Inside the Actors [sic] Studio

I like this show very much, almost enough to excuse the poor grammar in the title. It seems that the entire world has no idea how to use an apostrophe, so it is largely left out, like in the name of the Actors [sic] Studio Drama School, where the show began.

But that is not the point. If you've seen the show, you are not doubt aware that James Lipton uses the Pivot Questionnaire (from the French TV show Bouillon de Culture hosted by Bernard Pivot). So, here are my spontaneous answers:

1. What is your favorite word?

Can't decide...Parabola, hinge, rebellion, or yes.


2. What is your least favorite word?

Clearly, it has to be the "N word" but tax a close second.


3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Good music.


4. What turns you off?

Bigotry.


5. What is your favorite curse word?

Fuck.


6. What sound or noise do you love?

Bacon frying in a pan or the pop of a cork.


7. What sound or noise do you hate?

Electric hand mixers. They make a truly awful din.


8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

That's a tough one, but I'd have to say either an astronomer or a porn star.


9. What profession would you not like to do?

Dysentery Stool-Sample Analyzer or Barnyard Masturbator.


10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"No one whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may be admitted into the community of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 23:2), so come on in!

Meme (borrowed from Kate)

We had a power failure this AM, so I opted for an easy meme now that we are back online.

1.What is in the back of your car? - I don't have a car. In the back of the last one, you would find a snow brush and a box of tissues. The trunk was a different story.

2.What color is your toothbrush? - Grey, white, and blue.

3.Name one person who made you smile today. - A colleague who made a joke about the power failure.

4.What were you doing at 8:00 AM? - Sleeping :-)

5.What were you doing 45 minutes ago? - Working an a very short article for a newsletter.

6.What is your favorite candy? - Dark chocolate, but I am not sure it qualifies as candy: it is so much more than that. It's a lifestyle, really.

7.What is the last thing you said aloud? - "I don't think so."

8.What is the best ice cream flavor? - I don't eat ice cream, but I like Lemon sorbet. In my ice cream eating says, it would have been French Vanilla.

9.What is the last thing you had to drink? - Water.

10.What are you wearing right now? - A short sleeve button-down shirt with a pair of olive-coloured pants and black skate board shoes.

11.What is the last thing you ate? - A bowl of gluten-free corn flakes with soy milk.

12.Have you bought any new clothes this week? - No, but I really need to.

13.When was the last time you ran? - Last night at about 10:30 PM.

14.What was the last sporting event you watched? - The gentlemen's final at Wimbledon.

15.Ever go camping? - Yes. This was my family's annual vacation, but as I have said before, never take me camping.

16.Do you have a tan? - Just a bit on my arms and back of my neck.

17.Do you take vitamins daily? - Never. I don't believe in vitamins.

18.Do you go to church? - Never. I was dragged a few times over the years. I am not a fan of organized religion.

19.Do you like Chinese food more than pizza? - No, but I eat neither.

20.Do you drink your soda with a straw? - I hate straws.

21.Are you someone’s best friend? - I hope so?

22.What are you doing tomorrow? - Working.

23.Where is your dad? - At home, I suppose. He is recovering from some radiation treatments.

24.Can you say the alphabet backwards? - I have never tried, but I'd like to believe that I can, if only I had the brain energy.

25.Do you have a maid service clean your home? - How ridiculous. Wait, are there still French maids?

26.Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? - No.

27.What color is your car? - Don't have one, but old ones were - in order - brown, champagne, red, red.

28.How do you like your popcorn? - I rarely eat it, but perhaps with salt and maple syrup.

29.How did you get your worst scar? - It's on my right shin and I got it from falling from a ladder while painting the shutters of a hotel.

30.Look to your left. What do you see? - A vintage desk chair covered with turquoise leather.

31.What color is your watch? - White face, silver metal, and a black leather band that needs replacing, which is why I haven't worn it in about two years.

32.What do you think of when you think of Australia? - Funnel web spiders, dung beetles, surfing, sun hats, snakes, crocodiles, jelly fish, sharks, koala bears, The Dreaming.

33.Do you use chap stick? - Not once in my whole life, but I use chop sticks.

