Radio Shack Memories Club: Former Employees and Customers Talk About the Good Old Days... and Vote on the Best Product Ever! The Winner? The 150 in One Electronic Project Kit.

A gem from my childhood. 

I built an oscillator that modulated another oscillator that modulated a third oscillator and took the output and plugged it into the Control Voltage Input of my KORG POLY 6 Analog Synthesizer... Turned up the Resonance and I made Crazy "Forbidden Planet" Sounds... You Know... the "Spaceship Taking Off" Sound Effect

PZM Microphone: I bought two... Very High fidelity! especially good for high frequency sounds...

David Said: Those were the best microphones for the money. They ate batteries like crazy...but they had an almost flat frequency response across an impressive dynamic range. The only issue is that they were quite clunky to use, and fragile.

The Sensation Computer was the First one with a CD ROM Drive... a very good Idea because, now all computers have one...

Except for Chromebooks... they have No Drives at all! Everything is stored in the Cloud...

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

I remember meeting Some Genius Customers when I worked at Radio Shack in San Jose in the 1990s. One Man built a Thermometer that Called the Owner of a Supermarket on a Cell Phone whenever the Refrigerators Failed... That Invention Could save the Owner thousands of dollars worth of frozen food... He Sold Many Copies of that invention because it was for a Chain of Grocery Stores...

Another Man Repaired Antennas for Commercial Radio Stations... until he got an electric shock and was thrown off the ladder... injured his back... and We had some smart employees too... Retired Lockheed Men who just wanted to work part time... a USMC Engineer... 

One man wrote reviews for Computer Magazines... He bought a Sensation Computer, kept it for One week and Returned it after he was done writing a review... That was the Policy! anyway... He often asked me to go with him to FRY'S Electronics on "one per customer" disk drive sales... He Bought One and I Bought One... and then he installed them in "Home Made" Computer Systems... He Bought a Box, Motherboard, power supply and disk drive and Put 'em all together to make a "State of the Art" System... a Good business in San Jose in the 1990s... We also went to a meeting of the Home Brew Club at Valco Fashion Park... That's the Club started by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniac... 

Our store was Legendary for having engineering talent working behind the counter... we could design what you needed and draw you a wiring diagram... especially for the A/B Cable TV Hookup needed in San Jose... It was one of the First Cable TV systems in the Country and Half of the Channels were on One Wire (A) and the Other Half of the Channels were on the Other Wire (B)... Well, the Customer clearly needed a remote controlled A/B Switch! ($40.00 plus replacement batteries)

and there were the Many Technicians that did part time work installing a TV Antenna on the Roof of a Customer's House... or a guy that would make a "Pirate Box" for stealing Cable TV... Of Course, We never did anything Illegal but what happened outside the store a NOT our Problem...

I Hated asking Customers for their Name and Address...up until that point in time we were friends and I was helping them solve their problems but then... MASSIVE ANGER EXPLOSION!!! Many people understood that we used that data to mail advertisements and catalogs... and many people simply did not want the junk mail... plus, it's an obvious safety threat if you tell random people where your pretty wife lives... What if a clerk came over to visit?

Winner of the BEST PRODUCT EVER Contest. 

Minimus 7 Speaker. Metal Box...

My Opinion: The Best Product Ever was the Giant Outdoor TV Antenna... VU-190 --- We Got San Francisco and Sacramento Stations in Los Gatos (South of San Jose) by using the Rotator...

Weather Radio

Gary Said: Staring at this right now, a pair of Minimus 7s and an Optimus sub, powered by a Marantz, sounds great

Bill Said: I had one in college -- got me through statistics. Professor allowed me to use it because I had written the programs myself and used them to check my work.

I Replied: Mine had a Horse Race Handicapping Program to Help you Bet on the Ponies... A practical use for a totally portable Machine!

Warren said: Just spotted this in the Manchurian Candidate movie from 2004. Pretty sure I heard Meryl Streep say Optimus too, although it could have been optimist, but, that’s probably not realistic. Ok I’m done.

