how much is a radio worth?

Ok, I know it's been a really long time since I've blogged. I probably need to do some back-blogging, but I'm just going to go with my instinct to get back into the flow of things even though I'm so tired I might fall over typing.

Do you have any idea how relatively expensive portable radios are? When you can get tiny MP3 players that hold at least 12 hours of music for about the same price as a radio, it makes you wonder. Are radios really a dying, archaic technology? They're not exactly cassettes (which, by the way, I finally--after years--spotted a pack of high bias Maxell tapes like I used to use in the old days for $12 for 5, or something like that). And I am not talking about the fancy, hand-crank radio NPR stations give out if you pledge enough money. Or satellite. I'm talking just a small AM/FM tuner with a headphone jack.

I know what you're thinking, why does Stephanie even care? What the hell prompted this outrage after six or seven weeks of no blogs? Well, honestly, I really miss NPR.

Huh?

Well, I've been working my usual summer historic preservation gig since I got back from my two-week trip back East (including 5 days in NYC--check my photos for a peek). But in an effort to get more exercise and walk more, I decided that I am going to take the bus all summer to and from work. But it's not the slightly more time-efficient Metro Bus; no it's the LADOT DASH, which only costs 25 cents (1/5 the price of the Metro Bus) that never runs ontime and only is supposedly at 30-minute intervals (ha!). It's not just a fraction of the cost, but it makes me walk more because the stops are farther from my apartment, which is what I want. But the problem is, I'm barely driving my car (some problem: I'm saving loads on gas and being far more environmentally friendly), which is when I listen to NPR. The times I am in my car, mostly on weekends, is when KPCC plays mostly crap like Prairie Home Companion on a seemingly infinite loop.

I've been getting lots of use out of my iPod shuffle, but dammit, I'm really missing Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Marketplace (you know I love that Ky Rysdall). So I need to get a portable radio. After some searching around, it looks like I have to pay $35 for one that actually works well. Crazy.

retro my way

Today I paid a visit to Best Buy and purchased a spindle of 50 CD-Rs for $7.99 (Sony, not some noname brand either) and a 10-pack of 60-minute cassette tapes for $6.99 (it was a better deal than 5 90-minute tapes). I made a comment to the cashier about buying rapidly disappearing technology, but I don't think he got it. But look at that price discrepancy!

I did this because I made a mix CD for the first time in nearly two years. And I didn't have any CD-Rs, because why would I need them? And I had to buy the tapes so I could tape the mix for the car. (No matter what I do, the damn car adapter won't work anymore; not with a CD player or either of my MP3 players. Very annoying.) Tapes are really hard to come by; they don't even sell high bias ones anymore. Maybe I'm the last person with a tape deck. I shipped mine out only to realize I didn't have any CDs! But now I'm finally making use of it.

So that's my '80s technology story for you.

Then I went to the Central Library to check out DVDs for the long weekend. First I was looking for Angels in America, but couldn't find it. Then I went looking for The Office (the BBC series). Couldn't find that either, but I did find the first season of Beverly Hills 90210. I literally let out a, "Oh my god!" when I saw it. I'm such a dork, but I don't care. I wasn't even embarrassed when I checked out the first three discs (they split it up unfortunately). Oh, baby, I haven't seen 90210 in years. I'm looking forward to it.

And that's my '90s television story for you.