The 80s Club

I loved the Facts of Life (and immediately the theme song is now playing in my head), and the friendship between Natalie and Tootie was particularly fun. The two younger girls always wanting to be cool and fun like their older roommates was something I could relate to.

Well, one of those young girls is soon to be a mommy! Kim Fields, who played the adorable Tootie so perfectly, is due to have a baby in May.

From People.com:

Fields and Morgan, 30, a Broadway actor, have been together “a couple of years” and decided this summer to have a child. “We were on the subway one day and Chris said, ‘I’m ready to start our family,’ ” Fields says. “It was beautiful and I started to weep.”

Head over to People.com for further details on names and such.

Congratulations to the couple and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and life for the growing family. Kim might want to check out Babylune after she delivers for post-partum advice and support!

Thanks, Jack, for the tip! :D

You knew we couldn’t get much closer to Christmas before I mentioned this 80’s classic movie, right? Watching A Christmas Story was one of the yearly winter traditions in our house. How could you not feel bad when Ralphie had to make his appearence in the giant pink bunny outfit? And when all the adults around him told him that he couldn’t get his Red Ryder BB gun because he would shoot his eye out, you could feel the injustice flowing. And then when he DID shoot his eye out?!? (Sorry, did I ruin it for you there?)

Anway, what a classic movie! Love it, love it. Share your favorite Christmas Story moments with us down there in the comments section. Then head on over to this site for some great trivia and facts from the movie. Want to visit the house used in the filming of the movie? Head over here to find out how (who knew I was living just down the highway from it? I SO want to go there!).

And, finally, if you’re still looking for the perfect gift for the child of the 80’s on your list, and you don’t think the Truffle Shuffle shirt is going to do the trick, how ’bout the Leg Lamp? Don’t forget to be careful with it though, it’s frah-gee-lay (that’s Italian, you know? ;) )

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 10th annual A Christmas Story marathon. It starts December 24th at 8 p.m.!

Generations of poets and composers have created some of the most beautiful songs of all time. Included among these are the traditional Christmas carols of Away in a Manger, What Child is This?, Silent Night, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. And what did the great decade of the 1980’s contribute to this list of fine aural pleasures? That’s right, you guessed it (or you just looked at the picture, cheater), Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.

Yep, that’s right, the song about, “the blue and silver candles that would just have matched the hair in grandma’s wig.” Classy. And yet, I still think I know all the words. Not that I have to remember them, the song, 20+ years later, still pops up in the stores while I’m shopping for those last few Christmas gifts. Must be why so many people are shopping on-line now. ;)

Yes, U2 (get it? you, too) looked as silly as Bono marching around the dance floor thinking U could dance. Yes, U2 looked goofy in a muscle tee. And, yes, U2 dramatically flipped your hair around trying to look cool (and no, U didn’t succeed, either).

U, however, did not become an internationally known rock star, and continue to be so 20+ years later. (Or so I’m guessing. Don’t think I have many rock stars reading here.)

Good video. Brings back lots of memories (didn’t say they were all good! Oh, the fashion embarrassments of the 80’s.).

And if you’d like to see Bono today, check him out at Project (RED) as he promotes World AIDS day. It’s worth it just to hear him say “little pills” with his accent. And, if U2 feel so inclined, support the cause.

Check out his biography page, too. Very endearing.

Genesis is reuniting and going on tour. Titled “Turn It On Again,” the tour will begin in Helsinki in June of 2007. From their website:

Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford of the iconic band Genesis unveiled the dates for their first tour in 15 years. Turn It On Again - the tour, will see the band play a series of stadium concerts in Europe in the summer of 2007. Kicking off in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki on 11 June, the tour will hit twelve different European countries, ending in Rome on 14 July.

Though the only dates I’ve found to be released so far are those of the European tour, the word is that the U.S. dates will be released soon. Tickets are already selling out quickly for the European dates. I imagine they’ll get the same results from their U.S. fans!

Monday, Monday (bah da, bah da da da), can’t trust that day…It’s Monday again, and that means 80’s Movies Monday, Best of the Worst of the 80’s movies. Today’s pick is another from Bald Man…ahem, sorry…Cory.

UHF was released in 1989 and stars “Weird Al” Yankovic, Michael Richards, and Victoria Jackson. Cory discovered UHF in college, and he and his roommate would recite it almost nonstop. I’ve heard “red snapper” about 20 too many times.

Cory’s favorite bit is the mop scene played by Michael Richards before he was Kramer and before that other incident. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the mop scene. (Cory was reciting along with it while we watched it.) Enjoy!

I was introduced to The Far Side by a friend when I was in junior high. I remember getting The Far Side Observer for Christmas from her while at school. I sat through the first hour of school just reading page after page. In my head, I can still see the cartoon that had me laughing so hard that I couldn’t stop. That’s happened so many times since that first introduction.

For years after that first Christmas, I regularly asked for the Off-the-Wall Calendar, at least until 2002, the last year that they produced it. However, Gary Larson has been presented with a reason to bring the well-loved calendar back into production.

From USAToday:

All his earnings from the 3 million calendars printed, about $2 million according to publisher Andrews McMeel, will go to Conservation International for the organization’s work to help end the illegal trade in Asian elephants, Indochinese tigers, Asiatic black bears, pangolins, freshwater turtles, and Siamese crocodiles in Cambodia. The profits will also fund an awareness campaign in China aimed at reducing acquisition of of threatened species for exotic dishes, traditional medicine and for pets. There are also projects in Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries as well.

The calendar will continue to be a “best of” type of compilation, no new cartoons. I could just pull up all my old calendars and make one myself (yes, I think I still have all the past years’ individual sheets somewhere in the attic), but then I wouldn’t be able to help Gary Larson assist an organization that he wants to support. Guess the calendar can return to its spot on my Christmas wish list. Everyone writing that down? ;)

Apparently, Jon Bon Jovi is to blame for the hole in the ozone layer.

From Sound Generator:

It’s because I feel guilty about the huge hole in the ozone layer my haircuts created. It’s my responsibility to right the wrongs of the Eighties.

That’s okay, Jon, it was worth it for all of us to have been a witness to that beautiful mane of yours. Plus, I think Europe had something to contribute there as well.

Check out this article to find out ways Jon’s helping the planet and its residents.

I mentioned earlier that I was going to be playing the Trivial Pursuit: Totally 80s game. Last weekend, I got my chance. I’ll tell you what, there’s a whole lot of useless information pertaining to the 80’s! More than I could have imagined. Yeah, I probably did better on it than I would have done playing the original Trivial Pursuit game, but still ended up feeling like an idiot when all was said and done.

I really thought I’d read somewhere that one of the game pieces was a Rubik’s Cube, but no. In fact, this was the first time I remember there only being 4 game pieces for a Trivial Pursuit game, instead of 6. There were so many other icons that would have been great to use: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, a Cabbage Patch Kid, or even a Trivial Pursuit game piece with all its pies.

What would be your recommendations for the 80’s game pieces?

Wolfgang Van Halen, son of Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli, will become the new bassist for Van Halen, at the ripe old age of 15.

From TMZ.com:

Wolfgang replaces longtime bassist Michael Anthony, who left the band earlier this year. Eddie Van Halen’s spokesperson Janie Liszewski tells TMZ that Wolfgang, known as “Wolfie,” has already joined his dad and uncle for rehearsals in the studio for a 2007 summer tour.

Geez, and I thought being first chair in the high school band was cool when I was 15. (No, you’re right, I didn’t really.)