MEME: Sunday Seven - Episode 26

In memory of Don Knotts, this week's edition of the Sunday Seven has you ranking your friends from Mayberry.

But first, congratulations go to Carly, of "Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly," who was first to play for the second week in a row last week!

On to the challenge!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
List in order your seven favorite Mayberry characters from "The Andy Griffith Show." If you have trouble remembering the players, you can follow this link for a cast list.

Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)

1. Andy

2. Opie

3. Aunt Bee

4. Barney

5. Gomer Pyle

6. Otis

7. Thelma Lou

There you have 'em.

Taking a break from her chocolate coma (left over from Valentine's Day), Otto mumbled into her cherry pie thusly: “This week's questions are all about blogging... Have fun, and thank you for playing!”

1. What time of year do you blog the most? It depends on the weather. If I've been driven inside by heat, cold or precipitation, I'll blog more than if I was outside playing.
2. What time of year do you seem to blog the least? Between November and the end of February.
3. What time of DAY do you do your most blogging? Early mornings.
4. When blog-hopping, do you tend to look at your blogroll list (or fave blogs) to see which ones have been updated, or do you visit your faves on a regular basis regardless? I use my Bloglines blogroll. I'll never catch up, though.
5. Do you change your blogroll often? Mostly, I just keep adding to it...
6. How many times a day, after writing a new post, do you check for new comments? Once.
7. Do you leave comments on others' blogs, or are you more of a lurker? There are some I routinely comment on and others more rarely. And some would go “Huh, who he?” if you were to ask about my comments.

Sign up for the email notification list, post a link to your answers and pick up new questions by visiting the Monday Madness web site. Little butterflies of joy will tickle your nether regions when you do...

Monday Music Mambo - Week 88

Greetings everyone! Another Monday is here, and with it comes a chance to mambo. Today's theme is Cigar Day, but I don't know how that applies to music. I'll just ask some random questions.

1. 
   1. What's your favorite movie about music?
   Currently, it's Grateful Dawg, a documentary about the bluegrass partnership of Dave Grisman and Jerry Garcia (RIP). I'm also really partial to Amadeus.
   2. What's your favorite music concert video?
   Woodstock
   3. What do you pay more attention to in a song: the music or the lyrics?
   While I find lyrics more important, it would just be bad poetry if it weren't for the music.
   4. Here's a serious question involving a touchy situation. You've won a backstage pass to meet your favorite band! You go there after the show, very excited to meet everyone. When you arrive, you see some of the band members doing something illegal (drugs, weapons, etc.). After you've greeted the band, had them sign autographs, etc., do you tell anyone what you saw? Or do you keep quiet because you're sure they do this kind of thing all the time and it's no big deal?
   Serious questions demand serious answers... so I'll hem and haw a bit, equivocating however much I can. How's that sound?

   The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind... it depends. And I don't mean adult diapers, unless that's what I catch them at (“Ewww, bad boy! Stinky diaper! Daddy will spank!” -- but I digress). Drugs? It's a crime against self and one which destroys the lives of millions. I am constantly saddened that so many derive so little for the momentary rush of so few. But, I'm not likely to bust them for doing a line after a concert – that's their life they're fucking up. However, if I find a half a key of 100% cocaine open on the table and band members' children and guests milling about, someone is taking a ride down to visit the city magistrate, catch my drift?

   I have little tolerance for celebrity creeps mucking about with weapons and will bust them in a heartbeat. No qualms about it. Illegal sex? Same response. There's nothing cute about an adult molesting children, no matter how willing the molestee may be.

   There. Serious enough?

   Y'all have a good day and avoid those nasty social conundrums if you can. Otherwise, wear a dental dam and be careful where you put that tongue while kissing ass...
   
   
   

   The rules are, there are no rules!!! All you need to do is copy and paste the above questions into your blog and add your responses. After you've finished, return here and leave us a comment so we'll know you've Mamboed. Be sure your Mambo is linked back to http://bdinsanity.blogdrive.com so others can dance too.
   
   Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If one of the questions doesn't inspire you then simply "pass" it. Just use your imagination and dance like crazy!
   
   If you don't have a blog or you're an exhibitionist *woo hoo* feel free to Mambo right here in our comments section. There's absolutely no pressure ... although it's called the Monday Music Mambo you can Mambo on any day.
   
   Until next time, this is your music-lovin' Mememeister saying have a good Monday and a good Mambo!

Meme: unconscious Muttering -- Week 160

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Baby step::tenuous
2. Wasted::spoiled
3. Reggie::? Nothing comes to mind
   
4. Pitiful::refugee
5. Acting out::children
6. Tomato::tomatilla
7. Bad night::home alone
   
8. Trip::fall
9. Finance charges::usury
10. Sport::sailing

Want to play along? Just visit La Luna Nina's site, copy the words for yourself and leave a link to your answers in her comments. It's as easy as slipping a bunny onto the barbecue spit!

