Meanwhile

 

"Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the police academy... "

~Charlie Townsend (John Forsythe)

Charlie's Angels

Opening credits all 5 seasons

Who didn't watch Charlie's Angels when they were kids? I was 14 or so when this movie first aired, and it was good by 1976 standards, but it wasn't what made the biggest hit with friends and me, it was the way Farrah Fawcett-Majors wore her hair! We all returned to school the next September with variations on her famous haircut! Farrah brought a certain quirky glamour to her character, Jill Monroe, that was more playful then her fellow angels. The TV movie pilot for the show premiered on March 21st, 1976, and it was an instant hit with, America! It didn't hurt that one of the actors who appeared in the pilot was Tommy Lee Jones, of whom I was already a fan of, from his days on One Life To Live! Yep it was television magic for a while, but with the departure of Farrah Fawcett-Majors some of the sparkle disappeared and was never quite found again. The 5th, and final season, was unwatchable in my opinion. By the way, fun fact, the address of the Townsend Agency was, 8619 Sunset blvd, Los Angeles, California.

Meanwhile...

It's Wednesday, and I am weary, so I feel like jumping into the way-back machine, and ignoring the stupid. Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Bionic Woman, Vegas, they were all big hits, and an excellent escape from the stupid of the mid-70's and early 80's. But there are a few current shows that do that for me in the here and now. Your Friends and Neighbors, and Widows Bay come to mind. Both can be found on Apple Tv. Your Friends and Neighbors has concluded it's second season, so let the bingeing begin, and Window's Bay will air it's season finale today. I sure hope it comes back. It's got horror, comedy, drama and intrigue all wrapped into a nifty mystery! It's so much fun to watch! If you haven't seen it, go, right now to Apple TV and binge this season. Trust me, it will hook you right in! It will also make you laugh out loud, scare you, and warm your heart.

Widow's Bay review from then New York Times

Heart Of Glass

 

"Where words leave off, music begins."

~Heine

I'm tired, but music gives me life. This is music from my era. Say what you want about music from the 1980's but to we who grew up in that time, it's sweet relief. I guess all generations say that. But the emotion is as timeless as the music!

Expect to see more videos, as we navigate the times we find ourselves in!

The Mary Tyler Moore Show Season 1 Episode 18 Second Story Story

 

 

"Enter, stranger, but take heed

 of what awaits the sin of greed,

 For those who take, but do not earn,

 Must pay most dearly in their turn,

 So if you seek beneath our floors,

 A treasure that was never yours,

 Thief, you have been warned, beware

 Of finding more than treasure there."

 

~J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 

ERA NOW! Or Maybe Later, Who Knows?

 

"Worse than aborting is birthing in instability."

 

~Abhijit Naskar

Hometown Humans: To Live For Soil And Society

 

I don't feel like blogging today, but in the last 24 hours we have seen a historic decision, by the Supreme Court, so I feel like I must. You will read about it in the history books, but basically, Texas just passed a batshit law that sets back a woman's right to govern her own body back to that time I long for so much... mid-century. You know... there are days that I spend most of my time longing for New York City in the 1950's or early 60's. The time when woman wore lovely little white gloves in the day time, and men wore hats. I want to lunch at an automat, search for nifty sales at Gimbals, and then end my day by making Alan a meatloaf. Unfortunately, hiding in all that post war perfection, and the mellow Dean Martin soundtrack, is the fact that if a woman became pregnant for any reason, and she didn't want to continue with the pregnancy, she had to pay someone, often under horrific circumstances, to terminate it. Even if she was raped. By her father. The circumstances I think about the most are cases of incest and rape, but what about those who live in extreme poverty? Where are pro-lifers on the issue of lifting others out of the very circumstances that lead to the need and decision for abortions? You know by now that I am a Democrat, and therefore a Liberal, but the percentage of Texans that supported this dystopian bill didn't even reach 50 percent. Nationally 79% Americans, male and female, DO NOT WANT TO RETURN TO NEW YORK CITY IN 1960! They want abortion to remain legal. So, will the people of Texas fight back? Will America fight back? Remind me, has the Equal Rights Amendment been fully ratified yet? And I haven't even mentioned the nosy neighbor bounty. You have to look up that element of the bill yourself, it is too horrifying to mention on my blog. I won't give that monster air.

 

 

 

~Me

Stockton, California

September 2nd, 2021

 

 

 

But First, A Word From Our Sponsor

 

 

 

"Time was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on. I hope you never have to think about anything as much as I think about you."

