It was a Panasonic RX 4920 — the best boombox available from my dad’s Raleigh cigarette coupon catalog in 1981. I banded together all those paper coupons from my father’s decades of smoking, packed them in shoeboxes and patiently waited for the boombox to arrive. 

What’s a boombox, you ask? Well, it was a handled, portable, radio cassette deck with built-in speakers. It was invented in the Netherlands by Philips in 1969, but the Japanese companies took the idea to the next level. The boombox was introduced in America in the late 1970s and became a mainstream product for youth like me in the 1980s. The use of boomboxes in urban communities resulted in them being called “ghetto blasters,” a name my friends and I commonly used then that doesn’t seem so appropriate now.  

When my boombox finally showed up, I couldn’t wait to unpack it and start playing my cassettes. It was a simple device with an AM/FM tuner and a single cassette deck, but I loved it. Most all my friends had some version of a boombox as well, mostly manufactured by Panasonic, Sony or General Electric. Boomboxes were a status symbol of sorts for kids in the 1980s, much like cell phones are today. As such, the technological features grew — and so did the dimensions, with some boomboxes comparable to the size of suitcases. The fancier ones had dual cassette decks, equalizer controls and booming bass sound. The larger models were 30 or more inches wide, and some weighed more than 25 pounds. Of course, the portability of these units was not simple — or inexpensive. Many required 10 D-size batteries, and those costs added up.

As a result, most boomboxes were almost always plugged into wall outlets, but, inevitably, someone would bring one on a school bus for long and noisy trips. The boombox trend didn’t last long, though. In 1986, 20.4 million units were shipped in the United States. By 2003, the number dropped to 329,000. The Sony Walkman and similar portable headphone devices became the new, trendy and much quieter ways to listen to music. School bus drivers everywhere rejoiced.

I remember using my boombox so much that the markings for play, pause, fast forward, eject, etc. wore off, but I had them memorized anyway. I sometimes wonder what happened to it, as I have no idea where it ended up. It probably quit working and was tossed, or it may be this one listed on Ebay for $49. 

I am sure Dad enjoyed those Raleigh cigarettes, even though they ultimately, and sadly, took his life. The high volumes of my Panasonic boombox might have taken a few years off his life, too  — or at least his eardrums — but that boombox sure made for some enjoyable music-listening years for me.  

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

The recent rainfall has many of us smiling. At least it does me. A little water from the sky does wonders not only for our Iowa crops but for our yards, our plants, our wildlife and our attitudes.  Some people say rain makes them sad. Not me. In fact, I happened to notice how many of my favorite songs are about rain. See if any of these ring a bell:

Of course, there is the classic, “Singin’ In The Rain” by Gene Kelly. The clip from the iconic movie is a cool video of sorts in a time before videos were cool. Check it out. You will smile, too. 

The late 1980s brought us “Blame it on the Rain” by Milli Vanilli. OK, they didn’t actually sing the song, but the guys could dance — not like Gene Kelly, but they could dance. I have not admitted this publicly for a few decades, but I do have this CD… somewhere. 

One of my favorite sing-along rain songs is “I Love A Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt. I will forgive him for the misspelling of his last name, because “the windshield wipers slapping out a tempo” can make you forget about anything and start tapping your feet along with this snappy tune — with or without rain. 

I remember being a child and hearing “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” by B.J. Thomas on the AM radio in our kitchen. The song was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and it was played by nearly every radio station on nearly every rainy day for a decade.

Those who know me well recognize that one of my favorite songs is “Purple Rain” — not the Prince version but rather the twangy 2016 tribute by Dwight Yoakam. It’s a bluegrass masterpiece. Check it out.

Creedence Clearwater Survival had several hit songs about rain including “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” John Fogerty and the band couldn’t seem to make up their minds as to when to use a question mark or not in their song titles, but they did play incredible music. And with the word “water” in the band’s name, they had to write at least a few songs about rain. 

OK, rain makes me happy, but a few songs about rain can be depressing. Even so, they are some of the best songs of any era. “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor defines that, which is clear in this 1970 live version. 

