An "Atomic Rancher" in Our Neighborhood

A Facebook memory popped up today from 2009. On that day, I purchased a copy of the magazine "Atomic Ranch" from our local Borders (which is now Omaha Public Library's hi-tech learning center DoSpace). 

I'd never heard of the magazine before. We live in a neighborhood that was developed in the 1950s and 60s -- and is full of little ranch houses of that era. The magazine focuses on midcentury modern homes, architecture, furniture and design -- a style that I am very fond of. 

As I thumbed through the pages, I noticed a house that is located a few blocks from us -- much to my surprise. I had admired the house when I would go on walks, and loved the cool retro vibe (from the outside).

According to the article, the home was built in 1961, and had been in deteriorating condition when purchased by the current homeowner. The owner spent three months renovating the home (...and discovered all sorts of surprises, including thousands of roaches during the reno, and a "fall out shelter" under the garage).

The home is apparently a one-of-kind design (dreamed up by the original owner and a local architect), and is decked out in retro furnishings. 

I just thought it was fun to see a home from our neighborhood -- which is largely composed of compact and affordable 1950s and 60s ranch houses -- featured in a national publication dedicated to midcentury design. 

The article has spurred me to learn more about the history of our neighborhood in the intervening years.

It's nice to see people who take the time to redo and preserve older homes.

(By the way, "Atomic Ranch" it is a cool magazine...so check it out if you get a chance...)

Read yesterday's blog post: "Phasers Locked"

"Phasers Locked"

Today is the 50th anniversary of the debut of the original "Star Trek" television series. Yep, the episode titled "The Man Trap" aired on NBC on this date in 1966.

I wasn't alive. Like many my age, I discovered the show in reruns. That's how it became a cult hit anyway -- the initial run received mediocre ratings and ho-hum reviews during three seasons (a fervent letter writing campaign made the third season a reality).

I remember when I was a kid and the reruns were on Sunday nights at 11 p.m.* on KMTV (and sometimes 6 p.m. Saturdays). I couldn't stay up and watch on Sundays during the school year, but I could during the summer.

I loved the show.

A big part of the appeal for me is the look (the eye-popping color screams 1960s). Another part is the fact that it feels incredibly immersive, despite being low budget and sporting cheesy special effects.

It's like the older episodes of "Doctor Who" in that regard (another show I love).

I've also enjoyed the various "Star Trek" movies and TV series like "Star Trek: The Next Generation." 

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is awesome, and J.J. Abrams's "Star Trek" reboot (2009) is one of my favorite movies.

By the way, if you haven't watched this "Honest Trailer" (where the narrator refers to 2009's "Star Trek" as "Abrams's 'Star Wars' demo reel") give it a view...it's fun:

"Star Trek" holds a special place in my heart.

A lot of retrospective pieces this week are talking a lot about how it promoted peace during the Cold War...blah, blah, blah...

Did these people actually watch the show? Sure, there were peaceful resolutions in certain episodes, but the crew of the Enterprise stirred up a lot of sh!t during the initial five-year mission.

Some of the retrospective stuff sounds like hindsight mumbo-jumbo.

The 1960s "Star Trek" was cool because it took science fiction seriously, and it presented the virtues of a smart and eclectic crew working in concert to solve problems.

"Star Trek" is available on various streaming services. It also airs on MeTV Saturday evenings (they will be showing "The Man Trap" and the unaired pilot "The Cage" on Sept. 10 -- http://metv.com/shows/star-trek ...)

By the way, my favorite ST episode is "The Doomsday Machine"...

One other note...

A number of years ago, Paramount remastered the original series' negatives in hi-definition (for a blu-ray release and HD broadcasts). They also made the decision to spruce up the special effects scenes with newly-created digital footage.

Now, before you hit the panic button, they worked really hard to create space shots and effects that stay true to the 1960s look.

Netflix has the HD episodes (with the new FX shots) on their streaming platform. Others (like CBS All Access) have the original standard definition episodes.

* It aired at 10:30 p.m. in the 1970s, but was on at 11 p.m. by the time I started watching in the early 1980s.

Read yesterday's blog post: The Headphone Conundrum

The Headphone Conundrum

So...Apple introduced the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus today (along with a new Apple Watch).

I love Apple product announcements. I'm a total fan. I've never owned a computer that wasn't a Macintosh.

But -- like many others -- I've wondered if Apple has lost its way since the passing of Steve Jobs.

Don't get me wrong, they have continued to release superb products, but some of their decisions have left me feeling "whelmed"...

