The C-Word, and Other Stories

Talking to a friend earlier this weekend I remember him saying two things that for some reason made the most sense among all the other sentences I've heard all month:

1) "You're a pig, Ash." - on what I've been getting up to recently (you don't want to know).

2) "That's a bit rich, coming from you." - this in response to certain statements I made about my approach towards relationships these days; and believe me, you'd have said it too (I think I'm having an Alfie complex).

I guess that's one of the things I expect my friends to do the most: tell me off when I need to be. This, of course is simply because I sure as hell won't, and it won't be as effective otherwise. In any case, this is what I told my friend that night after dinner -

That all other things being equal - if I were to even be interested in a relationship (or any such similar thing) the amount of emotional baggage the other person carries must not exceed a particular threshold, else I just won't bother. There. You have it. Even NOW it sounds rich; coming from someone who ultimately carries his own weight in said commodity. As I realised that night, it wasn't about exorcising the other person's personal demons - it was about mine.

And THAT, I think needs to be gotten out of the way before anything else. Hell, it's Saturday night, and I'm in (again, but by choice). So while everyone else's out there doing whatever it is they do, I'll be wondering where all the good cybersex went, and apparently I'm not the only one (Link). Wired's Regina Lynn's been asking the same question. I mean, when I first got wind of the internet (and that was in 93) and back then the Microsoft Network was just the bee's knees (it was either that or BBS) I remember chatrooms being a place where actual flirting ensued - not the downright crude state of affairs that has gradually taken over the past few years.

Back then, people actually did some seducing - and boy that's a far cry from whenever I dip my feet in these days. Still, it's fun reminiscing, and if that gets boring I'll just fantasise about tantalising toys that will be (for most of my life) definitely unreachable, like this little baby (Link).

Ahh well. If Ken Kutaragi can apologise in public for all the major (and sometimes downright stupid) gaffes Sony's been responsible for (Link), other miracles may not be so far off after all.

Have a good weekend folks, and rock on!