34.Do you have a dog? - No.

35.Last person you talked to on the phone? - A systems colleague.

36.Have you met anyone famous? - Yes: see point 5 in this post.

37. Any plans today? - Work, grocery shopping, buy the new Beck album.

38.How many states have you lived in? - Zero.

39.Do you dye your hair? - No. Why would I do that? Wait - maybe blond would be good...or red.

40.Do you like cats? -Yes, but I am allergic to the little bastards.

Friday Feast (on a Saturday)

My first feast

Appetizer:
How many times per day do you usually laugh?

I have no idea. It depends who I am with and where I am. I rarely laugh at work.

Soup:
What do your sunglasses look like?

Black frames, curved lenses that wrap a little around my head. Depending on who you ask, they either make me look scary, like the Terminator, or cool.

Salad:
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

I'd like to take the train across Canada, through the Rocky Mountains.

Main Course:
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

The amazing choice of ethnic restaurants.

Dessert:
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

I'll agree with Running42K and say pale green.

Food Meme

From Running42K who got it from Andrew who go it from Electronic Cerebrectomy who got it from Byzantium's Shores.

This'll be weird, since I can't eat gluten and I don't eat dairy products.

1. How do you like your eggs?
Over easy or scrambled with bacon. It depends on many things, like the weather, the time of year, and what I am wearing.

2. How do you take your coffee/tea?
Coffee: decaf, black or with a splash of soy milk. I drink Typhoo decaf tea with some soy milk.

3. Favorite breakfast food?
Gluten-free waffles or pancakes with bacon. But, mostly I eat rice cakes with various toppings, like jam, honey, nut butters (not peanut), etc.

4. Peanut butter - smooth or crunchy?
I don't eat it, but when I did, it had to be crunchy. I prefer cashew or almond butter.

5. What kind of dressing on your salad?
Balsamic vinaigrette.

6. Coke or Pepsi?
Neither. In fact, no pop at all, except for maybe one glass of ginger ale every year or two. Well, I might have a rum and coke once a year, or so.

7. You’re feeling lazy, what do you make?
Rice pasta with sauce from a jar.

8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
Sadly, I cannot eat pizza. When I did, it was always bacon & pineapple. So, the equivalent would be to order in Thai or Indian food, but I can no longer order from the usual Thai food place, because I found out that it is not gluten-free after years of them telling me it was.

9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Recently, I've been hopping on the web to try new recipes, rather than reverting to the old standards. I recently made some very hot golden chicken curry and some strange chicken dish with tamari (gluten-free) and almonds.

10. Do any foods bring back good memories?
Roast chicken (or roast beef or roast pork).

11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?
I think I can no longer eat any of the foods that would have brought back the bad memories. But, I would say anything cooked by my mother or the pizza from my home town.

12. Do any foods remind you of someone?
Yes.

13. Is there a food you refuse to eat?
I refuse to eat dairy products (milk, cheese, cream, etc). I am forced to avoid gluten as I have Celiac Disease, which I have mentioned before on this blog. Beyond that, I would refuse internal organs (liver, kidneys, tripe, brains, etc.). I am not a fan of lobster. To me, it just tastes like rubber.

14. What was your favorite food as a child?
Ice cream, creamed corn, cereal - but not at the same time.

15. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?
Sweet potatoes.

16. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?
Well, milk. It is a vile and disgusting substance.

17. Favorite fruit and vegetable:
Can't choose just one...
Fruit: mangos, bananas, raspberries. Vegetables: sweet potatoes, butternut squash.

18. Favorite junk food:
Lays Lightly Salted!

19. Favorite between meal snack:
Fruit.

20. Do you have any weird food habits?
I like bananas on rice cakes with almond or cashew butter.

21. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
I have never been on a diet. I have pretty much weighed the same my entire adult life. I have never felt the need to fill up on anything, and I wouldn't even know what is a good thing to fill up on. I suppose I would say a banana.

22. You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?
Sorbet or dark chocolate.

23. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
Medium to hot.

