What language are you speaking, old man?


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Since these days "cursive" is only something you do at people:

I woke up to the clanging bells atop my clock, just managing to catch it before it marched off the nightstand. Judging by how bright it was outside, I’d forgotten to wind it up before bed. I snapped on my favorite a.m. station, then wolfed down a quick breakfast of Ghostbusters’ cereal and bright green Ecto cooler. Index finger out, I carefully dialed the seven digits to my friend’s house, fidgeting as the dial dinged back into place with each number. He wasn’t home, so it just rang and rang; I gave up after ten. We were supposed to meet to play lawn jarts, but now he’d never know I was running late.

I picked up the phone receiver and set it on top of the modem (I need a new cord, this one is all tangled), cringing at the hissing and popping noises, until it finally connected to my local bulletin board. The radio switched to advertising 8 track albums while I was checking for new posts, so I clicked off and jangled my keys until the black and white T.V. turned on. Nothing but “I Love Lucy” and PBS, but “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” was coming on later. I wouldn’t be home, so I stuck a piece of scotch tape to an old VCR tape and popped it in, spending a few minutes to program the proper channel and time. I wanted everything to be perfect, so I wrapped a little tin foil around the rabbit ears for good luck.

I rattled off a quick print out of the instructions for some new game, “Doom,”on the dot matrix, tore off the perforated edges of the paper, and ran out the door. I left so fast I forgot my keys, but I don’t usually lock the door behind me anyhow. I jumped onto my bench seat bicycle (pausing to laugh at the one kid riding around with a helmet on), and pressed “Play” on my beat-up walkman. Pedaling past the corner gas station towards the library, I could hear a new driver grinding the gears of his stick shift even over my Van Halen cassette. There was a new movie coming out at the drive in, so they lined up at the pumps, white dials with black letters whirling like tops as the leaded gas pouring into their tanks. Eager children sat in the middle of the front seat or bounced around in the back, and I waved back at a little girl who looked out from the rear-facing seat of the family station wagon.

I stopped at the record store on my way across town, forking over a two-dollar bill and my last 50-cent piece, the clerk’s fingers clacking away at the abacus. Apparently, they haven’t caught up with the times; it’s all solar-powered calculators now. The wait was worth it, as I managed to get the very last record I needed for my collection, except this was a 78 and all the others were 45’s. A sign on the way out advertised they were carrying classic movies on Super 8, but I don’t own a projector. Maybe I’ll write out a nice letter to my grandmother in longhand and ask for one at Christmas. I’d have taken a picture of it so she’d know what to buy, but I was all out of flashcubes.

When I got to the library, I had to put my bike around back, as there was a man out front pushing a mower, and I didn’t want the flying grass shavings all over my ride. He had a good rhythm going, with the constant back and forth whirling of the DNA helix shaped blades in a horizontal cylinder. Walking inside, the sound of the mimeograph quickly drowned out the mowing, and I smiled at librarian, who waved back with blue stained fingers. According to the index, my book was out for a few days, but the librarian mentioned she could call around and try to find another library with a copy if I wished. I thanked her and headed off to my friend’s, but not before making a quick pit stop at the five and dime to pick up a spare typewriter ribbon.


Missing the '80s, eh?

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8

Hmmm. I could have some fun with this in my ESL class.

"How would you rewrite this diary entry if it took place in the year 2008? You may use a dictionary to look up words you don't recognize."


Id Vicious wrote:
Missing the '80s, eh?

Lol, nah, got bored at work and started making a list of all the things my son would never know about, and it turned into this.


GET OFF MY LAWN!!!


I just got myself a 1200 baud modem. The Trade Wars game on the local BBS just screams by now...


Whoo! It took a $25,000 loan, but I finally got the new Apple Lisa! Now, if only I could figure out this 'mouse' thing...

Liberty's Edge

mwbeeler wrote:
Id Vicious wrote:
Missing the '80s, eh?
Lol, nah, got bored at work and started making a list of all the things my son would never know about, and it turned into this.

Aw, man, now I feel old...


The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...

This will cheer you up.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Development

Awesome post, man.

