4 posts tagged “secrets”

Carolyn and Smokler both tagged me to do this and since I'm crabby today, I figured I'd bust it out now and say things better left unsaid.

The Rules:

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog.*
5. 8 is a magic number. Not three.**

1. You will never hear me utter an "Awww." - I don't have an overwhelming upswell of emotion at the sight of babies, animals, or just about anything. Look, there have literally been trillions of lifeforms on this planet that have lived and died. The mere appearance of another one isn't going to astound now. I don't dislike these seemingly "aww-worthy" things but if your kid or pet is a little ass-hole, they don't get a cute pass just because. Unless, of course, they spontaneously generated, came from outer-space or brought the process of teleportation (so I can avoid the damned 405) into existence by their mere birth. That's some Oooh-Aaaah shit right there.

2. And on top of that, I kind of abhor sentimentality - Okay, abhor is a strong word and I don't subscribe to the idea that all kinds of sentimentality is insincere because I know some genuinely emotional people but, I just can't co-sign on it. It's like this, you know in the trailers of The Pursuit of Happyness when Will Smith is in the bathroom and he's holding his son close and he's got his foot on the door and he's just bawling his eyes out? That's the point when I decided I didn't need to see the film. That, to me, plays like "Let's celebrate desperation and sadness!" "See this movie so you will cry too!" Whatever. I ain't got time for all that. Don't get me wrong, I cry during movies. Terms of Endearment, The Color Purple, and Rudy, just to name a few. The difference, however, is that in all three of those movies, I don't feel manipulated by the experiences. Whether the scenes in them invoke sympathy or ebullience, what I react to is that genuine expression of humanity and not a mawkish (Thanks, Tracy!) attempt at such.

3. I don't like Adverbs - This, too, is extreme. I don't hate adverbs but I dislike their use by someone to imbue someone else's experience with one's own interpretation. For example, if I'm dancing, just say I'm dancing. Or, give me a metaphor or simile of what I look like to you when I'm dancing. Don't say, "When Jason dances, he dances happily." How the hell do you know how I feel when I dance?  I try, in my writing of real events, to not give real people emotions or thoughts that are creations of my own mind. To do so, in my opinion, makes them characters in my own life. I'm not going to tell you how you feel. Hmmm, maybe my problem isn't really with adverbs. Also, note, that of all this stuff, I fully accept that this may be a really irrational way to look at word usage but it drives me crazy more than I'm willing to convey for fear of hurting feelings.

4. I don't like the sound of my voice - I wish it was deeper. Particularly when I get excited, I get shrill. That's very not gangsta.

5. I'm making peace with being at the point where I don't know what "the kids are listening to these days" - just a couple years ago, I would've been mortified with not knowing what the current top hits are but these days some songs go through their entire hit cycle without me having even heard it. I think I'm at peace with it, though, because my music catalog is still so on point and current and I'm much much better at knowing what pop stuff matters and what doesn't.

6. I'm becoming less and less tolerant of immaturity. Emotional immaturity.

*I'm not going to tag. I'm also not really sure I followed the rules for this but I'm crabby and don't care.
**I'm saving two for later.

Bonus: A previous secrets post that was protected is now for all to see.

I'm seriously considering trying out a meal service. Anyone have thoughts/recommendations? Right now I'm thinking 2 meals and a snack 5 days a week.

I ate Sharky's 5 of the past 7 days for either lunch or dinner. They cook good broccoli.

As soon as May ended, I found my energy again.

I'm going to New York at the end of the month for about a week.

bunim-murray.com the day I got laid off. And today. (ed. note - I'm bleeding from biting my tongue so hard)

I've had this great desire to vent my frustrations with spelling, the difference between individual's online and offline voices (particularly on twitter), and a general annoyance with certain phrases but that's kind of rude so I've kept it to myself. It almost came to a head today but I wanted to be sure I was right (I wasn't). Now, though, I know a whole lot more about whisky/whiskey. I still prefer my American bourbon, however, and there's no question about spelling there.

