9-things-didnt-know-little

Little Debbie Snack cakes are an American tradition that have been a mainstay of sugar and cake addicts pantries since the 1960s. The company that makes Little Debbie snack cakes was born during the heart of the Depression era, and the family-owned business continues to sell its original Oatmeal Crème Pies, Nutty Bars and Swiss Cake rolls to the masses. Here are just nine interesting things you may not have known about the Little Debbie brand and snack cakes:
1. Little Debbie snack cakes were the first to be sold in family packs. McKee Foods, the parent company of the Little Debbie brand invented the idea of selling multipacks of the individually-wrapped snack cakes in a family size. This helped to stimulate more sales and made it easier for consumers to fuel their Little Debbie addiction.

2. Over 157 billion Little Debbie snacks have been sold since 1960. The company launched with Oatmeal Crème Pies, but many people are eating up other favorites including Devil Squares, Fudge Rounds, Honey Buns and the Star Crunch Cosmic Snacks.

3. Little Debbie is still family-owned. Little Debbie is still owned by the original family that invented the snack cakes, and according to FundingUniverse.com, is showing no sign of selling the company to competitors such as Nabisco or Intersate Bakeries.

4. The Oatmeal Crème Pie was the original Little Debbie Snack Cake. This sweet and wholesome snack continues to be a lunchbox favorite among kids of all ages, and over 14 million cakes were sold within 10 months of their introduction, according to LittleDebbie.com.

5. There are now 75 varieties of Little Debbie snacks. From the 100-calorie gingerbread cookies to the peanut butter toasty cracker sandwiches, Little Debbie fans from around the world can enjoy all types of fun and tasty snacks.

6. Kids can make Play-Doh snacks of Little Debbie sandwiches. The Little Debbie Snack Cake Kitchen is a complete kit that contains a mold tray, snack plate, crème and chocolate extruder and shapemaking rail so that kids can make five different Little Debbie Snacks out of Play Doh. It's available from the Little Debbie store online.

7. Little Debbie is on Twitter! You can keep up with the latest Little Debbie treats and company factoids by following Little Debbie on Twitter.

8. The brand is a leading sponsor of Nascar competitions. In 2009, Little Debbie Snacks is a sponsor of Marcos Ambrose and JTG Daugherty Racing team. The company has even created a plush Koala bear named Sydney that wears a Little Debbie-emblazoned racing suit.

9. McKee Foods sells over 200 million cartons of its top selling products every year. Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies, Swiss Cake Rolls and Nutty Bars Wafer Bars are the top three selling products in the world, and continue to drive the majority of sales for the company.

Publisher: uuibbui - 04:11

9-interesting-things-our-constitution

A friend of ours recently visited Ft. Knox where all the gold is supposedly stored and safeguarded by our government. Some conspiracy theorists claim that the gold is no longer there, but I and most people want to believe it is, do believe it is, and do not abide by such theories. While discussing this visit, I remembered that I read somewhere that our United States Constitution, the original, was transported to Ft. Knox in Kentucky after the attack at Pearl Harbor in WWII. This made me wonder what other unusual things have happened to or been part of the history of this remarkable document.

1) The Constitution was kept on display at the Library of Congress in the 1920's and 30's and when it needed to be moved somewhere, the librarian would merely place it in his Ford Model T truck and take off. Then, yes, our incredible Constitution was, indeed, housed at Ft. Knox after Pearl Harbor. It is as precious, and more, than gold itself. Then it was returned to the Library of Congress. Following negotiations between the congressional librarian and the US archivist, the original document was by 1952 moved for public display at the National Archives. This move was not in a Model T. It was more complicated, as is our world today. Packaging including helium-filled cases packed in wooden crates atop mattresses. An armored Marine Corps personnel vehicle accompanied by ceremonial troops, two tanks, and four submachine gun-carrying servicemen drove the document down Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue (how appropriate!) to the National Archives. Protection at the Archives is provided by titanium-framed thick glass for each of the 4 pages. Argon gas and a constant 67 degree F. temperature with 40% humidity protects the paper and ink for future generations.

