I guess I'll begin.

I had turned 6 years old in 1986, and had graduated from Kindergarten then moved on to grade school. That Summer, my parents wanted to do something great for me for doing so well during Kindergarten and eventually graduating. They gave me a Jem and the Holograms doll(music cassette included). It was a Jerrica/Jem doll which I chose because as I had told my mother she was "The Leader". She was SO beautiful! She had a satin-y pink mini skirt type dress, with a white and blue sash around it. She also had fishnet leggings and pink metallic shoes. I went home one very happy girl!

1986 was a great year for music and cartoons. I loved Music television and VH1 most of all. <3

I was 12 years old.

I was also 6 that year. I don't remember much about pop culture, but I do have many fond memories of what I was doing during the year. :)

4-5 years old. What I remember is that I was not allowed to play outside for some time because the nuclear Chernobyl power plant had blown up and radioactive radiation came all the way to Germany.  :-\\

I was born in May so I was roughly 7 months old by the time the year ended. I do know the Challenger disaster happened the day after my dad's 59th birthday. I wish I had been born sooner though. I hate I missed the bulk of the 80s, so I could have at least caught one of my favorite acts in their heyday and been able to enjoy a longer time without everything I do ending up online. LOL

Please refer to the "How old were you in 1986?" thread.

I was one of the sperm and eggs. You know...

I was one of the sperm and eggs. You know...
We all have to start somewhere?

I was just a year old for most of the year, yet with the power of VHS/Beta archives, keep getting the dream to experience it as I am today approximately my parents were at the time, and you have to understand that culture is frequently blinded by nostalgia, and in 1986's case, lots of it for the post-Korean War '50s and pre-Woodstock '60s. The earliest known video footage of me exists from sometime that summer via a relative  where my local TV station filmed me for being the youngest at the event, that lasted about five seconds. There is a photo of me watching Wheel of Fortune somewhere lying around with the category being "Title", but I was obviously way to young to understand the culture at the time. You just had to avoid HIV and crack (and other drug) beggars.

We all have to start somewhere?


Yes!

I was still in my dad's body as a sperm cell.

I was one of the sperm and eggs. You know...

I was one of those as well.

I was conceived in October of 1986. ;)

I was 10 years old that year.  :) And boy was I just loving every minute of my life at that time.  :)  The only thing that I hated was being the tallest girl in the class.

4-5 years old. What I remember is that I was not allowed to play outside for some time because the nuclear Chernobyl power plant had blown up and radioactive radiation came all the way to Germany.  :-\\


You live in Germany?

You live in Germany?
Yep. I'm German. :)

I was just a year old for most of the year, yet with the power of VHS/Beta archives, keep getting the dream to experience it as I am today approximately my parents were at the time, and you have to understand that culture is frequently blinded by nostalgia, and in 1986's case, lots of it for the post-Korean War '50s and pre-Woodstock '60s. The earliest known video footage of me exists from sometime that summer via a relative  where my local TV station filmed me for being the youngest at the event, that lasted about five seconds. There is a photo of me watching Wheel of Fortune somewhere lying around with the category being "Title", but I was obviously way to young to understand the culture at the time. You just had to avoid HIV and crack (and other drug) beggars.


You have a Wheel of Fortune photo too? There's one of me at about two sitting in front of one of those old consoles with Vanna White on screen physically flipping the letters over. LOL

Yep. I'm German. :)


Where in Germany?

Where in Germany?
Southern Lower Saxony. (I never give my exact location on the internet. ;))

I would be buying Madonna's albums, probably. I'd be buying her True Blue album, in 1986. I wasn't born yet in 1986.

Old me was fine back in 1986.

I was working a difficult job, lots of overtime, was (and still is) married and my son was a toddler.

I was working a difficult job, lots of overtime, was (and still is) married and my son was a toddler.



I had a good job with the plenty of opportunity for overtime at that time too.

I was 9 and 10.

I turned 6.

I was 12 years old in 1986.

Way back in 1986, at the office:

-Almost no one had a computer yet (the only person who did had one because he job required to follow the stock market prices on the computer. I think late 1986 or 1987 was when many of us got computers.
-Those who wanted to could still smoke at their desks, I think 1986 was the last year they could do that
-No one had a cell phone yet.
-There was a typing pool (no , not a swimming pool) just a bunch of people in a room to type on an electronic typewriter.
-We just got a fax machine the year before. It was so exciting, didnt have to use the telex machine anymore.  Sometimes it took 2 or 3 minutes for a page to come through in a fax.

