Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

If the rooster hasn’t crowed yet to wake up your family with his built-in alarm cluck, why not show your appreciation for bubble wrap by twisting and popping a sheet to get everybody’s day going?  It’s the year of the rooster in China, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day in the West, and the prevalent prognosicator from Punxatawney is just about to place his predictions about the weather this week.  So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and enjoy 77 minutes of TechnoRetro.

 

In the NEWS…

JediShua reveals forty year-old news via a recent IO9 article about the Death Star trench from Star Wars: A New Hope.  It just may be that the trench run takes place someplace you hadn’t expected.  And the star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, and The Dick Van Dyke Show is laid to rest in Connecticut over the weekend.

 

Saturday Mornings

Introduced as part of the title credits of a Blake Edwards film starring Peter Sellers, the Pink Panther graced television screens in our youngest days every Saturday morning.  With music by Henry Mancini and William Lava, these animated shorts were small on talk and big on “show, don’t tell” as the curious character provided hours of physical comedy in brief segments on The Pink Panther Show.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember their experiences with the Pink Panther, as well as The Ant and the Aardvark, while listening to various performances of the iconic theme song.  PLUS: shazbazzar agrees with Scott Ryfun that the Aardvark sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders.  

 

Aftershocks of 1977

The computer era gets rolling in 1977 with the release of three popular home computers.  Commodore’s PET is revealed, the Apple II begins production, and Radio Shack gets in the game with a fully assembled home computer, complete with monitor, for $599.  The TRS-80 started in earnest on February second as the design stage of this memorable computer began its trek from concept to store shelves in 1977.  Affectionately called the “Trash 80”, this home computer would soon be found in schools, small businesses, and homes in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  Most GenXers had at least some interaction with the TRS-80 during their youth, learning to program in BASIC, rolling through the numbers on tape drive counters, and generally just having fun as computers began their quest to take over the world from every house on the planet.

 

History Lesson

Of course, there’s a lot taking place on February second in fictional history, but this week is loaded with past and future events from Potter to Prometheus and everything in between.

 

So pour a bowl of cereal, plug in your ear buds, and start thinking PINK this Monday morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

 

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Direct download: TRDads_04.43.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:35am EDT

What is covered in hair, walks on its two big feet, and is susceptible to female charms?  If you guessed Cousin It, you’re wrong.  He wears a size six.  But if you thought about that prehistoric superhero who flies and wields a club, you are right on track!  We have Captain Caveman on the brain just like the Teen Angels have a cave on the roof of their van.  You know it’s gonna be a great Monday when cavemen are featured in the jokes!

 

In the NEWS…

Funko brings out a new line of collectibles resembling Playmobil figures of pop culture favorites like Willy Wonka.  “The Greatest Show on Earth” will have only a few more scheduled appearances before Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus closes forever.  JediShua found an arcade in a local brewery while shazbazzar discovered that scientists have discovered a new species of Gibbons they dubbed “Skywalker”.  PLUS: Ponch and Jon return to the California Highway Patrol in an upcoming movie-version spoof of the late ‘70s classic TV show, CHiPs.

 

Saturday Mornings

Hanna Barbara cartoons reigned on Saturday mornings on all of the major networks.  JediShua and shazbazzar revisit Captain Caveman from 1977’s Saturday Morning lineup.  With Cavey, Taffy, Brenda, and Dee Dee, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels find themselves in the midst of one mystery after another as they travel across the country in their custom cave van with authentic living quarters on the roof. It’s been a while since the ‘Dads talked about the diminutive prehistoric superhero, and we certainly have more to add to our former conversation which you can hear here.

Aftershocks of 1977

Get ready to blast off into space on with the world’s first space plane in the modern era.  NASA’s OV-101, Enterprise, would make its first flights in 1977, ushering in more than three decades of a successful space shuttle program.  JediShua and shazbazzar talk about the good and the bad as well as the very long history of using reusable shuttles to make trips into “near space”.  From the 1930s to today, the idea of space planes, space shuttles, and space taxis have continued to become reality since the Enterprise took its first piggy-back ride.  

Whether you’re shouting your name to muster strength and courage, or you’re simply studying for your “History in Aerospace” test, you’ll have fun in past, present, and future tense with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

 

Share and enjoy! 

 

Direct download: TRDads_04.42_Captain_Caveman.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:12am EDT

Greetings, Programs!  

 

Whether the weather is wonderfully warm or you’re experiencing a blistering blizzard like the record-setting cold snap this week in 1977, TechnoRetro Dads bring you a variety show of the past in the present on this holiday Monday morning for your day off from work.

 

In the NEWS…

The Computer Electronics Show revealed some amazing gadgets this year that will certainly wind up under the tree this Christmas.  Lego introduced Lego Boost, programmable robotic Lego sets aimed at children 7 and up that move and respond to commands and sensors and teach coding in a uniquely Lego style.  Nintendo looks for another hit in 2017 with the Super Retro Boy — a handheld gaming unit that capitalizes on Game Boy nostalgia.  Polaroid reminds consumers of their instant cameras with the touchscreen Polaroid Pop digital camera and Kodak promises to release a less expensive Super 8 camera than last year’s release.  But some of the biggest “retronews” this week is Shout Factory’s reboot of the ‘80s video game show Starcade. You can hear more about this on this week’s ARGcast.

 

Saturday Mornings

Sid and Marty Krofft consistently put out Saturday morning fare for GenXers in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  JediShua and shazbazzar revisit The Krofft Supershow from 1977’s Saturday Morning lineup.  The Krofft Supershow included a glam rock band, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs who introduced a variety of short episodic mini-shows with music and corny jokes — perfect for TechnoRetro Dads!  With teenagers fighting crime and outwitting villains on mysterious islands, on beaches, in the city, and in the wilderness, shows like Bigfoot and Wildboy, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, and Magic Mondo, the late morning slot on Saturday morning lineups was just the thing to send kids out the door to play with their friends.

