OLD ORCHARD Chicago's 1950's Giant Outdoor Mall

"Who wants to go to Old Orchard?" was an exciting proposition for boys and girls
in the 1950's growing up in Chicago.

Even though Downtown Chicago had it's exquisite 12-story flagship department
stores, there was something so enchanting about going to this new experience
in American shopping--a giant outdoor mall filled with your favorite stores!

Built in Skokie, in an area of old orchards just north of Chicago's city limits,
Old Orchard seemed so huge to a child.

 Based on the attraction of a multi-story Marshal Fields department store, and The Fair (later to become Montgomery Ward's), Old Orchard's opening in October of 1956 was the ultimate in modern shopping.

 There were plenty of stores for Mom and Dad, and an S.S.Kresge (a cheap general merchandise store like Woolworth's) for the kids!

The $20 Million project was packed all the time with families from throughout Chicagoland.

And with its own single movie theater, it was a dream come true.

Just imagine that parking lot filled with 1950's cars!

Through the years, it has been modernized, demolished, rebuilt and looks nothing like the piece of Americana it once was.

Any baby boomer from Chicago has some wonderful memory of Old Orchard.

Just Keep Focusing on TV characters and Movie Superheroes.

In the last 2 weeks, I have overheard conversations here and there on the street, in stores, and in other public places.
I am sad to report that the majority of conversations that I have heard center around two things: The Emmy Awards and Superheroes.
Folks...you country is falling apart. Economically, Politically and Socially.

Who won an award for a TV show is not going to affect you for the rest of your life.
Which superhero is next to get a movie is not going to have any bearing on what is happening around you.

Fantasy has its time and place. Too many people are becoming obsessed and controlled by it. You have to learn where fantasy stops and reality begins.

This used to be a great country.
If you want it to continue to turn into an Orwellian nightmare, just keep focusing on TV characters and Movie superheroes.

Robin WIlliams And I Got Our Start In The Same Movie!

As odd as this seems, both Robin Williams and I got our start in Hollywood
in the same movie!

In 1976, I moved to Hollywood and got a few small comedy parts here and
there mostly in TV for a few years before creating the world's first
Hollywood Internet online database/service for CompuServe and America Online
which lasted almost 20 years.

I was in one movie.
The low budget movie was a series of comedy vignettes called
"Can I Do It 'Till I Need Glasses" which made it to drive-ins nationwide.

I am in the cowboy scene at a table playing poker.

I can only be seen for a second, but in the TV commercials for the movie,
I was clearly shown.

I purchased a cowboy hat, shirt and boots from K-mart for the filming and
then returned them the next day.

When the scene started filming, the director yelled "cut," and told something
to an assistant. The assistant came over to me and said "Cowboys did not
wear wrist watches back then." I was hoping they wouldn't notice.
After all, it was a comedy film.

A newcomer (there were dozens) named Robin Williams was in one of the
scenes.

My favorite Robin Williams performance was in "Aladdin."

A great deal of what the Genie says was unscripted and totally improvised.

They just let Williams go and recorded it all.

Robin Williams had the fastest working brain of any performer ever.

There is a fine line between Genius and Madness.

PAUL McCARTNEY DODGER STADIUM SUNDAY 08/10/14

Can a 72-year old man put on an energetic, musically perfect 3-hour show with no breaks to a sold out baseball stadium?

 

Paul McCartney played Dodger Stadium tonight for the first time in almost 50 years when he was with the Beatles. And just like then, it was a sell-out crowd who were enchanted by what seemed no different from when he was a 22-year-old Beatle.

 A mixture of Beatles, Wings, newer songs and comedic stage antics kept the audience thrilled.

His voice was in top form as he reached high notes on classic Beatles songs.

Unlike, groups that need 20 extra musicians onstage, Paul has a lead guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer and drums. When you hear bass pounding throughout the stadium
(unless he is playing guitar or piano) it is Paul playing.

State of the art graphics, lighting and sound accentuated this dynamic show.