Way back in 1986, at the office:

-Almost no one had a computer yet (the only person who did had one because he job required to follow the stock market prices on the computer. I think late 1986 or 1987 was when many of us got computers.
-Those who wanted to could still smoke at their desks, I think 1986 was the last year they could do that
-No one had a cell phone yet.
-There was a typing pool (no , not a swimming pool) just a bunch of people in a room to type on an electronic typewriter.
-We just got a fax machine the year before. It was so exciting, didnt have to use the telex machine anymore.  Sometimes it took 2 or 3 minutes for a page to come through in a fax.


That might have been the year that I taught typing. I was in training management in the Air Force. There were a bunch of the trainees who needed typing proficiency in order to get upgraded. So, I held two typing classes to help them get their proficiency. The first class, I had about 20 students and 20 passed their proficiency tests.  :) The second class I had about 18 students and 17 passed.  :(  ONE kid ruined my record. lol. After that, we didn't have as many so I just let trainees use my electric typewriter in my office-one at a time.

(Before that, I was in telecommunications where I worked on a teletype where I was up to 50 WPM with 5 or less errors. Teletypewrighters were so much slower than regular typewriters. Yup, I have been typing since I took a typing class in 9th grade. It was one of the BEST classes I ever took and I am still using that skill as I am typing this right now.)


Cat

Way back in 1986, at the office:

-Almost no one had a computer yet (the only person who did had one because he job required to follow the stock market prices on the computer. I think late 1986 or 1987 was when many of us got computers.
-Those who wanted to could still smoke at their desks, I think 1986 was the last year they could do that
-No one had a cell phone yet.
-There was a typing pool (no , not a swimming pool) just a bunch of people in a room to type on an electronic typewriter.
-We just got a fax machine the year before. It was so exciting, didnt have to use the telex machine anymore.  Sometimes it took 2 or 3 minutes for a page to come through in a fax.


Pretty much exactly the same here. My office (that I was at at the time) got their first computer circa late 80s. Only one person was allowed to use it. It was kind of an excuse for him to goof off because he spent much of the day "playing around with it" (with the boss's blessing) to "learn how to use it". That guy was very annoying. Lots of people smoked at their desks, and their were several secretaries (they were still called that back then) typing away all day (clatter, clatter, clatter!) except when the boss wanted them to "take dictation". He would speak, they would write it down in shorthand and then type it up. The fax machine (a new fangled invention) took a lot of time. The boss tried to fax Japan once and it was a major endeavor. To this day I have never seen a telex machine or know how they worked or what they really looked like. I don't think they were all that common.

https://ak-d.tripcdn.com/images/220s0g0000007zm0fADEF_Z_550_412_R5_Q70_D.jpg

Northern Michigan’s only skyscraper (at a whopping 17 floors) opened in 1986. Looks like a milk carton from the side. It’s just over an hour from here. I could never afford the accommodations, but it’s fun to ride the glass elevator during the slow time in the dead of winter. I remember the commercial when it opened, they had Pick Up The Pieces by Average White Band. In recent years they did a big remodel and renamed the top floor restaurant the Aerie, but I’ll always remember it as the Trillium.

Also, in 1986 the company of my first engineering job got its computer system that we still used in the late 90s when I was there. An IBM CADAM mainframe. The control room looked like something from an early 80s cop show. Still miss using that, and today I set my Autocad up to act similar.

1986 was highly transitional for me.  I started my career at the company I'd spend the next 30+ years working for in early 1986.  This was 6 weeks after college graduation (I'd lined up the position before graduation).  Many colleagues were close to my age, and I started during a hiring spree.  I still lived with my parents (not moving until early 1987) and had a horrible commute.  I drove a "clunker" then, until I bought my first new car in the fall.  I was also having fun; I started clubbing in a big way in 1986, primarily near work, often with colleagues.  Overall, a year I look back on fondly.

Way back in 1986, at the office:

-Almost no one had a computer yet (the only person who did had one because he job required to follow the stock market prices on the computer. I think late 1986 or 1987 was when many of us got computers.
-Those who wanted to could still smoke at their desks, I think 1986 was the last year they could do that
-No one had a cell phone yet.
-There was a typing pool (no , not a swimming pool) just a bunch of people in a room to type on an electronic typewriter.
-We just got a fax machine the year before. It was so exciting, didnt have to use the telex machine anymore.  Sometimes it took 2 or 3 minutes for a page to come through in a fax.

