One Day I Will Be Free

My name is Chris. This blog is just a place where I can express myself - about things that interest me and how I cope with what is happening in my life. I have an autoimmune disease, called Sjogren's Syndrome, and I struggle with it daily. It's a chronic, incurable disease which I will have for the rest of my life. I try to live the best I can despite it. I'm a young man, but I feel like I carry a weight far beyond my years. Maybe here I can be free. I love science, and I love animals (especially birds!). I also enjoy writing and photography. I'm curious, and have many interests. Maybe here, at last, I can be myself.

[sixpenceee]

Bird enthusiast Skjalg-Helmer Vian (14) from Vadsø, Norway was reading about the Grey-headed chickadee (Poecile cinctus) when an actual one swooped in to see what all the fuss was about. The boy’s father, Geir Arne Vian captured, the amazing photo opp and the image has been circulating online as of late.

[garten-of-tears-deactivated2018]

i love birbs ‘ v ‘

[ol77]

Birdie!

[ol77]

Restored radio

About 2-3 weeks ago, I bought this little vacuum tube radio from a pawn shop.  I love antique electrical and mechanical devices, especially these old tube radios!  I couldn’t tell much about it, other than it had a “Kent” brand label and it seemed to be REALLY old.  It had unusual tubes which I had never seen before.  It was in really bad shape and needed a lot of work, but I was so intrigued with it that I had to get it.

I did some research online, and I was able to find out that it was made by the Atwater-Kent comapany in about 1940.  The model number is 9822. 

The radio obviously needed a lot of cosmetic work, but it also needed electrical repairs.  Thankfully, I was also able to find a schematic online.  I replaced most of the capacitors and the dial light.  The case is made out of wood, but it was covered with some kind of fabric.  The fabric was really dirty and grimy and peeling off, so I decided the best thing was to just take it off and paint the wood.  It was a lot of work - I had to scrape the covering off in some places!  I repaired the wood and patched it with putty, and then sanded and painted it.  I also made a new wooden back cover, and a handle with material I got from a craft store.  It was a lot of work, but I was really happy with how it turned out!  It was definitely worth it!

The radio works great!  It’s so awesome to bring an antique like this back to life!

[thejammygit-blog]

Calm the Fuck down

Trump isn’t against LGBT marriage or rights, whilst hes stated he himself is a traditionalist, he himself is fine with it

Trump has never pledged to remove ‘all non whites’ as you keep spazzing out over, he just wants to end illegal immigration, costing tax paying americans a big fucking sum to the tune of 118 billion dollars a year.

All this is coming from a bloody brit, across a fuck off ocean, so pull your left leaning heads out your asses and open your eyes, it’s happened, so sit the fuck down and get on with it.  

[ol77]

Exactly! All these special snowflakes need to grow up and accept reality! I'm completely fed up with idiots crying, screaming, and smashing windows, starting fires, and assaulting people over an ELECTION. It's insanity. When will all the whiney SJW's finally grow up?

[emporioefikz]

Steampunk Lamp by Pierre Jean Tardiveau 

https://twitter.com/pjtardiveau

[ol77]

This is awesome! I need to build something like this. I've been working a lot with vacuum tube circuits from antique radios, so maybe I can make something with some extra tubes I have.

[becausebirds]

5,000 ducks going for a walk

[ol77]

That's a LOT of quackers...

[ol77]

Just a reminder - the President is NOT a king.

I’m so completely fed up with SJW’s, but I already wrote about that earlier.  What is really driving me crazy now is that apparently a lot of people have absolutely no idea how the United States government works.  The people losing their minds about Donald Trump being elected apparently never learned about the 3 branches of the Federal government and the Separation of Powers.  (And I learned about all this in middle school!)

I’ve been seeing a lot of idiotic comments on YouTube recently, saying things like “Is Trump going to repeal Gay Marriage?!”  No, morons - because the President can’t “repeal” anything!  ONLY Congress (the House of Representatives and Senate) can pass or repeal laws.  The House of Representatives vote on a bill, and if it passes then it is sent to the Senate.  IF the Senate also passes the bill, the last step is for the President to sign it.  But the President has absolutely NO part in actually making laws.  The President can block a bill from becoming law with a veto.  But even then, Congress can override him with a 2/3 vote. Also, the Supreme Court can also decide that a law is unconstitutional and strike it down.  The President has no power to make or repeal laws.  Congress actually has most of the power, but remember that they have to vote on any new legislation.  All the people freaking out need to get through their thick skulls that the President is not some king or dictator who can just wave a magic wand and do whatever he wants.   

