Thursday, May 10, 2012
Same Sex Marriage and This Great Country of Ours: My Opinion
In 1997 I took a speech class and for my final project I chose something that I felt strongly about. I don't remember much about what I said, specifically, but I do remember being adamantly and unequivocally in favor of allowing same sex marriage across the board in the United States and delivering my opinion prior to being met with a good deal of questions and objections at the end from my fellow students. Being steadfast and educated in my young position on the matter I fielded and rebutted all comers. God only knows where I did my research. A library of tomes perhaps? I may very well have found it necessary to utilize the Dewey Decimal System. Surely it must have taken me the better part of a month. I got what was then one of my first and only A's in a college course. Now I get 'em like they're goin outta style... hmm must be the insanely large difference between being a dumb kid in college and a hmm... hopefully less dumb 15 years older kid. But I digress... we're now looking at approaching 20 years since my little speech and while some victories have been won, the fight for this right is still being waged.
There's so much common sense in that short sentence in this image. The things going on in our country today are really quite compelling and I felt, rightfully so, compelled to say something about it. Someday humans will be able to look back and wonder why there was ever a question mark over the idea of equal rights for everyone. I need to believe that. But for now - we need to grow up, speak up, and move FORWARD. Who are you to restrict another person's rights and still smile and nod like an ignorant idiot watching that ridiculous Dodge "freedom" commercial - or have some sense of content and complete satisfaction watching the pretty fireworks on the 4th of July? When do we get to fully actualize the ideals that our country was founded upon 94 years before African Americans were granted the right to vote, 188/89 years before the Civil Rights Act/Voting Rights Act of 1965/65, 144 years before women were granted the right to vote, and 197 years before Roe v. Wade? Where does the line get drawn if we cant all be equal - or worse if civil rights or freedoms once granted can be taken away? That Dodge commercial talks about how America got two things right, cars and freedom. Seriously? I'm not talking about cars right now (Honda!) but America has been fighting bloody fights to the death over freedom, racism, sexism, and civil rights just to name a few since day one and still can't get it right. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Well, I'm sorry but the "right to pursue happiness" being only the right to keep fighting bigotry away from defining laws doesn't cut it anymore. Its time to allow same-sex marriage across the board - nationwide and irreversibly - and put this issue behind us and move on to other ways to make the United States of America even more American than was originally envisioned 236 years ago.
Today I read the Declaration of Independence (1776), some of the Constitution (1787), as well as perused and referenced this very interesting Timeline of United States History. I look forward to educating myself more on our nation's history and these matters that are so important to us as citizens. I also now feel even more compelled to go to the Smithsonian... I wonder what things they have there.
If you agree with me, pitch in in a comment. Maybe we'll both learn something. If you disagree, post an informed argument in the comments. Maybe we'll both learn something.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The 2011 Bad-Day-Bar Has Been Set
ok so i have set my 2011 bad-day-bar with:
wake up at 3:30 am in a flu-ridden coughing fit, and not get back to sleep until 11am
catch only about 40 minutes of half awake "rest" due to the timely headached chills that no self respecting fever would show up without
struggle to find food requiring an effort level that matches my huge appetite and limiting weakened condition only to be forced, just as i sit down to eat mind you - mouth open for the first bite like in the movies, into the attic with a fire extinguisher when the bedroom light fixture shorted out in a blaze of smokey sparky glory that took just long enough to resolve for my lunch to get cold
its not an insurmountable bad-day-bar to say the least, but it is a robust one for sure. hey the day's not over yet. its only 3:00.
wake up at 3:30 am in a flu-ridden coughing fit, and not get back to sleep until 11am
catch only about 40 minutes of half awake "rest" due to the timely headached chills that no self respecting fever would show up without
struggle to find food requiring an effort level that matches my huge appetite and limiting weakened condition only to be forced, just as i sit down to eat mind you - mouth open for the first bite like in the movies, into the attic with a fire extinguisher when the bedroom light fixture shorted out in a blaze of smokey sparky glory that took just long enough to resolve for my lunch to get cold
its not an insurmountable bad-day-bar to say the least, but it is a robust one for sure. hey the day's not over yet. its only 3:00.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
One Person's Trash...
