The Garage Sale Blog Network

Freedom - Nintendo Power Glove

 

I think I must have gone from the optimism three years ago that I was going through a 1/4 life crisis at 25 years old to the reality that I am now going through a 1/3 life crisis at 28 years old. Right now I live a pretty fast-paced life - meeting new people all the time and transitioning lives at a rate of what seems like every three months. I’m going to work, getting my MBA, participating in a leadership development program at work, going out all the time, and visiting new cities pretty often. While everything that I’m experiencing is exciting and eye-opening, the one thing that I am severely lacking is: identity.

I’m at the point where I feel like I almost have too much freedom. Before college all you could really do was go to school, participate in extracurricular activities, and hang out with friends in your spare time. That was it. In college all you did was drink and do your best to graduate. Now, in the real world, I have way too many options. Sometimes I think I want to be an engineer, sometimes a business man, then maybe a lawyer, possibly a dentist, a music or independent movie producer, a professional poker player, a computer programmer; I could be a nurse, and maybe I’d be happy doing volunteer work in a third-world country. Four of my friends are getting married this year. Seeing them as happy as they are makes me want to settle down with a nice girl, treat her like a queen, and start a family. But then seeing ten hot women in a single night makes me want to keep up my life of having no idea what’s around the corner. Performing engineering and operations work makes me happy, but seeing clothes, cars, houses, and (frankly) women I can’t afford makes me feel insufficient.

All of this freedom is confusing me about who I am. Am I a nice guy or a player? Am I down to earth or materialistic? Do I want to socialize or do I need some time to myself? Do I care about school? Do I care about work? Which people do I care about and who don’t I have time for? –These are serious questions that need to be answered if I’m going to have any sort of consistency in my life. I woke up last night and I didn’t know where I was. I was in my own room. I had to turn the lights on and reach back in my memory bank to convince myself that this is where I’ve lived for the past two years.

So, what should I do with all of this freedom? I have the funds to travel wherever I want; the personality to meet whoever I want; the networks to work wherever I want; the mind to learn whatever I want; and the physicality to build/play/eat/drink/f*ck/punch/climb whatever I want. And, it’s not like this is rare – most people my age are exactly the same way. How do you have enough changes to keep from getting bored and still have things stay the same?

I’m not 100% sure what the answer is, but I think that 80% of it is in the people close to you. It’s amazing how much of who you are is stored in the people that you love and that love you. The people that know you the best will always be your “home”. As soon as I get back from vacations and have some time to relax, I always tell my new stories to those close to me. Same thing goes for them as they have unique life experiences. All of that corny shit about friends and family being #1 really has some meaning. Mom and dad, you’re right as usual – go ahead with the “I told you so”s and treating me like I’m still 14.

That’s reminding me of my 1/8 life crisis.

Garage Sale Blog Network update

The GSBN hasn't forgotten its audience....we're just dealing with our lives for a while.

I mean we don't get paid to entertain you people!

But here's a quick update:

Aaron - Vasco da Gama: Continues to be lost at sea and on milk carton sides at a grocery store near you

Amy - Ship in a Bottle:  Actually celebrating her birthday today and continues to do everything under the sun save running for mayor.

Ari - Lava Lamp:  We haven't heard from the guy in a long time but grapevine wind tells us he's on a hippy island in Thai Land wearing a tye dye shirt and tripping out on mushroom sundaes and lava lamps while beer tanning.

Chad - Old Stuffed Bull:  Chad supposedly went on a bachelor trip in July and met a camp counselor at our campground and has been living in a tent ever since. 

Eric - Rotary Red Phone: Currently experiencing a 1/3 life crisis and remedying it with cosmetic surgeries that are 2 for 1 deals. 

Erika - Goldfish in a Bowl: Still works in the circus in the throw a small kitten in the goldfish bowl and win a new kitten booth. 

Leya - Russian Stamp:  Continues to deny the outcome of Rocky IV.

Matt - Nintendo Power Glove: Continues to piss people off that are searching for nintendo power gloves on ebay only to land on his post about gay marriage. 

Rob - Aggrocrag: Writes most of his posts while playing flip cup and continues to raise the eye brows of elementary school teachers nationwide as he scours the playgrounds at recess looking for the next big kickball player. 

Servando - Chuck D Sneakers: Getting married in two weeks.  No mames guey!

Susan - Lite Bright: Started a very bleeding edge company where she charges people to appear in their dreams. 

Zach - Transistor Radio: Makes just enough at poker to support his UFC and 5am workout habits.

The Clean and Jerk - Russian Stamp

I've been glued to the TV during the Olympic Games and find myself getting creative to make sure I don't miss anything.  I work out in the morning and catch the games before work.  I'm glued to the metal competition of the Americans V/S the Chinese and the controversy of the Chinese Olympic Shadiness.  I'm rushing home after work to watch the nightly coverage and am enjoying the variety of sporting events including ones I have never heard of.  My favorite new sport in 5th grade immature fashion has been the weightlifting round called the Clean and Jerk.