I Said: I sold a closed circuit camera to a guy that used it to find  out who was at the front door... change the TV to Channel 3... With certain people he ran out the back door and jumped the fence... then came back a couple of hours later... A better Plan for Life would be to not make so many enemies...

According to Gordon Liddy's Book WILL, a similar Radio was used in the Watergate Burglary... and he a unhappy... He Should have bought a 49 MHz Radio... They Work better in a building... CB is Best Outdoors


A 1988 Radio Shack Comic Book
Gary Said: It’s been great reading all of these posts. I had the pleasure of working in an owner operator store in 1978-80. I enjoyed the audio gear and the various communication devices. I loved that parts wall as I was always into building something. I have already come to the conclusion that the reincarnated Radio Shack will in no way resemble the store we knew in the past. Which is too bad they had a very unique type of customer that they chose to abandon. I truly hope we will see some Realistic branded communication gear, HiFi and a great parts wall.

Roger Said: On one of my first days on the job I was requested to turn on the Model Three computer. I was alone in the store had not been trained on computers at all. I don't know how I did it but I managed to erase the hard drive.



Radio Shack Speaker - in a Tennessee Church

We need to invent a better battery... The common 1.5 volt AA, AAA, C, D and 9V batteries cannot be Recharged... And the rechargeable batteries of the same size only put out 1.25 volts and so they go dead really quick... Some important research needs to be done here... And We knew about this problem in the 1990s but for some reason nothing has been done in the last 30 years...

I ought to contact the Schatz energy research laboratory at Humboldt State University and ask them to get busy!

schatzenergy@humboldt.edu

I wonder who else we should contact to motivate research... Environmental Protection Agency? Department of Energy? Stanford? My Representative in the US House of Representatives? 

Pete Said: My first scanner...now about 50 years old. Used it to monitor Atlanta Fire dispatch and fireground, Georgia Tech Police, and a Georgia State Patrol channel. Miss the flashing red lights on today's scanners!


Test Meters - Radio Shack


Matt's Mom Working on the Radio Shack Computer

Matt Said:
I absolutely love this group and wanted to share this: Here's my mom, probably in 1981 or 82, being very much ahead of the times. She made use of a computer in small business long before they were everywhere. Our family had a small ice cream store in the local mall (Bresler's Ice Cream, Greenwood Mall, Bowling Green, KY 1979-1986), and my mom used it for general ledger and payroll needs. We used to have a programmer come over to our house to make updates to the software. I'm still friends with him on facebook all these years later. I also still have this computer (TRS-80 Model III bought from the same mall's Radio Shack) along with the cassette player, cables, and a copy of Raaku-Tu on tape. Enjoy!

We sold the SENSATION Computer... The Only one on the market With a CD ROM Drive... Pretty good idea - as almost all computers have that now...



Sound Meter

Love looking at all the Radio Shack stuff in this group! Brings back many memories. But I am surprised I have not seen the venerable Radio Shack sound dB meter. These things were great. The analog needle meter movement is much better than any digital display, in my limited experience.

These were essential for the Chaperone at Teen Club Dances... "You Kids TURN DOWN Those Electric Guitars!"

We sold a LOT of security system Gear... but many people just bought the STICKER in the hope it would scare off burglers...

a Very Useful Tool... Digital Multimeter

for people that wanted to play video games on the TV...

Metal Detector Toy:

Oliver Said: I had one of these when I was in first grade, I saw the opportunity to buy one again. I found plenty of coins at the school playground... 

We also sold Professional Grade Models

~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~

Ham Radio... Selling Equipment at Radio Shack in the 1990s - I Met a Lot of Interesting and Obsessive People who were Amateurs.

It was Really Fun to Be Introduced to The Ham Radio Culture... a World I Had No Contact With...

