Why the pen name Parsec?
Released in 1982, Parsec was a side-scrolling, space-based computer game made for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A computer. A Parsec is also a unit of distance in astronomy – which I assume is the basis for the video game’s name. It was a challenging game with amazing graphics for its time.
Parsec was the first video game that I recall playing as a kid and something that my family still talks about to this day. Indeed, it’s quite likely that my father’s TI-99/4A is hiding somewhere in an attic waiting for someone to go another round with the infamous asteroid belt.
Video games are often the subject of controversy and rightfully so. Much like movies and television, they have become more violent and graphic (the Mortal Kombat series is one that sticks out in my mind). As someone who logged countless hours playing video games in my youth, I feel that violent video games may have desensitized me to some extent, but it’s not what I associate with my own general personal experience over the years. When I think about the games I have played, I think about art, creativity, strategy and the pursuit of better technology. In fact, playing video games spurned an interest in computers that led me to both a computer science-based education and career. I recall my mother saying to me as an adult that she walked into my room one day when I was a kid and was struck by what an impressive creation I had built with my Legos. I’ve seen what my daughter has built in Minecraft with the same sense of awe.
Why the pen name Buzz?
Released in 1995, Toy Story was the first feature-length computer-animated film that was produced by Pixar. The plot of the story was very unique. Toys would pretend to be lifeless when there were humans in the room, however, when the toys were alone they were animated and life like. It is regarded as one of the greatest animated movies of all time (especially by me).
There are a number of reasons that Buzz is a great pen name for me. Toy Story was released before I was even born, yet growing up, it is the first animated movie I can remember watching. I recall when I went to Disney World as a kid. My family lived in the Midwest and my parents decided that we should drive all the way down to Orlando, Florida. Luckily for my siblings and I, our wagon-style car had a tiny DVD player in it. We watched Toy Story…then we watched it again…and again…and again. I remember watching it for nearly the entire trip down AND back. Not only that, but I loved going on the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disney World in the Magic Kingdom. It was the first and last ride that my family went on. I was hooked. From that point on when I got home I played with my toys like Andy did; I pretended that they lived, and even to this day I sometimes worry that my old stuffed animals might hate me for putting them in that plastic garbage bag in the back of the closet.
Another reason that Toy Story had such a significant impact on my life is because of the lessons that it taught: friendship, teamwork and to never leave a friend behind. It also taught me about how people (or toys) care about each other and the value of happiness.
To infinity and beyond!