Selling used books

So I wanted to get rid of a bunch of books I owned before I moved. I didn't want to pack them up and lug them to yet another apartment where they wouldn't be read.

I ended up only getting rid of a couple.

Most will end up with my friend Aimee, eventually. She's going to be teaching drama at a camp, and I have a ton of theatre books. She couldn't get them before the move, so I decided to hold onto them for her. I'm such a wuss.

Today, I dropped by the Ryerson University used book store since they were closed on the weekend (bastards). They don't buy the books from you, but rather they sell them for you and pay you a percentage (consignment). That's fine. Except they only buy Ryerson text books (the real book store sells more than just text books). So they took a couple off my hands. If they sell, I'll make $60. Good luck. Oh, and if they don't get picked up within a year, they become the property of the university. Bastards.

So I took the remaining books in my backpack to BMV (Books, Magazines, Videos) just north of the Atrium on Bay. I figured what the heck, give it a shot. The guy behind the counter offered me $10 for a couple of UofT Poli-Sci textbooks and some French lit (don't tell mom). I figured there was no way I was lugging these to UofT, so I agreed. Hell, $10 is way more than I would have gotten for them at a garage sale.

So, if you've got some crap to unload, try BMV. But don't BUY anything there; it's insanely overpriced.

I guess they have to increase the margin to make up for the crap they buy...

Moving Day + 1

Done.

Sorta.

Had the big move yesterday and managed to get things out of the old and into the new without any major disasters. Of course, I managed to forget a couple of things like my hockey equipment and kick-ass shower head, but I still have the old place until Thursday, so I can rescue them.

Big thanks to the guys and gals who helped me out. Good to know who your friends are in times like these.

Now it's time to acquaint myself with the new place and make note of the little idiosyncrasies - like The Window That Might As Well Not Be There (ah, contruction noise at 7am - love it) and The Superintendent Who Doesn't Do Shit. Then there's the twins: The Phone Jack That Doesn't Work and The Outlet That Doesn't Work. Oh and let's not forget The Invisible Curtain Rod and The Towel Rack That Wasn't There.

Yup, this place has charm - enough charm to fill an entire work order sheet.

But it's home.

...damn it.

Survivor : A Race Against Time

So imagine this:

Faced with sagging ratings, the producers of CBS' Survivor decide to mix things up. They decide to have four tribes in the next edition, each based on race: black, white, asian, hispanic.

Survival of the Races.

Seem far fetched? Nope, not so much.

Welcome to Reality TV Gone Wild: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast, Outrace

Oh, and one more: Outrage.

Someone, it seems, thinks this is a good idea. Uh boy. So, very soon, we're going to see black folk competing against asian folk in competitions involving puzzle-solving and athletics. How can this possibly help race relations in a country where segregation was alive and well only 40 years ago? Even with a kumbaya ending, the only thing people will remember is whicvh race beat which at what.

Will people watch? Yup. Perhaps even in record numbers. Will people be talking about it the next day around the water cooler? Yup. Will advertisers be lined up to get a piece of all those eyeballs? Yup.

...but they shouldn't. If this plays out anything like it sounds, advertisers should pull out and denounce CBS as loudly as they can. I don't know, I think, "My America Doesn't Include This Racist Bullshit" is a pretty catchy slogan.

Only in America.

Martin Luther King must be spinning in his grave.

Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time

Sister M sent me a link to the Guardian Newspaper's rankings of the top 10 science fiction movies of all time. I pretty much agree with their list. Here it is:

1. Blade Runner
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Star Wars (New Hope & Empire)
4. Alien
5. Solaris (1972 version)
6. The Terminator/T2
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. War of the Worlds (1953 version)
9. The Matrix
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

For once I didn't read one of these lists and shake my head.

This is a good list. I must say, however, that I haven't seen Solaris and only parts of The Day the Earth Stood Still and War of the Worlds. But I like the explanations the Guardian gave and I give them credit for acknowledging the true titans of sci-fi.

Let's examine:

Blade Runner is a very deserving choice, though this will not sit well with many folks. Like the number two choice, many people find Blade Runner dull. From personal observation, I'd surmise that this is mostly due to the fact that they saw the director's cut the first time and not the theatrical version. Purists will roll their eyes, but I personally think the theatrical version is better (good luck finding it - it disappeared off the face of the Earth). I enjoyed the monotone film noir narration, and if it's your first time seeing the flick I find it hard to believe you'll catch all the issues and themes without it. This movie still looks great and was sooo far ahead of its time in terms of aesthetic that it should be required viewing for any film fan.