MEME: Saturday Six - Episode 98

The 98th edition is posted a little later than I would have liked, but I attended a special event that I'll write about over at my primary blog later tonight.

And you'll be happy to know that I gave these questions an extra look to make sure I didn't repeat any of last week's! (And thanks to Wil for being the first to email me about the repeat question. You can't put anything over on Wil!

Dac of "Planetary Verbosity" was first to play last week main edition. Also, last Monday, I posted a "replacement question" for the repeated one, and Barb of "A Ticket to Ride" was first to answer that question in a comment. Congratulations, Donna & Barb!

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. What is the most difficult aspect of your current job?

Finding my socks in the morning (I'm unemployed).

2. What is the easiest aspect of your job?
Taking a nap after lunch.
3. How many keys are there on your keyring right now? Are you able to recall exactly what every key on your keyring actually unlocks?
I had to get the big ring out and check. There are 27 keys on it... I remember the function of 25 of them. The other two appear to be padlock keys, but I'll be damned if I remember to what.
4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What kind of an elitist are you?

Without taking the quiz, I'm a damned fool elitist, unable to distinguish my head from a hole in the tarmac. Then I took the quiz ... little did I know:

You speak eloquently and have seemingly read every
book ever published. You are a fountain of
endless (sometimes useless) knowledge, and
never fail to impress at a party. What people love: You can answer almost any
question people ask, and have thus been
nicknamed Jeeves. What people hate: You constantly correct their
grammar and insult their paperbacks.
4007 other people got this result!
This quiz has been taken 9030 times.
44% of people had this result.
What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

5. What is your least favorite ethnic food, and what makes it your least favorite?
Oddly enough, it's the foods of the Slovaks that leave me cold. Lumpy, starchy, gluey, masses of potatoes and mystery meat wrapped in undercooked dough. Yuck!
6. If you were a different person, but were to meet someone identical to who you are and how you behave right now, would you likely be friends with that person? Why or why not?
How sad to think that air and space might be wasted on another such as me. Where's my 9mm? I'll do the world a favor and rid it of another blight upon humanity right now.
If you have a Reader's Choice question you'd like to see asked (and answered), click the e-mail link on the About Me bar here and send it to me.

Bloglines Improves Feeds Management

Bloglines announced substantial improvements in a press release yesterday to its flagship product, the Bloglines feed reader and RSS aggregator.

The major improvement in feeds management involves the addition of drag and drop technology allowing users to quickly manage burgeoning feeds lists.

Give the announcement a look-see and see for yourself. I manage my blog list using Bloglines ad it's child's play in it's simplicity.

National Archives and Google Launch Pilot Project to Digitize and Offer Historic Films Online

National Archives and Google Launch Pilot Project to Digitize and Offer Historic Films Online

"Washington,
D.C. and Mountain View, Calif. – Feb. 24, 2006 – Archivist of the
United States Allen Weinstein and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Co-Founder and
President of Technology Sergey Brin today announced the launch of a
pilot program to make holdings of the National Archives available for
free online. This non-exclusive agreement will enable researchers and
the general public to access a diverse collection of historic movies,
documentaries and other films from the National Archives via Google Video as well as the National Archives website."

Full details are here. Definitely of interest to librarians, historians, video afficionados and oddballs (I fit in the latter catagory).

Meme: Weekend Assignment #100

Weekend Assignment #100: Facts From the Future!

Well, here we are: The 100th Weekend Assignment! It's hard to believe we've done so many of these and we're still going strong. To celebrate the 100th Weekend Assignment, I thought I'd do a variation of the very first Weekend Assignment, back in those heady, crazy days of 2004. In the first Weekend Assignment, I asked each of you to offer up 25 facts about yourself, and led by example by offering my own 25 fun facts about me. For Assignment Number 100, I want to do something similar, but with an interesting twist. What's the twist? Well, see the picture above? The guy on the right is me here in 2006. The guy on the left is me in 2011, telling me a little about what happens to me in the next five years (how did he get back in time? I am sworn to secrecy, except to say this: Wow, that PlayStation 3 really is more powerful than people suspected). You may not have had your time-traveling doppelganger come back to tell you about yourself, as I have, but surely to can try your hand at predicting. So, here it is, your Centennial Weekend Assignment: Weekend Assignment #100: Share 10 facts about yourself -- from the next five years. Imagine what you see happening over the next half decade and then tell us about it, in interesting fact form. You can be serious, or silly, or somewhere inbetween. But give it some real thought and then take a stab at your future facts. If you find 10 facts too much, just do five. Either way it'll be fun. Extra Credit: So, who's president in 2011?