 

~Johnathon Safran Foer

 

A while back, I had the idea of sharing some of my favorite movies from the 1970's and 80's that I had happily found available on Youtube. Then for whatever reason, I promptly dismissed doing so. I am not sure why I drifted from the idea, because I had recently enjoyed bringing a fairly good horror movie to my blog, that had been produced especially for ABC in the early 70's. When Michael Calls, still gives me chills 50 years later. It had ALL the elements of a good horror movie. Damsel in distress. A ghost (maybe). Eerily effective music. And, of course, it was set in autumn, right around Halloween. Oh my, I was in bliss watching it as a child, and I loved that every time it crossed my mind thereafter, I had to sleep with the light on. I exaggerate, but only a little. Who wouldn't enjoy sharing that on their blog, or anywhere else?

 

But fast forward to the here and now. The movie I am sharing this time around, Compromising Positions, isn't horror, rather it's a nifty whodunit from the 1980's, based on a the book, of the same name, by Susan Isaacs, who just happens to be one of my favorite authors. It stars, Susan Sarandon and Raul Julia, and the supporting cast lead by, Judith Ivey and Anne De Salvo, is top notch! If you haven't seen it, give it a watch, it's one of those movies that really should be on DVD by now, but for whatever reason, remains in the backroom of the great Blockbuster in the sky. And that's a real shame. But first, enjoy a word from our sponsor, Swanson TV Dinners, which I was probably eating the night I watched this cool little mystery on VHS. VHS and tv dinners. Of course it was the 80's!     

 

~Me

Stockton, Ca

August 31st, 2021

 

 

 

Monday, Monday... Can't Trust That Day

"Sometimes souls don't need words to communicate. They  speak with each other through signs, symbols, deep feelings and poetry!"

 ~Avijeet Das

And old fashioned forms of communication from the 1980's.

Cool isn't it? Alan and I went on a ride to San Francisco last Saturday, and we spotted this pair of gems at the Vista Point, on the Marin County side, of the Golden Gate. It really made me laugh because, frankly, I hadn't seen a phone like this in ages! Isn't it something? I'll be looking for more of them when vacation starts in October. I have been missing the 70's and 80's very much, especially the last few years, so spotting these made for a nice surprise. I had no idea they were still a thing!  When I saw them, there was something so wonderfully nostalgic in that moment, that I kinda felt for a minute like I was back home. You know? Back when life didn't move so damn fast, and things stayed the same, until you were ready to say, "okay... I'm ready, lets go." Believe it or not, there was such a day. I remember it. Don't laugh. I do. I think it was a Monday. There problem is, that by the time that last Monday that made sense occurred, it was followed by the next Monday that changed everything. Like the song says, Monday, Monday... can't trust that day." I wonder if 1980 would have been on the other end, if I had answered it?

 

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #149: Ill-Advised Teenaged Fashions

Don't leave me this way
I can't survive, can't stay alive
Without your love, oh baby
Don't leave me this way

-Thelma Houston
"Don't Leave Me This Way"

Weekend Assignment #149: Reveal Your Teenage Fashion Disasters! Yes, whether it's big hair, Nehru jackets, acid-washed jeans or an ill-advised tattoo, let us know what about your style as a teenager you would change today.

Extra Credit: Are you kidding? Pictures baby!

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ut-OH! Oh NO! I was a teenager during the ugliest time for fashion in the history of fashion... the late 1970's. Uggggg. OK, well, I suppose I can admit that I was kinda like everyone else at the time. I followed the trends and got the "Farrah hair" and I wore those hideous paisley dresses, the huge platform shoes, I even owned one or two halter dresses. Yuck! It's so weird to think back to that time now. I wouldn't be caught dead in a pair of bell-bottoms, or gauchos, even if they are on the comeback. LOL. Can you believe the decade of the 1980's saw bigger hair then the "Farrah?" After my Farrah hair, I went back to wearing it long and straight, which is pretty much the way I wear it now, and I still like wearing peasant tops from time to time, otherwise I think I pretty much dress classic chic. No wacky colors, mostly earth tones. I make my own style now, but if you want to see what I would have worn to a party as a teenager... see my Yahoo icon on my sidebar. I let her wear the ugly dress. Tee Hee.

Here is a look at what things were like when I was about 17 or so. Gosh, it seems like yesterday, and yet, it seems like a million years ago as well. Sigh.

That 70's Movie "Saturday Night Fever"

That 70's dress. Back in style by the way!

That 70's hair style. "The Farrah"

Those 70's shoes.

HAVE A NICE DAY! :)

Extra Credit: Happily, there is not a single photo of me between the ages of 10 and 28. :) It's almost like I didn't exist during that time. So, you will just have to observe the above photo and use your imagination. :)

-OndineMonet
"Real Me"
Berkeley, California
Summer 2006
Evening