Baseball In The 80's

Baseball In The 80's
MLB Home Video (1990)

My dad bought this tape for me when I was 10 or 11 years old.  We were living in South Florida at the time and we found it at a Blockbuster Video that wasn't far from our house.  It's a documentary by The Sporting News that was narrated by legendary Chicago Cubs play-by-play announcer Jack Brickhouse.  As the name suggests, it chronicles the events and accomplishments that took place in Major League Baseball from 1980 through 1989.

I played this tape so many times that I damn near know it by heart, and I've lived at a lot of different places in the years since Dad gave this to me, but it still plays perfectly.

 

Quack The 80's Nerdy Geek has digitized this tape and shared it on his YouTube channel.  I'm not sure if MLB is going to allow it to stay online, but it's there now and it's a hell of a blast from the past that I strongly recommend.  Unlike many other baseball documentaries, this isn't a retrospective of events many years after they had taken place.  It was made in 1990, so the things that are discussed in here had just happened.  It's an interesting perspective that's worth watching.  Click play to check it out.

Happy Birthday, Paulie

Omnibot 2000
The Sharper Image (1986)
At just over two feet tall, the Omnibot 2000 isn't quite the same as the robot from Rocky IV, but it could neatly pour you a drink for the low, low price of five hundred dollars.

Study Your Riddles

Charlie the Choo-Choo
Beryl Evans
This book is proof that we're not living in the real world.  The author of Charlie the Choo-Choo on Keystone Earth is Claudia y Inez Bachman.  Long days and pleasant nights.

The Horseshoe Bend

The Horseshoe Bend
Eric Joyner (2016)

San Junipero

Black Mirror is the Twilight Zone of our generation; home to the most creative, thought-provoking and well-written stories that are being told on film.  There hasn't been a bad episode yet.  The best of the lot came at season three, episode 4 with San Junipero.

I'm not saying anything more about it here.  Just log into Netflix and go watch it now.  Afterward, head to Salon to read a very well done article by Mary Elizabeth Williams that dives deeper into the imagery, references and musical choices made in the episode.

Artwork by: notmytempo90 (imgur)

Kaboom Arcade

Kaboom!
Activision (1981)
This was one of my favorite games for the Atari 2600.  It was released in 1981 by Activision.  It was never an arcade game, but This Old Game turned it into a cabinet for Free Play Florida.
(Photo credit: Jon Stoodley. Shared by: Jace Hall)

Magic 2.0

Off To Be The Wizard
Scott Meyer (2013)
This is the first book in a trilogy by Scott Meyer called the Magic 2.0 series.  I just discovered it and I'm hooked!  I don't want to spoil the story, but it's a unique take on nerd culture and the existence of magic and wizards.  Think Harry Potter meets Ready Player One with a touch of Monty Python.

I Can Relate To This

Amen, little buddy.
[source: Bill Watterson - Calvin & Hobbes - February 13th, 1992]

I Hope It Has Whipped Cream And Sprinkles

F'real Glazed Donut Milkshake
Sheetz (2016)

Live From The Chandelier Lobby

Henry Rollins: Live From The Chandelier Lobby
FM Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre, PA
I'm very thankful that I had the opportunity to go to this show.  Henry Rollins has long been someone that I admired for his music, his writing and speaking, his views on the world, and his approach to life in general.  This setup of the show was interesting because it wasn't held on the stage of the theater.  The far left hand doors in the ticket office that led into the lobby were opened, but all of the other doors were closed because a small stage was behind the doors in the lobby.  It was a small and intimate show, and it's a bit surreal that it's taking place two days before the election (a topic he spoke about only briefly).  It was an excellent show, and I hope that I get to see him again.

Star Sailors

Star Sailors
Star Wars / Sailor Moon mashup
Artwork by Flowerveil
From left to right, Sailor Naboo (Princess Amidala), Sailor Alderaan (Princess Leia) and Sailor Jakku (Rey).

Eight O'Clock In The Morning

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
Mercury Press - November 1963
This literary magazine has been the print source of some of the most brilliant and interesting works of fiction since they published their first issue in 1949, including The Dark Tower in 1981.  Their November 1963 issue included a short story by Ray Nelson called Eight O'Clock In The Morning.  John Carpenter acquired the film rights to it in the 80's and used it as the inspiration for his script for the 1988 film They Live.  It's a different story from the movie, but you can certainly see the elements that led to the cult classic.  You can read it online from Idoc.pub or listen to a reading of it from Newartthing Art.