A friend is: a push when you've stopped;
a word when you're lonely;
a guide when you're searching;
a smile when you're sad; a song when you're glad. . .
and someone who knows enough to end an email before you are totally bored.
Jan 7, 2010
Quotable
An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the single brain cell it occupied.
TV History
As we look to the new year, it is interesting to look back on how TV has changed our lives, for better or worse.
Philo Farnsworth, Idaho, invented television and filed for patent in 1927.
The first commercial TVs were produced in the US in 1938.
RCA 12 inch TV, 1939. Cost $600 (that would be like $9,337.00 in 2009).
The first public broadcast was made in London in 1936 and 1939 (on a 6 inch screen) in New York.
The FCC declares 1941 as the actual first broadcast and declares anything before that as 'experimental'. Also, the first commercial, from Bulova watch was seen in 1941. Maybe that is what made the FCC change its mind.
TVs were not produced from 1942 - 1945, due to the war, and tv stations broadcast only 4 hours per week.
Howdy Doody premiered on TV in 1947, The Lone Ranger in 1949, and the first coast-to-coast TV broadcast was 1951.
Commercial color TV was first seen in 1953, but less than 1 percent of TVs could view color. Most of the country had 4 VHF stations to watch, and none were available 24 hours a day. They ended the day with the national anthem, or the following. Then they showed test patterns until the next day's broadcast.
Do you remember - "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of . . . " John Gillespie Magee Jr.
LINK to "High Flight" above from KSAT TV signoff. Poem begins at about 1 minute in.
Ronald Reagan was host of "General Electric Theater" from 1953 - 1961.
1955 ushers in the first TV remote control from Zenith. Whoopee!
NBC announced in 1965 that 96% of its programming was in color, but it wasn't until 1977 that 75% of TVs in homes could receive color. Color TV sales first outsell black and white in 1972.
First pay TV was 1972 and it caused an uproar.
Cable TV broadcasting came in during the 1940s and 1950s for stations owners, first home cable, 1948, and was deregulated in 1984. Cable reaches 50 percent of households in 1987. CNN is first cable 24 hour programming. UK produces first 24 hour broadcasts in 1987.
1991 begins the first real-time commercial broadcast of war (the Persian War) and most major advertisers pull their spots as they were not willing to sponsor war coverage. NBC lost millions in advertising. Viet Nam coverage was all from film, not live broadcast.
18 inch satellite dishes are introduced in 1996. First web TV is introduced in 1996.
98% of households have at least one TV in 1998 and 67% have cable.
In 2005 A 42" Plasma HDTV usually retails for $4,500.00 - $7,000.00, with regular plasma flat screen of 42' at about $1,400.
LCDs surpassed sales of old CRT type televisions in 2008.
All digital TV is the only type of TV available as of 2009. As of 2009 you can also watch TV on your cell phone.
Philo Farnsworth, Idaho, invented television and filed for patent in 1927.
The first commercial TVs were produced in the US in 1938.
RCA 12 inch TV, 1939. Cost $600 (that would be like $9,337.00 in 2009).
The first public broadcast was made in London in 1936 and 1939 (on a 6 inch screen) in New York.
The FCC declares 1941 as the actual first broadcast and declares anything before that as 'experimental'. Also, the first commercial, from Bulova watch was seen in 1941. Maybe that is what made the FCC change its mind.
TVs were not produced from 1942 - 1945, due to the war, and tv stations broadcast only 4 hours per week.
Howdy Doody premiered on TV in 1947, The Lone Ranger in 1949, and the first coast-to-coast TV broadcast was 1951.
Commercial color TV was first seen in 1953, but less than 1 percent of TVs could view color. Most of the country had 4 VHF stations to watch, and none were available 24 hours a day. They ended the day with the national anthem, or the following. Then they showed test patterns until the next day's broadcast.
Do you remember - "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of . . . " John Gillespie Magee Jr.
LINK to "High Flight" above from KSAT TV signoff. Poem begins at about 1 minute in.
Ronald Reagan was host of "General Electric Theater" from 1953 - 1961.
1955 ushers in the first TV remote control from Zenith. Whoopee!
NBC announced in 1965 that 96% of its programming was in color, but it wasn't until 1977 that 75% of TVs in homes could receive color. Color TV sales first outsell black and white in 1972.
First pay TV was 1972 and it caused an uproar.
Cable TV broadcasting came in during the 1940s and 1950s for stations owners, first home cable, 1948, and was deregulated in 1984. Cable reaches 50 percent of households in 1987. CNN is first cable 24 hour programming. UK produces first 24 hour broadcasts in 1987.
1991 begins the first real-time commercial broadcast of war (the Persian War) and most major advertisers pull their spots as they were not willing to sponsor war coverage. NBC lost millions in advertising. Viet Nam coverage was all from film, not live broadcast.
18 inch satellite dishes are introduced in 1996. First web TV is introduced in 1996.
98% of households have at least one TV in 1998 and 67% have cable.
In 2005 A 42" Plasma HDTV usually retails for $4,500.00 - $7,000.00, with regular plasma flat screen of 42' at about $1,400.
LCDs surpassed sales of old CRT type televisions in 2008.
All digital TV is the only type of TV available as of 2009. As of 2009 you can also watch TV on your cell phone.
Third World Countries
Did you ever wonder what the 'third world countries' are? Here is a picture of the first, second, and third world countries.
Now you know.
Now you know.
