#614 When you tune the radio station perfectly so there’s absolutely no static

Neil Pasricha

I’m a terrible tuner.

Yeah, I’m the guy twiddling clock radio dials before bed every night with scrunched up eyebrows. Usually I end up on a crystal-clear station that I quickly realize isn’t the one I was aiming for or I end up accidentally using my body as an antenna so the sound gets fuzzy the second I move my hand away.

People, if you’re like me, you’d definitely find these moments over on 1000 Annoying Things, that non-existent netherlist we’ve mentioned before that features entries like #992 Someone shaking your hand with freshly wet hands from the bathroom, #991 Bendy straws that crack at the bendy part, or #990 When a chocolate chip in a cookie turns out to be a raisin.

Brother, that’s why nothing’s as nice as landing perfectly on your radio station of choice after twiddling that little orange dial for a few quick moments. When you nail it just right, slowly move your hand away, pause for station identification, and then quickly click the switch over to Alarm, you’re loving it lots.

See, radio waves float and fly through our lives sending highway traffic reports, wacky morning DJs, and bumping bass beats bouncing around the air like magic. It’s up to us to catch them like butterflies with our thin antennas, dusty clock radios, and determined little fingers driven to get that job done.

AWESOME!

(Congrats to PostSecret on wrapping up a great book tour.)

Photos from: here and here

38 thoughts to “#614 When you tune the radio station perfectly so there’s absolutely no static”

  1. Your blog is such a breath of fresh air, so delightful and joyous! A real source of inspiration, thank you for your many morsels of goodness.

    If you have a moment or two, please amuse yourself with my new creation. I would greatly appreciate the brief moment of adoration and any suggestions.

    http://itapetingabella.blogspot.com/

    Thank You.

  2. Hey now. Raisins can be joyful.

    I must admit, I do love the crisp, bass-filled sounds of songs where the band feels as though they’re playing right there. In a more recorded, yet precise way.

    1. I thought that too. I’m not a chocolate fan, and there is nothing worse that an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie. OR… the dreaded “I thought it was pound cake, but it’s lemon.’ ewwwww.

      I always feel bad and just try to crumble it up so it will be less noticeable when I trash it.

  6. This was a pain with the antennas on the old radios. You had to stretch the antenna out to just the right length and keep moving the radio.

  7. Tuning the radio to be perfect without static is such a pain. However it is also the fun part. I used to tune the radio frequency in between two stations and hearing both channels at the same time. It can be very annoying though. Haha

    Anyway I’m using a digital tuner now!

  9. Hey! That radio tuning thing is so true – especially when you take your hand away from the knob and find out you are part of the antennae! Or not.

  10. I’m a big fan of the 1000 Annoying Things countdown. I have a feeling there are more of those than there are awesome things.

    1. Sadly, it’s a lot easier to find “Annoying Things” blogs in the web-o-sphere than it is Awesome Things.

      Then again, I write one of the former.

      Decisions, decisions.

      1. Static comes in many forms…radios of course is an aggravating one. And it only happens when your favorite song comes on or a news flash (remember OJ?). I’ve noticed I need a radio like my neighbors or the car next to me. These cause one to lower her/his eyebrows, turn the lips into an ugly snarl and make obscene AUDIBLE remarks.
        Ahhh, but the boss, wife (or husband), kids, these are unbearable noises that send one into thoughts of desperating drastic thoughts. When any of these give you static you can’t adjust that static…only tolerate.
        schzzzzzt-eeeeeeeeyiiiiiiiioOoOoO ssZZZZT. Hmmm, maybe it is aliens from another planet trying to send us a message? AHA!!
        I think it is, huh? YES. Translated: “Stupid Earthling, move your radio or find a clear station”. S-T-A-T-I-C..Stations That Aren’t Tuned In Correctly. Or: Some Tuners Always Take In Crud.
        K-DAM sighing off.

  16. Man, I am just the opposite. I turn my radio BETWEEN stations so I get a nice soft static. Then I turn the volume down and head to bed. At the appointed hour, I awake to a gentle hisssssssssssssssssss, not an annoying beep or DJ.

    It helps to be a light sleeper.

  19. Well.. I find this one rather not so awesome! It’s not like people even use radios anymore and I have no clue what they actually look like! You need awesome posts? Well get them up to date for petes sakes! ;D

    1. Uh oh. Sounds like someone has a case of the grumpies. Geez, doesn’t this blog do anything for ya? Unless your post was tongue in cheek. In which case, I step away. :)
      I got a better one Neil. My TV set is 28 years old and has rabbit ears. No cable. Its heaven when I get CBC perfectly tuned in in time to catch Coronation Street! :)

  20. While living in the north, where the Aurora Borealis do their illuminous/gossamer, full colour spectrum dance…up “way past our bedtime,” we discovered that nearly every line/digit on the radio was receiving crystal clear stations from places a province away and as far as the US of A. It was like we’d entered a twilight zone, but was very awesome!

  23. I would greatly appreciate the brief moment of adoration and any suggestions. You had to stretch the antenna out to just the right length and keep moving the radio. However it is also the fun part. I used to tune the radio frequency in between two stations and hearing both channels at the same time. It can be very annoying though. I have a feeling there are more of those than there are awesome things. I turn my radio BETWEEN stations so I get a nice soft static. Then I turn the volume down and head to bed. I consider you made certain nice points in features also. Sounds like someone has a case of the grumpies. You learn something all the time.com to post a comment to your blog.Hope you like my post on today thanks.

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  28. I think this blog is a perfect way to laugh over things that everyone does Nd they don’t realise it until they see it or read it. I would recommend this application to my friends and family, so they could have a good ‘ol laugh about stupid things try do or used to do.

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