Personally, I might have dropped 2001 a little further down the list, but I have no problems with it being number two on the Guardian's list. It's a classic, no doubt about it. It's so effed up and took so many chances that it deserves to be way up there on any list of sci-fi or overall films. But it's definitely a little dull and not everyone's cup of tea.

Star Wars is one of my favourite films of all time. I probably would have had this number two, if not number one. When you consider the Guardian paired the first two released films, well, hard to deny it the top spot with twice the firepower. This was the film for my generation. It inspired us, thrilled us and revolutionized the toy industry. If you owned the Millenium Falcon, you were a god. Add the fact that this movie had virtual no-names leading its cast (Hamill, Fisher, Ford) and was essentially a fairy tale set in space, and you've got to give it huge props. The themes were timeless, the performances were terrific, the look was sharp, the film technology was revolutionary...Yeah, I think this probably deserved to be number one. Oh, right, and then there was Vader. Best. Villain. Ever.

Considering episodes 4 & 5 of Star Wars were lumped together (and T1 & T2), I wonder why Alien and Aliens were not. I actually think Aliens might have been the more complete film. It had everything, especially in the longer version. Even if they're separate, I think Aliens should have made the list. Regardless, the original Alien was a great flick that scared the crap out of teenagers in the 70's. It also featured one of the hottest, most memorable deaths put to film.

Solaris: didn't see it, plan to see at least the updated version, so didn't even read the description. Don't wanna spoil it. I'll assume they know what they're talking about.

The Terminator was way better than T2. WAY better. Not even close. Way better performances, way better story, way more theatening. Arnold didn't have to act as much and barely spoke. 'Nuff said. If it weren't for the special effects and great cinematography, you could even mention T2 in the same breath as this list. The Terminator deserves to be on this list. Alone.

Can't really speak for The Day the Earth Stood Still and War of the Worlds, so I'll skip 'em.

The Matrix is a modern classic. How often do you see a movie these days and say, "Wow"? The Matrix was stylish, compelling, and more than a little religious. It seemed so original in so many ways that it is a natural choice for this list. Would it have been better without Canoehead Reeves? Maybe. Too bad the sequels dropped the ball.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a classic, no doubt, but I'm not sure it's top ten material. It's epic, grandiose, well shot and charming, but when you reflect one it...there ain't much there. The script might have been 5 pages.

Hold on...where the f**k is E.T.!?

F**k all that sh*t: here's my personal list of favs (not "greatest"):

1. Star Wars
2. Blade Runner (very close)
3. Empire Strikes Back
4. Predator (More "action", but it has an alien, for Pete's sake)
5. Aliens
6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
7. E.T.
8. The Terminator
9. The Matrix
10. Alien

I left some off that I felt weren't really "sci-fi", like Escape from New York and 28 Days Later (both would have made the list for sure). There's a fine line between Science Fiction and Fantasy. Science Fiction to me involves either aliens or a level of science that is far beyond our current levels. EfNY isn't that far-fetched. 28 Days Later is essentially a zombie movie/horror. Superhero movies are fantasy for the most part. Lord of the Rings is fantasy, and so is Harry Potter (though it's a moot point for that Harry Potter shite). Is Donnie Darko sci-fi? Back to the Future? I guess so...Both would have still missed the cut. Honourable mention to Jurassic Park for the innovative effects. I also really liked AI, despite the terrible ending.

Now go forth and rent some of these classics!


Billy: I'm scared Poncho.
Poncho: Bullshit. You ain't afraid of no man.
Billy: There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. We're all gonna die.
- Richard Chaves and Sonny Landham size up their odds in 1987's Predator

Good riddance to downtown

So I move on Sunday (August 27th), and after four days of painting (mostly with some helpful friends) I'm exhausted. I don't think I ever want to see a paint brush again. To add insult to injury, I didn't even get the colour I asked for. My sister "M" would be happy with the bold choices, but the "Arizona Tan" I asked for turned out to be more like "Peruvian Tan". I think "Caramel" would have been a better name.

Oh well.

This post isn't about that.

See, at the moment I live in a hit-and-miss neighbourhood of Toronto: Carlton & Jarvis. For those unfamiliar with T.O., Jarvis is sort of the dividing line between the decent and the crap (Cabbagetown being the exception). To the west is the gaybourhood (safe) and Yonge Street (bright), but to the east (and all along Jarvis) is just about every social assistance project you've ever heard of. This tends to attract the "less motivated" members of society.

