(null)Created 13 Nov 2003 at 12:39 UTC by blvdgirl, last modified 10 Jun 2004 at 11:11 UTC by lukas.
URL: http://bored.com/ Notes: Here it is! A perfect procrastination tool. The Soup or Survey. A rotating 5+ question survey updated weekly (on Thursdays). When it is your week, create a list of five or more questions for diner patrons to answer at their leisure and then sit back and watch the answers roll in... Then, nominate next week's Celebrity Surveyor.
mostly complete list of questions asked
1. Do you drink eight or more glasses of water a day?
2. Do you own a flashlight?
3. What is your favorite cereal to eat dry?
4. Make a prediction regarding the future of Britney Spears.
5. What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
I nominate baggins for next week.
1. sometimes.2. yes, several. two in my car, one in my toolbox and a maglight i can never find.
3. life cereal or frosted mini-wheats.
4. i think her boobs will eventually start to sag and everyone will be so happy to know that they really are real.
5. taking a roadtrip to mexico or san francisco.
1. Probably. I drink a lot of water.2. Yes, I do. I have one in my car, and a few spread out throughout my personal belongings. The one in the car actually has batteries with power.
3. Quite possibly Jewel Crunchy Granola Raisin Bran. It's great and lightly sweetend with little granola thingies in it.
4. I think she will eventually run for public office.
5. Going home and being with my family. alh is going to So. MN to be with her dad's side.
- No.
- Yes, a minimag and I keep it in my backpack.
- I don't really eat dry cereal anymore, but if memory serves Frosted Flakes is barely disgusting.
- Plastic surgery, gene therapy, and botox as soon as she shows signs of aging.
- Leeching off my parents.
1. More often than not, water is good2.Yes, a 3 C Maglight, a 4C Maglight, a minimaglight, and several others
3. Honeycombs, they are yummy dry, but not that great in milk, odd.
4. Dwindling popularity and many attempts, through taking her clothes off, to regain it.
5. Dinner with mom, dinner with step-mom, dinner with Meagan's family, ah the joys of being married with divorced families.
1. Definitely. Usually a lot more, esp. if I work out. 2. A few, but the batteries neevr work. 3. Cap'N Crunch 4. I just ate lunch and even thinking about Britney makes me sick. 5. Going to WI to meet Hernando's mom side of the family--the Puerto Rican contingent.
1. Usually / Sometimes
2. Yes, several, scattered around the house.
3. none.
4. who?
5. Thanksgiving's at my place with my sis & her beau, my beau, our friends D'Alice, and one other couple.
1. Do you drink eight or more glasses of water a day? i'm drinking water right now, actually. i don't think i make it to 8 a day, normally.2. Do you own a flashlight? I'm sure there are several in my house. I don't think I've purchased any of them.
3. What is your favorite cereal to eat dry? Golden Grahams. or Cheerios if I happen to be sharing them with a small child.
4. Make a prediction regarding the future of Britney Spears. She will get a bigger role in a bigger movie soon. And she will become a slightly more legitimate 'crossover' star. then, she will get hit by a bus, and be horirbly scarred for life, but will donate whatever celebrity she has left to working with other survivors of bus-related accidents, and become Hollywood's Mother Theresa.
5. What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Eating Turkey and chillin with my family, like every year. perhaps we can get everyone together for a late night poker game, and have a good excuse to jet early on Turkey Day.
I nominate baggins for next week. -- done. you might have to remind me. that is as simple as posting in this entree on thursday morning.
1. Depends on the size of the "glass". I certainly finish a litre or so at work each day in the summer (hot) and winter (dry). Probably less in the other seasons.2. In England we call a flashlight a "torch" (I don't know which of those sounds more daft). I am pleased to say yes as the gales last night took out the (flaky) power in our building and left me scrambling for illumination (although static sparks were pretty good). A big old Maglight, a big lantern for the car and a small torch/flashlight with no batteries in it (used to be my earthquake light back in S.F.).
3. Not done that in ages. I think Captain Crunch was passable. I have Shredded Wheat every morning and they are pretty much intolerable without milk.
4. pedro's endorsements will catapult her to head of the CIA. By that time the CIA the agency will be largely historic as it will have been supplanted by the new government WE KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU body. She will also become a spokesperson for PineSol.
5. I know nothing of this "Thanksgiving" of which you speak.
1) Yes - when pregnant I drank about 14 glasses a day, and now that I'm nursing I drink more than that even. I'm always thirsty.2) Several.
3) Dry cereal favorite? Frosted shredded wheats, or granola. OOH no, Cracklin Oat Bran. That's damn expensive and I only get it on rare occasions. It's like eating oatmeal cookies. Only healthier.
4) After several plastic surgeries, we will finally come to see that she is simply Michael Jackson's clone. In disguise.
5) Probably nothing, sadly. We usually do a big thing for thanksgiving at my parents housem 20 - 30 people, my mom and I cooking for two days (Jay and the kids and I would have flown in early). But with Julia being a preemie, no airplanes, no leaving the house all winter, and nobody with a cold or who has been exposed to one in the past 4 days. So we'll probably have dinner here at home - maybe watch a movie, put the girls to bed, and relax.
1. some days, i guess2. sort of, i have an old bike headlight that i use as a flashlight
3. cheerios
4. #4 is not a question
5. going to michigan for a little over a week for a few days of work and then a few days of eating
1. When I'm at work, I drink way more than 8 glasses/day. I single-handedly polish off one of those big 5-gallon Hinckley bottles every week. On the weekends, not so much.2. Yes, one in my house & two in my car.
3. Kashi Heart to Heart or Cinna-Raisin Crunch. I realize as I write this that I am truly getting old... I started buying Kashi for the protein & fiber content. Gotta keep things rollin'.
4. Britney will almost certainly go into the porn industry, and will be an eagerly-anticipated guest star at the Admiral for a few weeks each Spring.
5. My brother & his wife -- it's so weird to say that -- are making a pilgrimage to the motherland from Fargo, so I'll be hanging out with them as much as possible. I talked to him for about an hour tonight, and I really miss him.
baggins gets to add a new survey tomorrow!
i have been counting the days to thursday, actually.
1. no - I guess I should, but I have a small bladder (which you might know if you've ever been on a road trip with me)
2. several - various sizes of mag-lites, headlamps, lanterns, etc.
3. granola - it's crunchy and a little sweet and even better if it has raisins
4. porn - that's the next logical step right? it's either that or daytime tv
5. cooking - year 5 of the eklund thanksgiving extravaganza will take place in our cozy (read: unbearably small kitchen) apartment with my mom and sister. which reminds me, i need to order a turkey.
1. I try and usually succeed 2. yes, one in the car and two in the apartment (only one of which has working batteries at the moment) 3. Lucky Charms....yum 4. abducted by aliens 5. honestly don't know yet... probably eating with my folks, but whenever I ask them what their plans are they are disheartenly vague
A funny thing happened related to a survey yesterday. There was one of those tele-people calling me yesterday, and though I believe Im very courteous and selfless at times, yada yada. I was about to hang up, but she had me at hello. For some reason i didn't, and long story short, I get to be mailed free packs of cigarettes and do questionnaires on them. That Rocks.
1. Yes. (cup = 8oz) Yes.
2. yes.
3. corn pops
4. Well, maybe if they're mile-long stilts they can.
5. Going to family #1's house to gorge and take leftovers, Going to family #2's house to gorge and take leftovers. Sleeping afterwards
1. no, coffee. 2. yes, left drawar in kitchen counter 3. none, cereal has began giving me the creeps in the past 2 years. 4. flesh eating virus in the vagina 5. eating, sleeping, repeat.
go go go!
ok, here goes:1. Do you, or have you ever smoked cigarettes? (you should quit. i should quit.)
2. If you could transport yourself to any place and time to see one concert, which one would it be and when would it be?
3. Do you have pets?
4. What's your favorite video game EVER?
5. If you won $10 million tomorrow, what would you do with it?
1. Yes, but I never inhaled (thanks Clinton) no really I just smoked Dunhills and good tasting cigarettes because I couldn't smoke a pipe or cigar in restaurants.2. Tough question, probably Woodstock, I mean come on it was a lot of really good bands.
3. My mom has my cat because the wife is allergic, ah Marilyn, the biggest bitch cat on the planet.
4. I have to pick ONE?!?! Welcome will back me up on this one, Super Metroid.
5. Invest it, and retire, and give lots of it to my church, probably travel the world as a missionary and not have to worry about fundraising, that'd be sweet.
Great questions Wags, I like this entree!
1. I smoked from 1/2 pack to 3 packs a day from the age of 17 to the age of 21. I quit cold turkey (9 years ago). I still have nightmares sometimes that I'm smoking.
2. That's hard. I can't say. I think I've seen most of the concerts I've wanted to.
3. I have 3 cats: Gar, Soren, and Orange. My roommate also has a cat, Theo.
4. GALAGA. duh.
5. I'd invest it, and maybe think about buying a house.
1. on occasion, but never regularly. 2. never been much of a concert-goer, but I used to go see the bosstones play for less than 100 people. I'd like to go back to that. 3. My roommate has a black lab, but I don't think I've been living there long enough to claim her as my own. 4. Mike Tyson's Punchout 5. Invest about half, donate the rest. Maybe get a building named after me at NP.
- I almost did once.
- Dunno, probably just see Flogging Molly again.
- No.
- Probably Star Control II
- With that much money I could... dare I say it? RULE THE WORLD!
1. Nope.
2. Tom waits, Paris May 2000. I missed the show by a week and kick myself often for it. But really any Waits show would do.
3. No. But there are a steady stream of dogs in and out of my house and some of my friends may qualify as pets.
4. None. I don't like them.
5. Invest in land and a few stocks. Give a majority away to friends and deserving folks.
i nominate BigJ for next week's questions...
1. on occasion, but these days only when i drink.2. i would have liked to see jimi hendrix in concert.
3. my parents stole my cat, but my friend luke exhibits most of the qualities of a loyal dog.
4. frogger or pitfall for atari
5. maybe buy a house, a lot of jeans, a cello and lots of vinyl. i'd get my parents a place out here and learn to surf while visiting spain. do i have to pay taxes on the money?
- no
- i'd go back to 1993 to see nirvana's mtv unplugged show. i have heard more stories about being completely moved by the performance at that show than any other.
- no
- i sure did play smb3 a lot
- i'd use it as the principle in an annuity. with a 10 million dollar principle, i could probably negotiate a decent percentage rate, for sake of simplicity, let's say 5%. that's $500,000 per year of payback. i'd continue to do what i'm doing now until i got the first payment. then i would quit my job, get medical insurance, a full physical examination, a regular doctor, and take care of any problems that are discovered. likewise with a dentist. i would set aside a little bit more than what i currently make in a year now and basically live the way i do now but without work. i'd go to school full time to finish my master's degree. in the time i would have otherwise spent working for money, i'd work on giving away the rest of the $500,000 dollars i'd get every year from the annuity. i'd start funding scholarships and grants at depaul. i'd buy christmas gifts every year for the dcfs kids. i would visit some of the places i worked with the appalachia service project and try to funnel some money into local development in those areas, probably small business loans and such to help people get ideas off the ground. right now that just doesn't happen in places like eolia, kentucky. i'd help cover lobbying and courtroom expenses for the electronic frontier foundation. i'd fund a free software developer or two so that they could work full time on that and not worry about a day job. i'd spend more time hiking, biking, climbing, and canoeing around the globe with my brother. i spent 17 years living and growing up with him and now i hardly ever see him.
- Yes, though I'm thinking about quitting again.
- Johnny Cash at Folsum Prison
- No, but I'd like to have a couple dogs when I get a house.
- Quake 3
- Buy some land on a lake somewhere, build a house, build a shop, start a business.
1. Tried them twice (occasions separated by ten years): nausea the first time and headache the second. I'll stick with beer.2. Hmmm.. Beethoven's premiere of his 9th (don't know where or when that was). Best repeat would probably be the Susan Tedeschi/Ben Harper double bill I saw at the Flint Center (Dec 1999).
3. No. I have to wait for my sister's cat when I visit her.
4. Watching elise play galaga (duh). Otherwise old Doom or classic Tetris.
5. Just carry on pretty much as now.
1) Yes. I smoked from age 17 - 21 as well, lots and lots sometimes, very infrequently other times. I've been happier since I quit.2) Hrm. I would've loved to see Jeff Buckley perform in a very small setting, before he was known at all.
3) 3 cockatiels - Jax who is 4 years old, Jaz who is 3, and Solyx who is 2. Also one new parkaeet who we inherited today, Purdy. I don't know how old she is.
4) Zelda, Ocarina of Time or Tetris (any tetris)
5) Donate a whole bunch of it to various charities, pay off my house and buy a 4 door car to replace Jay's 2 door. The rest I would put into college funds for the girls, and then invest for retirement.
1. Never smoked, never will. My grandpa, who recently was called home, did and lost his voicebox. A more eloquent wordless object lesson will never be had. 2. Bob Dylan, Royal Albert Hall 1966, and Led Zeppelin, LA Forum 1972 3. Not currently, but my wife's two cats, Frankie the Psycho Cat, and Johnny the Shameless Attention Whore, and Annie the Neurotic Labrador, may soon join us. 4. The original Tomb Raider caused me much insomnia. 5. Give half to the U.S. government, give half of remainder to church, invest the rest.
1. Yes. 14-now, though very infrequenly now (though I curse the evil day I ever started).2. Pearl Jam, Red Rocks, CO, 1997 (or 1996?). My dad bought me a ticket and I elected to stay longer with my grandma in Oregon on a visit. Mostly I regret the chance to bond with my dad over our mutual favorite band. He took my sister, who didn't love them like I did, but the time with my grandma was worth it.
3. Two cats. Oscar, a gorgeous orange tabby, and he's the devil in disguise. Oh, yes he is, the devil in disguise. Josie, a sweet and beautiful (and much abused by Oscar) silky little black cat with an adorable white dickey.
4. I guess Mario II, because I played and enjoyed it last weekend, and don't play many video games. Ask Hernando to answer that one for me.
5. I'd donate a quarter of it to charity (cancer research for one--too many people I love have died from it). It sounds awful to not donate more, but my family really needs that money. I'd buy my dad a nice house and car (he always has beaters), set Sarah up best I could, and spend the rest on a decent little abode for myself. Security is very important to me.
1. Yes
2. Id say Woodstock too...especially during Santana's _Soul Sacrifice_...especially, like, right where Bill Graham was chillin next to that amp/(speaker?) forgot. repeat would be phish, rosemont (allstate), 10/31/95. Boy oh boy.
3. Apartment doesnt allow. Will get dogs and probably a pet rat when we move out
4. Impossible question. I refuse to think about this
5. Invest in such a way as to never have to work again.
4. Mappy or the original sit-down arcade Star Wars or SMB1 (arcade, not nintendo)
1. I tried to start smoking a couple times in high school, but never got into it. I've probably smoked the equivalent of one full pack in my life. One thing I know for sure now is that another cigarette will never pass these pretty pink lips... watching someone die of lung cancer was the worst thing I've ever seen. I hope that doesn't sound preachy. 2. I am a dork, and I'm OK with that. I really want to see Barenaked Ladies in concert, and I don't care when or where. 3. Yes! Dolly the Wonder Hamster is my constant companion. She actually has her own web site & advice column, which you can see here 4. Not really into them, but my friend Mike says I'm a natural at Halo. I just shoot absolutely everything I see; if that makes me a natural, then so be it. 5. Donate a good chunk to charity (I love the idea of having a building named after me), buy myself a house, purchase some condos in rapidly-gentrifying areas & rent them out until I can double my investment by selling them, give some to my family, take a month-long vacation, go back to school for something that I'm actually INTERESTED in, and invest the rest.
1. Do you, or have you ever smoked cigarettes? (you should quit. i should quit.)
i did for awhile, but then i quit. which is good.
2. If you could transport yourself to any place and time to see one concert, which one would it be and when would it be?
wow, really? well, the first one that came to mind was the conspiracy of hope show where the police handed the instuments to U2 during invisible sun and they finished the song. i'm preatty sure that was the police's last real show.
but, alaric brought up a good one, i never got to see johnny, which bugs me. i heard he played the cubby bear once. that would have been rad.
3. Do you have pets?
no
4. What's your favorite video game EVER?
probably super mario kart, with james bond a close second. i'll still kick you ass lukas!!!!!! proximity minds!!!!
5. If you won $10 million tomorrow, what would you do with it?
well, let see....
spend alot more time recording the record, pay lanois a butt load to produce it and mix it.
buy a bunch of gear for me and the guys
buy a house in evanston or something
buy a 66' mustang 289 and a saturn vue for jen
set my folk up with a big vacation, as well as the in-laws
donate a bunch to alot of great charities
buy some lake front property and build my dream cabin/summer home, with a barn/studio
go to new zealand with my friends and tour middle earth
thats probably good for now
i let you know more when i get the money!
i just thought of three other shows!! oh, well.
1. Do you, or have you ever smoked cigarettes? (you should quit. i should quit.)
I do, and I should quit. I've smoked since I was 13.
2. If you could transport yourself to any place and time to see one concert, which one would it be and when would it be?
tough one. probably any of Led Zeppelin's late 60's/early 70's shows. Knebworth or the Forum. I'd really like to have sat in the corner of the room when Bonham, Jones, Page, and Plant all jammed together for the first time, and knew at once that they had to form a band...
3. Do you have pets?
not anymore. we had a dog a few years back. and my sister had a guinea pig and a goldfish. but no longer. it doesn't bother me really, i wouldn't pay enough attention to it. but, J@ckie has a really cool little black Scotty dog named Henry. Henry loves me.
4. What's your favorite video game EVER?
tough one. i could play Halo for hours, i gotta give props to SMB2, Mike Tyson's Punchout, R.C. ProAm, and Metal Gear... However, until i play THPS:Underground, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 would have to be my all-time favorite, if for no other reason than it being the only game i've ever played from 10pm-2pm straight. it's a good thing i don't own that game.
5. If you won $10 million tomorrow, what would you do with it?
good question. i'd probably invest $9 million. then, i'd throw $505350 towards paying off the diner's entire tall stack of debt. with the $494650 left over, half would go to my church (leaving $247325). first, I'd take j@ckie on a real nice date, dinner in Paris, perhaps? I'd pay for my schoolin. buy a new car, and a new car for my sisters and my parents. i'd put a downpayment on a house somewhere out here in the burbs. I'd continue to do the things i do now, but not have to worry about cash all the time, or finding a job (ugh!!). I would have $24K in a separate poker bankroll, which would only be used for poker, and would grow steadily from my poker winnings. I'd also probably travel a bit more and buy a few instruments (keyboard, digital multitrack recorder, new guitars, acoustic bass, maybe a drum set to learn on...) I'd also fly in the whole diner and buy dinner at Cafe Victoria's, and then out to a show or something (TMLMTBGB, perhaps?) I'd probably throw a bit Redvinegar's way so they could max out their studio time if they needed it. I'd build a darkroom in my new house, and start to build a Recording Studio.
I would live on the interest from the intial investment, then. And continue to pursue my schoolin and then figure out what i want to do to contribute to this world, and start pursuing that. half of the interest on the investment every year would go straight to my church. the other half would go to support whatever endeavors i was pursuing. every year, all the profits from my poker playing that year would be set aside for helping my friends in need.eventually, it would be fun to buy an entire city block and rent all the apartments out to artists for cheap cheap cheap (read: rent=cost of maintenance and taxes).
1. A few times. 2. Very difficult. Hendrix played Sgt Pepper's on a Sunday night after hearing the album the day it came out on Friday or Saturday. That would have been cool to see. Maybe the Police on their first American tour. Maybe the Cure for Disintegration. Once when I saw Plant and Page they had the old Cure guitar player and played a song off of that album and it was something else to hear Plant sing it. 3. Tink the Red Factor Canary. 4. Spy Hunter. 5. Deposit 1 million into an account for a year to decide what to do with it and give the other 9 million to various friends and family.
1. nope
2. Honestly, I am not much of a concert-goer. I've enjoyed the ones that I've gone to, but for the most part am content to listen to the music via a recording. Lame, maybe, but it works for me.
3. I have three cats. Marie is a grey and brown striped tabby who is very silky and delicate. I call her the queen because she is obstinate, finicky, forceful, and hates almost everyone. Then there's Darla who is white with black spots ala dairy cow. She is the clumsiest cat I have ever seen, but, though she is shy, she is friendly to most everyone (though she has a phobia about having her paws touched...sounds funny, but they are so white and cute that almost everyone who's met her has tried to touch her paws on at least one occasion). And, Megan is a humongous orange striped tabby. She is fairly friendly and free-spirited. She hides from strangers and is slow to make friends. However, she will sometimes purr just because I happen to be sitting in the same room as her, which certainly makes my day.
4. I am not a video-game player. I have vague recollections that I might once have been good at Duckhunt, but I couldn't even pass the first level of the first Mario Brothers... No practice played a factor as video game systems were outlawed in my house but also (and probably mostly) because I just have lousey hand-eye coordination.
5. Give to God and to Cesear. Pay off debt: mine, my parents', my brothers', and the Tall Stack (good idea baggins). Then, take what's left and buy/build myself a nice cozy retreat somewhere in the mountains. I would work, but not like I do now. I would do the things that I enjoy. I would write. I would travel. I would produce the artistic endeavors of my friends and possibly attempt some artistic endeavors of my own. And, I would optimistically try to make the world a better place.
Ok, I'm slow, so I'm going to answer blvd's first.1. Occaisionally. 2. Yes, a big maglite, but it's in WI and not doing me much good out here. 3. Frosted mini wheats. I really don't like them with milk--they get too mushy. 4. Don't care, but it disturbs me that when my 7-yr-old nephew makes a mistake he starts singing "oops I did it again." 5. The original plan was to bake pumpkin pies and celebrate at the Dongs' house (friends from church,) but yesterday my pastor's wife told me to come crash their Thanksgiving after I'm done at the party I was officially invited to. Can one "crash" a Thanksgiving party if the hostess has invited you?
ok, here goes:1. Nope.
2. Gary Numan, The Touring Principle Tour, 1980 - Providence Civic Center. Or Failure at the Grand Rapid's Intersection, 1997.
3. Nope.
4. Pac-Man hands down. Double Dragon is a close second.
5. I would take a week off from work and stay at my parent's house to discuss all the possibilities. If it's a sufficient amount of money...I would do the following. 1) Give to parents and brother. 2) Do all sorts of charity work. 3) Put aside college money for my son. 4) Build a Mies Van Der Rohe-inspired one story, flat-roofed glass house on a secluded coast in Rhode Island. 5) buy a Lime Green 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. 6) Get a part-time job at Hollywood Video.
Thursday is Thanksgiving, and I will be without internet access until Monday. So, would you rather wait until Monday for my questions, or have someone who has weekend internet access pick this weeks questions for Thursday? I'll leave it up to the majority.
1. smokes? yes. in college, socially in bands, started again moving to DC, quit again a while ago but still lapse now and again. It get the jones at a bar, at practice, or the worst after playing a show at a bar.2. concert? This is a tough question. I spent a lot of time considering this driving home from our show on friday night and I have a grand plan to put together a longish list of concerts I would have loved to be at. But since I can only pick one i would say the Grateful Dead at Red Rocks 7-8-78. Err well actaully, maybe any dead from the spring of 69, or the show at RFK with the allmans, or......
3. pets? Yep. The lovely and talented dakota. She's a five-year old alaskan malamute who is the sweetest sled/lap dog around (and everyone thinks she's a wolf). She's got an independent streak and a mean temper towards other female dogs. But there's nothing she loves more than having her belly rubbed Well maybe she likes tuna moer than that, but belly rubs come a close second.
4. video-game? SNACK-ATTACK!!! I spent many many hours on the old Apple ][+ playing this game. Ahhh good times.
5. 10mil? Put it all away and start a foundation that would handle gifts and donations from the interest. I figure one million would be enough for us to live on for a long long time if we used it right so I would put the rest into this foundation that would invest it and create a long term endowment for projects and causes etc.
1.) yes, but not anymore
2.) In like 1996 i had tickets to a Radiohead/Spiritualized show that I had to miss. It was very sad. It was after Lazer Guided Melodies and before Ok Computer. 3.) My pet is a fine pooch (Brown Lab) named Leia. She's very loyal and affectionate. She's 3.5, but still has quite a bit of puppy energy, especially when people come to visit. she also likes to watch football on TV. Seriously. A lot of people say animals can't distinguish images on the TV, but Leia will run right up to the TV if there is a dog on TV. It's funny. Anywho, she will sit for hours and watch football if it is on. 4.) The Legend of Zelda (especially the first play through of it). That was pure magic. 5.) With my 10000K I would pay off the house, my families houses, etc. I'd try to put the money to work to support some ministries and allow me to be a kickboxer for a living. I've never really kicked anything though. Is it difficult? Actually, I would probably keep my job. I am a dork.
i don't think it would hurt if you posted your questions early. it's better than waiting til monday.
I can be dumb sometimes, I'll post my questions tomorrow. Now all I need are 5 questions...
I need to change my previous answer to question #4: I can't believe I forgot Tunnels of Doom and Hunt the Wumpus!!
1. Do you, or have you ever smoked cigarettes? (you should quit. i should quit.) I do smoke, and have since I was 14. I've been through 5 brands of cigarettes, i started on reds. now i sometimes smoke Ultra Lights.2. If you could transport yourself to any place and time to see one concert, which one would it be and when would it be? Shit....guns n' roses with metallica....or maybe a bad company show, in some shitty small venue. before they got all huge, really any rockin' 70's band before they got all huge. Zepplin, Bad Company, Lynard Skynard.
3. Do you have pets? I have a black cat named Spooky. and I hate her.
4. What's your favorite video game EVER? Shit...I really love Tekken. I have this awesome memories of a summer when I stilled lived on Foster Ave. and we had a party, but all my sister and I did was play fucking tekken. it was great.
5. If you won $10 million tomorrow, what would you do with it? Eat, pay for school...shit, buy a school. An entire school of my own thought. I don't know...set up an awesome college fund for mny new niece. Buy a house....fuck...there will be more.
guns n' roses with metallica - that would have been super cool. wish i'd thought of it.
1. Driving from New York to L.A. you have only one cd to listen to, what would it be?2. What is your favorite kind of cheese? (if you don't like cheese what's your favorite cracker?)
3. What is your favorite board game?
4. On average, how much time do you spend on the internet a day?
5. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Extra Credit: Would you like to see a movie about George Wendt eating beans?
1. wow, kudos BigJ! what a question. well, an easy answer would be to make a cd of a bunch of stuff but, i guessing BigJ was meaning one album. i'm not sure i could do it. but, how about ok computer or something that has it all some slower songs as well as some that kick to keep me up and motivated to keep driving, maybe pearl jam's yield. ya i'll go with yield.
2. normally i would say pepper jack but, lately it's been dill havarti.
3. i really like crainum
4. too much, but, yet not enough.
5. somekind of recording studio dude that also does some freelance album design.
1. Ummm... uhrm... a compiation of some kind. Maybe the soundtrack to Sliding Doors. Or to Moulin Rouge, which is something I could sing along with. Yes, being able to sing along with it would be important.2. Mmmm. Cheese. Cheddar if it is good and sharp, otherwise a nice well-aged swiss is good.
3. Lately it would have to be Spinergy. Or Beyond Balderdash - those two rotate.
4. About 2 hours total? It's hard to say because I never 'sit down' to do it for any length of time. For example, while posting my last post, I took about 1 hour, as I had to feed Julia, then put Anna down for a nap. So it's really hard to say. IE and my email are both open for about 10 hours a day, but maybe 2 of which (1 during nap and 1 before bed) I'm sitting down.
5. Exactly what I am doing, a stay at home mom. But when I do go back to work I want to teach creative writing at Mason. Or if you're talking strictly fantasy, I'd like to dissappear into the wilds, anywhere really, and be a naturist.
George Wendt eating beans... well, it would depend on the kind. Lima beans, no. Baked... perhaps.
good questions!1. Driving from New York to L.A. you have only one cd to listen to, what would it be?
Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won.
2. What is your favorite kind of cheese? (if you don't like cheese what's your favorite cracker?)
Muenster, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack
3. What is your favorite board game?
Settlers of Catan, Risk, or Axis and Allies
4. On average, how much time do you spend on the internet a day?
many many hours. probably an average of 5 a day.
5. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Rock Star/Poker Pro
Extra Credit: Would you like to see a movie about George Wendt eating beans?
if you make it, i will watch it.
1. Driving from New York to L.A. you have only one cd to listen to, what would it be? Bad Company Greatest Hits2. What is your favorite kind of cheese? (if you don't like cheese what's your favorite cracker?) Swiss
3. What is your favorite board game? Scrabble
4. On average, how much time do you spend on the internet a day? 5 hours...(sheesh that seems liek a lot, but I work on a comp. so i have a good excuse)
5. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? Cinematographer, but I would need to be blessed with talent first.
Extra Credit: Would you like to see a movie about George Wendt eating beans? I don't know who he is. So, sure.
- it would have to be an album that i could listen to over and over without skipping any songs. i can only think of four albums that i have that meet this criteria (there are probably many that i don't have and therefore have no experience with). in no particular order: u2's the joshua tree, redvinegar's meanwhile, the empire records soundtrack, and vivaldi's concertos 1-7 (the first four are probably better known as "the four seasons").
- mild cheddar
- settlers of catan
- i don't keep track. technically, i suppose i'm one of those people that's "always online". i leave things like web browsers and irc clients running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. i open and close my mail client each time i check my email, but that can easily be 100-200 times per day.
- i'd work for nasa in robotics.
1. Outkast, _Stankonia_. But if cd means whole album, then Id guess the Live Phish from 10/31/95, because it's a set, and it's more than 3 hours long, so it would be easier to listen to...but then again, Woodstock was an "album" and that's ALOT longer, so maybe that...and 3 different surveys come together in one answer
2. Muenster
3. Risk
4. average, about 30 minutes a day. Usually equals twice a week for 2 hours at a time. This does not include online time at work to print sales reports and all incoming forced-to-read emails and documents through our personal website...i dont consider that even being online, because its a repetitive trap forced upon us.
5. Same as Emily, also needing the blessed talent.
e.c. Props, BigJ. Only if it were animated with the tiny toons as major pro or antagonists
As for the extra credit question, I think I'd have to look over the script first.
- I think I'd go with Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly.
- Pepper Jack
- Probably Risk
- I don't like to think about that.
- I dunno, maybe a writer?
1. Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage, especially if there's other people in the car2. Port wine is the only kind of cheese
3. Monopoly
4. Thanks to work, around eight
5. Cabin boy
Extra Credit: if someone else rented it, sure
1. I can't pick one; Dylan Royal Albert Hall 1966 Bootleg Sessions or Led Zeppelin; Physical Graffiti2. Vermont or NY Sharp White Cheddar
3. Go, Stratego, or Monopoly
4. 3 to 4 hours, if you count NT Greek related tasks.
5. I like my proposed career just fine, thanks.
XC: I can see George Wendt in anything, anytime, thanks.
- Probably Daniel Lanois. For The Beauty Of Wynona. Or possibly Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys While The Ages Roll On. Or maybe Jason Harrod and Brian Funck's NPU Bootleg.
- Sharp Colby.
- Settlers of Catan.
- Oh man... probably 10 or so on average, if not more.
- Executive Independently Wealthy Artist W.F. & P. (With Fanbase and Privacy)
XC: Sure!
1. Cave In - Antenna, or Failure - Fantastic Planet 2. Mozzarella 3. Monopoly 4. 6 hours per day 5. Movie Poster Designer - or - Acrobat PilotEC: only if Danny Elfman did the score.
1. i think either bob dylan highway 61 or mermaid avenue vol. 12. provolone and brie
3. boggle or trivial pursuit
4. i try to average about an hour and a half while i have no job.
5. actor and club dj
george wendt: oh sure. it would probably be most watchable if jean-pierre jeunet made that movie.
1. Lately I've been loving on Outkast "The Love Below." So either that or the soundtrack to "O Brother Where Art Thou," just for the sing-along value.2. Mozzarella or colby, unless we're talking about BLTs, in which case munster
3. Oooh, hard one. Probably Cranium or Beyond Balderdash or Taboo. I LOVE board games and am in a couple of groups that meet on occasion just to play. I'm more than happy to organize something similar for Diners, if y'all are interested.
4. At home, maybe an hour. But at work, I'm pretty much constantly logged on.
5. I have no idea. Really, none. At all.
Extra Credit: sure.
1. Lately I've been loving on Outkast "The Love Below." So either that or the soundtrack to "O Brother Where Art Thou," just for the sing-along value.2. Mozzarella or colby, unless we're talking about BLTs, in which case munster
3. Oooh, hard one. Probably Cranium or Beyond Balderdash or Taboo. I LOVE board games and am in a couple of groups that meet on occasion just to play. I'm more than happy to organize something similar for Diners, if y'all are interested.
4. At home, maybe an hour. But at work, I'm pretty much constantly logged on.
5. I have no idea. Really, none. At all.
Extra Credit: sure.
1. Indigo Girls- 1000 Curfews
2. Vermont Extra Sharp White Cheddar
3. Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit
4. Maybe three on workdays and maybe 1/2 - 1 hour on weekends
5. Poet
Extra- Maybe
fook: live phish 10/31/95 would be a great choice. that's one i hope they someday release on dvd because the light show during the third set was amazing.pedro (or phil, or someone): I want a copy of the npu harrod/funck bootleg. i'll even discs and postage if anyone can make me a copy of that gem.
one - Big Bad Love soundtrack.
two - parmesan
three - I don't like board games, maybe trivial pursuit?
four - 8-10 hours... but it's my job.
five - photographer for alpinist magazine.
1. NY->LA CD? This is a tough one (kind of like the concert question from the previous survey). I've got it down to three and then i would roll a die or seomthing at the last minute. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, truly beautiful work of art, no the best road trippin music, but i could listen to it over and over. Soulhat - Outdebox, a great album I can listen to over and over. Allman Brothers Band - Eat a Peach, two words: mountain jam. Thinking about this more in the contect of a road trip and I'd have to say that Miles would probably lose out in favor of the more road-trip friendly music.2. Cheese? Any and all and the stinkier the better. I love the soft french cheeses and the raw milk swiss cheeses like emmenthaler and gruyere and pungent goat cheeses etc. But since I have to pick a favorite cheese I would say a nice ripe blue cheese.
3. board game? Chess. Anyone want to play correspondence or on yahoo?
4. internet? way too much. I was good this weekend and was only one for at most an hour-a-day. Usually it's a lot at work and several hours at home. And usually and I'm bored out of my mind. I keep thinking that if I look hard enough the internet will be cool again...
5. job? rockstar! Except being a rockstar really isn't a "job" it's more of a lifestyle. real job: master chef or tenured college professor. (I feel like that scene in High Fidelity where he lists his dream jobs and then realizes that they are attainable.)
EC: Huh? I don't get it...
1. I would definitely go for Paul Simon's Graceland, it's the only album I can listen to over and over like that.2. Black Diamond Aged Cheddar, that stuff is very yummy.
3. A tie between Trivial Pursuit and Cosmic Wimpout.
4. Probably about 2 hours a day, but having it at work helps a lot.
5. A job that involves studying animals all over the world, maybe a travelling professor for the Au Sable Biology school, going to different places around the world to teach.
Extra Credit: This is from the survery in Tiny Toons, for those who didn't recognize it, which seems to be most other than Fook. They ask a series of survey questions, do you like movies? Do you like George Wendt? Would you like to see a movie with George Wendt? Do you like beans? Would you like to se a movie with George Wendt about beans? Would you like to se a movie with George Wendt while eating beans? and on and on and on, very funny.
And for the next set of questions I nominate Dex.
I think it's actually from Animaniacs.