Dear John,

Happy anniversary to The Weekend Assignment. I think I've done about half of them. Always mostly thought provoking. I do appreciate them and I hope you have enjoyed my answers and the little digs I've given you over the years. If you haven't, well, I expect you'd have written an email and complained by now.

So here's my contribution to the cause. Fun fictional facts from my own future history:

• One step ahead of our creditors, SWMBO and I auctioned off the farm in Maine and moved to Louisiana in search of sun, sun and more sun. Naturally, the summer of 2006 was the hottest in recorded history, with record high temperatures experienced on 45 days during the months of July, August and September. I went to hospital three times for heat prostration during that same period.

• Christmas Day 2006 found us hosting a pig roast and keg party for 20 of our newest friends. Shorts, Hawaiian shirts, straw hats and sandals were the costume of the day as I tended to the pigs and beans at the fire pit in 96 degree heat.

• In 2007 I suffered a crippling MI after spending 36 hours trapped in a tree by flood waters caused by the near miss of Hurricane Emily II while visiting family in New Orleans (Former Mayor Ray Nagin was beheaded by an angry mob while I was in hospital when it was discovered he had diverted all of the funds provided by FEMA for replacement of levees damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina). Only after 600 hours of physical rehabilitation was I deemed fit to return to living my life as I choose, fishing from the levee along the Mississippi River or from the shore of Lake Ponchartrain.

• I collected over 600 pounds of “mud bugs” using just my canoe and a half dozen traps set out back in the swamps near my in-laws' place in Ponchatoula. They made good Christmas gifts for my old friends back up North. Although, a terrible accident with the dry ice they were packed in was the cause of death for my best friend, Dr. Doug, Soil Scientist and Anthropologist extraordinaire. Sorry about that, Nora. Seems he tried to see what the soil sample was in the bottom of the box, so he took the crawdads out and set them aside and stuck his whole head into the box for a closer look. 'Cause of Death' was something about asphyxiation due to oxygen displacement?

• 2008 sees my 37^th novel in the Dirk Darkstone, Wizard-at-Large series published. This is significant only because it is also was the first and only one of my novels to “sell out” the advance.

• My model railroad was chosen from over 45 entries to be featured in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building in Baton Rouge for the 2008 Holiday Season. “With it's depiction of the Port of New Orleans during the 1950's, the Governor found the entry to be particularly winsome, what with the bodies of hurricane victims trapped in the nets of the shrimp boats, the “weirdly fanciful” depiction of the assassination of Huey Long on the Ship Canal levees by former Mayor Ray Nagin and the special diorama of the Ku Klux Klan hosting a cross burning and weenie roast in the Projects next to the rail yard...

• SWMBO finished her RN degree in 2009 after I twisted her arm (and other, unspecified portions of her anatomy). She graduated third in her class. I was fortunate to have been able to support us with the new guide service I'd established, offering tours to the handicapped in kayaks of the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp for only $500 for a two day tour. For a little bit extra ($1500), I guaranteed them safe passage home. They usually chose that option after seeing their first 16 foot alligator swim up next to their 12 foot sit-on-top open kayak. Little did they know it was my baby brother in scuba gear running a remote controlled cyborg ...

• The move to Slidell, Louisiana was possibly the dumbest thing I've ever done. 2010's Category V Hurricane Katya flattened my trailer (and every one else's in the park) when it spawned fourteen Category 4 tornadoes in the space of 30 minutes. My German Shepherd Dog, Sparky, rescued me from the rubble, despite having suffered a debilitating and ultimately fatal collision with a splintered 2X12 while both were being spun at 200 MPH some 300 feet above the ground. With the Federal Government in receivership after the decimation wrought upon the Treasury by a decade of Republican control of the purse strings, I was reduced to seeking refuge, along with a million other refugees, in Tulsa, Oklahoma when martial law was declared by President Olympia Snowe. My wife was required to remain in Louisiana as “essential personnel” due to her being an RN and all.

• My brother disappeared during Hurricane Katya. Oddly enough according to the Associated Press, his scuba gear and “Allie, the Cybotic Alligator” were discovered by the sexton in the steeple of the only methodist church in Jackson, Mississippi. His spear gun had penetrated the brass bell ... his Volkswagon Toureg was found on the deck of a freighter in Baton Rouge. The Bill of Lading specified a location in Patagonia, Argentina, as the final destination.

• I returned to Slidell and my wife on April 1, 2011, our 13^th wedding anniversary. It was a bittersweet homecoming, as I had lost both legs to Diabetic Peripheral Artery Disease due to the frost bite acquired during the worst winter on record that Oklahoma had ever seen. Bad year to have to live in a tent city. I succumbed to the vicissitudes of existence on this mortal coil on Labor Day after attempting to consume a whole watermelon on a dare. I'd have done it, too, but unbeknownst to me my brother-in-law spiked it with two liters of 100 proof vodka and I succumbed to acute alcohol poisoning...