24. Can I get you a drink?
Red wine please. Oh, you mean non-alcoholic? Well, water or apple cider.

25. Red wine or white?
See #24, but I like white too.

26. Favorite dessert?
Lemon sorbet from this cool place in T-Dot. Also, I like Haagen Daz Mango sorbet.

Tagged

I was tagged back in June by Running42k (my old roommate from my undergrad days). Finally, I have answers. I am supposed to write about 8 facts about myself, then tag 8 others.

1. I hate unexpected loud noises. For example, if I plug in the vacuum cleaner and it fires up immediately - because the switch had been left on - I have to turn it off even if it means that I will turn it on again in a few seconds. I have to be ready. I need to know if anyone in earshot is going to turn on a blender or a food processor or hair dryer so I can be prepared. I also hate leaf blowers, but you already know that. If you have one, dump it and buy a rake. Better yet, mulch your leaves with your lawnmower (but warn me before you start up your mower) and then leave the leaves on your lawn all winter so that they make some nice fertilizer. That's why they are called leaves, after all.

2. I have a tendency to count stairs as I walk up or down them, even if I know how many there are.

3. I have only ever sent one text message on my cell phone. I just don't understand the appeal. Maybe that's because I am tethered to a computer for most of the day.

4. I like mayonnaise on my french fries. In fact, I am not a fan of ketchup or catsup or catchup. Speaking of condiments, I prefer to have my salad dressing on the side in restaurants because they always apply too much. Salads are usually soaking in the stuff, making most of them practically inedible.

5. I like my job. It's the best job I have ever had. I hated my last job. It was the worst job I have ever had.

6. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate (dairy-free, that is). If you have no idea what to get me for Christmas, please mail me some Lindt dark chocolate. My birthday is coming up too.

7. My favourite cuisine in Indian. I couldn't live without it. Aside from naan, it is virtually gluten-free, which makes it even more indispensable.

8. I'd like to go to Greece and the International Space Station.

I have no idea whom I should tag, so I will tag everybody.

Technorati Tags: memes, me

Randomness

One item in the following list is NOT true.

1) What did I have for breakfast today: gluten-free Mesa Sunrise cereal with soy milk and then two or three rice cakes with jam. When one has celiac disease, one eats many many rice cakes.

2) What am I wearing: jeans and a t-shirt. Yesterday was far more interesting because I was wearing a shirt that is often mistaken for a table cloth. If I were to lie down on the grass while wearing that shirt, people would have a picnic on me and then the ants and pigeons would show up looking for crumbs.

3) What am I reading: Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family.

4) What is the last CD I bought: Yesterday, I grabbed a some CDs from Sam the Record Man's 99 cent bin, as the store is closing soon. I got: Jon Gibbons - In Good Company; Black lab - Your Body Above Me (not so sure if I like this); and The X-Files: The Album - Fight the Future (just for the Dust Brothers' version of the X-Files theme).

5) Last thing I did to piss someone off: I submitted a formal copyright complaint to Facebook for copyright violation in one Facebook group. Someone uploaded one of my photographs without permission. It even had my copyright statement right on the photo. The photo has now been removed. I would gladly have permitted the upload if permission had been requested in advance. What is really troubling is that the person who did is a librarian and should be aware of copyright law. Incidentally, a photo of mine will appear on an upcoming University of Toronto brochure.

6) Last thing I took a photo of: My penis.

7) A random thing on my desk: An article entitled: "Fetishes and their Associated Behavior," Sexuality and Diversity 20(2): 2002, p 135-147.

8) Strangest reference question I had yesterday: "If I put a stamp on this," said patron holding up one of those large inter-office envelopes riddled with symmetrical holes, "will Canada Post deliver it?" I thought not, but replied "I'll have to plead ignorance on that one." To which he replied, "do you have any envelopes." I sent him to the bookstore. Five minutes later, I was asked for an envelope by another patron. This may seem minor to you, but we are constantly asked for envelopes, tape, glue, scissors, staplers (which we provide), three hole punches (which we provide), telephones, paper clips, liquid paper, post-it notes, paper, pens (which we provide), pencils (which we provide), directions (which we provide), band aids, hand sanitizer, proofreading of essays, correct spelling (which we provide), help in interpreting essay questions, etc. Occasionally, we get a few reference questions.

