Favorite History Podcasts – Part Three

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In Part One and Part Two of this blog series I introduced you to many of my favorite podcasts on history. They ran the gamut of historical topics from the Byzantine Empire and Ancient Warfare up through modern times and everything in between. In Part Three, I’ll introduce you to the first podcast I became addicted to on a mobile device and my two all time favorite history podcasters. As always, you can listen to episodes usually right from a podcast’s website or search via iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

  •  The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast (napoleonbonapartepodcast.com/): According to the podcast’s website, this was one of the first history podcasts online. Produced from 2006 to 2009, over 59 one hour-long episodes were recorded on the life and career of Napoleon Bonaparte. The two hosts, Napoleon scholar David Markham, residing in Canada and, Napoleon fan and podcast entrepreneur Cameron Reilly, residing in Australia, collaborated to create the longest podcast, in terms of both number of episodes as well as recording length, I have ever heard of covering just one topic. David and Cameron are unabashed fans of Napoleon and try to put him in a more positive light than traditional English based history usually does. Back when I listened years ago, all of the episodes were free. Now, only the first 19 episodes are free, but that’s 19 hours plus of content. If you like it, the remaining 40 cost a flat $10 for all of it. Still not bad. I spent many hours listening to this series and it is highly recommended! (Side note: Cameron’s company, The Podcast Network, also produces other shows including The Life of Caesar which I plan to try soon.)
  • The History of Rome (www.thehistoryofrome.typepad.com/): Produced by Mike Duncan, this 179 episode series covered the Roman Empire from the founding of Rome through the fall of the Western Empire. He elected not to continue on to do the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire which survived many centuries after the fall of Rome. This was not my first podcast addiction, but it was my first “must check every week for a new episode” podcast. Mike is a fan of history and it shows in this series. This was my first encounter with a podcast where the creator truly does it solely for the love of the topic and sharing knowledge with the audience. In fact, he mentioned only after quite a few episodes that he added a donation button to the site at the urging of fans in the site forums. The podcast got so popular, Mike was able to organize “History of Rome Tours” to famous sites in Europe for him and fans of the show! Mike’s plain language story telling and dry humor make this my second favorite podcast of all time. After 179 episodes, a marriage to Mrs. History of Rome, two household moves, and the birth of his first child, Mike felt it was time to end the series in 2012. I was truly sad and missed the weekly updates. But, then he resurfaced…
  • Revolutions (www.revolutionspodcast.com/): In September of 2013, Mike Duncan returned to podcasting with Revolutions. In this ongoing podcast, instead of covering one topic or civilization, Mike is doing multi-part discussions of various revolutions throughout history. So far, he’s covered revolutions in Britain and America. The show is currently discussing the French Revolution and will cover the Haitian Revolution next. The show looks at the causes and effects of the revolutions and Mike’s background in Political History definitely shows. I’m just getting in to this one, but it’s very good so far. Oh, and he’s now doing tour tips again!
  • Hardcore History (www.dancarlin.com/): Dan Carlin hosts what is my all time favorite podcast on any topic. Dan is renowned in the podcast world for his work on Hardcore History and his more frequent series on politics, Common Sense. (Both found at http://www.dancarlin.com/.) Dan has a background in “old media” journalism but made the transition to “new media” impresario. His vocal delivery is fast, passionate, and assertive. He calls himself a “fan of history” not a historian, but the topics he covers are well researched and covered in-depth. He tries to ask tough questions and he will challenge your assumptions and the myths we learn in school. His episodes notoriously run longer than he plans, take more episodes to cover than he figures, and entertain me endlessly. It may take a few months between episodes, but every episode is worth it. If you only have time for one podcast, this is it.

Most of my favorite podcasts are labors of love, created by one or two person outfits who do it because they love history. I make a point of tossing these guys the occasional donation or I make a purchase in their store to “pay back” for the entertainment they’ve given me. Bandwidth, servers, etc. cost money. And, do not forget the opportunity costs in time spent on making these podcasts! I believe content creators should be fairly compensated for their work and I urge you to support those creators whose content you enjoy, too. You can usually find donation and/or store links on their websites.

