What Trumper said. I copy tapes to the computer for CDs from time to time and, once you’ve worked out how to connect the cables, it is relatively simple. At the moment I’ve an old tape deck connected direct to the “line-in” socket of the computer’s sound card. In the past I have had the tape deck run through an amplifier first, if you do that take care with sound levels.

You will need a recorder/sound editor programme. Try Audacity which is open source (free) software. Download from: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download

Audacity can also do some noise reduction, if there is hiss etc on the tape.

As for people who would convert it for you, I’d be very nervous of damaging your tapes. Have you thought about asking the Imperial War Museum for advice? They have an extensive sound archive and will have technical knowledge. You could always offer to donate in return for a digital copy if they will do that?

The only thing I would add is that tapes do degrade with age – it’s good that you want to convert it now.

AllanK

Can you buy ’em?

Too right. I used to send off the tokens on jam jars as a kid and the badges lay in a drawer for year. A couple of years ago I offered them on eBay. One sold for £120 😮

No question that the tests had been properly carried out and the young man was effectively dead before his organs were collected. I checked. She does admit her reaction was irrational but she had been charged with caring for him and witnessing such things is, as you say, polarising.

With all due respect, have you ever watched anyone die for want of an organ? Been with them through their last weeks, days and hours knowing full well that every single day organs suitable for transplant are being wasted for the simple reason that the deceased has either made no provision for them to be made available or that their Religious beliefs, or a belief in natural selection, sees these organs rotting in a coffin or cremated? It tends to polarise your views.

A very good friend of mine worked as a nurse and was involved in recovering organs for use in transplant. She told me how she wheeled the young man into the operating theatre and then wheeled him down to the morgue. And because of that she would not join the donor register. Her view was that operating theatres were to cure people – not make them dead.

Witnessing her having a conversation about that with a transplant recipient left me with a much better understanding of the complexity of the situation and how people respond to it. She even admitted her view might be seen as irrational, but it did not stop her holding it. That is what seeing people die can do.

Personally, I would like to see the UK adopting the “opt out” system of donation as was discussed a little while ago – it still allows those with strong views to not donate. See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jan/14/uk.publicservices

But the case in question here is simply unspeakably tragic. Not all patients get the chance of a transplant but to have the hope created from the operation dashed in this way, I can’t find words for it.

Allan

Open house – I have a busy day today

(Apollo) 7
(Liberty) Bell
4 (runs)

So rearranging it makes Bell 47 helicopter.

Yes – too good for me. Somebody else have a go while I spend a few days trying to think of a really cryptic one.

Try this: