Session Start (AIM - Me:Girl): Sat Jun 19 20:23:19 2004 Girl: hi Me: hi Me: who's this? Girl: errrr someone from hotornot *** Girl signed on at Sat Jun 19 20:24:04 2004. Me: oic Me: cool Me: who? Girl: ya Girl: a girl.. Me: hehe Me: I figured that :) Girl: =P Me: someone I matched with? Girl: yeah Girl: you emailed me or something Girl: i'm wearing green & i have a rose in my mouth Me: ah Me: ah, now I remember :) Me: just to refresh my memory, can you tell me a little about you? Girl: hmm what do you want to know Girl: i'm one of those pseudo--intellectual types Girl: i'm in boston Me: e.g. what are you into, what interests you, what's your favorite color? (meaningless personal tidbits...was that you?) Me: cool Girl: oh yes i like blue Girl: and some other colours too Me: I'm an engineering geek living in Medford, usually getting into stuff most people don't find very interesting :) Girl: but you find it interesting Me: most of it :) Me: some hardware hacking, reverse engineering, a bit of encryption type stuff Girl: computerry Me: yeah Me: that's the geek side of me, anyway Me: the rest of the time, I like to go swimming, fish, ski (heh...not now, of course), and a few other things Me: how about you? Girl: i'm a college student, but i'm taking a year off to sort some things out... i like philosophy, shopping, writing, tv Me: cool Me: what do you write? Girl: poetry, short stories, journal-writing, etc. Girl: stuff Me: lol Me: just "stuff" eh? :) Me: I used to write a bit, but not so much anymore Me: mostly humorous materials and bad poetry Me: what exactly is a pseudo-intellectual? Girl: someone who thinks they're smarter than they really are Me: isn't that everybody? :P Girl: lol Girl: true Me: I would definitely count myself among them Me: heh...before I moved up here, I thought I was hot shit and all (engineering-wise)...now, have these PhD guys blowing my mind on a daily basis Me: lol Girl: lol Me: I've reduced my goal to "try to look like I know what they're talking about" Girl: sounds reasonable Me: what are you studying? Girl: i was studying a little french, bio, anthro, philosophy, poetry Girl: but i'm taking a year's leave of absence Girl: to figure my shit out Me: that's a pretty diverse lineup Me: ah...what kind of shit? Girl: like why i did so poorly Girl: academically Me: (or is this something I shouldn't be asking someone I've only just met) Girl: i mean i KNOW why Girl: but it's not like i'm gonna say it Me: ah Me: to others, or to yourself? Girl: to others Me: ah Me: in my case, it pretty well boiled down to "too much screwing off, not enough studying" Girl: yeah Girl: like i know it' Girl: s not something to be proud of Girl: but i studied like 1hr. a wk for bio Girl: when i left home and got to college something snapped and i stopped giving a flying f*** Me: ah Me: did you give one before? Girl: yeah i think i did Girl: i wanted to do good work back then Me: this sounds oddly familiar.... Me: lemme guess...you studied hard and aced pretty much all of high school Girl: yeah Me: then set foot in the university, and became a slacking force of extraordinary magnitude Girl: yeah again Me: heh Girl: i possibly did like 5 essays the entire 2nd semester Me: lol yeah...I kinda know that story Girl: happened to you or loved ones? Me: ah...is 5 essays good or bad? Girl: well i was taking poetry, philosophy, and another philosophy course Girl: there were 5 essays for poetry, 4 for philo, about 7 for the other one Me: well, in my case, it was me (if that makes any sense)...studied my ass off in high school, didn't really socialize much, then at the end of it , realized I kind of had nothing to show for it Me: this may have contributed to my overall slacking nature during much of my college life Girl: can you send me a pic Me: lol Girl: i can empathize with your predicament, or in the words of dr. phil, i feel your pain Me: haha Me: wow...I would have burned out at just the prospect of writing that many papers Girl: yeah it was intense Me: yeah, just a sec...not the hotornot one? :) Girl: i guess, if you have others though i'ld like to see =P Me: since I studied mostly engineering-related stuff, I never had to get too carried away with creative paper-writing Me: just a couple english classes, and various psychology courses Me: not too many recent / good ones :) Girl: i'm too independant/undisciplined for the rigors of an academic setting Girl: hhaveu always been interested in engineering Me: pretty much Me: I've mostly just been into science and figuring out how things work in general Me: almost sounds as if you're saying that like it's a bad thing Girl: really? Me: the independent/undisciplined part Me: or maybe