If you’ve got some favorite podcasts of your own, tell me about them in the comments below!

Favorite History Podcasts – Part Two

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Yesterday, in Part One, I listed three very good podcasts covering the Byzantine Empire, the Norman Conquests and Migrations, and the entirety of world history. Today, in Part Two, I will give you three more covering ancient warfare, general topics in history, and one from an interesting fellow in England covering history from a decidedly British view. You can find these podcasts via the linked websites or search in iTunes or your favorite podcast app:

  • The History Network .Org podcast (thehistorynetwork.org/): started by two history buffs who just weren’t satisfied with the quality of history podcasts available back in 2005, the History Network is actually home to three podcasts. The first, which is the namesake and “flagship” podcast, is simply called “The History Network Podcast” and covers all of human history but is, as its creators, Angus and Nick put it, vaguely military” in focus . It is now in its 17th season and its episodes, running from about 15 to 30 minutes each, usually cover a specific topic. Topics can be about a specific battle, commander, campaign, operation, or anything else “vaguely military.” It is a scripted show with Nick Barker reading about the topic. The fun part is the producers actively solicit scripts from listeners, so if you’ve ever wanted to write for a history podcast that is downloaded millions of times, here’s your chance. I get behind on my podcast listening, but I can binge a whole season of these bite-sized, focused podcasts in a day or two. Their website also hosts a store with past seasons to purchase, as well propaganda films from both sides of World War II, special long form topic episodes and interviews, and a new podcast on historical war games that I have not had time to listen to yet.
  • Ancient Warfare Magazine podcast (thehistorynetwork.org/category/ancient-warfare-magazine/): this is the other popular podcast from the History Network. It is a companion to a Ancient Warfare Magazine which can be purchased at https://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/shop/. However, this podcast has some notable differences from its parent. Where their flagship podcast is broad, covering all eras of history, the AWM podcast is focused on one topic, ancient warfare. Where the parent podcast is done in small episodes, AWM is usually an hour or more long. And where the original podcast is one narrator on script, AWM is a panel discussion of usually four experts discussing and expanding on a topic covered in the most recent issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine. If you want to listen to four serious history nerds discuss topics like Greek phalanxes or what did Roman Legionnaires really use in battle, this is definitely for you.
  • Binge Thinking History (www.bingethinkinghistory.com/): this is a cool, “home-grown” podcast by Tony Cocks from somewhere in the UK. I’ve been listening for a few years. Also known simply as “BTHP,” Tony does this podcast for the sheer love of it. It is not his “day job” so the episodes can be a little infrequent. But, they are good. Tony really gets into his topics. His method is to pick a bigger topics, say the history of the Royal Navy or the RAF, and spend several 30 minute or so episodes on it. He references multiple historical sources, includes sound effects for “decoration,” and has some really cool ways of enhancing his reading of quotes from historical figures by using sound enhancement. You have to hear it. Tony is just an everyday bloke doing a podcast for fun. And, he makes me feel guilty for not doing one myself.

There are a couple of other small, one or two person, efforts that were pretty good but faded away. Of those, Historyzine, produced by Jim Mowatt, was my favorite of those. Another Brit, Jim was doing a very detailed series on the War of the Spanish Succession. Alas, he has not done an update since 2010 but I leave the website here for you to check it out as long as you are OK with not getting the ending. Maybe, he’ll return someday.

Tomorrow in Part Three, my all time favorites covering Napoleon, Revolutions, the History of Rome and some Hardcore History! Feel the History Nerd Power!

Favorite History Podcasts – Part One

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Podcasts are a wonderful thing. You can listen or watch them on computers, game consoles and Internet streaming appliances via various apps, or carry them with you on a mobile device like a tablet, smartphone or MP3 player. They can be about any topic under the sun and, anyone can produce one if they want to. All one needs is a basic computer and microphone, some cheap or free software, and a web site to host them on for download. The barrier to entry is low, with no need of a big media company to produce or distribute the content.