  And So It Goes...

Well, John, there you have it. Not a pretty picture, but then again, real life rarely is. Now, you be sure and create another hundred great Weekend Assignments and I'll see what I can do about answering some of them. Take good care of those two precious jewels in your life and do tell Athena that “Edvard Munch's painting, The Scream, is one of Uncle Wil's favorite paintings in the whole world.”

Here's to better days and smooth sailing,

wil

MEME: Wednesday Mind Hump

• Hi everyone! Rfduck was heard to mutter into his Mocha Java Espresso, “I have another Mind Hump for your enjoyment. Today is Washington's Birthday! Let's get the humping started.”
  
  1. Name five famous Georges

• George Washington

• George Washington Carver

• George Orwell

• “Gorgeous” George Gobel

• Curious George

  2. How many one-dollar bills do you have in your wallet/purse right now? Five
  
  3. Ever been to Washington, D.C.? How about Washington State? Tell us a little about your trip to either of those places. And if you haven't been to either place, tell me what Washington, D.C. monument, institution or tourist attraction you most want to see if you ever go there.
  
  
  

• I've been to both venues. The last visit I made to Washington State was in 1973. I spent four months there, primarily in Bellingham and Renton, when I wasn't hiking and climbing in the Cascades or Olympic ranges. I also got to spend an afternoon with my mentor, Professor Willie Unsoeld, at his home in Tacoma.

• The last time I was in Washington, District of Columbia, was in 1977. I stayed overnight with friends while enroute home from Florida after closing my father's home upon his death. I remember an absolutely traumatic thunder storm was under way when I reached the city limits. I pulled off the Interstate and into an industrial area where I found refuge under one of the overpasses from the hail that was threatening to blow out my windscreen and dent the hood. I missed a tornado by about 5 miles. Lucky me. I want to go back when I have a week or two and see all of the sights again – it's been 40 + years since I last did the tourist thing in Washington and SWMBO and I figure we could spend a week straight at the Smithsonian. Plus the National Zoo is calling me. Seems they're missing a hairy ape...

The rules are, there are no rules!!! All you need to do is copy and paste the above questions into your blog and add your responses. After you've finished, go to the Mememeister's web site, Blog Drive Insanity and leave him a comment so he'll know you've humped. Be sure your hump is linked back to http://bdinsanity.blogdrive.com so others can hump too.

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If one of the questions doesn't inspire you then simply "pass" it. Just use your imagination!

If you don't have a blog or you're an exhibitionist *woo hoo* feel free to hump right there in the comments section. There's absolutely no pressure ... although it's called the Wednesday Mind Hump you can hump on any day.

Until next time, this is your music-loving mememeister, rfduck, and me, the Old Dog, wishing you a happy hump day! Bring me your leg ... humpa, humpa, humpa!

MEME: DESERTED ISLAND

MEME: DESERTED ISLAND

So cliche!! I know. But instead of asking what book, movie, album, food, lover etc. you'd want there with you on the sandy beach -- here's a few unique ( I hope) queries:

1. A memorable dream that you'd like to have every night:

I'd like to dream of a laid back vacation involving all the people from my life that are dead or gone away. Just a big beach party with happy conversations, singing and telling stories around a bonfire when the sun goes down and great food and drink. All ages, all persuasions, getting together in all senses of the term.

2. A pet from your past (no longer living) to keep you company:

I'd like my first German Shepherd Dog, Raj Kashi Lobo Von Wilhelm, “Kashi” to his pals, to be the long-gone pet to join me. He was the best I ever had and I have been blessed with some great GSD's over the years. Loved to play “Rescue Dog” with small kids in the water, too.

3. A bedtime snack you'd like available to you at 3 am every night:

Something very high in protein, with moderate carbohydrates and low fats. And filling. As a diabetic, it is best if my mid-morning (my 10AM = 3AM to you) snack be as high a protein source as possible to reduce the bounce back low that may occur if you eat something with too many carbs. That cuts out the sweets, roughages like salad or toast, most fruits. A chicken fried steak would satisfy all but the requirement for low fat. A can of sardines in tomato sauce does the job admirably but my wife can't stand the smell of them, even with teeth brushing and mouth washing (bloody flatlander). Suggestions?

4. Somebody you had a crush on in high school (you may make them disappear at will):

I thought about this one for a while. Some of them were very pleasant memories, too. But no one came to mind from high school days that I would publicly declare here by name. Several college ladies come to mind, but that'd be a bit too embarrassing to reveal, too.

