Air Sickness Bag Resurgence -- the magic is back!

I began collecting Air Sickness Bags in 1981 when I was in college.  A year into collecting, a Freshman named George Chen joined the Fraternity I was in (not the Fraternity of barf bag collectors) and when he learned of my budding collection, he said he knew someone else who already collected barf bags.  He mentioned this a few times during the year but I never found out anything more about the mystery collector. 

Almost 35 years later, in May of 2015, I received an e-mail out of the blue from a physician named Andrew Angel.  He said he had been an air sickness bag collector for many years and knew my friend George.  He said that the time had come for him to part with his collection and let someone else curate it. 

As we both live in the Boston area, I was able to meet Mr. Angel in Somerville, MA on June 3^rd to discuss his collection and ultimately take possession of it.  His collection of old and rare bags was extensive and a joy to behold.  It contained bags from countries that don’t even exist anymore such as Air Ceylon and most of these bags were still in excellent condition.  [As an aside, he also collected Doggie Bags (for taking home leftovers, not for canine excrement)]. 

During our animated meeting, I found out that Mr. Angel had written to Scandinavian Air System (SAS) in 1978 to see if they would send him a few bags to bolster his then nascent collection.  The response he received was better than he could have imagined. 

Not only did SAS send him some sample bags, they also sent him the entire collection of a Mr. Robert Pugh who had recently decided to stop collecting Air Sickness Bags himself in around 1977.  Several of these bags are ones that I have never seen in any collection, much less have myself, so you can imagine how exciting I found this piece of aviation history to be.  Mr. Angel also still had a copy of the SAS response letter which you can see here.

As Mr. Angel had been entrusted with Mr. Pugh’s collection, I have been entrusted with both collections and will do my best to curate these rare relics to the best of my ability.  I want to thank Mr. Angel (and Mr. Pugh) and should probably start thinking about succession for whenever I am no longer able to collect.

Toby

It is with great sadness that I report that Toby – a border collie I affectionately refer to as my rental dog – was put to sleep on July 13th. Among other issues, he had never quite been the same after being kicked in the head by a horse and was also suffering from the blood borne disease, anaplasmosis. (Note: I once went out on a date with someone named Anna Plasmosis).

Ha ha, not really. But I did once go out on a date with a heavy smoker named Sima [pronounced see’-ma]. However, it was to be our only date as I made the tactical error of calling her “Empha Sima” when she lit up.

Anyway, Toby was really the dog of my close friend and neighbor Vickie. When Vickie was away, she would only trust Toby with me or one other person, Jon. Toby was cute, personable, and amazingly intelligent – he understood full sentences, even when they didn’t contain his name. Like most border collies, he was driven and obsessive, but was always lovable and endearing. We spent many a morning over the years walking in the woods, on the beach and at local parks. I miss him.

Here is a picture of Toby: http://www.airsicknessbags.com/Toby.jpg

Because I was apparently not sufficiently sad and reflective enough in some deity’s divine master plan, I turned 50 in July (or 106 if you believe Facebook. When you’re 106 Facebook stops serving you ED ads.)

I initially thought that being 50 and childless was an indication of a failed life, but then I realized that was just plain silly. Being 50 and still blogging is a much better indication of a failed life.

To celebrate the milestone, my mother Noa Miller and her husband Jerry invited all of my dearest and closest friends to come to Hull for a celebration dinner. The event made me feel truly fortunate to have such a wealth of friends. I mean, so what if I don’t have any resentful children who hate me?

If you’re not a reader of Backpacker Magazine (and even if you are but don’t read all the fine print cover to cover) you may have missed a short piece they recently wrote-up (translation: I wrote up) about the “Best Weekend Hike in Massachusetts”. It’s a trip that Craig Richards and I did about 10 years ago. It was actually his idea, but I co-opted it for the piece. To see the short article: http://www.fatpacking.com/resume/images/Backpacker201108.jpg

But I guess my biggest recent news concerns the Fatpackers Reality Show. I just signed a contract with a production company called Renegade. The option gives them exclusivity to pitch and represent any number of reality concepts based upon Fatpacking to various networks (many of which you’ve never even heard of!)

This came about in a roundabout way via Facebook. I had posted some pictures of a recent backpacking trip and a Facebook friend made a comment whose gist was “This would make a great reality show.” I followed up with links to a few concepts I had written up and out of the blue, my high school Physics partner, Mark Krasselt, (who works for the aforementioned production company) saw it and made the shidduch. .

