Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) : Discussion and Group Therapy Thread

[tggzzz]

Wow, I knew about the pumping gas and thought NJ was one of two states that still banned that but Sunday shopping laws still, in 2025? I remember the debate about repealing the Lord's Day Act here and legalizing Sunday shopping, and it was surprisingly controversial at the time. I'm trying to remember if that's when Eaton's stopped closing the curtains on their display windows when they were closed on Sundays or if the practice of drawing the curtains at closing time on Saturday night was dropped before Sunday shopping was legalized but I don't remember. There were still Sunday only bus and streetcar stops near churches until about 10 years ago.

Meanwhile in the UK, last November... "Tesco row shows Sundays are still sacred on Hebridean islands" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxrylv2xj1o

Background: Tesco is the UK's largest supermarket chain, known for aggressive tactics used to screw prices down. One branch was at the centre of the 2011 protests and riots in my local city.

[mnementh]

The Strand is in the West End; that would have been deserted since most things would have been shut by law on a Sunday, except newspaper shops and corner shops. In some ways I miss Sunday being special, but not in others.

There are some counties in New Jersey that still have Sunday "Blue Laws" where most businesses are closed. Exceptions are food shops and gas stations. It is also illegal in all of New Jersey to "self serve" or pump your own gas. Only the attendant can pump it.

That's because idiot Christie's kids needed someplace to work.

mnem
"Would you like flies widdatt?"

[25 CPS]

I spotted another zombie brand that's been brought back from the dead at Canadian Tire this evening:



Larger version to make the fine print readable: https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1600 ... 8k4kV8.jpg

The cringe inducing irony of "Doorbell Kit" and "Sensor and Plug-in Chime Kit" given Heath/Zenith was what Heathkit was branded as at the end was the icing on the cake.

[vk6zgo]

---No, that was me! vk6zgo!
I remember in 1971 driving up from Southampton one Sunday, because I wanted to buy some KFC.

That's just weird, nobody in their right mind wants Kentucky Fries Mouse.

Interestingly, when they first appeared in Oz, "The Colonel" as we called it back then in Perth, was really nice.
In 1971 England, I only saw two KFC shops, one in London, the other in Liverpool.

The general standard of "bought" food in Soton was almost universally dire, so it seemed worth the 140mile round trip.
Alas, it had been "anglicised" & was disappointing, cold, & with chips---a precursor of the future of KFC worldwide!

To add insult to injury, the Ford "Pop" croaked on the way home & I had a long saga of waiting for a tow truck which never turned up. Eventually, I discovered that a bottle opener fit the banjo connector on the carby, cleaned the filter & was on my way again!


[

[tggzzz]

---No, that was me! vk6zgo!
I remember in 1971 driving up from Southampton one Sunday, because I wanted to buy some KFC.

That's just weird, nobody in their right mind wants Kentucky Fries Mouse.

Interestingly, when they first appeared in Oz, "The Colonel" as we called it back then in Perth, was really nice.
In 1971 England, I only saw two KFC shops, one in London, the other in Liverpool.

The general standard of "bought" food in Soton was almost universally dire, so it seemed worth the 140mile round trip.
Alas, it had been "anglicised" & was disappointing, cold, & with chips---a precursor of the future of KFC worldwide!

To add insult to injury, the Ford "Pop" croaked on the way home & I had a long saga of waiting for a tow truck which never turned up. Eventually, I discovered that a bottle opener fit the banjo connector on the carby, cleaned the filter & was on my way again!

I was at Southampton University 75-78, and the KFC in Swaythling near the campus was when I started thinking of mice. OK, one bit wasn't a mouse, but it had an awful lot of bones.