9) Last TV show I watched: The final episode of the Sopranos.

10) More horrific sight I have ever seen: My dad sunbathing is a thong.

Technorati Tags: randomness, sort of memes

Meme Friday (borrowed from Anna May Won't)

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be. (And the older you'll feel.)

I don't think anyone in Canada uses the term senior year. For me, the last year was Grade 13, which has now been abolished and left to the history books.

1. Who was your best friend? - Keith O. & Stephen G.

2. What sports did you play? - Track (100 M, 200 M, 400 M, hurdles, relay); also cross-country team for a while.

3. What kind of car did you drive? - my dad's LTD, when he let me; my sister's boyfriend's for several weeks.

4. It's Friday night, where were you? - party, or at a friend's house with beer and movies.

5. Were you a party animal? - I guess so: there were always parties when you come from a small town.

6. Were you considered a flirt? - I have to say no.

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? - not in grade 13, but I was in the Jr band in earlier years.

8. Were you a nerd? - Jesus, I hope not.

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? - Never. I was never in any kind of trouble. I was a model student, obedient and respectful.

10. Can you sing the fight song? - What is a fight song?

11. Who was your favorite teacher? - Johnny L. He made me love history; it's probably fair to say I would never have gone to University if I hadn't taken his course.

12. What was your school's full name? - Well, that's a secret.

13. School mascot? - Falcon

14. Did you go to Prom? - Now, maybe my memory is fading, but I am not sure we had a prom (and, that is a term that is not used as much as it is in the USA). There was some sort of formal dinner, I think, but I am not sure it was school-sanctioned. I recall a formal prom-like dance at the end of grade 12. I went with Lisa K.

15. If you could go back and do it over, would you? - Yes, and I would be much better at it.

16. What do you remember most about graduation? - I remember that it was odd seeing all of these people that I hadn't seen for months at the ceremony. I recall that after the ceremony, we went to J.B.'s for a party. But, after I graduated, I remember feeling like I was broke, knowing that my parents would not or could not not pay for my education. That summer, all I could get was a job planting trees, until I got a job tending bar at a local dive.

17. Where were you on senior skip day? - What the hell is Senior skip day? I remember going to the beach one day when we all should have been in math class. Is that what this means?

18. Did you have a job your senior year? - No, and I didn't want one.

19. Where did you go most often for lunch? - Cafeteria. I ate (a packed lunch) and then played euchre.

20. Have you gained weight since then? - I weigh exactly the same now as I did then.

21. What did you do after graduation? - 1) A summer of bad jobs; 2) University, intermingled with summers of bad jobs; 3) worked for MasterCard; 4) MA, mixed with being a TA and an RA; 5) worked for MasterCard, and then the University of Toronto; 6) Master of Library Science degree with summers of mediocre jobs; 7) employment; 8) I will die some day.

22. When did you graduate? - In October

23. Who was your Senior prom date? - see question 14

24. Are you going to your 10 year reunion? - I don't think my class has ever had a reunion, but I would go if there was one.

25. Who was your home room teacher? - I have no idea.

26. Who will repost this after you? As Anna May said, "Anyone who wants a walk down memory lane."

Technorati Tags: memes, school

10 8 Things I'd Like to Learn

1) How to fly a helicopter I am not sure if this comes from watching too many episodes of Magnum PI as a young boy, or from years of listening to Darryl Dahmer. Anyway, it would be so cool to be able to fly a helicopter like Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix.

2) How to build a spacecraft that really works and is fast enough to get me to Pluto in, say, 2 to 3 minutes. I'd like to be able to get to Alpha Centauri in half an hour.

3) How to break dance I am not so sure I want a callous on the top of my head the size of a grapefruit, but it would be cool to spin on my head and do all of those crazy moves. Besides, I could then audition for So You Think You Can Dance.

4) Sign language I'd have to figure out which language first, because there are many types. This would really only be cool if everyone I know also learns.

5) How to ride a unicycle I saw a high school kid riding a unicycle to school on Bathurst Street once, and it just made me wonder why I was on two wheels when I could have been on one.

