Touch of the Syndrome

I’m a touch Asperger’s. I’m a touch manic-depressive. They don’t call it that, any more, it’s not the latest flavor, but that’s what it means.

I’m running a bit manic, right now. You’ll probably get a lot of words out of me. Might well be good work, I tend to be inspired when I’m running hot. It feels nice. I try not to think about the impending crash, and not to buy anything. You do learn to deal with your craziness. I’ve queued up a few articles to play when I’ve gone down. I will hopefully not decide that they must be garbage and delete them. It’s amazing how much we’re ruled by our moods.

TV: porn before the Internet

Hill Street Blues, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati… oh, man. Awful stuff, mostly, with the most grotesquely inappropriate theme songs. I kinda like the theme from Taxi, really, but what in the world did it have to do with the show?

They did do one thing right, didn’t they? Hot, hot men. Got your Ed Marinaro, an actual football star, and man, those eyes. Tony Danza, boxer, graceful and macho as all hell, and also with those puppy-dog eyes. Gary Sandy, oh my, classic build; I could scarcely pry my eyes from his pants. Shoot, there was only one reason to bother with Dukes of Hazzard, wasn’t there, and it didn’t have anything to do with Daisy.

Got to say, I liked some episodes of Enterprise, the Star Trek prequel… some parts of the first and last seasons were pretty cool. But, they really muffed it when they provided only a female looker. I’ve got wide tastes, and there’s a lot I find attractive in men, but… there just weren’t any hot guys on that show. Not one. Some team of executives, out there, missed out on the basic draw to even a bad TV show (about all of them): sex appeal. Sorry, Jolene, but you’re not what I’m looking for in a man.

Gay reflections.

If you’re one of those bloody timid people who are offended by everything and horrified about sex… GO PISS OFF!!! RIGHT NOW!!! Thank you.

Don’t we just move along…

About packing. Though you might be interested if you just like the idea of simplifying your life.

I was grabbed by this idea on another blog, though it was not generally clear on its ideas and outcomes, that day. Possessions, though, are a short subject I can cheerfully expound upon.

There’s a strong commercial theme about owning everything in the universe. It hits you especially hard when you can’t own much of anything, and I’ve spent time being poor. I might well do again. I’ll skip the political and economic speeches, though, because they have little enough to do with it.

Go for it

Got a fair chance of winning a contest on another site, I think, at the moment. We shall see. I’m kind’ve looking forward to it… a little delightful tension… perhaps I won’t make it, but I’ve got a chance, and I tried. It was a spontaneous writing competition, and I think I was in a good mood to make it happen. it’s got, what, tens of thousands of hits every day? Or is it hundreds of? Lots of hits, few enough entries. Fewer still good entries. I might just make it. Figure that.

I’ve gotten myself in magazines (in one case, strictly against their own rules of st… “borrowing” email without permission)… and been quoted and remarked upon on well-known blogs, by sticking my foot out. Sometimes, indeed, by sticking my foot in my mouth but, more often, by giving it a chance and having something interesting to say. Hint: it never hurts to be polite, even if you’re frothing at the mouth.

The Zen of Test-Taking

I register as disgustingly smart. How do I register as disgustingly smart? It’s all about taking tests.

Tests are designed, mostly, to test your knowledge, rather than your intelligence. It helps to have a good memory, or do drills. I have a fairly good memory for trivia. I got by, often enough, on drilling at the last minute. Go through your textbook, lecture notes, and whatever else you have handy. Take what seem to be the most important points, and write them down. The process of writing will help you focus. Studying these concentrated notes again will also be useful. Copy them again, if you think it might help.

I knew someone who taped lectures, and made notes from those. If that works well for you, do it that way. Do write it down. That helps. Repetition is a key to memorization. The slow, physical act of writing the words or equations will really make it sink in. She was not that smart, but she was very determined, and she did very well. I think, in the time I knew her, she actually got smarter (not just more knowledgeable) from studying. It’s not like I’m heterosexual– I think I’m fairly objective, in this case.

Adventures in Food: Salty Pickled Squid

It was long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away… no, wait, that was Star Wars. Well, this adventure was not quite that old but, it’s been a few years.

I’d made the trek out to a large and fairly decent sushi place, with my boss and a few coworkers. We had an assortment of fine items and, oh, about enough sake. Mmmm, sake. The good stuff is wonderful. I must admit to having acquired a taste for the sharp kick of cheap sake, as well. I should pick some up. It’s been a few years.

I don’t know how the conversation wound around to it. I was feeling somewhat blasé on the subject of exotic foods, and must have said something about how I thought I could eat anything. The boss sensed a challenge, and had a word with the waiter.

Modern Nerd Glasses

Things we don’t like: the latest fad in glasses. Heavy, dark frames surround flattened, rectangular lenses. They look like an update of the old “nerd” glasses that kids used to have to wear because they were fairly robust and incredibly cheap.

The modern ones are, almost certainly, anything but cheap. They remain incredibly ugly, and they’re not actually very functional. The last thing you need in glasses is tiny lenses with wide, opaque frames. The idea is to be able to see. It doesn’t hurt if the frames don’t hide your face, unless your face needs hiding.

The neo-nerd glasses strike me as one of the more offensively idiotic retro fashion statements. Might as well wear a wind-up watch on your wrist, while you’re doing it. Oh, wait, that’s in fashion too. Sigh…

I nearly shot my brother, once

It was a toy gun, I thought. A little something I found at my grandparents’ house, a pretty little thing. I thought I’d have some fun with it and went to surprise my brother. Pointed it at his face and eased the hammer back, and saw the bullet.

HiQ

Do you know, I have an IQ of over 180? I’m not sure by how much. The standard IQ tests crumble in that range.

I’d say it doesn’t hurt, but that’s not quite right. Let’s just say it gives me more options. It doesn’t mean that I don’t act like an asshole or a crazy person, or understand what to do with my life. It does mean that I’m often aggravated by the relative stupidity of many people around me.

Do I recommend it? Well, in the long run, I think having more intelligence is probably a good thing. In the short run, personally, I’d like another beer. Thinking is more of a responsibility than I ever wanted. It’s a pleasure to numb the brain.

Poor, poor pitiful me. Lord have mercy on me. Well, I done told you that intelligence doesn’t make you less of an asshole. Merde, I am not happy today.