Monday, December 28, 2009
In 1977:
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Come back with me:
1973 (btw, is it just me, or do I look like Bobby Brady in this pic?????):
I watch the ripples change their size, but never leave the stream of warm impermanent sand. So the days flow through my eyes but still the days seem the same. And these children that you spit on as they try to change their world are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're going through.
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About Me
- joe
- There are places I'll remember all my life, though some have changed; some forever, not for better. Some are gone, and some remain. All these places have their moments with lovers and friends, I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living, in my life I've loved them all.
Followers
I'd like to build the world a home, and furnish it with love:
The Little Professor calculator game:
Received one Christmas 1976 from my dad who was working for Texas Instruments at the time. I wore this out.
I belong on the shore hustling nickels and dimes...
... 'cause it 'ain't long before it's gone. You might as well have a good time.
The generation gap:
Mom was born in 1941, and her all-time favorite show is THE WALTONS. She could watch that show all day. I was born in 1967, and my faves are THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and THE BRADY BUNCH. I could watch them all day. My brother was born in 1981, and his faves are HOME IMPROVEMENT and THE SIMPSONS. He could watch them all day.
Short on stamps??? Here, take two:
Of course, they're a little out-dated..
Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your dreads!!!
When we're stuck in troubled days, we must learn to love each other.
Instead of going different ways, we must try to get together. Fly little white dove, fly, way up high; Spread your wings, sing out your cry 'Cross the universal sky.
I guess either way she's screwed:
'What sort of people live about here?' 'In THAT direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw 'round, 'lives a Hatter. And in THAT direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.' 'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked. 'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.' 'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice. 'You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here'.
Interjections show excitement or emotion...
... they're generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point, or by a comma when the feeling's not as strong.
He's got the whole world in His hands:
I believe in God, and i believe that He created it all.
1976 memory:
As a kid, I never got an allowance. That's something my folks weren't into. They were very generous with me, I never lacked anything, and usually when I asked for something they'd get it for me, but an allowance just wasn't going to happen. In '76, just before my folks split up, dad decided to give me a "job". It was sometime in January and the weather was pretty brutal, so he told me he'd pay me a quarter if I'd open the garage door for him when he got home so he wouldn't have to get out of the car and open it himself. We lived in a split level house (a raised-ranch), and the garage was in the lower level. The very first night, I was watching TV and I heard him pull in and stop at the garage door. I didn't want to leave my show, and it was pretty cold down there in the garage, and I was rather warm and cozy and comfortable sitting in front of the tv, so I basically ignored him. He honked. He honked again. And again. And again. Finally I heard him open the car door, open the garage himself, pull into the garage and slam the door shut. The way he slammed the door, I could tell he was angry and that I was in trouble. He came upstairs and just looked at me. Let's just say I lost my job that night, which didn't really bother me. A QUARTER??? I didn't get out of BED for that kind of money...
I was born in the wagon of a travelin' show, my mama used to dance for the money they'd throw...
... papa used to do whatever he could: preach a little gospel / sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good. Gypsies, tramps and theives! We'd hear it from the people of the town, they'd call us gypsies, tramps and theives, but every night all the men would come around, and lay their money down.
Brady Bunch coloring books:
My folks used to get me these brand new at our local convenience store back in the day. Back then they were about 35 cents. Now if you can find an unused one for less than 20 bucks you're doing good.
Lunchboxes:
I had the above back in the day plus a few more, but my all-time favorite was the Evel Knievel one.
Random:
When I was a kid, I loved to read. I probably had as many books as I did toys back then, if not more..
Question:
Where do I get a job like that???
Liquid refreshment:
How 'bout a nice, tall, tuna smoothie???
1969:
I still remember this coat. I COULDn't figure out why one day it just didn't fit anymore....
Like The Partridge Family??? Click on pic.
Book of dreams:
Book of nightmares:
The Ethel Merman DISCO Album. I'm NOT making this up, people...
It's true. I was.
.. and when the country was falling apart, Betsy Ross got it all sewed up. And then there's Maude:
"God'll get ya for that, Walter."
Fred G. Sanford:
The "Who's Who of Watts".
Good morning, Starshine, the earth says hello....
... you twinkle above us, we twinkle below. Good morning, Starshine, you lead us along: my love and me, as we sing, our early mornin' singin' song.
Good day sunshine:
I need to laugh, and when the sun is out, I've got something I can laugh about. I feel good, in a special way, I'm in love and it's a sunny day.
Iron-on decals were very popular back in the day.
You can't always get what you want,
but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need.
Every time I think that I'm the only one who's lonely Someone calls on me...
... And every now and then I spend my time in rhyme and verse, And curse those faults in me. And then along comes Mary, And does she want to give me kicks, and be my steady chick, And give me pick of memories - Or maybe rather gather tales of all the fails and tribulations No one ever sees? When we met I was sure out to lunch, Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch. When vague desire is the fire in the eyes of chicks Whose sickness is the games they play. And when the masquerade is played and neighbor folks make jokes As who is most to blame today. And then along comes Mary. And does she want to set them free, and let them see reality From where she got her name? And will they struggle much when told that such a tender touch as hers Will make them not the same? When we met I was sure out to lunch, Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch. And when the morning of the warning's passed, the gassed, And flaccid kids are flung across the stars. The psychodramas and the traumas gone, The songs are left unsung and hung upon the scars. And then along comes Mary. And does she want to see the stains, the dead remains of all the pains She left the night before? Or will their waking eyes reflect the lies, and make them Realize their urgent cry for sight no more?? When we met I was sure out to lunch, Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch.
Hold you in his armchair you can feel his disease:
Here come old flattop he come groovin' up slowly. He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roler. He got hair down to his knee, got to be a joker he just do what he please.
Barry Gibb:
I don't know where this guy had more hair: on his face, or on his chest...
Fact: I never order anything without fries. That's the rule...
Another fact: I've never had a Big Mac. Not once. That whole "special sauce" thing has always been a major turn-off with me.
I had the Hamburglar doll back in the day. They cost $1. I snagged the below on ebay for $5:
I miss my Hamburglar glass. Actually, I miss the days when you could buy these at McDonald's for a buck, instead of paying some scalper on ebay $50 just because it's a "collectible"..
And now a word from our sponsor:
"I'd like to build the world a home, and furnish it with love; grow apple trees and honeybees and snow white turtledoves. I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company."
If you're into the '80s, click on the path to get to my other site:
It's not as extensive as this one, but I add to it from time to time.
Good men through the ages tryin' to find the sun, And I wonder still I wonder who'll stop the rain:
Heard the singers playin', how we cheered for more. The crowd had rushed together tryin' to keep warm. Still the rain kept pourin', fallin' on my ears And I wonder, still I wonder who'll stop the rain??
This was a really popular slogan back in the day..
... although if everyone was honest, they'd have admitted they had no clue what it meant..
Sing a song, sing out loud, sing out strong.
Sing of good things, not bad. Sing of happy, not sad. Sing a song, make it simple to last your whole life long. Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing a song.
A Persian Cat:
My cousin Mary always had a couple, but they were usually blue-ish gray.
If you like "Harold And Maude", here's the full version:
a 1973 classic:
She had a point:
When my grandmother was raising her children, and they'd say they were hungry she'd say "have a piece of bread with some butter on it." They'd say "we don't want that..." And she'd reply "Well then you're not that hungry".
Ah, there's nothing like an ice-cold Narragansett on a hot summer day. Wearing a sweater...
In the late '60s / early '70s, dad worked for Texas Instruments in Attleboro Massachusetts. This pic was taken at the 1969 annual picnic. I was told it made the cover of the annual report, but I'm not sure if that's true - although what is true is that I've had a taste for beer ever since. I also seem to recall he had a heck of a time prying that beer cup away from my little fingers.....
