Carry on.

The point is: I wanted it. And the grand preface was for me to officially announce that I got it! Finally! And not recently either! Oh no. It’s been sitting in my wallet, where I keep all my other cards with the bad mug shots. But I do remember mentioning I was going for it, and being true to my own procrastination, I never followed up.  I did get it though, with only one question wrong on the test. And I’ll gloat about that shit, because I’m almost certain that New York is one of the hardest places to pass any test pertaining to driving.

Am I hell on wheels yet? No. And boy, I have tried. Spent a few Saturdays meandering around with my friend Ree – shopping for whatever – and actually bumped into my aunt and cousin. They have a car that they very rarely use.

It’s a huge SUV, people - Another one of my dreams from my Greymatter days that haven’t been forgotten. I wanted in. I wanted in badly.

When I told them about my permit, they congratulated me. And when I asked them to teach me how to drive – You know, because we never spend any time together, and all – They laughed. They laughed at me. And they kept laughing all the way to a car that I couldn’t see from where I was standing with my mouth hanging open, and therefore couldn’t follow. I was not discouraged. I kept asking around, and to no avail. This was not a free-of –charge favor I was asking for! I would’ve foot the bill for gas and gave nice gratuities had someone said they were going to teach me and followed through.

So, my beloved best and I have been busy. Her daughter – who, by the way, suffers from Advanced Cuteness – just hit the Big 3. Helping with the set up, attending, being the jungle gym for all the little party goers, and helping with the clean up in between everything else going on would naturally be chaos. I did squeeze in a little networking, though: My dear friends Erica and her husband have tentatively agreed to teach me, and so did Ree’s mom, once the spring comes and brings all the gorgeous weather. Or at least when I’m sure it’s not going to fucking snow.  I don’t trust March at all, which is great since it’s almost over. Wish me luck; my grand plan depends of me knowing how to operate a vehicle.

The fact is we are all people. Whether we choose to disclose our identity, show our faces, or speak our true voices is obviously up to each individual. The underlying constant is that we’re people – Right? We’re people with feelings, opinions, lives, various groups of friends and so on. We’ve all encountered someone online that we’ve connected with in some way; we value their opinions, and to various degrees we also trust them. And yes, that’s where the eFriendship title comes in. And I only use that title to differentiate the online interaction from what we have in our everyday lives.

So – What’s the code of conduct? And more importantly, how much integrity is someone expected to uphold online? I mean, integrity should exist between friends – all friends. Many people will say their word is their bond, no? Well, on the Internet that’s all we have – our words. Yes, we can give a visual representation of who we are. But that’s not going to tell someone how you slept the night before or what your plans are for the day. We – the writers, the bloggers – know this very well. We thrive on the expression of others and, though it’s not something that’s going to be readily admitted, we want, if not need that interaction. Otherwise we’d all have paper journals alone. But what else does that mean? Don’t we have to have a bit of trust in everyone that we come in contact with? Aren’t there expectations that come from chatting with someone online? And I’m not talking in a chat room. I’m talking about communities, where people project an image, a personality, and participate in constant interaction. We generally accept that when someone tells you something about themselves in a medium such as this, that it’s the truth. Not because we blindly take things at face value, but because we’re not given any reason to think otherwise, outside of common sense and precautionary measures that everyone should take when it comes to the information they share. It’s the same kind of trust that you invest into someone you meet in person for the first time. If you ask them something about themselves, we don’t like to entertain the idea that the first response we get is a lie. As we learn more about someone, we decide how much we’re going to share with them, and that builds trust.

So it’s safe to say that friendships are friendships, no matter what the form of communication is. The “it’s just the Internet,” line gets no play here. We’re not talking about the Internet, we’re talking about people. And in offline friendships, if someone says something to you in confidence, then a good friend won’t break that confidence by speaking on it. I’d like to think that rule would overflow on to the Internet just because either it’s your nature to behave a certain way or its not. Granted, I give a certain amount of respect to those I consider friends and I expect at least that much in return.

