The Very First Episode of Solid Gold! September 13, 1980

 

Hello all! Today I'm sharing something I just found literally five minutes ago.

Today I present the very first episode of the hit syndicated 1980s music series Solid Gold. This series is mandatory viewing for learning 80s pop culture, especially music! Solid Gold captured the zeitgiest of the decade: music (of course), TV, movies, fashion, you name it, everything that was 80s was in this show.

Being the first episode from the first season in the fall of 1980, there's still some '70s influence here, but the episode lays the groundwork for the series' installments to come. Initially hosted by Dionne Warwick, later hosts would include Marilyn McCoo, Jose Feliciano, and Andy Gibb.

If you're the 80s fanatic that I am, you should find this to be a real treat--even the cringy parts. Enjoy below, or directly on YouTube here!

Batman (1989) Trivia, Courtesy of Warner Bros!

Sunday, June 23rd of this year marked the 35th anniversary of Batman 1989. In its honor, the official Warner Bros. YouTube account posted this trivia video with questions based on the movie. They're super easy, but fun nonetheless.

Back in 2019 (which seems like decades ago), I posted a few tribute articles for the movie's 30th anniversary. Here is the link so you can enjoy those again or for the first time.

Happy 35th anniversary, Batman 1989!

Me and You Newsletter For June 2024

 

Hello one and all!

As you've noticed, I've had a very hard time keeping the blog up this year, because, well, reasons. Some of it is due to lack of post ideas, most of it just due to being so busy. But right before writing this I thought, "Why not just tell people what's going on in my life?" Sounds simple enough! Not everything has to be about a long-lost YouTube clip or something. Therefore, I've decided to keep it simple by writing a "newsletter" of sorts, which may become a monthly feature. So, let's try it!

First, the good news. My son Brian has graduated high school! His graduation ceremony was on June 7th, and we had a big family party for him on June 15th. Everyone had a great time, and we are all very proud of him. He also turned 18 back in March! He joins his older sister at college in the fall, majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He's always enjoyed science and is very good at math (even if he doesn't enjoy math), and he hopes to put those talents to use in this field. Someday, he could be designing highways, bridges, water treatment facilities, who knows? Congratulations Brian, we love you!

Now, the bad news. Back in April, I learned that I and many of my colleagues at work are being laid off this summer; my last day at my current job is August 6th, just shy of my 19th anniversary with my company. This, of course, is not welcome news. However, there is a silver lining: I'm getting fairly generous severance (six months at full pay!), and the company is hiring a job placement service to help me and my colleagues find new employment.

I'm taking a Zen approach to this. I'm certainly not happy about it, but I do have a good cushion to help me transition to new employment. Is it a blessing in disguise? We'll see. Until then, the job hunt has started in earnest this week. Wish me luck!

Those two items have been the background of my life the past three months. Let's see what else I'll have to share at the end of July.

Thanks! Have a great summer!

TV-Inspired Incredible Hulk Story Album by Power Records

 

Hey, I'm back! I don't know for how long, but I've finally managed to get a few minutes to blog. What I'm sharing today is something I didn't know existed until a month or so ago.

I'm sure you're familiar with Power Records, the action story division of children's music company Peter Pan Records, that released a lot of fun items in the 70s and 80s. I recently came across a story album on YouTube featuring the Incredible Hulk. This wasn't surprising to me, as Power released a number of story albums featuring superheroes from DC and Marvel Comics.

What did surprise me, however, is that one of these albums was based NOT on the Marvel Comics iteration of the character, but on the TV series version. In this series of four stories, David (not Bruce) Banner wanders the country and runs afoul of human villains rather than supervillains, just like he did in the TV series. This was a treat to listen to, as the stories are quite faithful to the TV series format. You won't hear the Hulk say "HULK SMASH!" in this version, but you will hear a sincere but amusing attempt by the voice actor to give a frightning roar as the green-skinned giant.

Enjoy!

OK, So Maybe It'll Be Awhile

 

Hello everyone! Yeah, that message from January when I say I'll be blogging soon! Obviously, I was incorrect. And I'm afraid it will still be some time before I post anything new.

Life is just extremely busy, from my daugher turning 21, to my son turning 18, and now we're preparing for my son's high school graduation. So it appears this blog will continue to be quiet for some time, perhaps even until this year's Countdown to Halloween. We'll see.

But I refuse to throw in the towel. I get too much joy from posting here. If you want to enjoy my more frequent ramblings, please check me out at my various socials at this here Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/brianarnold

Otherwise, see you here soon!

Yep, I'm Still Here

 

Hello all! I hope you had a great holiday season and are starting off the new year on the right track.

For me, blogging during the winter months has become difficult as I've gotten older. I'm busier, have different responsibilities than when I first started blogging way back in 2007 (!), and my inspiration for blogging takes a hit. After being so focused on blogging about holiday-related topics for three months, I'm left with an "OK, now what?" situation January through September. I'll get the occasional idea, but if I don't note it down somewhere, it vanishes in the ether between my ears, often never to appear again.

Plus, on top of the usual "getting back to business" activities that seem to make up January, this week in particular I've been hampered with COVID (bout number 3 for me since January of 2022) as well as snowy/frigid weather. I nearly slipped on ice on the stairs outside my house; I caught myself, but not without twisting something in one of my knees. COVID plus snow shoveling plus twisted knee equals WTF!!!

So please be patient with me. I do intend to be a year-round blogger; just hang in there and I'll amaze you with some wondrance you didn't know you needed but can't do without!

Thanks! Happy New Year!

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve '86

 

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the Rockin' Eve production I featured earlier this week that welcomed 1982. Today, I feature the show that welcomed 1986. Enjoy below or on YouTube here.

I'll be back after the holiday. Happy New Year!