We've all heard that old saying about one person's trash being another's treasure. Based on the experiences I've had in this area in recent years I'd like to suggest that we refine that old saying to the following:
"Some people are mentally incompetent and others are not."
To support the above suggestion, which I feel is clearer to the point, I would like to submit a list of little stories and images of the items formerly referred to as "trash" by local morons that I now treasure.
-
My wife and I live in Kew Gardens, Queens, NYC. We moved here about 6 years ago and I immediately began to find things of use to me. I had not lived in an apartment before so the goings on in a neighborhood like this with regard to finding awesome things for free was new to me. It is clear to me now that "some people" or the percentage that "some" represents becomes quite a substantial number of incompetent people in a neighborhood so heavily populated.
The first thing I found was a full pc tower, ready to have a PC built into it. It was a dark electric blue and even had a window built into the side already. A timely find indeed because I had just finished technical school and gotten my first job in tech support which was about to afford me building my own pc - which I then did in my free case. I saved about $70 and my PC, Moose, has been serving us like a workmoose ever since.
"Some people are mentally incompetent and others are not."
To support the above suggestion, which I feel is clearer to the point, I would like to submit a list of little stories and images of the items formerly referred to as "trash" by local morons that I now treasure.
-
My wife and I live in Kew Gardens, Queens, NYC. We moved here about 6 years ago and I immediately began to find things of use to me. I had not lived in an apartment before so the goings on in a neighborhood like this with regard to finding awesome things for free was new to me. It is clear to me now that "some people" or the percentage that "some" represents becomes quite a substantial number of incompetent people in a neighborhood so heavily populated.
The first thing I found was a full pc tower, ready to have a PC built into it. It was a dark electric blue and even had a window built into the side already. A timely find indeed because I had just finished technical school and gotten my first job in tech support which was about to afford me building my own pc - which I then did in my free case. I saved about $70 and my PC, Moose, has been serving us like a workmoose ever since.
~
Before moving on I'd like to say that all of my finds since then will have to be credited HEAVILY to our dog Lola. We had not yet adopted her when I found Moose's exoskeleton but I would not have found the rest of these things if I did not take her for walks every day. Other credit will have to be given to my job that I've had the past few years which has me working exclusively from home. This puts me in the position to walk Lola after the supers all take out their "garbage" and gives me the time to lug whatever it is I've found up to my apartment before another of the not incompetent people I have to compete with around here get it.
Before moving on I'd like to say that all of my finds since then will have to be credited HEAVILY to our dog Lola. We had not yet adopted her when I found Moose's exoskeleton but I would not have found the rest of these things if I did not take her for walks every day. Other credit will have to be given to my job that I've had the past few years which has me working exclusively from home. This puts me in the position to walk Lola after the supers all take out their "garbage" and gives me the time to lug whatever it is I've found up to my apartment before another of the not incompetent people I have to compete with around here get it.
~
A good amount of time passed between my first find and the next one. Like I said above, I've only had this job working at home for some of the time we've been out on our own in Kew Gardens. The next find was another timely one.
I have been a student at a martial arts school for close to 5 years now. In February 2007 I went out to walk Lola and down the end of the driveway at the back of our building I saw what looked like a very large grey rectangle leaning against a tree by where our neighboring building puts their trash. As we walked closer I said "no way" to Lola out loud. You see - I'd come a long way in my martial arts training and I was trying to kick things up by practicing more at home. One of the key items that you need to do this is a large mirror so that you can see yourself and refine your techniques and otherwise hone your skills of self-correction. What the large grey rectangle ended up being was not one but two flawless 3'x5' mirrors with no frames. They are now hanging direcly opposite each other in my apartment, and have been a great help to my progress. Had I purchased them, it would have run me approximately $100.
A good amount of time passed between my first find and the next one. Like I said above, I've only had this job working at home for some of the time we've been out on our own in Kew Gardens. The next find was another timely one.
I have been a student at a martial arts school for close to 5 years now. In February 2007 I went out to walk Lola and down the end of the driveway at the back of our building I saw what looked like a very large grey rectangle leaning against a tree by where our neighboring building puts their trash. As we walked closer I said "no way" to Lola out loud. You see - I'd come a long way in my martial arts training and I was trying to kick things up by practicing more at home. One of the key items that you need to do this is a large mirror so that you can see yourself and refine your techniques and otherwise hone your skills of self-correction. What the large grey rectangle ended up being was not one but two flawless 3'x5' mirrors with no frames. They are now hanging direcly opposite each other in my apartment, and have been a great help to my progress. Had I purchased them, it would have run me approximately $100.
~
About a month before we moved to this neighborhood my wife was at a bridal shower for one of her cousins. At this shower, the centerpieces of the table were live goldfish in glass bowls that people could take home. Despite this being something I strongly protest, one 'person' got lucky - and I do mean one. Fishy, as we call her, is the sole survivor from the aforementioned event. That's right, Fishy is over 6 years old - our oldest pet - and I work very hard all the time to keep her healthy. How do we know she's a she? Well, she laid eggs once if you can believe it.
After a few years of care in the small 10 gallon tank that we got her, she was starting to get too big for it. I was hoping to upgrade her tank as inexpensively as possible, but it needed to happen soon.
Cue timely treasure find #3. In the same scenario as the mirror find, I saw what I immediately identified as a LARGE fishtank at the end of the driveway. Focusing on it, I headed right for it. It was only when I was standing next to it that I saw that it came with a lid (Fishy never had a roof before), a light (luxurious!) and a 3' high wrought iron stand! It turned out to be a 30 gallon fishtank - triple the size of the previous one and big enough for the rest of Fishy's life. Had I tried to purchase this myself, it would have easily cost me $200. It was at this point that I found via some research online that if properly cared for, goldfish of Fishy's variety can live as long as 10 or 15 years! Viva Fishy!
After a few years of care in the small 10 gallon tank that we got her, she was starting to get too big for it. I was hoping to upgrade her tank as inexpensively as possible, but it needed to happen soon.
Cue timely treasure find #3. In the same scenario as the mirror find, I saw what I immediately identified as a LARGE fishtank at the end of the driveway. Focusing on it, I headed right for it. It was only when I was standing next to it that I saw that it came with a lid (Fishy never had a roof before), a light (luxurious!) and a 3' high wrought iron stand! It turned out to be a 30 gallon fishtank - triple the size of the previous one and big enough for the rest of Fishy's life. Had I tried to purchase this myself, it would have easily cost me $200. It was at this point that I found via some research online that if properly cared for, goldfish of Fishy's variety can live as long as 10 or 15 years! Viva Fishy!
~
So I'm starting to think that the Universe likes me at this point. I try to be a good person and I respect things, people, and animals and so on. Seriously though - when I need something it has often fallen into my lap. This has not happened with cash yet so the jury is still out on my Universe loving me theory and I'm still heavily invested in the "some people are stupid and some are not" theory.
~
My next find would have been timely at any point but it was definitely needed when it happened. Things were getting very cramped in our apartment with me working at home and Kerri also home often what with her having a doctoral fellowship at St. John's. We did actually specifically talk about finding more space for all of our stuff around the house, especially the bathroom.