2) The original constitution was the Articles of Confederation. Instead of enriching this document as our Constitution, our forefathers started from scratch to write the foundation of our country's documents. There were 4,543 words including the signature portion of the document, without counting any amendments.

3) The location for writing the constitution was a room that became steamy hot for 100 days during which the constitution was drafted, argued over, and written. Why? Because the sessions were considered so important that the meetings demanded secrecy and unopened windows and guarded locked doors that blocked out and locked out eavesdroppers.

4) Our country is a republic; clearly written in the constitution. My husband has oft said that in a democracy the people serve the government; but in a republic the government serves the people. Another way of looking at this is that in a republic the sovereignty is based in each and every individual while in a democracy it is in the group. In a pure democracy, 51% wins and 49% loses. There are no minority rights; there are only majority rights. In a republic, power is directly held by the people or through their chosen representatives who have specifically assigned power. A republic honors "liberty and justice for all" and the individual rights as natural rights. In a jury for example, it is not a 49/51% decision, but one juror can stop a decision to find guilt on behalf of a single defendant and a 100% majority is required for conviction.

5) Per Constitution Facts, when it came time to sign the document, 81-year old Benjamin Franklin had to be assisted due to his declining health. As he signed the U. S. Constitution, "tears streamed down his face." Franklin was the oldest signer; Jonathan Drayton of New Jersey was the youngest at 26. Note: Active in mind, but not in body, Franklin suffered gout pain and had a stone in his bladder. He was unable to walk but was carried in a sedan chair daily. Four Walnut Street Jail (Philadelphia) prisoners lifted him. Benjamin was known as the sage of the convention.

6) Per ConstitutionCenter.org, "More than 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress. Thirty-three have gone to the states to be ratified and twenty-seven have received the necessary approval from the states to actually become amendments to the Constitution."

7) My ancestors were Mayflower passengers and their descendants. We as a family always think solely of our thanks and of our Mayflower heritage on Thanksgiving, but when George Washington was President he proclaimed a national holiday in 1789 to honor our constitution. I shall now honor this at Thanksgiving, very much so, even though since 2004, September 17th is now our official Constitution Day.

8) George Washington was the first to sign the Constitution.

9) The Constitution does not grant the power to print money to the government but instead says they may "coin money," the thinking being that the coins would be created from precious metals such as gold and silver. Wonder if they considered copper precious?

This leads us back to that theorist claim. Is the gold still in the well-guarded Ft. Knox? I have no idea, but I will stand up and fight for my republic rights granted through the United States Constitution. Every individual is honored and protected, rightfully.

Publisher: uuibbui - 04:07

9-11-ten-years-no-progress-thoughtful

Much of the fanfare over the 9/11 10 year anniversary had many New Yorkers flustered for sure. I spoke with several friends who expressed the usual litany of remorse and reflection, but there was also an undertone of anger from many friends. Anger from the feeling that we were being told "how" to feel and "when" to feel it.
My friend Jenn from Brooklyn echoed it first. When I asked her how the 9/11 anniversary had made her feel she said "angry." When I asked her to elaborate she said that she was less interested in what happened ten years ago and more interested in the here and now.

"I'd like to know what's happening TODAY. What's going on in Egypt? How's Afghanistan? Anyone ready to "honor the people of 9/11" by paying for their health care when they get cancer?"

She went on to say that; "People (politicians) like to talk about "the terrorists winning," and when I watch the news and listen to the radio and realize that our lives have been put on hold for the last few weeks, well, isn't that what they wanted--to disrupt our society and our way of life?"

My friend Damian from Manhattan also told me he'd opted out of the 9/11 event saying, "I actually chose to leave the city for the weekend and was on Fire Island with friends. I've been so busy with work and planning upcoming travel that the 10 year anniversary, while heavy, was lower on the priority ladder than usual. I tried to mentally avoid it, not because of the memories of that day (which as a NYer I get to relive every day, and every anniversary since), but mostly because it frustrates me. I am saddened that as a nation we are paralyzed by that day, and have not taken the right road since. The more we hang on, the worse things seem to get - the economy is in the same place it was a decade ago, the DJIA is in the same place, the middle class is fewer in number, and we are still at war."

