Category: near and dear

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a bit of freelisting on Monday

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Well, I have thoughts running through my head this morning, but none of them that I could elaborate a whole post on, so I figured a free list would be a great idea! Let’s get started.

  • After a great weekend spending time with my friend, and attending her great wedding, I had to wait almost 5 hours in the airport because of delays. Boo to that. Either way, the weekend was a blast. It is funny how reconnecting with old friends can be such an amazing time. I’m glad her wedding went so well (even though it was rained out, and we couldn’t have it on the beach), and I fully expect her to be at mine… that is, if we ever have one *james… hint hint*.
  • Tattoo news: I am going to go and get a Sparrow tattoo this weekend, if all works out accordingly. Where should I get it?? I am seriously torn. I also might sign up for a consultation on another half sleeve… I want a phoenix and a Ganesha… stay tuned!
  • The Vampire Weekend CD is great. It gets better with each listen. Seriously, check it out.
  • After hearing the lead single from Death Cab for Cutie’s new record, I am a little worried. I hope that I like it as much as I love their previous work…
  • While at my friend’s wedding this weekend, I met some of her friends which are Atlanta locals. They had a really cool point and shoot that they actually got for the lucky married couple as a gift as well. After playing with their camera, I think that I am going to go and get it… today. It isn’t “better” than mine, it is just more of what I want. So what does that mean??? Well, that means that my perfectly fine 6MP Panasonic FX-01 is for sale, if someone wants it. It is a great camera, and I would be willing to part with it for $100 (much less than I paid for it). I will also throw in a 256MB memory card for free!! (hey, it isn’t much, but it’s something). Anyone interested? I have the box and all the stuff it came with. Let me know.
  • I wish that I were independently wealthy (big surprise), so that I could go on a real vacation. I went to drop my friend and her new husband off for their cruise before hitting the airport, and I now REALLY REALLY want to go on a cruise myself. I think that James and I may have to do that sometime in the near future.
  • This makes me really, really sad. Seriously, enough is enough. Bring them home. I support each and every troop that has been, that is there, and that will go overseas for us; I just want them home safe, and soon.
  • I had to be the respondent to test an interview instrument today, and I was reminded how interesting our jobs must seem to the outside… I mean, we talk about explicit sex for work!!! It certainly makes you at least smile!
  • Is it bad that Zombie Jesus, or the thought thereof makes me giggle? I mean, he kind of was a zombie, wasn’t he?? Maybe that’s blasphemous, but whatever. Did everyone have a great Easter?? I didn’t really do anything to celebrate; in fact, I had brunch with about 15 Jewish people (my friend’s husband is Jewish), so I guess I REALLY didn’t do anything for Easter.
  • Apparently, I look better with weight on me. At least, that is what everyone in my friend’s family said, after having not seen me for a few years. While it is nice to hear, I still can’t help but feel a little fat.
  • I guess that’s it for me… but what’s going on in your world??? Anything you want to talk about? It’s Monday, so I am sure that there are plenty other bored folks out there… am I right?

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too close for comfort

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So they have released a “final report” on the path of the tornado… and it ended literally 400 or so feet from our house. Wow. I mean, it is just surreal, because on the street where it ended (which you can literally throw a rock at from my back porch), the damage is way worse than on our street. I am extremely thankful that it stopped when it did. I honestly can’t believe that it got so close!! Who knows what would have happened with that massive tree that took out our fence if the storm would have kept going! The thought alone is just pounding in my brain this morning.

I can’t imagine what Sydney must have been thinking as it came through, because we weren’t even at home. Poor little guy!! I am honestly glad that we weren’t home; I think that it would have been very, very scary to hear all of the madness. Again, I am just incredibly glad, and I feel amazingly lucky, that it ended where it did… 400 more feet and things may have ended very differently for us!

On a completely different topic, I was driving on the freeway recently, and I saw a man driving with one hand holding his cell phone to his ear, and the other hand plugging his other ear so that he could hear. He was driving on 85 with no hands. NO HANDS! Where are the fucking police to pull over people like this?? Every time I drive down the freeway, I have to constantly adjust my speed and I have to be on constant alert for freaks around me, because cell-phone-talkers are constantly slamming on brakes, and drifting into and out of your lane. Hey police… POLICE the freeway and stop these dangerous freaks! It isn’t normal to have a major wreck on every major freeway in Atlanta every day. Pass a law or something, but this madness has to stop!

all about me, happenings, home improvement, near and dear

ATL-nado 2008

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Wow.

