15 MAY 2024 · I don't wanna grow up, Slackers! This week is dedicated to the some of the best jingles from the 70s & 80s. I don't know about you, but I consider jingle writing to be an art form. Some of these are instantly recognizable and many actually occupy a place in my jaded little heart.  From the Toys R Us theme to the the classic "I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke", many of these jingles have stood the test of time. Sure, they were written to help sell some consumer goods, but when the songs are this catchy, I can't help but have a certain sentimental reaction. I mean, doesn't your balogna have a first & last name!? And who doesn't love short shorts? Some of the commercials featured actors that would go on to have classic roles on stage and screen - everyone starts somewhere - but the Jaleel White sighting threw me for a loop! Anyway, check it out. I really enjoyed this one!

8 MAY 2024 · Witness me, Slackers! This week is a petal to the metal episode. No chit chat, no personal anecdotes from the week, nada - just straight out the gate just like the opening of every Mad Max movie. George Miller knows to keep all that pesky dialogue to a minimum and let the story unfold visually. From the very first installment, Max Rockatansky has been one of the most interesting cinematic characters, in large part because he says so little. Whether Max is played by Mel Gibson or Tom Hardy, so much is expressed via facial expressions and the chaos happening all around him. Paired with some memorable villains, and you get cinematic gold.  Speaking of villains, what a list of names: Toecutter. Night Rider. Lord Humongous. Wez. Aunty Entity. Ironbar. And of course, Immortan Joe. They just keep getting more and more over the top as the franchise progressed. And what’s truly remarkable is the fact that Max is actually the deuteragonist of Mad Max: Fury Road. That’s right, he’s the second most important character - the protagonist is one Imperator Furiosa, originally played to perfection by Charlize Theron, and soon to be embodied by Anya Taylor-Joy in the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.  I don’t know about you, but I am pretty stoked to see another installment in the franchise - Max or no Max!

1 MAY 2024 · Is technology out to get us, Slackers? With the looming threat of AI, I wanted to take a look at all of the technological advancements that have happened just in our lifetime. Remember your first computer? Or your first cell phone? With the 1971 introduction of the Intel 4004 microprocessor, the pace in which tech has moved is terrifying. Even something that now seems so quaint, like the Sony Walkman, was the first big leap forward for personal, portable devices.  Apple and Microsoft have been at this since the 70's and still going strong today, while so many others have fallen by the wayside. Remember Netscape or when Compaq was the computer brand in the 90's? I remember my first real accounting job and falling in love with Lotus 1-2-3 - despite needing to save my data to a floppy disk and bring it to another machine that was running Windows 2.1 - just to produce our nightly reports! PCs. The Internet. Email. Cell phones. GPS systems. All of these entered into daily life within about 20 years. Now all of that those elements are available on phones that fit in the palms of our hands. Not to mention the fact that we now have self driving cars!  What does the future have in store?

24 APR 2024 · Rock & Roll, Slackers! After seeing some clips online of the band everyone loves to hate, Creed, I took a look at the full slate of 90’s nostalgia acts on the 2024 tour circuit. While the perennial big hitters like Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Green Day are once again hitting the road, a number of late 80’s/early 90’s acts are banding together for shows this summer. But it’s not just rock and metal artists. From the pop world there is New Kids On The Block (with Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff), from Hip Hop there is Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, and the “I Love The 90’s Tour”, a who’s who of R&B & Country artists, and a number of female led tours, most notably Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan.  Check out this episode for all the tours of 2024!

17 APR 2024 · This week’s episode is all about fandom. It seems that by the time the mid to late 80’s arrived, being a fan of something - let’s say a genre of music - also lent itself to fashion choices & even the friends we made. If someone was wearing the shirt of your favorite band, there was a pretty good chance you could end up friends. But there is also the kind of fandom that leads to changes (temporary or permanent) in actual lifestyle.  Ever know an actual Goth? This wasn’t just some dude wearing stage makeup - these kids were living their everyday lives decked out in all black, with dark eye makeup, and black lipstick - to high school. That’s not just being a Cure fan - this was a lifestyle choice.  And I can’t shy away from the fact that I also made some horrendous fashion choices - particularly during the early 90’s - because if there is one thing grunge accomplished beyond shifting the musical landscape, it also “allowed” for an anything goes mentality when it came to personal aesthetics. That likely explains the dog collar I once sported - which was fully allowed to be worn where I worked. It was a different time…

