revjim.net

I filled out half of this week's Wrecked Poll for Jet, so I figured I'd share here too. I don't even know what a Wrecked Poll is, who writes it, or what makes it so Toe Up. But, the questions were interesting, I thought.

1. Do you have satellite radio? Do you dig it?
I do not have satellite radio. I have a few friends with it and it never seemed all the impressive to me. Until, however, my most recent business trip to CA (from which I am currently sitting in an airport waiting to return). My rental car came with XM Radio and I was quite impressed. Not only was the quality great, but I was able to get the same stations regardless of where I was traveling and I didn't have to listen to any commercials. Quite nice! Usually I'd prefer my iPod as well, however, I managed to find a few stations (XMU, Ethel) on XM Radio that played incredibly good music. It was a nice opportunity to hear some new bands.

2. Do you like solitude? How often do you get it?
I do enjoy solitude. Unfortunately, it either comes in the form of too much or not enough and is rarely just right. Oddly enough, I'm also a fan of shared solitude… those situations where two (or more) people can be alone in their thoughts and yet still be in the same room, perhaps even sitting side by side in front of a roaring ocean.

3. Was there ever a single day or event in your life that you look back on and think, wow, if that had been different my life would be different, too?
Far too many days in my history are like this. Some I think the outcome could only be worse. Like if my wife and I hadn't just up and decided to get married, starting with an elbow nudge and sealed with a kiss, where would I be today. Others it could probably be better, like the day I decided to trust my best friend and believe that everything was okay, when, really it wasn't. If I had said something, stopped something, changed anything… would I have lost her? Would I be without her today?

4. What's your take on online social networking? What sites do you participate in? How important is it to you?
I think social networking is an interesting way to bring people together. Especially people who are otherwise less connected or less tech savvy. It's not as useful as some of the more dedicated platforms, and the signal to noise ratio can be quite low. But, I've made many new friends and have found myself reintroduced to old friends through sites like these, so I can't complain. I'm a member of just about all of them.

5. BTTW / WTTW (best thing / worst thing this week)
BTTW — Listening to the ocean roar, my skin and hair sticky from the salty ocean breeze, all while watching the sun set out into infinity.

WTTW — Realizing that most of the emotional pain that I suffer is the direct result of inner turmoil and not knowing how to resolve it. Also realizing that the majority of the pain my friends are suffering is the result of lack of communication, failed attempts at honesty, and not being true to themselves.