I pose all of these questions because I’ve seen people who are supposed to be friends do unthinkable things to each other - the types of things that movies are made of, people. They badmouth each other, air their dirty laundry, hide behind fake names and betray each other. But then, given the right amount of time, and all is forgotten until another incident happens and then all the baggage comes to the surface. Meanwhile, there are friends who exist off the Internet who can’t even end on peaceful terms after similar events, let alone reinstate their relationship and act like nothing happened. Isn’t the trust gone after situations like that? When does the behavior become unacceptable? When does ruining the trust between friends warrant the same social consequences that it would offline?

And finally, are we really held to the same level of probity that we try to uphold in our offline lives? I know there are many shades of gray to all the things I’ve touched on – we know there are no absolutes. Still, what are your thoughts on Internet integrity?

I don’t usually write entries like this, but there’s a good chance this might not be the last.

So let me end with this: Uphold your moral code people, if you even have one. No, you don’t have to take the Internet super-seriously, and no – you don’t have to invest an obscene amount of time into making bonds with the online people of your choice. But if you’re going to present yourself online and participate to the point of creating a friendship with someone, learn how to carry yourself. The Internet is not an excuse to be shitty people.

Despite the consensus - the one that says I’m dead, I’m actually still among the living, if only for a little while. Thanks for all 50 of those comments! Just when I thought no one was paying attention.

Four holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s - all came and left with a dormant Like-Honey They were all great for me, and to go through all the tidbits…Again, It’s just one of those things. But I could allude to each event with one sentence and make it sound so much more intriguing than it was:

Halloween: Don’t let Happy Feet drink. Vote for Pedro.

Thanksgiving: For Jamaicans, the legal drinking age is 40, not 21.

Christmas: I didn’t know grandma could dance like that.

New Years: Did you see that asian prostitute stealing liquor?!

And there you have it.

So, Laceypoo and I were talking about this list she’d started. There are so many little things in the world that are very often overlooked that can bring you joy, if only for a moment. Her list is beyond cute - I can count at least 5 things that I love from that list alone. After some prodding, she got me to make my own list, lovingly dubbed It’s the little things.

• Getting handwritten letters in the mail.
• Spinning in desk chairs.
• Fresh school supplies.
• Singing a song that’s stuck in your head and it coming on the radio.
• The smell of grass in the spring.
• The silhouette of leaves on windows.
• Dreaming of your dream car.
• Someone saying exactly what you’re thinking.
• Falling asleep in a moving car.
• Thinking you’re out of cereal and finding a new box for the taking.
• Laying down and being perfectly comfortable.
• The joy of sailing through three or more green traffic lights.
• Waking up and it’s so perfectly bright and sunny outside that it fills your whole room up.
• The feeling you get from Disney songs.
• Getting to the perfect ending of a good book. Bittersweet, but sweet nonetheless.
• Talking to someone for the first time and connecting with them immediately.
• Peeling the plastic sticker off the screens of new stuff after it’s been scratched up and watching it look brand new.
• Daydreaming to a soundtrack.

What are some of the little things in life that you enjoy? Or even the big things. Or even one thing! Let’s hear it! New layout, by the way. I likes it.

Oh! I’ve been meaning to express just how happy I am that everyone likes the downloads that I’ve provided. They definitely took a while to make, and I’m glad they’re being put to good use. That being said, I’ve created an extended pack for one set in particular, because they are by far the most downloaded set of smileys:

There are twenty new smileys for this set including angel, emo, party, drool and say whaaaat. Enjoy!

Thank you Jenny - The smileys are fixed and can be downloaded.

Oh, how neglectful I have been. The internet just isn’t what it used to be for me, but like everything else that happens, it will pass. Not an excuse though, I know.

I’ve been practically comotose due to my trusty antihistimes; I know I’m about to get sick. I can feel it!