6) How to juggle No, I am not planning to join the circus. My friend, Colin, could do this in grade 7, and I was amazed. Have you ever wondered why jugglers drop something in every performance? It's to make juggling look harder than it is. I've tried, and it is as difficult as it looks.

7) How to become a millionaire overnight Wait, I have to check my lottery ticket ... crap, I can't cross that one off the list.

8) How to make myself invisible Yes, I love Heroes. I have long known which superpower I would like: It's immortality, but I think that being invisible would be far cooler. If I could combine both, that would be awesome. Oh, and if I could read people's minds. I think I want to be Sylar.

I was going to list 10 things, but I can only think of 8 at the moment.

Technorati Tags: memes

Five Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

Accepting Zenfo Pro's open tag:

( 1 ) My Grandfather died on my 17th Birthday

I am surprised he lasted that long. He wasted half of his life sitting in his smelly brown chair watching inane daytime television or reading Playboy magazine. Sure, he could walk to the bathroom, lower himself on the seat to relieve himself, and make it back to his safe chair before his lungs failed him. Years of smoking turned him into a yellowed, sarcastic, cynical, emphysemic, cranky, argumentative old man. I resisted the urge to give him a lesson in photosynthesis whenever he complained that the plants were stealing his oxygen. Eventually, he had them all removed and all that remained were plastic house plants that gathered dust while he sat in the chair enveloped by stale air until he died.

( 2 ) I haven't had a beer or pizza in 8 or 9 years

I have Celiac Disease, a condition that can only be managed by a gluten-free diet. That means, no wheat, rye, barley, oats, or derivatives, even if present in trace amounts. Many food additives, like excipients, binders, fillers, natural flavours, and modified starches contain gluten. It also rules out anything deep-fried in the same oil that was used for breaded items. The good news is that I love red wine and cider.

( 3 ) I have a tattoo

Who doesn't?

( 4 ) When I was a teenager, I thought Bruce Springsteen was God

Many people think that Todd is God but, for me, it was Bruce. Keith & I bought scalped tickets and drove to Toronto to see him in concert in 1985. We were as far back at the Ex as you could get, and Bruce looked to be about the size of an ant. I have an enormous Springsteen vinyl collection dating back to that time. After years of not listening to him, I have put a couple of things back into rotation, but this may be more of a nostalgia thing. I think his first two albums are still really good, and I have heard the Seeger Sessions and Devils and Dust which are OK. I honestly believe that Born in the U.S.A. stinks. It is his worst album.

(5) I have played pool with Mary Margaret O'Hara

I have also met and spoken with: Billy Bragg, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Atwood, Douglas Coupland, Timothy Findley, P.D. James, Wayne Johnston, Henry Winkler, M.G. Vassanji, Nino Ricci, Al Purdy, Patrick Lane, Catherine Bush, Kate Bush (OK, so I saw her in person, but did not speak to her), Lorna Crozier, Kerri Sakamoto, Robertson Davies, Jack Layton, Michael Winter, Al Moritz, Paul Quarrington, Tim Vesely, Dave Bidini, Martin Tielli, John Ralston Saul, Richard B. Wright, George Elliot Clarke, Kristen Hersh, Chuck Cleaver, Stephen Page, and Nick Valentino. I am missing a few, I am sure.

Oh, and if you like this meme, do it yourself.

Technorati Tags: memes, me

What did you do before we had the Internet?

I just checked out that Imagination Prompt Generator, which I read about on Canadian Hemlock's blog. It asked this question: What did you do before we had the Internet?. That's a good one.

1) Before I had a blog, I kept a handwritten journal. Although I stopped writing in it three or four years ago, there are 32 volumes totaling more than 7000 pages, most of it boring, some of it inane, and much of it embarrassing.

2) I watched more television. I am not sure if I watch less TV because of the Internet, or simply because there are fewer interesting shows on right now.

3) I wrote more poetry. Seriously. I have given that up. I did have a few poems published in some campus literary journals, but I never really knew if they were any good. Speaking of which, some day I should post the poem that started it all. It is called Zydeco Fish. It was published in one of those campus journals. Maybe I'll post it on this blog's tenth anniversary. See you here on July 11, 2013.

