SansFin
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Joined
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Days Won
29
Posts posted by SansFin
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35 minutes ago, hamradio said:
I think you are referring to Self Winding Clocks.
The ones to which I am referring were similar to those typically found in institutions and large offices but they plugged into mains current rather than needing to be wound.
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14 hours ago, hamradio said:
Just a little blunder, in the movie "Black Fury" (1935) during the hospital scene. An ELECTRIC wall clock doesn't tick...tick...tick...tick..
Many did.
Electromechanical clocks have a traditional mechanical movement but are wound by an electric motor at regular intervals. They were popular with institutions because they did not need the daily winding of a mechanical clock, they were more accurate than standard electrical clocks prior to the invention of the synchronous motor clock and they would continue to keep time even when the mains went down.
The Telechron clock which you pictured is a synchronous motor clock. The disk below the company name indicated when the mains supply had been interrupted and the time needed to be reset.
Electromagnetic clocks also tick as they are mechanical in all respects but that the pendulum is driven electrically.
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On 10/14/2019 at 3:06 PM, TheCid said:
This raises a question we are facing. What do you do with books that you do not wish to keep? Do not wish to use the book swapping businesses, but prefer not to sent them to a landfill or recycling.
A thrift shop here will take all but encyclopedias and: 'Reader's Digest Condensed Books'. They rotate their stock frequently with other thrift shops operated by their group. They say that any which do not sell within a year are then sent to missions in other countries for benefit of reading time and those who are learning to read English.
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On 10/14/2019 at 1:52 AM, laffite said:
Books that are buried in boxes have pages that are hard to gaze upon.
That reads as if it should be preceded by: "Confucius say . . ."
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22 hours ago, TheCid said:
I don't do streaming and it seems you have to subscribe to a lot of separate services to get a full range of offerings.
It is often necessary to subscribe to several services because most free sources specialize in the type of content which they offer. I do not know how it is with other platforms but there are channels on Roku which offer only horror movies and others which offer only rom-coms and others which offer only classic television western programs and so on. "Subscribing" to these channels consists of pressing a button so that they are available from your home page.
Paying for subscriptions is necessary only for those services which carry modern movies and current television programs and sports.
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On 10/12/2019 at 10:38 AM, scsu1975 said:
You know, I had some joke titles all lined up, until I realized this day was about breast cancer awareness. So for once I'll keep my wisecracks to myself. Instead, in the future, I would suggest TCM just spotlight some serious films on the subject, or showcase some actresses who've had the disease.
I am sure that your jokes would have been as tasteful as your usual postings. It is therefore perhaps best that you refrained. 😁
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I am sorry to say this is a current picture of all of our books from the shelves in the living room and front hallway:
We had scheduled to move in February and began packing accordingly. A problem with the house which we meant to buy pushed the date into March. It was during that delay that we both fell victim to greed and retreated from 'retired' status to 'will work if you pay us much more' situation. We are very much living out of boxes but we do not wish to unpack as we continue to look for a suitable house as work allows.
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I fear it requires more mental gymnastics than I am capable of doing to pinpoint which movie(s) pay tribute to this important recognition.
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12 hours ago, speedracer5 said:
I hear that Hulu Live TV has TCM. I imagine you'd want to make sure your internet connection is strong enough to support a streaming service. The buffering issue can be frustrating.
"Hulu and Hulu + Live TV can be streamed at a variety of different quality levels, which will adjust automatically depending on your internet speed. For smooth, interruption-free playback, Hulu recommends a minimum download speed of 6 Mbps for Hulu in HD and 8 Mbps for Hulu + Live TV. If you are planning on streaming to multiple devices, more bandwidth will be required for a quality experience. Hulu also recently added limited 4K content back to its lineup, and you’ll need a well-oiled network to handle that.
The internet connection speed requirements for Hulu are as follows:
Standard Definition: 1.5Mbps
720p HD: 3Mbps
1080p HD: 6Mbps
Hulu + Live TV: 8Mbps
Ultra HD 4K: 16Mbps"-
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1 hour ago, midwestan said:
So, I have no television programs to watch. Any content I want to enjoy will come on my desktop. How long before I go with a competing company? I don't know. The thought of saving $125 a month is rather appealing to me. If I can make it through the college football bowl season without tearing up the house, I'll be fine! Maybe!