It's also a lesson that I should let go of all that grammar nitpicking. It's not cute.

If I become an alcoholic this summer, blame the dewdriver.

Pixelodeon is next weekend.

I'm putting "mofo" back on my active lexicon roster.

I'm in my favorite coffee shop. This woman is about to perform. She just walked in. She's wearing some crazy next level Uggs but I'm trying not to judge.

It's been awhile, dear VOXers. Here's my world right now:

1. Everything's Broken! - Earthlink DSL in my apartment isn't working. My car has an electrical short somewhere. My iPod is starting to show the telltale signs of a slow descent into notworkingness. My cell phone's mini-usb port broke (which is making me strongly consider the iPhone sooner rather than later but I don't want to switch to Cingular/AT&T). Electronics are conspiring against me.

2. I work @ work - For the first time in my career (in my life, really), I have more to do than I have time to do it in. I've always been a fast worker. As a kid, it was important for me to finish tests first and to do my homework before I got home from school. I like free time. I like a leisurely pace and space to let my mind wander. Right now, I work 11-12 hour days with barely a free moment. I don't get to VOX. I don't get to keep up on feeds. I'm always well behind on my personal emails. I'm going to have to hire a housekeeper to keep my place in order. I almost feel like I need a personal assistant to take care of my personal life. I really do enjoy my job right now but damn. By the way - Disney Mix Central, Live with Regis and Kelly, Disney Rewards just to URL a few.

3. I'm Broke - Well, broke is relative but you would think that with my recent title change and merit increase, I'd be rolling in the dough. Not yet. With car bills and unexpected payouts and Jet Blue screwing me over, my dollars are not long right now. I'm the poorest well paid man you ever did see.

4. Screw You Jet Blue - So, remember when Jet Blue stranded Baratunde and a cast of thousands in February? Well, I was supposed to fly to NYC that weekend. My flight (and all flights from BUR to JFK) got cancelled on my departure date. A few days later, Jet Blue issued their customer bill of rights and also announced that everyone with a cancelled flight during those crazy 4 or 5 days (beginning on February 15th, the day I was supposed to fly) could collect a full refund up until some day in May. Unfortunately, over the last two months, every time I tried to call JetBlue they were experiencing extremely high volume and I couldn't get through to collect my refund. Today, I was able. The customer care guy was rude to me immediately: "You were supposed to fly two months ago and you're just asking for your refund now?" Yes.  "May I ask why?"  Because your customer care has sucked every time I called over the last two months. "Well, I dont' think we can give you a refund. We will give you a credit and charge you a $30 cancellation fee." But you cancelled the flight. "No, the computer says it was delayed an hour and then arrived late by an hour." But you website said all flights out of BUR to JFK that day were cancelled. "That's not what it says now and tell me again why you've waited so long?" Because your own customer care policy says I can, Douche Bag. "We can only give you the credit." Fine. But that'll be the last time I fly with you, buck-o.

5. I'm Going to be in the Bay Area next weekend - Friday night to Sunday night. Holla at your boy if you want to hang out. I'm trying to pack everybody in. I suspect I'll be out partying and getting arrested with rowdy social justice chicks Saturday night but otherwise my schedule is clear. Oh, help me put together a bay area playlist for the week to get me appropriately amped. I've got my e-40 and Too $hort and MC Hammer (Don't hate, Gwen) standards but what else is poppin' off in the Bay-eezy?

Some things you should know about me:

I'm never serious but I'm serious as a heart attack.

Even when I'm lying, I'm being truthful.

I'm scared of the inevitable which I cannot change and in love with possibility no matter how unlikely.

I talk about you when your back is turned because I'd say the same thing to your face.

I have high expectations of you.

I have higher expectations of myself.

I'm rolling my eyes any time I hear a sentence featuring "can't" or "have to". In everything, you either will or want to. That other stuff is bullshit.

I believe life is easy.

I believe every day is a gift.

I'm less and less inclined to believe I will live forever but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to outsmart death.

You see, Grim Reaper, I'm very resourceful.

Church!