July 1, 2011
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News and Notes for June 2011
This’ll be short. I just don’t want to standing around naked for another day. Know whut I mean? I’m at work, and there’s lots of work to do, so I’ll start with:
WORK: Yesterday I quoted a product line which includes a control panel and power panels for 18 separate systems! This is very like the system I quoted last year which will hopefully be generating upwards of 1000 panels or so in 2012 and 2013. (And which has been causing lots of design headaches going into our third round of prototypes.) Things seem to be “looking up” with almost enough work that we could hire someone to lessen the burden of extra work which a lot of us took on when things weren’t so busy. We’ll see what happens. I’m not expecting a raise, or any bonuses. I’m just glad the company is making a bit of a profit, enough to keep the doors open and the paychecks coming every week.
HEALTH: I still have to go in for my yearly checkup. In preparation, I’m taking my cholesterol pills nightly like I’m supposed to. I’m still exercising, and hope to make it out to the pool to start working on my tan and doing laps. I plan on taking my videocamera with me for my first splash and swim from one end of the pool to the other. I’m pretty fast for a guy my age, and like to joke that the last name isn’t “Phelps”. Stay tuned.
WEALTH: Click HERE. I’ll wait for you to come back. Last month I sold my friend’s old Fender Mustang guitar for $650.00! This month I’m attempting to sell some classic rock and roll posters on eBay. 3 for a thousand dollars. When my friend Bob died in 1994, Joel inherited three classic third printings of classic Avalon Ballroom posters announcing rock and roll acts from the summer of 1966. The posters are vintage, and while they are not the original onesheets posted around town to announce the concerts, as I had thought, the printing company reprinted them later that year, becuase the posters kept selling even after the concerts as rock and roll art. I have three, and in 1995, when Joel and I moved in together, I pressed them and put them behind glass picture frames. (Bob had them folded and stuffed away!) Of course Joel is now gone, so they are in my possession, displayed in the hall of my house. It turns out one of them, the Grateful Dead poster I show here, can be worth up to $7000.00 for a first printing in prime condition, and a third printing, like the one I have, recently sold for $2900.00! My poster isn’t in prime condition, and so far there haven’t been any takers, but they guy who is selling the posters for me on eBay has offered me $500.00 for all three, and if he is able to sell them in the future for more, he’ll split the difference with me on the succeeding sale. That’s pretty neat. Any ”windfall” funds from collectible sales will go toward credit card debt. I’m almost done paying off the loan I took out as a payroll advance from work to pay my large tax bill in April, and this month is when I finally pay off BOTH of my hospital bills. SOCIAL LIFE: Hanging out with the two buddies I’ve made in the mobile home park on weekends, and I bought new swimming trunks and am waiting for the hot weather, which is supposed to arrive, on schedule tomorrow, so should be going down to the pool, which I haven’t done yet this year! Still haven’t met any females in which I’m interested. The last gal who seemed to find me interesting smoked cigarettes and was a bit of a barfly. Not my type AT ALL!
XANGA: I’m back for a bit after another nearly monthlong hiatus. I’m planning to finally perform a dance routine for you all to a mashup of Gaga music, and perhaps an a capella version of Born This Way inspired by the version the Lady herself performs at the climax to the HBO special showcasing her Fame Monster tour last year. New chapters are in the works to at least two of my serials.
Although I’m not very “confrontative” on Xanga, yesterday I read an entry about gender differences which was so one sided and irrational I had to comment, and my COMMENT has been recommeded five times. (That’s a link in case you care to read it.) And of course the comment is on the entry to which I refer so I need not link it here. There is a link in the comment to an entry I wrote called “What a Queer World We Live In which most of you have probably already read last year when I posted it. I was going to repost it today, but figured I’d just add the info as part of this News and Notes. No, I’m not suddenly coming out of any closet, either. My purpose in bringing this up is the same as when I wrote the original entry. I was of one mind about a subject, and I changed my mind. When I read (some) Xangans I seem to read the same diatribes with no backup and nobody ever admits they were wrong about something. As I state in the entry linked above that I wrote, and I repeat: “People need to listen to the voice of reason, and I feel like shouting it out around the Xangasphere. The point of this isn’t necessarily that I have a point of view, or even what is is really, but that I was able to change what I initially thought. This is how the world will become a better place. If people who never thought about changing their minds about something which they have been dogmatically taught, began to change them and “see the light” as it were, which will hopefully someday illuminate all humankind, then the world will become a better place”
That is all. MFN/ppf
One more thing. If you have two minutes, check this out. Something I like, and not something I made by the way. I love movies and this is one of the best “internet movies” I’ve seen, made entirely on a cellphone!