It is midnight, and as I sit here writing this, I cannot even begin to express how amazingly lucky I feel. I have been looking at pictures of the devastation that occurred throughout Cabbagetown and some of the other areas near us in Atlanta, and I feel fucking blessed. I also want to make sure and say a huge and amazing thank you, for every text message, email, and phone call I got. It was really truly amazing to know so many people cared. Thank you so much.

storm damage
Well, here’s how it went down for us. Last night, we were over at Joey’s for a Smash Bros party, and around midnight, we got word that there were some pretty nasty storms going on downtown. The word tornado was even used. Coming from a place in NC where we have had MAJOR destruction from tornadoes in my life, I instantly got scared. I never thought it would happen here; why? I don’t know, but I just didn’t. Instantly, James and I felt the need to get home, and make sure everything and everyone (i.e., Sydney) were okay. Riding down the freeway was almost surreal; they had whole exits blocked off due to tornado damage… right at the heart of the city.

Finally, we got home, and a couple of our neighbors had called us to let us know that our house was okay, but that the fence behind our house didn’t fare so well. Basically, the storm took out two major trees in the back of our property, splitting them right at the ground, and sending them toppling over our fence, shed, and into our neighbor’s yard. The entire fence wasn’t taken out, but major chunks are going to need to be replaced. We had a little tin shed in the back yard that was full to the brim with our power tools and home improvement equipment, and as of right now, it looks like a crumpled up tin can. It was completely smashed. The funny thing, is that the new table saw that we bought to do the hardwoods took the brunt of the tree, and managed to save every thing shorter than it, including the much more expensive lawnmower, leaf blower, and weed eater. It might not be salvageable, but it definitely did its duty to protect its fellow shed-mates.

Early in the morning, we had a guy come out to remove the trees, and they chainsawed the hell out of that wood all day, managing to remove almost all of it. It is unreal how big that tree was, and even more unreal was how close it got to our house. It was literally within about 4 feet from the back of our house; which is where our bedroom is. There were also two shattered javelin-like off shoots from the tree that were hurled into the ground so deep that they couldn’t even pull one of them out. Those were much closer to the house, but still managed to miss us by a couple of feet.

For those wondering about the waverunner, for whatever reason, James decided yesterday that the place it was at (the right side of the shed) was getting poor grass growth because of the waverunner being there, and as such, he moved it to the left side, between the shed and the fence. Whatever made him do that completely saved the boat. It wasn’t even touched, with the tree landing totally on the shed and the spot where it had been sitting all of this time. That was some intense luck on his part!!

Other than the damage to our fence and shed, and the damage to our neighbor’s fences and their car (which was just the windsheild and hood), I have to say, that we got out of this thing amazingly lucky. A few houses down the street have trees right through the middle of their houses, and as I mentioned before, the devastation in Cabbagetown is just awful. My heart goes out to everyone that received damage in this storm. It was unexpected, and I just feel blessed that we got out with only a little damage. My car has a few dings in it from the golf ball sized hail from earlier today as well, but luckily I got some blankets on it before it really started coming down.

All in all, I have to say, thank God for our house being missed, and I am truly thankful that we are with power, and okay after these storms. It could have been a lot worse, and I am thankful that it wasn’t for us. Now… the process of rebuilding begins… we have an insurance person coming out this week; wish us luck!

Check out the photos on flickr.

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sara bareilles @ the tabernacle, 3/4/08

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Sara Bareilles @ The Tabernacle, ATL 3/4/08
On Tuesday, James and I headed out to the Tabernacle to see the lovely and amazing Ms Sara Bareilles. As expected, she was simply amazing. I am glad that we left right after she performed (she was opening for James Blunt, who frankly, I had NO desire to see), because we met her in the parking lot!!! It was great seeing her again, and even better being able to talk to her again. She is not only an amazing performer, but she is the sweetest person ever.