With all this anger and all this confused, prolonged sorrow and all this stifled everything, it is easy to see how something like the 10 year anniversary of September 11 can effect us all differently. New York City is sadly still a giant vulnerable pinata with a big red "X" on it. Many New Yorkers who are fed up with the lack of forward progress in a decade have a right to be angry and a right to demand answers from the sobbing masses and the fat-cat politicians who have nothing to say but nothing much at all.

Publisher: uuibbui - 04:02

9-11-six-years-later

I have moved down the Atlantic coastline from Cape Cod Massachusetts to New York and it is every bit as exciting as it is on television. Time Square, Madison Square Garden, Wall Street and its bronze bull representing the stock market, the amusement of Coney Island, and Lady Liberty of Liberty Island where the ferry boat journey is still waiting for new visitors daily.
These are just a few of the reasons why New Years Eve is not the only time of year you will find the streets crowded with tourist and residents. There is a lot to see in New York and for starters the home of the world's strangest things any family would ever want to see is right in the heart of Manhattan and I'm talking about the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, it is highly recommended and simply amazing.

In the spirit of the Labor Day Weekends with added attractions such as parades, great food and entertainment for every personality the mood quickly changed with the remembrances of September 11, 2001 when attack on the World Trade Center Twin Towers brought the Nation great grief over the thousands of lives that were lost.

It's been six years and the tensions in New York are still high and the wounds from the deeds of 911 have not healed with the continued intimidations of the news reports combined with the failure of the Authorities to apprehend of discover the where about of the main plotters of the events topped off with a news release of a video tape of the infamous Osama Ibn Laden. His message is always viewed as a renewed threat by the people of New York.

The local Muslims seeking to open schools have been taunted as a result of the activities of the Al Qaeda group lead by Osama. Fears of terrorist camps being formed on American soil has surfaced and the challenge of proving peaceful intent to educate people on the language and culture of the Islamic people does not include raising gangs or terroristic organizations.

They have been moved to a peaceful retreat of one location of the school to another location which is also under fire by the scrutiny of the zealous Christian Groups. Religious competitious personalities have surfaced and the Freedom of Religion in practice and in expression has been crippled and all groups and denominations have been struggling to retain each their own freedoms of expressions.

As for the Atheist in New York their presence has not yet surfaced or been discovered by me I believe that the split in the whole of religion is so deep they are standing in the wings waiting for it to self destruct.

The Political unrest in the Middle East has given the Muslims of America the burden of building a bridge of peace and acceptance between the two worlds where American can be accepted abroad and like wise have Muslims be accepted all over the world without the remnants of terrorist threats being held over their heads by those driven into hiding or those hurt by those who are truly terrorist.

In spite of it all the unveiling of the new plans for the World Trade Center sight was revealed and with all it's splendor heralding New Yorkers determination to move forward, rebuild and multiply their resources although the lives lost can never be replaced with the drawing of not one , not two, but four Towers. I wonder if they are going to call them quadruplets!

Publisher: uuibbui - 04:00

9-11-conspiracy-theories-case-us-govt

September 11th 2001 was one of the worst days in American history. Over two thousand people killed in the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history. Terrorists working under the supreme command of the terrorist Muslim extremist leader Osama Bin Laden simultaneously hijacked four jetliners and deliberately flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. And the Pentagon. Three of the four jets reached their targets with the fourth crashing in a field following a revolt against the terrorist by the passengers. The attacks caused the collapse of the Twin Towers and the death of over 2,000 individuals trapped inside. This is what the authorities would have you believe. However this is a very different picture then the one the conspiracy theorists would paint for you. It was brought to my attention that the conspiracy theorists at InfoWarz.com had created a documentary film about 9/11 highlighting their evidence for the "real story" about 9/11 and if they are right I would say that we all should take heed and perhaps call for revolution. But this article will not support nor will it denounce the conspiracy theories of the film. It merely will highlight some of the "evidence" displayed in the film and theories that have taken the Internet by storm.

