05May 2010 by R&O 4 Comments
Simpsons-Sears circa 1963

Simpsons-Sears circa 1963

Observations, Of Interest, Silly Stuff
If you close to my age you'll remember those great Simpsons-Sears catalogues, full of all that great stuff we loved so much as kids but could never talk our parents into buying for us. Bicycles, transistor radios, record players, board games; all of it was contained within the numerous pages along with those spicy pictures of bras and girdles. My neighbours, who have sold their house and are clearing out the junk before the big move, offered me a few circa 1947 Vancouver Sun newspapers and a variety of pre 1964 magazines. I grabbed a few newspapers and a single Simpsons-Sears catalogue from December 1963. See the bottom of this post for all the full size images. 1963 technology included the Tower 8 mm. push-button movie camera with Power Zoom…
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29Apr 2010 by R&O No Comments

The sorry state of pop music

Entertainment, Music, Observations, Rants
Pop music officially entered the 'complete shit' phase of it's existence with the recent appearance of The Black Eyed Peas on the American Idol Gives Back broadcast. Don't believe me? Take a gander at the video below but be sure to have a small bucket handy while you watch this piece of visual and aural excrement. The Black Eyed Peas also appear on the cover of the April 29 edition of Rolling Stone magazine with the tagline Black Eyed Peas - The Science Of Global Pop Domination. THIS is what it takes to dominate pop music in the 21st century? Bad costumes à la Earth Wind & Fire during their metallic spandex period and off-key, teeth-gritting vocals? Ridiculous and utterly goofy. But at least Earth Wind & Fire could write…
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28Apr 2010 by R&O No Comments
Marijuana in America

Marijuana in America

Business, Economy, Observations, Of Interest, Politics, The Law
Most, if not all residents of British Columbia are aware how BC Bud has prospered in this province from it's early beginnings in the Gulf Island hippie communities to the present multi-billion dollar underground industry. Our bud is know the world over for it's quality and potency. But what about the United States? Ah...yes, our friends to the north. Well fear not as they have a thriving industry of their own whether the FDA, FBI and local law officials like it or not. First...a bit of history: Up until 1883, cannabis hemp was the largest agricultural crop in the world, grown for it's various byproducts such as paper, oil and rope. In the late 1930's Canadian and worldwide hemp producers were competing directly with that greedy jackass William Randolph Hurst…
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26Mar 2010 by R&O No Comments

The Guitar Of My Dreams

Music, Observations, Of Interest, Technology
If you're a guitar player (like me) you're very aware of the Fender Stratocaster, Leo Fender's iconic guitar introduced in 1954 and since utilized and endorsed by top players around the world. The Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, SG and Flying V are the most recognizable guitars and coveted by amateur and professional musicians alike. Forget those dorky video games...nothing says Rock Star like one of these guitars running through a nasty big amp with the volume set to 11. So how can they improve on a design that's proven the test of time? Electronics of course. Leave the basic guitar as-is but add some amazing electronics to allow musicians to change tone or tuning at the flip of a switch. I purchased one of the first production run Gibson Les…
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