I am going to see her again with my buddy Deb in April, and I can’t wait. She is headlining that show, so I know that it is going to be even better than Tuesday was. I have to say, that the James Blunt fans really weren’t my crowd, and I was pretty annoyed at the level of talking that was apparent during Sara’s performance. Several of her quieter songs were inundated with talking; which was pretty annoying. Oh well… she was still amazing, so it didn’t really distract too much. I wish that we would have gotten their earlier, because apparently, James Blunt fans are prompt, and we couldn’t get very close. I took some pictures (on flickr now), and a little video, which as of this moment, have had issues getting on youtube. I am going to give it a go again tonight, so I will update with some video; especially the performance of my personal favorite of her songs, Between the Lines. Wow. It was amazing.

A huge thanks to Sara Bareilles again, for being such an amazing performer, and totally bringing it in concert. If you haven’t seen her, you owe it to yourself; she is the real deal. I also appreciate her listening to this fan gush about how great she is!! Meeting her again made my night! Now, I can definitely say, that I am even more excited about the next show in April!

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5SF: leap year day!

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Every four years, we get an “extra day”, and how great is it that it is also a Friday this year? Perhaps the extra day is a sign that I am coming out of my music lull, because I have some fresh stuff for you today. I am also going to bring you some fantastic beats from Mother Gem herself, regardless of all the haters out there. Let’s get to it, shall we?

JES – Around You
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_jes-aroundyou.mp3]
When I downloaded JES’s most recent compilation CD Into the Dawn, I had NO IDEA that she was the amazing voice behind one of my favorite dance songs to have ever been recorded, As the Rush Comes by Motorcycle. After listening to her record, I completely love how many of the retooled down-tempo chill tracks completely showcase the ache in her voice. It is a little bit Portishead and a little bit Kosheen; and a lot of greatness. There is something about this song that just begs to be played over and over. It is simple and a perfect song “for the bedroom”, if you know what I mean…

MGMT – Time To Pretend
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_mgmt-timetopretend.mp3]
This is one of MANY songs that I have heard, and been like, “eh”, and then never got back to it. Then, I hear it on the radio, and I am all, “wow! I kinda love this!”. So yeah. I really enjoy this song, mostly, because it really sounds like it has a huge influence from the amazing Peter Bjorn and John, whom I love. I love the electronic distortion, and I really dig the beats. This is definitely a fun track, and one that is getting attention; and even some more from me!

Styrofoam – Couches in Alleyways (feat Ben Gibbard)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_styrofoam-couchesinalleys.mp3]
Whoa. I was driving home yesterday, and I was flipping through the radio stations, and I heard this song. At first, I didn’t hear the singing, because it was near the beginning, but I remember thinking, “this is really good… sounds a bit like the Postal Service”. Then, much to my surprise, the lead singer of the Postal Service Ben Gibbard’s vocals came through my speaker. Holy cow! Who is this? I thought. Well, turns out, Styrofoam, who has done a couple of remixes of Postal Service songs, released a record a while back, and this great song is on it! He has a new one coming out soon, and I look forward to hearing it when it arrives. Great random find.

The Faint – Glass Danse
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_thefaint-glassdanse.mp3]
A good buddy of mine was telling me about The Faint the other night, and I promised that I would check them out upon his recommendation. Glass Danse was the first song that played when I went their myspace (which, isn’t that the only thing myspace is good for? music? anyway…), and I instantly loved it. I haven’t really gotten too much into their other stuff as of yet, but this song sounds a lot like Shiny Toy Guns with a touch of the Killers. This song has a lot of intense electronic energy, and a lot to get you going.