September 11th 2001 was one of the worst days in American history. Over two thousand people killed in the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history. Terrorists working under the supreme command of the terrorist Muslim extremist leader Osama Bin Laden simultaneously hijacked four jetliners and deliberately flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. And the Pentagon. Three of the four jets reached their targets with the fourth crashing in a field following a revolt against the terrorist by the passengers. The attacks caused the collapse of the Twin Towers and the death of over 2,000 individuals trapped inside. This is what the authorities would have you believe. However this is a very different picture then the one the conspiracy theorists would paint for you. It was brought to my attention that the conspiracy theorists at InfoWarz.com had created a documentary film about 9/11 highlighting their evidence for the "real story" about 9/11 and if they are right I would say that we all should take heed and perhaps call for revolution. But this article will not support nor will it denounce the conspiracy theories of the film. It merely will highlight some of the "evidence" displayed in the film and theories that have taken the Internet by storm.

September 11th 2001 was one of the worst days in American history. Over two thousand people killed in the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history. Terrorists working under the supreme command of the terrorist Muslim extremist leader Osama Bin Laden simultaneously hijacked four jetliners and deliberately flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. And the Pentagon. Three of the four jets reached their targets with the fourth crashing in a field following a revolt against the terrorist by the passengers. The attacks caused the collapse of the Twin Towers and the death of over 2,000 individuals trapped inside. This is what the authorities would have you believe. However this is a very different picture then the one the conspiracy theorists would paint for you. It was brought to my attention that the conspiracy theorists at InfoWarz.com had created a documentary film about 9/11 highlighting their evidence for the "real story" about 9/11 and if they are right I would say that we all should take heed and perhaps call for revolution. But this article will not support nor will it denounce the conspiracy theories of the film. It merely will highlight some of the "evidence" displayed in the film and theories that have taken the Internet by storm.
September 11th 2001 was one of the worst days in American history. Over two thousand people killed in the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history. Terrorists working under the supreme command of the terrorist Muslim extremist leader Osama Bin Laden simultaneously hijacked four jetliners and deliberately flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. And the Pentagon. Three of the four jets reached their targets with the fourth crashing in a field following a revolt against the terrorist by the passengers. The attacks caused the collapse of the Twin Towers and the death of over 2,000 individuals trapped inside. This is what the authorities would have you believe. However this is a very different picture then the one the conspiracy theorists would paint for you. It was brought to my attention that the conspiracy theorists at InfoWarz.com had created a documentary film about 9/11 highlighting their evidence for the "real story" about 9/11 and if they are right I would say that we all should take heed and perhaps call for revolution. But this article will not support nor will it denounce the conspiracy theories of the film. It merely will highlight some of the "evidence" displayed in the film and theories that have taken the Internet by storm.

First, the conspiracy theorists suggest that the "jet" that hit the pentagon was in fact not a jet at all but a cruise missile. They attribute this because there is a visible lack of airline wreckage outside the impact zone. As well as the fact that the impact hole is inconsistent with the crash of a airplane given there is no impact points that would show wear wings or tail fins of any play would have hit, only a single whole whose dimensions are consistent with that of the impact of a cruise missile and not a airplane. Also they believe that the alleged stories of the witnesses that the jetliner that hit the pentagon flew over their vehicles before impact are obvious forgeries. Due to the fact that if a airplane flew over ones car missing it by feet as the witnesses allege the car would be blown off the road by the jet blast from the engines of the plane.