Did you have those brick phones at the time?

Did you have those brick phones at the time?


No, nobody really had them, the cost was too prohibitive. The Motorla DynaTAC 8000x, the first commercially available cellular phone small enough to be easily carried (which wasn't very small at all, hence the "brick" moniker) retailed for $3,995 (about $10,400 in 2021). Mostly a few rich people had them, and they were considered more like "playthings" of the rich than any kind of real necessity.

DynaTAC 8000X; the first commercially available mobile phone from 1983:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/DynaTAC8000X.jpg/330px-DynaTAC8000X.jpg

Way back in 1986, at the office:

-Almost no one had a computer yet (the only person who did had one because he job required to follow the stock market prices on the computer. I think late 1986 or 1987 was when many of us got computers.
-Those who wanted to could still smoke at their desks, I think 1986 was the last year they could do that
-No one had a cell phone yet.
-There was a typing pool (no , not a swimming pool) just a bunch of people in a room to type on an electronic typewriter.
-We just got a fax machine the year before. It was so exciting, didnt have to use the telex machine anymore.  Sometimes it took 2 or 3 minutes for a page to come through in a fax.


With the office attached to my work, we had such fun with a fax machine, one of the received items is something that is best not to give true details here, but it was defining a word, using it in different circumstances. Those of a certain generation may remember it.

No, nobody really had them, the cost was too prohibitive. The Motorla DynaTAC 8000x, the first commercially available cellular phone small enough to be easily carried (which wasn't very small at all, hence the "brick" moniker) retailed for $3,995 (about $10,400 in 2021). Mostly a few rich people had them, and they were considered more like "playthings" of the rich than any kind of real necessity.
When did Gordon Gekko first get his phone?

Pretty much exactly the same here. My office (that I was at at the time) got their first computer circa late 80s. Only one person was allowed to use it. It was kind of an excuse for him to goof off because he spent much of the day "playing around with it" (with the boss's blessing) to "learn how to use it". That guy was very annoying. Lots of people smoked at their desks, and their were several secretaries (they were still called that back then) typing away all day (clatter, clatter, clatter!) except when the boss wanted them to "take dictation". He would speak, they would write it down in shorthand and then type it up. The fax machine (a new fangled invention) took a lot of time. The boss tried to fax Japan once and it was a major endeavor. To this day I have never seen a telex machine or know how they worked or what they really looked like. I don't think they were all that common.


The first computers I recall was at a company that made computers ( I worked there briefly on a summer job, this was 1977. ) The computers were used mainly to play games. the market was "rich folks"  ;D since it was not affordable to the general public.
It didnt have much memory, there was a keyboard and disc (cassette??) drive attached to it. I do not remember the brand of the computer or its name or the price.

The first computers I recall was at a company that made computers ( I worked there briefly on a summer job, this was 1977. ) The computers were used mainly to play games. the market was "rich folks"  ;D since it was not affordable to the general public.
It didnt have much memory, there was a keyboard and disc (cassette??) drive attached to it. I do not remember the brand of the computer or its name or the price.


Actually the first computer I ever saw was in a school in 1972. it was a giant mainframe thing that took up the whole room, with "terminals" where you could sit and type things onto computer cards, known as "keypunch cards" (remember those?) which were then inserted onto "drums" which spun around and set the whole thig to rocking. All this rigamarole and the whole shebang was still pretty limited in what it could do. Any smartphone can do more today.

With the office attached to my work, we had such fun with a fax machine, one of the received items is something that is best not to give true details here, but it was defining a word, using it in different circumstances. Those of a certain generation may remember it.
Since posting this, it occured to me that in each different job I had involved faxes, and was still using them ten years ago.

Since posting this, it occured to me that in each different job I had involved faxes, and was still using them ten years ago.


There are organizations, including government, that use fax machines to this day. Fax machines were always more trouble than they were worth.  8-P

There are organizations, including government, that use fax machines to this day. Fax machines were always more trouble than they were worth.  8-P
In one way, probably more secure then e-mail etc?

In one way, probably more secure then e-mail etc?


