Way Back WhensDay: The Rubik's Cube

The Rubik's Cube

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

It’s hard for me to believe that the Rubik’s Cube recently celebrated its 40^th birthday.  I didn’t realize the popular toy of the 80’s was so close to my age.  I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I got my first cube, but we had several through the years.

I tried in vain to solve the complex puzzle for a good portion of my youth.  I don’t remember anyone ever really figuring it out either.  But as an adult, I see people all the time matching the colors on each side of the cube.  Not only are there folks who know how to solve the puzzle, they can do it blindfolded, behind their back, or even underwater.  It blows my mind.

I fall to pieces...

The only time I ever came close to figuring out the cube was by cheating.  I’d pop the little blocks off the cube and reassemble it the right way.  I know that defeated the purpose of playing with the Rubik’s Cube.  Most of the time though, I’d twist and turn the sides, hoping that it would be the time I’d finally get it.  I never did though, but I had a lot of fun trying.

The Rubik's Orb

Besides the cube, Erno Rubik had a variety of other puzzling toys.  I tried my hand at the Rubik’s Orb, a sphere with colorful little balls on around it that needed to be slid into the right order.  I don’t remember much of this, but I do believe I conquered this one.  

Rubik's Link The Rings

I also had success with the Rubik’s Link The Rings.  It was a flat puzzle that folded in sections.  The object was to get the colored links imprinted on it to connect.

Several years ago, my kids got a version of the Rubik's Cube that lights up, but the pieces didn’t turn.  I’m not really sure what the point of it was.  When I was a kid though, we would spend hours trying to figure out how to solve the cube.  Now kids are playing Mind Craft and Flappy Bird.  I wonder if they’re will ever be an app for the cube…

Way Back WhensDay: Swatch Watches

A blast from the past

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

In middle school I had bad hair, bad glasses, and a bad sense of fashion.  My one saving grace (at least in my mind) was my collection of Swatch Watches.  They came at time that I had outgrown my Mickey Mouse and Snoopy watches and offered something stylish and fun at the same time.  Bright colors, cool designs.  They were the embodiment of the 80's.

I had three Swatches back in the day.  While the faces stayed the same on them, you could pretty easily swap out the bands on them.  This helped in making a new fashion statement at a lower price.  It seemed like back then everyone had at least one Swatch Watch.  It was truly a timeless time piece.

Guard 1

Along with the watch you could add some protection to the fashion.  There were two different kinds of guards.  One was a rubbery piece that went down the middle of the watch face. It attached at either end of the band.  It was a bit thicker and more durable than a rubber band, but  I don't know how much protection this piece added.  They came in multiple colors, so the guards were very stylish.

Guard 2

The other guard fit around the face of the watch.  It clicked around it and was a bit more practical.  Those guards didn't obstruct the view of the watch the way the rubber one did.  I'm trying to remember, but I think it was possible to add both guards to the watch for the ultimate form of protection and style.

I know Swatch is still around, but I don't know if the campy designs of the 80's are still for sale.  I wish I still had my collection from my teen years, as it's always fun to look back on those relics of the past.

Way Back WhensDay: Q*bert

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I've used my Way Back WhensDay blogs to talk about some of my favorite things from my childhood. My favorite videos games growing up included Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and today's submission: Q*bert.  There was something captivating about that little orange creature with a giant nose and no arms.

The point of Q*bert was to get him to hop around a cubed pyramid, changing the colors of each block before advancing to the next stage.  To add to the challenge, different monsters would appear and try to thwart the effort.  Q*Bert never talked, but muttered inexplicable phrases as he went on a mission. Different symbols appeared in a speech bubble over Q*bert's head.  I always imagined he was cussing over the nerves involved in all the hopping and the frustration of the evil doers like Colly, Ugg, Wrong-Way, Sam, and Slick.  Those guys would try to force Q*bert (who the player controls) over the edge of the pyramid.

Q*bert arcade game

Q*bert is another one of those video games we'd play at the skating rink or local pizza restaurant.  Eventually, it was released for the Atari.  I still remember playing it at one point on a little black and white TV at my grandma's house, which made it next to impossible to do, since the goal of the game is to change the blocks into different colors.

In 2012, Q*bert caught my attention during the movie "Wreck it Ralph."  His appearance in the film was brief, but brought back fond memories of playing the game in the early 80's.  Hopefully he's appearance sparked the interest in the next generation of gamers.

I think it's safe to safe that Q*bert will go down in history with my other favorites Pac-Man and Donkey Kong as one of the all-time great classic games.

Way Back WhensDay: You Can't Do That on Television

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

(Note: I know I spelled Wednesday wrong, it's a play on words.)

I was about 9 years old when cable television reached our community of High Ridge, a small town about 20 miles outside of St. Louis.  I still remember the dial boxes sitting on top of the TV in our kitchen and family room.  Instead of using a remote to zip through the channels, we had to turn the dial and click through each channel.  Life was so brutal.

I have two strong memories from that time period.  One was MTV and all the music videos that featured the stars I'd listened to on the radio for years.  The other was Nickelodeon, the network for kids.  The show that attracted my attention back then was called You Can't Do That On Television.  For people who have never seen it, if you're older, it was a kid version of Saturday Night Live.  If you're younger, it was the precursor to All That.

Slimed!

YCDTOTV featured a variety of child and teenage stars, telling jokes, doing skits, and getting slimed.  The sliming was always my favorite.  Whenever someone uttered the phrase "I don't know" a bucket of green slime was dumped on their head.  I remember at one point they actually teased a show that would feature different colored slime.  It was monumental in my tween years.  If someone said "Water" on the show, you guessed it, they were doused with a bucket of water.  Some stars had the double whammy of getting slimed and watered.

My friends and I would actually make our own slime and take turns playing dumb and saying those three famous words.  While it wasn't as epic as the sliming on TV, it was a memory of my childhood that stands out to me.

The cast when I watched was great.  I had a crush on the main star, Christine "Moose" McGlade.  Lisa Ruddy, Kevin Kubushekie, and Alasdair Gillis were also favorites of mine.  But perhaps the most talented member was the only adult male on the show, the late, great Les Lye.  He played so many awesome characters including stage hand Ross, Barth (owner of the health code violating Barth's Burgers), and the dad.  Music star Alanis Morissette appeared in five episodes of this Canadian hit.

I wish Nickelodeon would go retro and run episodes of YCDTOTV at some point, or even release the show on NetFlix or DVD.  Everytime I see a locker, I have the urge to climb in and start telling jokes.  Thanks for the memories.