24 July 2007

"That Guy"

In all walks of life there is always that one person who tries to ruin a good time. It could be a buddy that gets stronger as he drinks (aka beer muscles) or an obnoxious parent at his kid's Little League game. It could be a guy that cuts to the front of the line because he knows somebody when everybody else has been waiting outside. It doesn't really matter the situation, but for some reason people like to ruin the experience for other people.

The latest case in point is the jerk off that posted the entire book of the latest Harry Potter online. Yes, I'll freely admit, that I have read every Harry Potter book (haven't had a chance to read the newest one as I'm still reading Beowulf). Luckily I haven't heard any spoilers nor have I read the ending that that person posted. However there are millions upon millions of fans that are diehard fans who, whether reading it online or hearing it from a buddy, has had their whole experience ruined because they found out beforehand what happened. It's like going to see Empire Strikes Back knowing that Darth Vader is Luke's father or knowing who Caesar Size is before seeing the Usual Suspects. It defeats the purpose of having to read the book or watch the movie.

Next thing you know...people will want to know the outcome of NBA games before they happen. Luckily there isn't anyone corruptible enough to fix games. Oh wait...

06 July 2007

One word answers...

So there I was Wednesday night, out on a date with a lovely lady, killing time at a Friday's before we had to make our way over to the theater to see Ocean's 13 (not a bad movie, by the way. On first viewing it was better than 12, but I think 12 gets better the more you watch it (except for that whole Julia Roberts look like thing)). Somewhere around beer two or three the lovely lady in question asked me an interesting question that she supposedly asks everybody: "Describe yourself in one word."

Now I've been on Myspace for quite some time now. I've read and answered many...many surveys in my day and this question comes up every once in a while. My first inclination was to say sarcastic, but that doesn't really encompass my entire being. I might have a sarcastic personality, but does that really describe me? So after a little bit more self-deliberation I came on the word...............

COMFORTABLE.

The point of choosing a word is finding one with multiple meanings that could spread throughout your life. One that describes both positives and negatives. This word does that with me. Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is that I feel like I'm laid back enough that I'm comfortable in any situation. Sure, I might not like where I am or who I'm with, but I'm comfortable enough to be friendly with them and try to make the best of it. This is probably one of the reasons that I get along with everybody.

Next is the fact that people are comfortable with me. For whatever reason people feel as if they can confide in me. I know enough about several people that if I really wanted to I could blackmail them for the rest of their lives. Of course, I wouldn't do that (Who am I? Mr. Boddy? Come on!), but people trust me.

Those are just two of the positive aspects. But for those two I'll provide two negatives which are intertwined. I'm comfortable in my living situation and my work situation. Living at home with your mom, grandfather, and aunt is not really the most desirable experience to have. Especially when you're a 25 year old male. But it's easy. It's cheap. It's comfortable. It's home. Will I move out? Of course. Am I in any rush? Not really. Pathetic? Probably.

The other is my place at work. There isn't one person in my department that would ever say they loved their job. I bet there isn't a single person in my department that would want to be doing the same job in another 5 or 10 years. Being that this is my first office job and I had no real experience I probably make less than my co-workers. Do I complain? Not really. Am I actively looking for a promotion or a new job? No. Should I? Probably. But I don't because I'm comfortable where I am. I might not enjoy it, but I enjoy who I work with and I know what I'm doing (most of the time).

Of course, I'm sure there are millions of other examples...and maybe even hundreds of other words that better describe me...but that's what I came up with. If you'd like to offer another suggestion or even come up with a word for yourself feel free to do so.