Yesterday was -- apparently -- the anniversary of the release of “Pong” in 1972; I think the industry’s grown just a little bit from that modest start. 😉
Not looking forward to today’s Waddlemart run, but going on Black Friday was never an option.
=========
Was glad to see Londoners stepping-up to the plate to deal with the London Bridge jihadi asshole yesterday; sucks that two innocent folks were murdered.
I quite liked the creative use of the fire extinguisher and -- especially -- the 5′ narwhal tusk. Respect to those folks.
I’m glad Ahmed bin Stabbi got wasted by the cops and is now pinin’ for the sand dunes.
I’m also grateful to live in a country with the 2A and reside in a state which largely supports it.
Damn! So now the British are going to have to outlaw narwhal tusks and restrict fire extinguishers? Can’t allow the little subjects such effective weapons, they might make mischief.
Good morning, Fatwa. I am surprised at 1972 for Pong. I graduated HS in 1970 and went down to Clairmont College to visit one of my friends who was attending there. I drove my 1972 Datsun 510 that I had for about a year and a half so it must not have been too long after that. I was intrigued by a Pong game in a cafe there, it was the first I had seen. It must have been rather new. There was a pretty steady stream of quarters going into that game. Later, in the early 80s I think, my first wife’s father worked at Atari, running the shop where the arcade game cabinates were made. He took us to visit one day and they had a game room for employees, full of arcade games with buttons instead of coin slots. I could see developing a serious problem there. I bought a 2600 system not long after, with his help (I think there was a wait then and they were expensive). That game kept me up all night many times.
I also was surprised that Pong was from ’72. IIRC, Atari had both financing and production problems early on, so it took a while before I saw it in Ohio. Very cool that you got to see the shop where they built the early cabinets and use the company arcade.
I’m so old, I even remember Computer Space (1971 from Syzygy Engineering, which became Atari) with its rather distinctive cabinet:
25¢ was kind of expensive for one play, as pinball machines and related electro-mechanical stuff was generally a dime per game or three-for-a-quarter.
Sheeeit…you could actually buy stuff for a quarter or less back then.
Happy unhappy kitteh Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, Mac, and Sven!
I’m sure the British overlords will do something to make sure the serfs are not able to deploy those defenses again. We just can’t have that!
I read where Angela Merkel gave a speech where she said that the government must sometimes remove freedom of speech to keep people free. And Bloomberg said “When we raise taxes on the poor, it’s good because then the poor will live longer because they can’t afford as many things that kill them.”
I saw those. Rather sad commentary on today’s education when they don’t even have to hide it anymore. They say people need to be helpless and submissive to Master and people cheer.
Perhaps that guy works for “The Cultural Appropriation Plumber.com” (We have several local outfits -- big enough to advertise on large talk radio stations, which ain’t cheap -- with names and/or gimmicks that are about that dopey. )
Just got back from Waddlemart; bah!
What the hell is wrong with people that they can’t get their noses outta their smart phones while they’re shopping? Wish they’d at least “pull over” with their cart and GTFO of my way.
(Much as I think America’s horribly “over-lawed”, I’m glad GA passed a hands free law re driving last year. Still a lot of violators; it’s amazing how often people driving poorly have a damned phone in their hands…)
Paddy --
I will not be surprised to read that the Fishmonger’s Hall will have to “securely fasten” that narwhal tusk when they put it back on the wall. (Dunno what they’ll do about fire extinguishers, ‘tho.)
Re Merkel, Bloomberg and so many others: Esso stations. (Hey, it was good enough for Il Duce.) Or lampposts. The “Backhoe Option” also works for me. 😉
In California the little people don’t need power, they can just huddle in their hovels with their animals and be grateful they are protected from plastic straws by their wise masters. If you have electricity you might just be tempted to complain to other troublemakers or read how other states have power all year long. Might cause discontent.
Gotta admit that from afar, it actually does look a bit that way.
Plastic straws…aiiieeeeeeee!!1!
But if you point out that China and India are far and away the biggest polluters on the planet -- including dumping carp into the ocean -- then shut up, racist. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Out at teh bestest place ever there’s a smoking section near the main street. Since CA’s war on smokers, there’s very few places where it is legal to smoke. So this location attracts not just workers, but many of the public including the homeless who sift through the ash can looking for some butts with a bit left. I always keep an eye on them whenever I’m outside cuz hater.