Despite being in a baseball stadium, everybody I spoke to agreed that Paul makes the show seem intimate as if you were in his living room.

For real Beatles folks -- if you have wondered what
"For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" would have sounded like with Paul singing lead instead of John--we got to hear that for the first time tonight.

Tributes to George and John had the place on its feet.

"Yesterday" performed on Paul's original Epiphone Texan backed by live synth strings was as touching as the first time you heard it in 1965.

A memorable event in the Beatles timeline.


 

THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT

I had a favorite TV western in the 1960's.
It was called "The Guns Of Will Sonnett."
It ran for two years only from 1967-1969 and
starred veteran movie and TV star Walter Brennan and
newcomer Dack Rambo. It was one of Aaron Spelling's
first shows ever, which he did in association with 
Danny Thomas.

It was never out on VHS, ever. I never saw it anywhere on
syndicated TV. I had not even thought about
it since the 60's until I ran into a new cheaply put together
DVD set of the show.

I have now watched all 50 episodes, including the last
one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62kzX-5v_LE
which wrapped it all up with a finale (very unusual for a
60's show to do). Somebody has just posted some episodes
on You tube, probably just got the same set.

The story of a young man who was raised by his grandfather
since birth and decides to go find his father is definitely
one of the best westerns ever on TV which most people
don't know about. It pretty much disappeared after 1970.

The show gives you a strong feeling for the traditional
Movie/TV "Old West" set in post-Civil War 1870's.
Storylines are intriguing, a bit too rushed for a 30 minute
show, acting is superb and it is amazing to see the then
unknown talent that popped up in the show.
Jack Nicholson, Charles Grodin, Kevin Hagen,
Ellen Corby,

Strother Martin, Dennis Hopper and others including Jesse Pearson who starred in "Bye Bye Birdie."

The DVD set is copied from some edited version put together from
some TV syndication version used somewhere. As a
result, the color is faded and there are clearly a few minutes
missing from each episode. At least 3 times, the editing
makes no sense and you know something was cut out.

The director must have had a friend, because the same
bartender pops up in different towns in different states
many times. 




Opening Card on Season 1
when ABC was promoting
TV shows now in Color.



 It was really enjoyable seeing this lost gem after
so many years. No Brag, Just Fact.

We searched for a man named Jim Sonnett.
And the legends folks tell may be true.
Most call him gunman and killer.
He’s my son, who I hardly knew.

I raised Jim’s boy from the cradle,
'Till the day he said to me,
 "I have to go find my father."
And I reckon that’s how it should be.
So we ride, Jim’s boy and me.

"Once upon a time, or maybe twice, there was an earthly paradise called America"

"Once upon a time, or maybe twice, there was an earthly paradise called America"

This is what America once was like.
Smiling happy citizens could choose from many jobs, corporations looked out for Americans' best interests, police "protected and served," the U.S. Dollar was strong, politicians and U.S. government represented the people's voice and there was a feeling of liberty and freedom in the air.


This is America now.

 














Unhappy sad citizens all look scared, dazed and confused, cannot find jobs because the jobs were sent overseas or they are being replaced by guest H-1B workers, corporations look out for their own interests completely, there is a police state, the U.S. Dollar is worth three cents, politicians and U.S. government only represent the voice of special interests and there is a feeling of fascism and totalitarianism in the air.

50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEKEND - A HARD DAY DAY'S NIGHT

This weekend I did exactly the same thing I did 50 years ago--
I saw "A Hard Day's Night" on the big screen.

 Wilfred Brambell was a popular British TV star when he played Paul's grandfather. He was 52 at the time. Paul is now 72.

Patty Boyd, one of the schoolgirls in the first scene, married George Harrison. She later married Eric Clapton. He wrote a song about her called "Layla."

 

 We thought John was just fooling around. We didn't realize he was "snorting Coke."

Director Richard Lester brought a fast-paced craziness to the film on a very small budget.