I recognize that the odds of my show ever seeing airtime are very remote. However, in anticipation of such an event, I’m seeking arrogance training so I can learn to talk about myself and how great I think I am all the time. Come to think of it, after re-reading this newsletter, maybe I don’t need the training after all.

Anyway, I think the takeaway regarding the reality show is for high school and college students: Learning Physics is more important than you think.

Finally, I will completely eschew any Air Sickness Bag drivel as I have a few irons in the fire (cookies in the bag?) that may require lengthy in-depth analysis in the next newsletter.

Until Then, Stay Mild!

Steve

I thought Mildly Informative went out of business!

Most of you have probably gotten over the shock of not receiving your Mildly Informative IV Drip for some time now. If you haven’t, I know a mediocre therapist who won’t solve your any of your issues, but will sympathetically hand you tissues while ignoring you pour out your heart.

Two forces have conspired to prevent my heretofore semi-regular dissemination. The first was a full-time programming job I accepted at the beginning of 2010. As this was my first W-2 job since 1984, you can imagine what a massive fail this was. It underscored poor financial decisions, but worse it exposed my severe lack of skills in starting a venture which I had hoped would be wildly successful and lucrative, but is instead mildly monetarily successful at best, even if it does provide an amazing quality of life.

The second force causing my lack of communication is that I’m male. Ha ha, just kidding. It’s Facebook. I could probably tell you all the reasons Facebook obsoletes predecessors, but my guess is that you’re more savvy with the platform (I’ve never poked anyone) and would come up with several reasons that I overlooked.

When I began my search for a full time position (I still cringe at those 3 words), Fitpacking was languishing and I thought I’d have to close up shop. I also found that my web programming skill set was dated, so I learned ASP (I’m not nearly the disciple of Microsoft that corporations seem to be), using the Fitpacking web site on which to learn it.

By the time the hideously ugly Fitpacking site was completely transformed into its now moderately ugly state, I was working full time. Unexpectedly however, the overhauled site starting bringing in new business. By the time summer rolled around, I was far too busy running trips to keep the job, so I quit. Note: “Yay!”, is the proper response here, unless you inexplicably want to be in some kind of stable relationship with me.

I met some amazing people last season and visited Redwood National Park, Yosemite, Crater Lake, Shenandoah, Mt. Rainier, Canyonlands, and the White Mountains. However, when the season ended in October it was back to work.

This time however I accepted a contract with Abt associates in Cambridge. I worked on and deployed (great resume word) TRI.Net for the EPA … a program that monitors toxics dumped into the environment. Finally, computer work I could feel good about. In fact, you can download and use the program yourself if you’d like to monitor toxics in your area (or your co-worker’s cubicle) http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridotnet/index.html .

In December, my Aunt Diana Zimmerman passed away. She was the last remaining member of my father’s family, or at least in that generation. So it was sad not only to lose her, but to think of my father, who died just over 20 years ago now. Not only did I just start thinking about my father again and reflect for quite some time … after writing that, it makes it really hard to segue into anything else.

Anyway, back to self-serving detritus. The March issue of Backpacker Magazine contained a feature article about Fatpacking. I could try to hype it, but I’m not as attached to you reading it as I used to be when I was a lot more insecure. http://www.fitpacking.com/BackpackerArticle.pdf . It was actually pretty good exposure and I want to thank the writer Jim Gorman for making Fatpacking somehow seem like a desirable outfitter.

I’m not going to drag you through all the other dumb media exposure Fitpacking has been fortunate enough to generate, but two cool ones are Money Magazine and CNN / Money.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/27/pf/computer_hiking.moneymag/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/video/pf/2010/05/28/pf_sa_fit_packing.moneymag/

Oh, and lest I forget to mention Barf Bags, last fall I went to New York City and was interviewed by Adam West (you might know him as “Adam West” on Family Guy, or possibly as Batman) regarding the Air Sickness Bag collection. It’s for a pilot he wants the network to pick up. It was fun, absurd, cool, surreal and educational (?) all at the same time.

So many other amazing things have happened to so many other amazing people I know but I don’t know what they are. So at the risk of this tome becoming moderately informative, I’ll stop here.