Oh yes. I worked at one place where we had to fax if it involved somebody's social security number. Maybe that's why the government still uses them.

Oh yes. I worked at one place where we had to fax if it involved somebody's social security number. Maybe that's why the government still uses them.
I can totally understand the confidentially in your post here.

No, nobody really had them, the cost was too prohibitive. The Motorla DynaTAC 8000x, the first commercially available cellular phone small enough to be easily carried (which wasn't very small at all, hence the "brick" moniker) retailed for $3,995 (about $10,400 in 2021). Mostly a few rich people had them, and they were considered more like "playthings" of the rich than any kind of real necessity.

DynaTAC 8000X; the first commercially available mobile phone from 1983:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/DynaTAC8000X.jpg/330px-DynaTAC8000X.jpg

Can they still be used after 35 years later? What are the odds of it still working today?

Actually the first computer I ever saw was in a school in 1972. it was a giant mainframe thing that took up the whole room, with "terminals" where you could sit and type things onto computer cards, known as "keypunch cards" (remember those?) which were then inserted onto "drums" which spun around and set the whole thig to rocking. All this rigamarole and the whole shebang was still pretty limited in what it could do. Any smartphone can do more today.


Yup-my time in telecommunications taught me about those. We sent & received messages for the base (before email days). Some units would send messages out on those cards. We had to type out the header cards to go with those messages. A message could have as many as 500 cards.  :o :o :o  We were told of a scenario where you are carrying a box full of a bunch of 500 card messages when... OOPS!!!! You write back to the sending station to request a resend and say, "Equipment malfunction." It was NEVER "Operator malfunction."  ;D ;D ;D 


Cat

Yup-my time in telecommunications taught me about those. We sent & received messages for the base (before email days). Some units would send messages out on those cards. We had to type out the header cards to go with those messages. A message could have as many as 500 cards.  :o :o :o  We were told of a scenario where you are carrying a box full of a bunch of 500 card messages when... OOPS!!!! You write back to the sending station to request a resend and say, "Equipment malfunction." It was NEVER "Operator malfunction."  ;D ;D ;D 


Cat


There was a time when (land line) phone bills used to come on those cards too. Lily Tomlin had a whole comedy routine about how to mess with the phone company (back when it was all one thing, a monopoly, known colloquially as "Ma Bell") by subtly changing the size of the holes on the card.  ;D

Actually the first computer I ever saw was in a school in 1972. it was a giant mainframe thing that took up the whole room, with "terminals" where you could sit and type things onto computer cards, known as "keypunch cards" (remember those?) which were then inserted onto "drums" which spun around and set the whole thig to rocking. All this rigamarole and the whole shebang was still pretty limited in what it could do. Any smartphone can do more today.

If you had a few hundred of those key punch cards, and one was out of order, your program failed.

Actually the first computer I ever saw was in a school in 1972. it was a giant mainframe thing that took up the whole room, with "terminals" where you could sit and type things onto computer cards, known as "keypunch cards" (remember those?) which were then inserted onto "drums" which spun around and set the whole thig to rocking. All this rigamarole and the whole shebang was still pretty limited in what it could do. Any smartphone can do more today.


And to think, computers like this were responsible for generating interest in computers in me!  ;D  Yes, I used punch cards extensively in school.  The fact that it took me so long to finish college (Aug 1977 to Dec 1985) in some ways worked in my favor, as by the mid-1980s punch cards were no longer the dominant medium for advanced computing skills coursework, thank goodness.  And I learned "C" programming language in college - it was relatively new then - I deem this helpful in my career.

In 1986 I had a "small" portable b&w TV set, pretty common then.  It had a 5 inch diameter screen, was sized comparable to an average boombox, had a handle and telescoping antenna (mine also had AM/FM) and was battery/AC powered.  It usually picked up "over-the-air" channels.  It was among my beloved electronic possessions, although not expensive.  A little like this:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTbm9N94njWPmh1ximRd8vCX9zCSjlL4yrAOXWI3bYsXPpZhqR2jdWRqeSlZUu1NoD6fM7PQ5xP4Lt-DTVVsuIylIHSH_MZ2g2NitA85dY&usqp=CAE

I remember taking it to a work colleagues' picnic and we watched a pro football game on it.  ;D

1st grade going into 2nd. The later half (beginning of the 2nd grade 86-87 school year) was much better, it had a happier vibe to it. I remember visiting family on Thanksgiving and hearing the Wang Chung song on the drive.