 

 

Aftershocks of 1977

Again, proving the point that 1977 was the epicenter of an earth-shaking, history-making events that have continued to impact the culture for forty years, shazbazzar and JediShua turn the page in Starlog magazine to discover the retro journalistic fervor surrounding the excitement about the first Star Trek film.  As the hype surrounding George Lucas’s highly anticipated masterpiece Star Wars signaled a return of science fiction to the silver screen, Star Trek seemed like a natural fit for audiences wanting to visit outer space in movie theaters.  Thirteen movies later, this article from January 1977 has continued resonating with its own aftershocks.  

 

Capping off this week’s episode with Feedback from our EarBuds, you’re sure to enjoy a trip back in time while living in a futuristic present with tidbits our friends are sharing with us each week.  Do you want to get in touch with TechnoRetro Dads?  Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!

 

Share and enjoy!

Direct download: TRDads_04.41.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 7:26am EDT

Greetings, Programs!  

 

With disco on the airwaves, Datsuns in driveways, and home video gaming consoles earning their shelf space in dens around the world, the lives we lead today and the entertainment we enjoy forty years later can be traced back to a banner year on history’s calendar.  Of course, 1977 is recognizable as the year of Star Wars, but many more things we still enjoy today had their roots in a year that may well be our favorite (if we were choosing favorites, which we are not — just so you know).

 

In the NEWS…

Star Wars earns another cool statistic in the record books with two movies in the same franchise having top ten box office earners last year with The Force Awakens grossing the tenth most money in theaters and Rogue One earning its spot just a bit behind Finding Dory in just over two weeks in theaters.  One Day at a Time is being remade to stream online with a Cuban flair.  And for something new: Beyond has tapped into crossover territory with a TV premiere on FreeForm before its release as binge-bait with the remaining nine episodes streaming on Hulu before airing on television.

 

We Love Our Cereal

Some entrepreneurs in Memphis have taken the Cereal Bar idea on the road by merging a cereal cafe with a food truck.  The ‘Dads think this is a great idea, and if you’re in the Memphis area, we would like to hear if you’ve seen this cereal bars on wheels in the area.  Better yet, if you have tasted one of their creations, let us know what you thought about the experience!

 

Saturday Mornings

What got kids up early on Saturday mornings back in 1977 (well, other than hugemongous bowls of sugary sweet cereal)?  Saturday morning programming on television.  JediShua and shazbazzar remember the days when Saturday morning fare was different from what could be seen during the week.  In this episode, the ‘Dads remember The All New Superfriends as aired in 1977.  The most significant addition to this version of Superfriends was the Wonder Twins who could shape shift into various animals and phases of water as they faced trouble at home and around the world.

 

Toys in the Attic

As video arcades grew in popularity in the late ‘70s, the market was ripe for home versions of hit games in malls and shopping centers.  Just a few weeks after the Fairchild Channel F became a popular Christmas gift in 1976, the less colorful and somewhat less user-friendly RCA Studio II was released.  Its lifespan was quickly reduced by the powerhouse Atari VCS which emerged in fall of 1977.  JediShua and shazbazzar talk a bit about arcades and a bit more about home video games in this week’s “Toys in the Attic”.

 

History Lesson

Again, proving the point that 1977 was the epicenter of an earth-shaking, history-making events that have continued to impact the culture for forty years, shazbazzar and JediShua point to a couple of iconic premiers on television later this week forty years ago.  Fantasy Island was first seen on television on Friday, January 14th and the Coneheads pointed their heads to the stars for the first time on Saturday Night Live on January 15th as alien characters began to show up on favorite television shows.  

 

Do you want to get in touch with TechnoRetro Das?  Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy!

Direct download: TRDads_04.40.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 1:17am EDT

 

As we remember 2016 and look forward to 2017, we are all reminded of the royal losses we’ve suffered over the past year.  From the Goblin King himself, David Bowie, last January to Prince to our final farewell to our Princess, Carrie Fisher, we’ve all faced some harsh realities over the past twelve months.  JediShua and shazbazzar are joined with long-time friends Craig Batts and Jack Crabtree to celebrate Carrie Fisher and the impact she made on a generation over the past forty years.  The true heroine of Star Wars, Carrie Fisher portrayed Princess Leia with a snippy, quippy, snarkiness that endeared her to fans as anything but a damsel-in-distress.  Over the years, our Princess proved her power in films, books, panels, and interviews.  More than a pop icon, Carrie Fisher opened her life like a book (and in books), giving hope to hundreds, if not thousands, who struggle with hardships in life.  At the age of sixty, she was taken from us.  Still, her life and legend will touch generations.

 

We Love Our Cereal

You’re going to love what General Mills has in store for you!  Purchase any three specially marked Big G cereals and get a free ticket to Rogue One from General Mills.  Find out more on their website.

 

Looking Ahead

Let’s face it, 2016 wasn’t all bad.  The Cubs did win the World Series, although a year later than prophesied in the ‘80s.  However, for those who seem to have lost hope, we look forward to some exciting accomplishments and events sure to come in 2017.  From space exploration to a solar eclipse (another prophecy from 1989), we’re picking up good vibrations in our expectations for the future in the next twelve months.  Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

After tuning in to this week’s episode, keep your earbuds at the ready and check out Rogue One again with shazbazzar, Steve Glosson, and Scott Ryfun as they provide a running commentary on Rogue One (and a variety of other things) on the first publicly released commentary of the new Star Wars movie.  You can find it at Geek Out Loud or My Star Wars Story.

 

Share and enjoy the hope!

Direct download: TRDads_04.39.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 5:30am EDT

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