DocAndersen
The image is an IR picture of my computer monitor, and my reflection. It looks like a ghost doesn’t it? It isn’t it is just me on a holiday morning.
One of the things I’ve chased after for years is the area of personal air pumps. Ones that are battery operated and that you can use to blow up rafts, beds and so on. There is a new product in the space called MaxPump. It is small enough that you can carry it in your pocket. It is powerful enough that it can blow up a queen sized mattress. I will be doing a review in the next few weeks. Also, the Travis Touch personal translator is on the “need to review” list. Lately things enter the list, and frankly, it takes me 1-2 months to get around to the review.
I found my dad’s old transistor radio (his emergency radio to listen to IU Basketball games). It got me thinking about the evolution of what is radio and what was radio. When I was a kid, I got an AM/FM shortwave radio for Christmas the year before we moved to Thailand. I listened to everything on that radio. I had it with me until we moved from Cincinnati Ohio back to Indiana. It had finally died at that point. Of course, it hadn’t been on the entire time we were in Cincinnati. The first transition for me was going from that portable radio to a stereo. Then when my wife was pregnant with the twins, we ended up getting a boombox that played CDs. We still have that Boombox, and it still works although we haven’t turned it on in a little over a year.
Now radio is streaming, but the reality of radio today is that you are bound to the same playlists that you were bound to years ago on the radio. I find myself often considering ways that streaming could be improved. It isn’t a wistful return to the radio of old, SiriusXM still makes the traditional DJ approach to radio. The reality of music and streaming is the ability to use your phone and stream music anywhere. As I said, you can use the SiriusXM system; it is digital music presented well. Closer to that old radio I got when I was ten years old. Or you can use one of the streaming services and design your own.
All in all, it is time for a change!
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Question of
Do you remember AM radio?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Did you have an AM/FM radio?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Did you ever listen to shortwave radio?
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Yes
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No
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Listened to AM/FM shortwave radio in 1990-s, it was just a fantastic time for me cause I first got acquainted with the music of such legends as Queen, Duran Duran, David Bowie and others. Feel some nostalgy about these times!!!
There is a magic in listening to the radio that isn’t captured by streaming. I remember driving and losing the station (slowly over time).
Yes I remember them well, hated my alarm clock that went off every morning.
I got a clock radio when I was about 14. Changed from beeping to music. Found out I can sleep through music, went back to the horrible beeping!
I was just thinking about needing one of those old time voice recorders so I can say wht I want to write, I often forget and remember once again when I have no paper or I am driving.
I still have like 8 of those in my office. Over the years I’ve collected voice recorders.
this post shall remind me of Spirit of the Radio by Rush…
man I hadn’t thought about that song in a long time. I am listening to it now!
You’re welcome. I have it in my playlist so that doesn’t happen to me…
We had a short wave radio for a very short time. Way too many interruptions.
first shortwave for a very short time made me laugh! But surely less distractions with a radio than with a Television or computer!
People have guessed that because of the development of TV, the radio will die as the exodus of ads to TV increases. Apparently, thanks to the internet, all of that was enriched based on the uniqueness of each.
And yes, I remember AM Radio.
I love radio. like vinyl records there is magic in the disconnected signal!
I have the same view about it.
I actually, many years ago was a DJ on the radio.
Oh, Wow! That’s a great experience, Doc.
It was my college job. WBWB Bloomington Indiana. I worked there on the overnight (12 am to 5 am), took early am classes and then went off to bed. It really messed up a lot of things, but I loved being on the air!