Herculodge

C.Crane Announces Release of the Sangean ATS-909X for December 27, 2010

Ante has apprised us of the C.Crane announcement of the $249.95 Sangean ATS-909X. Universal Radio announces release of the ATS-909X for November of this year. No price has been given yet on the Universal site.

Radios Used on Gilligans Island: For Serious Radiophiles Only

(Re-post)

We're very serious about radios here and we won't be fooled by anyone trying to pass a radio as being on Gilligan's Island when it's not. 

Thanks to the website Gilligan's Island Radio, we have the official radios that were in use:

The first was a Magnavox Constellation. The second was a Packard Bell AR-851 made in Japan. 

I feel like I just gained 1,000 Geek Points. 

Anthony Bourdain Says Ordinary People Have Good Reason to Dismiss Food Experts' Opinions

Anthony Bourdain, author of Medium Raw, will be on KCRW's Good Food with Evan Kleiman today. For the teaser coming up to the show, Bourdain says that as a man who has become jaded from enjoying the most unearthly food experiences one can ever know, that his opinions are too distorted to be a value to the ordinary eater. By implication, we should probably be skeptical of all food critics whose taste buds are intractably anesthetized. 

The Dilemma of US Military Policy Under the Shadow of Hubris

A look at the current Afghanistan dilemma we're in is very depressing: On one hand, some argue (as did the President when he fired his general last week) we have to commit a strong military attack in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban and prevent the country from being a terrorist nation. 

On the other hand, the rules of engagement render our military ineffective and when those rules are loosened civilians get killed and the Taliban use those killings for effective recruiting. Not to mention we're losing blood and treasure with no concrete goal defined. 

I don't have the answer (if forced to make a decision, I'd say get the hell out of there) but Peter Beinart's The Icarus Syndrome: This History of American Hubris seems to say we're overreaching our power at our own peril. I tend to agree. 

Beautiful Relic from the Radio Past: Marantz CRS-8000 Boombox

When I was a teenager, people whispered "Marantz" in stereo stores (back in the day when you actually had real stereo stores that let you test various hi-fi systemes) in awed, hushed tones. I don't know how good Marantz really was, but here's one, a Marantz CRS-8000, which goes for $500. 

Rare and Quirky Looking: The National Boombox

I'm intrigued by this oddity, like a platypus first found in Australian, a National Boombox, but the $600 price is way overboard. 

Radio Temptation of the Day: Telefunken CR 8200 Boombox

Don't look if you have a radio-buying addition: a Telefunken CR8200 boombox is bidding today on eBay. If this Telefunken isn't tempting enough, check out this JVC 3090. 

On the lookout for a weird "boombox" that doesn't look like a boombox? Check out this Sanyo 3500. 

"Unusual Smell" Resulting in Nausea Forces Kellogg to Recal 28 Million Cereal Boxes

An off smell (feculent perhaps?) has forced Kellog to recall 28 million boxes of cereal. The cereals include Froot Loops, Corn Pops, and Sugar Smacks, which have enough sugar concentrate to kill a hummingbird. 

Leo Laporte Says the Glue Hasn't Even Dried on the Apple iPhone 4

This morning on KFI's Bill Handel show, Leo Laporte said Apple was in such a rush to get the iPhone 4 on the shelves that the glue still hasn't dried, people's hand sweat is making the phone slip out of their hands, and I'll have to conclude it might be a good idea to wait. Seems like a good idea to only buy products in which the manufacturer has given ample time for the glue-drying phase.  

When You Can't Trust the "Experts"

Excellent review by Trevor Butterworth about when we should and should not trust the experts as he reviews Wrong: Why Experts Keep Failing Us--And How to Know When Not to Trust Them by David H. Freeman and The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridely.