Oh, Tara

So, when I was a kid I used to watch tv and WISH that the women on Romper Room would say my name, she never did. I wanted a song with my name in it to play at birthdays. I wanted someone famous to be named Tara. I wanted a television character to be named Tara. I mean it was bad enough that there were never things with my name on it and that still seems weird to me, I mean my name was your average name. Tara. Growing up people used to (and still do) associate me with Gone With The Wind. They always assumed my name came from that movie. My mother has never seen the movie. She opened a baby book and found a name that sounded good with my last name and she hadn't heard it a lot so she chose it. I was so annoyed by this association that up until a few months ago, I had never seen the movie either. I actually only saw it because I was working on a show about writing the screenplay for GWTW and we watched it as part of the information day. Then in 1991 enter Tara Kemp. I can't remember what she sang but I know she sang it on 90210. Unfortunately, she wasn't very good and she wasn't around too long. Then there was Tara Lipinski, but I was never into figure skating (except in the movie The Cutting Edge), and not enough people I knew were into it either so even though she did her 1st competative skating in 1994, I'm not sure I heard of her for a few years. And even though she is still skating today, you have to be a little hard core to remember her. Anyway, moving on... Then in 1998/1999 enter Tara Reid, by far the biggest thing to happen to the name since GWTW. She was the hot blond girl in American Pie and Urban Legend. (Incidentally she is only 18 days older than me). Right around the same time there was a character introduced on Buffy The Vampire Slayer name Tara, but I wasn't watching the show then so I had no idea. But she was pretty cool, at first she wasn't she was shy and awkward and a witch, literally; then she was cool, then she was killed. So much for that. Right around then Tara Reid, became associated with being a totally party girl, right when all of a sudden people couldn't get enough of Paris Hilton and the people she hung with- one of which was Tara. Then it became Tara Reid passed out drunk on a beach in Ibiza. Then It became Tara Reid bad plastic surgeory victim attempts to get her life back, but pretty much it was just formally drunk Tara Reid. Then people stopped talking about Taras. There were no interesting ones. I did in this time manage to find a song by The Knack called "Oh Tara" it's from their 1979 studio Album "Get The Knack", which also has "My Sharona" on it. Who knew? I guess if someone I knew had owned the album I could have played it at my sweet 16. Anyway...

Then all of sudden, Tara popped back into the headline, except it was Tara Connor, Miss USA making out with Miss Teen USA. (Sidenote: They are giving her a second chance- does anyone remember when Miss America dethroned Vanessa Williams for posing nude prior to her reign, her pictures only resurfaced because someone sold then to Penthouse-- I'm not making judgements either way, I'm just saying...) I give up. At least in college when people called me Pinky, there was a funny, however dim-witted, lab rat with the same name with a goal- try to take over the world. Anyway, my disappointment in my fellow Taras is ongoing. We've got a failed pop star; a figure skater; a dead, fictional, witch; a sort of reformed party girl with a botched boob job; and a drunk pageant queen who makes out with teenage girls in bars... I want a Tara to become famous and be awesome and scandal-free, or at least scandal-lite, or maybe just scandal that doesn't involve being drunk... anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading... (and I know, lots of people don't have famous namesakes, but for a reason that I don't remember- It was always really important to me... oh well.

Tune in next time when I talk about much more exciting things like shoe laces and cheese...

Paging Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable

So, last night I was watching Nick At Nite- my ultimate tv late night nostalgia stop. I've watched it since I was little. I remember they used to show black and white shows. I've probably seen every episode of "Mr. Ed", (Who knows that theme song?) "The Patty Duke Show", (How about that theme song?) "The Donna Reed Show"... then the shows started to be in color and started to be shows I thought I remembered being in first run, although it's likely they were already in re-runs and I just thought they were first run. Shows like, "The Brady Bunch", "Bewitched", and "I Dream of Jeannie" after that they start getting hazy because they were definitely shows I watched in real time, like "Wings", "Full House" and the point of me writing this "The Cosby Show"... I watched every episode of this show, every Thursday night as it was airing...

