Missouri Archives - The Silicon Underground

Where to buy vintage computers

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 11:00:13 +0000

Collecting vintage computers can be fun. I also personally think it’s great that people are interested in preserving that history. Where to buy vintage computers hasn’t changed much over the years. It just may take a bit more work than

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Radio Shack computers

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 25 May 2017 11:00:13 +0000

Radio Shack released one of the first home computers, the TRS-80 Model I, in 1977. Between 1977 and 1979, it sold 100,000 units. Radio Shack sold them just as quickly as Tandy could make them. You can count Radio Shack and

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What is Spectrum, or Charter Spectrum?

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 08 May 2017 11:00:30 +0000

What is Spectrum? Charter Spectrum, or simply Spectrum, is a new name to many parts of the country. Spectrum is the brand name for cable, Internet and phone service from Charter Communications. Although Charter started using the Spectrum name prior

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When KB Toys closed

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 12:00:26 +0000

When KB Toys closed is a relative question. While KB Toys went out of business in 2009, the store closest to you may have closed earlier than that. It was a sad end for a staple of my childhood, and

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The old Montgomery Ward building in Kansas City

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 11:00:05 +0000

I remember the old Montgomery Ward building in Kansas City. I spent plenty of time in the sprawling complex at 6200 St. John Avenue in Kansas City near the intersection of Belmont Boulevard. When I was growing up, the three most

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Permanence of super glue

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 11:00:40 +0000

“What’s the permanence of super glue?” someone asked me the other day. It’s an interesting question and unfortunately, the answer is, it depends. If keep the object indoors in a temperature and humidity controlled environment and away from a lot of

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How to value baseball cards

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 11:00:11 +0000

If you have a collection, knowing how to value baseball cards is helpful. That way, if you need to insure or liquidate the collection, you’ll receive a fair price. But fair also means realistic. A lot of factors go into

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Marvel Mystery oil in a snowblower

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:00:49 +0000

I’ve had such success with Marvel Mystery Oil in my lawn mower than I’ve gotten questions about Marvel Mystery oil in a snowblower. Yes it will work. It will work in any gasoline-powered yard tool. And I would expect the

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Change a headline, go to prison

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 11:00:16 +0000

A former journalist whose track record includes being fired from the Tribune Co. and from Reuters is facing two decades in prison for giving the hacking group Anonymous credentials to log into a Tribune web site and change stuff. Anonymous

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Yes, an ethical journalist protects his/her sources

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 11:00:25 +0000

An anonymous reader asked why journalists protect their sources. It’s a fair question but an easy one to answer. Part of a journalist’s role in society is accountability. When something is wrong, the journalist is supposed to raise awareness. In

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