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Thursday, December 29, 2005

Bitter

I'm tired tonight and had a bad day.

Go away and come back another day.

The Coercion of Fear

Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

-Bertrand Russell,
philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970)

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

"I Aim to Misbehave" - Mal from Firefly/Serenity

My mom lectured me and had her panties all curled up about the fiancee and me showing up 5 to 10 minutes late to Christmas dinner. I insulted her. This fact angers me.

There's a lot of issues below the surface. I don't even want to go there until I move to Chicago. Hopefully not until I settle in quite nice with a job that I like. I want my independence before I take on the angsty Crusade against the low on substance, high on image philosophy that my family follows.

If she reads this Blog, I'm probably in trouble. She has never mentioned it to me, and she usually would, if following her past behavior provides any indication.

But yeah, I don't plan on holding myself back once I move to Chicago and settle more than I ever did here in Boston.

Two New Members in the Household

The fiancee and I picked up two kittens over the weekend. We got Max Saturday night from a co-worker who had taken care of him since then summer, then we picked up his sister, Miriya, Christmas night. Too bad Max tried to hump Miriya when she brought her home. . .one night too early for that horny little guy.

Tomorrow, the fiancee takes them to get fixed. We can rest a little easier. They can intermingle and leave the rooms in which we've isolated them.

Otherwise, though, we love the two of them. They're both very sweet. He's kind of a buddha meditator, but I worry that he might have gotten more depressed than relaxed with all the commotion. Besides, the little guy had the chance for some action (albeit, from his sister) and got rejected pretty hard.

Miriya went into heat the next night, after she had gotten put into isolation. She ahs acted really really affectionate when she doesn't hide under the bed. Hopefully she doesn't lose her affection after the surgery tomorrow. She's just really fun and cute.

But anyway. . .after all this playing with the cats and venting about family, I should probably least put on the pretentions of a job search. . .. =(

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Teaching an Old Dog Old Tricks

I need to teach myself how to view my interesting and fun projects as rewards rather than as things to do whenever I want. . .AGAIN!

Argh.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Romantic, Dead Adolescence

I just finished reading the introduction to Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead, the author's definitive edition.

He brought up the Romance genre. He said that the main characters of the "old school" romance are adolescents, seeking after identity and adventure but without the responsibility of adulthood. It makes sense, but I still have some more to learn about the genre. . ..

For instance, how do academics make the connection between utopia and romance?

Monday, December 19, 2005

BAD ME! BAD ME!

I'm up to my old tricks again.

Tonight, I spent a little too much time organizing Magic cards and play testing a couple decks. I made one of them a little more deadly than before, and it still has room to get even more powerful.

Another deck needs some more work. I also need to learn a little better how to play it.

But man. . .I bought a ton of cards yesterday. I will have to take a lot of time to organize these things. . ..

At least with my Christmas bonus and having finished this last big Magic purchase, I'll have money to get some more Christmas gifts and a little left over to get some binder pages for the cards.

Tomorrow, I cash the Christmas bonus then go get some last minute gifts for the family. If I still have some open hands, I'll try to get a thing or two for some friends. The friends presents aren't as urgent, though, as the car should be fixed on Wednesday, so the fiancee and I can go driving all over the place and shopping. Besides, I probably won't exchange gifts with friends until sometime after Christmas.

Did minimal work on the resume and minimal work on the thesis. The minimal resume work feels kind of good and somewhat not so good. I like to see that I can talk myself up, but I feel bad that I really don't have much demonstrable experience in the skills that I have.

I'm really not 100% cognizant at the moment.

I also finished Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Good book. I continue on with the series tomorrow. I'll probably have something to say about the book and series a little later.

For now, though, I should sleep.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Tired and Sick Games

I've played a lot of games and felt tired a lot lately.

I think I've done some other things, but I can't remember them.

Hopefully I can collect some thoughts later.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Quote Relevant to Last Entry

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

-Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd US President (1882-1945)

Yeah, Thorn, I know you've got something to say about this one. . .C'mon, say it! =D

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Procrastinating to Get Things Done

I have this tendency to think big at work. Plans of doing a lot of stuff when I get home pop into my head. Most of the time, I don't do as much as I plan. I usually end up procrastinating with playing a computer game, playing around with Magic, reading productively or unproductively or just generally dicking around.

When I didn't have this job search to do, I sometimes thought I might just be pushing myself a little too hard. I rarely rest or play to play.