Second, the conspiracy theorists allege that the Twin Towers were not brought down by the impacts of the planes that hit them but instead by internal implosions. This is due to the way the towers collapsed. Anyone who views the news footage of that day can plainly see the towers come straight down in a pile, eerily similar to controlled demolitions. The conspiracy theorists attempt to destroy the governments assertion that the burning jet fuel in the planes that hit the twin towers melted the steel support beams which caused the buildings to collapse. The conspiracy theorists state that jet fuel cannot reach the necessary temperature needed to melt the support beams. Therefore it was scientifically impossible for the planes to take down the towers alone. The conspiracy theorist suggest that the controlled implosions can be seen in every video of the WTC collapse as small implosions 30-40 floors below the destruction wave.

Third, Building seven of the world trace center also collapsed on September 11Th. The official explanation for this was that fires from the collapsed twin towers ignited smaller fires in the building causing it to collapse straight down as well some hours later. The conspiracy theorists point out that if this explanation was true that would mean that building seven would be only the third building in history to collapse via a fire the first two were the twin towers. The conspiracy theorist also find it very "convenient" that building seven housing tenants such as: The secret service, The CIA, Mayor Guliani's emergency bunker, and the FCC was using it to store three to four thousand files related to various wall street investigations.

Fourth, Perhaps the most shocking allegation made by the conspiracy theorists is that nine of the nine-teen hijackers of 9/11 that supposedly perished with their victims are in fact still alive! And that the video tape released by the government in which they assert that Osama Bin Laden accepts responsibility for the attacks is a fake! Due to the fact that the picture quality makes it difficult to determine if the man in the video is in fact Bin Laden. Also because the man in the video looks and acts nothing like Bin Laden, according to the FBI's web site Bin Laden is left handed but in the "confession" video he is writing a note with his right hand. The Bin Laden in the video is also wearing a gold ring and watch. This is forbidden in Bin Laden's strict interpretation of Islamic law and is also never mentioned in the FBI's description of him.

Fifth, The Loose Change documentary brings to light several interesting things to note before and after the terrorist attacks.
- During the attack on the pentagon Donald Rumsfeld was safe in his office on the opposite side of the pentagon far away from the blast.
- A mysterious white marking appears on the lawn on the pentagon marking off almost the exact trajectory that the "plane" took when it hit its target.
- A mysterious white plane of a military configuration can be seen and was reported by witnesses circling the Pentagon before and momentarily after the crash.
-The area of the Pentagon that was struck was the only sections designed to withstand such an impact.
-Cameras from several different locations that would have captured the entire event of the attack on the pentagon were immediately confiscated by shadowy federal officials and anyone in the immediate area was warned by said officials to stay quiet about what they might have seen. And to date none of these tapes have ever been released to the public.
-The black boxes from the hijacked planes of 9/11were claimed to have been damaged beyond repair by the FBI however the FBI claims to have found the passport of one of the hijackers in near perfect condition which managed to fly through the explosion and wreckage down to the streets of Manhattan.
-It was reported that in the weeks before 9/11there were numerous unusual and unannounced drills where sections of the twin towers and building seven were evacuated for "security reasons".
-A guard in the north tower reported that security details were running 12 hours shifts in the two weeks leading up to 9/11 but on Thursday the 6Th bomb sniffing dogs were abruptly removed from the building.

Conspiracy theories and derivatives thereof are now all over the Internet. They often do a fine job at pleading their case and I would be lying if I said that they don't give a person some things to think about. But where there is evidence pointing in one direction there is evidence pointing in another. I would suggest the open minded individuals view Loose Change and documentaries the likes of it and then review the government explanations for the discrepancies and then make up their mind of what they choose to believe. But one thing is certain until the government chooses to disclose any and everything it knows about 9/11 and stops using the barrier of national security then conspiracy theories will continue to flourish.

Publisher: uuibbui - 04:00

9-11-conspiracy-theories

On November 10th, 2001, President George W. Bush, in his address to the United Nations, blasted the emerging "outrageous conspiracy theories" that "attempt to shift blame". Indeed, there are countless strains of conspiracy theories surrounding the horrific events of 9/11. But, for the most part, they all descend from several key ideas:
The idea that the US government either planned 9/11 or allowed 9/11 to happen in order to facilitate war with Iraq (presumably for oil?) and to stir up trouble in the middle east, effectively skyrocketing the profits of oil companies. There is the idea that Osama bin Laden is being used as a scapegoat for the US government, or that he and the US government are working together; this would effectively explain why he hasn't been caught yet, and why, when the military reportedly had the opportunity to, they didn't take him out - granted, however, that this was during Bill Clinton's presidency.

