I hadn’t used my old desk in years. I’d been reticent to part with it, but household reorganization demanded it must go. I told my wife, “I’m going to sell this desk. It’s too cool to throw away. Someone will love it as much as I have.”

My wife said, “No one will want your old beat-up desk. Let’s saw it in half and put it out for the garbage pickup.”

I said, “You may be right. Let me write an ad on Craigslist, and we’ll see if anyone wants it.” Here was my ad:

World’s sturdiest and most lovable desk

I bought this desk as a college student back in 1984. Since then it has lived in Missouri, Chicago, and now Colorado. This desk has seen countless art projects, ancient Macintosh computers, and occasional Thanksgiving dinners. I wrote term papers and love letters to my wife sitting at this desk.

Now it must go. It’s too big, too heavy, too beat-up, sayeth my wife. It’s an old friend, and I’d hate to see it end up in a landfill.

It would be perfect for an artist’s studio or someone’s workshop. Make no mistake; the desk is showing its age. Of course, it wasn’t perfect when I bought it in 1984 — the wear has always been part of its charm.

The center drawer locks and I have the key. The top can be removed for easier transportation. It has a file drawer on the right side that can hold standard-size 8.5″ x 11″ papers.

There’s a stamp on the bottom that says 1929. I still have a tag that was in the desk when I bought it that says 1962. I’m more inclined to believe 1962 than 1929, but who knows.

This desk will bring you luck and love. It’s solid wood. It’s always warm, never cold.

Come, give my cherished old desk a good home.

The response was amazing. I had a dozen e-mails inquiring about the desk within a day. I ended up selling it to a girl who gave it as a surprise gift to her boyfriend, a college student majoring in journalism. It was apropos, given that I had been a college student in J-school when I bought it. I actually delivered it to him, and I could tell immediately he saw the charm and character in the old desk.

As I left, I told him, “Someday, when you grow tired of the desk or no longer need it, pass it on.”

I found a sticker inside the desk when I cleaned out all my stuff. I had bought the desk in 1984 at Warehouse of Fixtures, 3270 Laclede, St. Louis, MO (314) 534-3250. I googled it, and they’re still in business. Even their phone number is the same.

The Republicans are attempting to rig the 2008 Presidential election by splitting the California electoral vote. See this article from the NY Times. Funny how they’re not suggesting this should be done in Texas, isn’t it?

It’s time for one person, one vote. Make the whole thing a popular vote system and get rid of the opportunity for stacking the deck in anyone’s favor.

I’m still amazed that the Dems didn’t try to force this after the travesty of the 2000 elections. You can bet that if the situation had been reversed — if Bush had won the popular vote but lost the electoral college — the Republicans would have figured out a way to change the whole system in favor of “fairness.”
I’ve said it before: the Republican party is full of smart crooks, and the Democratic party is full of dummies who want to do the right thing.