Since I walk down Jarvis to get to work, I see these guys and gals every day. I get asked for money every day. I get fed a story every day.

Am I the only one who has noticed that very few of these able-bodied bums (and that's what an able-bodied beggar is: a bum - I'm not talking about the crazies or the cripples here) don't ask for change anymore, but rather they approach you with a big yarn about how they need two bucks (two bucks! What the hell happeend to "change"?) to get back to Georgetown because they lost their wallet? I've been approached MANY times with this sort of story, which makes me wonder: are these guys being coached? I've been stopped by a normal-looking guy yelling across the street that he needs money to get back home to Castlemore (which I happen to know is the rich area of Brampton). WTF?

Anyhow, I was walking to work today, thinking about how I'm moving and how tired I am of seeing these bums with their bullshit stories and lazy attitudes, when I notice the young guy who had been walking in front of me stop at a bike that was parked in front of a coffee shop. He inspected the bottle that was secured to the frame, snatched it out of the holder, and kept walking. As he took a swig, I said: "Dude! Are you serious?" He looked over his shoulder at me saying, "Huh? What?" I asked, "Is that your bottle?" To which he kind of shrugged and kept walking (east). As I turned to walk into my building I made eye contact with him again, gave him a thumbs up and said, "Model citizen."

The guy was not destitute. His clothes weren't special, but they weren't tattered by any means. He looked young, healthy and able. He just didn't care. He thought nothing of snagging someone else's property. Regardless of its insignificance, it showed a complete and utter lack of respect for another person and their property. I was stunned and depressed.

Good riddance to downtown.

Review: Bon Cop, Bad Cop

So I went to see Bon Cop, Bad Cop on Friday, a Canadian buddy-cop movie starring Colm Feore and Patrick Huard.

It ain't Lethal Weapon or Rush Hour, but it's still entertaining in the same way Strange Brew was; it's distinctively Canadian. There's no way the average American moviegoer enjoys this flick, though. Juuuust a bit inside.

Anyhow, the film has a good number of laughs - especially if you know your Quebec-Canada issues, history and sports.

The MAJOR drawback to this film - which seems to be generally acknowledged - is the total weak-ass villain. What the heck were they thinking? Maybe Huard took the day off when they wrote those pages...

After the record-setting box office (for a Canadian flick) I hear a sequel is in the works...

So get out there and support Canadian cinema!

Bush Bash Fridays

*Sigh*

I swear I don't know whether to laugh, cry, or move to Europe.

Without a doubt the Worst. President. Ever.

If you haven't heard about this whole warrantless wire-tapping business, I suggest you crawl out from under that rock and pay attention. This is fate-of-the-world stuff when you have a guy like this with launch codes at his fingertips and an effed-up sense of right and wrong.

If you're American, for Pete's sake, get out and vote.

From the Toronto Star:

CAMP DAVID, Md. — President George W. Bush said those who agree with a federal judge that his warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional "simply do not understand the nature of the world in which we live."

"This country of ours is at war," Bush said today. "And we must give those whose responsibility it is to protect the United States the tools necessary to protect this country in a time of war."

The day before, a federal judge in Michigan struck down the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program, ruling it was an unconstitutional infringement on the right to privacy and free speech. On Bush's orders, the Justice Department appealed within hours.

*sigh*

Honestly, just what country is this guy talking about? I thought the U.S. was supposed to be about Freedom and all that. You can't defend freedom by denying freedom! You're defending America and all it stands for but ignoring the Constitution? WTF?

You.
Stupid.
Bastard.

Besides, no one is saying you can't wiretap - you just need a warrant. You know, that whole "legal" thing. What a pain in the arse, eh?

How has this guy not been impeached? High crimes and misdemeanors, indeed.


Experience has already shown that the impeachment the Constitution has provided is not even a scarecrow.
- Thomas Jefferson

Cell phones: whatcha think?

I'm moving next weekend. As a result, I'll no longer be splitting certain costs with housemates (cable, internet, phone, hookers...no, wait...). This inevitably means reassessing my priorities with regards to incurred expenses.

Can I get by without internet access at home?

Do I want to get a cable box/PVR?

...Do I want a cell phone?

See, a land line costs about $40/month, give or take long distance calls. This is a good deal, especially if you're splitting it with housemates. But if you're living alone, you're the only one using the phone - so why not take it with you? There are advantages: you're reachable wherever you are, so you can arrange to meet people on the fly and no one gets lost; if there's an emergency, you can be reached immediately; if you're in trouble, you can reach 911 from a ditch; no more changing phone numbers when you move.

