tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356796662024-03-13T22:22:44.883-07:00Sitting Here ReminiscingA dumping ground for things rattling around in the corners of my mind.sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-6468140203814504552014-10-23T20:43:00.000-07:002014-10-23T20:43:57.112-07:00Two years pass and still kids get stuck in claw machines!It's been nearly two years since my last post, but in the meantime, kids continue to find the insides of claw machines.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsMhJePc-4U/VEnKmbDWZuI/AAAAAAAABg4/i0oQZa2leqs/s1600/california%2Bboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsMhJePc-4U/VEnKmbDWZuI/AAAAAAAABg4/i0oQZa2leqs/s1600/california%2Bboy.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
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A California boy got <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/kid-stuck-in-claw-machine_n_3780413.html" target="_blank">stuck inside a claw machine at a bowling alley</a>. (August 13th, 2013)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CO0N4yogp1s/VEnGwb1Y_wI/AAAAAAAABgs/PqbWWLjX2kU/s1600/3-year-old%2BNebraska%2Bboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CO0N4yogp1s/VEnGwb1Y_wI/AAAAAAAABgs/PqbWWLjX2kU/s1600/3-year-old%2BNebraska%2Bboy.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
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A 3-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska boy <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/04/mother-of-missing-boy-found-in-claw-machine-will-not-face-charges/" target="_blank">got stuck inside a claw machine at Madsen's Bowling and Billiards</a>. (April 14th, 2014)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gPcx0sfnPhQ/VEnExRv0DxI/AAAAAAAABgg/AUJ8lIKHiWM/s1600/Colin%2BLambert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gPcx0sfnPhQ/VEnExRv0DxI/AAAAAAAABgg/AUJ8lIKHiWM/s1600/Colin%2BLambert.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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18-month-old Colin Lambert got <a href="http://www.wate.com/story/26858788/maryville-child-rescued-from-inside-arcade-game" target="_blank">stuck inside a claw machine at Browns Creek Coin Laundry in Maryville, Tennessee</a>. (October 22nd, 2014)<br />
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Hopefully it won't take me nearly two years for me to make another post!sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-38515612904702984162012-12-22T23:36:00.000-08:002012-12-22T23:36:53.896-08:00<b><span style="font-size: large;">Over a month later, another child stuck in a claw m<span style="font-size: large;">achine <span style="font-size: large;">- the trend con<span style="font-size: large;">tinues!</span></span></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our semi<span style="font-size: small;">-<span style="font-size: small;">regular check<span style="font-size: small;">-up <span style="font-size: small;">for reports of children <span style="font-size: small;">being stuck in a claw machine has flagged another incident...</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In Conneaut, Ohio, a 2-year-old bo<span style="font-size: small;">y (<span style="font-size: small;">no iden<span style="font-size: small;">tity given)<span style="font-size: small;"> got <a href="http://starbeacon.com/local/x1752032756/Two-year-old-gets-stuck-in-claw-machine">stuck in a claw machine at a Subway Restaurant</a> at Love's Truck Stop.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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(Unfortunately, there is no photograph of said boy available at this time.)<br />
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Until next time... Happy holidays!sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-82549980727593393332012-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:002012-10-13T22:17:11.858-07:00<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Another six months have passed, and the kids stuck in claw machines epidemic continues!</b></span><br />
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Time for our semi-regular check-in to report on kids getting stuck inside claw machines...<br />
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Here's one I missed... Near Sydney, Australia, 3-year-old Callum Sammut got <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10707200">stuck in a toy vending machine at a Lake Haven shopping center</a>. (February 17th, 2011). <br />
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In Evansville, Indiana, a 4-year-old child got <a href="http://1061evansville.com/evansville-child-stuck-in-claw-machine-game/">stuck in a claw machine at a CiCi's Pizza</a>. (June 5th, 2012) <br />
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(Unfortunately at this time, I could not locate a photograph of said child stuck inside the claw machine.)<br />
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In Devon (United Kingdom), 4-year-old Aiden Moore got <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boy-gets-stuck-in-arcade-game-1141399">stuck in a claw machine</a> <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4426007/Arcade-machine-traps-boy-four.html">at Dawlish Sands Holiday Park</a>. (July 12th, 2012)<br />
