Barbra Streisand: The Broadway Album (1985)
I was never much of a Streisand fan (I know, I know, turn in my gay card) until this album came out. And even then it was only one of a handful of her albums that I’ve ever bought.

Once a legitimate blog. Now just a collection of memes 'n menz.
Barbra Streisand: The Broadway Album (1985)
I was never much of a Streisand fan (I know, I know, turn in my gay card) until this album came out. And even then it was only one of a handful of her albums that I’ve ever bought.
Elton John: Madman Across The Water (1971)
So I got my new tuner yesterday. (The component on the bottom for those of you who aren’t stereo geeks.)
It looked as good as in the seller’s pictures. Unfortunately it had a couple…issues.
First of all, I could not get it to tune in stereo. I mean I’ve never had great reception in this house, but the signal level was good on any station I tuned, and except for one brief instant, the red LED refused to trigger no matter what I did with the new coax antenna I bought for it. I considered running an outside antenna, so I ordered a 25′ coax cable thinking I could fish it through the old hole that had been drilled in the front wall for cable TV and reconnect the antenna outside.
Before I went to all that trouble (and realizing the cable I’d purchased (with already attached connectors) would not fit through the hole, I decided to just take the tuner outside and see if I could get stereo reception.
No joy. It didn’t work
The second issue was the battery-backed up memorized station feature. After the issues I’d had with my previous tuner, I figured an actual old-school battery backup would be a good thing, right? This being a fully analog tuner (not digital), the method for saving stations was rather ingenious for the time (1980-1982). The traditional tuning knob, in addition to being fully free-spinning was also motor-driven. You’d manually tune to a station, hit the memory buttons, and it would memorize the position and when you tuned to another station and wanted to go back to your memorized station the motor would engage and turn the knob back to where you set the memory.
Yamaha describes it thusly:
Well, that didn’t work either, but I wasn’t really surprised. This device was over 40 years old and unlike my other tuner which used a capacitor for backup, the NiCAD battery that powered the memory in the T-7 was undoubtedly shot.
Opening up the case, the battery was indeed shot; the contacts had corroded to such a degree that merely touching the soldered in battery sent it flying.
Undaunted, I knew this was merely a simple rechargeable NiCAD battery and all I had to do was figure out a way of attaching one back to the board now that the contacts had broken off.
I went onto everyone’s most hated online retailer and found a single cell battery case with wire leads. It arrived today, and after cleaning the board of corrosion, I soldered the leads into the holes left by the original contacts, inserted a rechargeable NiCAD, held my breath, and powered it up. It came on with no puff of smoke, so I figured that was a positive sign. I went about memorizing my three most-listened-to stations and…success!
Now about that stereo issue…
I know nothing about radio/tuners other than discovering when I was a kid if you go blindly turning those screw-like pots you can royally fuck things up.
Luckily I had the service manual for the T-7, and that limited my blindness. After marking positions of screws on the front-end of the tuner I slowly adjusted each in turn to no avail. I moved them all back to their original location and moved on to the VCO pot. Again, after marking it, all I did was insert the screwdriver and give it the tiniest of jiggles and voila! Stereo reception. It was just dirty…
So now I have a fully functional tuner. Electronics servicing is not going to become my retirement avocation, and I’m not going to strain my shoulder slapping myself on the back with two successful repairs, but damn…it does feel good to be able to fix this stuff.
And I have to say, now that it’s adjusted, I’m getting the best reception I’ve gotten through any vintage tuner or receiver I’ve owned int he last several years. With the local classical station in particular (always noisy) the background is dead silent.
We’ll see if everything is still working tomorrow. ????
Now the one we were all hoping for, but any port in a storm, eh?
From Tengrain:
And just like that, Blam-Blam is gone. I was expecting a fireball with a mile-deep crater for a war criminal of his stature, but nada. Out with a whimper.
If I had the talent of a Hunter S. Thompson, I would write the eulogy that this vile, villainous man deserves. Instead I’m sure the usual suspects will write the usual hagiography.
The scolds will say that speaking ill of the dead is crass, so read what we said when he was allegedly alive. That’s the best way to honor him. “The record, the Record, THE RECORD,” as Molly Ivins (blessed be her name) would say.
I wish that the Scissorheads in Valhalla were here to celebrate with us; I’m sure Xristi in particular would have something choice to say.
He was a bastard and I’m glad we all outlived him.
Grace Jones: Hurricane (2008)
My jury’s still out on this one, nearly twenty years on. It was just so different from her earlier work, and coming after such a long hiatus, it certainly wasn’t what I (or anyone else, for that matter) was expecting. Still, I have a copy in my library, because…well…Grace.
had a phone conversation today with a very nice young chap from India.
This is how it went:
“Hello sir, how are you today?”
“I’m very well, thank you for asking. And how are you? And, more to the point, WHO are you?”