Dot Dot Dot DASH DASH DASH Dot Dot Dot (SOS - Save Our Ship)

One Man Had a "Mobile Command Center" Built into an Old School Bus. His Plan was that When All Communication Failed During an Earthquake, He and His Ham Radio Friends Could Help Firemen, Policemen and the National Guard... A Pretty Likely Occurrence in San Jose, CA... There Have Been Major Earthquakes in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Gatos... or... Maybe this Old Hippie Just wanted a Valid Excuse for Living in a BUS... With a Sure Fire Way to Avoid Police Harassment was to BE Part of the Law Enforcement TEAM...

We DID Sell Amateur Radios that Require a Licence from the FCC to Operate. We DID NOT Check to see if the Customer HAD a License... or Planned to Have a License... However we Did Inform Every Customer of the NEED for Them to GET a License to Operate the Radio Legally... But anything that Happens OUTSIDE The Store Was NOT Our Responsibility...

Many Ham Radio Operators Who DO Have a License Say That They HUNT DOWN ILLEGAL OPERATORS as a Fun Hobby... Using Triangulation to Locate the Bogus Radio Operator... and Reporting Then to "Friendly Cousin Charlie." Maybe this is a False Story but... Who Knows!

I do know that Getting a License is Difficult. They require that you understand Electrical Engineering and The Basic Physics of How RADIO WORKS... and They also Test Your Speed and Accuracy in Morse Code... I knew a Ham Radio Operator who said the Morse Code Training Helped Him with his Piano Playing... a Deep Understanding of Rhythm...

A Bigger Problem was Citizens Band Radios with an Illegal Linear Amplifier. CB Radios May Operate without any License BUT there is a Maximum Power Output for legal Radios... Well, People DO Sell Illegal BOOSTERS that allow a CB Radio to Work over VAST Distances... One Customer said he could talk to Guatemala on his CB... It Saved him a LOT of Money on his Telephone Bill... BUT... That much Power Interferes With... TV Reception, AM and FM Radio Reception, Police Band Reception and Fire Truck Communications... THAT'S WHY There is a Limit to the Power Output... FCC Laws... So Everyone Can Play Nice and Share the Airwaves... Those FCC Laws are also the Reason That WOLFMAN JACK Had His Radio Station in Mexico... No Laws to Limit His Broadcast Range.

One Blessing of Working at Radio Shack was the Requirement That I Learn Electronics Theory... and How things Work. The Corporation Found out that More Products GET SOLD and STAY SOLD if the Clerks Understand Electronics. Selling Someone the Wrong Part Does NOT Make a Profit... It only wastes the Customer's Time and Patience... SO... We Were Required to Study and Pass Tests in 14 Different Subjects... I Learned the Physics of Antenna Design... How A VCR Works... How a TV Works... Etc Etc Etc... FREE COLLEGE ON THE TIMECLOCK...

Amateur Radio Operators Collect Cards from Each Other Proving that they were able to Contact People Far Away. When they are Chatting, they ask for a Name and Street Address and then Mail a Postcard with the Other Person's Call Sign on it. Then they POST those Cards on the Wall of Their SHACK...
My Friend Had a card from a Man named Fletcher on Pitcarin Island... a Descendant of the Mutiny on the Bounty... I guess if You Live on an Island in the Middle of the Ocean a Radio would be handy for Contacting People On Different Islands or The Mainland...

Two Way Radios Either TALK or LISTEN. But Not Both at The Same Time, Like a Telephone. That's Why People say "Over" when they have finished Talking... and they release the BUTTON... People say "10-4" to tell the other person they Heard What their Friend Had to Say and Understood the Words...

We sold a Lot of Personal Communicators that had a Short Range but 49 MHz FM Quality... They Were Small and Trendy... People Bought them for Communication While Skiing... or Going to The Mall... or Organizing a Stage Show... You Could Wear the Microphone and Speaker on Your Head, and have the Radio Clipped to Your Belt... a Really Trendy High Tech LOOK...