David Schippers, who was the chief prosecutor in the impeachment attempts on Bill Clinton during his presidency, stated that the government had been warned in and after 1995 that a terrorist attack on a government building was impending or highly likely. He claims that he was later contacted by three FBI agents, who spilled minor details about a potential terrorist attack on Manhattan.

David Schippers claims that, "Five weeks before the September 11th tragedy, I did my best to get a hold of Attorney General John Ashcroft with my concerns." Says Schippers, Ashcroft replied that they "do not start investigations from the top".

Meandering away from that, it is interesting to look at the potential for profit from the 9/11 attacks. In a statement made my Mindy Kleinberg, of the 9/11 Family Sterring Committee, to the 9/11 Commission in 2003, "Never before on the Chicago Exchange were such large amounts of United and American Airlines options traded. These investors netted a profit of at least 5 million dollars after the September 11th attacks. Interestingly, the names of the investors remain undisclosed and the 5 million dollars remains unclaimed in the Chicago Exchange account".

Indeed, this is very interesting. Whether or not the Commission wants to accept it, they do not seem to be able to explain world-wide, highly suspicious, trading patterns immediately before the 9/11 attacks.

There is further theory that explosives were planted inside the WTC. Girders with weight up to 4 tons (8000 pounds!) each were projected from the WTC at impact, and found 600 feet from the World Trade Center during the investigation. Supposedly, the ejection speed needed for the girders to land that far away supports the idea that explosives were detonated inside the WTC at the same time as the collision of the hijacked planes.

To further support this theory that explosives were involved, William Rodriguez, who worked at as a janitor at the WTC for twenty years, claimed that when he was in the basement of the North Tower, he heard what he describes as a large explosion on the B3 sublevel, mere moments before hearing the impact of the planes.

Also, regarding the video aired on various news stations of Osama bin Laden claiming responsibility for the attacks, there is speculation that the bin Laden in that video is not the real bin Laden and that that individual was a government actor, lookalike, or imposter. This may actually make some good sense; if you compare the features of the 9/11 video's Osama to the videos and photographs of Osama shown before and after, you will notice several differences. In the 9/11 video, bin Laden's cheeks seem puffier, skin seems darker, facial hair seems heavier. Unless Osama went on a horrifically crashed diet immediately before the attacks, and immediately underwent repairative surgery afterwords, there can be little or no logical explanation for this.

In the wake of 9/11, oil prices are at an all-time high. Oil companies are making extraordinarily more than they were before the attacks, ushered on by the instability in the middle east, even as they claim that they can't make it any cheaper. Billions and billions of dollars are being paid by the American people to companies that may have been involved in the premeditated slaying of three-thousand of our friends, family, and neighbors.

What is really going on?
Were the events of 9/11 a terrorist attack, a government attempt to facilitate war, a combination of the two, or something more? Perhaps one day we will discover the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. As for now, there is compelling evidence that the government is not telling us everything they know.

Publisher: uuibbui - 03:59

8-tracks-part-one

Oh, not another 70's flashback, please. Okay, how about a "totally" 80's moment?
Like any other kid I was fascinated by music from the moment I heard the radio. In fact, one of my first Christmas presents was a small red phonograph and three 45 r.p.m.'s. I was a happy camper. As I became a little bit older my tastes in music weren't much in the early days.

It really didn't take off for me until I discovered the 8 track tape in the summer of 1989 when I was just twelve. I found my first 8 track player discarded in a box that my grandparents were going to throw out. I felt sorry for the little machine and retrieved the LLOYD'S player. I brought it in the garage and asked my grandpa if I could have it.