I remember my favorite TV show back in 1986 was ALF.
https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/alf.jpg?w=1000

In 1986 I had a "small" portable b&w TV set, pretty common then.  It had a 5 inch diameter screen, was sized comparable to an average boombox, had a handle and telescoping antenna (mine also had AM/FM) and was battery/AC powered.  It usually picked up "over-the-air" channels.  It was among my beloved electronic possessions, although not expensive.  A little like this:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTbm9N94njWPmh1ximRd8vCX9zCSjlL4yrAOXWI3bYsXPpZhqR2jdWRqeSlZUu1NoD6fM7PQ5xP4Lt-DTVVsuIylIHSH_MZ2g2NitA85dY&usqp=CAE

I remember taking it to a work colleagues' picnic and we watched a pro football game on it.  ;D


I sure do remember those TVs, although personally I did not have one, but a friend did.

There was a time when (land line) phone bills used to come on those cards too. Lily Tomlin had a whole comedy routine about how to mess with the phone company (back when it was all one thing, a monopoly, known colloquially as "Ma Bell") by subtly changing the size of the holes on the card.  ;D



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZt1V8VqlAE


Cat

I turned 16 in November of 1986. I got my sister's tired old 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass as my 16th birthday present.

The poor thing lasted barely a year before the transmission finally died.  ;D

I sure do remember those TVs, although personally I did not have one, but a friend did.


I never had this one, but boy, does it look cool.

JVC Video Capsule
1978

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/bf/4b/36/bf4b36f3c39608cf737bec9df9d0a5f8.jpg

I never had this one, but boy, does it look cool.

JVC Video Capsule
1978

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/bf/4b/36/bf4b36f3c39608cf737bec9df9d0a5f8.jpg


O0 Oooooh, I like that!  I don't recall seeing any TVs that cool looking myself...

O0 Oooooh, I like that!  I don't recall seeing any TVs that cool looking myself...


I don't recall seeing that one myself back in the day (though I may have in a store or an ad). perhaps they weren't widely available.

I never had this one, but boy, does it look cool.

JVC Video Capsule
1978

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/bf/4b/36/bf4b36f3c39608cf737bec9df9d0a5f8.jpg

Wow, that is so retro, I like it.

I turned 17 in August 86. I started my first job on the first of the month. Prior to that I had been volunteering with an organisation in town doing random stuff such as old people’s lunch club, mums and toddlers play group and a bingo group.

In 1986 I had a "small" portable b&w TV set, pretty common then.  It had a 5 inch diameter screen, was sized comparable to an average boombox, had a handle and telescoping antenna (mine also had AM/FM) and was battery/AC powered.  It usually picked up "over-the-air" channels.  It was among my beloved electronic possessions, although not expensive.  A little like this:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTbm9N94njWPmh1ximRd8vCX9zCSjlL4yrAOXWI3bYsXPpZhqR2jdWRqeSlZUu1NoD6fM7PQ5xP4Lt-DTVVsuIylIHSH_MZ2g2NitA85dY&usqp=CAE

I remember taking it to a work colleagues' picnic and we watched a pro football game on it.  ;D


My mother had one of those tiny t.v. sets (minus the radio-it was just a t.v.). She had it on the dresser in her spare bedroom-which she would sleep in there from time to time when she couldn't climb the stairs (like when she had a hip replacement) because it was on the first floor and her bedroom was on the second. One time when I was staying with her for a few days, I went to use that tiny t.v. It was just TOO small that I couldn't see it. I would have sit at the edge of the bed and MAYBE I could see it. I'm sure when my mother used it, she just listened to it because I'm sure she couldn't see it.


Cat

My mother had one of those tiny t.v. sets (minus the radio-it was just a t.v.). She had it on the dresser in her spare bedroom-which she would sleep in there from time to time when she couldn't climb the stairs (like when she had a hip replacement) because it was on the first floor and her bedroom was on the second. One time when I was staying with her for a few days, I went to use that tiny t.v. It was just TOO small that I couldn't see it. I would have sit at the edge of the bed and MAYBE I could see it. I'm sure when my mother used it, she just listened to it because I'm sure she couldn't see it.


Cat


Back then I thought it would be cool to have a portable TV. Like this or one of those the size of a Walkman. Only thing is around here (or there) you need to live on a big hill, or have an antenna tower to get any reception. That’s why they always had the disclaimer “simulated reception”.

