PARALLEL LINES (1978), by Blondie, plus two shots from the photo session by Roberta Bayley and Edo Bertoglio.
My mother owned the LP, and I remember looking at the cover as a kid, intrigued. When you think of the 1980s aesthetic, you might think of swirly patterns, neon, metal, vibrant colors—but simple black-and-white was a big part of it too, especially among the New Wave crowd (which was bigger and more influential than people seem to remember). Black suits, white shirts, stark white dresses, all-white living rooms. An arty, postmodernist simplicity that contrasted with the garish Hawaiian shirts, shiny grids and sunsets we now associate with the 80s, but which mostly dominated its second half only. Like every decade though, the 1980s will of course be remembered for its eye-catching excesses, rather than its reality.
I have a family friend who worked at our local Salvation Army headquarters as a a secretary. This particular office took all the Christmas donations for children in need, put them in a warehouse, and on a designated day the staff and their friends picked through them all, taking whatever they wanted. She saw people hauling away bikes donated for specific families. Some local children had hundreds of dollars of gifts donated in their name, and on Christmas they received three cheap things, items likely not even from the person who sponsored them.
My friend quit, and I’ve not given them a dime of my money since then.
Do not give to the Salvation Army.
Do Not. Give. To. Salvation. Army
Anonymous
Isn’t Allora that girl from Voltr0n? If you’re friends with a V0lteon kinnie I’m unfollowing lmao, homophobe apologists can die
Let’s call out the woman who gave the kid her coat too! 💖💖💖 Awesome job Milwaukee!!
The Bus Driver is a Serbian immigrant who has only been in the country 12 years. The Baby was a recent refugee from Burma who wandered outside the family’s apartment after pushing a door open while no one was watching, in below freezing temperatures. The Mother of the baby is a Rohingya refugee dealing with PTSD mental health issues from surviving the massacre in Burma and is brand new to the country. She was hospitalized after breaking down after her baby was saved but has been released now. The Woman in the nurse’s uniform who gave up her coat to keep the child warm is the daughter of parents from Ghana.
So important to talk mental health and challenge stigma - conversations and showing compassion and warmth without judgment
Wholesome
one time my buddy asked me if i was alright when i wasn’t doing too well, and i was about to give a canned “nah i’m good” when i wasn’t, and i remembered this exact post. We gotta start saying something when we’re not alright. It’s ok to not be alright. Nobody’s good 100% of the time.
i was going to put this in the tags, but fuck it. i’m getting deleted in a week, idgaf if some shit drags this up at this point like that time megapope tried to mock me for telling someone not to kill themselves.