I remember the Watergate Burglars Used Radio Shack CB Radios to Orchestrate Their Crime... Those Radios DO NOT WORK WELL INSIDE BUILDINGS... In G Gordon Liddy's Book "Will" he complained about the Quality of the Radios... HOWEVER... He Simply Did Not Buy The Right Product... a 49 MHz FM Radio would Have been Wonderful For Their Job... BUT... I Bet Liddy Did Not Explain His Intended USE to The Clerk... Being all HUSH HUSH and Clandestine... Dumbf*ck! His EGO caused His Failure...

Of Course, all this is Ancient History because Cellphones are What People Use Now...

Sadly, the Democratic Party is Throwing David Hogg Out! Because he suggested that the super old dinosaurs retire... But they want to keep their high paying government jobs forever... Keep on running and running and running until they're dead!

What the Democrats fail to understand is that there are millions of young people and they're sick and tired of Grandpa Wrecking the Country!

or should we call her Dinosaur Feinstein?

DNC chair rebukes David Hogg for pushing primaries against Democratic incumbents...
A number of party leaders are frustrated that Hogg, who has a leadership position in the party, is pushing primaries against some incumbents in deep-blue seats.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/david-hogg-disrupts-democratic-party-rcna202202

Sadly, the Democratic Party is Going Crazy these days... We've got David Hogg who wants to campaign against all SUPER OLD democratic incumbents... A better plan is for all the really old people to voluntarily retire... Hey! Look in the mirror! Isn't it time for you to get the f*ck out? I myself am an old person, 71, and I retired about 10 years ago... I'm really glad I did... 

<~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~>

the following paragraphs are my own opinion and do not conform to the "political correctness" enforced by Google blogspot... 

<~~~~~~ (~);-} ~~~~~~>

We have chosen the wrong issue to campaign on... We could be making a big deal about defunding PBS and NPR... Or we could talk about Social Security... or Veterans... or The Mad DOGE Firing Federal Workers... But No...

The Democratic party is simply on the wrong side of History when it comes to immigration...  They're making a big deal about getting a Venezuelan man back from El Salvador... 

The vast majority of Voters want non-white people to leave the USA... That's one of the reasons Trump won... He was promoting racism and racism is very popular! 

You ever read those words on the Statue of Liberty? That made sense when people were coming to the United States from Ireland and Europe... But now it's obviously crazy talk!

Tell the truth now... When was the last time you said: "I sure wish there were more Venezuelans around here... You can never find a Venezuelan when you really need one!" I've never said that... And I bet you've never said it either!

I have lived in neighborhoods where we had non-white people and then I've lived in all white neighborhoods... The quality of life in Eureka and Chico, CA is dramatically better than San Jose and Washington DC... I lived in all those places... And that is reality... 

DEI is obviously racist discrimination against white men... "Women and Minorities are encouraged to apply?" Do you know who is NOT part of the Women and Minorities group? White men... DUH...

LINK: Click Here to Visit My Gift Shop! 

NO longer for sale! 

I removed this t-shirt from my gift shop because people were ordering it and after it had been manufactured and mailed to the customer they would cancel their order... That happened many times... I can only assume it's because of a organized protest by MAGA morons!

THANK YOU US Capitol Police for Defending Democracy from Terrorist Attack on 1/6/2021 American Heroes!

all my Royalties Donated to Charity.

https://www.zazzle.com/store/gregvan

and another Real Life Hero... 

My Friend Mike Johnson (the San Jose, CA  Policeman) Was Murdered in the Line of Duty. He Was a Great Guy. He a Responding to a Domestic Violence Call. The Criminal Shot Mike and then Was Shot by other SJPD Officers... The Criminal Died... 

Mike and I worked together at the Branham Lane Radio Shack during the 1990s. We had many lengthy debates at our store while waiting for customers to show up... He and I disagreed on almost every subject but it was an interesting intellectual stimulation to talk to him. One thing we disagreed about was his joining the Police Force. I was opposed to it because it is a High Risk Profession... Tragically, I was unable to convince him that his opinion was wrong. He joined and died. He should have studied electronics and went to work at a Computer Factory. He was really smart... and had a great grasp of electronics...