Leslie Hall feat. Elvira – Zombie Killer (revisited)
Alright, now I must bring the love to the Mother Gem, as promised. I know very well that this will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is fine, but I must tell you, that I love me some Leslie Hall. As I blogged about earlier, I saw her last weekend, and she is glamorous and fabulous in so many ways. I have been listening to all three of her CDs all week long, and I have been having such a great time with each one. She is hilarious, and has this talent to her act that is just refreshing and delightful. This song is hilarious, and even has guest vocals from none other than the amazing Elvira Mistress of the Dark!! Leslie warns us… The zombies are seeking beat-box revival… you must shoot them in the brains! How can you beat that?? A song about zombies featuring Elvira? I can’t believe I am privileged enough to type that previous sentence. Amazing. SHAZAM! If this makes you smile at all, you should check out more from the fabulous Leslie Hall… she is a midwest diva/tiger-colt, and she is hear to bring the freshest jams in all the land to you. Sweet lady rapper, sing your songs to me!! I want to be a junior gem!

Well, I hope that everyone is having a great leap year day, and I hope that you enjoyed the music!! As always, let me know what you are listening to… I really do take all of those suggestions and listen to each one! Have a great weekend everyone!

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product edorsement: Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion

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It isn’t often that I come across a product that is so amazing, and wonderful, that I feel the need to go on and on about it. However, that is the case with Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion. First, I’ll give you a little back story…

I have had Keratosis Pilaris for literally, as long as I remember. It is also known as “chicken skin”, but is nothing more than bumps on the skin, which usually occur on the upper arms. It isn’t very noticeable, but it is frustrating, as it manifests itself kind of like acne on your arms. Also, it prevents your skin from being soft and smooth, and is generally, very frustrating. I was worried that it would be an issue when I decided to get tattooed on my arm, but luckily, it isn’t (that would have really upset me). The condition itself is extremely common, and lucky for me, I fall into the category of those that have it.

Now, I have tried pretty much all kinds of lotions and a lot of things short of a prescribed treatment (which friends of mine have tried with little success), and I was sure that I would never be able to have smooth skin on my upper arms. It doesn’t REALLY bother me, but it is just one more frustration iron on my fire, you know? Well, recently, I bought a bottle of the Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion, only because I loved the way it smelled (it smells like carrot cake!). Much to my surprise, after using it for a week or so, I noticed a DRASTIC improvement in my keratosis pilaris! It isn’t totally gone, but the skin is definitely way smoother, and the condition has noticeably diminished. I wasn’t even looking for another possible treatment, but it seems that I stumbled on to it in this great product from Burt’s Bees! As such, I thought I would do an official product endorsement from me to you, because if you have dealt with the frustration that KP has brought me, then you should get yourself a bottle today.

thumbs up I say!I have loved Burt’s Bees’ other products for a while now, and I absolutely love that they are almost 100% natural, so it really makes me happy that this product came from them. Even if you don’t have KP, this lotion is really great on dry skin, and as I mentioned, it smells almost good enough to eat! I hate that perfume-y smell that a lot of lotions have, so the carrot cake-like deliciousness of this lotion is a welcome change.

Thanks for making such a great product, Burt’s Bees. People with keratosis pilaris take note; there isn’t a cure, but Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion will definitely impact the noticeability of your condition! It works great for me! I give this lotion and enthusiastic thumbs up (see, like in the picture!), and the duanemoody.com seal of approval!!!

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maybe mine aren’t working (?)

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I have talked about my continual battle with depression on this blog before, and today, I saw something that I felt compelled to discuss. First of all, I should mention, in case it isn’t “known”, that I take a SSRI for my depression. I have for a long time, and often times, I wonder if it even works, because I still find that I go through bouts of moderate to severe depression. Well, after reading this, I can’t help but wonder if the medication is actually “treating” the depression.

In the article, they discuss a study that was done to compare the “clinical effectiveness” of several SSRIs (mine is listed), in order to see if the benefit of the drug was more than a simple placebo. What’s interesting, is that they found that across the board for those drugs that they looked it, it wasn’t (except in cases of extreme depression). This makes me wonder about the drug that I take every morning to “prevent” my depression; especially since, as I mentioned, it hasn’t actually gone away at any time during the course of my “treatment”.

I am not saying that I don’t believe the drugs have any benefit. Even the placebo effect is proven to have a benefit, and that may account for some of these findings. However, I do think that it is easy to wonder, that if you take drugs to help with a problem, and the problem doesn’t seem to want to go away, then perhaps those drugs aren’t working for you. The article also mentioned that trying therapy first would probably be a new recommendation; but I did that, and still ended up taking medication, a medication that I am now even more curious about.

