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Home » Archive for April 2011
Fatherly Dreams and Life Changes
It seems that whenever I'm under extreme stress or facing some major life-changing event, I have a dream about my father. To say that I'm under stress right now would be an understatement along the lines of saying that Obama is less than truthful in his speeches.
Last night I dreamed that I was back at home, on the street where I grew up. Not only was my father there, but my entire family was there. And so were many of my old neighbors. For some reason, we were mostly all outside. Many of us were carrying junk out of our houses and piling it up in the street to be hauled away. I've been trying to declutter my office at work in order to get better focused on the major project ahead of me so this is probably where this part of the dream came from.
My father was dressed in his ugly old khaki pants with the high waist and belt that he wore, I think, for my entire life. I almost can't picture him wearing anything else. He was also wearing a light blue button down shirt, like many of the guys I work with do. Dad never wore shirts of color. Every shirt he owned prior to retirement was white. Anyway, Dad was wearing the modern professional white man's uniform, khaki pants and light blue button down, and his old black framed glasses. He wasn't all that old, maybe 50, and in excellent health. That's the way I remember him, I guess, since he didn't have any real health problems until he was well into his '70s. Dad was strong like an ox for most of his life.
For some reason, there was another man there that I have never seen before. He was dressed exactly like Dad and spent most of his time standing around in our driveway talking to Dad. I was hauling stuff out the back door of our house and out to the street, throwing it on the curb in a big pile for the trash men to pick up. We actually did this when my dad died, so it was weird to be reliving the experience while Dad stood and supervised.
Across the street, my best friend and his family were outside doing something very similar. I went over to see them and spent some time talking to them. In reality, I haven't seen most of them in several years, but in my dream it was as if we all still lived together on that street and had never left. I was glad to see them again.
Thanks to social websites like Facebook, I have recently reconnected with neighbors from that street whom I haven't seen face-to-face since I was maybe 6 years old or so. One family moved away to California. I'm sure I was no older than 6 when they left. Talking with the only girl in their family on Facebook, I was surprised when she said "if we could get everyone together for a reunion I would gladly fly in from California just to see everyone." I talked to some people who had graduated high school while I was still in elementary school, but who knew me as the younger brother of someone they were close friends with way back in the dark ages. I was surprised that they would talk to me and glad to hear how things were going in their lives. In my mind I pictured them looking exactly as they had the last time I saw them in person, a very long time ago. The neighborhood reunion is a very real possibility.
I don't dream often, or don't remember them, but I always remember the dreams with my father in them. I know they're only dreams, but they have a huge effect on me. It's weird that I can never hear his voice in them, yet don't notice this until after I have awakened and had time to think about it. My dad keeps getting younger in my dreams. Soon we'll be the same age.
And eventually, I'm going to die, and see him again. Hopefully then I'll be able to talk to him and actually hear what he's saying.
It seems that whenever I'm under extreme stress or facing some major life-changing event, I have a dream about my father. To say that I'm under stress right now would be an understatement along the lines of saying that Obama is less than truthful in his speeches.
Last night I dreamed that I was back at home, on the street where I grew up. Not only was my father there, but my entire family was there. And so were many of my old neighbors. For some reason, we were mostly all outside. Many of us were carrying junk out of our houses and piling it up in the street to be hauled away. I've been trying to declutter my office at work in order to get better focused on the major project ahead of me so this is probably where this part of the dream came from.
My father was dressed in his ugly old khaki pants with the high waist and belt that he wore, I think, for my entire life. I almost can't picture him wearing anything else. He was also wearing a light blue button down shirt, like many of the guys I work with do. Dad never wore shirts of color. Every shirt he owned prior to retirement was white. Anyway, Dad was wearing the modern professional white man's uniform, khaki pants and light blue button down, and his old black framed glasses. He wasn't all that old, maybe 50, and in excellent health. That's the way I remember him, I guess, since he didn't have any real health problems until he was well into his '70s. Dad was strong like an ox for most of his life.
