[78-L] The Fading Sounds of Analog Technology

[Steven C. Barr]

From: "DAVID BURNHAM" <burnhamd at rogers.com>
> What an interesting thread dl opened up here!
> How often do you hear: "You sound like a broken record!", generally 
> meaning
> you're saying the same thing over and over again, like a locked groove.
>
In fact, Lombardo had a 1936 hit with "The Broken Record"...which
was one of my favourites as a VERY young child!
> Unless you witness the rare visit of an antique locomotive, nobody under 
> 50 has
> heard a train say, "Choo Choo!", but kids today still call them that...
There is NO practical way to transliterate the sound of to-day's diesel
engines...we can't say "Look at the wrwrwrwr!"
> (of course, no dog I've ever seen says "Bow wow!")
Agreed...but how does one transliterate dog statements.? It is a quick
and loud exhalation; I can imitate it well, but CAN'T transliterate it...?!
>It has been many years since the
> Lone Ranger has ridden again, but every kid still associates the finale of 
> the
> William Tell Overture with him.
>
I have seen it written that only a "serious classical music lover can hear
William Tell and NOT think of the Lone Ranger...?!
> As David alluded to, movies always show a caller banging on the hook 
> trying to
> reconnect with someone who has hung up, I don't recall that such an action 
> ever
> accomplished that.
>
Never worked...and certainly doesn't now...?! This probably dates
back to an era when placing a telephone call required waiting for
"Central" (the operator) to come on line with "Number, please"...!
I caught the very end of this...! My home town of Waynesville (Ill's)
was converted to dial very early; however, the "ex-Central"
remained as our "main connection" to telephone service for
about thirty years!

I only heard "Number.please" when I was in our county seat of
Clinton (Ill's)...which was converted to dial service in the sixties...
IIRC, the last small town in Illinois to be converted to dial
service was El Paso...?!

Note also that "operator-served" places had a noteable advantage;
one could call a number...and be told by "Central," "No, he's not
home...he's probably at the barber shop...I'll ring that number!"

Steven C. Barr
> While we're on the subject of movies, has anyone ever seen a pair of 
> binoculars
> which show an image with two side by side round fields of vision?
>
> When I'm doing a recording, I always say "I'm spinning", rather than "I'm
> rolling", since I haven't rolled anything for many years.  And a common 
> term for
> identifying a take is "Slating", even though an actual slate hasn't been 
> around
> for eons.
>
> When I was in school, we always called the large panels at the front of 
> the room
> "blackboards", years after they had turned green, (I don't know what they 
> are
> now).
>
> I'm also sure the term "Honking your horn" refers back to the '20s when a 
> horn
> had a goose like sound.
>
> I'd love to hear the sound of an old fashioned push mower again.  I know 
> there
> are still push mowers around but they don't sound like the old ones.  I'd 
> also
> love to experience the smell of burning leaves again.
>
> I think I've digressed enough for the moment.
>
> db
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