I know that the medication must have some benefits. I don’t have anxiety as intense as I did before I took (at least I don’t think that I do). I also know (through the magic of therapy), that my depression is more likely than not, tied to my anxiety. So, if the medication is working on the anxiety, but it doesn’t have an effect on the depression, what does that mean? Should I be taking a different class of medication to deal with the depression as well? Or, am I “better” than I was before, and I just don’t know it? Maybe the drugs are working, and I just don’t know the difference because I have been taking them so long? I find myself riddled with questions right now.

This is something that I think might be worth exploring further. I may make a doctor’s appointment to find out more about what may or may not be a better option for me.

One issues I do have, is that the article goes so far as to say that the medications “don’t work”, citing it is below clinical significance. That is to say, that just because it wasn’t statistically significant, they have proven that it doesn’t work; which really doesn’t make sense, if it did work on the minority of those “not-statistically-significant-so-forget-them” patients. This is where the cynic about clinical research in me steps in, because I always question its reliance on numbers, and a lack of perspective on the individual that may benefit… In the case of a drug that MAY benefit some that has very few side effects (for adults), why would they declare that it simply doesn’t work, just because it doesn’t work more often than not? Additionally, if it doesn’t work most of the time, why have they waited until now to tell people that are taking it?

What’s your take on this? If you take one of these medications, is this going to effect your future treatment? Does it concern you that your medication may not be doing what you need it to? What do you think?

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Leslie and the LYs: february 23, 2008

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Leslie and the LYs @ eyedrum, ATL 2/23/08, originally uploaded by duanemoodydotcom.

Well, I am here to bring a review of a concert that displayed such epic-ness, that can only be contained by the sheer will of itself. The concert of which is speak, was none other than Leslie and the LYs, Saturday night at eyedrum.

Leslie Hall hails from Iowa, representing her other Midwest divas, and brings the jams while she flashes her sparkle jems. She is the self-professed mother gem, and comes out of the night, as a purveyor of fantastical gem sweaters and slick beats.

During her show, Leslie dances, she grooves, and she moves her way into your heart, clad from neck to toe in skin tight gold-goodness. She’s a “sequined tower of eternal glamor, pounding out the sexy with a sparkly hammer”.

I have wanted to see her for a while now, and I am glad that I got the chance to this weekend. Basically, if you haven’t heard of her, she is an internet phenomenon who has been doing some great stuff on youtube. Her songs are great, and she makes me laugh out loud more than many can. Saturday night was an amazing night, and I will always remember it as the night that I fell in love with Leslie Hall.

The show itself was an amazing spectacle of ginormous proportions, and here’s a little rundown of how it went down…

The opening act was absolutely DREADFUL, which consisted of a whole hour (seriously) of really loud distortion and guitar “playing” by a tall black dude in a wig. Then a Bjork-wannbe came on and spoke some gibberish, while her other friend (with a fake third arm) “played” a base guitar and created even more loud distortion. It was loud, and uncalled for. I asked the bartender if they were for real, and all he could say was, “well, they’re up there… it doesn’t get much more real than that.”. Agreed.

After that monstrosity, this cute trio that reminded me of TLC busted out two great songs, only to hurry off stage after finishing. It was a refreshing sound after that nonsense from before; but I would have liked to have heard more. No matter… by that time, I wanted my Mother Gem more than ever.

Then… the gold one herself took the stage. Now, I have seen her videos and heard some of her songs, but I had no idea the show that Leslie Hall puts on. Flanked by her accomplices, the LYs, she grooved and jammed for over an hour. It was amazing.

People in the audience called out for Leslie, myself included, and she gave us a feast of beats, rhythms, lady jams, and scissor kicks. She fucking performed the hell out of everything she did, and was completely hilarious and amazing throughout. I don’t know if I have ever had that much fun; seriously.

After the show, she greeted fans, and signed autographs. I got bunches of pictures of both the concert, and the after meet and greet. (click on the photo to go to flickr, and see what you missed out on…). I ended up getting both of her CDs at the show, and I must say that have been lapping up the jams all day.