Take, for example, the decision to omit the 3.5 mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 lineup.

It's not the fact that the jack is gone that bothers me so much. Rather, it is the fact that they don't include a pair of their new wireless AirPod headphones.

The AirPods look kinda cool. They "pause" what you are listening to when you take them out of your ear, for example. The complete rundown of features can be found here: http://www.apple.com/airpods/

They would make a terrific companion to the slick looking new phones. If they were included with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, it would make the new iPhones a total home run -- a must-buy for millions of aficionados.

I realize it was probably cost prohibitive to provide the wireless headphones with the phone.

But the new iPhones ship with a set of corded EarPods. Since there is no headphone jack, it plugs into the Lightning port at the bottom of the iPhone (there is also an included adapter if you want to use headphones that use the "old school" 3.5 mm jack).

Great...fine...no problem. Except using headphones with the Lightning port means you can't listen to music while you charge your iPhone.

Unless, of course, you buy a set of the $159 wireless AirPods (and they aren't even available until a month after the iPhone 7 is released), or another pair of bluetooth headphones.

Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller quipped something to the effect that 3.5 mm headphone jacks are basically relics of the past.

Then why release an iPhone with corded headphones at all?

(And if you read my post on wiring an old attic antenna to tune in HD broadcasts, you'll know that I don't necessarily mind old technology.)

Steve Wozniak (the guy who invented the first Apple Computer) warned against removing the headphone jack in iPhones:
http://www.afr.com/technology/mobiles-and-tablets/apple/steve-wozniak-says-apple-must-fix-iphone-7-bluetooth-or-revive-its-headphone-jack-20160821-gqxwsg

The other interesting decision by Apple was to eliminate the "Space Grey" color from the iPhone lineup and add the color "Jet Black" (which is glossy) and "Black" (which has a matte finish). 

The "Jet Black" phone is limited to the 128GB and 256GB models of the 7 and 7 Plus.

The "Black" model is available in all configurations.

According to an article on MacRumors.com, the "Jet Black" model can show fine micro-abrasions with use. http://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/07/apple-jet-black-fine-micro-abrasions/

The new iPhone models will be available in "Silver," "Gold," "Rose Gold," "Black" and "Jet Black."

Regardless of the color choices and lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus look like terrific phones (the 7 Plus has two cameras -- a wide-angle and telephoto camera that work in conjunction for better pictures).

Full specs of the new iPhones can be found here: http://www.apple.com/iphone-7/

One More Thing...

(Remember when Steve Jobs used to say that in his presentations...then announce some new and exciting morsel of information?)

Apple's new "spaceship" campus is edging closer to completion. Here is a cool drone video of the property:

Read yesterday's blog post: A Shooting, A Ballcap, and a Hardware Store

A Shooting, a Ballcap, and a Hardware Store

South Omaha...a community built on the backs of European immigrants -- people who came to the area in search of a better life.

Many of those folks worked at the stockyards -- in the era's robust meat packing industry. Americans' appetite for tasty Nebraska beef was incredibly important to the development and growth of Omaha (South Omaha, in particular).

The area has changed in the intervening years; the packing plants are gone. But a new immigrant population has helped redefine South Omaha, and the main business district located on 24th Street between F and Q Streets is just as vibrant as ever.

A few of the businesses feel like throwbacks to a bygone era -- a time when small mom-and-pop shops were the backbone of this nation's retail environment.

I happened to be in South Omaha today. Bridget and I were picking up my brother-in-law's ballcap (he'd left it at a catering venue just off 24th Street).

Traffic was crazy congested on our way to the venue. An officer-involved shooting happened mere blocks from our destination. The Omaha Police Department's helicopter (Able One) was swirling overhead, and streets in the area were closed off. 

Several streets closed off around 24-21 & P-R for Douglas County help an officer. Avoid area. #OPD pic.twitter.com/Xkz5FZKx0O

— Ofc. Ryan Miller (@OPDOfcMiller) September 6, 2016

We happened to drive by P&M Hardware on our errand. 

I'd never been to the store before. It is one of those "throwbacks" from another time, another place.

I thought it was fantastic to see the quaint, glassed-front hardware store nestled along 24th Street.

P&M has picked up snowblowers and lawnmowers we've owned over the years for repairs and maintenance. The staff on hand had vivid recollections of Bridget's relatives from back in the day.

The family-owned store has been around since 1900, survived a fire in 1988, and continues chugging along on today.

