It Was 20 Years Ago Today

Sunday, March 8, 2009. Twenty years ago today, Ashley Michelle Bond-Peters was born.  I never knew Ashley -- I learned about her from a website created by her mother as a memorial.  I talk about Ashley and about the way the Internet has changed the ways we relate to one another, in communities and memorials online.

Friday, March 6, 2009.  The issue of Time magazine dated twenty years ago today featured an article about the exapansion of Pay Per View television.  I talk about that article and about PPV-TV, then and today.  Remarkably, it's one technology that really hasn't changed much in twenty years.

Sunday, March 1, 2009. Twenty years ago today, the provisions of the Berne Convention came into effect in the United States.  I talk about the Berne Convention, copyright law (from the point of view of an interested layperson, not a lawyer) and share a story about how Joe and I got caught up in the complexities of copyright, about a decade ago.

For Tuesday, February 24, 2009. (Apologies for the delay in posting!)  Twenty years ago today, the state funeral for Emperor Showa was held.  I talk about the man who was known as Hirohito during his lifetime, and about the nation he had led for over sixty years.  Japan was a dominant force in the world during the 1980s, for more reasons than one.

Sunday, February 22, 2009. Twenty years ago today, Senator Mark Warner read George Washington's Farewell Address on the floor of the Senate, in keeping with a Senate tradition going back to the 19th century.  I talk about the traditions of the Senate, both present and past, and my own fascination with those traditions.

Friday, February 20, 2009.  Twenty years ago today, a total lunar eclipse visible through much of North America occurred.  I share some memories of eclipses and other celestial phenomena I've been fortunate enough to witness.The picture at the right is of the last total lunar eclipse that was visible in North America, which took place just over a year ago.  I found it on Maryland Weather, a fascinating blog about all sorts of weather and sky phenomena, written by Baltimore Sun reporter Frank Royce.

Sunday, February 15, 2009. Twenty years ago today, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan.  It was the end of the occupation, but not of the war.  I look at the fighting in Afghanistan, and consider the effects of the Cold War on a country which has been in conflict and turmoil for three decades or more.The historical analysis offered here is strictly my own opinion, based on the sort of material any average American of my age would have access to: newspapers, TV documentaries, and perhaps a few books.  I make no claim to expertise in this (or any other subject I talk about in this podcast), and I have no ideological ax to grind.  Take it for whatever it's worth to you.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009.  Twenty years ago today, Barbara Harris became the first woman to be ordained bishop in the Episcopal Church.  I talk about the Rt. Rev. Harris, and my own perspectives on Christianity -- I belong to the Episcopal Church also.

For Monday, February 9, 2009.  Twenty years ago today, Dr. Osamu Tezuka died at the age of 60.  I talk about the man who is known as one of the greatest comic artists of all time, and about my connections to Japanese comics and animation. The official Osamu Tezuka website can be found here.  At the time of posting, the English language portion of the site is listed as still under construction -- for an excellent English language companion, check out Tezuka In English.

Monday, February 2, 2009.  "It Was 20 Years Ago Today" returns with new episodes, beginning with the final day of the third Los Angeles International Animation Festival, at which "The Cat Came Back" won two awards.  I talk about this, one of my favorite cartoons, and about my fondness for animation going back to childhood.It is frequently possible to see "The Cat Came Back" via YouTube; I suggest going to the site and searching the title.

Sunday, December 21, 2008. Twenty years ago today, Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland.  I discuss the story of the most deadly terrorist attack against Americans prior to September 11, 2001, a story that is far from over twenty years later.The podcast will be taking a short hiatus to recharge and get a jump on preparing new episodes.  When I return on February 2, I'll be talking about one of the best cartoons ever made.

Sunday, December 7, 2008.  Twenty years ago today, a major earthquake struck the city of Spitak, in what was then Soviet Armenia.  At least 25,000 people were killed in this disaster.  I look at why so many people were killed in this earthquake, and my thoughts about the prospect of being in a natural disaster myself.People from nations all over the world stepped in to help rebuild after the Spitak earthquake.  The picture here is a statue that the people of Armenia gave to the United States as a token of gratitude.  It stands near the Red Cross Building in Washington D.C.

Friday, December 5, 2008. Twenty years ago today, plans for a unique monument called the Steel Cloud were unveiled in Los Angeles.  I tell a little of the story of this oddity in steel and glass that was never built, and muse about visions of the future and how they stack up to reality.

Sunday, November 30, 2008. Twenty years ago today was the first Computer Security Day, an event held annually to raise awareness of computer security issues.  I talk about the observation of Computer Security Day, and about the problem of computer malware such as viruses, which were beginning to become a serious problem in 1988.The image at the right was the first Computer Security Day poster, created for the second CSD in 1989.  It, and all the CSD posters from the past 20 years, can be found at the Computer Security Day website.

Monday, November 24, 2008. One of my favorite TV shows ever, Mystery Science Theater 3000, made its debut on this day twenty years ago.  It first ran on a small independent station, KTMA, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I share a little about the background of the show, as well as how it resonated for me from the moment I first saw it on the Comedy Channel a few years later.If you are curious, a number of the KTMA episodes of MST3K are available on YouTube -- a search on "MST3K KTMA" will turn them up.  For more information about MST3K than you could imagine existed, try the official fan site, Satellite News.Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Twenty years ago today, Michaela Garecht was abducted near her home in Hayward, California.  She has not been seen since.  The picture at the right is an age progression of Michaela to about age 24; she would be 29 now.  I speak about Michaela's disappearance, my memories of the case (I lived in the Bay Area, about forty miles from Hayward, in 1988), and about Michaela's mother, who has never forgotten her missing daughter.The MySpace page devoted to Michaela and maintained by her mother, Sharon Murch, can be found here:  Still Missing: Michaela Joy Garecht.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008. Twenty years ago today, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.  I talk about a few of the provisions of this big drug and crime bill, as well as tell the story of how one of those provisions -- regarding pre-employment drug testing -- almost got me into big trouble.

Sunday, November 16, 2008.  Twenty years ago today, serial murderer Dorothea Puente was arrested in Los Angeles.  I talk about the case of this woman, who killed people in her care for their money, and how she gained enduring hatred, among one community in particular.I'd like to specially thank my husband, Joe Medina, for his insights into how the case of Dorothea Puente resonated in the Hispanic community and his own family.The TruTV (formerly CourtTV) Crime Library is an excellent resource for information about many historical (and current) criminal cases.  Their entry on Dorothea Puente was quite useful in preparing this show.

Thursday, November 13, 2008. Twenty years ago today, the number one book on the New York Times fiction best seller list was Anne Rice's The Queen of the Damned.  I had been looking forward to reading this book a lot, but when I did, I couldn't finish it.  I talk about why I was looking forward to the third book in the Chronicles of the Vampires, and why I put it down after less than fifty pages.

Saturday, November 8, 2008. Twenty years ago today, George H.W. Bush was elected the 41st president of the United States. I share some facts about that election.  1988 was the first election in which I was able to vote; I share some stories about my history as a voter, and the connections between the 1988 election and the 2008 election.