Author: DOuG pRATt

Methods of Persuasion

The MAGA crazy hats in the House are going to hold the debt limit hostage — and the nation with it — in their mad hatred of FDR and LBJ. That’s what they’re really talking about, isn’t it? Ending Social Security (1935) and Medicare (1965).

The Carrot won’t work with those freakish loonies, so use a Stick. Forget about being a Good Cop, be a Bad Cop. There’s no point in trying the Easy Way, so make it go the Hard Way. And for goodness sake, kick that silly little lying boy scammer Santos, or whatever his name is, out the door.

I wouldn’t be paying attention to this nonsense, except for Social Security and Medicare. I started paying into those programs over fifty years ago, and now I’m collecting my benefits.

Shower Me the Money

All shower heads sold in Massachusetts must be low-flow, with a maximum of 2.0 gallons/minute. Yesterday I installed one of these in the hall bathroom. An Oxygenics Fury, $25 at Lowes.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oxygenics-Fury-Brushed-Nickel-5-Spray-Shower-Head/1000062749

Because there was a problem with the installation, I posted a review on the Lowe’s product page, along with that picture. It should appear in a few days.

I wonder how much this crazy shower head costs?

Oh, wait. My mistake. That’s a bank vault door.

Follow-up: Manufacturer’s comment to my review.

I’m sorry to hear that the installation wasn’t as smooth as it should be. We recommend hand tightening for most instances, but there are times when a wrench is needed. Glad it’s working for you now. Thank you for the feedback!

If that’s the case, the instructions should say a wrench may be needed for some installations.

Leaving No Stone Unrolled

Taking a cue from the Beatles in maximizing the enjoyment of, and taking money from, their fans, the Rolling Stones in Mono set is being re-released on LP in colored vinyl.

The original LP box set is out of print and selling for much more than the $450 list price for “In Mono In Color.” So anybody who has been thinking of getting the first set can buy this one instead. My copy of the Stones in Mono is purely digital, in 96/24 FLAC format, which seems to be no longer available as a download purchase.

This Stones track is a curiosity, and not because the subject is supposedly LSD. To me it sounds very much like something the Kinks would have done.

P.S. Does $450 sound like a lot of money for a 16-LP box set? A typical discounted price for an album in 1976 was $5.99. Adjusted for inflation that would be about $30 today. For sixteen records that comes to $480.

The Aft of Stern

This old paycheck from radio station WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut is LOL for me. I was working at a station 25 miles north of WCCC, and Howard Stern’s take home pay was exactly the same as mine!

According to Stern’s autobiography, he realized he wouldn’t make it working as a regular DJ. I had the same self-evaluation, which was why I moved to news. Stern quit WCCC that month, April 1980, when he was denied a $25/week raise. I quit for exactly the same reason, but decided to leave radio and move on to other things.

BTW, $110/week in 4/80 is equivalent to $400 today — $2.75/hour net then, $10/hour now. Except I was working 60-72 hours/week as a reporter and newscaster. You see the problem.