Things you wish you didn't know

I started this blog because I send lots of e-mails. I liked the idea of a blog, which would save bandwidth, and hence, money. After discussions with some buddies of mine during a fiery foods festival, and a required procrastination of 3 months, I finally knuckled down and started one.

Essential facts - I am a late-twenties, married engineer on my way to more interesting pastures. I like talking and writing, and veer from nachos-fueled soliloquy to outraged, self-righteous screed. I am sort of libertarian, but the lines are too blurry to care. I read political tomes, history books and internet news. I rage fruitlessly, but enjoy it.

Most other blogs I skulk around usually has a page listing "100 Facts". I'm not sure I have 100 facts, but I'll list them numerically anyway. If I get more than 100, then does that make me the best?

1. I bought a house two years after getting married. It's huge - too big for us, anyway. I think I bought it because I've only lived in big houses. I neglected to remember that this was because my parents, two brothers and grandmother lived with me the whole time.
2. I like telling people that I support the Cleveland teams because I am a Brown and an Indian. This usually elicits a weak "hahaha" because they aren't sure whether it is PC to laugh at that.
3. I hate self-aggrandizing people. I find that they are usually compensating for something. I think people who lie about their jobs, cars or title are little people who think that the best way to impress everyone is with their resume.
4. My best friends tend to be liberal. I don't know why. Although I'm sort of liberal on social issues, I'm so pro-war that it frightens them.
5. I am left-handed. I bat right-handed, though.
6. I love Indian food. I mean absolutely love it. I like sambhar best of all.
7. I am a computer engineer by trade, but I don't enjoy it very much.
8. I like discussing public policy and law. I have plans of doing something in public policy once I get off my rear and actually try.
9. I find teenagers with angst to be tiresome. All rich kids who have angst should spend some time in the third world and realize how lucky they are. They should be permanently full of glee.
10. I think that the WB is the most angst-y channel in the world. I hope my daughter never watches it.
11. I like dogs. I would not want to own a dog, but my wife wanted one. So we got one. I got to name him, though.
12. My parents have a dog. My in-laws have a dog. Both of them got the dogs after their kids left home. How unfair.
13. I spent more than 7 years living in India. I went to school there for ten. I think this make me pretty unique.
14. I made some of my best friends in India. They're all here now, though. I love immigration.
15. I live in Austin TX. I'm soon leaving - I'm going back to school. I'm going to Duke, where I already got a master's degree. I love Duke. I think it's the greatest school in the world. And I think that we are going to win the NCAA championship every year.
16. I like pizza. Especially New York style pizza.
17. My dog's name is Dijkstra, because he was born shortly before the passing of the great Edsger Dijsktra.
18. My dad is probably the biggest influence on my life.
19. I like Texas. I like the independent spirit and the wide open spaces. I don't like how far away it is from the East Coast, where all my friends are. I like how Texans thumb their noses at the coasts. I'm delighted that the President is from Texas. I find liberals' impotent rage at the fact (and at Texas) to be amusing.
20. My favorite movies ar The Godfather, Star Wars and The Big Lebowski.
21. I love Carnatic music. My favorite singers are M.D. Ramanathan and K.V. Narayanaswamy.
22. I can listen to bad flute playing with no problems because I lived with brothers who learned how to play the flute. Badly, at first.
23. I push myself. But not hard enough.
24. My grandmother has been to every continent except South America. Antarctica doesn't count.
25. Except for one guy, I am the youngest of my buddies. But I was the first to get married.
26. I think that The Onion and Scrappleface are hilarious.
27. I am never offended by un-PC behavior. I am not offended by racial stereotypes. I think that Apu on The Simpsons is one of the funniest characters on TV. I think I peed myself during the episode in which he gets married.
28. When I was in India, I went to the temple every morning at 6:30 to learn scripture. I did this for two years. I can still remember some of that stuff.
29. I think that sexual repression is a major problem for Indian guys.
30. I don't mind wearing a suit.
31. I love messing with little kids' minds. This is apparently not good for fatherhood.
32. I'm afraid of death. Not the process of dying, but the state of being dead. I wonder what will happen to all my memories and experiences.
33. I love getting my back rubbed.
34. My full name has 33 letters.
35. I have a brown belt in Chinese Kenpo Karate. If you try to date my daughter, I will kick your ass.
36. I am not a neat person. I leave messes everywhere. This drives my wife nuts.
37. I once killed a rattlesnake with an axe.
38. I have a PalmPilot. I keep trying to use it.
39. I know a convicted sex offender. I didn't like him even before I knew that he wanted little girls.
40. My wife thinks that I don't listen enough.
41. I like road trips.
42. I'm scared of cockroaches.
43. I have bad handwriting. I used to get punished all the time in India for it.
44. I have two brothers.
45. I don't like jogging. I used to do it all the time with my dad, but jogging alone is boring. Even with a dog.
46. I do things in streaks - I tend to get attached to a subject, read all about it, follow it closely and then lose all interest.
47. I suck at a lot of sports. This doesn't prevent me from playing (or trash-talking).
48. I never sneeze only once. It's always twice or thrice.
49. I don't mind eating the same thing again and again and again.
50. I like drinking chocolate milk. I don't drink tea or coffee regularly.
51. I used to be a liberal. Then I went to Duke, saw what real liberals are like, and shifted right. Does that make me a neo-con?