Yes, Justin Katz Is a Real Carpenter

While we’re keeping things light, it would seem a good time to mention something of the sort that normally ought to be ignored, but which, in this case, is so absurdly humorous that I can’t resist response. While indulging curiosity related to my recent registration with the state as a carpentry contractor, I happened upon this:

One night while Mr. Katz was tapping away on his laptop I asked him, ” What do you do for living”? Mr. Katz responds, ” I’m a carpenter “. I thought, that’s odd his hands seemed Jergen smooth for a trades guy. Does he swing a hammer and blog at the same time ? Does the saw dust srew up his lap top ? Does he have a special carrying case for those jaunts up the ladder ? Does the scent of carpenters glue cloud his thoughts as he blogs ? Does his boss allow blog time during the work day ?

The author, not surprisingly, is the same fellow who expressed pro-union sentiments in the Tiverton High School men’s room, called me a loser at the infamous East Providence School Committee meeting, attempted to derail the Q&A session at a recent Ed Achorn talk, and made nicey-nice at the Ocean State Follies.
With regard to the texture of my hands, I can only opine that Louis either has deficient powers of observation or is relying on the fact that most people who might come across his post have no basis for disputing his characterization. This is not to deny that I regularly use moisturizer, but I’m afraid that my skin is damaged beyond repair and that the cuts and scrapes from wood, metal, and masonry heal at their own pace regardless.
As for proof, well, when we workin’ folks take out cameras on the jobsite, pictures of ourselves are of very low priority. However, I do have one photo in which the architect captured me doing my carpenter/foreman/project manager thing last spring:

Here’s the (almost) finished room last summer, for those who are curious, and yes, those are my tools in the foreground:

To answer the unionist’s questions, though, we get a fifteen minute break in the morning and an unpaid half-hour lunch. For most of the last year, I’ve been using that time for blog-related activities — with enhanced efficiency, of late, owing to the mini laptop and cellular Internet service that your donations enabled. The rest of the day, politics is relegated to my mind, but only when the task at hand requires little thought.

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clyde
clyde
15 years ago

Holy crap you are one good carpenter and a wordy writer. You should apply Ockhams razor to some of your blogging and ranting. I love hearing you on the Matt Allen show though. Matt should take over for the insufferable bore Dan York and you could take over his time. Did you really call Danny Kaye an entertainment giant in your previous post?

Rob
Rob
15 years ago

And
Joe the plumber,is NOT a real plumber.

Will
Will
15 years ago

What do you have against Danny Kaye? That musical number with Louis Armstrong (in The Five Pennies) is like one of the best ever. 40 years ago this year. It was also one of the few movies with Armstrong which was made in color. They have great chemistry in it … but I digress.
Anyway, Justin has a tiny computer / telephone thing, which I’ve seen him be very productive with, so it’s very easy for me to imagine him blogging from a roof, etc. BTW, Great carpentry job. Love the spiral staircase. I’m half surprised that one of those nut jobs didn’t accuse you of working for the bourgeoisie oppressors or something.
PS I find it slightly hilarious that someone who has probably never done real work with his hands would “know” how smooth (or not) someone like Justin’s hands are “supposed” to be.
PPS Joe the Plumbers real name isn’t Joe either.

Monique
Editor
15 years ago

… wait, you’re not a full-time, paid minion of Newt Gingrich?
(Beautiful work, Justin.)

EMT
EMT
15 years ago

All that from a guy who’s probably never produced anything tangible in his whole life.

Justin Katz
15 years ago

Danny Kaye stood toe-to-toe with the likes of Bing Crosby on vocals (which is not to say Bing wasn’t better); he could dance with the best of them; his acting was excellent; and he stands as recorded proof that Jim Carey didn’t invent most of his own schtick. I’m willing to be corrected on this, but I don’t think there’s ever been an entertainer who had such broad talents.
(Boy, this is a jumbled thread!)

Phil
Phil
15 years ago

Justin wrote:
The rest of the day, politics is relegated to my mind, but only when the task at hand requires little thought.
I’m glad that is true because someone may end up with a M.C. Escher staircase.

rhody
rhody
15 years ago

Impressive! You just proved gays don’t have a monopoly on mad interior design skills.

Justin Katz
15 years ago

For the record, my role on this project was more of the make-this-happen category. Vis-a-vis your point, the architect and interior designer were both straight.

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