A Place for My Stuff

Auld Lang Syne

With a robot on theramin, and a human on flute.  Happy New Year!

 

"Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die"

I'm sure there's some tragic irony somewhere in the fact that I'm one of countless people posting this link on their blog.  You'll see what I mean when you read it.

I'm a big fan of comedian Patton Oswalt.  That doesn't mean I've simply watched a few YouTube clips of him or watched his sitcoms; it means that I actually make the effort to buy his CDs and DVDs and see him perform live whenever I can.  I guess actually buying recordings from people seems like a quaint, an pastime for some people.  Which somewhat brings me to the theme of this article.

Oswalt wrote a brilliant article on pop culture, geekdom, fandom, and how it's changed with the Internet.  And it does piss me off that some 14 year-old kid can hear every Iron Maiden B-side on YouTube, after it took me years to hunt them down on physical format back in the day.

Not everybody is going to get the article, but those who do get, are sure to enjoy it.  Be sure to read both pages!

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/12/ff_angrynerd_geekculture/

The Gift That Keeps on Giving - a look back

OK, this is kind of a cheap shot.  I'm posting this blog entry to say "Look back at this other 2-part blog entry I wrote".  Because when it comes to clutter and the holidays, it's the first thing that comes to mind:

http://aplaceformystuff.org/2009/08/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-part-1.html

http://aplaceformystuff.org/2009/08/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-part-2.html

I no longer work at that office, but I'm almost tempted to revisit to see if they still have that damn box of VHS tapes.

It's Xmas Eve

...so what the hell are you doing reading somebody's blog?  Go out and indulge.

I'll certainly have more clutter tales to tell.  But for now, I'm going to immerse myself in presents and glasses of eggnog.  Until then, Happy Holidays.

The Night Santa Went Crazy

 

Keep the Hair, Remove the Clutter

Back to doing what I do best: finding oddities in the home.

• Hair removal system.  I am indeed a hairy guy.  This was something I bought to get rid of back hair.  I never got around to applying it.  And now I'm married to a woman who loves the hair too much to ever let me do it.
• Coupon from restaurant.  Not only did it expire, but I don't even live near the place any more.
• College junk mail.  Translation: "Give us more money, alumni!  We really didn't take enough from you while you were here!"
• Old cards and crap from doctor's office.  And this doctor sucked.  I went to her to check up on my sleep apnea.  And every time, it consisted of 1) Drive out of my way to get to the damn hospital where she was, 2) pay the $40 co-pay, 3) wait around until I could see her, 4) have her ask the same questions, 5) have her suggest to change my C-PAP machine to a higher setting, 6) pay for parking.  Needless to say, the cards aren't the only thing I've gotten rid of.  Her consultation was of no help to me. I was paying around $50 just to have somebody say "Yeah, put the setting up to number X".  I have no regrets of cancelling everything with her.
• Old shopping list.  Then again, I may just need this stuff again now.
• Old receipts, some with coupons for products I'd never use.  Into the shredder you go.
• Candy wrapper.  Well at least there isn't ancient candy in it

 

Priest-Off. Now in lemon scent!

Yep, time for a tasteless comedy break:

 

Saving Rats, Saving Cats

"A THOUSAND rats were awaiting adoption today after they were rescued from a cluttered Los Angeles home during the filming of a TV show."  Read the full story by clicking here.

Not to mention 161 Cats in another home.  Read that story here. Also go there to see the video clip, if you can't see it below.

Maybe if the same person was hoarding cats and rats together, the cats would take care of the rat problem.  Just a thought.

 

An Extreme Way to Get Rid of Your Stuff

From St. Louis Today:

Fire destroys Fairview Heights home of 'hoarder'

Fire destroyed a Fairview Heights home early today that the fire chief said was crammed full of possessions "from floor to ceiling."

Firefighters responded to the one-alarm blaze on Circle Drive early Monday.

Bryan Doyle, the Fairview Fire Department chief, said no one was injured in the blaze but it took a long time to extinguish.

"The city had just ordered her out of the house, because it was totally packed from floor to ceiling with books, newspapers, clothing, a grand piano," he said. "You name it."

Doyle said there was no word yet on what caused the fire.

"A Hoarder Confronts Her Clutter"

From the Time-Life magazine website:

"After receiving an eviction notice, Franny Gray, a 75-year-old hoarder, tries to clean up her home with help from the housing authority in Framingham, Massachusetts."

 I DO like how they point out that this isn't a problem you can conquer in the span of a one-hour television show.  It's not about getting rid of the stuff (which isn't easy, otherwise the problem wouldn't exist in the first place), but an attitude adjustment, etc.