10 APR 2024 · Warning, Parental Advisory, Slackers! Back in 1985, a group of politically connected women banded together to create the “Parent’s Music Resource Center”. Led by Tipper Gore, wife of future Vice President Al Gore, and Susan Baker, wife of then Treasury Secretary James Baker, the group sought to clamp down on what it perceived to be an increase of disturbing lyrical content in popular music.    The main focus was on lyrics containing references to sex, drugs, violence, and the occult. To drive home their point, the PMRC created a list dubbed “The Filthy 15” - an eclectic list of recording artists spanning multiple genres. Somehow, artists like Prince, Cyndi Lauper, & Madonna, were grouped with bands like Mercyful Fate, Venom, and Judas Priest. The opposition to PMRC came in the form of some strange bedfellow - three very different musicians in their own right - who believed strongly in freedom of artistic expression. In what has become a legendary Senate hearing, Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, Frank Zappa, and John Denver, all hailing from vastly different backgrounds, made their case against the PMRC.    We also take a look at how some of the musicians on The Filthy 15 feel decades later - has age (and parenthood), moderated their views on censorship or do they still hold to the same ideals of their younger, wilder selves?

3 APR 2024 · Going old school, Slackers! It’s been a while since I did a single year chart recap. This week I chose 1987 - and it is an interesting time for music, and when sitcoms ruled the Nielsen ratings. The Billboard Hot 100 for 1987 was a big year for a number of artists that we now think of as legendary. Bon Jovi & Whitesnake both had breakout hits after years of plugging away. George Michael had his first taste of solo success after the demise of WHAM!. And the youngest Jackson, Janet, became an absolute superstar in her own right. But the TOP song for 1987 was a goofy, gimmicky song, that was still amazingly catchy! Plus, artists like Huey Lewis & the News, Fleetwood Mac, and the usual chart toppers - Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna - all had major hits. And we have to show a little love for Crowded House! Over on the TV charts, unsurprisingly, the NBC Thursday night sitcom block ruled the top 10 - The Cosby Show, A Different World, Cheers, and Night Court was quite the formidable lineup!   Tell me, what do you remember about 1987?

27 MAR 2024 · It's baaaack, Slackers! This is a "Whatever Wednesday". Basically, I couldn't decide on a single topic, so I'm going to cover whatever has popped into my head over the past 24 hours! Don't worry, all the key elements are still there: Gen X topics (uh, I got a little click-baited), music hits, movies releases, some TV charts, & a famous Gen Xer getting arrested (for some REALLY bad allegations).  There is even some talk about ancient Sumeria and 1800's mercantile groups - which are totally relevent and topical - no, really. They actually are. 

20 MAR 2024 · Love it or hate, reality television is here to say.  It’s been said that reality tv as we know it started with MTV’s “The Real World”, making this type of program a uniquely Gen X phenomenon. I do agree that we as a generation led the charge for reality tv, but it is probably because we have always been exposed to it - just in a slightly different format.  From the legendary “Wide World of Sports", to “That’s Incredible!”, to my personal favorite, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” - we have been watching reality based programming since we were kids. Do you really think there is a “Real World vs. Road Rules” without the “Battle of the Network Stars”?! And do you remember who hosted the “Real People” spin-off show, “Real Kids”? I’ll give you a hint - he starred in a Christmas movie classic. 

13 MAR 2024 · The 90's was an interesting decade for music. Sure there was the grunge explosion, and with it the re-emergence of punk, but there were so many bands that occupied their own unique space in the music scene. On this week’s episode I’ll review my three favorite underrated bands, one of whom wasn’t just underrated, but entirely overlooked.  From a California band that basically created the emo “pop punk” archetype - to a midwestern act that was parts grunge, parts r&b, parts Stonesy sleaze rock - to a little known hardcore band that straddled the line between the metal core bands of the 90s scene and traditional punk, fused with plenty of big, hooky choruses.  Plus, I'll give a couple of "honorable mentions" that are little more known, but still underrated.