Then, a mile away down the road towards the centre there was one of the new-fangled Indian takeaways. Eventually it "got done" after people reported there being a lot of cat food tins out the back. And in the late 80s in Brizzle, the Indian takeaways had an informal competition to see who could produce the cheapest meal

Nowadays I'm pleased to say decent South Indian food is becoming available. There's a place in an old chippie in a housing estate which does an excellent breakfast for £6 (dosa/idli/vada plus sauces thali). Every time I go it has several Indian families there for a quick meal. Damn sight better than the nearby regional shopping centre, and a good example that vegan food can be delicious - provided it doesn't have aspirations to be something else.

As for cars, I had a 1959 Land Rover chassis with bits from lots of other types of car, especially Minis. They were designed to be fixed by blacksmiths

[Zenith]

Nowadays I'm pleased to say decent South Indian food is becoming available. There's a place in an old chippie in a housing estate which does an excellent breakfast for £6 (dosa/idli/vada plus sauces thali). Every time I go it has several Indian families there for a quick meal. Damn sight better than the nearby regional shopping centre, and a good example that vegan food can be delicious - provided it doesn't have aspirations to be something else.

I've only had one KFC, it was barely edible. I've had a few MacDonalds burgers and fries. They were OK, they filled a gap. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one.

That Indian vegetarian place in Patchway is impressive, and good value.

[tggzzz]

I've had a few MacDonalds burgers and fries. They were OK, they filled a gap. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one.

My mother was extremely happy in the early 70s, when MacDonalds came to the UK. I remember her excitedly going to one that had just opened in Croydon's Whitgift Centre (how times change!). She wasn't interested in a hamburger, even though they were better than the local equivalent, Wimpy's. What interested her was something she had grown to love in the USA in the late 50s: milkshakes so thick the straw stood up in them.

That Indian vegetarian place in Patchway is impressive, and good value.

There's another branch in Easton, and a different dosa joint in the centre. I ought to try the latter, but currently I really like the "Pho Cafe's[1]" gỏi xoài (spicy mango salad topped with pork, dried shrimp & peanuts) and rau muống xào (stir fried morning glory (water spinach) in garlic).

Having lots of interesting food is one of the reasons I would find it difficult to move from near Brizzle.

[1] 46 locations in the UK, so at least some of us ought to be able to visit a local branch

[MED6753]

The burgers in the UK must have been real shitty because the burgers at McD's are far from what I would call decent.

[tggzzz]

The burgers in the UK must have been real shitty because the burgers at McD's are far from what I would call decent.

IIRC there was a worse hamburger chain, but the name mercifully escapes me.

Back then much of the food in the UK was .... inspired by 15 years of rationing. Or you could have wonderful new inventions such as freeze dried prawn curry [1] made buy the company that made pot noodles and cup-a soup, or Smash instant mash.

I remember having my first Indian meal in a restaurant - we had to take a day trip to London to go to it (not one) in a basement between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.

Family eating out during the day was dire. Pubs food consisted of a "ploughman's lunch", which was a very variable feast meal. It always consisted of bread, cheddar cheese, one piece of lettuce and a tomato, and pickle or pickled onion. The good ones had fresh buns and nice cheddar, the bad ones were a slab of bread and some rubber. I remember my parents always used to ask for strong coffee, and that often got a glare from the harridan pouring it out of the pot.

Things really started getting better in the mid 80s. Now meals out are rarely bad, usually good and can be excellent. Cook-chill meals are more variable, ranging from good (M&S, Waitrose) to "do I want to finish this" (Tesco, Asda/Walmart).

But I always was a bit of a foodie. Until they died, I reminded my parents that they wouldn't let me have zarzuela when I was 5yo, and had to make do with paella.

[1] https://nostalgiacentral.com/pop-cultur ... curries-2/

[vk6zgo]

Back in 1971, I remember the Aussies, Yanks, Kiwis & Canucks getting together to "whinge" about the poor quality of "bought" food in England.
Actually, the "Transport Caffs" were usually a bit more edible than the more pretentious "takeaways".

There was one, not really a "transport" one, because it was in central SOTON but fitted the pattern otherwise, that did relatively good versions of what in 1950s Perth would have been purveyed by places with names like the "Victory Cafe".