It is a well-apportioned and organized store. Clean and bright. They even have photos of the stockyards from back in the day. 

It's nice to see family businesses survive multiple generations, and continue to serve local communities in a personal, down-to-earth manner. 

As the world becomes one homogenized "mini mall," it is important to remember to support local businesses in the towns and cities we live in.

Read yesterday's post: I Can't Go On Forever, and I Don't Really Want to Try

"I Can't Go On Forever, And I Don't Really Want to Try"

Since I am a "nostalgia buff," you might assume I have some monumental memory watching Gene Wilder's candy maker in "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" at my local theatre. 

Sadly, the movie came out the year before I was born, so I don't have any recollections of the initial release, but I've seen the classic film in the intervening years (and my nieces love the movie). 

With the passing of Gene Wilder, people have been reminiscing on his filmography and favorite movie moments (my favorite was the 1979 comedy-western "The Frisco Kid" where Wilder starred alongside Harrison Ford). 

Aksarben Cinema (joncrunch.com's favorite Omaha movie theatre) will offer a screening of "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. The event is FREE and open to the public. Seats are available on a first come, first served basis, and seating begins at 7:15 p.m. 

(The theatre is partnering with the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Office of Student Involvement to bring you the screening). 

The late movie critic Roger Ebert wrote: "'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' is probably the best film of its sort since 'The Wizard of Oz.' It is everything that family movies usually claim to be, but aren't: Delightful, funny, scary, exciting, and, most of all, a genuine work of imagination."

For more information on the screening visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/126931631093401/ 

P.S. -- By the way, anyone else remember the Skrunch and Oompas candy they used to sell in the 1970s and 80s?

Oompa candy was revived in 2001, but appears to have been discontinued...again. 

"I can't go on forever, and I don't really want to try. So who can I trust to run the factory when I leave and take care of the Oompa Loompas for me? Not a grown up. A grown up would want to do everything his own way, not mine. So that's why I decided a long time ago that I had to find a child. A very honest, loving child, to whom I could tell all my most precious candy making secrets." - Gene Wilder in "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" (1971) 

Read yesterday's blog post: "We Can Rebuilt It. We Have the Technology."

"We Can Rebuild It. We Have the Technology"

My friends know that I have spent the past year experimenting with various over-the-air antennas for our HDTV.

We decided to cut our cable TV subscription last year, but I didn’t want to give up watching my favorite shows. I had used antennas to pull in digital programming in the past, so I’ve been experimenting to find the best way to get over-the-air channels.

Many people don’t know that you can get dozens of over-the-air channels (25 approximately) in the Omaha area. What that means is, you can enjoy free programming from networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, the CW, and PBS. It only requires a TV and an antenna. And, in many cases, these digital channels are in high definition (HD).

Many of the "HD antennas" sold today use classic designs (for example, some of the better set-top antennas today are classic "hoop and rabbit ear" and "bow tie" antennas that have been "rebranded"), and while there can be subtle design differences, antennas are pulling in UHF/VHF bands like they did 40 years ago.

A month or so ago I discovered an old TV antenna in the attic of our 1950s-era home. My initial curiosity was piqued when I discovered the end of a piece of old twin-lead cable protruding from the wall in the upper reaches of our hall closet.

I recognized the wire from my days as a kid, when we used antennas to get TV broadcasts, and the leads on the flat twin-lead were held onto TVs back then by a set of screws. 

I hadn't ever traversed into our attic (which is more of a glorified "crouch space.”) But when I opened up the access door in the ceiling by our bathroom, I was met with a large antenna, which I figure is 40 to 50 years old. It was also aimed toward the TV towers located in north-central Omaha.

So, I went back into our linen closet, stripped the ends of the old twin-lead wire, and connected them to a 300-ohm-to-75-ohm snap-on transformer. Basically, it converts the signal from the twin-lead cable into coaxial cable, for use with today's TV sets.

When I hooked it up to our TV, I didn't get any additional HD and digital channels from the set-top antenna units I had previously used, but the digital and HD channels were -- on the whole -- very stable in extreme weather conditions.

Digital and hi-definition signals don't suffer from the myriad of issues that old analog signals did back in yesteryear, but stormy weather can cause moments of pixelation.

I was very impressed over the intervening days and weeks, and I started reading various online forums and blog posts by TV enthusiasts about finding old attic antennas and "resurrecting" them for use with their HDTVs in their home.

(Here is an example of one such homeowner.)

