mapsedge | -ology, 25 random things

There is an "-ology" meme going around, which I remember from wayyyyy back in May, 2007.

HOWEVER, over on Facebook I was tagged for a "25 Random Things About Me" meme, so I'll share that here instead. It was a challenge, more than I thought it would be.

25 Random Things About Me

I have little patience for diplomacy. Recognizing my own (and your) mortality, I say pretty much what I mean to say. You may take offense or not, I'm totally cool with it either way. We're both dead in the end. (I'm not a nihilist, though I sound like it sometimes. Sean, you may stop giggling now.)

I keep a journal, which is publicly viewable. You'll get an "Adult Content" warning when you visit. I flagged it that way because I say "fuck" from time to time. You want random? There is where you'll really find it.

As I rule, I hate social networking sites. Too many games, like "virtual snowballs." If you've ever sent me something and I ignored it, don't take it personally. Just assume that will always happen and save us both the time by not sending another.

And don't even get me started on MySpace. God, what a waste of bandwidth THAT place is.

If you were to ask me what religion I am, I'll tell you I'm a Christian and a Methodist, in that order. If you ask me after dinner over coffee and/or Baileys, I'll tell you I'm a pantheistic agnostic. I believe that religion is hard wired into our psyches, and we all create god/God in our own image, not the other way around. I do, however, believe in a supreme being or Causative Force - just not that he (or she or it) is necessarily involved in our daily lives. I really rather that wasn't the case.

So, why Methodist? Because they are service oriented, and I can relate to that. I'd rather worry more about serving my community than worry about going to hell for saying "fuck" in my journal from time to time.

I love to write, and tend to do so with my reader in mind. I therefore try to make it entertaining, but honest.

I play guitar in the Celtic tuning, DADGAD, finger style more often than strumming. I play Celtic music, plus American and Canadian folk. I also write songs.

If you need your house re-wired, a wall built, drywall patched, a room painted, a toilet installed, a deck built, I'm your man. I'm not quick, but I'm thorough. Living in a nearly 100 year old house will do that for you. That 100 year old house is where I've lived since I was four years old.

I've never wanted to be a parent, and still don't most days, though I'm pretty good at it. I'm very grateful my children have grown to the point where they are not dependent upon me and Michelle every moment of every day. (Katie and seven, Jami is four.)

I've been basically rudderless since 1984, when my father died. I've had to make my own rudders as I've gone; I have no idea how I've made it this far intact.

I don't drink alcohol very much, mostly because I haven't found any liquor that pleases me quite the way that iced tea does.

I used to drink coffee to excess. Now mostly just cappuchino, one in the morning and I make my own. I own a $350 coffee machine. Roasterie, Millstone, battery acid, Folgers, etc. In that order.

I'm a language relativist, by which I mean that profanity is different in every language, so therefore language itself is not harmful, only its use. I recognize, however, that other people don't feel that way, so I watch my mouth as appropriate.

I am careful with language (non-profane), specifically how I choose my words for precise meaning and best effect. As a result, because other people are not so precise, I tend to read between the lines more than I should. I am totally uncomfortable with ambiguity in any form. I've been writing on this list for two days now.

I made a lot of movies when I was in high school and junior college, and after a brief and torrid love affair with renaissance festivals, I'm getting back into that. You can follow that on MapsEdgeMedia.com, and YouTube.

In 2005, I was in a movie that will never see the light of day, but was largely the catalyst for this rebirth. You can read all about it in the "Moviemaking" section of my LiveJournal.

At one time I owned the third largest ren faire tights manufacturing company in the United States. It sounds really impressive until you realize there were only three others at the time.

I love to cook, and I'm pretty good at it, though I'm still working out how to make a decent béchamel/gravy base. Because Michelle and I both cook well, we don't eat out much and we're almost always disappointed when we do, having paid money for something no better than we could have made at home. When we had satellite tv, the Food Network and Travel Channel were our default entertainment most nights.

I am a twelve year veteran of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, where I played a variety of characters. The one everyone knows me as, though, is Solace the Gravedigger.

Even after performing musically on stage for as many years as I have, I still get dry mouthed and sweaty palmed.

My music is most influenced by James Taylor, James Keelaghan, and Frank Blair, who taught me to play guitar.

The scene in Wall-E where he gets squished by the holo-detector and E.V.E. cries out - makes me cry every time. Maybe it's because he matters so much to her, and I'm touched by that. The scene where Auto shocks Wall-E and E.V.E. cries out...goosebumps. Same reason.

I have never been hunting and killed anything. I have no objection, I'm just a city boy. On the rare occasions I use glue traps in my home, however, I shoot the captive mouse with a BB gun. It's the only functioning gun I own.

I am extremely sensitive to sunlight. I can take any temperature, so long as I'm in the shade. I prefer Winter to Summer because, like any piece of high-tech equipment, I work better at cooler temperatures. If I could, I'd have it stay May or October all year round.

I have a thing for little black dogs: I've never had any other kind. My first two dogs growing up were mutts, and they were small and black. My two dogs now are schipperkes, small and black. Go figure.

I make my living writing internet based software and websites. I don't enjoy it, per sé, but that's where I landed where I could make money in climate controlled dimness with a coffee machine within easy reach.

I was born in Nebraska, and spent a lot of formative time there. Though I've never lived there, I have a dream of someday making my home in Lincoln or Omaha.