Our meals came on military surplus plates, surprisingly carrying the badge of the "Royal Australian Air Force".'
Imagine travelling across the world to relive an experience from 15 or so years previously!

My mate & I would occasionally buy what were laughingly termed "hamburgers" from a food van near the railway station.
They consisted of a slab of something cut off what looked like a large sausage, slapped in a bun, with slightly cooked onions.

That isn't to say there weren't good food options in SOTON. There were two good pie shops, & we made friends with the couple who ran the "Golden Chippy", who not only made good fish n' chips, they would also put a big bottle of Coca-Cola in the fridge for us

[tggzzz]

I suppose I ought to admit it is far from impossible to get literally bad food in the UK. Such places are usually obvious, e.g. late night joints in town centres catering to people who have left pubs/clubs. Usually there are good places a short walk away. Some places aren't so obvious, and can include some surprises.

Fortunately such places can be discovered before eating there, using the government food hygiene ratings. https://ratings.food.gov.uk/ Daughter, who ought to know and has a top rating, says 4 or 5 is acceptable (usually paperwork not up to date), avoid 0 or 1 or 2, and read the reasons for a 3 rating. Her SO got mild food poisoning at a 3 star joint.

Wales requires the ratings to be visible before entering; sensible. England doesn't, boo hiss.

[Zenith]

Fortunately such places can be discovered before eating there, using the government food hygiene ratings. https://ratings.food.gov.uk/ Daughter, who ought to know and has a top rating, says 4 or 5 is acceptable (usually paperwork not up to date), avoid 0 or 1 or 2, and read the reasons for a 3 rating. Her SO got mild food poisoning at a 3 star joint.

Wales requires the ratings to be visible before entering; sensible. England doesn't, boo hiss.

The worst place from that point of view I've been to was The Cape To Cuba in Cape Town. It was quite arty farty and ideosyncratic. Everything in there had a price tag, including the tables and chairs. There were displays of Havana cigars on sale. It definitely wasn't down market - at least the prices were high. It was supposed to have a view of the sea, but it was next to a railway and I recall diesel trains rushing past. The service wasn't great and although I don't believe Cuban food is celebrated, this was ropy, giving the impression it was bunged together with packets of dried stuff. I went there with three others.

Later that night we all threw up. Fountain vomiting. We felt rough the next day as well. I think it was Listeria. We asked around and a few people had been there and had been ill after.

I've mentioned it to the people I was there with in the 20 years since, and we always call it "The Cuban Gut Rotter". Apparently it's still going. It has a reputation as a rip off place as well. Order the plain item and the version with mushrooms turns up for twice the price.

That said, there were some excellent restaurants in Cape Town, some of the best I've ever been to.

[Zenith]

IIRC there was a worse hamburger chain, but the name mercifully escapes me.

Burger King? i never tried them but they looked grim.

Back then much of the food in the UK was .... inspired by 15 years of rationing. Or you could have wonderful new inventions such as freeze dried prawn curry [1] made buy the company that made pot noodles and cup-a soup, or Smash instant mash.

I remember having my first Indian meal in a restaurant - we had to take a day trip to London to go to it (not one) in a basement between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.

For me it was Kheema Matar (mince meat and peas) in a restaurant in Northampton in 1965, delicately spiced (by no means a bog roll in the fridge job) and with a bay leaf which suffused it. I've often made it since, but I've never quite managed to capture the delights.

Family eating out during the day was dire. Pubs food consisted of a "ploughman's lunch", which was a very variable feast meal. It always consisted of bread, cheddar cheese, one piece of lettuce and a tomato, and pickle or pickled onion. The good ones had fresh buns and nice cheddar, the bad ones were a slab of bread and some rubber. I remember my parents always used to ask for strong coffee, and that often got a glare from the harridan pouring it out of the pot.

We rarely ate out and if we did, it was fish and chips, which at the time was fairly reliable and generally OK.