Funeral Today in San Jose. 4/2/2015 8,000 People attended.

Article from the Newspaper... SJ Mercury News

SJPD Officer Michael Johnson: Police, family, community say goodbye to hometown hero. 

A community came to a stop Thursday. It paused as a long procession of sorrow slowly traveled through streets lined with people paying their respects. At the downtown SAP Center, a somber sea of law enforcement, shoulder to shoulder, gathered to mourn the death of San Jose police Officer Michael Johnson.

It was there, amid an emotional day of tears and anguish, that David Solis made a simple request. Solis, a police academy classmate of Johnson, noted the "Shark Tank" normally was the site of raucous hockey games.

"This is obviously something different," said Solis, now a Menlo Park officer. "But I truly believe Mike is looking down on us right now. So I would like us to give Mike a standing ovation for the life that he gave to us."

And for the next two minutes, SAP roared with the sound of deafening cheers and clapping.

They stood to thank a man who was shot and killed in the line of duty on March 24 while responding to an emergency call. But true to Solis' words, this memorial, which drew more than 8,000 people, focused on his life, not his death. Colleagues remembered him as the epitome of everything a police officer should be -- fair, firm and compassionate. Family remembered him as someone who always was there for them.

Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, the head of the Catholic Diocese of San Jose, compared Johnson, who was 38, to a meteorite that flashes across the sky and disappears all too quickly.

"They don't last long, but those who experience their light remain forever dazzled," McGrath said. "And that was true with Mike."

California Attorney General Kamala Harris, the state's top law enforcement official, said Johnson's death underscores the inherent risks police face every day they put on a uniform.

"This ultimate sacrifice is an eternal reminder that safety comes at a supreme price, and that price must always be remembered by a grateful state and her people," Harris said.

In the time-honored tradition of police memorials, law enforcement came from around the country, representing agencies from distant states, including Illinois, Texas and New York. But the death of Johnson, a married, 14-year veteran of the force, has been most keenly felt in his hometown of San Jose.

That's why residents took to the streets as the procession made its way from a Los Gatos funeral home to SAP, evoking the sort of patriotism seen on the Fourth of July. Diane Urbano and Patrick Donahue held signs that read "Rest In Peace Michael Johnson" in Los Gatos. Small children in strollers waved tiny American flags.

At St. Lucy Catholic Parish church on Winchester Boulevard, bells tolled as more than 350 schoolchildren in their blue plaid uniforms stood quietly, also holding American flags, as the motorcade passed.

"All of us are so appreciative of the sacrifices all police officers have made for the community," Pastor Kevin Joyce said. "We all feel this tragedy."

Marianne Williams and Carol Jerger stopped ironing church linens for Easter Sunday to join the sidewalk tribute.

"He's one of ours," said Williams, choking up. "Police have been so good to me over the years."

As the motorcade passed Santana Row, Morgan Hill resident Terry Shaffer waved a large American flag, tears filling his eyes.

Jeff Sauer, a 20-year San Jose resident, said he often walks his dog through Jeffrey Fontana Park, past the bronze statue honoring the last SJPD officer killed on duty, in 2001. He said news of Johnson's death impacted him much differently this time.

"It's such a tough job they have, and I know they're understaffed," said Sauer, 47. "I was a younger man last time this happened -- I have a different level of respect now."

At SAP, an entire length of Autumn Street was filled, rows deep with police officers and their families who were silent as the motorcade arrived. Law enforcement officers -- including from departments in Los Angeles, Riverside, Benicia, Vacaville, Lodi, Fresno and Hanford -- saluted the hearse carrying Johnson.

Inside the arena, the crowd was pin-drop quiet as a bagpipe player and honor guard escorted pallbearers carrying the fallen officer's casket to the foot of a stage.

