July 13, 2010

  • MIT Oracle v3.2ic, Part 3

    As I mentioned before, my first high school class was Oceanography, taken at Punahou, in the summer of 1985.  In that Hawaiian heat, cool British electronic music was not popular.  It was not until I got back to foggy and cold San Francisco, when I learned more about New Order's then new album, Low-Life.  And, as it turns out, I actually heard the 12" singles, such as "The Perfect Kiss" and "Sub-Culture," before the album itself.

    Yeah, yeah, I need to go back to Hawaii (or any hot and sunny place), and let my skin get a burn-in.

    And of course, audiophiles want to know, is the MIT Oracle safe on Cable Cooker?  Once again, like the other MIT products I've tried, the MIT v3.2ic has no problems with the Cable Cooker treatment.

    But the v3.2ic's heavy boxes tip over the Cooker, so you better find a way of supporting or propping up those boxes.

    Okay, while the v3.2ic is Cooking, let me cover one of the Robotech New Generation's most popular episodes, the 23rd, Reflex Point.  The 36th Division from Jupiter Base has launched an attack against the Invid.  It is completely wiped out, save for Chief Intelligence Officer Sue Graham, who goes around with a video camera.  Scott Bernard is pissed that Sue does nothing to help her squadron.  But she's only following her orders to send intelligence back to Admiral Rick Hunter.

    Graham explains to our heroes that the Robotech engineers in space are trying to cloak the alpha fighter's protoculture, so thatthe Invid cannot detect it.  They called these new alphas "shadow fighters."  Hmm, is this where we got the B-2 stealth bomber?

    Meanwhile, Graham has hidden the powerful Synchro Cannon.  There are simly too many Invid, so Rand can only use the Synchro Cannon a few times.  Before the Invid get their hands on it, Rand destroys the Synchro Cannon. 

    In a battle, Graham photographs a human piloting an Invid trooper.  When the trooper is shot down, it crashes to the groud.  The wounded pilot gets out of the cockpit.  Graham notices that his blood is green, indicating that he is Invid.  At the same time, Graham is mortally wounded, and sees that Marlene is cut, and is bleeding green.  Our heroes can only stare in disbelief.  They still love Marlene dearly, but cannot summon the courage to go after her, as she flees with tears in her eyes. 

    My female lab partner once said something like, "Marlene had been with the group for a long time.  You can't tell me she wasn't cut or menstruating during that time.  And if she didn't have a period, wouldn't the others be suspicious?"

    Sue Graham perishes.  Her hands release some photographs she had taken.  As the wind blows the pictures away, we see that Graham had taken "family-type" shots of the freedom fighters.  The last shows Scott putting his arm around a beaming Marlene.  Viewers of this episode cannot help but feel bittersweet.  But it's that powerful emotion, which makes this one of my favorites in the entire series.