Usually, when I do end up playing to play, I think about the projects to do and worry that I'm not getting the projects done.

I've feared that once I get these projects done and have time to play, I'll just think about not having projects to do and worry about it. I liken this pattern to the whole idea that once you retire, a person will generally get depressed because they have nothing to do.

Then there's those people who don't mind having nothing to do. They kind of live a Zen existence without the enlightenment or practicing to reach that point. At times, I've felt jealous of people who live that way.

At the same time, though, I can't respect those people when they don't have the enlightenment or having practiced to reach that point. A good way to phrase it: doing it but not understanding what you're doing. . .so, in a way, if things enter the gray zone from the black and white those people know, they don't know how to adapt.

They don't seem to enter the gray zone so much, though, which I look down upon, also, for no other reason than I feel that we should challenge ourselves because the gray zone will find us, either which way. But that's not necessarily always true.

And when I follow this line of reason, I reach a circular argument place that falls back upon emotion and intuition. I don't really have a reasoned out argument for the importance of enlightenment and practicing to reach that Zen state except that other people are getting screwed over and there's suffering in the world.

But on some philosophical level, that argument doesn't work if you come from an individualistic viewpoint of say. . .a Libertarian or a Republican.

I end up thinking this way a lot when I think about utopia and dystopia.

Tonight, though, I really haven't done much in the field of utopianism. I modified some Magic decks and play tested them for a couple hours then did a little work on my resume.

Proportionally, I focused more on Magic than on the job search. I guess after about nine or ten hours of working and commuting, I can't blame myself. I really want to work on the job search stuff, though!

I don't think there's much to be done about it, really. Until I get on some kind of ADHD medication (meetings with psychiatrist postponed because of study rules or something at MGH) or something, I figure I'll just have to deal with it, as long as I get the inertia going good. Until then, though, I'll just have to deal.

But yeah, I have this type of stuff going through my mind most of the time.

Monday, December 12, 2005

The_Lex, the anti-Romantic, Writes Copy for the World

I'll admit it. I would make a bad protagonist for an adventure Romance. Danger and me don't really have a good chemistry. I don't like the idea of dying prematurely, and pain doesn't look very appetizing, either.

I'm not really a guy who takes big chances.

Unless you consider traveling halfway across the country in a couple months without a job or place to live secured yet as adventerous. The fiancee and I don't really have too many friends out there, either.

Despite the lack of security, we're doing it.

But I've taken something of a step tonight closer to security. I finished up a proposal letter for a volunteer copy writing project proposal and formatted up a couple writing samples. Tomorrow, I put them in the mail, wait a little while then, if I don't hear back from them, I give them a call to see if they got a chance to read my proposal.

Not incredibly exciting. I'm not going to fight a dragon. I won't find great wealth. I may help save the world, a little bit, though, as I try explain Tradable Renewable Energy Certificates and encourage consumers to buy them.

All the while, I work a day job, write in a Blog, have an exciting relationship with a great fiancee, go out and meet people at interesting concerts, have some interesting food at restaurants and the usual types of things that happen in Modern Boston.

Ah crap. . .what am I talking about, Boston's gotten pretty darn boring, or is it just me? Do I just not go out enough or do enough things for self betterment and such because I want to finish my adventuresome Romantic dystopian novel or want to land a copy writing career in Chicago? Am I wasting away my life with these ambitions that may never come true because I could die tomorrow, or do these not-so-social ventures have some kind of virtue, value and adventure to them?

Is Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City our contemporary adventure Romance? How about Law and Order? The OC? What makes the contemporary Romance other than just love and sex?

E-mail from Massachusetts Senator John Kerry re: an E-mail I sent about the Iraq War through a Political Organization Website

December 12,
2005

Mr. Lex
********
*****, Massachusetts *****


Dear Mr. Lex:


Thank you for contacting me to share
your views regarding Iraq. I appreciate
hearing your input on this extremely
important subject.


First and foremost, I would like to
commend our men and women in uniform.
American troops have done a remarkable job in
Iraq, and all of America should be proud of
their selfless service to our country.


It is important for us to succeed in
Iraq but it requires a leadership that the
Administration has not provided. The next
six months are a make or break period for the
Iraqis. Following upon successful elections
in December negotiations will begin for
amendments to the recently approved
constitution. It is imperative that the
process result in a sustainable political
solution that is supported by all the major
groups in Iraq including the Sunni minority.
As we enter this period we must now talk
honestly about the steps we must take to
promote that solution and bring our troops
home within a reasonable timeframe from an
Iraq that's not permanently torn by conflict.