I apologize
Isn't it new survey day?
and I thought it was from animaniacs, but then fook said tiny toons and I suddenly wasn't sure.I haven't seen a message from dex in a while. Should I pick someone else?
How about this, if dex doesn't pop up with questions for today then it's pedro's turn and he can put them on tonight or something.
Hehehe. I did get the message I just thought it was FRIDAY I was supposed to do the questions.Lemme think after Anna's bedtime, around 8:30 EST.
1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done?2) What foods are your comfort foods?
3) What's your number once vice?
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad?
5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done? everything i do. jesus. i don't know, really there are a million things, stoeln money, cheated on homework and boyfriend. you name it, i've done it2) What foods are your comfort foods? Munchies, pie....
3) What's your number once vice? smoking, no boys, no smoking, no boys...this coudl go on all night.
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad? Drunk smoker in search of same.
5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack? Lots of good music to walk to. Queen "Another One Bites the Dust", AC/DC "Cold Hearted Man", ZZ Top "...shit i dont' remember the name to it...
1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done?
I secretly recorded a telephone conversation many years ago. Though actually I don't know if this qualifies as "dishonest" it is the first thing that came to mind.2) What foods are your comfort foods?
Mountain Dew and cranbery sauce, not together though.3) What's your number once vice?
I don't think I have any vices anymore. I used to have caffeine as a vice, but I had to give it up because I didn't like what it did to my nerves.4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad?
Established left brain seeks right brain for balance.5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Pachelbel's Canon (it suits me, and it's my favorite piece of music) One More Hour (from _Ragtime_, for the depressing years) You Spin Me Round Like a Record (quintessential 80s song represents an extremely turbulent decade)
1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done? -i used to shoplift in high school (as well as various other froms of theft). one time, a dealer in a poker game made a mistake and pushed me the pot when another guy showed a better hand than me but wasn't paying attention, and i said nothing about it. i used to lie to my parents a lot in high school, but i have pretty much told them everything i lied about by now.2) What foods are your comfort foods? sandwiches, i guess. or pizza.
3) What's your number once vice? smoking.
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad? Beren seeks Luthien Tinuviel
5) your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack? Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Dead Flag Blues Led Zeppelin - Ramble On Stevie Wonder - Superstition Sunny Day Real Estate - 48 Vann Morrison - Moondance
1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done? I used to work at a movie theatre, alone in the box office. Children's tickets were $2 less than adult tickets, so sometimes I'd ring up adults as children (the tickets looked the same physically) and pocket the $2. I firmly believe that my current $$ situation is a direct result of me being so naughty ten years ago.2) What foods are your comfort foods? Ben & Jerry's, country fried steak, blueberry pancakes
3) What's your number once vice? I had to look this word up... my "evil or wicked action, habit or characteristic" is probably over-indulgence, usually in the form of shopping or chowing down. And #2 is I use the "F" word too much.
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad? "Diva seeks nonsmoker over 6'2" who is willing to kiss the ground I walk on, then administer a foot rub."
5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack? "Good Woman" by Cat Power, "Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root, and "Shameless" by Ani Difranco
1. dont want to know
2. dont really have any
3. Smoking
4. Warggle took my answer
5. The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round
- I'm really not sure... I'm a pretty honest person. THe thing that comes to mind is that when I was a kid (maybe 3rd, 4th grade), I begged for a keyboard. I drooled over the big rolands, but I would have been happy with a Casio with cool sounds and stuff. I started to save my money in relative earnest for the $200 or so I needed (at that time, it would have been a LONG time in coming). My parents decided that they would buy me a keyboard for Christmas, probably spending at least double on their Christmas budget for me on that one present... at least. We did not get big gifts, like Nintendos, and stuff like that for Chrsistmas. Anyway, they talked to my piano teacher, who convinced them that it would be best for me as a piano player to have a keyboard with fullsize keys. This of course is a lot more expensive than one with the smaller keys... and you have to trade things off if you get one with bigger keys (or spend a lot more money). My parents got me a keyboard with 4 octaves and fullsize keys... but it only had 5 instruments (piano, clarinet, oboe, organ, and vibraphone) and like 4 beats (rock, slow rock, waltz, march). I might be forgetting one or two... but they were all pretty... lame. I was really, really disappointed, but of course, my parents had paid a lot of money for the keyboard, sacrificing to get me something I really wanted... but I would have almost rather played a real piano than the keyboard. Anyway, I knew how big of a deal it was that they got it for me, so I did my best to be excited about it, and I did play it, but not the way I would have if it had cool instruments, or drum pads, or cool beats. My cousin Sheri had one of those, which I ended up borrowing and playing more. Anyway, I felt terrible, but I felt like I had to act excited.
So that's not really so "dishonest" per se, but I felt really bad about the whole thing. I'm not really a deceptive person.
- Hmm, pizza for sure. Ice cream.
- My number one vice is probably procrastination. I have vices that are more interesting, but procrastination affects me and those around me more seriously and on a more day to day basis much more than any of the more interesting vices do.
- Introspective Moderate Christian Male Artist/Geek type seeks compatible gal. No particular qualifications necessary. Apply within.
- Hmm... Peter Gabriel's Us, Chris Whitley -- Dirt Floor, RS and the Clinch Mt. Boys "While the Ages Roll On", Appalachian Spring, Quiet City (both Aaron Copland), and the Daniel Lanois studio discography.
- I've arranged for that to only be disclosed in a tell-all memoir after my death.
- Cranberry sauce (preferably still shaped like the can)
- Sleep.
- SM seeks SHC for RHL, LWOTB, and STROOLTIH. No fatties.
- This is excluding the heartwarming cinematic score:
- Flat Duo Jets - Lonely Guy
- Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive
- REM - Shiny, Happy People
- Dynamite Hack - Anyway
- Harvey Danger - The Same as Being in Love
- They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse in Your Soul
Dag nabit I forgot to put a title on this beast and of COURSE I lost all my answers!1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done?
Sold a carton of cigs to Renee for the price of a pack to dodge security cameras at the store I worked at in college.
2) What foods are your comfort foods?
Chocolate, cheese. Anything rich.
3) What's your number once vice?
I really honestly don't have one anymore. I used to eat for comfort, but I kicked that and I kicked smoking and I don't drink. I do procrastinate, but even that I don't do often anymore. Maybe chatting on the net.
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad?
Strong willed writer woman, lightly scented of warm milk and baby bath, seeks mate with an ear/a shoulder/strong arms and a strong stomach. Must not shirk diaper duty and should be willing to sing at all hours of the night, if needed.
5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Nightswimming, REM
Desire, U2
Sexuality, Billy Bragg
Sometimes Salvation, Black Crowes
Jane of the Waking Universe, Guided by Voices
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Sinatra
California Skies, BB & Wilco
1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done? - Dishonest? Probably making fake IDs in college. I've done worse things, but I can't really say they were dishonest, just bad.2) What foods are your comfort foods? Does gin count as a food?
3) What's your number once vice? Skiing, climbing, chemicals... take your pick.
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad? Nerd with adventure addiction seeks girl to play in the woods with. Full set of teeth and expierence with the criminally insane a bonus. Send picture of gear.
5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
"God was drunk when he made me" - Jim White
"Tangeled up in blue" - Bob Dylan
"Even the losers" - Tom Petty
"They're coming to take me away" - Lard
"Minimum wage" - They Might be Giants
My definite. absolute, worst vice is not being able to go to bed when I should... I give in to the temptation of staying up too late almost every time, even though I am past the age where I can get 4 hours of sleep and still get through a work day.
i've had some real early daysthese past two, and even though i made myself go to bed earlier, i still didn't get nearly enough sleep. basically, i was at church this morning for longer than i've slept in the past two days.either way, i am really tired. i'm about to kick it right now.
1) What's the most dishonest thing you've ever done?
Lied to my friend stating I had almost all of the Transformers. Also, peered over some dudes shoulder in the Music class for answers. Hey, I didn't feel like studying.
2) What foods are your comfort foods?
Oreos and Milk, Deep Dish Pizza
3) What's your number once vice?
Research
4) How would you describe yourself in a personals ad?
6-2, 167 pound male, loves reading, sports, traveling. Seeks woman that does not mind boredom.
5) If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Helmet - Wilma's Rainbow
Gary Numan - Cars
Weezer - The Good Life
Cave In - Innuendo and Out the Other
Call Florence Pow - Speed G Tappin' Master
Pedro.
1) Lied to my boss about not knowing where the big dent on the back/top of the van came from. This was two years ago, when I was working at the boarding school...I feel horrible about this- I actually told her the day that I hint that stupid tree branch that I hit the stupid tree branch, but she didn't write it down cause she was busy that day or something. So, when she approached me a couple of months later to ask me if one of my staff members or I knew how the top of the bus got deformed I panicked and lied... (I am probably going to hell...)
2) Hmmm. Most foods bring me comfort, but probably potato chips/french fries are the worst/BEST!
3) Pride
4) Warrior Princess sort of waiting for figment of imagination to enter fantasyland (white charger not required) but really too busy slaying dragons... In other words, don't bother.
5) Hard question... What's on the radio right now? Probably, that peppy "Walkin' on Sunshine" song, "What a Wonderful World," the Alex and the Chipmunk version of "Arthur's Theme," some lay-me-on-a-piano, 40s torch song, Cat Steven's "Moonshadow," and the Muppets'"Movin Right Along."
:<
1) Lied to my parents.2) Lil' Smokies, Baclava, Brie (not all at once)
3) Sleeping in (and staying up late)
4) Bass player seeks cute drummer to help hold down the groove.
5) gathering storm - gybe, big backyard - soulhat, american band - grand funk rr, mountain jam - abb, sugar magnolia - dead, ramble on - zep, weird science - oingo boingo, amazing grace - victor wooten solo, blue water - seeds, new orleans fantasy - rahsaan roland kirk, agent 6950 - babe the blue ox, building steam with a grain of salt - dj shadow, coming down the mountain - janes addiction, work song - cannonball adderly
does Karna still play drums? i mean, actively? just wondering...
baggins, not really. They are in our bedroom stacked in the corner along with all the other gear. She still wants to play, but has no time, and nowhere to practice.
- If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
- If, by your voluntary but possibly painful death, you could cause this to be, would you agree to it?
- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
- What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
- If you could improve your least favorite thing to "not bothersome" status, but in the process you necessarily lost your favorite thing about yourself, would you take the trade?
Extra credit: Read this comic. Yes? No? Explain. Or don't.
1. The world would be fair. "Good" people would live long / healthy / prosperous lives, bad people would not.2. No. That wouldn't be fair.
3. If nothing else, I almost always have good intentions. I also strive to be authentic and honest in everything.
4. I am selfish and lack both tact and self-control.
5. No way.
EC: hee.
Extra Credit:No, that would be perjury.
- People should be less selfish
- No, I'm far too selfish
- I'm relaxed
- Have trouble getting to know people
- Naw
1) People would have a deep, fundamental respect - for each other, for life in general, for property, civil liberties. I think this would end almost all conflicts.2) Easily yes. I'd do anything to make the world a better place for my girls.
3) I'm slow to anger, quick to forgive. No grudges.
4) Fear - the fear of snakes, of electricity, of failure, etc. I'd kill my paranoia basically.
5) No way man.
EC: I think that'd just be irritating.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
What Dex said -- apply enough empathy to everyone on the planet that people couldn't help but respect others.If, by your voluntary but possibly painful death, you could cause this to be, would you agree to it?
Yes, if it would make the condition permanent.What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My empathic nature.What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
My occasional inability to avoid drama. This is why I try to avoid loud and aggressive persons, like the Desiderate says.If you could improve your least favorite thing to "not bothersome" status, but in the process you necessarily lost your favorite thing about yourself, would you take the trade?
Absolutely not. It's easier to work around than to fix, anyway.EC:
I'm afraid I just don't get it. I mean, it would be pretty cool to talk about your awesomeness in an official capacity, but ultimately the other character is right -- it isn't cool to talk about how cool you are.
- i'd make life fair.
- yes.
- i'm always learning.
- i remember a lot of useless crap and sometimes it annoys people and sometimes i get mad when other people can't remember things.
- no.
but t-rex, don't you know that utahraptor is having your baby?
1. no car alarms.2. yes yes yes.
3. i'm always right.
4. i think i'm always right.
5. hmm. interesting quandry here.
it took me a while to figure out what the answer to #5 on dex's list. i have it now.
- when i was about 8 my brother and i had this plastic box that was for legos or construx or something and we filled it up with all kinds of really nasty gross stuff (i don't remember what the point was, or if there even was one). it got worse as it sat there, rotting. then one day this other younger kid was over, and he opened it and got it all over himself. my brother and i both claimed ignorance and the kid took all the heat.
- mac and cheese, scrambled eggs, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and vanilla ice cream
- nostalgia. it's something most people would probably never even know. i indulge in it privately.
- man seeking woman. constrained by ad space, please call for more information
- innocence mission - bright as yellow, filter - take a picture, the barenaked ladies - the old apartment, coldplay - yellow, the folk implosion - free to go, the smashing pumpkins - rhinoceros, underworld - cowgirl, primitive radio gods - standing outside a broken phone booth with change in my hand, pearl jam - release[1]
[1] for a long time, i thought the second and third verses of "release" started with "oh, dear dad", not "oh, dear diane". people who know me will know why this is significant.
actually, i just looked around at a bunch of transcriptions of the song lyrics and they all had it as "oh, dear dad". maybe i just saw somebody's odd transcription a couple of years ago..... weird.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? That would be unisex restrooms, Stan...and world peace
If, by your voluntary but possibly painful death, you could cause this to be, would you agree to it? probably not for the unisex restrooms, but I still think it's a good idea
What is your favorite thing about yourself? Hmmm...maybe my determination
What is your least favorite thing about yourself? my pinkie toenails are spilt
If you could improve your least favorite thing to "not bothersome" status, but in the process you necessarily lost your favorite thing about yourself, would you take the trade? Nope.
I don't enjoy the dinosaurs so much.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?People wouldn't have the capacity to kill each other...
If, by your voluntary but possibly painful death, you could cause this to be, would you agree to it?
possibly. i'd have to think about it. probably not. i'm more of a misanthropic humanist. i like a lot of individual people, but people as a whole really suck. i don't need to die to do anybody any favors. maybe that's why i'm me and not Jesus...
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
I care.
What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
the times i don't care...
If you could improve your least favorite thing to "not bothersome" status, but in the process you necessarily lost your favorite thing about yourself, would you take the trade?
i don't think that could work. and no, i wouldn't anyway...
1. I would that everyone in the world would have a fulfilled relationship with God.2. I think I would, although I really don't like pain.
3. My creativity.
4. My temper / ease of frustration.
5. No, I wouldn't.
EX: I don't think it would be cool to testify to your awesomeness at a murder trial. It tries too hard.
I nominate
OCTALfor this week.
Extra Credit: Would you like the calamari or the squid?
- Do you dream in black and white, or color?
- If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say?
- Where would you most like to visit?
- Can you roll your tongue?
- Do you believe in free will?
1. Color. 2. I would call myself when I was trying to decide where to go to school and tell myself to trust God, and go with what my heart was really telling me deep down, and that everything would work out fine, so quit worrying about it. 3. Right now? New Zealand. 4. Yes. 5. Yes.EX: True.
Do you dream in black and white, or color?
Color. Definitely color. As a kid I dreamed in exaggerated color, like in cartoons.
If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say?
I'd call mid-afternoon about halfway through my freshman year of high school, on the day my past self saw a swastika painted on his locker. I would warn him that more of that kind of thing was coming, but that everything would be okay eventually, and to survive in the meantime however possible.
Where would you most like to visit?
Ireland.
Can you roll your tongue?
No. But Anna probably can.
Do you believe in free will?
Most definitely. Either we have true free will, or we can't see into our destined future -- which would give us the illusion of free will. Either way works out pretty much the same.
Extra Credit: Would you like the calamari or the squid?
Extra tentacles please.
- Do you dream in black and white, or color?
i haved dreamed in both (not simultaneously).- If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say?
may 4th, 1996, 0800 EST. "keep your wits and don't screw this up."- Where would you most like to visit?
home- Can you roll your tongue?
yes- Do you believe in free will?
undecidedif by "squid" you mean just that... squid, and by "calamari" you mean "fried squid", then i'll take the calamari.
1. color 2. stop caring what other people think of you. take some risks. 3. I'm with Pedro. After seeing ROTK, I can't imagine a cooler place than New Zealand. 4. yes 5. is this a trick question?
Do you dream in black and white, or color? Vividly in color. I can also count, read and eat in my dreams, which some people can't do. I also remember at least four dreams a night.If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say? I'd call myself when I was 9. I'd tell myself to tell my parents and not just take it, that they'd still love me and that it would stop.
Where would you most like to visit? Ireland.
Can you roll your tongue? You bet. I can tie a cherry stem too.
Do you believe in free will? Yes.
Extra Credit: Would you like the calamari or the squid? I'm allergic to both.
Do you dream in black and white, or color?
as far as i know, B&W. but i don't really recall one way or the other.
If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say?
i don't know. i think one of the most valuable things i have learned in the last few years is patience. i am still learning how to apply patience in a lot of areas in my life, but it is so valuable to me when patience pays off. i personally believe that i have learned a lot of that from playing poker. so, instead of calling myself when i was like 16 and saying 'be patient!' i would take all my poker books and mail them to my 16yr old self with a note explaining the game and how much i would thank myself in the future for learning some of this stuff. i feel like that's not a good answer, but whatever.
Where would you most like to visit?
NZ sounds fun. I'd like to secretly visit Fort Knox, and then secretly leave with a shitload of gold. THEN I'd like to visit Vegas, for real.
Can you roll your tongue?
only in one direction.
Do you believe in free will?
yes
EC: I'll have the platter, actually.
1) I don't know. I don't remember either way. This question has always bothered me because it makes me doubt my own mind...Do I dream in color? If I do, why don't I remember the colors? Why don't they stick our in my mind. Or, if I don't dream in color, why don't I? Am I not a creative, color-loving person. Lots of inner angst here....
2) I'd call before my junior year at North Park and tell myself not to rush, that it really would be okay to take a fifth year... I think I would have enjoyed that.
3) Alaska, India, Austria, New Zealand, Graceland...You name the destination- I'm game.
4)Yes
5)Sure thing...As much free will is possible with an omnipresent omniscent God in heaven...
Extra- Is their cocktail sauce?
- Do you dream in black and white, or color? I don't really dream... the very few I remember seemed to be in color.- If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when? Spring of '96 and say "fuck school... go have fun and figure out what you really want first."
- Where would you most like to visit? Iceland.
- Can you roll your tongue? yes.
- Do you believe in free will? no... making #2 quite silly.
ex. whatever.
1. Color.2. Exactly what smax said. I wasted the first 2.5 years at NP (academically at least) and by the time I wised up, it was a little late to start over somewhere else if I wanted $$ help from the Wargden.
3. Europe. Anywhere.
4. No sir. Although everyone in my family can.
5. Indeed I do.
Extra Credit: I like the round part (the tentatcles?) but NOT the part that looks like a spider. And I drench that stuff in lemon juice. Mmmm!!
My answers:Extra Credit: This is also an Animaniacs reference. Other questions were the snail or the escargot, and the red sauce or the marinara.
- I think I've had one dream in black and white, the rest color. I asked this because a few years back Siskel and Ebert were having a special on black and white movies, and Ebert said that black and white was inherently better because that's what we dream in. My theory is that he dreams in black and white because he saw so many black and white movies as a kid.
- I'd call about mid-junior year in HS. The specifics of what I'd say would just confuse you, but let's just say it involves what I've come to consider a missed opportunity with a girl. And, as long as I'm on the phone with my past self, I'd suggest that I get a job and learn capoeira earlier.
- Not entirely sure. I'd love to tramp around Europe sometime, but I think I'd rather do that in the spring or fall than in the winter.
- Yes.
- No I don't, but I'm being forced to say I do.
For the next survey, I nominate JT, since his response to the dreams question fits with my theory.
1. Do you dream in black and white, or color? total color, all the time.2. If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say? don't fucking do it.
3. Where would you most like to visit? ireland and albania.
4. Can you roll your tongue? Uh, yeah, I mean what kind of tard can't...ha, just kidding.
5. Do you believe in free will? I think so, let me go ask....
Extra Credit: Would you like the calamari or the squid? no they are fucking chewy meat. I hate chewy meat.
EC: No.
- Mostly mono, I think.
- This would probably be a waste of time. I'm not a very good taker of advice. Not since the microscope incident.
- Nowhere really jumps out. Whereever I go, I like to just hang out and blend in.
- I'm not sure what constitues rolling one's tongue.
- The question of free will is not one with which I concern myself.
- Have you ever been belittled for your religious beliefs? If yes, how did you recover?
- (a) Do you consider your childhood to have been happy? (b) Do you consider yourself happy as an adult? Elaborate as comfort allows.
- Who knows the most about you? What percentage of your essential persona do you think this person know about you?
- What one media work of any form (literature, song, movie, TV show, anything) do you think most reflects you?
- Are you easily offended by "politically incorrect" humor, such as in South Park?
Extra Credit: What is the other reason that this headline is funny?
Extra Credit: I am disqualified from answering this.
- Yes, off and on, throughout my entire life. I recover by realizing that comments are made in ignorance. In high school I recovered by realizing that it was personal, that my religion had nothing to do with it. For obvious reasons, that understanding was a mixed blessing.
- My childhood was miserable, not because of my family life, which was good, but because of my school life. I had few friends and even fewer people who understood me. I am extremely content now, but that took a long time and a lot of work.
- My wife knows the most about me. But even she only knows about 95% of my essential personality, history and secrets.
- Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I had independently come up with a lot of the theories suggested by his novel and was pleasantly surprised to see them in print.
- I am not at all easily offended. In fact I can't really think of any humor that offends me, as long as it's actually humor and not insults disguised as humor.
Have you ever been belittled for your religious beliefs? If yes, how did you recover?1) No, actually. Or if I have been, I've been pretty oblivious to it. I mean, people have tried to 'convert' me (like in the NICU) but i dind't feel belittled.
2a) No. I too had a pretty good family life, though my dad had a quick temper he wasn't generally a violent man. But I had some problems being abused by neighbors for two years. I wouldn't have survived if we hadn't moved to Lake Nebagamon. Of course, in high school I was picked on pretty much constantly about my weight, but it was almost a welcome change after my earlier childhood. Sometimes I think I kept my weight higher just so people WOULDN'T abuse me again.
2b) Happiest person I know. I could think of very very few ways my life could be better.
3) Jay. About 90%
4) Tough one. "Let it Be" I think. I feel like I am a comforting person, and the song is the ultimate in comfort. It's peaceful, and gentle. I feel peaceful, and gentle. I've had a darkest hour, and there's been a light for me to see by.
5) Ah hell no.
EC - I'm not participating either as we've discussed this at home!
The pun is obvious, but what isn't obvious is that it came from a conservative website that was probably completely oblivious to the obvious joke.Gotta go finish cooking with grandma.
1. In the summers when I was in elementary school, my mom had daily Bible clubs at our house that I was supposed to invite my neighborhood friends to. This might have been a nice idea if there were more than about 3 kids in the neighborhood. One of my "friends" from school was kind of a bully, and she'd always make snide comments about my Bible clubs. I remember thinking she was a real stinker and being slighly embarassed, but not being too distraught about it.2(a). Not particularly happy, but not what I'd call traumatic. I got picked on a bit in school, but my relationships with my family & teachers were very good, and I had friends from church & lots of cousins to play with. I don't think I have many scars. 2(b). Not particularly. I'm all kinds of torn up right now about what I want to do with my life... I know I don't like what I do now. I teeter between about four completely different paths on any given day, and all of them involve significant, scary changes.
3. Several people know everything about certain aspects of my life, but I don't think anyone sees more than about 80% of the entire picture. Ku$tu$ch tends to surprise me with things about myself that I didn't know anyone had figured out, and I tell my friend Mike a lot. Unfortunatly, the Ass Clown knew me better than anyone for a couple years, which was one of the hardest parts about leaving.
4. This is a ridiculously hard question... I hate to admit it, but I really identify with several of the characters on "Sex and the City." And my family can be very "Everybody Loves Raymond"-ish.
5. As long as it's meant to be funny / poke gentle fun at people and not cruel or truly malicious, bring it on.
Extra Credit: Beavers have big teeth & fur. Trojans are horses, and they also have big teeth & fur.
1. Do you dream in black and white, or color?
Color mostly....I think.
2. If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say?
Where do I start? Don't say that. Control yourself. Run harder. Don't worry. Have the VCR ready. Smarten up.
3. Where would you most like to visit?
North Pole...or Easter Island.
4. Can you roll your tongue?
Yes
5. Do you believe in free will?
Yes...just ask the band Rush
1. Have you ever been belittled for your religious beliefs? If yes, how did you recover?
Never
2.(a) Do you consider your childhood to have been happy?
Yes, for the most part. There are many regrets on my behalf...but I think my parents did a bang up job 98% of the time.
b) Do you consider yourself happy as an adult? Elaborate as comfort allows.
I am a very very happy adult. I've enjoyed being an adult much more than being a teenager. I know I will look upon these past couple of years with great envy. I do miss the carefree attitude of days gone by, but I have more freedom to do the things I want to do these days...which is unbelievably exciting.
3. Who knows the most about you?
My girlfriend and my parents.
What percentage of your essential persona do you think this person know about you?
Parents: 95%
Girlfriend: 93%
4. What one media work of any form (literature, song, movie, TV show, anything) do you think most reflects you?
This will take me months to answer...their are so many songs that hit too close to home.
5. Are you easily offended by "politically incorrect" humor, such as in South Park?
Nope...still not a fan of South Park however
1) Not that I know of, meaing not blatantly, but occassionally I was not included in some activities or discussions because my friends thought I was "too good" to participate. (That too good could go either as a compliment or an insult, I guess...)
2a) I would never have called my childhood unhappy and I don't consider it so now, but it was a different/difficult childhood. My mom was always in the hospital and we were always moving from place to place for my dad's job, and I was very often alone. Thank goodness that I enjoyed books so much and had a terrific imagination.
2b) Sometimes. I don't know what I want from life, so I don't know whether what I've got is what I want... I have a sinking suspicion that it's not which leads to a feeling of discontent in almost all circumstances. To quote Elizabeth Bennett, "the more I see of the world the more I am dissatisfied with it." But, ah, I think and feel to much- over analysis has done me in... HOWEVER- I am not unhappy. Not miserable. I find great joys everyday, and perhaps they are stronger because they are mixed...
3) I guess my parents. Maybe 70%.
4) Well, I won't claim the book as a whole, but I'll claim the character of Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice since I already quoted her in so nicely.
5) No. It's not the "politically incorrect" humor that bothers me. The kind that gets me is all the let's go for the lowest common denominator type of humor, usually involving bodily functions of some sort.
first up: pedro's questions (which is why I've taken so long because they were hard to answer)1. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? tough question. After much thought I have decided to take the easy route and go with ending hunger.
2. If, by your voluntary but possibly painful death, you could cause this to be, would you agree to it? I'll say yes now, but I'm not sure how willing I would be when the red-hot poker is approaching.
3. What is your favorite thing about yourself? I've never really thought about this and it makes me feel like I'm in a job interview all nevrous and sweaty trying to figure out what my good qualities are without sounding pretentious. But I think my favorite thing about me is my general talent. I'm not incredible at any one thing but I've got the knack for picking up new things quickly and I enjoy that.
4. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My general apathy combined with a mostly hidden selfishness
5. If you could improve your least favorite thing to "not bothersome" status, but in the process you necessarily lost your favorite thing about yourself, would you take the trade? no.
next up: octal's questions1. Do you dream in black and white, or color? I remember when I read Sureley You'er Joking Mr. Feynman trying to figure out if my dreams were in color of b&w but I never took the effort to record my dreams and really keep track. I think I dream in color, but I can't be certain. I've had some really vivid dreams that felt so real but the images fade so fast I can't recall the details a few minutes after I wake up.
2. If you could make a phone call to give advice to your past self, when would you call and what would you say? study harder (not that I would have listened)
3. Where would you most like to visit? Like others, NZ is looking like a pretty nice place to visit but if got to choose one place to visit i would go with Baffin Island. So remote and so fascinating.
4. Can you roll your tongue? As in roll my rrr's? no. As in roll it up like straw? yes.
5. Do you believe in free will? yes.
finishing up with JT's questions (I'm starting to lose steam here):1. Have you ever been belittled for your religious beliefs? I don't think I've been personally singled out but I have felt belittlement in general at times (like not directed at me personally, but toward all people who hold religious beliefs and/or christians in general). Often coming from self-righteous scientifics who decry religion as madness. In the same way though, I've felt the sting from self-righteous religious types who would belittle science as fradulent and would question my faith as a result of my belief in the accuracy of science. By and large though, I've been pretty fortunate to know many likeminded and tolerant people.
2. (a) Do you consider your childhood to have been happy? (b) Do you consider yourself happy as an adult? Man, this is like therapy. Yes, my childhood was very happy. I had loving parents a sister I got along with (mostly) great neighbors. There were rough spots. Most of my waking hours outside of school were spent at the gym so most of firends were gymnastics friends and that was great but I didn't have lots of friends at school. Kind of nerdy I guess. Junior high was rough and I took a lot of abuse but I still think I was generally happy. Even when school sucked I still had a few really close friends from church and gymnastics. I was really insecure, and still am deep down, but at least now I feel more comfartable in my own skin. As an adult which I think I'll demarcate as my 18th birthday I've had ups and downs. Major rough spot my freshamn year of college when my parents felw into chicago the week before parents weekend to tell us they were getting separated which just meant they didn't want to tell us right away they were getting divorced. that kind of whacked me upside the head and it took a few years to recover. but meeting my true love and finally marrying her helped and i spent a few happy years in chicago. I used to think that my happiness would derive from where i lived or what I did. I alwyas used to think that I would be happier if I lived in the mountains and got to ski 50 days a year and hike 20 14ers every summer. But I'm not so sure that living that lifestyle really would be the key to my happiness. Even here, where I dislike my job and have few friends I still have a hard time saying that I'm not happy. Certainly I have lonely days and weeks but I've got the perfect woman and wonderful dog and that usually makes up for the shortcomings. The one link that I think is missing is better fellowship with other Christians. I like playing at frontline, but I have yet to really connect with more than two or three people very well and we haven't been able to find people to join a small group with. For months we've been talking about trying some other churches in the area that we've heard about and know people at but I guess that goes back to my apathy in myself that I don't like so much. I think another missing link to a more well-rounded happiness might be a lack of knowledge of what to do with my life. There is a wonderful quote in The Wind up Bird Chronicles that descibes exactly how I feel about this so I'll try to find it when I get home. Anyway, I think that portion is fairly small in it's contribution to my overall happiness but it would help I think. So the short answer would be: mostly. (you did say elaborate)
3. Who knows the most about you? What percentage of your essential persona do you think this person know about you? Definitely Karna and percentage wise probably 90%. WHy not 100%? I dunno I guess I feel like I always can learn something new about my wife so I figure she can always learn something new about me as we grow together, you know?
4. What one media work of any form do you think most reflects you? Well Linda M. used to say I was Lazlo from Real Genius and then there's always the easy compaison to the the movie Lucas; I wasn't that nerdy. I would say The Big Lebowski or Max Fischer from Rushmore but I'm not near lazy enough to be The Dude and I'm not neurotic enough to be Max. So, becauase there's a resemblance and because it makes me smile to think of watching it at Berw and View, I'll just say Tony from Dazed and Confused. But for the record, I've never had any Abe Lincoln dreams.
5. Are you easily offended by "politically incorrect" humor, such as in South Park? rarely
Tony from Dazed and Confused - great answer.
Warggle for the next survey.Extra Credit answer: the story was written by a man named Peters.
1. If you could look into a crystal ball and learn the specifics of when & how you are going to die, would you? Even if there was no way to change it?2. Do you think animals have souls?
3. What are you most afraid of? (Strange phobias welcomed.)
4. Why do / don't you believe in God?
5. Do you consider yourself to be trusting of other people? In whom do you trust most?
EC: What's the last thing that made you laugh until your stomach hurt? Here's mine.
- If you could look into a crystal ball and learn the specifics of when & how you are going to die, would you? Even if there was no way to change it?
i don't need a crystal ball. i'm going to die of cancer, sometime in the next ten to twenty years.- Do you think animals have souls?
i've never really had a good grasp on what actually constitutes a soul, either by classical definition or by my own formulation, and for that matter never really decided whether i think such a thing exists[1]. however, i think that to the extent people have souls, so do animals.- What are you most afraid of?
my own irrationality- Why do / don't you believe in God?
"Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers fail us, what does that tell you about God?" --Tyler Durden in Fight Club- Do you consider yourself to be trusting of other people? In whom do you trust most?
there are people in the world to whom i would trust my property, my life, my heart, and my soul[1], but not very many of them. my parents, my brother, pedro, tara, matt.EC:
push button, receive bacon (take a close look at the iconographic instructions next time.)[1] current outlook: yes, there is such a thing.
i guess i never answered JT's survey
- Have you ever been belittled for your religious beliefs?
no, but i have been belittled for religious beliefs that people have mistakenly thought were mine.
- Do you consider your childhood to have been happy?
ignorance is bliss. and so it was.- Do you consider yourself happy as an adult?
i am happy to be an adult. i am happy that i am taken seriously and can now take myself seriously. i am happy that i can manage my own life and doing ok at it. i am happy to have adults as peers. i am happy that i can look back at the childhood and understand how it made me, and in some ways how i still need making.- Who knows the most about you? What percentage of your essential persona do you think this person know about you?
i know the most about me, but that's not very interesting. i'd say i probably know myself at about 97 or 98%, though, and maybe that's interesting. my mother made me who i am and has insights that knock me flat on my ass... probably 96%.- What one media work of any form do you think most reflects you?
my diary- Are you easily offended by "politically incorrect" humor, such as in South Park?it's often distasteful, but if it's ever offensive, it's usually intellectually so.
1. If you could look into a crystal ball and learn the specifics of when & how you are going to die, would you? Even if there was no way to change it?
No.
2. Do you think animals have souls?
I don't know.
3. What are you most afraid of? (Strange phobias welcomed.)
Disfigurement or maiming by cute cuddly woodland creatures gone bad
4. Why do / don't you believe in God?
I believe in God because I believe (1) that the balance of nature and the universe is too perfect to be accidental, (2) that all the good that still exists in the people of this world must come from an external source, and (3) that I have experienced peace, joy, and love beyond anything that I deserve...Thank God!
5. Do you consider yourself to be trusting of other people? In whom do you trust most?
Not really... I trust some of you.
1. If you could look into a crystal ball and learn the specifics of when & how you are going to die, would you? Even if there was no way to change it?
no. never.2. Do you think animals have souls?
People are animals... I think some dogs and cats have more beautiful souls than some people.3. What are you most afraid of? (Strange phobias welcomed.)
Any loss of freedom. I may not use my life to it's fullest, but the idea of being restricted in say prison seems like a fate worse than death to me.4. Why do / don't you believe in God?
I don't really see it as an option. In my opinion the idea of there not being some kind of God is so silly it's not worth thinking about. What kind of God is another story.5. Do you consider yourself to be trusting of other people? In whom do you trust most?
Yes, I trust them to betray me, let me down, generally screw me and sometimes be wonderful. I have a high level of trust, but a low level of expectations. Who? I'm not particularly close to anyone these days where trust is an issue. Mostly think of trust with old friends and family.
