You know you are getting old when:

[belfastboy]

LPs came out first -- they were introduced by Columbia in 1948, with RCA rolling out the 45 the following year, along with a line of specialized 45rpm record changers to play them on.

The 33 1/3 rpm speed wasn't the innovative aspect of the LP -- it had been around since the late 1920s for radio transcriptions, and RCA Victor had sold a series of 33 1/3 rpm records to the public starting in 1931. These flopped largely due to the Depression, but 33 1/3 recordings continued to be made for radio use thruout the 1930s and 1940s. The real difference with the Columbia LP system was its use of a narrow groove -- the "microgroove" idea had been experimented with by the Edison company in 1928-29, and Columbia helped itself to the idea in 1948.

RCA refused to acknowledge the LP during 1948 and 1948, and marketed "albums" of 45s containing longer-form musical pieces divided into parts just like had been done with 78s. These proved fantastically unpopular, and RCA finally gave in and licensed the Columbia system for its own LPs.

Jukebox operators watched all this with interest -- they had a huge investment in 78rpm equipment and records, and it was well into the 1950s before 45rpm jukeboxes became the standard.

My parents had a huge 78 rpm record collection as a friend of the family serviced a fleet of jukeboxes and my parents got first dibs on the discs that were taken out of rotation. They were still in very playable condition. Alas when my Mom passed a few years ago the collection was of little resale value and we sold the lot for a $100

 

[LizzieMaine]

The thing that always amuses me is that the simple 78rpm shellac record is the single most stable media format to come out of the 20th century. I've pulled 78s out of flooded moldy cellars, let them dry, and they play without the slightest problem. Maybe a bit more surface noise than one that hadn't been so abused, but nothing that prevents you from understanding the information on the record.

I submit that the *only* 20th century media format that will still be usable 10,000 years into the future is the 78rpm shellac record. When future alien scientists exhume the remains of the Crypt of Civilization from the desolate, parched, lunar-like landscape of what used to be Oglethorpe University, the only thing they'll be able to salvage from it will be the music of Artie Shaw.

 

[BlueTrain]

They always seemed to be a little brittle to me. But I'm not so worried about 10,000 years from now.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Weyland-Yutani will surely sell earth "for scrap-metal".

 

[tonyb]

I clearly recall using 78s as frisbees, back before I'd ever seen a frisbee, or heard of one.

 

[LizzieMaine]

They always seemed to be a little brittle to me. But I'm not so worried about 10,000 years from now.

They do break, but they're sturdier than you'd think. But more important, they're chemically inert -- they don't contain plasticizers or other substances that deteriorate or leach out over time. They also don't oxidize like uncoated aluminum records, and they don't delaminate like lacquer-coated transcriptions or recording tape. If you leave a 78 on a shelf and don't knock the shelf over or throw it on the floor, it'll be there intact and playable indefinitely.

 

[Ticklishchap]

Problem is, flatulence seems to increase with age, then again the sense of smell tends to diminish with age too, probably why fart shame is no big deal. If I can't smell it, neither can you.

But how much fart shame did you have before you reached late middle age?!

 

[ChrisB]

They always seemed to be a little brittle to me. But I'm not so worried about 10,000 years from now.

My mother claims that during WWII records were made of inferior materials, and were less durable. Anyone know if this is true?

 

[LizzieMaine]

They were made from ground up bits of old records due to a shortage of raw shellac -- the beetles which yielded the substance lived in Japanese territory -- so they tended to sound worn right out of the envelope. They don't seem any more structurally fragile, however, than the prewar kind.

There were active campaigns during the war to get people to scour their attics for old records so they could be reprocessed -- but Columbia and its associated labels were specifically not wanted for recycling: those brands were laminated, with a layer of coarse grey paper sandwiched between layers of shellac for durability. This meant they couldn't easily be ground up for reclamation. I'd also wonder if that paper layer might somehow damage the records longterm due to its acid content, but I haven't seen any real evidence that this happens.

 

[MisterCairo]

A little less than 10 years ago I read one book on a Kindle. To paraphrase Mr. Horse, 'No sir . . . I didn't like it!'

I much prefer the tactile feel of a book, turning its pages, popping the edges of the pages on my finger to be sure I'm not skipping a page. I like the smell of a book, the older the better.

And because electronic books don't have actual pages, instead of page numbers, each 'screen' shows what percentage of the book you are at. I prefer page numbers.

And properly cared for, the crummiest of books will last a century or more. A modern, acid-free paper book kept at an average of 50% humidity and handled properly will last for centuries.

I own a first edition Pickwick Papers. It has yellowed somewhat, there is some foxing on several pages, but, this is the point - I CAN STILL READ IT...

Every Kindle and whatnot, and all the "data files" (sorry, they are not "books") will be in the recycling, if it is lucky, within three to five years...

 

[ChrisB]

Every Kindle and whatnot, and all the "data files" (sorry, they are not "books") will be in the recycling, if it is lucky, within three to five years...

And what's worse: you don't even own those data files, you have merely purchased the ability to access them.

 

[Trenchfriend]

But how much fart shame did you have before you reached late middle age?!

We old 30+people still know real nutrition, named worthy peasoup with bacon (with or without a "Bockwurst"), beansoup, variants of potato-soups AND

"White cabbage-stew with ground-meat", called "layer-cabbage", here in (East)Germany. Equally, if you put masses of caraway-seed in, it's senseless.

