tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50544142024-03-07T23:00:21.492-05:00ALPHABET CITYThe blog formerly known as Avenue A. Random rants on music, personal technology, transportation, travel, and other useless junk.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.comBlogger605125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-24368866467802745772023-08-24T03:46:00.013-04:002023-08-24T03:52:55.981-04:00So!I'm... back?My last post here was four years ago. There are a few reasons for that - obviously nobody BLOGS anymore, right? This isn't 1996. The world moved on; Facebook, then Twitter, then Instagram, WhatsApp, all that crap. And Google stopped even bothering showing anybody anything written by actual humans in search. It's all just ads and stuff for sale now. So nobody's reading this. I know Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-62652103539332714842019-12-22T20:07:00.001-05:002019-12-25T22:56:54.722-05:00Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the best Star Wars
WARNING: Some spoilers for previous Star Wars films, but none for The Rise of Skywalker.
It's been so long since I've written anything here that my browser didn't even autocomplete the link for me. But I've got some strong feelings about this, and a need to counter, in whatever small way I can, the narrative I see developing in the media around Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker since its Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-22523904572213025162018-09-07T02:44:00.001-04:002018-09-10T02:49:32.009-04:00SCANDAL at PlayStation Theater, New York City 09/05/2018 REPORT!
Image from SCANDAL's official Facebook
10 years after their first concert in the city, Japan's all-female rock powerhouse SCANDAL finally returns to New York! This is part of their "Special Thanks" tour of North America, for fans who don't often get to see them in a live setting. What follows is my show report, as I've done after all five shows of theirs that I've attended (the previous Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-1600552075531141592018-05-12T18:00:00.000-04:002018-05-12T20:05:25.361-04:00What's inside a Tomy Digital Diamond from 1978?
I've posted a bunch of new videos to my Modern Classic YouTube channel since the Quad 8 video a year ago - I'll be going through and retro-posting a bunch more, and eventually they'll all have their own blog to live on. But for now, check out my little teardown of a Tomy Digital Diamond electro-mechanical baseball game from 1978. I've owned it for 40 years, and this is my first time taking itJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-53815694614050210572018-05-12T17:07:00.000-04:002018-05-17T16:04:12.279-04:00Scandal US tour!
Has it been almost a year since I've written anything here? Well, that changes now!
It's also been a while since I've written anything about SCANDAL, but I've got a couple of good reasons to now. The first is that they're coming back to the US, and more helpful for me, to New York City this time! If anyone hasn't heard, here's the list of announced dates on what looks like a very hastily Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-55672644604171137232017-08-30T03:05:00.000-04:002017-09-30T17:18:20.422-04:00Now this is a car: "new" Dodge Challenger Day!
I know it's been a while since a proper blog post here (one that doesn't just link to my YouTube channel). The truth is that I feel like the world has moved on from blogs for the most part, and I have too.
But a new car is always a momentous event. And the Challenger is a car I've wanted since it was first announced.
This is a 2014 Dodge Challenger SXT Plus 100th Anniversary Edition, Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-56766960620383740042017-04-23T16:38:00.001-04:002018-05-12T17:55:33.174-04:00There's music everywhere! Surround sound music formats from 8 Track tape to Blu-Ray
My latest video's the first audio subject I've tackled in a while: surround sound music. I've always had a curiosity about the 1970's quadraphonic era - I lived through it but didn't really experience it at the time. But since then, the industry's released more and better surround sound formats over time, and I look at everything from the quad era up to today's DVD and Blu-Ray audio to see if Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-79699976076607985542017-04-13T19:02:00.001-04:002018-05-12T17:55:33.220-04:00Tearing down and repairing my original Apple IIcMy first-ever computer was an Apple IIc in 1985. (Not 1984 as I first thought, and said early in this video.) I loved that machine, but it's been broken for quite a while now.
Well, I finally sat down to fix it. And you can watch!
This video was just a quick one while I work on some more scripted stuff, but it was really satisfying to do.