Born April 1980. Vague memories of the Halley’s Comet fuss.

Born April 1980. Vague memories of the Halley’s Comet fuss.


You didn’t miss much. It was a very poor appearance. It wasn’t even as bright as some stars in the sky. Through my telescope it looked like one of those shuttlecocks for badminton. Comet Neowise last summer was 100x better.

One night in the winter of 85/86 we went to an event at my school where they had big telescopes and info. I remember the song on the radio was Dress You Up by Madonna. Couldn’t see anything because of clouds. There was an old guy who said he saw the comet when he was 4 years old. The 1910 appearance would have been very impressive. If I’m lucky and live to 85, hopefully it will pass closer again.

You didn’t miss much. It was a very poor appearance. It wasn’t even as bright as some stars in the sky. Through my telescope it looked like one of those shuttlecocks for badminton. Comet Neowise last summer was 100x better.

One night in the winter of 86/87 we went to an event at my school where they had big telescopes and info. I remember the song on the radio was Dress You Up by Madonna. Couldn’t see anything because of clouds. There was an old guy who said he saw the comet when he was 4 years old. The 1910 appearance would have been very impressive. If I’m lucky and live to 85, hopefully it will pass closer again.


I didn't see it in 1986, and I will be over 100 years old when it passes again, I missed my chance.
At least I got to watch on TV when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969.  I will never forget that.

You didn’t miss much. It was a very poor appearance. It wasn’t even as bright as some stars in the sky. Through my telescope it looked like one of those shuttlecocks for badminton. Comet Neowise last summer was 100x better.

One night in the winter of 85/86 we went to an event at my school where they had big telescopes and info. I remember the song on the radio was Dress You Up by Madonna. Couldn’t see anything because of clouds. There was an old guy who said he saw the comet when he was 4 years old. The 1910 appearance would have been very impressive. If I’m lucky and live to 85, hopefully it will pass closer again.


I remember that. It was just a small blob in the sky.

I didn't see it in 1986, and I will be over 100 years old when it passes again, I missed my chance.
At least I got to watch on TV when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969.  I will never forget that.


I missed it, too. Was in too much of an urban area (San Antonio, TX) to see it.


Cat

I missed it, too. Was in too much of an urban area (San Antonio, TX) to see it.


Cat



I didn't see it either. But I DID see the famed Hale-Bopp Comet in 1997. The one that caused the Heaven's Gate cult to commit mass suicide. It was very vague and distant, but it looked like a star in wispy cloud with another tiny star at the end of the cloud. 

Here is an intriguing song by John Stewart, the godfather of Americana music and the composer of the Monkee's big hit "Daydream Believer", as well as his own hit "Gold". This is called "An Account of Haley's Comet" where Stewart gets his father, John S. Stewart, to recite his recollections of seeing Haley's Comet as a small boy in Kentucky in the early part of the 20th Century, when it came as close to the Earth as it ever got in modern history.

John Stewart
An Account of Haley's Comet"
1972

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx9MLbQmlak

I didn't see it either. But I DID see the famed Hale-Bopp Comet in 1997. The one that caused the Heaven's Gate cult to commit mass suicide. It was very vague and distant, but it looked like a star in wispy cloud with another tiny star at the end of the cloud.



I ALMOST missed Hale-Bopp. I lived alone and at the time I didn't drive at night. (Now, I don't drive at all.) Toward the end of Hale-Bopp's visit-when it had started to wane, I realized that I could have just walked to the upper parking lot of my apartment building and there it was in plain site. A DUH! So, I did. Felt so stupid when I discovered that. I'm sure I missed when it at it's peak. Don't recall if I took a pic of it or not.


Cat

I wasn't born, but I have a feeling the 1980's was when obesity slowly started to blossom within the United States! We are an abundant country! I first heard of The Obesity Epidemic way back in 1999, when I was 10 years old!

I wasn't born, but I have a feeling the 1980's was when obesity slowly started to blossom within the United States! We are an abundant country! I first heard of The Obesity Epidemic way back in 1999, when I was 10 years old!