In recent years, I have come to appreciate the music of Gordon Lightfoot and came across this wonderful song about “Rainy Day People.” It’s not “Sundown,” but it works.

In middle school, our chorus teacher, Mrs. Mawdsley, had us sing “Smoky Mountain Rain” by Ronnie Milsap. Even though I flunked chorus, I still like the song, including this live version with commentary from Milsap about working with Elvis Presley and playing piano in “Kentucky Rain,” which, maybe not ironically, was co-written by Eddie Rabbitt.

What songs about rain did I miss? Shoot me a note and let me know.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Symmetry is wonderful. It is part of the whole balance thing. The ying for the yang. The right for each left. And a necessity for those of us who believe there is a place for everything and everything has its place.   

I was reminded of the need for symmetry and balance the other day when I had a hangnail and trimmed it off with some clippers. Then I decided to trim all the nails on my left hand. My daughter told me we were late to go somewhere, so I put the clippers down and decided I would do the right hand later. I was off kilter all night, as I couldn’t get the unfinished nail thing off my mind. 

My barber told me of a similar story when he was trimming those crazy eyebrow hairs on a customer. He said he trimmed one side and then got caught up in a conversation and forgot to do the other. The customer came back — with his head tilted. 

Have you ever noticed how many things are truly symmetrical? Cut them in half, and you get the same thing on both sides. Our faces are symmetrical. So are our bodies. When cut the long way, a bicycle is even symmetrical. But a car isn’t. Huh?

Can someone explain why steering wheels are not in the middle of otherwise-symmetrical vehicles? I sort of understand why we in the U.S. do the opposite of those in the U.K., but why isn’t the steering wheel in the middle on all cars, everywhere? 

Some say it is safest when the driver is placed closest to the middle of the road, which is on the left side in America. OK, I will buy that. But then why are the steering wheels for boats traditionally placed on the right side? Well, according to boatingbasicsonline.com, there are several “technical and conventional reasons, lookout theories, and even international disciplines that come together and keep the steering wheels of boats on starboard.”

In plain English, it comes down to propellers. According to the same website, “as propellors spin clockwise, the motion tends to put the left side down. The port side is then pushed by around 2 to 3 degrees physically. In turn, the right side of the boat will significantly rise out. The weight of the one behind the steering wheel may prevent this rise and keep the ship afloat.” Sure.

Meanwhile, some modern pleasure crafts and wooden speed boats do have steering wheels on the left. Sometimes, they can also be found in the center. That makes more sense to me, at least from a symmetrical point of view.

Now, would somebody please pass me the nail clippers? 

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Bread and butter. They go together like, well, bread and butter. 

In my childhood home, they were a staple with every noon and evening meal. At most sit-down restaurants today, they are an expectation. But why? What makes bread and butter an integral part of so many meals?

It all started with the invention of bread, which is up for debate. Even so, most historians agree that bread is an ancient food that dates back at least 22,000 years when scientists found evidence of humans processing wild cereal grains in a grinding stone in what is now modern-day Israel.

And butter? Well, according to butterjournal.com, it is as old as Western civilization. The site states: “In ancient Rome, it was medicinal — swallowed for coughs or spread on aching joints. In India, Hindus have been offering Lord Krishna tins full of ghee  — luscious, clarified butter — for at least 3,000 years. And in the Bible, butter is a food for celebration, first mentioned when Abraham and Sarah offer three visiting angels a feast of meat, milk and the creamy yellow spread.”

The site admits that butter’s origins are likely humbler and that a nomad probably made the first batch by accident when tying a sheepskin bag of milk to his horse and, after a day of jostling, discovered that churned milk fat solidifies into something amazing. 

But who was the first to spread butter on bread? Now it gets interesting. One largely discredited theory is that it was the work of Copernicus, the 16th-century astronomer who first stated that the earth travels around the sun.

According to thedailybeast.com, Copernicus had soldiers who were subjected to a bout of the plague. Copernicus, who had also been trained in medicine, noticed that only the soldiers who ate bread were getting sick. Realizing that the bread was carried up several flights of steps from the kitchen and was often dropped on the way, his solution was to coat the loaves in a thin layer of churned cream, making it possible to see which loaves had been dropped. The plague was curbed, and the bread-and-butter combination was born.

