This is me

[wei yau]

The title of this thread is from one of my favorite scenes from M*A*S*H*. a Korean farmer is at the camp standing in line for some type of assistance. The clerk (possibly Klinger) asks for ID. The farmer takes off his hat and points at his own face and declares "This is me!"

I thought I'd introduce myself to the Forum. As I mentioned in the "Gracie" thread, I discovered this place not through IIDB, though most of you are familiar to me. In a way, I feel more relaxed here, despite the fact that most of the members here are posters who tend to intimidate me at IIDB. It's like being at an All-Star game. The rarified atmosphere has me positively giddy.

My handle is a remnant from my wargaming days. I'm actually a bit embarassed by it now, as I no longer game and have pretty much lost interest in the hobby. However, I can't think of anything better.

"A Sheer Irony" is an anagram of my real name. I think it's actually very apt, although probably more so in an Alanis-irony sort of way, rather than an actual-irony sort of way.

I'm happily married and the proud father of a beautiful two-year old daughter. I live and work in Northern Virginia. I'm originally from NYC, although I was born in Hong Kong. However, I emigrated to the US when I was only two years old and don't remember much of HK.

I was born left-handed, but *corrected* by my parents to be right-handed.

I've probably been an atheist all my life, despite a brief flirtation with Catholicism. I can safely say that only when I put actual thought into religion (as opposed to simply going with the flow), I realized I've only ever been an atheist.

I have all the typical nerdy-geek tendencies. Wargamer, comic book collector, PC gamer, sci-fi fan, Trekker, etc. Honestly, sometimes I wish I was more unique.

My motivation for posting in forums is for a sense of community and to be a more interesting person. Sometimes I fear that I've allowed my intellect and personality to be come dulled by life.

When I was younger, I never had great self-esteem. I've never had solid self-confidence. But, that always spurred me on to do more, to become more outgoing. I finally did so in my senior year of high school. And gradually, I developed confidence.

But, now that I'm established in life. I am confident that I've become dull and disatisfied. That's not what I was seeking.

[viscousmemories]

Great intro, eldar. Nice to meet you.

I understand what you mean about not feeling unique and being dull and dissatisfied, but then a uniqueness isn't everything. Some of the most unique people in history have been some of the most violently anti-social. There's something to be said for being average, IMO.

Anyway I really appreciate your comments about the content and membership here. I think we have a great group of people too, and it's nice to hear agreement.

[pescifish]

Pleased to meetcha, eldar. :happywave: What a great introduction!

[HelenM]

"A Sheer Irony" is an anagram of my real name.

That is so cool!

But, now that I'm established in life. I am confident that I've become dull and disatisfied. That's not what I was seeking.

I found that parenthood was rather a shock to the system, physically and emotionally. Maybe that's part of what you're going through.

Anyway, welcome to FF :)

Helen

[SharonDee]

My motivation for posting in forums is for a sense of community and to be a more interesting person. Sometimes I fear that I've allowed my intellect and personality to be come dulled by life.
Hmmm... whereas I feared I'd allowed my love of fluff fiction (:glare: at all the art snobs) to dull my intellect and witty personality.

Might this mean we'll be able to rub off on each other? I'd love to be all smart and stuff. :shy2:

[Ex-zombie]

Great intro, eldar!

Welcome! :hiya:

[livius drusus]

corrected spelling error to escape the wrath of livius

The anagram thing gets you a free spelling ride with me, elgar. It's just that cool. Also highly cool is that a person with such a fascinating background and diverse interests would be so genuinely modest.

I'm so happy you're here. :)

[wei yau]

Thank you all for the welcomes! It's a slow day at the office, so I've been posting like a madman.

Might this mean we'll be able to rub off on each other? I'd love to be all smart and stuff.

Based on the threads in "Sexuality", I'm guessing that you all do quite a bit of rubbing off on each other.

Seriously, I have every reason to believe that continued discourse on this forum can only make me smarter.

I found that parenthood was rather a shock to the system, physically and emotionally. Maybe that's part of what you're going through.


That's probably a very large part of it. I mean, I love my daughter, but between work, gym, the house and the kid...I've got nothing left at the end of the day.

I understand what you mean about not feeling unique and being dull and dissatisfied, but then a uniqueness isn't everything. Some of the most unique people in history have been some of the most violently anti-social. There's something to be said for being average, IMO.

Well, I'm hoping for something in the happy middle between "Jeffrey Dahmer" and "average". I hope I wasn't too melodramatic about the problem, it's more like a vague ennui than quiet desperation.

[viscousmemories]

Well, I'm hoping for something in the happy middle between "Jeffrey Dahmer" and "average". I hope I wasn't too melodramatic about the problem, it's more like a vague ennui than quiet desperation.
See now there's a difference. I considered using Ted Kaczynski as an example before I settled on the more general "unique people [who are/were] violently anti-social". :D

And I didn't think it was melodramatic. Vague ennui is entirely consistent with what I took your comments to mean.

[wei yau]

corrected spelling error to escape the wrath of livius

The anagram thing gets you a free spelling ride with me, elgar. It's just that cool. Also highly cool is that a person with such a fascinating background and diverse interests would be so genuinely modest.

I'm so happy you're here. :)

:blush3:

I wish I could take full credit for the anagram thing, but it was simply the best option from this anagram generator (http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/). A very nifty web distraction.

[livius drusus]

It's a bit infinite number of monkeys when it comes to my name, I'm afraid. Still, I can definitely see myself wasting endless hours trying to find one as cool as yours.