Dark Archive

looks up from playing "Pitfall" on his Atari 2600

Have you considered trading in the bike and splurging on one of those new K-cars?

Goes back to playing and mutters ... "gotta get me a new Nintendo 64 - the graphics on those are totally awesome!"

Sovereign Court

mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.

It reminds me of Canadians...

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8

Callous Jack wrote:
mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.
It reminds me of Canadians...

Heheh. My soon-to-be Canadian wife so wants to buy me that hat.

Liberty's Edge

Tarren Dei wrote:
Callous Jack wrote:
mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.
It reminds me of Canadians...
Heheh. My soon-to-be Canadian wife so wants to buy me that hat.

A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything.

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8

The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Tarren Dei wrote:
Callous Jack wrote:
mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.
It reminds me of Canadians...
Heheh. My soon-to-be Canadian wife so wants to buy me that hat.
A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything.

I'm NOT afraid of anything. I'd rock that hat.


STOP ALL THAT NOISE!!!!


I miss Ecto Cooler. One of the tastiest fake drinks ever made.

Scarab Sages

More and more I wish I was a Neo-Luddite.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

I gotta go warm up the TV so I can play Curse of the Azure Bonds on my C64!

Scarab Sages

I gotta tune into my favorite Top 40 station so I can record the newest song from U2.


flash_cxxi wrote:
I gotta go warm up the TV so I can play Curse of the Azure Bonds on my C64!

The setup is non-trivial to get it flawless, but I played through the entire Gold Box series using DosBox last year. Good times!

(oh, and I had forgotten I used to use my 13' t.v. as a monitor, thanks for that)

Scarab Sages

I think I'll play some Legend of Zelda when I get home.

It's the Legend of Zelda
And it's really rad....


although the original montage was a mix of the 70's and 80's

Hellfire warrior on the apple-----> Macalypse the Mage and Pon Fnoro the apothecary!


Jal Dorak wrote:
I gotta tune into my favorite Top 40 station so I can record the newest song from U2.

Hopefully the DJ isn't a d!*& and doesn't talk during the opening of the song...

Dark Archive

That reminds me. I think I'll grab a McDLT on my lunch break today, and wash it down with a Crystal Pepsi. Or maybe I'll run over to Burger King and grab a Whaler.


Shadowborn wrote:
Hopefully the DJ isn't a d!*& and doesn't talk during the opening of the song...

Nothing inspires rage as when they talk over the beginning on your favorite tune after you've already lifted the pause button.

David Fryer wrote:
That reminds me....and wash it down with a Crystal Pepsi.

I really liked Crystal Pepsi; shame they didn't keep it. Lord only knows what they had to do to remove the caramel coloring, though.

Dark Archive

After last night's South Park I can only hope that my grandkids will be able to grow up in a world without High School Musical and it's many imitators and mockeries.

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
mwbeeler wrote:
Shadowborn wrote:
Hopefully the DJ isn't a d!*& and doesn't talk during the opening of the song...

Nothing inspires rage as when they talk over the beginning on your favorite tune after you've already lifted the pause button.

David Fryer wrote:
That reminds me....and wash it down with a Crystal Pepsi.
I really liked Crystal Pepsi; shame they didn't keep it. Lord only knows what they had to do to remove the caramel coloring, though.

Gods, I loved Crystal Pepsi, but now I hunger for BK.

Dark Archive

Lazaro wrote:
mwbeeler wrote:


David Fryer wrote:
That reminds me....and wash it down with a Crystal Pepsi.
I really liked Crystal Pepsi; shame they didn't keep it. Lord only knows what they had to do to remove the caramel coloring, though.
Gods, I loved Crystal Pepsi, but now I hunger for BK.

Glad that I could help. ;p


I'm gonna head over to my friend's house this weekend. We'll be watching Headbanger's Ball on MTV on Friday night. Saturday morning we'll wake up early to catch all the good cartoons, then spend the day playing Temple of Apshai on his Apple IIe...but we'll probably have to clean out his 5 1/4" floppy drive first; it's acting twitchy.


