Ab's' Room, the Second Sequel: Not Actually His Room but Mine

Sort of a celebration of both my new shelf as well as a new phone with a way better camera on it than my old BlackBerry (not that I really know how to use it)--here's some shit. And for even more reason it's to make Abz jealous of my media organization and lack of clutter/trip over yourself hazardous hodgepodge of a heap of a collection. No lame video games and no stupid toys. Just other forms of wall decorating wastes of money. Yes, I know I should at least have some posters or something, but I just don't bother to put them up. I have tons, like maybe close to a hundred, but I prefer them framed (which is expensive), and putting them up with just pushpins or tape could damage them, especially considering that this is not what I hope to be a permanent abode, so they would be removed and transported and all that. But whatever--here's boring pictures of my boring apartment (the parts that relate to music and movies, at least).


Ground Zero Blast Center Station Command Center Center:

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Love my tv, but I want bigger and it has burn-in which pisses me off. My speakers are fantastic but my low-to-mid grade audio components don't really make them shine the way they could, but that's a many, many-thousands of dollars upgrade. I can deal for now. I used to keep my records just in crates/posted up against crates and the wall. I hated that, but I had an off-again-on-again search for a shelf that would be a good fit that just never produced any results despite lasting years and sometimes being rather extensive. Everything ideal was just way too much money. I got lucky though. One night the girlfriend suggested Overstock.com and I found something literally perfect for me: solid wood, good dark color, good size, good price and no tax/free shipping:

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BAMF. So fucking happy I found that thing. Put it together pretty easy, and it's really solid. Plus, in the picture below, everything on those shelves IS every record I currently own, which is right around 200. So the thing will hold something in the area of 450-500 records, which future proofs me for at least a few years. If I ever outgrow it, and I'm still not ballin' ass rich, I'd really just want to get another one I think. Here it is next to my Boltz solid steel CD rack which I absolutely fucking hate but currently can't afford/don't have the room to replace:

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Here be my delicately packaged/awkwardly-shaped/otherwise non jewel-case CDz in stupid boxes on the floor. I want them on a shelf, but that stupid Boltz CD rack uses dowels instead of shelves and just sucks. So until I get a new place and replace that shitty steel thing, here's 200ish more CDs laying on the floor:

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Oh yeah and moobies:

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All my shit sucks but it's still better than yours.

I keep tryin to convince me mum that I need a bookcase to display all my video games, but she never listens to me

Get your own fucking place.

now lets see a pic of dat dick

This reminds me of something I recently saw someone discussing on youtube. According to a recent study the average UK college student has about a thousand dollars worth of music, among many other things. I didn't look at the details, but I'm quite certain they just probably looked at how many mp3s each student has on average and assumed each student actually paid an average price for each mp3.

What really got to me, though, is a majority of the comments were people in complete shock that someone has actually "paid" that much, let alone anything at all, for music.

Then there are people like us, I added it up and probably have of order a good 7000 dollars into just my CD collection. You guys seem of a similar lot, are we that weird?

People want shit for free and don't feel like supporting or paying for anything. It's fucking sad. I'm not against downloading music and things for free... but fuck you if you really enjoy something and refuse to support the person doing it.

Yeah, that way of thinking pisses me off.

Also, to be back on the actual topic. Nice collection and set up.

People who don't personally care to pay for media/support those who create what they supposedly love do bother and confuse me, but not enough to really start conversations about, let alone get angry over. But those who see not even my collection but merely overhear me mention that I bought a CD or Blu-Ray or something and blurt out, "LOL YOU PAY FOR MOVIES!? WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY AND SENILE!?" make me think of this moment from Back to the Future Part II:



"You mean you have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!"

I feel like I know hundreds of goofs who illegally download hundreds of Lil Wayne and Katy Perry songs, and every new Saw and Fast and the Furious movie, yet purchase $40 t-shirts with huge fonts and images of weed leaves and rappers wearing bling in their mouth plus cable television subscriptions to watch network dramas and reality tv. But then they look at me buying a Black Sabbath CD and paying to go to a local rock and roll show like I'm crazy and wasting my time and money? What the fuck, how does that work? YOU'RE the one who's wearing plastic neon suspenders and a painted colander for a hat and who thinks Wild Gunman sucks, fucking weirdo loser.

