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It was the summer of 1984 and new video game company was making its mark with the release of two revolutionary games with a different type of graphical game play: Laser Discs.  For those too young to remember what the heck a LASER DISC was/is, just think of it as the grandfather of the modern day DVD disk – looks like a DVD disc but about the size of a vinyl record.

The name of that video game company?  Don Bluth Studios.  Yes, the very same Don Bluth Studios that made his beginning mark with Walt Disney company and then broke out solo with his own company and did some other full feature length projects like The Secret of NIMH (one of my favorites) and also went on to create An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, etc.

The name of the game?  Space Ace.  Space Ace is the story of Dexter (who can transform with an energy power-up to become Space Ace) who seeks to rescue the damsel, Kimberly, from the evil character, called Borf. 

What makes this game so cool?  Don Bluth Studios had this idea of immersing the patron into this story using cell animation artwork and decision trees.  You are presented with a video of a scene unfolding and while the scene is unfolding a decision has to be reached and your reaction time and decision decide on which way the story goes and how successful Ace is during the scene.  For instance – Ace could be running away from a group of angry aliens and the game presents you with Ace running through a hallway, and at the end of that hallway are two doors – one to the left and the other to the right.  During the scene, both doors will flash, signifying that a decision must be made – and if you choose the LEFT door the scene would progress further, but if you chose the RIGHT door and Ace took it, there might be another alien behind that door or that door might be locked or something and the scene would end, and you would lose one of your lives and have to replay the scene again, until you get it right.

What was so revolutionary about that?  The graphics.  Remember – we are in 1984 and games to this point are LED lines and simple 8 bit characterizations of entities – Defender, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, etc.  Simple game visualizations with more complex game mechanics.

Donkey Kong, 1981

Space Ace, 1984

Space Ace was starting a whole new revolution in game play. Needless to say, at age 10-12, I wasted many a quarters on Space Ace and Dragon’s Lair (same game maker and cell animated artwork).  I used to ride my bike over to the local video arcade in San Jose – The Galactigan (I think was the name – but I cannot find any Internet reference to it) and plunk down many of my quarters on this game.  My mother would have a fit when she found out that my brother and I visited the local arcade.  She was constantly watching out for us to ensure we were staying away the ‘drug-pushers’ and low lifes found within’ the confines of her stereotyped view of a video arcade.  Of course, Dungeons and Dragons was also viewed as the Devil’s Game also – but I am a super fan of that type of game  play. 

Video Arcades aren’t what they used to be, given the current state of games – I can see pretty good graphics and game play without ever having to leave my home.  The whole social aspect of and meaning behind a good romp at the local video arcade are lost to an entire generation of PSP, DS and Wii users (and X-Box, PS2/PS3 fans, too).

Now, the game is available for my iPhone – and for a measly $5.00.  How extraordinary is that? A quality stroll down the nostalgia video arcade of the 80′s, sans the evil connotations associated with that journey.  Well – I certainly won’t disappoint my nostalgia itch, for a mere $5.00.  It appears that I will indeed be plunking down another 20 or so quarters… on this game, once again.  Don’t worry Mom – this time, we don’t have to worry about drug dealers or nefarious evil doers, unless of course we are referring to Borf, when I kick his ass in the game!

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At the end of a hard day, there is nothing that helps release the tension of the day than a resounding escape into my music.  Open up the iTunes, turn up the volume and push play on any number of musical genres and artists that would either whisk me away to another time, when I was younger and things were simpler, or let the diddy of musical tunes evoke a cathartic experience that ends up being good for mind and soul.

Click on a little James Brown, maybe a bit of Sinatra.  Dial over to a Lennon tune, and then back up to either an Elvis or Michael Jackson tune.

Well – today heralds what I can only express as my children’s Lennon experience.  When I was about 9 years old, John Lennon was murdered – gunned down in front of his home in New York upon return home.  A legend died before his time was up.  Very sad and depressing.  Even back then, I knew what was occurring and what an impact it had on music at that time.  I wish I could have said the same when Elvis died.  I was only 5 years old when the King of Rock passed on and even though I could sing and dance to his music, I wasn’t clear on the impact of his death until a few years later.  With Lennon, I did realize that this person had a larger impact on Music.  Maybe it was my age that gave me a different perspective on the effect of the passing of a musical artists.  With time, I would probably have a better understanding of not only Lennon but of Elvis’s passing. 

Now flash forward to today, June 25, 2009 and the unexpected, sudden passing of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.  I sit here, still in shock, thinking that maybe a part of me wants to think this is staged to get him out of societies critical spotlight, but that part of me is the conspiracy nut who also believes that Elvis is still alive and the government planned and destroyed the twin towers in 2001 (NOTE: that is about 1/2 of 1/10th a percent of my real belief in both cases – Elvis is dead, and our own ignorance and stupidity allowed the attacks of 2001, not our government.)

Michael Jackson is gone.  50 years old.  Now, I am not old, but I have surpassed 37 wonderful years on this planet and hope to have at least another 37 more.  But with each passing of a person of notoriety, I start to measure my life to theirs.  What am I doing good?  Am I being the best person that I can be?  They died at 50 and I am 37 – that is only 13 years away.  What the Fuck?  Am I ready for death – would I be ready in 13 years? 

Remember, that Jesus tells us all, that we will not know our appointed time to be called home to the father.  I don’t want to know when I die, but I have to live better for the present.  I must live better for my children and live in the spirit now.  I don’t know when God will call me home and I hope I will be here for years and years and years…   But so too, did Michael, I am sure.

God rest and speed you home to heaven, Michael (and Farrah).

:****(

Bill

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So, I am reading my local news sources talking about the ‘hard-fought’ victory against big tobacco with the recent push by our legislators to now REGULATE the selling/manufacturing of tobacco based products by the FDA, and I am thinking to myself… “What a bunch of soft-centered Americans.” 

We are all, slowly, being put into nice padded rooms, with all sharp objects removed from our grasp as they lower the bicycle helmet down on our head, equipped with blinders and white noise generators.  A nation of milk-fed veal calves being prepared for the wholesale slaughter of our younger generations. 

Where is the spine of the American spirit.  When did Dr. Spock translate to equipping our kids with a pillow for protection from everything?  “You have to praise all the kids, equally?”  Why?  I know it is nice, but we are equating one child’s skill to another and creating an atmosphere of mediocrity that will either confuse the hell out of the less equal children, or create a paradigm of equality where equality doesn’t exist.

I am more concerned with the message our government is sending to us as it pertains to this tobacco initiative.  The basic message is that we are all idiots and we need someone ‘brighter’ than us to protect us from ourselves.  BULLSHIT. Sorry I am so passionate about this, but it is time for the government to worry about the bigger picture rather than the small bullshit items.  Our economy is failing and is starting to see some signs of recovery, and here we are creating more bureaucracy in the name of healthcare.  Did you know that most smokers are educated persons who ‘want’ to do this to themselves.  It is like alcoholics -  They too know the follies of their drinking, but they ‘want’ to escape somehow.  We going to regulate alcohol distribution now?  WAIT – we did that already and it got us… Al Capone and the rise of the Mafia. 

Give me a break. 

I am 37 – grew up just fine with alcohol and tobacco around me my entire life.  I might be more susceptible to 2nd hand smoke cancer or pre-disposed to have an affinity to alcohol (actually – anyone who knows me, knows I have a very low tolerance), but through it all… I came out fine, with my freedom’s intact.

I thank God for the country… but enough with the regulations pushing us into our quite, white, padded cell.  Before you know it… we won’t be able to go outside any longer.

My blog, my two cents.
B