Aberzombie wrote:
I think I'll play some Legend of Zelda when I get home.

Link...he come to town...come to save...The Princess Zelda!...

Scarab Sages

I was also considering popping open a can of New Coke and playing some Defender or Pacman on my Atari 2600. Or, maybe I'll hop on my Commodore Amiga and play Seven Cities of Gold.

Liberty's Edge

I think I'll just stick to Pitfall, Zork, and Tetris.

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I think I'll sit back for the weekend, and watch Captain N

Dark Archive

Aberzombie wrote:
I was also considering popping open a can of New Coke and playing some Defender or Pacman on my Atari 2600. Or, maybe I'll hop on my Commodore Amiga and play Seven Cities of Gold.

I'm going to play Combat on my 2600.

Dark Archive

Lazaro wrote:
I think I'll sit back for the weekend, and watch Captain N

You can stick that. I'm going to watch Thundarr and the Blackstar.

Sovereign Court

Tarren Dei wrote:
Callous Jack wrote:
mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.
It reminds me of Canadians...
Heheh. My soon-to-be Canadian wife so wants to buy me that hat.

Is she soon to be canadian, or soon to be wife?

The Exchange

I got a pocket full of quarters and I'm heading to the arcade.

Dark Archive RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

mwbeeler wrote:
Lord only knows what they had to do to remove the caramel coloring, though.

I'm guessing it was a fairly simple matter of not putting it in to begin with. Just a theory. :)


mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.

I need that. I'm making my stepmom make it for me.


I miss the 80s. I was cool back then...

Still could fit in my polyester shirt and Jordache jeans from the disco era, had enough hair to feather, and my pilot frame glasses were a hit with the 'foxes'.


mwbeeler wrote:
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Aw, man, now I feel old...
This will cheer you up.

Does it come in tinfoil?

Dark Archive

Emperor7 wrote:

I miss the 80s. I was cool back then...

Still could fit in my polyester shirt and Jordache jeans from the disco era, had enough hair to feather, and my pilot frame glasses were a hit with the 'foxes'.

I still fit into my prachute pants. okay, not really, but I can dream.

Sovereign Court

Emperor7 wrote:

I miss the 80s. I was cool back then...

Still could fit in my polyester shirt and Jordache jeans from the disco era, had enough hair to feather, and my pilot frame glasses were a hit with the 'foxes'.

Should I call you Gramps from now on?


Callous Jack wrote:
Emperor7 wrote:

I miss the 80s. I was cool back then...

Still could fit in my polyester shirt and Jordache jeans from the disco era, had enough hair to feather, and my pilot frame glasses were a hit with the 'foxes'.

Should I call you Gramps from now on?

NO!

Sovereign Court

Emperor7 wrote:
Callous Jack wrote:
Emperor7 wrote:

I miss the 80s. I was cool back then...

Still could fit in my polyester shirt and Jordache jeans from the disco era, had enough hair to feather, and my pilot frame glasses were a hit with the 'foxes'.

Should I call you Gramps from now on?
NO!

*groan* What is gramps yelling about now? somebody make him a sasparilla so he'll calm down.

Dark Archive

Get off my lawn you damn kids.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Gene wrote:
I think I'll just stick to Zork.

ZORK FTW!!!

I have Zork I, II & III loaded as apps through my Facebook Page (as well as Pacman).
Zork I is by far and away the best game ever made!!!

Dark Archive

Fake Healer wrote:
I got a pocket full of quarters and I'm heading to the arcade.

When I was twelve years old I was in a play about a bunch of guys who hung out in an arcade, and their girlfriends try to "save" them. I still remember the song the arcade owner used to try and "lure" the girls into playing.

A penny to play Tron, a nickle for Xaxson, a dime for any of the others...

My parents decided I needed to learn how evil video games were after I stopped at the arcade one day to play Centipede and ended up staying so long that they called the police to come and find me. I guess I had forgotten to tell them I was going to stop at the arcade on the way home.

Sovereign Court

lastknightleft wrote:
*groan* What is gramps yelling about now? somebody make him a sasparilla so he'll calm down.

I thought he preferred Ovaltine?

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