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Until next time...sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-7681988276078593612012-04-10T22:08:00.009-07:002012-04-13T16:21:06.994-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Six months later, kids are still getting stuck in claw machines!</span></span><br /><br />It's time for our semi-regular check-in to report on kids getting stuck inside claw machines...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iAjNAp-Gwo/T4UWDmGvVBI/AAAAAAAAAH0/4Al67z7TSJI/s1600/noah_jeffrey1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iAjNAp-Gwo/T4UWDmGvVBI/AAAAAAAAAH0/4Al67z7TSJI/s320/noah_jeffrey1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730010351923057682" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rcnqQTZ0Owc/T4UV2OyvNJI/AAAAAAAAAHo/YY58i_84We4/s1600/noah_jeffrey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rcnqQTZ0Owc/T4UV2OyvNJI/AAAAAAAAAHo/YY58i_84We4/s320/noah_jeffrey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730010122326848658" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">In Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 3-year old Noah Jeffrey got <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/ballarat-toddler-squeezes-inside-vending-machine/story-fn7x8me2-1226263704070">stuck inside a claw machine at a Zagame's restaurant</a>, attempting to get a toy. (February 5th, 2012)<br /></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xKAmpWeXp50/T4UWSUFIiAI/AAAAAAAAAIA/qZHMAULbZHE/s1600/kaytlyn_campbell.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xKAmpWeXp50/T4UWSUFIiAI/AAAAAAAAAIA/qZHMAULbZHE/s320/kaytlyn_campbell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730010604782520322" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hlnlJRCls0Q/T4UWiOmPJ_I/AAAAAAAAAIM/ZSkXRV6w6jo/s1600/kaytlyn_campbell2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hlnlJRCls0Q/T4UWiOmPJ_I/AAAAAAAAAIM/ZSkXRV6w6jo/s320/kaytlyn_campbell2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730010878188660722" border="0" /></a></div>In Lexington, Kentucky, 2-year-old Kaytlyn Campbell got <a href="http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/More_reaction_following_rescue_of_child_139371618.html">stuck inside a claw machine at the Commonwealth Coin Laundry</a>, attempting to get a toy. (February 14th, 2012)<br /><br />Until another kid gets stuck in a claw machine (which shouldn't be too long)...sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-20639935533929343722011-10-15T19:29:00.000-07:002011-10-15T19:34:05.968-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A blog's lifecycle (or why are 95% of blogs abandoned?)...</span></span><br /><br />While I'm actively blogging at the moment, here is a breakdown of a <a href="http://postary.com/twitter/mileslennon/why-are-95-of-blogs-abandoned">lifecycle of a blog</a>:<br /><ol><li>Euphoric moment of inspiration<br /></li><li>Pseudo-maniacal and self-indulgent perusing of domains<br /></li><li>Careful consideration of theme and design<br /></li><li>The inaugural post - "Hello world!"<br /></li><li>The 2-4 post honeymoon phase<br /></li><li>Waning and changing interests<br /></li><li>Feelings of desperation and apathy from low engagement<br /></li><li>Inevitable abandonment :(<br /></li></ol>What do you think?sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-42847476572713674432011-10-15T18:54:00.000-07:002011-10-15T19:25:20.744-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >A year later, kids are still getting stuck inside claw machines!</span><br /><br />It's been almost a year since my last post! But children getting stuck inside claw machines remain a constant...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9nVd7a3f60/Tpo6AytK7UI/AAAAAAAAAEE/sWNdNMjoLzo/s1600/2-year-old-PA-girl.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTchSErC55M/Tpo_R4QhP0I/AAAAAAAAAEc/vDRDL9FW81Q/s1600/2-year-old-PA-girl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTchSErC55M/Tpo_R4QhP0I/AAAAAAAAAEc/vDRDL9FW81Q/s320/2-year-old-PA-girl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663909057763819330" border="0" /></a><br />A 2-year-old unidentified girl crawling into a toy machine at the Mall at Robinson in Robinson Township, PA. <a href="http://www.wtae.com/r/26079325/detail.html">She was eventually freed by Moon Run firefighters</a>. If you can't get enough of this, <a href="http://www.wpxi.com/news/26074962/detail.html">here's a link to another report</a>. (December 8th, 2010)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_6F2djI8HfM/Tpo-fVumwbI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/lXNZ7iTMS8U/s1600/Tyler-Bussier.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 208px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_6F2djI8HfM/Tpo-fVumwbI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/lXNZ7iTMS8U/s320/Tyler-Bussier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663908189501309362" border="0" /></a><br />And in Australia, 3-year-old Tyler Bussier of Sydney in a toy vending machine at Greystanes. <a href="http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8258946/toddler-gets-stuck-in-machine-for-a-toy">Firefighters eventually freed the boy</a>. (June 1st, 2011)<br /><br />Until another child gets stuck inside a claw machine...sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-25360516036767429882010-10-25T00:48:00.000-07:002010-10-25T01:12:47.713-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Kids getting stuck in claw machines - revisited!</span><br /><br />Wow, it has been over a year since I've posted anything here. But, fear not! I have found more kids getting stuck in those claw machines!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/TMU4ldxTYZI/AAAAAAAAACM/cmOPF-EaJmk/s1600/Cohen-Stone-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/TMU4ldxTYZI/AAAAAAAAACM/cmOPF-EaJmk/s320/Cohen-Stone-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531889933592256914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/TMU4kjlFl6I/AAAAAAAAACE/7wzJAuO__a8/s1600/Cohen-Stone.