If I can get that machine working, then I could have it. He plugged in the unit and nothing. At first, my heart sank. The track lights didn't illuminate, the headphone jack was a foreign size that it required an adapter to make it compatible with the smaller (newer) headphone jacks. The speakers... oh, man... I had never seen the "prong type" jacks. I termed the notched speaker adapters "prong types" because standard speakers didn't hook up to the machine.

Oh, and cartridge tapes. Where on earth was I going to purchase those? I knew that 8 track tapes went by the wayside and couldn't be purchased new anymore. Regardless if I could get the machine to play or not, I was determined to learn all I possibly could about the 8 track player.

My grandpa scrounged through the garage to scare up some 8 tracks without success, then had my grandma looking for the cartridge tapes in the house. They located a few tapes and I could only have one cartridge tape I was told. My choices were: Elvis, Charlie Rich, Alice Cooper, and... who or what is this Kiss? I was perplexed, then instantly fascinated by their mysterious grease-painted looks. Needless to say, Kiss won in a landslide victory for musical superiority. My twelve year old opinion of Kiss was "awesome". I didn't care for country or the mellow sound of Elvis. The likes of Alice Cooper were too creepy for me at the time and I just didn't connect with his style of music yet.

Yep, today its that rock group. Tomorrow, my parents will find a roller disco in my bedroom. The fascination with this particular rock group was very innocent and a lot of their excesses and infamy went over my head anyway. It was a novelty that lasted two years, almost. That was two years that my bluegrass parents had to hear endless renditions of 100,000 Years, Love Theme From Kiss, Nothing To Lose, Kissin' Time (a then unknown cover of a 1959 Bobby Rydell song of the aforementioned title), and of course, Black Diamond.

Nowadays I'd best describe Kiss' sound from 8 track tape: "[They] have a quality about their early music that has this certain energetic 'punch' that I can't hear from any new band. The closest band would be Metallica, but they're thrash metal, not hard rock n' roll and they weren't on 8 track tape. Heavy metal music was all new to me when I was twelve and there were many other bands that had heavy metal roots that could be found on 8 track tape that I either didn't hear about, or simply couldn't find like that of The New York Dolls, who would have been in question concerning their gender-bending looks and early punk music."

From my [then] twelve year old perspective: I would have classified every heavy metal act as "cool", (80's slang for "neat", "fantastic", "super"), regardless if they were veteran rockers or just new on the current music scene that would be here today, gone tomorrow.

8 track tapes didn't make me unpopular in the fifth grade. I was a prior Learning Disability student that was starting over fresh in a regular classroom setting. It was a special time in my young life. I had discovered music in an old format that none of my peers knew about. Life was good despite there was talk of sending me back to the learning disability classroom (my teacher's decision), and that hovered over me like a haunting stigma that I wanted to break free from.

What made this year special: my mom instituted a "reward" program for good grades on our report cards. Instead of money for grades because of my academic shortcomings, my parents decided on a cassette tape (within budget), used album (LP, 33 1/3), and for me, an 8 track tape since I was happy to find those in the thrift stores. Slim Whitman and Engelbert Humperdink become the running jokes because that's all I seemed to find at the time on 8 track.

I kindly accepted any group on 8 track tape even if I wasn't fond of the band. My parents selected most of the choices they thought I might like that geared around my new musical interests. With all good intentions, some of their picks didn't make a lasting impression on my young ears. I had ZZ TOP on 8 track, but didn't know how to classify their music when I was twelve.

I loved late folk singer, Jim Croce. I forget which album of his I had at the time though. 38 Special- Rockin' Into The Night. Now that album had a good album cover. Song-wise, not so great. Kiss: self titled, Alive vol. 1 & 2, Ace Frehley 1978, Dynasty, Love Gun, Destroyer (tried to repair two tapes myself. The Destroyer album unraveled from the spool and was history. The Love Gun 8 track played, but not very well. The electrical tape splice repair I did became stuck in the capstan of the machine. To Be Continued...

Publisher: uuibbui - 06:46