The 80's

 
A time where big hair and baggy clothes were the rule not the exception. A time where TV shows were simple yet effective entertainment.

I recently purchased the first season of MacGyver on ITunes, (a rather lengthy process as it took almost three days to download 22 episodes at 500 mb each for a grand total of 11 Gb).
The most remembered scene, (for me anyway), from MacGyver is when Mac is captured by the bad guys and has to escape, (again...running theme perhaps), by contriving a device, explosive or a diversion out of everyday house hold or industrial items. There by making a spectacular getaway!

I remember one scene in particular where MacGyver is locked in a concrete room. He looks around, as he usually does in these situations, and finds a lighter and a hanging light. So MacGyver decides an explosion is needed. Filling the lock with the gas from the lighter he then throws the powered light bulb at the lock there by igniting the gas and making it explode the lock and letting him stroll out of the room. Not the most accurate, but made for very convincing entertainment.

That is the Essence of TV shows in the 80's. Shows like Knight Rider, A-team, Air wolf, Battle star Galactica, (these are a few of my personal favorites), offer imagined scenarios that are impossible difficult but are accomplished in the last five minutes of the show, (ie MacGyver).

Now as I went back in time to 1985 while watching MacGyver I noticed A few themes, (besides the cheesy effects), good is good, bad is bad. More than that is the fact there is romance with out nudity, love without sex, dialog without cursing and good guys doing what they do best, winning.

My wife just purchased the TV show "Gummi Bears" and my kids love it. They ask for it constantly. Good simple fun. All these old TV shows have brought the fondness of old cartoons back to my mind so that I now want to buy another of my favorite cartoons just to enjoy the fun,(Chip and Dales Rescue Rangers).

I have found that the cartoons of today are really about nothing, (and they are annoying). No values are to be found, bad jokes abound and they are way to violent…

At home we also have the complete series of "little House on the Prairie". My eight year old daughter loves it and I believe it is her favorite TV show. Why might she like it so much? It could be the simple stories of simple people. Or it could be the underlying good values and good feelings that come from watching a well done show. But the fact remains that it is a show the whole family can enjoy together.

 

Final Thoughts:

Keep in mind the things you watch as a family

Find shows that entertain and uplift and maybe even have a good moral…… ( Or just dump the TV altogether…)

Distracted Driving

Ever wonder how some people manage to get to work alive?

I drive/make deliveries for a living so I have let’s say a more unique view of the situation that most drivers on the road. 1. I am on the road a lot during my day of deliveries. and 2. I am higher up in the air than all the cars out there (which provides me with the ability to see much more than if I where just in a car). I see things that may be hidden from the average commuter. Just a few examples…

Every one knows about this one, the proverbial mobile beauty shop, (is it that important?).

Thinking of things best left for the bathroom…. What about flossing your teeth… yes I have seen it at least once during my forays out into the wide world.

Onto practical matters… Is texting or email so urgent that it can’t wait for a couple of miles until you get to work or a rest area, (somewhere that you are not moving). I don’t text with my phone never have and I don’t plan to. I have however taken notes or contact info on my IPod Touch…. Never said I was Perfect… Not a safe thing to do. I may feel more invulnerable than the puny cars I am surrounded by……. that said, I do not make a regular habit about it.

Some of the interesting things that have caught my attention are:

Texting/checking email

Reading; whether it be book or newspaper/magazines (yes i do mean those kind of magazines?)

Using a laptop in the lap of the driver or on the passenger seat

Eating of course

Changing directions on a GPS

A big pet peeve of mine is when people have there pets on there laps while driving, not in the back seat where they should be but sticking there heads out of the driver side window. The dogs get under the arms of the driver or the driver is petting or holding the animal…. you can’t move the animal fast enough in an emergency, because you don’t want to hurt the animal….

While I am on the subject of animals not being where they belong… he biggest annoyance is when I see parents who just let there children stand up or lean forward all he way (not seat belted. Are the parents that unconcerned with the safety of there children? okay off my soapbox.

The most common distractions are however cell phones and other hand held devices. With all these distraction I wish to coin a new phrase for police to put in their accident reports or traffic citations lets call it DWUIT- “Driving While Under the Influence of Technology”. or DUIT- “Driving Under the Influence of Technology”. I Think I like DWUIT better…It’s funnier to say.

So final thought is think about it the next time you get that itching in your fingers, or that need to read, or even if you fell like beautifying yourself think twice and then think again.

Thank You for your time

Jason