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-20139159930375337322017-02-28T22:58:00.001-05:002018-05-12T17:55:33.152-04:00Is Virtual Reality (VR) worth buying in 2017?
Another new video! In this one, I follow on from my blog post on VR with a video on VR. I think it's actually quite an amazing technology! And spoiler alert: I do recommend it if you can deal with the current headsets with their infernal wires.
From my YT description:
We've heard a lot about the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive lately. While the Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-18350388450648044002017-02-16T13:15:00.002-05:002018-05-12T17:55:33.106-04:00The Atari Dig - my souvenir from gaming's greatest urban legend
Just posted a new video - getting back to gaming a little bit for these next couple. Many of you no doubt know about the great video game crash of 1983 and Atari's literal dumping of various games in a landfill at the start of it, and I'll bet a lot of you have actually watched the documentary "Atari: Game Over" (though if you haven't seen it, I've got a link in the video description on YT).
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-65420980239865201392017-02-01T13:33:00.003-05:002018-05-12T17:55:33.197-04:00What can you do with a $20 laptop?
My latest video takes a look at a thrift store find - a circa-1998 IBM ThinkPad 600X that I picked up for $20. Is a computer like this still good for anything? Watch the video and find out!
Incidentally, I'm going to be starting a new blog for my YouTube channel pretty soon (in addition to Facebook and Twitter pages), so when I do, I'll probably be posting all of these there. Or maybe I'll doJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-19543141280634906382017-01-08T15:48:00.001-05:002018-05-13T17:52:35.653-04:00The Apple II - Apple's most important computerI mentioned a while back that I've started up a new YouTube channel, and I'm probably going to end up writing up a post here about every video I create. I may eventually split these posts off onto a new blog that's directly tied to the channel, but for now, here we are. I've done a bunch of videos you should check out, including an IBM Model M keyboard roundup, a look at the $99 Nintendo 3DS, theJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-76598201937614989512017-01-01T11:59:00.000-05:002017-01-01T11:59:07.643-05:00The PlayStation VR - my... review?There's a line in "A Christmas Story" about the "best Christmas present I had ever received, or would ever receive." I'm not saying this is that for me, but it's close!
This is the PlayStation VR. My wife had a hard time finding one for me, but I ended up helping her out with that. Only the Sony store in Manhattan seemed to have them in stock at all before Christmas.
I'd love to do a Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-83554681429382811552016-11-13T16:20:00.001-05:002016-11-14T16:58:42.245-05:00No compromise with Trump's hatredSince the election, liberals have been told we need to "empathize" with Trump voters, to "come together" and show "unity" with Donald and his supporters, to "give him a chance", or even to "stop whining".
Well, no. I'm not going to "show unity" with a small-minded person who denigrates women and minorities, threatens to deport immigrants (my wife is an immigrant, like Donald's) and wonders why Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-50945696488443841582016-10-06T00:34:00.002-04:002016-10-06T01:00:57.383-04:00Riding an ATV through the Bahamas (Carnival cruise ship excursion)
I've got another general cruise video in the pipeline, but the first video I've put together from my recent vacation is this POV of my ATV ride through Clifton Park in the Bahamas (near Nassau). This was a Carnival-booked shore excursion, although the same ride is available through other cruises and other lines. I'm sure you can even book it separately, if you happen to be flying to the Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-59167218276842552522016-09-28T19:00:00.000-04:002016-09-28T19:07:25.649-04:00Summer Vacation 2016
I just got back from my 5-day late summer vacation. As per usual for my wife and I, it was a packed few days, and I was worn out by the end. Parts of my body are still recovering.