I am a huge history geek and podcasts about history are my favorite. World history is a vast topic and there are podcasts on just about any specific area of historical study a person might want. I tend to be most interested in ancient and medieval history as well as almost all aspects of military history. Below is Part One of my listing of favorite history podcasts, in no particular order of preference. You can find these via the linked websites or search in iTunes or your favorite podcast app:

  • 12 Byzantine Rulers (http://12byzantinerulers.com/): This podcast from history author and lecturer Lars Brownworth discusses in detail 12 emperors of the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire. I’ve been fairly well versed in the Roman Empire for some time, but until I discovered this series I knew little about the half of the empire that survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire by a millennia. This is the first podcast I ever listened to even before I had my first iPod.
  • Norman Centuries (http://normancenturies.com/): Another podcast series by the aforementioned Mr. Brownworth. This one covers the conquests, migrations, and lasting impact of the Normans. The Normans were descendants of Viking “Northmen” who came exploding out of Scandinavia in the Middle Ages. From the podcast’s website:

    In the course of two centuries the Normans launched a series of extraordinary conquests, transforming Anglo-Saxon England into Great Britain, setting up a powerful Crusader state in Antioch, and turning Palermo into the dazzling cultural and economic capital of the western Mediterranean.

    If you thought the Normans were just the oppressors of the Saxons in England and got really annoyed by some guy named Robin Hood, give this one a listen.

  • A History of the World in 100 Objects (http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/): My best friend since 1979, a fellow geek, introduced me to this one. This is a unique podcast produce by the BBC for radio and also distributed online. It covers the entirety of human history by using 100 objects on display in the British Museum. It’s a really cool concept because as you listen to an episode you can visit the series’ website and see photos and other additional information about the object. I think it’d be a great teaching tool in schools as well.

Give these a listen. Tomorrow, Part Two…

Leveling the Gaming Table: 64oz. Games Is Live!

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I love all types of games. Give me traditional board games, like Monopoly and Clue, or old school card games, like Rummy and Pitch, or more stereotypically “geeky” games, like role playing games, “Euro games,” miniatures, war games, worker placement games, deck building games, etc. and I’ll at least try them. There’s just something about sitting around the gaming table and having some fun with a game that makes my world a little better. Sometimes, it’s the friendly competition, but most of the time it’s just the social aspect of it mixed with a great game that makes it worth doing.

We have a group of gamer buddies who have been playing various types of games together for a long time, a couple of us for 30+ years now. We’ve played just about every type of game. About a decade ago, some newer folks fell into my gamer orbit, including one friend, Tim, who is blind. Some games, like RPGs, don’t necessarily require sight to play. You just provide materials in Braille or electronic format that’s accessible to screen readers and add more verbal descriptions of visual aids like maps. Other more traditional card games are generally easy to manage because Braille playing cards have been around for a long time. But, some of then newer types of games, like card games with many different cards containing text on them, are harder to play without sight. We’ve always thought there must be a way to make some of these games more independently accessible to Tim. Luckily, someone else thought that and did something about it.

64oz. Games logo from their website

64oz. Games logo from their website

Tim turned me onto a Kickstarter last Spring for a small company called 64oz. Games. The company is a small start up designing their own games but they also wanted to make them playable by gamers who are blind. If you watch their video on the Kickstarter campaign site, they describe how, as they researched making accessible games, they realized no one was doing this or knew how to do it. They looked at lots of games and brainstormed what may be possible. They figured out what they’d need to create Braille lables and sleeves for cards as well as QR codes to embed card text readable out loud by a smartphone. (iPhones and Android phnes both have built in screen/text readers with iPhone’s VoiceOver being superior right now.) To make the Braille labels en masse, they needed a Braille embosser. (Think of it as a large, “printer” similar to an old dot matrix printer but with no ink. Just pins that poke the bumps into proper paper, card, or plastic stock. They’re expensive and loud.) Then, they selected a slate of games to offer accessibility kits for. They don’t sell modified games. I assume that would be a licensing hassle for a small outfit. But, what you got from the Kickstarter, depending on your backing amount, was one or more kits to modify a game of your choosing. Several in our group backed it and all chose different game kits so we could widen our selection of modified games in our collective libraries. (I chose a family favorite, Guillotine.)

