Another book review from the Softball Corner. 

This one is Let's Do It, a 1989 book divided into three sections:  The Team, The Practice, and The Game.

The Practice is the largest part of the book, with 41 pages of what each player does in each possible game situation. 

For example, what does each defensive player do with one out and a runner at second if the ball is hit to the left fielder? 

I think this situational strategy is the weakest part of the game for most players, and this section will help your guys learn how to handle most of the game situations you'll encounter.

For hints and tips on managing, coaching, and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Of all the teen sitcoms that aired during the golden days of radio, none was more popular than The Aldrich Family. 

Henry began as a minor character in a 1938 Broadway play, then moved to radio first as a one-time skit on the Rudy Vallee show, then as a weekly feature on the Kate Smith Show, then as the summer replacement for Jack Benny, and finally as its own stand-alone show in 1939.

Besides its radio success, Henry Aldrich has his own comic book, television series, and 11 Paramount movies. 

Ezra Stone played Henry (with time out as a soldier during World War II), and Jackie Kelk was his best friend Homer Brown. 

This episode, Girl Trouble, originally aired on October 17, 1939.

Recently (show #83), we looked at the attempt of some members of congress to phase out dollar bills and replace them with dollar coins. 

But in a sudden about-face, the White House has announced that the dollar coins will be virtually eliminated, except for those made for collectors. 

That is, they will not compete with paper money now. 

Listen to this show for the details.

For more articles on metal detecting and treasure hunting, check out http://treasuremanual.com.

The old-time radio program Gang Busters is famous for adding a phrase to the Dictionary of American Slang:  "Coming on like Gang Busters."  And indeed, the program had one of the wildest openings of all, with windows breaking, guns firing, and sirens screaming.

Gang Busters was created by Phillips H. Lord.  The show dramatized police cases, both famous and obscure.  FBI director J. Edgar Hoover begrudgingly promoted the show even though he wished it were not on the air. 

At the end of each episode, the description of a wanted suspect was broadcast, and over the 22 years that the program was on the air, it was responsible for the identification and capture of hundreds of suspected criminals.

This episode, The Case of the Unknown Killer, was first heard on June 9, 1944.

Earlier we talked about the new ASA rules that will take effect on January 1 (2012).  In this show, part two of a two-part series, we look at some of the rules that DIDN'T make it.

Some of these proposed rules are good enough that they will probably appear again next year, and some are just plain weird.   

Consider, and enjoy.

And for more articles on playing, coaching, and managing adult slowpitch softball, click:  http://slowpitchbook.com.

Many of the great authors who prospered during the Golden Age of Science Fiction were represented on the radio show X-1.  Its early shows were adaptations of stories appearing in Astounding Science Fiction magazine, and most of its later stories were from Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.

Poul Andersen, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Theodore Sturgeon, and Ray Bradbury all had stories dramatized on the show. 

This episode was written by Ray Bradbury.  It originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on September 23, 1950, under the title The World the Children Made.  It aired as an X-1 episode entitled The Veldt on August 4, 1955.

I might add that this version has a happier ending than does the original story.

I love thrift shops.  They have given me many books and magazines that now occupy places of honor in my treasure library. 

In this podcast, I discuss resale store treasure hunting.  I also describe a magazine I recently picked up at a Goodwill store - a magazine with an article that virtually screams, "Get your old coins here - nothing newer than 1900!"

Well, mostly coins older than 1900, anyway. 

Because this once-prosperous village pretty much died when it was left an orphan by the railroad in 1873. 

And no, it's not in the old west.  Ghost towns can be found in virtually every state, and this one is in Indiana.

Christmas is here, and you probably know someone who would love a copy of my book The Metal Detecting Manual.  Check it out at http://treasuremanual.com.

Hopalong Cassidy was a national phenomenon in 1950. 

He was on television, in movies, in comic books, and in newspaper comic strips.

His image was on over a hundred products, from T-shirts to lunchboxes to toy guns to flashlights to pajamas. 

This episode of the Hopalong Cassidy radio show , The Mystery of Skull Mountain, originally aired on January 22, 1950.

Last time we talked about the new ASA rules that will take effect on January 1 (2012).  In this show, Part One of a two-part series, we look at some of the rules that DIDN'T make it.

Some of these proposed rules are good enough that they will probably appear again next year, and some are just plain weird.   

See what YOU think. 

And for tips on pitching, fielding, coaching, and managing, see my website http://slowpitchbook.com.

Ann Sothern is probably best remembered for her role as Susie McNamara in the TV series Private Secretary. 

But before that, she had starred in 11 movies about Maisie, a burlesque dancer who got herself into fixes that would have stymied even Lucille Ball. 

Maisie became a radio series in 1947, with Ann Sothern reprising her movie role. 

This episode of Maisie, Department Store Clerk, was broadcast on November 24, 1949.

Two short shows instead of one long one this week. 

First, an addendum to my earlier program about headphones for treasure hunters. And here's some info about the five-dollar headphones I talk about in the show(though they are more than $5.00 here):  http://tinyurl.com/6vc5m2z

Then, a look at a book written in 1860, and why it sparked my treasure hunting instincts.

For more of my articles about treasure hunting, and a look at my book on metal detecting, click to http://treasuremanual.com.

In the course of his radio career, Dick Powell played two detectives named Richard.  He is most famous as Richard Diamond, but before that he was Richard Rogue. 

Richard Rogue had a gimmick.  Whenever he was knocked unconscious (that is, in every episode), his alter ego Eugor spoke to him, giving him a clue as to how to proceed with the case. 

This episode of Rogue's Gallery, The Pat Flynn Case, first aired on June 6, 1946.

The proposed rule changes for the 2012 ASA season have been announced. 

The biggies including changing the distance between bases, allowing senior league players to swing the Big Bats, and the banning of bat warmers. 

In this show, I list the eleven rule changes the ASA is instituting next year.

NOTE:  I made a reading error on rule 6.  The first part is right, but then I said the word "attached" was changed to "taped."  I should have said the word "taped" was changed to "covered."  The rest of the statement is correct.

UPDATE:  ASA has now published the new rules in their final form, and they have dropped the reference to BPF numbers.  They have also stipulated that this change is for senior championship tournaments only:

Rule 3 Section 1A [4]: Exception: Senior Softball bats may be used in Senior Championship Play.

Comment: Add an exception to Rule 3 Section 1 that Senior Softball bats may be used in Senior Championship Play only.

For more of my articles on pitching, hitting, fielding, and managing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

John Charles Daly is best known for hosting What's My Line in the early days of television, but before that he was a CBS newsman who anchored a unique radio program that went back in time. 

The show was called You Are There, and in it the CBS News department covered historical events live, like the landing of the Pilgrims, the assassination of President Lincoln, and in this episode, the battle of the Alamo. 

