The Nostalgia Thread
- Thread starter Amy SF
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My grandmother, who was living in the capital city, had a party line when I was a kid ... we were living in the countryside where there were fewer phone lines required, so we had a "full" line (the others were called "quarter" lines, so 4 parties sharing one).
However, it was nothing like the thing in that movie. You normally could not listen in on other peoples communications, but sometimes, due to technical glitches, you might hear a faint murmur from somebody elses telephone conversation that you could not really understand.
Instead, before making a call, there was a button you needed to hold for some time, it made some klicking noises, and then you got a line - or you did not get a line, if it was occupied, and had to wait ... sometimes for a long time. So no shouting at the other person to hurry up with their call as you have an important call to make. You also did not know who those others sharing the line were, they would likely be from some other place in the same district. (I guess authorities wanted to avoid that you would go to your neighbour and hammer at his door to get him to end his phone call)
Some years later, my grandmother got a full line due to age and health. Of course, if you have a serious medical condition you could not wait for a number of unknown others sharing your line to finish whatever calls they have before you could call the ambulance to safe your life, so old age and infirmity were valid reasons to apply to the postal company (monopoly at that time) to receive an exclusive line.
Best regards,
Andy
However, it was nothing like the thing in that movie. You normally could not listen in on other peoples communications, but sometimes, due to technical glitches, you might hear a faint murmur from somebody elses telephone conversation that you could not really understand.
Instead, before making a call, there was a button you needed to hold for some time, it made some klicking noises, and then you got a line - or you did not get a line, if it was occupied, and had to wait ... sometimes for a long time. So no shouting at the other person to hurry up with their call as you have an important call to make. You also did not know who those others sharing the line were, they would likely be from some other place in the same district. (I guess authorities wanted to avoid that you would go to your neighbour and hammer at his door to get him to end his phone call)
Some years later, my grandmother got a full line due to age and health. Of course, if you have a serious medical condition you could not wait for a number of unknown others sharing your line to finish whatever calls they have before you could call the ambulance to safe your life, so old age and infirmity were valid reasons to apply to the postal company (monopoly at that time) to receive an exclusive line.
Best regards,
Andy
For us, it was VHS also (luckily), while my friend had a Video 2000/VCC (Philips system) recorder. That was actually a bit more practical, as you could turn around the cassettes like on audio cassettes, hence had a longer recording time, but this also did not get as widespread as the VHS system and died eventually.
I remember that when we got our first VCR and colour TV (before, we only had B/W) around 1981, my father was adamant that I, with only 12 years of age, was never allowed to operate the VCR on my own, lest I break it. Of course, a month later, I always had to come and help him to program the VCR when he wanted to record a movie, as I had mastered that complicated process while he had not. But of course I was not allowed to operate it on my own
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Great Big Story
I maintain my position that the audio cassette has always been a crappy format for music. But it's a curious thing to see something I assumed was long dead come back to life. I don't know why.
As an added note, it's interesting that the iPod my sister gave me ten years ago is not only dead, but part of an outdated series (2nd generation), but the Sony Walkman I got 20-25 years ago as a door prize at the company Christmas party still works just fine. Go figure.
I maintain my position that the audio cassette has always been a crappy format for music. But it's a curious thing to see something I assumed was long dead come back to life. I don't know why.
As an added note, it's interesting that the iPod my sister gave me ten years ago is not only dead, but part of an outdated series (2nd generation), but the Sony Walkman I got 20-25 years ago as a door prize at the company Christmas party still works just fine. Go figure.
MadamSarcastra
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Up until this past winter, I was driving a '94 Toyota Corolla... with CD player... AND TAPE DECK!! Damn, I loved that car. I still have tapes around somewhere... plenty of 'em. I think I might even have an unwrapped blank cassette bundle... I should wait 10 years & sell 'em. LOL
I even brought (to store) in Jer's basement, my old boom-box. Remember those, kids?? Boom-box with removable speakers, a CD player, and duel cassette deck!
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I drive a 2001 Honda Accord with a CD player and a tape deck. I keep a bunch of audio cassettes in the car, but I'm more likely to listen to CDs because the CD player will load up to 6 CDs at a time and I don't have to worry about being distracted when popping a tape out and playing the other side.
Never had a tape deck in the only car I ever owned (around 1980 for a few years), but I have had tape decks with dual drives so I could make backup copies of my favorite songs. I also liked the tape decks with built-in radios, so I could pirate things off-the-air. (I mostly did this either when the local classic rock station was broadcasting their full album night, or when Dr. Demento's program was playing... there's another nostalgia thing, although he only stopped broadcasting maybe 10 years ago, I think.)Up until this past winter, I was driving a '94 Toyota Corolla... with CD player... AND TAPE DECK!! Damn, I loved that car. I still have tapes around somewhere... plenty of 'em. I think I might even have an unwrapped blank cassette bundle... I should wait 10 years & sell 'em. LOL
I even brought (to store) in Jer's basement, my old boom-box. Remember those, kids?? Boom-box with removable speakers, a CD player, and duel cassette deck!
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I've always liked the sound of records, even when you could hear that static sound in the background. I still have a record player and a half dozen good records. I admit to dancing around the house while cleaning and listening to old records. I have Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band; Simon and Garfunkle; The soundtrack from Love Story; Bolero; Love Songs from the 1940s; Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty.
I was a poor kid for too long, relying on taping my music from the radio and not able to afford a good record player.
So when I finally could afford one, I went directly to CDs that became popular at that moment. I still have, however, one Dire Straits album and a Muddy Waters record set that I maybe listened to twice.
I miss being a kid sometimes. It was nice to live so close to the beach. It was literally a 10 minute walk from our house, and we used to go nearly every day in the summer. There are beaches here too, but to get there I would need to either do a LOOOONG bike ride (1 hour+) or take the bus or get a ride there.
Oh, and there weren't any cell phones back then, which was nice. Nowadays it seems like everyone is playing with their phone all the time, even while out for a picnic or at the beach or camping.
Oh, and there weren't any cell phones back then, which was nice. Nowadays it seems like everyone is playing with their phone all the time, even while out for a picnic or at the beach or camping.
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Calliegirl
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We have a couple of rental places here. I used to go to the one regularly, purely for nostalgic purposes. It is a local, independently owned store. I hope it stays in business.This just kind of makes me sad.
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
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LOL I wasn't aware that anyone was still making them. I went searching for a new VCR on Amazon earlier this year, and all I found were used machines.
And yes, I have videotapes with content that I can't find in any digital format, movies and other programs that I taped off TV. I don't want to get rid of them just yet.
And yes, I have videotapes with content that I can't find in any digital format, movies and other programs that I taped off TV. I don't want to get rid of them just yet.
MadamSarcastra
MadamSarcastra, over & out.
Yup! Just rented two $1 "nearly-new" DVDs from Family Video last night!This just kind of makes me sad.
They have three stores here in town....That's tragically funny.... three Family Video stores in one small city, yet there's probably only a dozen vegetarian dishes collectively available from ALL the restaurants here, combined.
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The vcr's I suppose! Unless it outlives me, lol.Who's bitter end are you talking about ?
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