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/TMU4kjlFl6I/AAAAAAAAACE/7wzJAuO__a8/s320/Cohen-Stone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531889917971765154" border="0" /></a>First, two-year-old <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7431114/Toddler-trapped-in-lolly-machine-after-climbing-in-for-sweets.html">Cohen Stone</a>, in the Perth (Australia) suburb of Leederville, climbed into a lolly machine in an Italian restaurant. After being discovered by his mom, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn7cNXGpIVI">he was freed by a local locksmith 45 minutes later</a>. (March 12, 2010)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/TMU6yxGRgRI/AAAAAAAAACU/9vetf6htTuU/s1600/Hanson.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/TMU6yxGRgRI/AAAAAAAAACU/9vetf6htTuU/s320/Hanson.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531892361142042898" border="0" /></a>Next, nine-year-old <a href="http://www.fox11online.com/dpps/news/strange/boy-rescued-from-toy-vending-machine-ob10-jgr_3602454">[first name unknown] Hanson</a>, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, crawled into a claw toy vending machine at a Wal-Mart. He was rescued by Sun Prairie Fire firefighters. Unlike most claw machine victims, he went home with two toys! (October 3, 2010)sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-8384153574797068342009-08-06T16:21:00.000-07:002009-08-06T16:30:13.258-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Go nuclear on your town!</span><br /><br />This is an interesting Google Maps mash-up: Go nuclear on your home town.<br /><br /><p><iframe src="http://www.carloslabs.com/projects/200903A/index.html" name="content_iframe" width="600" align="MIDDLE" frameborder="0" height="610"></iframe></p>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-37146209933158526252009-06-26T18:05:00.000-07:002009-07-03T18:44:00.618-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Toddlers stuck inside toy vending machines -- the trend goes Down Under!</span></strong><br /><br />How did I miss these? Maybe because all of these incidents happened in Australia!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/Sk6yaK1E6uI/AAAAAAAAABg/PzojLj8-Lzg/s1600-h/joshua_bishop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/Sk6yaK1E6uI/AAAAAAAAABg/PzojLj8-Lzg/s320/joshua_bishop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354413169643416290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/Sk6zqOUjhzI/AAAAAAAAABw/YU92tpMcPjg/s1600-h/joshua_bishop_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/Sk6zqOUjhzI/AAAAAAAAABw/YU92tpMcPjg/s320/joshua_bishop_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354414544970286898" border="0" /></a></div><br />Three-year-old <a href="http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24779617-2682,00.html">Joshua Bishop</a> of Fulham Gardens (Australia) climbed into the skill tester (aka toy vending) machine at a Christies Beach play cafe and get a Pokemon toy. However, he managed to <a href="http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24784723-5001021,00.html">climb back out</a> without help! (October 2008)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SkVvGlYCulI/AAAAAAAAABI/uK4AI8m9_Qk/s1600-h/kid_stuck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SkVvGlYCulI/AAAAAAAAABI/uK4AI8m9_Qk/s320/kid_stuck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351805891102554706" border="0" /></a><br />A <a href="http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/12/10/20981_ntnews.html">two-and-a-half year-old boy</a> got stuck in a toy vending machine at the Oasis Shopping Village in Palmerston (in Australia). (December 6, 2008)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SkVpmOT6I3I/AAAAAAAAABA/PheutYNHwEI/s1600-h/boyintoymachine_t325.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SkVpmOT6I3I/AAAAAAAAABA/PheutYNHwEI/s320/boyintoymachine_t325.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351799837597246322" border="0" /></a>Toddler <a href="http://www.gympietimes.com.au/story/2009/02/24/toddler-climbs-inside-vending-machine/">Lachlan Stevens</a> managed to crawl inside a toy vending machine at the Centro Gympie shopping centre in Australia. (February 24, 2009)<br /><br />Is keeping little kids away from toy vending machines the lesson learned here?sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1649924804193181782008-07-21T22:44:00.001-07:002008-12-11T06:11:31.085-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The girls are catching up to boys in the "getting stuck in a claw game"...</span></span><br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/index.html">Attack of the Show</a>, another girl getting stuck in a claw game has been located.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SIV1mqm3fwI/AAAAAAAAAAU/7xK_36EeQsE/s1600-h/girl_in_claw_machine_fort_lawn_sc_01-12-2008_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SIV1mqm3fwI/AAAAAAAAAAU/7xK_36EeQsE/s320/girl_in_claw_machine_fort_lawn_sc_01-12-2008_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225712249766117122" border="0" /></a><br />Apparently, a girl got stuck in a claw game at the Catawba Fish Camp in Fort Lawn, South Carolina back on January 18, 2008.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G2vbsgZj4g4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G2vbsgZj4g4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The girl is 3-year-old Caitlin Robinson -- thanks to <a href="http://ca.video.yahoo.com/watch/3123394/8872263">this news report</a> for the details.