Of course, in 1964 I was 11 and couldn't hear a word being said because 2,000 girls were screaming non-stop during the movie. Every time there was a closeup. Every time there was a funny reaction. During every song that was played.

I have seen the movie between 60-75 times. But only 5 times on the big screen.

The one scene with some character depth is when Ringo goes for a walk alone and talks with a 10-year-old boy playing hooky. Ringo says he was stoned out his mind when that scene was done.

When it premiered at the Granada theater, one of Chicago's elegant movie palaces in the summer of 1964, the movie had just been made three months earlier to capitalize on this Beatlemania thing, which the movie studio, United Artists, expected would be a one time fad and gone by the next year.

Only in America and nowhere else in the world, because movies are released as a complete "soundtrack," the instrumental Beatles song scores arranged and conducted by George Martin were part of the album in addition to the new Beatles songs. United Artists, primarily a movie company, had itself the number one album in America without making any effort. Capitol Records was prevented from releasing "A Hard Day's Night" on an album.

America Runs On Oil. Where Does It Primarily Come From?

America runs on oil.

Transportation, Machinery, Heating, Energy, Plastics/Petrochemicals, Military. America would shut down without oil. The discussion of Oil vs. Alternative Energy will be discussed at some other time.

Where does America get most of its oil from?

"The Middle East" you say. What a stupid question. Ask 100 people and they'll say the same thing.

Actually, America gets the majority of its oil from Canada. America gets twice as much oil from Canada then from Saudi Arabia. Also ranking high on this list are Iraq and Kuwait. Which is why we have wars in those countries.

If there was just some way to eliminate dependency on Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait for oil.

There is. Also at the very top of the list of the countries that supply America with oil is Venezuela. If the amount of oil from South American located Venezuela could be tripled, America could be freed of its entanglement with Mid-Eastern countries.

Unfortunately, Venezuela knows the power they have because of its oil. Its always fun for countries when they can economically blackmail big bad America. And they always manage to elect socialist or fascist dictators. 

We had to deal for 13 years with the totally deranged Communist Hugo Chavez whose biggest hero was Fidel Castro. When he died (the U.S. was blamed for making him sick) he was recently replaced with Nicolas Maduro, a man with one philosophy: The U.S. is responsible for all of Venezuela's problems.

Despite out of control government and police corruption, failing economy, crime, human rights violations, huge demonstrations--according to Nicolas Maduro and his administration--it is all being manipulated by the United States.

Attempts by Secretary of State John Kerry to create new and positive relationships with Venezuela have been continually rejected.

Oil to the North of us. Oil to the South of us.
A small shift in dead dinosaurs and plants would have made America self-sustaining and free of most international problems.

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

I heard a song the other day which I had not heard in many years (decades actually)
and now I can't get it out of my head.

"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" was from 1976, just at the beginning of the
disco era and was performed by a British singer named Leo Sayer.

It went to Number One in America and topped music charts all over the world.

Sayer could go from a normal singing voice to a very intense falsetto
and actually had a number of hits in the era.

It's so much better than the same repetitive manufactured crap on pop radio right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE-Okqna4sQ

Probably The Clearest and Most Emotional Voice Ever

It was early 1962 when I started listening to the major pop music station in Chicago, WLS. Having just turned 9 and gotten my first little transistor radio, the airwaves were filled with songs devoted to dances (Twist), ballads (Can't Help Falling In Love With You), the last of Doo-Wop (Duke of Earl), Movie Themes (Moon River) and other pre-Beatles (2 years away) remnants of the 1950's.

A song which was number one on country music stations, managed to cross-over and get a few weeks of airplay on this pop station. The female singer had the most emotional and captivating voice, as if she was really living the lyrics. The name of the song was "She's Got You" and the artist's name was Patsy Cline.

This was a country singer and we would never hear her again on pop music radio, nor would we even know that she died only a few months later in a plane crash.

The clarity and emotion in this woman's voice is incomparable.