Cinnamongirl... if you're up for it, my dear.Oh, and here are the answers to my own survey:
1. No, I think I want to be surprised. 2. I don't know. I think they certainly have personalities, or at least I've had pets that do. 3. Falling on stairs and knocking my teeth out. 4. I don't know if I believe in God at all. I'd like to think that there's some ultimate purpose behind my existance, but I don't know. There's lots that just doesn't make sense to me, starting with the very basic question of why God would have made a world in the first place. For entertainment value? Ehhhh... 5. In the past, I've trusted people too much, then gotten burned. Financially, emotionally, physically, you name it. I still try to trust though. My parents are extraordinarily trustworthy, as is my brother. My best friend Mike too. Sadly, I think that's about it for absolute, unquestioned trust.
- I would not look.
- I don't know. I don't believe that animals are responsible for their actions in the same way that people are, but for me that doesn't necessarily rule out their having souls. I don't think I believe that personality == soul. I wonder for that matter how much of how we perceive personality is within ourselves rather than within that which we deem soulful. Does a dog have a soul? Or do we see a soul because of how we interpret their actions? I'm not sure.
- Bees. Seriously though, probably change. Or being wrong.
- I believe in God. I think (aside from/as part of growing up in a religious family) I have always seen God through my circumstances and the circumstances of others, and I feel so very blessed in pretty much all areas of my life that I have a difficult time chalking it all up to random chance, even though I understand the paradox. But I guess that's why it's faith. I think the part of the reason my family has by and large remained religious is because they've felt the same way about faith. Not that they've always been blessed beyond belief, but that God never forsook them.
- On a basic level I don't trust people. I do feel though that on a practical level I am surrounded by pretty amazingly trustworthy people.
Since Warggle nominated me for next week, I'll answer this week's survey. I fear I am far behind in answering past surveys--sorry--but I do love reading everyone else's answers. I don't think I can outdo some of the great questions posted thus far, so maybe I'll wait 'til I'm HOME from the dentist on Monday, all hopped up on novacaine and nitrous oxide and halcyon and vicodin. Do you wanna see what I can come up with THEN? DO you?1. Hell, no.
2. Absolutely I believe animals have souls, especially my cat Sadie who passed away last year at age 22. RIP. That cat was human, or better. (I'm a Christian but I believe in reincarnation--don't ask how I reconcile this. It's too much to get into).
3. Phobias/fears: Many. Bees, and anything related to them, like wasps or hornets or yellow-jackets or...Dying through asphyxiation or through being stabbed. Chalk, dust, and styrofoam. Clowns. I like spiders, though.
4. Yes, I believe in God, though as someone said above I don't think I understand quite what kind of a God. I identify with many religions and philosophies.
5. I think I am quite trusting, excepting dentists. Too trusting in some cases. And gullible. I guess that at the end of the day, I have a pretty strong faith in humankind as a whole.
1. If you could look into a crystal ball and learn the specifics of when & how you are going to die, would you? Even if there was no way to change it?No.
2. Do you think animals have souls?
The real question may be if I believe in the concept of a "soul." The jury is still out on that one, however, if they exist, my cats sure have them.
3. What are you most afraid of? (Strange phobias welcomed.)
I don't know. I don't like to fly, but I'm not afraid of it. I don't like to be in enclosed places with lots of people (like Price Club on a Saturday mornging), but open spaces are fine (like Disneyland.)
4. Why do / don't you believe in God?
I remember being about 5, and sitting in Saturday school at the temple. They were trying to get me to believe in some bearded white guy lolling around up in the heavens who was God. I distinctly remember thinking that it was a crock, and how were all of these people deluded? I didn't understand how so many people could have the same odd vision of this totally intangible God. So, after 8 more years of being forced to go to temple and Hebrew school, I pretty much decided that it was all fooey. So, I don't believe in God in the classical sense. I may believe in something else which I cannot describe.
5. Do you consider yourself to be trusting of other people? In whom do you trust most?
I am trusting of others. I have to check myself to not trust so much. I tend to trust my friends the most, those people who I know I can rely on for anything.
Fortunate on all yo' asses, PRE-drug Heidi puts forth this week's survey:1. What single person has had the most influence in your life?
2. The one day/moment in your life you don't have a picture/video recording of but wish you did: describe.
3. If you believe in astorology, (or even if you don't): Do you think you reflect your sign? Why or why not?
4. When was the first time you were in an altered state of consciousness due to alcohol/drugs? (cigarettes count if you've never done that stuff). Sorry for such a scandalous question--I think it's on the mind right now due to the impending dentist trip.
5. Given the choice, would you rather be a) astonishgingly beautiful, b) angelically good or c) extremely intelligent? (Dex and Blvd. should know where this is from, though paraphrased loosely :)
1. My dad (though my sister is a close second, being that we've been together since the womb & all). My dad raised my sister and I on his own from about age 11 (we were 11, not him), and did a great job. Any defects or faults I claim ownership of. He is about the strongest, kindest, most intelligent person I've ever known. I admire him immensely. And he's damn cool on top of it.2. Maybe it was recent, but what comes to mind is my engagement proposal. Not the REALLY private part, of course, but the aftermath. I'd like to have a record of it. I really wish I hadn't have acted like such a jackass and freaked out and made sure we didn't attract attention, being at a public place & all. Someone could have taken a picture, gathered a crowd, started clapping like in the movies. I'm usually such an exhibitionist; I don't know what took over me then and why I felt so self-conscious.
5. I guess I'd choose to be angelically good, though I'd rather have the clever & beauty thing going on in equal measures more than the goodness. Which is why I would need to choose the angelically good. And if I were that good, I would be so modest and humble and self-effacing that I wouldn't care about being plain and dumb.
3. I really do believe in astrology, in all its Pagan-ness. And I am the prototypical Cancer. I am a homebody--to the point of being a recluse at times, I am moody as hell, I am very emotional, sometimes at the cost of rationality, I am responsible, I love to cook (and to eat), I am an eternal romantic, and I am probably too obsessed with money (but only for security reasons, not because I am greedy). My moon is in Aries, which explains my more dramatic, emotional, impulsive side, and my temper. The thing I CAN'T explain is why Sarah and I would have almost identical charts but are so dissimilar. She IS five mins. older, and in astrology that makes a difference.
4. At my cousin Jeannie's wedding. I was about 13, which is scandolously young, I know. I took a sip of my dad's gin & tonic and it tasted really good. I think he must have been a few sheets to the wind himself because he ordered me one at the bar and brought it to me. (Refer back to question #1--he really IS the best dad. Temporary lapse of judgment). Then I ordered one for myself, and for reasons I will never understand the bartender gave a 13-year-old a drink wihtout batting an eye. I'm sure I made a total ass of myself, because those two drinks got me wasted.
5.
I don't know why it didn't post. I said I would choose to be angelically good. I'd rather be, in equal measures, rocket-scientist smart and gorgeous, but if I were so good I'd be modest and humble and self-effacing, and wouldn't care about being plain and dumb.
- Other than the Sunday school answer of ol' JC, probably my Mom and/or Dad... for a long time I really didn't identify with them, but after college I really started to see my father within myself. It's hard for me to say who I'm more like -- I feel like personality-wise, I'm probably more my mother's son, but it's my Dad's attitude that I think has become my conscience more lately, and I think that while my mom's contribution to my psyche is probably the dominant aspect of my personality, my father's contributions are the decoration and window dressing. A lot of that is genetic, and a lot of that is through parenting.
- I don't know. I have a lot of childhood things that I think woudl be fun to see on video now, but we didn't have a video camera and so don't have anything taped. It'd be fun to see myself as a kid. Before kindergarten I had an entrance interview/verbal IQ test, and I think that would be really interesting to see now, because I only have selected mental images and a few voice echoes in my head from it. I also would love to see a video of the shows my little sister and I used to put on for our parents.
- I'm a "Cancer," and I would say that in general I agree with the basic description of sensitive, emotional, pessimistic, and comfort seeking. Many of the zodiacal signs do not suit me at all (imho) although some others do. (So it's not that Cancer is the only description that fits.)
- I the first time would definitely have been getting laughing gas from my dentist in Superior. I thought it was great. The first time that I did something by myself was my freshman year in college when we went to Cesars and had food/alcohol. I didn't get out of my mind.
- I would choose to be angelically good.
1. What single person has had the most influence in your life? tough one. either one of my parents, probably my dad.The one day/moment in your life you don't have a picture/video recording of but wish you did: describe. i guess i'd say it'd be nice to have a snapshot of the first time Jackie and i kissed.
If you believe in astorology, (or even if you don't): Do you think you reflect your sign? Why or why not? I don't believe in it. I have no idea what characteristics my sign (Virgo) is supposed to have. I think they're way too vague and very easy to apply to many people's lives. I just don't see how the movement of some planets and stars can have any bearing on my current job situation or whether i should go out on the town or stay home and rent a movie... know what i mean?
4. When was the first time you were in an altered state of consciousness due to alcohol/drugs? (cigarettes count if you've never done that stuff). Sorry for such a scandalous question--I think it's on the mind right now due to the impending dentist trip. I first got drunk when i was a sophomore in High School and went to the Senior Prom and Party. unfortunately, I don't remember much from that night other than waking up periodically with my head in a toilet, and yelling out 'Put on Smashing Pumpkins!'. oh, and my Prom date never spoke to me again.
5. Given the choice, would you rather be a) astonishgingly beautiful, b) angelically good or c) extremely intelligent? (Dex and Blvd. should know where this is from, though paraphrased loosely I'd choose c) extremely intelligent. with extreme intelligence i would have all the benefits of that intellect, plus i would realize that the best possible course of action would be to approximate angelic goodness (which is good enough for me), and i would certainly realize that external beauty is fleeting and not worth being dumb and evil to achieve.
1. What single person has had the most influence in your life?You'd think that this would be a family member, but it's not. It's this guy Dennis who ran a summer camp (a music camp) that I went to from 5th grade until I was in college. He had weird ideas about what to do with a hundred teenagers, and it was cool. Much of the way I view the world and people comes from his philosophies.
2. The one day/moment in your life you don't have a picture/video recording of but wish you did: describe.
This one is difficult, especially since I was a photographer for so long. I don't think that there is *one* day or moment, but probably a whole bunch. And I'd rather have photographs than videos. There are certainly a number of people I wish I'd taken more pictures of, or any pictures of, especially my grandparents.
3. If you believe in astorology, (or even if you don't): Do you think you reflect your sign? Why or why not?
I don't. However, I'm a pretty good example of a Leo. I'm loyal, I'm a leader, I like summer, etc.
4. When was the first time you were in an altered state of consciousness due to alcohol/drugs? (cigarettes count if you've never done that stuff). Sorry for such a scandalous question--I think it's on the mind right now due to the impending dentist trip.
Oy. First time? I can't remember. It must've been Jr. High with wine coolers. How embarassing. I moved onto much more interesting altered states later in life. :)
5. Given the choice, would you rather be a) astonishgingly beautiful, b) angelically good or c) extremely intelligent? (Dex and Blvd. should know where this is from, though paraphrased loosely :)
Intelligent. I think all people are good and bad. If one was just good, then the world would be a little out of balance. It would feel odd to not do bad things once in awhile. And beautiful? Well, who needs that hassle!
1. No. Hell no.2. Absolutely animals have souls.
3. Snakes. I am terrified of snakes. Not the big ones, like boas. No. Garter snakes. The ones that move fast. I *hate* them. I'm also slightly claustriphobic. My favorite phobia, which I don't have, is abiohphobia (the fear of palindromes)
4. Why do I believe in God. Wow. This one's a tough question. I think I'll take the quick answer and say it's simple faith, for me. I feel God has not so much influenced my life and my decisions, as just been something I can strive for. Tikkun olam, you know? You don't need God to make it work, but God just makes it all so much more satisfying.
5. I'm about 75% trusting. I've been burned a few times, and while I trust most people, I've learned to wait til they earn trust. I trust Jay, I would trust him with my life.
1. My mother, be it for good or bad. She gave me a ton of bad feelings about my physical appearance (used to say things like you need to be thin to be happy). But she also gave me my core personality, my laid back nature. I call her at least x a week.2. I honestly can't think of anything SPECIFIC for this one. I wish I had more photographs from college, and yet I don't. They wouldn't be photos I'd wish for the girls to see, at least not until they're older, but they were mine. And they were fun. Definitely no video though. I think videotapes are highly overrated, though I love my wedding video. But I digress.
3. I don't believe in astrology, but I'm a Taurus and I'm stubborn as a mule, love cooking and generally am a homebody. So I do reflect my sign anyway.
4. The one and only time I did LSD is the only time I've been in an altered state. And I would never do it again. It was amazing. It completely changed my perspective - I honestly think my writing and my attention to detail were forever enhanced by learning to re-look at what I thought I knew. I wouldn't do it again because it was just too fascinating. I can't even adequately describe the physical feeling at the very end. The closest I can come was that it was like little tongues of light, very gently moving radially across my limbs and my face. I told you - college was interesting and I wish I had more photos.
5. Angelically good. Though I've always been tempted like Anne to wish to be beautiful, but it seems too frivolous.
...that I don't believe in astrology. Cinn's question didn't ask whether I did, so I didn't answer that question. But since others have, so shall I.
- What single person has had the most influence in your life?
i don't know who's had the most. i can think of a lot of people who've had a major influence. i guess my mom, probably. she certainly had a role in picking a lot of the other influences.
- The one day/moment in your life you don't have a picture/video recording of but wish you did: describe.
the day i learned to walk. i want to see my dad watching me and being proud.
- If you believe in astorology, (or even if you don't): Do you think you reflect your sign? Why or why not?
i don't know what all those things mean, so i don't know whether my sign suits me the best. i'm inclined to think that they're each vague enough to suit anyone. i'm a libra, by the way.
- When was the first time you were in an altered state of consciousness due to alcohol/drugs? (cigarettes count if you've never done that stuff).
my sophomore year of high school i got super hopped up on caffeine and went 7.5 miles on a rowing machine in about twenty minutes, then ran for 4 miles, then gorged myself on pizza. i think it was around 140 ounces of mountain dew.
- Given the choice, would you rather be a) astonishgingly beautiful, b) angelically good or c) extremely intelligent?
ignorance is bliss, and beauty is only skin deep. i'll take angelically good.
1. My parents. Easy question.2. Much harder. I think it would be neat to see my birth. Not the icky part, but the part afterwards, where mom & dad are holding me & calling my grandparents & picking a name. It would be wild to see that excited, in-love side of them.
3. I don't put much stock into astrology, but I have been told that I am very much an Aquarius.
4. My senior year of high school my best friend & I went to Western Michigan Univ, because her cousin went there & we thought it would be fun to go there and party with the college boys. I remember feeling very funny and not being able to stand up by myself; that was when I realized I must be hammered. My friend went to bed in another room, and I was sitting there with this cute boy, who started hitting on me but I was too drunk to realize what was going on. That was probably a good thing.
5. Extremely intelligent. More specifically, I'd like to be intelligent enough to discern when I should be good, and when I can get away with being naughty.
1. What single person has had the most influence in your life?
Their is this incredibly strong tag team called Mom and Dad which lay the beat down. They - ARE - influence.
2. The one day/moment in your life you don't have a picture/video recording of but wish you did: describe.
My father videotaped our family all of the time, so every important event I've taken part in is on camera. I agree with Dex that video is very overrated. Some video is good...but video is more or less a play-by-play take from another point of view. With a single photo you can imagine what that moment was like and everything else that happened during that day(s). That being said, I would like more photos of the year 2000. It was an amazing year, one that seemed to test every facet of myself. I think it's the year I officially grew out of the juvenile state and into adulthood. Tons of struggles...tons of fun...very little Nikon.
3. If you believe in astorology, (or even if you don't): Do you think you reflect your sign? Why or why not?
I know that my sign is Aries...but I know little about how an Aries acts, thinks, feels....this should give you clue on how much I care about astrology.
4. When was the first time you were in an altered state of consciousness due to alcohol/drugs? (cigarettes count if you've never done that stuff).
I first tried alcohol as a sophomore in high school and did not get drunk. I then tried it as a senior and did not get drunk. Finally, during my sophomore year of college, I got absolutely roasted. My buddy and I sat in our dorm room with a bottle of Captain Morgan and a whole lotta beer and played "punk" records and video games. I don't have a clue as to how much I drank. That question would best be suited for the toilet itself.
5. Given the choice, would you rather be a) astonishgingly beautiful, b) angelically good or c) extremely intelligent? (Dex and Blvd. should know where this is from, though paraphrased loosely :)
Extremely intelligent. Wouldn't it be great if everyone were a little bit smarter?
1. What single person has had the most influence in your life?
My sister.2. The one day/moment in your life you don't have a picture/video recording of but wish you did: describe.
Can't really think of one. Maybe a photo of the 3' roof on my first lead climb at the Gunks. 200' up, nice fall day. It'd probably be a nice picture.3. If you believe in astorology, (or even if you don't): Do you think you reflect your sign? Why or why not?
I don't believe in it, but I believe that people are swayed by what they believe about astrology. I'm a leo, a bad one, in fact I may be the complete opposite of the stereotypical leo.4. When was the first time you were in an altered state of consciousness due to alcohol/drugs? (cigarettes count if you've never done that stuff).
Way too young... I think I was drunk for the first time around 12. Neighbor's house had a couple lousy beers in the camper. Nothing to write home about. Just kids being stupid.5. Given the choice, would you rather be a) astonishgingly beautiful, b) angelically good or c) extremely intelligent?
First thought was to be intelligent, but I think that would make me miserable, I don't suffer fools well. Next, I thought about being good, but that's just asking to be taken advantagge of. And who really cares about being beautiful? How about D) None of the above.
1) My parents.
2) I have no idea.
3) I don't believe in astrology...much, but at the same time don't believe that it is beyond the realm of possibilities that the movement of the planets has some meaning here on earth. (I love seeing this kind of belief evidenced in early religious art!) I'm an Aries, and I think that I am a pretty typical Aries, except for the thrill-seeking aspects.
4) I'm lame. Other than being put under for surgery, I would have to say that I've never been in an altered state due to drugs or alcohol.
5) I'd go with "dazzlingly clever" because, as Anne says, I know I'll never be angelically good... But, yes, I have wondered what it would be like to be "divinely beautiful" too...
I like to point out to a few of you that your parents aren't a single person. They're (usually) two people and are not single.
<insert groaning here>
Shouldn't Cinn have nominated someone for the next survey?
I just thought of that this morning. The problem is, I can't remember who still has not posted a survey. May I nominate Inkblot, to take his mind off recent troubles? If you have already been in the seat of survey-questioning honor, let me know. Otherwise, I nominate: INKBLOT!
- who was the closest person to you to ever die?
- what idea, thing, or event caused you to question your faith or lack of faith more than any other?
- when was the loneliest period of your life and how did you survive it or how are you surviving it?
- who have you lost touch with that you wish you hadn't?
- if any of the above answers were related to each other, how long did it take you to figure that out?
extra special bonus question: have the diner surveys been therapeutic for you?
and will get to it soon, O Thoughtful Nominee. Work has been a bee-zotch this week and I was busy defending my honor on the Spicy Hot Chili Entree (kidding, Nutella), but I'll try to get to this at lunch. Someone just came to my window and instead of saying, "Can I help you?", I said, "May I thank you?" It's been one of those days.
who was the closest person to you to ever die?i think i'd have to say my great grandma, who died in january of '02. she died the same day i had my hernia operation, and it was weird to not be able to be there, and then be incapacitated at home for a while while things were going on. but she was such a cool part of the family, and i loved her dearly. she is missed, that's for sure.
what idea, thing, or event caused you to question your faith or lack of faith more than any other?
i think last spring i was really hurting about stupid girl stuff and it was really getting to me. i couldn't take it anymore, and i realized that i always had found comfort in the one thing i knew for sure, which was God's love for me. I started going to church regularly again, and it really has helped me a lot.
when was the loneliest period of your life and how did you survive it or how are you surviving it?
i think last spring, like i mentioned before. i really found what i was looking for at my church. it was more than just my loneliness though. it was the general feeling of treading water. not going anywhere, not progressing, just getting wrapped up over silly stuff and letting it effect me so much in such a negative way. when i started going back to church, i felt like everything i was hearing was directed very specifically at me, and i was taking those things to heart, and learning and living and praying. it was a very healing thing for me.
who have you lost touch with that you wish you hadn't?
I wish i saw Will Duffield more. I also wish I saw friends from Covenant Bible College. I don't keep in contact with any of them. the last time I did was when I visited Kim Tauer and her husband in Minnesota after Thanksgiving '02. I haven't heard a word from anybody since then.
I did run into Sarah Jenkins the other day. apparently she works at NPU now. and she's not Jenkins, though I can't remember for the life of me whoe she got married to. that was kinda cool.
if any of the above answers were related to each other, how long did it take you to figure that out? they were. and about 1 second.
extra special bonus question: have the diner surveys been therapeutic for you? in some ways. nothing lifechanging or watershed or anything like that. but it has made me think, and made me rememebr things i haven't remembered in many years.
1) My maternal grandmother. 2) Julia's premature birth, but only before she was born. Her perfect, tiny self is, to me, an answer to my crisis of faith. God was watching out for her, and us. 3) I was sexually abused by neighbors for two years, from the time I was 9 - 11, almost 12. My parents had no idea- they took me to the doctor because everything made me throw up. I was always frightened, of being anywhere, and so I had a nervous stomach. They thought I had an allergy or something. I can't describe to you the bleakness of it - I wished I would die, hoped for it, some way to end the problem. I felt like I was completely alone - I couldn't confide in anyone, and even though the problem was NOT being left alone, it just felt like solitary confinement. Then we moved to LN, where I went to Northwestern along with Pedro and Shred. I just knew it HAD to get better, and that someday I would be safe. But that was... it seemed tenuous, that hope, at best. I had no faith at that point, or it probably would've been the answer to number two. 4) You know, nobody really. I'd love to hear news of people, but everyone I want to be in touch with I've tried to be. The only person I still count as a friend from HS is Pedro. And I've got my college friends. 5) All unrelated. EC - yes, in some ways. It feels good to talk about things, but sometimes thinking about these answers isn't the most pleasant thing in the world.
baggins, s@r@h jenkins' new last name is "sutton," if that helps at all in who she married. she is a very nice lady, though i'd never met her 'til i started working here.
1. Two are tied: my aunt Sherleen, who passed away very unexpectedly and young (I think she was 61) in Dec. of '99. Her fuenral was the day before the new millennium. It was my first taste of very close death, and was very very painful. The second is my aunt Dorothy, who passed away this April, and was extremely hard. I am not in favor of open-casket funerals. It made it 100 times harder.2. A few events in my life which aren't even monumental enough to list, but in the end made my faith stronger. So God knew what was up.
3. I'd say the lonliest part of my life was most of high school. I even felt estranged from my family, though through no fault of theirs. I was a very unhappy teenager for several years.
4. Probably a few friends from high school, since thankfully I am in close touch with about everyone from college who I'd wish to be in touch with. One of those people, from high school, I saw just this last weekend, but our friendship has irrevocably changed, and not for the better. We weren't "seeing" each like we used to. It's almost more sad than not having seen that person at all, because I feel like I don't know him anymore. And that in itself makes me feel very lonely.
5. I realized it right away, and very clever of you, Inkblot. As for the faith/death thing, the strongest builder of my faith, ever, was my aunt Dorothy's death this year. We hadn't spoken in months and I called her, not knowing that she was about to go (she passed suddenly), the day before she died, and got to say good-bye. Though I didn't know I was saying it then. That was a miracle from God. Then she appeared to me a day before her funeral in a bright flash of light in the corner of a dark, rural Iowa room in the middle of the night (there was no other explanation, and my and my cousin's hair stood on end until we realized who and what it was). Her funeral was the day before Easter. We then spent Easter Sunday at the church she had gone to all her life--the first time I'd BEEN to church in ages, and another flash of light appeared at one point behind the minister during his sermon, and my mom and I started crying simultaneously because we felt her presence. She was the most pious (in the best way), kind, selfless, upright person I've ever known, which is part of why her death grieved me so deeply. I felt I had lost a living example of goodness. I had struggled with my Christianity for years. I was not raised in the church. The only thing I can compare it to is C.S. Lewis' description of the night he found Christ in his dorm room in Oxford. I knew, at last, that it was REALLY real. This is all what prompted me to leave my last job and serendipitously find work at North Park (no offense to the Jewish faith, Dex, which I love--you guys started it all!--I was unhappy at work in general,and just saying this prompted me to find something healthier for my life), where I have met so many wonderful believers and encouragers on this journey. So her death led me to God at a time I felt my living example of faith was being ripped away.
Whoa--that didn't mean to turn into a novel. so, yes, Inkblot, the Diner and its surveys have obviously been therapeutic for me.
1. My Dad (although "close" seems a strange description of the relationship between us).2. (I assume you mean religious faith) I've found that I can't lose my faith per se but at times I can become so frustrated that I withold any real interaction for various periods. I now use faith to try and understand traumatic events rather than giving up wholesale. Seeing or hearing of tales of abuse to children or the mentally handicapped upsets me terribly and can result in furious mental debates, but never all-out despair. It would now have to be something really terrible to cause major doubts.
(Just in case you meant faith in people) I have been hurt, betrayed, abandoned, whatever, multiple times. I can't rate one event as worse than another.
3. I feel most lonely in crowds. I also feel lonely when I am in a situation where it would be good to share the experience with someone else.
4. I hang on to a few, good friends and sometimes don't contact them very frequently (but have not lost touch with them). There are several whom I should talk to more often.
5. No. The death/faith or lonely/faith links don't really apply, execpt in a quantitative sense.
Bonus. I haven't participated in many. I'll let you know.
I might as well just do the current one:Some, but not all.
- My step-grandfather
- The realization that I yawn in church, oddly enough.
- In senior year of high school, nearly all my friends that hadn't graduated the year before decided to do the post-secondary option so I didn't have many people to talk to. Eventually I started hanging around with some other people more.
- There are several people from my high school that I've barely talked to since, and there's one girl from freshman year of college that I really wish I had a way to contact. I think I'd work harder to keep in contact with people if others ever really put some effort into keeping in contact with me.
- Well, 3 and 4 were sort of related, but not by much.
who was the closest person to you to ever die?
My Uncle Burt. He died when I was 8; he'd lived with us for two years prior to that. He was an amazing man... I've had people I've loved die more recently, like my grandmother last year, but I think my uncle qualifies as the closest.
what idea, thing, or event caused you to question your faith or lack of faith more than any other?
My sophomore year of college I questioned my faith every moment. I don't know what set it off, but I felt like I was lying to everyone going to a Christian college, working at a Christian camp, and leading a Bible study... I spent a lot of time that year on the roof of Anderson shouting at the sky. Fortunately, I discovered that if you shout long enough you get an answer back.
when was the loneliest period of your life and how did you survive it or how are you surviving it?
My fifth summer at Covenant Point I was desperately lonely. I was confused by it. How could I be so lonely surrounded by people I knew and in a place that I loved. But, slowly, I realized that I was lonely because I didn't identify with or have much in common with the people that I was working with and that I didn't really want to spend time with them.... However, the realization that I didn't want to be with my co-workers made me feel even lonelier.
who have you lost touch with that you wish you hadn't?
I've lost touch with so many people from moving around so much. I get curious about people sometimes, wondering where they are and who they've become, but for the most part, I'm satisfied to know who I know and let the old friendships rest... You can't go back again.
if any of the above answers were related to each other, how long did it take you to figure that out?
Not related in my case.
extra special bonus question: have the diner surveys been therapeutic for you?
Therapeutic? Not really. Interesting? Yes.
- who was the closest person to you to ever die?
a month before i turned three years old, my dad was diagnosed with malignant seminoma. he and mom (her own father had died less than two years earlier) disappeared into st. joseph mercy hospital and my one year old brother and i went into the care of our paternal grandparents. i don't remember how often my brother and i went to the hospital. it could have been a couple of times each week, maybe once every couple of weeks. i vaguely remember coloring in a coloring book on a table near the window. that's how it was for eight months, then my mom came home and dad didn't. i've only been to see my dad's grave a few times in the twenty years since he died. the last time was too long ago. his ashes are buried at a church somewhere in ann arbor.
- what idea, thing, or event caused you to question your faith or lack of faith more than any other?
children have such a simple faith. god and jesus are in heaven and love you. if you're good they'll be your best friends and you can play with them forever. if you're bad, they'll still be your best friends, but you won't get to play. i don't remember anything about my dad anymore. i can remember remembering him, and i have vague memories of things that had involved him, but i don't remember him in them. most of what i know comes from my mom, and it all makes me believe that my dad was my best friend, just like god and jesus were supposed to be. when dad died, so did they, in me. i went to church my whole life and always felt out of place. i was surrounded by people who had faith and i didn't.
- when was the loneliest period of your life and how did you survive it or how are you surviving it?
i've left a lot of friends behind going from place to place. in kindergarten, i was a transfer student. i went to an elementary school other than the one i was supposed to, and i made friends there. the next year, i went to the elementary school i was supposed to go to. i went there for first and second grade and then moved. i was still in the same school district, but went to another elementary school. i made friends in third grade and lost them when i skipped fourth grade and moved directly into fifth. in high school, i went to summer camp every summer for two weeks. i made a lot of good friends there, but tara is the only one i haven't lost. all through my childhood and adolescence, as i gained and lost all of these friends, i never lost everything. i still had my family, particularly my brother, and i still had my friends from church, who i grew close to despite feeling so different, thanks to faithlessness. when i moved to chicago to go to school, that was my first complete break. a couple of weeks after i came to chicago i was so lonely that i cried myself to sleep every night for a whole week. tara had broken up with me in the spring and had also come to chicago for school. we'd had a long distance relationship through high school that started at summer camp. we weren't speaking to each other, but she was the only person in the state of illinois who knew me. i emailed her and we met a few times to talk. that's how i survived until i made new friends at college.
- who have you lost touch with that you wish you hadn't?
there are so many people it's easier for me to list the ones i'm still in touch with. i still hear from matt and kat (formerly known as inga), who i've known since the fifth grade. everyone else from grade school and high school is gone. i have been good friends with tara for about three years, after about four years of complete awkwardness through college. everyone else from summer camp is gone. i see my friends from church at the the christmas service, but fewer and fewer of them come. there are probably about a dozen people who i wish i where still in touch with.
- if any of the above answers were related to each other, how long did it take you to figure that out?
they are all related. some of the events happened a long time ago, but i hadn't really started to think about them until about age 20. it's taken about four years to figure this out, mostly within the last month. the diner surveys have prompted me to think about a lot of things that i had only been semi-conscious of, and i've had a lot of conversations with friends.
extra special bonus question: have the diner surveys been therapeutic for you?
there have been about half a dozen questions in particular that have been really hard to answer, and brought up deep-seated issues that i haven't addressed as much as i should have. thank you, everyone.
I guess I can't get out of it.....
get crackin...</wink>
# who was the closest person to you to ever die?My grandfather, definitely. I don't know if a week has gone by since he died that I haven't thought about missing him, or about what a great person he was. It has been especially hard since All-saints day, when at church they prayed for all the people and families who died within that year. It hadn't even occurred to me that it had been within a year, or that I was going to be confronted by it on a Sunday morning like that. I sobbed like a baby. I believe he's in Heaven, and sometimes I feel like He can see me. I feel kind of ridiculous saying that, because a couple years ago, I would have totally scoffed inside at someone saying that, but I do really feel that way. My grandma says that sometimes she dreams about him, and he doesn't ever say anything, but that he gives her hugs. I know that the human mind is a strange and wonderful thing capable of inventing many curiosities... but I can't deny either of those things, and I don't think it would be fair to chalk them up to pure psychology.
# what idea, thing, or event caused you to question your faith or lack of faith more than any other?
Highschool, learning and understanding more how the rest of the world understands faith, and Christianity in particular. College itself was strange because while I definitely didn't fit into certain Christian crowds, it wasn't hard on my faith. Post college has been interesting, getting more involved with geek crowds which tend to be more agnostic/atheistic, and coming to terms with why that is, and how my skeptical nature identifies with that community but yet I can't deny my faith. I wonder sometimes if I can't deny it because of my growing up in a Christian family that really tried to practice what it "preached," and so inside I sometimes chalk my faith up to statistics. People are religious. My family was successful at being religious, I am sentimental and strangely optimistic, and so therefore I am faithful. But I still can't deny my faith, and I can readily talk about how I feel like God has worked in my life -- "miracles" which can largely be explained away through coincidence -- but which still resonate within me.
Ironically, being in love (an amazing miracle and gift from God) and learning to reconcile belief differences and trying to find a way to feel at peace with others has been hard on my faith in different ways. It's so hard with faith to know when you can really let go of long-held beliefs because you've come to understand them as being misconceptions, and when you shouldn't let go, even in the face of evidence or reason to the contrary -- isn't that what the whole hubbub about faith is? Yet we can't all be right. I've lost a lot of personal pride struggling with this issue, that's probably good, in a lot of ways.
# when was the loneliest period of your life and how did you survive it or how are you surviving it?
The lonliest period of my life was probably my first year of college. I survived it in a few less-than-ideal ways. I had some good friends, but I also had some friends that didn't really help me out, and a few specific situations came to a head and I ended up coming back to school with new focus (and the fear of God in me) -- and I was blessed that year with the greatest group of friends I could ever, ever hope for, no joke. It has gotten better ever since.
# who have you lost touch with that you wish you hadn't?
Mostly girls I had crushes on, or who I thought were really cool. I honestly think about them pretty often. Just wondering where they are, what they're up to. If they are still as cool as they used to be. If they were ever as cool as I thought they were. What happened to their dreams.
Matthew -- although I have his email address now and have to write one of those "I haven't seen you in 10 years how are you doing" emails.
There aren't many guys that I really resonated with that I have completely lost touch with. I'm a very "out of sight, out of mind" kind of person, which makes me a bad pen pal -- not out of lack of care -- but because for the most part, I can pick up where I left off easily. The removal of some people has been hard for me because I learned (the hard way) that you can't just pick up where you left off if you expect beyond a certain level of friendship, and there comes a certain point in our lives where maintaining that level is hard once you're out of college or not so lucky as to all live within four blocks of each other.
I am really happy that the Diner has turned out to be such a good way for people to keep tabs on each other, even if our lives don't allow us to go to George's every night and scrounge for coffee money. I hope that when I'm 70 and taking pills for my prostate I'll be posting on here telling you all about it. We can have an entree about what prescriptions we're taking. Of course then we'll be getting our medication by microwave from a satellite in low-earth orbit, so that will be cool.
# if any of the above answers were related to each other, how long did it take you to figure that out?
For the most part, they are not related. My grandpa's death has caused me to question my faith from time to time, but more in a "what if I'm wrong about this and his consciousness just slipped back into the chaos that is the universe." I honestly do not think that my feelings about his afterlife are a defense mechanism about this occaisional doubt, but I can't really prove that -- and that doesn't mean I'm right, either. I guess that's why it's faith.
who was the closest person to you to ever die? In this regard I have lived a rather charmed life. My grandmother dies when I was 8 or 9 but I was young enough that it didn't affect me that much. I haven't lost any other close family members and I've never actually been to a funeral. I think though the closest person to die that affected me the most was Larry Martin. I have a huge amount of respect for him and his death really was sad for me.what idea, thing, or event caused you to question your faith or lack of faith more than any other? In the fall of 1993 when my parents flew into Chicago during my freshman year of college the week before parent's weekend and told my sister and I that they were getting seperated (which we knew meant a subsequent divorce). Talk about a rough few months. I was angry for a long time but eventually I just had to let go. I think I realized that God hurt just as much as I did at what my folks were doing and I couldn't do anything about it. And I realized that no matter how much I hated the decision I had to forgive my parents and support them as they lead new lives.
when was the loneliest period of your life and how did you survive it or how are you surviving it? the last two years. actually probably just the first year and a half we lived in MD. Very few friends, no outlet for music, miserable employment situation. I survived with the help of my wife. I mean it's hard to be completely alone when you live with the greatest person in the world. And I caled people and I emailed people and friends would visit now and again. I would take long walks in the woods with the dog and escape from the world for a while. I dunno, I just coped I think.
who have you lost touch with that you wish you hadn't? I lost touch with a couple good friends from high school that I often wonder about. And I rarely talk with my old roomate and I am slowly losnig touch with some of my best friends from chicago. Some of them I haven't spoken with or emailed in 8 or 9 months. I really miss human contact with these people and peoples from the diner. A phone call or an IM is nice, but they lack the kind of contact that I crave. I need to make an effort to seek some of these people out and restablish routine contact but sometimes it makes me miss them even more than I do now.
if any of the above answers were related to each other, how long did it take you to figure that out? well, I guess they are related in a way, but probably moresoe than I realize.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?
2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
- Caffeine. Seriously though, I very rarely have trouble sleeping at night -- the problem is getting to bed. I have a very active mind and I hate stopping things just to sleep. I love sleeping... but there are just so many things to do. I feel like I'm pretty hard on my body in this way.
- I very rarely remember my dreams, and as far as I know, I don't have any real recurring dreams. Nothing comes to mind anyway.
- I am very much in love. I think when I first said that I was in love ("I love you"), I didn't really realize what I was saying, or what I really meant. Later I realized that there's almost nothing that could stop me from loving alh -- that whatever stressor, whatever difference, wasn't as important to me as loving her and being her friend. That was a real awakening for me.
- If I had to just pick somewhere and go there, right now, it would have to be home to northern MN/WI. I know I'd be bored sometimes, but I know that ultimately, I'd be able to be "at home." I think I'd try to be one of the colorful "local characters" that make places like that more fun.
- The Hammond B-3 organ. It's such a beautiful combination of science and art, complex, yet fundamentally simple.
Good questions!
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?Lots of things, primarily a hungry child at the moment. Wondering about their future, those feral angels. Wishing I could feed all the homeless people, end animal cruelty, get Bush out of the white house.
2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
My dreams don't tend to be nice. I remember about 4 dreams every day, and they go from mundane to incredibly bizarre. I fear recurring dreams. They're never good dreams. When I was little, I used to beleive that God was talking to me, using my father's voice. The voice boomed outside of my bedroom window, and I would go outside until the voice got louder and louder, and I would be frozen. It was fear, plain and simple. Not that I fear my father, but I feared this voice.
3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
I'm more in love than I ever believed possible. I knew it very soon after moving to DC - I woke up one morning and said, "I cannot live without this person in my life, at my side, for the rest of my life." To remove Jay from me would be a pain the likes of which I could not bear.
4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
Home. Lake Nebagamon. I miss it, I miss my family. I'd be bored stiff. But it's such a nice place, so calm, relaxing. People follow at a good distance while driving. People stop to help you change your tire when it's flat. You know your neighbors - you don't need to lock your door. If someone left their headlights on, you don't tell the manager of the store. You open the car door and turn them off. I'd move to Lake Nebagamon. Or Canada if Bush gets re-elected. Somewhere near Prince Edward Island, near the seashore.
5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
I'd be a trumpet. Loud, vibrant, polished to a beautiful finish. Nobody could ignore my music.
- What causes you to lose sleep at night?
headaches, heartbreaks, people i'm angry at, people who are angry at me, caffeine, trauma, gas pain, amorosity, sadness, and idea genesis. but not all at once, and not normally.
- What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
i haven't had any recurring dreams.
- Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
i have been in love, and i don't know how it's possible not to realize it. it's a state that makes itself plainly obvious.
- If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
well, since i am moving to another locale..... moving to ann arbor is the option that makes the most sense right now. i would have liked to stay in chicago, and i would have loved to move to san francisco. they're great cities, and while i like ann arbor, it is not a great city. what i have in ann arbor is work. not just steady work, but 120 hours of work per week if i'm so inclined (i can't imagine being that motivated, but we shall see). i'll be close to my family, which is something i really need right now. i'll be in a better place financially, which will make it much easier to visit the places i'd like to be. i consider it a temporary arrangement, perhaps a few years.
- If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
i would be simple, obvious, brutally mechanical and in the hands of the right person, beautiful. i would be a snare drum.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?
Probably anything work related. I constantly have thoughts that people think I suck at my job...or they think that I'm a complete dumbass. Then they fire me.2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
I think I posted this before. I have this dream where I run at full speed for about 20 yards, jump off this platform, and fly about 150 yards. Then, I land safely without feeling as much as a jolt. It's a trip.3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
I've been in love with the opposite sex appoximately twice. The first time was in high school when my girlfriend broke up with me. I was cool with it for about three days and then I finally realized...man, I really really really like this person. The fact that she didn't like any longer made me long for affection to the point that I loved her. I believe that I'm in love right now...with my girlfriend of 5 years. I realise this when I get mad at her. I never usually get mad at someone if they are not close to me.4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
Rhode Island. The shoreline is fantastic and it's not as heavily populated as the other New England states. It's also in between Boston and NY... so I've got choices on the weekend if I'm bored.5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
Definetly a Minimoog Synthesizer. They are versatile, beautiful, and sought after > just what everybody wants to be. Right?
1. I don't lose sleep at night for anything, I can sleep anywhere anytime anyplace, my wife hates me for it sometimes, but if I lie down in bed and want to sleep I will be sleep in less than 10 minutes, regardless of time or caffeine intake, which drives her nuts when she's lying in bed wanting to talk and I am falling sleep next to her.2. I don't have many recuring dreams, I do have one about being back in high school, but they are very odd, the buildings are very different, but I do have a limited ability to control my dreams, usually when I am being chased or threatened I can make myself turn around and fight back.
3. I am currently in love, and I realized it when I was thinking about the impact on me that losing her would have, and then coming to the realization that I would forfeit my life before hers, that she means more to me than anything, and without her I would be nothing, there would be no point in life, and I would rather give mine up than live without her. Just thinking about something happening to her makes me cry like a baby.
4. If I had to move I would go to Washington state, there's something about the mountains and ocean there that cries to my inner child. I am more at home running in the woods there than in any house.
5. If I could be a musical instrument I would be a harp, large and difficult, but really full of soft beautiful music.
now if I had to move anywhere it would be to St. Ary's Georgia for winning the HGTV dream home giveaway, seriously the house is amazing!http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt/text/0,1783,HGTV_3936_16206,FF.html
ok so it isn't a link because I am no good at HTML, but copy paste and enjoy the tour!
1. sick children and worry keep me up at might2. I like when Jesus stops by in my dreams...it doesn't happen too frequently, but I can say it's recurring
3. yes. over time
4. Gloucester, MA, hands down! I just love it there.
5. I'm not sure about this one. I guess an acoustic guitar. I like its diversity and humbleness.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?
(I see that sleep has been a hot topic for many diner visitors lately) Not caffeine, as I appear to be completely resistant (so I can't use it when I need to stay awake). The biggest impact is from tough situations where I can't actually do something to remedy it. When I can't come up with a plan.2. What is your best / favourite recurring dream?
I don't remember any true repeat episodes but there are some "scenes" which pop up again and again. A couple of favourites are somewhere "by the sea/ocean" and somewhere "up on a mountain". The ones I like best are when I am with people I know, but those are quite rare.3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
Don't know. Maybe 12 and 20 years ago I would have claimed I was in love. In retrospect those were more "I love you because I need you" rather than "I need you because I love you" situations. It has taken me a long time to reach the point where I can see and make the distinction between those two. I also agree with those who point out that you often find out just how much you care for someone when you don't have the opportunity of being with them.4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
"I want to be a lion tamer...."
"Locale" makes this an especially interesting question because that ties in events as well as location. I am at a point where I would find it difficult to; a) think about REALLY different locales, and/or b) summon the energy required to voluntarily make a big transition. Instead I am at the stage where I am kind of looking for a potential spot to settle down, at least for a while, until I get bored (or the stove needs cleaning). Because of that constraint, something compatible with a career is a necessity. I would have to have a strong opinion about the place and that would mean I would probably have to have been there already (so Asia, Australia/NZ, South Africa etc. which could be wonderful are outside my real scope). I haven't travelled very widely outside the U.S. so that limits me to this country and a few spots in Yoorp (England, Ireland, Wales, Germany and Andorra). Locale choice #1 would be the San Francisco Bay Area because it is beautiful in so many ways and some people I enjoy being with are located there (and/or would probably move back there as well). Locale choice #2 would be some spots in New England, for much the same reason as #1. Having said this, if I was told tomorrow I'd have to go and spend a sabbatical in Switerland or China or Tanzania or wherever, I'd jump at the chance.5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
How about a (human) vocal cord (although, personally, I sing like a frog)? No. Then probably a big gong.
- Generally nothing specific, unless I've just spent a lot of time trying to do homework. Then my brain gets in this weird state where it tries to derive circuit transfer functions or whathaveyou while I'm half-conscious.
- Honestly I don't really like my recurring dreams.
- I don't think I can really say yes.
- I dunno, surprise me.
- A theremin, you know, strangely creepy.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?
Lots of things... I'm not very good at sleeping. It's usually people waking me up.2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
I don't remember my dreams often. I only remember about a dozen for my whole life. The closest thing to a recurring theme is death, usually mine.3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
Yes. Twice. The pain when they went away.4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
Bozeman, MT. Lots of skiing and climbing. the people seemed nice.5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
A rubber band attached to a paper towel tube. Boing, boing, boing...
1. Virtually nothing. I fall asleep within 2 minutes of crawling into bed, every night without fail. I sleep deeply - often too deeply. I do recall waking up with some acid reflux once in my adult life after eating a BLT right before bed, but that's really the only thing I can think of. I am very fortunate.2. The only dreams I recall are bad or bizarre, and none of them are recurring.
3. I think I've been in love twice, and both times I've realized it when it hits me that this person is my bestest friend & I want to share everything with them.
4. Miami. Because it was 80 degrees there on Saturday, and I get a kick out of Latino culture.
5. A lil' brown jug.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night? Sometimes, if my mind is going on a lot of things. or if I'm anxious about the next day for some reason. whenever I play music at church, I have a hard time sleeping the night before. at least, every time up until last week. last week I had no trouble sleeping at all. we'll see how this week goes...2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream? I don't remember my dreams very often. there has been only 1 dream in years that I can remember, which was a few nights ago. I dreamt that Jackie dumped me. it sucked. but I don't have recurring dreams at all.
3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it? there were times when I thought I was in love. I think this relationship with Jackie is the first time I feel like I can say that I am IN love. I guess I know because it seems so right. She is so wonderful for me. the circumstances just came together for us to be together. It might sound cheesy, but we're both thoroughly convinced that we are together because God put us together for a reason. She is the girl I've been praying for for years now. and she tells me I'm the guy she's been praying for for years. I want nothing more than to be happy with her for the rest of my life, and I am pretty sure about that. I just know. I mean, we're not going to rush into anything, it's too soon for that, and neither of us is ready for that yet. but... I *just know*, ya know?
4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place? Southern California, somewhere between LA and San Diego. It's warm and beautiful, and peaceful. I hate the winter so much. I could see myself at home in a place like that. plus - there's such good poker in So.Cal. it's the poker capitol of the world.
5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be? pedro's answer is a really good one. I love the B-3 sound. but, to be different than any who have come before - a lap steel dobro.
1. What causes me to lose sleep...I am a terrible insomniac, and even once I fall asleep there's no guarantee of staying safely there. I am also a great worrier, which keeps me awake. I worry about my family (my little brother in particular), finances, whether I'll ever make something of my life, if Hernando got home okay on the train. Sunday nights are the worst. I worry about work (although my job is generally stress-free and I enjoy it immensely), and about anything else imaginable. I tossed and turned all last night. it is always difficult after H. has left and I feel bereft after a wonderful weekend together. Maybe lack of sleep is why I feel so poorly today.2. Recurring dream...I often have a dream that I am a talented musician, performing for delighted family/friends/crowds. I have a decent voice (decent being used relatively; in relation to the many musical folk on the Diner, I suck). Other than that, I don't have a musical bone in my body. My mother is a very talented musician. At different points I tried to learn both guitar and piano, from her and professionals. Pipe dreams, my friends.
3. Have I ever been in love...Ah, yeah. I thought I was in love a few times before I met Hernando, but all of that sadly pales in comparison to the reality. I want to be the most kind, the best version of myself just for knowing him, and I am more at peace and most happy in his company than I am at any other time. He is the kindest, most loving, most funny, most wonderful person I have ever known, in every way possible. Sometimes I can't believe he wants to marry ME (though in a good way). God has been very kind to me, indeed.
4. If I had to (or will, on my honor) move to another place...I love Chicago, but it is not my home. Which is why I can't stay here. After 7 years, it still feels foreign to me much of the time. And there aren't any mountains here. I will be back in Denver eventually, probably when H & I finish our degrees in a few years.
5. If I could be an instrument...mandolin, hands down. Pretty, romantic, simple, yet has the ability to be complex.
Id like to answer alot of the past 5 or 6 surveys, but i wont. I will answer the last two1/1 I really havent had anybody too close die yet
1/2 id hate too sound like the most cynical person in the world, but my answer would probably be "when i grew up"
1/3 loneliest time might have been after i had first broken up with my current g/f. it was after going out for about two years. I mainly got through it by working alot, not eating, not sleeping, and drinking coffee, smoking, and writing. I lost approximately 40 pounds in 6 months. Atkins was a wuss.
1/4 All of my former best-ish friends who, for whatever reason, i havent kept contact with, though i could have/can. Andi, Shirese, Thad, Chris, Freeda, etc. it's weird, really.
1/5 n/a
2/1 Coffee, and letting my mind wander around
2/2 i dont remember dreams anymore
2/3 I've been in love twice. I think that if you're real with yourself and don't think you've ever really, truly been in love,or if you doubt it at all, then you havent been in love. I've been in love twice.
2/4 San Francisco, Seattle, and Las Vegas would all be peachy.
2/5 It would stink being a musical instrument, but I guess sarah mclachlan's piano or Corin Tucker's guitar, for perverted reasons, of course.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?
I sleep like a champion. But when I do lose sleep, it is because I am worrying, usually about logistical things that could wait until morning. 2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
I usually don't remember my dreams, though I know I have them. I used to have falling dreams a lot, hating them at first, but eventually liking them. 3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
Yes. I am very much in love with my wife, Christy. I realized it when I was trying to deny being in love to a close friend (because my now wife was dating someone else at the time). 4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
The warm and dry Southwest. My joints would feel great there. I have always wondered how my life would be if I didn't live in the cruel shadow of a great lake. 5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
a well-beaten guitar, covered in stickers. The tone isn't great, it doesn't stay in tune, but it's got some strange charm when it plays straight quarternotes.
I nominate nutella!
Looks like I'll have to put my thinking head on."If you were a tree....?", nah.
Anyway, elise, isn't there some kind of rule that you have to anwer your own survey? Something like Mr.Bad's shotgun rules RULE 4? (I note that, unlike Pigdog, B.A.D. doesn't require ASCII graphics in the announcement)
I'll answer them.1. What causes you to lose sleep at night?
Getting paged, working out problems in my head, too much caffeine after noon, cats jumping on me, scratching the blinds, knocking things over, getting paged again, and again.
2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream?
I used to have a dream where I was in a Willy Wonka elevator that went up and down and sideways. It was pretty cool. I also used to have a dream where my family and I died in a fire. That was creepy.
3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it?
I am now. It's weird. I don't know how I realized it.
4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place?
I think I'd move back to western Massachusetts because it's the only other place besides SF that I enjoyed living. The snow would take a lot of getting used to though.
5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be?
A cello.
1) I too am a worrier, and it's amazing what I can start to worry about when I lie down to sleep. Mostly, I will worry about deadlines (as a procrastinator, usually deadlines that are already upon me) and projects for work. I will make mental to-do lists, plan lesson, revise/negotiate my budget, and review my calendar rather than sleep...
2) As a child I had a reoccuring nightmare, but the only recurring dream that I've had as an adult is when I dream that I get up out of bed, get dressed, and accomplish various tasks and then am surprised to find myself still in bed and in my pjs when my alarm goes off (this confuses and befuddles me every time). I imagine these dreams are closely linked to my nocturnal worrying habits as described above.
3) No.
4) Somewhere with deciduous trees.
5) Cello.
Diner Survey #12
Yeesh, I just looked back through the other eleven surveys and you all have much more imagination than me. You have also taken all the strong questions (friendship, love, dreams, death, snackfoods). The only way I can come up with some questions is to build on the others and make them more specific;
- What is your favourite colour?
- Do you have any siblings?
- If 0: Do you wish you did?
- If 1: Compare and contrast - friend, or just someone you grew up with?
- If >1: Do you prefer/dislike one of them? Why?
- From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
- Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. You know that you'll be found the next morning (e.g. 12 - 16 hours away) and no one will worry about your disappearance for this time. There's a toilet and drinking water. You have eaten well beforehand. You have all the medication, cigarettes etc. that you need. You are not particularly tired. There's light but no window. There's a couch but nothing else (no amusements etc.). How do you behave?
- You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
- What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
- What makes you feel most at peace?
- Should I have limited this to five questions?
Bonus question:
Tell me, oh wise and powerful Oracle, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
What is your favourite colour?
black or red (if black is a 'color')...
Do you have any siblings? If 0: Do you wish you did? If 1: Compare and contrast - friend, or just someone you grew up with? If >1: Do you prefer/dislike one of them? Why?
I have 2 younger sisters. I wouldn't trade either of them for anything. I get along/don't get along with them in different ways. I truly love them both, however, and I'm glad to be a part of their lives. I know they look up to me in ways I can't even fathom, but there's no pressure.
From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
crushes have always been crushing, in that when reality sets in, the fantasy takes a sever nosedive and that can really hurt. my first crush, if i remember correctly, was in first grade. we sat at the same table in class, and then I got moved to the 'gifted' program and never saw her again. I was very sad. I do think about crushes occasionally, especially when questions like this come up.
Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. You know that you'll be found the next morning (e.g. 12 - 16 hours away) and no one will worry about your disappearance for this time. There's a toilet and drinking water. You have eaten well beforehand. You have all the medication, cigarettes etc. that you need. You are not particularly tired. There's light but no window. There's a couch but nothing else (no amusements etc.). How do you behave?
can I have a guitar? if so I play it until I pass out on the couch, smoking cigarettes occasionally. if not, I think and think and smoke and think and then pass out on the couch.
You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
flight. I could travel quickly, and efficiently. this would mean I could search for a job in a wider range of places, commute being no problem, etc. I could also get out of situations more effectively if I could fly. plus, it would be fun.
What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
Long Island Iced Tea, Bailey's on the rocks, Jack and Coke, Gin&Tonic.
What makes you feel most at peace?
playing music, cuddling with Jackie, laying in bed and listening to music, smoking a cigarette in the wee hours of the morning.
Should I have limited this to five questions?
nah.
Bonus question: Tell me, oh wise and powerful Oracle, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
3 cords (and the truth).
You mean like a caber toss? Well, I doubt it'd be able to get up to drunken Scotsman levels, maybe a 30 or 40 pound log.
- ITYM "color"
- I suppose my brother's my friend, but I wouldn't say he's my best friend or anything like that.
- I think my first crush was in kindergarten. At our school, there were two groups that met on alternate days, and she was in the other group. I don't really remember how I came to notice her or why, but she transferred to a different school and I never really think about it, except when people ask me questions about crushes.
- Sleep, scratch tics into the wall, mostly sleep.
- Telekenesis. For pranks, mostly.
- There's this great thing I came up with that's a 4:2:1 combination of brandy, sweet vermouth and triple sec, but I can only get it right about half the time for reasons which continue elude me. I've never seen the same drink anywhere else, but I've seen one that came really close.
- Having just played a good game of capoeira, sleeping in on cold mornings
- Yes, it sets a bad precedent.
1. Lavender. I have the most wonderful, soft, comfy lavender duvet on my bed. I also like cornflower blue; I wear it a lot because I think it makes my eyes stand out.2. I have one brother. We fought a lot when we were little, then about the time I started driving, he decided I was okay. We're friends now. I wish he didn't live in freakin' Fargo.
3. First grade. His name was Joey Whicker. He was a cutie-patootie, and I wrote a letter to my mom about how I loved him and how we were going to get married when we were 16. One day he kissed me on the playground behind a garbage dumpster. Eventually, Wendy Rison came & stole him from me, but I guess I got over it because Wendy & I were Best Friends Forever by the time fifth grade rolled around. (But it turns out Forever was only 2 years, boo.)
4. I curl up on the couch & fall asleep. I probably sleep the entire time.
5. Invisibility. But it's good that I don't have it, because I'm sure I would use it for evil purposes, such as robbing mini-marts.
6. Strawberry pina coladas when I'm feeling foo-foo, a good vodka + cranberry when I'm not. I would like to take a moment to plug my favorite fancy drink place. Hala Kahiki, on River Road (near Ohare) is this great Hawaiian-themed bar that serves the best umbrella drinks ever. They are also relatively inexpensive; you can definitely walk out of there feeling the spirit for less than $20.
7. Once in a great while, I realize that I am completely content in the moment I am living in. These moments generally happen when I am with someone that I love.
8. Nah, you did a good job.
BONUS: Have you ever had Woodchuck hard cider? It's very tasty.
- My favorite color is Green. But I love when the colors Orange and Brown are next to eachother...like Reese's Pieces.
- I have one younger brother, he's a great guy, and probably my best friend. We've had little senseless disagreements like most siblings do, but we compliment each other quite nicely.
- First crush was in the fourth grade. Oddly enough, we email each other least once or twice a month.
- I'd probably hum sungs to myself, do a couple push-ups and sit-ups, catch up on some rest. Yeah...I'm bursting with excitement.
- I've been a spiderman fan since the wee days, so I'd love to have the "spider sense" and whip up a couple webs. Most of all, I just want the spandex outfit.
- I rarely drink, but if I do, it's mainly the brew. I'm not to much of a cocktail fan...in fact, I don't now the names of any particular cocktails.
- Weekends alone, pizza, an early Saturday morning viewing of "Teen Wolf", listening to "downer" music like REM's "Fall On Me" and Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line", reminiscing about past times, books, a nice hot shower with a powerful shower head.
- Not at all. These were all good questions to ask.
1. blue, as long as it's not obnoxious.2. probably one of the strangest responses you'll get; I have 1 older sister, 1 older brother, 2 sisters who were born in the same month/year I was, 1 brother 5 months younger than me, and one younger brother...it's all very confusing and involves lots of divorce and remarriage, and even one adoption
3. my first crush was in first grade. Haven't seen or talked with him in many, many years, but he does cross my mind every now and then. (like now)
4. sleep, sleep, sleep. I have 9 years to catch up on
5. dunno. If it's okay to make something up...I'd like to have infinite patience `cause I sure would sin a lot less.
6. a 'Happy Stanley' though there's not really anything fancy about it
7. going to Mass. healthy, sleeping children, a quiet house and good company
8. no this was a fun break
- What is your favourite colour(sic)?
i like dark primary and secondary colors. green is tops, i think.
- Do you have any siblings?
- If 0: Do you wish you did?
- If 1: Compare and contrast - friend, or just someone you grew up with?
- If >1: Do you prefer/dislike one of them? Why?
i have one natural brother who is twenty months younger and three step siblings, a sister who is eight years older, a brother who is ten years older, and a sister who is fifteen years older. i was the oldest until i was five, and still basically consider myself the "first child" because i never actually lived with my step siblings, since they were in college and high school when my mother remarried and they lived with their mother. so really..... i have a younger brother. he's definitely a friend, but one that i don't see very often. right now he's in mexico and will be there until august. he's always somewhere other than home, usually somewhere thousands of miles away.
- From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
i took piano lessons with my grandmother from about age five to age twelve. my first crush was my duet partner when i was about six years old. i almost never think about that anymore.
- Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. You know that you'll be found the next morning (e.g. 12 - 16 hours away) and no one will worry about your disappearance for this time. There's a toilet and drinking water. You have eaten well beforehand. You have all the medication, cigarettes etc. that you need. You are not particularly tired. There's light but no window. There's a couch but nothing else (no amusements etc.). How do you behave?
that depends on a lot of things. am i caffeinated? at some point i'll have to be, but i could hold off until the end. is it warm? cool? average? if it's cool, i'll probably pace around, which will get my mind going and i'll start to sing or talk to myself. i'm a pretty vocal thinker when i'm alone. if it's average and i'm not caffeinated i'll probably sleep until i need caffeine. then i'll go into ramblin' looney mode. if it's warm i'll probably just lie around the cell larthargically trying to disipate heat so that i don't sweat. i might strip.
- You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
for lack of a better name "go-go-gadget power." just because inspector gadget rocks.
- What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
this is a space that i'm still exploring.... slowly, since i don't drink much. i like vodka and citrus drinks, but not overpowering citrus, just enough to match the alcohol.
- What makes you feel most at peace?
i'm most at peace when loose ends are tied up.... when people aren't mad at me and i'm not mad at people, when deadlines are met, when the apartment is tidy, when the bills are paid, when the computers are all happily humming along. bonus points for having someone to cuddle and fall asleep with.
- Should I have limited this to five questions?
i'm with Octal on this one.
Bonus question: Tell me, oh wise and powerful Oracle, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
it's really hard to say. i mean, if a woodchuck could chuck wood, would it want to? it's obviously not something that is essential to the woodchuck's welfare since, empirically, woodchucks can't chuck wood. i don't even know how woodchucks would consider wood chucking. is it a chore? is it a sport? is it addictive? i think that it would vary based on each woodchuck's individual preferrence/needs.
1. What is your favourite colour?Blue.
2. Do you have any siblings?
I have two sisters, one 6 years older, and one 5 years younger. I love them both very much -- they're great sisters, and I think being a middle brother shaped me a lot. I am much closer to my younger sister because we spent more time together, but I couldn't say that I liked one more than another or soemthing like that.
3. how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
Well, first crush that meant anything was probably 4th grade. I don't think of her and only see her once every few years randomly at home. THe first real HELLO-THIS-IS-A-CRUSH crush where I was really crazy about someone was 9th grade. We lost touch and I know very little about where she is at, but I do think of her from time to time.
4. Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room.
I would probably imediately start humming and singing or whistling to myself, working on songs. I'd probably do pushups and situps like coney suggested. I'd eventually fall asleep.
5. You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
Telepathy. I'd use it to help people. Really.
6. What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
Vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred. Extra olives, please.
7. What makes you feel most at peace?
Prayer, a good church service, a good night's rest.
8. Should I have limited this to five questions?
No.
Bonus question: Tell me, oh wise and powerful Oracle, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
I'm not sure, but it's answer inextricably tied to this question:
If a chicken and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half, how long does it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?
1. What is your favourite colour?
Red
2. Do you have any siblings?
Yes.
* If >1: Do you prefer/dislike one of them? Why?
I have a sister who I'm close to, and a brother I can't stand. I'm not saying why in a public forum.
3. From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
I really can't remember my first crush. I had a zillion of them all through jr. high, high school, and college. I often think back on some of them and wonder how they are now and what they are doing.
4. Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. You know that you'll be found the next morning (e.g. 12 - 16 hours away) and no one will worry about your disappearance for this time. There's a toilet and drinking water. You have eaten well beforehand. You have all the medication, cigarettes etc. that you need. You are not particularly tired. There's light but no window. There's a couch but nothing else (no amusements etc.). How do you behave?
I'd probably sleep, or sit around and day dream. I might do yoga or meditate, depending on my mood.
5. You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
I don't know. I never read comic books....
6. What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
It depends on my mood, but I do like a good Manhattan, a dry gin martini, the old fashioned is nice, and at times a mojito hits the spot. Then there is the occasion when I want something like a pina colada, or a strawberry daqueri, or maybe a blue Hawaiian. So many choices...
7. What makes you feel most at peace?
These days it seems to be hanging out with Mike. But also, I'm at peace when my environment is settled and tidy, and when I accomplish something that is important to me.
8. Should I have limited this to five questions?
Na.
1) Red to wear, blue for pleasure and comfort to look at. 2) 3. I think I'm closest to my little sister Katie. She's cool, and has a good attitude about thing, now that she's starting to find herself. 3) My first crush? Like on a person I KNEW or a celebrity? On a person I knew it would have been when I was 12, and I actually didn't think about him until you asked this question. I think he's gay actually, in retrospect I'd be DAMN surprised if he's not. On a celebrity it would've been a little earlier, probably Prince. 4) Mmmmm. 16 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Sleep. Sleep. 5) Flying. I would LOVE to be able to fly. 6) Sloe gin fizz. Mmmmm. 7) My children, watching Anna kiss Julia, and Julia smile at Anna, and hearing Anna tell Julia how much she loves her. These days may never come again but they are the most awe inspiring. 8) No. These're good ones!EC: A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
Thank you all for all of your interesting answers over this last week. I'll let those who follow ponder the replies to question 8.According to my notes from last week, on the past 12 occasions we've had surveys from blvdgirl, baggins, BigJ, dex, pedro, octal, JT, Warggle, Cinnamongirl, inkblot elise, and Your Humble Narrator.
My nomination, a frequent participant in this Entree who has yet to actually post a survey is ConeyIsland81.
Share and Enjoy!
Thanks Nutella!Expect a new round of questions Monday, March 1st, 9:00am.
1. WHAT is your favorite Colour?Blue, no Yelllllooooowwwwwww......
2. WHAT is your quest? er, sorry Do you have siblings?
Yes an older sister who lives in Ohio and constantly has me driving out there to help her move.
Do you prefer/dislike one of them?
No
3. First Crush? What Age? Still Think?
It was a girl at church, also the first girl I ever kissed, haven't thought about her in a long time, saw a picture not too long ago, she turned into a mega-hottie.
4. Locked in a room...
I'd day dream like there was no tomorrow, it's a gift I have, I can spend hours making up stories in my head, but none of them are any good, but it passes the time.
5. Comic book hero power, Which? Why?
Wolverine, he heals himself, and has bitchin claws, come on now that's fun.
6. Favorite Cocktail?
White Russian, yummy.
7. What makes you feel at Peace?
Reading the paper, drinking coffe, and listening to Saturday morning NPR, ah bliss!
8. Should I have limited this to 5 questions?
Nah, rip the system!!
Bonus Question.
Uh oh I'm not an Oracle, I'm a biologist!
The Woodchuck (Marmota monax), or Ground Hog, is a large North American Rodent completely incapable of chucking wood, actually with its rather dextruous front paws it would be able to chuck it if it weren't for its elongated round torso which makes it impossible to rise onto its hind legs. A native to North America it thrives in the transition zones created where forests meet prairie, or farmland, and thus have done well with the farms creating many edge zones (much like the White tailed deer). It's name is actually a bastardization of a Native American name. And therefore to as how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, is actually an insult to Native American's. (just kidding)
A woodchuck is the same thing as a ground hog?
and now you know.
"and knowing is half the battle"
1. What is your favourite colour?
I don't really like colors.2. Do you have any siblings? If 1: Compare and contrast - friend, or just someone you grew up with?
Jules is a good friend. Perhaps the only reson I would consider moving back to the flatlands is her.3. From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
Honestly couldn't say. Maybe like 4th grade. Never think about her except "Wow she's probably dead or messed up like a lot of people I used to know."4. Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room... How do you behave?
If I could remain asleep the whole time I would. It would probably drive me nuts to be awake.5. You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
Almost any... I agree with BigJ, Wolverine's healing would be mighty nice considering my hobbies.6. What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
My own invention called happiness. Mostly gin, with a few "flourishes".7. What makes you feel most at peace?
Being tired. Hot showers help too...8. Should I have limited this to five questions?
Na, rules are boring.
Favourite colour
I asked this one because I am a fan of the Lüscher Colour Test. I see no people of sunny disposition here and few home- or nature-oriented folk. Chalk me up as another fan of blue.Siblings?
I have a brother a little younger than me and we have varied between best friends, ignoring each other, allies and now merely appreciating and enjoying each other. He's probably my favouritest person in the world. I've always been Big Brother to my sister. She has a much higher opinion of me than I deserve.Crush?
My definition would probably involve strong, fairly unrequited but harmless attraction. My first would have been in the first year of primary school. These days I occasionally think of her as we were at that time but don't particularly wish to know what she's up to these days.Solitude
The answers to this were probably the most interesting. I had the impression that many people are not comfortable with the idea of simply sitting still/lightly meditating for extended periods of time. The quiz results tend to support this. Personally I'd settle down to some intensive thinking (plus some sleep, of course). I do this best when travelling (buses, planes, trains etc.), as there's that subconscious satisfaction about achieving something while sitting still, but after a period of adjustment I can just sit/lie there. I am no longer as patient as I used to be so I might get frustrated after a while.Superpower?
This question was triggered by a This American Life broadcast where comic book superhero powers were discussed (and occasionally mocked). I haven't read that diverse a range of those books. My favourites are things like Fat Freddy's Cat and Peanuts. I'll choose Charlie Brown's persistence as my superpower.Cocktail?
My standy is the trusty screwdriver. I have fond memories of being bought a Strawberry Daquiri and an Alabama Slammer as on both those occasions the evenings took very interesting turns. I like Long Island iced tea as it tastes so innocuous. My current bizarre favourite is a lightly-iced 1:1 mix of cheap Californian sake and cranberry juice. It brings out the oleagenous petrol taste of the sake and the tartness of the cranberry. I like it because it is so bad.Peace?
I grab such moments when I can. The idea of "having everything finished, cleaned, documented, tidied, etc." is just an illusion but the guilt keeps knocking. I can often find moments of peace on a beach or in the countryside. I can also be at peace when peforming a task which engages me fully and is enjoyable (I need to write some more code). It has been a long time since I have been at peace when not on my own.Questions
The intro said "five or more". Call me a non-conformist (Kryten: "Obviously, within certain sensible pre-set parameters...")Woodchuck
I can't believe that no one used to read rec.humor.oracle (the correct answer is ZOT!).
What is your favourite colour?
Yellow. But I like to wear blue and white.
Do you have any siblings?
I have an older brother and a much younger sister. I love them both, of course, in different ways. I am momma-bearish in my love for Betsy. But, have very little in common with either.
From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally?
I had a pre-school crush on Jeremy Fisher- probably cause he had a Beatrix Potter name... The only crushes that I think about were from high school. Especially, Scott Wies1nsk1. Man, I still know that we could live happily ever after. :P
Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. You know that you'll be found the next morning (e.g. 12 - 16 hours away) and no one will worry about your disappearance for this time. There's a toilet and drinking water. You have eaten well beforehand. You have all the medication, cigarettes etc. that you need. You are not particularly tired. There's light but no window. There's a couch but nothing else (no amusements etc.). How do you behave?
I have a feeling that I wouldn't take my confinement very well. I'd probably pace madly and pound on the walls for the first couple hours. So poorly conceived attempts to break the door down would be attempted. Then, I might lie down, but wouldn't really be able to rest.
You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why?
Flight. I have dreams of flying. I can't imagine not enjoying it.
What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Beer with an umbrella and/or fruit in it doesn't count.
Amaretto Stone Sour or Malibu & Pinapple.
What makes you feel most at peace?
A rainy day with no appointments, a comfy couch with lounging blanket, and an unread book. A hot bath. Hot tea. Sunshine gradually warming my back. Lingering under Aspen and birch trees.
Should I have limited this to five questions?
NO.
What is your favourite colour? The TV color bar test pattern, with white on the left, blue on the right.Do you have any siblings? If >1: Do you prefer/dislike one of them? Why? I have three, +6 and +9 years relative to me. I do not prefer either of them now, but when I was a kid I went through a long stretch where I absolutely did not like the +6 one.
how about your first crush? At what age? Do you still think about them occasionally? My first silly crush was on Julie Newmar when I was a kid. My first actual crush was my first GF. I still think about her occasionally, but only in an academic curiosity kind of way.
Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. You know that you'll be found the next morning (e.g. 12 - 16 hours away) and no one will worry about your disappearance for this time. There's a toilet and drinking water. You have eaten well beforehand. You have all the medication, cigarettes etc. that you need. You are not particularly tired. There's light but no window. There's a couch but nothing else (no amusements etc.). How do you behave? Wow. That is a great question. I would probably behave the same way I do when I'm on a long drive: I'd think about things. I'd probably sleep for the usual seven to eight hours, and use the rest of the time to think about the people in my life and how I've interacted with them. I'd replay happy times, and see what I could learn from the sad ones.
You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. Which? Why? Super strength. This is the one I find myself wishing for the most.
What's your favourite cocktail (or "fancy" non-alcoholic drink)? Non-alcoholic daiquiri.
What makes you feel most at peace? Being with my family.
Should I have limited this to five questions? Absolutely not. But now you have a good shot at being hired over at topfive.com.
Bonus question: Tell me, oh wise and powerful Oracle, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? The correct answer wasn't always ZOT, was it?
Speaking of the Oracle, I am very proud to have bene published not once, but twice in the same top ten digest. One was a long self-referential answer to a self-referential question, and the other was about one's evil twin.
1. What causes you to lose sleep at night? stress (car, money, job), spiders, good books
2. What is your best / favorite recuring dream? I don't remember my dreams a lot fo the times but every once in a while I get a skiing dream where I'm floating over perfect pow without any of the effort.
3. Have you ever been in love, and if so, how did you realize it? yes. I don't know how I realized it, but at some point I just knew. I think before I met karna I had been in the shallow end of the pool and had a little taste of what love was, but had no idea what it really meant. Now it's pretty wild to loko back and see how much my love has grown and changed.
4. If you had to move to another locale, where would you go and why would you choose that place? Some days it's "anywhere but here" and other days I have specific places I would want to live and other days I just want to move back to Chicago. I wouldn't mind living on the West Coast or somewhere way out in the rockies. I also think it would be great to live in Austria. I don't know why, but I think it would be a great place to live.
5. If you could be a musical instrument, which one would you be? I would be a cello. It was the first instrument that I ever played with any sort of skill and it can produce such a wide rangef of sounds. From low and mournful to bright and joyful. Not to mentions that it is such a sensuous instrument. One of the first cello's I had was a 3/4 size that we rented from teh local music store. It was a gorgeous instrument with a lovely reddish stain and a shiny finish. Another girl in our music class (this was 4th grade) had a 3/4 size cello that was very lightly stained and was more like a lacquered natural wood and it had this wonderful glow to it. We called it the mellow yellow cello. (As an aside, her name was Anna Harr1ngt0n...no really.)
"anna harr1ngt0n"s that I know of... including mine.
1. What is your favourite colour? orange
2. Do you have any siblings? yes. I have a twin sister (who many of you may know) that was a joy to grow up with. We had times we hated each other and fought like siblings do but we came out okay and have a good realtionship...even I don't email her or call her often enough.
3. From answers to the previous quiz, not everyone has been in love, but how about your first crush? It's a good thing I included the aside about my cello playing days at Jackson Elementary school in the 4th grade. My first crush was on the red-haired player of that beautiful cello. I think you are 9 or 10 in the 4th grade. I hadn't thought of her for a long time and it wasn't until I was writing my answer about being a cello that I remembered.
4. Somehow you accidentally become locked in a cell-like room. .... How do you behave? Hmmm I don't know. Since you know for certain that someone will find you in short order, I don't think any sort of panic would set in. I'd probably sit and think until i got bored and then sing and dance to myself an dthen try to sleep or something. The questions reminds me of this crazy german film I watched on Starz! the other night at the hotel called Das Experiment about a group of men who volunteer to become prisoners or prison guards in a controlled psychoogical experiment. Things go horribly wrong of course and I can't believe I ended watching the whole thing.
5. You have your choice of one comic-book superpower. It's not from a comic book, but rather from pulpy fantasy by David Eddings. I would want the ability to morph myself into other animals. I could change into an eagle and fly, or a wolf and hunt, etc. Mainly I think it would be interesting to see the world from the persepctive of different animals. Plus, after the oil crash I could hunt for food with my wolfish fangs. [also, this made me think of a fantastic episode of this american life entitled superpowers]
6. What's your favourite cocktail? Depends on my mood, but either a white russian or a vodka (belvedere) martini.
7. What makes you feel most at peace? Being in the arms of my wife with the dog trying to snuggle in for some love.
- You are allowed to have a dinner with anybody in history (living or deceased). Who will it be?
- Recall your biggest power/ego trip.
- What is your very first memory?
- Recall one of the funniest things you've ever seen.
- Have you ever heard a song that sounded so beautiful that it made you cry? If so, which one (or two)?
- You are forced to go back and redo one year of your life. Which year? Why?
- EC: Billy Squire and Tom Jones have offered to play at your birthday party...who do you choose?
1.Pope John Paul II2.winning any battle with my youngest child who is wonderfully spirited.
3.I have very few memories before the age of 6 or 7 and it's difficult to place them in chronological order so I don't really know which was first, but I'll share one that's at least pleasant.....
When I was little, before I started school and before my grandmother got sick (with cancer) she worked part-time for a school for children with severe learning disabilities as an aid on the busses. Basically, her job was to make sure the kids got on and off the bus safely and none of them got out of hand or hurt themselves or anyone else during the ride to and from school. Because my grandmother watched me while my mother was at work, I got to ride along. I loved being able to watch my grandmother work with these kids. She was such a wonderful person with so many fun quirks that I just adored, that the way she would care for these kids and play with them touched my heart and shaped my soul, even at such a young age.
4.my daughter at 4 years old stunning a Chinese medicine doctor into silence with her words...
The two of us had an appointment with the doctor one afternoon and they needed to take our blood pressure ~ this of course made my 4-year-old Georgie very curious about the blood pressure cuff. So as the flood of questions began, the doctor humored Georgie and tried to explain that it helped him to know how fast the blood is going through my heart, etc. Georgie had a very puzzled look on her face and insisted that..."I don't have any blood in my heart!" The doctor replied with the question "well, then what's going through your heart??" Georgie's answer, with a most matter of fact attitude and eye roll, was "JESUS, duh!"
5.yes, but they are countless. They do however have one thing in common, that they are all sung in church. The most frequest is probably ``The Summons''
6.some of us have more years to choose from than others and therefore more years with good potential for redoing...however, no matter how difficult or how uncomfortable or how ugly or how anything any given year was, I don't think I would change a thing. I like where all I have done and been through has brought me and who it has made me.
No ec for me, I wouldn't have a birthday party.
You are allowed to have a dinner with anybody in history (living or deceased). Who will it be?
John Bonham, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly... that whole crew.
Recall your biggest power/ego trip.
can't recall. honestly can't.
What is your very first memory?
a lady in the apartment below us giving me nestle crunch bars when i played on her rocking horse on her porch when she would babysit me sometimes.
Recall one of the funniest things you've ever seen.
i don't know. maybe one time, when i made a big bluff at a poker table into a realy drunk guy. the problem was, my cards were so bad, and so were his... he called me and we had to split the pot because our cards were so bad neither of us could beat the board. i mean, i bet, at least giving him a chance to fold. his call was either extremely brilliant or extremely stupid. i'm guessing stupid because he was way too drunk to play against me or anybody else at the table. it was funny, but maybe you had to be there... i don't know...
Have you ever heard a song that sounded so beautiful that it made you cry? If so, which one (or two)?
I've shed a tear over a few Sunny Day Real Estate songs - song about an angel, 48, the ocean, television, 5/4, how it feels to be something on, pillars, the prophet. i also had a tear in my eye when i saw Godspeed You Black Emperor play last year.
You are forced to go back and redo one year of your life. Which year? Why?
probably the year i was at Covenant Bible College. I would do less drinking and more homework.
EC: Billy Squire and Tom Jones have offered to play at your birthday party...who do you choose? Tom Jones in a heartbeat. especially if TJ covered some BS songs.
- You are allowed to have a dinner with anybody in history (living or deceased). Who will it be?
nikola tesla
- Recall your biggest power/ego trip.
this is not a question.
- What is your very first memory?
i have two very early memories from about the same time. the house that i lived in until i was a year old had white or off-white shag carpet in the living room and a southwest-facing window door that opened to a pool and patio. i can remember laying on my belly in the middle of the living room facing the window door in the afternoon. i was alternately picking at the shag carpet in big exaggerated baby grasps and looking out the window at the sky. it was about this time of year, so i guess i was about six months old. the other memory is from a month or so later when i could crawl. i was hiding under my mom's ironing board with a full diaper and she was reaching down to pick me up so that she could go and change it. she was wearing her rainbow sweater.
- Recall one of the funniest things you've ever seen.
this is not a question.
- Have you ever heard a song that sounded so beautiful that it made you cry? If so, which one (or two)?
yes. what happens when the heart just stops, by the frames.
- You are forced to go back and redo one year of your life. Which year? Why?
i'd do 1996 over again. i wouldn't do very many things differently. mostly i'd just want to be there again and do right the things i definitely could have done better.
EC: Billy Squire and Tom Jones have offered to play at your birthday party...who do you choose?
i don't know either, so coin toss i guess.
1. You are allowed to have a dinner with anybody in history (living or deceased). Who will it be?As corny as this sounds, I think I would probably have dinner with Jesus... it would be fascinating I think to "behold the Man" so to speak and just see Him face to face.
2. Recall your biggest power/ego trip.
I really have no idea. There are a few things, but nothing is really a big power/ego trip.
3. What is your very first memory?
I have three distinct early memories. One I can date because it's from when my parents remodeled our house in 1977 (in the summer, I think). I was about 1 and remember them digging the basement and pouring the concrete for the forms. I have tar on kingerdog (my stuffed dog) from the concrete. It's odd because I remember understanding, very basically of course, what they were doing, which just goes to show you that kids understand a lot even if they can't say much. I also remember being very scared about falling in holes and stuff like that.
I remember what the front yard looked like before the remodeling. I don't think I have seen any pictures of it, so that's a pre-one year old image.
THe last one is of me on my mom's lap in church on the west side of the sanctuary near the front playing with a rubber caterpillar baby toy that I had... the texture was really fascinating to me. I don't know when that was, but it had to be < 3.
4. Recall one of the funniest things you've ever seen.
I can't tell the story here, but it has to do with my sophmore year at ARA and some really good dessert.
5. Have you ever heard a song that sounded so beautiful that it made you cry? If so, which one (or two)?
I'm sure I have, but I have a hard time thinking about what it was. I really like Appalachian Spring and Quiet CIty by Aaron Copland... and I think that Half Acre by Hem is an incredible song. But I'm not sure if the song itself made me cry. Perhaps Kentucky Avenue by Tom Waits.
6. You are forced to go back and redo one year of your life. Which year? Why?
Probably the year in high school that my dad and I had our biggest blow ups. I don't know if this is fair, because at that age, I don't think I would be more mature about stuff or about avoiding the conflict... and maybe it would have been worse overall if the conflit had been avoided rather than actually coming to a head.
Sometimes I regret having dated in college, not because it was a disaster or because it wasn't legit, but because I hate not having control over my memories and sometimes I wish I didn't have those memories... and because getting to the point of the relationship was a lot of drama and pain for some people that I wish I could have avoided. But I also think that for the most part, the relationship was good and I know that I learned a lot about myself and that it made me more ready to really be in love. Sometimes, looking back on that, I wonder how and/or why people can actually manage to stay together.
* EC: Billy Squire and Tom Jones have offered to play at your birthday party...who do you choose?
Man... it would probably have to be Tom Jones, just for the sheer comedy and amazingness of it. Tom Jones gives me the creeps, but you can't deny that he's a master showman. Billy Squier is really only good for "Stroke me, stroke me" and that's like what, 5 minutes of entertainment?
1. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.2. It's immature, but I guess most power/ego trips are. I interned at a radio station one summer, and part of my job was doing on-site promotions. One day we went to my hometown, to a Dairy Queen, to give out t-shirts, concert tickets, etc. A guy showed up all gung-ho about meeting Famous People from Q101, and I recognized him as a guy I went to grade school with that taunted me all through high school because I had a mild speech impediment until about the third grade. (I had problems with my Rs, I pronounced them as Ws.) He recognized me too, and was intensely interested in how I got to work there, and whether I was on the air, and whether I was friends with the Famous Manc0w, and can he please please please have a T-shirt? I told him no, and he looked like I had just kicked him in the jimmy.
3. Shortly after my brother was born (1980), I recall playing in the soap in the bathroom and having someone come and drag me into the living room to sit on my mom's lap and take a family photo. I had little pieces of soap all over my hands & in the picture you can see me trying to rub them off on my mom's pants.
4. I can't think of any anecdotes from my life, but the Spongemonkeys at rathergood.com always make me laugh.
5. An old Michael W. Smith song called "All Is Well." It sounds like angels are singing in heaven.
6. I'd re-do 1996, the year I graduated high school & started North Park. I'd go to a different school & study something different. I think I would have done much better at a state school.
EC: Tom Jones, hands down.
I thought about answering the same way to question #1, but then thought, NAH, I actually intend to have the opportunity someday; though I guess I will have the same opportunity with the Holy Father someday too, oh well....
1. My maternal grandmother. She died when I was eight, but had alzeimer's so I don't think I ever knew her.
2. Not really an individual thing, but about mid-way through college I realized that I could pretty much talk anyone into giving me my way( my friends, parents, profs, bosses, co-workers, etc. - the only exception to this that I recall was St3v3 Dahl1n)... This made me feel very powerful, all this manipulative ability. It's not like I was being evil and convincing things to join the forces of darkness, but I began to feel that my manipulating people wasn't a very good thing to be doing. So, I sort of weened myself from doing that, and, though the tempatation to try is still there sometimes, I try very hard not to do it. (Of course, I may not have been as powerful at this as I think...people may have just been humoring me cause I was trying so hard...)
3. I have a memory of swimming with bright orange floaties on my arms at a swimming pool in Pensicola (around 2 yrs old), but I am never convinced that I actually remember it or am I just building the memory from photographs... The other early one that I am sure of was my brother first day of kindergarten (I was three). I was very jealous that my brother was going to school and that I couldn't yet, so my mom took me to Burger King for lunch. I had a cheeseburger and french fries. We couldn't afford to eat out much back then, so this was a big treat for me.
4. Random, but funny. I am walking up a narrow winding road in Sorrento, Italy by myself. I'd been down at this ruined fortress along the shore and was heading back up into town. When I'm about halfway up, I encounter these two Italian guys headed the other way, one of them is staring at me which is a little discomforting but not really a big deal. As we pass each other he starts to sing "Stangers in the Night" in English. I didn't know what to do, it was completely disarming and bizarre. I looked back and smiled, but kept walking.
5. A lot of songs make me cry because I am a sap, but it is usually because of the lyrics. And, like stan, religious songs can get me quicker than anything else... There's a country song out right now maybe called, "I love you this much,"- that one makes me cry like a baby.
6. If I'd have to re-do one, it'd be 1999. I would have quit my student teaching position in the spring, taken more literature, courses, and taken an extra semester at North Park in the fall. I also would have approached camp that summer differently.
EC: I might want to choose Squire. I believe that he'd get really excited at the challenge of my birthday party and come out at full force. I'm not downplaying Tom Jones, but I imagine he's played every kind of gig possible. This would be routine for him. Is Tom Jones a tireless worker? He seems to be, but I'm betting that I'll catch Billy Squire at his finest. I'm almost split on my decision.
- Definetly my grandfather (mother's side). He died before I was born. I am his only daughter's first son, and the oldest male of his grandchildren. I only have photos of him, and we look virtually identical. He was the epitamy of a "Renaissance Man". It would be him...or maybe myself at age five. That would be bizarre, espescially if my 5-year old self did not realize that he was conversing with his 24-year old self.
- When my younger brother told me that he really looked up to me.
- I remember running around in my backyard minutes before my family and I were about to take a trip to Holland, MI. I was wearing a blue t-shirt with the Mackinaw Bridge screen printed on the front. The grass was really soggy because winter just ended and it was early morning. I think I was 3 1/2, maybe 4 years old.
- I've busted my gut many times while hanging out with family...just observing things. In terms of a specific moment, I remember laughing uncontrollably at the introduction of Conan O'Brien's awful Bill Clinton puppet.
- Lux Aeterna by the Kronos Quartet.
- 1997. I would have given more thought to my actions. I would chosen a different University to attend, worked harder for the things I really wanted, and wouldn't sweat the small stuff. I had every opportunity to succeed and I keep thinking that I blew it. I do believe things happen for a reason and I'm quite comfortable with how life has played out at this very moment...but there are still a lot of "what if's" that come to mind that I really shouldn't care about.
coney, you need to nominate the next surveyor.
I nominate Stan for this week.
...better find my thinking cap.
i just typed whatever came to mind so these are totally random....i'm hoping that i am not repeating anyone else's questions.1.what (good or bad) characteristic(s) have other people told you they have observed in you that you do not see in yourself?
2.what is your favorite meal? who makes it for you? how often?
3.what is the best gift you have ever received? was it the gift itself or how it was presented?
4.have you ever been in a fist fight? how many? how long ago?
5.do you like your name? why or why not?
no ec. 5 questions 20% each. begin.
1. Huh. That's a hard question. It's pretty rare that anyone says something about me that I am shocked to hear, good or bad. Being in a band and a committed relationship has helped that.2. Tacos, from scratch, made by my grandma... they are the best. I only get them once or twice a year now. She makes her own tortillas and toasts the cheese and meat on the griddle... mmmm.
3. That's a tough one... I'm going to punt on it and answer it later.
4. I have never been in a real fist fight. I had a couple tousles in elementary school, but nothing serious. The closest I ever came to a fist fight was throwing a handful of mud at a kid in Richfield. But that's not very close, is it?
5. I do like it. As a kid, I wanted something more exciting and dynamic, like Michael, or Joe... I guess Joe isn't that dynamic, but I thought it was when I was a kid. I thought that Peter was a kind of nerdy name. And I guess it is. But now that's ok. I also took myself way too seriously as a kid, and some things never change. Hah. No really, I hated it when people called me "Pete" as a kid, because it was too diminutive to my ears. Anyway, I'm over it. I like my name a lot. I have not met too many Peters I did not like.
- what (good or bad) characteristic(s) have other people told you they have observed in you that you do not see in yourself?
somebody once rolled down his window while i was riding on dearborn and said i looked jewish. i think he thought that was a bad thing. another time, i was walking down kenmore and these guys driving by shouted "it's jesus!" jesus was jewish... i bet that's where the mixup comes from.
- what is your favorite meal? who makes it for you? how often?
old school family recipe spaghetti. mom makes it several times a year, but i haven't had much of it since i came to chicago.
- what is the best gift you have ever received? was it the gift itself or how it was presented?
love. the gift itself.
- have you ever been in a fist fight? how many? how long ago?
yes. three, i think, all of them over a decade ago.
- do you like your name? why or why not?
i'm sort of indifferent toward my name. i don't really have any reasons.
1.what (good or bad) characteristic(s) have other people told you they have observed in you that you do not see in yourself?
I've always had a self-confidence issue, so when people have told me i was good at something, i didn't really see it. lately, that's changing, though. i guess lately, i've been more involved in my church, and am having more opportunities for leadership roles. having people tell me that i am/would be a good leader still kinda throws me for a loop. but i'm learning more about what that means, what that looks like, and i'm trying to develop those things in my life.2.what is your favorite meal? who makes it for you? how often?
tough one. I really like my mom's enchiladas and a dish she calls 'Mexican Pizza'. she makes the enchilada once in a while, but she never makes the Mexican Pizza anymore, even though i ask her to and she promises that she will soon.3.what is the best gift you have ever received? was it the gift itself or how it was presented?
hmm. when my uncle gave me my first guitar that was pretty cool. the things jackie gave me for christmas were really great. but, i guess the ultimate gift i have been given is that of salvation. i know, it's a sunday school answer, but it's true.4.have you ever been in a fist fight? how many? how long ago?
yeah. i used to get in fights all the time when i was growing up. I got picked on a lot as a kid for being overweight. and i fought back.5.do you like your name? why or why not?
yes. it's unique. there are not too many Jeremy's out there.
- what (good or bad) characteristic(s) have other people told you they have observed in you that you do not see in yourself?
I've been told that I'm quite a dreamer, which I totally agree with. I believe that I am a dreamer, but not in an arrogant and annoying way. I think what they meant was that I was more of a person who's in their own world. I've also been told that sometimes I can be a brash desicion maker, which I also agree with. So to answer this question, I'm well aware of my quirks.
- what is your favorite meal? who makes it for you? how often?
My favorite meal is a large pizza with sausage, mushrooms, and pepperoni from M@in Street Pizza in M@rquette, MI. My favorite homemade meal is my mother's angel hair pasta with oregano, mozzarella, red tomatoes, black olives, garlic cloves, and olive oil. She cooks it for me everytime I make a trip home. Sometimes, my father will cook steaks with that meal. I'm salivating right now.
- what is the best gift you have ever received? was it the gift itself or how it was presented?
Generic answer: love and freedom.
- have you ever been in a fist fight? how many? how long ago?
I've been in two fist fights, both with my younger brother. One was in 1991, the other in 1994.
- do you like your name? why or why not?
Nope, see the Imaginary Baby On A Bun entree.
1.what (good or bad) characteristic(s) have other people told you they have observed in you that you do not see in yourself?Others have told me that I'm patient, which I don't see at all. In fact, I think I am the least patient person I know.
2.what is your favorite meal? who makes it for you? how often?
I can't think of many things that I enjoy more than a spinach / tomato / mushroom pizza (the one they call "The Lou" at Maln@ti's), followed by their chocolate chip cookie sundae thing. As for home-cooked meals, I'm not picky.
3.what is the best gift you have ever received? was it the gift itself or how it was presented?
My parents gave me a digital piano a few years ago. I had wanted one ever since I graduated from college & had nothing to play on, and they called me one Sunday afternoon & asked if they could come visit. I figured something was up, and when they pulled up to my apartment, my dad had me help carry it in. It was, and is, my favorite possession. Just lovely, with 88 weighted, full-sized keys, a couple pedals, and a really authentic sound. My mom & dad tend to give large gifts like this at random times, rather than recurring events like Xmas or birthdays, to avoid setting a hard-to-follow precedent.
4.have you ever been in a fist fight? how many? how long ago?
I tried to pick a fight with a girl in 7th grade, who said something silly about me, but the lunchroom monitor told me to go sit down so I did. No other fights or threats of fights, except the regular beatings I gave my little brother between the ages of 6-12.
5.do you like your name? why or why not?
I like the first & middle name (Lara Christine), but not the last name. It just doesn't fit with the rest of it.
1) People always comment about my competitive-ness. I know that I am sort of competitive, but I think that I'm competitive in a friendly way. However, when people mention that I'm competitive it never sounds like they think I'm competitive in a friendly way; it always sounds like they mean it in an aggressive, ugly way.
2) I like food, so I have a lot of favorites. But, when it comes down to it, not much beats a gormet sandwich prepared by myself.
3) Best gift? Always a hard question, so I am going to follow in the footsteps of my great predecessors and say "salvation."
4) I fought with my brother but nobody else.
5) Yes. I like my name. When I was younger I hated it because it was boring, but now Amy suits me fine.
1. I've been told I am strong....I just don't see it. I think I am one of the weakest persons I know.2. I looooooove eggplant parmesan. I have to make it for myself though 'cause very few people like it....so if you like eggplant, consider yourself invited to dinner! no joke.
3. a silver necklace my sister gave me. It is a small silver box chain with a solid silver tear drop shaped pendant on it...it always makes me think of my sister then Jesus in Gethsemane.
4. I have been in many, many fist fights. Beginning in first grade all the way up to about 10 years ago....none of which I intentionally picked....except maybe that one (or two) in 10th grade.
5. for most of my life I have hated my name. I was supposed to be Michael Joseph, Jr. but i didn't have the right parts so I was named michele instead(note the masculine spelling).....but, I suppose it's not so bad really, and my middle name (anna) is okay too; and it's all part of who I am, I guess.
now, I suppose I need to nominate our next surveyor....
how `bout you, baggins?
i don't mind. unless somebody else wants to go?
I didn't know. How 'bout pedro then?
...di you go too? a little help here.
sO I would think that some repitition would be fine. As long as it's not me, :)
back to square 1, i guess. baggins?unless in the spirit of Lent bigj would like another turn...hehe
i'll do it. thursday, right?
...there must be someone who posts regularly that hasn't had a slot... lukas? nuniabiz? gary? or others who don't post so regularly... raskol, mercmouth...?
he'll have no repeats before it's time! Probably a good idea though.
I was thinking, but I didn't know who. thanks, pedro.
so I'll respond to this one before there's a new one.1) A lot of people tell me I have a bad temper. In some cases I'd agree, but I think I have a pretty long fuse. I just go crazy when it blows.
2) I'd have to say my favorite food is a hummous and falafel wrap. Try "Taste of Lebanon" on Foster & Clark. It's a little hole-in-the-wall, but their food is so good. And cheap.
3) Best gift (besides salvation, since that's been taken): On my 24th birthday, 6 months or so after I met Hernando, he made me a book called "26 Reasons & Ways I Love H.L.D." For each letter of the alphabet he drew a little picture and wrote a paragraph about why he loves me. Maybe it's pure narcissism, but when I feel low or depressed I read it, and it always makes me feel truly grateful and awed that someone so wonderful loves me that much.
4) Sarah and I fought like cats & dogs when we were younger. One time this bully chased me home from the bus stop--I think I was in 5th grade. The week before he had thrown a basketball at me during gym class and bruised my face. I don't know why; I never even said two words to the guy and was afraid of him. He chased me into our backyard and I brandished a manual saw my dad had lying around. Of course I didn't use it, but he never bothered me again.
5) I've never cared for my first name, but I've gotten used to it. So many people have said to me, "Oh, I have a dog named Heidi!" I do appreciate that my mom named me after her favorite childhood book. I like my last name a lot, and am currently debating if I'll change it when I marry (though for the record I love H.'s last name: Melo, pronounced "mellow"). H. is fine with my decision either way; all he says is, "For goodness's sake, don't hyphenate it. That's so annoying."
1.what (good or bad) characteristic(s) have other people told you they have observed in you that you do not see in yourself?
Lots, from good to children, to patient to inteligent... bla bla bla. People are dumb, I know better. Recently I've become aware of my unbudgeable ethics. My mom tells me if I think I'm right, there is no discussion. Knowing this is a learning process.2.what is your favorite meal? who makes it for you? how often?
My mom makes a gruel that I love... maybe I am the only one.3.what is the best gift you have ever received? was it the gift itself or how it was presented?
18 bags of marshmallows. Some of you were there. It was my 18th birthday at CPBC. If that wasn't love I don't know what is.4.have you ever been in a fist fight? how many? how long ago?
No. I'm a liver not a fighter.5.do you like your name? why or why not?
Yes. How many people get 2 selective service cards or harasses by Austian border guards for not knowing enough German? My name has defined me, I know this, I like what it hs done.
1 - good/bad characteristic? - I don't know. (I actually started answering this survey last week at least twice and I would spend ltos of time thinking about this one and I 'm sure there are thigns people have told me that I don't see in myself, by I really can't think of anything)
2 - favorite meal? - Omelettes for breakfast made by my dad. Especially on Christmas morning when there would be a coffee cake that my mom had made too.
3 - best gift? - These are tough questions. The pocket knife that my wife got me is up there and that was simply wrapped but has been in my pocket ever since. There's also the cool fimo necklace that she got me back in college, which I think was the first gift she ever got me. That she just handed me and I wore it for a long time. The leather broke for the third time last year and I haven't restrung it yet. I also remember getting my first bike at Christmas when I was 5 or so. I opened a little box that had a note telling me to look in a closet, which had another little box telling me to look behind the computer, which had another little box, etc. etc. Finally I arrived in the garage where there was a shiny new bike with training wheels waiting for me.
4 - fist fight? - nope. I'm a lover not a fighter.
5 - my name? - I do like my name. It's constantly mispelled and you'd be surprised how many people mispronounce my last name. I was really close to being Gustav Alfred, which I would have liked too, but Lukas is unique and I got my father's name for my middle name which is cool. I will say that my name led to lots of teasing as a child which wasn't fun but that all seems so far away now.
....for answering last (and on the recomendation of sir pedro) you have won the honor of being nominated for our next suryeyor.
new questions forthcoming after a review of previous sruveys.
yeah, yeah I know they are old but I wanted to answer the survey
1. You are allowed to have a dinner with anybody in history - Gandhi
2. Recall your biggest power/ego trip. - Junior high. I did more pullups than all the jv football players and wrote my name on the very top of the pullup wall of fame.
3. What is your very first memory? - The big white houe we lived at in Lawrence, Kansas. I was 2 or 3 I guess. I also remember scraping my knee badly and the image of teh red blood and the big white house is burned into my mind. I also swer I remember my baptism, but I think I just remember seeing the pictures when I was a little kid since I was infant baptised.
4. Recall one of the funniest things you've ever seen. - I remember laughing long and hard with dan 0ls0n and aar0n 0ls0n over something we found just incredibly funny. But I can't remember what it was.
5. Have you ever heard a song that sounded so beautiful that it made you cry? If so, which one (or two)? - Yeah, Looks Like Rain, by the Grateful Dead as performed on 5/11/77. It's a beautiful song to begin with and they performed it that night with such sonic beauty. Also, the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th can pretty much move me tears as well.
6. You are forced to go back and redo one year of your life. - I woudl relieve one of my early childhood years. Somwhere between 3 and 6. No cares or worries. playtime, nap, storytime, nap, playtime, bath, bedtime, with some meals thrown in.
One day late, but I hope you like it. I have also compiled a list of all past questions and can email them to the next questioner who I will nominate when I answer my own survey.
- What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?
- Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
- What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
- How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five year? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
- In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
Have fun!
- Being late.
- I haven't thought a ton about this, but I'm going to say breeding and crossing of plants and animals -- primitive genetics. When you think about how much our world has benefited from domesticated animals and plants, it's really pretty incredible. It also says something about this creation that it really is so malleable in many ways and that if we mold and shape and subdue it (if i may use that word) in good ways it will return positively on that effort. It also reflects on the power of more advanced genetic research, both for good and bad, especially since advanced genetic research is only really available to extremely rich companies, and thus is patented by them... see below.
- I subscribe to National Geographic, and lately I've been reading it cover to cover. I also read Paste Magazine pretty completely, although for some reason I let my subscription lapse.
- You know, that's an interesting question. With the record coming out soon, I've been thinking about music a lot lately, and thinking about the what ifs if the record took off, and we were suddenly catapulted into the music industry. (Unlikely, but just bear with me.) Anyway, it freaks me out a lot of times, because I don't think the typical methods of touring your butt off and owing a record company a lot of money would work for me. Also, while there are a lot of cool people in the music industry, there are a lot of weird people who have similarly given their lives to that industry and the values and norms that entails, and it's hard to be someone there who is not like that. It's probably a calling... is it mine? What about touring and being away a lot... I don't think that would work for me. So sometimes, it really freaks me out to think about what would happen if a label expressed interest in the record, especially since I'm getting married in a few months and looking to start a new life with alh. I also have been thinking about career stuff lately, and I have been feeling really down about my employability in the computer field. I don't have a degree, and I have a lot of pretty big gaps in my knowledge, and because I don't and sometimes can't (because of other committments) throw myself into my job, I'm only learning what I need to, rather than learning a bunch of stuff which later will make me more employable. In a sense I feel like I've lost my confidence in my own abilities. This is directly tied to the fact that in a year or two, alh and I will probably be moving out west for her to go to graduate school, and I would be thrust into the real-world job market, and that scares me. It scares me to think about working a job that I hate (something I've never really had to do), and it scares me to think about trying to compete for jobs in a field where there are so many qualified people. It makes me think about maybe going back to school and getting a degree in the computer field. I know, ultimately, that God is in charge, and so I really can't let myself worry about it, but it is an uncertain future, and I am a person who likes certainty.
- I think in 20-25 years we'll be a lot closer to finding more sustainable energy sources. I think that America will either have to rely less on foreign workforces (and thus pay more for goods) if it is to continue to have a strong economy. The outsourcing thing really seems to me to be a shortsighted solution, because all it provides is more money for the fat cats, and cheaper goods for us, for now. But quality degrades too as profit margins are squeezed. I think a strong American economy should really be one where maybe we pay a little more for things, but they are quality. We would probably have to eat out less, and worry less about luxury. We are so focused on having things, and making luxuries more affordable for the middle class, that we are not looking at what we're doing to ourselves. I hope that at some point this turns around, but I think it won't change until there is a big change of heart in this country -- I'm not a big socialist, but people need to come back to the point that the free market is not benevolent any more than a game of chance and that without being tempered by ethics and morals (which means periods of loss) it will eventually turn on you.
1. looking forward to spending time with someone that day. though I generally do this everyday.....not becasue I'm a 'morning person' it's more out of necessity. and liek some other folks around here, I do not like to talk for the first 1-2 hours.2. I dunno. I don't find inspiration in those sorts of things.
3. does The Catholic New World count? I have no other subscriptions to periodicals. I just don't have the time or energy.
4. ugh! It depends on the day, though it's always unsure. I have no idea what I will be doing in 5 years, other than arguing with teenagers (very scary thought). I do hope to perhaps marry again, but I have also considered religious life once my kids can fully support themselves.
(whew! almost done!) 5. I don't like to guess at things like this, I'd much rather hope...enough said?
tsk, tsk.
everyone is busy during holy week!
1. These days, not a lot. A weekend hike will usually do it and giong skiing used to make me jump out of bed at 5am full of energy. But lately I've been such a night owl that getting up has become near impossible.2. Man, who asked these hard questions? As I sat and thought about this question I pondered in my head the path of scientific discovery and how things that we take for granted began as a spark in someone's mind. How cool it would have been to be the first to understand zero, or prime numbers, or that the motion of objects was governed by simple laws. The discovery that probably most affects our daily lives is electricity and the harnessing of the electron to do our bidding. But to answer my original question, I'm inspired by relativity. It may be obsolete as a science goes, but the sheer genius in not just wrapping his head around relativity but thinking it through and writing it down is truly incredible. In our modern physics class we went through the derivation of Einstein's most famous of equations -- E=mc^2 -- and I remember the sheer beauty of how this huge mess of terms reduces and you are left with that simple, elegant statement. I can only imagine the feeling of deriving that result for the first time.
3. Well between karna and I we get National Geographic, Real Simple, Shape, and Backpacker. We used to get Outside, but that was really bad and I think Backpacker ran out. As a subscribe to Salon.com I also get a Wired freebie for 5 months and I think wired is pretty crappy these days. They also gave me Nat'l Geographic: Adventure, which, from teh only issue I've got so far is fantastic. My magazine wishlist includes Harper's (someday I want to be able to do the puzzle), Paste (so much music, so little time), SciAm/Nature/Physics Today (mmm science).
4. No plan for me, yet. With karna graduating soon and who knows where she'll end up working I need to at least have some ideas for my own future plans. I get kind of nervous when I think about it because to paraphrase tom petty, the future is wide open...and i don't want to be the rebel without a clue.
5. 25 years is a long time. I don't think we'll be in the throes of violent decline caused by a post-peak-oil-crisis. I hope we've moved past our dependence on fossil fuels by then. I hope we'll have made serious progress with the AIDS epidemic but I'm not optimistic about a silver bullet cure. As China gets fully online they will easily become the world's largest economy so maybe our grandkids will be learning mandarin. [This is so much harder than I thought it would be--maybe I'll turn it into a special for discussion]
1. What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?
Snow, lateness, the dog, the door... you name it. I usually don't hit snooze more than once and I usually don't drink cofffee until I get to the office.2. Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
The law of relativity. I like that nothing is certain, not even time.3. What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
I get Wired. I barely read it. I don't really read/buy/like magazines except skiing and climbing magazines, but just for the pictures. I do wish I had a subscribtion to Smithsonian. It's quite beautiful.4. How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five year? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
Ok. (see #2) I don't really have a plan for the next 5 months, never mind years. I don't know where I'l live next month. I don't know where I'll work next year. I'll probably be alive, that's good enough. I guess that's taking life as it comes.5. In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
Due to fear, I'd rather not think about it. I'm generally a happy person, but I think Leonard Cohen's "Everybody knows" may be the most honest song ever written.
