It's a Throwback Thursday '80s New Wave Dance Party!

For some reason, I've been hearing a lot of 1980s New Wave music recently -- at restaurants and in shops. And it gets me all nostalgic, it does. (I remember when MTV FINALLY came to Manhattan in 1982 or 1983. My dad had just bought a big projection TV, and I would camp out in his living room, with a bunch of my friends from school, watching videos FOR HOURS. Video not only killed the radio star but my desire to do homework.)

So, it being Throwback Thursday, I thought I'd share a few more of my favorite '80s New Wave songs and videos, like...

"Situation" from Yaz (or Yazoo)...



(Alison Moyet, Adele before there was Adele. Am I right?)

And the Thompson Twins' "Doctor! Doctor!"



I've also been hearing The Cars' "Magic" played a lot.



And I don't know if you heard but Duran Duran has a new album out -- and the group was seemingly everywhere this summer, performing classics, like "Rio," as well as some new tunes.




And how could I (almost) forget Robert Palmer?! Though I have no idea what his "Looking for clues" video is about.



I could go on (and on) -- The Go-Gos! The Bangles! Roxy Music! Howard Jones! The Pet Shop Boys! -- but I will save those artists for another post.

Good dancing to you all!

And the finalists for 2015's sexiest Halloween costume are...

Yes, folks, it's time to put the Ho back in Halloween. And this year's crop of sexy Halloween costumes  promises to be a real treat for us sexy Halloween costume aficionados.

So, without further ado, here are my top sex -- I mean SIX -- picks for 2015's sexiest (as in, most ridiculous) Halloween costume.

First up, the corniest Halloween costume I've ever seen.

Next up, the Naughty Nemo Costume. (Just saying "Naughty Nemo Costume" makes me happy.)

There's definitely something fishy about this little outfit (like the fact that Nemo was a boy fish). Hey, you Halloween costume designers, quit clowning around!

And speaking of orange.... This sexy Womens Prison Jumpsuit Costume is practically criminal. (Orange is the new bawd?)

Dig the crazy handcuff (chastity?) belt!

I may go to Hell for posting this next costume, known as the Heavenly Hottie Nun Costume, one of MANY sexy nun costumes I found online. (Saints preserve us.)

Moving into the political realm, my next nominee for sexiest (or most preposterous) Halloween costume for 2015 is the Donna T. Rumpshaker (aka Sexy Donald Trump) Costume.

Costumes like these are making Halloween great again, my friends. (Or not.)

Unfortunately, I was unable to find a Sexy Hillary Clinton Halloween Costume. (Though I did find a lot of scary looking Hillary Halloween masks.) Sorry Bill.

But never fear, there is always the Sexy Nerd School Girl Costume....

Unfortunately, I cannot show my pick for men's sexiest (if by sexy you mean ROTFL) Halloween costume, the Heavy Hose Fireman Costume, which comes in Small, Medium (currently sold out), Large, and Extra Large. But you can always click on the link if you're burning to know what it looks like.

Happy Halloween, y'all.

Amazin'

OMG. Miracles do happen.

I have been a Mets fan for as long as I can remember. I think it was around the time of the 1973 World Series, which the Mets lost to the Oakland Athletics. I remember watching that series with my dad, in his apartment, and rooting for the Mets.

After that, I would regularly watch Mets games when I hung out with my dad (my parents were divorced), and we would have putting contests during the commercials. (My father was an avid golfer, as well as an avid Mets fan.)

One of my fondest memories from my youth was my dad taking me to Shea, sitting behind the Mets dugout, and dad getting me an authentic Mets cap and ball (lost during some move, sadly) during the game. From then on, I was hooked.

All through middle school and high school, I would watch Mets games on television on listen on the radio, going to games at Shea when I could. However, when the Mets made their historic pennant run in 1986, winning over 100 games, I was attending college in London, pretty much oblivious to what was happening at home with the Mets. So you can imagine my shock, upon returning to college that fall, to be sitting in my dorm's common room, watching the Mets play in the World Series... surrounded by Red Sox fans. (As I recall, no one came to blows.)

