Back In The Day - Vintage Social Networking

Want to know what it was like to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Skype and Vlog not so long ago?  Then look no further.  Here's your answer.

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 13 - The Plastic Charm Necklace/Bracelet

Today's issue of Keeping It Old Skool is for all the Women who owned one and all the gay men who wanted one.  The infamous Plastic Charm Necklace/Bracelet.  Lol.  Lord, I remember these like it were yesterday.  Yeah, they were the Pandora bracelet of today. **coughs**

Girls went going crazy over these things, some even fighting tooth and nail for the rarest ones.  Hell, I saw girls beaten up over these cheap plastic chains.

As you can see in the pictures, it consisted of a plastic chain link with a few charms.  You would have to buy the rest or trade them with your friends.  The charms would vary from boom boxes, instruments, caricatures to kitchenware, tools, toilets, bells and whistles.  You name it, there was a charm for it.  Can you imagine if Ebay and Amazon existed in those times?  It would have been a hot mess! 

No, I never desired one, but I did like playing with my sister's :-).  What are your early memory of these little charms and chains?

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 11 - Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes

So you may think I'm a crazy nut for saying this, but I like going to second-hand stores.  Yes, I'll admit it.  I like looking for anything vintage; Whether it be clothing, antiques or little knick-knacks here and there.  But little do you know that by me purchasing these items the second time around I am helping the environment.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!  
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes

High-end hand-me-downs (the smart set calls them vintage) are more ecologically sound than new clothes. Why? Buying a shirt the second time around means you avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and, therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own has an impact on the environment. Some synthetic textiles are made with petroleum products. Cotton accounts for less than 3% of farmed land globally but consumes about a quarter of the pesticides. One quick way to change your duds: invite friends over for a closet swap, to which everyone brings a few items they want to trade. It's easy on the environment—and your pocketbook.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Freestylin' On A Vintage Ladies Bike

You know you boys wanted to freestyle when you were kids, and this goes for you too, ladies. 

My sister learned how to ride a bicycle without hands way before I ever could. Hell, I don't think I ever learned how. 

In either case, check out French Trials rider, Mickael Dupont attempt some bicycle tricks on a vintage ladies bike. It doesn't go so well at times, but he actually managed to pull some through after a while.

Back In The Day - Disneyland 1957

Wow, let's go back to 1957 for a moment.  You probably have mothers and fathers who were just being conceived, or maybe even grandmothers who were one or two.   You may even have grandfathers who were teenagers, or parents who were getting married.  Regardless of where you're loved ones were at the time, Disneyland was short of two-years-old when this video was made.  What did it feel like to be in "The Happiest Place On Earth" in 1957?

The Disney History Institute cleaned the film, transferred it with a Spirit DataCine, and edited a few clips to music. But all of the images here are from 1957, before the park was even two years old.

Back In The Day - Vintage Christmas Light Ad

Who would have thought that back in the day it would've been okay to buy Gay Christmas Lites.  LOL.  You gotta love Christmas!  Have A Merry one everybody!

Land of the Lost: Inside the Heart of the Navy's Graveyard

I took Art as one of my subjects the 4 years I was in High School, and it was by far, one of my most favorite classes. So in no surprise to you, nothing fascinates me more than Art and Photography.  Better yet, if I could go back in time to capture images of history, I would.

Imagine waking into a building where it seemed like all the people disappeared, yet everything else in the building remained as it was. It sounds like a scary movie, doesn't it?  In my third issue of Land of the Lost, photographer, Scott Haefner takes us for an incredible adventure unlike any other - a warship graveyard.  At least until the government does away with it in 2017.  He and a group of fellow photographers managed to sneak onto these ships, and take photos that would capture anyone's imagination.  Over a 2 year period, they would spent "several days at a time, photographing, documenting, and even sleeping aboard them - often in the luxury of the Captain's quarters."














On his website, Scott describes in detail, their planning, the history, and the ships' environmental implications.  He also discusses their scouting mission, boarding the ships, and their final trip.

From his website:

For decades, dozens of forgotten Navy and merchant ships have been corroding in Suisun Bay, 30 miles northeast of San Francisco. These historic vessels—the Mothball Fleet—served their country in four wars: WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. After a decade of impasse, the ghost fleet is slowly dwindling as the ships are towed out one-by-one for scrapping. About 15 retired ships are already gone; by 2017, the entire fleet will be just a memory.

Scott's website is truly amazing to view and read.  If you're a history buff, in the military, or a veteran, you'd definitely get a rise out of it.  Check it out here.

The Internet. Have You Heard Of It?

And you thought when you were born, the Internet was already here...

Imagine living in a world where we didn't have Google to help us find the answers to a test.  Where we didn't have a "smart" phone when we went camping hundreds of miles away from our home. Where all we did was play outside with our friends, shoot hoops, and afterwards head to the library to complete a science fair project.

Check out this hilarious video from the 90s where the Today show anchors are introduced to the Internet. Most importantly, "Can you explain what internet is?"

X-men: First Class Does The 1960's

Check these out...

Fox Studios, working together with Total Film Magazine created these vintage magazines as part of their X-men: First Class marketing campaign, and a pretty awesome creation it is.

 

Since the new movie is about the start of X-men (a prequel of sorts), the magazines reflect publications made back in the 60's; One can pretty much tell by the lettering who they are paying homage to.  Starting with the first magazine, Vogue, the second one, Esquire, and the third, Life.  The fourth one doesn't reflect a vintage collection, but posted it anyway.