So someone I don't know emails me asking about this radio.
Wow. I contact her and she tells me the story. A Lady going to a nursing home and possessions to be sold. This is one of the cleanest chassis for a 1948 radio I have seen. As the obscure FM band would denote, "FM radio was assigned the 42 to 50 MHz band of the spectrum in 1940."
A nine tube radio/phonograph console.
Back in the day, this WAS the home media center.
She found me here. I asked. I hope she enjoys the working radio now used as a TV stand and I wish I could save them all, but room is limited here.
I am stunned. First that anyone would think I'm an expert on anything. Second, she reached out to me for advice.
Take care of that radio and enjoy many years of entertainment my new friend! You need any help let me know.
So while I was snooping around with a light board and a loupe on some 35mm negatives, I ran across what appeared at first glance to be some images I did not remember having prints of. I tried to scan them, then I realized they were not 35 mm , but Kodak 126 negatives.
After Tam suggested sending them to The Darkroom, I was rewarded with this image of my Mother and Paternal Grandmother at the beach. Guessing by the cars in the parking lots, it was taken late 60's early 70's.
Fantastic, but I thought I would try out my limited Photoshop skills. I clicked on the "Fix old photo" stuff and was rewarded with this.
What a fantastic moment in time!
So on the front porch we run across this lump of something.
Aside from the spec house tolerances I thought perhaps it was one of these.
This is a Hummingbird nest. So light and small they are usually held in place with stolen spider web threads.
After getting the Surefire out and putting on some glasses *sigh* it is a bird. I hope it enjoys its stay tonight.
Tomorrow I am on the road. Going to go for some recoil therapy.
Yeah, I'm taking the honking camera with me. Maybe it will get used =)
I finally got around to playing with these things. I loaded the training cartridge in my Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm and set these things out. The videos are my true first runs with them for better or worse and to make it more interesting I switched to a course of night fire with the Crimson Trace Lightguard only and the transition to the Trijicon night sights, the first time I have ever shot with both low light tools.
First, day fire:
I have to rack the Pistol to fire multiple shots so I practice the tap rack malfunction drill. I might need to remove a follower on a mag instead of hitting the empty well.
Then night fire:
That was humbling. Yeah I know I'm probably holding it wrong too.
Impressions? They are fun and demanding targets. The fact I can actually practice night fire is an added bonus!
FTC disclaimer. I paid for everything here so pound sand, OK?
UPDATE!
Someone asked. I was about 7 yards away and the camera was much closer to the cans. FYI. Some say the cans do not work in bright light. So far I have not seen that.
In case you did not know it the second pilot (the first one was officially judged too cerebral by NBC) ordered by NBC for Star Trek TOS had a very special cinematographer. He showed up for the job interview and brought no resume, no cover letter. He showed up for the gig as a favor for a friend as he was retired. When the interview ran he simply said: "I did this little thing called Gone with the Wind". Word. Best response for that job interview ever!
Thanks Ernest B. "Ernie" Haller.
Oh, the studios were owned by Desi Arnaz and his wife Lucille Ball. Star Trek was filmed after they separated and "Lucy" was running the studios.
My geek card should be good for a week or so!
A really cool mashup of graphics and audio of the Apollo 11 landing.
A couple celebrated an Anniversary today. They have been together over 50 years. I am fortunate to know them.
I hope they have many more years to go!
Its Mr. Curmudgeon in a group shot of a competitive shooting league! Good on ya for representing Old School with a Colt 1911 over the "plastic fantastic" and .22's! Well, Maybe a Colt M45 is not "old school" =)
Congrats on a respectable finish!
So while at the National Corvette Museum I noticed oh seven or so new ones in the lobby roped off. I did not get it until I got to the front of one and it said this car was to be delivered to such and such and so and so today. It is an option code and for a K, you can get your new ride delivered to the museum from the assembly plant across the street. You get VIP passes and all of the fluff. I'll admit I applauded when I watched Mr. and Mrs. SWPL drive out of the lobby. Well Mr. rode and museum staff drove it out of the building. If you are plunking down 60K or so, I will applaud ya!
It seems to be a big deal as I watched this as I was leaving. New Vette's being delivered for the delivery option.
The 1965 Mustang was introduced to the "motoring public" on April 17, 1964. Happy Birthday to the Pony car!
Oh, there are a couple around here.
I stop by the range today and find this:
I approve.
