Z is for ZooTV & Zubaz (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule!  This is it!  The end, the last day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge!!!!  It's been an interesting experience, one which I reflect on at a later date, but for now...

Today's letter is Z.  Here we go...

The ZooTV Tour was a worldwide concert tour performed by U2 in support of their 1991 album, Achtung Baby.  The tour began in late February 1992 and concluded in December 1993 and was comprised of 5 legs and 157 shows.  It was the highest grossing tour of 1992 and the 6th highest grossing tour of the 1990s.

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Zubaz is brand of pants that were, unfortunately, in my humble opinion, overly popular in the 1990s.  They were one of the big fashion trends of 1992.

Zubaz initially began as a line of shorts marketed as functional, comfortable clothing for weightlifters.  The brand expanded into other clothing items, but the pants became the most popular item in the line and became synonymous with the name brand.  The pants are tapered at the ankle, include an elastic waistband, and are very baggy.  The pants were originally designed with a zebra print, but was later sold in numerous designs. 

The pants were very popular with NFL players and fans which led to a crossover appeal in the mainstream.

On a personal note, I never owned a pair of Zubaz because I thought they were hideous. I still think they are one of the worst fashion trends of the '90s.  I've never seen U2 in concert either.

Alright!  'Fess up!  Did you own a pair of Zubaz?  If you did, what color were they?  Have you seen U2 in concert?  What did you think?

Well, folks, we've reached the end...  Hallelujah!  Twenty-six letters and twenty-six blog entries.  Whew!  I'm beat!  I hope you've enjoyed my month-long trip down memory lane to the year that was 1992.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Y is for Yamaguchi, Yugoslavia, & Yankovic (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule!  The end is near!  After today there's only one more letter to go in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge!!!!

Today's letter is Y.  Here we go...

In the 1992 Winter Olympics, which was held in Albertville, France, Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States won gold in the ladies’ singles figure skating competition. Midori Ito of Japan earned silver. Yamaguchi and Ito became the first individuals of Asian decent to win Olympic medals in figure skating.

L-R Kerrigan, Yamaguchi, and Ito.  Photo via.

Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, both of the United States, came in third and fourth respectively. (Interestingly, two years later the infamous incident dubbed “The Whack Heard Round the World” occurred when Kerrigan was assaulted after a practice session at the ’94 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit.)

Kristie Yamaguchi turned professional after the 1991-92 competitive season. Since Albertville, she has toured with Stars on Ice, established the Always Dream Foundation, made a workout video with the California Raisins (1993), authored four books, and became the celebrity champion in the 6th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2008.

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The 1992 Winter Olympics were also notable in that it was the last olympics in which athletes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia participated under that name, which then consisted of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. 

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Also in '92, the King of Musical Parody, Weird Al Yankovic, released his album Off the Deep End which included parodies of several well known songs at the time such as Smells Like Nirvana which was a parody of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.

Other parodies include:  

• I Can't Watch This (You Can't Touch This by MC Hammer) 
• The White Stuff (You Got It (The Right Stuff) by New Kids on the Block)
• Taco Grande (Rico Suave by Gerardo).  

Released in April of that year, Off the Deep End became his best selling album (up to that point).

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On a personal note, although I try very hard to appreciate Weird Al songs, he usually tends to drive me crazy!  I am, however, more tolerant of Smells Like Nirvana than I am of the song it parodies.  

Do you have a favorite Weird Al Yankovic song?  If you do, feel free to share.  Thanks for stopping by.

My Happy List - What's Up Weekend Vol. 1

I've been participating in A to Z Blogging Challenge this entire month, so I've taken a hiatus from the former link up and the newly reincarnated link up. 

Given my lengthy absence, I'm taking some liberty and am expanding my list to include things that made me happy this entire month.  

Without further ado and in no particular order:

Spending time with my family over spring break.

Seeing Mamma Mia! with Mom and Si.

Fitting into a smaller size in jeans!

Riding ATVs with my uncle in my beloved Appalachian mountains back home.

A gift of Henry & David goodies that I received at work.   The pears were absolutely de-lish...

That the problem that caused my check engine light to come on was an easy and inexpensive fix - spark plugs.

One of my students gave me a dozen farm fresh eggs.  My husband used to make me a tasty omelette.

Watching my officemate's Vegas wedding streamed online.

Springtime in Kentucky.  After a long, gray, dismissal winter, I do so enjoy all the bright greenness.

Phone conversations with a dear friend.

This touching segment that aired on CBS Sunday Morning this past Sunday about a young man's dream and his perseverance.