What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?
having to get up and play music. i really hate to be late to most things like that. fortunately my new job requires me to work nights, and so i really haven't had to worry about waking up for work. although i do like the job.
Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
tough one. uh, i guess i'd say the internet. it is such a vast tool for communication and information. it really changes the way things get done in our culture. i don't know that it inspires me, but i think it's pretty cool. i don't know that there is one that really inspires me. actually, now that I've thought about it, i have to say that TiVo ispires me - but not how it sounds. TiVo is really the crowning acheivement on our laziness and sheer lack of self-motivated entertainment. we can't be content to sit on our lazy asses and watch whatever's on TV when it's on. now we have to record the shows we want to be Entertained by and watch them all for hours at our convenience. I understand why people would buy this, but I just see it as another way we can waste our time on more television. since we've moved and had cable again, my time has been not nearly as productive, and it's because of TV. there was a long long stretch there where i didn't watch much tv at all. if ever, really. and i liked it fine that way. so I guess TiVo inspires me to really try to pull away from that distraction and not be such a lazy bastard. I've been really good about it lately. whenever I've been bored, I pick up the guitar, or the bass, or sit at the piano and play. I figure it's time better spent.
What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
i don't subscribe to any magazines. my dad gets Relevant, which i think is a pretty cool fledgling periodical. every once in a while i pick up a Guitar Player, Bass Player, Guitar World, or maybe a photography magazine. I wish I had subscriptions to all three sometimes. sometimes i'm glad i don't read them too often.
How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five year? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
My future? I feel fine about it. I'm sure I'll go places I wouldn't have thought of. I'm pretty sure that Jackie and I will be married in the future, with the blessing of children (God willing). as far as the next 5 years, I'd like to accomplish these things: finish school, marry Jackie, teach music to children. I've also thought about doing short-term missionary work, helping plant a church (hopefully in SoCal), and somehow acquiring a darkroom (whether that's something I build/convert in my own home or somehow buy some property or perhaps work on getting that done in our church as part of the School for the Arts ministry -i don't know)
In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
I don't know. I hope for the best, but I have no idea how humanity will shape itself...
What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?Running late.
Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
Penicillin. Talk about taking lemons & making lemonade.
What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
I subscribe to Jane, The Week, Fitness, Us Weekly & US News & World Report. I'm thinking of adding Newsweek to the mix. I wish I was kewl enough to read The New Yorker or The Economist.
How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five years? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
My plan for the next 5 days is to find a full-time job. My plan for the next five months is to pay off as much of my credit card / student loan that I can. My plan for the next year is to decide if I want to go back to school for teaching, then freakin' <do it already.</b> In between those little milestones, I guess I'm going to take life as it comes. I'd like to get married soon.
In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
I think the world will be a more secular & volatile place. I think the US economy is going to tank more than it already has for a variety of reasons, including the millions of jobs being moved overseas each year and the death of the small business. I think at least half of the kids in the US are going to be living in poverty. I think Hilary Clinton will run for President & lose the first time but come back & win the second time. She'll be the first & last female President, as the economy will continue to sink during her term & she'll take a lot of heat for it.
What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?
Running late or having to catch an airplane
Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
The printing press. Mass literacy is a tremendous thing.
What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
I used to subsribe to National Geographic, but let my subscription run out... I miss it sometimes, but it's really expensive. As for what I wish I read, I guess The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly.
How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five year? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
Just taking life as it comes.
In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
I think that global society will be much more androgynous... Religions of all types will be increasingly persecuted. Most things will be computerized. And Big Brother will be watching... I hope not though. I hope that children will be skipping barefoot through fields of daisies and that people will not strive so much for happiness but, rather, for goodness.
What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?I have to steal Warggle's answer here and say "running late." It's always hard for me to get out of bed. Sometimes Oscar or Josie (my cats) are licking my hand (Josie) or clawing at me (Oscar), and that usually gets me up just so they'll stop.
Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
I think any form of travel: automobiles, planes, trains, space shuttles. It's amazing to think that 100 or so years ago it was an incredible journey to visit a country across the sea, let alone a town or state more than 20 miles from you, and now we can make it anywhere in the world (or even into outer space).
What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
I subscribe to Jane and The Rolling Stone, which is really starting to suck. I'm tired of seeing non-musicians (that would include quasi musicians, like Britney Spears) on the cover. Isn't it a MUSIC magazine? I wish I was more news savvy and read The New York Times, Newsweek, or even the daily paper, but they bore me too much.
How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five years? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
I feel happy, if precarious, about my future. I am starting grad school in June, and that will take about three and half years. Once I have my degree, I intend to teach. More immediately, I will be marrying Hernando and next Spring we'll be starting our life as a married couple, and probably moving from where I'm living now. This is the most exciting and wonderful future I could imagine, but the thought of not living in the same house as my twin sister is very sad. We've lived together our entire lives, even through college we were roommates, and I can't imagine not seeing her every day. Once I've finished school and Hernando has as well (he's starting at the Art Institute this fall) we'll probably move out West. Not to dank on the Midwest, but I've been here 7 years and I'm getting a little tired of it.
In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
That's a tough one. I think America is much like ancient Rome in these times, and will soon be falling from its status as a great empire. It's the natural course of history, not to mention (ahem) some really stupid rulers over the past decade or so who have contributed to our destruction. As Americans, this will obviously mean a huge and probably unsettling change in lifestyle. As for the rest of the world, I really can't help being a pessimist as well. I don't think it will happen any time soon (meaning the next few hundred years), but I think our abuse of the environment, inevitable fallout from the post-technological revolution, wars, and some pretty heavy things will ultimately mean the extinction of the human race. There's always the Second Coming, though, and I can't help but think we're living in the End Times. Though people have said similar things for centuries, so I may be way off base. Just for the record, this isn't what I WANT to happen.
#1 - Hungry kids. And nothing else. I hate mornings.#2 - Inspires? I'm not inspired by technology. The lack of it inspires me more. What I find coolest is human anatomy and medical advancements.
#3 - Bird Talk Magazine, Reform Judaism, and the Washington Post. I read all three of them. I like to read National Geographic from time to time, I read Time and Newsweek on occasion. I admit it, sometimes I pick up a Cosmo and leaf through it to laugh at the awful nature of Superficial Woman. Sometimes I read Parents magazine. Oh, and Anna and I read Click and Ladybug, and we'll start reading Highlights soon.
#4 - I adore my future. I can't imagine anything other than what's happening. It's as close to perfect as I could ever want. I do have a plan, to a point. I'm going to get a masters in education, but first I am going to substitute teach for a year to try to figure out what grade level I'd like to teach. And I'm going to spend as much time with my children as humanly possible.
#5 - My HOPES are different from what I fear will happen. I fear that there will be an escalation in violence from all quarters, that the way of humanity would be to live in fear. But I HOPE that there would be more tolerance, more equality for all people, and just more love in general.
I hope I wasn't exclusive in that Second Coming reference (not that you mentioned anything of the sort, but I'd like to qualify that statement). Equality and love are what I pray for in everyone's lives, especially at this time in history, and I didn't mean that to be aimed at any certain faith. I was speaking symbolically, and any sort of peace or new world order is what I was implicating. I'd like to make clear that I hope that God's manifestation of love in this world, in any manner we can understand, is what I hope for at this point.Highlights was my favorite magazine as a kid. I'm glad to know it's still around.
I didn't think anything of it, I mean anything like you were being exclusive and all. I didn't see it that way. :)
- What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee?
an idea.
- Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why.
the piano inspires me. it has such an elegant sound and the keyboard is probably the simplest, most direct interface to the conventional western 12-tone scale ever created. also, i really like resonance, and pianos are all about a wooden soundboard resonating with metal strings.
- What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read?
i don't subscribe to any magazines. i often read the national geographic and readers' digest magazines at my parents' house. i can't think of any that i wish i read.
- How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five year? Or are you just taking life as it comes?
i am going to live in ann arbor and work for this spinoff/startup company for probably three or four years then go do something else. i have a friend who i'd like to date.... permanently.
- In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now?
in the next 20-25 years, an explosive nuclear device will be used in combat. building transit will become cheaper than maintaining highways, resulting in a mass exodus (in america) back into the cities. the return of true urban life as the mainstream lifestyle will cause a sea change in the body politic of the united states in 15 to 20 years, and an impetus to reverse the increasingly christian/conservative constitutional ammendments, supreme court decisions, and legislation of the 10 years that lead up to it.
What causes you to wake up early and hop out of bed ready to take on the world without the need for 45 minutes of the snooze button and three cups of coffee? insomnia, mewing kitty in heat, car alarms in the alley.Name the scientific advancement or invention that inspires you the most and why. jeans.
What magazines do you subscribe to or purchase regularly? Which ones do you actually read? What magazines do you wish you read? i have subscriptions to rolling stone, vanity fair, blackbook, jane, vegetarian times and mother jones. i've not renewed rolling stone in two years, but it keeps coming. i haven't gotten the first issues of the last three in my list yet, but i read the other three most of the time. whenever i'm in a book store i pick through the art mags, but they're all so damn expensive to subscribe to.
How do you feel about your future? Do you have a plan for the next five year? Or are you just taking life as it comes? god, who knows? it seems like everything changes so quickly in my life right now. i expect to be living out here still, taking things as they come. hopefully i will convince my family and many of my friends from the midwest to move out here, too.
In what significant ways do you think the world will have changed in 20-25 years from now? that's a really tough question, particularly since i don't even have the foresight to make plans for my own life in the next five years.
barefootjumperI guess my survey questions were kind of weird, but it was hard to some up with good ones after reading the list of previous questions.
I liked them. They made me think.
Cinn / bfj - did you see my name in the Cate Blanchett issue of Jane? I got quoted in the Rant section. I felt oh-so-cool.
Darn. I wish I saved magazines. I'm not sure if I have that one around anymore. What were you quoted as saying?
what is your first memory?
describe your favorite pair of shoes.
what two things are you the best at?
name the luxury item you own that is the most luxurious and explain why you need it or want it [or both].
if the world were offered an ultimatum to live peacefully without religion of any kind or to live in a constant state of war with the freedom to practice religion of any kind, what do you think the best option would be? why? enjoy.
extra credit will be awarded to anyone who comes to my apartment, sets up a water filter system and vacuums the floor.
#1) Snowshoeing with my parents when I was still little enough to fit in a papoose basket, in potowatomi state park.#2) Red faux alligator skin mary janes with a chunky heel and a little bow at the lip tied with my mid-calf boots, black leather - not shiny - with 5" chunky heels.
#3) Being a mom and being a friend.
#4) Well, I don't know that I OWN any luxury items. See, that's hard for me to answer. There are lots of things I have now that I got along just fine without in college. My biggest luxury isn't something I OWN, but it's my maid service that cleans my house for me. I need it. I hate cleaning. I'd live in squalor without it. But for a luxury OWNED thing... umm... my kitchen aid professional series stand mixer. I adore it. It was a major luxury in the kitchen item and one I just can't imagine living without now. My mom's had the same kitchen aid for over 25 years - they are AWESOME.
#5) That's a hard one. I'd choose no religion and peace.
i just realized i repeated a question. sorry, coney.here's an extra question to make up for my incompetency:
who is your ultimate roommate? and i nominate andronicus for next week.
2. describe your favotite pair of shoes....they are a pair of brown tattered birkenstock sandals. I inherited them from my mother because they hurt her feet. I recently realized I really should get a new pair and did, but now I feel like I have betrayed an old friend.3. the 2 things I am best at.....cooking and ummm, neveryoumind, I'm kidding, I just don't know what else to say.
4. luxury item? well, that's all perspective. as far as I am concerned everything I have is a luxury. I am deserving of none of it and intentionally try to appreciate all of it.
5. war & religion or peace and no religion?....war & religion! Maybe it's just because I love everything about my religion and do my best to love my Lord, but I'd much rather live with the threat of dying for my God than live without Him.
6. ultimate roomate? no one! i'd much rather live alone than with a roomate.
# ultimate roommateHmmm... Marshall from Alias.
# describe your favorite pair of shoes.
Probably some multicolor chuck taylors that I had in highschool. They were maroon, blue, and green, and all three colors came together in a patchwork under the star patch. can anyone verify if converse is actually no longer producing the shoes, or if they are just no longer producing them in the USA?
# what two things are you the best at?
teaching and being creative.
# name the luxury item you own that is the most luxurious and explain why you need it or want it [or both].
luxury item... i don't know that this qualifies, but I bought a minidisc player about 5 years ago to have something portable that I could put music onto, and subsequently for recording. It was a pretty high-end model when I bought it (although not high-end for SERIOUS audiophiles), and the microphone for it wasn't cheap either... but I have gotten my $400 out of it again and again... it's still going strong, too. sony really makes good products.
# if the world were offered an ultimatum to live peacefully without religion of any kind or to live in a constant state of war with the freedom to practice religion of any kind, what do you think the best option would be? why?
assuming that there was actual truth with consequences (afterlife, etc...) in religion, I would choose religion over peace, since the peace would be an ignorant and tragic one. The issue of truth is more important to me than the issue of freedom, but I think I would also choose religion even if it was empirical (to me) that religion was devoid of truth. a society that values peace over freedom is not likely to stop restricting freedoms at religion -- people will find other things to fight about.
Renee. I miss Renee. (assuming we're counting out current housemate husband)
Ultimate roommateNone. My last roommate scenario made my life miserable.
Describe your favorite pair of shoes.
I'm going to cheat a little & let pictures paint the words...
My favorite shoes that I actually own.
Two things I'm the best at
Manipulating my dad & making lasagna. The secret to good lasagna is 2 pounds of cheese. You can't scrimp on cheese.
Luxury item I own that is the most luxurious
I have a gorgeous Liz Claiborne coat that makes me feel like I'm loaded every time I wear it. I also use expensive facial cleanser that smells really good.
Ultimatum to live peacefully without religion of any kind or to live in a constant state of war with the freedom to practice religion of any kind
Peace without religion.
Also - my Jane rant, in response to the question "Should judges force women with long-standing drug habits who are convicted of child-endangerment crimes to use birth control?":
Prohibiting these women from procreating seems best. But as an advocate of a woman's right to choose in all areas of her reproductive life, I couldn't support (this) without feeling like a lousy hypocrite.
Roommate(s): My cats are pretty good. I just wish they'd learn to clean up after themselves and not wake up so early on weekends.
Favorite shoes: No shoes is my favorite. However, my birkenstock clogs, my tevas, and my hiking boots are all very comfortable (I need new boots, though).
Two things I'm [good] at: I write lovely, chatty, engaging letters when I have time, and I am a tremendous proof-reader (blargh- that sounds terribly boring).
Luxery item: For my birthday, my parents bought me a new tv because the picture was going out on my old one. The new one is 27" which just seems incredibly huge after the good ole' 18" one (which felt like luxery enough when it was working properly).
Religion w/war or peace w/o religion: Faith.
i like amy's answers...roommate - Jackie
shoes? - i prefer none, but anything that's soft. i had some old low-tops that were pretty nice. i think they got trashed when i'd wear them to mow the lawn in though. too bad...
2 things - i'm fairly decent at playing music and listening to people.
luxury - everything i have is a blessing from God. i really can't name one specific thing that rises above the others...
and, yes, I'll say: Faith.
Roommate: A nice large dog. Walking aimlessly by yourself is creepy. With a dog it's being responsable.Shoes: Barefoot please. Actually I really like my boreal Zen climbing shoes and my Gara telemark boots.
Good at: Apparently I'm good at this nerd box stuff. I've always tried to be a good listener, but I'm probably not.
Luxury item: Running water. Or a real physical thing, my running car. It's not much, but as Phil reminded us, sometimes just working properly is a luxury.
War/peace/religion: I think this is a trick question. Religion is peace. War is the absence of faith. Then again I have strange ideas.
Walking aimlessly by yourself is creepy.Woo hoo, I'm a creep!
I think there may be a difference between being a creep and being creepy. At least I really hope there is.
Huge difference.
* ultimate roomate - marhsall from alias is the best answer so far and I can't come up with anythign better. just imagine the crazy gadgets that would inhabit your daily life.* favorite shoes - as a matter of principal i don't really like shoes (or pants) but I've got some beat-up adidas sandle flip-flop things that have all the little plastic nubbins on the footbed that are so comfortable after a long period of outdoor type activities.
* two best things - I dunno. I feel like this is a job interview all of a sudden. My initiative and my ability to solve problems. just kidding. but i'll say cooking and bass...i guess
* luxury item - The most luxurious thing we own is a 24" TV and a dvd player. After years of using a 13" tv/vcr combo we upgraded and I still feel like it's way too much sometimes. But then I pop in FotR or TTT and i forget all my cares
* peace w/o religion or religion w/o peace -Since I really don't need "religion" to practice my faith I choose the first. But since I guess that's not what you meant I'll say since I have a knowledge of a life with faith I would rather take war than give that up.
You throw a "Celebrity Dinner" -- anyone from history or the present is allowed to come. You may have up to 5 guests... who would they be? Explaining why is recommended but not required. (Have we asked this question before?)
George Washington, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, St. John (the Revelator), and (Father) Abraham... you know, Isaac and Ishmael's great-great^great-grandaddy. We'd talk about the current world situation.It would be interesting.
barefoot nominated andronicus... I emailed him a reminder.
Sorry I didn't pick this up sooner. I've been out of town.
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?
2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?probably summer camp. yeah, summer camp.
2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
"Sorry I'm late - I left my keys at home and was halfway here before I realized it."
3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
this is gonna sound lame, but the hassle of the DMV to take care of some old issues, as well as all the money it's going to cost me.
4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
cigarettes and too much food. it's hard when i work in a cafe that serves pretty good food.
5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
this is hard, so I'm gonna run with what came to mind first. that fear would be a solid, heavy metallic orb that resides in my lower back on the left side. it hurts like hell.
1. I'll go with camp too... that's a good one.2. I'd act like everyone else was early -- joke that they must have set their clocks ahead.
3.
4. answering # 3
5. I stepped in some powerful acid... and it's eating my body away from the ground up. It doesn't hurt that bad, just some mild discomfort... but the psychological stress is unbearable.
Do you want to give people some more time to answer, or do you want to nominate anyone else?
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?You know, I didn't really have a favorite part. Just the quietness, peace.
2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
The cockatiels ate my car keys.
3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
Nothing. I used to avoid things. I don't anymore.
4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
I'm avoiding avoiding finishing school - rapidemente! But it was a hard thing to get over, I was afraid to leave Julia and Anna at home for 3 hours a day without their mummy.
5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
It slithers around my ankles. My skin tries to climb away from it, taut all up the legs, stretching in places, shrinking in others. It is a smoky grey, shot through with green. A low hiss is the only sound I can hear - but it is deafening in my ears. Not even the frantic thumping of my heart can be heard, it is so loud.
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation? Probably hanging out at the pool down at Pleasant Valley Swim Club every day. Swim all afternon, play in the grass, have an ice cream sandwich or two, good times. I think what was great about the pol was the general lazieness of it all. There was no obligation to do anything. You could sleep in the grass or play marco polo or read a book. Now when I plan a vacation I try to fill my days with places to see and things to do but maybe I'd be better off finding a local pool and just going for a swim and taking a nap in the grass.2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say? No I didn't. Honest. I ran outta gas. I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from outta town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locust's. It wasn't my fault!! I swear to God!!
3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now? the two d's -- doctor and dentist (and at this very moment: work)
4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now? more than the occasional smoke
5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object? I think this one wins for most fascinating question. At first nothing came to mind but then all of a sudden I visualized my fear as a great host of spiders living inside my body. Not big spiders just little creepy crawly ones. Okay that's enough I've got the chills now.
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?
Considering I did it for something like 10 years, probably summer camp. However I have a fond memory of slowly riding my bike up and down the street looking for tent catipillars to squash.2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
I had trouble getting my socks on this morning. (While wearing sandals.)3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
Right now, working on a design for work.4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
Deciding what/where/how I'm going to live this fall.5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
It doesn't reside in, but all around my body. I picture fear as a very small cage.
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?
Probably wandering around the small Ohio town we lived in was my favorite part of summer vacation. We would often spend a whole day following the train tracks. There was a small lake not far from our house, a small downtown area we would walk to, and a dried out lake bed near the grociery store we called "Acme Trails". It's strange, but I don't think my parents ever wondered where we were. Wherever we had gone in Summit county, we knew when the next meal was and we would be home by then. I can't imagine little Boba Fett Beckstrom going out saying, "I'm going to explore Cook county, be home before dinner". It's a different world, as the adage goes.
2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
"These fire ants should answer your questions!"
Then I would throw the fire ants at whoever I was talking to.3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
I'm avoiding getting my instance of Quicken up to date. I like to trust money to take care of itself.4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
I'm avoiding avoiding doing little thankless, funless jobs around the house.5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
My fear lives at the bottom of my stomach, attched to my lower stomach wall. It looks like it is made of very bruised skin, the kind of bruise that is yellow and green (because it has yet to turn purple). It is round, like a baseball, but not perfectly round. It moans, but you can't hear it because it's too far down inside me. It would probably smell bad, like rotten eggs, if I could smell it. My body coddles it, bends around it. I walk, stand, sit and lay protecting it at all times.
I nominate smax to do the next survey.
1. What animal do you most identify with?2. If you could be a successful professional anything, what would that anything be?
3. What color (if any) do you associate with happiness?
4. Take chances or be safe? (Why is not necessary, but that's your decision.)
5. What other websites do you look at regularly?
Extra credit: Who do you want to be when you 'grow up'? (Feel free to take this literally or liberally.)
Lacking credit: What's the difference between a duck?
Andronicus'
1.. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?
I remember walking home from school the last day knowing that I could put my backpack away in a closet somewhere for three months... I loved going barefoot, climbing trees, laying out on the lawn and reading books for hours, playing hide-and-seek with all the neighborhood kids until the streetlights came on, and riding my bike everywhere. Glory! There was nothing like summer vacation with I was a kid.
2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say? <brt>I'm sorry. My cat coughed up my neighbors bird early this morning and the negotiations with my lawyer ran long. Even though Frederica is physically ok--she only lost a few feathers--my neighbor still intends to sue on the grounds of physhcological damage.
3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
For the last two weeks, I didn't have time to avoid anything. I was disgustingly productive. However, now I am avoiding cleaning my apartment (for just a few well deserved days).
4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
Right now I plan to avoid as much as possible, so nothing.
5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
My greatest fear has always been the fear of failure. It lingers in my nerve endings waiting to seize up and strike like the painful tingling of a foot waking up or hitting your funnybone.
Smax'
1. What animal do you most identify with?
Cats.
2. If you could be a successful professional anything, what would that anything be?
Children's storytime reader in some picturesque park.
3. What color (if any) do you associate with happiness?
Bright colors, especially whites and yellows.
4. Take chances or be safe? (Why is not necessary, but that's your decision.)
It depends. Usually "take chances", but not always. In some aspects, especially relationship/intimacy aspect of my life "be safe" has the strongest arm.
5. What other websites do you look at regularly?
Google, CNN, the Onion, a "Gilmore Girls" fansite (yes, the tv show- but, I adamently refuse to believe that I either sad or lame), strongbad emails, and various online booksellers
Extra credit: Who do you want to be when you 'grow up'? (Feel free to take this literally or liberally.)
I want to be a good human being who faces challenges, is kind, learns wisdom, and spreads love. I don't qLacking credit: What's the difference between a duck?
So I'll finish...
Extra credit: Who do you want to be when you 'grow up'? (Feel free to take this literally or liberally.)
I want to be a good human being who faces challenges, is kind, learns wisdom, and spreads love. I don't quite understand the timeline of growing up because in many ways I do feel like a grown up now but in many ways I still feel a small child. I do know that whenever I die that I want to be missed by those that I've loved and that I want to have earned a "well done good and faithful servant."
Lacking credit: What's the difference between a duck?
A duck has a bill.
Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?
i travelled a lot. there were lots of road trips to visit far-flung parts of the family. i went camping sometimes, or to camp. i liked getting away from brighton the most.If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
i had trouble coming up with bailWhat, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
getting a new job and moving to san francisco.What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
accepting the reality of certain friendships.Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
my greatest fear would be a dark and heavy ball if it were an object inside of me. it would press down on my vital organs and constrict them. they would have difficulty functioning.
What animal do you most identify with?
monkeysIf you could be a successful professional anything, what would that anything be?
studentWhat color (if any) do you associate with happiness?
i don't associate any particular color with happiness. i could try to pick one and invent some reason why i make the association, but it's probably not worthwhile.Take chances or be safe? (Why is not necessary, but that's your decision.)
ask me again sometimeWhat other websites do you look at regularly?
clickolinko, weather wundergroundExtra credit: Who do you want to be when you 'grow up'? (Feel free to take this literally or liberally.)
my dadLacking credit: What's the difference between a duck?
the extent to which you've crossed your eyes
1. Cats. I like their lofty, aloof personalities and self reliability.2. Writer. Working on it.
3. Blue for joy, blue for peace.
4. Depends on the situation. I've done both.
5. A parent message board, private, that has been togethersince we were 6 weeks pregnant with our first babies.
Extra credit: See question 2. A teacher / writer.
Lacking credit: One leg is farther apart than the other.
1. Growing up, what was your favorite part of summer vacation?My mom babysat a couple of my cousins from time to time, and we made forts in the blackberry bushes. Oh, and I went to a little low-budget Bible camp for several years, nothing like these great Covey camps I see pictures of. That's about all I remember about summers, which is a little disappointing.
2. If you were late for an appointment, but could be absolved by inventing a funny excuse, what would you say?
I used to call off work about once a year, claiming that I had explosive diarrhea. Never failed.
3. What, in your life, are you avoiding right now?
Getting aggressive about finding a job. There's just nothing that excites me, & it's hard to pursue something that will bore / annoy me.
4. What, in your life, are you avoiding avoiding right now?
I'm not really feeling this question... sorry.
5. Think about your greatest fear. Imagine that the fear is something physical inside your body. Where does that fear resides in your body? Does that fear have a color, shape, smell or sound? How does your body react, if at all, to the object?
I don't know if I can identify my greatest fear, but I am certain that it lives in my stomach. I get terrible stomach problems when I'm a'scared.
-----
1. What animal do you most identify with?
Dogs. I just love dogs.
2. If you could be a successful professional anything, what would that anything be?
Some sort of artist. I'd love to impress people with my creativity & talent.
3. What color (if any) do you associate with happiness?
Lavender. The duvet on my bed is lavender, and wrapping myself up in it makes me feel happy & safe & soft.
4. Take chances or be safe? (Why is not necessary, but that's your decision.)
Be safe. I tend to get bitten in the ass when I take chances.
5. What other websites do you look at regularly?
Another message board, local job boards
Extra credit: Who do you want to be when you 'grow up'? (Feel free to take this literally or liberally.)
One of the happy senior citizens that I see at work, who come in with their spouse, friendly, giggling & very obviously in love.
Pedro, have you done questions yet?
1. Cats. Actually, cats are (or think they are) better than any human, but I'd LIKE a cat to identify with me.2. If you could be a successful professional anything, what would that anything be?
College English prof.
3. What color (if any) do you associate with happiness?
Yellow.
4. Take chances or be safe? (Why is not necessary, but that's your decision.)
Take chances, for sure. The most wonderful things in my life have come out of scary, but exhilirating, chance-taking.
5. What other websites do you look at regularly? The Natalie Merchant bulletin board, this ring of fitness/health blogs I enjoy, my e-mail (does that count?). Since I've started school pedagogical/LD/educator-related sites.
This entree is one of those I wish I could see the complete history... Phil, You up for it?
You can change the number of items you see in your account preferences. Or you can log out -- then you'll see the whole thing.
So either we wait to see what he says, or nominate someone else. it's not my job to nominate, so I won't make that call.
and added to the entree description
have not done questions, and now have more free time, so i hereby toss my hat into the nominating ring.
seriously.
you know about that? And it was the high school gym, thankyouverymuch.
I actually coming up with a survey or am I just now a possibility. Confirmation email to np account requested, please.
smax's call -- he was the last.
Why not? lieutenant, Yer up.
1. What animal do you most identify with?Dogs...some are actually brighter than me.
2. If you could be a successful professional anything, what would that anything be?
Movie Poster or Record/Album cover designer.
3. What color (if any) do you associate with happiness?
Orange.
4. Take chances or be safe?
Be safe. I've been burned so many times by taking chances. I should know better.
5. What other websites do you look at regularly?
Apart from Amazon, IMDB, and All Music Guide, YouWorkForThem
Extra credit: Who do you want to be when you 'grow up'? (Feel free to take this literally or liberally.)
Patrick Bateman, minus the psychotic thing.
1. Excluding children's books, what is the first book you would read to your child? (And why, being the implied follow-up question.)2. What is declining faster in American society, personal responsibility or good judgement?
3. If you had to pick a sword, what kind would you pick and why? (It's the Military History Quarterly version of a Cosmopolitan survey...and replies like that big one Mel Gibson carried in that scottish movie are not only welcomed, they're encouraged)
4. Name the next character to bite the bullet from J.K. Rowling.
5. Best fruit (or fruit) drink you've eaten in the last month. (If you have no answer for this, Eat a Peach, Prufrock Boy or Girl!)
Extra credit; Favorite Legend of Rock'n'Roll Song (i.e Hendrix, Dylan, the Who, Waits, Beatles (early), Stones, etceteras)
- Probably The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe... if those don't count as "children's books." It's something they can enjoy and get something out of as kids, but will grow with them.
- Personal responsibility, definitely. I think that people still have fairly good judgement, it's just that they're mostly using it selfishly.
- A lightsaber, obviously. I would want one like Luke got from Obi-wan in ANH, but since that one has long since melted in the core of Bespin, I guess that I'd have to construct my own. It would have a dark blue blade.
- Lord Gordwith Bullitbiter.
- I ate some mango while sitting on alh's porch swing the other day that was awesome. Warning though -- some people are deathly allergic to mango and sometimes don't find out until too late.
- EC: lately I've been groovin' to And Your Bird Can Sing, by the Beatles, but maybe that's not early enough.
Good questions, lieutenant, I had an immediate answer for almost all of them.
1. Excluding children's books, what is the first book you would read to your child? (And why, being the implied follow-up question.)The Hobbit, probably. It's damn good. and, depending on the age of my child when i start reading this stuff to them, I think it's more accesible to a child than LOTR. it's a good introduction to Middle Earth.
2. What is declining faster in American society, personal responsibility or good judgement?
I agree with pedro. I think people are more or less capable of making decent judgment. but their criteria for those judgements are based less and less on a sound moral basis.
3. If you had to pick a sword, what kind would you pick and why? (It's the Military History Quarterly version of a Cosmopolitan survey...and replies like that big one Mel Gibson carried in that scottish movie are not only welcomed, they're encouraged)
Do axes count? I want a double-bladed battle ax.
4. Name the next character to bite the bullet from J.K. Rowling.
my guesses: Cho Chang, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasely. (more importanlty, who will be hookin' up with whom? )
5. Best fruit (or fruit) drink you've eaten in the last month. (If you have no answer for this, Eat a Peach, Prufrock Boy or Girl!)
I make a mean banana shake. I've also enjoyed a tasty lime juice, and had some delicious fresh strawberries.
Extra credit; Favorite Legend of Rock'n'Roll Song (i.e Hendrix, Dylan, the Who, Waits, Beatles (early), Stones, etceteras)
a few:
Travelling Riverside Blues, (both Zep and Robert Johnson versions)
In My Time of Dying (I prefer Dylan's version, but I love Zep's)
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
Street Fightin' Man by The Rolling Stones
Faeries Wear Boots or War Pigs by Black Sabbath
Any bladed weapon is fine. If you must follow the Way of the White Crane, a martial art is also acceptable.
i haven't answered questions in a while, including my own, but these are pretty light, so here goes:1. is this a trick question? i think either the hobbit or a prayer for owen meany.
2. can i say both? these are ALL trick questions, aren't they? i think good judgement, but i can't really pinpoint why.
3. i like machetes.
4. neville. i don't like guessing, though.
5. mmmm... pom, pomegranate juice with blueberry. oh, and those damn odwalla green machines. i love those.
ec: what a big question. i could give you a two week lecture on my favorite rock legend songs and still feel as though i'd missed something. i like 'radar love' because it will always remind me of my best friend beth. i might have to say, though, neil young's 'rockin' in the free world' is up there. hearing/watching him play it live was such a thrill.
1. The first 100+ page book my parents read to me was "James and the Giant Peach". I plan on passing this on to my son very shortly. I love the imagery.2. Personal resposibility. It's quite easy to place blame.
3. I'll admit, I have no knowledge of swords. However, I always loved Golden Axe.
4. Cho Chang?
5. Man...I can't think of any. Maybe it was some of my son's strawberry smoothie. The kids eats way better than me. I just get the left overs.
EC: Beatles - From Me To You / Led Zeppelin - Black Dog / The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice
Trick questions? I didn't mean them to be that way--I was just interested in the answers, and didn't want to get too many "heavy" questions, man.
1. I'm going to read my kids Harry Potter early, but others will soon follow.2. Personal Responsibility, I think there's a lot of people in this country that don't think they are responsible for anything, even themselves.
3. i've been thinking long and hard about this one, when you have inherited a weapon collection like I have it's a tough choice, but the Katana. Sure there are more flashy swords: flamberge, broadsword, etc. There are more efficient swords: rapier, epee, even Tai Chi. But the balance in the two, and the hundreds of years of perfecting that went into the katana cannot be ignored. As far as other bladed weapons you'd have to wait for my list.
4. I'm guessing Cho Chang, but personally I think she's ending the series Hamlet style, death for everyone.
5. Tripple berry mix with vanilla ice cream last night, blueberries, raspberries and black berries with Breyer's extra creamy vanilla, yummy.
e.c. I have no idea, that's a tough one.
1. Harry Potter and The Secret Garden.2. Sigh. They're really interconnected, but I'd say judgement.
3. The pen is mightier than the sword. I'll take a pilot v5 in red.
4. It'd have to either be Wormtail, Lucius Malfoy or Neville. I like the who is hookin up with who. I mean, we know that Hermione and Ron will become an item. And Harry's gonna hook up in the next book, I can just feel it. Maybe even with Parvati.
5. I do dare to eat a peach. And I had the best watermelon the other day.
Extra credit: Paint it Black, the stones is the non beatles one. As I'm a big beatles fan, it'd be hard to pick. I'm guessing Julia or Let it Be though.
I'm guessing Harry hooks it up with Ginny Weasely. She's been hot for him forever. and Harry needs a good woman who will be smarter than he is but not rub it in. she's just the girl for him.also, nice pick on the Beach Boys tune. I just saw them last night. they are so good. I so love them. they are so pure.
He'll go through another one before FINALLY ending up with Ginny I think. She's going through the Gryffindors like they're candy.
but yeah I think Ginny is hif final girl, but meanwhile there'll be the Cho Chang attraction, followed by dating someone else (possibly Parvati), and then finally Ginny.
Post somewhere how the concert was, it sounds like a fun evening.
true. Yeah, I bet he hooks up with a chicky or two in the next book, and she probably hooks up with a couple dudes too. and perhaps we'll see this making them both jealous and and the tension will build up until the final book, where they get together. but it will be right before they all die.
check out Live Show Tacos for my trip report.
I wasn't expecting the before they all die part, and it made me giggle.
Answer these questions as you see fit.