Example of transparent sleeves with Braille for cards (via 64oz. Games)

Example of transparent sleeves with Braille for cards (via 64oz. Games)

Examples of QR codes added to cards (via 64oz. Games)

Examples of QR codes added to cards (via 64oz. Games)

They also researched and designed Braille dice, beginning with the symbol of game geekiness, the 20-sider!

Braille 20 sided die from 64oz. Games

Braille 20 sided die from 64oz. Games

I received my kit for Guillotine last week and, soon, I’ll get that game adapted and go play it for the first time with Tim! I also got the big 20-sider which looks alright. It’s got some funny edges here and there and I’m going to go old school and crayon in the numerals, but it’s nice to have. I’m very pleased with the quality of the kit overall. I’m glad I helped them get started.

And, “get started” is what they’ve done Today, I received an email that their web store is up and running at www.64ouncegames.com! On it, right now, I see kits for sale for:

  • Love Letter
  • For Sale
  • The Resistance
  • Coup
  • This Town Ain’t Big Enough For the 2-4 Of Us
  • CoinAge
  • Tiny Epic Kingdoms
  • Guillotine
  • Boss Monster
  • Kill the Overlord
  • Farmageddon

They had more choices during the Kickstarter, like a kit for Dominion, so I know more kits are coming. They also sell the 20-sided Braille die and their own tactile card game, Yoink! They promise color blind kits for games soon too, which is personally great for me. My stepson and my son are both color blind as well as are two other guys in my gaming group. Games with low color contrast between playing pieces, board illustrations, etc. can be a real impediment to playing so I’m glad these color blind adaption kits are coming!

Games can be a lot of fun and anyone who wants to play with their friends and family ought to be able to. I’m glad 64oz. Games is out there making this happen. Now, time to do some shopping. I think Tim would totally dig playing The Resistance.

Geek Genre Actors Doing Good AS Their Characters

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As fans, we sometimes have trouble separating actors from the characters they play. We can be a little disappointed, or downright devastated, to learn that they’re just actors playing a role and making a living. Further, some actors often try to distance themselves from their characters for various reasons, usually as a result of feeling typecasted and limited in their acting opportunities. For example, Leonard Nimoy raised an uproar in the 1970s with his book “I Am Not Spock” which offended Trekkies worldwide. Classic movie actor Basil Rathbone felt he was constrained by successfully playing Sherlock Holmes and came to hate the character. Actors, even when made famous by a beloved and iconic role are still just actors pretending to be someone else temporarily.

There are times, though, when an actor will portray a character on their own time just to do some good, cheer up a sick child, or pay back a kindness. I spotted a story on IO9.com about Peter Capaldi, the current (Twelfth) Doctor Who, making a short video as The Doctor to cheer up a 9 year old boy with autism whose nanny he loved had just passed away. The video is short but it is sweet that Mr. Capaldi took the time out to make it and send it to a boy he did not know. I started thinking about other recent instances of celebrity actors reprising their roles, sometimes in full costume and makeup, just do bring a little cheer into some fans’ lives.

Johnny Depp Visits Kids As Captain Jack Sparrow

Apparently never aging heart throb Johnny Depp totally gets how fortunate he is and likes to give back to kids. According to an article on Koopstarz, Mr. Depp travels with one of his Captain Jack Sparrow costumes, wig, makeup, etc. and is known to visit children’s hospitals and schools in character. In one instance, he also made a surprise visit to a school near where On Stranger Tides was filming. A female student had written him a letter asking him to visit and he showed up with the letter in hand and gave the little girl a hug in front of her classmates. See, bloody pirates ain’t so bad.

Johnny Depp visits school as Captain Jack via the Daily Mail

Johnny Depp visits school as Captain Jack via the Daily Mail

Robert Downey Jr. Spreads the Stark/Iron Man Charm

There’s no denying the Robert Downey Jr. and the character Iron Man have made each other more famous worldwide than they ever were before the two hooked up. Downey’s performances in three Iron Man movies and the Avengers have been a huge part of those movies earning billions of dollars for Marvel. RJD has had his ups and downs in his personal life and career and, it is rumored, he can be a bit of a prima donna. But, there is no denying that he is willing to give back, especially to kids. Some examples:

Jaime Alexander Visits Sick Kids As Lady Sif

Marvel posted an article about and photos from a November, 2013 visit by Thor movies actress Jamie Alexander to the Childrens Hospital off L.A.