Anyway, I was a sophomore in high school. My brother's son had just been born and my he had just left for Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield (which would turn into Operation Desert Storm in less than 2 months). I was in student council and one of my best friends was a girl named Diana. We were in Student Council together and we were co-chairpersons of Operation:Cards Because We Care... We organized students to write cards and letters to soldiers during Christmas. We got our pictures in the school paper for it and a mention in the alumni news letter, it was a very big deal... Anyway, that was me. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought it was journalism, although I had just joined the theatre program in school and was really enjoying the thought that I could be Rudy rather than watching her on tv...

Anyway, The Cosby Show, the name of the episode was "It's A Boy!" Here is the blurb about it: "Having broken up with Slide, Pam sets her sights on Aaron, a new student whose brains, compassion and integrity are all top of the class. Meanwhile, Alfred, a nervous expectant father turns to Cliff for tips on how to play basketball with his future son. Alfred also gets some insights from Theo on how boys view their fathers when it comes to sports. And both Alfred and Cliff get an enlightening lesson from their wives. Finally, Olivia announces her intention of becoming a doctor as well as a professional football player." Alfred has pretty sizeable role. More than just the single shot in Cliff's office with his wife, he hangs around during the entire episode trying to learn to play basketball so he can teach his son (when he's born)... Anyway, just another guest star played by a NY actor that got to be on the show, his name is Ray DeMattis. At first I thought it was Joe Pesci but this guy was funnier and more familiar and I when I realized why.. I'll get to that in a minute. Go to IMDB- he's done a bunch... most recently I saw him in West Virginia I was his stage manager and he was playing Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly. Not really a huge deal, I work with actors all the time and most of them have been on Law and Order and many of them have been doing this a long time. I've been the intern to 3 stars of MASH and a 70s disco singer, but it was the fact that I watched him when I was younger and had no idea what life had in store for me. I don't know, I guess the whole point is just that it's good. I feel like a commercial. Life is cool and it just feels like a story you tell you kids and since I don't have any of those... I blogged! Whatever don't be mad at me, you are the one reading blogs!

