Memory Machine #61 - The Origins of Baseball

For about 30 years, video rentals were a part of everyday life for anyone who owned a TV set. It allowed us to watch and re-watch our favorite movies at our leisure, discover new favorites through combing the aisles, and chat up the clerks for recommendations. To talk about these pastimes, Nick Ryan joins the podcast to talk about the history of video rental, as well as his own experiences working at such a store and being the son of owners of a local video store chain. 

If you have any fun, specific memories of the old rental stores, please tell us!

You can follow host Nate Lockhart on Mastodon, BlueSky, and Instagram.

Nick Ryan can be found on BlueSky, Instagram, and Mastodon.

You know, those things that we watch stuff on? Where did they come from? Who invented it? And what do they have to do with fax machines? All these things and more will be answered as guest Ethan Johnson returns to uncover the mystery. There's a lot of fascinating examples of the things we're talking about in this podcast, so make sure to check out some of the links in the show notes!

There were home computers BEFORE the Altair 8800 and even the Kenbak-1? It's true! Even in the computer's earliest days, attempts (some successful!) were made to bring the concepts of computing to experimenters and hobbyists at home. Large, expensive analog computers could be had for the serious experimenter with cash to burn, and for those just looking to explore basic concepts, cheaper methods, some even involving paperclips and empty thread spools, could make computing come alive. In this episode, Jason Dyer returns to the podcast to discuss all of these wonderful, clever early devices and give them their due.

Be sure to check out Jason's INCREDIBLE blog at Renga in Blue!

As always, you can fine Nate on Mastodon, Instagram, and Twitter.

LOTS of show notes on this one, so please, check all of this out!

This month on the Memory Machine, Nate has on guest Connie Joyce to talk about her job in the parts department at Williams Electronics/WMS in the late 80's and early 90's! It's not always fun and games working at a pinball factory, but to hear Connie tell the story, it seems like it almost was. Reminisce about pinball favorites such as Black Knight 2000 and Pin-Bot as Connie regales us with stories of eccentric artists, forklifts, and tamales! 

It's been a bit, but we're back just in time for some Halloween fun! For the first time in years, Nate is welcoming back guests Seth and Trey to talk about some of their favorite horror films that may have been forgotten, overlooked, or underseen. Hopefully there's a few choices here that are new to you that will be good recommendations for your own Halloween horror watches!

Come see Trey with the Buffalo Comedy Collective! Upcoming events are on the website.

Seth performs with the band Spud all over Western New York. See them October 27th at Nietzsches! Also be sure to check out the burlesque troupe he's with, The Glam Vamps.

As for Nate, you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

And hey - if you wanna throw a few coins in the 'ol coffer - check out the Patreon! Eh?

On this edition of the Memory Machine, host Nathaniel Lockhart has on prolific author, historian, and YouTube host Steve Massa to help teach us about how wide the breadth of humor truly was in the silent era. If all you know is Chaplin, Keaton, and (maybe) Harold Lloyd, prepare to be amazed at how deep this iceberg goes! You'll learn about styles of humor other than slapstick that were prevalent in the era, be frustrated that somehow, Charley Chase never had a feature film, and stare off in the distance with befuddlement as Steve explains the Dippy-Doo-Dads! Just as advertised in this week's Moving Picture World!*

Be sure to check out the monthly Silent Comedy Watch Party on Sundays at 3PM EST! Heck, you can watch some past episodes RIGHT NOW

You can find Steve's books on Amazon, including his most recent one on Roscoe Arbuckle (and be sure to keep an eye out for the next installment of Lame Brains and Lunatics!)

You can follow host Nate Lockhart on Twitter and on Instagram.

*Advertisement not actually published in this week's Moving Picture World. Also, this week's Moving Picture World has not been printed due to the publication's closing some 95 years ago.

This month on the Memory Machine, Nate talks with guests Dustin, Jonas and Cyo all about their adventures in vintage console and computing repair. Thrill at the exploits of fault-finding triumph! Recoil in fear over tales of leaky, exploded capacitors! Shake your head at dumb, rookie mistakes! All this and more has been carefully recorded for your listening pleasure!

Check out Dustin Hubbard's prolific scanning work at the Gaming Alexandria website, follow the Twitter, and join the Discord!

Find out more about Jonas' work at Hit Save! They have a fun Discord group too!

And be sure to follow Cyo's work on Twitter, as well as supporting his Patreon!

You can find the host, Nate Lockhart on Twitter and Instagram.

For this episode of the podcast, Nate has on Jason Dyer to talk about the wide and wonderful world of interactive fiction, from its nascent period with "game books" all the way up to present day interactive fiction competitions. Jason Dyer is a prolific blogger on the topic of interactive fiction, and his blog Renga in Blue is a testament to his passion. Check it out - there's a lot to discover in there!

You can follow host Nate Lockhart on Twitter with @nate_lockhart and on Instagram with @nathaniel.lockhart.

Show notes:

• Consider the Consequences
• Description of Solo Naughts and Crosses on Twitter
• Jason's blog post series "Before Adventure"
• Wander
• William Crowther's original Adventure (pre-Woods)
• They Create Worlds episode on Infocom and Adventure International
• Aisle by Sam Barlow
• Counterfeit Monkey by Emily Short

For this month's episode, we have on Joe Strostrider from Joe's Computer Museum to help walk us through the far-reaching world of the Apple II. Why is the Apple II such a big deal? If I'm going to grab one, which one should I get? And how the hell does one make a new floppy disk in 2022? These questions and many more are answered in this thorough, yet succinct (well, we hope) podcast!

Follow Joe on Twitter and Instagram!

Check out Joe's shop here!

And if you haven't yet, do check out his YouTube channel. If you like old computers, his channel is a must-watch!

I'm scheduling some new recordings for January! Finally! But hey, why not enjoy this blast from the past as well?