Speakers remembered Johnson as a loving husband, son and uncle, loyal friend, committed police officer and shining light in the lives of the people who knew him best.

Jamie Radack, Johnson's older sister, offered the crowd a glimpse into her brother's upbringing and his apparent destiny to protect and serve, in part to follow in their father's footsteps as a police officer.

"I knew he would grow up to become a cop," Radack said. "Whenever Mike and I played cops and robbers as kids, he always insisted on being the cops and I always had to be the bad guys.

"That turned out to be fortuitous, not just because Mike grew up to become a cop, but I grew up to become a lawyer," she said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Radack also recalled her brother's commitment to mastering everything he did.

"He didn't just play chess, he was captain of the chess team," she said. "He didn't just do jiujitsu, he became an instructor. He didn't just make a cheesecake, he made the best damned cheesecake you ever had from our grandma's supersecret recipe. And he not only kept the recipe secret, he literally stored it in his gun safe. He didn't just scuba dive, he dove with great white sharks in the Farallon Islands."

And she lamented the loss of a person who was tirelessly devoted to his family. Her brother was the one who helped with every move, always was the designated driver and made it to every family event no matter how briefly, sometimes while in uniform.

He shared his love of martial arts with both her children, teaching his niece how to do a sleeper-hold when she was 3. He would play Barbies with her, too.

"Mike loved his family with his entire heart and he expressed that love by always being present," she said. "And now, he's gone."

Police Chief Larry Esquivel described March 24 as the hardest day of his career. But Esquivel added that he and the rest of the department have been heartened by the vast outpouring of public support in the wake of the tragedy.

"The state of the San Jose Police Department is strong, and that's because of officers like Michael," Esquivel said. —... This horrific event has galvanized our city. It's made our big city feel like a small community."

Solis remembered his friend chose "to live differently," and that included becoming a police officer. He spoke directly to current police academy cadets and told them that in the face of the tragedy, to turn to Johnson's sense of duty as inspiration.

It was a plea made all the more poignant by the fact that Fontana was a member of the same academy class as Johnson.

"To Mike," he added, "We thank you for your life and your sacrifice to us. Death did not make you a hero. You were already a hero while you lived. You are forever stitched to us, bonded to us, and now your heart will beat through ours."

The memorial concluded with one final police ritual. A San Jose police dispatcher broadcast was piped into the arena, making a symbolic, last call.

"Officer Michael Johnson, badge 3718," the dispatcher said. "Officer Johnson, you will always be remembered and honored for your service and bravery. End of watch, March 24, 2015. Attention all units: Resume all normal traffic."

Then, the procession reformed outside to complete this painful journey at Oak Hill Cemetery, where a private funeral service was scheduled. Officers streamed out of SAP, some wiping their eyes and hugging one another. They once again lined up to salute Johnson and his family.

One officer instructed others to stand straight and bring their right hands to their heads in salute.

"It's time for him to go home."

Staff writers Julia Prodis Sulek, Katie Nelson, Erin Ivie, and Sal Pizarro contributed to this report.

HOW TO HELP
Donations to support the family of Officer Michael Johnson can be made online at sjpoa.com/donations or by mail to the San Jose Police Officers' Association, 1151 N. Fourth St., with checks payable to SJPOACF with "Michael Johnson" in the memo line.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_27839580/sjpd-officer-michael-johnson-police-family-community-say

Short Anti-Trump Messages You Can Share on FaceBorg! #ArrestTrump #LockHimUP! - For Example: Trump Called COVID-19 a "Democratic Hoax" and then Over a Million Americans Died.

Remember: In 2016 Putin Proved That Campaigning Online Works! His Puppet Won the Electoral College...

Trump Was the Worst President EVER... Even Worse that George Bush the Son... and He was an Idiot!

Trump Lost Jobs, Biden Created Jobs - SEE? There Is a Difference!

When Trump Was President, Americans Waited in Long Lines for Free Food because They Couldn't Buy Food at the Store. 