Jamie Alexander visits the Childrens Hospital of L.A. as Lady Sif (via Marvel)

Jamie Alexander visits the Childrens Hospital of L.A. as Lady Sif (via Marvel)

She did not just visit the sick and hand out posters and DVDs. She did it in full Lady Sif of Asgard costume complete with shield and sword.

Chris Pratt Visits Childrens’ Hospital As Starlord

Apparently, the Childrens Hospital of L.A. is the one to get treatment from, if you want to also meet Marvel superheroes. In August, Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt attended a special screening of the movie at the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles in his costume as Starlord. According to an August 22, 2014 article on Blastr, Pratt had stated previously that he had literally stolen some of his costume pieces after the movie wrapped so he could do this sort of thing in the event that the movie became a blockbuster. Sure enough, it became the biggest movie of 2014, almost everyone knows who the Guardians are, and Pratt kept his word. He delighted the kids at the screening and even visited some kids separately who were too ill to go to the group screening. One of those kids happens to be a huge Lego fan. It just so happens, of course, that Pratt ALSO starred in The Lego Movie so he spent some time with this fan, too, doing his character, Emmett, from the movie! He gets double credit for doing not one, but two characters in the same day to cheer up some sick kids!

Chris Pratt visits chidlrens hospital as StarLord

Chris Pratt visits chidlrens hospital as StarLord

These are just a few examples of actors using their fame to give back. Know any others? Post them in the comments below.

via the MarySue: Geeky Celebs Dressing Up As Each Other For Halloween Is Our New Favorite Thing

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OK, ok. I know this is a bit of a cop out for 30 Blogs In 30 Days. But I had a long night and a 2 hour wait for delivery dinner and I’m spent…

I spotted this while reading a different story on the MarySue: Geeky Celebs Dressing Up As Each Other For Halloween Is Our New Favorite Thing. It’s full of great celeb Halloween costumes like:

Sean Pertwee dressing up as his dad, the Third Doctor.

Sean Pertwee dressing up as his dad, the Third Doctor.

And…

Jennifer Morrison (from Once Upon A Time and Kirk's rebooted mom) in her fourth annual appearance as Hermione Granger

Jennifer Morrison (from Once Upon A Time and Kirk’s rebooted mom) in her fourth annual appearance as Hermione Granger

But, the award for most adorable goes to Neil Patrick Harris’ family

Neil Patrick Harris and family on Halloween 2014

Neil Patrick Harris and family on Halloween 2014

There are other great nerdy celebs in costumes at the MarySue.

via the Atlantic: How Agents of SHIELD Got Good By Forgetting About Superheroes

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The Atlantic, always a good site to find thought-provoking stories and news, has an op-ed that should make fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) happy. Joe Reid writes in How Agents of SHIELD Got Good By Forgetting About Superheroes that, while the first season of AoS was a bit slow and the characters were flat, that the collapse of SHIELD portrayed in Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier and the effects from that on AoS gave the show the kick in the Agents it needed.

The core Agents of SHIELD cast at series premiere via comicvine.com

The core Agents of SHIELD cast at series premiere via comicvine.com

I won’t reiterate his entire reasoning here, but I mostly agree. My wife, Geekling and I have watched AoS from the beginning and liked it. I admit to a bit of “fanboyism” in overlooking some of the flatness of the characters in my joy at seeing the return of Agent Coulson. (I, like many, was never happy that he got “Whedonned” in Avengers.) And, I was excited to see the tie-ins to the MCU’s movies of which there were some in the first half of the season. But, I do admit I wondered if it was just going to be a bunch of good guys chasing bad guys, grabbing artifacts, stopping super villains and what not. In other words, it felt a bit like a souped up cop show. (Almost Human, anyone?) There was an early plot line, “Centipede,” which also linked to the plot of Ironman 3, and that gave AoS a sort of “plot thread” running through the show. But, while it was full of action, effects, and Coulson’s deadpan humor, I agree the show hadn’t found its legs. I worried ABC would give up on it as weak ratings were reported.