The Clean and Jerk is when the weightlifters have to first lift the bar up to their chests, and then jerk it up over their heads.  Now this sport wouldn't be so entertaining if it weren't for the hilarious commentary that comes with it.

• "Well Bob, looks like he wasted all his energy on the clean, and didn't leave enough for the jerk!"
• "Looks like he tried to jerk too fast and he failed!"
• "Wow!!  What a jerk!"

I know, I have the maturity of a 5th grader, and am certainly not behaving like I'm smarter than one...I haven't gotten into the weightlifting Snatch event, I have limits!!!  But still...the clean and jerk...LOL!!!!!

If the GSBN exhaled a massive smoke cloud, this is what it would look like - Lite Bright

Blog Post - Iran! So that is where Orkut went - Lite Bright

I just came across some interesting data on the geographic popularity of social networking sites, check it:

• Facebook is most popular in Turkey and Canada.
• Friendster and Imeem are most popular in the Philippines.
• LinkedIn is most popular in India.
• Twitter is most popular in Japan.
• LiveJournal is more popular in Russia than it is in the United States.
• Orkut is more popular in Iran (10th country popularity-wise) than it is in the United States.
• MySpace is the only social network which is most popular in the United States.
• MySpace, LinkedIn, LiveJournal, Xanga, and Twitter are the only social networks in this survey which have the United States in their top five countries, popularity-wise. That is just five out of twelve.

Source

This is quite interesting because I first started using Facebook last summer when I met two Canadians while traveling in Turkey.  Go figure!

 My buddy Zizzle and I have trying to figure out who is using Orkut.  We suspected it was Brazil, but in fact, Iran is where it's at.  The CIA better get on that!

Now why is Twitter more popular in Japan?  Perhaps the Japanese are known for tight engineering and making do within small spaces.  Hello Twitter!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to give a shouout to my friend Brad who created LiveJounal and then sold it to the Russians.  Holla!

I guess Vegan Passions is still making it's way onto the chart.

UFC 87 Results - Transistor Radio

Seek and Destroy is in the books so let’s revisit and see where I stand in my predictions and the betting challenge.

A reminder that I started the wagering with $100.00

I commend myself for not placing bets on the preliminary card. Looks like the two I heard of, Saunders and Kongo, did come through with wins, but that’s no (smart) reason to bet.

For the main card I will leave last week’s predictions up and comment in italics below.

Main Card

Jason McDonald vs. Demian Maia

No bet here, but if pushed I would take McDonald. That is just a random gut-feeling though.

Glad I didn’t bet. Maia is an insane Jiu Jitsu practitioner. He executed a clinic all over McDonald and won Submission of the night. I have to give props to McDonald for lasting as long as he did and escaping some of the sub attempts. Wow!

Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson

I like Emerson as a fighter, but here I think Manny is too much for him. The Manvil is way too active for Emerson. My money is on Manvil for $10.

D@$*! Lost my money and lost it quick. Manny got KTFO’d (Knocked the F&*% Out) in 12 seconds!!!

Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring

This is a very interesting fight. Brock came out in his last fight and really put the pressure on Frank Mir. If it wasn’t for Mir’s gameness, Brock would have gotten a stoppage. Look for Lesnar to start fast, but I’m just not sure where this fight will go. We have to remember that Herring nearly knocked out current Heavyweight Champ Antonia Rodrigo Noguiera. I really think this fight can go either way. Part of me says that Brock is a freak and way too quick and powerful for a man so big. The other part of me is screaming for Herring to take this just on MMA experience alone. Lesnar by first round TKO, but no bet.

Hmmm. This was interesting. If I would have bet, I would have won. Anyway, Lesnar dominated every round with his speed and power. He really should have been able to force a stoppage, but played such a patient game, working for and keeping position the entire time. One more thing, did you see those knees by Lesnar? Holy S&*$! I would not want to be on the end of one of those.

Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta

Big fight for both of them. Next could be a title fight with the Prodigy BJ Penn. Alas, this fight much like the last is hard for me to call. Both guys have skills, but when it comes down to it, I’ll be rooting for Huerta. Again, no bet.

Rooting for Huerta…Florian proved he is that much more experienced and that much better. Glad for no action here.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch is animal, but GSP does everything he does and he does it better. Fitch will get killed in this fight. St. Pierre is absolutely on a different level. Go back and rewatch his last two fights against the Matts (Hughes and Serra respectively). GSP is done trading with folks. He can strike with anyone he wants, but why risk it when he can just own you on the ground. I fully expect another clinic and this fight to jumpstart more best pound for pound talk. GSP 3^rd round TKO by Ground and Pound. I’m putting $50 on GSP.

Snaps yawl. This was a fight big time. As good as it was, this was all about how good GSP is and how tough Fitch is. Fitch is MAN! There was no quit in him. I counted at least 3 times where he should have been done, including 2 in the 3^rd round. Ultimately, GSP was just too much and every round went to him. Props to Fitch for going the distance; anyone else would have been stopped for sure. I win the bet and based on odds get back $14.71.

