1985

1985
Jenkintown, PA

    And then

State College, PA

My age: 29-30

School- In June, I return to Penn State on a full time basis to finish my doctoral degree. I have a year of classes, comprehensive exams and, of course, the damn dissertation.

I had $1500 in savings when I started my graduate program. So I divided them in to $500 CDs that matured throughout the year.  When that $500 check came in the mail, I just about cried every time.

Work-

• I work at Jenkintown High School for the 84-85 school year.  I am the high school guidance counselor for 200 students.  I leave this job in June.
• I am the graduation speaker for the Class of 1985.  I was honored to be asked.
• I return to Penn State and secure a graduate assistant position where I am paid $6/hour.

Music

         Joni Mitchell releases a new album: Dog Eat Do- I wasn't thrilled with it

• Michael Jackson Buys ATV Music and every Beatles Song for $47 million dollars
• 
  
• Popular Musicians included

1. Duran Duran  
2. Madonna 
3. Bruce Springsteen - he is still going strong.
4. Dire Straits with  " Money for Nothing " 
5. The Cure 
6. David Bowie - he was a unique guy.
7. Phil Collins 
8. Simple Minds- I loved this new group

• " We Are The World "  By USA  for Aid For Africa  included Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder.

Movies

• Back to the Future - this movie was really clever and is still a classic movie.
• Rambo: First Blood Part II- I didn't see it.
• Rocky IV- didnt see it.
• The Color Purple - I loved it.
• Out of Africa - I loved it.
• Cocoon- I didn't see this movie until 20 years after it was released and I thought it was strange.
• Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 
• A View to a Kill - didnt see it.
• Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - I thought Mel Gibson was great at this time.  Now I think he is a loose cannon.

Books- textbooks mostly.  I was at the tail end of coursework for my doctoral program. So I read boring textbooks.  I also read Smithsonian magazine and People magazine.

Travels- nowhere. I have no damn money and lots of school expenses.  I did get to spend a week at the beach at my parent's house on Long Beach Island, NY

News Events

• The Live Aid pop concerts in Philadelphia and London raised over $50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. - I think I am the only person from Philadelphia who didnt go to the concert.
• Coca-Cola Company introduces New Coke. Everyone hated the new taste and this was a controversial topic for months.
• Route 66 is removed from the United States Highway System. I never got to travel this highway although I find myself on strips of it from time to time.
• Mikhail Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader. I hold him responsible for ending the Cold War.
• President Reagan and Soviet Leader Gorbachev meet for the first time in Switzerland and this was a big, fucking deal.
• Nintendo releases the NES and this was the beginning of our national obsession with electronic gadgets. 
• Michael Jordan is named as the NBA's "Rookie of the Year."  He was a superstar the minute he first walked on the court.
• Terry Anderson kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon. I think it was three years before he was released.
• Boris Becker becomes youngest winner at 17 to win the men's Wimbledon championships. 
• Terrorism was rearing its ugly head and it seemed as if nowhere in the world was safe. TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Hezbollah. EgyptAir Flight 648 was hijacked and ended in the loss of 56 passengers during the commando raid to rescue them. The Italian Cruise Liner "Achille Lauro " is hijacked by Palestinian Terrorists . A massive car bomb in Beirut, Lebanon left 175 injured and 45 people dead.Terrorist gunmen shot passengers at Rome and Vienna airports . 
• A joint American-French expedition located the wreck of the RMS Titanic.
• Philadelphia Police dropped a bomb from a helicopter onto a MOVE's residence which causes an uncontrolled fire and as a result, 53 houses destroyed. The place looked like a war zone.
• Insurance companies begin screening for Aids for life insurance causing outcry by civil liberties groups. We were all afraid of catching this deadly disease and we were blaming gay men for this epidemic.

Family and Friends

•  I drank 30 beers on my 30^th birthday.  In hindsight, that was a very stupid idea.
•  Kathy was diagnosed with Hotchkins Disease. We were all devastated.
• I am back in grad school and very, very, very poor.