For some reason, there was another man there that I have never seen before. He was dressed exactly like Dad and spent most of his time standing around in our driveway talking to Dad. I was hauling stuff out the back door of our house and out to the street, throwing it on the curb in a big pile for the trash men to pick up. We actually did this when my dad died, so it was weird to be reliving the experience while Dad stood and supervised.
Across the street, my best friend and his family were outside doing something very similar. I went over to see them and spent some time talking to them. In reality, I haven't seen most of them in several years, but in my dream it was as if we all still lived together on that street and had never left. I was glad to see them again.
Thanks to social websites like Facebook, I have recently reconnected with neighbors from that street whom I haven't seen face-to-face since I was maybe 6 years old or so. One family moved away to California. I'm sure I was no older than 6 when they left. Talking with the only girl in their family on Facebook, I was surprised when she said "if we could get everyone together for a reunion I would gladly fly in from California just to see everyone." I talked to some people who had graduated high school while I was still in elementary school, but who knew me as the younger brother of someone they were close friends with way back in the dark ages. I was surprised that they would talk to me and glad to hear how things were going in their lives. In my mind I pictured them looking exactly as they had the last time I saw them in person, a very long time ago. The neighborhood reunion is a very real possibility.
I don't dream often, or don't remember them, but I always remember the dreams with my father in them. I know they're only dreams, but they have a huge effect on me. It's weird that I can never hear his voice in them, yet don't notice this until after I have awakened and had time to think about it. My dad keeps getting younger in my dreams. Soon we'll be the same age.
And eventually, I'm going to die, and see him again. Hopefully then I'll be able to talk to him and actually hear what he's saying.
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Brooklyn Decker Black and White photos
Brooklyn Decker is an American fashion model best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was born in Kettering, Ohio, but grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. She married tennis player Andy Roddick on April 17, 2009.
There has been some confusion about her birthdate, but she reported on the Dan Patrick Show (Aug. 3, 2009) that her birthday is in April, not August.
Brooklyn Decker has been turning heads since 2006 when she made her debut in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and she continues to make men swoon, making waves most recently in the February 2010 issue.
Decker has also been featured in pictorials for Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, FHM, and Glamour, and has made a splash in high-profile ad campaigns for The Gap, Victoria's Secret, Intimissimi, American Eagle, and J.C. Penney.
Brooklyn is also trying to branch out into acting. She had a guest appearance on NBC's "Chuck," where she played a model applying to be a Buy More Girl. She also had guest appearances on "Ugly Betty" and on USA Network's "Royal Pains" playing a . . . wait for it . . . swimsuit model!
Brooklyn is the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover Model.
Brooklyn was again choosen to take part in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
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Brooklyn Decker Black and White photos /
Sports Illustrated
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Dear Penis
Dear Penis,
I realize you have been feeling neglected of late and I am sorry. I don't know what is wrong with me. I just haven't felt like being close with anyone. Not even you.
Maybe it's the weather, but I have been having headaches lately. With all these warm fronts and then cold fronts that come with tornadoes attached, I suppose the dramatic weather and pressure changes are probably to blame. I know that is no excuse for holing up in front of the TV by myself, but when my head is hurting I don't much feel like doing anything or being with anyone. Not even you.
I feel like we have grown apart. Even when we're together, it's just not the same as it used to be. You used to be so excited to see me. But these days you just sit there with your head hanging down and barely acknowledge me at all. Sometimes I wonder if you even know I'm there. Or care.
I know I don't feel the same when I see you as I used to, I'll admit that. I think the hormone-crazed teen years are just so far behind me now that I will never feel that way again. I have to accept that. We both do. Time and maturity has changed us both. You don't stand as tall and straight as you used to. Time has beaten you down. And I guess I have to admit that it has done the same to me. Some days I feel as if I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. The stress of it wears me down and I neglect important relationships. I neglect you. I used to feel guilty about it, but I don't anymore. I hope it doesn't hurt you to hear me say that, because it's true. I don't feel the same about you as I once did.
It's not you, it's me. I have changed. We both have. We have grown apart. I think we should see other people.