Greetings from the author:
Welcome to my home on the web. I was born on Christmas Eve 1967, in Hyannis Massachusetts. However, I was adopted as an infant and my adopted parents lived in Raynham Massachusetts which is where I grew up. I was an only child until I was 13, and being an only child I spent alot of quiet time by myself, and so I guess I was able to absorb what was going on around me without distraction. I had no idea until I started this blog just how many memories I retained. Even before I started this blog, I'd be talking with old childhood friends or relatives and I'd bring up something that happened in the past and they would always ask me "how I remembered that stuff". I didn't know about blogs until about a few months before I started this one. I've had several blogs since, but I always came back here. It just seemed to fit me. I enjoy remembering the things I post, and I enjoy sharing them with the people who read my site. Another thing I've enjoyed as a part of the whole experience is the people I've met. I really like communicating with people I've never met before, and who I probably would never get the chance to know if it weren't for the blog. Plus the other benefit of blogging is there is no editor. I get to write what I want, and say it the way I want to say it (I'm just that way...). I hope you enjoy visiting and I thank you for listening to what I have to say. I'm honored that you all stop in and take the time to read my posts, and thank you all for your comments. I try to respond to everyone, because I feel that nobody should be ignored. A couple of times I thought of quitting the blog, but I guess I enjoy it too much to ever let it go. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your day, this wouldn't be much fun without you ;^)
My hodge podge lodge:
In the early '70s there was a show on PBS called Hodge Podge Lodge. I don't remember much about it, but it describes my house perfectly. It's really a hodge podge of a house. It's got clapboard siding, log siding, asphalt siding, plank siding, and tongue-and-groove siding. It's got metal roofing and asphalt roofing. It's got old windows, new windows (and no windows). Nothing's plumb in the house - all the angles are a little askew. I've owned several homes, but even after I move on to somewhere else, this one will always be my favorite. It truly is a special place.
A gathering of angels appeared above my head:
I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin seas. 'Cause I've got to be free - free to face the life that's ahead of me. On board I'm the captain, so climb aboard. We'll search for tomorrow on every shore, and I'll try (oh Lord I'll try) to carry on. I look to the seas, reflections in the waves strike my memories: some happy, some sad - I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had. We'll live happily forever, so the story goes. But somehow we missed out on the pot of gold. And we'll try (best that we can) to carry on.
Random fact:
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a nag.
Another random fact:
Just because we were around back then doesn't mean we're past our prime.
I've had this pic for years. I just can't seem to bring myself to get rid of it, that dog's so damn cute.
I adore cats but I'm allergic. Well, you can't have everything..
"Fury said to a mouse, that he met in the house, 'Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you.-- Come, I'll take no denial; we must have a trial: for really this morning I've nothing to do.' Said the mouse to the cur, 'Such a trial, dear Sir, with no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.' 'I'll be judge, I'll be jury,' said cunning old Fury: 'I'll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death."
Had it:
... although I have to say that I found it a constant source of irritation that the clock's hands were stuck right on the middle of their faces. It bothered me to no end..
Shiny happy people holding hands:
Since the followers widget sort of crapped out on me, I thought I'd save a snapshot. I wouldn't want to lose any of you.
1974 was such a good year, I bought Julie for the memories. I know it's not the "norm", but I couldn't resist. with that peasant blouse and beaded belt, she's definitely got some gypsy chic goin' on.
The Renault "Le Car":
In 1977 I wanted one of these. My neighbor had one. They didn't last very long on the market. They're pretty ugly in retrospect.
Aaahh Freak out! Le freak, C'est Chic:
All that pressure's got you down - has your head spinning all around. Feel the rhythm, check the ride. Come on along, and have a real good time. Like the days of stopping at the Savoy, now we freak, oh what a joy. Just come on down to 54. Find a spot out on the floor.
First I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side...
... but then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong, and I grew strong. And I learned how to carry on. And so you're back from outer space, I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face. I should have changed my stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key, if I had known for just one second you'd be back to bother me. Go on now go! Walk out the door! Just turn around now, 'cause you're not welcome anymore. Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?? You think I'd crumble, you think I'd lay down and die - oh no, not I, I will survive. For as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive. I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give. I will survive, I will survive. Hey hey!!!
Lookin' good, ladies!!
I started this painting 2 years ago. I'm still not done with it ...
I spent many Saturday mornings watching land of the lost. I loved that show.
I remember the episode of "Land Of The Lost" with Medusa in it. I think it was probably one of the best episodes. Apparantly alot of people remembered it also because there were tons of pics of it in the image search I just did. The woman who played Medusa looks familiar, but I just can't seem to figure out who she is.
Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street????
10 years before Nancy Reagan told us to "just say no", these guys told us to "just say yes":
Give me the simple life:
A cottage small is what I'm after, not one that's spacious and wide. A house that rings with joy and laughter, and the ones you love inside.
My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue..
... an everlasting vision of the ever changing view. A wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and gold; a tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold.
