Obsolescence Project

Day 294 – Star Trek Fan Pin

Pin

Another pin from the Star Trek convention. It’s a we bit more vintage – 1989 is stamped on the back.

Is it true that this phrase was never actually said on the show? Falling into the same territory as ‘Frankly Scarlet, I don’t give a damn’ and ‘Play it again Sam?’

Back of Pin

Status: Option A is to watch all the old episodes and listen closely for the phrase.
Option B is to watch all the old episodes and record and remix all the times they say anything about using the transporter .
Option C is too g00gle, but that wouldn’t be any fun.

Kill-ratio : 36/2 or 18:1
Over two shoots

Alt-title: Untitled Object No.291 For Beaming Joy to Another Universe

Posted on by Deanne in Jewellery

Day 293 – Clock Radio

Clock radio

Clock radio.

3rd hand. Vintage, but not the cool kind.
The plastic face that goes over the numbers fell off ages ago and was always an annoyance. Recently it became harder and harder to change the time or the alarm. The buttons responded slowly. And a few days ago, they stopped responding altogether. Finally, the long awaited moment had arrived to give this the heave ho.

Waking up to the alarm on the phone isn’t quite as pleasant however, and there’s all that wireless stuff floating around.

Clock radio

Clock radio

Status: Recycle

Kill-ratio: 27:3 / 9:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 293 For A Time Out

Posted on by Deanne in Objects, Technology

Day 292 – Miniature Playing Cards

Cards
Miniature Playing Cards Set.

~2-1/4″ x 1-1/2″ x 3/4″ h.

Pristine condition. Still in original plastic case!

Cards

Status: Hold a Mad Hatters Tea party and play  a game of gin rummy.

Kill-ratio: 19: 2 / ~9:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 292  For Appreciating The Little Things in Life.

Posted on by Deanne in Paper

Day 291 – White Cable

Cable

A bit of cable that went with our old television I suspect.

John Walson

John Walson and his wife Margaret owned a service repair company in  the mountains of Pennsylvania where they also sold television sets. Sales were slow because the mountains prevented good reception.  John hiked up those there hills and put up an external antenna and mounted it on a huge utility pole in the area.  TV reception was much improved. He then connected this antenna to his store with the help of cables. Thus cable television was born in 1948.
   

His wife Margaret doesn’t appear to be officially recognized in very many sources, although I feel certain she helped inspire the hike up the mountains.  She did receive an honourary degree from Mulhenberg College, in eastern Pennsylvania in 2003.
[ cribbed from, you know – the interwebs ]

Cable

Status: Might be too small for the sea monster. Trash. Gasp.

Kill-ratio: 26:2 / 13:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 291 For Reconnecting To Your Inner Showgirl.

This post is part of the cable drawings series.

Posted on by Deanne in Objects, Technology

Day 290 – Communicator Pin

Communicator Pin

Star Trek Communicator Pin.

So, in the 90s I attended a Star Trek Convention. Yes, guilty as charged. I also watch Dr. Who too much. There, I obtained said pin and a few other “treasures”, including standing very close to the 2nd in command.

This one is missing its back, so can’t be worn.

Star Trek

Image altered ~75% in the interests of copyright stuff

Disappointingly, my pin looks to be quite a bit smaller than their pins.

I found out from the mighty Wikipedia that Uhura was originally going to be called Lieutenant Sulu, but it was pointed out this might be racially derogatory, being too similar to “Zulu”, so Sulu was saved for, well, Sulu.

Communicator Pin

Status: Find a suitable clasp for the pin, and go out as Deanna Troy or Lieutenant Uhura next Hallowe’en.
Although technically speaking, I believe the pin style is from the original Star Trek, so Troy would be out. But given my name is so similar…

Kill-ratio: 23: 2/ ~12:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 290 For Communicating To A Parallel Universe.

Learn all about this alt-title tomfoolery here.

Posted on by Deanne in Jewellery