Sincerely,
Me
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Muslim model upsets family by posing nude for Playboy cover
'I wanted to be free': Muslim model upsets family by posing nude for Playboy cover
Last updated at 5:20 PM on 19th April 2011
Strict: Turkish German actress Sila Sahin says her childhood was 'restricting'
A successful actress starring in German television soap opera Good Times, Bad Times, she pleased her many fans and made her Turkish family proud.
But her latest move has shocked some of those fans, and enraged those closest to her.
Posing provocatively on the cover of German Playboy magazine with one breast exposed, Sila Sahin seems to be sending a clear and deliberate message to her conservative Turkish family.
'I did it because I wanted to be free at last,' she said. 'These photographs are a liberation from the restrictions of my childhood.'
Her family have, unsurprisingly, reacted with horror, and her mother has cut off all contact with the actress.
'My mother is still angry. It will be even more difficult with my grandparents, my aunts and my uncles,' she said on the website devoted to her television soap.
She has, however, managed to talk to her actor father, who expressed concern over the pressure she will inevitably face from those not only within the Turkish community in Germany, but from the wider Muslim community as a whole.
Ms Sahin's declared intention was to used the controversial Playboy photoshoot as a call to action for other Turkish girls who suffer the effects of their strict backgrounds, where women's choices are often limited, husbands are chosen for the girls and chastity closely controlled.
Liberating? I did it because I wanted to be free,' said Sila Sahin of the nude Playboy photographs that offended her Turkish family
'Many of my countrymen think it's great that I can be so free. With the shoot I hoped to say to them that we do not necessarily have to live under these rules given to us.
Popular: Sila Sahin on the red carpet with actor Joern Schloenvoigt
Indeed, in the 12-page article that accompanies the revealing photographs, Ms Sahin says she feels 'like Che Guevara', adding that the semi-naked photoshoot was a bid to express her freedom.
'My upbringing was conservative,' she told Playboy. 'I was always told, you must not go out, you must not make yourself look so attractive, you mustn't have male friends.
'I have always abided by what men say. As a result I developed an extreme desire for freedom. I feel like Che Guevara. I have to do everything I want, otherwise I feel like I may as well be dead.'
And according to Ms Sahin, her friends have been impressed by the magazine spread. 'They admire my courage,' she says.
But while her friends and some fans may be impressed, Ms Sahin's family have expressed their disappointment.
And despite her outward conviction, Ms Sahin was devastated her actions should be met with such a harsh response.
In an ill-advised move, Ms Sahin only informed her parents of her Playboy spread via an interview on German television channel RTL, just one day before the nude photographs were to be published.
In an impassioned interview, as she displayed the revealing photographs, she pleaded with her mother and father to understand the reasons behind her decision to pose naked.
The emotional actress begged for clemency from her family.
'I hope you can forgive me, she said.
'Please let me come home.'
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Stick Stick Up
I don't really have a lot to say these days. I've been pretty stressed and preoccupped with work. Daily life is very much keeping me busy right now. We had some tornadoes come through. I got wet and it blew me around a bit. 45 people died, mostly from trees falling on their houses while they were inside sleeping.
Newsweek Magazine, an outdated and irrelevant publication, is trying to argue that people are more concerned with the plight of unemployed college-educated white males than they are with any other group. Ironically, other than this story I haven't heard anyone in the media talking specifically about this group.
The US Post Office printed 3 billion Statue of Liberty stamps before someone pointed out that they were using a photo of the wrong statue. Their stamp shows a photo of the Statue of Liberty in Las Vegas, not New York harbor. Oops. Anyway, no one cares.
A 16-year-old girl survived a suicide attempt in which she jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge primarily because ... she's 16 and teenagers can survive damn near anything.
China has a stealth fighter. We're pretty sure they stole it from us, but nothing is going to be done about it.
blah blah blah.
I truly don't have anything to say. I did earlier, but I forgot what it was and even then, it wasn't much. So to make up for that, here's a lovely video of a thief who seems to think that he can rob a store using nothing more than a big stick:
Newsweek Magazine, an outdated and irrelevant publication, is trying to argue that people are more concerned with the plight of unemployed college-educated white males than they are with any other group. Ironically, other than this story I haven't heard anyone in the media talking specifically about this group.