- "Where does God live?"
- "Where is God? (meaning now)"
- "Why can't I say oh my god? Will it hurt God? Will it kill God?"
- "What is God?"
- "Is God happy?"
You may answer them for yourself, for a 3 year old, for the diner, or all (or none) of the above.
The above questions came from here.
it's my own personal opinion that giving kids straight answers to big questions is a major part of what eventually turns them into adults, and the more the better. it's how i answer questions from my nieces and nephews, and that's a major part of why they really like uncle nate. so these answers are for 3 year olds, but only by way of using small words.
"Where does God live?"
god lives in the people who believe in him."Where is God (meaning now)?"
god is in everyone who believes."Why can't I say oh my god? Will it hurt God? Will it kill God?"
you can say it, but you shouldn't. not saying it is a sign of reverence and respect. so most of the time it's just inappropriate. for me personally, i very rarely say it because the phrase never really became a part of my vocabulary. instead i say "god damn it." it won't injury god, but it might hurt god's feelings. it definitely won't kill him."What is God?"
that is a matter of faith. people who have faith would say that god is sort of like a person, with feelings and ideas, but not a person because he is everywhere and nowhere all at once, and has power over things. people who don't have faith, like me, will say that god is an idea that a lot of people believe because it makes it easier to cope with the human condition."Is God happy?"
i don't know, but i do the best i can.
1. Anything on the diner's youth fiction list
2. Personal responsibility
3. I'll take the bow and arrows behind door number 3
4. Mad-Eye Moody, Aunt Petunia, and/or Hagrid
5. Cherries
EC- I listened to the Beach Boys and Chicago while driving up to Durango a few weeks ago.
I have a BB tape that I listen to often in my car. I love that tape. They are so so so good. I think what I like about them most are their harmonies, and their innocence and purity. there is something so beautifully pure about hearing a bunch of guys singing perfect vocal harmonies with the lyrics about how it would be nice to be older and being married and living happily ever after with the love of your life.something about that just hits me so perfect.
i can't remember where we were putting things like this color quiz.i was green: "You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature."
Color quiz....I'm Green too.
VIOLETYou surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and belive strongly in your personal morals.
We have a whole entree for personality quizzes buried somewhere... By the way I'm Brown...
Yellow. I don't like yellow, but the description is nice:
"You are very perceptive and smart. You are clear and to the point and have a great sense of humor. You are always learning and searching for understanding."Amy's correct... found it.
Time to jump start this baby... Suggestion- try to keep the questions simple so that it doesn't take too long to respond... think no more than 2 long answers per week...
1) Which shoe do you put on first in the morning?
2) Which is your favorite season of the year? Why?
3) You're going on a month long cruise to South America, the Gallapogos, and Antartica-- which two people from the diner do you bring with you?
4) What's your favorite Bible verse (insert inspirational scripture or poem if the Bible is not your thing)?
5) How many sodas do you consume in an average week?
Nomination for next week-- Matt G.
1. Left, 2. Fall b/c it's peaceful, 3. pedro and dogmanphil, 4. God did not send his son to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17), 5. A couple.
1. usually right. the shoes i wear to work, i can slip the right shoe on due to a tear in the back. but the left i have to untie.2. fall. tshirt and jeans weather. not too cold, but not too ungodly hot.
3. raskol and oldpossumus
4. delight yourself in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (psalm 37 3-5)
5. depends. i try not to consume any, but i usually end up consuming at least a couple.
1. Your military left.2. Fall and winter.
3. blvdgirl and dex
4. Micah 6:8 (among others).
5. About 20. I gotta cut down.
1. I wish left..because I'm left-handed and because I wish I was left-footed. But the right always comes first.2. Fall (early fall). But I don't mind the hot summers either. 3. Pedro is the only one I've actually sent more than five e-mails to...but Ulyssess, Baggins, and Stan have been super cool and would be worthy travelers.
4. Can't think of even one...
5. Maybe three to four cans per week...I only drink it when I order take-out or delivery.
stupid HTML <br> tags
1. whichever one i find first, if i have both then usually the right (i think)
2. fall - leaves, cool weather, early snows
3. pedro and smax
4. Isaiah 40:29-31
5. 3-4
Which shoe do you put on first in the morning?
probably the right more often than the left.Which is your favorite season of the year? Why?
winter, because i like the snow and the cold. more and more, though, i'm getting the feeling that i'd rather just visit the snow and cold than have it all around me. runner up is autumn, when i stop waking up sweaty on hot nights.
You're going on a month long cruise to South America, the Gallapogos, and Antartica-- which two people from the diner do you bring with you?
pedro and CinnamongirlWhat's your favorite Bible verse (insert inspirational scripture or poem if the Bible is not your thing)?
ecclesiastes 3:1-8How many sodas do you consume in an average week?
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1) Which shoe do you put on first in the morning?
If I wear shoes it's probably pretty random which goes on first.2) Which is your favorite season of the year? Why?
Winter. I love the cold and sliding down snow has developed into my lifestyle.3) You're going on a month long cruise to South America, the Gallapogos, and Antartica-- which two people from the diner do you bring with you?
First thought would be a random two of you that I don't know except from the diner. From folks I know It's be Toastboy because I miss the boy, and Hemingstein because I just got an e-mail from him and it reminded me I haven't seen the lad in years.4) What's your favorite Bible verse (insert inspirational scripture or poem if the Bible is not your thing)?
Job 7, not exactly typically inspirational, but when you're feeling down, it's good to know it could be worse.5) How many sodas do you consume in an average week?
None. Maybe 1 every two months to remind me why I don't really like the stuff.
Yay! Inkblot wants me with him on his trip! I feel so honored. Can we stop by Colombia so that we may visit/meet Hernando's family? :)
1) The right shoe usually.
2) Autumn!
3) BigJ & smax
4) Phillipians 4: 4-8 is one
5) 3 - 4 = bad
Matt- it is your turn now.
Oh how the mind confuses me! I read blvdgirls entry and "3 - 4 = bad" and wondered why "-1" was bad, THEN I realized she was talking about sodas. Hard to take the equations out of a math teachers mind.
1. right, generally 2. summer (i need light) 3. inkblot and nutella 4. uh, i don't have an answer for this 5. a few
These questions three will be posted by the Sabbath...fair warning!
1) Which shoe do you put on first in the morning?The left! I had to go put em on to find out.
2) Which is your favorite season of the year? Why?
Fall. I love the colors, the weather, the wind. The moodiness of it all.
3) You're going on a month long cruise to South America, the Gallapogos, and Antartica-- which two people from the diner do you bring with you?
Pedro and Lieutenant. That was tough though.
4) What's your favorite Bible verse (insert inspirational scripture or poem if the Bible is not your thing)?
I reckon it's Psalm 19. Especially the last line: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before Thee, O the Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. One of the most beautiful pieces of music for the high holy days comes from this psalm.
5) How many sodas do you consume in an average week?
None!
That questions for y'all will come by this Friday. I've been actually attending to the task at hand this week, for which I will not apologize.And thanks, dex.
1. Usually the left shoe2. Definitely winter - I don't get hot, and the days are getting lighter
3. Of course Pedro, and probably dogmanphil 'cause he's been around our family and a support to us
4. As Pedro's parents reminded me today, Eccl. 4:9,10 "Two are better than one. But woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up." (KJV) *
5. Seven
* Biblical proof that suspenders are better than a belt!
I misquoted my verseTwo are better than one, for they have a good reward for their labor. But woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up.
I got nothin' right now. Can we have a proxy survey until I'm sober again?
to save gunch...1. Do you put your shoes on sock-then-shoe, sock-then-shoe? or do you put your socks on and then put your shoes on? (i know. again with the shoes...)
2. If you could change anything about yourself, what would you keep the same?
3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
4. If you knew you could not fail, what would you attempt? (unoriginal, but worth thinking about. plus i want to know your answers...)
5. When is the last time you hugged your mom? Are you happy about that?
6. If you could move your birthday to any other day of the year, when would it be?
*BONUS* Who's Your Daddy?
1. both socks, both shoes.2. my integrity
3. maybe just moved back home and out of grad school... hopefully doing interesting things for work.
4. i'd make a solid living writing and recording music I enjoyed but also somehow not having to tour much or be famous on a large scale.
5. i hugged her two weekends ago... that's about as good as it gets for me.
6. I like july 19th. middle of the year, etc.
bonus: unknown.
- socks same time...then shoes same time.
- my inexorableness
- making some type of career advancement. I'll probably be on my third job...hoping that my fourth job will be my dream job. I have no idea geographically where I'll be living...but I know I'll still be renting.
- owner of a downtown independent movie theatre.
- yesterday...they are visiting my grandparents about 100 miles south of where I'm at right now.
- I like my where my birthday sits, April 12, because it marks the turning point of winter to summer in my region. But if I had to choose I'd say October 3rd or 5th or 17th...etc.
1. both socks, both shoes.2. my love of my wife
3. sweden, part time translator and english teacher
4. i'll just echo pedro and say i'd make a good living playing music but without the crazy touring or the celebrity
5. last thanksgiving...been too long
6. i'd keep it the same. maybe when i was younger it would have been nice to have it during the school year or fall close to major holiday to get a better party or whatnot but now i just kind of want them to pass quietly especially this year. (hint i was born in 1975)
bonus: you are baggins, you are
1. I prefer sandals. But I generally wear socks, then shoes, as a unit. Because my house is a no-shoes-allowed house, see.2. Everything. I like me.
3. Teaching at a university, writing lots of the time, being tortured by a teenager and a pre-teen, and still very happily married.
4. I don't think I'd want to attempt anything I was guaranteed not to fail at. It would cease to be fun.
5. Last time I visited. No - I wish we lived closer.
6. I don't actually care to be honest! Any day would be as good as another.
- Do you put your shoes on sock-then-shoe, sock-then-shoe? or do you put your socks on and then put your shoes on? (i know. again with the shoes...)
sock-sock shoe-shoe- If you could change anything about yourself, what would you keep the same?
my ass.- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
i don't know. i really only recently started thinking seriously about that, though. until last winter i'd always just made the excuse that i'd be dead by age 35, since that's how it went for my dad. now that i'm not making that excuse anymore i don't know what to say.- If you knew you could not fail, what would you attempt? (unoriginal, but worth thinking about. plus i want to know your answers...)
i would fix american politics.- When is the last time you hugged your mom? Are you happy about that?
yesterday. good.- If you could move your birthday to any other day of the year, when would it be?
i like my birthday. it's all powers of three. the only thing that could have made it more perfect in that regard is if i'd been born two years later..... 9-27-81.... aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.
*BONUS* Who's Your Daddy?
paul merrell
1. Sock-then-shoe, sock-then-shoe?
Both socks, then shoes, or no socks at all.2. If you could change anything about yourself, what would you keep the same?
I like inkblot's ass-nser, probably my sense of humor. Someone has to get all the jokes.3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Absolutely no idea. Hopefully alive, playing somewhere.4. If you knew you could not fail, what would you attempt?
Ridding the world of greed... or maybe freeing the nose on El cap. I've been climbing too much lately.5. When is the last time you hugged your mom? Are you happy about that?
about 3 weeks ago, and I will again Friday. I feel darn good about that considering I live almost 3000 miles from her.6. If you could move your birthday to any other day of the year, when would it be? 8/8/1977... perhaps this is my answer to #2?
*BONUS* Who's Your Daddy?
Rick... strange question.
1. Sock, sock, shoe, shoe (usually) but sometimes I do the sock, shoe, sock, shoe thing (for some reason I find doing it that way disconcerting)
2. My second toes are longer than my first when they are straightened out- I've gotten used to it...
3. I don't know. I generally get defensive at this question for no good reason (the bad reason is that it makes me feel lost and like I should know).
4. Feed the hungry, balance the national budget, teach parents to raise their own children, ban high-heeled shoes, make sure that every kid had a friend... this list could go on for a very long time...
5. Well, if I had to change it from April (which I wouldn't really want to do), I'd move it to October.
1. Sock-shoe, sock-shoe. I'm lazy and don't want to have to lean / switch sides more than once.2. I like my sense of humor and my hair color.
3. I want to get hitched & make babies. This will hopefully happen in the next 10 years.
4. I'd love to be a jazz singer. I just don't have the pipes for it though.
5. Yesterday. I decided I needed to confess to her that when I was 10 & she sent me to tennis lessons, sometimes I didn't go because I didn't like my racquet (it was hers from the 70s, very small and odd-looking when compared to the other kids' racquets and I was embarassed about it) and I didn't like to run in hot weather. Since we had very little money at the time, I feel guilty to this day. I told her about it and started crying, so she hugged me. I feel OK about it.
6. I have no problem with feb 9... well, sometimes the boys think they can get away with combining bday/Vday festivities, which doesn't thrill me, but I realize that's pretty selfish.
*BONUS* Larry.
The first questions of 2005.
extra: This could be in the Movies Entree...but what is your guilty-pleasure film and can you give us the reasons why you like it?
- What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy?
- What do you dislike the most of about your significant other?
or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other?- What was your greatest acheivement in 2004?
- How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person?
- You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing?
1. more prayer...and exercise2. not currently dating, haven't dated in at least 11 years, just don't know anymore.
3. not killing either one of the little people who live with me
4. too many things to name, though most can be attributed to growth personally and spiritually as well as friends (who I wouldn't have ever met had I not moved to the Midwest) who challenge me to those things....
5. rent a house on wingaersheek beach in Gloucester, MA and veg with ...the 2 little people who live with me, pa & al hp, cap'n, toastboy and family, my gouins and her daughter, (this is going to need to be a rather large house) various family members and friends from RI i won't name because no one here would know them.
extra....Drop Dead Fred
What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy? I need (NEED) to start journalling again. When I was in CO over Christmas I brought back all of my journals from, well, bascially junior high through the time I graduated from college in 2000. About ten huge, full journals. Reading through them was great. It gave me so much perspective on myself based on my past and also recalled so many memories I had forgotten or repressed, both awesome and awful. The last 5 years have not been recorded like that and it makes me sad that I'll have no record of these times. I must regain that dedication. Also, I need to start running again. It makes me feel so much more mentally sound (physically too, of course).What do you dislike the most of about your significant other? or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other? I honestly can't think of anything I "dislike" about Hernando (and he doesn't have the chance to read the Diner anymore so I wouldn't get busted out either way). I will say, he is always, ALWAYS right. From little things to the biggest things--work situations, my relationships, world events and their outcome, practical/domestic issues. It makes having differing "viewpoints" (aka little arguments) obsolete. While it is a source of security to know he's some sort of oracle and I can trust what he says, it can drive me batty. What is The Ginga to do if she can't win an argument now and then?
What was your greatest acheivement in 2004? Starting graduate school and losing 15 pounds (I'm sorry that sounds shallow, but I really needed/wanted to. And I did it the right way, i.e. exercising my a$$ off. Though I've gained some of it back. Three cheers for resuming my running!).
How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person? I think growing up in CO definitely had a lot to do with the sort of person I am. There is an inexplicable but palpably different mindset there than there is in the Midwest, and that has shaped who I am. Living in Chicago has made me much more of a "big city" person. When I was in Denver over the holidays we were downtown and I was rushing through the streets and being so hyper-aware of what was going on around me, etc., and suddenly thought, "Oh! I don't have to be like this right now...I'm not scrambling to get on a bus or El or to the Amtrak"--or whatever. And it has made me hate summer more than I ever, ever thought possible. Humidity=the devil.
You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing? England and Scotland. I'd bring Mercurymouth, Raskol, Oldpossums, Hemingstein, and OutsideInfluence. Touring the countryside and staying in B & Bs. This is the dream trip. Some day, it shall be.
extra: This could be in the Movies Entree...but what is your guilty-pleasure film and can you give us the reasons why you like it? "Happy Gilmore." I don't like all or even much of Adam Sandler's comedic stuff, but that movie kills me. "You could bother me for a nice warm glass of shut the hell up!" Classic.
- What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy?
more gatherings of friends, more travel- What do you dislike the most of about your significant other? or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other?
ok, i'll try not to write a book here.... asking me this begs the question do i have a significant other? which i can't answer. i have a best friend who means a lot of things to me, who i would like to be with, and who i think would like to try to have a deeper relationship with me if only it weren't for the fact the i live here and she lives there. to the extent that this desire augments our friendship, i suppose i should answer the survey question as though she were my significant other..... i don't like how she sees herself. she's had kind of a whirlwind year which took her out of a pretty safe and comfortable situation and has thrust her into a series of chaotic and confusing situations. but in her own words, she's not stunned and confused by the sudden turn of events.... she's "crazy". this ultimately leads to her finding ways to blame herself for these things that have happened and i don't like that.- What was your greatest acheivement in 2004?
i took my lousy hourly part-time job and turned it into a salaried (plus bonus compensation) full-time career.- How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person?
i have lived in the midwest my entire life. i think i've stayed too long. there's a song by modest mouse called the world at large which i think i posted in Lyric Buffet- Take Only What You Will Eat which really speaks about how i feel about place and moving on.- You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing?
we're going paddling... canoes and kayaks, to each his own.... in algonquin park, ontario, canada. tara, pedro, alex, tim, and mikef are invited. these are not my five absolute closest friends, but that's a good number for a paddling trip. some of them are my closest friends, and they are all good friends, and they would all be good paddlers. the trip will cost a lot less than $15,000, so we'll split what's left when we get home.extra: This could be in the Movies Entree...but what is your guilty-pleasure film and can you give us the reasons why you like it?
soldier... i don't know why.
- What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy?
I'd like to meet new people. Not that I have a problem with my current social circle...I just want to venture outside that circle in an attempt to switch things up. The problem is, I don't have an idea on how to do it. I'm not a fan of the bar scene, I don't belong to any clubs or church groups, and I prefer to go straight home after work because at the end of the day I'm selfish and I want "me" time. So there lies the problem. I can be a very social person when invited to some type of social gathering, but when I'm at these gatherings I sometimes wish I was home by myself. I don't know what my deal is. I guess the answer is that I need to get out more and throw myself into the fire and see what happens. I think the risk will be worth it.- What do you dislike the most of about your significant other? or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other?
I desire someone successful, smart, stern/tough. Someone older who has experienced a lot. This person acknowledges the love and dedication I give to them, giving it right back at the times they know that I need it. Sadly, it's going to be a very long time before I have another serious and meaningful relationship with a woman. I'd like to casually see people...maybe date...but I have a feeling that everyone is looking for some type of huge commitment. I'm afraid can't give that right now. There is a particular girl I'd love to meet...but it's been around seven years since I've seen her face and odds of us ever talking over coffee become slimmer everyday.- What was your greatest acheivement in 2004?
Dealing with life's vicious curveball.- How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person?
This question depresses me. I want to be a more worldly person. I wanted to work in a different part of the country since I graduated from college. I've lived in the Midwest my entire life and haven't spent more than a week anywhere else. I have child which I need to be close to, so moving anywhere which isn't within driving distance is irresponsible as a parent. For lack of a better term, I'm trapped here. Because of this, I've become a bitter person... but I believe what I'm doing is best for others at this point.- You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing?
I'd bring all of my best friend's from college: Jeremy, Brandon, Scot, Jake and Pat. We are going to Ibiza (Spain) to dive, fish, catch some rays, throw some frisbees, and hike. With that type of money I'm getting far away from the U.S
Extra: Boxing Helena - This film has this a certain mood. I can't put my my finger on it. I want to say it's a cross between an impressionist painting or something by Maxfield Parrish, the gothic, and a psychological horror film. If you look past it's cinemax/skinemax cheesiness, it is actually quite interesting and could have been a great film if Jennifer Chambers Lynch's (David Lynch's daughter) had a couple more films under her belt (she was only 22 when she directed it). Julian Sands is perfect in the lead role and without him the movie would be a complete failure. I will save you the plot details, you can find those yourself. I will give you this: you won't be able to shake the bizarre imagery for days.
I love this entree! Thanks, Bernie, for the reboot!
What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy?
More outdoor activities--I love being outside, but I always let my busy-ness get in the way. Also, naps.
What do you dislike the most of about your significant other? or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other?
Not dating which means I get the nearly impossible question... What am I looking for? A man with wisdom, faith, and integrity who loves me in spite of/because of my faults who can gently remind me to laugh at myself and to see each new moment as a blessing. Someone who will challenge me to be the best person that I can be in any given moment not through words but through example.... No wonder I'm not dating, huh?
What was your greatest acheivement in 2004?
<Insert the voice of Yoda, "Acheivements not make one great."> I really don't know. I know that I became a better teacher--you really do improve with practice--but that doesn't seem like much in the great grand scheme of things.
How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person?
Well, living in the Southwest for the last 2 1/2 years has made me a little more reserved and solitary. This has nothing to do with the actual landscape which is gorgeous, but more because I don't feel as though I belong here. I live in a very conservative, closed community, and while they have welcomed me, many of my ideas on the world at large are not welcome.... I don't have many peers her, per se. The new reserve may not be a horrible thing, but I fear that guarding the internal self too closely can lead to the damage or loss of the internal self...
You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing?
This is a tough one bacause I love to travel, and I plan out imaginary vacations all of the time. Here, however, is the dream vacation of the day: I'd invite every girlfriend I've known since highschool for a foray on PEI. We'd all wear dresses and braid our hair and pretend to be Anne Shirley.
Extra: This could be in the Movies Entree...but what is your guilty-pleasure film and can you give us the reasons why you like it?
I have to choose one? I'd call over half of my movie collection guilty pleasures... But, I guess that I'd say Calamity Jane starring Doris Day. In spite of its uneducated portrayal of women and Native Americans, the songs and overdramatized acting make me laugh, and I just find it delightful. So there.
1. What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy?
Well I play a lot... so probably something that actually makes me think. I would like to say my job is mentally challenging, but it's not. I could stand to take some classes or something, but I really can't stand the idea of being inside any more than I have to. Maybe I need to take avalanche safety classes.2. What do you dislike the most of about your significant other? or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other?
B- tolerance, or willing to come along on my bizarre playtime adventures. My ideal would be someone who playes more than me.3. What was your greatest acheivement in 2004?
Escaping death. No majot achievements so not letting my own ignoreance kill or mame me is probably as good as it gets.4. How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person?
Well I haven't been here in UT that long, but I've already become less social, which was a decision I made. Where I was in Maine had a very small, but close community. Seeing your 30 closest friends everyday can get a little monotonous, but I do miss them. Oh, I'm also more sore and less hung over. More time in the gym and less with my beer salesmen roommate is probably a very healthy change.5. You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing?
With $15K I could do a lot. Probably climbing in South America or Austrailia with a friend.
My mother in law, her sister, and I are going to PEI this summer to do that very thing.1)What activities do you think you could add to your life that would be a source of richness and joy?
Family bike rides, now that Julia's old enough to ride in the carrier. Family hikes too.
2) What do you dislike the most of about your significant other? or (if not dating) What are you looking for in a significant other?
This is tough. There's really nothing I dislike most about him, he's a whole package and I love him just the way he is. But if I *had* to say something, I'd say that he gets upset over things that boggle me sometimes. Like spilled juice, or messy child from playing with paints. He doesn't get mean or anything, but I just don't get what makes him tick that way sometimes.
3) What was your greatest acheivement in 2004?
Honestly, my kids. They're turning out beautifully. Personally, I'd say it was completing a good poetry portfolio, one in which I like everything.
4) How has living where you currently live (midwest, atlantic, pacific, rockies, deep south, even a different country) effected you as a person?
Living in DC has had good and bad effects. I hate traffic, and I hate rude drivers. In a way, DC has desensitized me to them. It's also given me access to culture I wouldn't otherwise have had, and to an artistic community that is at once nurturing and stimulating to my art.
5) You are given $15,000 dollars and a full two weeks off to organize some type of gathering or vacation for you and your best friends...Who is invited and what do you plan on doing?
Wow. I'm having a hard time with this one. The people are easy - Ed and Margaret, Lisa and Shelby, Renee and Justin, and Jay and me. The thing to do... that's tougher. We're either renting a houseboat and goin up to Canada by way of the ocean, or we're going mountain biking up in the Northern Territories.
Guilty pleasure movie? The Wedding Singer. One of my favorite movies ever.
You step onto a polymorph trap!
Little dog.
What does religion or God mean to you, in your life? Amy's post about her Lenten revelation was beautiful to me. What're everyone else's thoughts / experiences?
but today's opposite day for me. So, religion doesn't mean a bunch of chaps sitting in a room howling and pounding out chords. God does not mean to me, any sort of book, text or manuscript. For me, God and religion are a lot more than emotions and verses and whatever. I won't go as far as to say that i really believe in god, but i think that to live in a universe like this, to have "evolved" like we did with the rest of life...(i'm rambling) if there wasn't a god, i'd be let down, but i don't want my god to know how i feel about him because of some poorly written chord progression or because of some book that i read that's been translated so many time people can't even remember which was the original
Worst gig you've ever played? (I'm not thinking musically bad (but maybe you will) but like bob's country bunker bad (although playing behind chicken wire would be rad so maybe that's not so terrible)).
redvinegar hasn't really had that many bad gigs, and nothing so terrible that I really feel solidly negatively about the whole experience. There are a few candidates, but they don't top this:When I was singing with The F0ster Ensemble, an acapella octet we started (mostly for fun) after graduation, our first real gig was at some Chicago entrepreneur organization's soiree at the Adler Planetarium. It was out in some big room that overlooked the lake, and was in the afternoon. The crowd was full of mid 20s to mid 30s aspiring entrepreneurs. The acoustics were absolutely terrible -- like singing into shag carpet -- and the crowd was not a renaissance music crowd (shock!). I can't remember if we had a mic, which sucks if we did, but it also sucks if we didn't. I can't remember if we even got paid. I think that the idea was to do it in hopes that some people would hire us to do other performances, which was a good idea, but the experience of it sucked (and nothing came of it) especially because as I said, we were mostly together to have fun making music.
The gig at the fine line in minneapolis I mentioned in my diary doesn't get the honors because it was actually a really fun show and they keep a really nice stocked green room for the bands. I think the worst show honors is a tie between a show at People's in Ames and some cavernous bar in Racine. The show in Ames was a friday night and we headed out of Chicago midmorning. Because we got a late start we didn't go check in to our hotel before arriving at the club to load in and set up. We played second of three bands. It was the loudest most uninterested crowd I've ever played for. The bar was packed but we were just noise. It was a really rowdy college crowd and there were a couple fights (one of which almost involved our drummer) and the vomit covered restrooms were a nice touch. This was just a prelude of thigns to come. I think I ended up driving the van off to the hotel where the club owner was supposed to have booked us a room and pre-paid for it. Apparently jonathon had misunderstood and he was supposed to call in advance. At this point jonathon, the lead singer, is rather drunk and extremely belligerent and starting to yeall and swear at the clerk. Ed and I were trying to coax him back out into the parking lot as we apologized to the desk clerk. I remember Jonathon looking at the faux bookcases and swearing about how they had moby dick and charles dickens but they didn't have our reservation. At this point we drove around Ames trying to find a hotel at like 3am. An hour later we ended up back at the place that didn't have our room because nowhere else had vacancy that was open. We probably would have ended up at the hotel sooner had jonathon not been such a belligerent a-hole about the whole thing but he was adamant about not staying there because they screwed up even though it was really his fault. Finally with four of us yelling at him we ended up back at the hotel. The next day we made the drive up to Minneapolis and played the fineline and that may have been the show where we didn't get paid, but I'm not sure about the dates.The other worst show was one that involes some bad tomatoes on a whopper from burger king. I was on the way over to our practice space to head up to Racine for my first ever big backyard show at some club in Racine whose name now escapes me (given the sketchy owner i'm sure the name has changed). I stopped by burger king for some lunch and ate a whopper in the car and thought that the tomato tasted a little funky. By the time we get to the club I've got a killer headache. I take some tylenol and we play a little pool and eat some greasy bar food which didn't seem to help in the headache department. After the first set I'm feeling like death warmed over and find a hard bench to lay down on while we break. Someone finds me and says were giong on again and I get up and go on stage and grab my bass. As I'm tuning I realize that I'm going to vomit and I quickly unstrap and run off to the bathroom yelling back to the band i'm gonna be sick,...start without me. After praying to the porcelain god and washing up I go back out to the stage where they did start without me and are playing Running to Stand Still and I grab the bass from Rocco mid-song who went back to his guitar and we finished it off (first and only time I've ever played that song). After that set I feel marginally better but have to struggle through a third set. We finish the show and load up and then I remember jonathon literally chasing the coked-up owner around the club trying to get him to pay us which took a while. Then we stopped at a diner on the way home so everyone else could eat some breakfast (I think it was the blue diamond) and a fight broke out at the adjacent table. Moral of the story - check your tomatoes on your whopper.
and finally - the runner up:
the dead cover band i was in played at this irish bar in manassas and it had just changed owners to a shock jock a**hole after our sceond set (of four) he tols us we sucked and we should quit being musicians and that we should just pack up and go home and then turned on some rap-rock. He paid us in full and he lost a couple regulars who were enjoying the music.
It's hard to convey how miserable I was at those two gigs. The first one may not sound all that bad but the combination of all the factors made it a hellish evening.
Best gig you've ever played. (or for non-musicians best concert attended)
i've never played live other than church or church related stuff, aside from jumping on stage with you guys...worst church gig ever? I can't remember a time it was really bad. we've had songs completely fall apart on us, and I've had a couple times before i started using strap-locks that my strap popped right off in the middle of a song, and i dropped the bass (well, the body dropped but i caught it). that sucked!!
there was one weekend where my bass player didn't show up and i was supposed to be playing guitar. luckily, there was another guy playing guitar as well, and a spare bass laying around. i jumped on bass, and we never looked back.
best? they've all been good in the same way that none of them have been really bad. there were a couple weekends where the band was just dead on, the dynamics we had worked out all fell into place just right, and a couple songs that were kinda slow and boring we pepped up and the whole crowd got really into it. i had several people tell me that was the best worship experience they'd seen at the church in a long time. i can't really claim any credit for all that though. the Lord uses our gifts and our time and efforts and makes them much more than they could ever be by themselves.
[I started this post a long time ago and forgot about it until today.]The more I think about it the more "best show ever" is a really hard honor to award. Like all those times at the 'wood and the lyons den with The Project and Blue Stone and Smitty and RV were probaly some of the funnest shows I've played but I can't pick a specific show out of the bunch. Although the time it snowed like 12 inches while we played at the Den was a fun night. I remember Moon carrying something out to a car and then slipping and falling into a drift and just laying there in the snow laughing and laughing. Playing at a place like Martyr's was totally rad but I can't classify those times as best either although they do come close now that I think about it. I don't recall those show being out-of-this-world fun, so I think it was mainly the thrill of playing that stage. I think I'd have to narrow it down to two very different shows.
The first is 12/31/99 at Elbo Room with Big Backyard. We would play there every other or every third month or so and I guess they liked our draw so they asked to play the false millenium new year's eve. This was the year a lot of Chicago bars raised prices through the roof and they lost their shirts because so many people stayed home. I think Elbo Room was charging $85 and that included full open bar but no food. Music started at 10 and I think we played two hour sets. There was a good sized crowd and maybe it was the free flowing booze or maybe it was the music (probably the booze) but people were dancing and the room was lively. I'd somehow conviced a few people to drop the big bucks to see us and that added to the overall enjoyment. At some point several women got up on stage and started dancing with us and one of them was kissing the keyboard player while he was trying to take a solo. I even think he was singing that tune. I remember karna telling me afterward she was about to come up there kick some ass if they got too close to me. She did join me on stage for a midnight kiss which was awesome. There weren't any other bands so there were no time constraints and we finished early enough before last-call that we could join the party and not just pack up and schlepp our gear home. I left my amp/cab there and we took a cab home (with my bass) and I remember standing on the corner of lincoln and diversey waiting forever in the cold trying to get a cab. But I always remember it being a really really fun show and I have a hard time describing why it was so but I guess that's why I'm not a writer. Oh yeah, the other reason I remember the show so fondly is that we got paid enough that I bought our set of bookshelves from the proceeds of that one show.
The second best ever gig was a worship set in Dusseldorf Germany for a few thousand high school students and youth leaders. We had played a bunch of worship sets for this large group and on the final day we did an extended afternoon and basically took all our charts on stage and our leader (the wonderful er1c cas3 who has been assimilated by the covenant) would call out tunes. The energy and the joy of the congregation was overwhelming and I was truly humbled by the honor of leading them in worship. It was one of those moments that I will never ever forget. I actually stood on my amp and took a picture of all the people waving back at the stage. I guess I'd have to put that one at the very top of the list along with maybe 2 or 3 other worhsip gigs that have reached that pinnacle of out-of-this-worldness where you are no longer really playing an instrument but are an instrument for God. It's hard to explain and probably sounds weird. It's moments like those that make it near impossible for me to turn down worhsip gigs and so I seem to end up playing more than I should...but it's what I love.
thanks. I was at that Den show the night of all the snow. Good times. I miss seeing the crew more often. I'm really looking forward to the end of this month--the end of the RV era! Bitta, bittasweet.
1) When was the last time you lost your temper? Describe if time and will permit.
2) What was the last bad move you saw at the theater?
3) What's your favorite kind of apple?
4) Do you believe in the death penalty? Why or why not? 5) What food are you craving right now?
1) today. I've been trying to wire this phone line. and I've gotten the inital phone line to work, but when i try to splice off of that to add one more port, i get nothing. I've tried a million different things, so today i got fed up and decided that there will just be one.
2) these two people were making out in the front of the theatre. that's sounds pretty bad, but there folks were over the hill, and that wasn't even the problem. These people had some kind of developmental disability, and eventually they realised that the whole theatre was laughing so they turned around to see that everyone was looking and laughing at them. I lost all remaining pity that i had for man on that day.
3) theres a red one out there with a shade of green in it, so it's a little crispier than most reds. I like that one. ;-D
4) I don't like how this question is worded. I believe that some crimes are so out of control that life in prison isn't enough, because not matter how much you say "life without parole" people seem to make it out anyway. I also think that a bullet is a lot cheaper than three-square and cable t.v. That being said, i'd rather take a bullet in the head from a guy whose feet are freezing off than not be able to feed my family because i lost my retirement to some white-collar dick that ran off with the companies casho.
5) baklava
1. Certainly sometime at work over the past month, but I can not remember it.
2. Medium Gray was the worst movie I ever saw in a theater. It makes everything else look so good.
3. Fuji or Gala
4. I believe it exists. I do not support it. It's cheaper to let people die in jail.
5. Something sweet... I just finished dinner.
1. Probably over something that was broken or wasn't working right... especially things that was poorly designed or built. Few things make me angrier faster than something you bought trying to make a good decision and then bringing it home finding out that it is a piece of crap in a box.2. We saw "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" in the theatre and really didn't like it. I wouldn't call it a "bad movie" because I think for the most part it was well done, but if I had known more about it I wouldn't have opted to see it. I still think The Newton Boys ranks up there as my worst in-theatre experience. I actually tried to sleep through it it was so bad.
3. Transparents... red skinned apples make my mouth it. Birch allergy.
4. I don't believe in it. I think that all people deserve the maximum amount of time with their consciences and life on earth to come to terms with their own actions. Even if it *were* more expensive to leave them in with life without parole I would rather do that. I do think that too many dangerous criminals are let back out on the streets however, so it's not that I think that jail should be more comfy or have shorter sentences.
