you asked for it (well, one of you did, anyway), a one hundred and one things... yes, finally, after years of wandering around these things because I was never quite sure how to do them, I mean, are there are rules or even guidelines?...

a candoor 101 things...

I really wasn't sure how to start one of these (which is the beginning of not knowing how to do them, of course... stare at ceiling for a moment and ponder the word redundancy)...

ahem... ok, so do I start each line with "I"?... and then what?... "I think..." and spout out whatever comes to mind?... is each number line supposed to be about me?... what about me?... do I start with "I believe..." and list the things I believe?...

how do you stop one if these things once it gets started?...

is it supposed to be completely narcissistic?... all about me?... what I think or feel about myself?... is it a list of favorite things?... activities?... experiences?... hopes and dreams?... isn't that what most of my entries are about anyway?... what new information could be shared?... am I creating or reacreating myself?...

hmmm, re-creation... I've always loved recreation...

maybe it's the format... maybe it doesn't matter so much what is shared, but how... listed, one by one... maybe that makes each one somehow more important, or at least more memorable than the stuff I share in babbling...

if you've read enough of me to know my style (or personality), than you may ask yourself why I am seeking guidelines or rules... well, think about it... without rules or guidelines, how will I be able to irreverently bend and twist and turn them inside out?... without rules, how can I break them?...

makes sense to me...

I'm gonna look it up...

and I start with a wonderful entry on rules, or the lack of need for them (which lead to this anthem of sorts)... of course we had to track back more than two years to find it (and the whole blogging thing has been around for decades, really... I started online in '97 myself)...

viewing an veteran blogger's blog I was struck by all the tools and scripts and programs and enhancements and stuff that many bloggers us to connect with others, to publicize their blog, and to organize their entries... tags added to an entry to sort the entry into categories and give easy reference to specialized sites that are like blog-specific search engines and communities... it all seems so complex and structures, I don't know if I could tolerate it... my written world is rather haphazardly organized and much more random than planned and above all else my rambling is almost always free-associative...

but it seems most respectable blogs have these certain structures kinda built into their code... syndication and RSS feeds and technorati and synchs and links and wires and subscriptions and I guess it's all moveable type stuff... and there are blogs that look so professional with advanced geek-stuff, but I, who never advanced beyond basic creating HTML pages in Notepad, feel about as jaded, or at least tired of the new technological bells and whistles as this guy (who apparently has been doing real programming for years)...

if I knew how and it wasn't too complex to code, I'd probably have those most common bells and whistles too... after all, I've found myself linking to lots of blog networks and websites galore...

but categories?...

I long for an AlphaSmart thingie... I don't know if the Neo or the 3000 or one of the others would be best for me (features, compatibility, research is needed)... oh, the simplicity and pleasure of writing without distraction (without distraction?... I'd have to be in a sensory deprivation tank... but it does seem like a great little toy and durable go-anywhere writer's dream)... and wouldn't you know, it's been on my giftlist wishlist for years (I actually was so much more techy all those years ago)...

this was supposed to be a 101 things entry, wasn't it?... well, this may be the intro, what do you think?...

well, I found no rules about 101 Things entries, so i'm on my own... seat of the pants writing... the babbler is thrilled (and of course will insist that the first list is just a first draft and updates will continue for days, if not weeks or forever, even)... as for the rest of you, well, here goes:

1. I live in love.
2. I am lonely on the outside and happy on the inside.
3. When I was three I fell on my head, I don't remember the details.
4. I was adopted a few times.
5. I may have abandonment issues.
6. I used to love Bazooka gum.
7. Music is my second favorite release and thing to do.
8. Writing is my first friend, sanctuary, therapy, and solitary fun.
9. I love sex, but am rarely turned on by others in close physical proximity.
10. I may be a dichotomy, perhaps even a contradiction.
11. I believe I am balanced inside, though I don't mind appearing not to be.
12. Writing conventions should not supercede content.
13. I have no need for religion.
14. I think politics is a power trip for people who need one.
15. On the whole, people seem very insecure to me.
16. Code Red is my favorite flavored drink, cold water is my favorite drink.
17. My vocabulary has always been ahead of my spelling memory.
18. Vegetarianism makes much sense to me, even though I've lapsed in practice.
19. Love never ends in my heart and I wish everyone I've ever known knew that.
20. I believe in relativity.
21. I want very much to communicate with intelligent peaceful beings from other planets.
22. I love playing with numbers and statistical games
23. Trivia is fun.
24. Songs, plays, movies, and entertainment media are favorite escapes.
25. I believe humanity, collectively and individually, lives in denial.
26. Chocolate is my favorite flavor, cherry is second, but they are mutually exclusive.
27. I burp more than I fart.
28. I don't know where it goes, but every year I seem to lose more will power.
29. If you have not read Diet For A Small Planet, Waiting For Godot, Illusions, The Celestine Prophesy, , , , then you missed out.
30. Science Fiction is my favorite genre.
31. I've still never known love or physical desire as profound or powerful as my first.
32. We never fully consummated that relationship.
33. Labels are for people who are afraid to decide for themselves.
34. In my mind, Harry Chapin is the greatest songwriter ever.
35. #34 is an exception to #33 because I decided for myself.
36. Mental illness is often an excuse for giving into fear.
37. Irreverence is fun.
38. Masturbation is fun too.
39. Getting raisins stuck up the nose is no fun at all.
40. Whipped cream is an aphrodisiac.
41. It's only cool to keep pets if you treat them as equals.
42. I love to sing, even though I've lapsed in practice.
43. #42 is the answer, again.
44. There is more serious in my irreverence than in most people's seriousness and more irreverence in my seriousness than anyone has ever really wanted to fully explore, and vice versa.
45. Sometimes I feel like a nut.
46. I love the irony of how some TV commercials have moved beyond clich� to become cultural icons.
47. Consumerism is at once a turn on and a turn off.
48. I prefer comedy over violence, musicals over serious theatre, romantic comedy over soap opera, children's stories over documentaries, science fiction over historical drama, psychological thrillers over horror, tearjerkers over action-adventures.
49. War movies are my least favorite genre.
50. I am hairy.
51. Cold weather is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
52. I was New York City born and raised but nowadays I'm on a distant shore.
53. I dream impossible dreams.
54. Music is the fluid carrying my spirit through my soul and words are the cells forming the bodies of my dreams.
55. I think in rhyme and feel in melody and strive to find a meaningful harmony.
56. You can substitute peaceful, balanced, wondrous, sensual, profound, loving, mutual, beautiful, or perfect for meaningful in #55.
57. Most of my fat cells are around my torso leaving me with lean arms and legs regardless of my weight.
58. I prefer fruits and vegetables to meats and dairy products, but I do love cheese.
59. I prefer wisdom to bravery, though I don't empower fear much.
60. My favorite color is rainbow, with royal blue second.
61. I once painted my entire room and everything in it in primary colors.
62. Vigorous exercise makes much sense to me and I love it, even though I've lapsed in practice.
63. The farthest I've ever run without stopping is 32 miles.
64. I left my heart in San Francisco, Toronto, New York City, and Orlando.
65. I've had four serious relationships, I walked away from only one.
66. I prefer things that melt in my mouth over things that stick to my teeth.
67. I've had just a few cavities in this life, and those were questionable.
68. I've passed at least three kidney stones.
69. I wore an orthopedic insert in my shoes as a younger child, but I am not sure why.
70. I prefer not to be around people who hide behind their god instead of taking responsibility for their actions and life.
71. If life was just a popularity contest, I would not enter.
72. I think the meaning of life is to find meaning in life.
73. I prefer sweet over sour, salty over bitter, spicy over bland.
74. Injustice and unfairness can irritate me a lot, though at times I can remain an objective observer.
75. Irreverent humor, cynical humor, and accepting individual responsibility are my armor against negativity and superficiality.
76. From my earliest memories I've had a healthy respect for germs.
77. Sometimes I see the human species as a virus infecting the planet Earth's ecosystem.
78. I rarely play to win or lose because I enjoy playing games too much to want to stop.
79. I am mostly non-violent, though I have hit a few people who hit me or knocked me down.
80. My last cholesterol was 141, but my liver is apparently fat.
81. Chocolate is my favorite flavor, period, especially sweet milk chocolate.
82. Life without passion is like a fish with a bicycle.
83. I still haven't found what I've been looking for.
84. I love the quest.
85. I love most theme parks, roller coasters, and fantasy places.
86. I rarely have to be driven to distraction because I usually live there.
87. If life is a cliche, the least we can do is try to write some new ones.
88. I broke one promise in this lifetime and it took the governments and courts of two countries to prevent me from keeping it.
89. I believe in and value most: honesty, integrity, innocence, curiosity, love, friendship, loyalty, and respect.
90. #89 are also my highest ideals and I strive to actualize them in all I do.
91. I live mostly in the moment which is built on all the previous moments and that prepares me for the next moment.
92. I have supreme confidence that I can survive anything except my own death.
93. I am not perfect and laugh at the thought of wanting to be, even in those moments I might want to be.
94. For most of this life I slept flat on my back without a pillow, though in recent years I find my habit has changed to sleeping on my side with a pillow.
95. I can very much enjoy being a voyeur, but I do not want to violate anyone's privacy unless I know they wouldn't mind.
96. I probably have no shame, since I don't believe in shame or guilt, but I don't always expose myself as completely as I could.
97. I hope you find and create more smiles than frowns in your life and wherever else you might find yourself.
98. Final Request: I am not quite ready to die, but if I must, I would like you to celebrate my life.
99. After all is said and done. I hope we all had fun.
100. If you want to know anything else, you can call 407-325-1482 and ask me directly.
101. The thing I am most sure of is that I could be wrong.

. o O ( NOTES ARE THE NEW HAPPY PILL ) O o .
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