Microsoft Windows 95 was a landmark piece of software in the history of personal computing. Not only was the marketing blitz itself far reaching and the media buzzing with hype, but the actual software delivered on most fronts introducing millions of people to the world of computing and eventually to their first experiences on the internet. … More Reminiscing about Microsoft Windows 98
In 1993 LEGO Pirates had been available for four years and had already churned out some of the most memorable LEGO sets ever produced. Since 1989 the Black Seas Barracuda (6285) had been the literal flagship of the pirates and the figurative flagship set of the theme. By 1993 as is the custom it was … More Skull’s Eye Schooner #6286 (LEGO, 1993)
Kids can be very picky eaters and for generations parents have labored to find creative ways to trick their offspring into partaking in meals. The film A Christmas Story involves a memorable scene in which the protagonists little brother Randy refuses to eat dinner. To remedy the situation their mother convinces Randy to show her … More Lunchables, Dunkaroos, & Mooching
Growing up our household didn’t partake in the luxury of cable television. It was pure agony. I used to see ads with Grandpa Munster shilling a local cable TV company and would tell my parents that cable was the way to go. When I’d watch WWF SuperStars and Gene Okerlund would urge the viewers to contact … More Summer of 1998 Part II: TV
Carefree summer days as an adolescent. Practically zero responsibility, late nights, plenty of time with friends, hours of solitude, and nurturing your many hobbies. There are some advantages to being an adult; like living on your own. That’s about it. Sure you can vote, drink, and smoke, but I’d trade all of those freedoms in … More Summer of 1998 Part I: Introduction
Summer is mainly known for vacations, swimming, blockbuster movies, and baseball but there is another summer ritual that none of us are particularly fond of: road construction. Ever year when the days get longer and we’re cruising down the highways of the nation en-route to our next summer adventure we start to see the flashing … More Give ‘Em A Brake
Few things in life represent summer to me as much as Kool-Aid. I grew up guzzling the multi-colored beverages to the point where my face had a permanently stained Kool-Aid mustache that made me look like Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Days would pass where Kool-Aid was the only liquid I consumed. Who could blame me? Kid’s … More Kool-Aid Points
Maybe I don’t watch enough TV these days or maybe I’m just not watching the “right” shows but as a kid I remember there being a lot of advertisements for non-descript food products as well as a lot more public service announcements. Beef: It’s what’s for dinner! Pork: The other white meat. But the one … More Milk: It Does a Body Good
Recently Street Fighter V was released for the PC and the PS4 which I only know about because I ran across the info while reading about vintage games. Amid the frenzy of the new Street Fighter game appearing in a store near you a key milestone in the franchise seems to have been overlooked. Street … More Street Fighter II: 25th Anniversary
I was a latecomer to FPS games. While the world was addicted to Doom and it’s various spinoffs and clones I didn’t own a PC that could handle anything close to those specs and none of my friends at the time even owned a PC. So while the rest of the “mature” gamers in the … More Star Wars: Dark Forces (LucasArts, 1995)
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