The US Post Office printed 3 billion Statue of Liberty stamps before someone pointed out that they were using a photo of the wrong statue. Their stamp shows a photo of the Statue of Liberty in Las Vegas, not New York harbor. Oops. Anyway, no one cares.
A 16-year-old girl survived a suicide attempt in which she jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge primarily because ... she's 16 and teenagers can survive damn near anything.
China has a stealth fighter. We're pretty sure they stole it from us, but nothing is going to be done about it.
blah blah blah.
I truly don't have anything to say. I did earlier, but I forgot what it was and even then, it wasn't much. So to make up for that, here's a lovely video of a thief who seems to think that he can rob a store using nothing more than a big stick:
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Loonies On the Path - LIII - White Trash Chevy Pickup
I'm a hero, I'm a cowboy |
So, you like white trucks, eh? It's just the right combination of 'good old boy' redneck and 'hero in the white hat' cowboy for your ego, I'm guessing.
Oh, don't get all pissy just because I've mentioned your ego. You can get pissy in a minute when I mention your driving.
What is your problem that you feel as if you own the highway and are the only person allowed to drive on it?
What is your problem that you feel entitled to cruise along in the passing lane, slowly, while fighting with every single person who gets in that same lane BEHIND you? Do you have a problem with people being behind you? Were you anally raped in prison when you were a young fuckup? You only fuck with the poor souls nice enough to get in behind you instead of speeding up and cutting you off while you block the fucking passing lane without passing a single soul.
Why aren't you fucking with the people who pass you by and get in front of you, since you oh so clearly want to fuck with people? You're in a big truck. You could intimidate people if you want to fight so badly. Why are you so afraid of the people blowing by you and cutting in front of you? Is it because you're a big pussy who can't go faster than 40 mph?
You clearly want to hurt someone. Everything about what you do says so. You jump on those brakes whenever anyone is behind you, no matter how far behind they are. You slow down to draw them in if they aren't close enough to satisfy your desire for a fight. The fact that you wish to fight and hurt someone is undeniable. I saw you with my own eyes.
Yet you won't do anything when someone blows past you and leaves you in their dust. You might hit your brights, but with your antiquated non-Xenon headlights even your brightest brights aren't anything compared to the normal headlights on any of the new cars. And the police will ticket you for driving with your brights on, which scares you shitless, doesn't it?
All passive/aggressives are more scared of getting caught than normal people are. That's not to say they are scared of doing wrong, only that they are scared of getting caught.
Could it be that you have your entire attention focused on your rearview mirror, such that you don't even notice the people passing you and flicking you the bird? I think that must be it. I think you are so busy trying to murder innocent drivers and their passengers behind you that you don't even know what is going on ahead of you. That's why you have so much trouble turning left. That's why you nearly missed your turn. That's why you ended up driving on the wrong side of the road when I turned left and was no longer behind you. It's because you are totally focused on what is going on behind you and oblivious to what is going on ahead of you.
And next time I see you, I'm going to take full advantage of that, you cunt.
I'm a cunt |
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Loonies on the path
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That's What I Think
Not as cool as you think - a photograph of you in which you are dancing up on a stage or platform in a hip club, where everyone else can be clearly seen behind you standing with their back turned toward you, ignoring you. Yes, I can see that you're dancing, and you're dressed in expensive and fashionable clothing, and you do look fabulous, but the fact that everyone has their back to you says something that you may not have considered. Yes, I saw this photo on Facebook and was going to post it here, but it occurred to me that you are the friend of several friends of mine and it might be mean of me to publicly shame you like that. You're welcome.
Geographically challenged - every time I look at a map, either of the world, or sometimes just the Americas, I discover that I am far more ignorant of geography than I ever realized. I had no idea that Quebec was over there, that the Bahamas were down there instead of out that way, and I constantly reverse Sydney and Melbourne in my brain. Don't even get me started on Norway, Finland, Sweden, and that whole area. I am retarded. I learned geography by playing the old boardgame Risk.
