Both of my parents were educators, and my Dad was, in today’s lingo, an early adopter. Our first TV was about the size of a washing machine, with a small, roundish black and white screen. I don’t remember many of the programs we watched, and in those days there weren’t many to remember. We also had a rare machine that would not only play records, but could also record them (no do-overs here; once the vinyl was cut, there was no turning back). It was a magical moment when I first heard my own recorded voice coming from the speaker. In spite of growing up in this high tech, multi-media environment, I was also encouraged to read; both of my parents were crazy about books. One not-so-leading-edge occupant of our home was a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which was then getting ready to celebrate its 200th anniversary. A few short years ago, EB announced it was following in the footsteps of Border’s Bookstores, and printed books in general; it shut down after 244 years. For further information on this sad, historic event, just Google “Britannica”.

http://youtu.be/Hxwin9XFbnQ