Posted: June 30, 2011 7:18 AM
Comments (14)
Obama’s playing the gay card too close to his chest, but even he says his views on the subject are “evolving.” I’m glad I’m of a generation in which most people don’t care whether someone is gay or straight or somewhere else on the non-linear, non-binary spectrum. We’ll get there! Glad your health is doing well and good luck on the poster sales. Whoohoo!
“I’ll wait for you to come back”…ha, that made me laugh.
Good luck on the sales! 
COOL vintage posters! wow!
Enjoy your l-o-n-g weekend! Sun Splashing Fun!
HUGS!
PS…I’m waiting for the dancin’!
Those are some awesome posters, there’s definitely a market for that kind of stuff. No point to keeping it forever if you’re in need of some cash, right?
Seems to me most people go into an argument determined not to change their minds. I remember this episode of The West Wing in which a man inherited his dead wife’s senate seat and went to the White House to talk about some issue with the staffers (the main characters) there. He came with a couple of other senators, and the staffers knew that they disagreed on this particular issue, which I don’t even remember what it was. They didn’t expect to change any minds, but to kind of bargain with the senators on this issue in order to get some other issue passed. Most of the time they didn’t argue issues, they just compromised on one issue for another.
But anyway, this senator who wasn’t really a senator listened to their argument and said he supported them on this issue. The other two senators were absolutely flabbergasted, as were the White House staffers. But the guy, who was really a history teacher, said that they had made a compelling, logical argument and he was convinced. It seems arguments on Xanga go the way of Senate debates. People yell and shout about what they believe in, but they never listen to the other side except for long enough to think about how to respond to the other person’s assault. If there was actual discussion, I think there might be some minds changed, and maybe some more civility. But shouting doesn’t really help.
Boy I went on a tangent there. Anyway, glad to hear things are going well, Mike. Enjoy your summer at the pool.
Rec’d your comment, and read your entry, which I think I actually read last year when it was originally posted. It looked familiar but the old grey matter is a little shot these days. p.s. That Grateful Dead poster had me drooling. I collect Dead stuff. I have a whole room devoted to it actually. Even named my daughter Cassidy!
Good luck selling it, if I had that kind of money laying around it would have been sold already. 
Will you really dance on a video? I want to see it. The thing is that there is so much in your life no one will ever catch up with it. So a glance at your life is a thing to cherish.
That is a cool poster. I’m sure there will be someone who wants to buy them. Some people collect posters.
@leaflesstree - Dear Turquoise, No need to apologize. I loved reading your “tangent” and it was on topic. Heck some of my comments are longer than the posts on which I’m commenting. But you know that.
@Ashtraygirl84 - Dear Ash, I was told the Dead poster is the “holy grail” of collectible posters. So far we have one bid, a joke bid for one dollar. That’s my favorite, along with the Big Brother poster with the Zig Zag rolling papers logo. If they don’t sell, I think I’ll just keep them (I’ve had them for 20 years.) and try again later.
@locomotiv - Nicole. I’m a pretty good dancer, if I do brag so myself. I’ve already posted two examples. HERE, from an archival video in 1991 at age 38. And after my hip operation (following six months on crutches, and another four months on a walker) I celebrated by dancing online HERE (and I’m the one singing the song too!) The first thing I tell people who visit my website is that “I’ve led a charmed life.” If I were to kick the bucket right now, I wouldn’t mind. I live each moment as if it’s my last one anyway. That’s something one does naturally after one loses so many people to the grim reaper as I have. (both parents when in my early 20s, three best friends, the most recent of whom passed away in 2008 of the Big C.)
Ok. iv’e watched the first video. This i a real celebration of life. Now the second one.By the way i have no audio.
The second one was a few year later and the energy is still vey high. I also dance occasionally when the radio is on but don’t have the skill to film myself or i would be too self conscious. This is very good. Dance is one of the best expression of the soul.
@baldmike2004 - If I were you I would never let that go. I am feeling the need to go hook up my stereo and pop in some of my old boot leg tapes.
I checked out that phone video yesterday. Very cool!
You might like this. I thought it made sense: http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-anger-management-tips-internet-could-really-use/
Hello Mike, there is a lot to think about in this post. It’s late right now so I won’t be checking out all the links. I just want to say that it sounds as though things are going better for you, and that is good news. Also, I want to thank you for your comments on mommachatter’s site. I wasn’t aware of these so called “religious wars” she referenced. I am happy she wrote what she believes in a kind and respectful way. ~~Blessings ‘n Cheers
yay! glad you are back!
Sounds to me like you are one busy guy…
It has been so hot here I am praying for a cold front to move in for a couple of days to just cool things down.
Those posters bring back old times in the hometown head shop and record store..
Have a great day my friend