Misc. remembrance:
Mom told me that when I was around 4 yrs. old, there was a kid in our neighborhood named Billy D. Apparantly he used to pick on the kids in the neighborhood and mouth-off to his parents. From what mom said, he was a pretty bad kid. That year for halloween his mom picked out his costume: his mom dressed Billy as an angel. Apparantly his folks didn't get the humor of it all, and mom told me they got pretty offended when people laughed. An angel... haha
Caution, sharp reality curve ahead:
When i was a kid i felt so bad for sally, wasting the whole night in that pumpkin patch for someone who was never going to show up. Sucked to be her.
High art by Joe:
They're a little on the rough side, but they were free-hand in ink. I drew them sometime around 1996.
As your body grows bigger your mind will flower. It's great to learn 'cause knowledge is power.
Sit, Cerberus! Good boy!!
Ted Striker: "It was a rough place - the seediest dive on the wharf. Populated with every reject and cutthroat from Bombay to Calcutta. It's worse than Detroit."
The Morton Salt umbrella girl:
For some reason I always liked this picture. I don't know why. Maybe it reminds me of rainy days and I'd be stuck inside, and mom would bake something. Maybe that's it..
Going for coffee:
In the early 70's, it wasn't uncommon for mom to say "Come on Joe, we're heading to so-and-so's house for coffee". Then we'd go to their house where she and mom would have coffee and talk (sometimes several moms), while us kids would go off and play. Sometimes they'd come to our place, but mostly we'd go over to their house. Those were fun and simple times. I think that's a lost custom, however, especially now that the majority of women aren't stay-at-home moms.
Who knew plastic kitchen ware could be so fun...
I've always liked this picture also. I'm fascinated with postwar America.
Random fact:
I really miss the disco days, but then again you knew that. I mean, I whine about it all the time..
Another random fact:
I always regretted not having learned to play the guitar. Instead, I took up the clarinet... what was i THINKING???
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
Can't we all just get along????
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls picked them, everyone. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn.
Alphonse Mucha:
I'm a huge comics fan. The following strips are among my all-time faves:
These guys are probably my favorite cartoon family:
I used to love listening for my school to be announced on the radio on snowy mornings:
As a kid, there was nothing better than snow days, even if all there was to do was watch tv. A day off is a day off..
I think Garfield was much better drawn in '78. But that's just me..
"Get Fuzzy". I wouldn't mind Bucky in my house. I adore that cat.
Apparantly Satchel has issues:
Talk about a basket case..
I never minded crusts, myself:
When I was a kid I thought it was hillarious to sneak up on someone and scare them.... actually, I still think it's funny but I don't do that anymore.
I tried going vegetarian once but it just wasn't my thing:
Get Fuzzy. It'll always be a favorite of mine. I just love that cat:
If you like "Get Fuzzy", click on the above pic.
Calvin and Hobbes:
While you can't blame a guy for trying, even when I was Calvin's age I knew a note like that would never fly..
There's no way I'd have had the nerve to try this one:
He should've known he was asking for trouble:
Leopard print underwear was never really my "thing", but hey if it works for Wonga Taa ...
Fact: Sometimes I have the hardest time making decisions. You have no idea...
Another fact: If there's one thing I can't stand, it's to be lectured on my grammar. Just sayin'.
Ever been on a singles cruise? No?? Me either.
People like Monty could take the fun out of anything:
I talk in my sleep also, which is why I'd never nap in a store. No way.
Yeah that would be a hard one to explain:
Don't mess with Ladybug Man and Unicorn Boy. Just sayin'.
Weekend Update with Jane Curtin and Roseanne Roseannadanna:
Celebrity Corner with Bill Murray and Gilda Radner (as Valerie Harper):
Weekend update with Chevy Chase and Emily Litella:
Gypsy Chic ..
... was quite popular in the mid-late 70's.
A post-70s remembrance:
I can't overstate just how much I loved Dynamite Magazine back in the day...
The above is a scan of a complete issue I purchased from ebay a few years ago. It still has all its pages with no writings as well as all its attached inserts.
Count Morbida's puzzle page:
Kristy McNichol and Leif Garrett in '79: Between you and me I knew it wouldn't last. Sad to say, I was right..
Bic Banana crayons:
Parker Big Red Pens:
I don't think they make them anymore. In the late '70s I had a couple. They were so large they cramped my hands. It was like writing with a curtain rod...
