Names have been changed to protect the innocent

I have many personal peccadilloes and protocols.
I sit here and wonder the possibility that
now--- by having so much spare time in retirement
will this available time increase the intensity of a peccadillo?
what do peccadillo mean?
 Example:
I now have unlimited time to sit and prowl/bid on Ebay for auctions on 
a personal peccadillo--buying old/used tape recorders/players and radios
for my collection/use.
For the first time ever---I can follow a closing auction that I consider a bargain and 
on which I have placed a low-ball bid, watching, as the last seconds of the auction tick by.
Regardless of the time the auction ends, day or night.
This ability to stay up and focus on bidding does not stop 
sniper frustration, I have discovered, 
much to my chagrin on several desirable auctions.

So
the conundrum....
Am i finding cooler shit at cheaper prices-real bargains-cause i have the
time to prowl every corner of the vintage electronics category
 read the details of every auction that interests me ...? 

Am I making good decisions on what and how much to bid?
or
Am i just finding more shit i want----because now with this spare time,
 i can..

I am coming, slowly, to the conclusion that 
I am simply acquiring materials with which to play in retirement.
The machines i am focused on i can play with now, or in the future,
regardless of my physical condition in the years to come.

I am coming to the conclusion that i am going to stop thinking  
and just enjoy the hunt.

Vince Guaraldi

I saw this on another website and just had to re-post it here..

A one barber,

mobile barbershop in Holland.

The interior is designed as a copy of a barbershop

from the 1890's with one chair.

 I love this concept, my immediate thought was
If you were a barber

what a great way this would be to escape the rat race world but still survive..

--set up shop in different locations, where you thought there would be business

work one customer at a time.

Go where you want and do what you want, and make people happy.

If a  shop like this was in operation around here 

it would even make me consider getting my hair cut !

Ordered and shipped from Japan at the moment

and to be perused as soon as it arrives:

Translated as

Japanese Old Boombox Design.

(Ya gotta love that title, Published only in Japanese...)

There are currently only two books available on Boomboxes

when received i will have them both.

I will be unable to determine the written content of course,

but it is the photographs and series references i want available.

The thing i really love about this book is

the author's photograph, on the rear cover, this dude,in his workshop,

surrounded by boomboxes with a big smile on his face.

why can't we have a President like this?

Uruguay's Socialist President Jose "Pepe" Mujica

 is quietly stepping down after a 5 year term.
Known as the "poorest" President in Latin America--

He not only improved the national economy, legalized weed nation-wide,

and gave 90% of his salary to charity--but--

he refused to wear a tie and refused to live in the national presidential palace. 

He drove his elderly VW beetle to work everyday...
from his little house in his old neighborhood, to work.

What a fucking great guy---?
Where did they find a guy like this?

Meanwhile ---

Back in the US of A

what the fuck do we get?

I was lucky on Ebay this week.
For sure tho I am done shopping there for awhile.

I obtained a  second Sony Walkman Professional wm-d6c recorder

in reported excellent condition and at an extremely reasonable price.

The absolute truth on condition will be apparent when it gets here next week.

I have currently have one wm-d6c which has been in use constantly for recording purposes.

This unit records beautifully and the recorded tapes are so

mechanically accurate they can play back perfectly on any of my other machines.
A major asset in analog tape, not having to address/adjust  pitch control
between varying machines.

--with this purchase i have a back up in case of

massive mechanical failure.
I do so enjoy saving these analog audio machines and using them as they
were intended to be used. 

(Plus)

I picked up an additional Boombox.

A Magnavox D8300 in screaming Zonker yellow!

Photographs of my actual in route box below:

The D8300 is a dual cassette deck, 5 speaker, 5 channel EQ,

large sized box manufactured in both black and yellow plastic casings.

Reports of excellent sound characteristics from this model

are on the boombox forums, with this unit out-preforming

much more expensive and coveted blasters.

The D8300 received little rapper/gangster street cred as a 

carry around, New York City blaster based on it's rather 

bizarre design factor...(obviously) ----Although a good, loud, Bass capable box...

The vast majority of D8300's  found themselves on workbenches

 in Suburban garages rather than supplying music 

for NYC sidewalk break dancing contests.

A lack of respect crippled this Magnavox image wise....

Let's just say that Radio Raheem (from Spike Lee's film , Do the Right Thing)

Wouldn't be caught dead toting this unit.

For me

I am desire the best physical condition and sound for the lowest price possible
and this box, hopefully, fulfills those conditions with the added

 possibility that in the not too distant future these big yellow devils might
 become rare and sought after.

This is my

Every Day Carry audio set-up that i keep in my messenger bag. 

A Sony WMFX-493 analog cassette Walkman model year 2000

lined into a FiiO headphone pre-amplifier ending at

a set of AKG K412P folding headphones.

The WMFX-493 is an inexpensive but viable,mega bass, walkman

that works well and if it somehow gets trashed or stolen while

I am in motion it won't be a crash against my Walkman collection.

The same parameters apply to the AKG headphones.

Not the best in the world, not that comfy, but they fold down small for bag carry

and if they wind up destroyed it won't be a heart breaker.

The AKG's have an additional plus, a long enough cord to run from the bag

to my head without problem.

"True Terror is to wake up one morning

and discover that your high school class

is running the country."

Kurt Vonnegut