5. A stuffed animal that you slept with as a kid.

I want the little puppy that I got when I was 7 years old and I had the chicken pox (he was burned after I recovered).

If you want to play along too, just swing by Inner and Outer Demons. Don't forget to leave a link to your answers in the comments there, too. Enjoy!

MEME: Sunday Seven - Episode 25

Last week, your assignment was to come up with seven types of candy you'd like to receive for Valentine's Day. If you ate lots of candy then stepped onto the scale, you might wish for the chance to go back in time to do things over again. Going back in time...all the way to your childhood...is this week's topic.

Carly, of "Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly," was first to play last week. Congratulations, Carly!

On to the challenge!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
List up to seven Saturday or Sunday morning programs you loved as a kid, cartoon or live action.

Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment at Patrick's Weekender. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)

1. Sky King

2. Mighty Mouse

3. The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show

4. Popeye The Sailor Man

5. Tom & Jerry

6. Loony Toons

7. Rin-tin-tin

Replacement Question for Saturday Six

Replacement Question for Saturday Six

On the most recent edition of the "Saturday Six," I inadvertently reran the previous week's question in slot number four.

To those who had already answered that question, I offer this one as a replacement:

4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already): What literature classic are you?

Virginia Woolf: Orlando. You are a challenge, for
outer events, the outside world, the time
etc. play no importance to you. Your focus is
in writing, in gender issues, and inside your
own head. Self-analysis and exploration of
yourself as well as the outer world hold
great importance to you.

Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Normal "first-to-play" rules apply for this make-good question. I'll give the appropriate blogger their props on the next edition of the Saturday Six.

MEME: Unconscious Mutterings -- Week 159

Unconscious Mutterings

Free association is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.

That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this excercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.

"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head. AND you don't have to have your words up on Sunday. Take all week if you want! Read the FAQ for more information.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Week 159

Posted 15 hours, 58 minutes ago

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Right time:: Wrong Place

2. Funeral:: Six Feet Under

3. Calculate:: taxes

4. Believe me:: It's a lie

5. Chat:: IRC

6. Anniversary:: April Fools

7. Let you down:: slowly

8. Shout:: Scream

9. Sweatsock:: Ewww! Stinky

10. Prayer:: futile

You can play along, too. Just visit the La Luna Niña website, get your own copy of the words and answer them there or on your blog, leaving a link to your answers in the comments there.

MEME: Saturday Six - Episode 97

Can you believe that we're just three weeks away from the 100th edition of the Saturday Six? And that means that we're just seven weeks away from the second anniversary edition!

Thanks to all of you who've been playing and to those who visit for the first time and keep on coming back!

Donna of "My Country Life" was first to play last week based on the rules. Congratulations, Donna!

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Take this test: Out of three tries, what is the shortest time in seconds that you can type the alphabet? (Round to two or three decimal places.) 13.406

2. If you could have a vacation home anywhere, what location would you choose and why?
As of today, my choice would be New Smyrna Beach, Florida. It's close enough to our grandchildren that a weekend visit is very doable, it isn't as popular as some other big name venues, but close enough to Daytona that being involved in races is a real possibility. Sadly, I have neither the wherewithal nor the freedom to move there.
3. What room of your home could most use an organizational expert?
My office. It needs professionals, I think.
4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What temperament are you? (Thanks to Barb!)

Didn't I take the same quiz last week???

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What
temperament Are You?

5. What kind of merchandise was sold at the last "going out of businesses" sale you attended? Did you buy anything?
   I don't really remember. I think it was a furniture store a couple of years ago, attended at the insistence of SWMBO* and nothing was purchased.

   *She Who Must Be Obeyed
   

   6. Without naming names, what's the most annoying thing about your neighbors?

   This is an old complaint, resolved with the death of the dog involved. My neighbors are great people. However, he “whistles while he works.” Constantly. I'm not even sure he is aware of it. Unlike MY annoying habit of whistling under my breath, his whistle carries the 300 feet between houses quite easily, driving my dogs insane. One in particular was so annoyed by the constant tootleing that she'd bite his wife whenever the wife would attempt to go for a walk past the house. Not good.

   On a more personal level, that same neighbor used to think nothing of going out on a Saturday or Sunday morning (or both) at 7AM and starting his lawn mower. I don't do mornings, even when I had to get up at 6AM for work. Weekends were my refuge from the evil necessity of rising before the chickens, so any disturbance of the peace and quiet is immediately noticeable around here. Gentle suggestions and outright complaints fell on deaf ears. Oh well, you takes the bad with the good.

   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

Words Not Spoken...

As a former city planner, I find this particularly poignant...