4) I spent more time in coffee shops.

How about you?

Technorati Tags: internet, pastimes

I am not an Artist, but I Pretend to be one in the Blogosphere

Yeah, I painted that.

(By the way, I did post another painting last year)

In other news, I am thinking about changing my template again. I am kinda tired of this one and far too many other people are using it. I may go for all black. Too bad I am too lazy to make my own.

I did another one of those tests, and now I know I am going to die at age 84. Fortunately, that's a very long way away. My grandmother is 86 and still very much alive, so I am holding out hope that I will live past 84. I have a lot to do, like gain advanced degrees in astrophysics and neurology, write a novel, and go into space.



Technorati Tags: paintings, art, templates, death

Meme

Finally, I am getting to this meme. I was tagged by Shelly, and, being the lazy blogger that I am, it took me something like a month to do it. Here goes:

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1. eddy
2. sara
3. kirk
4. shelly
5. zydeco fish

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to so they can do this meme, like so:

I think everyone I know has already done this. But, here goes. If you have already done it, that just means I wasn't paying attention and I missed your post.

1. Supper Happy Jen
2. Luanne
3. Liz
4. Sugar (drizzlenightsky)
5. KTS


What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was teaching an internet course (it's a good thing I kept my old daytimers). Other than that, I was working in a hospital and feeling very poor. Sounds boring, huh?

What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was sitting in my office doing Virtual Reference. Boring again, right?

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. Chips
3. Fruit
4. Sorbet (dairy-free)
5. Chocolate

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:

1. Happy Birthday to You
2. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
3. This is the Song that Never Ends
4. Big Iron
5. The Alphabet of Nations


Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Retire
2. Buy a condo/apartment near Central Park in NYC
3. Buy a car (or two)
4. Buy a new stereo/TV etc.
5. Give everyone who has ever commented here $20

Five bad habits (sorry, only 3):
1. I'm lazy
2. I procrastinate
3. I never clean up my office at work
4.
5.

Five things you like doing:
1. Eating chocolate
2. Listening to music
3. Writing
4. Cycling
5. Sleeping

Five things you would never wear again:
1. Diapers
2. Velour
3. Speedos
4. Leather ties
5. Anything with paisley

Five favorite toys:
1. Laptop
2. Digital camera
3. DVD player
4. Palm pilot
5. Photoshop

Technorati Tags: memes

Supermarket Etiquette

So, I plonked my purchases down on the conveyor belt, behind the cheese and milk and yogurt and ice cream the person ahead of me was buying. I made sure there was one of those dividers on the belt so that we could ensure a barrier (not at all sterile, however) between our products. Happy with that, I waited for my turn to pay while reflecting on the fact that huge numbers of shoppers at No Frills seem only to buy pop. I'm talking entire carts filled with pop. It's insanity. Who can drink that much pop?

A few seconds later, this guy comes up behind me and puts his stuff down right on top of mine. He didn't wait for space or for one of those dividers. In fact, some of his things rolled ahead of mine. His salami was touching my green pepper!

I decided to wait to see if he would move his products back when the belt moved along: he didn't. I wondered if he was conducting some sort of sociological experiment in shopping. Soon, it was my turn to pay, and he made no move, so I have to push all of his stuff back along and place one of those dividers between our goods. He just stood there. What's up with that? He looked mentally competent, so I wondered how he could be so socially incompetent.

This is neat. The goal is to identify as many band names as possible. There are a lot.

Technorati Tags: supermarkets, shopping

I've Been a Very Very lazy Blogger, so I am Doing another one of those meme things, which I borrowed this from running42k

1. What time is it? 9:40 AM

2. What is your name? Zydeco Fish

3. Any nicknames? Zed, Fish, Fishy, Mr. Fish, Zydie (my dad called me Sam, Squirt, Buckethead, etc).

4. Mother's name? Verna

5. What is your Favourite drink? Red Wine

6.(a) Tattoos? Yes

(b) Body piercing? Yes (ear)

