" This is extremely important. Contact cleaner is a spray or liquid product that is designed to dissolve corrosion on metal electronic parts, typically the main cause of scratchy and popping sounds while moving volume controls or intermittent rotary or push-button switches (for speaker selections, modes, source) headphone or microphone jacks, etc. While all contact cleaners work on metal-only parts, most will actually destroy plastics and safe lubricants found inside and outside of almost every volume control potentiometer and switch. Choosing a contact cleaner which will restore and not harm your equipment is always a better choice than using a low-cost contact cleaner, as replacing your original part once the hidden internal plastics cracked or melted, or the metal shaft seized, are often impossible and tedious at best, so you are better to not attempt to clean with a questionable product and instead live with the unit as it is until you can obtain a suitable contact cleaner which will not harm your precious treasure. You can usually purchase a safe bottle at a decent electronics store or over the internet though it is important to be certain shipping of the product is approved by the shipping service as many contact cleaners are flammable and sometimes cannot be shipped certain methods or to certain locations. CAIG DeoxIt is a popular brand of contact cleaner and they have "D5" specifically for cleaning vintage stereo equipment correctly without harming the plastic components. They are an industry leader in contact cleaners for audiophiles and offer product support and product suggestions for specific applications. "D5" is an industry standard in the broadcast world and safely removes oxidation from the metals while avoiding harm to the internal plastic pieces and lubricants that most audio potentiometers contain. Avoid WD-40 (a renowned metal contact cleaner not always necessarily safe on all plastic parts) as it is not intended for use on most pieces that contain or touch plastic parts or have lubricants required to be able to turn. Testing before use may not be your option so use the online forums for advice first before trying something not reversible, you can save some headaches and heartaches. Damage cannot be undone. Equipment damaged or destroyed by contact cleaners which are not safe on plastics can sometimes end up on the internet (where you can't try before you buy) with no reference to seized or cracked controls so be careful to ask sellers if the knobs still turn or slide freely without excessive force or have shaft or neck breakage hidden by glued knobs etc. You can typically buy a few basic models of low-cost modern reproduction volume controls over the internet and test different contact cleaners on them to see what works and what doesn't before risking your stereo equipment's rare original pieces.

Summary: Purchase a bottle of contact cleaner which is labeled as "safe to use on plastics. Look for a brand that offers quick-drying, no-residue application, as you won't be able to wipe many of the internal components dry. Avoid using products on your classic stereo equipment that are not intended for use on plastics in your stereo. Read and understand all labels on your contact cleaner and if you have any doubts, don't use it.


. It's pretty hard to be enthusiastic about life when you're living someone else's. Not being yourself is just so draining; no wonder it's hard to muster up enthusiasm. In order to channel that gusto, you gotta be yourself first and foremost. Pretending to be something you're not takes up all your resources you could be using on doing what you actually enjoy and could get excited about. A lot of us try super hard to fit into a mold that society has deemed correct. Boo. We're not going to enjoy the things our friends enjoy, we're not going to get fulfillment out of the things that fulfill others. So don't waste your time! It's only when you're naturally you that you can find what drives you and grab a firm hold. Then you can work on being enthusiastic. You're on this page for a reason. Most likely someone around you is giving you crap about your lack of energy. Very few people look objectively at themselves and say, "Hmm. I wonder why I'm not peppier." But whatever your reason, you probably have an inkling as to why. Is it your job? Your love life? Or is it more of a universal, 24/7 thing that's dragging you down? It's natural to get stuck in a rut. These things happen. They also end at some point. But then there's clinical depression and that's a whole other can of worms. If it's something you've never thought about, think about it now. Is it a lack of enthusiasm or is it a bigger issue? What's your gut tell you? If someone handed you a math test and said, "Here's the exam. It's stuff you didn't even dream of touching in college. Good luck, kid," how might that feel? Pretty daunting, probably. If instead they said, "Here's the exam -- it's gonna be tough, but it's doable," what would you think then? You'd be a lot more motivated and feel a lot better about taking that exam! The same goes for enthusiasm; you're not gonna get excited about something if it's terrible! Think about it. How easy is it to be excited about something that's doable and that you know you're capable of achieving? It's a lot harder to get enthusiastic about things that we straight up don't think will ever materialize. And what's often the difference? Our way of thinking. Sometimes, that's literally the only obstacle. Now that you're at least trying to think positive, what are the goals that you'd like to achieve? How would you go about achieving them? What do you want to be enthusiastic about? It's hard to be enthusiastic when we're floundering about life without purpose. Knowing exactly what you want to do and exactly how you want to go about it is giving you something to be enthusiastic about. If you want to get skinny, it's hard to be enthusiastic about wanting to get skinny. But if you're working out 30 minutes a week and eating tons of veggies, that's direct behavior to get excited about. It's all well and good to have goals, but you gotta actually believe that you can achieve them. If your goal is too lofty, bring it down a notch. Bring it down a notch until you can readily believe that it's something you can make happen. If it's realistic, the only thing stopping you is you. Having a goal of becoming the King or Queen of England would be pretty damn hard to get excited about. Make sure your goals are feasible -- if in doubt, just start on a slightly smaller scale. Want to start your own business but don't know thing one about it? Make goals of taking business courses and networking. Smaller things that are totally doable and totally useful. Often when we're not enthusiastic, it's because we've made up some excuse as to why not to be. We don't want to be enthusiastic because we don't want to get our hopes up, we're not enthusiastic because we're too unsure to be enthusiastic, or we're not enthusiastic because we're worried others will judge us. These are all crap reasons! Your enthusiasm should be undaunted and unaffected by others or by insecurities. What's stopping you? Realize that your desire to be enthusiastic is there -- it's just buried under a pile of worry and fear. When we grow up, often adults call that "reason." It's very much so a learned thing. We had it when we were children; it's time to get it back!
Summary: Find yourself Figure out why you're lacking enthusiasm. Start thinking positively. Define your goals and how you'll achieve them. Convince yourself. Get over your fear of disappointment/making the wrong decision/looking silly.