We Belong

I've been a bit occupied lately, first, about a week ago, with some sort of heavy cold, and then more recently with a bunch of matters I had to attend to. So, I've been regrettably away from the blog lately. So, I've been thinking of what would be a good return. .

How about this great 1984 song from Pat Benatar.

I remember listening to this song when I was a teen, and watching the video, and finding it so wonderfully hopeful.  As a high school student at the time, at at time in my life when I was going through many of the doubts and questions and concerns that adolescents often face, this song brought hope. Of course, the lyrics are those of a love song, but the message could just as easily be interpreted in a more general way: that we all are part of the same life and the same world, and we should all belong.  

We belong to the light

We belong to the thunder

We belong to the sound of the words

We've both fallen under

Whatever we deny or embrace

For worse or for better

We belong, we belong

We belong together

Pride In the Name of Love

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.
Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."
-Martin Luther King.


In 1984, U2 released the song, "Pride (In the Name of Love)" in honor of civil rights leader, Rev. Martin Luther King. It was their first single to chart on the U.S. charts, and I bought myself a copy. The above quote was on the record sleeve. I thought it was quite appropriate.


Happy Martin Luther King day, to my readers of every race, ethnicity, background, and beliefs.

Early 80s Hersheys Commercial

Here's a memorable early '80s commercial for Hershey's chocolate bars. I remember this commercial fondly. Just watching it makes me feel good . .  and hungry. 


Speaking of memorable '80s commercials, here's a previous post about a fondly remembered McDonald's commercial.


They just don't make them like they used to.

New Years in the '80s

During the 1980s, specifically during the years 1981 to 1988, the traditional new years eve Times Square Ball, which drops during the countdown to a new year, was decorated in the form of an apple, with red bulbs and a green stem, to commemorate the city of New York, aka, "the Big Apple."


Here's a video, courtesy of Youtube, of New Years Eve 1985, as the new year 1986 was rung in, showing the "Big apple" drop.


In 1989, the ball returned to its traditional appearance, a plain white ball with white lightbulbs. 


Happy New Year to everyone!!

St. Elmo's Fire & Friends

One of my most enjoyable movies from the '80s is St. Elmo's Fire, the 1984 brat-pack ensemble account of relationships among disparate friends. The movie has sometimes been criticized as being indulgent, and highly unrealistic. . . and truthfully, at times it is. However, I still get a lot of '80s retro pleasure out of watching this movie. Its one of those films I can put on and just let it run, knowing exactly what the next scene is, and what most of the dialogue will be.

I guess two things that I find so appealing about it are: First, that it is so very '80s, and '80s in a rather appealing way. The cinematography is actually quite beautiful at times, making use of the natural colors and beauty of the scenery of the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.  And secondly, the positive and hopeful way that it presents post-college age youth. 

Of course, there are some highly unrealistic aspects of the movie. For example, just how did the Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy characters, supposedly recent college grads, afford such a spacious apartment? But at its best, St. Elmo's Fire resembled a hazy '80s dream of friendship, inhabited by quirky '80s personalities, soundtracked by catchy '80s music, and colored with vivid '80s colors.  

The '90s had its own version of the "group of cool friends" scenario, in the '90s TV show Friends. I've enjoyed watching Friends in part because it seemed to so resemble St. Elmo's Fire, and because Friends came along at just the exact time that I myself was going through the experience of being in my post-undergrad college years. It was good to see (again, however unrealistically) my own generation being portrayed as cool and hip.

 I must admit that, being the loner that I have often been, the notion of having such a close knit group of cool friends has been more of an ideal for me than reality. (I mean, don't get me wrong... I've had friends, but not many as close as these characters are portrayed to be.) But I still found it enjoyable to buy into the concept of being young, and hip, and able to come up with witty one liners during animated conversations at a college coffee shop.

Peace on Earth

One last Christmas wish. 


From 1977, David Bowie and Bing Crosby.

'80s Christmas Songs: U2 and Wham!

Heres a great '80s Christmas Song, from a group of '80s musical greats: U2 doing "(Christmas) Baby Please Come Home," off of the '80s charity album "A Very Special Christmas."

And here's '80s British popsters Wham! with a very '80s Christmas song and video: "Last Christmas" from 1984.

Wishing all my readers a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy Holidays!!