Audio Books
There is a web site, LibriVox, that makes audio books from public domain books and they are free to download. The range is wide, from Aesop to Emile Zola. LINK
Nice to have when you are driving, or just seeking a pleasant diversion. Also, great if you have someone in the family that does not see as well as they used to. I sampled "The Importance of Being Ernest" and it was read by a cast, just as if it were being acted on stage. Good stuff.
Nice to have when you are driving, or just seeking a pleasant diversion. Also, great if you have someone in the family that does not see as well as they used to. I sampled "The Importance of Being Ernest" and it was read by a cast, just as if it were being acted on stage. Good stuff.
Ebook Reader
This is a picture of a new ebook reader from Plastic Logic to be announced at CES this month. Looks like it is about as thick as a cover from a real book.
Another ebook reader, Skiff will be announced this week, also. It is 9 x 11 and is .268 inches thick. It also is bendable, with stainless steel substrate, instead of glass. Prices have not been announced yet, but will likely be in line with the other readers. Awesome technology.
Look for a spate of new readers this year and don't be surprised when your school age children call home and request one, so they do not have to lug around their backpack stuffed with paper books. A number of school book publishers are already making text books available for the readers.
Another ebook reader, Skiff will be announced this week, also. It is 9 x 11 and is .268 inches thick. It also is bendable, with stainless steel substrate, instead of glass. Prices have not been announced yet, but will likely be in line with the other readers. Awesome technology.
Look for a spate of new readers this year and don't be surprised when your school age children call home and request one, so they do not have to lug around their backpack stuffed with paper books. A number of school book publishers are already making text books available for the readers.
Jan 2, 2010
New Year's Eve
The last day of the year is New Year's Eve. Many people see the old year out with a party, welcoming in the New Year with toasts of champagne, and exchanging good wishes for a 'Happy New Year'. This celebration is particularly dear to the Scots. They call it Big Ben Hogmanay. All over Britain there are parties, fireworks, singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the new. As the clock Big Ben strikes midnight, people link arms and sing a song called 'Auld Lang Syne' to remind them of old and new friends.
A New Year superstition in Yorkshire, England - people say 'Black rabbits, black rabbits, black rabbits' during the closing seconds of the old year. Then they say, 'White rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits,' as their first utterance of the New Year. This is suppose to bring good luck.
A New Year superstition in Yorkshire, England - people say 'Black rabbits, black rabbits, black rabbits' during the closing seconds of the old year. Then they say, 'White rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits,' as their first utterance of the New Year. This is suppose to bring good luck.
Blue Moon
On December 31st, will be the second full moon of the month, or the 13th full moon of the year. These rare occasions are called a blue moon, as in “once in a blue moon.” There will also be a partial lunar eclipse on the 31st (visible in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia).
Quotable
Last year I made a list of things to do.
I’ll use that list again this year,
It’s still as good as new.
I’ll use that list again this year,
It’s still as good as new.
1959 Inventions
Looking back to fifty years ago, here is what was invented in 1959 -
Royal Crown Cola
Frosty O's (General Mills)
Ocean Spray brand products (name changed from National Cranberry Assn)
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream (nonsense name that was chosen for its sound)
Royal Crown Cola
Frosty O's (General Mills)
Ocean Spray brand products (name changed from National Cranberry Assn)
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream (nonsense name that was chosen for its sound)
Dec 31, 2009
New Year Poem
If New Year's Eve night-wind blows south,
It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;
If north, cold and storms there will be;
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
If north-east, flee it, man and brute!
It betokeneth warmth and growth;
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea;
If north, cold and storms there will be;
If east, the trees will bear much fruit;
If north-east, flee it, man and brute!
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. It is a time for family and friends to gather for food and fun. Outdoor sports, such as soccer, horse racing, and hunting are popular on this holiday. Retailers offer huge savings on many items on this day, making it the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada. It is celebrated on December 26th and is a statutory holiday in the federal jurisdiction and Ontario. If it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the working day immediately preceding or following Boxing Day is considered a legal holiday.
Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen, after the first Christian martyr, originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. Many workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in wood or clay boxes, gave the holiday it's name, "Boxing Day".
Also related to the origin of Boxing Day is the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were distributed amongst the poor by the clergy on the day after Christmas.
When great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, a Christmas Box was used as a good luck device. It was a small container placed on each ship while it was still in port. It was put there by a priest, and those crewmen who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box. It was then sealed up and kept on board for the entire voyage. If the ship came home safely, the box was handed over to the priest in the exchange for the saying of a Mass of thanks for the success of the voyage. The Priest would keep the box sealed until Christmas when he would open it to share the contents with the poor.
During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, and sometimes gifts and distribute them the day after Christmas to tenants who lived and worked on their lands.
Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen, after the first Christian martyr, originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. Many workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in wood or clay boxes, gave the holiday it's name, "Boxing Day".
Also related to the origin of Boxing Day is the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were distributed amongst the poor by the clergy on the day after Christmas.
When great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, a Christmas Box was used as a good luck device. It was a small container placed on each ship while it was still in port. It was put there by a priest, and those crewmen who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box. It was then sealed up and kept on board for the entire voyage. If the ship came home safely, the box was handed over to the priest in the exchange for the saying of a Mass of thanks for the success of the voyage. The Priest would keep the box sealed until Christmas when he would open it to share the contents with the poor.
During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, and sometimes gifts and distribute them the day after Christmas to tenants who lived and worked on their lands.
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