We cannot pull out precipitously or
merely promise to stay "as long as it takes."
To undermine the insurgency in Iraq, we must
instead simultaneously pursue a political
settlement that gives Sunnis a real stake in
the future in Iraq and reduce the sense of
American occupation by beginning a phased
redeployment of combat forces, linked to
specific political and military benchmarks.
At the first benchmark, the completion of the
December elections, we can start the process
of reducing our forces by withdrawing 20,000
troops over the course of the holidays.


We must make it clear now that we do not
want permanent military bases in Iraq, or a
large combat force on Iraqi soil
indefinitely. The administration must
immediately give Congress and the American
people a detailed plan for the transfer of
military and police responsibilities on a
sector by sector basis to Iraqis so the
majority of our combat forces can be
withdrawn - ideally by the end of next year.


Immediately after the elections, the
President should call a conference of Iraq's
neighbors, Britain, Turkey and other key NATO
allies, and Russia. Together, we must
implement a collective strategy to achieve
the much needed political solution among
Iraqis including mutual security guarantees.
To enlist the support of Iraq's Sunni
neighbors, we should commit to a new regional
security structure that will include improved
security assistance programs and joint
exercises.

There also needs to be a renewed focus
on the lagging reconstruction of Iraq by
providing the necessary civilian personnel to
do the job, setting up civil-military
reconstruction teams throughout the country,
streamlining the disbursement of funds to the
providences, expanding job creation programs,
and strengthening the capacity of government
ministries.

If President Bush follows these steps we
can have a plan for success that will better
able Iraq to stand on its own and allow our
troops to come home. The Administration owes
it to our troops and the Iraqi people to
choose the responsible path.

You may be certain of my commitment to
support our troops and I will continue to
press for an effective strategy in Iraq.
Thank you for taking the time to share your
views with me on this important issue.

Sincerely,


John F. Kerry
United States Senator

Sunday, December 11, 2005

No Romance in E-mail Anymore

I spent the last two hours reading e-mails, junked e-mails, checking out links in e-mails and deleting e-mails.

Over the last half week or full week, I somehow accumulated something like 400 e-mails that I hadn't addressed at home. I dealt with them at work mostly. No wonder I don't really have much time to have good, quality e-mail conversations and don't really have much energy for productive things.

Ugh.

Our Society Needs Its Own Romance and Mythology

Last week when I went to see Aeon Flux, I saw a preview for Isolde and Tristan (or is Tristram?).

A bit ago, I read some reaction to the "Before there was Romeo & Juliet (and West Side Story and. . . and. . .)" line. I think the reaction pretty much said that Romeo and Juliet trumped Isolde and Tristan story because Romeo and Juliet was told much better.

Nevertheless, I want to see Isolde and Tristan. I don't really know why. I think it has something to do with this comic I read a long time ago in which Isolde and Tristan both got reincarnated as women then remembered that they were Isolde and Tristan. Tristan had a hard time accepting that she was a woman but, in end, accepted it and ended up a romance with the Isolde character.

I'm a man. . .can you blame me?

Nonetheless, I always wanted to know the story. Of course, the Hollywood version won't tell the original story, but it'll give me an introduction.

While watching the preview, a thought occurred to me: Our society has yet to make or has stopped making great movie romances. At least, the quantity of them have gone downhill recently in the last couple years. We've just been re-making old TV shows and movies, good literary books or, almost as worse, going all the way back to Roman history and even further back to make movies. . .and besides, most of those have turned out pretty trite.

This phenomenon feels particularly telling since it manifests itself on the movie genre, which I guess could be considered something of a dying medium, anyway. The great romances seem to occur on TV these days. . .Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Farscape and probably many others. Could Lost be considered some kind of Romance or should we consider more of a Modernist thriller that meditates on the point of everything and some people die along the way.

Ever since getting caught up with TV after getting out of college, I started seeing the potential for great Romances (and I mean the adventure Romance over the love Romance. . .but love is part of that Romance, anyway) on TV while the movie screen really doesn't necessarily hold as great of potential for it.

It saddens me, though, this lack of original Great Romance at the moment. I hope to one day write Great Romances along with pieces in other genres, too.

I would like to see more original Great Romances, though. . .I would like to see more.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Winter Haiku #1

The snow has fallen,
    White, clean, pure, smooth, without mar.
But cars will dirty.