Those who believe that social order can arise from rational planning flatter themselves in regard to their powers of reasoning, and then it becomes necessary to flatter the people in regard to theirs. --Mark Allen

Tuesday Two - Episode 18

Valentine's Day is a perfect time to surprise that special someone in your life. But how do you feel about being surprised? There's your topic for this week.

For those who have never played, the rules are simple: I offer two different questions, both related to the same topic, but you only choose one of them to actually answer.

Babs of " Independent Single Professional Female in the Buckle of the Bible Belt. YEE-Haa!! " may be the queen of the Tuesday Two! She's managed to pull off a feat that no one else has ever done on any of my weekly memes, as far as I can recall: last week, for the fourth time in a row, she was first to play! Congratulations again, Babs!

Can she make it five?

Now, onto this week's choice of questions. And remember: don't answer both questions!


THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: SURPRISES

QUESTION A:
When was the last time you were genuinely surprised (pleasantly) by a loved one, as in a gift or party or something similar that you weren't expecting at all?

or

QUESTION B:
As a general rule, do you like surprise parties or do you prefer notice, and how did you arrive at this decision?

Choose A or B, (indicate which question you're answering!) then either answer the question in a comment here or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment here. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)

Remember: choose one or the other...not both!

This week I'll be answering “Question B.”

As a general rule, I don't like surprises of any sort. In my life, at least, “surprise” has been synonymous with “very bad news.” My mother's death when I was 15 was a “surprise” as were both of my grandmother's deaths several years later and my father's death by heart attack in 1977.

“Surprise” was receipt of my draft card and notice to appear for the intake physical on the same day.

“Surprise” was the phone call from an EMT in Elkins, West Virginia informing me that my brother and father had rolled off a mountain just outside of town and plunged over a hundred feet into a ravine. Oh, and they were in hospital, of course.

“Surprise” was reaching for a hand hold while rock climbing in Yosemite N.P. and latching on to the ass end of a rattle snake.

“Surprise” was stopping for a motorist executing a left-hand turn in front of me ... and being passed so close by an impatient driver behind me that he tore off the entire left rear quarter of my car by hooking his mirror on my gas cap!

There have been many more “surprises” in my life, but I suspect you have the gist of my complaint about “surprises.”

They suck the hairy wazoo on overdrive.

So no, make mine a planned for party with a guest list of known individuals I can run through the SBI databases.

Because I hate surprises. And I hate having to shoot guests...

Dead-Eye Dick

You got to admire those Texans. Superb outdoorsman, rugged individualists, safe hunters, crack shots... right?

Well, not quite.

Seems that Fearless Leader, VP Tricky-Dick Cheney, shot a 78 year old hunting companion on Saturday while quail hunting.

And you thought all he was good at was screwing the electorate...

MEME: Monday Madness -- Choco-Coma Special!

Otto aroused herself from her chocolate-induced carbo-coma to mutter,

“Thanks to Tilly for this week's questions! Here they are; Happy Valentine's Day, everyone, and thanks for playing!”

1. What is the best (and worst) Valentines gift you have ever received? I don't recall any specific V-Day gifts I have received. It's never been a very important date for me.
2. What is the best (and worst) Valentines gift you have ever given? The best was the year I gave my wife a dozen roses, candy, a card, a bear AND jewelry. The worst would be forgetting the day all together...
3. In the past, have you ever sent or received an anonymous Valentines Card? If so, do you now know who sent you the card? And if you've sent one, does the person you sent a card to know it was from you? No. What's the point? If you want someone to know you are interested in them, tell them straight out. If you can not, the other party is either married or otherwise involved and you are trying to mess around in some other woodchuck's wood pile.
4. Have you ever sent an anonymous Valentines and got together with that person afterwards? Again, no.
5. Do you make special plans for Valentines, or is it just another commercial plan to make people spend money? I make special plans ONLY because my present wife regards Valentines to be a Very Important Day. I couldn't care less, personally. See the last sentence in the entry below.
6. Do you buy, or make, traditional gifts, like red roses and chocolates, or do you like to be different? Both. Being imaginative is a trial when you are flat broke, but it does require imagination.
7. Do you think you are with that special someone, are you waiting for that special someone, or is there 'the one that got away'? Of course I'm with “that special someone.” Why would anyone waste time in a relationship if the significant other wasn't special?

You can play along with the Monday Madness. Just get yourself over to the Monday Madness Homepage, sign up for the email notification and you, too, can be answering your very own questions in no time.

MEME: Sunday Seven - Episode 24

If you're looking for good charities to donate to, last week's Sunday Seven responses will provide you with a great list. This week's question focuses on Valentine's Day.

Sara, of "Pig Noses & a Cat Named Lala," was first to play last week. Congratulations, Sara!

On to the challenge!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
If your Valentine would give you any kind of candy you specified, list up to seven kinds that you'd enjoy for the big day, diets notwithstanding.

Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)

My answers:

1. Russel Stover's Chocolates

2. Whitman Sampler

3. Godiva Chocolates

4. Ghiradelli Chocolate Truffles

5. Toblerone

6. Chocolate Cherry Cordials

7. Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses (the ol' standby).

   Do you detect a chocolicious theme, maties?

Hope y'all have a great Valentine's Day (unless you are associated with the greeting card and chocolate industries, in which case you can all go to hell, y'hear?

Grumpy Old Diabetic, AKA GOD

Meme: Unconcious Muttering -- Week 158

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Week 158

2 hours, 39 minutes ago

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Unorthodox::thinking
2. Skate::board
3. Hold on::it's coming
   
4. Europe::old country
   
5. Reminder::string
6. Gold::silver
7. Calcium::milk
8. Rated R::tame
9. Saturday night::goldfish stew
   
10. Tell::Do

You can play along if you wish. Just visit that crazy chica, La Luna Nina. If you do, you'll be able to cut back on the Preparation H for those bags under your eyes, too.

Meme: Saturday Six -- Episode 96

This is the 96th edition of the "Saturday Six." That number will even figure into one of the questions this week. Thanks for playing week after week, and if you're a first-time visitor, I hope you'll be back!

Tabitha of "Bello Nientes" was first to play last week! Congratulations, Tabitha!

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment here or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Do you have a Valentine this year?
I have one every year...
2. How will you spend the big day itself?
Avoiding the issue. Personally, it's something the card and chocolatiers have dreampt up to help the post-xmas sales slump...
3. What are you most allergic to? Do you have to take medication or avoid certain medication to stay well?
Bee stings. I carry an Epi-Pen. I avoid eating bees, except when ensconced in chocolate.
4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What temperament are you? (Thanks to Barb!)

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What temperament Are You?

5. There is actually a town in my state of birth, South Carolina, called Ninety-Six. What's the most unusual place name in the your home state. (For home state, it can be where you live now or where you grew up.)
   Coburn Gore. Think about it...
   6. How much money would you need to really feel secure?
   There is no sum of money that I can imagine that would make me feel secure. Not enough money is obviously stressful. Too much money is alarming and, therefore, very stressful. At this point, I'd settle for feeling I had enough saved to provide for my short future and my wife's relatively long future. And that amount is unattainable in the time remaining by ordinary means...

   
   If you have a Reader's Choice question you'd like to see asked (and answered), send it to pattboy92 at gmail dot com.

02/11/2006 -- What's Wrong With This Photo?

Taken a short while ago outside of Bangor, Maine, of Willow the Wonder Dog (I wonder what she did THAT for?) gamboling with her stick in the garden behind the house.

There is something fundamentally WRONG about this image. Can YOU identify the problem? Answer on Monday, if not sooner. 

MEME: Tuesday Two - Episode 17

Last week, I had people saying "Cheese" on the topic of photography. Tonight, that cheese is still being put to good use...in the kitchen!

For those who have never played, the rules are simple: I offer two different questions, both related to the same topic, but you only choose one of them to actually answer.

Last week, Babs of " Independent Single Professional Female in the Buckle of the Bible Belt. YEE-Haa!!" pulled off a three-peat, being the first to answer last week's question for the third week in a row! Congratulations again, Babs!

Now, onto this week's choice of questions. And remember: don't answer both questions!


THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: COOKING

QUESTION A:
How much of the cooking do you do in your home, and would you like to do more, less, or keep things as they are?

or

QUESTION B:
When you cook, do you follow recipes as strictly as the person whom you learned cooking from did, and why or why not?

Choose A or B, (indicate which question you're answering!) then either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)

Remember: choose one or the other...not both!

I chose Question B:

I cook by the seat of my pants, using recipes as a guide, except when certain critical proportions are involved (ratios of water to grains, for instance). I learned some of my cooking skills from my family and some in commercial kitchens. My mother, always an uneasy hand in the kitchen, was a slave to recipes and measurements. Her cooking was adequate, but uninspired. My father was a dab hand and often could be found “winging it.” His was an inspired cookery. He learned at his mother's side, she a graduate of the Fanny Farmer School of Cooking. She was consistently good, but like the nursery rhyme, “when she was bad, she was horrid!” I learned the “how's and why's” of cooking from her. I learned the art of cuisine from several cooks and one chef I worked under in my twenties. My cooking is quixotic and eclectic, often very good when I'm “on” and rather dreadful when I'm not (the reason I didn't pursue advanced training at the CIA).