Oh, I found my keys. I’m an ass, for sure.

Keep your eyes open for a real post, for once.  Oh, and something I’m working on

PS: Jessica, You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Check out the domain section, darling — I opened this in 2004, with my only classmate/online friend Shai. Hm, but I think I may remember like-honey.org. It’s must have been that badly constructed, javascript-corrupted mess with the tacky oversized Aaliyah header and the barely visible font. Was that you? Stop making a scene, stupid. Hah, your site is more sucessful? You should have linked it — I’m sure you could use the traffic.

In other news, I lost my keys…again. I just hope it didn’t make it down the toilet this time - last set of keys ended up going down the hospital toilet, only to single handedly close down the facilities thirty minutes later!

 I think I may attempt to cook tonight, will bring you up to speed on that soon, if my house is still in tact. (Cold cereal for the rest of my days, I reckon.)

I’m also studying to take my permit. I think I’ll finally get it this time (it’s been about two years total I’ve been bellyaching about not having a learner’s permit). The questions are less now, and only on traffic signs (I think), so hopefully I’ll have good news come friday night.

It’s 6:18am.

Go read this. She speaks truth, I say. (And don’t get excited that I linked you, pocahantas.)

That is all. Check back often; I intend to bust out another 10 updates by september (personal challenge? Yes.)

Or maybe it’s my body trying to inflict more pain on itself. You see, I’ve been very sick the past…oh, I dont know, three weeks. I’m just now reaching a point in my recovery where I can almost joke about it. My livejournal will have the scoop. I appreciate all the comments especially the comments, texts, and calls of concern! Who knew?

 I’m off to get some more rest, but I’m going to return all of your lovely comments! And thanks to my lovely Keng, all is fine in Like-Honey Land, where firefox is concerned.

Don’t mind me.

1. What about you makes you unique?
Hmm, I think my sense of humor makes me unique.

2. What aspect of your physical appearance do you think makes you stick out from the crowd?
My skin color… not a whole lot of dark chocolate sistahs around my way.

3. What do you always have with you while out in public? (for example, earrings, purse, wallet, watch, etc.)
I always have my earrings, cellphone, wallet, mp3 player, lipgloss, my necklace and a few pens.

4. Is there anything about your body that you think isn’t normal?
Well, my skin (the sensitivity of it). =\ And my super squirrely cheeks.

5. What are you complimented on (looks, smarts, anything) the most? Why do you think that’s the case?
A few wierdos compliment me on my boobs O_o. I get more compliments on my eyes, smile and sense of humor. I’m not sure why, to be honest! haha.

Well that was interesting.

A year ago today:

Before the end of the summer I think Joel and I are going to actually get some professional pictures taken. Like sears or something. Joel’s idea, considering our 3yr anniversary is coming up. It’ll be late but still nice. I’m sure they can figure out the height difference so that the pictures dont come out as me smiling with a torso :PEver since my cousin announced her engagement, my family (save for my mom and grandma) have been looking at me funny. I guess I’m next.

Have things changed? No. We still want to take pictures? Hm. I’m going to invest in some stilts though!

hmm. I may post a few more of these, since I’m bored.

That was the way the sky looked after my little sister’s graduation (which was very nice, by the way).  It was really about to pour. This would have been cool, had Joel and I not been stuck at the damn place waiting for a cab for almost an hour . Enough said. No pictures of the little sis, or the graduation — I need to respect all of their privacy. But it was really nice. I saw alot of my old teachers, and they were glad to see me. The ceremony didn’t go on for too long, either. Enough about that though, this entry is going to be boring anyway.

I about to update my wordpress - wish me luck. I’m freaking afraid, I’ll admit. I have not touched a wp file to install or upgrade. Not once. I was always lucky because there were people who were kind and generous enough to help. But I think I may need to go this alone. Because yes — I want widgets.

Later!

ps: my site looks like crap in firefox ever since the upgrade. Don’t worry, I aware and I’m working on it