The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe


I saw the movie last night. I really don't have much to say. Any real problems I have it with it come from CS Lewis's original telling. Hunting the stag at the end always annoyed me for some reason. Otherwise, I would really have to see it again to think about it more except to say that it made me choke up more than Return of the the King.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

A Couple Reactions

Last night, I realized that I should pay attention to Illinois and Chicago news because of the 2006 elections.

Until I move, though, I should still contact John Kerry, Edward Kennedy, Barney Frank et. al. for political activistism.

Not a huge deal. I just never thought of it before.

Aeon Flux

Saw Aeon Flux last night after a little holiday shopping, instead of wasting time with Magic or computer Texas Hold'em (and in fact, playing real Texas Hold'em at a friends) or doing some productive pro bono freelance copywriting work.

I'd call it just above a B movie, a B+ movie, if you will.

Off the wall action scenes, but at the same time, realistic within the world created.

No plot holes really existed. The only ones I saw came from the characters, their motivations, history and so forth not getting fleshed out.

Also, the characters didn't really show too much chemistry with each other, nor did they show much emotion and when characters did show much of it, many came off as over acting. A couple of actors pulled off some good restrained emotion, though. Overall, though, the minimalist emotions go with the mood of the cartoon that inspired the movie along with the genre of the movie.

I guess I would have also taken out a bit of the verbal and beginning textual narrative clips. After that, I would have cut and pasted some of the scenes to add little mystery and confusing mystery. The cutting and pasting would have also helped make the movie a little more arty and stronger.

For those who know the 10-minute clips that they showed on MTVs Liquid Television or the TV show they broadcasted briefly, I guess they keep the characters and the names of political institutions. Instead of action sequences without any necessary plot or even simply selfish anti-heroes and villains, the movie makers raised the bar to create a dystopian world reminiscent of Yevgeny Zamyatin's We interlaced with a more realistic Matrix and one similar theme from the old '80s animated and later novelized series, Robotech.

In general, though, I would say go without huge expectations. Go for the kicks. If you know the Robotech references, I think you'll figure out the major idea of the movie pretty quickly and predict a good amount of it. From what I've heard from reviewers, though, those not familiar with the Robotech series may not totally get into the overarching theme and may find the overall plot full of loose ends. If the latter people keep an open mind, though, they could still have fun watching Aeon Flux

Oh well, to each their own, I guess.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Getting Things Done

Well, I've found something of a groove. It doesn't necessarily lead me on the most direct route to getting me that job I need in Chicago.

From my research, though, I've begun to see that no one direct route will lead me to getting that job that I want. Unless I want settle for some silly customer service job or something in insurance, I will need to have a portfolio, or at the least, a writing sample or two.

Last night, as I've already said, I spiffed up a writing sample from years ago. It works all right, but I'd like to have some more variety. I'm not really so sure that a band bio will cut it.

I already mentioned that I have volunteered to write copy for a friend's carpentry business Website. He hasn't gotten back to me yet.

Tonight, though, I wrote up a rough draft proposal for this company called ClimateSAVE. It sounds OK for a first draft, but I think it will need some work. It probably came out a little long and could use some tightening up. That I will leave for Thursday, as I need to sleep now.

Too bad it took me something like two hours or so to get into this groove because it has gotten late.

I had trouble getting up this morning because I went to bed late last night. Avoiding that kind of thing would be good.

In other news for me today: my supervisor gave that silly little project given to me on Friday to someone else with less of a workload. Woohoo! I also snapped at my supervisor/mom for teasing me.

Otherwise, not much happening in my world.

Tomorrow, though, a little bit more gift shopping then going to see Aeon Flux.

Monday, December 05, 2005

I Need to Find My Groove

Not my groove THANG, but my work groove. Last night, I figured out my problem with productivity has its source there.

My thesis or novel, I can go easily back to it because I've got plenty of momentum and groove on it.

Playing Magic or poker on my computer does give me much of problem creating momentum or groove. They give some relatively instant interaction and gratification.

Christmas shopping and job searching, that's a WHOLE different story! I've got the problem of inertia there. You know, the objects in motion tend to stay in motion while objects without motion resist motion. Well, I'm resisting that motion, but I'm pushing. Oh, am I pushing.

Too bad I'm a big lug.

On the bright side, I put together a writing/press release sample. Thanks to a friend and former colleague who found some old text that we collaborated to make. I spoofed it up a little, as I have improved my writing skills over the years. I feel real good about it.

