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Wednesday, April 3, 2019
We sat to plan the blog’s first year birthday party amid extreme moments of stress afflicting several close friends.
When we first sat to plan the party we didn’t think that:
on the day of, my apartment would be festooned with boxes, dolls, lamps, files, monitors, extra TV sets, a shredder, a computer, and on;
we would share the joy by inviting several close friends as guests of the birthday event as a diversion from serious personal loss;
one of my favorite writers will present a poem and prologue written especially for the occasion;
we would spend near 500.00 for the meat;
we would spend nothing for the champagne and wines, generously supplied by others;
that everyone we invited, less two, would accept.
But that all did happen.
When we first sat to plan the party we did think that:
we would unveil an innovative meal. We are: a version of Pesto Sauce, to wit: using 4-hour, slow-roasted, fully-caramelized garlic and pine nuts;
serve a great meat, to wit: a dry-aged, tomahawk-cut Prime Rib Roast of extra-large dimensions;
we would serve an old-fashioned, inelegant, but delicious rum-filled (artificial of course,) birthday cake from Modern Pastry that celebrates ‘existentialautotrip;’
all attendees would mingle very well.
We started the planning well in advance.
Life roared on during and after the planning.
But we were prepared.
We knew it would when we first sat down to plan the party.
Today and the next six days show one day in the high forties and the others in the fifties.
Tick Tock.
In clock language:
Enjoy today.
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Postings Count, Weather Brief, and Dinner
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
My 362nd consecutive posting, committed to 5,000.
After 362 posts we’re at the 7.20% mark of my commitment, the commitment a different way of marking the passage of time.
Time is 12.01am.
On Wednesday Boston’s temperature will reach a high of 55* with a feels-like temperature of 53* with morning rain followed by mainly sunny skies.
Dinner of London Broil with Fried Rice and Asparagus.
question
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden writes a diplomatic message of condolence regarding the death of Polish President Lech Kaczyński.
The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/4521473331/
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Love your notes.
Contact me at existentialautotrip@hotmail.com
Thank you for the outpouring of condolences.
Some examples:
From Sally C:
Dear Dom,
Blessings to you for being a bulwark when your friends need one, even though they can be overwhelming in their sudden "colaescing." It isn't easy work, but no price can be placed on its value. Love has no currency.
A friend of mine, once a professional colleague, is helping walk his wife, recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, through the final leg of this mortal journey, which can't last another month. (I am humbled by his trust in my friendship, built over the last 30+ years, to be open to me about this. It isn't easy.) His words in an email to me last week, which I find exquisitely beautiful:
"When this illness reaches its inevitable conclusion, I will be sad - not for the first time in my life - but I will never be lonely."
Death cannot extinguish deep love between two spirits willfully united in love so many years ago.
Sally
From Kali L:
I always say I want a joyful life because I feel like
Joy is the bridge between sorrow and happiness.
I’m sorry life is presenting you with so many moments that have you pausing to reflect on the journey of this life and how both vast and short it is.
Thinking of you
Kali
And from Tommie T:
I love Victor Frankel . and his book, Man's Search for Meaning. I am re-reading that book at this very moment.
Web Meister Responds: Thank you for your lovely and timely thoughts.
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Chuckle of the Day
A guy goes to the supermarket and notices an attractive woman waving at him.
She walks down the detergent aisle and says a warm hello.
He’s rather taken aback because he can’t place where he knows her from.
So he says, "Do you know me?"
To which she replies, "I think you’re the father of one of my kids."
Now his mind travels back to the only time he has ever been unfaithful to his wife and says, "My God, you’re the stripper from my bachelor party. I made love to you on the pool table with all my buddies watching.”
“No!” she says. “Interesting, no doubt. But I’m your son’s home room teacher."
Terminator 2: Judgment Day pinball machine
Wayne Patrick Finn - Own work
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Answer to the Question of the Day:
What is a pin ball machine?
Pinball is a type of arcade game, in which points are scored by a player manipulating one or more metallic balls on a play field inside a glass-covered cabinet called a pinball machine.
The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible, often within a limited time. Many modern pinball machines include a "storyline" where the player must complete certain objectives in a certain fashion to complete the story, usually earning high scores for different methods of completing the game.
Different amount of points are earned when the ball strikes different targets on the play field.
A drain is situated at the bottom of the play field, partially protected by player-controlled paddles called flippers.
A game ends after all the balls fall into the drain a certain number of times.
Secondary objectives are to maximize the time spent playing (by earning "extra balls" and keeping the ball in play as long as possible) and to earn bonus games (known as "replays").
aa
A clear walled electromechanical pinball machine created by the Pacific Pinball Museum to show what the insides of pinball machines look like.
Visible_Pinball_III.jpg: Kevin Tiell for the Pacific Pinball Museum derivative work: Sven Manguard - This file was derived from: Visible Pinball III - Pacific Pinball Museum.jpg
The introduction of microprocessors brought pinball into the realm of electronic gaming.
The electromechanical relays and scoring reels that drove games in the 1950s and 1960s were replaced in the 1970s with circuit boards and digital displays.
The first solid-state pinball is believed to be Mirco Games' The Spirit of '76 (1976), though the first mainstream solid-state game was Williams' Hot Tip (1977).
This new technology led to a boom for Williams and Bally, who attracted more players with games featuring more complex rules, digital sound effects, and speech.
The video game boom of the 1980s signaled the end of the boom for pinball.
Arcades replaced rows of pinball machines with video games like 1978's Space Invaders, 1979's Asteroids, 1980's Pac-Man, and 1981's Galaga.
These earned significantly greater profits than the pinball machines of the day, while simultaneously requiring less maintenance.
Bally, Williams, and Gottlieb continued to make pinball machines, while they also manufactured video games in much higher numbers.
Many of the larger companies were acquired by, or merged with, other companies.
Chicago Coin was purchased by the Stern family, who brought the company into the digital era as Stern Enterprises, which closed its doors in the mid-1980s.
Bally exited the pinball business in 1988 and sold their assets to Williams, who subsequently used the Bally trademark from then on for about half of their pinball releases.
A row of pinball machines at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work
While the video game craze of the late 1970s and early 1980s dealt a severe blow to pinball revenue, it did spark the creative talents within the industry.
All companies involved tried to take advantage of the new solid state technology to improve player appeal of pinball and win back former players from video games.
Some of this creativity resulted in landmark designs and features still present today.
Some of these include speech, such as Williams' Gorgar; ramps for the ball to travel around, such as Williams' Space Shuttle; "multiball", used on Williams' Firepower; multi-level games like Gottlieb's Black Hole and Williams' Black Knight; and blinking chase lights, as used on Bally's Xenon.
Although these novel features did not win back players as the manufacturers had hoped, they changed players' perception of pinball for coming decades.
I helped plan the party.
Actually, most of the ideas were mine.
I wrote my ideas on a slip of paper and keep it here.
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Good Morning on this Wednesday, the Third Day of April.
Today we talked about what we expected or didn’t expect when we planed the blog’s birthday party.
And about the weather, calendar, and a dinner of London Broil with asparagus and Linguini with Pesto Sauce.
We posted a joke and letters of condolences for the friends around me suffering different examples of stress.
And we asked and answered a question on pinball machines.
And now? Gotta go.
Che vuoi? Le pocketbook?
See you soon.
Your Love