not, I'm really no good at reading people Me: and this picture-sending just doesn't want to work, it seems Girl: oh well yes i can do the whole pseudo-intellectual self-deprecation thing too pretty well Me: haha Me: <<---- but you won't beat the master :) Girl: lol we'lllll seee bout that Girl: i like people who are articulate Me: *drat* Me: I mean, that's good Girl: what do you think of hamlet Me: actually, I hardly remember it Girl: good Girl: or neutral :) Me: (hmm... there's no emotion symbol for "how embarrassing") :) Me: neutral? Me: just what I need...a literature test :) Me: j/k Girl: =P Girl: it's ok Girl: i'm not an intellectual snob Girl: ok maybe i am Girl: but still Girl: =P Me: and what do *you* think of hamlet? Girl: i like ethan hawke Me: author or actor? Girl: both Me: <<--- crawls out from under rock and looks around Girl: hehe Girl: he wrote a couple of books too Girl: but he's known as an actor Me: it's sad...I'm just realizing the only Shakespeare I remember is from filming a re-enactment performed by some guys I know, where some scenes had to be re-shot about 20 times because they kept goofing off Girl: lol shakespeare is overrated anyways Me: sadder...regarding Ethan Hawke...I didn't know he was an actor *or* author... only by some "emergency googling" Girl: did you watch kill bill Me: "Someone's ventured into a topic you know nothing about. Quick, act knowledgable!" Girl: =P Me: I've been meaning to Me: ...honest :) Me: <<--- waits for virtual slap-upside-the-head Me: actually, I ought to find some more stuff by the author of Fight Club Girl: chuck pahlunik or something? Me: yeah Girl: lol *is trying to seem smart* Me: hehe Me: well either you actually knew already, or your google-fu is stronger than mine :) Me: but yeah...another one of those guys where you didn't know this author even existed until a movie comes out... Me: oh yeah...you wanted a picture...well AIM is acting with unmitigated evilness, but I have variants of the hotornot pic at (Link: http://cexx.org/dakota/titty.htm)http://cexx.org/dakota/titty.htm Girl: lol Girl: those are some saggy boobies Me: hahaha Me: I always try to introduce myself by scaring people Me: I have succeeded, right? :) Girl: yeah =P Me: damn, I figured Me: do you have any pics? Girl: you scared me too much Me: <<--- isn't a shallow bastard, really Me: ah Me: for real? Girl: yeah Me: heh...just what I need, another restraining order Me: j/k Girl: lol Me: heh, I was actually wondering for a minute if you wanted me to shut up and leave you alone Girl: lol Me: of all the things you're (were) studying, what interests you the most? Girl: poetry, but not in an academic setting Me: ah Me: academia does kind of take all the fun out of writing (not to mention reading), doesn't it? Girl: yeah Me: even if it's a great story, they have this need to over-analyze the shit out of it, second-guess the author at every turn and generally dissect all the fun out of it Me: that's how it worked in the english classes I remember, anyway :) Girl: yep Girl: i despise it all Me: I know lit classes were required for all 4 years in my high school, and then a couple more in college Girl: mmmhmm Me: I almost wonder if this has something to do with why people don't read anymore? Girl: probably people are like...we had to read all thisboring shit in high school so why bother Me: yeah Me: probably a lot of "I remember reading some long books in school...and I remember it wasn't much fun... oooh 3000 channels!" :) Girl: yeah.. Me: don't mind me, just ranting Me: so, what kind of things do you do in your free time? Girl: stuff Girl: i mean ...that's kind of a broad question Me: hm....true. Girl: but i guess i have friends, i play the piano or something, i write, or read books, shop, take showers, eat food Me: cool Me: piano or something? Girl: yeah Girl: piano Me: I used to play piano way back in the day...wow...that makes me sound so old Me: never really got good at it, though :) Girl: =P Me: what I do in my spare time lately...a little running, a little softball, geeking out on an electronics project now and then, and occasionally pub-hopping with some guys from work Me: lol...I really need to meet some non-geeky people to help me re-enter society Girl: lol Me: not funny :) Me: all that slacking I mentioned re: college wasn't even mostly drinking parties and that sort of thing Me: I really fell in with the wrong crowd...the kind of guys who hacked around on computers too much, played D&D and drank excessive quantities of Mtn Dew Me: scarred me for life, methinks :) Me: (or is it scared?) Girl: hmm Me: now my brother, he fell in with the beer-swilling frat jocks, and that explained that :) Me: he ended up being a more advanced slacker than myself, and flunked out first semester Girl: oy Girl: what happened to him Me: hm....came back home, started half-assedly studying graphic arts at the community college, intermittently dropping/flunking classes there too, and now....I really don't know Girl: peeople Me: definitely not going to classes nor working, so I don't know how he is actually supporting himself these days... Me: and doesn't really talk to me much, since I'm waay out here in Boston and he doesn't want to waste minutes on his phone Me: lol Girl: lol Me: sad, no? Girl: yeah Me: hmm...did your parents give you any shit for taking a year off? Girl: just the whole "i'm disappointed" talk Me: ah... Girl: but i hope they letme live in boston Me: why wouldn't they? Girl: because i'm from hong kogn Girl: well originally from boston Girl: but they live in hong kong and might want me to move in back home Me: ah Me: I guess that's understandable Me: but you like it here better? Me: (well obviously, I guess :) Girl: yeahh Me: how long did you live in hong kong? Girl: 5 yrs Me: cool Me: how was it? Me: (overbroad question alert! hah) Girl: haha Me: for me, that sounds pretty exciting, exotic Me: I've lived my whole life in the 'burbs just outside of chicago, then moved to the 'burbs just outside boston Me: "been to" a lot of places, but there's a big difference between visiting a place as a tourist and actually living there :) Girl: right Girl: =P Me: all right, then don't tell me about it :) Girl: lol Girl: it's not that interesting Me: lol..I was hoping to hear all about e.g. lifestyle and cultural differences Me: kind of "just another place to live"? Girl: well Girl: hong kong is more materialistic Me: heh...I didn't know that was possible :) Me: how so? Girl: oh...um...like it just is Girl: the city's a giant shopping mall Me: haha Me: I think that would make my head implode Girl: i got that feeling a lot Me: hehe yeah...I don't even like shopping Girl: well you're a guy Me: all right...I suppose that's not unusual :) Me: I'm probably in the 90th percentile of Bad Consumers, though Girl: not very materialistic? Me: heh...to put it mildly :) Girl: thats good Me: actually, I have this theory that doing away with advertising would do more to solve crime than doing away with drugs, guns and so forth Girl: advertising is necessary for greedy corporations tomake money Girl: advertising also sets the cultural standards of what is good Me: I think my breaking point came when I was a kid watching TV, sitting thru a commercial for some aggressively marketed skincare product to make one's skin shiny... Me: ...and changed the channel, only to find a commercial hawking a skincare product to "remove that unsightly shine" from your face... Girl: lol Girl: nutso Me: haha Me: why? Girl: i hate commercials Me: without mainstream media to tell us what to wear and think, where would we be? Me: how would anyone know who the cool kids are? Girl: oh no! Me: there would be total anarchy :) Girl: geeze Me: haha...don't get me started on commercialism :) Me: anyway, if I ever get rolling on a long and winding rant, feel free to stop me Girl: =P Girl: feel free to rant Girl: i am a non-rant-a phobe Me: haha all right :) Me: I tend to be good at it Me: actually, I'm usually too quiet for my own good, but once in a while I'll just get on a roll.. Me: when the topic is one of the Big Three (sex / politics / religion), this can be problem-causing :) Girl: hmm sex Girl: what is the rant on that Me: hmm Me: I don't think I have one at the moment Girl: are you anti-sex Me: probably about how it's unnecessarily stigmatized or even criminalized in our society, or just complaining about an ex girlfriend until someone's sick of hearing me talk :) Me: definitely not Me: I'm pro-sex, but not a sex pro...if that makes any sense Girl: makes senses Girl: pro sex means you are for it, sex pro means you're a professional Me: right Me: some people have this idea that if you haven't done much of it, it's because you're not really into it :) Me: what's your profound sex thought of the day? Girl: sometimes it seems to me that when the boy is fucking me he is a different boy completely than the boy who talks to me Me: ah Me: in a good or a bad way? (or neither...?) Girl: neither way Me: *whew*...for a minute there I thought I'd have to apologize on behalf of my gender :) Me: how is he different? Me: more aggressive, animal-like? Girl: yeah Me: and probably not very talkative Girl: yeah Me: hmm Me: that would probably annoy me, if I were a girl Girl: =P well sex isn't as intellectual Me: true, as a species we learned how to do that way before we learned