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APRIL 2008 BLOG ARCHIVE

For current and ongoing blog entries: http://www.thrillfactory.com/

APRIL 25, 2008

Bam! The move is over! And the new place kicks all kinds of ass! The process of moving was a semi-ballbuster, though...

The moving company we used really could have done the work in under three hours, but took over five hours to move our stuff 300 yards. I was pissed enough to call the main office and push for a partial refund -- which I got. Bam!

Annemarie and I decided to finally get into the HDTV game, after two years of debate. We did the 47" Vizio LCD that was on sale at Costco, and snagged a Blu-Ray player at Sears. Now the living room is exactly as I pictured in my dreams: large, airy, sunny -- and equipped with 1080p/5.1 Dolby. Bam Bam!

Thanks to all who had a hand in getting us into the new joint: Janelle (huuuge help), Tina, Karen, Ma, Billy, Margaret, Richie D., Anthony and Kristine, those contractors working in the garage who let us use their dolly, Jen (high fives) and Suzanne in the front office, and my baby Annamae for her smiles. I'm such a softie.

I have decided to give away my old power wheelchair, which has been living in one closet or another for three years now. I found the battery charger, and it still works. I posted it on Craigslist and have been carpet-bombed all day with the saddest stories you can imagine.

"I have ruptured disk pinched nerves and fibromyalgia. I can't stand for more that a few minutes at a time..."

"My sister is struggling with stage IV breast cancer and has really minimal insurance so something like this is otherwise out of the picture for her..."

"I am disabled and going in for my 3rd back surgery I was in a bad car accident in 1997 and they said I would never walk well I did but now I fell down cement stairs and I can barely walk I am on disability and raising 2 grand kids..."

"My little cousin has been in a wheelchair since he was 5 yrs old when we go out we have to bring his push chair because his chair is too big and heavy..."

"I am disabled and so is my mother. My mother is a 2 times breast cancer survivor we could use it my insurance doesn't cover one..."

"I can no longer push my manual. I am in severe financial hardship and my health insurance will not permit another chair until 2010. I would give something in return, perhaps purchase your groceries for a week or something else you would like..."

If nothing else, this validates something I decided quite some time ago: if I ever came into a large sum of money, I would use it to refurbish wheelchairs for redistribution to those who need them but can't get them (with the staff being comprised entirely of disabled persons willing to get back into the workforce). I know very well how much a piece of equipment like this can change your life (it completely revitalized mine). I can't think of a better way to show it.

Now I have to decide: which of these appeals represents a life-changing opportunity? As much as my heart goes out to ailing grandmothers and brothers-in-law with work-related back pain, I think I'm going to hold out for someone whose situation mirrors mine -- 30s-40s, married, maybe with kids or wanting them, maybe hoping to return to work after a dry spell -- in other words, someone who is ready to re-engage the world and just needs a set of wheels. Sorry, grandma. Get you on the next one.

I'll let you know how it worked out.

APRIL 18, 2008

Wow, has it really been that long since the last blog entry? I guess all the prep work for the move has really taken a bite out of my blog time.

By way of compensation, there are a healthy batch of new videos in the far right column, and new hot articles in the rotating window just to the right of these words.

FYI to my local Boston peeps: former Born Again minister Dan Barker (now part of the Freedom From Religion Foundation) is debating Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative writer and devout Roman Catholic, this Tuesday night at Harvard Memorial Church in Cambridge. There's room if you wanna go with.

If all goes well, my next entry will be from Thrill Factory East, version 3.3..

APRIL 9, 2008

Have you ever noticed: whenever there is a TV report on the state of personal finances, they always cut to a shot of some innocent schlub walking out of a Starbuck's with a tall coffee in their hand? How come they never show the asshole filling the tank of a (sex substitute) SUV? Or, for that matter, what about the skyrocketing number of Americans who eat out as many as seven times a week? When did premium coffee become the single biggest impediment to personal financial solvency? Is my grande African blend really standing between me and a comfortable retirement?

In other realms, this was just announced on the Duran Duran MySpace page. I've read it a few times, and cannot make heads or tails of what this event is actually supposed to be. The Japanese are so... Japanese!

Tokyo RAW Nights

Duran Duran will be the guest curator for Episode 02 of Tokyo RAW Nights on April 15. Joined by some of the best talent in Tokyo, enjoy as Duran Duran bring along the Red Carpet Massacre to G-Star Raw Nights. With a strong global following, DURAN DURAN is one of pop music’s most remarkable bands: Fusing pop, art and fashion, DURAN DURAN combines energetic confidence and unique style to spice up your RAW Nights. Don’t miss Roger Taylor playing a guest DJ set! Tokyo RAW Nights take place at exclusive nightclub Le Baron de Paris. Once a month, denim specialist G-Star RAW challenges artists from different scenes to interact with you in a direct and informal way. Driven by forbidden combinations, G-Star’s pure, original and unexpected characteristics will be the thread for the selection of special guests, curators, DJ’s, bands & artists. An eclectic mix of thrilling RAW nights memories will be the reward for your curiosity. Make sure you get in early …

Anyway, quite a few new videos today. Brew some coffee and enjoy!

APRIL 4, 2008

Well, the Madonna video was up for a few hours there, but Warner Bros. went apeshit and yanked it. I'll keep an eye out for another one and get it back here ASAP.

APRIL 3, 2008

A couple of things have developed in the last few weeks.

I went to my first all-Atheist meeting, with twenty-five of us in attendance. It was at a bar / restaurant in Somerville (the college end) and, overall, I had a very good time. Surprisingly, atheism did not come up all that much.

If I had a single gripe, it was that the music was way too loud, and the table was long, so I only really engaged the four or five people within earshot, as opposed to mingling amongst the group as a whole. I would definitely get together with this group again, but it would have to be at the right venue. I don't think I want to yell over beer anymore.

Am and I finally got to tour the new apartment we are moving into this month. It is sweet, a corner unit with an octagonal living room, receiving sunlight from three directions throughout the day. All of the sinks are "roll-under" to accomodate the wheelchair, and so is the stove(!). Once I get my free Comcast installed (an employee perq I have not been able to take advantage of since 2005), I will be a very happy dude. The movers are booked. I'm so out of here.

Annamae is talking up a storm (she nailed the k sound today, so a cup is a cup, not a "bup", yay!), eating with a starter fork, and now running fast enough to catch me at my fastest reverse speed. Being her dad is the best.

The screenplay Am and I are writing is really coming along. We're about 20% done with the "random" draft (which can be tedious), but the story meetings we're having -- developing the twists and solving the puzzle of the structure -- are a blast. Aside from dialogue, this is my favorite part of the process.

The Duran Duran mp3 is "Duran vs Madonna" by the insane Marcel Agterhuis.

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