Pogo Balls can save the world.

I miss pogo balls. If you don’t know what a pogo ball is, then you obviously didn’t enjoy the mid-80’s as a kid. I did, however, and that toy was one of the most important items I owned as a little Shaun. Pogo ball is watcha call it, hop ‘n a bop ‘n everywhere… I remember the commercial like it was yesterday. More importantly, I remember the pogo battles that ensued at bus stops neighborhood-wide, and the playground wars. Serious business. You wanna talk about ridicule, go ask the kid that only bounced stationary in one spot, who couldn’t kick flip his PB, how much he liked waiting for the bus in the morning. It just wasn’t enough to own a pogo ball, it wasn’t enough to be able to bounce up and down. No, you had to know how to spin start it, the jump grab (front and back); you needed to be extreme. It was a daily grind keeping up on all the new tricks; practicing on the trampoline, perfecting your next move before wowing the crowd while the sipped their juice boxes. Chicks were lining up to share their Lunchables.

What’s not to love about pogo balls, or the 80’s for that matter? Great movies, Nintendo was released, John Cusack was on top of the world. These were the best days of our lives, people. I mean, will there ever be a time when I can wear a flat top mullet, again, without facing certain verbal (and probably physical) abuse? I don’t think so. And I loved that haircut, mom, so don’t beat yourself up about making me keep it until I was in high school. All bad haircuts aside, the 80’s gave us so much. I long for movies that offer up frontal nudity for no other reason than just to say, hey, here’s some boob for ya, enjoy. Seeing Demi Moore nude in "About Last Night" changed my life as a young dude, but there wasn't a real need to add that into the movie. It was as if the director said, "Demi, how about a little nakedness? You know, for the kids?". 80's movies alone could be discussed for hours on end, they're that good.

I miss the days when this number 007 373 5963 meant you were a complete wizard on Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. To beat Mike Tyson was to rule the neighborhood; a great testament to your skill level and it added to your overall coolness status as a pre-pubescent boy. Also, the street cred you could earn by beating the Goonies game back then, damn. That game was impossible and I'm still ashamed to say that I couldn't beat it without the Game Genie.

I love the fact that back in the day, I could wake up on a Saturday morning with a completely awesome cartoon line up ready to start. A bowl of Fruity Pebbles and blanket and I was set for, like, at least 3 hours. Thank God I missed the educational cartoon era. Kids are getting hosed on that deal. Instead of learning to spell, I was learning how to defeat an evil anti freedom army lead by a masked villain. Thank you Joes. Thundercats was a dominate cartoon, also. Who didn't want the Sword of Omen's? I mean really. Hell, I wanted site beyond site, too. I waited 30 minutes every episode just to hear "Thunder Thunder Thunder Thundercats Hoooooooo!". That's how cool cartoons were back in the 80's. They were awesome.

Who's gonna argue with me on this. It was definitely the best decade to live as a kid. Yeah, the 80’s were killer.