Random Thoughts: The A to Z Blog of the Overactive Mind

  Because the Internet Was Still Using Training Wheels - a.k.a. "Books." Before - long before - social media and the sinister Mr. Al Gorithm decided for us which cat videos mattered the most, there was a simpler, louder and decidedly flammabl-er(?) time: the 1980's. A decade powered by synthesizers, questionable fashion choices, and hair so shellacked you could use it to cut through drywall in a pinch. It was also the decade that birthed a very specific form of social networking. It didn't require Wi-Fi, a vast army of followers, and didn't even know what public shame was. And it's chief architects? Valley Girls and Frat Boys.  Two tribes, dos vibes. But one unified goal: look totally rad and pretend you don't care who who's watching (even though you, like, totally did.) This wasn't 'networking' as we know it now. This was networking through proximity, copping a 'tude, and just  the right amount of aerosol to melt a medium-sized iceber...

  What do confidence, fashion, and random bird attacks have in common? Other than making me giggle, absolutely nothing! There are certain moments in life when happenstance hands you a laugh-til-you-cry worthy opportunity.  Like when you wear a kilt to a formal Scottish wedding and the wind decides it's time for a Marilyn Monroe tribute. Or that time in 1986 when you tried on the pirate-style shirt the guy in the Duran Duran video wore and somebody walked by and said "Nice blouse."  There's very few men who can pull off masculinity in poofy sleeves. My personal favorite: when a goose smashes into a man's face at 80km/hr mid-rollercoaster ride and the world collectively Googles "Supermodel vs Poultry." We'll start there. Because if you're under 30 and don't know who Fabio is, you've missed out on the most truly bizarre slice of pop culture. Who is Fabio? Why Was He on a Rollercoaster? Fabio Lanzoni.  Yes, that is his real name. I was hoping...