I may do some separate posts on a few things, but here's what we did:
1) Walt Disney World
2) Our second cruise this year (on Carnival Victory this time)
3) ATV ride through the Bahamas
Disney World is pretty Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-68841683953891024262016-09-18T17:43:00.002-04:002016-09-18T17:43:40.240-04:00I have a new(ish)YouTube channelI've started a new YouTube channel, so far mostly focusing on vintage computers, tech and games. This isn't my first or latest video, but it's my favorite that I've done so far (of the four or five):
I called the channel "modern classic" mostly because I suck at coming up with names, but also because I basically do want to focus on things (mostly products, admittedly) that I think have stood,Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-6975087610062015822016-09-09T01:18:00.002-04:002016-09-18T01:47:27.689-04:00PERFUME at Hammerstein Ballroom NYC 09/04/2016
This past weekend, Japanese electro superstars Perfume paid their second visit to New York City. And WOW, what a show.
Let me take a step back for the uninitiated. Perfume is still not very well known in the United States, and it's easy to look at them and think they're some kind of cheesy pop group. They are not.
Perfume describe themselves as "idols with artistry". Produced by Yasutaka Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-28522031761845435612016-09-05T20:02:00.000-04:002016-09-05T20:02:19.768-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: The Great Northern Hotel
I'm saving perhaps the best for last - or at least the location I consider the most iconic of the show, as it closes both the credits sequence and opens many episodes, and it's probably the most picturesque of all Twin Peaks locations. This is the Great Northern Hotel, aka the real-life Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie, Washington. My wife and I stayed here one night during our visit.
Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-46093134604484688702016-09-05T19:00:00.001-04:002016-09-05T19:00:38.998-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: The Sheriff's Department
The Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department is actually the former office of the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Mill, aka the Packard Sawmill. They are literally across the street from each other.
Yep, the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department is now the DirtFish Rally Racing School.
That said, it looks pretty much the same!
The green trim is now orange and the window shades are gone, but otherwise the Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-5143153816637832122016-08-27T13:49:00.001-04:002016-08-27T14:01:17.870-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: The Packard Sawmill
The Packard Sawmill, which itself burned down in the finale of Twin Peaks season one, is barely recognizable - in fact barely existent today. It's one of the sadder locations to visit because only a single smokestack and building remains:
This was the former Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company mill, and I mentioned in an earlier post that in an interesting Twin Peaks-related twist, some of theJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-17443082622120426842016-08-27T00:09:00.001-04:002016-08-27T00:11:18.148-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: Giant Log
The giant log as seen in the Twin Peaks credits sequence is still there in Snoqualmie, exactly where it always was, but it looks quite a bit different than it did in the series.
While the series had it sitting imposingly out in the open on a cart on the tracks, the town of Snoqualmie has now built a protective shed around it along with viewing benches and a large iron fence. This has the Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-67331300310307659232016-08-25T18:02:00.000-04:002016-08-25T18:08:23.469-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: Ronette Pulaski's Bridge
One of the central events of the Twin Peaks pilot was when a partially clothed and obviously battered Ronette Pulaski stumbled across this railway bridge the day after Laura Palmer's murder, then immediately fell into a coma. Their cases must be related, but how? Their fellow students all agreed the two girls barely knew each other. Ah, yet another piece of the mystery unfolds!
We Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-19983650973371891742016-08-24T16:44:00.000-04:002016-08-24T17:39:51.568-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: The Double-R Diner
Agent Cooper's go-to place for a damn fine cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie still exists, and in fact looks basically like it did in the show. Its real name is now Twede's Cafe, formerly the Mar-T (or T-Mar, depending on who you ask) after an ownership change or two over the years.
Twede's is in North Bend, one of the two main towns that make up the "town" of Twin Peaks.
You Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054414.post-30383202102707581082016-08-24T16:28:00.000-04:002016-08-24T16:50:20.923-04:00The Real Twin Peaks: The Roadhouse (and Bookhouse)
The Twin Peaks Roadhouse is one of those locations I almost didn't think of as worth visiting - it looks nothing like the show inside, it's been painted green since the show, and I somehow knew they were actually showing the back of it in the series. It was even called the Colonial Inn until very recently.
But when I found out that they'd recently renamed it the Fall City Roadhouse, well thatJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11824929910429164650noreply@blogger.com0