<br /><br />Will the girls eventually catch up with the boys in this game of getting stuck in a claw machine?<br /></div></div>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-5857883295545145382008-06-14T20:04:00.001-07:002008-06-14T20:04:20.332-07:00<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday the 13th -- "Hits From Hell"! Freak!</span></span><br /><br />Yesterday, June 13th, was Friday the 13th. That means <a href="http://www.kfog.com/">KFOG</a>'s 10@10 did its ritual "Hits From Hell". It is interesting to note that the setlist -- listener generated, no less -- was heavily '70s weighted. Were the '70s the decade of "hits from hell"?<br /><br />Anyway, the setlist:<br /><ul><li>William Shatner - It Was A Very Good Year<br /></li><li>Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun<br /></li><li>Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart<br /></li><li>Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots - Disco Duck (Part 1)<br /></li><li>Starship - We Built This City<br /></li><li>Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life<br /></li><li>David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us<br /></li><li>Meri Wilson - Telephone Man<br /></li><li>Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight<br /></li><li>Minnie Riperton - Lovin' You<br /></li></ul>Nice on the ears...sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-47374077324469478912008-04-23T19:13:00.000-07:002008-12-11T06:11:31.301-08:00<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Boy trapped in lucky dip game!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Courtesy of <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/index.html">Attack of the Show</a>, <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1812760">another boy was trapped in a claw machine</a>!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SA_zrcZbDeI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Za8FKUOqSR4/s1600-h/boy_stuck_in_lucky_dip.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SA_zrcZbDeI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Za8FKUOqSR4/s320/boy_stuck_in_lucky_dip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192636823064219106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Only in Australia, the claw machine is called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LClvwB4ZbX4">Lucky Dip</a>. Unfortunately, the report doesn't reveal the name of the boy or how old he is.<br /><br />So <a href="http://sitting-here-reminiscing.blogspot.com/2006/10/fun-for-young-boys-get-stuck-in.html">kids getting stuck in claw machines</a> has spread worldwide from <a href="http://sitting-here-reminiscing.blogspot.com/2006/12/getting-stuck-in-vending-machine-not.html">its origins in the United States</a>!<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-22995654586827573372007-07-13T22:10:00.000-07:002009-07-03T18:23:03.515-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Friday the 13th -- "Hits From Hell" makes its triumphant return to KFOG's 10 @ 10! (Plus another girl stuck in toy vending machine story!)</span></strong><br /><br />After two consecutive Friday the 13ths without "Hits From Hell" (which I lament <a href="http://sitting-here-reminiscing.blogspot.com/2006/10/kfogs-10-10-hits-from-hell-no-more.html">here</a>), <a href="http://www.kfog.com/">KFOG</a> has finally returned to its tried and true format that has been around since 1982.<br /><br />The setlist this time around (compiled from listeners' suggestions):<br /><br /><ul><li>"We Built This City" - Starship<br /></li><li>"Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band<br /></li><li>"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John and Kiki Dee<br /></li><li>"(You're) Having My Baby" - Paul Anka (having the dubious distinction of "Worst Of Set"!)<br /></li><li>"Gitarzan" - Ray Stevens<br /></li><li>"Honey" - Bobby Goldsboro<br /></li><li>"The Girl is Mine" - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney<br /></li><li>"Disco Duck" - Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots<br /></li><li>"Feelings" - Morris Albert</li><li>"Macarena" - Los Del Rio<br /></li></ul><br />Welcome back, "Hits From Hell"!<br /><br />In other oddball news, another girl gets stuck in a toy vending machine.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/Sk6s9B4ODaI/AAAAAAAAABY/Z-hxACIBs5k/s1600-h/angelia_romero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/Sk6s9B4ODaI/AAAAAAAAABY/Z-hxACIBs5k/s320/angelia_romero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354407171466333602" border="0" /></a><br />Two-year-old <a href="http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/NEWS/70713009">Angelia Romero</a> crawled into and got stuck inside a "Toy Soldier" toy vending machine at National Wholesale Liquidators in Middletown, New York. (July 12, 2007)<br /><br />The girls are making gains on the boys in the getting-stuck-in-a-toy-vending-machine game!sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1395426156241691862007-04-15T23:09:00.000-07:002007-04-15T23:15:29.845-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Beware the Ides of April (well, not really).</span></strong><br /><br />Today is April 15th. Normally, today would be the dreaded Tax Day. But this year, April 15th fell on a Sunday. But wait! Monday is April 16th, and that is Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C., which happens to be a holiday for the District. So this year, Tax Day is April 17th.