Originally broadcast on August 18, 1947.

Karl von Mueller was a mystery man.  His real name was Dean Miller.  He sometimes wrote as Deek Gladson.  But he mostly called himself Karl. 

He began his treasure hunting career in the 1920s, and he was still active well into the 1980s. 

Some of his books sell for several hundred dollars nowadays.  Little information is available on Karl, and if you have something to add please click the Comments button below and let us hear from you.

Listen to this show for info on Karl, and some of his insights on keeping your mouth shut.

For more stories and articles about how to become a better treasure hunter, visit my website http://treasuremanual.com.

UPDATE - THANKS TO THE DETECTIVE WORK OF ONE OF OUR LISTENERS, WE HAVE CONFIRMED THE BIRTH/DEATH DATES OF KARL. 

He was born Dean Miller on February 3, 1915, and he died on January 27, 1990 - one week shy of his 75th birthday.

Before Casey Kasem's American Top 40 Countdown, there was Your Hit Parade.  America tuned in every Saturday night, from 1935 until 1953, to find out what song was Number One. 

Each week, Your Hit Parade featured the top seven songs, performed not by the hit artists, but by the stable of singers who appeared on the show every week. 

Several regular performers on the show became stars, including Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Dinah Shore, and Gisele MacKenzie.

See how many songs you remember from this episode, with Frank Sinatra, which originally aired on December 30, 1944.

Here's a look at an obscure softball book that was written over 20 years ago by two Canadians.  It's a small book with lots of drawings, and it is an excellent reference book for newbies to the game.

In this show, I walk through the book and point out some of the tips contained therein.

For more tips on playing and coaching adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Cabin B13 was one of those fondly-remembered radio programs for which no recorded episodes survived.  Or so it was thought, until tapes of three of the shows were unearthed. 

Cabin B13 was the cabin of the ship's doctor on a luxury cruise liner, and the doctor was the narrator of the stories.  He was played by Arnold Moss, a Broadway actor who also appeared in movies and even a Star Trek episode.

This is the premiere episode of Cabin B13, and it originally aired on July 5, 1948.

If certain members of congress get their way, the one-dollar bill could soon become extinct.  There is a serious move afoot to replace the paper dollar with a dollar coin. 

Dollar coins have been tried and rejected before.  Compared to the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the Ford Edsel was a roaring success. 

But this time around, the dollar coin would be forced upon us, because the dollar bill would no longer be made. 

And by the way, did George Washington really throw that silver dollar across the Potomac River?  You'll hear that story here, too.

For more articles about treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit my book website at http://treasuremanual.com.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was the first radio science fiction series.  It was based on the comic strip which started in 1929, and the radio version was on the air for fifteen years, from 1932 to 1947. 

Several actors played Buck over the years, and the program went from fifteen minutes to a half hour and then back to fifteen minutes. 

On this show, you'll hear the very first episode and, fifteen years later, the very last episode.

From April 5, 1932, and from March 28, 1947, here is Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Every other Thursday, I post a new episode of In the Softball Corner. 

But this morning I woke up with laryngitis.  The only sounds I can make are barely-discernable croaks and squeaks. 

So rather than try to whisper my way through this week's show, I'm instead shutting up completely and presenting one of the all-time classic vaudeville duos, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, and their most famous routine, Who's On First. 

Hopefully my voice will be back for the next show, but for now, please enjoy Abbott and Costello.

For articles on softball strategy, visit my website http://slowpitchbook.com.

The Adventures of Ellery Queen was a fun detective radio show, because the audience was given a chance to solve the crime before Ellery fingered the culprit. 

Near the end of each episode, Ellery would stop the show to announce that he had the necessary clues to solve the mystery, and he then invited the listening audience to name the villain. 

He often had famous guests in the studio who were challenged to figure out the clues.  After guesses were made, the program began again and revealed the criminal.

This episode, The Adventure of the World Series Crime, originally aired on September 30, 1943.

Most of our legendary treasure hunters are gone now.  Karl von Mueller, Bill Mahan, Hardrock Hendricks. 

But one of their cohorts is still with us, as active as ever.  Norman "Indy" Stiles began treasure hunting in 1956, with a metal detector that ran on five radio tubes and a 45-volt battery. 

Indy is still going strong today, and he gave me a few tips on finding small gold and silver for me to pass along to you in this show.

If you'd like to contact Indy Stiles, he welcomes new friends at indystiles@yahoo.com.

For more articles on metal detecting and treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Victor Jory played an evil plantation overseer in Gone With the Wind.  He played Lamont Cranston and the Shadow in the movie serial The Shadow.  And he was in over 150 movies. 

He was also the lead actor in each episode of the radio series Dangerously Yours, playing a different character every week.

In this June 1944 pilot episode, Masquerade, Jory plays an espionage agent in a one-on-one battle of wits with another spy - who happens to be female, and beautiful.

Slowpitch softball has lost nearly half a million players in the last three years. 

Why?

There are a myriad of reasons, and this show examines five of the big ones. 

There is a sixth big reason that I neglected to mention in the show - video games.  Why exert yourself in real life when you can play all the games you want with just your thumbs?  You don't have to buy bats or gloves or special shoes, you don't even have to leave your room to play.  (Thanks to the guys at softballfans.com for the heads-up on this one.)

Can this exodus be turned around?  Probably not. 

If you have ideas, please click the Comments button and let us know your thoughts.

For more articles on how to play, coach, and manage adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

NBC had a hit radio series with A Date With Judy (see show 52), and CBS wanted a similar program.  They found a series of humorous stories about a precocious teenage girl in Good Housekeeping magazine, and CBS adapted the stories for radio.

The result was Meet Corliss Archer, which aired from 1943 to 1956.  The legendary Janet Waldo was Corliss, and 40 years later she was still playing teenage girls, including Judy Jetson on the TV series The Jetsons.

Corliss had a boyfriend, Dexter, played by Sam Edwards, a famous character actor who many years later played the banker on Little House on the Prairie.

The radio series was so popular that it spawned a book, a comic book, a Broadway play, and a television series.

This episode of Meet Corliss Archer, Rival Boyfriend, originally aired on June 23, 1946.

No, not THOSE kind of strip searches!

Did you know that in most communities, it is perfectly legal for you to hunt those grassy strips in front of homes between the sidewalk and the street?  This is because those strips are owned by the city, not the homeowner.

But does this mean you should feel free to hunt those strips without permission?  Not on your life!

This show explains it all.

For more articles about treasure hunting, visit my website http://treasuremanual.com.

Sad Sack is chiefly remembered as the star of a comic book, but he was also the star of a 1957 movie (he was played by Jerry Lewis!) and a 1946 summer replacement radio series (in Frank Sinatra's time slot).

