MySpace a place for friends

Now that we have the geography down, let's move on to more substantive matters.

I quickly established myself as an outsider in school by consistently getting good grades (except in handwriting) and failing to be a pain in the ass to my teachers. While in high school, I became heavily involved with the Kopernik Space Education Center and Roberson Museum and Science Center. I really enjoyed working in the public science "edutainment" sector, and could definitely see myself doing it again.

At Cornell, I performed as a pianist/singer/songwriter around campus, co-founded two student LGBT organizations, sang in Absolute A Cappella my last two years, worked for Cornell Information Technologies and later Cornell Fitness Centers, and met some of the brightest, most remarkable people I've ever encountered. My degree is in Communication, which is not even remotely the same as the more common Communications degree. If I had a dime for every time I've corrected this misconception...

From 8 to 18, I studied Karate under Master Hidy Ochiai. Contrary to popular belief, Karate is less about kicking ass and more about self-discipline, respect for self and others, confidence, fitness, and an appreciation of the "oneness" of all things ... and, of course, kicking ass as a last resort. As a teenager, I got into semi-long-distance biking, doing it wrong by using my cheap mountain bike on rural highways ("the geometry is all wrong!" said one panting, sweaty, snarky older cyclist I encountered out on the road one day). Years later, I was taught the ways of the gym and weight training.

Although I lift and run treadmill a lot, trail running is my athletic passion. Trail running is not the same as hiking, even though both can often occur in the same physical locales. Assuming otherwise would be like saying doing an enema is the same as farting, just because both involve the same region of the body. The funny thing is I have totally the wrong build for running. I guess you could say, "the geometry is all wrong!"

I do not believe in identity as a function of career, status, or material success.

I have strong (i.e. negative) feelings about drugs and smoking, and although I think drinking in moderation is okay, I tend to steer clear of those for whom alcohol is a way of life. I don't drink coffee or tea either, but that's only because I think they're gross. But I do like Diet Coke.

I love (and miss) performing, and I have a strange affinity for public speaking.

My geek side is into cars and computers (and I dream of the day when the sheer need for environmental sustainability and energy independence, combined with the continued greening of the power grid, finally force the auto industry completely into the realm of minimal-guilt technology). My favorite places to window-shop are Fry's and Best Buy (I would include car dealerships, but the aggressiveness of the salespeople spoils the fun). I favor chain restaurants and Americanized versions of foreign cuisine. I like locales with a more relaxed, less crowded, less materialism/status-driven, less expensive way of life. I enjoy finding a good perch from which to watch the sunset, and I love swinging on park swings. My favorite spots in my known universe include Libe Slope, Mission Peak, Mount Diablo, the Marin Headlands, and Fremont Central Park. I love nighttime and starry skies.

I am a wannabe/amateur writer: nightvzn.livejournal.com. Also see nightVzn.net, my hub of all things online (and not much else at the moment, I freely admit).

If, on the other hand, your intentions are a bit more sincere, I welcome a message.

By the way, I have intentionally left my friends list in the default order. That is, I have not chosen/arranged my "Top 8," and part of me wishes that capability did not even exist.