Trump's a Danger to Self and Others. Police Code 5150...

Let's Repeal and Replace Trump's Tax Cut for the Rich Law... It's a Disaster!

Trump's Trade War With China Harmed American Farmers and Consumers. But benefited Russia!

Over 1,000 Trumpanzees Have Been Arrested for January 6th... BUT NOT TRUMP! #LockHimUP

When Trump Was President, The DJIA Had the Largest Loss of Money in History... Winning???

Peter Navarro Warns 'New Civil War' Will Break Out Over Trump Indictment... But Unlikely as Most of the Trumpanzees are in Prison for January 6th... 

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3100674456393-peter-navarro-warns-new-civil-war-will-break-out-over-trump-indictment

Members of We Build the Wall. Scam artists that are getting jail for bilking people of their money as no wall was built with that money. One person who is missing is their legal counsel. A corrupt individual who is now the State AG for Kansas. Kris Kobach lost big time when he ran for Gov and lost to our Dem Gov Laura Kelly. When he was Sect of State and tried to pull some shenanigans, he was told to go back to law school and take some refresher courses

Don’t EVER let Republicans tell you they care about the 1st amendment or free speech in ANY way. I saw that massive hypocrite Tucker Carlson droning on about free speech while Republicans go on a book banning spree, shutting down libraries in many locations. It’s always a good sign when they start banning books, right? MAGA seems to be VERY into cancel culture now despite previous whining about it just wasting boycott power on utter nonsense. I’ve seen they now wanna put a positive spin on slavery too….which is HORRIFIC and terrifying. That is how you repeat the worst moments in history; when you learn propaganda instead of cold, hard, sobering facts. They’re suddenly too sensitive to learn true American history so who’s a snowflake now? #Hypocrisy

Article: https://www.democracynow.org/2023/7/28/headlines/houston_to_eliminate_librarians_in_28_schools_booksellers_sue_over_texas_book_ban_bill

Little Known Facts about Record Players...

On FaceBorg SE Said: 

Whenever I would get a new record player back in the day, the first thing I would do was replace the needle with a diamond needle. My dad taught me this, and my older brother did the same thing. Most record players came with a sapphire needle, but a diamond needle was better. I can remember my parents getting me a new record player for Christmas one year, and they gave me a diamond needle as a separate gift to go along with it. I suspect that the fact that I exclusively used diamond needles is one of the reasons all of my old records are still in pristine condition, even after all these years. I prided myself on taking excellent care of my records, and it seems they really do last forever if you take care of them.

Another thing my dad taught me back then was that pre-recorded cassette tapes had poor sound quality, so I always bought the vinyl record and made my own cassettes to play in the car, using high quality cassette tapes. I remember that Maxell was my favorite cassette brand, and Memorex was my least favorite. Those cheap pink and yellow Memorex cassettes were pretty to look at, but terrible sound quality. So even though pink and yellow was always one of my favorite color combinations, I resisted the temptation to buy those cassettes. But even if you used the highest quality cassettes, they didn't last forever like record albums. This is another reason why I'm glad I recorded my own rather than purchasing pre-recorded cassettes. My record albums are still good to this day, but my cassettes have all gotten lost over the years. I hung onto some of them for a long time, but they do lose sound quality over time.

I later started purchasing CD's and recording those onto cassettes, until I got a CD player for my car. Then I no longer needed to buy cassettes. Nowadays, I still drive an older car which has a CD player. I don't buy a lot of albums anymore because I can listen to most music on YouTube any time I want. But when I really like something and want to be able to listen to it in the car, I buy the album on iTunes and then immediately burn it onto a CDR so I can play it in my car.

and SRC Said: 

I don't listen to enough music, being obsessed with sports, sportstalk and NPR, but sometimes, like when I read, music IS the answer!

and SE Replied: 

I don’t listen to music as much as I used to. I do have a radio on my desk at work, but I listen to Mark Thompson and Nikki Medoro’s shows on the internet. But I really, really wish I could listen to them on the radio. I hope we get a local news talk station again someday. We really need one.

and SD Said:

I listen to music ALL THE TIME. A few of my favorite artists have Patreon accounts and I occasionally buy their digital collections on USB (even though I already have access to all of it) and give it as gifts.

and I Replied:

I did not know that! and I worked at Radio Shack where we sold record players and NEEDLES... we did a LOT of business selling needles... and had a Massive Needle replacement chart...

