100 Things - Part 2

Last year, I wrote a 100-things list about myself (click here to read it.) I enjoyed the experience so much that I've decided to do it again. Here goes...

1. I work from home.
2. I used to work in offices. Eventually I realized these places weren't really for me.
3. Even if I was the only employee who walked around in socks.
4. I don't much enjoy the politics of corporate life.
5. Merely thinking about it gives me a rash.
6. I also didn't tend to play well with others.
7. I can't fake being nice. This gets me into trouble sometimes. But at least folks always know where I stand.
8. I talk to the dog during the day. He lies at my feet while I write.
9. When I need a break, I take him for a walk to remind myself that all needs should be simple.
10. The more time I spend with him, the better I understand why some people prefer pets.
11. Unconditional love every time I return home is a good thing.
12. We rescued him from a neglectful home. He's quickly become a beloved member of our family.
13. It's been an important lesson in black clouds and silver linings for our kids.
14. I love watching our kids with him.
15. Beyond merely playing, it's the way they simply invite him into their lives that sticks with me.
16. I can see the kindness in their souls when they're around him.
17. I see glimpses of my wife's soul in them, too. It gives me warm fuzzies to watch.
18. I can take a decent photograph, but I don't think I've yet captured these warm fuzzies in a frame.
19. I'll keep trying, though. Someday, I might succeed.
20. I don't believe that we are defined by what we drive.
21. I believe we are defined by traits that no car advertisement has ever captured.
22. I often wonder why the "don't drink and drive" message still hasn't sunk in.
23. Or the "don't drive like an idiot" one. It's as if we've forgotten - or never learned in the first place - that driving is a privilege, not a right.
24. I guess this position dates me. So be it.
25. For some perverse reason, I enjoy reading advertising copy from car dealerships.
26. They make me laugh. Does anyone believe in their "commitment to customer satisfaction" and "excellence in service"?
27. As a journalist, I am saddened that some newspapers haven't woken up to the age of the Internet.
28. I'm further saddened that I live in a city serviced by such an operation. It takes me little more than 5 minutes to rifle through the lightly-written, error-prone wisp of a paper that's dropped in my mailbox every morning.
29. I feel ripped off. Readers deserve better.
30. I used to be a columnist for that paper.
31. I wrote for them because I believed I could make a difference.
32. I still feel that way. Words can be powerful if we want them to be.
33. I believe that the state of today's evolving media represents an opportunity for creative thinkers to change how the world views itself.
34. I hope the editors and publishers of yesterday have the courage to either drive the change or step aside to let the next generation take a crack at it.
35. I doubt they'll actually have the courage, though.
36. Still, I'm an idealist: I believe the next generation of media will rise above McPapers, entertainment masquerading as news and declining opportunities for great writing and production talent.
37. I get on my soapbox too often for my own good.
38. Building a soapbox, however, isn't my thing.
39. I can build network infrastructure in my sleep, but home repairs vex me.
40. I have immense respect for people who work with their hands.
41. There's something cool about making something from nothing.
42. I worry we're losing that appreciation in this era of low-low prices and outsourcing.
43. I get a rash when I walk into Wal-Mart.
44. I see the ghosts of Chinese laborers in those smiley-faced "rollback" signs.
45. I've been to China.
46. The tragedy of a society rushing headlong into capitalism plays itself out in stark relief on the streets of Shanghai.
47. I came home with a deep appreciation of who I am, what I have, and my ability to drive my own future.
48. I think we all need to reset our perspectives every once in a while.
49. I hate idle chitchat.
50. "Making conversation" is an oxymoron. If you have to "make" it, then silence would be preferable.
51. I enjoy long periods of silence.
52. I'm not antisocial by any means: I just like peace and quiet.
53. Wait, maybe I am antisocial :-)
54. I get my best ideas for writing when I'm alone.
55. Even the slightest interruption can throw me off.
56. Telemarketers who call repeatedly during the day really annoy me.
57. I wish I could return the favor.
58. But I can't. So I do the next best thing: monitor all inbound calls with Caller ID.
59. I am addicted to my BlackBerry.
60. This does not alarm me. It's a vital tool for the kind of work that I do.
61. It's also quite the kick to send messages from under a tree beside a distant farmer's field. Or to IM my wife when I'm in another city.
62. I believe mobile devices are changing - and will continue to change - how we interact with each other.
63. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how we choose to use the newfound capability.
64. I choose to use it for good.
65. I carry my camera virtually everywhere I go.
66. I never want to kick myself for missing a moment.
67. I often come home empty-handed.
68. That's OK, though: just having it with me brings me comfort.
69. I believe my camera bag is the adult equivalent of a child's blanket.
70. It feels good to have it slung over my shoulder.
71. I now understand why women carry purses. Men should carry something, too.
72. I think stereotypes of masculinity are silly. And amusing.
73. Macho as a concept is immensely laughable.
74. Men who subscribe to it without a smile on their face are also laughable.
75. And pathetic.
76. I think more people should stand beside a large body of water and just wonder.
77. It might help them put things in perspective a little bit better.
78. I generally think the best of people around me.
79. I guess I'm a bit naive, then, because people can be incredibly mean-spirited.
80. Even when you're related to them.
81. I've come to accept that the definition of family sometimes has little to do with genetic relationship.
82. Life's too short to waste on folks who don't matter.
83. It's tough enough finding the time to spend with people who do.
84. I wish judging yourself would be a prerequisite for judging others.
85. People who don't read really bug me.
86. We have a "No Solicitors" sign on our front door, right at eye level.
87. Yet we still get solicitors. Lots of them. Imagine that.
88. I respect those who choose to follow other faiths. I think believing in something, whatever that "something" is, is a good thing for humanity.
89. I lose respect for those who take it upon themselves to convince the rest of us that "their" faith is somehow the "best" one.
90. I lose even more respect when these people attempt to do their convincing on my front doorstep. Remember that reading thing in items 84 & 85.
91. Sometimes I think I'm the only person on the planet who thinks Disney is a sham, a cult, an excuse to hoover dollars from the pockets of unsuspecting members of the middle class.
92. I believe Mickey Mouse and his minions should be euthanized.
93. And Barney.
94. And Dora the Explorer. And...
95. I wear my clothes a little big.
96. That's because I hate feeling them on my skin.
97. It bothers my wife. She says this makes me look like a little boy sometimes.
98. I'm starting to buy smaller sizes, but it's a struggle.
99. I wear a large red-hooded sweatshirt when I'm writing at home.
100. Comfort foods and comfort clothes go together. Growing up in a cold climate does that to ya.
101. Oops, out of space. For now...

Your turn: Thoughts? I believe there may yet be more "100 Things" lists in me. Stay tuned...

Update - Sep. 22, 2012: Indeed, there was at least one new list in me. #3 is now live...here.