Today in the 70′s
I’m going to add some history from the 70′s and 90′s as well to the blog. Just so I can keep a variety of things flowing and keep it interesting. that way if I keep at this for a while, I won’t run out of material. This is also supplemental material to go into the podcast on the weekends.
Apollo 16 launches
Apollo 16 was the 10th manned mission to go to the moon. It was also the 5th mission to land on the moon. What makes this event special is that it included a lunar rover with it. This was the 2nd lunar mission to use a lunar rover. The astronauts which included commander John Young, set a land speed record with the rover getting it up to a top speed of 11mph. The astronauts did cause some problems to the rover. They accidentally broke off the rear fender causing moon dust to be thrown all over them and the batteries when the drove. All of the dust covering the batteries caused the rover to overheat.
Today in the 80′s
In this game for the Atari 2600 you piloted a biplane through a series of barns in the shortest time possible while dodging windmills, weather vanes, and geese. Bumping into anything slows down the plane for a couple of seconds, increasing the overall time.
Originally, a player with a time or better of 33.3 seconds on game 1, 51.0 seconds on game 2, or 54.0 seconds on game 3 could send Activision a picture of their screen and receive membership in the Activision Flying Aces and receive a Flying Aces patch.
Today in the 80′s
Did you know on this date in 1986 the largest hailstones ever recorded at the time fell? They were 2.2 pounds each and fell on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92. Yikes.
Today in the 80′s
Video Games
The ColecoVision
The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries’ second generation home video game console and was released August 1982. The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, the ability to play Atari 2600 video games, and the means to expand the system’s basic hardware. Released with a catalog of twelve launch titles, with an additional ten games announced for 1982, approximately 125 titles in total were published as cartridges for the system between 1982 and 1984.
Coleco licensed Nintendo’s Donkey Kong as the official pack-in cartridge for all ColecoVision consoles, and this version of the game was well received as a near-perfect arcade port, helping to boost the console’s popularity. By Christmas of 1982, Coleco had sold 500,000 units, largely on the strength of its bundled game.
CaptainsCast 018 – Stuffed bunnies multiplying like rabbits
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Happy Easter. We have finally returned. After an extended break to handle our busy daily lives’, we are back at it. Come listen as we tell of our past months’ adventures including scouting, science fair, Teddy Roosevelt, and our mini-vacation to Florida.
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Baseballius is here
Today is a day of renewal. A rite of spring, and definitely a holiday in my book. Today is the opening day of baseball season. I know, there was a game lat night. I’ll get to that later in this post. My friend Jim enjoys this day so much that he has invented a holiday around it. Baseballius. The official definition is this – the celebration of the opening of the Major League Baseball season. Below is a post he did on his blog three years ago when he invented the holiday.
The date will vary from year to year at the discretion of the MLB Commissioner. However, the primary day will be the first Monday of the season. In recent years, the first game has taken place on Sunday night. That will simply be known as Baseballius Eve. That evening it is the responsibility of every parent to read Casey at the Bat to their children before they go to bed. The story will provide visions of strikeouts and Home Runs dancing in their head.
When the children have finally fallen asleep and long after the final out of the game, the parents hide their children’s ball gloves around the house. It’s okay to let the kids know that the parents hide the gloves. But if you want to add to the mystery of the day, tell your kids that it is the San Diego Chicken who hides all the gifts for the children who have been good. The gloves will be filled with small toys, packs of baseball cards, & Cracker Jacks.
The morning will be filled with shouts of “Play Ball!” as the kids search the house for their glove. “Play Ball” is the traditional greeting for Baseballius. “Happy Opening Day” and “Merry Baseballius” are acceptable as well. And don’t be afraid to give a “Season’s Greetings” as long as you are referring to the baseball season.
As the kids sort through their cards and watch repeat episodes of SportsCenter the parents prepare for the first game. It would always be preferred to go to an Opening Day game but for most, spending the day in front of the TV will suffice. Either way everyone must wear their favorite players’ jersey or at least the team colors.
The Baseballius meal consists of hot dogs, peanuts, soft pretzels, popcorn and cotton candy with root beer for the kids and 20 oz. draft beers for the adults. Depending on the mood, and where the dogs are, it’s okay to drop the peanut shells and, really, all the garbage on the floor just like at a ballpark. Just remember that ketchup and mustard are tough stains to get out of carpet.
At the start of the game it is important for everyone to remove their hat and show respect for the National Anthem. It is not really necessary to sing along but it is a tradition to bet whether or not the person singing will hit the high note on “…the land of the freeeeeee!”
The first pitch is the high point of the day. If your team is on the field and the first pitch is a strike your team will have a winning season. If you’re at the plate and your first batter gets a hit, your team will have a winning season. If the first pitch hits the batter and breaks a bone then both teams are headed for the cellar.
Unfortunately, the results of the games on Opening Day really don’t mean much. For all of the teams it is just 1/162nd of the season and a single game won’t likely determine a team’s fate. The same can be said for all of the fans. Baseballius is just the beginning of a holiday season that lasts seven months – Christmas is jealous. But the pleasure and happiness of the beginning of another baseball season can’t be matched.
I hope everyone enjoys this day of Baseballius. Root for your team, get to a game, and of course, PLAY BALL!!!!!