<br /><br />Trivia: Liz Phair's birthday is on April 17th.sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-65317389479388283282007-02-28T20:06:00.000-08:002007-02-28T20:23:50.466-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Viewing Mickey Mouse differently through new and old eyes.</strong></span><br /><br />Who doesn't instantly recognize Mickey Mouse?<br /><br />Get ready to see Mickey in two different lights. First, here is Mickey and Pluto in a 1955 commercial for American Motor Group's Nash Ambassador.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6bHGfWfRU_Q"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6bHGfWfRU_Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Next, here is a futuristic Neo-Mickey cartoon:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gYyopBHN2p8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gYyopBHN2p8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />More details about Neo-Mickey can be found at <a href="http://crookiesblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/neo-mickey.html">Crookie's Blog</a>.<br /><br /><em>[Muchas gracias to </em><a href="http://www.boingboing.net/"><em>Boing Boing</em></a><em> for the inspiration for this post.]</em>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1169609412059981122007-01-23T19:17:00.000-08:002007-01-23T20:16:02.203-08:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy National Pie Day.</span></strong><br /><br />Today, January 23rd, is National Pie Day. From the <a href="http://www.piecouncil.org/national.htm">American Pie Council</a>:<br /><br /><em>Created by the American Pie Council, National Pie Day is dedicated to the celebration of pie. As part of our American heritage, this day is a perfect opportunity to pass on the love and enjoyment of pie eating and pie making to future generations.</em><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3812/3974/320/350612/apple_pie.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />So how does one celebrate National Pie Day? You can start off by eating a slice of pie. You can learn other things to do in celebration of National Pie Day courtesy of the <a href="http://www.piecouncil.org/national.htm">American Pie Council</a>.</p><p>Thanks to <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2007/01/23/happy-national-pie-day/">Slashfood</a> for the info.</p>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1166945040783273452006-12-23T23:09:00.000-08:002006-12-23T23:24:00.790-08:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Getting stuck in a vending machine -- not just a pasttime for boys any longer.</span></strong><br /><br />This story somehow manage to slip through my eyes until now.<br /><br />Benwood, West Virginia -- A <a href="http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=16574">four-year-old girl</a> climbed into a claw machine at a Kroger store in an attempt to get stuffed animals. She was stuck in the machine for about 20 minutes. (November 21, 2006)<br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3812/3974/320/473339/girl_stuck_in_toy_machine.jpg" border="0" /><br />You can watch a video report of this incident at <a href="http://www.wtov9.com/news/10373384/detail.html?rss=steu&psp=news">WTOV-TV</a>.<br /><br />So (<em>mainly three-year-old</em>) boys no longer have the <a href="http://sitting-here-reminiscing.blogspot.com/2006/10/fun-for-young-boys-get-stuck-in.html">exclusive privilege</a> of climbing into vending machines and getting stuck there.sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1165650290121188652006-12-08T19:03:00.000-08:002009-06-26T23:22:16.810-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Fun fact for weathergirl Kate Bilo.</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="http://wwwa.accuweather.com/news-blogs.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&traveler=0&webcaster=bilo&blog=bilo">AccuWeather's Kate Bilo</a> has a certain fascination with the Canadian city of Regina. So this is for you, Kate:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SkW4yGjblUI/AAAAAAAAABQ/whJfdmPPkVQ/s1600-h/regina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KgReVNB9XbQ/SkW4yGjblUI/AAAAAAAAABQ/whJfdmPPkVQ/s320/regina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351886903091893570" border="0" /></a><br /><em>[Many thanks to </em><a href="http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004473.html"><em>Small Dead Animals</em></a><em> for the picture.]</em>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1162961301251609742006-11-07T20:18:00.000-08:002006-11-07T23:40:32.433-08:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Election Day -- Voting, Civic Duty, Getting Your Voice Heard, Etc.</span></strong><br /><br />I got up early this morning and got to my polling place a little past 7 A.M. There was a line that formed outside of the voting booths, much to my surprise. Apparently, voter turnout was higher this year for a midterm election.<br /><br />I have been voting in every major election since 1990, when I turned 18 (the minimum required age to vote). My high school civics teacher was an influence in that respect. I also have to give props to my <a href="http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/PoliSci/faculty/gerston/gerston.htm">political science professor in college</a>.<br /><br />I have seen some bizarre elections in California over the years. There was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposition_187">Proposition 187</a> illegal immigration election of 1994 which helped Governor Pete Wilson get re-elected but ended up making the Republican Party a minority party in the state. The past few years in California have seen the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_California_recall">recall of Governor Gray Davis</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_special_election,_2005">special election of 2005 of reform initiatives</a> called by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.