But there are disadvantages: you're always reachable; you have to carry the damn thing with you; the reception almost always sucks (inferior to a land line at least); it may ring at inopportune times in public; you'll be one of those annoying fucks who carries on conversations in public places; you might get a brain tumor; the cell phone company will probably find myriad ways to screw you over; you'll annoy your friends by bitching about your cell phone company; you may end up counting minutes; you have to recharge the thing; you may drop/break/lose the damn thing or have it stolen; you may be tempted to use it while driving, thereby endangering my life, you selfish, stupid bastard.

My buddy Dan posted about his recent experience getting a cell phone and trying to avoid the cell phone company b.s., which got mixed reactions in the comments section. Go check it out and come back.

What do you folks think? Let Dan or I know and maybe I'll be convinced to become "mobile".


I like my new telephone, my computer works just fine, my calculator is perfect, but Lord, I miss my mind! ~Author Unknown

As Blog As My Witness...

...I'll never eat McDonald's again.

Ok, I hear you laughing. It's true, I swear.

Actually, I swear lots so maybe that's not so good.

I've had way too many bad experiences with the contents of Big Macs to justify eating this slop, cheap or no.

Yes, it tastes oh so good, but it feels oh so bad.

And my waistline ain't what it used to be. I had to have the pants of my suit taken out a bit recently. Bad sign, dude.

So instead of waiting until New Year's, I am making a Mid-Year's resolution: no more effing McDonald's.

Gotta maintain my perfectly toned ass.


“One of the glories of New York is its ethnic food, and only McDonald’s and Burger King equalize us all.”
-John Corry, NY Times Reporter

Maclean's University Rankings Gets Failing Grade

Here in the Great White North, one of our big magazines is Maclean's. You'll find it in most doctors' offices. My (recently former) housemate Dan collects them. They in turn collect dust but that's besides the point.

...or maybe not so much. 'Cause, you see, there is some debate as to how worthy this magazine is of being read.

Probably the most popular issue every year for Maclean's is their "Canadian university rankings" issue. As one would expect, this brings out great pride and debate amongst the educated readers.

But, see, I've always questioned the findings, even though my alma mater, the University of Toronto, has always found itself at or near the very top - deservedly so.

It always seemed to me that Maclean's was just pulling opinions out of their asses and passing it off as fact. I mean, how could they possibly compare student life (let alone programs) between universities without having attended them all? A survey is unscientific since it depends on the disposition of the surveyed. It could be that people who attend a certain university are more intelligent and therefore more critical - making the university in question seem undesirable when in fact it is the elite.

So I've kinda taken the whole thing with a massive grain of salt. Especially when Montreal-based McGill outranks UofT.

If you've read any of these issues, you've probably noticed that not all universities participate. Many of the smaller universities opt out of the survey - probably because they wouldn't get a favourable ranking anyways. They'll tell you it's because the grading is unfair, but that's always sounded like sour grapes.

...But now the big dogs are starting to bark.

Seems this year the University of Toronto has opted out, along with some other notables like UBC, the University of Alberta, and McMaster University.

Oops.

Eleven universities in total have opted out, citing the flawed data and arbitrary conclusions.

Regardless, Maclean's says they're going ahead with the annual issue.

Geez, McGill is a lock this year.


In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
-Eric Hoffer

Warp Factor Love

Oh man...

Definitely in the "so awful yet I can't look away" category.

Warp Factor Love, via Wil Wheaton.

Speaking of all things Trek, the Hobbystar comicon is coming up on Labour Day weekend and guests include William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Wil's tv mom, Gates McFadden.

...but I'm going for Carrie Fisher and Roddy Piper.

Mmm...Carrie Fisher....

The Legion Grows...Life Eclectric

Somehow managed to get added to another blogroll...alongside Rick and Wil again!

This time I'm on top. Take that, Mercer!

Over at A Life Eclectric (I don't know either), Greg and Lin talk about northern life and their impending parenthood, amongst other things. They even have that freaky baby picture up.

Check'em out. Tell'em Phil sent you.

Terrorism: This guy said it for me

Ok, here's my comment:

go here

If I had had the patience, this is what I would have written. Perfect.

This is me, sitting in the pub, flipping the terrorists off.

I still think Beckham got jobbed.

Beckham Bounced From English Squad

I know what you're thinking: wtf, Phil, there was a full scale terror alert yesterday and you're talking soccer?

