this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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Nostalgia

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nostalgia noun nos·tal·gia nä-ˈstal-jə nə-, also nȯ-, nō-; nə-ˈstäl- 1: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition also : something that evokes nostalgia

Rules for Nostalgia Lemmy Community

1. Respectful Nostalgia Share nostalgic content and memories respectfully. Avoid offensive or insensitive references that may be hurtful to others.

2. Relevant Nostalgia Posts should focus on nostalgic content, including memories, media, and cultural references from the past. Stay on topic to preserve the nostalgic theme of the community.

3. Source Verification If you share nostalgic media or content, provide accurate sources or background information when possible.

4. No Spamming Avoid excessive posting of similar nostalgic topics to keep content diverse and engaging for all members.

5. Positive Discussions Encourage positive discussions and interactions related to nostalgic topics. Respect different viewpoints and memories shared by community members.

6. Quality Content Strive to post high-quality content that sparks nostalgia and meaningful conversations among members.

7. Moderation Guidelines

By adhering to these rules and guidelines, we can create a welcoming and enjoyable space to relive nostalgic moments together. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to the moderators. Thank you for sharing your nostalgia responsibly!

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[–] NachBarcelona@piefed.social 68 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What in the boomer shit is this caption?

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 18 points 1 week ago

It's just gatekeeping for Muppets.

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Bic pens were better because their caps were shaped perfectly for the job.

BiC Cristal Original Ball Pen

[–] 6nk06@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I dont know which cap you had but it was the worst idea because my caps were round and unsuitable for that. I used the pen itself.

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

The part that protruded down from the cap along the side of the pen to form the "pocket clip" fit between the gear teeth and made turning easier & more reliable - you slid the cassette down the body of the pen until that part engaged the teeth. Later I came to prefer the style of pen below due to the flatter protrusion, but both worked pretty well.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago (5 children)

IIRC, using two yielded the best results, as one wound while the second stabilized the other spool. 🤓

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I was never careful enough with them to even have thought of that. I'd get the cassette on the pen as described, then whirl it around & around in the air like a noise maker to wind the tape.

Wooden noise maker

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

ohmygods. You absolute monster. 🤢😵‍💫😭😬

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[–] Davel23@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

Japanese pencils are slightly bigger in diameter than American ones, they fit perfectly into the cassette sprocket while American ones leave enough room for the pencil to spin without spooling the tape.

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[–] BigBenis@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

Lol chill, we millennials aren't that old.

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Back in the early 90ies I would sometimes find smashed cassettes on the ground with the tape floating in the wind, while coming back from school. I'd grab the tape and splice it into another cassette so that I could hear what was on it.

I've never found anything more than boring music but the act of "repairing" the tape made me feel like a spy.

[–] fakeman_pretendname@feddit.uk 15 points 1 week ago

Yeah it sounded like boring music if you played it forwards. You had to play it backwards to get the awesome messages from Satan.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 19 points 1 week ago (6 children)

My first acy of piracy, tho I did not know it at the time, was recording songs from the radio to blank cassettes.

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (3 children)

That wasn’t piracy. That was fair use.

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[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If only we could steal cars that way.

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[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Lol, how old do you think this is? Only people under 30 likely won't get it.

...there are dozens of us!

[–] Timbits@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Most of us are probably over 30.

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[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'm late 20s and I get it. It's not that old knowledge

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm so old I remember the music industry trying to ban the sale of blank cassettes because of copyright infringement. Oh how we laughed at them.

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[–] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That cartoon has a glaring error: cassette tapes did not perform the pencil surgery on each other. Humans performed the pencil surgery on the cassette tapes.

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[–] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

But doctor, those are my eyes.

You forget your audience

[–] Flamekebab@piefed.social 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Cassette tapes were such an obscure format.

[–] Davel23@fedia.io 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's meant to be a joke, right?

[–] Flamekebab@piefed.social 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Do you realistically think someone commenting on the Fediverse about media would seriously consider audio cassettes, one of the most popular media formats of the twentieth century, to be an obscure format?

[–] slackassassin@piefed.social 8 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I mean, I've seen dumber. So, yes?

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[–] PartyAt15thAndSummit@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

"Doctor, will I ever be able to play the piano again?"

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[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

I could do it with my finger, no pens/pencils needed.

The pens/pencils were more often used for manual rewinding to save battery life than getting the tape back into the cassette.

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

ouch, my back

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