On March 15, 2010, In Cool Stuff, By Alexander
But it’s still cool!
On March 15, 2010, In In Memoriam, By Alexander
Peace Out.
On March 14, 2010, In Humor, By Alexander
Well, I finally did it.
Despite working in the technology field for most of my adult life, I’ve never really been what you could call an “early adopter.” I generally get around to buying new tech months—or more likely years—after it appears on the market. In my younger days it was generally from lack of funds; now things don’t get updated until they break down (or become too frustrating and outmoded to use).
I really haven’t had the need for a portable music player since I moved back to Phoenix. Owning one was a necessity while commuting via public transit in San Francisco, but here I drive to work. I have a CD player in my car, and I keep all of my tunes at the office on an external USB hard drive that I play via iTunes through my laptop. Lately however, the audio on my work laptop (a Dell D630) has been getting wonky. It sputters and pops even when there’s nothing playing. At first I thought it was the speakers, so I bought new ones. That didn’t solve the problem, so it’s looking more and more like bad audio on the out-of-warranty system board. There’s no way that’s getting replaced, so I had to make a decision. Do I drag out my old minidisk player and transfer all my current tunes onto disks (a daunting task), or do I just bite the bullet and get an iPod?
I actually had a harder time trying to decide which iPod to get. The Nano came in sweet candy-apple colors and shot video, but it maxed out at 16GB storage. I had 32GB of music. I could cull my collection, but the Nano itself—while undeniably sexy—just had “lose me” written all over it’s adorable face. So I went with the Classic. It won’t shoot video, but with a 160GB capacity and a larger size that’s lot likely to be misplaced, it was the logical choice for me.
First it was the MacBook Pro. Now an iPod. Is an iPhone next? Not likely. I absolutely loathe AT&T.
On March 12, 2010, In Politics, By Alexander
…but I have to say the bot (or the person who wrote it) pretty much nails it:
“The problem with this country is BOTH the Democrats and Republicans. Anyone who seriously thinks that one side isn’t corrupt or slaves to Corporate America hasn’t done an adequate job of paying attention. To the Republicans: The GW administration will go down in History as one of the worst administrations. They eroded your constitutional rights, expanded the power of the wealthy elite, invaded countries under false pretenses, destroyed diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, and spent money like it was going out of style. To the Democrats: Obama is a dud. He promised much and has turned out to be another corporate lackey. He made deals with big pharma to ensure you could not get your medication cheaper elsewhere, he flip flopped on military tribunals, he refuses to fix health care properly through nationalization or single payer, he populates his inner circle with more Wall Street insiders, he spends money on bailouts and useless stimulus packages.”
On March 12, 2010, In Memes, By Alexander
How old do you look?
I don’t know, you tell me. Some people at work have guessed a decade younger than I really am. I think I look pretty good for pushing 110…
Where do you live?
At the corner of Blasphemy and Snark.
Are you waiting for something?
The aliens. To come back. Looking for their buddy Jesus, who they ditched here because he was being a jerk while they were visiting Earth during their drunken Spring Break. (Unabashedly stolen from Erik.) But they might be a little peeved at us since we didn’t give him chocolate.
What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common?
Good lord, there is so much st00pid in the world where do I begin? People who leave a car length (or more) between them and the car in front of them while waiting at a stop light.
Last text message you received, what’d it say?
“Not bad. Didn’t like the books anyway.”
Can you handle the truth?
I am starving for the truth.
Did you cry today?
Yes, with joy as I left work for a nine-day vacation away from the place.
Do you hate the last person you had a conversation with?
No, but the talentless ukulele player at the coffee house is really pushing it. Oh wait, I haven’t spoken to him…
Do you want kids?
Battered and deep fried, or sauteed and tossed in a salad.
Have you ever thought about converting your religion?
If I had religion. But into what? Pure energy? That would be a lot more useful.
Last shocking news you heard?
That Obama hasn’t followed through on any of his campaign promises.
What was the last thing you drank?
An iced coconut latte with a half pump of chocolate.
Last person you hugged?
My Ben.
Whom do you most look like in your family?
When I was younger I didn’t look much like either parent. Now I’m seeing more and more of my dad in the mirror.
Did you dream last night?
Yes, and I’m getting very tired of visiting the twisted San Francisco that only exists in those dreams. Did you know that the tunnels connecting the underground MUNI stations are absolutely cavernous and that you can walk through them?
How many piercings do you have?
Just one. I used to have two. No, I’m not telling you where.
If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be?
A winning multi-million lottery ticket would take care of so many issues.
Does anyone call you babe?
My Ben.
Where does most of your family live?
Biological? Within a 15 mile radius. Chosen? Scattered from coast to coast.
Where did you grow up?
I’ll let you know when it happens.
Where do you want to go on vacation?
I’d like to go visit Australia and New Zealand. Maybe Canada and England, when it’s warm. Although there are plenty of places here in the States I’d still like to go see.
Have you broken a bone?
Let’s just say that not being overly athletic as spared me the indignity.
What did you receive for Valentine’s Day?
Just what I needed from my Ben: his continuing love.
Have you ever had a panic attack?
Not that I know of.
Can you sleep in jeans?
If I’m tired enough I can pretty much sleep in anything, although I much prefer to sleep in nothing.
What can’t you wait for?
The End Of The World As We Know It. (Again, stolen from Erik. Amen, sister!)
When’s the last time you told someone you loved them and meant it?
About 30 minutes ago, to Ben over dinner.
Have your parents ever smoked pot?
That’s one conversation I never had with my mom, but I think my Dad tried it.
Want someone back in your life?
I would love to have any of the 25 or so friends who have passed on back in my life.
Do you live near your most recent ex?
There’s a little matter of a restraining order…
Are you good at giving directions?
I tend not to be overly vocal during sex. Oh, that’s not what you meant?
When was the last time you cried really, really hard?
Sometime along week 5 of my radiation treatments.
Whom was your last text from?
My Ben.
Ever licked someone’s cheek?
Yes. All four of them.
What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
Celery.
Where were you on July 4th, 2009?
Without hesitation I can say I was in Arizona. As to specifics, I haven’t a clue. Remember, I’m 110…
What body part(s) do you wash first in the shower?
My hair.
Have you ever kissed anyone who’s name started with a D?
Yes.
Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
Cold. Hot weather can just suck it! I’m done with hot.
What do you currently hear right now?
Wendy Carlos’s rendition of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, First Movement. (It drowns out the ukulele player quite nicely, thank you.)
Does someone like you right now?
Well duh!
Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
I am out in public right now. Have you not been paying attention?
What are your nicknames?
Ben calls me “Babe.” That’s the only one I have that I’m aware of, but I’m sure a lot of people call me other things under their breath and when I’m not around.
On your sex interests, where do you like them to have piercings?
There was a time, but now it all seems just so last century.
If you could go any place in the world right now, where would you go?
Germany. Or Alaska before all the ice melts.
Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something?
Most of the people I know are quite capable of breaking things without any emotional entanglement from me whatsoever.
What is your favorite color?
In general? On walls? Cars? Hankies?
If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?
I wouldn’t go back at all. Changing any single thing would send my life on a totally different trajectory and I wouldn’t want that to happen.
About Me
Name: Alexander
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Irreverent, independent, and often snarky partnered gay boomer who is tired of moral pontification by hypocritical conservative assholes and hate filled religious bigots.