The other day, I’m watching this young woman walking down the sidewalk, face looking downwards at her phone, earbuds in place -- she’s about 100 feet east of me. She walks past a homeless guy standing at the curb, never even glances his way. He begins to follow her keeping a distance of maybe 6 feet behind. She’s completely unaware of him although he’s staring hard at her back. I just move a little closer to the sidewalk as they approach and as they get closer to where I’m standing, he sees me, halts, and turns around. The woman keeps right on walking past me.
Would something have happened if I hadn’t been there? Don’t know, but the obliviousness of this young woman was astounding to me. I hope that whatever was on her phone was really important.
On my way to Waddlemart today, I was on a four lane divided road with a 45mph speed limit (upon which folks routinely go 50-55). Pedestrian moron crossing illegally with earbuds staring intently at phone.
For some reason this didn’t post this afternoon when I tried--or I forgot to hit send:
Today I started decorating for Christmas. I think I mentioned in a previous thread that one time, when I was a kid, we got so many Christmas cards that my Dad put them on a string across the living room’s largest wall.
Well, no one get’s that many Christmas cards anymore, so around the year 2000 — That was the year that Harper came home to me for good — I thought it would be nice to save any cards we did get so I could put them on the wall like my dad did when I was a kid.
So the result is that I’ve saved all the cards for almost 20 years at this point, and put them up every year.
Going through Them all when putting them up always brings back such warm memories. So many of them are from the Gerbils on this very wheel. Some are from my Dad who has since passed away about 5 y ears ago. There are a few from people neither of us can remember.
In the early days I even saved commercial cards because I was so desperate for cards to hang up, in those first couple of years.
Buwahahahaha; good one, Mac!
Caturday salutations, GN!
Yesterday was -- apparently -- the anniversary of the release of “Pong” in 1972; I think the industry’s grown just a little bit from that modest start. 😉
Not looking forward to today’s Waddlemart run, but going on Black Friday was never an option.
=========
Was glad to see Londoners stepping-up to the plate to deal with the London Bridge jihadi asshole yesterday; sucks that two innocent folks were murdered.
I quite liked the creative use of the fire extinguisher and -- especially -- the 5′ narwhal tusk. Respect to those folks.
I’m glad Ahmed bin Stabbi got wasted by the cops and is now pinin’ for the sand dunes.
I’m also grateful to live in a country with the 2A and reside in a state which largely supports it.
I remember seeing it in bars when I was a kid. My mom always took me to Jazz clubs when I was a kid because I was a musician.
“Have at you, Mohammedan varlet!”
Damn! So now the British are going to have to outlaw narwhal tusks and restrict fire extinguishers? Can’t allow the little subjects such effective weapons, they might make mischief.
Good morning, Fatwa. I am surprised at 1972 for Pong. I graduated HS in 1970 and went down to Clairmont College to visit one of my friends who was attending there. I drove my 1972 Datsun 510 that I had for about a year and a half so it must not have been too long after that. I was intrigued by a Pong game in a cafe there, it was the first I had seen. It must have been rather new. There was a pretty steady stream of quarters going into that game. Later, in the early 80s I think, my first wife’s father worked at Atari, running the shop where the arcade game cabinates were made. He took us to visit one day and they had a game room for employees, full of arcade games with buttons instead of coin slots. I could see developing a serious problem there. I bought a 2600 system not long after, with his help (I think there was a wait then and they were expensive). That game kept me up all night many times.
Hi, Mac!
I also was surprised that Pong was from ’72. IIRC, Atari had both financing and production problems early on, so it took a while before I saw it in Ohio. Very cool that you got to see the shop where they built the early cabinets and use the company arcade.
I’m so old, I even remember Computer Space (1971 from Syzygy Engineering, which became Atari) with its rather distinctive cabinet:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Space
25¢ was kind of expensive for one play, as pinball machines and related electro-mechanical stuff was generally a dime per game or three-for-a-quarter.
Sheeeit…you could actually buy stuff for a quarter or less back then.
I’m old.
Pong. Vaguely remember it.
Good morning, GN! Hello Fatwa and Mac!
Good on the Brits.
I saw this picture this morning. Is this cultural appropriation, or posing as a plumber without a license?
Happy unhappy kitteh Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, Mac, and Sven!
I’m sure the British overlords will do something to make sure the serfs are not able to deploy those defenses again. We just can’t have that!
I read where Angela Merkel gave a speech where she said that the government must sometimes remove freedom of speech to keep people free. And Bloomberg said “When we raise taxes on the poor, it’s good because then the poor will live longer because they can’t afford as many things that kill them.”
I saw those. Rather sad commentary on today’s education when they don’t even have to hide it anymore. They say people need to be helpless and submissive to Master and people cheer.
Teh yay for the 2A!