It is my understanding that all content available on a desktop is available also on a television using a Roku. Most can be done simply by choosing the content provider from the Roku menu. There is the option also to transfer any streaming media or content such as movies stored on the hard drive of a desktop to a Roku using special apps created for that purpose. I believe that: Plex is one of these but I have no direct knowledge because we do not have such a need.
I highly recommend Roku to any who have cut the cord or are considering it. Roku devices currently cost from twenty to one-hundred dollars. There is no subscription fee or other recurring fees for using a Roku and there are many, many content providers which do not charge subscriptions. I will suggest buying the highest-priced one because it can use a wired connection while all of the others are limited to WiFi.
Some college football games can be watched for free. https://blog.roku.com/college-football-the-roku-channel
College football games in other sectors require subscribing to a service. https://blog.roku.com/college-football
We currently subscribe to two services: CBS All Access ($5.99 per month) and Amazon Prime Video ($8.99 per month as a standalone product separate from their free shipping and other Amazon Prime benefits). Those are the total costs with no taxes or other fees. CBC-AA allows us to watch live broadcast in our area as well as a large library of past and current programs. Amazon Prime has a large library of past programs. I have watched now all seasons of: Monk and Eureka and am nearly finished with Columbo. There are sixteen other programs currently in my 'wishlist' and those are only what I found during my first casual perusal of what is available.
It does slightly go against my grain to subscribe to even those two services when there is so much available at no cost but the cost is still a small fraction of what cable television service cost and which did not bring such variety.
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3 hours ago, TikiSoo said:
Stands for U People Stink. I've never seen such carelessness with packages in my life. Every package is insured, but they count on no one ever "claiming" since it's nearly impossible to receive reimbursement.
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I feel that: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) should be mentioned here. It is more Shakespearean than many adaptations even although it is not technically one of Shakespeare's plays.
The language is of particular interest as it is much more modern while containing the wonderful wordplay which is the real basis for Shakespeare's fame. It is quite awesome how easily it blends with authentic lines when the story intersects the play.
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The Scottish Play is the one nearest my heart. It is sad to say that many directors and actors believe they are perfectly suited for it but the vast majority are mistaken. Proper productions of it are rare and wonderfully compelling performances are rarer still.
My two favorite filmings of it are somewhat non-traditional:
Throne of Blood (1957) I believe that every pairing of Akira Kurosawa and Toshirô Mifune was exceptional in some way. This version of the play supports that belief. The addition of the cultural treasure Isuzu Yamada makes it perfection.
The Great Performances 2010 version is an absolute gem! Rupert Goold's staging it in a more modern and relatable setting demonstrates the realism of the motivations and emotions while amplifying the brutality inherent in the plot. The performance by Sir Patrick Stewart carries an unearthly intensity. Kate Fleetwood makes the audience share her madness. The multiple appearances and guises of the Three Witches is an audacious inspiration.
I recommend highly also this version for those who have difficulty relating to the antiquated language. The imagery, nuances and presentation make it all perfectly understandable.
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21 hours ago, HelenBaby2 said:
I also quite fond of Camelot with Richard Harris & Vanessa Redgrave.
This is one of the few musicals which I like and I like it very much. I believe that part of what raises it above the masses is that the songs were not homogenized, pasteurized and professionalized into audio pap. The natural voices reinforce the feeling of real people in their own world and prevent the music from taking the viewer completely out of the story.
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4 hours ago, TikiSoo said:
I'm going to show Mr Tiki that Volvo and suggest we buy one of those, tart it up with subtle hints of hearse elements and use it as our "touring" car, for the 2 big dogs to ride in the back coffin area. Way more practical than going the authentic Jag Hearse route. (although the thought of having a 12 cyl engine Jag appeals to me)
My attempt to learn whether a photograph of a hearse towing a wood chipper was a simple photograph or was a still from a movie led me into the realm of used funerary automobiles.
