Back to the Past (The Future is Here)

In the past few weeks, I've had multiple projects hitting deadlines, and then a long weekend in the Wisconsin Dells, where I was able to unwind most of the accumulated stress. In that time, I basically lost track of what was happening around me, and this little nugget of information got past my filters: THERE'S AN INTERNET ARCADE.
I've had a version of MAME and lots of ROMs for quite some time now (I saved the first versions on floppy disks and a Zip drive!) but I've had difficulty making it portable. Truth is, I end up playing a few favorite games for a week or two, then burn out and forget about it, but today, I'm excited again.

The Internet Archive already has a number of insanely cool projects (legal bootleg music, old program emulation, the wayback machine, etc.) but this might be my favorite. It's all of the arcade games I grew up with (and hundreds more) with some background information, cabinet art, and playable in a browser. Insane. This is my payback for all those quarters all those years ago.

Here's the link to the Internet Arcade: https://archive.org/details/internetarcade
And here's a link to a very helpful troubleshooting article: http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/4423

It's hard to imagine what other stuff I only imagined in the 80s will be available for free or very little cost in the next decade. I already have a camera that doesn't require film in the same computer that also plays video games and music (and fits in my pocket). Oh yeah, and I can use it to call anyone, anywhere, too. And now I have an entire arcade with no lines, no smoking, and no jerky employees.

Amazing!

Whipped and Gassed (2014 Bears)

This past summer, I bought a new Bears cap and shirt. Last year, I put the shirt that lasted through most of the Lovie Smith era out to pasture (too many holes) and was excited to see the promise from last year's inaugural season in the Trestman era take the next step. My assumption was that the newly contracted QB and the hand-selected offense around him would put the Bears into the playoffs for the first time in a while, and they'd have a shot at advancing for a change.

What I got for my investment was two embarrassing games against the rival Packers. They were not only terrible games on the field, but a very clear display of two different methods of running a football organization. I'm not convinced the Bears can win another game this season, and worse, they're locked in with a number of components. Rebuild is not an option, so we'll see the same futile micro-adjustments (Mel Tucker as sacrificial lamb, for instance) that don't address the fundamental organizational issue. 

I'm not sure what the core issue is, honestly, because in the off-season, I thought they made some decent acquisitions again. It wasn't a total transformation like the offense in 2013, but they got a good corner and brought in a number of safeties. One or two of them should have converted into good players. I believe they still could be, but I think the biggest issue is a lack of clear leadership on the team. 

It's exacerbated by the lack of a permanent captain. The Bears rotate the "C" on the jerseys; they say it's to show how many leaders they have, but I get the impression that it's more about a dearth of actual leadership. In the past, it was pretty clear who the leaders were. Not now. And that extends to the coaching staff. 

Defensively, I've never seen a Bears unit less prepared. There's talent on the roster, but also some significant deadwood. At two very important positions lie failed experiments. Chris Conte runs very quickly, but it's always late and he can't finish a tackle. He's the safety - his job is to make sure nothing bad happens, but everything bad happens. Then there's Shea McClellan: another "looks good on paper" player who either doesn't have the drive or the smarts to be either a defensive end or a linebacker. Athletic? Sure - so is Conte. Running fast is like doing all your homework. You ultimately get graded on your tests, though, and these two are consistently failing on Sundays. 

I want to like Phil Emery, but he might be a big part of the problem. I can't blame him - I was excited about most everything he's done, except for the extension of Cutler, where even Cutler seemed nonplussed by it on his radio show. I still think the players he's amassed represents a lot of talent and upside. What he might have missed is the killer instinct. It's more than just leadership - it's a fearlessness and a willingness to do anything to win, including holding people accountable. Brandon Marshall has it, but his history and position marginalize his leadership potential, whether that's fair or not. 

Even if the Bears win out this season, there's virtually no way they could make it into the playoffs now. 2014 is a disappointment after so much excitement. The pundits shared fan enthusiasm and ranked them pretty highly before the first regular season game. Going into week 11, at least one outlet ranks them at 28 of 33. I think that's generous at this point.

The worst part of it is wearing my new Bears cap in Wisconsin and being pitied instead of jibed. Painful stuff.