User Profile

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/10112696


The simple quote that accompanies my journal name is from the poem "Not Waving But Drowning" by Stevie Smith. I first discovered this poem one afternoon in the fall of 1995 as I sat in my "English Literature" class and, being bored by the lesson at hand, I flipped through my textbook and stumbled upon it. It was much too modern to be studied in class. I have always liked this poem as I feel it represents both me and much of the modern condition. We all put on such airs, we all like to appear that we have it all together and that we know exactly what we want. But, in the end, I think a lot of us, even though we are going through the modern day motions of life, are drowning. That life and death can look so similar is both fascinating and scary.

This journal is at best an attempt for me to discover meaning in my life, to stop treading water and swim gloriously (I am a fan of the sidestroke although I have always considered the butterfly stroke, when performed properly, to be beautiful). It is a continuous work in progress.


"At the age of 25 most people were finished. A whole goddamned nation of assholes driving automobiles, eating, having babies, doing everything in the worst way possible, like voting for the presidential candidate who reminded them most of themselves."

-Charles Bukowski



One of the most inspiring, interesting articles I have ever read: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20010201/21829.html

First things first. This started out as a public blog with a very small readership. Over the past year I have started making more use of the "friends only" posting feature. However 94% of my posts are still public. I welcome anyone to read this or add me as a friend. If you want to let me know, great, if not I don't care. Feel free to comment about anything I say, just make sure you are sensical and you keep any profanity down to a min. (I have no moral objections to profanity, I just feel it is overused).

I very rarely use LJ cuts and I often write long posts. The only time I will use a cut is if I am posting a "meme" or more than one picture. If this offends you, I apologize, but I don't really believe in LJ cuts.
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I am a 29 year old male in search of direction, inspiration and the pleasure of building monuments of self. I graduated from the University of Stony Brook (part of the SUNY system) in 5/03 with a BA in Political Science. While I enjoyed attending school I still think it was a waste of time.

Last September, after almost 9 years of employment, I quit my job working for Borders Books. Shortly after making this decision I decided to embark on a 7 week trip through a bit of South America. That trip turned into a 5 and 1/2 month life changing adventure that took me through 11 countries. I returned home in early March 2008 and am trying to figure out what to do next.

In September of 2008 I will be heading down to Antarctica to work at the US Antarctic Program's largest research station, McMurdo. I will be down there for about 6 months and when I am done the plan is to spend almost 2 months backpacking through New Zealand, Australia and (possibly) Papua New Guinea. With luck by then I will finally have discovered what I want to be when I grow up. gulp.

Politically I consider myself to be a Libertarian. I am fiscally conservative and pro civil liberties. I am still undecided about social programs, though I am inclined to say gut them and let the states handle them. I am anti-Bush and anti-"war on terror" (if only for strict matters of definition). I enjoy politics and love talking about it. Be not afraid if you harbor different political viewpoints.

I was born and raised Catholic. I attended Catholic High School (by choice -- for the academics). Accordingly I no longer consider myself Catholic. Matters of spirituality still confuse and trouble me, which is good. I do believe in some higher power, some "x", if you will. I don't believe in organized religion. I do recognize the good they can do but also the horrible things that can be done in their name. I am inherently untrusting of someone who attempts to put themselves between me and god, at their benefit. I do consider myself to be a person of faith. Faith is a topic that interests and captivates me. It is wrapped up in what I like about the catholic church: it's history and perseverance. It is also something that I believe can be separated from organized religion. I have dabbled in a variety of religions over the years (for example I was a "wiccan" in HS, but i think it was just to get girls) and tend to grab parts that I like from each of them.

I like to travel whenever I can, some of the places I have been:

My favorite post about travel.

1/97 Austria and Hungary
6/03 Mongolia
2005 - 14000 miles around the country; half by rail half by car
10/05 - 3 weeks in Crestview KY
2/06 a half week in NC
3/06 3 weeks in Milford, CT
8-9/06 3 weeks in midtown Manhattan
9/06 1 week and a 1/2 in Rancho Santa Margarita CA
9/06 2 days in Las Vegas
9/06 2 days in Pasadena CA
10/06 3 weeks in Riverdale NJ
1/07 15 days in Egypt
1/07 1 day in Barcelona; 1 day in Madrid (Spain)
10/07-03/08 Parts of South and Central America

On my LJ you will generally find a mix of various topics. Most of them are centered around me, be them stories of my day or of my past. I enjoy dwelling on the big (and little questions) of life and often write about my own answers. Comments, as always, are welcome.

I like the mundane. I think it is a great source of stories. A lot of my postings are rambles with things that are mundane and everday. I like to think that even the most boring thing can be made exciting with the proper context. Sometimes i achieve this.

A few more important, insightful, things you should know about me:

I come to complete, full, stops at Stop Signs regardless of who is around or the time of day/night. I silently heap piles of scorn upon cars that come to a rolling stop or do not stop at all.

When on the express line at a supermarket I compulsively count the amount of items everyone else is buying. If I find someone with more than the posted limit I silently heap scorn and humiliation upon their person. I once witnessed a middle aged man yell at an elderly woman for having too many items in her cart. It wasn't until that moment that I fully understood the phrase "hero worship".

Every so often I tend to get stuck on a topic and it will consume me for a few days/weeks. If the current topic bores you, then wait and pretty soon I will stop talking about. It is rare, both with ideas and people, that I stay fixated too long.

I am a contrarian who is prone to argument. If you were to say to me that "puppies are cute" I would be likely to respond that not only are puppies NOT cute they also kill small children, spread pestilence and plague and had something to do with Kennedy being assasinated. Not that I believe any of that, but I just like to argue and can't resist an unprotected opinion. I don't have many real life friends. Not that I am implying a correlation or anything... :)

Finally, in case you haven't figured this out yet, the written word is my avenue for communication with the world and, as it happens, I have a lot to say!


A link to my spectacular bookcase: http://www.geocities.com/mananath/bookcase.html

A list of books read in 2006:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/mananath/178270.html
A list of books read in 2007:
http://mananath.livejournal.com/267113.html

The surprisingly varied changing look of my hair over the past 10 years:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/mananath/176636.html

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