Mall memories.

Ha, I so remember Contempo Casuals as a mall fixture from the 1980s-90s. I thought it was an oddly named store even then, and was wondering what the heck happened to all those stores.

According to this, the stores were converted to Wet Seal and Arden B stores (I don't remember seeing either of those chains around lately either, but I really haven't been looking).

It's funny, we take photos and videos of the big moments in life, but really, what I want more than anything is just photos/video of the standard things we've lost, like the inside of a 1967 grocery store, or a 1974 school. Which is why this big-haired mall-memory photo essay is such a treat. (Warning: The link goes to a BuzzFeed roundup of the photos, don't click on the link in the BuzzFeed lead, it warns of malware.)

Once not that long ago a friend and I started naming THE ULTIMATE 1980s mall stores. I can't remember the full list, but here's part of it. Not the boring everyday stores, but the ones whose very name shouts '80s. What did we miss?

--Orange Julius
--Karmelkorn
--Cookie Factory
--Contempo Casuals
--Chess King
--Limited
--Benetton
--Gantos (Minnesota)
--B Dalton (formed in Minnesota--originally the B stood for Books, and the Dalton was a tweak of Dayton's)
--Claire's
--Spencer Gifts
--Structure
--Musicland
--Sharper Image
--Egghead Software
--Merry-Go-Round
--Suncoast Pictures
--Shirt Shack

Rip. Off.

Oh people, are you KIDDING ME? They want to charge TWENTY DOLLARS for the little game we played with a piece of paper, a pen, fingers and our own brain cells?

Wikipedia calls it a paper fortune teller. I've heard it called MASH for Mansion-Apartment-House-Shack, and also Cootie Catcher, but this company sells it as Cahootie.

And if you are buying one, call me, because I will sell you accessories for tag, for hide and seek, and other childhood games that DO NOT NEED PURCHASED ITEMS.

Bring a pencil to rewind!

I love this so, so much that I cross-posted it to GenXtinct (remember our book blog? yeah, I started posting there again). An iPhone cover that looks JUST like a cassette tape.

Fakin' bacon

We don't buy a lot of it, but on the odd occasion I pick up a package of bacon, I'm always, always shocked by the price. $6 a pound?

Best to just stick to the Archie McPhee Bacon Collection. Bacon Band-Aids, tape, air freshener, floss, toothpicks, soap, lollipops...you name it.

To the central post office ... and beyond!

Pixar stamps are coming in August!

Crazy ornaments and bookends

The trash compactor scene from "Star Wars" was just about my favorite scene when I was 10. And these bookends are hilariously awesome.

I also couldn't resist sharing these ornaments. Han Solo in carbonite! (And Boba Fett, not!)

And jumping to the "Star Trek" universe: Kirk and Spock fight!

Toothy

Well, crap. Looks like the Crest flavor I liked best, Vanilla Mint, has been discontinued. It's still listed on their Web site, but Internet buzz says it's gone except for some sites or stores which may have a stash. My local stores seem to be flat out.

It didn't really taste like frosting, which was my joke, but something about the vanilla flavoring cut the mint so it wasn't so sharp. Damn. Should've stocked up while I could.

Santa, take it back!

New York Times recommends the ugliest gift ever -- a $985 teapot.

I can't imagine a teapot worth $985 unless it came with a butler to pour the tea or a plane ticket to England to enjoy the tea there.

Also from the NYT Picker: Professor, reporter fight over stupid Starbucks tweet. Sheesh, get a room, you two.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

This LEGO alarm clock is cute, but why is it $52 at Amazon vs. $15 at Radio Shack? I hate going into a Radio Shack too, but not $37 much.

Horrifying Halloween gadgets

The psycho killer shower curtain is the best.

Spicing it up

Hooray! According to this job ad, there'll be a Penzey's Spices opening in Seattle sometime soon. It's about time! I always mean to load up on spices when I go home to Mpls., but good luck packing weird smelly powders in your luggage.

Don't drink the water

10 items with ludicrous markups.

Excerpt: "it takes five bottles of water to make the plastic for one bottle of water. Blogger Jeff Berndt points out that water that is prepackaged is more expensive than a gallon of gas."

Yum?

I had no idea our area had such a heavy Korean population, but apparently so: Kimchi fridges, with giant FERMENT buttons, are sold at my local Best Buy, along with a sign noting that the store has employees who speak Korean.

Very cool and all, but I had no idea fridges even existed that could ferment things. Other than when I forget and leave the leftovers in the back of the drawer too long...

Pop-Tarts World

There's now a store called Pop-Tarts World in New York's Times Square. Pop-Tart sushi, build your own Pop Tarts, etc.

Personally, I think they're going a little nuts with the light show: "The show will put on a brief light show every hour. First, visitors will 'get frosted,' Mr. Schoessel said, with a red light and a white light. That will be followed by brief pulses of light, 'all different colors to mimic the sprinkles,' he said, 'then another really bright light' to evoke wrapping the tarts in foil.

Oh, that's not reaching AT ALL.

Update: Here's a funny review of their eats. That photo makes it look like the Pop-Tarts sushi contains ground pork.

Yikes!

Creepy luggage stickers to get you in trouble with the TSA.

Not that Bella is in the sun much...

I rarely if ever notice props and accessories in movies, but when I saw "Twilight: Eclipse," I really, really wanted Bella's cool slightly vintagey sunglasses from the scene where she leaves gloomy Forks to visit her mom, possibly for the last time, in sunny Florida.

A Twilight site has found three options of similar shades you can buy at various online sites. One pair is just $11, but of course, they're out of stock.

Fruit of the kitchen

Aw, how cute are these dishes? I love Le Creuset.

Help for aging parents

I love this Ask Metafilter thread, which asks for suggested products to help aging parents.

My suggestion, TV Ears, is an awesome headphone setup that works with your TV, so my Dad can wear it and doesn't need to crank the volume for and torture the rest of us. I think they've bought multiple sets of these for each room.

Herb-a-rama

I love this: It's a herb keeper for your fridge which is supposed to keep your herbs alive for three weeks. Dunno if it works, but looks cool.

Granny Fork

Do you know about the Granny Fork? It kind of just looks like a fork that spouted a batch of extra tines, but Julia Child apparently loved it and the reviews rave about how it serves as a combination fork/spoon for cooks. And affordable enough to try.