20-Word Fiction: A Real-Life John Hughes Movie

Greetings to our blog readers in Spain, Brazil and Japan............

Today's second 20-word fiction story imagines what a real-life Ferris Bueller would do on his day off if he lived in Roanoke, Va., as opposed to Chicago. This year marks the 30th anniversary of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," a film from the late John Hughes which stars Matthew Broderick.

Originally this story had Ferris going to the Mill Mountain Zoo where he fed a pygmy goat, but with a mere 20 words that part had to be omitted, though we feature a photo of that kind of goat here.

We also support the Sleepy Goat farm in Pelham, NC, just over the state line from Danville, Va., their goat cheese is awesome! In the We Caught It department, we originally said the goat farm was in Yanceville, NC, another town in Caswell Country (not that it matters as we are not "Atlantic" magazine!):

"Ferris decided to skip class on Thursday, but he quickly realized Roanoke is not an exciting place during the week."

http://www.mmzoo.org/

http://www.sleepygoatfarm.com/

http://www.theatlantic.com/

From the Record Collection (8 of 8)_ The Psychedelic Furs

We conclude our series on records from the vinyl collection with the debut record "The Psychedelic Furs" (1980) from the band of the same name.

Like all things Psychedelic Furs, the record is quite surreal and it focuses on the arbitrary of shallowness based on looks and fashion in society. Though songs which were released on later records, such as "Pretty in Pink" and "Ghost in You," perfected these themes, their roots can be found on this record in songs, such as "We Love You," "Soap Commercial" and "Imitation of Christ."

The lone single from the record is "Sister Europe," the second song on side one, which is an edgy song that pays homage to the Velvet Underground and David Bowie.

The band had a loyal following, but like many of the artsy new wave bands, such as The Smiths and The Cure, as opposed to the commercial new wave bands like The Thompson Twins and Men at Work, there were not many 'hits' for the Furs. In fact, "Heartbreak Beat" (1987) was the band's only top 40 hit in America.

Much of the band's legacy can be credited to the success of the song "Pretty in Pink," which became the title of a 1986 John Hughes comedy about the difficulties and awkwardness of teen life. The movie starred Molly Ringwald, who was the leading lady for many Hughes films of the '80s, including "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles," which have surprisingly found followings with teenagers of today's generation.

The members of the band include lead singer Richard Butler, who is known for his raspy vocals, and his brother Tim Butler, who plays bass guitar. The band is also set to go on a North American tour. It kicks off at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Va., near Washington, DC, on St. Patrick's Day.

Songs of Our Youth (4 of 12)- "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds

This is for John Hughes. Of course, being a cat person, I couldn't resist this.

Quote of the Week- John Hughes

Today we remember the famed film director John Hughes whose films included "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles" with one of his memorable quips (Hughes died several weeks ago):

"I find that screen kissing wears thin very quickly."