Maybe. Maybe not. But who really cares? Just keep passing the bread… and butter.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

“Start me up.” Those three words were the title of a hit song and an awkward video for the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album “Tattoo You,” one of 25 studio albums from the band. The band currently consists of original members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, along with late-joiner Ronnie Wood. Charlie Watts was a founding member and the drummer of the band through August 2021 when he passed away at age 80. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and continue to write, tour and produce today. Needless to say, they are kind of popular.

Admittedly, I am not a huge Rolling Stones fan, but I certainly know of the band and their songs. The 20-somethings of today? Apparently, not so much.

First, a little background. Mick Jagger turned 79 on July 26. This was noted in the celebrity birthdays section of The Daily Umbrella. During our staff meeting, I asked one of our younger employees if she knows who Mick Jagger is. Silence. I then asked another of our younger employees the same question. Crickets. I tried one last time with yet another younger employee.  Her answer? “I think there is a song about moves like Jagger.” Yes, there is, by Maroon 5 from 2011, but Mick Jagger is famous for some other stuff, too.  

How soon we forget. Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther penned this well in 1976 with the song “New Kid In Town” from the Eagles’ “Hotel California” album. “They will never forget you till somebody new comes around.” How true. But to not know who Mick Jagger is? Come on. 

My mother was born in 1935 and grew up with the music of the 1950s. Sometime in the 1980s, I came across a series of cassettes with music from that era. I listened to them in our home while Mom sang along and smiled. Bill Haley and the Comets. The Big Bopper. Little Richard. The Platters. Fats Domino. Buddy Holly. Jerry Lee Lewis. Chuck Berry. The Everly Brothers. The list goes on and on. I may not have known all the words, but I did know the song titles, the melodies and, yes, the artists. In fact, those cassettes might still be collecting dust in a box somewhere. If I had a cassette player, I could listen to them again.  

Styles come and go. Trends come and go. Music comes and goes. I may not like it, but I get it. Meanwhile, some artists transcend generations. Mick Jagger, apparently, is no longer one of them. 

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

I recently read an article about things we once used that are now obsolete. I shared it with some friends, and we added several more. See how many of these you can recall.

When I attended my daughter’s graduation ceremony a few years ago, the speaker asked the graduates to write a hand-written letter to 10 people who made a positive difference in their lives. He jokingly explained how to address an envelope and place a stamp, but there was truth in his message. When was the last time you sent or received a postcard? Or a love letter? 

More than a decade ago, I bought my mother a GPS device for her car so she could avoid getting lost. When she realized she needed to give up driving, she gave it back to me. I tried it out, and the 4-inch screen and the clunky application made me yearn for a printed map. Then I realized how many people never had the pleasure of unfolding and refolding a map. 

The landline telephone was helpful, or at least the people on the other end of the line were. Remember dialing directory assistance for phone numbers? Or calling theaters for movie times? Or reaching out to an operator for the time? Who remembers long distance charges? I could make calls to out-of-town friends, but Mom said to keep it under a minute to minimize the fees. 

Do you remember when you had to memorize phone numbers, or at least have them written down? Did you have a list taped inside your cupboard? Or did you dial *69 when you missed a call? When was the last time you heard a busy signal rather than being sent directly to voicemail? And when did you last use a public pay phone? 

I remember being in awe the first time I used a fax machine. In time, I bought one for our home that was incredibly annoying to callers who were greeted with the screeching sound. We still have a fax machine at work, but I don’t think anyone knows how to use it — including me. 

Radio and TV have changed a lot, too. I recall being a kid in my bunk bed at night with my transistor radio tuned in to WOW 590 out of Omaha, listening to Wolf Man Jack. On the TV, the goal of kids my age was to stay up so late that the TV stations would sign off and the static would appear. Do you remember thinking how high-tech you were when you programmed the recording of TV shows on your VCR? 

The list goes on. Which ones have I missed? Or what other items of today will soon be obsolete? Shoot me a note and let me know. 

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707