On the radio, Herb Vigran played the Sad Sack and Jim Backus was his roommate (in the radio series, Sad Sack was a veteran, World War II being over by the time the series was on the air).

This is the first episode of the series, Sad Sack Returns Home From the Army, from June 12, 1946.

Some authors claim that softballs carry farther in hot weather, but anyone who has played knows the opposite is true.  Why the confusion? 

It has to do with relative humidity and air density and ball compression.

Normal ASA ball compression is 375, which means that it requires a force of 375 pounds to push the surface of a softball one-fourth of an inch deep. 

Harder balls have higher compression numbers, because it takes more pounds of force to "squash" the ball a quarter-inch.  And the higher the compression, the better the trampoline effect when the ball hits the bat. 

Ergo, high compression = more distance.  And a 375 ball at 70 degrees becomes a 555 ball at 40 degrees. 

Listen up, it's all here.

For more of my articles on adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Can You Top This? was a joke show in which listeners sent in jokes, and the three resident comics tried to top those jokes. 

It ran from 1940 to 1954, and it was so popular that it spawned two books of jokes from the show, and it attracted upwards of 3,000 letters per week at the height of its popularity.

The jokemasters were Senator Edward Ford (not a real senator, but the creator and owner of the show), Harry Hirshfield, a popular cartoonist of the day, and ex-vaudevillian Joe Laurie, Jr. 

This episode was originally heard on December 5, 1947.

Administrivia:  It is now possible to get automatic downloads of new In theTreasure Corner shows as they are posted, without getting my other shows on old-time radio and softball. Go to http://danhughes.libsyn.com/rss/treasure and subscribe only to the old-time radio podcasts.

And now, back to your regularly-scheduled program:

This show is about gold. Here are a couple of things I couldn't fit into the program:

1.  If you are going to sell your gold, read this first:  http://tinyurl.com/3fcnhod.  There are a LOT of similar scams going on with the price of gold as high as it is.  

2.  Here's the formula to determine how much your gold ring is worth:

  A. Weigh the ring in grams.  Most men's rings are between 12 and 22 grams; most women's rings are between 4 and 10 grams.

   B.  If a 10K ring:  Multiply grams X .0134 X value of one ounce of gold (found daily at top of this page:  http://goldprice.org).

   C.  If a 14K ring:  Multiply grams X .01875 X value of one ounce of gold.

   D.  If an 18K ring:  Multiply grams X .0241 X value of one ounce of gold.

UPDATE:  Here's a site that will do all that math for you automatically, and it even knows the current-to-the-minute price of gold:  http://www.dendritics.com/scales/metal-calc.asp

Thanks to New Hampshire Bob for this info!

For more articles about treasure hunting, and a look at my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Great news!

It is now possible to get automatic downloads of new In the Old-Time Radio Corner shows as they are posted, without getting my other shows on treasure hunting and softball. 

Go to http://danhughes.libsyn.com/rss/oldtimeradio and subscribe only to the old-time radio podcasts.

Tales of the Texas Rangers was on the air from 1950 to 1952 as a radio show, and from 1955 to 1957 as a TV show.  It was an adult show on radio, and a kids' show on television. 

The radio version starred film star Joel McCrea as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, and it was rather like a western version of Dragnet.  McCrea used modern police procedural methods to solve Texas crimes.

This episode, White Elephant, first aired on July 15, 1950.

I've now got three years of In the Softball Corner under my belt, and in this birthday show I look at the All-Time Top 10 Shows of the series. 

Also, a couple of recent shows that are getting a lot of listens, and thoughts of shows for the future.

For more articles on managing, coaching, and playing slowpitch softball, visit my site http://slowpitchbook.com.

In 1943, a little-known author named Frederick Collins wrote a best-selling book called The FBI in Peace and War. 

A year later, CBS radio turned the book into a weekly series starring Martin Blaine as FBI field agent Sheppard. 

The program remained one of the best-rated crime shows on radio until it went off the air near the end of the old-time radio era, in 1958. 

This episode, Unfinished Business, aired on August 2, 1951. 

I've now got three years of In the Treasure Corner under my belt, and in this birthday show I look at the Top 10 Shows of the series. 

Also, a couple of recent shows that are getting a lot of listens, and thoughts of shows for the future. 

For more articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit my site http://treasuremanual.com.

Dennis Day had TWO radio shows, and Jack Benny had only one.  Dennis often kidded Jack about that on the Jack Benny Program. 

This is the second show Dennis had - A Day in the Life of Dennis Day.  It ran from 1946 to 1951. 

In his own show, Dennis played the same naive young innocent that he played on the Benny show.  He had a girlfriend named Mildred whose parents couldn't stand him, and he had a boss named Mr. Willoughby, played by the great John Brown.

This episode, Second Job, originally aired on October 22, 1947.

This show explains how I bought a Worth PST Quad, brand new in wrapper, for sixteen bucks. 

And how our team masher took four pitches (out of twelve) out of the park with it.

And how you can maybe get one cheap, too.

For more articles on slowpitch softball, visit my site http://slowpitchbook.com.

Did you ever hear Bill Cosby's routine about being terrified by a horror show on the radio when he was a kid, about a giant chicken heart? 

Well, that show was a real episode of Lights Out, a program that offered horror and the supernatural every Wednesday night. 

Lights Out was created by Wyliss Cooper (top photo) in 1934, and taken over by Arch Obeler (bottom photo) in 1936. 

This episode, Cat Wife, is one of the most popular shows of the series, and it was repeated several times.  This version stars Boris Karloff, and it originally aired on April 6, 1938.

I'm a treasure hunter.

I'm a metal detector hobbyist.

I'm a metal detectorist.

I'm a  - what?  What should we call ourselves?

In this show, I discuss several appellations and find that none of them are spot on.  Can you help?

Click the Comments button to post your thoughts.

For more articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Remember Ted Baxter's girlfriend (and later, his wife) Georgette on the Mary Tyler Moore Show?  See if you don't think her character might have been based on Irma from this old-time radio show, My Friend Irma. 

This show was so popular in its day that it also gave us a newspaper comic strip, a comic book, two movies, and a television series.

My Friend Irma was on the radio from 1947 to 1954.  This episode, Irma's Inheritance, first aired on April 5, 1948.

Do you use a donut on your bat before you step into the batter's box?

If so, you are costing yourself three to five miles per hour with your swing.
 
Listen to this show to find out why.

For more articles on slowpitch softball, visit my site http://slowpitchbook.com.

Who's buried in Grant's Tomb? 

That question originated on the old-time radio show It Pays to Be Ignorant, which ran for nine years, from 1942 to 1951. 

Easy questions were presented to a team of idiots, who mangled their answers until nobody quite knew what was happening. 

Host Tom Howard (on the right in the photo) tried to moderate the three contestants, (left to right) Harry McNaughton, Lulu McConnell, and George Shelton. 