“Sir, my name is Sanjit, and I’m calling you from Microsoft”.
“Microsoft, eh? Is that a city in India? How’s the weather there today?”
“No, sir – MICROSOFT, the computer company. I’m calling to tell you that we have found a problem with your computer and…”
“REALLY?? Well, that’s quite concerning.”
“Yes sir, it can become very serious indeed, but thankfully I will be able to fix it for you. Now, if you…”
“No, I meant it’s very concerning because you see I don’t HAVE a computer”.
“You don’t?”
“I don’t”.
“Ahh, it must be a problem on your laptop sir.”
“Don’t have one”.
“Ipad?”
“Nope”.
“Tablet?”
“Nope, I have none of those things. As a matter of fact, I don’t even have a telephone”.
After a few seconds of silence he said, “Ah, sir, you are lying to me now!”
I said, “Well, you started it!” and slammed the phone down.
[Source]
Space alien: Take me to your leader.
Earthling: You’ve sort of come at a bad time. (Bilbo)
MAGA: Yay, Trump’s cutting off freeloaders!!
ALSO MAGA: Hey why is my food stamp card not working!?
I’m trying to see things from your perspective, but I just can’t make myself that dumb.
I bought a second hand time machine next Sunday.
They don’t make them like they’re going to anymore.
In a surprising trend, MAGA supporters are demolishing the East side of their houses.
Had an elderly boss who got scammed out of $5000 in a “your mac is infected” call. I told her it was a scam and reported it to Chase credit. That night, she called the scammer, angry. “I’m sorry”. he said. “I’ll refund you! What’s your debit card info?”
Guess what she did…
Going to bed the other night, I saw people stealing from my shed.
I called the police, they said no one was available.
So I called back a minute later.
“No need to hurry now, I shot them”.
Within minutes, half a dozen cop cars, helicopters, and an armed unit showed up and caught the thieves.
Officer: “I thought you said you shot them!”
Me: “I thought you said no one was available”.
Never trust a person who doesn’t like dogs.
But always trust a dog that doesn’t like a person.
Coffee mug saying…
I am a ray of fucking sunshine.
I was gonna start dieting, but Halloween is coming up, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Before you know it, it’s BBQ season again and I’m not about to turn down a cheeseburger.
My Girlfriend yelled at me, “Stop it with all your corny jokes!”
I said, “What are you gonna do, call the crops?”
After Tarzan and Jane have gotten to know each other for a while, they finally decide to become intimate. Tarzan has never been with a woman before, so Jane asks him what he normally does when he has… Urges. “Tarzan find tree with hole.” “Well, just do to me what you do to the hole in the tree.” Tarzan gives a grunt of understanding, and Jane lies down, closes her eyes and opens her legs. Then, out of nowhere, Tarzan delivers a devastating punt to her crotch. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!?” “TARZAN CHECK FOR BEES.”
Tim decided to tie the knot with his long-time girlfriend. One evening, after the honeymoon, he was out in the garage organizing his golfing equipment. His wife came to the door and after a long period of silence, she said, “Tim, I’ve been thinking, now that we’re married, maybe it’s time you quit golfing. You spend so much time on the course. I’m sure you could probably get a good price for your clubs.” Tim got a horrified look on his face. His wife said, “Darling, what’s wrong?” Tim shook his head and said, “For a minute there, you started to sound like my ex-wife.” “Ex-wife!” she screamed, “I didn’t know you were married before!” He gave her a pointed look and said, “I wasn’t.”
A man and wife were sitting in their easy chairs… she was watching TV and he was reading…. she said, “Sam, if I died, do you think you would get married again?” He didn’t drop his paper and replied, “Oh, I don’t know… maybe, I guess…”
She was taken aback. “What? You’d actually marry another woman after me?!”
“I guess — I don’t know…”
“Well, would you give her my golf clubs, too?”
“No, she’s left-handed.”
When do flowers get their workouts in?
Spring training.
What time does everyone love to drink?
Wine o’clock.
What did police have to do when 500 hares got loose downtown?
They had to comb the area.
Why do cows go to New York City?
To see the moo-sicals.
A bear that got wet from a light rain is called what?
A drizzly bear.
Where do dads store their dad jokes?
In the dad-a-base.
What do you call Dracula with hay fever?
The pollen Count.
Where do sports teams go to buy new uniforms?
New Jersey.
What do you call an enlisted man who loves to cook?
A grill sergeant.
I just got my electricity bill and I think there’s been a mistake. I believe they’ve charged me for the sunlight, the moonlight, the street light, the light of my life, the speed of light, the light fantastic, and the light at the end of the tunnel. (Bilbo)
A dog will love you more than any person.
But they’ll also steal your sandwich.
#ANALBUMCOVER
I read it wrong too, that’s why we’re friends.
