Category Archives: Just Rambling

A Few Words About a Kare Package I Received Last Christmas

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Blake Patterson

Last year I received in the mail a Christmas gift from a person I greatly admire, and that’s what this post is about. But, let me back up a little. As regular readers may be aware, I have a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Rambling, Macintosh | 6 Comments

It Was More Fun When Stores Had Arcade Games

Posted on August 3, 2014 by Blake Patterson

I don’t mean arcades, I’m talking about retail stores like grocery stores, drug stores, 7-11 and other mini-marts. Yea, back in the ’80s they basically all hosted a couple of arcade cabinets. As a kid being dragged around from store … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaming, Just Rambling | 10 Comments

Susan Kare’s EG 2014 Talk – I Spy Something Familiar…

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Blake Patterson

The other day I was listening to my favorite podcast, RetroMacCast, during lunch at my office desk (which is my routine) when John & John made me aware of a 20-minute presentation given at EG 2014 by legendary digital artist … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Rambling, Macintosh, NeXT | 3 Comments

Computer Users’ Groups of My Past [Updated]

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Blake Patterson

I’ve spent the past couple of months procuring parts and assembling a 486-class DOS PC that is more or less a replica of the 486 PC I had back in college, in 1994. That’s the machine that first delivered the … Continue reading →

Posted in BBS, Just Rambling | 13 Comments

Steve Jobs: American Cool

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Blake Patterson

Living just out outside of D.C., my wife and I often find ourselves in the district on the weekends, taking our daughter whatever museum is at the top of her list at the given moment. Today we visited the National … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Rambling | 8 Comments

The First GIF I Ever Saw

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Blake Patterson

Above, is the first GIF I ever saw. What you are looking at is a scan of a color printout that I made with my Okimate 20 wax transfer printer in 1987. I had an Atari 520ST at the time … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari, Just Rambling | 4 Comments

Happy Halloween, All You Vintage Computing Ghouls!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Blake Patterson

As I sat on the floor of our den, carving this year’s pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern with my daughter, I was reminded of a bit of caving I did nearly a decade ago as a bit of a Halloween goof … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Rambling | 1 Comment

It Occurred to Me That a Lot Has Changed in Mobile Computing over the Last Fifteen Years

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Blake Patterson

This past weekend my wife and I headed down to Charlottesville, VA for the night, to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. When we met, she was half-way through law school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and I soon … Continue reading →

Posted in Handhelds, Just Rambling | 6 Comments

Susan Kare Gives Kutcher the 32×32 Treatment

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Blake Patterson

So, what do you think? Susan Kare, who designed the icons and fonts for the original Macintosh, also created 32×32 pixel micro-portraits of the Macintosh team, at their request, back in the early ’80s. One team member who definitely did … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Rambling, Macintosh | 1 Comment

Found Photo: Me and My Apple QuickTake 200 Camera

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Blake Patterson

I was recently digging about the storage shelves, looking for an old box of floppies when I came across a large box full of photos that I hadn’t opened since moving into this house ten years ago. I spent an … Continue reading →

Posted in Just Rambling | 1 Comment