7. How much do you love your job-scale of 1 to 10? 10

8. Birthplace: Small Town, Ontario, Canada

9. Favourite vacation spot: haven't found it yet

10. Ever been to Africa? No, but I would like to.

11. Stolen any traffic signs? Yes (with running42k, I believe)

12. Ever been in a car accident? Yes

13. Croutons or Bacon bits? Neither

14. 2 Door or 4 Door car? I don't own a car

15. Salad Dressing? Oil and vinegar

16. Favourite Pie? Gluten-free pie is hard to come by, so I don't eat it. I used to like apple pie

17. Favourite Number? 9

18. Favourite Movie? Citizen Kane or Clockwork Orange or 2001 or Apocalypse Now

19. Favourite Colour? Black

20. Favourite Holiday? Christmas

21. Favourite Food? Indian

22. Favourite day of the week? Saturday

23. Favourite brand of body soap? Favourite? Who has favourite soap?

24. Favourite TV show? It was Seinfeld. Now, I'm not sure...maybe Family Guy

25. Toothpaste? Nature's Bliss Natural Toothpaste

26. Most recently read book? Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

27. Favourite Smell? Chocolate

28. What do you do to relax? read, write, cycle

29. Favourite Fast Food? None. I do eat New York fries from time to time

30. When was your last hospital visit? Can't remember. I sprained my ankle playing basketball in high school

31. Message to your friends reading this: Hi and thanks for visiting

32. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Filthy rich

33. What do you do when you are bored? Blog, surf, read, watch something on TV

34. What presents do you enjoy receiving? CDs, DVDs, chocolate (not milk chocolate), money

35. What time is it now? 9:46 AM

Technorati Tags: memes, me

Idiosyncrasies

Borrowed from Miss Meliss:

Write down five (or more) of your own personal idiosyncracies. Then, if you wish, tag five people from your blogroll or friendslist to do the same.

Main Entry: id·i·o·syn·cra·sy
Pronunciation: "i-dE-&-'si[ng]-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -sies
Etymology: Greek idiosynkrasia, from idio- + synkerannynai to blend, from syn- + kerannynai to mingle, mix -- more at CRATER
1 a : a peculiarity of constitution or temperament : an individualizing characteristic or quality b : individual hypersensitiveness (as to a drug or food)
2 : characteristic peculiarity (as of temperament); broadly: ECCENTRICITY
- id·i·o·syn·crat·ic /"i-dE-O-(")sin-'kra-tik/ adjective
- id·i·o·syn·crat·i·cal·ly /-'kra-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb

01) I often read more than one book at a time, sometimes three or four.

02) I sometimes count stairs as I walk up them. It used to be an obsession, but I have been working on it.

03) I cannot start watching a movie or TV show that has already begun, unless I have seen it. I will often choose not to watch it even if I have only missed a few minutes.

04) I work better in the morning (pre-8:00 am) or late at night (after 11:00 pm).

05) I have to end my shower facing in the proper direction - the curtain. It ruins my day when I am finished and facing the wrong way.

06) I have lists of all of the DVDs, CDs, LPs, and cassettes I own.

07) I keep clothes I will never ever wear again, often for years, before I throw them out or give them away. This is probably deeply psychological, as my mother rarely bought me clothes.

08) I glue things into my daytimer (ticket stubs, etc).

09) I used to only read dead authors. Now, I only read living authors.

10) I am always early.

I am sure I will think of better ones tomorrow. BTW, I tag everybody :-)

Technorati Tags: idiosyncrasies, memes

Banned Books

I am going to be out-of-the-office for most of the rest of the week, and so that really cuts into my blogging time. I am taking the easy way out and posting a meme-type thing that I borrowed from LeafGirl77, who took it from Doc Ern.

You're supposed to bold all of the banned books you have read. I am not as well-read as I thought I was.

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
DaddyÂ’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling part of book one, then I got bored
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
ItÂ’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker saw the movie
Sex by Madonna part of it, mostly the pictures
EarthÂ’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LÂ’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard one of them
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The HandmaidÂ’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
WhatÂ’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King saw the movie
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis saw the movie
WhatÂ’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? ItÂ’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende saw the movie
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed WomenÂ’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King saw the movie
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King saw the movie The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
WhereÂ’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Do this if you want.