Going down to walk Lola I saw as soon as I got out of the elevator in the basement that someone had gotten rid of what resembled a 3 mirrored-door medicine cabinet immediately after opening the box it came in. Upon further inspection, with both eyes and nose, it seemed that some mentally incompetent woman had gotten rid of a brand new medicine cabinet because some paint on one of the shelves inside had peeled after a scented candle that had been placed on the shelf below melted it. The smell was strong and the peeled paint, which came off easily in a spot about 2" wide, was all still there so I am convinced that this is what caused the dumping of this particular treasure. I immedately hung it on the wall of our bathroom and due to its size, it immedately resolved all storage issues that plagued us in that room. In addition to saving us more than $150 (I did a price search online to come up with all these $ values) this also added yet another surface in our home on which I can admire my adonic visage.
My next find would have been timely at any point but it was definitely needed when it happened. Things were getting very cramped in our apartment with me working at home and Kerri also home often what with her having a doctoral fellowship at St. John's. We did actually specifically talk about finding more space for all of our stuff around the house, especially the bathroom.
Going down to walk Lola I saw as soon as I got out of the elevator in the basement that someone had gotten rid of what resembled a 3 mirrored-door medicine cabinet immediately after opening the box it came in. Upon further inspection, with both eyes and nose, it seemed that some mentally incompetent woman had gotten rid of a brand new medicine cabinet because some paint on one of the shelves inside had peeled after a scented candle that had been placed on the shelf below melted it. The smell was strong and the peeled paint, which came off easily in a spot about 2" wide, was all still there so I am convinced that this is what caused the dumping of this particular treasure. I immedately hung it on the wall of our bathroom and due to its size, it immedately resolved all storage issues that plagued us in that room. In addition to saving us more than $150 (I did a price search online to come up with all these $ values) this also added yet another surface in our home on which I can admire my adonic visage.
~
I am going to skip the little things here and there like shelving units for our storage unit and the thing in our kitchen we keep our flour and sugar on and skip right to the latest item. This unparalleled treasure is so awesome that it was the final straw that made me decide that I needed to at least get into this blogging thing to start recording my finds. Now that I'm doing the blogging thing tho, who knows what I'll have to say!?
About 2 months ago some incompetent fool in my building threw out an original 1981 Atari Tempest arcade. The assistant super had taken it into his workroom and found that it was, at least, moderately functional. Not knowing much about it, he decided to hold onto it and try to sell it. Shortly thereafter I caught it in the corner of my keen eye as I walked past the laundry room and I inquired about it. I have a 1975 Gottlieb Pin Up pinball machine that I restored after it spent a decade or so in my parent's garage after the original owners, my grandparents, moved down to Florida. So, I'm always on the lookout for things like this anyway because I have a dream of a basement gameroom and kung fu studio in the house that we have not purchased yet. Anyway, he informs me that he's planning in selling it for about $160.00, which I know now is a bargain. I told him if he didn't find any buyers to let me know maybe we can work out a price but I couldn't afford $160.00. My wife, Kerri, after hearing the story was excited as well as I was at the prospect of having sweet vintage arcade game such as this, but we don't really have the time or $ for such a luxuriously silly purchase.
Time passes....
On Monday of this week, while walking Lola, much to my complete shock I found that the super's assistant had taken it to the curb to be removed by the department of sanitation. I'm sorry dude - I like you and all but this was precisely the incompetent maneuver I was hoping for the instant I saw this thing out of the corner of my eye on laundry day way back. Inquiring about it again, with the super's hand truck in my hands already he told me that it was no longer working so he decided to throw it out. I informed him that I was taking it and both he and the super thought I was crazy. The super actually TOLD me I was crazy as I lugged it into the elevator. HOLY CRAP IS IT HEAVY.
When I got it up to the apartment I found that it was fully functional. Sound, display, headlight, controls - everything works fine except for the fact that after you play for a few minutes, it seems to want to reboot itself and cycles that way over and over. Some internet research has drummed up information leading me to believe that its not that big of a deal and I will eventually be able to restore it without much trouble.
