Author: Chris S.

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The 80s

Today is my Dad’s 80th birthday.

I’m the smaller one in the picture.

He was my first hero.  At 5 years old I suspected that he may actually be Superman, because he wore glasses, just like Clark Kent.

He did his fatherly duties as well as anyone could, maybe better sometimes.  He’d take us out on weekend trips to the movies or the flea market or to a park.  He took each of my siblings and I out for driving lessons.  He takes care of his kids and grand kids as well as he can.

I remember once asking if I could take up model rocketry as a new hobby.  He said no.  Later, at one of the time my brother was practicing driving/parking in the parking lot at Candlestick Park, we watched some folks launching model rockets.  Next thing I know Dad is taking me to Toys R Us to pick up an Estes Rockets X-15 starter set.  Over time he built a home made launch pad for me, better than the plastic one that came with the starter kit.  I built 6 or 7 kits and we probably launched a total of 5 rockets before I lost interest in it.  At least 1 or 2 were lost to the winds of San Francisco.

He’s given us his unconditional love, as well as a few health scares along the way.  At 50, I sometimes find it annoying how he still feels the need to make sure I have something for breakfast or dinner, even though I’ve been doing that for myself for over half my lifetime.  But I get it.

Still annoying, though.

Happy 80th birthday, Dad!  I love you.

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Update!

I thought I was just getting the updated charts for A Wing and a Prayer.

Instead, they sent the charts AND the updated rule book.  What service!

Hopefully I’ll get to it this weekend.

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The 50s

October 20th, 1967: premiere date of Star Trek episode ‘The Doomsday Machine’.

I’ve said elsewhere that this is one of my all-time favorite episodes, and one that I can watch over and over and over.

I named my first Star Trek Role Playing Game character Mackenzie Decker, and made him the nephew of Commodore Matt Decker.

So much great quotable dialogue came from this episode.

  • They say there’s no devil, Jim, but there is, right out of Hell. I saw it!
    Matt, where’s your crew?
    On the third planet.
    There IS no third planet!
    Don’t you think I know that? There was, but not anymore! They called me; they BEGGED me for help, four hundred of them! I couldn’t… I-I couldn’t…
  • Bones, you ever hear of a doomsday machine?No, I’m a doctor, not a mechanic.
  • If I only had some phasers.
    Phasers – you’ve got ’em. I have one bank recharged.
    Scotty, you just earned your pay for the week.
  • Vulcans never bluff.
  • A commander is responsible for the lives of his crew, and for their deaths. Well… I should have died with mine.
  • We’re stronger with you than without you!
  • Gentlemen, beam me aboard.

One of the highlights of that Star Trek concert that I attended last year was a live performance of the music (entitled “Kirk Does It Again”) from the final act of the episode.

You’ve seen the episode enough times, you can recite the dialogue as the music plays.

Most if not all of this music was repurposed for the episode ‘The Ultimate Computer’.

I’ll probably watch this one sometime later today.