Technorati Tags: banned books, reading, memes

Surfing Mice: My Favourite News Story of the Day

A dude in Oz is training three mice, " Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen, to surf small waves on tiny mouse-size surf boards at beaches on the country's Gold Coast." This pleases me immensely, but I have no idea why. Even better would be surfing kangaroos or koalas or any type of marsupial.

In other news, I am Worf. In truth, I am either George Costanza or Chandler Bing. But, this is a sci-fi/fantasy test and so I really should have been Data.

Technorati Tags: bizarre news, mice, surfing, tests

I've Been Tagged

I guess it had to happen: G tagged me and I finally have answers (better late than never). But first, a preamble.

As a commenter on my blog once said (and I am paraphrasing), "you seem to live in a pop culture vacuum." It's true. There was a period of close to ten years when I had no TV. As a result, there are dozens of TV programs I have never seen. I missed tons of movies too. In some respects, I feel as though I had spent a long time in prison, but the kind of prison where there is no TV. But, on with the thing (even though it sort of gives away my approximate age).

Oh, I should also mention that I have a hard time even remembering what I have seen.

Childhood

Most movies I saw as a kid where on TV, but I did get to the drive-in in later years. In fact, I saw Star Wars at the drive-in. No, it does not make my list.

Killdozer: an appallingly ridiculous movie from 1974 in which a bull dozer becomes a killer. No, it's not Stephen King, but it could have been. Gordie & I saw it many many times.

Honorable Mentions

Smokey and the Bandit: I've never seen my dad laugh so hard. I had to get him to turn up the speaker dangling over the car window so that I could hear it.

Logan's Run: I might even buy this one on DVD.


Teens (1980s)

Altered States: This movie got some unjustified bad reviews, in my opinion.

Honorable Mention

Blue Velvet: I am not sure why. It is kinda creepy.


Twenties (80s-90s)

Brazil: Simply fascinating.

Honorable Mention

Pulp Fiction: If only because it resurrected John Travolta's career. I think he should have to give Tarantino a cut of every paycheck he subsequently received.


Thirties (now)

Memento: Because I really feel like that guy. I think I have a preview of what Alzheimer's must be like.


Before My Time
Citizen Kane
Dr. Strangelove
2001 A Space Odyssey

I tag you. I am a little unsure about tagging people, especially since some people hate these things. So, if you want to do it, do it and let me know. It's that easy.

P.S. Yes, I have fallen behind in my blog reading. I hope to catch up soon.

Technorati Tags: memes, movies

My Evil Quotient

I thought that Gematriculator was cool, until I realized that it only scans the first page of your blog and not the archives. OK, so it's still cool. At any rate, this is my result:



My March 2005 posts were 37% evil, while my March 2004 posts were 43% evil. What's up with March?

Technorati Tags: Gematriculator

Favourites

I've noticed that people with blogs often list their favourite stuff -- movies, books, music -- and other important stuff. Here's a small effort.

Movie: too hard to narrow it down.

Book: Hmm, tough one - maybe "Gargantua and Pantagruel" or "The Brothers Karamazov." There are so many to choose from. I am currently reading "Black Dogs", by Ian McEwan.

Music: my favourite singer/songwriter is Leonard Cohen., with John Cale being a close second. I like Nike Drake, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Billy Bragg, Bruce Cockburn, Beck, Adrian Belew, David Bowie, Bob Mould, Lou Reed, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley, and others. I am a fan of Brian Eno, Labradford, Bill Laswell, Set Fire to Flames, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fly Pan Am, Do Make Say Think, Harld Budd, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, as well as XTC, Rheostatics, Velvet Underground, Bauhaus, Radiohead. I am missing people.

Colour: black

TV: Alias, DaVinci's Inquest, Simpsons, Star Trek...

Time of year: spring

Food: Indian

In case of fire, what will I remember to take with you: my old journals, photos

What's under my bed: dust

How many times have I been in love: what's love?

What's on my desktop: Mondrian painting

First car: Pontiac Ventura

I cycle year round. I like toy cameras. I hate Microsoft.

Tags: favourites, reading, music