Things really started getting better in the mid 80s. Now meals out are rarely bad, usually good and can be excellent. Cook-chill meals are more variable, ranging from good (M&S, Waitrose) to "do I want to finish this" (Tesco, Asda/Walmart).

There came a time about then when you couldn't run a pub on selling booze, so they had to have a play area for the kids and halfway decent food. Cook chill meals? Lidl chicken jalfrezi and unfrozen pizzas fill a gap, and are as far as I want to go down that route.

But I always was a bit of a foodie. Until they died, I reminded my parents that they wouldn't let me have zarzuela when I was 5yo, and had to make do with paella.

[1] https://nostalgiacentral.com/pop-cultur ... curries-2/

When I was five there was a TV series about a robot, which gave me nightmares. My mother told me it was only a film and I shouldn't be silly. Years later, after my father died, she stayed with me at Christmas. We'd seen all the VHS tapes and the only one left was The Terminator. We watched it and she said "Ouh" occasionally. Later she told me she'd had nightmares about that horrible robot for a fortnight after. I told her it was only a film and she shouldn't be silly.

My mother knew I liked curries and bought me a Vesta beef curry. They were heavily advertised on TV at the time, with the chef carefully grinding the spices - they left out the preparation and cooking of the meat. It was horrible.

[tggzzz]

Ah, but which series?

Irwin Allen' "Lost in Space" was a sort of Swiss Family Robinson with the man-sized Robbie the Robot prop left over from the Forbidden Planet movie from the mid 50s. Famous catchphrase: "Danger Will Robinson". Rather a camp tone, cute 8yo boy, sexy teen daughter (for the watching fathers, 'natch), mother, hired hand for the daughter, plus the famously comply evil Dr Smith.

The other ones, which gave me the willies, were the drones in "Space Patrol". That was made by Roberta Leigh, and was in some ways surprisingly sophisticated. Puppets like Gerry Andersons, and known as "Planet Patrol" in the US, due to a name clash. Writer JMS (Babylon 5, Changeling, Thor, +++) also regarded it as a significant influence.

Or another series?

[Zenith]

I can't remember the series. It was about 1958.

I remember those other series including Lost In Space and Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea. There are some episodes on Youtube. They seemed great at the time but crude and dated now. I always thought Space Patrol was silly. Star Trek wasn't much later and first appeared in 1966 and I believe 1969 in the UK. I recall it was inspired by The Forbidden Planet, which was about the first sci-fi film with a proper budget and special effects. The Forbidden Planet was inspired by The Tempest. That robot turned up in a few productions. It must have cost a fortune and they wanted a return on their investment. The usual robot in Lost in Space was based on Robby but was noticeably different. Robby did put in a couple of guest appearances.

There's a Wikipedia entry on Robby the Robot with lengthy filmography.

[tggzzz]

I never really liked Lost in Space; even as a kid it seemed to rely on the same person being idiotic/dangerous every week. Most things which seemed good Back Then seem merely silly now - and good examples of why SF had a bad reputation.

Prime examples on TV today include

Fireball XL-5 29 Mar 2025 - 2:25pm - 3:00pm Prisoner on the Lost Planet. 1962. Stars Sylvia Anderson, John Bluthal & Paul Maxwell. The XL5 crew venture outside Sector 25 to a volcanic planet where an exiled Amazonian queen is being held.

and I've only just spotted

Space Patrol 29 Mar 2025 - 8:25am - 9:00am The Dark Planet. 1963. Stars Dick Vosburgh, Libby Morris & Ronnie Stevens. Professor Haggerty and his daughter Cassiopeia are baffled by a plant sample from Uranus with a mind of its own!

The "Talking Pictures TV" channel is interesting because it exists to show things that would otherwise be forgotten. I sometimes tune in to a programme just to see if it is what I remember, or to be reminded of the cultural ethos or sights and sounds of the time. An example of the latter is to see how empty the roads were, so I can appreciate why kids were allowed to cycle on them. But in 99% of the cases it takes ~5 minutes for it to be very evident why the programmes have been forgotten - and how much better things can be now.