I found that Volvo is a very respected brand for hearses in UK and Japan. I learned also that the price for a used one is considerably less than it is for an unconverted model. This dealer has at this moment a 2007 and two 2008 for less than €3000 each. They are all low mileage with no apparent accident damage.
I found in my searching also that one chap purchased a similar one and modified the large windows with press-on rubber strips to make them look as if they are three normal-sized windows. He had made also custom badges identifying the vehicle as "Estate Wagon".
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19 hours ago, thomasterryjr said:
I feel I am the only person, maybe a very few people, who likes "Jewel Robbery" with William Powell and Kay Francis.
I love that movie very much! It is so very precious when he is seeking a place to hide from the police and she is mortally offended that he believes he might have a peaceful night in her bedroom.
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Go to Google.com
Type in: "Wizard of Oz"
On the right side of the screen will be images and synopsis of the movie.
Click on the ruby slippers.
Click on the tornado.
I do not know how long this tribute will remain active.
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1 hour ago, Dargo said:
Say, wasn't that the sequel to The Nuns of Navarone ???
(...and speakin' o' which...whatever became of that old "20th Century Vole" thread anyway?!)
It is part of the trilogy of: The Guns of Navarone (1961), Nuns on the Run (1990) and Nude Nuns with Big Guns (2010) which is considered the epic example of a studio changing directions artistically and then simply cashing in anyway they can.
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Nuns on the Run in High Spirits
Brian (Eric Idle) and Charlie (Daryl Hannah) are master con artists who scam a dull-witted businessman out of millions and learn too late that he is a mob boss. He puts a contract out on them and they have to go on the run.
Peter (Peter O'Toole) owns a hotel that was once a convent and advertises it as being haunted by Medieval nuns in hopes of attracting thrill seekers. Brian and Charlie think it will be a perfect hideout but the hoods catch up with them and shoot them both in a secret passageway connecting a decrepit chapel to the hotel. They do not realize they are dead until they reach the end of the passageway and are able to walk with ease through the thick brick wall built to seal up the old passageway.
The ghosts of the chapel help Brian and Charlie disguise themselves as nuns so that they not seem out of place haunting the hotel. They use their skills as con artists to play numerous jokes on all the hotel guests and the hotel becomes moderately successful.
All would be well but Peter is a bad businessman and will soon have to sell the hotel/convent to a development company which will level it to build high-priced condos with leaky roofs. This will leave all the ghosts homeless because they can not go far from where they died and it is a very icky feeling to pass through a modern concrete wall with its steel reinforcing and latex paint.
Jack (Steve Guttenberg) and Sharon (Beverly D'Angelo) are American ghost hunters who are among the last guests of the hotel. Their television series failed because they never found anything scarier than two cats and an opossum trapped in an attic. They are desperate to find a haunting that will restore their reputations and get them out of debt.
Brian and Charlie are touched by the ghost hunters' plight. Jack quickly falls in love with Charlie and Sharon falls in love with Brian. The ghosts show Jack and Sharon where they stashed the loot from scamming the mob boss so they can buy the hotel and the four of them
livereside together happily ever after.4.5 stars out of 5.
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1 hour ago, speedracer5 said:
I don’t need any warnings, I’ll watch anything.
I am very sorry to say that it is my nature to take such things as a challenge!
These movies carry both my recommendations as I love them very much but also my warning that they clearly will not be to the taste of all people:
A short movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fprVONwmYnc
A feature-length movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFW8kJ9Y1tM
Neither contains nudity, gore nor overt violence. The first does demonstrate various forms of drug use. The second may twist perceptions of acceptable human behaviour.
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Go to Google.com. Type in: "Wizard of Oz". On the right side of the screen will be images and a synopsis of the movie. Click on the ruby slippers. Then click on the tornado.
I do not know how long this display will remain active. It is possible it is to celebrate some anniversary of the movie.
Somewhat Off-Topic: What have you been reading lately?
in General Discussions
Posted
I preferred Sulu over Chekov because he seemed friendlier and more athletic.