Fun story! My old neighbour, John Farris, was the poet laureate of the Lower East Side and would be notorious for going to the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe and heckling terrible poets hahaha.. he was quite a character.
'Twas 1980; Bob A. was my boss (and would continue to be so for 30+ years and my friend for many years after retirement; guys named Bob are always awesome, I've found). Anyway, the library director for the entire school district wheeled into our library office a strange looking whatever-it-was. What it was was an Apple IIe. Of no use to library work whatsoever, but it was a LOT of fun to learn how to use it and how programming worked.
Forward several years: The library director saw what was coming and retired; the entire school district's libraries were to be put on computer and card catalogs tossed into the garbage. All those index cards that took me HOURS to type, file and weed! All those beautiful cabinets!!
And Marc's Big Boy in Wisconsin was my favorite restaurant for many years, 'til they were closed down. And the poor Big Boy sign was put into the garbage. We made the misteak of driving to the back of the one we used to frequent and there he was, actually IN the garbage. My very young stepdaughter burst into tears; she's been convinced for years that Big Boy was an actual person, somewhere. And now he was in the garbage. Oh, the trauma of childhood!
An Apple IIe. Lord, I used to use one at work when I was at Motorola. We used Apples instead of PCs, because they used a Motorola cpu while the PC used Intel. Most of my work was done on a UNIX workstation, though.
We had (or have) that same early Apple computer. Yikes, Bob — 1979. You must have been in your teens, but then, I can't do math. How things have changed since then, and not for the better.
Gosh, December 1979. I graduated college. I should’ve completed it mid-1978, but I took some detour that is hazy now. No, I didn’t do drugs, but I was known to get drunk. Anyway, I was a cartoonist/writer-wannabe, subscribing to THE VILLAGE VOICE, PUNCH magazine, and several others that were “edgy” for my circle of friends. Yeah, I grew up in the Nashville, Tennessee, not exactly Manhattan or London or even the South Bronx. And I never even visited them then, so our paths never remotely crossed.
And now, here we are, in the Age of Trump, and I’m trying to figure out what the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] I did in some past life to be stuck in this pathetic, psychopathic group karma with him.
Love that poetry heckling toon.
Fun story! My old neighbour, John Farris, was the poet laureate of the Lower East Side and would be notorious for going to the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe and heckling terrible poets hahaha.. he was quite a character.
https://www.amny.com/news/john-farris-bohemian-poet-who-chronicled-life-on-lower-east-side/
My type of guy!
I used to be captain of the department's softball team, and we named them "Bob's Big Boys."
That’s trash talking just taking the field.
Oh Lord, that Saxon .
'Twas 1980; Bob A. was my boss (and would continue to be so for 30+ years and my friend for many years after retirement; guys named Bob are always awesome, I've found). Anyway, the library director for the entire school district wheeled into our library office a strange looking whatever-it-was. What it was was an Apple IIe. Of no use to library work whatsoever, but it was a LOT of fun to learn how to use it and how programming worked.
Forward several years: The library director saw what was coming and retired; the entire school district's libraries were to be put on computer and card catalogs tossed into the garbage. All those index cards that took me HOURS to type, file and weed! All those beautiful cabinets!!
And Marc's Big Boy in Wisconsin was my favorite restaurant for many years, 'til they were closed down. And the poor Big Boy sign was put into the garbage. We made the misteak of driving to the back of the one we used to frequent and there he was, actually IN the garbage. My very young stepdaughter burst into tears; she's been convinced for years that Big Boy was an actual person, somewhere. And now he was in the garbage. Oh, the trauma of childhood!
Thanks for a lovely, going-back-in-time column.
Thanks for sharing this. Burst into tears…oh my.
An Apple IIe. Lord, I used to use one at work when I was at Motorola. We used Apples instead of PCs, because they used a Motorola cpu while the PC used Intel. Most of my work was done on a UNIX workstation, though.
You were at the cusp!
Yup, I’m a geezer. They were pretty decent machines, with a good UI, handicapped by a small screen.
Always love your stories.
Thank you!
I really liked this story. The only thing missing was "the girl I lost."
Thank you, Rex. I have some girlfriend stories but I’m a gentleman.
We had (or have) that same early Apple computer. Yikes, Bob — 1979. You must have been in your teens, but then, I can't do math. How things have changed since then, and not for the better.
It’s total fiction, Nava. I was born in 1998!
Gosh, December 1979. I graduated college. I should’ve completed it mid-1978, but I took some detour that is hazy now. No, I didn’t do drugs, but I was known to get drunk. Anyway, I was a cartoonist/writer-wannabe, subscribing to THE VILLAGE VOICE, PUNCH magazine, and several others that were “edgy” for my circle of friends. Yeah, I grew up in the Nashville, Tennessee, not exactly Manhattan or London or even the South Bronx. And I never even visited them then, so our paths never remotely crossed.
And now, here we are, in the Age of Trump, and I’m trying to figure out what the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] I did in some past life to be stuck in this pathetic, psychopathic group karma with him.
David, we may have started in different universes but I hear ya. I hear ya.