<br /><br />I should have voter fatigue, but that didn't stop me from voting today (Tuesday, November 7th, 2006).<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/i_voted.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>And I have my "I voted" sticker to prove it. Time to watch the returns...</p>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1161836587683406212006-10-25T20:03:00.000-07:002006-10-25T22:13:04.616-07:00<div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Fun for young boys -- get stuck in a vending machine!</span></strong><br /><br />This entry is dedicated to <a href="http://make-you-hmmm.blogspot.com/">Paige Ferrari</a>, since she is currently in hiding (or something).<br /><br />While I was scanning the news wires, I came across this dandy little piece:<br /><br />Abilene, Texas -- Three-year-old <a href="http://www.nbc11.com/news/10154384/detail.html">Joshua Walk</a> crawled up the chute of a restaurant toy vending machine to try and liberate one of the toys he wanted on his own. (October 24, 2006)</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/joshua_walk.3.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div>Then I spotted this story: <p align="left">Antigo, Wisconsin -- Three-year-old <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2006-10-25-boy-vending-spongebob_x.htm">Robert Moore</a> climbed into a vending machine for a stuffed SpongeBob SquarePants. (October 24, 2006)</p><p align="left"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/robert_moore.3.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="left">Two stories about boys trapped in vending machines in one day. Coincidence? This piqued my interest, so I scoured around for other recent incidents similar to this. I hit the jackpot...</p><p align="left">Austin, Minnesota -- Three-year-old <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12057691/">Devin Haskin</a> crawled through the discharge chute of a Toy Chest claw machine at a Godfather's Pizza in his hometown, he ended up on the other side of the glass surrounded by stuffed animals. (March 26, 2006)</p><p align="left"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/devin_haskin.8.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="left">Wait, there's more:</p><p align="left">Elkhart, Indiana - Three-year-old <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4570201.stm">James Manges II</a> slid down a chute into the crane vending machine at a Wal-Mart, where he played happily with the toys. (May 19, 2005)</p><p align="left"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/james_manges_ii.8.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="left">I was about to conclude that getting stuck in vending machines was exclusive fun for three-year-old boys. Then I uncovered this one:</p><p align="left">Sheboygan, Wisconsin -- Seven-year-old <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/08/offbeat.boy.stuck.ap/index.html">Timmy Novotny</a> crawled into a stuffed toy animal game machine at a Piggly Wiggly supermarket. (January 4, 2004)</p><p align="left"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/timmy_novotny.7.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="left">I wonder why little girls don't climb into vending machines...</p>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1161728308366062672006-10-24T14:43:00.000-07:002006-10-24T15:18:28.376-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Today is "Take Back Your Time Day"... Who knew?</span></strong><br /><br />I took a day off work today. Unbeknownst to me, today was declared "Tack Back Your Time Day". As I was in my car driving to the bank, I heard a <a href="http://www.kcbs.com/">news report on the radio</a> regarding "Tack Back Your Time Day".<br /><br />So what exactly is "Take Back Your Time Day"? According to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2585818">ABC News</a> (via Reuters), this is the fourth annual "Take Back Your Time Day":<br /><br /><em>The idea is to persuade U.S. workers -- who tend to work long hours, put in more work hours then their European counterparts and often fail to use their allotted vacation time -- to work less, he said. Studies show working less improves productivity, employee health and morale and reduces absenteeism and on-the-job accidents, supporters say.</em><br /><br />Today, October 24th, marks the day in 1940 that the 40-hour work week took effect under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. Hence, the organizers of "Take Back Your Time Day" are asking U.S. workers to take a break.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/1600/sundial.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/sundial.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So with that in mind, I decided to go with the McDonald's motto: "You deserve a break today".<br /><br />After stopping at the bank and the post office, it was time to take back my time. I picked up a <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/">newspaper</a> and drove to <a href="http://www.frys.com/index.html">Fry's Electronics</a>. I've never been to Fry's so early in the morning -- 10 A.M., to be exact. The parking lot was empty, and the store wasn't crowded. It made for a pleasurable shopping experience. I ended up buying a spindle of blank DVD-Rs.