it!

I think it is the fact that there were 1980's song selections available. Since this is primarily a rock based game (alas, there is no synthesizer to play), the choices were from 80's hair bands and rock groups.

When I played, I chose Bon Jovi's 'Dead or Alive', a song I kinda liked even then. When I started to sing it, though, I felt like a damn ROCK STAR! I totally fell in love with the song and was able to hit every note and every voice inflection just like Bon Jovi did. I made my 'band mates' repeat it over and over, and I scored 95% to 100% every time we played it! For a few minutes I understood the appeal of being on the stage rocking, something I never really 'got' before. I figure if I could feel giddy in my friend's living room at a preschooler's birthday party, how much cooler must it be to rock out while people smoke pot and throw their underwear at you??

I 'get it' now.

Wow, I felt cool.

My Weirdest 80's Memory...

is this video.

I love 'they can't play baseball, they don't wear sweaters...'

I used to regularly quote this song for no apparent reason when I wanted to sound strange as a teen. This is 'crafted' by a band called 'Barnes and Barnes', and would be shown occasionally in the middle of the night on MTV.

They must have been doing a lot of drugs when they came up with this one. Anyone else remember it?



Thanks to youtube user MisterDevious for this clip.

In Case They Create A Black Hole Today ... Goodbye!

In case you didn't know it, today they start up the Hadron Collider, a giant experiment in Switzerland intended to simulate the 'Big Bang'. There is some fear that there is an outside chance that this experiment could actually create a black hole that could suck us all up for good.

In case this happens, goodbye.

If you live to see another day, though, take some time to quietly thank those scientists and pioneers that help us to figure out ... all of this.

So, today I would like to remember one of my favorites, the great Humanist Carl Sagan. He wrote the really good movie 'Contact' with Jodie Foster. More notably, he is the creator of one of the most beautiful and educational programs ever made, the 'Cosmos' series that aired on PBS to tremendous critical acclaim in 1980.

I have watched the entire series perhaps 3 times. The first was when it aired. I was ten, most of it was over my head, but I appreciated the beautiful imagery and words even then. Sagan's voice would lull me to sleep on the dingy plaid Early American style couch we had in our den. The second time was in college, when I watched it again in adoration of his skeptical mind and adroitness with the pen. And then I watched the entire series in a marathon that lasted a weekend just a few months ago. This time I was enraptured with the science behind the words and learned a thing or two.

Although new discoveries have happened since its airing in 1980, most of it rings so true and is so thought provoking that its totally worth it to take it in if you have even a modicum of interest in the questions of where we all came from.

This clip is of the intro to the series. Sagan starts talking about 1 1/2 minutes into it. He's hypnotic to me. I could just grab his skinny tie and 80s hairdo and kiss him, he's so cute and geeky and such a genius.

Okay, now everyone, let's try to make the most of this black hole thing, shall we? If you are suddenly swept into the whirlwind of nothingness, make sure to shout out 'Long Live The Eighties!' as you funnel in.



Thanks to Youtube user setnor for this video.

I Was Threatened By Motley Crue

Well, not actually threatened.

It's not like Vince Neil flicked his hair at me or threatened to throw his whiskey bottle in my actual direction.

By I surely FELT threatened by them and their ilk.



I never got too much into heavier rock or metal stuff. Those hair bands just seemed a bit to scary for a 14, 15, or 16 year old teenage girl. I could always relate better to the non-threatening androgyny of bands like Duran Duran and Culture Club. It honestly was hard for some of us to accept the notion of booze guzzling womanizing rockers when there were far less threatening idols out there who would not be scary on a date to the local pizza parlor. The thing is, you knew if you went out on a date with Nik Kershaw or somebody like that, you'd return home safely. With Nikki Sixx, not so much.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the music at times. I'm just saying, metal didn't get me in the core - it didn't speak to me. It was too scary, too active, too aggressive. Something about the passivity of The Cure or David Bowie or The Smiths felt more 'safe'. Their ambiguous sexualities, obsessive concern with grooming, and calmer, almost depressed demeanors, felt right. They felt like air conditioning on a hot day. The hair guys felt like a steam bath.

There were a few 'heavy metal' type bands that I found more palatable because they brought this frenetic music to the world of pop. One of those bands was Def Leppard. You GOTTA like this stuff. Just great stuff.

And, just maybe if you were lucky, you could come back from that pizza parlor date with one of these guys kinda sorta okay. A bit ravished, but okay.



Thanks to YouTube user JoshXXXXX for the Motley Crue video and youtube user choppothegreat1 for the Def Leppard video.

Hurricane Rock

We just finished with Gustav.

Now, we're looking at Ike as it makes its way back into our neighborhood of the Northern Gulf Coast.

This is a BUSY season!

What better way to acknowledge these storms than with women in cages??



Thanks to Youtube user Luiscmckl for this video.

Trivial Pursuit Loser

I was the worst 'Trivial Pursuit' player of all time.

Never got any questions right.

This is funny, because now I am a pro at trivia of all kinds, from history to pop culture to literature. Maybe I was an awful player because of youth, as we all probably were in the heyday of the game. But boy, did we TRY to play that thing!

