I’ve had a busy weekend and simply have not had time to come up with an idea for a blog post today, let alone turn it into something coherent. So I’m going to take a day off and try an open thread.
Some possible things to discuss:
1. What do you do to relax and/or cope with stress?
2. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? When do you normally start?
3. What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? The best reaction to a gift you gave?
4. Introduce yourself, what your interests are, and why you read my blog. (Yeah, that last one is completely self-serving on my part.)
I’ll have a more informative (and hopefully entertaining) post tomorrow.
Hi, I’m Yami, but you already knew that 🙂
I started reading your blog because I’d been reading FormerConservative’s blog and noticed how eloquent and interesting your comments were; when I saw you had a blog too, I clicked over and added it to my reader.
I have way too many interests XD I make costumes, I cook, I program computers, I play video games (sometimes), I read, I write, I play tabletop RPGs, I do online roleplay… I do a little bit of everything.
I’m glad you find me eloquent, Yami. Thank you for the compliment.
It sounds like you’re a regular renaissance woman. That’s great. I find it interesting that you are both a writer and a programmer. If you believe what my bosses say, it’s apparently a rare combination, at least among embedded engineers. They find it quite exciting that my communication/writing skills are what they are in addition to the development work I do.
Ha! I shall do these in reverse order, just to confuse everyone!
4. Michael Mock, aspiring writer, father of two, and HTML code-monkey. (More about me…) I read your blog because I like your writing, and I love your perspective. Like Yumi, I tracked you over from FC’s site, but I think you knew that already.
3. I’m sure you’re thinking about Christmas, but I’m not sure I have any really good stories for physical gifts. However, I’ve been responsible for connecting at least two interested iFriends with martial arts that they enjoyed. The first one was still in high school and living with his parents; he wanted something that would let him learn to use a sword, so I pointed him at Aikido – as a non-violent (“soft”) art, it’s a much easier sell to parents than most. I got a nice e-mail from him a few years later, explaining that he and a friend had joined, and were now about to graduate high school as brown belts in the art. That was gratifying, to say the least. The second one I helped point to a particular Tai Chi instructor, and she’s now responsible for the Australian branch of his school.
2. While I’m sure I’ll find a couple of last-minute things that I’ve overlooked, I’m essentially finished with my Christmas shopping. I tend to buy things as I see them through the year, and hide them away until actual events roll around.
1. To really relax and recover, I require solitude. After that, just about everything is negotiable, but I favor reading books, watching incredibly bad (or sometimes good) horror movies, a hot bath, or some sort of walking or climbing. Oh, or video games.
@Yumi – I’m jealous of your costuming, by the way. Aside from writing, my hobbies tend not to actually produce much of anything. And I miss tabletop roleplaying – that was one of my big hobbies until about ten years ago.
Hi, I’m Candi Anne. I don’t talk much, but I do read. Especially the book commentaries.
I think I also came over here from FC, though I’ve been reading Slacktivist for years now, so it might have been him.
Interests? Video games, books, My Little Pony, music, politics, the internet.
I tend to slack on anything involving shopping…My Christmas will likely be done at the last minute. >.>
Also, I’d like to second Ms. Yami’s compliment.
Yeah, I’m good at liberal arts stuff (and decent at actual arts stuff,) but technology confuses me. I was so thrilled when I figured out how to Google my way out of pop-ups and viruses.
@Michael: Great. Now I shall have to rename my blog “The Musing of a REALLY Confused Man.”
That’s very cool that you introduced people to akido. I’m curious, I’ve noticed that tae kwan do (sp) also seems to be pretty popular, at least among my friends. Any idea why that might be?
@Candi Anne/BabyRaptor: Which name would you prefer I/we address you by?
I’m glad to see you reading my blog. Ive enjoyed a number of your comments over on Slacktiverse.
Hi, I’m Angela 🙂 Happy to go by Angela, Gel, Gelliebean, really anything at all except ‘Angie’.
1. Quiet music and time with the cats help me with stress…. As a traditional introvert, I really need time alone to recharge. Also repetitive things like time-management or match-three games, or crocheting/cross-stitching, really seem to help.
2. I started working on the hand-made gifts a couple of months ago, and started buying presents a couple of weeks ago. I like to keep an eye out throughout the year. Still need to order two presents, and hunt down some stocking stuffers, but that’s about it now. 🙂
3. Mer…. Best as in most costly? That’s an iPhone I bought my then-fiance (now husband) a couple of years ago. Best as in most appreciated? That would be a shirt for my brother – it said “Green Cloth Shirt” and had a box with the armor rating, class restrictions, skill bonuses, etc. 😀
4. I followed over from FC’s blog when you had your guest posts there. I love reading articles by people who make me think about things and change my point of view or realize what I take for granted.
Far and away my favorite hobby is reading (mostly SF novels, but I’ll read just about anything); also, making jewelry/crafts, puzzles of any sort, and both video game and tabletop RPGS. I used to DM a long-running campaign loosely based on D&D rules, but my group has been moving apart and it’s been a long time since we last played, and I’m a little hesitant to advertise for strangers….
@ Jarred – Tae Kwon Do is easy to find in most areas. Quality varies by the instructor (true of any martial art, really), and offhand it sounds like your friends probably found a good one. It’s a style that involves more high-kicks than most, so it can be really good exercise, too.
@ Gelliebean – I WANT that shirt!