"Technology just enables us to overshare on a different scale."

I previously mentioned how I'm sometimes conflicted about how much I'm comfortable revealing in my blog, knowing that, while some of my readers are anonymous and faceless, some of them are people I encounter in my everyday life.

On Sunday, The New York Times Magazine published an article by former Gawker blogger Emily Gould about how her very private thoughts became part of her very public persona. Emily's story is extremely well written, thought-provoking and heartbreaking, and I think that in today's Web 2.0 world, where everyone is online somewhere, be it MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger, or (like me) all of the above, it's especially relevant.

An "over-sharer" by her own admission, Gould writes:

"I understand that by writing here about how I revealed my intimate life online, I’ve now revealed even more about what happened during the period when I was most exposed. Well, I’m an oversharer — it’s not like I’m entirely reformed. But lately, online, I’ve found myself doing something unexpected: keeping the personal details of my current life to myself. This doesn’t make me feel stifled so much as it makes me feel protected, as if my thoughts might actually be worth honing rather than spewing. ... I still think about closing the door to my online life and locking them out, but then I think of everything else I’d be locking out, and I leave it open."

It's an interesting conundrum, isn't it? The world communicates online, and that communication now includes much more than sending semi-private emails amongst friends. But potential employers can browse your profiles, potential dates can read your past dating blunders and potential creepy stalkers can access your Flickr photos with a few clicks.

To this point, I've managed to keep my online profile public where it needs to be public (Facebook, Twitter for work) and semi-private where I want it to be private...I think (a la MySpace and this very blog). I'm still completely cautious when it comes to what I write about myself -- I mean, do people really care that I had an Il Fornaio salad for lunch yesterday that was "SOOOO good"? -- but I admire the people who don't feel like they have to filter themselves.

It's a delicate balance, and one that I'll continue to struggle with as more and more social networks keep popping up. For the fellow bloggers out there: How do you balance your public and private life via your blog/profile/etc.?

A blog after my own grammar-nerd heart

If you know what a comma splice is, despise people who confuse your and you're and actually get excited about proofreading a 20-page document, this post is most definitely for you.

From, Stuff White People Like, here's an excerpt from #99, “Grammar”:

When asking someone about their biggest annoyances in life, you might expect responses like “hunger,” “being poor,” or “getting shot.” If you ask a white person, the most common response will likely be “people who use ‘their’ when they mean ‘there.’ Maybe comma splices, I’m not sure but it’s definitely one of the two.”

If you wish to gain the respect of a white person, it’s probably a good idea that you find an obscure and debated grammar rule such as the “Oxford Comma” and take a firm stance on what you believe is correct. This is seen as more productive and forward thinking than simply stating your anger at the improper use of “it’s.”

The grammar nerd in me is laughing hysterically right now.

Reverting back to my MySpace survey heyday

This post combines two of my favorite things: music and things that help me waste time at work.

Therefore, without further ado, I present The Soundtrack to My Life:

(Found this while trolling MySpace...yes, I'm THAT bored. The rules: Put your iTunes on shuffle and let the song titles answer the questions below)

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Crunchy Granola Suite – Neil Diamond
I suspect people would get reeeeally sick of me reeeeally fast if I answered every question with "Crunchy Granola Suite." But I guess it's worth a try...

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Be Be Your Love – Rachel Yamagata
Because I'm so loving and cuddly. Right...

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room – John Mayer
Slow dancing, yes. Burning flesh, not so much. Now if I was slow dancing in a burning room WITH John Mayer, it would be a different story.

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Bedshaped – Keane
So spot on. What I wouldn't give to teleport home and into bed right now.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Right For Me – Justin Timberlake
Figuring out what's right for me, I guess? That sounds OK.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Love Me For Me – Ashlee Simpson
GIRL POWER!!! (Insert sarcasm here.)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Geek In The Pink – Jason Mraz
Well I don't wear pink, but the other part might be accurate from time to time.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
I’ll Be Fine – Ben Taylor Band
A testament to how well they raised me?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Sexy Ladies/Let Me Talk To You Prelude – Justin Timberlake
Um, not really.

WHAT IS 2+2?
Car Crash – Matt Nathanson
Might be an indication of how great (read: horrible) my math skills are.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
All I Need – Mat Kearney
Awwww.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Telling Me To Go – Kaiser Chiefs
Hmmmm.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Tied Down – Colbie Caillat
Lately, yes.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
1973 – James Blunt
A groovy hippie?

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
You & Onions - Meiko
Kind of fitting...

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Feel – Matchbox Twenty
Sensitive? Compassionate?

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
The Two of Us - NSYNC
How freakin' funny would that be? An ode to my LOVE of NSYNC!

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
False Alarm – KT Tunstall
...And then I'll pop out of my coffin and yell "Gotcha!!!"

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
The Real Thing – Gwen Stefani
Very accurate -- fake hobbies are not my cup of tea.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Bottle It Up – Sara Bareilles
For someone who hates confrontations, this is pretty accurate. Although I don't know if it would qualify as a secret.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Look After You – The Fray
Awwww. Again.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Walk Away – Kelly Clarkson
And I'm out.

To blog or not to blog

I've been thinking a lot lately about this blog -- about how I wish I had the time/energy/motivation to post more thoughtful, in-depth things. But I'm finding that I'm struggling to find the balance between saying what I feel (after all, isn't a blog just a public diary?) and being totally passive aggressive.

Is blogging about hurt feelings and frustrations passive aggressive when you know the person you're writing about will read it?

I go back and forth debating this in my head. On one hand, sometimes it's good to just get your thoughts out even if the one they're directed at will never read them. On the other hand, I know she will and it will likely open up a whole new can of worms. One that needs to be opened, yes. But being the non-confrontational-to-a-fault person I am, I generally try to avoid all things wormy...

The jury's out on this one.

Who are the people in your neigh-bor-hoood?

Any one else have that Sesame Street song stuck in their head now? Good. Mission accomplished.

Anyway, living in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle -- which, for any non Seattle-based readers out there, is known for its eccentricity -- I've become accustomed to and friendly with the unusual characters. I say hello to the bongo guy every morning and nod to the rock-stacking guy when I pass by...and anyone who spends any time in Fremont probably knows who I'm talking about and does the same.

But yesterday, on my way home from the bus stop, I saw something so unusual for Fremont that I literally had to do a double take... I saw a guy in a three-piece suit.

Sure, Fremont is home to Google and Adobe offices, as well as a couple other smaller office parks, but the free-spirited and artsy vibe to the community just doesn't lend itself well to formal business attire. It was weird, but weird in a most-normal-but-at-the-same-time-out-of-place way.

What's the most-normal-but-at-the-same-time-out-of-place thing you've seen in your 'hood?