As for Forbidden Planet, yes that was one of the two good SF movies from the 50s, the other one being The Day The Earth Stood Still. I suppose I ought to add The Time Machine, but half of that was a routine "love and adventures with the natives" narrative. All other SF movies were merely variants of The Red Scare.

There were some earlier expensively produced SF movies, Metropolis and Things To Come being the obvious examples. Because it has been so influential Metropolis now seems very plodding and boring, but at the time it was remarkable. Things To Come always was "preachy", but it was able to take a long-term view of history that hasn't been matched. But even that was nowhere near the (unfilmable) Last and First Men and sequels.

[nixiefreqq]

Klaatu barada nikto.

yep....now that there was a great flick.

scary robot, friendly logical alien, hot mom, long haired professor, only mildly annoying kid........and a theremin! it had everything.

have watched it over and over for the last 60 years or so.........and still enjoy it every time.

[tggzzz]

Plus concisely plotted and no stupidities that ruin the "willing suspension of disbelief".

Remake was, as is traditional, crap. A good story well told doesn't benefit from being "updated", especially where focus groups are involved.

[Zenith]

I never really liked Lost in Space; even as a kid it seemed to rely on the same person being idiotic/dangerous every week. Most things which seemed good Back Then seem merely silly now - and good examples of why SF had a bad reputation.

The first few episodes were good I thought. Then the plot lines became weak and dropped into the formula you describe. It was repeated a few years later and even then, it seemed really dated and rubbishy.

Some of the 1950s sci-fi films were incredibly amateurishly made, with the shadow of a microphone boom, or even the bottom of the microphone, visible in shot. There was one where the monster from outer space was walking down the street, and the monster and a film crew following it was reflected in shop windows.

The Trollenburg Terror had me hiding behind the sofa, when I saw it on TV in the early 60s. I saw it recently, and it wasn't that bad. The monsters were crudely done. The War of the Worlds was another I found terrifying, but which seems lame now. There are a string of those films which are still entertaining, if you make allowances.

There was the Orson Welles radio drama broadcast of The War of the Worlds in 1938, which is supposed to have caused panic by convincing some listeners that a Martian invasion was taking place.

Prime examples on TV today include

Fireball XL-5 29 Mar 2025 - 2:25pm - 3:00pm Prisoner on the Lost Planet. 1962. Stars Sylvia Anderson, John Bluthal & Paul Maxwell. The XL5 crew venture outside Sector 25 to a volcanic planet where an exiled Amazonian queen is being held.

and I've only just spotted

Space Patrol 29 Mar 2025 - 8:25am - 9:00am The Dark Planet. 1963. Stars Dick Vosburgh, Libby Morris & Ronnie Stevens. Professor Haggerty and his daughter Cassiopeia are baffled by a plant sample from Uranus with a mind of its own!

Is there life on Uranus? I note these days they are keen to pronounce it "Ooorannus".

The "Talking Pictures TV" channel is interesting because it exists to show things that would otherwise be forgotten. I sometimes tune in to a programme just to see if it is what I remember, or to be reminded of the cultural ethos or sights and sounds of the time. An example of the latter is to see how empty the roads were, so I can appreciate why kids were allowed to cycle on them. But in 99% of the cases it takes ~5 minutes for it to be very evident why the programmes have been forgotten - and how much better things can be now.

As for Forbidden Planet, yes that was one of the two good SF movies from the 50s, the other one being The Day The Earth Stood Still. I suppose I ought to add The Time Machine, but half of that was a routine "love and adventures with the natives" narrative. All other SF movies were merely variants of The Red Scare.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and others. I suppose so, but earth being invaded by space aliens has been a long time theme of sci-fi.

Most of these things are of their time, such as Westerns, which were immensely popular for decades, and Hammer Horror films. They made money, paid people to make them, and entertained countless numbers. They were never intended as works of art with lasting cultural significance.