If you don't know "Crazy" or have never heard "She's Got You," you need to experience it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWCUh6tf7PA

Americans Finally Showing They Realize What Is Really Going On

Yahoo!, a shill for the United States government, has been inundating us the last two weeks with marvelous stories written by their 20-year old interns about how the economy is getting so much better and everything has returned to just like America used to be! 

However, the thousands of responses from Americans would 
indicate otherwise and make it clear that Americans are not being fooled by Yahoo's stream of wonderful economic news fantasies. 

The responses from Americans clearly indicate:
American corporations are responsible for destroying middle class America by sending all the manufacturing jobs overseas;
American corporations have absolutely no sense of loyalty to America or Americans--their only interest is to squeeze more profits so executives can take home million dollar bonuses;
Skilled and Experienced Americans cannot find a full-time job. They are relegated to a few hours a weeks with no benefits, temp jobs or having given up completely;
People over 45 are experiencing mass "age discrimination" coded with phrases such as "you are too experienced," "this job is beneath you," "you'd take this job and leave us when something better comes along";
People in their 20's are receiving no responses to their applications and resumes at all, being told "we haven't gotten to those yet";
Even millions of professional jobs are being shopped out overseas or given to our "visitor friends" from other countries who do not complain about low wages, abusive treatment and no benefits;
Counting temporary Christmas jobs, part-time McJobs and not counting millions who have given up looking for work permanantly has distorted the wonderful employment picture and people can see through it now;
Yahoo constantly reminding us that the Great Recession is over and everything is back to normal is not what Americans are experiencing. The Great Recession continues and 99% of America is barely getting by.

I want to buy a quality pair of American Levis and I cannot anymore. They are made overseas, they fall apart after a few washings and the material feels like some kid of fabricated chemical stew made in a Frankenstein laboratory.

America's corporations have turned on the American people.

ABC--You Probably Want to Work On This Technology A Bit Longer At This Point.

ABC--You Probably Want to Work On This Technology A Bit Longer At This Point.

 ABC News has introduced a technology which automatically makes a transcript of its videos so you have the option of reading it instead of watching it. They posted this fine specimen. I especially like the line about "Our Springsteen Garment Medals"

 

Transcript for What If Mosquitoes were Completely Annihilated?

-- knowing killing. She's mosquitoes that tiny has killed more than 725000. People and here that's almost twice as much.
As our next deadliest foe. Ourselves. Wonder why -- we.
Let's get their -- seriously would be too great being -- -- couldn't be a huge benefit for mankind. Well wanted to see mosquitoes. There will be assigned summer that was buzzing bugs.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- The potential to millions around the world. -- the biggest killer on the planet friendly terms available. There are more than 3500.
Different species of mosquitoes but. Only around three of those species sauce is spreading diseases among humans far -- the worse -- those. This area.
Some malaria kills an estimated 625000. People here -- the top three killers and kids worldwide. By some accounts -- kill more people than any other in human history.
With the eradication of mosquitoes could lead to the end of all deadly diseases they plague us with. Mosquitoes are taken out of the picture of the disease is a picture. About.
Much point one billion dollars to the estimated -- -- yearly amount to properly battle malaria globally for the cause. -- gets less than. So do mosquitoes do anything.
Positive. To notice there's not much evidence suggests that most -- do you much good. In -- and they know we know he's lost teachers who runs the spread malaria didn't Greek origin and open today and actually meets every two years US.
There's been in battle with -- insects of little use. For well over a century now. You don't management goes back a long way into the end of the civil war didn't start to -- Reliance on chemical methods which wearer of risk sex scene -- -- something new and it seemed to really do the trick.
We may have the weapons to eradicate mosquitoes but -- -- -- to pull out work. Damaged in an environment barber to break habitat models and getting rid of all the spaces where -- they rest Italian after four. Because -- essentially to be introduced a lot of credit because I said the fish shift.
Dragon flies yes they'll probably take care of the problem and start taking care -- and you don't want to take care. So no pesticides know habitat modification. And -- -- -- creditors.
But we left with genetic modification. May be the safest route -- rid ourselves of mosquitoes. And we're not talking -- -- John.
More from. -- -- -- -- said it gene makes -- Only way my execution. Basically what we can we put our Springsteen garment medals.
Israel stated by you or sprint -- a -- and matrix both the house and the offspring and tighten juice. The most -- population that once -- In Tehran. Prior to knowledge and if we can bring mosquito to the brink of extinction if I don't want to expand it.
National or even global scale. I think there would be impossible actually just in I want to get rid of -- procedures -- spread disease. It reminded and ones -- just east that's much more -- us.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

REALLY BAD TIMING - The Air Traffic Controller's Strike of August 1981

Nobody really ever mentions this, but it has to be one of the worst cases of bad timing in American history.

In August 1981, the Air Traffic Controllers, the men and women who conduct the safety of planes arriving, departing and traveling throughout American airspace, decided to go on strike. Almost all of them walked off the job, disrupting the entire travel industry and were replaced by supervisors, management and military personnel.

They thought Americans would stand behind them and force the U.S. Government to give in to their demands. They were Federal employees.

Their timing was really bad and I will explain. The late 1960's saw a consciousness develop that the government and corporations had an obligation to do things "for the people." Those words even became a cliche. "Is it good for the people?" "This is for the people" and so on--it was heard everywhere. If something wasn't, "the people" could always come out and protest and march in the streets.

This zeitgeist (spirit of the times) lasted up until the mid-70's and then "the people" decided they were out for themselves, wanted to make money and personal, selfish greed became the in-thing again.

The Air Traffic Controllers and their union failed to realize that "the people" no longer existed. They actually thought "the people" would stand behind their strike, with massive 60s-style protests and revolutionary support.

*Here's what the Air Traffic Controllers demanded:

*They wanted a 32-hour work week made up of 4-eight hour days but wanted to be paid full time.

*They wanted a $10,000. per year raise per employee.
A minimum wage person in August 1981 made $7000. a year.
They were already making $20,000.--$50,000. each with generous sick, vacation, paid holidays and full retirement packages.

*They demanded that they should be able to retire after 20 years on the job with full salaried pensions and benefits.

The government actually offered them a significant pay increase, work hours reduction and other benefits. But it was not good enough for them and they turned it down. After all "the people" would be there to support them.

Unfortunately for them, "the people" no longer existed.
And they received no support at all from the public.

President Reagan then fired all 11,000 of them.

50,000 people applied for their jobs and replaced them.

I remember hearing them on the news saying that "the people"
would not stand for their horrible mistreatment by the
Federal government. A bit late on that reasoning.



 




 

 

The latest outrageous attack on Freedom Of Speech in America.

The latest outrageous attack on Freedom Of Speech in America.

Satire and Parody are Protected Forms of Freedom of Speech.

That's what we do in America--ridicule and mock each other 24 hours a day. Especially if you are a public figure.


Jim Ardis, the Mayor of Peoria, Illinois could not deal with anybody making fun of him. When a local citizen made fun of him on Twitter, he had the Chief of Police call out seven officers and used other resources to track him down (and anybody else suspected in the criminal satire) barge into their homes, confiscate their electronic Internet devices and bring them in for interrogation. Just GOOGLE  Jim Ardis  Peoria  in NEWS for the story. 

This of course has resulted in dozens of other parodies going up about him.

Gee--one actually looks like my style and the author even went so far as to obtain the rights to  www.jimardis.com to implement the parody.

If you don't stand up for what's left of your Freedom Of Speech in America--you are going to lose it completely.

How We Used To View Washington D.C.

When Baby Boomers were growing up in the 50's to the mid-60's,
we viewed Washington D.C. and the people who worked there as Super Human Beings that possessed Super Human Intelligence and Abilities. It was a magical place. All decisions that were made there were for the benefit of all Americans.

We compared those people to the Gods on Mount Olympus.