My Trip to Las Vegas During "El Nino" in the 1990s, (Autobiography) My Father Bought Me a Vacation. Truly a Blessing Because The Endless Rain Was Depressing.

He Proposed that I White Water Raft the Colorado River thru the Grand Canyon. Just Like the Book "The Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey... I Declined that offer because I Was Afraid that the Extreme Rain would Make Rafting Too Dangerous... 

SO, I Spent a Week in Las Vegas. Riding the Rides, Drinking Booze and Playing Slot Machines.

My Travel Agent Booked me in a No-Name Motel Right on Las Vegas Boulevard Between Circus Circus and New York New York. Within Walking Distance to Everything. 

My Main Goal was to Ride the Star Trek Simulator at the Hilton. It Has a Trekkie themed Casino/Sports Betting Lounge for Me to Wait in Until it was time to Ride the Ride. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Experience
We all got on a Spaceship and Had a Battle with Klingons... Yep... Then I Rode the Monorail to the Luxor... Where they Had a 3D Movie. Totally Surrealistic as Their 3D Quality Really Made it Seem real. 

I Also enjoyed the Treasure Island Battle between Pirates and the English Navy. Taking Place in a Pool on the Street. The Pirates Won... Hey, It's Las Vegas... Pirates WIN Here... 

Then I walked over to the RIO Hotel and Enjoyed the Mardi Gras Float that was Flying over the Slot Machines... A Band, Singers and Dancers performed the Song "Aiko-Aiko" while riding the Float that was Attached to a Track in the Ceiling... Throwing Beads... and the Waitresses were Beautiful and Served Free Drinks as Long as I was Playing a Slot Machine... 

I rode the Roller Coaster at New York New York and Enjoyed Whooshing Past the Giant Statue of Liberty... Then Inside the Casino there was a Billy Joel Imitator Playing "Piano Man."

I walked over to the STRATOSFEAR Tower and Got in Line for the Roller Coaster at the Top... BUT I SELECTED TO NOT GO. I Have Limits to How mush Fear I want to Experience and... I Never Rode a Roller Coaster Again... Ever... Anywhere... 

My Motel Had a FREE "Bloody Mary Fountain" pouring Booze 24 Hours a Day and I Did Drink whenever I was Near... But I was Not Near Very Much... I was Mostly Visiting Rides... and Casinos... Circus Circus Had an Excellent Buffet and That was My Main Source of Food. Yes, They DID Have a High Wire Trapeze Act on the Ceiling... 

I Remember FLASHING NEON LIGHTS... Like the Hallucinations of an LSD Trip Without Actually Eating the Drug... Fantastic!

Read More of My Autobiography at:
https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/growing-up-in-los-gatos-california-in.html

YOU MAY CHANGE THE WORDS IF YOU WANT TO...  Plenty of Space to Write Your MANIFESTO... Or The Great American Novel... WhatEVER!

"Art in the Time of Coronavirus" T-Shirt
by gregvan

Interesting Biography: Stepping Down from the Star: A Soviet Defector's Story by Elena Alexandra Costa

https://www.amazon.com/Stepping-Down-Stars-Soviet-Defectors/dp/0399131957

Born in the USSR and Living as one of the Elite... Rich, Connected... Wife of a Diplomat... She Defected to the USA and then went to Wharton Business School... Then Got a Job at Radio Shack is Sales and then Computer Support... It seems to be an Accurate Autobiography...