Dan's Webpage: Because everyone loves a farce: White Bear Style

My brother Matt and I spent Friday and much of Saturday moving into his house in White Bear Lake. The wealth of space and the silence here are pretty awesome — not only are there no loud neighbors; I can't hear the entire house from my room! — and living with a guy means that I get to play way more videogames. I'm still trying to figure out a good route to St. Paul.

I've already been back once, for a night of half-price beer and unusual toasts at the Muddy Pig. There was some (necessary) serious discussion in addition to the usual ribald talk. Ultimately it was all good stuff, but upon reflection I've decided that I can only take so much of either when I'm drinking.

I get too into the former, and so when I see a serious discussion looming I've started warning people, for that reason as much as because of the inevitable flaws in my inebriated logic. Anything beyond armchair philosophizing should require a blood alcohol test.

As for the bawdy talk, it can be great (Markie had an absolutely brilliant PG-13 line on Saturday), but I want to relax and hang out; if stuff gets hashed out or the talk is a little looser, fine, good, but that's not why I'm there. These things are incidental, and in excess amounts they're distracting.

(I'm reminded of comic books. Preacher crossed any number of lines occasionally and was improved by it, but Transmetropolitan crossed those same lines so much (according to my relatively prudish sensibilities) that sometimes it seemed to be about the transgressions and not the stories.)

Insert English major synthesis rebuttal here. But I'm just saying is all.

This has been Our Bold Hero, on location in White Bear Lake.

What is there to discuss anymore? Haven't we pretty much said everything that ever needs to be said? I have begun to feel that way. It seems I have the same conversations with people about the same things and people presenting the same, predictable positions on them.

Maybe I've just become (more) cynical? Who knows. And it's not that I feel I should meet new people. Indeed, it's with new people that I tend to talk about the same old tired things. Especially politics are incredibly boring to me now that all these johnny-come-latelys are all hip to the "we can't stand the president" jive. Things were more fun when I was an outspoken radical.

In my experience you're usually the one bringing political nonsequiturs into the discussion, but I still agree with you.

We spend too much time on predictable, comfortable topics (gossip, college, politics, how work sucks, and in my example sex) where we have little new or controversial to offer. At this point I'd gladly start talking about television and movies more, because at least that stuff changes.

(Not that the conversations I'm having are awful; they just have little to no variety.)

The best conversationalists I've met either had fresh perspectives (e.g. Adam on science or lawns), or had interesting anecdotes from personal experience, i.e. that stuff people do when they're not just sitting around all the time and I don't mean complaining about work. Jubb would be the best example of the latter category. There are too few people who approach conversation like they do.