This episode was first broadcast on July 14, 1944.

Everybody carries business cards, why not hobby cards?  A card announcing you as a treasure hunter can open doors for you.

It can help you make friends with your local police department, it can reassure strangers that you're not a pervert, it can get you business in finding lost objects.

This show takes a look at designing business cards for the treasure hunter, and it offers suggestions for using the card after you make it.

And please visit my website for more of my treasure hunting articles.

WXYZ radio in Detroit was the home of three classic juvenile radio shows - The Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet, and Challenge of the Yukon.

Challenge of the Yukon ran on radio from 1947 to 1955, and then on TV from 1955 to 1958.

It was set in the Alaskan Gold Rush of the 1890s, and the show featured a dog named King.  At first he was a husky, but somewhere along the way he became a malamute.  He was the lead dog for Sergeant William Preston, the star human of the show.

This episode, The Fraud, was originally broadcast on September 18, 1947. 

Does anyone know Dennis Stern, of St. Paul, Minnesota?  In 1980 he wrote this manual, and I'd like to talk to him. 

It is an excellent collection of tips and tricks for playing slowpitch softball, and though it is outdated now, it still has a lot of excellent information that holds up today.  It deserves to be updated and republished, perhaps as an eBook. 

This show relays some tips on hitting and pitching, as taken from Dennis Stern's manual.

For more articles on adult slowpitch softball, see http://slowpitchbook.com.

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was on the radio from 1946 to 1956, and on television from 1948 to 1958.

Some of the stars discovered by the show were Patsy Cline, Pat Boone, Tony Bennett, Jonathan Winters, Wally Cox, and Connie Francis. 

But Arthur missed the biggest star of all, a singer who auditioned for the show, but was not picked to appear - and that was Elvis Presley. 

A future star appears in this episode from April 18, 1949 - comedian Lenny Bruce.

Everybody tells you you'll find more if you slow down.  But slow down what? 

Your swing speed?  Your walking speed? 

This program gives you a step-by-step procedure for determining the proper swing speed for your detector, and it also tells you the secret of getting a beep from the deepest coins your detector is capable of finding.

Hey!  Two shows in one!  So pay attention!

And pay attention to this:  http://treasuremanual.com, for articles and a video that will make you a better treasure hunter.

Though Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were most famous for their baseball skit Who's On First, they actually did several other routines written with that same basic formula, where Lou misunderstands what Bud is trying to tell him. 

This show has one such skit, about the Hertz U-drive company.

Actress Veronica Lake is the guest in this episode from December 2, 1943.

New bats look great! 

But what about their performance? 

How do they compare to the old bats? 

In this show, we compare the old and the new, and maybe destroy your hopes for improvement, but then maybe build them up again.

Or...Is 98mph really 98mph?

For more articles on coaching and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Many of our In the Radio Corner shows are the first show of a series.  This time, we're giving you the last show of a series.

Murder and Mr. Malone ran on ABC and then NBC for four years, from 1947 to 1951.  A television version aired in 1951 and 1952. 

John J. Malone was a criminal lawyer.  He was created by Craig Rice, a female mystery novelist who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1946, but has since been mostly forgotten. 

Malone was first played by Frank Lovejoy (better known as Nightbeat's Randy Stone), then Gene Raymond (Broadway and movie actor; husband of Jeanette MacDonald), and finally George Petri. 

Petri was in television for over half a century, with recurring roles in shows ranging from The Honeymooners to Dallas to Mad About You.  He also played Eddie Haskell's father on Leave It To Beaver.

This final episode, Haste Maketh Waste, was broadcast on July 13, 1951.

Are you still in high school?  Or college?  Or grad school? 

Are you now, or will you someday be, taking a basic speech class? 

Then this show is for you.

While the other students are giving the same old boring speeches on how to make spaghetti and why we should bomb Granada, you can grab the attention of your audience (and your instructor) and grab that "A" by talking about....treasure hunting!

Listen and learn.

And learn even more by reading my treasure hunting tips at http://treasuremanual.com.

P.S.  The box with coins and pulltabs (bottom photo) is explained in the show.

Here is one of the all-time classic old-time radio broadcasts.  Actress Jan Miner delivers a masterful virtually-solo half-hour performance as a frantic wife trying to save her husband (via telephone) from execution.

The show was the premiere episode of NBC's Radio City Playhouse, which ran for just a year and a half but was universally praised for its strong writing (many famous authors wrote especially for the show) and its excellent acting.

This episode, Long Distance, was originally broadcast on July 3, 1948.

Are you still in high school?  Or college?  Or grad school? 

Are you now, or will you someday be, taking a basic speech class? 

Then this show is for you.

While the other students are giving the same old boring speeches on how to make spaghetti and why we should bomb Granada, you can grab the attention of your audience (and your instructor) and grab that "A" by talking about....softball!

Listen and learn.

More great softball articles here:  http://slowpitchbook.com.

Gene Autry was 21 when he began singing on the radio, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

A year later he signed a recording contract with Columbia records, and he moved to WLS in Chicago, where he was on the National Barn Dance for four years. 

He made his first movie in 1934, and his radio show, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, aired from 1940 to 1956. 

This episode, Cattlemen's Money Stolen, was originally broadcast on June 9, 1951.

(And by the way - that's not a lighter in the picture, that's the flashlight I describe in the show.)

Most treasure hunters agree that intelligent research is a necessity for increasing your odds of finding older coins. 

But research can be difficult in many ways - it may require travel to libraries and museums, and poring over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, and bothering people, and taking more time than you have to spare.

But there is another way!  "Instant Research" is at your fingertips.  This podcast gives you tips on giving yourself a good head start on researching small towns and communities before you arrive in person.

For more articles on treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Himan Brown envisioned a creaking door as an introduction to a spooky radio series.  He created the series, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, but he couldn't

get the sound he wanted from a door.  So he used a creaking chair, and that's what you hear at the beginning of each episode of Inner Sanctum.

The early episodes were hosted by a ghoul named Raymond, who was full of morbid jokes and ghastly puns. 

This episode, The Man From Yesterday, originally aired on December 21,1941.

Some players and coaches have short fuses. 

Does this put them at a disadvantage as far as close calls by the umpires go? 

In this show I interview a veteran ump on the subject.

For articles on playing and coaching adult slowpitch softball, check out my website, http://slowpitchbook.com.

The New Adventures of Michael Shayne was one of several incarnations of the radio version of the famous detective series. 

In the 1948-1949 run, Jeffrey Chandler starred as Shayne, and Dragnet's Jack Webb worked on the series as an uncredited script advisor. 

This episode, The Hate That Killed, originally ran on August 27, 1948.

A review of Relic Hunter, the Book, by Ed Fedory.

Ed was for many years the relic hunting columnist for Western and Eastern Treasures magazine. 