It wasn't a big problem until the 90's.  When people started obsessing about "low fat" diets (early to mid-90s) that's right around the time obesity became epidemic.  IMO "low fat" diets were partly to blame.  Plus that's around the time that portions got bigger, bigger and bigger.  Speaking of portion sizes, this graphic is from a 2016 article (IMO the "20 years ago" should be more like "35 years ago", and a couple entries don't make much sense to me, like popcorn sizes, but it's a good illustration):

https://www.yourweightmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Chart-for-Calorie-Changes.jpg

I wasn't born, but I have a feeling the 1980's was when obesity slowly started to blossom within the United States! We are an abundant country! I first heard of The Obesity Epidemic way back in 1999, when I was 10 years old!


The obesity epidemic in the US started in earnest in the 90s. You could be right that the seeds were sown slightly earlier, but it was the 90s when it took hold. To give a frame of reference, I always tell people to look at pictures of Woodstock in 1969. Half a million people in various states of undress and barely an ounce of body fat among them. Compare this to a country music or rap concert today. Quite a different story.

Not to mention if you look at a Woodstock picture, not a person is wearing a silly baseball cap. That's another trend that took hold in earnest in the 90s. Before that it was basically baseball players and eight year old boys who wore them.

It wasn't a big problem until the 90's.  When people started obsessing about "low fat" diets (early to mid-90s) that's right around the time obesity became epidemic.  IMO "low fat" diets were partly to blame.  Plus that's around the time that portions got bigger, bigger and bigger.  Speaking of portion sizes, this graphic is from a 2016 article (IMO the "20 years ago" should be more like "35 years ago", and a couple entries don't make much sense to me, like popcorn sizes, but it's a good illustration):

https://www.yourweightmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Chart-for-Calorie-Changes.jpg

People were more obsessed about trying to lose weight instead of being overweight.

Can they still be used after 35 years later? What are the odds of it still working today?


You can get ones now that take a SIM card, but I don't know why anyone would want one other than for a novelty effect.  You cannot even text on them, only make calls

It wasn't a big problem until the 90's.  When people started obsessing about "low fat" diets (early to mid-90s) that's right around the time obesity became epidemic.  IMO "low fat" diets were partly to blame.  Plus that's around the time that portions got bigger, bigger and bigger.  Speaking of portion sizes, this graphic is from a 2016 article (IMO the "20 years ago" should be more like "35 years ago", and a couple entries don't make much sense to me, like popcorn sizes, but it's a good illustration):

https://www.yourweightmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Chart-for-Calorie-Changes.jpg


I knew it had to be either the 80's, or 90's!  ;D

That aside, I'd eat all of them!  ;D  ;D  ;D  :(  :(

The obesity epidemic in the US started in earnest in the 90s. You could be right that the seeds were sown slightly earlier, but it was the 90s when it took hold. To give a frame of reference, I always tell people to look at pictures of Woodstock in 1969. Half a million people in various states of undress and barely an ounce of body fat among them. Compare this to a country music or rap concert today. Quite a different story.

Not to mention if you look at a Woodstock picture, not a person is wearing a silly baseball cap. That's another trend that took hold in earnest in the 90s. Before that it was basically baseball players and eight year old boys who wore them.


Wow, I honestly that that went back in the 1950's, or something, not the 1990's! Now I know!  ;D

Also, I think rap had partly to do with it too?

Wow, I honestly that that went back in the 1950's, or something, not the 1990's! Now I know!  ;D

Also, I think rap had partly to do with it too?


Yes it went back to the 50s for KIDS. Specifically little boys. It wasn't until the 90s that it became pervasive with every man, woman and child wearing them at all times. The "shlub look" as I call it, of all American males from 12-60 wearing baggy shorts, bulky t shirt, big sneakers and baseball cap originated in the 90s and shows no sign of abating, unfortunately.

It wasn't a big problem until the 90's.  When people started obsessing about "low fat" diets (early to mid-90s) that's right around the time obesity became epidemic.  IMO "low fat" diets were partly to blame.  Plus that's around the time that portions got bigger, bigger and bigger.  Speaking of portion sizes, this graphic is from a 2016 article (IMO the "20 years ago" should be more like "35 years ago", and a couple entries don't make much sense to me, like popcorn sizes, but it's a good illustration):

https://www.yourweightmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Chart-for-Calorie-Changes.jpg


There were a lot of factors that played into the obesity epidemic (and still does). The use of high fructose corn syrup was started to be used more and more in the '80s. As you said, portions grew and more and more processed foods came on the market. Processed foods are usually loaded with calories as well as high sodium content which leads to weight gain.

