They’re coming back (must reread post before hitting submit).
[QUOTE=NJ_Kef]
On April 2, 1971, Dark Shadows came to an end. I staggered into the kitchen were my parents were drinking coffee and gasped, “It’s over. I think that was the last episode.”
I felt every bit of your pain… 
No, I don’t.
What are they? 
Of course! Don’t even ask 'em about graphix - they’ll think you’re nuts. The place I used to go to (161st and Kedzie maybe?? I can’t remember!) never sold them as bongs - they were sold as vases. When you made a purchase, they always gave you a cross necklace. Which we hung around our rear view mirrors. We were 20 lbs of cool in 10 lb bags back then I’ll tell you! 
I suck at links, here, so here goes: a cowl neck is a type of sweater that features a very loose, limp collar that drapes down in front. They are not the most flattering of necklines for most women.
I literally googled cowl neck and clicked on the first site. This should give you an idea.
To be totally cool, one wore the cowl neck, with a necklace that featured a charm dangling from the end of it, swaying over the fold of draped fabric in front.
Any other question? 
Black light posters? Oh man, three of my walls were covered with them, the others had Peter Fonda flipping the bird from Easy Rider and that freakin’ cat with the “Hang in there, Baby”.
Dark Shadows? Jeez, two drawers packed full of the comic books.
Hey Larry Borgia, go to Alaska. Hitchin’ is still reasonably safe and productive there. In fact, I think it’s a law you can’t pass some one w/o picking 'em up if it’s below a certain temp. I travelled across the state that way back in the '90s.
Honestly, when I think of the 70s I think of my parents. They were born in '57, so they were in high school and college at the time, the same age I am now.
I also think of Columbus Ohio’s (where I grew up) downtown, because most of it was built in the 70s, which isn’t a good thing.
Bell bottoms, chukka boots, 8-tracks, and TV, TV, TV.
What graphix? The black light posters?
I was born in 1974, but that’s kind of what I think of, too. Only the leisure suit isn’t burnt orange–it’s either gleaming white, shirt open almost to the navel, with gold chains, or it’s lime green. And the guy arching his back and pointing at the ceiling is usually John Travolta. The floor is either hardwood or plastic, with those weird lights in it.
I remember dancing around my parents’ basement to their Donna Summers and Chuck Mangione records. I also remember hugely long lines–it felt like we waited forever–for gas at the corner pump. Oh, and my parents’ truly terrible puke green Pinto–the one with the door that wouldn’t stay closed when we were on the highway.
Thank you! I occasionally and half-heartedly think of looking it up on webferret, but of course never get around to it.
Oh yes, and Pong…(apologies if someone else has already mentioned it.
BLOOP…be bloop…BLEEPBLOOP…be be bloop…
LOL…'78 was my first (of 85) dead shows…
VW busses, vegas, MOPAR…
Smoking POT and LOTS of it, first 1/4 lb cost $90 …
Nixon, Ford, Carter…
Platform shoes, designer flip flop type footware, hiking boots everywhere…
getting scolded and sent home by the cops for ummm…never mind…cops would never send you home today…
“Radar” ranges (microwaves), fondue pots, homemade Ice cream…
a time when I could lust after cute young ladies and not feel like a lecher… :dubious:
tsfr
Number 96, Chrysler Chargers, The Exorcist, “It’s Time”, “Well may we say God save the Queen, for nothing will save her Governor General”, Cyclone Tracey, the Floods of '74, Greg Holben’s try in the '78 Grand Final, AC/DC doing that film clip on the back of a flat bed truck driving down the main street of (?)Melbourne, Skyhooks on Countdown, our first Colour TV (1978), riots in the streets of Brisbane, having to hide my Steely Dan albums when my friends came over becaus ethey were so uncool, the Monaro v GT Falcon war, the Rolling Stones making a “Disco” song, Bob Dylan going all weird for Jesus, mustaches on cricketers, Jeff Thompson terrifying the Englishmen, World Series Cricket, Tubular Bells, Laminex in retina-searing colours, ringer T-shirts, the K Mart opening down the road from me in Woodridge, a girl called Tracey on the next door neighbours couch, a top 40 where 35 of the songs were kinda cool any given week, being unable to avoid “Hotel California”, “Silk Degrees” or “Rumours” at any given time, Graham Kennedy, Tom Waits in the Don Lan Show and the last South Sydney premiership for 35 years.
mm
[ul]
[li]Music: Kiss, Peter Frampton, Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas, Rush.[/li][li]Movies: Star Wars, Superman, King Kong and Jaws.[/li][li]Television: CHiPs, BJ and the Bear, Dukes of Hazzard, The Waltons, WKRP, Mork and Mindy.[/li][li]Technology: 8-track players, cableless TV (audio in mono coming out of a tinny little speaker on the side), CB radios, AM-only radio in the car, turntables, rotary dial phones, Atari home gaming systems and pocket calculators that at the time cost a fair sum of money.[/li][li]From a child’s view: Saturday morning cartoons, candy cigarettes, early video games (Space Invaders, Asteroids), Underoos[/li][li]Newsworthy events: Iran hostage crisis and Three Mile Island.[/li][/ul]
I was born in 1970, as if that wasn’t already self-evident from my user name.