I've got the beginnings of a portfolio!

I also made a volunteer proposal to write the copy for a carpentar friend's Website just put up.

I also found this energy certificate Website that, to me, has some badly written copy. . .if not grammatically, syntactically and so forth, than in the simple presentation and appeal creation. I want to volunteer my services to them, too.

So does anyone know when a freelancer starts charging?

Now to stop playing poker on the computer (even though I have gotten much better) and start focusing on my job search!

Sunday, December 04, 2005

They Lied to Us in School and Party!!!!!

They taught us a whole bunch of stuff. They told us once we figure out the thing that we love doing, we can make our livelihood from that love. They also gave us tests to do to show us that we had an aptitude for something or that we would like doing it. If you go to a career counsellor, you'll go through all that testing again.

At least the the career counsellor will teach you better at something that pre-college school didn't teach you well. They neglected to teach us that we would have to market ourselves and our product and how to do this marketing. Without the marketing, our love and our dreams can simply go down the drain.

I would like to get deeper into this topic, but I haven't thought enough about it. I have an e-mail that I wrote to some people that starts to concieve of this topic. The people to whom I sent it didn't respond. I'd like to hear from someone about it.

Warning. . .I have edited it to fit into the context of this Blog, but I haven't editted it for brevity. Also, the e-mail originally reacts to the question I had been asking about people's susceptibility to commercials and advertising.

I've gotten into philosophical thinking with all this talk we've done.

I've somewhat resolved the ads/commercials side of things by realizing that they, much like any TV or the radio when people talk, catch my attention and distract me from doing other things. Even at a bar or something, if I'm facing a TV, I have a hard time staying in a conversation because I'm glancing at the TV a lot (maybe that's what my friend was referring to when he said that it affected him emotionally, even when he tried to ignore it).

Music doesn't do it so much, relaxing me instead, so it makes for great studying, writing, project work background and such.

All the discussions I've started on this topic have gotten broader than I intended. Not a bad thing because I've gotten more enlightened about something else.

The broader discussion has turned more toward the philosophical direction, though. Pretty much, by nature, humans must consume for basic survival. For sanity, a healthy mental life, interaction with other people and society, we need to consume, also. I think, to some degree, many of us agree that excessive consumption can create results we don't like.

On a semi-spiritual level, I can accept our place in the consumption/excretion cycle of life on this Earth and possibly the Universe. We transform things through food, respiration, metabolism, etc. etc., which creates a substance good for other life. Earthworms do the same thing.

But that doesn't seem to be enough for me, and I don't believe it is for other people than just me. I'm feeling somewhat uninspired lately because of a trapped feeling, as I feel like I'm creating wealth to just consume for survival or to create wealth to consume for better survival later. But I'm creating wealth by something that doesn't necessarily excite me. . .or at least, not on a day to day level.

I feel lucky that I have the chance to start over again, to a certain degree, by moving to Chicago in a few months. I feel even better armed than I did when I first moved to Boston five years ago. I believe that I'll get a job that will bring me fulfillment and happiness more than I'm feeling lately. I think the fiancee's feeling somewhat the same as me, since she's filling out grad school apps and such. . .she's also facing some bits of her past, as I'm facing the ignorance that I have.

And part of my questioning about ads and commericals is that I'll probably be headed into copy writing for marketing/ad campaigns or doing public relations. . .which seems somewhat shallow to me unless it's for the right cause. Doing something shallow for work isn't a bad thing, really. . .I guess I've just gotten disgruntled with working at a job that I don't enjoy the job, I don't connect with the people at the job (except for one or two co-workers or a few customers now and then) and it just doesn't really hold strong meaning or anything for me on the everyday level.

I want that community while I'm working. I want that meaning. I don't want to work just to continue my existence.

I remember something a friend said the other day about making music as something not necessarily all that great because it advocates unneeded consumption. I don't really agree with that so much. I guess I appreciate music, books, good TV, good movies and so on and so forth as important to culture, people, etc. etc. by perpetuating that culture and for inspiring people in the now and possibly in the future. I think a compromise can exist for cultural consumption and the consumption of material goods. . .the culture reproduced doesn't necessarily eat materials. The materials are just a vehicle for the culture.

There's a lot more I could say in this ramble fashion. I don't really have a conclusion. . .if anything, I want to find one, even though I know life's about finding those conclusions, losing them then finding another one and so forth. I just want to feel inspired while searching for those conclusions, not as if I'm just consuming to survive.