The Founders did this on purpose. They didn’t want any part of the government to become too powerful, so they separated it into the Executive, Legislate, and Judicial branches.  They also limited each branch’s powers.  This is called “checks and balances.”

All the crazy SJW protesters who are freaking out about Trump being elected President and apparently hate their own country should be THANKFUL that we have the Constitution...and that we have a country where they are free to protest in the first place.     

[ol77]

SJW's are the reason why Trump won

Here is a cold, hard fact that all the special snowflakes need to face - EVERYONE HATES SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS. The public is completely fed up with your constant screaming, protesting, and crying “Islamaphobia! Transphobia! Misogyny! Bigot!” People finally had enough. You cried wolf too many times. We don’t want to hear your whining anymore. No more “safe spaces,” no more “trigger warnings.” People voted for Trump as a massive backlash against SJW’s. They were tired of being censored and called names. A lot of them didn’t even really like Trump, but they were so fed up with Social Justice Warriors and “political correctness” that that they voted for him just to send a message. Maybe if protesters had focused on real issues instead of crying about their “right pronouns” and getting “triggered,” then no one would have taken Trump seriously. He lost the last time he tried to run. But this time he won by a landside. Gee…I wonder why?

So congratulations, SJW’s, YOU are the reason why Donald Trump got elected. Are you happy now?

[awwww-cute]

Found this fuzzy little guy hanging out on my deck yesterday. (Source: http://ift.tt/291Hsu0)

[ol77]

Cute birdie! You're so lucky!

[ol77]

I need to get my mind off the news, or I'm going to go crazy. Well, yesterday I was looking around in my favorite thrift shop, and I found these vintage binoculars. They were originally $20, but they were discounted for 75 percent off, so I got them for only about $4! They even had the original case! The binoculars are very well made, and most of the parts are metal. It has a nice, solid and heavy feel, unlike the cheapy plastic stuff that is made today. I did some research, and I learned a lot and was able to figure out that it was most likely made sometime in the 1960's. It was made in Japan, and has a sticker showing that it was inspected by the "Japan Telescopes Institute." There is also a marking with an identification number saying "JB133." It turns out that in November, 1959, Japan created the Telescopes Institute, and by law all telescopes and binoculars that were exported had to be inspected and tested. They had very strict quality standards. Telescopes and binoculars that passed the inspection were then given an official sticker from the JTI and a number that indicated which company manufactured them. I looked up the number for my binoculars, and JB133 matches with a company named "Kamakura Koki, Ltd." Also, they are still around today and still make optics! I don't know whether the Japan Telescope Institute still exists today, maybe as something else. From what I read, they tested telescopes and binoculars until sometime in the 1980's. That means that my binoculars were made sometime after 1959, but before the 1980's. They were obviously made well before the 1980's, because by then everything was very modern and mostly made out of plastic. (I was a little kid in the 1980's, but I do still remember them clearly). The stitched leather of the case looks like the style that was common in the 1950's and 60's. That's why I'm estimating that the binoculars were made sometime in the 1960's. Unfortunately, I just don't have enough information to get a precise time period. In any case though, these binoculars are really cool, and they are in excellent condition. I love antique stuff! So not only did I get these really cool little binoculars, I also learned an interesting history lesson!

[ol77]

The suspect is named "Mohamed." Is anyone surprised?

The terrorist who viciously murdered 84 people and hurt hundreds of others in Nice, France was a Muslim named Mohamed Bouhlel. Is anyone really surprised that his name was "Mohamed"? I'm certainly not. As soon as I heard about this incident, I knew immediately that the suspect would turn out to be a Muslim. I'm American, and since I live thousands of miles away from France, I feel like there is really nothing I can do to help them. I suppose I feel as helpless as they did when we were attacked on September 11. The only thing I can do is speak my mind and say the truth. Terrorists hate democracy and freedom of speech. France is now suffering yet another tragic loss of life because of Muslim terrorists. But I can only hope they will continue to be strong and defiant, and defend their culture and ideals. When Charlie Hebdo was attacked, I was so proud that they came back to work and declared that they weren't going to be intimidated and weren't going to let anyone rob their freedom of speech. They made another cartoon mocking Islam and their beloved, stupid "prophet." Charlie Hebdo essentially gave the middle finger to Muslim terrorists, despite the enormous grief they were suffering. In the United States, we value freedom of speech tremendously, but Charlie Hebdo showed that it is a value that is extremely important for modern civilization. We must continue to show Islam for what it is - a barbaric religion that encourages terrorism and vicious murder, like what has happened in France. And don't let spineless SJW's try to silence you by calling you a "bigot," or "Islamaphobe." You're damn right I'm afraid of Islam. We all should be. Any religion that promotes the murder of "non-believers" is something that shouldn't even exist in the world. Islam will never co-exist with modern, peaceful civilization. It was started in the Middle Ages, and that's where it should have stayed.