<br /><br />After wandering around <a href="http://www.circuitcity.com/">Circuit City</a>, it was time for lunch. I decided to try <a href="http://www.onohawaiianbbq.com/">Ono Hawaiian BBQ</a>. I ordered the Chicken & Beef Combo, which consited of BBQ chicken, BBQ beef, macaroni salad, and steamed rice. Here is the <a href="http://www.onohawaiianbbq.com/OnoHawaiianBBQ_Menu_032206.pdf">menu</a>, for your viewing pleasure. I enjoyed the combo, needless to say.<br /><br />After stops at <a href="http://www.target.com/">Target</a> and <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com/">Krispy Kreme Doughnuts</a>, I'm here in front of the computer writing about "Take Back Your Time Day". Guess I should mark this down on my calendar...<br /><br />Wow, <a href="http://www.timeday.org/">"Take Back Your Time Day" has its own website</a>!sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1161137042758012652006-10-17T18:05:00.000-07:002006-10-17T23:32:42.916-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Seventeen Years Ago -- Loma Prieta Earthquake</span></strong><br /><br />Has it really been seventeen years since the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989? The answer is a resounding "YES".<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/1600/bay_bridge_collapse.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/bay_bridge_collapse.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>A view of the hole left in the upper deck of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge after a section of it fell onto the lower deck. (Photo: Kurt Feichtmeir)</em><br /><br />I remember the events of that afternoon very well. It was a Tuesday (just like today, eerily enough), and Game 3 of the World Series (dubbed the "Bay Bridge Series") between the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park was about to start. I didn't have my television tuned to the game at the time because I was playing <strong>Mike Tyson Punch-Out!!</strong> on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). For those who want a glimpse of the game, watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgu-2suXhmI">YouTube demonstration</a>.<br /><br />At 5:04 P.M., the big one (6.9 on the Richter scale) hit -- the epicenter in the Santa Cruz mountains. Everything shook, and the power went out. When the power came back on, those television stations which weren't knocked off the air had reporters scrambling to various sites. Santa Cruz took the full brunt of the destruction. Candlestick Park had some structural damage which caused the cancellation of the Game 3 and the postponement of the World Series. The Cypress Freeway in Oakland collapsed, as did the Bay Bridge. </p><p>By the way, if you weren't in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time, but you were following the World Series, you probably got to see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=povRDt-oK5A">this from ABC</a>.<br /><br />As the 6.6 earthquake in Hawaii took place, it is a chilling reminder of what happened 17 years ago today...</p>sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1160804833052703502006-10-13T21:26:00.000-07:002006-10-13T22:47:13.060-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">KFOG's 10 @ 10 -- Hits From Hell: No More?</span></strong><br /><br />Today is Friday the 13th. That would mean San Francisco radio station <a href="http://www.kfog.com/">KFOG</a> (104.5 FM / 97.7 FM) would air a special edition of <a href="http://www.kfog.com/shows/10at10/default.asp">10 @ 10</a>.<br /><br />If you have never heard of that program, let me explain the format. Host Dave Morey plays ten songs from a particular year and intersperses soundbites from that era, complete with voiceovers from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall">Monty Hall</a> (from episodes way back when) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Pardo">Don Pardo</a> (in more recent times). However, on Friday the 13th, that format is set aside. Instead, ten tunes of questionable musical value but were hits on the <em>Billboard</em> charts are chosen, as a musical reminder of "how not to repeat the past".<br /><br />The first time I heard "Hits From Hell", I remember these songs in the setlist (close to the original order the songs were actually played):<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>"I Think I Love You" - The Partridge Family<br /><li>"Knock Three Times" - Dawn<br /><li>"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" - William Shatner<br /><li>"The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace<br /><li>"Seasons In The Sun" - Terry Jacks<br /><li>"Billy, Don't Be A Hero" - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods<br /><li>"You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone<br /><li>"Afternoon Delight" - Starlight Vocal Band<br /><li>"Puttin' On The Ritz" - Taco<br /><li>"Copacabana (At The Copa)" - Barry Manilow<br /></ul><br /><br />Over the years, many other songs were chosen for the dubious honor for the "Hits From Hell" setlist. More examples:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>"We Built This City" - Starship<br /><li>"Rico Suave" - Gerardo<br /><li>"Disco Duck" - Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots<br /><li>"Ain't That A Shame" - Pat Boone<br /><li>"Brand New Key" - Melanie<br /><li>"Is That All There Is" - Peggy Lee<br /><li>"Macarena" - Los Del Rio<br /><li>"Shannon" - Henry Gross<br /><li>"Morning Train (Nine To Five)" - Sheena Easton<br /><li>"Thank God I'm A Country Boy" - John Denver<br /><li>almost any Barry Manilow tune (in fact, they played a medley of his hits once)<br /></ul><br /><br />However, when I turned on the radio today, the program wasn't a "Hits From Hell" special. What gives? Had the gimmick finally run its course? Since I missed the beginning and end of the segment, I may never know.