After the Kennedy Assassination in 1963--our government of Super Human Beings told us that one young fellow woke up one morning and decided to take down the President--and our faith and trust in our government satisfied us all and we went back to being good Americans.

Then the Vietnam War began in 1965 and something didn't seem quite right. Young people protested for the first time in American history. After the resignation of President Richard "I Am Not A Crook" Nixon in 1974, Americans began looking at the U.S. Government very differently.

It is now unanimous.

Americans are all aware that the U.S. Government is made up of the same fools, incompetents, morons, buffoons, nincompoops, slackers and blockheads that make up our families, neighbors, friends, co-workers and relatives.

 It doesn't matter if they are Democrats, Republicans, Independents or the new political party of the month. They make outlandish errors in judgment, bad policies, are manipulated by corporations and big money and do not have the interest of Americans in mind.

MICKEY ROONEY - The Most Talented Male Child Actor in History

Other than Shirley Temple, Mickey Rooney was the most famous child star ever.

And for good reason.

Acting, singing, dancing, playing drums, acrobatics...
it didn't matter--he did it.

There is no other male child star that even competes
in his league.

In the late 1970's, I got to go to his house and meet him.
It was an exciting privilege.

Whether by himself or teamed up with Judy Garland,
this was true deserving stardom.

Unlike that whore Miley Cyrus who becomes famous by being an obscene dancing harlot,
Mickey Rooney was the high class pinnacle of the Golden Age Of  Hollywood.

If I Could Only Exist On 25 Songs and 25 Albums

 

Let's Say That The First Digital Music Storage Type Device Had Just Been Invented and That It Only Had Room For 25 Songs And 25 Albums. That's The Music I Would Be Limited To Have On A Portable Basis.
What Would I Put In There? Here's My Lists:

SONGS
I Feel Fine -- Beatles
Daydream Believer -- Monkees
Good Vibrations -- Beach Boys
End of The World -- Skeeter Davis
Reach Out I'll Be There -- Four Tops
California Dreaming -- Mamas and Papas
Bus Stop -- Hollies
Pretty Woman -- Roy Orbison
Downtown -- Petula Clark
Can't Help Falling In Love -- Elvis Presley
Cherish -- Association
Never My Love -- Association
Yesterday -- Beatles
Happy Together -- Turtles
Satisfaction -- Rolling Stones
Ruby Tuesday -- Rolling Stones
Can't Get Used To Losing You -- Andy Williams
Classical Gas -- Mason Williams
I'd Like to Get To Know You -- Spanky and Our Gang
Pretty Ballerina -- Left Banke
Someday We'll Be Together -- Diana Ross And Supremes
Your Song -- Elton John
Summer Song -- Chad and Jeremy
You Lost That Lovin' Feeling -- Righteous Bros.
I'm A Believer -- Monkees


ALBUMS
Rubber Soul -- The Beatles
Beatles '65 (U.S. Capitol Release) -- The Beatles
Revolver -- The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper -- The Beatles
Beatles Second Album (U.S. Capitol Release) -- The Beatles
The Early Beatles (U.S. Capitol Release) -- The Beatles
Hard Day's Night -- The Beatles
Help! -- The Beatles
White Album -- The Beatles
Abbey Road -- The Beatles
Pet Sounds -- The Beach Boys
Aja -- Steely Dan
Days of Future Passed -- Moody Blues
Nashville Skyline -- Bob Dylan
Greatest Hits -- Beach Boys
Greatest Hits -- Petula Clark
Greatest Hits -- Simon & Garfunkel
Greatest Hits -- Rolling Stones
Greatest Hits -- Nat King Cole
Greatest Hits -- The Monkees
Greatest Hits -- Elton John
Greatest Hits -- Neil Diamond
Greatest Hits -- Sam Cooke
Greatest Hits -- Elvis Presley
Tchaikovsky -- Nutcracker Suite
West Side Story -- Motion Picture Soundtrack

 

I LOVE PINBALL

I grew up in Chicago.

All the pinball machines created for the U.S. and the world were made in Chicago.