[ol77]

How much more can France take?

84 innocent people killed in yet another terrorist attack. I feel horrible for France. When is this madness going to be stopped? How much should we bet that this was done by a Muslim? Do we even have to ask? How many more innocent people have to be hurt and killed before people finally see that Islam is barbaric and encourages violence and terrorism? I've had it. We need to speak up and say the truth, or more innocent people will die. Muslims are terrorists. Period. There is no such thing as a "peaceful Muslim." So-called "peaceful" Muslims just either aren't true followers and only pick and choose the parts they want to believe...or they are terrorists who just haven't built their first bomb yet. Islam is a threat to modern civilization. Unfortunately, Europe has been much too welcoming to Muslims. This has allowed Muslims to infiltrate Western countries and spread their fanatic, psychopathic ideology and establish terrorist cells. Now, sadly, it is costing the lives of more innocent people.

[steampunktendencies]

[steampunktendencies]

The Crocker Mansion in Mahwah, New Jersey, a 55,000 square foot single family home built by architect James Brite in 1908. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Constructed of Indiana limestone and Harvard brick, the home is also named “Darlington.” (Photo : Evan Joseph)

[ Via Victorian House ]

[ol77]

ooh...I wish I could live there!

[ol77]

This is getting beyond ridiculous

I swear, if I hear the words “transgender,” “gay,” “genderqueer” or any of that other crap one more time, I’m going to strangle someone.

I had a doctor’s appointment at the hospital today. (I’m young, but I have a lot of health problems - lucky me.) When I was checking in, the receptionist told me they had new questions for patients. She gave me a laminated sheet with check boxes that asked for your gender and orientation. Yes, seriously. She said it was for “research” they have to do. In the gender section, there was a long list of options. I only took a quick look, but in addition to male and female, there was “transgender,” “genderqueer,” and a bunch of other crap. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. When is this going to stop?! Listen, all you special snowflakes out there, there are only TWO genders on planet Earth - male and female! That is all!

Also, if you are born as a male, you ARE a male! If you are born as a female, you ARE a female! End of story. It’s time for people to grow up and stop living in a fantasy world. People who know me are aware of how I feel about this. Some people may not agree with me, but I believe in logic and science. If you are born with male anatomy, you are a male, if you are born with female anatomy, you are a female - just like every other creature on this planet. That is hard scientific fact, whether special snowflakes like it or not. You don’t get to change the definition of words just to suit a politically correct fantasy world and make special snowflakes happy.

I mean seriously, this idiotic SJW crap is spilling over into hospitals now?!

[ol77]

Muslims are at it again

So now Belgium has been attacked by Muslim terrorists. When is this going to stop? When are people finally going to wake up and see that Islam is the problem? How many more innocent people have to die? Islam is a plague on the world, and it's a threat to modern peaceful civilization.

[fuckyeahairplaness]

by Jason Pratt

[ol77]

I love how the wing is lit by the sun and it contrasts against the darker sky. You can also actually see a little bit of the curve of the Earth. Nice picture.

[becausebirds]

So my dad works at a university, and he says this hawk has been coming to sit outside on the ledge of his office everyday. He says it just sits there, looks at him, squawks a few times, and then leaves. He also says the bird will sometimes have a rodent with him to eat. Just wanted to share with you because it’s interesting and the bird is kinda cute. Also look at those talons o:

I think he’s just wondering where to apply for admission. Does your dad work at Bird School?

[ol77]

That would be so amazing to see a hawk up close like that!

[fuckyeahairplaness]

by Matt_Weibo

[ol77]

Beautiful!