 

[BlueTrain]

I firmly believe one can thrive on "fast food," because I did, for ten years. It is true, of course, that some people's diets are deficient in one thing or another, but the human body is not always an efficient machine for assimilating nutrients from food. Different peoples around the world eat so differently and always have, that it's silly to claim there is a perfect diet. The things that are harder on one's health are sedentary lifestyle, ingestion of non-food substances, including smoke, and living in an unhealthy environment, including where you work. But that's been well-known since the 19th century, not that everyone could do much of anything about it.

Regarding photograph records, I believe during WWII some recordings were produced on what amounted to paper discs, perhaps the ones that Miss Lizzie referred to. I remember that occasionally in the last 40 years recordings being made available as inserts in magazines and the like that were nothing more than flexible plastic discs that could be played on an ordinary record player. They may have just been really thin vinyl but they were not of high quality. They were not necessarily music recordings. It even seems like the National Geographic may have included one such disc that had a recording of whale sounds, which seems like something that could only be given away.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Some fast-and-dirty radio transcriptions were made on cardboard-core lacquer-coated discs after aluminum was declared a vital war material and taken off the consumer market. I've got some of these, and while they were fine for short-term reference recordings, they were never intended as any kind of archival medium. The cardboard absorbs moisture and swells up causing the coating to develop thousands of tiny cracks which sound like somebody popping bubble wrap as you play the disc. Cardboard discs were also widely used for home-recording systems during and after the war, and usually sound very bad when encountered today.

Most wartime radio recordings were made on glass-based discs, which were exactly what they sound like -- thick, heavy glass plates to which the lacquer coating would be applied. These actually sound better than the standard aluminum discs, but have to be handled very very carefully. A lot of wartime radio programs have large blocks of "missing episodes" because those glass discs weren't carefully stored, or packed badly for shipment, or just fell on the floor.

Flexible records made of celluloid were being used for advertising and promotional recordings as early as the '20s -- they were often stapled to postcards and mailed to prospects. And the popular "Hit Of The Week" records of 1930-32 were made of thin cardboard coated with a proprietary plastic compound called "Durium," and were sold on newsstands for fifteen cents apiece. Some good music was put out on these records and they were popular enough that quite a few of them have survived to the present day. Although they have a tendency to warp, the fact that only one side of the disc was coated tends to obviate the swelling-core problem, and they still sound pretty good when you play them today -- as long as you use a weight to hold them down on the turntable.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I firmly believe one can thrive on "fast food," because I did, for ten years. It is true, of course, that some people's diets are deficient in one thing or another, but the human body is not always an efficient machine for assimilating nutrients from food. Different peoples around the world eat so differently and always have, that it's silly to claim there is a perfect diet. The things that are harder on one's health are sedentary lifestyle, ingestion of non-food substances, including smoke, and living in an unhealthy environment, including where you work. But that's been well-known since the 19th century, not that everyone could do much of anything about it.

I had a heart attack several weeks ago due to a medicine that they were giving me along with my chemo for colon & liver cancer. This required a stint in an artery and now a low sodium diet. If you want to see how fast food gurus are killing us just check the sodium content. Arbys..Wendys...Taco Bell...( you name it ) are loaded with the stuff. Only thing I've found with lower sodium is some Subway sandwiches and of course specific low sodium frozen dinners from the grocery. It should be very concerning that much of the American diet is loaded with salt plus hormones and preservatives. I'm not trying to come across as a health nut now...but being put in the position of needing to check these contents all of a sudden..I was shocked.
HD

 

[BobHufford]

I had a heart attack several weeks ago due to a medicine that they were giving me along with my chemo for colon & liver cancer.

Wishing you a full and speedy recovery HD! I'm newly diagnosed with high blood pressure so I'm watching the sodium too.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Wishing you a full and speedy recovery HD! I'm newly diagnosed with high blood pressure so I'm watching the sodium too.

Watch that high blood pressure Bob. I always had low blood pressure when younger. However I had a stroke 5 years ago due to high blood pressure that snuck up on me. It took several years to get past most of the stroke effects.
Been through some rough times lately. Wife died of colon cancer in November 2016, then I was diagnosed with the same ( but not as advanced as my Wife's). Next was this heart attack that has postponed my liver surgery ( cancer spots on one side ) at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. BUT...I am still here through all of this...and I consider myself blessed with caring grown kids who back me up and have truly gone the extra mile for me.
HD

 

[BlueTrain]

How old are you people?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm 69. WHY..?? These things can happen at any age. I felt as if I was 19 until 5 years ago. Rode a motorcycle all summer. Did my military pushups ( 200 a day ). 100 in the morning..100 in the evening. More than fit for my age. However, don't kid yourself..one severe setback can change your life immediately no matter if your 69 or 40. What you eat over the years can help determine your fate as the body changes and ages.
HD

 

[vitanola]

I had a heart attack several weeks ago due to a medicine that they were giving me along with my chemo for colon & liver cancer. This required a stint in an artery and now a low sodium diet. If you want to see how fast food gurus are killing us just check the sodium content. Arbys..Wendys...Taco Bell...( you name it ) are loaded with the stuff. Only thing I've found with lower sodium is some Subway sandwiches and of course specific low sodium frozen dinners from the grocery. It should be very concerning that much of the American diet is loaded with salt plus hormones and preservatives. I'm not trying to come across as a health nut now...but being put in the position of needing to check these contents all of a sudden..I was shocked.
HD

Good luck with your recovery, OM! On BOTH fonts.

I can certainly empathize. Had a hypertensive episode a week ago, and have been placed on a similarly restricted diet. Not a palatable or an easy thing.

I am so sorry to hear of your wife's untimely passing. Please accept my belated condolences. This must have been a very hard year for you