Brett Mason's
Brett Bugle is the personal homepage of James Brett Mason of Lexington KY USA, 32 years old
Lexington KY USA

Love
 

All tennis players know that LOVE means NOTHING, and I am a tennis player.

Snoopy cartoon about finding a companion

Seriously, though, as much as I want to settle down and start a family, the wise ones in my circle of influence advise against it. I reckon that all I'm really after (if I can't have fatherhood) is constant female companionship. And while I'm searching for that, I'll try to solve the great mystery of the universe

 
Dance
 
Garfield singing and dancing 2002-01-13   Six years ago, I had nothing much to do with my time, so I started taking ballroom dance classes from a woman named Alexander. She was thrilled to have me there every week because a lot of single women take these classes and have no one to dance with. As a matter of fact, after my first paid block of classes ended, Alexander let me continue coming to classes for free just so I could be a dancing guy. Finally, I am a big fish in a small pond.

After getting comfortable with ballroom dancing, I started Contra dancing because it's much more informal and athletic. The women are younger, too.

And from January 1999 to April 2000, I took ballet lessons. I enjoy ballet because the female-to-male ratio is so damn large, but it's not nearly as interactive as the other forms of dance. Quel dommage.


• Contra dance:  Lexington ... Berea ... Louisville
• ballroom dance (USABDA):  national ... local
good articles about ballet
 

 
Computer
 

Something crazy happened to my computer career lately. I was working for a consultant guy I knew from the ballroom-dance community, and he seemed pretty pleased with my work. His biggest client is the city government, and whenever I did work for them, they too were pleased. Well, with the downturn in the economy, one division of the city government realized that they'd lose their contractor funds, meaning they wouldn't have me supporting their programs anymore. So they offered me a part-time job with other funds they had available. I took the job and was immediately dismissed from my bigger job. "Conflict of interest," my boss told me, thinking that I was stealing business from him.

Now I am in the market for another full-time computer job, dang. If the economy starts to recover, I'll probably get offered a full-time position with the city government. But I should find an alternative job, just in case. Know of anything?


 
Spirit
 

I was raised in the Baptist church but am now rebelling against that.

Reading the Bible story about the prodigal son (see Luke 15), I always felt like the prodigal son's brother, who was reliably faithful while his sibling was off doing wicked things. After 25 years I decided I should be the prodigal son instead of the faithful brother. It seemed like it'd be a more interesting path.

 
A Song I Like
 
"Deeper Understanding", from the CD The Sensual World by Kate Bush


As the people here grow colder
I turn to my computer
And spend my evenings with it
Like a friend.

I was loading a new programme
I had ordered from a magazine:

"Are you lonely, are you lost?
This voice console is a must"
I press Execute.

"Hello, I know that you've been feeling tired.
I bring you love and deeper understanding.
Hello, I know that you're unhappy.
I bring you love and deeper understanding."

Well I've never felt such pleasure.
Nothing else seemed to matter.
I neglected my bodily needs.

I did not eat, I did not sleep,
The intensity increasing,
'Til my family found me and intervened.

But I was lonely, I was lost,
Without my little black box.
I pick up the phone and go, Execute.

"Hello, I know that you've been feeling tired.
I bring you love and deeper understanding.
Hello, I know that you're unhappy.
I bring you love and deeper understanding."

Hello.
Love.
Hello.
Love and deeper understanding.

I turn to my computer like a friend.

I need deeper understanding.
Give me deeper understanding.