Steve

Mildly Informative is Back and it's Less NutritiousThan Ever!

It's been almost a year since I've sent out a Steve's Mildly Informative Stuff. Instead of regaling you with harrowing, inspirational tales that bring you warmth and laughter, I figured I'd use this forum as a cheap way to beat you down with a self-serving advertisement.

I'm asking you to please pass this link on to your social network, mentioning the Fitpacking 3 Day Sale where trips are up to $150 off: http://bit.ly/eHMK6P

Next newsletter, I'll return to the usual pabulum you've become accustomed to and rightly demand from me, to help you feel better about how your life is going.

Thanks,
Steve

3 Day Sale - $150/$100 off any 2011 Fitpacking trip!

Take $150 off any 2 week Fitpacking trip or $100 off any 1 week Fitpacking trip in 2011, by booking your trip and paying in full between Friday, Dec 3 – Sunday, Dec 5, 2010.

1. Sign up for a trip: http://bit.ly/eHMK6P
2. Enter Promotion Code: BORDER4COLLIE
3. Pay for trip in full. If you cannot find your trip in the shopping cart, just place a deposit. Your credit card will be charged the entire amount less the discount.
4. Credit Cards: you will be charged the correct amount.
5. PayPal: you will be refunded the discount.

Limit 1 discount per person
You can use this discount in addition to your Frequent Hiker discount.
The cancellation policy remains the same, but if you cancel your trip, you will not be able to take advantage of the discount on another trip.
Offer good from 12:01 AM EST, Dec 3, 2010 – 11:59 PM PST, Dec 5, 2010.

Lauren Dunn Cancer Benefit

Lauren Dunn of Hull is a charming and gregarious 6 year old who was stricken with a rare form of cancer earlier this year. While there are certainly many physical and emotional issues for her and her family to deal with, there are also financial hardships, especially in the current down cycle.

On Sunday, November 29, 2009, a benefit for Lauren is being held in Dorchester, MA from 2-7PM. It’s going to be held at Florian Hall on 55 Hallet St and will feature Live Entertainment, Refreshment, Raffles, and a Silent Auction.

For a $20 donation, this is a great opportunity to directly help the quality of life of a child who could really use it. Check out the photo of her on the front page of the Boston Globe: http://www.fitpacking.com/Lauren/ and a link to the accompanying article.

Just so you know, I will be attending the benefit ……….. so that I can tell you all about the upcoming Fitpacking trip to the Florida National Scenic Trail / Ocala National Forest, January 16-24, 2010. You might consider joining us since this is a GREAT time to get away from the freezing winter weather especially to go hiking and get in shape. http://www.fitpacking.com/2010/FT.aspx

Good news from my mother, Noa Miller. In this month’s elections, she was just re-elected to the Water Pollution Control Authority board for the town of Middlebury, CT. She is also a member of the Middlebury Commission on Aging. If you live in the area, you should stop by the swearing in ceremony at Shepardson Community Center on Monday, December 7, 2009 @7:00PM ……………. so that SHE can tell you all about the upcoming Fitpacking trip…

Speaking of Fitpacking, we were recently featured in the Howard County Times of Maryland. The article can be found here: http://www.explorehoward.com/events-entertainment/67207/great-fall/ and in this article, you don’t have to scroll all the way down to the bottom to receive gratification (if reading about Fitpacking can be considered any kind of gratification.)

Fitpacking guides, Todd “Big Ovaries” Soprych and Rosie Enos have started a backpacking venture targeted to women called Roam the Woods, http://www.roamthewoods.com/ because like me, they failed Economics.

And finally, instead of leaving you with some thought provoking, opinionated jeremiad, I’ll leave you with a barf bag link: http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/northernsentinel/opinion/70241612.html I have no idea why this site went to great pains not to link to http://www.airsicknessbags.com . Maybe they didn’t want to contract cyber-cooties or have Google downgrade their site for linking to questionable content.

Remember that this is always available at my blog: http://stevesmildlyinformativestuff.blogspot.com/

When did ADD become such a great quality?

I’ve always believed that the inability to focus on a single task such as say, driving, performing your job or talking with your spouse would be a characteristic that you’d want to correct (except for talking with your spouse). Not so! People these days revel in their inability to concentrate. Flitting from one focus to another, their ADD has become a point of pride. To hear some people tell it, you’d think the disorder was a badge of honor attained through years of study and practice.