You must do yourself a favor and see the mother gem herself, Leslie Hall, when she comes to a town near you. She is a goddess, and she is coming for you… I myself cannot WAIT until she comes back my way. SHAZAM! SHE IS GLAMOROUS!

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octopus: a MUST see

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Yesterday, James and I went to a matinée showing of Steve Yockey’s amazing play, Octopus. I have been very eager to see the show, especially since Steve had sent me the script last year, and when I read it, I was completely moved by it. When he told me it was going to be put on at Actor’s Express, I was delighted for him, and anxious to see it brought to life.

The play deals with issues and consequences that can come from “having a little fun”, and not paying attention to the great monster that is waiting at the bottom of the sea. Octopus expertly uses an interestingly playful, as well as frightful, metaphor in order to tackle intense issues surrounding relationships, and what happens when things suddenly change; even when you promised each other that they wouldn’t.

The show was moving, poignant, gripping, and at times, even laugh out loud funny. I could really feel what the actors were saying, and really identified with many of the main characters. Being gay, and in a relationship myself, it is hard to think about what would happen if something unexpected, and horrible, were to suddenly thrust itself between us. Would we react in the way that those characters did? Hopefully, I will never have to answer that question myself.

Now, I know that I am being cryptic, but honestly, I don’t want to give away the very thing that the play seeks to show you; the message is strong, and really does hit close to home.

It succeeds on every level; it is entertaining, and it really engages you and forces you to think about the consequences of your actions. Just because you get lost in the moment during a random sexual encounter, doesn’t mean that there won’t be massive ramifications to both you and your partner. Steve uses the unseen “monster” to truly hammer home the point that a lack of attention to the truth of consequence is really missing for many young (and old) gay men in today’s dangerous world. He makes a strong statement about how denial and ignorance only make you defenseless in preventing the beast from devouring you, or someone that you love. He goes further to challenge you into seeing that consequences are often not very easy to deal with for either partner, and sometimes, those reactions are devastating in and of themselves. It was masterfully written, and the stage direction and effects are phenomenal.

You must see Octopus. It will move you, and it may even make you want to cry, but it reminds us to be mindful of our actions, and know that there are consequences to everything that we do and say; especially within the concept of a relationship. Being mindful is the key to preventing that monster from devouring us all.

Octopus is playing NOW at Actor’s Express, and on through February 23. Don’t miss it!!!

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just like on tv

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I have been sitting here this morning, looking through some of the journals and blogs that I regularly follow, and spending time looking through many of those same people’s flickr collections, and I feel like I am watching my favorite program on television. I feel like I am seeing their interesting lives, and I find myself always wanting to know more.

A few of these people have a captivating quality to them, that I would say equates to me having “crushes” on them. It is like your favorite actor/actress that you would totally get with if you had the chance; only it isn’t as palpable as that. It is much more innocent and vague, poignantly less sexual, and often times, more interest driven. Handsome and attractive? Yes, they are, but that is not all that I like about them… there is so much more going on, and a lot of it, I don’t even know about; which is part of the thrill.

They are strangers, they are people that exist inside this little box that I look at day in and day out, and I don’t really know them at all. All I know is what I have seen, that which they choose to share, and I eagerly await new content and evidence that my favorite characters are doing well, and having a great life. I benefit from seeing that they have posted new pictures, or have uploaded new content; I want to know them, even though I really can’t on any level other than “through the internet”. Maybe someday? Who knows, but right now, this is fulfilling enough.

I often wonder, that if I have this type of relationship with the characters that I follow, does anyone follow me? If so, what is it about me that makes them keep coming back for more? Is it what draws me to them, the attraction, the interest, a fascination, and a captivation with life and how it is sometimes so different than my own?

Perhaps it is the anthropologist in me that I constantly seeking more and more, and who enjoys, and is so fulfilled by watching the world around him. More intensely, in this case, watching those in that little box that sits on my desktop, finding pictures, words, instances, and little bits of evidence to suggest that my favorite characters are doing well, and are keeping me company in the little way that they don’t even know that they are. Yes, it truly is intriguing to me what you have to say, and every time you post some pictures, I look forward to seeing how you are doing. I enjoy our time together, and look forward to more.