Hell on Wheels

[jbrock27]

I can agree.  Outside of getting most of my sports watching through television, there are few programs of interest and most of what is on TV, I would not miss.

Have an opinion of this last season of Hell on Wheels?

[Jhanecker2]

       Wish  I could  I don't have  cable   &  my antenna  Rotor  is still  stuck .  TV is intermittent  BIG TIME  .  With  all the political   BS  on  I doubt  I am missing much but aggravation  .   John 2 .

[Woody Elmore]

Stupid me! I thought, from the title "Hell on Wheels" you were referencing the New York City MTA number seven line, the "L" train. Riders call it the "L from Hell.'

One realty show I like is the one about the Alaska Railroad and how difficult it is to keep trains running on time. Maybe they could run it with another show dealing with the railroads in Florida - no snow down there - just the occasional hurricane.

[jbrock27]

I don't have  cable   &  my antenna  Rotor  is still  stuck .  TV is intermittent  BIG TIME  .  With  all the political   BS  on  I doubt  I am missing much but aggravation  .   John 2 .

But if you wanted to catch up and not feel left out, you can also find it on the radio

Stupid me!

Your words...

New York City MTA number seven line

Also as in 7 Line Army ; I'd rather talk about that than any 'Reality' show, which is neither 'real' nor entertaining

[Jhanecker2]

To Jbrock27 :  My radios are normally tuned to classical stations even the car  . John2

[jbrock27]

Sorry, but how boring.

[Jhanecker2]

To  Jbrock27 :  The classical  music gives me a much longer playlist  , and does not preclude the Rock , Jazz , blues  and  heavy metal  that I  exercise the speakers with when I am on a longer trip .   I grew up at a time when broadcast music was abysmal & highly limited in diversity .  I was thrilled  when Rock & Roll became BIG TIME  and listened to WLS and WCFL  in Chicago on AM   . Eventually  found  FM  with better sound and more diversity; still listen to WFMT which is classical but had the MIDNIGHT SPECIAL  on   Saturday Nights  after Midnight which was anything but classical  . When I moved to the hinterland  I found the classical station , and the  Country station as first order of business  .     I have an extensive recording collection , it was my first and longest last vice . John2.

[rogertra]

Remember something like 10 to 15 years ago, AM stereo was going to be all the rage?

I can remember local AM stations all changing over the AM stereo but no car radios ever came with AM stereo, that soon went the way of the Dodo.

Cheers

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

Glad to hear there is some diversity in your diet then JH2

Still, you shouldn't neglect keeping up with current events

Remember something like 10 to 15 years ago, AM stereo was going to be all the rage?

Cheers

Roger T.

No, never heard that   Was it a Canadian thing, maybe?

No one has any comments on the AMC Series?  The finale even?

[Woody Elmore]

I remember AM stereo. It went the way of the cb radio and Betamax machines. Today there is HD AM radio. I don't know why they think it is necessary to hear some of the radio talkers in HD. I have read, and maybe I misread but the HD content might be different.

On a radio message board I read from time to time, one writer, who is involved with the technical end of broadcasting, claimed that cars keep radio going.

I teach in graduate school and I always poll my students, 75% of them being working teachers,  about how they keep current with what's happening outside their classrooms. Very few, if any, read a newspapaer, If they listen to radio it is to the AM all news stations (to hear the weather) or sports broadcasting. When I ask what they use for news I get Facebook or Twitter as an answer.

[jbrock27]

I remember AM stereo. Today there is HD AM radio.

Interesting.  Never heard of either.

...cars keep radio going.

Makes sense.  Ever hear of SirusXM?  Can get the METS wherever you are...

I always poll my students, 75% of them being working teachers,  about how they keep current with what's happening outside their classrooms. Very few, if any, read a newspapaer...When I ask what they use for news I get Facebook or Twitter as an answer.

That is as sad a statement if there ever was one.  Don't know what they are missing and more sadly, they probably don't care. 
You think Professor  that it is because they forgot how to read words on printed paper? Or forgot how to turn pages?

[Woody Elmore]

Most, if not all, textbooks are available on line. A number of them come with CDs that are needed to access the online stuff. Once you log in the CD won't work and you have to contact the publisher for a new number. It prevents students from passing books on to others.

The books are very expensive and a number of titles are printed in India! Reading has taken a back seat to Pokémon. When I arrived at my college office last week to do advisement for graduate courses, a young man was waiting playing that stupid game.

On a departmental statistics test I gave once at the local community college a number of years ago. a student, using a calculator, gave "overflow error" as an answer. Another genius told me that one problem had 58 words and that was too many!

Kids in today's schools use calculators, computers, Smartboards. smart phones and tablets in class. Teachers assign homework online.  It's a whole new world.  We all see the effect of the computer age on the electronics included in train models.

[RAM]

People have pointed out what is wrong with the 1860 locomotives.  How about flashing crossing signals.

[jbrock27]

Most, if not all, textbooks are available on line. The books are very expensive

I do agree that College textbooks was one of the most expensive rackets going.  What you got for turning it a almost new, used book at the end of a semester, was a total rip off compared to what was paid for it at the beginning of a semester.

Reading has taken a back seat to Pokémon. Kids in today's schools use calculators, computers, Smartboards. smart phones and tablets in class. Teachers assign homework online.

Not all teachers assign homework strictly online, but I guess that is trending.

My son has an I6 Smart Phone (while I have a flip phone), my son loves to play video games (including Pokémon sometimes on his Smart Phone) on a laptop computer and gaming system.  

He was also #2 in his class in AR (reading) points this year, reading the old fashioned way  He is currently reading "All Quiet On Western Front", paperback form...

(spelling edit)

[Woody Elmore]

All Quiet on the Western Front is a required reading in NY state. However, common core emphasizes non fiction so some old favorites might get dumped (I was very angry when I saw my school librarian throw out "Guadalcanal Diary (which is non fiction!"

Getting back to trains - a teacher I know who works with children with serious learning defects has a model railroad in an adjacent unused shop room. He uses old Marx trains, or cheap Lionel. The kids assemble the train tables, make buildings, do scenery and the more capable work on the wiring. The kids are proud of their railroad. It is nice to see that trains can still lead to learning. Their current project is a wooden bridge.

Rocker Neal Young bought an interest in Lionel trains because he found that they had a calming effect on his autistic son.

Thanks to the Bachmann for letting us get away from trains for a bit.