Scripto mechanical pencils:
Luden's cough drops: the 'cherry Lifesavers' of cough drops..
... and speaking of Life Savers, back in the day my fave was cherry until they came out with strawberry sometime around '78. They don't sell them anymore though.
Crazy Foam:
No bath would've been complete without it.
Clairol Herbal Essence Shampoo:
I don't know why they stopped selling this stuff. It sold like crazy. Nobody I knew didn't like it...
1977:
Back then Agree shampoo and conditioner bottles came with little booklets tied to the bottle neck. I've done image searches but haven't really found any pics.
To this day I still love the smell of strawberry shampoo:
Mom started buying this in '76, and still buys it to this day. It's not the same anymore, but she still keeps buying it... I swear the woman needs a 12-step program......
Did you know:
12 years before she was an annoying bar waitress, Shelley Long's biggest problem was finding the right shampoo..
The toy box
Just some of the stuff I had as a kid:
The 1974 Fisher Price Castle:
1974 Snoopy Power Toothbrush: I'd forgotten all about it until today. My memory must be slipping...
Show 'N Tell record player: I had it from about 1973 to 1975. I wore it out. It was a record player with a tv screen on the front, and had a slot where you would insert a strip of slide pictures. As the record played, the slide show would correspond with the story. I had a couple dozen records with the picture slides. I guess you could say it was kind of like a '70s era DVD player for kids. I loved shutting the shades and making my room as dark as possible, and sitting down for a show. Good times. With the exception of my Fisher Price Castle, this ranks up there as one of the best.
The Hat by Tomi Ungerer:
One of my faves. Back in the day, I read this book over and over and over and over.... I still love the illustrations. To me they kind of look like the drawings in the Dynamite mags from Scholastic I used to get all the time.
1974 Huffy Pro Thunder: I was devastated when I outgrew it. It was like losing a friend.
The Big Jim Camper: I received one of these for the Christmas of 1972, when I'd just turned 5. I pleaded for this one for months. Once I got it, I never used it. That happened quite frequently with me. Seems I thought I really wanted something when the whole time I really couldn't have cared less. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised I got anything I asked for after that, but somehow my folks kept falling for it...
Chutes & Ladders:
Which Witch: Seems I always got board games even though I was an only child back then. I do wish I still had this one, they cost a fortune on ebay for a complete set..
I had a Dawn doll. The below is the issue I had. I just snagged the below on ebay. She's still NRFB
The Green Ghost Game: I didn't have this one, but my cousin Dee Dee had it. We played it once in my grandparent's house (in the bathroom, it was the only room that was dark enough when we pulled the shade down). I was drawn to glow-in-the-dark things. Plus, I loved haunted houses, ghosts, etc. I don't remember much about how the game went (who won, etc.), because Dee Dee habitually made the rules up as she went along (she thought I was too young to notice, but I did notice, and basically I knew she was full of crap that day). She was always "just remembering" rules which worked in her favor, whatever we were playing. Well, I still love her. Even though she was a cheater...
The Brady Bunch:
I've seen every episode at LEAST 50 times. NO exaggeration.
Adios Johnny Bravo:
He may have fit the suit, but then again who would really want to; I wouldn't want to wear that thing..
And this was one of my favorite episodes ever. I laughed my ass off:
Rotary Phones:
I wonder if any of those things still exist. I also wonder if Millicent is still "infectious", if you know what I mean...
I guess ..
.. every TV actor has at least one embarrassing moment..
As much of a fan that I was of Maureen, I'm not so sure I would've bought the album.. okay, yes I would have. But please don't tell anyone.....
Don't shoot the messenger:
It's too bad about Mike's head, but then again It was a pretty crappy sculpture. I know it's harsh, but somebody had to say it .. .
Do you remember...
... the episode when Marcia was nervous about taking her driver's exam, so Mike told Marcia that when she gets behind the wheel, she should imagine the instructor in his underwear??? Well, judging by that look on her face, she just imagined it..
Another word from our sponsor:
Trappistine liquor. I'm not really into liquor, but Mucha could sell me anything. I'd tell him that, if he wasn't dead...
June 1 - 6, 1974:
I remember us getting the above issue. I can still see it on the little table next to the couch (I mean, in my mind i can still see it on the little table next to the couch. It's not still there...)....