This was his first book, and it does a fantastic job of covering all the bases for the relic hunter.

For more of my articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Beyond Tomorrow was the first adult science fiction series on radio - maybe.  Some sources say three episodes aired on CBS in April 1950, but other sources say the programs were  recorded and scheduled, but never aired. 

The series was hosted by John W. Campbell Jr, perhaps the most influential person in the development of science fiction from the late 1930s through the 1960s.  Campbell was the editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine (which later became Analog) all those years, and he directed his authors with a strong hand.  He insisted on specific themes for his magazine, and he directed authors to change endings if he didn't like what they had written.

This episode, a western-science fiction story called Incident at Switchpath, was written by Theodore Sturgeon.  The magazine version was named The Sky is Full of Ships, but they changed the title for radio because they were afraid the words "ships" might be heard as something else.

From April 11, 1950, here is Beyond Tomorrow and Incident at Switchpath.

Herewith, a short review of a compact book. 

Though eight years old now, this book still fits the definition of a "modern" softball book.  The information on bats is dated, but the rest of the book contains a lot of valuable information. 

By no means as comprehensive as the huge Complete Guide to Slowpitch Softball reviewed in show #70, nonetheless this book is tightly packed with solid information. 

Topics covered include hitting, fielding, coaching, attitude, improving arm/leg strength, increasing stamina, and a lot more. 

For more articles on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball, check out my website http://slowpitchbook.com.

Have Gun, Will Travel was on television for over a year before a radio version was created.  John Dehner, who had just finished a year as Englishman J.B. Kendall in Frontier Gentleman, was chosen to play the radio version of Paladin.

Paladin was a gun for hire, but somehow he always managed to fight for the good.  A good guy dressed all in black - not a common sight on the western scene.

This episode,  Death of a Young Gunfighter, originally aired on March 15, 1959.

The photo shows radio's Paladin, John Dehner, with TV's Paladin, Richard Boone.

The first article I ever sold to a treasure magazine was called Photography for the Treasure Hunter.  It appeared in the November 1977 issue of Western and Eastern Treasures.

This podcast is an update of that article. 

Two points I discuss in the show are illustrated by this photo (which appeared in the original article). 

Note how I framed Kathy by shooting through a swing, and also note the use of the Rule of Thirds.  That is, she is in the top third/left third of the picture - approximately where lines would cross if you drew a tic-tac-toe board on the photo.

Also note the error in this shot - she looks like she has a post growing out of her back.  I should have repositioned her a bit before I took the photo.

For more articles about treasure hunting, visit my website http://treasuremanual.com.

People Are Funny hit the air in 1943, with Art Baker as host. 

Baker was fired and replaced by Art Linkletter, ostensibly because Linkletter would work for less money. 

The show was a hit with Linkletter, and it stayed on the radio for seventeen years,  from 1943 to 1960.  The TV version was on the air from 1954 to 1961. 

The show generally followed this formula:  Send an audience member out on the street at the beginning of the show to do a stunt, then do several on-stage stunts with other audience members, and finally bring back the first audience member to relate his or her experience outside the studio.

This episode is from January 13, 1952.

Discussed in this podcast are three basic situations for the second baseman: 

Glove size and fielding grounders, turning double plays, and relaying throws from the outfield. 

Also, a heads-up play that may allow you to make a put-out on a batter when the third baseman or shortstop throws the ball past the first baseman.

For tips on slowpitch topics like pitching, fielding, and setting your team lineup, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

A Date With Judy was on the air for a full decade, from 1941 to 1950. 

It was so popular that it spawned a movie starring Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor, a TV series which ran from 1951 to 1953, and a comic book which was issued from 1947 to 1960. 

The show was similar to Henry Aldrich and Archie, but its star was a teenage girl rather than a teenage boy.

This episode, A New Dress for the Dance, originally aired on May 18, 1946.

Pictured are Judy (Louise Erickson) and her boyfriend Oogie (Dick Crenna).

What quiz, you ask?  Well, I have a little confession to make.  The last program, called Treasure Hunting Safety, really wasn't about Treasure Hunting Safety.  It was a secret quiz just for those special people who listen to my shows all the way through. 

That show sure enough started to be about safety, but about two minutes in, it morphed into a general-knowledge quiz. 

Trivia quizzes are like treasure hunts - it takes the same qualities to ferret out the correct answers as it does to find a hidden treasure - research, perseverance, and some solid detective work.

The winners have already been announced, but if you missed the quiz and would like to give it a try, go back and listen to show #70 before you listen to this one, because this one has all the answers.

Check out my articles on treasure hunting, and my video on how to dig a coin, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Mr. and Mrs. North began as a series of magazine stories, then was expanded into a mystery novel (actually 26 of them), then a Broadway play, then a radio series, and finally a TV series.

This is the pilot episode of the radio show.  Mr. and Mrs. North were a happily-married couple, a bit on the eccentric side, who happened to be adept

at solving crimes.  It starred Carl Eastman and Peggy Conklin (who also played Pam in the Broadway show).

The roles of Jerry and Pam were given to Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost after the pilot was picked up by NBC.  (The show moved to CBS in 1947, hence the CBS mic flag in this photo of Joseph and Alice).

This episode, Picnic, originally aired on NBC on December 30, 1942.

P.S.  Visit the Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Discussion Board at http://cincyotr.info.

When you were a kid, didn't you hate to write book reports?  Me too!

But this book was a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend you buy a copy. 

This is the first and only book I've ever seen that lives up to the title of a COMPLETE guide to slowpitch softball.  It's big, it has an instructional DVD included, and it covers virtually everything. 

In this show, I look at the many pros and the few cons of this book. 

For more articles about slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Rather than play an episode from an old-time radio series this week, we present all the questions and answers from the First Annual Old-Time Radio Trivia Bowl, recorded at the Cincinnati Old-Time Radio and Nostalgia Convention on May 7, 2010. 

I've edited out dead air and spaces between questions and answers, so the show moves along quickly.  If you'd like to play the game, get your paper and pencil, and keep your finger on the pause button as you write your answers.

In the photo, last year's winning team, the Tom Mix Ralston Straightshooters (left to right, Jim Widner, Jack French, Meredith Granger, Randy Larson).

Visit the Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Discussion Board:  http://cincyotr.info.

I've been hesitant to write on this topic, because, frankly, I think most treasure hunters will find it boring.  Who amongst you enjoyed Traffic Safety Class in high school? 

Treasure hunters want action and excitement, not lectures on how to stay safe in the field.

But I've been asked, so I have answered.  I'm predicting this episode will have fewer listeners than most - let's see if you prove me wrong.

And if you want to send me a note, pro or con, about this episode, I'm at danhughesmail@gmail.com

For more articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, and a video on how to dig a coin, visit my web site. 