I met my friend’s new girlfriend. The white coverall suit, helmet, and the smell of honey was enough for me to tell him she was a keeper.
My friend Bob went skydiving. He misunderstood and brought a pair of shoes.
I’ll miss Bob. (Think about it, I had too.)
I’m collecting my thoughts. I almost have a full set. (Bilbo)
Facebook has taught me a couple of things. First, there are some incredibly brilliant people in the world. Second, they are vastly outnumbered.
No parent ever turned the car around.
It was an empty threat that we all fell for.
I’m not saying I’m old, but I remember when “hashtags” were called pound signs. (I still call them that.)
Bruce Lee had a brother who was always precise. His name is Exact Lee.
Had a real good fighting brother named Brutal Lee.
Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Halloween. I guess they don’t appreciate random people coming up to their door.
Running is a great way to meet new people. Today, I met two EMTs, three nurses, and a cardiologist.
My fondest childhood memory is thinking $100 was a lot of money.
Do you realize that if you are sitting on the toilet at 11:59 PM, and the clock strikes midnight – It’s the same crap, different day.
Having kids makes you realize how dumb your lies used to sound to your parents.
You know you`re getting old when speed limits start to seem reasonable to you.
My body isn’t a temple. It’s a haunted house. It needs a lot of work, makes mysterious creaking sounds, and contains the spirit of a creepy old man that’s always mad about something.
I think my house is haunted by the ghost of a chicken. It’s a poultrygeist. A fowl spirit. I’m going to call an eggsorcist, to help it cross to the other side.
The day when I can yell, “Where is my phone?” and it yells back, “Down here in the couch!” Then it will really be a smartphone.
Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues.
I might wake up early and go for a jog. I may also win the lottery. Odds are about the same.
A bill collector called me saying, “Your bill is now a year old.” I said, “Tell it Happy Birthday,” and hung up.
I Googled “Who gives a crap?”
My name wasn’t in the search results.
(But https://us.whogivesacrap.org does apparently give a crap.)
[Source]
Thanks to Workmen & Rednecks for posting this!
Posted every year, just because.
Last year I bought a vintage AM/FM tuner that matched my Yamaha amplifier. Seller of course said everything was working fine, and indeed it was—if you kept it turned on 24/7. Otherwise if you turned it off it would forget all it’s settings and memorized stations. Irritating, to say the least.
Now listen, Phoenix is a radio wasteland bearing little resemblance to the smorgasbord it was in the 70s and 80s (as I suppose most locations are these days). Still, I like to have a tuner around for the classical and the NPR/Jazz station. Six months ago the NPR/Jazz station announced they were dropping the Jazz altogether in favor or talking/babbling heads 24/7. They’d already cut back on the music to three nights a week from 8 pm to midnight, so this didn’t come as a compete shock…and they did still offer Jazz 24/7 on their HD2 station. (I can receive this in my car, thankfully.)
Apparently all Yamaha tuners of the period (mid 80s) have developed an issue with the “super capacitor” that keeps power trickling to the memory chip that retains all the settings when the unit is turned off. From what I read, swapping it out with a new one was a fairly simple procedure, but based on my track record of working with electronics—not to mention the amount of disassembly required to get to it and unsolder the thing from the back of the circuit board—it wasn’t something I was in any rush to tackle. So I disconnected it from the system altogether and put it away in a closet.
Well, bored out of my mind, I pulled it back out a couple days ago and did a run through of the disassembly and realized it wasn’t all that bad. So I ordered the necessary capacitor (actually two different physical designs to guarantee proper fit since the original was no longer readily available).

The new caps arrived today and after doing a test fit to make sure the legs lined up with the holes in the board, I desoldered the old one and soldered the new cap in place.

I put everything back together to a degree that I could test it, plugged it in, turned it on, and…no puff of smoke! Success! Everything seemed to work, and it was actually retaining stored stations again if you turned if off.
My only disappointment is that radio reception itself in this house is horrific and the standard wire ribbon antenna has never cut it…so I’m still a little disappointed. But I’m ecstatic that I fixed it.
But wait! There’s more to this story. Now that it’s working I’m actually going to turn around and sell it.
Why? Because I found a beauty—while a year or two older than my amp—that complements its design wonderfully. It’s old school with a motorized analog dial and while it has the option to store 5 stations in a memory chip on board, it’s got a battery backup (hard to tell from the pictures I’ve found, but apparently just a standard double-A cell) that will store the info for up to two months if the unit is unplugged.
I spotted it on eBay the other day, but got sniped in the last fifteen seconds by another bidder who was willing to pay way more than I was. But wouldn’t you know, I found another unit on Reverb for less than my maximum bid on the eBay unit. I turned around and then offered the seller $25 less than that and he took the offer and threw in free shipping. It should be here next week.