Jay McGavren's Journal

Yes, I actually respond to stupid e-mail quizzes from my family...

Q. What is your occupation? Software develeper. Q. What color are the socks you’re wearing? Black. Q. What are you listening to right now? An electric fan. Q. What was the last thing that you ate? A nice egg-bacon-and-bagel brunch, prepared by my loving wife. Q. Can you drive a stick shift? It’s been years; probably not. Q. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green. Q. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My wife’s friend Holly (tech support stuff). Q. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes. Q. How old are you today? 30. Q. Favorite drink? Coca-cola. Q. What is your favorite sport to watch? Soccer. Q. Have you ever dyed your hair? No. Q. Pets? A standard poodle, Max. Q. Favorite food? Sweet-and-sour pork. Q. What was the last movie you watched? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2004). Q. Favorite day of the year? July 4th. Q. What was your favorite toy as a child? A “worry bird”, which was basically a fuzzy ball with a beak. Q. Hugs or kisses? Hugs. Q. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries. Q. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes. Q. Who is most likely to respond? My mother-in-law. Q. Who is least likely to respond? My wife (who doesn’t read her e-mail). Q. Living arrangements? With my wife and son, and my mother-in-law as a roommate. Q. When was the last time you cried? Real men don’t cry. Q. What is on the floor of your closet? A box of old compter parts. Q. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Lacey. Q. What did you do last night? Played video games and watched the aforementioned movie with my wife. Q. Favorite smells? Ground coffee beans. Q. What inspires you? The work of leaders in the software industry. Q. What are you afraid of? Avian flu. Bioterror. Q. Favorite dog breed? Standard poodle. Q. Number of keys on your key ring? 7. Q. How many countries have you lived in? 1, been to 2 others. Q. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? No. Q. What are your favorite hobbies? Software development. Q. What is your life’s purpose? See above.

How to be happy...

…according to the books I’ve been reading lately…

-Shun all hedonism. -Find work that is meaningful to you. -Discard thoughts of profiting from your work. -Have a clearly stated goal, and a means to obtain continual feedback on your progress toward it.

It is with great glee that I watch the demise of Tower Records, because I can almost see the RIAA crumbling with it.

And it’s all the sweeter because at 50% off, their prices are almost reasonable. I picked up some Quantic and Cinematic Orchestra that I would otherwise never get without paying Amazon shipping.

Just ran into my boss in the hall, and toward the end of the conversation, I realized I had been fidgeting with my wedding ring throughout. I guess this is better than my previous habit of stroking my (then) new beard, or the habit before that of patting my (then) new beer gut. Next I suppose Diana will convince me to get a nose job (not really), and I won’t be able to stop fiddling with that.

Went to Death Cab for Cutie on Saturday, and it kinda restored my faith in humanity. This was a huge crowd, comprised of mostly twentysomethings, and yet the asshole quotient was the lowest I’ve seen since Japan. You could tell it just by looking around, and listening to how people were talking. Even though we were outdoors, the guy next to us asked our permission before lighting a cigarette. There were drinks, but no drunken hollering.

Guess it’s just not the kind of music that assholes like to listen to.