Not equipped - the past month has taught me something I never knew before. Apparently all luxury cars, including a certain Ferrari I passed yesterday, do not come equipped with blinkers of any kind. It's true! Lexuses, Mercedeses, BMWs, Range Rovers, Volvos and even the funkiest Ferrari I have ever seen, all come without turn signals. I know this because I have not seen any of these cars use turn signals in over a month, and it has been true 100 percent of the time. I prefer to assume that it is the car manufacturers who left this 'option' off these vehicles, because otherwise I would be forced to conclude that everyone who drives these types of vehicles is a narcissistic, self-absorbed, shithead.
Nobody home - why are people still friending me over on MySpace? Does my profile there not clearly show that I have not logged on since George W Bush was president? Is it not obvious that I am not active over there? Are these people simply looking to add random people without the slightest regard for who they are or whether or not they are even going to be around? Seriously, it's MySpace. I think that speaks for itself. It's dead. We should hold a funeral and bury it.
Twitter - I am constantly amazed at the wide assortment of people who follow me on Twitter. I have everyone from the Christian Coalition to NoH8, or whatever the hell their name is. And most recently, the Gay Men's Chorus of LA has followed me. Add this to the fact that GaySex is following my blog and I would seem to be popular with both the very straight and the alternate lifestyle crowd for reasons that escape me. I'm not complaining. I just find it curious. If Sarah Palin and Nancy Pelosi both follow me at the same time, would Twitter explode? We may one day find out.
Bucket List - my bucket list does not include running any marathons, ringing any stock exchange bells, jumping off anything high up that isn't designed to fly, or public displays of my own naked body. You should all thank me for that last one, by the way. And you're welcome. But while we're on the subject, I would like to one day visit Australia, New Zealand, British Columbia, Toronto (again) and maybe Norway or Sweden. I would also like to fly a helicopter and a jet, jump out of an airplane without blowing my knee on the landing, shoot a really big machine gun, drive a racecar at 200 mph around a banked track, compete in a triathlon, snowski in Switzerland or Austria, ride a decent wave at Bondi Beach with an actual surfboard, photograph a supermodel, and motorboat Kim Kardashian or Katy Perry.
Climate Change - the claim that mankind is causing the earth to heat up and cook is bullshit, but not all talk of 'climate changes' is crap. My dad was a master of climate change when I was a kid riding in the family van on the highway to Texas in summer heat along with the rest of my family, and he'd fart and then refuse to allow us to open any windows. It's a wonder any of us survived.
Television - Laura Vandervoort is the only reason the television show "V" remains on the air. "V" is a sci-fi show that appeals specifically to the egos of women (V is for vagina), but so are all the serial killer crime shows, all the Law and Orders, pretty much every cop and crime show, plus the dramas with lawyers and/or doctors, and they all do it without the science fiction element that most women don't care anything about. So you would think that few women would make time to watch a show like "V", but they do, and so do a lot of men. The reason is Laura Vandervoort. Laura Vandervoort's amazing face is so hypnotic, so hard to look away from, that audiences will sit mindlessly mesmerized for the entire time that she is on the screen, and then wait impatiently for her to come back during the commercials and brief scenes where she is not being shown. Pretty much the commercials and scenes without Laura Vandervoort are the same thing, a minor irritation. They should just make this show into a full hour of Laura walking around smiling and get rid of everything else. I'd watch that.
Geographically challenged - every time I look at a map, either of the world, or sometimes just the Americas, I discover that I am far more ignorant of geography than I ever realized. I had no idea that Quebec was over there, that the Bahamas were down there instead of out that way, and I constantly reverse Sydney and Melbourne in my brain. Don't even get me started on Norway, Finland, Sweden, and that whole area. I am retarded. I learned geography by playing the old boardgame Risk.
Not equipped - the past month has taught me something I never knew before. Apparently all luxury cars, including a certain Ferrari I passed yesterday, do not come equipped with blinkers of any kind. It's true! Lexuses, Mercedeses, BMWs, Range Rovers, Volvos and even the funkiest Ferrari I have ever seen, all come without turn signals. I know this because I have not seen any of these cars use turn signals in over a month, and it has been true 100 percent of the time. I prefer to assume that it is the car manufacturers who left this 'option' off these vehicles, because otherwise I would be forced to conclude that everyone who drives these types of vehicles is a narcissistic, self-absorbed, shithead.