In 1938, Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, a comic book that has reportedly sold for as high as one and a half million dollars. 

In 1939, Superman became a daily comic strip.

And in 1940, Superman took to the air with a three-afternoons-a-week radio show. 

Who played Superman on the radio?  It was a closely-guarded secret until 1946, when Clayton Collyer was identified as the voice of the Man of Steel.  Collyer is better known to early television enthusiasts as Bud Collyer, host of game shows like Beat the Clock and To Tell the Truth.

This episode, The Mystery of the Mechanical Monster, first aired on December 10, 1949.

In the photo:  Jackson Beck, the announcer whose never-to-be-forgotten words "Faster than a speeding bullet!  More powerful than a locomotive!" began each episode; Clayton Collyer; and Joan Alexander, who played Lois Lane.

The NCAA has changed its technical standards for baseball bats this season, and because of that both pitching and hitting statistics are changing. 

Does this portend similar changes for softball? 

In this program we take a look at the new college baseball bat and what it is doing to the game.

For more articles on adult slowpitch softball, check out my website.

Wild Bill Hickok (Guy Madison) and his rotund sidekick Jingles Jones (Andy Devine) rode across our radio dials - and television screens - from 1951 to 1956 (radio) and 1951-1958 (television). 

Guy Madison (real name Robert Moseley) was on leave from the Coast Guard in 1944 when he was "discovered" and cast in a small movie part.  His good looks got him several roles, but his lack of acting ability kept him from being a star until he was cast as Wild Bill Hickok.

This was a cowboy show for kids, with lots of shooting and yelling and simple plots of bad guys vs. good guys.

Our episode is Six-Gun Serenade, from December 1, 1954.

This week's program finds us out on a tangent from our regular treasure hunting topics. 

Flashlights probably aren't on the "A" list of metal detecting tools for most people. 

But as you'll hear in the show, I've always been excited by flashlights, and I always have one with me. 

In this program, I explain my fascination with them, and offer a couple of tips as to how they can come in handy in treasure hunting.

For other articles that probably make more sense to treasure hunters, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

The Jack Benny Show is probably the most-often named Favorite Show of All Time amongst old-time radio fans. 

I chose this episode not because of its content, but because I own the actual script that Jack edited (in pencil) and read from when this particular show was originally broadcast (on October 7, 1945). 

I have posted the first three pages of the script at http://danhughes.net/radio/jackscript.htm, so you can read along as you listen to the program.

See if you don't think the changes Jack made to the script make the show even funnier.

The photo is of my daughter Karen in her JACK JACK JACK (on the front) BENNY BENNY BENNY (on the back) shirt, with Jack Benny impersonator Eddie Carroll. 

For more photos of Karen with OTR celebrities, visit http://danhughes.net/khugged.htm, and for more Jack Benny photos visit http://danhughes.net/waukegan.htm.

ALSO - A reminder that the 2011 Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Convention is on May 13 and 14. Admission is just $10 -  Check it out.

This podcast discusses Quick Topic internet bulletin boards, which my team uses to contact each other, and to post stats, photos, important phone numbers, etc.

There are three versions of the system, ranging in price from free to $49.00 per year.  Your team might find the free version handy, and the price is certainly right. 

I use the Pro $49 version, and once you pay your money you can set up as many Pro bulletin boards as you like without paying any more money.  I have about 25 Pro boards now, which drops my price to about two dollars per year per board.

Here are the sample links:

The $49 per year board (my senior softball team):  http://www.quicktopic.com/41/H/SUgW7YkfUSd

The free board (a high school class):  http://www.quicktopic.com/42/H/hHQUV9LmpKdmV

For more articles on pitching, hitting, fielding, and a lot more, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

The Great Gildersleeve was a spinoff of Fibber McGee and Molly.  Hal Peary was introduced as the character in 1939, and in 1941 Gildy got his own show. 

His exasperating pre-teen nephew Leroy, was played by Walter Tetley, who was actually 26 when the show began.  His niece Marjorie was  played by several different actresses, starting with Lurene Tuttle, who was replaced by Louise Erickson and then Mary Lee Robb.

Gildersleeve was blustery but lovable, the water commissioner of Summerville.  He was constantly in and out of romances, and several regular characters, including Druggist Richard Q. Peavey and Judge Horace Hooker, added to the fun.

This episode is an audition show that never made the air.  Three months later, it was rewritten and used as the first episode of the new series.

Here is a list of popular treasure hunting and metal detecting forums (in alphabetical order).  They are all clickable links!  If you have a favorite that I have left out, please email me at danhughesmail@gmail.com so I can add it to the list.

GENERAL FORUMS

American Detectorist

Find's Treasure Forum

Friendly Metal Detecting Forum

Lucky Dan's Metal Detecting Forum

My Treasure Spot

THunting

Tom's Treasures

Treasure Depot

Treasure Digging

Treasure Hunter Forum

Treasure Quest Metal Detecting Forum

World Metal Detector Community

 
REGIONAL FORUMS (Most of these welcome anyone, whether you live in the area or not)

Canadian Metal Detecting

California Metal Detecting

Great Lakes Metal Detecting

Metal Detecting Maine

Metal Detecting New England

New Hampshire Bob's Metal Detecting Forum

Northeast Metal Detecting Forum

 
MAGAZINE-SPONSORED FORUMS (You do not have to subscribe to participate)

Lost Treasure Magazine Forum

Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine Forum

 
SPECIALIZED FORUMS

Geotech Technology Forum (Mostly technical discussions by technicians/engineers)

Nuggethunting Forum (Mostly prospecting, but this is their treasure hunting page)

White's Electronics (discussion of White's detectors only)

 
NEWSGROUP FORUMS (These use email addresses, because you send your notes via email)

(Go to http://groups.google.com/ or http://groups.yahoo.com/ to join)
alltreasuretalesusa@yahoogroups.com (mostly concerned with Big Finds)
alt.treasure.hunting@googlegroups.com
metaldetecting@yahoogroups.com (lots of spam)
metaldetecting2@yahoogroups.com (lots of spam)
metaldetectingfamily@yahoogroups.com (excellent group)
treasurehunter@yahoogroups.com (lots of spam)

For more of my articles on metal detecting and treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

The Archie comic book was also a radio show in the late 1940s, starring Bob Hastings (later Lt. Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy, and bartender Tommy Kelsey on Archie Bunker's Place) as Archie. 

In the photo, left to right:  Alice Yourman as Archie's mom, Harlan "Hal" Stone as Jughead, Bob Hastings as Archie, Gloria Mann as Veronica, Arthur Kohl as Archie's dad, and Rosemary Rice as Betty.

With a live studio audience composed mostly of boisterous children, the show was pretty noisy, to say the least.

This episode, The New TV, first aired on May 21, 1949.