I know, I know, I could go on and on about that disturbing event, but I'm doing my part not to let the terrorists win - unlike the morons who react to the threat of a liquid explosive by having thousands and thousands of people dump oodles and oodles of "potentially hazardous" fluids into a common container in a crowded terminal. (Someone else had the same thought here) God bless the folks who work diligently to uncover these plots, and God help us from the obtuse airport personnel and United States presidents who react to them.

And on we merrily go...

So news comes today that David Beckham, recently resigned English soccer captain, has been dropped from the squad altogether by the new coach, Steve McClaren.

It's a sad day, I figure, 'cause I remember when Beckham broke in with the big squad as a 17-year old. Back then he was the quiet kid with the monster foot and he quickly became the pride of my favourite team as a kid, Manchester United. Having him dumped from the English team is almost worse than having him leave Man. U. We'll probably see a lot less of his soccer prowess on the boob tube now.

I don't know what you folks think, but this reeks of personal agenda. I mean, how do you figure that the guy who contributed to just about every goal your team scored at the World Cup can suddenly find himself not even in the top 8 of English midfielders?

McClaren clearly wants to put his mark on this team and the best way to do that is to dump the team's poster boy. Problem is, there's a reason the guy is the team's poster boy. He's good. Yeah, he may be "getting up there" in age (he's almost a year younger than me!) but he still holds his own on the pitch and contributes from the spot like no other. In a sport like soccer, where free kicks, corners and penalties offer more scoring chances than straight runs, this is the guy you want on your team.

Scratch the surface a little and I think you'll find McClaren resented the treatment Beckham got from former coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. McClaren wanted to dump the golden boy with the smoking hot wife and cologne ads; and that's just what he did.

This is definitely a turning point for England. New blood is being brought in. Hell, whereas England had once been the "Manchester United All-Stars", it now features more players from Tottenham Hotspur than any other club. But will it help them win a European or World championship?

Who cares? GO IRELAND!!!!!!

The Descent (no spoilers)

Saw The Descent on Friday with two lovely friends. (we're friends now, right Joce?) :P

It had been gettting favourable reviews on rottentomatoes, and the gals and I were looking for something to watch. Joce had seen Miami Vice and said it was trash, so that was out. I'm still gonna see it though. I'm pig-headed that way.

While The Descent didn't feature anything particularly special and the "threat" was kinda lame, I was entertained - and really, that's all you can ask for these days. Suspension of disbelief is definitely required here, though. This is not the smartest movie I've ever seen.

Kudos to the filmmakers, though, for having a suspense/horror film starring almost exclusively women. No nudity and I still dug it. What's the world coming to?

Movies at a Glance

Screw this. Rants are part of this whole therapeutic blog thing, but I'll be damned if I'm going into the weekend thinking about George f***ing Bush and his dumbass cronies.

(switches gears)

Alright, too many of my friends don't know enough about movies. Too many don't know that there are movies out there other than the ones advertised fifty times a day on tv. So, in the hopes that they will follow the bread crumbs and open up their minds to the possibility that there is something to be seen on the dark side of the moon, I offer a couple of links.

First, one that I've linked to before: rottentomatoes.com. Great site for seeing what's coming out and getting an idea if it's utter crap or pretty good. It pools reviews from all over the place and and calculates an approval rating as a percentage. Anything over 60% is "fresh", under is "rotten".

If you insist on seeing what a movie is about and will look like before throwing down your hard-earned cash, check out Apple trailers. This site has dozens and dozens of trailers for viewing via QuickTime. Although I won't watch trailers for movies I know I'll see, I find this site to be a great tool for discovering lesser-known gems. I'm wasting time at work right now, checking some stuff out.

...don't tell the boss.

I'm jonesing for "Renaissance" now.

Terrorism Works

Is there anyone with half a brain left in the world who honestly does not believe "the terrorists" have won?

The Worst President Ever may still be sending people to die in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this "War on Terror" ended long ago. America lost. Some folks are just too f***ing stupid to realize it.

Terrorists may have hijacked planes on 9/11, but George Bush lost the war when he reacted to the attacks and forgot what the U.S. is supposed to represent: freedom. You can't profess that you will bring democracy and freedom to the world when you build walls around your country (remember Reagan's demand of Gorbachev in Berlin?), make your citizens feel like prisoners, and bomb the crap out of foreign civilians while tracking down rebels (baby with the bathwater anyone?).

But the great disgrace, the testament to the lost war, comes in the form of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay.

