Ode to a 1971 GE Wildcat record player

Over the span of my life, I’ve owned two types of record players. As an adult, my primary turntable (and the one I use to convert my 45’s to .mp3 so that I can listen to them in my car) is a Technics SL-1200 MK2 quartz-driven turntable. But that’s not the phonograph I’m blogging about…

Read More

My next photography assignment – a significant basketball memorabilia auction

I enjoy collecting vintage game-worn sports jerseys.ย  I mostly collect basketball jerseys, but I’ve acquire a couple of hockey sweaters over the years. Granted, my collection tends to gravitate toward minor league and international gear – for example, my wife’s sister, who lives in Israel, brought back a Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball jersey for me…

Read More

Congratulations to Chuck Miller, Lawn Mower Racing Champion and no relation to me

I can understand that “Chuck Miller” is a generic name – according to The U.S. Census in 2000, Miller was the sixth most popular surname (only trailing Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown and Jones), while “Charles” or “Chuck” is the eighth most popular given name in America (behind James, John, Robert, Michael, William, David and Richard).…

Read More

Photo Essay: Testing out my Kenko 180

Among my arsenal of camera lenses that I’ve acquired over the years is this Kenko 180ยฐ screw-on fisheye lens.ย  From the looks of it, I should be able to shine a red light through it and pretend it’s the HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Although I already have a dedicated fisheye lens (my…

Read More

Remembering 3WD, Schenectady’s Top 40 Radio Station

I received a note from a girl named Deborah, who contacted me from my earlier blog. Hi, Chuck … if you worked at 3WD in the 80’s you may have known “Dave Michaels” aka, David Brady, one of the original owners. He passed away in July 2009. I am truly saddened by the passing of…

Read More

Finding the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy

If you ever visit the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto, look around for a place inside the facility – an area called the North American Zone.ย  You’ll see on display several minor league and amateur jerseys, banners, sticks, pucks and trophies. You’ll also find the championship trophy currently visible on the right. This…

Read More

The Merger of Marvel Comics and Walt Disney

Background.ย  I love Walt Disney films.ย  Always have.ย  Always will.ย  I used to love Sunday evenings in front of the television, watching classic Disney cartoons and live-action movies.ย  Here, reminisce with me for a couple of minutes. That was the original Disneyland TV show opening credits, as aired on ABC in the 1950’s. By the…

Read More

Remembering that Great Local TV Game Show, โ€œPick-A-Showโ€

Once upon a time, back in at least the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the three major television stations in our Capital District broadcast area, WRGB-6, WTEN-10 and WAST-13 (no, those were WNYT’s earlier call letters) oftentimes produced their own five-day-a-week morning entertainment programs.ย  While Channel 13 had “Romper Room” (which I think every city…

Read More