Nobody home - why are people still friending me over on MySpace? Does my profile there not clearly show that I have not logged on since George W Bush was president? Is it not obvious that I am not active over there? Are these people simply looking to add random people without the slightest regard for who they are or whether or not they are even going to be around? Seriously, it's MySpace. I think that speaks for itself. It's dead. We should hold a funeral and bury it.
Twitter - I am constantly amazed at the wide assortment of people who follow me on Twitter. I have everyone from the Christian Coalition to NoH8, or whatever the hell their name is. And most recently, the Gay Men's Chorus of LA has followed me. Add this to the fact that GaySex is following my blog and I would seem to be popular with both the very straight and the alternate lifestyle crowd for reasons that escape me. I'm not complaining. I just find it curious. If Sarah Palin and Nancy Pelosi both follow me at the same time, would Twitter explode? We may one day find out.
Bucket List - my bucket list does not include running any marathons, ringing any stock exchange bells, jumping off anything high up that isn't designed to fly, or public displays of my own naked body. You should all thank me for that last one, by the way. And you're welcome. But while we're on the subject, I would like to one day visit Australia, New Zealand, British Columbia, Toronto (again) and maybe Norway or Sweden. I would also like to fly a helicopter and a jet, jump out of an airplane without blowing my knee on the landing, shoot a really big machine gun, drive a racecar at 200 mph around a banked track, compete in a triathlon, snowski in Switzerland or Austria, ride a decent wave at Bondi Beach with an actual surfboard, photograph a supermodel, and motorboat Kim Kardashian or Katy Perry.
Climate Change - the claim that mankind is causing the earth to heat up and cook is bullshit, but not all talk of 'climate changes' is crap. My dad was a master of climate change when I was a kid riding in the family van on the highway to Texas in summer heat along with the rest of my family, and he'd fart and then refuse to allow us to open any windows. It's a wonder any of us survived.
Television - Laura Vandervoort is the only reason the television show "V" remains on the air. "V" is a sci-fi show that appeals specifically to the egos of women (V is for vagina), but so are all the serial killer crime shows, all the Law and Orders, pretty much every cop and crime show, plus the dramas with lawyers and/or doctors, and they all do it without the science fiction element that most women don't care anything about. So you would think that few women would make time to watch a show like "V", but they do, and so do a lot of men. The reason is Laura Vandervoort. Laura Vandervoort's amazing face is so hypnotic, so hard to look away from, that audiences will sit mindlessly mesmerized for the entire time that she is on the screen, and then wait impatiently for her to come back during the commercials and brief scenes where she is not being shown. Pretty much the commercials and scenes without Laura Vandervoort are the same thing, a minor irritation. They should just make this show into a full hour of Laura walking around smiling and get rid of everything else. I'd watch that.
You just can't look away from her |
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Laura Vandervoort /
MySpace /
Twitter
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How not to put a boat in the water
I'm going to kick you in the vagina if you don't give me those slippers! |
We had tornadoes yesterday. First they ripped through Memphis, downing trees, cutting power, and blowing out the windows in a few office buildings and hospitals. I think we lost a few shingles off my shop, but my house appears to be OK. After the tornadoes ripped up Memphis, they continued east to where I was working, ripping through town and attempting to drown me on the instant riverbed that had previously been a highway. Luckily, I did not drown, and the tornado didn't pick me and my car up and drop us in Oz on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. I suppose it could've been fun, but I suspect I wouldn't have been nearly as nice as Dorothy was, nor as patient with the Cowardly Lion, big fake Wizard of Oz, and certainly not the Witch who wanted my ruby red slippers. I would have punched her in that big green nose and taken her broom by force. But seeing as she could ride the thing I wouldn't have bothered bringing it to the Wizard. I'd just ride it home, stopping by the Emerald City long enough to write the URL of my blog in the sky as I went. Hey, it pays to advertise, you know.
