Flashback Friday: Kids Shows

So, when I was growing up, Sesame Street was only really coming in to its own, and while I watched it, I watched Nickelodeon programming so much more...and I do believe that channel was even younger.

Tangential thought: Why does MTV get so much ground breaking recognition while Nickelodeon is barely talked about? At least Nickelodeon is still a children's network, and any and all tweaking still kept the same basic idea of it being a children's network (the only exception being Nick-at-Nite which was old TV shows for older people...because children were supposed to be in bed by then, and now has spawned its own channel of TV Land). MTV has to have separate channels just to play the music videos the channel was invented to do. Ugh, Nick needs more recognition.

Anyway, I grew up on a show that I know a lot of people remember, because I mention it and they say "hey, I remember that." Pinwheel. Blatant Sesame Street knockoff (two guys living in the same room named Plus and Minus who bickered a lot? NOOOO, that's not a knock off!) but for some reason I liked it more, even though it was more classic puppetry than the innovative Muppet technology (well, technically it was technology for puppetry). Here's the intro, which I think manages to get every character in to the intro in a short amount of time, too:

I also watched what might have been the most disturbing childrens show in history: Today's Special. Not so much like, scar you for life disturbing, but simply odd...I mean, it was about a mannequin that came to life when the store closed to help out the night dresser, and the night wtachmen, and such, and in doing so taught lessons on a specific theme for the show (which was billed as todays special...get it?)...though I guess it might have led some stoner guy to turn it in to the cinematic gem Mannequin, so you could say it was disturbing there...here's Today's Special's opening, with a neat little jazz song for the first 10 seconds...which degrades in to like, every 80s TV show theme ever.

And of course, if you watched Nick...you saw Picture Pages! Ah, Cosby.

New Look

No readily available camera, so you'll have to settle for the Simpsons approximation.

Also, I found out the hard way that I can drift in my car. I'm fine, thanks. But let's just say that after it was all over (not gonna get in to details but if I could get drag that other driver out of his car and beat him senseless and take his license and throw it in to the Chesapeake Bay, I would), a guy behind me got me to roll my windows down to tell me "that was some incredible driving, I doubt I could have avoided that!"

Also, under 100 days until Erin is due. I'm sorry, until our guess date. We're taking a class that accentuates positive language.

Gotta Go Back In Time...

Title's just for you, Ben.

So, anyone ever ask you "if you could go back in time and change something about yourself or something that happened to you, would you? And what would you do?" Sure you have. I used to think I wouldn't do a damn thing. Leave well enough alone. Who knows what I'd screw up.

Lately, though, I've come to realize that I would do one thing. One thing only. And it might only effect a few things in my life, but it probably would have made things much easier for me as a teenager, especially in my latter days of high school.

I'd go back and tell my younger self what I've come to realize about my nature: I'm creative. Or, more specifically, I have a desire to be creative.

Seems kind of odd, right? Well, let me elaborate a bit. From like, third grade (maybe fourth) on, I was a musician. I started playing the trombone. Got relatively good at it. Didn't hurt that there was a significant lack of trombone players in my area so I was usually the only one, or one of two.

By the time I hit high school, though, other creative bugs hit me. I didn't really start exploring them until later, specifically my senior year. But they caused all kinds of headaches. But I wanted to try acting out...which caused friction with my music teacher.

Now, I can look back and see that he saw massive potential in me musically that was being wasted because I split my time. But back then, I was a head strong kid who wanted to do what he wanted to do.

So, I'd go back and tell that kid, "there's nothing wrong with being creative in multiple media...but you should express that to others." Like my music teacher. Maybe come to a better understanding with him...maybe find a way to do both in equal time. At least help him realize that I wasn't trying to be an unmotivated piece of crap, I simply couldn't be held to one medium of creativity. I could have avoided what turned in to a real emotional tug of war that year.

So, whenever Doc Brown finishes up that Delorean, I'll know what I'll be doing.

RIP Spidey...

Well, for any of my old friends with nostalgia, Spidey is gone. No longer shall you see this:

Now, you shall see this:

I almost can't believe it's the same guitar. I'll tell you one thing...the new pickup in the neck, and the way I got it wired (5 way selector switch instead of 3 way...for those who don't know guitars, that changes the pickup options...before you could use the neck pickup, the bridge pick up, or the pickups in parallel...now I can also use the neck and bridge pickups as if they were single coil...it varies the tone...just trust me on that one), it's hard to believe it's the same guitar.

So...(a needle pulling thread)

La, a note to follow so.

Te, I drink with jam and bread.

And that brings us back to do do do doooooooo.

Sorry, got distracted by insanely annoying song.

As some more astute people may have noticed, I did update that little countdown so that it says Heiress, though to be fair, an Heir knows no gender. Jessie/The Queen sort of left it up to me whether I'd divulge her name or not, which I thought was thoughtful, though kind of silly. I mean, not exactly a celebrity or anything, nor will her name topple foreign governments...though how awesome would that be?

Anyway, she shall be called...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

WAIT FOR IT!

Nymphadora Ignatia.

Just kidding.

Erin Noelani.