philosophy ;) Girl: i think it's interesting how literature tries to intellectualize it Girl: but honestly Girl: sex ISNT intellectual Girl: it CAN Tbe Me: true Me: it kind of boils down to "insert tab A into slot B" Girl: lol Me: to the good-enough approximation, anyway :) Me: it's kind of like that same reading-for-school problem....trying to analyze and think it to excess just takes all the fun out Girl: yessirs i seez ur pt Me: I wonder if animals ever are going at it and think..."man, I hope I'm doing this right" Girl: haha Girl: probably not Girl: they dont think in words Girl: anyways Girl: can you imagine that Girl: not thinking in words Me: haha Me: hmmm Me: sort of, I guess Me: I do a lot of my thinking in pictures Me: or in thoughts (haha...again, probably doesn't make sense) Me: I wish I could remember how I thought as a baby, before knowing any words Girl: oy it seems so long ago Me: yeah Me: or....before knowing anything at all...is it possible to really "think" in the complete absence of pre-existing knowledge? Me: or is it more of a combinational process that depends (at least partially) on what you already know? Girl: hmm also like when does the brain start functioning Girl: cuz i heard that when the baby grows the cells duplicate from 2 to like exponential Girl: is it like a certain amt. of cells Girl: and then the cells differentiate into different organs Girl: so when does it go from a bunch of cells to becoming a functioning brain Me: yeah...I wonder about whether there's a "certain/minimum number of brain cells" that determines whether they will become self-aware Girl: or is it like a fading into consciousness Girl: like you start with a few cells Girl: and your brain is like an amoeba brain Girl: then a insect brain Girl: then a chipmunk brain Me: yeah Me: if there are only a few questions I want answered before I die...that is one of them :) Me: when do we become us? Girl: what do you think of abortion Me: that's a pretty complex question Girl: ok Me: I'd say that "generally", I'm not for it, in those cases where it can be avoided Me: but then, you have to consider quality of life...e.g. which is more humane, to abort a fetus with e.g. a severe medical condition, or let it be born, possibly into a miserable existance? Me: Same goes for being born into a truly unfit household environment Girl: what is the definition of severe medical condition Girl: being mentally retardeD? so abortion is eugenics? Me: it's hard to give a generic answer to the abortion question, I guess Girl: abortion saying, these people don't have a right to live b/c they're genetically unfit Me: not exactly what I had in mind Girl: just one way of looking at it Me: yeah...scary thought Me: I'm thinking more like conditions where a baby will be born, live a few minutes (...days...months?) in some degenerative condition, and ultimately not be able to sustain its own existance Me: e.g. cephalic babies Me: (er...however that's spelled) Girl: that baby will abort itself Me: but I think this is a decision every parent has to make on their own, since they really can't ask the fetus. Girl: yeah Girl: but if the baby is not going to live anyway Girl: that's usually not why people have abortions; usually b/c it's hard to raise the baby, financially, emotionally... Me: eventually, it will...but is it more wrong to end its life prematurely, or let it live its "full" life span, but potentially suffering? Me: it's a tough question Me: true Girl: well i think it's also to do with the dangers of abortion. scientific studies have been done that show abortion greatly increases the risk of breast cancer Me: all types of abortion, or a specific method? Girl: i think all types Girl: but some people consider birth control to be abortion Girl: i don't think so Me: me either....by that definition, whacking off is abortion Me: or basically, "any time something doesn't get fertilized" Girl: lol Me: you never told me what you thought about abortion :) Girl: i think there are probably too many people in the world as it is Girl: but if you do it Girl: you should take care of what it Me: ..? Girl: i don't know yet Girl: what i think Girl: about it Me: ah Me: yeah...I don't think I will ever have a definitive answer Me: there are just too many possible situations to generalize Girl: it's always safer to not know Girl: but somehow not knowing Girl: is vaguely unsatisfying Girl: anyhoo it was nice to talk to you Me: yeah Girl: g'nightys Me: and you as well :) Me: 'nite Me: will you be talking to me again, or did I scare you? :) Girl: lol Me: sweet dreams Girl: :-P *** Girl signed off at Sun Jun 20 00:00:35 2004. Session Close (Girl): Sun Jun 20 00:00:38 2004