Forgetting my tv and stereo equipment, and taking just the content, that is CDs, records, DVDs and Blu-Rays (plus my videogames, but I've already sold all of those), and turning them in for what I paid (neither what they're "worth" at used market value or MSRP, but purely what I paid) and I could easily instead have a healthy down payment for a house AND like a brand new Camry or something. Would I trade all my shit for those things? If it were instantaneous--probably lol. But would I trade all those things, plus the decades of having and enjoying all that I've accumulated over time? Probably not.

I don't think the the argument is as simple as ya'll are making it. It's not just that illegal downloading softened our sensibilities toward piracy, it's that the very idea of "property" gets ridiculous distorted when it comes to digital media. Not that this didn't always exist, but the literal binary nature of digital shit kind of cheapens the idea of original work. When you can copy a file and it is 100% IDENTICAL to the original file without that file being destroyed, it is not stealing. Like, by definition. It doesn't deprive anyone of any good.

I'm not saying it's right or just to download music/movies/whatever, but the argument is much more philosophical and multifaceted than "if u steal then ur a dick". I mean, I still buy pretty much all my music, but the idea of "property" and "ownership" isn't as relevant as it once was.

That's not really what I'm saying, though. I think it's stupid that people will laugh at you for paying for something because you can get it for free. Yeah, I can. And I probably did. But I appreciated what that person did or what it did for me, so I feel like paying back my respects to said person. And that's stupid? I don't know.

I don't know how people care so little about music, musicians, and artists. It's crazy.

Ghetto. Dust some of that stuff off.

I have my CDs in plastic tubs.

Yes, it's different and a little bit more of a gray area than outright stealing, but at the end of the day it's still someone creating a product (the music, not the actual CD) and a consumer that would have possibly paid for it now just taking it.

Of course, there is the advantage that digital music gives of exploring new and interesting music/trying before you buy, which were not so straight forward when you had to buy everything or know someone that already owned it.

Still, at the end of the day it's not so much people that download everything as much as it is people that act like we don't know what we're doing/how the world works because we actually paid for it.

Electroretard wrote:

I don't think the the argument is as simple as ya'll are making it.  It's not just that illegal downloading softened our sensibilities toward piracy, it's that the very idea of "property" gets ridiculous distorted when it comes to digital media.  Not that this didn't always exist, but the literal binary nature of digital shit kind of cheapens the idea of original work.  When you can copy a file and it is 100% IDENTICAL to the original file without that file being destroyed, it is not stealing.  Like, by definition.  It doesn't deprive anyone of any good.  

I'm not saying it's right or just to download music/movies/whatever, but the argument is much more philosophical and multifaceted than "if u steal then ur a dick".  I mean, I still buy pretty much all my music, but the idea of "property" and "ownership" isn't as relevant as it once was.

I was with you for a while. Of course the times are changing, or really, already have changed. Music buying, especially physical music buying, has become either a nostalgic niche or an idiotic waste of money to most. But as soon as you say, "When you can copy a file and it is 100% IDENTICAL to the original file without that file being destroyed, it is not stealing.  Like, by definition." you lost me. It absolutely is stealing in the form of copyright infringement. It's stealing intellectual property. The same as if I were to infringe on a patent and call it a new invention. They are stealing (or more accurately, infringing) the rights of the original recorded and written work and copyright, not the digital copy produced with a few mouse clicks. You don't seriously think it's not at all tantamount to stealing, do you?

I don't think you guys are getting my point. My comment was more about "when does a chair become a chair" than "when is something stealing". I'm kind of drunk, so I don't blame you if you didn't get that. But yeah, I'm making a philosophical argument about the absurdity of "property" and "things" than anything else.

I wasn't talking about property or things. I was just saying I hate it when people want to say 'fuck you' to people that they respect or appreciate. I guess. I'm kinda drunk, too. My point is essentially that I want to give money to people for what they have supplied me with. It's because I respect them and want to give them what they are due (somewhat). Other people just laugh at this notion because they think it's stupid. And that is what irks me. People work hard on stuff and you just take it and give nothing and say 'lol oh well' That's fucked up. (I'm not saying you personally... just people that think like that)

Loxx O))) wrote:

I wasn't talking about property or things.  I was just saying I hate it when people want to say 'fuck you' to people that they respect or appreciate.  I guess.  I'm kinda drunk, too.  My point is essentially that I want to give money to people for what they have supplied me with.  It's because I respect them and want to give them what they are due (somewhat).  Other people just laugh at this notion because they think it's stupid.  And that is what irks me.  People work hard on stuff and you just take it and give nothing and say 'lol oh well'  That's fucked up.  (I'm not saying you personally... just people that think like that)

My vastly bigger issue is still with people who look at me paying for what I want to pay for and pointing and laughing at me and calling me stupid and out of touch. I really care very little how they choose to conduct their spending habits. Do I disagree with them and think it sad and disrespectful? Yeah, but I don't lose sleep over it. But to look at what I do, something that gives me entertainment and joy, and say I'm an idiot? Fuck you.