Completing the last of my Blogging A to Z Challenge entries on Wednesday night.

This picture:

This sunrise:

Conversations with my walking buddies.

The unveiling of my thinner self.  I still have not reached my goal, but I'm still making progress towards it.  A year ago, I was 38 pounds heavier and would not have dared to wear anything sleeveless.  Wearing this athletic tank has been a big step out of my comfort zone, but taking it has made me very happy.

I hope this finds you having a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

X is for Malcolm X & X-Men (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule, where I unearth artifacts and memories from a quarter century ago in alphabetical order everyday (excluding Sundays, with the exception of the 30th) during the month of April. 

Today's letter is X.  Let me go on record and say that, for me, X was the most difficult of all the letters in this challenge.  In order to have more than one topic, I had to do some creative research.  Here we go...  

Malcolm X, an American epic biographical drama film about the life of African-American activist, Malcolm X, was released in November 1992.  The film was written and directed by Spike Lee.  

The film starred Denzel Washington in the title role.  Denzel Washington received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.  In 2010, Malcolm X was selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry in the Library of Congress for it's significance and merit.

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X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an animated television series that debuted in 1992 on the Fox Network.  It was part of the Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup. The series ran from 1992 until 1997.

On a personal note, I haven't seen Malcolm X nor have I ever seen a single episode of X-Men: The Animated Series or any of the ten X-Men movies or spinoffs that have been released since 2000.

What about you?  Have you seen any of these?

As always, thanks for stopping by!

W is for Wayne's World, Washington, Wimbledon, & Williams (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule, where I unearth artifacts and memories from a quarter century ago in alphabetical order everyday (excluding Sundays, with the exception of the 30th) during the month of April. 

Today's letter is W, so here we go...

Wayne's World, an American comedy film based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, was released on February 14, 1992.  The film starred Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere, Rob Lowe, and Lara Flynn Boyle.  Chris Farley, Meatloaf, and Alice Cooper also made appearances.  Wayne's World was Mike Myers' film debut.

The film was the 8th highest grossing movie of 1992, earning $121 million domestically.  It is the highest grossing of all the movies that originated as SNL skits.

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On January 26, 1992, the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.  The televised event had an estimated 79.6 million viewers and was held in Minneapolis, MN.  It was the first time the city ever hosted the event.  The win made the Redskins the forth team to ever win three Super Bowls.  The game's outcome made the Bills the third team to lose back to back Super Bowls.

The halftime show was not the massive, over the top event that is has become in the recent decade or two.  The theme that year was "Winter Magic" and it consisted of the Pride of Minnesota Marching Band performing while former Olympians Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill skated on sheets of teflon atop large platforms in the middle of the field.  Gloria Estefan performed the show's finale.

According to this Sports Illustrated article, it is ranked as one of the Top 10 Worst Super Bowl Halftime Shows.

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In the summer of '92, American tennis player Andre Agassi won the Men's Singles at Wimbledon and Steffi Graf from Germany won the Women's Singles. It was the first career Grand Slam title and the first ever Wimbledon title for Agassi.  The win was Graf's 11th career Grand Slam title and her 4th Wimbledon title.

Agassi and Graf would later marry in 2001.

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In January '92, former Miss America, Vanessa Williams, released the song that would become her signature song, "Save The Best For Last."  

"Save The Best For Last" held the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks (March 21 through April 18) and became the 4th most popular song of 1992 according to the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart.


On a personal note, "Save The Best For Last" is one of those sentimental songs that has a lot of memories associated with it.  Even now, a quarter of a century later, I still find it very moving and bittersweet.  As I was listening to the song before embedding the code in the body of the blog, I found myself thinking of a boy named J and remembering how desperately I wanted the outcome of this song to be the outcome between he and I...

Were you a fan of Wayne's World when it was just a sketch on SNL?  (I wasn't watching SNL at the time, so I was not.)  

As always, thanks for stopping by!

V is for VMAs (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule, where I unearth artifacts and memories from a quarter century ago in alphabetical order everyday (excluding Sundays, with the exception of the 30th) during the month of April. 

Today's letter is V, so here we go...  

MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs) show was held on September 9, 1992 at UCLA's Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles, CA.  The show honored the best music videos from June 16, 1991 - June 15, 1992.

The night belonged to two bands - Van Halen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who walked away with three moonmen each. 

Van Halen's "Right Now" received seven nominations, the most nominations for any video of the night.  It won Best Direction in a Video, Best Editing in a Video, and the coveted Video of the Year.

The Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Give it Away" won Breakthrough Video and Best Art Direction in a Video.  Their video for "Under the Bridge" won the Viewer's Choice award.

Other winners from the night include:

Best Male Video

"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton

Best Female Video

"Why" by Annie Lennox

Best Group Video

"Even Better Than the Real Thing" by U2

Best Metal/Hard Rock Video

"Enter Sandman" by Metallica 

Best Rap Video

"Tennessee" by Arrested Development

Best Dance Video

"Cream" by Prince and the New Power Generation

Best New Artist in a Video and Best Alternative Video

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

Best Video from a Film

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

Best Cinematography in a Video

"November Rain" by Guns N Roses

The night was also notable for a feud between Axl Rose and members of Nirvana, which apparently started backstage before the show started.  The tiff also involved Courtney Love, the wife of Nirvana's lead singer and Stephanie Seymour, Axl Rose's girlfriend at the time.  The dispute continued onstage as well into post-show interviews.


On a personal note, I didn't watch the VMAs that year.  I was away at college, living in the dorms, and the only channels my roommate and I could get were whatever local channels we could pick up with our rabbit ear antenna.  I had no knowledge of the feud between Axl and Nirvana until many, many years later.  If you want to know more about it, click here.

As for the videos that won that year, I have always been particularly fond of Van Halen's "Right Now."  I have always found it very inspirational.

Any memories of the '92 VMAs or any of these songs?  If so, please feel free to share.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

U is for Unforgiven, Unforgettable, & Unplugged (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule, where I unearth artifacts and memories from a quarter century ago in alphabetical order everyday (excluding Sundays, with the exception of the 30th) during the month of April. 

Today's letter is U, so here we go...  

Unforgiven, a western directed by Clint Eastwood about an aging outlaw and killer, also played by Eastwood, who takes on one more job years after returning to a life of farming.

The film won four Oscars: Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood, Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman, and Best Film Editing for editor Joel Cox. Eastwood was nominated for Best Actor, but the Oscar went to Al Pacino for his role in Scent of a Woman.  

Unforgiven is the third western film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was added to the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2004 for its merit and significance. 

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"Unforgettable" is a song originally recorded by Nat King Cole in 1951.  Forty years later, Nat King Cole's original recording was edited and remixed to create a duet with his daughter, Natalie Cole.  "Unforgettable" won three Grammy Awards in 1992:  Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

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Unplugged is a 1992 album by Eric Clapton.  The album was recorded in front of a live audience for the MTV Unplugged series.  Unplugged won three Grammy Awards in 1993 (Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Album of the Year, and Best Rock Song for "Layla"), came in at number 36 on the Billboard 200 Year End Chart for 1992, and has sold 26 million copies worldwide.

On a personal note, I've always thought the lyrics for "Unforgettable," despite being so simple and short, were incredibly touching.

Unforgettable, that's what you are

Unforgettable though near or far

Like a song of love that clings to me

How the thought of you does things to me

Never before has someone been more

Unforgettable in every way

And forever more, that's how you'll stay

That's why, darling, it's incredible

That someone so unforgettable

Thinks that I am unforgettable too

Unforgettable in every way

And forever more, that's how you'll stay

That's why, darling, it's incredible

That someone so unforgettable

Thinks that I am unforgettable too

How about you?  Have you seen Unforgiven? Do you like "Unforgettable" or Unplugged?  What are your thoughts on any of these "un" topics?

As always, thanks for stopping by!

T is for Toronto & TV Shows of 1992 (2017 Blogging A to Z)

Welcome to my '92 Time Capsule, where I unearth artifacts and memories from a quarter century ago in alphabetical order everyday (excluding Sundays, with the exception of the 30th) during the month of April. 

Today's letter is T, so here we go...  

In October, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Atlanta Braves to win the World Series 4-2.  It was the first World Series that had games played outside of the United States.

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Here are the Top 10 TV Shows as measured by Nielsen Media Research for the 1991-92 season:

10) Coach and Room for Two (tie)

9) Major Dad

8) Murder She Wrote

7) Full House

6) Designing Women

4) Cheers and Home Improvement (tie)

3) Murphy Brown

2) Roseanne

1) 60 Minutes

While working on this piece, I had a hard time remembering the TV shows that I watched back in 1992.  After some time, it occurred to me why.  The first half of the year, I was still living at home and was more than likely watching MTV or VH1, back when they actually played music videos.  The latter half of the year, I was in college and didn't have time to watch TV...

What was your favorite TV show of 1992?  As always, thanks for stopping by!