Party!!!!

The past couple nights, I went to parties, of sorts.

The first one was the insurance agency's holiday party at some restaurant. I got to stay a couple hours at work for logistical reasons and work a little more.

Unfortuneately, I didn't do any catch up or urgent work. My supervisor decided to give me some random work that she used to give me when I first started there. I didn't have to do it then. I know, though, she had decided that this random administrative clean up the database work was important enough to get on my case soon if I didn't do it.

In the meanwhile, I have either customers breathing down my neck or I have to put together presentations and policies for when I get to annouce that the poop has hit the fan and something needs to get addressed NOW! Otherwise, they could possibly not have coverage. And even worse. . .if something happens while they don't have coverage, they could always sue the agency for an Errors & Omission claim.

They probably would get something from filing that claim, too, because my supervisor wanted me to address some administrative matter to make their job easier. Ahhhh. . .I really must admire the the short sightedness of some people, even when they get the full picture explained to them. They still can't see the whole picture and how they need to find a more efficient way of addressing this matter than having the full time backbone member of a department address.

Honestly. . .I don't wonder why I feel excited about heading to Chicago. Even if I stayed in the insurance industry, just finding a much better organized company/agency would make my life so incredibly easier!

But yes, the party. . .can't forget the party! Not too much to say about it, really. I didn't have a good mood when I got there. Thankfully, the waiter had the intelligence and iniative to pick up on my vegetarian diet and offered a consolation dish in lieu of the all meat entree and greens menu. I expected the menu, but my compliments to the waiter and chef!

Otherwise, I just entered into random conversations and mainly hung out with the fiancee and the one person in the office that I can socialize with honestly. I possibly should have socialized with others from the office, but well. . .I didn't feel in the mood, really couldn't think up any topics that I could fake well that night and don't really think any detrimental effect will come from not socializing. After all, I'll be gone in a couple months. . ..

Last night, I went to a much better party. A couple friends who met at a housewarming party I threw a little more than three years ago had decided to move in with each other and decided to throw a party. The hour drive there and back went by without incident, and the drive to party ratio made the party quite worth it.

I had some pretty cool conversation with just about everyone there. A lot of them came from New Jersey, from where one of the home boarders originates. A minority originally came from New England, including myself. Socializing with all them really hit the target for a big reason why I want to move out of this area. The people here really are very reserved and, dare I say it, come off as a bit eltitist and snooty in attitude. I guess it can happen anywhere, but I just really haven't had the most positive experience in New England lately.

Either which way, I had a great time socializing with these people. I even felt like I could act myself and let down some of my barriers. On the way home, though, I did mull over the fact about my social anxiety of letting down my guards. Maybe I should say more mulling over the way that I can get really involved on one topic in a conversation, which can cut down on the light hearted attitude of a party.

Getting anxious about it and pulling back, however, kind of complicates things. I kind of feel like I possibly pull back too much and don't go far enough into a conversation. This whole thing doesn't worry me over much. I just like to think about these things and try to find a good middle point so that I can best enjoy a party. I haven't found a good way to approach this one, though.

Overall, though, the small house warming party last night gets 4.75 stars out of 5. Only the smallness worked against it, and size really shouldn't make a huge difference. I really just enjoyed and felt inspired to meeting these interesting people and feeling welcomed by them into the acquaintence party fold.

Good fun.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Missing: The Lex

Last night, technology got me to disappear again. The new router came in the mail yesterday (did I mention that I had problems with the previous one, and I started the warranty process over the weekend?). I took a couple hours to make it work, learn a couple new things about the cable modem and wireless networks then troubleshoot some problems. Now it works swimmingly, though.

The other night, I felt way too tired to blog. That day, I had taken another insurance class in Framingham. I stressed out about being late and felt generally miserable. Fortunately, I got to bed at a good time.

Right. I also played some Magic that night and watched Lost then went to bed because I felt like crap. I've got my priorities, after all.

After a conversation about commercials and advertising that night after playing Magic, I've started asking people if they feel susceptible to advertising? Does advertising persuade you to buy a particular product or does advertising persuade them to "buy into" our materisalistic and consumerist society?

I've gotten a lot of interesting answers so far. Nothing totally solid to put together, but interesting, nonetheless. I don't know how seriously I will take this research project, but it provides for some interesting conversation and knowledge, at the least.



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