Then there was the explosion of video games and computers which led to sedentary lifestyles. Before that, kids used to go outside to play. Now, they sit inside and watch screens most of the day. All of that lead to the obesity epidemic.


Cat

It wasn't a big problem until the 90's.  When people started obsessing about "low fat" diets (early to mid-90s) that's right around the time obesity became epidemic.  IMO "low fat" diets were partly to blame.  Plus that's around the time that portions got bigger, bigger and bigger.  Speaking of portion sizes, this graphic is from a 2016 article (IMO the "20 years ago" should be more like "35 years ago", and a couple entries don't make much sense to me, like popcorn sizes, but it's a good illustration):

https://www.yourweightmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Chart-for-Calorie-Changes.jpg


You go into a restaurant anytime in the last decade or more, and often times what they consider an appetizer is an oversized meal in itself. I don’t even like going to restaurants because I can hardly eat anything, but when someone takes me there, all I get is a drink or small side dish and funny looks.

There were a lot of factors that played into the obesity epidemic (and still does). The use of high fructose corn syrup was started to be used more and more in the '80s. As you said, portions grew and more and more processed foods came on the market. Processed foods are usually loaded with calories as well as high sodium content which leads to weight gain.

Then there was the explosion of video games and computers which led to sedentary lifestyles. Before that, kids used to go outside to play. Now, they sit inside and watch screens most of the day. All of that lead to the obesity epidemic.


Cat

And Cat don't forget the high sugared cereals we used to eat in front of the TV set all the time during Saturday morning watching cartoons.

And Cat don't forget the high sugared cereals we used to eat in front of the TV set all the time during Saturday morning watching cartoons.


When I was a kid, I ate those high sugared cereals watching Saturday morning cartoons. When the cartoons were, I went outside and played with my friends. That is what I was talking about. People (and especially kids) were more active. Now, they sit in front of a screen (whether it be video games, Ipad, smartphone, etc.) I'm just as guilty as the next person. I spend most of my day in front of a screen, too.


Cat

When I was a kid, I ate those high sugared cereals watching Saturday morning cartoons. When the cartoons were, I went outside and played with my friends. That is what I was talking about. People (and especially kids) were more active. Now, they sit in front of a screen (whether it be video games, Ipad, smartphone, etc.) I'm just as guilty as the next person. I spend most of my day in front of a screen, too.


Cat


At least you guys and girls went out and play, now with the internet and social media, it's waaay easier to get fat!  >:(

When I was a kid, I ate those high sugared cereals watching Saturday morning cartoons. When the cartoons were, I went outside and played with my friends. That is what I was talking about. People (and especially kids) were more active. Now, they sit in front of a screen (whether it be video games, Ipad, smartphone, etc.) I'm just as guilty as the next person. I spend most of my day in front of a screen, too.


Cat

My favorite sugared cereal back then was probably Frosted Flakes and today I still love it, I'll admit it.

My favorite sugared cereal back then was probably Frosted Flakes and today I still love it, I'll admit it.


That was my mother's favorite, too. She ate it well into her 70s-80s.


Cat

That was my mother's favorite, too. She ate it well into her 70s-80s.


Cat

Now 35 years later, Our family is more health-conscious about what cereals we eat.

I wasn't even conceived yet! I would have loved 1988!   

I wasn't even conceived yet! I would have loved 1988! 


1988 is the first year Joe Biden ran for president.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden_1988_presidential_campaign

1988 is the first year Joe Biden ran for president.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden_1988_presidential_campaign


3rd time’s a charm!

1988 is the first year Joe Biden ran for president.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden_1988_presidential_campaign


I bow down to Biden, and do his bidding!

https://irenehelenowski.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/bow.jpg?w=584

https://kencarlson.org/main/wp-content/uploads/Bow-Down-Worship.png

I wasn't even conceived yet! I would have loved 1988! 

1988 was the year I started High School.

1988 was the year I started High School.


I started the 3rd grade in 1988. That was the year my family and I moved to Rhode Island.

I started the 3rd grade in 1988. That was the year my family and I moved to Rhode Island.

I started 3rd grade in 1983.

I was 16 and loving how beautiful the 80s were.. (Not that we could see it because WE WERE LIVING IT and not knowing how lucky we were)

I was 12 years old.