Excellent! Great marketing that also points out that shooting target rounds may be vastly different in your firearm than shooting +P or +P+ rounds.
I don't know why Dillion still sends me the magazine. I have a Hornady press =)
Hey! FTC I paid for everything here. Thank you very much!
I have brushed against a soon to be famous Author! My friend Old NFO has published his first book. I am honored to say that I read the drafts some time ago and its a great read!
The man knows of which he writes. He is a shooter!
He is on the left above. The dude on the right? Well I don't know about him =)
In fact, it is the only PC based game I have left here.
Here is a trailer for it.
The game was not really a game. Here is more info. Any game I get and it comes with a 2 inch thick manual? Its not HALO!
Hey NFO! Does this look anywhere close to the office?
It is a big time sink if you allow it. I have not played it in years.
I find the tears of hippies fun. In honor of the really good conversation on FB tonight I offer this little radio .
I assume that the fact that this radio consumes more power than what is currently powering the house they will find objectionable. Perhaps want it banned. No matter. I powered it up tonight in honor of the "scientists" for global warming stranded and now the USCG is going to attempt a rescue after several failed attempts.
Irony. I do love it!
This Christmas I received a thoughtful gift! A lineman test set from back in the day. Before I go further I need to know how to take care of the leather on it. Looks like this:
Neatsfoot oil? Saddle soap? Any suggestions for this piece of history? I know the Retrotechnologist can help with the internals, but first things first!
Well I got this about 30 minutes ago from the brown truck of happiness.
I'm in the tech biz but I had to back up for a moment and be stunned. One day delivery from an Internet order. A 1 TERABYTE hard drive for my computer?!?!
Lets put this into perspective.
The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Module had a computer that had 2K of memory. I have for under 80 bucks a TeraByte harddrive. The numbers look like this:
I continue to be amazed.Take a look at this old school pilot fly his craft even when the computer is telling him that it can't handle it.1202 Alarm.
So Mrs. Curmudgeon runs across this during an estate sale.
I'm smart enough to figure out is was for a front stuffer something and little more than that. The horn holds the powder, the wood on the right measures it and the piece of wood on the front in it's own holster measures the shot.
The gourd holds the shot. I took it to my friends home in tidewater VA. I got an expert opinion real quick! It was made out of a tire. I should have seen that! Then on to other matters.
Here is the wadding for a powder shotgun! Newspaper! In the bottom of the pouch.
Love it! Then here is the thing. I'm more scared of these than anything I have in the house.
Including these!
So glad to have this piece of history here!
Anyone have a blackpowder shotgun? I have the stuff for it!
This would be awesome!
Dr. Who, the new series seasons 1-7 with a universal remote!
A review here.
So I just got off the phone with a student of mine shopping for a more concealable option than her Glock 26. I don't hear this often: "You are awesome!" I'll take it! Its not about the money its about giving people the freedom to take back what is theirs. They just need to see it.
So tomorrow out to the range to let the former (current) student test drive some stuff. It got me thinking.
I went shopping today. For a pistol. Colt's? Nowhere to be found except on the used counter.
I know Colt has released the .380 Mustang Pocketlite again. I wish they would do the same for the Mustang Plus II. I hear people today saying "Colt? Who's that?" I have to say I understand where they are coming from. Hell I have Firearms older than them (sigh). There is over a hundred years of small Colt's in the picture above and yet it matters for nothing in the mind of today's consumers.
Hey Colt! Wake up or you will become another side note. Sad really.
It appears I can no longer adjust my stereo to my preferences. Nope! You have to stick a microphone in your room in SIX places and let the receiver do its thing. Well I'll play.
The first thing I noticed was the old Boston Acoustics in the back of the room spoke up with authority. In fact too much so. I'm used to having the sound stage up front, not totally immersed it the sound!
Here is the BA hanging in the entry to the kitchen.
Here is the back of it from the kitchen.
Here is one of the front channel sub woofers and main speaker.
So after doing all of this I must say I cannot fault the computer. What used to take skill and knowledge was simply reduced to an algorithm. The thing will even show you it's work.
I totally agree with the curve 20Hz to 20KHz. for the rear channels. Left side is the open space in the kitchen, the right is jammed into a bookshelf in a corner. The thing boosted the bass on the left side and suppressed it on the right. It seems all the stuff I work on is trying to put me out of a job!
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