<br /><br />I just listened to the 10 P.M. replay, and there wasn't any explanation. However, when I checked the KFOG website, it appears that Dave Morey might have been on vacation and pre-taped a week's worth of 10 @ 10 episodes. So maybe this was a one-time deal...sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1160373450210718942006-10-08T21:40:00.000-07:002006-10-08T22:57:30.226-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Tower Records, R.I.P.</span></strong><br /><br />On Friday, it was announced that the Tower Records chain was being sold to Great American Group, which in turn is liquidating its assets. Trans World Entertainment, which had hoped to continue operating at least some Tower stores, lost in its bid to purchase the chain. You can get more details from an Associated Press report (via the <em><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100601267.html">Washington Post</a></em>).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:+0;"></span><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3812/3974/320/tower_records.jpg" border="0" /><em>An exterior view of a Tower Records store is seen in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 6, 2006. After a lengthy auction stretching over two days, a federal bankruptcy judge on Friday approved sale of California-based Tower Records to Great American Group, which plans to liquidate the music retailer. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)<br /></em><br />It's a sad ending to a place (actually, places) I've spent many hours and many dollars during my middle school / high school / college years. When I moved from Florida to California, I learned about Tower Records. There wasn't any Tower Records in South Florida, so I was intrigued. The stores had a freebie magazine describing the new releases as well as interviews with musicians. The stores had a massive selection of any and everything, or so it seemed.<br /><br />Over the years, the music formats changed, and Tower seemed to carry them all: vinyl records (LPs, 45s, 12"s); cassette tapes; compact discs; mini-discs; SACDs; HDCDs; etc.<br /><br />Over the 2 decades I've known and frequented Tower Records, I saw the chain expand to more locations, then close some of the smaller locations. I've seen the freebie magazine (<em>Pulse</em>, it was called) end its publication. When the location closest to me closed, I would still make weekend drives to Tower Records locations.<br /><br />In the end, decline in music sales, downloading of online music, and competition from big-box stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy led to the ultimate demise of Tower Records. However, for me, it was the price of gasoline breaking the $3 a gallon mark that ultimately stopped my trips to Tower Records. All of my descretionary spending now went to filling up my gas tank.<br /><br />Apparently the entire Tower Records inventory is being discounted at this very moment. I will have to make at least one more trip back and say goodbye.sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35679666.post-1160291092501342222006-10-07T22:45:00.000-07:002006-10-08T00:17:58.866-07:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Let me introduce myself (kinda)</span></strong><br /><br />This blog is basically a dumping ground for things that are rattling around in my brain. <a href="http://www.lookoutrecords.com/bands/band.php3?bnd_id=27">The Hi-Fives</a> tune "Welcome To My Mind" has a lyric that has an apt description: "I'd like to introduce to you the corners of my mind..."<br /><br />So let me start by explaining the origins of the name of this blog. "Sitting Here Reminiscing" hails from a lyric from the Buddy Holly song "Reminiscing" (circa 1962). I learned of this song via a cover version by The Beatles from the 2-record set <strong><em>The Beatles Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg Germany; 1962</em></strong>. My copy of this album was the European edition, which had the following lineup:<br /><br /><ol>Side One:<br /><li>I Saw Her Standing There<br /><li>Roll Over Beethoven<br /><li>The Hippy Hippy Shake<br /><li>Sweet Little Sixteen<br /><li>Lend Me Your Comb<br /><li>Your Feet's Too Big<br /></li></ol><br /><ol>Side Two:<br /><li>Twist And Shout<br /><li>Mr. Moonlight<br /><li>A Taste Of Honey<br /><li>Besame Mucho<br /><li><strong>Reminiscing</strong><br /><li>Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!<br /></li></ol><br /><ol>Side Three<br /><li>Nothin' Shakin' (But The Leaves On The Trees)<br /><li>To Know Her Is To Love Her<br /><li>Little Queenie<br /><li>Falling In Love Again<br /><li>Ask Me Why<br /><li>Be Bop A Lula<br /><li>Hallelujah, I Love Her So<br /></li></ol><br /><ol>Side Four<br /><li>Red Sails In The Sunset<br /><li>Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby<br /><li>Matchbox<br /><li>I'm Talking About You<br /><li>Shimmy Like Kate<br /><li>Long Tall Sally<br /><li>I Remember You<br /></li></ol><br /><br />The American edition of the album omits "I Saw Her Standing There", "Twist And Shout", "Reminiscing", and "Ask Me Why". These tracks were replaced with "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)", "Where Have You Been", "Till There Was You", and "Sheila". But I digress.<br /><br />Much like lounging around listening to records, I will be sitting here reminiscing for this blog.sitting_here_reminiscinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08528915238872870814noreply@blogger.com0