So now its across the room from my pinball machine where it belongs getting set to be cared for properly for the first time in what is probably 20+ years. I cannot believe how heavy it is - I'm talking multiple hundreds of pounds.
You might ask: "how'd you get it up to your apartment?"
Well...luckily I had the strength of 10 nerds.
No... not adrenaline - anerdaline.
I am a total noob about these arcade games - for now. Anyway it may be needless to say but, just like when I first opened my pinball machine and found that you can pop up the playing field like a car hood, looking at the glorious beauty inside this Tempest machine... I almost fainted from nerd joy.
About 2 months ago some incompetent fool in my building threw out an original 1981 Atari Tempest arcade. The assistant super had taken it into his workroom and found that it was, at least, moderately functional. Not knowing much about it, he decided to hold onto it and try to sell it. Shortly thereafter I caught it in the corner of my keen eye as I walked past the laundry room and I inquired about it. I have a 1975 Gottlieb Pin Up pinball machine that I restored after it spent a decade or so in my parent's garage after the original owners, my grandparents, moved down to Florida. So, I'm always on the lookout for things like this anyway because I have a dream of a basement gameroom and kung fu studio in the house that we have not purchased yet. Anyway, he informs me that he's planning in selling it for about $160.00, which I know now is a bargain. I told him if he didn't find any buyers to let me know maybe we can work out a price but I couldn't afford $160.00. My wife, Kerri, after hearing the story was excited as well as I was at the prospect of having sweet vintage arcade game such as this, but we don't really have the time or $ for such a luxuriously silly purchase.
Time passes....
On Monday of this week, while walking Lola, much to my complete shock I found that the super's assistant had taken it to the curb to be removed by the department of sanitation. I'm sorry dude - I like you and all but this was precisely the incompetent maneuver I was hoping for the instant I saw this thing out of the corner of my eye on laundry day way back. Inquiring about it again, with the super's hand truck in my hands already he told me that it was no longer working so he decided to throw it out. I informed him that I was taking it and both he and the super thought I was crazy. The super actually TOLD me I was crazy as I lugged it into the elevator. HOLY CRAP IS IT HEAVY.
When I got it up to the apartment I found that it was fully functional. Sound, display, headlight, controls - everything works fine except for the fact that after you play for a few minutes, it seems to want to reboot itself and cycles that way over and over. Some internet research has drummed up information leading me to believe that its not that big of a deal and I will eventually be able to restore it without much trouble.
So now its across the room from my pinball machine where it belongs getting set to be cared for properly for the first time in what is probably 20+ years. I cannot believe how heavy it is - I'm talking multiple hundreds of pounds.
You might ask: "how'd you get it up to your apartment?"
Well...luckily I had the strength of 10 nerds.
No... not adrenaline - anerdaline.
So today I looked inside and found out why its so heavy. In addition to the ton of pressboard used to build the cabinet and the actual old school tv screen in there, what was necessary to make something like this go in 1981 - when now we can do it as a quaternary function on a cell phone... is enormous. The circuit boards on the inside ... I thought they were going to be matzoh sized - or even the size of a PC motherboard - I was wrong. First of all there's theres more than one and they're like the size of an end table top!!!!!!!
~
Without including the Tempest machine, I estimate that I have found $520 worth of treasure that had been discarded as trash by the mooks, hooples, and dipshits I otherwise refer to as my neighbors.
After I restore the Tempest, it could very well be worth the $900 that I see people trying to sell it for on ebay because its in its original dedicated case. Lets say $500 and put my estimated grand total of treasure finds at over $1,000. A GRAND! And I'm not even really looking.
After I restore the Tempest, it could very well be worth the $900 that I see people trying to sell it for on ebay because its in its original dedicated case. Lets say $500 and put my estimated grand total of treasure finds at over $1,000. A GRAND! And I'm not even really looking.
"Some people are mentally incompetent and others are not."
Its got a bit of a "survival of the fittest" ring to it, doesn't it?
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