I'm going to try something a little different. When I started my diary, the only real reader I had knew me well, and I knew myself well, so the "background color" of my life was irrelevant. I just ignored the details and focused on the moral and emotional conundrums of my daily struggles.

Well, that's not entirely true. I actually put on a "persona" and dumped all the petty grievances of my existence onto a web page. Later, I started thinking that was a poor strategy, and THEN I started into the emotional struggles.

Anyway, the point is, I now have a fair number of voyeurs and voyeurettes reading my ramblings, and I think it's important to give a brief overview of who I am and what kind of life I lead. Some of it has been alluded to, some of it has been ignored, and some of it has been discussed in detail. I'm not bothering to read through all of my past entries to figure out what has, and has not, been said.

I contemplated finding one of those "getting-to-know-you" quizzes that surface from time to time asking your favorite color and such, but, really, we all know the questions, so I can just wing it.

So, let's get started, shall we? . . .

First, my name is Scott, not Justin. My last name is not Black, but that's too much information to put where anyone can read it. It can be noted, though, that my ENTIRE name is so common it would be difficult to find me even if you did have it.

I don't drink coffee. I drink pop - Mountain Dew in particular. Whether one says "soda," or "pop," or whatever depends on the dialect one speaks here in the US, but they all mean, "carbonated beverage." I drink a LOT of Mountain Dew. In the Pepsi vs. Coke debate, I can't stand either one. Anything flavored with cola makes my stomach upset, so I avoid it. I drink tea sometimes. Mostly when I want to relax and it's chilly outside. I'm not particular about teas, but I do like it strong.

I can't pick a favorite food. I love food, period. I am a vegetarian, which means I don't eat anything that once moved under its own volition. Please note: eggs never moved. Neither did milk or anything made from milk (including ice cream! Yummmmm!). The whole reason I thought of writing this "Getting to know the diarist formerly known as Justin Black" piece was because another diarist mentioned eating ribs. I've been a vegetarian for just over 16 years, and to this day I still miss eating ribs. I wanted to mention this to her (and most likely will when I'm done writing this), but it occurred to me that probably no one knew I was a vegetarian, and then I realized all the other things no one knew about me, and, well, I started typing this . . .

My eyes are blue or green, depending on the lighting conditions and my blood pressure. I suppose it's more poetic to say, "My eyes change color from blue to green depending on my mood," but I was never much for poetry.

I don't drive. I rely entirely on public transportation and friends with cars. I'm thirty-four, and I've never had a license to drive. This is probably for the best, as my two previous driving instructors would no-doubt attest.

I can't pick a favorite author for the same reason I can't pick a favorite food: I just LOVE BOOKS! I read fiction and non-fiction in massive quantities, although I prefer fiction. I dream of one day being a paid writer of fiction, but I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before . . .

I enjoy music, but I consider it mostly a distraction. If I want noise in the background to keep me company (while I type this, for example), I'll turn on the TV at a low volume instead of a radio (for instance: at the moment I think "24" is on in the background, although I'm not paying enough attention to have any clue what's going on). Elvis Costello (probably most famous for having written and performed the song "Scarlet Tide" for the movie "Cold Mountain." He was nominated for an Academy Award for that song) is EASILY my favorite musician, but I'm also quite fond of such diverse musicians / bands as: the Clash, the Bloodhound Gang, "Weird" Al Yankovic, the Replacements, and Avril Levigne.

When I was a child, I wanted to be a superhero that was a stand-up comic when he wasn't fighting crime. Unlike most children, though, I never really gave up on that dream; I just tacked "novelist" onto that list and still aim for it . . . do you think if I get a temp job at the nuclear power plant, I'll get super-powers? Or maybe become funny?

I'm a movie fan, and I'll watch and analyze virtually anything. I managed movie theaters from the age of 19 to the age of about 27 (1992 - 2000). I DID watch virtually everything that came out at that time, and I have to say the worst movie made during that near-decade was "Ed," starring Matt LeBlanc from the television show "Friends." It's about an orangutan that plays baseball. Need I say more?

I couldn't say what the best movie was, but I like to laugh or get my blood racing when I watch movies. If I want to cry and think serious thoughts, I'll read. Don't get me wrong: there are some fine dramas made every year, but for my two hours of time, I prefer to watch cars explode or people acting like idiots or killers hiding in closets. I can't spend ALL of my time thinking deep thoughts . . .

My first crush on a celebrity was Rita Rudner. Since she was a vaguely-popular stand-up comic in the mid-80s, I doubt anyone else remembers her. I just thought I'd share.

My first crush on a girl I actually knew was named Lauren. She developed breasts a bit earlier than the other girls, and refused to wear a bra for the first year or so. One day, she sat across from me in science class wearing an extra-large t-shirt. The angle was perfect, as she leaned over the desk to write, for me to see down her sleeve and discover that nipples were beautiful things. Much shallower than my first crush on a celebrity, but, well, that's what the sight of female naughty bits did to me for a few years. What can I say?

I have two siblings: A brother who is eleven months (exactly!) older than me, and a half-sister who is thirteen-and-a-half years younger than me. My mother is nineteen years older than me. My father is twenty-six years older than me. I live, currently, less than a mile from my mother. I haven't seen my father since Christmas of 1990. They divorced when I was less than three years old, and I only really saw him for a couple of weeks every year . . .

I'm told the two things one never discusses in public are politics and religion. This is a shame. I have a fair deal to say about both.

The coolest toy ever made: Legos.

If you open up my cellular phone, the words on the screen (aside from the time) say, "Just Breathe."

My cellular phone ring tone merely sounds like an old-fashioned phone ringing. It sounds like that no matter who is calling.

I've never had a nickname amongst my friends. No girlfriend ever gave me a nickname. In my family, my nickname was "Dot." (When my half-sister was learning to speak, she couldn't pronounce "Scott," and, instead pronounced it "Dot." The rest of my family thought this was cute, and it stuck for many, many years).

My favorite color is blue.

I guess that about wraps it up. That's my every day stuff.

So, did I fill the space sufficiently?

Peace, kats and kittens . . .