Absolutely useless facts about you nobody cares about

[Jocose]

I did a head plant into the curb in front of my house Friday.
I've scabbed up pretty good.
Not that anyone should care.

Sorry to hear, Hov. Any ring cam footage?

[Bloodhound]

I did a head plant into the curb in front of my house Friday.
I've scabbed up pretty good.
Not that anyone should care.

Sorry to hear, Hov. Any ring cam footage?

I lost it while shoveling this weekend. The neighbor came out as I was getting to my feet and told me, "I knew I should have asked Santa for a Ring Doorbell cam...That was epic"

I was not amused...

Hov I hope you are healing up from your fall

[Hovannes]

I'm very fortunate not to have taken it in the chops, or a headlight. My skinned nose is just a flesh wound, as they's say in the old West.
I'm still flyin' with the dirty side down.

[FredS]

I made a couple crystal radios sets when I was a kid. One from a kit and one from scratch with a crystal potted by my dad's buddy who was a ham. That was probably 55 years ago, when Radio Shack was really Radio Shack. I'd ride my bike probably 7 miles one way to RS to get parts for the radios and the various antennas I built. The hobby shop was on the same block, so I'd buy a plastic model kit or hop up parts for slot cars while I was over there if I had the cash. Surfing the web today I found there's still a lot of guys (always guys I think) fiddling with these things.

[Jocose]

I made a couple crystal radios sets when I was a kid. One from a kit and one from scratch with a crystal potted by my dad's buddy who was a ham. That was probably 55 years ago, when Radio Shack was really Radio Shack. I'd ride my bike probably 7 miles one way to RS to get parts for the radios and the various antennas I built. The hobby shop was on the same block, so I'd buy a plastic model kit or hop up parts for slot cars while I was over there if I had the cash. Surfing the web today I found there's still a lot of guys (always guys I think) fiddling with these things.

I made xtal radios as a kid as well. One time I rode my bmx bike down to Radio Shack to get a crystal diode to build a set and the guys at the desk didn’t know what I was asking so I explained what I needed for what I was building.

They found me the part and asked what batteries I needed for it and laughed at me when I said crystal radios don’t need batteries.

They really laughed and tried to explain that there is no such thing as a radio or anything at all that doesn’t need power. I politely tried to explain that an AM crystal radio needs no power. They continued to laugh.

They eventually apologized after I asked if they had a kit in stock that they could look at for themselves.

It’s a core memory.

[joegoat]

I made a couple crystal radios sets when I was a kid. One from a kit and one from scratch with a crystal potted by my dad's buddy who was a ham. That was probably 55 years ago, when Radio Shack was really Radio Shack. I'd ride my bike probably 7 miles one way to RS to get parts for the radios and the various antennas I built. The hobby shop was on the same block, so I'd buy a plastic model kit or hop up parts for slot cars while I was over there if I had the cash. Surfing the web today I found there's still a lot of guys (always guys I think) fiddling with these things.

I made xtal radios as a kid as well. One time I rode my bmx bike down to Radio Shack to get a crystal diode to build a set and the guys at the desk didn’t know what I was asking so I explained what I needed for what I was building.

They found me the part and asked what batteries I needed for it and laughed at me when I said crystal radios don’t need batteries.

They really laughed and tried to explain that there is no such thing as a radio or anything at all that doesn’t need power. I politely tried to explain that an AM crystal radio needs no power. They continued to laugh.

They eventually apologized after I asked if they had a kit in stock that they could look at for themselves.

It’s a core memory.

That was back when Radio Shack was cool. I remember Radio Shack moving into more RC cars and cellphones, but still had a decent corner devoted to electronic components and DIY. I tried to get a thermal fuse there in 2010ish. The guy behind the counter had no clue what that was. They folded soon afterwards if I recall.

[FredS]

I made a couple crystal radios sets when I was a kid. One from a kit and one from scratch with a crystal potted by my dad's buddy who was a ham. That was probably 55 years ago, when Radio Shack was really Radio Shack. I'd ride my bike probably 7 miles one way to RS to get parts for the radios and the various antennas I built. The hobby shop was on the same block, so I'd buy a plastic model kit or hop up parts for slot cars while I was over there if I had the cash. Surfing the web today I found there's still a lot of guys (always guys I think) fiddling with these things.

I made xtal radios as a kid as well. One time I rode my bmx bike down to Radio Shack to get a crystal diode to build a set and the guys at the desk didn’t know what I was asking so I explained what I needed for what I was building.

They found me the part and asked what batteries I needed for it and laughed at me when I said crystal radios don’t need batteries.

They really laughed and tried to explain that there is no such thing as a radio or anything at all that doesn’t need power. I politely tried to explain that an AM crystal radio needs no power. They continued to laugh.

They eventually apologized after I asked if they had a kit in stock that they could look at for themselves.

It’s a core memory.

That was back when Radio Shack was cool. I remember Radio Shack moving into more RC cars and cellphones, but still had a decent corner devoted to electronic components and DIY. I tried to get a thermal fuse there in 2010ish. The guy behind the counter had no clue what that was. They folded soon afterwards if I recall.

It's sad really. If they had been able to forecast trends worth a damn, they'd be yuge. Young people today are still in to electronics - building computers, raspberry pies, robots for fun and competition, gaming systems, hacking devices, home security systems, wireless networks, etc - and Radio Shack would be the most well established geek store in the world if they'd evolved. The same way Blockbuster could have been first on the scene if they'd evolved into a streaming service. Or how IBM could have owned the PC market. I know the internet came 'round 20 years ago and made all this stuff easy to get online, but I like to go down to Denver to visit Micro Center in real life a couple times a year just to nose around. The place is always packed with DIY'ers. From guys like me who just need a cooling fan and a new set of speakers to stoners in pajama pants building AI girlfriends or sim rigs, there's a market in every mid-sized town for an electronics store.

Heck there's even old guys like Jo who still mess with, you know, actual radios.

[Biff]

I know the internet came 'round 20 years ago and made all this stuff easy to get online

30 yrs for regular folk, 50 for nerds & geeks

[Del]

I know the internet came 'round 20 years ago and made all this stuff easy to get online

30 yrs for regular folk, 50 for nerds & geeks

I remember when Al Gore clicked the first mouse.

[Del]

About three or four times a month, I help out a friend with her house-cleaning business. Stacey is a cute little pistol with an ornery sense of humor. She delights in teasing me about how I am so old, fat, out-of-shape, and generally stupid.

She has regular staff for regular jobs. But sometimes a contractor calls needing a one-time job to clean up after a remodel project, and that's when she presses me into working with her.

Last week, she called me with this: "Del, are you available to help me on Tuesday, Feb. 20? Or will you be too hungover from celebrating President's Day?"