Everything old is new again
One of the perqs I’ll miss from my current job at the library is old magazines. Certain titles make a detour home with me on the way to the recycle bin.
Earlier tonight I was reading the March 2005 issue of Wired. In an article titled “The Resurrection of Indie Radio” I was struck by the parallels between what they’re calling NeoRadio and what attracted me to the business back in 1973 when I first went on the air.
Back then, the name for it was in transition from Underground Radio to Progressive. But the charateristics are the same as today’s NeoRadio.
Unlike most mainstream announcers, NeoRado DJs have a measured, sometimes wry tone. They aren’t afraid of long pauses — “dead air” in the jargon — and they mix in sentimental favorites with unpredictable material. Listeners are encouraged to call in, to pick tracks, to feel a sense of ownership. [It] means a station that creates a community of artists and listeners built around its musical sensibilities.
The article goes on to explain how the DJs themselves pick what’s played, just like we used to do inthe old days.
It sent a wave of nostalgia through me. I loved radio in the early 70s. So much that I became a part of it. By the late 70s, strong program and music directors crushed the creativity and enjoyment out of it for me. The naive kid that I was, I went against the PD and doubled my ratings in two consecutive books. I was fired for making him look bad.
That’s when I discovered the clubs. And dance music. Until tonight, I never looked back.
Then, cruising though the Living Car Free forum over at bikeforums.net, there’s a thread quoting an article in The Oregonian about parking problems at a new “lifestyle [shopping] center” in Portland.
First I had to smile at this,
“Oregonians jog 10 miles a day but want to drive two blocks to whatever their destination is,” he said, laughing.
It’s not just a Oregonian phenomenon. It’s everywhere.
The 40-year-old innovation that caught my eye, had to do with a natural foods store, Wild Oats, where they’ve added “a valet service that lets shoppers buy groceries, pull their cars to the curb and have their goods loaded.”
Sheesh. I remember riding to the grocery store with my grandmother in her ‘62 Oldsmobile Delta 88. At the checkout, the bag boys (remember bag boys?) put your groceries into plastic tubs, similar to today’s recycle bins.
They gave you the claim card for the tub and loaded it on a conveyor belt that took it outside. You’d pull your car up to the front of the store, had your cards to the kid out there, and he’d load your groceries into the trunk.
The conveyors disappeared in the late 60s as I recall. It’s funny to hear of them returning after all these years, sold as an upscale “grocery valet” service. Back then, every store had them.
The week
Apparently, after a single two-hour session, I’m trained enough to start my new job on September 8. And this week I finished the A/V mending project. So other than a substituting on a shift Wednesday night, that’s the last of my extra hours at the library.
I also found out that the day before I start the new postion, I have to attend a staff meeting, about changes to the job. Then, the following evening, right after my first day, there’s a union dinner and meeting. It looks more like a trot out the politicians stumping for the organized labor vote thing, but it’s a catered dinner, so I’ll skip my AA meeting and go.
Also this week, I attended two client lunches, I delivered two PCs, and have three more waiting here for reformatting and reloading. If I can find a place for it, and if Mac OS 10.4 will run on it, my sponsor is giving me his old, original teal iMac.
All that’s kept me plenty busy this past week. I won’t hit my ride goal of 500 miles for this month, but maybe I’ll make it up next month.
I did manage to get out to the ritzy district bike shop and order my touring rack. It may be in this week Thursday. Next paycheck will buy the new headlight. That will cover all the needs for winter riding, with the possible exception of snow tires. I’ll see how it goes before shelling-out for those. And besides, snow is still at least two months away, more likely three.
There are still a few “wants” for winter biking, but with the “needs” covered, I’m in good shape.
I snuck in a nice ride Saturday night. Twenty-one miles of interval and hill training. It felt nice to ride hard and work up a sweat again.
I wanted to ride again today, but I had billing to get out and I really want to get rid of all these extra PCs cluttering up the apartment. So I worked on one of them. I hope to finish the other two before the weekend. I’d like to have a nice holiday weekend between the old job and new one one.
