My Inventory of Being Earnest

My name is Scott Aaron Stine.

I am older than I look but younger than I feel. Occasionally, though, I do act my age.

I love and respect my immediate family, but have little use for the remaining branches of my family tree. Without a shred of guilt, I have exercised my right to use pruning shears on many, many occasions.

As a writer, an artist, and a musician, I am legend in my own mind. And maybe in the minds of my niece and nephew… at least until they get a little older and realize just how big of a hack I really am.

I play guitar, as well as several other instruments with varying degrees of skill, but after twenty years I still can't read a lick of music. Whether I can actually play well is, though, still up for debate.

I am the product of a heavy Scoth-Irish heritage. I have the red hair and temper to show for it. (Admittedly, I am partial to spirits as well, and I have yet to meet a potato I did not like. Those spirits that are made from potatoes are doubly blessed.)

I am an atheist and a skeptic, and believe that we only have one life in which to experience and accomplish everything that is within our power. When I go down, it will be kicking and screaming, and not scrambling for any light at the end of a tunnel.

I am an ardent ailurophile (i.e. a lover of cats), despite a hypersensitivity to these four-legged friends. Unfortunately for my allergies, cats tend to love me as well.

I love Chinese food. And—to the regret of our porcine friends the world over--bacon. I blame nature for making them so tasty.

I could not live without books, music and art. To me, these are the things that ultimately set us apart from animals, not opposable thumbs. Admittedly, though, having thumbs at ones disposal does make it easier to accomplish such tasks.

I love all things related to books, reading as well as collecting and publishing. Since I am also a clinically diagnosed obsessive-compulsive, it should come as no surprise that I have a lot of books. No… I mean a lot of books.

I am a cinephile, and have probably seen more films than anyone else you know or have met, especially when it comes to horror and exploitation fare. Good and bad. Especially bad. (Hence my maxim of “Too Many Bad Films… So Few Brain Cells.”)

I do not understand racism, sexism and homophobia. I believe that it is inherently wrong to hate someone for their ethnicity, their gender or sexual proclivities... especially when there are so many perfectly good reasons to hate people. (Thank you for that nugget of undefiled wisdom, Emo.)

Life would be better without having to deal with inconsiderate and disrespectful people on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this pet peeve of mine takes the guise of several million individuals. On second though, make that several billion.

Life would probably also be better without reality television, which primarily focuses on inconsiderate and disrespectful people... but then, I am loathe to admit, dinner time would not be nearly as interesting.

I don't spend too much on anything... I just don't have enough money to spend on all of the things I want. If I was rich, I would do what I do now, just more of it.

In addition to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I also suffer from Tourette's Syndrome; unfortunately, I cannot blame my foul mouth on the latter, only some annoying tics. Any vulgar epithets to escape my lips are entirely the conscious product of my utter dissatisfaction.

I am also a chronic insomniac; if I were able to actually sleep twenty-three hours a day, so be it. (If eating wasn’t such an inconveniencing necessity, I’d go the full 24/7.)

I hope to be living on my own before too long. To be alone can be a very good thing. Especially if one is a misanthrope with OCD like myself.

I am attending college with the intent of securing a major in Fine Arts and/or Literature, in the hopes I will never have to work as a cashier in a thrift store ever again.

The epithet on my tombstone will read "Now He's Really Pissed." I’m not joking. It’s in my will.

My name is Scott Aaron Stine and this is my Inventory of Being Earnest.