Step 2, There's so much we can do

Okay for those of you that experience my post St. Elmo's Fire rant in college, you probably need to read no further. But I remember like it was yesterday... 1988. My bedroom in my parents house in Long Island, NY was gray with pink trim (Because my mother wouldn't let me paint my room black. I thought it would be both edgy and be a nice background for my posters.) It didn't matter though you couldn't see the walls. They were COVERED floor to ceiling with posters from Bop, Teen Beat, Tiger Beat, 16, Circus, Metal Edge... I'm sure there were more, I can't remember though. I had pictures of Axl Rose and Guns N Roses, Vince Neil (although I traded most of my Motley Crue posters with my friend Christie for posters of Guns N Roses),Poison, Skid Row, Warrant... actors, Sean Astin (pre- LOTR), Mario Lopez (with the Saved by the Bell Mullet), Johnny Depp (during 21 Jump Street), those accounted for about 1 wall, the other walls and my Ceiling and my door, all New Kids On The Block. The focus (because everyone had their favorite) was Donnie Wahlberg. Bad boy of NKOTB. I can still see the poster that hung over my bed. He was showing the tattoo on his arm flashing the peace sign... Anyway that was 18 years ago. Revel in that thought, 18 years. I know human beings that age. People born while I was thinking about what names would sound good with Wahlberg (you know, for when Donnie and I got married... don't judge me.) Well I was 13. Donnie was 19. Well, now 2006, I'm in Little Rock, Arkansas I'm packing- well, more like procrastinating packing. I turn on the TV and there he is 37 years old, playing a father of 3 on the run and there was a shot, towards the end, he was sad, he looked old. I'll be 31 in like 2 months... well, exactly 2 months from today as a matter of fact... I'm not 13. I have no posters. I can drive. I have no idea when the last time I listened to a New Kids song was, but I'll probably be searching for one on my drive home tomorrow. I'm no longer obsessed with Donnie Wahlberg, although ironically I do have a slight obsession with Mark Wahlberg these days. It wasn't a direct transition mind you, there were many others between then and now, I have also been known to have a picture of Marc Wahlberg as my desktop- I guess that is like posters for adults... Do teenagers still buy those mags and hang up posters? Who's in them? I mean, Patrick Dempsy? Does anyone remember "Can't Buy Me Love?" or "Loverboy?" He was the most famous studly nerd and now he's McDreamy... is he in the mags? Matthew Broderick, mostly known for his Broadway performances in The Producers or How to Succeed in Business... or for his famous wife-- Hey guys, it's just Ferris Buler.. Oh and speaking of his wife... Sarah Jessica Parker- along with Helen Hunt they were in every 80s movie post brat pack. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... also starring a yong Shannon Dougherty. Oh and Footloose with Kevin Bacon. She was nerdy and dancing long before she was trendy wearing expensive shoes and sipping comos- And Helen- she jumped out of a window after snorting angel dust in an after school special and she was the Quarterback Princess long before there was an oscar... Long before she was Chad Michael Murray's mom Moira Kelly was Kate Mosley Ice Skater in The Cutting Edge, her father was Terry O'Quinn-Locke from Lost- Oh and she was also in With Honors with Patrick Dempsey. Speaking of One Tree Hill- Dan Scott, Paul Johanssen was John Sears on Beverley Hills 90210 - Frat boy but better known as the guy that was Kelly Taylor's first-well because he raped her, but still... 90210- Hillary Swank- Soccer Mom dated Steve Sanders. Anyone remember Chandlier (Matthew Perry) as a guy who couldn't get laid and a pal to River Phoenix in "A Night in The Life of Jimmy Reardon?" Or as Carol Seaver's boyfriend who got killed in a car ccident, was his name Sandy? Speaking of Growing Pains, Leonardo DiCaprio as the runaway that the seavers adopt, I can't remember the character name... The olsen twins were playing 1 baby on Full house, getting diapered by Dave "Out of Control" Coulier and John "I made the mullet cool" Stamos.. ER's Dr. Green was "Goose" in Top Gun. Buffy- Sarah Michelle Geller was playing Sidney a rich bitch on Swan's Crossing- a daily teen soap opera. Oh and how about Joey Lawrence, before he was all "Whoa" on Blossom, he was Nell Carter's adopted son on Gimme a Break, and Rosie O'Donell was her upstairs neighbor. Sean Astin- Samwise Gamgee- was Mikey in the Goonies... James Spader was the B-list version of Andrew McCarthy, Adam Sandler was "The Studboy" on my favorite game show remote control-- Mario Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Fergie were on Kids Incorporated (Who else remebers that theme song?) Johnny Depp-Officer Tommy Hanson 21 Jump Street- Kurt Cobain is Dead. River Phoenix is dead. Becky's boyfriend (Glenn Quinn) is Dead. I could go- but I think I've already gone on too long- I had a point when I started- I have no idea what it was. I remember these stars when they were cool-not as famous, as recognized- but they were cool because they were in my favorite shows and movies. I had to show my support by buying mags writting letters, buying their lunch boxes- maybe they weren't huge stars the, but I liked them all the same. And everything gets recycled so it makes sense that they are popular again--- In the next 5 years i bet someone will make a movie that will do for the 80s what Dirty Dancing did for the 60s or Grease for the 50s. The music will resurge- not like the wedding singer- It wil highlight what 1988 was like- pre computers and cell phones- When River was in his prime and Kurt was about to change music's focus to Seattle-- We are getting old. I have to go pack now..

What were you doing 5 years ago?

So 5 years ago, everything changed. Now there are military forces in the subways in NY and there is a big hole in the crowded skyline.

Everyone remembers what they did that day. I had a job interview. I got up and was driving towards Manhattan all morning. I was listening to the radio as the first plane hit. I thought that there was a moron drunk pilot flying. Then the second and everyone started to realize what was happening. I got to my interview and I eventually got the job. I think it was more because I showed up on that day and they didn't have time to really find anyone else.

The drive home was sobering. I cringed every time I saw something fly overhead. By this time of course they had grounded all flights, and the planes had crashed in PA and DC. The only things in the air were military. I hadn't seen a picture, only in my mind, so when I finally got back to PA, I fell against the wall and slid down.

The entire staff house was sitting around the tv, eating pizza still in their pajamas. My brother, a member of the NYPD had gotten called back into work before the towers collapsed. No one had heard from him, and now the phones were all busy and I had no way to get in touch with anyone. We were watching the news and someone was reporting live from the Chelsea hospital and there was my brother in the background. One of the guys cried.

It's been 5 years....

Okay, we're even, now what?

So, we are really close to 5th anniversary of September 11. according to CNN.com, As of Sunday 2,974 American soldiers have been killed. The 9/11 attacks killed 2,973. So My only question is, now what?

You can read the article at this link.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/03/death.toll/