When the Mets made their next pennant run, in 2000, I was a new mom and in the process of moving from Chicago back to the New York Metro Area and had not really followed the Mets' exploits, or baseball, in years (devoting myself to basketball and the Chicago Bulls and Northwestern football). Indeed, to this day, I still think of Mike Piazza as a Dodger, not a Met.

Eventually, though, I returned to my first love, baseball and the Mets, and began regularly watching games some time in 2006.

As a Mets fan, I am used to disappointment. Indeed, as my husband regularly tells (teases) me, my motto is "Hope for the best, expect the worst." Though I believe that applies to pretty much every Mets fan.

Indeed, as I wrote in a previous blog post, the difference between Mets fans and Yankees fans is that Yankees fans (and St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants fans) expect their team to win and are pissed off when their team loses. Mets fans expect their team to lose and are giddy when their team wins.

So you can imagine the giddiness I and Mets fans everywhere started to feel in August when the Mets, who, just a few weeks before looked like they were headed to another .500 (or worse) season, went on a winning streak -- and just over a month later won the National League East.

Now, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I am not a religious person, though I believe in God. And it was with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek when, back on April 5th, I wrote this "Mets fan's prayer" on the eve of opening day:

Our Mets team, that art in Citi Field,
Hallowed be thy game.
Thy fans will come,
If you score some runs,
At home as on the road.
Give us this season at least 87 wins.
And forgive us our pessimism,
As we forgive those pitchers who put up Ws for us.
And lead us not into last place in the NL East,
but deliver us unto the playoffs.
Amen.

Apparently, the Lord heard me -- and one-upped me. Proof that miracles still happen. (Sorry Chicago Cubs fans. You will have to wait a bit longer for yours.)

I know that a lot of you don't care about sports, or the Mets, and I get it. I do. There are a lot more important things going on in the world than baseball and the World Series. But in a world and a time filled with so much bad news and suffering (again, my apologies, Cubs fans), the 2015 Mets are a feel-good story. And right now, at this moment, I am feeling good.

Let's go Mets! #yagottabelieve

Nothing to laugh about

I started this blog, nearly eight years ago, as a way to amuse myself and, hopefully, some of my friends and family members. I had some funny stories to tell -- and I wanted to share my thoughts (and, okay, snark) about the 2008 presidential election and American Idol.

 Despite the financial crisis and other bad things going on in the world, I remember feeling hopeful -- and was excited to share my thoughts (about politics, books, bikinis, and sports, among other things) and hear (or read) yours.

And while the economy is technically no longer in crisis, and we don't have daily terror alerts, I no longer feel hopeful. And I find little to laugh about.

I am sick and tired of and depressed about living in a world that glorifies people like the Kardashians, and makes celebrities out of people who are willing to do all sorts of horrible or ridiculous or crazy things for 15 minutes of fame or a million dollars -- and that there are millions of people who eat this stuff up and cheer them on. 

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the fact that you can go broke being sick and tired and depressed in this country.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by all the gun violence and our inability to pass reasonable gun control laws.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the Republicans in Congress who are so consumed by hatred for Barack Obama (and the Democrats) that they refuse to pass legislation that could help millions of Americans, including their constituents.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by all the lies Conservative talk show hosts and politicians spew, and that so many people so readily believe them.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the fact that women have to choose between having a career and having a family -- or being "a good mother."

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the high cost of college.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by what has happened to journalism, or what now passes for journalism, and the decline (or elimination) of fact checking. 

I am sick and tired of and depressed by all the narcissism and self absorption in our society.

And I am depressed by the lack of civil discourse in this country -- and knowing that soon after I publish this post someone, probably someone I know, is going to leave an anonymous comment ranting and raving about Obama and the Democrats, and/or defending Americans' right to own hundreds of guns (which is not what I wrote), and spewing all kinds of hate and inaccuracies.