I was born in '62, and I loved the 70s. I don’t tell anyone IRL, but my MP3 player is loaded with skate-rink disco music, which is odd because I hated it then. I was into Grand Funk and Led Zeppelin (still am). I just like it now because I’m a nostalgia junkie.
Booooogie nights, oh-oh-oooohhhhh…
<ahem> Sorry.
I’m secretly hoping that the backlash from the War on Terror will eventually lead us into another decade when we smile on our brothers, and everybody gets together and tries to love one another.
Like, right now, man.
Freewheelin’ Franklin says:
“DOPE will get you through times of no MONEY better than MONEY will get you through times of no DOPE.”
Age 0-9:
—The energy crisis, which led to wearing my coat in school.
—“I don’t understand, Mom. How can a child be unborn?”
—“Daddy! You can’t drink that diet soda! It’s got saccharine in it and that gives you CANCER!”
—“BILL COSBY DIED?!..What was he doing on a golf course?..Oh, Bing Crosby. Well, he was old.”
—Middle Daughter, “Jan” and her friend taking turns holding their hand above a lit candle. I was about four. Before either of them could stop me, I darted forward and stuck my pinky finger into the flame and withdrew it just as fast. Didn’t hurt a bit, and Jan shooed me away and warned me not to do that again. Years later, I mentioned this to Jan, and although she didn’t remember that specific incident, she knew why they’d been doing that: they’d heard about G. Gordon Liddy doing the same thing and claiming “The trick is not to mind it.”
—Jan and her boyfriend doing that thing where you press palms together, move them in a circular fashion, and stare into each others’ eyes. Mindreading? Or were they just stoned? That one I didn’t try, but my mom muttered something about at least knowing where the guy’s hands were.
—Jimmy Carter was elected. My mom was over the moon. The next day, he was on the radio or something, and my mom actually got through and was going to put me on so I could ask, “Did you always want to be President?” At the last second, though, I decided that was a dumb question and forebore to ask. I regret that to this day. Probably why I’m now such an avid caller-inner to Larry Elder.
—I barely knew who Elvis was before he died. Afterwards, I would swear that his death revitalized the tabloid industry. I’m pretty sure I’m right, or at least in the ballpark. I mean, it was the '70s! Everything was out in the open already, so they didn’t have much in the way of scandal!scandal!scandal! until Elvis dropped dead with enough drugs in him to kill twenty oxen.
—Designer jeans. Another thing I’m sure of, although there are those who would dispute me: Until Jordache or Sasson or whoever was the first, the fashion and modeling industry was loath to even admit that women had rear ends, much less emphasize them. When I first saw the commercial with the model strutting through the set, drawing every eye towards her butt, and then the photographer gesturing to her to turn around, I thought, “They’re not really going to show THAT!” But the shot zoomed right in on her tight little derriere with the gold stitching on the jeans pockets, and another taboo dried up and blew away.
—Ugly clothes, yeah. I was once forced to wear the Ugliest Pants in the World to a church picnic. After I “fell” into a muddy creek, they disappeared. Had to “fall” six or seven times to be sure.
—Sign on the escalator at the mall: “Children with rubber footwear please stand in center of steps.” Adults wearing athletic shoes under any circumstances except to jog? It was for to laugh.
—That everlasting “If you love something, set it free…” poster. Actually, it does make sense, but when everybody’s trying to be deep, then nobody is.
—Sticking my head so far out the car window I could see my shadow on the highway. :eek:
—Jody, the Country Girl Doll. Does anyone else remember her?
—Microwaves. Not so much what they would do, but what they wouldn’t do, or wouldn’t do safely. You were never ever under any circumstances supposed to put metal in them – that may not be as dire nowadays, but back then, it would supposedly explode and short out the entire house. You couldn’t reheat anything with ketchup on it; the ketchup would turn to mucilage. Thaw out a jelly donut at your peril. No, you can’t make bread iin it; are you kidding? Took a while for people to accept the fact that they were just another appliance.
Tha happiest period of my life. I would return to the 70’s tomorrow if possible. ABBA and Gabrielle Drake. Picture.
AMC/Jeep
All in the Family
Leaded gas
Rock’em Sock’em Robots
Evel Kinevel and Muhammed Ali
Jaws and Star Wars
Diesel cars that belched tons of black smoke like 18 wheelers
Motorola TVs
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Space:1999