Super Mario Bros. on the Commodore 64

In the world of computers and video games, “killer apps” are defined as programs or games so useful or desirable that it actually drives hardware sales. In other words, people want the application or game so bad that they will buy a computer or video game console just to play it. Two of the earliest examples of killer apps were VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet that sent small business owners running to their nearest Apple computer dealership, and Space Invaders, a game that caused sales of the original Atari 2600 console to triple. It’s hard to think of a bigger… (read more)

RobOHara

Easter (2019)

“I need to run to Walmart,” Susan said to me around six a.m., Easter morning. “The kids’ baskets look a little light this year.” I hadn’t seen the kids’ Easter baskets yet — Susan took care of that this year, like she does every year. After putting a pan of brownies in the oven, she went to Walmart, and I went back to sleep. Over the past twenty-four hours, Susan picked up hamburger meat, cooked a ham, made a cake, baked a pan of brownies, and made multiple runs to the store. By the time the kids woke up, each… (read more)

RobOHara

Moving Files into Folders [PowerShell]

Lately I’ve been going back through some of my old DVDs and Blu-rays and re-ripping the ones where I missed commentary tracks or special features. The ultimate goal is to put each movie into its own folder (along with any associated files, like subtitle tracks or movie posters), but I tend to let them pile up for a while in one place which ends up in a big house cleaning mess when it’s time to organize them all. I’ve been doing a lot of PowerShell scripting at work, and have started writing a few scripts for my home computer/network as… (read more)

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Media Consumption (2019 Q1 Mini-Summary)

CHiPs

Last night I finished reading The Princess Diarist, the third (and final) memoir published by Carrie Fisher. That makes the seventh book I’ve finished so far this year. In 2018 I only read six books, so I’ve already surpassed that number. I set a goal for myself this year of reading at least two books a month; so far, I’m on pace. In the past three months I’ve watched three television show/seasons: NOFX: Backstage Passport (seasons one and two), Russian Doll, and the third season of CHiPs. I was able to get through both the NOFX show and Russian Doll… (read more)

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Weezer/Pixies (BOK Center, 03/37/19)

I’m behind on my blogging. Actually, I’m behind on everything. If you like Venn diagrams, imagine a small circle labelled “blogging” inside a larger circle that says “everything.” The title of the diagram would be, “things I’m currently behind on.” Way back in January when I heard The Pixies were coming to the BOK Center in Tulsa, I immediately bought four tickets. The kids weren’t super-stoked about going to the show (“who the heck are The Pixies?”) until I told them that they were playing with Weezer. Then, then got excited. At some point in time after we purchased those… (read more)

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There Are No Rules in Mexico, Only Suggestions: Cozumel Cruise, 2019

Last week during spring break, Susan, the kids, and I took a Carnival cruise to Cozumel. This was our fourth cruise together as a family, and our second time to visit Cozumel. Previously we cruised to Hawaii in 2015, Alaska in 2012, and Cozumel (the first time) ten years ago in 2009. We spent Sunday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), driving from Oklahoma City down to Galveston, Texas (about 500 miles). Our cruise ship, the Carnival Valor, departed from Galveston the following morning. On Wednesday, March 20, we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico, and on the following day, we arrived in… (read more)

RobOHara

Our Cat is Acting Like a Butthole

Our cat, Dusty Springtail (nobody ever calls her that), has been being a naughty turd ever since we moved to our new house. Frankly, we don’t know what to do about her at this point. The cat has carried over all of her bad/annoying behavior from our previous house — mostly, that means throwing up almost daily, and occasionally choosing not to poop in her litter box. For both of these issues, we’ve tried everything we’ve read online to try. We feed her smaller portions than we used to, and buy food designed for cats with upset stomachs. As for… (read more)

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Fallen Entertainers Meet Their New Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Michael Jackson as a zombie from Thriller

When I’m driving in my car and not streaming music or podcasts on my phone, I mostly listen to Alice FM (96.9). Alice’s catch phrase is “We Play Anything,” and they’ve adopted the “random play” format (first popularized by Chicago’s Jack FM) in an attempt to compete (or at least emulate) iPods on shuffle. Alice FM first tried this a few years back when they were Bob FM, and returned to the format (along with a new name) in the beginning of 2018. According to their website, in the past hor they’ve played Green Day’s “When I Come Around,” Pat… (read more)

RobOHara

End of the Road: Kiss Farewell Tour

I have to admit, I was originally on the fence when Susan asked if I wanted to see Kiss perform on their “End of the Road” world tour stop in Oklahoma City. While there are plenty of Kiss songs I enjoy, I’d be hard pressed to refer to myself a member of the band’s “Kiss Army.” Like most of the band’s casual fans, I enjoy a lot of their songs from the late 70s and early 80s, a few from the mid 80s, and almost nothing from the past thirty years. Still, it’s hard to say no when a legendary… (read more)

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Forgotten, But Not Gone

No more than five minutes after my high school graduation ceremony ended, I, along with hundreds of my classmates, boarded a bus en route for Project Graduation — a lock-in designed to keep high school seniors safe graduation night. The event wasn’t mandatory and I remember not particularly wanting to attend, but someone (my parents, probably) convinced me at the last moment that Project Graduation would be, in all likelihood, the last time I saw most of my classmates. This same fact was repeated during our bus ride back back to the high school the following morning. “Look at the… (read more)

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