Overall betting results 1 loss (Gamburyan) and 1 win (St. Pierre). +$4.71 on the night. Nothing much but we continue. Next event is UFC 88 Liddel vs. Evans.

Passion and Fear - Transistor Radio

I have a fear that I will not be as successful as I would like. I fear that my passion and interests change so frequently that I will never fully commit or realize my potential in any one thing. I have grand ideas but no follow through. How do I balance everything?

Right now, I enjoy my work. I like what I do and I feel good about myself. Right now, I want to work out more, but in order to do so I have to get to the gym at 5am otherwise I don’t do it. Right now, I want to be a successful poker player, but I don’t spend enough time playing. Right now, with just these 3 things, I am running out of time…

How can I add to this? This is a meager list. There are so many people out there achieving so much more than me. Am I this sad? I want to commit to this blogging thing. I want to write a book. I want to regain my passion for coding. I want to buy a house. I want to read more. I want to learn more. I want…and I wait for the moments where it doesn’t feel like too much.

Income: Just another dating paradox - Ship in a Bottle

By now, our readers are aware that I have dabbled, nay, have run rampant through the expansive fields of online dating.  One pothole that I've stumbled across more than once is the income issue.  When I first started searching for "matches" or choosing whose "winks" or emails to respond to, I had a small set of what I considered to be non-starter signals.  A few of these include incorrect use of grammar, any use of the saying "work hard and play hard," and listed income bracket.

Well, it didn't take me long to figure out that I would never start dating if I automatically excluded all men who list their income, but this did start the wheels turning.  I began to wonder about the various significances of divulging one's earnings when trying to attract members of the opposite (or the same) sex.  Is this intended to pique interest?  Is it a weeding tactic?  Is it just another checked box? 

Before I expound on my experiences and theories within this paradox, I would like to know what our readers have experienced and what they think about the issue of advertising income in the online dating game.  Below are links to two completely anonymous surveys, one for men and one for women.  Please participate in these quick surveys, and I'll present the results, along with my sentiment on the topic, next week.

Men: Define the role of income in the dating game:  <http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=p8PbW65kNqmNIxPS6Yb04fQ&email=true>

Women: Men listing their income - Hot or Not?

<http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=p8PbW65kNqmO2pBwXRMhkPA&email=true>

MMA Predictions and a Challenge Perhaps - Transistor Radio

MMA Predictions and a Challenge Perhaps

UFC: Seek and Destroy is coming to us this Saturday August 9, 2008. I wanted to issue a challenge to myself and let you all tag along and watch. I am going to deposit some money on Bodog (sign up with referral #PF8465C) and list out predictions and bets for the coming event. If successful, I will continue whenever I fancy, but I will always put my predictions and action out there for you all to see. I may not bet on everything, but who knows, I can’t resist putting my money into play.

Start of Challenge: $100.00

On the preliminary card, I only have heard of maybe two fighters (Ben Saunders and Cheick Kongo). For that reason, I’ll be staying away from bets here.

Main Card

Jason McDonald vs. Demian Maia

No bet here, but if pushed I would take McDonald. That is just a random gut-feeling though.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson

I like Emerson as a fighter, but here I think Manny is too much for him. The Manvil is way too active for Emerson. My money is on Manvil for $10.

Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring

This is a very interesting fight. Brock came out in his last fight and really put the pressure on Frank Mir. If it wasn’t for Mir’s gameness, Brock would have gotten a stoppage. Look for Lesnar to start fast, but I’m just not sure where this fight will go. We have to remember that Herring nearly knocked out current Heavyweight Champ Antonia Rodrigo Noguiera. I really think this fight can go either way. Part of me says that Brock is a freak and way too quick and powerful for a man so big. The other part of me is screaming for Herring to take this just on MMA experience alone. Lesnar by first round TKO, but no bet.

Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta

Big fight for both of them. Next could be a title fight with the Prodigy BJ Penn. Alas, this fight much like the last is hard for me to call. Both guys have skills, but when it comes down to it, I’ll be rooting for Huerta. Again, no bet.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch is animal, but GSP does everything he does and he does it better. Fitch will get killed in this fight. St. Pierre is absolutely on a different level. Go back and rewatch his last two fights against the Matts (Hughes and Serra respectively). GSP is done trading with folks. He can strike with anyone he wants, but why risk it when he can just own you on the ground. I fully expect another clinic and this fight to jumpstart more best pound for pound talk. GSP 3^rd round TKO by Ground and Pound. I’m putting $50 on GSP.

Religion through wiffle ball

Every night around 9:13 or so...I gather my wiffle ball bat and a few balls which are usually sitting just a few feet from me (and pretty close to that is a glass of wine and some para-Fuh-Nill-Yuh).  i walk about 16 feet to my mirror and do my best batter poses or my warm up swings as I imagine myself looking at the pitcher.  In those moments - depending on how much alcohol and what not is in me - I think I partly see God or on the best of nights feel as though I may be God.