norrisrw

norrisrw OP t1_jbh976r wrote

Reply to A woman working for the phone company at her post as the "Time Lady", announcing the time live with each phone call that comes in, 1930s by norrisrw

This was, of course, in the days prior to the automated systems that were in use, beginning in the late-1940s. The automated systems would be synced to a clock, and they would play the appropriate time, followed by a tone.

One such system employed a series of looped tape cartridges (known in broadcasting as "carts") that would trip in sequence when an inaudible cue tone triggered the next tape in the deck. For example:

"At the tone, the time will be..." "Four..." "Forty-eight..." "And ten seconds." BEEP

I remember my father calling Time every Sunday evening, when it was time to wind up our clocks (My parents collected antique clocks). I still remember the phone number: (714)853-1212. It still works today, only now it includes the date and temperature, and it's sponsored, so you'll have to sit through an ad.

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norrisrw OP t1_j6lvak2 wrote

Reply to comment by skinnyminnesota in Piano lounge on the Hindenburg, 1930s by norrisrw

A valid point, until you realize that prior to 1937, not very many people were aware what was really happening, and those who did know were treated as though they were crazy. The propaganda machine he had was one of the best of its time.

And in the US, people tended to cover their ears and yell "LALALALALALA" at the mere mention of Hitler's name. In 1940, Charlie Chaplin produced The Great Dictator, one of the greatest political satires ever made. But Chaplin himself is on record as saying that he would not have made that movie if he was aware of the extent of the Nazis' atrocities.

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norrisrw OP t1_j6kymy9 wrote

Reply to comment by FrootLoopSoup in Piano lounge on the Hindenburg, 1930s by norrisrw

Since the buoyancy of Zeppelin-class airships was due to hydrogen, open flame was strictly prohibited on board. As an alternative, electric lighters were available for passengers and crew. They were corded and some were retractable, and they used a heated coil similar to automotive lighters.

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norrisrw OP t1_j56mz8b wrote

Reply to comment by billyjk93 in Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono embrace, following his "letter" to welcome John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1994 by norrisrw

Absolutely true. By 1969, the band had pretty much reached a tipping point. Paul and John were barely speaking to each other.

George had traveled to the States, and he discovered there was SOOO MUCH more he could do musically away from The Beatles. By the time they tried to get together at Twickenham, he was already mentally out of the band. Meanwhile, it was Paul and Ringo who were trying to keep it together, because they had less than two weeks to crank out new material. But when John hired Phil Spector to produce the Let It Be album, it literally broke Paul. So, a band on the cusp of breakup with a short deadline? No pressure.

While John wanting Yoko present at band meetings did nothing but make a bad situation worse for the band, it is interesting to note that Paul McCartney correctly predicted the reductive reasoning of the fans ("In 50 years, they'll say The Beatles broke up because Yoko sat on an amp").

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norrisrw OP t1_j53ywa2 wrote

Reply to comment by ReadRightRed99 in Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono embrace, following his "letter" to welcome John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1994 by norrisrw

It amazes me how much animosity there still is over Yoko Ono and how she allegedly broke up the Beatles. According to information that I have read (and this has been confirmed by Breakfast With the Beatles host Chris Carter), it was on this night when Yoko handed Paul some demo tapes John had recorded before he died. Two of those songs, "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love", would be released with the 1995 Anthology box set.

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