Released in the early 80's, this game was all the rage for several years, and would eventually become one of the best-loved board games in American history. Even into my college years, I still loved to play the game, but by this time my competitors were so sharp that I always walked away feeling pretty ignorant. Two of my friends actually appeared on college week for the tv show 'Jeopardy'. One of them lost, and one came in second place, but compared to me, they were absolute trivia gods. Needless to say, playing with these two guys took the luster permanently off this game for me. It now sits in my game cabinet untouched, standing sentinel to my inadequacies.

Who else out there 'played' trivial pursuit?

Is Sarah Palin The New Dan Quayle?

Of course not.

This is just a stupid notion that seems to have cropped up in posts around the internet that question the Republican veep nominee's fitness for the position. Whether you agree or disagree with her politics and fitness for the second highest position in the U.S., you definitely cannot say that she is the new Dan Quayle.

Just take a listen to this, from the funniest politician of the 1980's:



The woman that we saw last night would never make the blunders of Quayle. She is a polished speaker - and probably can actually spell 'potato'.

And The Winner IS ... PARACHUTE PANTS!

Okay, we have a winner of our ugly fashions of the 1980s poll (see bottom of page for detailed results). Spandex workout clothes, a la Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical' gave these shiny pants a run for their money, but it looks like the parachutes won. Here I have a photo courtesy of Flickr user Tim Roe.

When searching for a good photo of these much maligned pants, I had a difficult time and actually discovered that there is quite a bit of confusion out there about what exactly parachute pants are. I think some of the younger generation confuse parachute pants with other stuff. Us 80's purists out there know the difference. For those of you who are 'ugly 80s' impaired, here's a short primer.

What parachute pants ARE NOT:

1) Cargo pants.

2) MC Hammer pants (although lots of people seem to think they are, Hammer pants are 'tent pants' if I'm not mistaken).

3) Made of any natural materials whatsoever.

4) Chick magnets.


What parachute pants ARE:

1) ALWAYS made of the same nylon material as a parachute (hence, the name).

2) filled with strange zippered sections, especially at the ankles and running horizontally in strange places, like across the mid thigh.

3) Very shiny.

4) Very noisy when you are trying to sneak up on someone (don't try this, you will fail!).

5) The ugliest item in my home at the minute.

6) Found in all colors, but usually black or red.

7) Sometimes evident in Michael Jackson videos.

8) Worn often by break-dancers and break dancer wanna-be's.

9) A relic often connected with 'Chess King' stores (remember them?).


Okay, that should clear up some confusion.

I've Been Tagged

This post has nothing to do with the 1980's, so you may want to skip it unless you are interested in learning something about me (and isn't the whole world??).

I was tagged by another blogger a few days ago and now things have settled down enough for me to play the game. I was tagged by Callista, who is a regular poster in the comments here. Okay, here goes, Callista!

7 Strange Things About Me:

1) I actually did the bump on a dance floor in Berlin with a former Nazi Colonel. This is completely true, this is while I was in college and he was a guest instructor in the summer program I worked for. He was a pretty sharp dancer for a geriatric SS!

2) I HATE chocolate ice cream and have been known to turn it down, even if its the only flavor available.

3) I am a distant descendant of Jim Bowie, the guy that invented the Bowie knife (for hunting, I think) and the guy David Bowie got his name from (at least that's what I read once...).

4) I recently started to play the harp. Not the big floor harps of classical music, but a 26 string lap harp like the kind cherubs fly around with. I play by ear and love to learn 80s ballads. Right now I'm figuring out 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper.

5) I could have gone bowling with Brad Pitt and turned down the chance. I SWEAR this is a true story and if enough people post here in the comments that they want to hear it, I will blog the whole story soon even though it happened in the 90s'. Why would I turn down the chance? You can only wonder...

6) I am basically a libertarian, although I usually vote for one or the other of the major party candidates (sometimes a democrat, sometimes a republican - it depends).

7) I have watched 15 episodes of R. Kelly's 'Trapped In The Closet' and feel compelled to watch even more when I have the time. Got a real kick out of that stuff!


6 Random Facts About Me:

1) I love lifting weights, hate doing aerobics.
2) My favorite color is green and my downstairs is painted mostly green.
3) I was the victim of a mugging once, and the robbers got away with $300 and a pile of my newly laundered underwear.
4) I got my B.A. from the University of New Orleans in English/Technical Writing and have never taken a job even remotely related to writing.
5) I hate lizards with a passion.
6) I love to meditate and wish I made the time to do it more.

Okay, I don't have many blogger friends out there, but I will tag:

Melissa
Jenx67
raf
atom kid
Head Bitch In Charge

And The Ramones Giveaway Winner Is...

...dyane!

Thanks dyane for entering, and thanks to everyone who took a look at Miss Pin's web shop. When you need an edgy holiday gift, or when you need to treat yourself to something really cool, remember to visit Miss Pin Productions for an awesome collection of Ramones sculptures and magnets as well as some nice original artwork.

dyane will be contacted shortly, and we hope she loves her cool tribute to one of the most popular punk rock bands of the 1970's and 1980's.

Thanks again for entering, and if there are any 80's themed shops out there that would like to provide our next giveaway, please contact me at 4happycampers@bellsouth.net

And tomorrow, the winner of our ugly 1980's clothes poll.

More 80s Hair

Well, we survived without flooding this time! The power is back on and we are all breathing a sigh of relief and can get back to more important things ... like blogging about the 1980s!

Today, a quick look at some more awesome 80s hairstyles. Wow, I used to think the people in this commercial were really cool and sophisticated!