Industry supports and encourages this. Twitter thrives on the supposition that people can optimally handle information in 140 character bursts. And it is the rare employer who would even consider hiring someone who asserts, “Although I excel at singular, analytic tasks that require focused concentration, I don’t multitask well”.

It’s just another one of those things that make me shake my head and realize how old, out-of-touch and marginalized I’ve become. I suppose the only way I’ll ever be able to cope with this phenomenon and use it to my advantage is to short Ritalin stock.

In another vein, I was recently interviewed as some sort of career expert on Dream List Radio for Teens, despite not having any teens (or career) myself. In the interview, I explain to teenagers various ways to prepare for career opportunities in being a wilderness guide. I did my best to somehow make it sound much more interesting and lucrative than the debilitating career suicide it actually is: http://www.dreamlistmedia.com/Outdoors/42.aspx

15 year old Brad Jones, (son of Roger Jones, the 1st place winner in the 2009 North Cascades National Park Stud competition) recently was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle project required 400 hours of volunteer service time. That’s more time than most people spend on their personal hygiene every year. (Check out the study in the Journal of Public Health, March 2008). Congratulations Brad!

If you’re tired of being summarily ignored by society, well, I suppose you could get a tattoo. But if that inexplicably doesn’t get you the avalanche of attention you so desperately want and so richly deserve, consider contacting Darlan Erlandson. She’s a publicist who specializes in concerts, shows, theatrical events, books, films, production companies and most any venue. Contact her now at fame@acd.net .

On Oct 1st, the tinny crackle of my voice permeated the airwaves of St. Louis on KTRS 550-AM. Thus, an audience that was as incredibly massive as AM radio could muster, experienced all the barf bag joy and happiness they scarcely knew could exist within themselves.

As if in lockstep, Nicehobbies.org listed sickbag collecting on their celebrated hobbies list: http://nicehobbies.org/funny-hobbies-list

Even Fatpacking has received some blog coverage: http://www.joannee-joannee.com/2009/09/fatpacking.html . Sure it’s negative, but hell, it’s press!

If you’ve ever dreamed of moving to Montana and raising up a crop of dental floss spending every day guiding people through the mountains of Big Sky Country or hiking the Bob you might consider purchasing a turnkey outfitting business from the father of a colleague of mine, Jodie Hooker’s dad. The business is called Bob Marshall Outfitters. http://www.BobMarshallOutfitter.com

Oh, and in the remote event that you actually checked, there was no Personal Hygiene study in the March 2009 Journal of Public Health. However I was indeed on AM radio in St. Louis.

Need Twitter Help!

I am attempting a cheesy marketing stunt that doesn’t involve a six-year old child and need your help. I am going to give away the free Camelbak pictured here: http://www.fatpacking.com/images/Camelbak.jpg. The person that wins will be the first one whose twitter name appears in 100 tweets and re-tweets along with a link to the Fatpacking website.


So for example if your Twitter name is @JoeShlabotnick, and you tweet:


RT: 1st w/100 retweets wins a new Camelbak, details http://tinyurl.com/XXXX Check out Fatpacking, http://www.fatpacking.com @JoeShlabotnick


Then I could do a search on both Fatpacking and @JoeShlabotnick for 100 occurrences and give away the item. Now @LotsOfFollowers, who has a bigger social network, might (hopefully) decide that they want the Camelbak and retweet as


RT: 1st w/100 retweets wins a new Camelbak, details http://tinyurl.com/XXXX Check out Fatpacking, http://www.fatpacking.com @LotsOfFollowers


That’s 126 characters. The tinyurl of the web page with my explanation of the stunt will probably be longer when I generate it and the Twitter ID might be much longer too. And to top it off, the Tweet is pretty confusing.


First question: how do I explain this all in 140 characters? What should my tweet say?
Second question: I only have tens of Twitter followers. How do I disseminate this beyond my newsletter?


I’m doing this so that a link to Fatpacking proliferates throughout Twitter. Twitterers not only have a chance at the Camelbak, their Twitter name also proliferates.


That’s all for now. I’ll resume actual Mildly Informative activity soon. I’m considering sending shorter, more frequent posts.


Remember that all mild information is mirrored on the blog: http://stevesmildlyinformativestuff.blogspot.com/