[edit]: lol curious to see what you think of this when you're not drunk lol

ALSO: COMMENT ON PICS AND/OR POST SOME OF YER OWN

Well, yeah... I don't necessarily care what they do with their money... but fuck them for judging me and saying I'm stupid when they're the ones who don't pay respects or give back.  I don't lose sleep over it, either.  So I think in some respects we're on the same page... but maybe there are a few underlying differences with how we feel about it.

I'll probably feel the same when I'm completely sober.  We'll see.

And I wish I could post mine.  Most of my actual cds and movies are in MS.  I didn't want to spend massive amounts of money bring them with me.  I have 200-300 dvds in two cases with me up here... and a half stack case full of actual movies with cases.  I maybe have 50 actual cds with me here.  My vinyl collection is slowly growing, though.

I actually meant to quote something from Kerr and was directing that towards him. I think you and I are probably near 100% on the same page. Him and I may be kinda close, but I'd suspect it even closer when he's sober lol. Really, what he went off about was really sort of a tangent anyways. SORT OF LIKE THE ENTIRE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THIS TOPIC BEING LOST THANKS JEFF

dude does even more like lol

Yeah, someday I wish I'll be able to get a somewhat nice and organized set-up with good shelves. I was getting close to something like that back in Indiana, but these days I have no idea how long I'll be jumping around the world before I can establish a long-term home. So, it's not even worth trying to move my entire collection around, let alone buy a quality set-up.

How many CDs do you have? Also, I would like to get a higher quality shot of that last photo. I can barely make out anything. So, right now I can't comment on what you have, only that you have a lot.

Electroretard wrote:

dude does even more like lol

dood wut lol

jeffnogo wrote:

Yeah, someday I wish I'll be able to get a somewhat nice and organized set-up with good shelves.  I was getting close to something like that back in Indiana, but these days I have no idea how long I'll be jumping around the world before I can establish a long-term home.  So, it's not even worth trying to move my entire collection around, let alone buy a quality set-up.

How many CDs do you have?  Also, I would like to get a higher quality shot of that last photo.  I can barely make out anything.  So, right now I can't comment on what you have, only that you have a lot.

I feel the same way in relation to what I was saying about my posters. Framing those is an investment, not only for the frames/posters themselves, but also for the home in which they are put up. If I go and pound a hundred nails into the walls of this 700 sq. ft. apartment I'm fucked on my deposit when I move out.

CDs I think I have right about 1,000, give or take fifty or so. Haven't done a proper count in a while.

As far as higher quality pics: those are all 13mp native pics, but I resized them so as to not be ridiculous. So they're huge and have potential to be high quality, but it is still just a phone's onboard camera, plus of course I'm just completely inept when it comes to digital photography of any kind. But here's the native pic from before (note: on my computer the dark academy site still auto-sizes them small. Drag and drop them to a new tab and you will see them in all their native, huge, blurry glory):

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And here's another full size one framed a little different and in a different light/setting:

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Congrats to me for being useless even with a "good" cameraphone, I know.

Oh yeah and also, forgot I have stored in a different place some of my CD boxsets/oversized deluxe editions:

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no toys whats that bicycle thing FAG

I throw my posters on the wall with tacks. Just don't give a sheet.

but yeah i got a lot of toys lol and all my posters are cartoons.



I'm super pissed at DVD packaging right now. It takes up so much room. I wanna keep my South Park DVDs, but they take up soo muuuch space. To think I once thought those thick brick boxes were super cool, back when I just started buying my own DVDs and had a ton of shelf space. Now they'd probably piss me off even if I had a ton of room.

So I just sell the cluttery shit/shit I probably won't watch anytime soon or again/shit that's bullshit like Requiem for a Bumhole/shit like that, yet I'm still cluttered.

Super high qual pics. I can almost see you own Sideways.