See also those special Sunday newspapers with a free wraparound Peter Max poster!
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:03 (one year ago) link
Wow, I definitely was assigned those Houghton Mifflin readers in grade school (late ‘70s - early ‘80s) — I remember Panorama and Fiesta. And James Redd, sorry to hear you got screwed on that Beatles book. I remember flipping through it at my local library and digging the illustrations, most (all?) of which were by Alan Aldridge, who had also done the Who’s A Quick One cover.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:04 (one year ago) link
The other thing about The Beatles book was that it didn’t seem to have any of George’s songs, let alone Ringo’s, but instead included some Lennon-McCartney-for-hire audition fodder numbers such as “Like Dreamers Do.”
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:14 (one year ago) link
Hmm. Maybe that book actually has a few George songs but not all. Perhaps it’s a Northern Songs/Harrisongs thing.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:18 (one year ago) link
That one PSA looks like some Parallax View-level mind control psy-ops.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:25 (one year ago) link
Just confirmed that Alan Aldridge also did the Captain Fantastic artwork.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:39 (one year ago) link
We used those Houghton Mifflin readers from K-6!
― steely flan (suzy), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:49 (one year ago) link
We used something called SRA Reading Laboratory.https://bookriot.com/a-box-of-nostalgia-the-sra-reading-laboratory/
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:52 (one year ago) link
Color-coded folders containing one or two page stories along with accompanying questions. Color-coded so the kids supposedly wouldn’t know that their classmates on the Gold Level were more advanced than those on Maroon Level, they even scrambled the colors from grade to grade to throw you off the scent.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:56 (one year ago) link
At some point later on I felt maybe we should have been reading more challenging formats but at the time it was a very addictive, gamified process, like a precursor to Duolingo.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 21:58 (one year ago) link
If no one else owns up to using those think I am going to feel like I had some kind of multiverse slip.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 22:02 (one year ago) link
I vividly remember the big SRA boxes in my grade school classrooms. I have no memory whatsoever of myself or any of my classmates actually using them.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 26 March 2023 22:04 (one year ago) link
Perhaps they were already being phased out by the time you arrived in the system.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 26 March 2023 22:14 (one year ago) link
We also used SRA, and took SRA tests in fifth grade.
― steely flan (suzy), Sunday, 26 March 2023 22:15 (one year ago) link
Oh I was totally schooled via SRA. Haven't thought about that in decades, ha!
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Sunday, 26 March 2023 22:31 (one year ago) link
Definitely remember the giant SRA box — in fact I have so many memories of the SRA box Im wondering which ones I should and should not share.
― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Monday, 27 March 2023 00:15 (one year ago) link
I went to school in the 80s fwiw
― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Monday, 27 March 2023 00:16 (one year ago) link
Please share whatever you feel comfortable sharing.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 27 March 2023 00:40 (one year ago) link
Either on this thread or a new one if you think that would work better.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 27 March 2023 00:41 (one year ago) link
The author of this piece didn’t like the system, but her write-up – along with sample card! - seems to remind me of the appeal.http://hackeducation.com/2015/03/19/sra
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 27 March 2023 01:23 (one year ago) link
Fidgit! The Fidget Spinner of its day!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ms14Weak0E/Tu6KJDlk7KI/AAAAAAAAANo/NGOa_g8MIxU/s1600/fidgit2.jpg
― Hideous Lump, Monday, 27 March 2023 05:18 (one year ago) link
^this wasn’t some kind of mood thing?
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 27 March 2023 09:24 (one year ago) link
In any case, that one is slowly working its Proustian madeleine magic on me this morning, thanks for posting.
― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 27 March 2023 10:17 (one year ago) link
I don't remember if it was temperature sensitive like a mood ring. It was some kind of oily I-don't-know-what that changed colors as you smushed it around with your fingertips.
― Hideous Lump, Monday, 27 March 2023 10:50 (one year ago) link
I thought I remembered every stupid device of the era, and I have zero recollection of the Fidgit.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Monday, 27 March 2023 18:28 (one year ago) link
I recognize it, or the general principle. Maybe we had a differentlyre-formed, no-name knockoff from a few years later.
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Monday, 27 March 2023 18:40 (one year ago) link
I don't remember the Fidget thing. But randomly it triggered memories of GI Joe action figurines. Google sent me to an vintage TV commercial for GI Joe with Kung Fu grip. From today's vantage point, yikes. Don't think my parents were particularly anti-Vietnam War but that figurine is OTT.
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 28 March 2023 02:51 (one year ago) link
In (many) 70s homes in NYC and the Tri-State Area: mini-bagel necklaces with names on them given as souvenirs for going on Wonderama.
― No Zing Compares 2 HOOS (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 August 2023 13:21 (one year ago) link
"A jade plant, hung in a macrame plant hanger" absoilutely
― | (Latham Green), Friday, 3 November 2023 19:38 (eleven months ago) link
I didn't see this yet in this thread
https://i.etsystatic.com/8777027/r/il/dc4ba3/730668538/il_fullxfull.730668538_4ei2.jpg
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Friday, 3 November 2023 20:47 (eleven months ago) link
Oooh, we had one of those. I remember sitting around it with my parents on Friday nights pretending it was a campfire.
― peace, man, Saturday, 4 November 2023 15:26 (eleven months ago) link
Just considered starting an In every 70s US school ever thread but thought better of it
― Thrapple from the Apple (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 July 2024 00:57 (three months ago) link
Do it!
― Marten Broadcloak, mild-mannered GOP congressman (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 9 July 2024 11:51 (three months ago) link
Split-flap/flip (alarm) clocks
― The Zing from Another URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 August 2024 12:32 (two months ago) link
(Always forget the name of those things, along with the name of their big brother, the Solari, although I can still hear the sound when they flip and click back into place)
― The Zing from Another URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 August 2024 12:33 (two months ago) link
Yes, very much like having a mini version of a train station big board in your bedroom.
― henry s, Friday, 16 August 2024 13:58 (two months ago) link
In discussions about devices that last forever people always mention the digital clock radios from the '80s (General Electric especially) that many of us still use, but I wonder how many people still use a split-flap alarm clock... I name I've now just learned.
― Josefa, Friday, 16 August 2024 14:03 (two months ago) link
This looks interesting: https://www.branchingoutwood.com/blog/four-nifty-steampunk-display-technologies
― The Zing from Another URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 August 2024 14:05 (two months ago) link
https://d3j17a2r8lnfte.cloudfront.net/aes/2023/6/medium/skWaBvYW2FzUqqfyfL3FZwvs.jpeg
― Andy the Grasshopper, Tuesday, 27 August 2024 00:14 (two months ago) link
^that was such a good game
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 27 August 2024 01:41 (two months ago) link
Along with Perfection, such an analog forbearer of video game dexterity.
― Theracane Gratifaction (bendy), Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:43 (two months ago) link