(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)

Then, The Winter Soldier hit theaters. We sat in the theater and watched Hydra finally come into the light and SHIELD get kneecapped. And, I thought, “What the hell does this mean for AoS?” By all accounts, the actors on the show were just as shocked at a super secret screening of Cap 2. In the short video below, Clark Gregg talks about how they were all shocked. The next day they were  handed new secret scripts revealing the big turn the show was taking and Agent Ward’s betrayal:

Suddenly, AoS had new juice and it began to find its legs. The guest actors portraying both villains and allies add wonderful spice to the show. Bill Paxton was so good as a treacherous Hydra sleeper agent, the “Clairvoyant,” that I could not wait for him to get whacked. (His demise was hilarious.) And Patton Oswalt as, apparently at least three, Agents Koenig is great.

So, yes, I agree that AoS has finally found its spark, its mojo. New characters like Mack, Hunter and Bobbi Morse (“Mockingbird”) as well as villainous guest characters like Skye’s father, played creepily, and also dorkily, by Kyle MacLachlan, have added new energy to the show. Although, I fear to get too attached to some of the characters. The ABC/Disney/Marvel PR people pumped Lucy Lawless (Xena, Spartacus) up as a new addition playing another SHIELD agent… and killed her off in her first episode. This is a Joss Whedon show so we should know not get attached to everyone. (I’m still pissed about Wash in the movie, Serenity.) The changes in the original cast members and reveals of some of their pasts make the characters less flat. The actors have something to chew on now. The stories are better and so is the dialog.

I do have worries, though, moving forward:

  • With so many actors, can the writers feed them all and make sure they have meaningful roles in the show’s stories?
  • How do you redeem Ward? He killed dozens of SHIELD agents!
  • Will middle of the road ratings do for a costly show? Those effects and the large cast cannot be cheap.

But, I am optimistic. AoS is on an upward trajectory. And, I almost anticipate the show’s winter hiatus this season because then we get the beginnings of SHIELD in Agent Carter!

On Elections, Lack of Voters, and Loss of Civility

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A polling place sign via UNC.org

A polling place sign via UNC.org


So, here on CO I try not to get too serious or even political. On Election Day, I will veer from that a bit. This post is based on a reply to a joke gif a friend posted on FB. Its point :

  • November 4 is Election Day, if you’re voting for “Party A,”
  • November 5 is Election Day, if you’re voting for “Party B.”

Yes, it was a joke and, perhaps, I need to lighten up. But, the electoral system in our beloved U.S., voter apathy, and the “win at all costs because we’re right and you’re an idiot” mentally are making me fearful for our system of government and my children’s future here. So, I replied the following:

I generally vote Dem but that’s more of a vote against the GOP than a vote for the Dems. (There are GOP fiscal policies I could get behind if the GOP would stop telling people, like my best friend and one of my kids, who they can marry or what my daughters can do with their reproductive health and bodies.)
In any case, even if this “joke” were reversed, I would not find it funny. One of our most sacred rights as citizens is the right to vote and have free elections. Too many groups have had to fight for that right in the U.S. and experienced persecution and even death in the pursuit of it. I think it is important that every eligible voter go vote and vote their conscience. Even if the candidates I want to win do not win, I can live with it if I know that it is truly the will of the entire electorate because they all went out and cast informed votes. If someone wins from any party because votes for their opponent were not cast or not counted, then we have a flawed election in my book. And, the elected officials are not the ones their constituents truly wanted. Even a joke of “make sure our side votes but the enemy’s side does not” is not funny to me because it smacks of what’s fundamentally wrong with our system: “If you disagree with my agenda or views, you’re an enemy to be derided and defeated.” Neither side’s wingnuts will allow conversation or compromise with the other. It’s corrosive and destructive. We teach our kids to share and compromise. We teach our coworkers to accept differences and work together. Our politicians practice just the opposite.

Basically, if a party “wins’ because the other parties did not get their votes in to the polls, they only won a false “victory” and it leads their electorate down a path they did not want. That’s a flawed democracy. And it’s no joke.