I become incensed when I read stuff like this. How can the U.S. get it so f***ing wrong? How can you fight a war on terror in support of freedom while spitting on the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Geneva Convention? We celebrate when deposed foreign leaders like Slobodan Milosevic are brought to trial at the Hague, but somehow GWB slaughters thousands based on inflated, doctored or outright false evidence and not only does he not get impeached, he gets re-elected, something even daddy dearest couldn't accomplish! Bill Clinton got impeached for telling a white lie about a blowjob for fuck's sake!!!

*sigh*

When I read this sort of thing, it makes me want to get into politics - if only to meet men like GWB at G-8 summits and bitch slap them.

***UPDATE***
Check out this Boing Boing post. It also makes the argument that the handling of the "threat of terrorism" by the Bush Administration has had a greater impact than the attacks themselves. By definition, if you are afraid, terrorism works.

Moving Soon - 23 Days

I get my keys on the 15th, but since the apartment comes in a hideous shade of "congealed piss" I want to repaint that first weekend and move in the next. So I still have a bit of time before the big day. Regardless, I try to plan ahead and there's lots of little crap to take care of beforehand.

...Like transferring your cable and phone. Fun.

Cable wasn't too bad. Rogers was pretty straightforward with me. The only bitch is that some guy has to physically come by between 5-8pm the first evening and hook it up. Aren't we beyond that by now? What does this guy need to do? It's not like there wasn't able there before...

Today I took care of Ma Bell. This call was a little more of a hassle as the lady on the other end started trying to push stuff on me almost immediately. Extra features, satellite tv, cell phones - you name it, she was pushing it. I brushed her off repeatedly, but took her up on one offer: take on another 3 calling features for an extra $10 per month and the $55 transfer fee would be waived.

...Really now?

I know this scam: you take on the extra features at a reduced rate and they hose you down the line when you forget to cancel them. Now, my memory sucks ass when it comes to remembering things like names and the like (like the man says: "what's in a name?"), but when it comes to affairs of the wallet, I'm the proverbial elephant.

I got my mind on my money, my money on my mind.

So in the end I get three bonus features (I already have call waiting): call display (I don't have a display phone), call answer (I have an answering machine) and unlimited *69 (I can't even get regular star 69! Ohhhh!) :P

This costs me about $30 instead of the $55 transfer fee - I save $25 and get the bonus features for three months. Not bad.

...Oh, but I'm sure I'll get hosed somehow...

(Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. Moving is fun. )


Thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes.
- Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet, Act III, sc. i

Worthless memorabilia

So I'm moving at the end of the month. For the first time, I'm gonna have my own place.

I'm gonna be bored as hell.

But this post isn't about that, it's about some of the issues that have popped up as a result of said move.

It's always a good idea to do some spring cleaning when you move. Since all of your stuff is gonna be picked up and moved anyways, you might as well figure out where it should go: the new place or "a better place".

I've been going through our storage locker, bringing stuff up to the apartment one box at a time, performing triage a la Hawkeye Pierce. Man, I have a lot of stuff..and some of it is shit.

Anyhow, I came across some old sports cards - hockey cards and the like. Hmmm...maybe I could finally sell some of this old stuff I have and make some cash, eh? I remember an episode of Amazing Stories where this kid kept all of his old toys on the advice of a troll, despite his parents' pleas and the taunts he got from friends. He eventually became a millionaire when all that old stuff gained value. Ever since then I've been afraid to get rid of any of my comics or toys or sports cards for fear that I wouldn't be maximizing my "investment".

But all this got me thinking: what the heck happened to all those sports card stores? Back at the end of my highschool days and all during my university days sports card stores were popping up on every corner and kids would pour in and buy packs which, of course, could never be opened. I hated those stores. The idea of buying something you couldn't enjoy as an investment seemed absurd and arbitrary to me.

Comics were different. You could read a comic, put it away in a bag and board, keep it in as good condition as when you bought it, and still make some dough. You still got to enjoy the "episode". I love comics. Always have. The fact that they have become an investment and have led to higher prices ($0.25 when I was young, $5.00 now - what kind of inflation is that? I'm not THAT old!) has discouraged me from buying any more, except on very rare occasions.

Baseball card packs you couldn't open for fear of depreciation? Stupid.

It would seem all (or most) of these card shops have vanished, the victims of market over-saturation. Serves 'em right, the greedy bastards.

Coincidentally, I came across this article on MSN today. Looks like I may not be able to sell these cards at all...

But then who's gonna buy my Welcome Back Kotter cards?!


Have you noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff? God! And you say, "Get that shit offa there and let me put my stuff down!"
- George Carlin