Vroom! |
I may have found a new motocross bike for myself. It's a Honda CRF230F, a bike I knew nothing about prior to last night when I saw the ad for it. It's used and I still need to find out what year model this bike is, how many hours of riding it has endured, and whether my motocross-racing neighbor recommends it. You see, I still haven't seen the track where I'd be riding, so it's difficult for me to guesstimate what exact bike I need. All I know for sure is that my old antique bikes won't cut it. We won't discuss my old antique body's ability to cut it.
Friends |
I've noticed something which I think is odd. I had noticed it before, but then forgotten again. Then I ran into an ex-girlfriend who reminded me of it. She was talking to me about all of her friends. And then, as she talked, I began to realize that what she meant by 'friends' was people she knew only through the internet, people who had never met her in real life and had no idea even what she looked like. It reminded me of myself, from 3 years ago when I was talking to a friend about someone I only knew through the internet, which they said sounded odd to them because I'd never met this person. At the time I was only semi-aware of why it must have sounded odd for me to refer to someone as a friend that I had never actually met, but when I heard my ex doing the same thing, talking with such pride and enthusiasm about these people she didn't really know, it opened my eyes.
The thing about this that is on my mind is this - I have had internet friendships which almost always went the same way - someone new comes along and we seem to like each other, we are enthusiastic, we have fun, but over time and for various reasons we fade from one another's world. Having no face-to-face contact, its just that much easier to get busy and lose track of a person. While I was both living and working in Memphis, having virtually no friends, it seemed as if this only happened with internet friends.
Now I'm spending 5 days a week elsewhere, in a place where I have real world, face-to-face friends. I am encountering people I haven't seen in many years, people who once were friends of mine, or at least knew me on some level. I have the opportunity to compare and contrast real-world adult friendships with internet friendships. The similarities are striking.
I have encountered very much the same 'fun new friend' enthusiasm, followed by a gradual lessening of enthusiasm, followed by a near total loss of contact with face-to-face friends that I have experienced with online friends. The difference is, with online friends, once I lose that person's email, I have lost that person forever. They are just completely gone. With face-to-face friends, I can lose all their contact info, but as long as we are in the same network of face-to-face friends, or I know where they live, I can reestablish contact with them again and get back together.
I encountered an old workout partner who knew me when I was 17. We met for lunch, having not seen each other in a long, long time. The first thing he said to me when we met was "you look the same, except that beard thing. So how much do you bench press now?" It was like we hadn't seen each other since last summer and he wondered if my bench was up any. More than anything, this ability to reconnect after a lifetime seems to be the only real difference between face-to-face friendships and online friendships. I strongly doubt that bloggers who know me only as Memphis Steve, should we ever cross paths again on the net 20 years from now, are going to be excited to see me and give me a cyber hug. I'd like to think they would, but I doubt it.
Hang on, you're probably saying, what about all the fake people on the internet? You can't fake your identity in the real world like that.
Well, based on my experience, yes, you can. I have had encounters over the years with people who were nothing that they said they were. Meeting them face-to-face didn't slow down the deception one bit. It just meant that they had to work harder at it. It limited what they lied about. But not as much as you'd think. Remember the news story years ago about Danny Bonaduce, when he picked up a prostitute who turned out to be a dude? Yeah, well, even a person's sex can be faked in the real world, not just on the net. And people do it. It just takes a lot more effort in the face-to-face world to pull it off.
Anyway, I don't have a lot to say about this. I wasn't planning on writing a novel. It's just something that I have noticed. Friends come and friends go, and that initial fun fascination with new friends may wear off and they disappear from your life in the real world just as it does on the net. It's all very much the same. The long-term friendships, whether online or in person, I believe are determined by honesty. The more open and honest 2 people are, the more likely that they will remain friends for the long run, face-to-face or internet, it's all the same.
You have read this article Danny Bonaduce /
friends /
motocross
with the title April 2011. You can bookmark this page URL http://thebohemianbunny.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-not-to-put-boat-in-water.html. Thanks!
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