As a boy, they were everywhere. By the time I was 7 or 8, I loved throwing in a dime to play a game of pinball. 1950's and 1960's machines had incredible works of art on the playfields and backglasses. They are a much under-appreciated American art form. But other than that, the ball moved very slowly and it easily left the playfield. Other than a few bumpers, there was really nothing exciting to do and the sound was a bunch of chimes.

In the late 70's the ball started moving faster, digital scores displays and electronic sounds were introduced (it was really freaky hearing it the first time) and there were some additional things to do besides just bumpers. And the cost per game became 25 cents.

In the 80's, pinball had to compete with video games and this required a major change. The ball was now going extremely fast and there was numerous toys, contraptions and other things to do on the playfield. And lots of movie themes.

In the 80's and 90's, most of the companies went out of business as video games and home video consoles took over completely. The remaining few pinball companies made some incredible games but they were getting harder to find in public places. Few of each title were being made and most were being sold to private individuals for home use.

Few new pinball machines are made today.
I have usually had a machine to play at home. At one time I had 5 machines. I have estimated that I have spent at least 10,000 hours in my lifetime playing pinball.

Any old pinball machine has become very valuable and are restored by companies and individuals.

One of the biggest problems of owning a machine is a flipper goes out, a display stops working, the logic of the game stops working, the ball won't eject...numerous problems that are expensive for the few experts in each city to come and fix. Also, pinball machines are quite large and heavy. And you are limited to playing one game over and over.

One of the most sought after machines is the 1978 KISS rock group pinball. The few times it shows up for sale, it instantly gets between $4-6 THOUSAND dollars!

However, something quite wonderful has been developing over the last decade--by hobbyists. 

I now have KISS, 

 Visual Pinball Version







Twilight Zone, Funhouse, Taxi, Playboy, The Addams Family, Simpsons, Fireball, Eightball Deluxe, Captain Fantastic and 99 of the most sought after machines all in one regular pinball size unit! It's called VISUAL PINBALL (sometimes Virtual Pinball) and it is total 3-D electronic versions of popular pinball games all in one machine. Mostly an East Coast and Midwest phenomenon, I found a man in Los Angeles who had built himself the ultimate VP pinball and he needed the space, so I am the new owner of this marvelous digital wonder.

I can play games I played as a kid, in high school, in college, second childhood and so on--all on one machine.

And there are no mechanical parts to fix.

The playfields look authentic, the ball moves and interacts like a real pinball would respond (the physics are amazing), and all the original machine's sounds, music, effects, graphics are all present as well. And all of this is being done by hobbyists who digitize the original playfields and then make them respond exactly like the original physical machines. and they all share the games with each other and anybody is welcome to make improvements if they wish in a new version.

This is affecting my sleep so I have to make some specific timeslots to follow. There are a few of these up for sale on Ebay, but they are mostly from back East. 

I had heard about this going on but until I actually played it and it was just like a real pinball machine--I can see these are going to become very popular among pinball aficionados.

GAME OVER

 

12 Years A Slave - An Important Film

I disconnected TV about 3 years ago.

So I did not even see the Academy Awards.

I waited for about 3 hours to check on the Internet to see if
"12 Years A Slave" won Best Picture and it did.

This is a very important historical film. And here's why:

Probably for the first time in a film about slavery, it really lets you
experience:

The degrading selection process of slaves on the auction block;

How having your family broken up and parted out to
different plantation families actually felt;

The brutal treatment of slaves on the cotton plantations;

The manipulation of slaves who were allowed one minute to
hold dances amongst themselves, or given cookies as a special treat, or allowed to attend a church gathering and then thrown back into the horror of extreme working conditions with severe punishments (abusive psychological techniques of back and forth to make them think they were actually very lucky);

The fact that there were white people who stood up and protested this "peculiar institution" and treated blacks and slaves as human beings

This is going to become the ultimate film for students to see to put them in the time and place and develop an understanding of what really happened.