There were some earlier expensively produced SF movies, Metropolis and Things To Come being the obvious examples. Because it has been so influential Metropolis now seems very plodding and boring, but at the time it was remarkable. Things To Come always was "preachy", but it was able to take a long-term view of history that hasn't been matched. But even that was nowhere near the (unfilmable) Last and First Men and sequels.

I've never watched Metropolis. There's a restored version available on Youtube with footage believed lost, which was discovered in Agentina.

A remarkable low budget science fiction film was Dark Star, 1974.

[tggzzz]

The Trollenburg Terror had me hiding behind the sofa, when I saw it on TV in the early 60s. I saw it recently, and it wasn't that bad.

On Talking Pictures TV in 2hours, at 5:20pm

Most of these things are of their time, such as Westerns, which were immensely popular for decades, and Hammer Horror films. They made money, paid people to make them, and entertained countless numbers. They were never intended as works of art with lasting cultural significance.

Police procedurals replaced Westerns in the early 70s.

I've never watched Metropolis. There's a restored version available on Youtube with footage believed lost, which was discovered in Agentina.

I went to watch it at the world's oldest purpose-built continually working cinema, which opened in 1912. I fell asleep Sometimes shorter is better.
https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/846

A remarkable low budget science fiction film was Dark Star, 1974.

Indeed. The first of many notable movies from John Carpenter.

I have an excellent book "Science Fiction Movies" by Phillip Strick. It is readable, intelligent, and sympathetic, but doesn't pull its punches. It was published in 1976, just before Star Wars, Alien and Blade Runner changed the scene forever. As such I doubt you will ever get a better comparison of 20s-70s movies.

[AVGresponding]

Can't believe you missed out This Island Earth. Didn't you ever wish you could order an interocitor?

[Zenith]

I've never watched Metropolis. There's a restored version available on Youtube with footage believed lost, which was discovered in Agentina.

I went to watch it at the world's oldest purpose-built continually working cinema, which opened in 1912. I fell asleep Sometimes shorter is better.
https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/846

The original version was shortened considerably not long after release, because audiences complained it was too long.

Some things are too long for a film and are better dealt with as a serialised drama. The 1995 BBC serialised version of Pride and Prejudice was excellent, but film versions cut out or change too much, to keep the length of the film within reasonable bounds. The 1995 BBC version would be five hours long, if all episodes were run consecutively.

[tggzzz]

Can't believe you missed out This Island Earth. Didn't you ever wish you could order an interocitor?

T'was OK, but I never really liked it; seemed a bit... obvious and uninteresting.

[tggzzz]

I've never watched Metropolis. There's a restored version available on Youtube with footage believed lost, which was discovered in Agentina.

I went to watch it at the world's oldest purpose-built continually working cinema, which opened in 1912. I fell asleep Sometimes shorter is better.
https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/846

The original version was shortened considerably not long after release, because audiences complained it was too long.

Some things are too long for a film and are better dealt with as a serialised drama. The 1995 BBC serialised version of Pride and Prejudice was excellent, but film versions cut out or change too much, to keep the length of the film within reasonable bounds. The 1995 BBC version would be five hours long, if all episodes were run consecutively.

True, but not for Metropolis. The vision (literally!) was good, but the material was thin. Comparing this century's Dr Who with the 80s versions is similar. The 80s stories were dragged out, whereas the modern stories are succinct.

Interestingly the "limited series" is making a come-back. For many things 6-8 episodes is enough to tell the story, but not so long that things become unfocussed.

[nixiefreqq]

gotta' admit that you brits did some limited episode series that were freakin' great.

"I Claudius" and "Danger UXB" come to mind.

had long given up hope that we would ever do similar.......until "band of brothers" came along.


edit on second thought......wasn't the red headed guy who played cpt winters actually a brit doing a 'merican accent? I think of him every time we drive up to hershey to see swmbo's glaucoma doc and cross the "Major Richard Winters" bridge. as bridges go it is pretty crappy.