People recommended replacing the old twin-lead wire with RG6 coaxial cable (which is what cable and satellite companies use to hook up various services to your home). It is sturdier and higher-bandwidth than the old RG59 cable companies used in the past, and can transmit more data faster.

In addition, they recommended a "continuous run" of cable (no extenders or splitters) to preserve signal quality.

Today, in order to get rid of the old brown, twin-lead cable, we attached a different kind of transformer. In order to run coaxial cable directly from your TV to the antenna in the attic, you have to get a matching transformer that connects directly to the connections on the antenna.

I wasn't keen about rewiring the antenna, but when I closely inspected the old twin-lead wire in the attic last week, I realized the brown insulation was cracking and splitting (even though the encased copper wire looked okay). 

That meant likely signal loss. And I wanted to make sure the ancient aluminum beast in my attic was able to provide maximum reception.

So...today my dad and I removed the old twin-lead from the antenna terminals, added on a new matching transformer ($1.97) to the wingnut connection points, and ran 50 feet of brand-new RG6 quad-shielded coaxial cable ($15.48) from the antenna to the TV.

The job required a drill, flashlight, mask (to block attic dust) and a tape measure (to run the new cable through the walls to the back of the TV).

Other than being super messy (we have mounds of rock wool insulation in our attic), it went pretty fast. In the picture below, you can see the new gray coaxial cable attached to the black matching transformer. 

The signal is much stronger with the new cabling, and all 25 local channels we should receive (according to antennaweb.org) we now do receive (an improvement of four channels over the previous configuration).

Obviously, you don't need an attic or roof mount antenna to enjoy local channels over-the-air. The signals are strong in the Omaha area, and a simple pair of rabbit ears will get you most everything.

But it is kind of fun to bring new life to an antenna that has sat unused for decades.

What's fun about using something so old is that you realize just how many historic events this antenna might have witnessed when it was first installed years ago.

Special thanks to my dad for aiding in the rewiring and routing today! 

>> If you enjoyed this blog post, follow me on X/Twitter for more great content — @TheJonCrunch 

Read yesterday's blog post: CBS Takes Big Brother "Over the Top"

CBS Takes Big Brother "Over the Top"

CBS Adds Fall Version of "Big Brother" Exclusively to Online Streaming Service

CBS has spent the summer teasing a fall version of its popular reality series "Big Brother" called "Big Brother: Over The Top." The unique aspect is that this will air exclusively on its streaming service, CBS All Access.

The moniker "Over the Top" in an interesting one since television properties taking their services directly to consumers via streaming subscription is often referred to as "over the top."

The show will have a slightly different format than the broadcast version. It will feature a weekly episode with live eviction, weekday updates and recaps, and 24/7 live feeds with no scheduled blackouts (the current live feeds have blackouts when competitions are taking place -- to save the content for the broadcast episodes). Subscribers will also be able to access archived live feeds in this online-only version.

The show will once again be hosted by Julie Chen.

CBS All Access requires a monthly subscription to access all content. They offer a $5.99 per month flavor with "limited" commercial interruptions, and a $9.99 per month version that offer "commercial free" on-demand content.

We subscribe to the $5.99 per month plan (the $9.99 plan is a recent addition). Part of the reason is that we are loyal watchers of "Big Brother" (including the live feeds), "Survivor," and "The Amazing Race."

The service includes current programming and numerous catalog shows from the past.

More Streaming From CBS...
In addition to "Big Brother: Over the Top," CBS is unveiling two new scripted series that will be exclusive to the CBS All Access streaming service.

One is a new "Star Trek" property called "Star Trek: Discovery":
http://www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-discovery/

Test footage of the show's new starship is featured in this video:

The other is a spinoff of the popular CBS series "The Good Wife":
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-good-wife-spinoff-coming-to-cbs-all-access/

Both shows will debut in 2017 on the streaming service.

WOWT to add New Channel "Cozi TV"
Omaha NBC affiliate WOWT has been running promos on its two subchannels this week (WOWT's weather channel and Antenna TV) advertising the addition of Cozi TV on Sept. 12.

Like many subchannels that local affiliates run (such as MeTV), Cozi TV is a collection of old TV shows. Cozi is owned by NBCUniversal and includes Universal produced shows like "Miami Vice," "Knight Rider," "Magnum, P.I.," "Baywatch," and "The A-Team."

The ads suggest it will air on over-the-air digital channel 6.2. No word on whether or not this is the end of WOWT's 24-hour weather offering.

Read yesterday's blog post: "This Drain Needs An Enema"