Tuesday, August 30, 2011

So I've finally decided to really start writing more often. This time I mean it. Before I was always holding back because I never wanted to put something out there that wasn't polished, that I wasn't satisfied with. The previous entry was my first posting of a fiction piece in its first draft form. Now I'm just going to write whatever the hell I want. So, this first post in that vein will hopefully shed some light on who I am, what I'm about and why I decided to change my habit.

Why change? Why write random entries and stream-of-consciousness mess? Well, I'm honestly at a point in my life where I might not be keeping pace with my peers. Most of my friends are getting on with their lives. Marriage, houses, babies, careers, the whole thing. Me? Well I'm working retail because it's currently covering the bills and I'm honestly afraid of taking chances right now especially when those chances will likely involve more student loans (not something I'm too keen to do) and probably mean a reduction in pay, which is something I can't really afford. Most of the people I hang out with these days are at least a bit older and all have their own family lives so it's not like I can just up and visit just to hang out. Their lives are busy. Mine, not so much. Friends from college are spread out. Even the ones close by aren't all that close, and, well, gas isn't cheap.

As for me, well I'll first identify myself as an autodidact geek with polymath intentions. What that means is that I'm more inclined to teach myself what I want to know than to seek out classes (the autodidact) and that I want to be more than a jack-of-all-trades (the polymath). In other words, I am always doing some sort of research and I will readily jump from one subject to another. Recently it's ranged from pre-revolutionary Russia to emergent augmented reality technologies to making my own soap (this one is current and I'll probably be purchasing some kits in the near future). If you don't understand what a geek is, I have to ask how long have you been on the Internet. Science fiction? I grew up on Wells, Verne and Bradbury. I was with The Next Generation from their Encounter at Farpoint. I was three when The Transformers first aired, and I'm pretty sure that I've been a huge fan ever since. I find strange (in my thoughts) enjoyment in 80s-90s B Sci-fi and Fantasy movies. Yes to anime. Video games aren't an everyday thing, but I put in some good time. I've rediscovered tabletop roleplaying games as I never had time in college (I'll explain that later). I'll probably meet most other geek-cred checks but I will maintain that Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings were horribly written.

Other real word descriptors are pretty much as follows.
Religion: none, I'm an atheist. I just don't think that I've been presented with any credible and believable evidence that couldn't be explained more simply.
Politics: libertarian. I pretty much dislike the two major parties and I don't think I've seen a good President since I've paid attention (did not pay much attention to Reagan or Bush). I think that we should be free to do as we wish so long as it doesn't harm another person or their property. The most difficult part of an libertarian ideal in my opinion is that it relies on independent responsibility, and I just don't think most of us can maintain that kind of effort.
Music: I was a music major so what I listen to is pretty eclectic, but most of the time these days (and most of my history) it's metal.
Food: I may not be much of a risk-taker or impulsive, but I do have a bit of an explorer side (wandering new areas when I have time to kill, investigating new places) and that holds true with food. I'll try just about anything, even if some might find it disgusting, but I would need some thorough convincing with fugu or huitloche.

And there. It happened. I ran out of steam. I don't know what else to put down in the self-explanation entry. Eventually I see about putting up a FAQ, maybe. That is, if there are ever question asked, much less frequently.

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