So, I got a little cranky. But, I think about our media and politics and I think of media outlets who should be unbiased but are not. Fox News basically derides every single thing Democrats try to accomplish as evidence of how “liberals hate America.” MSNBC derides every Republican as also “hating all poor and working class.” Newspapers “endorse” a candidate, making me wonder how objective their reporting is. Reporting and candidate statements are full of half truths, hyperbole, and fear tactics. (I know none of that is new.) Very little of it is constructive debate. It spills over into social media. More outlandish half truths and negativity proliferate there. Very little actual factual information is “shared” all over Facebook, Twitter, G+, etc. And, gods of sanity help you if you post a reasoned political opinion online. You’ll be inundated with name calling and worse because, clearly, if you are a “bleeding heart liberal” or a “neo-fascits conservative,” your opinion is immediately invalid.

And, of course, the two major parties are as bad if not worse. There is no reasoned discourse. There is no compromise. The wingnuts in both parties sabotage the campaign and influence of any member of their party who traitorously actually tries to talk to the opposing party and reach a compromise. Go along with your extreme base or be ostracized!

So, the innocent joke set me off. It set me off because I want a government that works. A government that isn’t bought, that listens to its electorate, that looks out for the good of the whole nation, not just a few.

And I want an electorate that thinks, discusses, and reasons out its decisions on voting and policy. I do not want an electorate that votes based on hatred, unreasoned fears, media hyperbole, greed or, worse, an electorate that is too lazy to vote.

I feel like our democracy no longer functions. And as long as people are fat, dumb and happy, most do not care.

You know, my son voted in his 4th grade class. I asked him how he voted for governor. I asked him why he voted how he did and he replied, “because the other guy said mean things about him [the candidate he voted for] on TV commercials!” He was offended by the negativity. So am I, son. So am I.

Via Mashable: Internet Archive now lets you play 900 classic arcade games

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Midway, Atari, Williams, Bally, Sega… Just a few of the companies that created many of the classic arcade video games from the 1970s and 1980s. Starting with simple monochrome games and evolving to multicolor games with music and sound effects, these companies along with others created a new industry and a new obsession for kids like me of that era: coin op video arcades.

Coin op games like pinball had been around for decades. But the revolutions going on in computer processors, memory and video displays coupled with lots of imagination created a whole new form of entertainment. And the effects of that revolution are still felt today with the home console video game industry worth billions of dollars annually. (If you’re interested, Wikipedia has a timeline of arcade video games.)

Kids at the arcade in the 1980s via arcadeheroes.com

Kids at the arcade in the 1980s via arcadeheroes.com

The games look positively primitive today. Back in the day, though, they were totally awesome and we fed them quarters by the truckload. Heck, I remember being in high school or college and visiting our local mall and its Aladdin’s Castle Arcade. The mall also had a branch of the bank where I had a savings account. And I had my passbook. I went to the bank three times and withdrew money that quickly fed those coin op games. In one afternoon, I blew like a hundred bucks which, in the mid ’80s, was worth a fair bit more than it is today.

But, now, thanks to the Internet Archive, you don’t need quarters or tokens to play many of these games. As Mashable reported, the Internet Archive has posted 900 classic arcade games online! You read that right, 900. Some are classics, like Zaxxon, Sinistar, and Defender. Others…well, not so classic, but still fun if only for nostalgia. And, they all play in your Internet browser for free. If you’re not old enough to remember these, you’ll probably think they look…well…primitive. But, imagine how the latest Call of Duty or Madden will look in 20 years when your kids are in their total sensory immersive rigs complete with Smell-o-vision playing Madden 50.

Got a few days free? Try them all.

Joe Walsh – Space Age Whiz Kids (1983) from MTVClassic1 on Vimeo.

Early MTV Music Video

SyFy Gets Back To Sci Fi, But Can My Geekling Watch Too?