5. I'm full.
When was the last time you lost your temper? Describe if time and will permit.
it was a couple of months ago... something my coworker didn't do that he should have done. it really wasn't something that i should have lost my temper about, so it wouldn't be right to get into it here.What was the last bad move you saw at the theater?
steamboyWhat's your favorite kind of apple?
i don't really know apples from apples, but i generally buy red delicious.Do you believe in the death penalty? Why or why not?
i believe that it exists, and i think that we should have captial punishment as an option. however, i think that we let the door to death row open too wide and there are people there who should not be. i think that in order for a person to be sentenced to death, the standard of "beyond a shadow of doubt" is too low, and that as it stands juries and judges do not respect the implications of those words even in non-capital cases. i think that in capital trials, the prejudices of every party should also be on trial, including the judges, jurors, grand jurors, prosecutors, defenders, and the legislators who created the law under which the accused is charged. only when all of those things are shown to be sound can we know that a person truly deserves to die.What food are you craving right now?
a sandwich and chips
1) When was the last time you lost your temper? Describe if time and will permit.*sigh* About three days ago, when Anna slapped Julia because Julia was messing up the toys that Julia just cleaned up. I was so angry that Anna would hit her sister - now, I know this is 'normal' 3.5 year old behaviour. But it's disgusting and I wasted no words telling her so - I scooped her up, carried her like a football upstairs, put her in her bed and shut the door. She cried for about 30 minutes because she knew I was *that* angry. I usually read her a few books before bed, we sing some songs, cuddle a while. Nothing - I wouldn't even look at her til I calmed down, 30 min later. But once you set a punishment, it's really important, as a parent, to follow through, or they learn they can manipulate you. So while I was sad I didn't get to read to her and cuddle, I didn't. And it felt sad.
2) What was the last bad move you saw at the theater?
Star Wars 2.
3) What's your favorite kind of apple?
Stayman. Crisp, cold and slightly sour.
4) Do you believe in the death penalty? Why or why not?
No. Well, sometimes I waver on it. Like child rapist/murderers. I'd rather see the prisoners just be handed copies of the record of the pedophiles before they go to prison though. But no, I think it's FAR more punishing to keep them in prison for 50+ years with no hope of parole. I do think the prison needs reforms, so that 7 years MEANS 7 years, no early release. And life MEANS until you die.
5) What food are you craving right now?
Nothing. I am content.
1) Temper: About a month ago, my bro called me and told me the circumstances of his (now-ex)wife's walking out on him. It was a new kind of rage for me - I got very quiet and was shivering all over like I had ice water in my veins. I honestly don't think I've ever been that angry before.2) Bad Movie: "Kingdom of Heaven."
3) Apple: yellow delicious, preferably with peanut butter & cinnamon spread on it
4) Death Penalty: ditto dex, exactly.
5) Craving: Nothing; I took care of my Taco Bell craving a few hours ago.
temper -- It was probably in my car listening to the radio and someone from the Bush admin came on and started spouting the bullshit they are so good at and I woudl have started screaming at the radio.movie -- open water...boooooring
apple -- granny smith
death penalty -- no. I believe that people can change and redeem themselves. It's not a deterrent and it's mostly now an act of revenge for people victimized and that's not what justice is all about.
food -- well...i just ate lunch, so not much. but i could go for some spicy noodles from the burmese place by my house
i guess i have a minute.temper - i got a little short with a customer yesterday. the whole system of being paid on commission coexisting with having to lower prices for people ALL the time because they complain, or whatever reason, was really pissing me off lately. and a lady came in and wanted a mic cable and a speaker cable. the speaker was 24.95 and the mic was 21.95. as i am ringing it up, she grabs the calculator and starts telling me that wants a deal, and she knows the system and knows we can give it to her for less... i don't have the approval to change the prices on the cables in the system, so i had to call a manager over. it took him a minute before he figured at which point on the sales ticket he could change the prices (though it didn't work like it normally should...) and she was acting like 'oh you guys can't fool me. i'm not a sucker and i know you can change the prices and i demand that you do it right now' and meanwhile her children are running around my whole department pulling cables and straps and books off the shelves and throwing them all over the place (the mom didn't say anything to them). i was getting quite frustrated, and then we got the prices changed for her and she was still saying they should be lower ("no! this one should be $15 and this one $17!") and i got fed up with it. i didn't yell at her or anything, but she kept saying things like 'I know how much stuff costs. i wasn't born yesterday' which really insults my honesty and my character. i eventually said something to her like 'but you have to understand that this is a business. we have to make a profit to survive. every dollar i take out of the price of something comes off my paycheck (which is true, more or less)' and she was like 'oh, i don't believe THAT' and gave me this look like i was full of shit. i don't have a lot of patience for customers that treat me like that. nor do i have patience with a system that says i have to stand there and take it for minimum wage.
that was pretty much it. my manager told me not to ever talk to a customer like that again. i argued with him, and asked what the appropriate venue was to air my grievances against the system that has me whoring out everything we sell and yet expects me to sell things at a profit so i can get paid more than minimum wage. when i asked that, he simply walked away... he does that often when i ask a question to which he probably doesn't know the answer.
2. movie - Monster in Law. i posted elsewhere concerning this rubbish. i won't go any deeper now.
3. apple - applesauce
4. death penalty - i don't think we have the means as a culture of imperfect moral agents to efficiently and effectively administer a penalty of death to mete out justice. so, yeah, if we could do it right, i think it would be appropriate. however, i don't think it is possible for us to do it right, so i think we need to find other ways...
1) When was the last time you lost your temper? Describe if time and will permit.
I honestly can't remember it. I really can't remember the last time I've even yelled. I get frustrated easily and usually just walk away.2) What was the last bad move you saw at the theater?
The last movie I saw Reddic(sp). I don't like movies as much as the average person. Still debating seeing Sith. I hate dissapointment.3) What's your favorite kind of apple?
Proccessed, cider.4) Do you believe in the death penalty? Why or why not?
I believe it exists, but I don't believe we should kill people. I believe in mandatory hard labor, in my mind a much harsher punishment.5) What food are you craving right now?
CPBC chilly-mac. Couldn't tell you why.
1) How many houseplants do you own?
2) Most embarassing childhood icon?
3) Last novel you read?
4) Last nonfiction book you read?
5) Oldest article of clothing?
- How many houseplants do you own?
i have one- Most embarassing childhood icon?
i can't think of any that are embarassing- Last novel you read?
watership down- Last nonfiction book you read?
i'm partway through gödel, escher, bach- Oldest article of clothing?
hmmmmm..... i have a hawaiian shirt that's 35ish years old.
1) How many houseplants do you own?
i have one. well, i had one. a cactus. i figured i couldn't kill that. i did.
2) Most embarassing childhood icon?
childhood icon. mmmm... not so much.
3) Last novel you read?
potter.
4) Last nonfiction book you read?
my american histoy book. in college. it was more a skim. (really, i'm kidding, I just don't remember.)
5) Oldest article of clothing?
i have a t-shirt from Crystal Falls, MI that i got when i was 8. it says "there's a humungus fungus amoung us."
1. many. 13? 14?2. slim goodbody
3. "the brothers K" (not the dostoevsky book)
4. Building Secure Servers with Linux, Michael D. Bauer, ORA
5. i have some shirts/ties from my grandfather that are probably older than me. the oldest article of clothing that I did not "inherit" is probably from 1991 -- Quiz Bowl Champion for the CESA Teleconference Network quiz bowl our high school dominated for many years.
- None.
- Penfold.
- "Crytonomicon" by Neal Stephenson (for the nth time)
- "Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words" by Jay Rubin
- The Dallas Cowboys t-shirt I am currently wearing under my shirt—it's fourteen years old and full of holes. The man who sold it to me is dead now. The logo has all but vanished.
1. 3 and they're all doing quite well. 2. Icon? Not sure, but the Ultimate Warrior must come pretty close! 3. Chainfire, by Terry Goodkind and boy was it good! 4. nonfiction, Finding God in the Questions, by Dr. Timothy Johnson. I'd recommend it to all the science minds in the group very highly. 5. My oldest article of clothing is probably either something I inhereted from my dad of unknown age, I don't keep clothing for very long if I don't wear it it gets tossed. I move way too much to hang on to things I don't use unless they have sentimental value, and a shirt in a drawer to me doesn't have sentimental value, now the shark teeth found by our Indian guide in the badlands that are sitting in a drawer, that's a different story.
1: i have 7 houseplants, most of which i just repotted because they're growing so well that their roots were taking over the world.2: maybe i don't understand this question, but i had a crush on doogie howser when i was younger. that's pretty embarrassing.
3: i'm reading 'mother night' by kurt vonnegut.
4: 'rich dad, poor dad' but right now i'm helping a friend edit her nonfiction book for submission to a publisher.
5: i've got some very cool authentic bellbottoms, but i'm not actually sure when they're from. also a sheer ivory chiffon top which i was given with conditions not to ruin, not to wash in the machine and to wear. of course i ended up wearing it to the only bar in california that wasn't enforcing the no-smoking rule. i have some other choice pieces that are quite old but these are highlights.
1) How many houseplants do you own? - I don't personally own any. and it would take a physical inventory to find out how many are in my house, as I don't really pay attention to those sorts of things.2) Most embarassing childhood icon? - I saw New Kids On The Block in concert when I was in 6th grade. my school won a fundraising competition, which had this concert as a prize. i didn't like them, but i attended. i don't recall why i attended.
3) Last novel you read? - just reread H.P.+ Goblet of Fire. Now reading The Chronicles of Narnia, starting w/ Magician's Nephew.
4) Last nonfiction book you read? - Waking The Dead by John Elderidge
5) Oldest article of clothing? - I've got some skinny jeans i can't fit into that are pretty dang old. i don't know where i got them or why i keep them. I have some green corduroys that I got at a thrift store when i was in high school. i still wear them.
I feel old! NKOTB in 6th grade??? I think I was in college at their peak.1. 1 - aloe for burns and cuts and stuff
2. Holly Hobbie? does she count - I even had the wallpaper
3. The Princess Bride
4. Witness to Hope
5. My Dad's Navy jacket. I love it; it's by far the warmest jacket I own.
1. How many houseplants do you own? Lots. I can picture about 16 on the window sills but I'm probably mising some. 2. Most embarassing childhood icon? Depends on who thinks it was embarassing but these probably count: Scott Johnson, Peter Vidmar and the rest of the '84 mens gymnastics team. Awesome 3. Last novel you read? Protrait of the Artist as a Young Man 4. Last nonfiction book you read? Microbe Hunters 5. Oldest article of clothing? I have this goofy red hat I hike with that was my dad's and is probably 35 years old or so. I think I own some ties that are from the 60's but since I wear a tie about twice a year that doesn't really count.
sorry about the lack of br tags. I'm an idiot.
1) 11 (2 at school & the rest at home
2) I had a 90210 poster in Jr. High--I watched the show religiously.
3) The Other Boelyn (about Anne Boelyn's sister)
4) Reading Lolita in Tehran
5) I have a gym shirt from 7th grade that I sleep in sometimes
Next survey goes to sneakums...
- How many (human) languages do you speak, read or write? Fluently?
- Did you face your first day of school with enthusiasm or terror? (Something else?)
- What is the last thing you changed your mind about? Why?
- When does music stop being music?
- What is your favourite metal? Why?
1. I speak a bit of spanish, and am sort of conversational in Hungarian.2. It was enthusiastic terror, for high school, college was just enthusiasm.
3. I have no idea what the last thing I changed my mind was about, apparently I'm hard headed.
4. when it looses all rhythm, then it's just noise. But when noise becomes music is much harder to accertain.
5. My favorite metal is a hard pick. There are so many good ones to choose from. I'd have to say aluminum, it's got a high weight to strength ratio, good for the festivus pole. Plus it's what beer comes in, hayuck
1. English fluently. I know a very elementary amount of spanish.2. I think probably both. I'm sure I was scared, but also probably excited. I don't really like change that much.
3. I recently had a brainstorm that might radically alter the course of my grad school and also potentially my life. Not so much a "mind change" but a watershed.
4. I'll answer this question in two ways.
A. I had college professors who said that rap wasn't music because it didn't have all three components -- melody, harmony, and rhythm. I wholeheartedly disagree. For one thing, I think that it's rare to have rhythm without melody -- even machinery makes melody, and so do the toms of a drum or a beatbox. And melody must have rhythm -- even if it is random and nonsensical -- it still exists within time and has a certain rhythm (thanks to the 20th century, repetition, beat, or structured time signatures aren't necessary). I don't think that harmony is essential for music... "turkey in the straw" is music regardless of if someone is singing backup. Maybe the professors didn't require harmony. Or maybe they said that a "tune" alone didn't qualify as music. That seems silly. I can't quite remember.
That said, I think that the words melody, harmony, and rhythm are important characteristics of music, and I can't think of another word that could define any additional components of music, but I would use them in an and/or fashion, not requiring any specific amount to be "music". I would consider "silence" to be a part of music, but I think that silence is contained within melody and rhythm. Further definition of those terms and qualifiers to the word music itself can help to clarify. For example, does a waterfall make music? It may indeed have all three terms. Or "classical music" -- a specific kind of music of which Rap is not one of them.
B. Music stops being music when you stop hearing it.
5. I think my favorite metal is iron. I like it because it is like the grandaddy of metals. It is plentiful. It blurs the line between what we think of as "rocks" and what we think of as "metal" and I like that becaues it illustrates a truth about the elements our world is made out of -- that everything is much closer to being alike than it is to being different. Iron is magnetic, and magnetism is a miracle. Iron is essential for life -- Iron flows through our veins. Iron is good for cooking and won't poison you. Iron is a necessary vitamin. Iron is strong (but brittle). Iron makes red clay red and black sands black. Carbon (another hit element) and Iron make steel -- probably my favorite alloy.
- How many (human) languages do you speak, read or write? Fluently?
two, one fluently.- Did you face your first day of school with enthusiasm or terror? (Something else?)
well, after waiting for a school bus that never came and getting a ride to school with my mom and learning that the bus driver didn't know she was supposed to go down my street..... i was pretty disappointed with the whole system.- What is the last thing you changed your mind about? Why?
visiting my brother in germany, due to cost. depending on how things go, i may change my mind again, but right now it's out.- When does music stop being music?
music ceases to be music when it focuses too much on being one thing.... usually that one thing is "loud", but really any nuance could be so overstressed that it stops being a nuance of a piece of music and becomes, well.... noise.- What is your favourite metal? Why?
damascus steel, the kind found in the blades of saracen swords and other weapons forged in 16th-18th century syria. it's my favorite metal for two reasons, one is the sheer beauty of the metal's banded and textured surface, the other is its fascinating history. in its day, damascus blades were the best in the world, due primarily to the strength and durability of the steel.
1) i speak two, one fluently, the other i have a degree in. Though i must say, due to the degree, i can understand a pretty good bit of at least one other.
2) Which first day? I cried the first day of preschool cause my mom said my hair was long and i was going to look like a girl. This year (hahaha), I totally look forward to it, I think going back for the second bach was the best idea i ever had.
3) I thought i didn't need the perkins loan for school, so i cancelled it, then i remembered that i needed health insurance etc. It would have come in handy.
4) I think technically music stops being music when there is a lack of thought behind the sound, so, for example, the people that came up with this, would probably say that a waterfall is not music, or a bird's song. For me, I'd have to write a book to explain everything. I don't even know where to start.
5) Favourite metal....I hate to say i don't have one. I love the polish of silver, but it tarnishes to easily. I like gold cause it doesn't tarnish, but it's so expensive, and I think it's hard to match with wood (this is about bassoon things), I really like copper too. More than those, I love the look of things made from billet aluminium. They have this neat texture to it from where it was ground, like a whole bunch of little circles.
inkblot I have a damascus steel dagger that I inhereted that is one of the prettiest weapons I've ever seen. It even comes with a matching belt buckle. It's a long double edged wood handled beauty that's about 9-10" long. When I showed my dad's whole collection of knives to Juice it was the one piece he drooled over, out of over 100 knives.I also lost my favorite pocket knife in college that was a deer horn handled damascus steel blade, it made for a striking piece, losing it was one of the worst things that happened to me in college, it was a gift from my father that I loved. It also held an edge like nothing else.
How many (human) languages do you speak, read or write? Fluently? - 1Did you face your first day of school with enthusiasm or terror? (Something else?) - earlier? i don't recall. college, i usually am excited.
What is the last thing you changed your mind about? Why? - the speaker cabinet i was going to sell a customer. i was going to sell him ones that cost $200 less, because he couldn't tell the difference (i would have explained the difference, and told him how much $ he'd be saving)
When does music stop being music? - i'm pretty open as far as what is music. if you say it's music (sincerely, not just to prove a point) than i will agree. now, we can argue all day about whether it is good or bad music.
What is your favourite metal? Why? - Black Sabbath
- How many (human) languages do you speak, read or write? Fluently?
- I speak, read and write English fairly fluently. I have a small amount of spoken Irish left, and a bit of German. I also know a couple of useful Esperanto phrases.
- Did you face your first day of school with enthusiasm or terror? (Something else?)
- Enthusiasm sliding to terror sliding to boredom, all in the same day.
- What is the last thing you changed your mind about? Why?
- I had a good answer in mind for this, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was.
- When does music stop being music?
- When sincerity leaves.
- What is your favourite metal? Why?
- Silver. It looks good, but not too good.
I nominate BigJ for the next round.
1 How many (human) languages do you speak, read or write? Fluently?Two, English and Spanish. I read and write fine in both, I speak spanish... well, slowly but fine. Not fluent though. I can also read a bit of Hebrew, and I can read french. A smattering of Italian.
2 Did you face your first day of school with enthusiasm or terror? (Something else?)
College? Enthusiasm. Kindergarten? I don't recall.
3 What is the last thing you changed your mind about? Why?
Um, everything. I change my mind constantly.
4 When does music stop being music?
Everything makes music. The dripping of a faucet into a metal sink, the hushed rustle of leaves, the crackle of a fire, the soft hum of bees in a hive, the drone of mosquitoes. Everything is a type of music - there is music in everything we do. Voices are musical.
5 What is your favourite metal? Why?
Like, to wear? Platinum - I don't wear silver or gold - both give me rashes. But I love cast iron to cook with, and for gates.
How many (human) languages do you speak, read or write? Fluently? 1.25 -- English and starting to be able to read and speak a smattering of Sewdish.Did you face your first day of school with enthusiasm or terror? (Something else?) A mix of both I guess. Mostly though annoyed that I had to get back to work.
What is the last thing you changed your mind about? Why? This is a tough question to answer. Maybe I'm just fickle and change my mind all the time because I can't think of anything that significant. I'm going to mull this one over because it's an interesting question.
When does music stop being music? If I had to define music I would do like pedro (or Big Audio Dynamite) and say "rhythm and melody". Where does that leave the world of avant-garde and free jazz? Some of it can be classed as music but there comes a point where it becomes less music and more sound sculpture.
What is your favourite metal? Why? Copper. Malleable, great conductor, nice color, forms alloys of bronze and brass.
I can't remember when the menu gets changed.
I just need to think of some good ones, other than, if you were a salad dressing, which type of salad dressing would you be?
Here's this week's questions:1. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be, and when?
2. What is your favorite indulgence food, I'm not talking junk food, or just favorite food, but the cadillac of foods, the indulgence food, (i.e. not long john silver's, but soft-shelled crab soaked in heavy cream and fried in butter, I think I just answered the question within the question damn!)?
3. What is the best documentary you've ever seen?
4. What is your favorite animal, and why?
5. How many times have you gone to the bathroom outside? (an estimate will suffice)
but for now I'll leave you with this, Newman's Own Raspbery Walnut Vinagrette.
1. I think if a genie was granting my wish, I'd probably say New Zealand as it's the place I'd most like to visit that I am the least likely to actually pay for myself. It seems like a cool place, but it is so expensive to get to from here.2. Hmm... I don't have a head for fancy foods... I could try to come up with sometihng but it would be really lackluster.
3. I think I'd have to say Spellbound off the top of my head.
4. Racooon. For some reason I am fascinated by those little guys.
5. Great question. Way, way too many times to count. Definitely close to, if not in the thousands. As my dad says, "If a man can't pee off his own porch, he built his house in the wrong place."
1) gosh, either with castro and che during the revolution, or in france with marx, engels, et al.
2) passion fruit, you can get juice, and things flavored like "passion fruit" but nothing beats the real, ping pong ball like passion fruit, cut it in half, scoop out the four little seed masses and it's like heaven, that or wagyu beef, but i haven't had that, so no comment.
3) who knows.
4) chameleons, those guys are great, the way they walk so they think they look like a leaf blowing in the wind. The independant eyes are really cool, and the fact that three different species of chameleon give birth to live young, i think they're really cool.
5) I'd say sqrt x, where x equals the number of times pedro has, not including once off carlson tower (just kidding, that wasn't me...it did happen though, how nice).
1) If were just talking about places then either new zealand or baffin island. If were talking about a place at a certain time in history then I'd visit Pangaea in the Cretaceous or maybe Palestine to hear Jesus preaching.2) I dunno if I have a favorite as I just love food. A nice plate of gravlax followed by roast duck is pretty close though. I'm also partial to coq au vin, duck confit, a nice juicy steak, etc etc. Actually, Karna ordered the venison in star anise broth at aquavit and it's probably the best thing I'd ever tasted so I'm going with that. My meal was good, but that venison was out this world tasty.
3) Sheesh. Tough question. I'm breaking the rules and giving a list of my faves in no particular order: Amandla, a Revolution in Four Part Harmony, The Last Waltz, Fog of War, Bowling for Columbine, The Grateful Dead Movie, The Hunting of the President, Spellbound, and Control Room. It's too early to choose a favorite, maybe after a cup of coffee.
4) Canis familiaris -- they are friendly, loyal, furry, loving animals.
5) Too many times to count.
The Last Waltz... yeah, I'm changing my answer.
1. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be, and when?I will be taking 3 months on my own when my children are over 16 and don't need me full time. I will be living near the base of the mountain on which Macchu Picchu is perched. So I'll be about 40. And I'm going to write an entire collection of poetry on Macchu Picchu
2. What is your favorite indulgence food, I'm not talking junk food, or just favorite food, but the cadillac of foods, the indulgence food, (i.e. not long john silver's, but soft-shelled crab soaked in heavy cream and fried in butter, I think I just answered the question within the question damn!)?
Er, um. Nothing? I don't really look at food that way.
3. What is the best documentary you've ever seen?
Would you beleive I've never seen one?
4. What is your favorite animal, and why?
Birds. I love how they soar.
5. How many times have you gone to the bathroom outside? (an estimate will suffice)
Mmmm, maybe 100. I was a girl in the Northland. You pee where you have to. Pedro, my dad says the SAME Thing.
- If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be, and when?
the trinity test site, on july 16, 1945. the whole world changed in a single moment.- What is your favorite indulgence food, I'm not talking junk food, or just favorite food, but the cadillac of foods, the indulgence food, (i.e. not long john silver's, but soft-shelled crab soaked in heavy cream and fried in butter, I think I just answered the question within the question damn!)?
i don't think i can really narrow this down to one. let's visit some of my favorites.... a really tender and moist prime rib or fillet mignon that just falls apart at the touch of your fork, broiled scallops in a heavy cream sauce, lasagna that's cooked just right so that the whole of it has a consistent creamy texture, but without any actual cream..... i could go on but it's making me very hungry.- What is the best documentary you've ever seen?
all of the names that are popping into my head trying to answer this question aren't really documentaries.- What is your favorite animal, and why?
i'm not sure i have a favorite.- How many times have you gone to the bathroom outside? (an estimate will suffice)
three
sorry for the delay, work has been too busy to get on recently.1. I'd love to see Africa before it was damaged by development and modernization. Same goes for America too, I'd love to see the 2 million strong buffalo herds.
2. My favorite indulgence food is King Crab legs, I get them about once a year, and love when I do.
3. My favorite documentary is Roger and Me, it's just too funny.
4. My favorite animal is the 3 toed sloth, it's primary defense is being so slow it's virtually unnoticable by predators, I mean it's so slow that moss grows on it. that and it has a permanent smile on it's face, too cute.
5. Probably about 100
For the next questions I nominate dex. you go girl
not to steal anyone's turn but....given the choice between helping your parents move (whom you live with half of the week) and helping your girlfriend (or boyfriend) move (whom you live with the other half of the week), when they are moving the same day within municipalities which are 250 miles apart..... who would you choose to help?
you may now return to your regularly scheduled survey.
the parents have more help but they also have more stuff. i would say that the help to stuff ratio is about the same at both sites.
Help your girlfriend.
1. i'd say cuba i think. it seems so ripe. could i visit throughout the span of 40 years?2. mmm... fried avocados at el farol in santa fe. or the homemade almond apricot tart i helped make with apricots right off the tree. the pesto pasta and salad plate at the angry trout cafe. oatmeal stout beer on tap. oh, the veggie mole enchiladas at cafe pasqual. this is making me hungry.
3. fog of war
4. my cat frances is awesome. she has as much personality as a dog but she takes herself to the bathroom.
5. in the 200 or 300 range maybe. and in very unusual places: front sidewalks, behind a dumpster, in front of a dumpster, on a hill, in a cornfield, in a cup in a strangers garage while the garage door was open, someone's front lawn when we were stuck in traffic... last week i went behind a tree on the side of a slope off of mulholland.
1. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be, and when?
I'd like to be present at either the birth or the death of Christ.
2. What is your favorite indulgence food, I'm not talking junk food, or just favorite food, but the cadillac of foods, the indulgence food, (i.e. not long john silver's, but soft-shelled crab soaked in heavy cream and fried in butter, I think I just answered the question within the question damn!)?
Salmon.
3. What is the best documentary you've ever seen?
I haven't seen very many.
4. What is your favorite animal, and why?
I don't think I have a favorite. I like most animals. I am not a fan of snakes or sharks, but everything else is ok by me.
5. How many times have you gone to the bathroom outside? (an estimate will suffice)
A lot--more than a hundred, less than a thousand...
citi wells chase one fifth of america...
or unibank?
Stuff it in the mattress.
I was sad this week, and I did a lot of comfort things... So my questions are definately in that vein...
1) What kinds of things do you do when you're sad?
2) What are your comfort foods?
3) What are your comfort clothes?
4) Do you process sadness best alone or with others?
5) Do you find it easy of difficult to express feelings of sadness to others? Why?
I nominate BigJ to do the questions next week.
1) What kinds of things do you do when you're sad?
I read familiar books, take hot baths, journal, drink warm tea, pray, spend time with my cats, and bury myself under layers and layers of blankets.
2) What are your comfort foods?
Bread, crackers--nothing that needs a lot of preparation.
3) What are your comfort clothes?
Sweats or PJs
4) Do you process sadness best alone or with others?
Alone. I journal a lot and read and pray--those things help me process.
5) Do you find it easy or difficult to express feelings of sadness to others? Why?
Difficult. I have a hard time letting other people know it when I'm sad. I guess I've always been a little ashamed of my sadness, like it was a weakness--I know that it's not, but there is still a little girl inside of me that likes to hide her tears. I guess that I want people to think that I'm strong, and I've got that perpetually happy aura going... It's a big fat fib, of course, and I don't know why I feel like I need to be so stoic, but I definately don't like to share my sadness with others.
1) What kinds of things do you do when you're sad?Sleep, read Anne of Green Gables. Eat. Just the basics of living mostly, think. A lot.
2) What are your comfort foods?
Popcorn and chocolate. And cream cheese on bagels, or english muffins with honey. All very simple.
3) What are your comfort clothes?
Flannel pajama pants and baggy T-shirts. Never matching.
4) Do you process sadness best alone or with others?
It depends. If it's a shock, I like to be alone at first, but generally I prefer to be copletely surrounded by people.
5) Do you find it easy of difficult to express feelings of sadness to others? Why?
It depends here too. To Jay, easy. To most everyone else, it can be really, really hard. It really depends on the source of sadness for me, if there are guilt feelings mixed in, or if it's too raw to discuss. It's taken me almost 20 years to start addressing some of the biggest sadnesses in my life.
I don't mean this in response to Phil's story about the Cubs/Dodger's incident of wayback when, but it did raise the interesting question:Should it be legal to burn the flag? Why/Why not?
My attitude is that people should have the right to burn the flag in that I don't think the flag itself is sacred and it can be a singularly powerful statement. I might even go so far as to say that it *could* be patriotic to burn the flag -- for example as an expression of the destruction of the values that the flag represents. That said, I also dearly, dearly hope (wish) that people never feel the need to express themselves by burning anyones' flags -- ours or Canada's or whoevers. I also think it's great that the ballplayer stole it away from those guys. They shouldn't have been on the field, and frankly, I think he made his own "personal statement".
i don't think it should be not legal to burn the flag, but i think the more people do it, the less meaning it has for whatever protest it is representing. Alaric used to have a flag hanging upside down in our room, an officially recognized sign of distress. I think that's good enough myself, but for some, apparently not. It would be absurd if flag buring was just plain illegal, what would you do with an old worn out flag. Maybe we could set up and org to supply protesters with worn out flags to burn (that is a joke). i do remember as a kid my friends aunt saw the flag burning on tv, the first time I remember ever seeing it happen, and saying it should be illegal, well if it was, what would we do with the old ones? We can't put them all in museums, and i think it is even more disrespectful to it to throw it away, even burning it with the cruelest of intents is trivial, in my mind, to putting it in the garbage.
my first inclination when i read this question about whether or not it should be legal to burn the u.s. flag was to quote the bible, specifically exodus 20:4. i think lukas is on to something that i very much agree with. flag burning could have a very respectful and proper meaning if it were done ceremonially as a means of "decommissioning" old worn out flags. it could also have a very disrespectful meaning if done in protest. i think it's pretty clear that the mere act of burning the flag has no meaning, good or bad, absent its context. assuming that the act doesn't violate someone else's rights (for example, violating someone's property rights by burning their flag and not your own) i don't see how it could be anything other than a protected expression.also, if it were illegal, i can see all kinds of potential problems of jurisprudence. in a case where someone was very respectfully burning a flag as a ceremonial decommissioning, the law would have the participants in the ceremony in violation. in a case where someone was lighting fireworks on the 4th of july (an occassion where fire and flags are often in close proximity) and accidentally set a flag on fire with a stray roman candle, could that person be guilty of involuntary flagslaughter? if someone set fire to a home that contained or was decorated with a flag, is that person guilty of burning the flag in addition to arson?
i am also very skeptical of the reasons why people would want to make it illegal. i think most people who favor a ban would not consider at least the first two of my problematic cases a crime, and probably not the third either. this makes me think that the act of burning a flag is not really what they want to ban, but the act of burning a flag in protest. and there's the rub... it's the protest that most of the pro-ban crowd is interested in banning, not the burning.
Even the one Betsy Ross made is really just some cotton. I'm far more concerened with the many other injustices in this country and in the world. If I had to choose between burning a flag and killing an Iraqi citizen, even one that has participated in the violence in that country, I'd have a match waiting. No flag is worth a life or our civil liberties.
flags get us into more trouble. burning flags should be a protected right of every American Citizen. prisoners should be allowed to burn flags.perhaps all flags should be burned.
To burn a flag that has become old or worn out. There is a ceremony involved. VFW's or AM. Legion posts used to handle this. Military bases will do so as well. In a pinch, you can burn it by itself in a barrel (BY ITSELF) if you need to replace it with a new flag. Just don't invite a news crew to film it, and read your opus magnum on why Donald Trump is the antichrist.What's being debated is the issue of civil disobedience. Why you burn the flag is far more important than the action itself.
I find it ironic that in expressing one of your (and I say "your" because unlike you all, I don't have this right anymore) rights as an American citizen, the right to free assemble, and the right to free speech (as long as you are not causing threat or harm to others or breaking laws), you then choose to disrespect the symbol of the nation that gave you your rights.
Petition. Protest. Bore your Congresswoman/alderwoman, and if she don't listen, elect a new one. (Rinse. Lather. Repeat. The Shampooing of Democracy). March Peacefully. Form Community Groups. Love thy Neighbor. (Find Out Who Thy Neighbor IS!). Don't burn the flag.
Cheap, highly disadvantaged workers in Taiwan labored long and hard for us to import that flag.
while i understand your point, gunch, i still think flags are dumb. i think we should burn flags as civil protest.the u.s. flag represents far more than the freedom to burn it.
perhaps, if flags COST more, than people wouldn't be so quick to burn them. it all comes down to economics. if the flag actually cost what it seems to be worth to some people, than perhaps the people burning it wouldn't choose to spend money on it just to burn it.
Is a good point, Bags.
Question 1: Do you like Jimmy Buffett?
great summer music
but I still listen to him sometimes. Songs about blenders are hard to pass up. I do prefer most other bufffets, well except maybe chinese.
hate the bu-fAY
but more bad than good.
I listen to him if he's playing and it usually makes me smile, so, yes, I guess I like him.
jimmy buffett is one of those people i strongly associate with a particular place, and in his case that place key west. i have never been to key west and it's just a little too tacky for my tastes, but it seems fun. i may go there some day for some other reason than to visit the place - a kayak trip in the keys with the inevitable provisioning stop at key west, for example. that's pretty much how i feel about jimmy buffett. i don't have any buffett albums, and they're just a little too tacky for my tastes, but i might catch a few bars of margaritaville in passing now and then and it seems fun.
if i recall properly, i visited key west when i was younger. i enjoyed it. i don't know what would be tacky about it?
- have you ever been the one to provide first aid to someone?
- have you ever called 911 (or equivalent serive outside the u.s.) to report an emergency?
- have you ever saved someone's life?
re: key west
everyone i ever know who's gone to key west on vacation didn't go to key west because it's a fascinating and unique place. they went because it has sand, mixed drinks, and t-shirts. key west is a wonderful place with a strange and interesting history, but all that's been pushed aside by the real reason people go there, which is the same reason people go to cocoa beach, south padre, panama city, cancun, hilton head, or any one of dozens of other "vacation hot spots." and the environment that develops around that kind of tourism is almost universally fake, uninteresting, and tacky.
No, no, and no.And for the record I don't care for Jimmy Buffett.
Yes, yes and hard telling not knowing.
yes for 1 & 2, and yes to 3 if you count pulling potential drowners out of water or sending really drunk college students to the ER in ambulances to have their stomachs pumped
1. have you ever been the one to provide first aid to someone? np2. have you ever called 911 (or equivalent serive outside the u.s.) to report an emergency? no
3. have you ever saved someone's life? i might have. hard to say.
no, yes at least 2 times, no.
1. In which do you put more confidence when trying to understand someone else or yourself, innate personality or experience?2. When you read a novel do you ever find yourself identifying with characters? If so, with whom have you identified?
3. When you read a novel do you ever find yourself falling in love with characters? If so, with whom have you fallen in love?
4. If you could be a really good writer in just one genre, famous if you wish or not, but definitely the best living writer in the genre, what genre would you choose?
5. What three things do you most like to be complimented on or respected/admired for?
Extra credit: if you know it, give your Myers-Briggs type.
- In which do you put more confidence when trying to understand someone else or yourself, innate personality or experience?
i'd have to go with experience.- When you read a novel do you ever find youself identifying with characters? If so, with whom have you identified?
the last characters i identified with were the two characters lawrence and randy waterhouse in the novel cryptonomicon by neal stephenson.- When you read a novel do you ever find yourself falling in love with characters? If so, with whom have you fallen in love?
i've never had that happen.- If you could be a really good writer in just one genre, famous if you wish or not, but definitely the best living writer in the genre, what genre would you choose?
i think i'd like to be an important philosophical writer, but from the previous questions, i suspect the intent was to ask about genres of fiction. of fiction genres, i think i'd prefer to write good political serial thrillers.- What three things do you most like to be complimented on or respected/admired for?
clever solutions to problems, high technical skill, and insight.Extra credit: if you know it, give you Myers-Briggs type.
intp
1. In which do you put more confidence when trying to understand someone else or yourself, innate personality or experience?I don't necessarily understand the choices, so i have to go with experience, i guess.
2. When you read a novel do you ever find yourself identifying with characters? If so, with whom have you identified?
Samwise Gamgee (on my good days), Gimli (fierce loyalty, blind confidence to a fault), Bean in the Ender series, Don Gately...
3. When you read a novel do you ever