NOTE:  Archie and Betty (Bob Hastings and Rosemary Rice) will both be at the Old-Time Radio Convention in Cincinnati on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, appearing in old-time radio re-creations. 

All attendees are invited to audition for parts in the shows, so you might get to act with the stars!  More info at http://CincyOTR.info. 

The Cincinnati convention is more informal than most, with the stars mixing with the audience.   If you're able to come, look me up and say hello!

In these bleak economic times, team sponsors are becoming harder and harder to find.

This show offers some suggestions on which businesses are the best to approach, and how to treat your sponsor right (and what NEVER to do).

We also look at an unorthodox sponsor setup that has been wildly successful for a smalltown team.

For more articles about adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com

Casey, Crime Photographer ran from 1943 to 1950, then again in 1954-55, on the CBS radio network. 

Jack Casey took crime pictures for the Morning Express, and his adventures turned him into a reluctant detective. 

Staats Cotsworth, who played Casey for most of the show's run, started in radio in 1937 as an actor in the soap opera Pepper Young's Family, and he was still going strong in 1974, when he appeared often on the CBS Mystery Theater.  He also appeared in guest roles on various television shows in the 1950s and 1960s. 

This episode, Acquitted, about a policeman with a temper that often gets him into trouble, first aired on July 3, 1947.

Does the fact that you have to pay extra for a coil cover for your metal detector indicate that the manufacturers think you don't really need one?

Or are they hoping you'll wear a hole in your coil and have to buy a new coil from them?

In this show, I discuss some reasons you should use a coil cover, and some reasons you may not want to use one after all.

For more articles about metal detecting and treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Let George Do It was a one-of-a-kind radio show.  It started as a funny mystery/detective show, and over the years it evolved into a more hard-boiled private eye program.

Bob Bailey, best-known for his later work as Johnny Dollar, starred as George Valentine, a returning World War II veteran.  Valentine had saved up a little money, and he used it to open a business where he would do things other people needed done but didn't want to do themselves. 

The show was quirky and fun to listen to.  George was a happy-go-lucky optimist who seemed to enjoy life, no matter what.

This is the pilot episode, The First Visitor.  It aired on September 20, 1946.

Wherein Dan reminisces about his days as a ticket-pusher for the Atlanta Braves, and how what he learned there might help you find a team sponsor today.

For more free articles about slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Duffy's Tavern was one of the most popular radio shows of the 1940s.  The title character, Duffy, never appeared on the show. 

Each episode began with Archie (Ed Gardner), the manager of the tavern, answering the phone and talking to owner Duffy.  You only heard Archie's side of the conversation. 

Miss Duffy, the owner's daughter, was a wacky dame played by several different actresses over the run of the show. 

Eddie was a smart-aleck waiter who always talked back to his boss. 

And Finnegan was an easy-talking lush who was later copied by Frank Fontaine when he played Crazy Guggenheim on the Jackie Gleason show.

Duffy's Tavern was tried on TV, but it did not work, mainly because Ed Gardner could not learn his lines.  He worked fine with a script in his hands, but you can't do that on television.

This episode of Duffy's Tavern is called "Archie Wants to Patent Electricity," and it first aired on February 23, 1949.

Sure, anyone can find coins and rings.  But what are some of your stranger finds? 

Most every treasure hunter has an assortment of uncategorizable odds and ends, often accompanied by good stories.  Here are some of mine.  What are some of yours?

Please tell us your story by clicking the Comments button ((bottom right-hand corner of this episode listing). 

We'd love to hear from you!

For more of my articles about treasure hunting, and information about the new edition of my book, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

This crime drama was on the air for five years, from 1949 to 1954.  Detective Danny Clover was a Manhattan native who knew his neighborhood, and his people. 

Larry Thor starred as Danny Clover, and the producer and director was the legendary Elliott Lewis, who was also an excellent actor equally at home in comedy (he was Remley on the Phil Harris-Alice Fay Show) and drama (he played the captain of the Scarlett Queen and often appeared in shows like Suspense).

Listen carefully and you'll hear the distinct voice of Howard McNear (Andy Griffith's Floyd the Barber) in this episode.

From May 12, 1950, this is The Marcia Dean Murder Case.

Do you go through a stretching routine before you hit the softball diamond?

A surprising new study done for the American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons indicates that you might be wasting your time.

This week's show takes a look at that study, and offers a suggestion about pregame warmups.

For more articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book on managing and coaching adult slowpitch softball, visit my website.

The Whistler was one of those shows that delighted in surprising us with a trick ending, sometimes even a double trick ending.  Think Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and even farther back to O.Henry's stories. 

The title character, The Whistler, was a mysterious apparition who narrated the program but never had an active part in it.  He talked to the other characters, though they couldn't hear them, which was just as well, because what he had to say was never pleasant.  His snide, mocking attitude was a big hit with listeners.

The Whistler began as a west coast-only program, and it was sponsored by Signal Gasoline, a company that existed only in California and a few other western states. 

To many old-time radio listeners, Signal Gasoline will always be associated with The Whistler.

This episode, The Gentle Way, was first heard on June 23, 1947.

What's the best way to dig up the coins you find with your metal detector?  That's a trick question, because even the experts disagree on the answer.

This show discusses digging tools and techniques, and it names by name one tool that is highly respected, and a copycat tool that probably won't hold up for you.

Here is the video that goes with this program.

After you watch the video, scroll down that page and click on the first article, Recommended Metal Detecting Accessories. 

There you will find photos of a couple of the tools mentioned in this podcast, and more information about detecting accessories.

If you would like to leave a comment or tell us what tools you prefer, click the Comments line and leave your message.

If you enjoy these podcasts, you will doubly enjoy the new edition of my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.

Frontier Gentleman ran only one season, in 1958, near the end of the old-time radio era. 

John Dehner, who played Paladin in the radio version of Have Gun, Will Travel, also played the Frontier Gentleman, J.B. Kendall. 

Kendall was a British newspaper reporter covering the American west for the London Times. 

He was good with a gun, and he often ran into famous people, like Wild Bill Hickok and General Custer. 

The show had humor, drama, and excitement, and was one of the best adult westerns old-time radio had to offer.

This episode, Honky Tonkers, first aired on February 16, 1958.

There are nearly a hundred softball discussion forums on the internet.  Some are all-inclusive, some specialize in specific geographic areas or are aimed at a specific audience (church leagues, fastpitch, etc).

This show looks at several of them.  Which ones should you be reading? 

Here are the links to the boards mentioned in the show:

SOFTBALL BOARDS FOR EVERYONE

Softball Fans

For Softball Fanatics

The Old Scout Message Board

Addicted2Softball (brand new - get in on the ground floor)

Serious Softball (over 70 different forums)

REGION-SPECIFIC BOARDS

Florida Softball

Georgia Softball

Louisiana Softball

Pennsylvania Softball

Northeast Softball

Please check out my book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball, at http://slowpitchbook.com.