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Entertainment Weekly has a nice article on how the SyFy Channel is planning to get back into the actual science fiction business. This news isn’t quite as shocking as, say, MTV going back to showing actual music videos, but it is welcome news nonetheless. Ever since shows like SyFy’s rebooted Battlestar Galactica ended, SyFy got away from big, and expensive, space epics. They’ve done “reality” shows like Ghost Hunters and lighter, and less expensive, scripted shows like Warehouse 13 and Eureka. They’ve had some success with those shows but conceded the territory of epic sci fi and edgy fantasy to other networks such as AMC with The Walking Dead. As the EW article states, this year they brought in new programming chief Bill McGoldrick who comes from networks like USA. SyFy will be adding 5 new shows this season including space epics Ascension and Expanse. Click over to the EW article for a complete rundown on SyFy’s new shows and a Q&A with McGoldrick on the changes coming.

I am glad to see SyFy getting back to actual sci fi, but I’m still concerned. I’m concerned because I wonder if I’ll be able to watch these new epics with my 10 year old geekling. It seems from where I sit that for a dramas to be successful on TV anymore they not only have to be “edgy” but also very violent. The rebooted BSG was not a kid friendly show and I sure as heck would not let my geekling watch Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, or True Blood. You see, I actually liked now cancelled SyFy shows like Eureka because they were, sort of, sci fi and didn’t have a whole lot going on that you had to tell your kid to close his eyes during. Dr. Who may be the only in production sci fi show I can watch with him and even it likes to veer into almost horror once in a while. (The episodes this season haven’t seemed as good this season anyway, although I do like Peter Capaldi as The Doctor.) Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD is the only other must see show we watch that is sort of sci fi and it had a pretty high body count at times.

I know I’m “of a certain age.” I cut my TV sci fi teeth on reruns of Space:1999 and Star Trek in the latter half of the 1970s. And, like everyone else, I was blown away by Star Wars when it hit theaters during my sixth grade year. About the same time I discovered The Six Million Dollar Man and, after TV execs saw the dollar signs of Star Wars, ABC gave me the original BSG. Going into the 1980s, for better or worse, we got Buck Rogers, which was fun but set back drama by about 20 years. Finally, in 1987, thanks to the success of Star Trek theatrical movies, Star Trek: the Next Generation premiered in 1987 giving us good space epic sci fi, even if it took a couple of seasons, and better costumes, to find the show’s groove. The shows I grew up on were a mixed bag, mostly good to great, a few not so much (sorry, Captain Rogers and Colonel Deering).

They all had one thing in common, though: you could watch them as a kid, even if you didn’t get all the “subtext.” There was violence, sure. But, the violence wasn’t gratuitous nor was it gory. And, yes, there was some sexual innuendo. (You know he had a good time when Captain Kirk is sitting on his bed putting his boots on.) And, frankly, I believe we should be more worried about violence in our entertainment than naked boobies anyway. My point is, my parents did not have to worry about any bad influences on me from watching my sci fi shows, except for possibly my lack of outside playing while I watched them. The good ones were good adventures that fired my imagination and, occasionally, got me thinking about social issues of importance. Both aforementioned Star Trek franchises, especially the Original Series, would slip in stories addressing racism, war, and human rights. The shows of my youth and early adulthood were fun, mind opening, and, for the most, safe for kids 10 and up. By contrast, the rebooted BSG started with a 2 hour TV movie that opened with a sex scene between Baltar and the Cylon and within 20 minutes had the same Cylon murdering a baby out of curiosity at its fragility. I never watched another episode. Give me Boxie and his robot daggit, Muffin any day.

Times change, I know. The shows of the 1950s were certainly hokey and outdated to the audiences of the 1970s and 1980s. The same is true of many of the sci fi shows I watched growing up when watched by modern audiences. Tastes change. But, I have to think it is possible to write good sci fi TV with great stories, occasional socially relevant themes, dazzling effects, humor, and action without buckets of blood and acres of corpses littered everywhere.

Welcome back to sci fi, SyFy. I’ll give your new shows a try for sure. But, I’ll screen them without my Geekling first to make sure he can watch them too. And, if I decide they’re not appropriate for him, I probably won’t watch them either. I don’t want to shoo him away when I watch TV. I’ll just keep showing him classic sci fi streamed online or from my video library. We’ve got a lot of TNG to get through yet.