I remember watching re-runs of this show back in the early 70's when I was home sick from school:
I was robbed:
Since mom wouldn't let me see Jaws when it came out in '75, she decided to take me to see Orca in '77. I still haven't forgiven her...
Man she is so screwed:
Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. At the most wrong possible moment:
Poor Chrissie just left the party a little too early. I'm sure if she had to do it all over again, she would've passed on the swim... (sung some songs with the guitar guy.. smoked a little more pot.. kept her clothes on..)..
It's amazing how much a simple, 45-second shark attack can transform a person ...
.. I mean, I hardly recognize the girl anymore..
I believe that may be Alka Seltzer he's drinking. Well, after all that beer, I'm not surprised..
He spelled "Coroner's" wrong, btw. I can't help it, I notice those kinds of things. I'm just that way.
Susan Backlinie (aka Chrissie): She may be 36 years older, but to me she'll always be beautiful:
Harold is driving his hearse, and Maude sits beside him. Then Maude says: "And so just before he left for the monastery in Tibet, Big Sweeney gave me his keys" (She is showing Harold her ring of car keys). And Maude continues: "Of course, I've had to make some additions for the new models, but not as many as you might think. Once you have your basic set it's then only a question of variation." Harold replies: "And you get into any car you want and just drive off?" Maude replies: "Not any car. I like to keep a variety. I'm always looking for the new experience, like this one. I liked it." "Thank you" says Harold, "But when you take these cars don't you think you are wronging the owners?" "What owners, Harold?", replies Maude, "We don't own anything. It's a transitory world. We come on the earth with nothing, and we go out with nothing, so isn't "ownership" a little absurd?" "Still, (says Harold) I think you'd upset people and I'm not sure that's right." "Well," says Maude, "if some people are upset because they feel they have a hold on some things, then I'm merely acting as a gentle reminder - I'm sort of breaking it easy -- Here today, gone tomorrow, so don't get attached to things. Now, with that in mind, I'm not against collecting stuff..."
If you want to be free, be free.
Maude and Harold are walking down a row of flowers. And Maude continues: "They grow and bloom, and fade, and die, and some change into something else. Ah, life!" They stop by some flowers. "I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They are so tall and simple. And you, Harold, what flower would you like to be?" Harold pauses for a moment and replies: "I don't know. Just one of those" (he gestures to a large field of daisies stretching to the hills). Harold and Maude look out at it. "Why do you say that?" asked Maude, a little perturbed. "Because they are all the same" replied Harold. "Oooh (said Maude) but they are not. Look. (they bend down to see some close ones). "See - some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have some petals missing - all kinds of observable differences, and we haven't even touched the bio-chemical. You see, Harold, they're like the Japanese. At first you think they all look alike, but after you get to know them you see there is not a repeat in the bunch. Each person is different, never existed before and never to exist again. Just like this daisy - (she picks it) - an individual". They stand up. "Well, we may be individuals all right but - (he looks out at the field) - we have to grow up together". Maude looks up. She is very struck by what Harold said. She speaks very softly: "Yes, that's very true. Still I believe much of the world's sorrow comes from people who know they are this - (she holds the daisy) - yet let themselves be treated - (she looks out at the field)- as that".
I've always had a "thing" for organic architecture:
Oh very young what will you leave us this time? You're only dancing on this earth for a short while. And though your dreams may toss and turn you now, they'll go vanish away like your daddy's best jeans - denim blue, fading up to the sky. And though you want them to last forever you know they never will (you know they never will), and the patches make the goodbye harder still. Oh very young what will you leave us this time? There'll never be a better chance to change your mind. And though you want this world to see better days, will you carry the words of love with you - will you ride the great white bird into heaven? And though you want to last forever, you know you never will (you know you never will), and the goodbye makes the journey harder still.
There'll be new dreams (maybe better dreams) and plenty, before the last revolving year is through.
Funny Face drink mixes:
Trix bumper stickers: These came in Trix cereal boxes back in '76. As with everything else in that year, it was all red white and blue..
I wasn't going to keep these guys on the footer...
.. but that is one mighty fine pair of jeans...
The Transparent Rainbow Decal:
In the mid-late '70s, it seems everybody had these on their car's rear windows.
Mary Tyler Moore's apartment:
It's the next best thing to actually being there. I look around the different parts of the plan, and I can remember different episodes and what transpired. Mary clicking on the lights, stepping up into the kitchen to pour coffee, Mary, Rhoda and Phyllis sitting on the couch watching t.v....
And one of my favorite features was the step-up kitchen with the roll-up stained glass partition:
Seems like everyone liked to hang out at Mary's... can't say I blame them.
Sue Ann Nivens, the "Happy Homemaker".
... come to think of it, nobody wanted to hang around Sue Ann either. She was a real pill..
Mary Tyler Moore's landlord, Phyllis
The woman just wouldn't go away... well actually she did in '76 to star in her own show, but it wasn't nearly as good as the MTM show. Sorry, but it's true..
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Unknown Comic:
Of course some of us are more modest than others..
For the record, I apologize for the nudity, but I'm not sorry...
Waldorf's a tough critic.. or is that Statler.....
16 comments:
I don't remember this! Is there a You Tube clip on this. Thanks, Tom
And thirty years later, the gentleman who wrote this song with his wife was sworn in as a member of Congress. True!
Tom: I'm not sure. I can't check videos on this public computer, but there probably is one somewhere.
RAB: Really?? Who is it? Are they still married?
.. maybe I'll ask him what he meant by "scratch my itch", although I'm not so sure I'd like to know, now that I think about it ..
Me too - I want to know who the congressman is. - Tom
The man in question is John Hall, representing New York's 19th Congressional district. John and Johanna are divorced now, but her MySpace page describes their long musical career together, including how they were brought together by Janis Joplin.
That's pretty cool. Thanks (c:
scratch my itch... Probably means the 7 year itch couples are "supposed" to get. Anybody else?
Um, I'd rather just leave it alone... if that's okay..
I remember singing along with this commercial!
By picking the song, ABC was celebrating another '70s phenomenon: the fact that after perenially being the lowest rated network throughout the '60s and early '70s, ABC leaped into first place in the ratings during the late '70s. (Hence the song: "Were the one.")
Throughout the '50s, '60s, and ealry '70s, the network ratings followed a remarkably similar pattern: CBS (aka, the "Tiffany Network") always on top, NBC second, and holding down the ratings basement was poor ole ABC.
During the '60s there was actually a joke that the quickest way to end the Vietnam War was to put it on ABC, and it would soon get cancelled. But then, in the late '70s, it all changed, with ABC charging out of the basement and onto the top on the strength of shows like Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Threes Company, Taxi, Barney Miller, etc.
I would note also that as of 1976, the network rankings have been much, much more fluid, with each network taking its place on top and on the bottom. . . . err, ranking wise. . . since then.
And then, of course, came cable.
Happy Days hasn't held up well. I tried to watch it several years ago and it really sucked.
"Happy Days hasn't held up well. I tried to watch it several years ago and it really sucked."
Yeah, but it sure had a good run back in the '70s. I remember it well.
They say it "jumped the shark"... well, when it in fact "jumped the shark" (the actual Happy days episode). But I think it was a gradual slide from an amusing and positive nostalgic look back at the '50s, to a show that ended up being a parody of itself.
I think a key thing to notice is how "the fonz" gradually morphs from being leather jacketed tough guy that the middle class kids feared, to being a saccharine nice guy who spread the message of "being cool" and could magically make the jukebox play music by hitting it. Maybe when the thumbs-up "ayyyyy!" became a catch phrase, that may have been the start of the steady slide down.
Note: At first, during his "tough guy" phase, Fonz used to claim Al's men's bathroom for himself as his "office" by virtue of his toughness. But by the end of the shows run, after A's burned down and was rebuilt in a more modern style, they actually gave Fonzie a real office... IN THE BATHROOM!!! I mean, if there was ever a sign that a show was past its prime.... that had to be it.
I don't remember that, when they built an actual office in the bathroom.
Regarding Fonzie's "office" in Al's restroom:
Quoting the Wikipedia article on Fonzie, found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonzie
"Fonzie self-appointed the men's washroom at Arnold's as his "office" where he and Richie and his friends would gather to work out developing problems. Written on the walls were phone numbers of his many girlfriends (There was a payphone in there, too). On opening night of the newly-built Arnold's (after the old one burned down), Al had a desk set up in the new men's washroom just for Fonzie. It included a desk telephone and organized pull-down sheet of all the phone numbers Al recovered from the fire."
I was just singing that the other day... and thinking of ABC!
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