Need to get me a good basic AR-15 -- and a stash of ammo for it -- next year.
Followed by a Ruger P365. Everyone I know who has tried one was very impressed; several -- including Best Man -- bought one.
Hi, Sven and Paddy!
Mac --
Perhaps that guy works for “The Cultural Appropriation Plumber.com” (We have several local outfits -- big enough to advertise on large talk radio stations, which ain’t cheap -- with names and/or gimmicks that are about that dopey. )
Just got back from Waddlemart; bah!
What the hell is wrong with people that they can’t get their noses outta their smart phones while they’re shopping? Wish they’d at least “pull over” with their cart and GTFO of my way.
(Much as I think America’s horribly “over-lawed”, I’m glad GA passed a hands free law re driving last year. Still a lot of violators; it’s amazing how often people driving poorly have a damned phone in their hands…)
Paddy --
I will not be surprised to read that the Fishmonger’s Hall will have to “securely fasten” that narwhal tusk when they put it back on the wall. (Dunno what they’ll do about fire extinguishers, ‘tho.)
Re Merkel, Bloomberg and so many others: Esso stations. (Hey, it was good enough for Il Duce.) Or lampposts. The “Backhoe Option” also works for me. 😉
Sic semper tyrannis, beeyotches!
Raining again -- good job, ZOG! And more forecast for next week -- where’s my checkbook?
Wait ’til late Tuesday afternoon…muwahahahahaha!
Probably Tuesday then the power companies will turn off the power cuz mudslides or some such thing.
In California the little people don’t need power, they can just huddle in their hovels with their animals and be grateful they are protected from plastic straws by their wise masters. If you have electricity you might just be tempted to complain to other troublemakers or read how other states have power all year long. Might cause discontent.
Gotta admit that from afar, it actually does look a bit that way.
Plastic straws…aiiieeeeeeee!!1!
But if you point out that China and India are far and away the biggest polluters on the planet -- including dumping carp into the ocean -- then shut up, racist. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Out at teh bestest place ever there’s a smoking section near the main street. Since CA’s war on smokers, there’s very few places where it is legal to smoke. So this location attracts not just workers, but many of the public including the homeless who sift through the ash can looking for some butts with a bit left. I always keep an eye on them whenever I’m outside cuz hater.
The other day, I’m watching this young woman walking down the sidewalk, face looking downwards at her phone, earbuds in place -- she’s about 100 feet east of me. She walks past a homeless guy standing at the curb, never even glances his way. He begins to follow her keeping a distance of maybe 6 feet behind. She’s completely unaware of him although he’s staring hard at her back. I just move a little closer to the sidewalk as they approach and as they get closer to where I’m standing, he sees me, halts, and turns around. The woman keeps right on walking past me.
Would something have happened if I hadn’t been there? Don’t know, but the obliviousness of this young woman was astounding to me. I hope that whatever was on her phone was really important.
Good on you for doing something, man.
On my way to Waddlemart today, I was on a four lane divided road with a 45mph speed limit (upon which folks routinely go 50-55). Pedestrian moron crossing illegally with earbuds staring intently at phone.
Dumbass.
On the plus side, it’s good for the criminal element to have another source of prey instead of just us old farts.
Fair point.
For Paddy:
If it’s for the greater good, then it must be the right thing to do. The Germans have a long history of doing the right thing.
Yup.
Dad was very appreciative of their vocational program which taught him wood-chopping at age 13.
And regaled his developing palate with countless variations on cabbage soup.
“Tuskars are pretty fierce. ” -- Arthas Menithil
Harper says “A Narwhal tusk… only in England!”
Nite wheelizens. Gonna try to get to bed early to make church easier tomorrow.
Many of those cards are from you, wheelizens. We’ve saved them over the years.
So many happy memories every time I put them up.
For some reason this didn’t post this afternoon when I tried--or I forgot to hit send:
Today I started decorating for Christmas. I think I mentioned in a previous thread that one time, when I was a kid, we got so many Christmas cards that my Dad put them on a string across the living room’s largest wall.
Well, no one get’s that many Christmas cards anymore, so around the year 2000 — That was the year that Harper came home to me for good — I thought it would be nice to save any cards we did get so I could put them on the wall like my dad did when I was a kid.
So the result is that I’ve saved all the cards for almost 20 years at this point, and put them up every year.
Going through Them all when putting them up always brings back such warm memories. So many of them are from the Gerbils on this very wheel. Some are from my Dad who has since passed away about 5 y ears ago. There are a few from people neither of us can remember.
In the early days I even saved commercial cards because I was so desperate for cards to hang up, in those first couple of years.