Saturday, July 26, 2008

Round Robin Challenge: Embarrassing eBay Items

"How can you put on a meaningful drama when, every fifteen minutes, proceedings are interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits with toilet paper?

-Rod Serling, quoted in, Submitted For Your Approval



Can you believe it? Do they even still make these anymore? LOL. What you see there isn't just a Casio 2.5 LCD Pocket Television, it was a safety device with an antenna! LOL. I bought that little beauty, way back in the stone age of electronics, way before the invention of the iPhone, way back before most cell phones could get live television as an added multimedia accessory. I bought that little darling you see there in 1989, just after the 7.1 Loma Preada earthquake.

As with all earthquakes, the ground began to shake and shake and then... IT SHOOK! I was at Alan's house, when the fun began. I had just helped myself to my third homemade Peanut Butter Blossom cookie, after I swore I would only have one. Just as I picked it up... the gulp... shaking began. It started as a slow dizzying feeling, and I remember saying to myself with a chuckle, "Ok, ok, I will put it back." But then it got scary. Pictures started falling, and so did glasses from the cabinet. The ground was shaking so hard I could barely walk from the kitchen to the dining room. Alan had already got into a door facing, and was holding out his hand to me, when the the peek hit.

It shook the room, and as I looked out the front window, which was a few feet away, I could see Cal State Hayward shaking violently up on the hill. It was all too surreal. As we all dealt with the ensuing damage it caused around the Bay Area, I decided I needed something with me from now on, just in case the earth wasn't quite done with us. A few days later, I went down to Macy's an bought my little pocket television. I paid $108.00 for it, which was pretty good for the time. I really enjoyed by new toy, and it did make me feel a little more secure. And while it is now probably considered ancient, and silly, it still works to this day, although when things go digital next year, it will more then likely be reduced to nothing but ghostly static.

I don't know, when I think about it, it wouldn't be too embarrassing to sell it on eBay, after all it did serve me well. And it's kind of cute. And hey, it did it's job. Right? Who cares that if I want to watch channel 7 (ABC) I have to face North by Southeast? It's just it's own personal quirk, and now that I think about it, even if the new digital system makes it go all fuzzy, I think I will always look at that TV fondly for it's durability. If it goes fuzzy on February 17th, 2009, it will be because it was murdered, not because it wore out. YOU GO YOU SILLY LITTLE LCD TV! :) Hmm... I wonder if I can get a converter box for a mini TV? ;)





Kim, who authors the blog, Nekked Lizard Adventures, suggested this challenge for us, in our recent challenge suggestion round-up. Thank you Kim, it was a lot of fun, and it brought back some fond memories. Be sure to visit her blog to see her eBAY items! There is still time to play along with this challenge, just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Blog for all the details! Look, I saved a place for you!


Linking List


Posted! (07/19/08)

Steven... (sometimes) photoblog
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Karen... Outpost Mavarin
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Carly... Ellipsis
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Kiva... Eclectic Granny
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Maryt... Answers To The Questions
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Vicki... Maraca
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Jennier Robin... Robin's Woods
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Teena... It's all about me!
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-OndineMonet

"My Casio 2.5 LCD Television"

Berkeley, California

July 25th, 2008

Morning

8 comments:

Jan AKA Wammy said...

That's pretty cool if you ask me! Loved the sotry also.

MyMaracas said...

Here here! My pick was a little old TV, too. Tell me where you'd buy one nowadays that will still be working in twenty years.

The earthquake sounds terrifying. Here's hoping you won't have to go through anything like that again.

Kiva said...

What a nifty little gadget for the 20th century! And it still works, amazing! I don't think you should sell it. I would guess that converters would work but the converter would be bigger and heavier than the unit! LOL.

I remember the quake very well. I was flying into Oakland airport where I was going to change planes for Seattle. We were just about to land when the plane suddenly gained altitude and we were told that an earthquake had happened and we were being diverted to Portland. Surreal it was.

Steven said...

Pretty cool. I had a b&w one for hurricane season. It did not make the trip north!

Nancy said...

DON'T SELL! Keep that little beauty. Not only is it your safety net, it's adorable.
Cute story ya wrote there too!

hugs,
Nancy

maryt/theteach said...

Carly, I had a small TV like that from way back when. Couldn't go anywhere without a TV... someone borrowed it (can't remember who) and never gave it back. Great story and great post! :)

Karen Funk Blocher said...

What a great piece of formerly cutting edge tech. Somehow it doesn't look that dated, even now.

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