[lisarea]

Hey, eldar! Best intro ever!

BTW, I was all inspired to do my favorite anagram as a custom title, but it doesn't FIT. I need 28 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

And I'm not telling what it is until I get all my spaces.

[livius drusus]

You've got 30. Now cough it up, heifah.

[beyelzu]

nice intro eldar,

nice to see you here at ff

thanks for the anagram generator link.


and my favorite anagram for my name from said generator is


dig my trash.


what fun.

anyway, welcom again.

[lisarea]

You've got 30. Now cough it up, heifah.

PWN3D!!1!!

[beyelzu]

You've got 30. Now cough it up, heifah.

PWN3D!!1!!
that is so fucking cool.

[livius drusus]

Yes. Yes it is.

[lisarea]

that is so fucking cool.

I KNOW! I totally rock!

ESPECIALLY AT HIJACKING ELDAR'S WELCOME THREAD!

Ha ha!

I once offered to marry anyone who could come up with a better anagram of my name if I took their last name. Only guy who even tried was this host of some classic movies show on cable somewhere, but he even admitted I ought to keep the name just for the excellent anagrammability.

A few years later, I got cable, and he was sort of cute.

[wei yau]

ESPECIALLY AT HIJACKING ELDAR'S WELCOME THREAD!


I certainly won't complain. That's just about the coolest fucking name anagram I've ever seen. :bow2:

I wonder if anyone has tried to decipher the actual real names contained within the anagrams. I guess it'd come to close to violating privacy concerns, but curiosity can get even the best of us.

[lisarea]

I wonder if anyone has tried to decipher the actual real names contained within the anagrams. I guess it'd come to close to violating privacy concerns, but curiosity can get even the best of us.

Well, as far as I'm concerned, it's relatively trivial to figure my name out by other means. I figure as long as nobody posts it, they deserve the big prize of knowing my real name for all their hard work.

As far as YOU'RE concerned, I'm hard at work stealing your identity as we type.

[wei yau]

As far as YOU'RE concerned, I'm hard at work stealing your identity as we type.

Well, as long as you're making the effort. Use the Amex account, the VISA account is just about maxed out.

(I agree, as long as no one posts it, I've no problem with people guessing it)

[beyelzu]

I have no problem with people knowing my name several posters here already do.


I have no desire to post my full name however.

and honestly I am very comfortable with beyelzu and I rarely use the irl names of other posters because I am equally comfortable with their handles.

[livius drusus]

Wait a minute. Unless lisarea has two exclamation points in her name, I think I gotta call shenanigans on that so-called anagram.

[lisarea]

Wait a minute. Unless lisarea has two exclamation points in her name, I think I gotta call shenanigans on that so-called anagram.

Alright, you got me.

They're really interrobangs.

[HelenM]

I found that parenthood was rather a shock to the system, physically and emotionally. Maybe that's part of what you're going through.


That's probably a very large part of it. I mean, I love my daughter, but between work, gym, the house and the kid...I've got nothing left at the end of the day.

I hope you and your wife (?) are able to have time together without your daughter. I think that's important, when you have a young child/young children. Otherwise your relationship goes onto auto-pilot and that will contribute to a feeling of emptiness.

Helen

[Godless Dave]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, it's relatively trivial to figure my name out by other means.
Not everyone has time to go to Colorado truck stops and read the graffiti in the restrooms.

[Godless Dave]

The best anagram of my last name is "Eat gender". The best single-word anagram is "generated". I don't know why that generator thinks "et" and "ne" are words though.

[Roland98]

Welcome eldar. :) Alas, I have no cool anagrams to share, but I do sympathize with the "kids and little time" thing. I take mine with me to the gym and do a quick workout; we then get to talk about their day on the way to/back from the gym, and my time is theirs from when we get home (or on days when I don't hit the gym, starting when I pick them up at the sitter) until they go to bed. But it's certainly still a daily challenge not to just nap on their playroom floor while they poke each other with sticks or something.

[wei yau]

nice intro eldar,

nice to see you here at ff



Thank you very much. And I do dig your avatar. The weird thing is I have this overwhelming urge to rub its bald head. That's about the closest I've come to having a homosexual tendency since my college days.

[wei yau]

I hope you and your wife (?) are able to have time together without your daughter. I think that's important, when you have a young child/young children. Otherwise your relationship goes onto auto-pilot and that will contribute to a feeling of emptiness.

Auto-pilot is probably exactly how I would describe things right now. I'm glad that I've noticed the trend early on and am trying to figure a way out of it. Marriage + kids is tough. I owe my parents numerous apologies.

[wei yau]

Welcome eldar. :) Alas, I have no cool anagrams to share, but I do sympathize with the "kids and little time" thing. I take mine with me to the gym and do a quick workout; we then get to talk about their day on the way to/back from the gym, and my time is theirs from when we get home (or on days when I don't hit the gym, starting when I pick them up at the sitter) until they go to bed. But it's certainly still a daily challenge not to just nap on their playroom floor while they poke each other with sticks or something.

Yeah, that's pretty much the way things are with me. I've got a hellacious commute and if I don't go to the gym, I get home by 7pm. By the time dinner's done, I have so little time to play with my daughter. I tend to keep her a bit past her bedtime, but I'm selfish that way. Once she's gone to bed, I have roughly 1-2 hours to clean up and watch a little television before I go to bed.