Just four characters - husband Victor Gook, wife Sade Gook, stepson Rush Gook, and beyond-insane Uncle Fletcher - were the only people who appeared on this 15-minute-a-day, five-day-a-week program.

Each show took place in the Gook house, "halfway up in the next block."  They talked.  And talked.  And we laughed.  Until the tears streamed down our faces. 

There was no studio audience, no laugh track, just these four strange people carrying on bizarre conversations. 

Vic, who was super-serious about his kitchenware job and his lodge.  Sade, the sane wife who almost kept the show grounded.  Rush, the eager and excitable young high school student.  And Uncle Fletcher, a confused visitor from another galaxy.

The writer of this marvelous show, Paul Rhymer, had a rare talent for humor perhaps not seen since Mark Twain. 

Often the engineers had to duck their heads below the studio window, they were laughing so hard.  They were afraid that if the actors saw them, they wouldn't be able to keep a straight face as they read their insane lines so matter-of-factly.

Vic and Sade is an acquired taste.  At first you just shake your head in wonder, but after a few episodes you begin to catch on.  I urge you to find more of these shows and give them a listen.  You won't regret it.

This show consists of three clips from Vic and Sade episodes originally broadcast in 1940 and 1941.

And now, let's drop in on radio's home folks, Vic and Sade.

Three reasons to use headphones, and which headphones to use. 

One thing I neglected to emphasize in the show is being sure your headphones are comfortable. 

No matter how good your headphones are, you won't enjoy them much if they squeeze your head or hurt your ears. 

Worse, you'll quit detecting sooner and thereby miss a lot of finds.

Here's a set I like:

AudioPhoneII

What about those super-expensive headphones?  Here are links to both sides of the argument:

PRO:  expensive headphones
CON:  expensive headphones

And if you don't like to read, check out my Metal Detecting Manual.

Jack Webb was a radio comedian, if you can imagine that, working as a disc jockey in San Francisco in 1945. 

In 1946 he created and starred in a radio series called Pat Novak for Hire, then he did Johnny Modero:  Pier 23.

And in 1949, Dragnet.  Webb wanted it to be as true-to-life as possible, so he rode with police detectives and took classes at the police academy.  He knew more about being a policeman than many of the actual cops.

When Jack Webb died in late 1982, the Los Angeles Police Department honored him by flying its flag at half-mast.

Here's Jack Webb and Dragnet, and The Big Grab, which was aired on June 29th, 1950.

Composite bats are banned in Little League baseball, high school baseball, college baseball, and major league baseball.  That pretty much leaves softball, and the writing may be on the wall there, too.

In this show, I discuss the history of softball bats, and then I take a look at a recently-published study that shows that some composite bats pose a real danger, especially for pitchers and third basemen.

Here are the references mentioned in the show:

Little League:  http://tinyurl.com/2ecyfdm
College:  http://tinyurl.com/46dlprg
High School:  http://tinyurl.com/4js5c93
USSSA:  http://tinyurl.com/4aekesm
Sport Journal article:  http://tinyurl.com/486mwsc

For more articles about adult slowpitch softball and a look at my book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Until the 1950s, most radio science fiction stories were aimed at children.  Shows like Superman,  Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were regular afternoon fare for the kids.

But science fiction magazines for adults were going strong in the early 1950’s.  Titles like Fantasy and Science Fiction, Astounding Science Fiction, Fantastic Universe, and Amazing Science Fiction were popular. 

Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Isaac Asimov, and many more legendary authors wrote for the pulp science fiction magazines.

In 1950, the NBC radio network created a new radio series of science fiction for adults, called Dimension X.  It first aired on April 8th, 1950, and it ran until September 29, 1951.  It made a return appearance as X Minus 1 from 1955 to 1958.

This story, Dwellers in Silence, was written by Ray Bradbury, and was a chapter in his novel The Martian Chronicles.  It originally aired on July 19th, 1951.

Do you have friends who question your sanity because you are a treasure hunter? 

Do you wish you had a snappy comeback when they heap scorn upon your beloved hobby? 

This show gives you some good answers for those idiot friends of yours.

The second edition of my Metal Detecting Manual is out now. Buy your copy here.

When popular comedian Red Skelton was drafted, the bandleader of his radio show was offered a chance to create a replacement show.  

And thus was born The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.  

The bandleader, of course, was Ozzie Nelson, and the band's vocalist was his wife Harriet, who had sung professionally under the name Harriet Hilliard.

So virtually overnight, Ozzie and Harriet moved from the world of music to the world of acting.  

Their radio show aired from 1944 to 1954, and the TV version ran from 1952 to 1966.

This episode, Card Tricks, was first broadcast on January 23, 1949.

The only New Year's Resolution I ever kept earned me over $30,000.  You can hear the story here.

Most resolutions are impossible to honor for very long. 

In this show, I give you some tips on making resolutions that you can keep, and that just may make you a better softball player.  (Or earn you a lot of money.)

Check out my book on Managing, Coaching,and Playing adult slowpitch softball.

The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio says:  "The Adventures of Sam Spade remains today the pinnacle of radio private eye broadcasts."

In 1930, author Dashiell Hammett wrote what is perhaps the most famous private detective novel of all time:  The Maltese Falcon.  The book was made into a move twice before the ultimate film version starring Humphrey Bogart was released in 1941.  Bogie made Sam Spade an unforgettable character, the original hard-boiled private eye.

In 1946, ABC radio brought Sam Spade to the airwaves, starring tough-talking Howard Duff as the title character.  The show remained on the air until Duff decided to take a spin on the movies in 1950.

Here's The Farmer’s Daughter Caper, originally broadcast on September 3, 1950.

I made a New Year's Resolution that has earned me over $30,000 so far - and it keeps earning more every day!

Here's the story of the only New Year's Resolution I've ever kept, and some suggestions for some resolutions of your own that you can actually follow for the entire year.

Check out the new edition of my Metal Detecting Manual.

Fred Allen was a radio humorist whose humor was much more sophisticated than that of most comedians. 

His show first aired in 1932, and its final episode was broadcast in 1949. 

During that time, Fred had a famous feud with fellow comedian Jack Benny, after Fred insulted Jack’s violin skills.  The feud sparked the careers of both entertainers, and continued for years on the air, even though they were great friends in real life.

Fred carried on another feud, too – this one a real one – against the radio censors.  His deleted material wasn’t blue – it was simply insulting to the network executives.  He was often cut off by the censors in mid-sentence. 

Fred was not particularly fond of Hollywood or the people who ran it. Here is one of his famous quotes:  "You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer's heart."

From June 26, 1949, this is Fred Allen's last radio show.