Want to participate? Go to Patrick's Weekender every Tuesday to get the questions, make your choice and answer in your own blog or journal, leaving a link in the comments there to your answer. Haven't got a blog? Click on the “Get Your Own Blog” button at the top of this window and sign up for a free Blogspot page of your own. It's that easy and expeditious and you don't even need powdered milk biscuits to do it.

Sick Humor

We must stop this before it multiplies. Clearly, drastic action is called for ... WitNit has gone off the deep end of the gene pool if he thinks this is funny.

"Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly; but, when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving once again that: you can't have your kayak and heat it, too."

With An Odd Bodice, too!

Blame it all on John Scalzi. An then understand clearly why there will never be a Romance Novel from me:


Create Your Own Romance Novel Cover!

MEME: Monday Madness - True/False

On Sunday, February 05, 2006, Otto was seen to inscribe thusly:

“Thanks for not giving up on me! Last week I was finally able to post here at around 3:00 p.m. If you feel like taking on a challenge, check out last week's question and answer it along with this week's! Thank you for your continued support.” ; =)

“Now, on to the questions...”

True or False (and feel free to elaborate)

1. I consider myself to be very organized.
2. I tend to get more done when I'm pressed for time.
3. Multi-tasking is something I do often.
4. I might be a perfectionist.
5. I enjoy Mondays as much as I enjoy Fridays.
6. If I didn't make a list (or hang a post-it note) I'd forget what it is I need to do.
7. I have no problem asking for help when I don't understand something.

1. False. I am the epitome of disorganized.

2. Not true – I just like to think that way to avoid the ugly truth of my inefficiency.

3. True. That I do it poorly should be left unsaid, but I'm in a “bare-all” mood ... hear me squeak!

4. I'd like to be. Sadly, see answers 1 through 3 above for an inkling why I might not stand a chance...

5. Not on your life, Binky.

6. Huh? Where's my “portable brain” (notepad)?

7. And your uncle flings poo at the visitors to his enclosure at the National Zoo.

   Have a week worth waiting for, folks. If you desire to play along, visit Otto's demesnes and get yourself some questions and see where you leave your answers and how. It's all here.

Unconscious Mutterings

Free association is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.

That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this excercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.

"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head. AND you don't have to have your words up on Sunday. Take all week if you want! Read the FAQ for more information.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Week 157

22 hours, 31 minutes ago

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Taking sides::nepotism
2. Couples::mixed
3. Right of refusal::first refusal
   
4. Marla::Mapels
5. Multiple::personalities
6. Trinity::College
7. Sneeze::allergies
8. Sweatpants::sloppy
9. Steve::Martin
10. Fabulous::gay

Want to play along? Go here.

Sunday Seven - Episode 23

Last week's Sunday Seven had you recalling the sounds that relax you. Since today is Super Bowl Sunday, and since many non-sports fan will still watch, focused on the commercials, this seemed a good time to spend a little time looking at charities. Antonette, of "Jottings From Jersey," was technically "first to play" last week's question about relaxing sounds, since she was the first person to leave a link to the specific entry in which she answered the question in her own blog. (She'd have also been "first to play" if she'd been the first person to answer the questions here in a comment.) On to the challenge! THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: List up to seven charities you feel are particularly worthwhile. Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)

My Answers:

1. The Red Cross/Red Crescent

2. CARE

3. ASPCA

4. Literacy Volunteers of America

5. Noah's Wish (Pet Rescue during disasters)

6. Habitat For Humanity

7. Doctors Without Borders, USA

Between 2005 and 2050, eight countries -- India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Congo, Bangladesh, Uganda, the United States, Ethiopia, and China -- are likely to contribute half of the world's population increase.

There are over 30,000 nuclear weapons in the world.

Children in the country Burkina Faso on average receive three years of formal schooling.

Ninety countries are affected by landmines and unexploded ordinance, with rough estimates of 15,000 to 20,000 mine victims each year.

17 million children die from malnutrition and starvation each year.

Sierra Leone is considered the 'least livable country' and Norway is considered the 'most livable country' in 2004.

There are 22 countries where more than half the population is illiterate. Fifteen of them are in Africa.

In 2003, International-affairs organizations saw giving rise by 12 percent, more than any other type of cause.

Every year more than 500,000 women die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth, with huge regional disparities.

Since the epidemic began, AIDS has killed more than 21.8 million people--almost three times the population of Switzerland.

If you want to participate, copy the question(s), post your answers in your own blog and provide a link in the comments at Patrick's Weekender to your answers. It's easy and safe -- no AIDS involved...

MEME: Saturday Six - Episode 95

Thanks to those who played last week and came up with some great Reader's Choice Questions! If you missed last week's, just follow the link to Episode 94 on the sidebar and you can still play along. Look for those Reader's Choice questions in the next few weeks!

Before this week's questions, it's time to recognize the first person to play last week. According to the rules, to be considered "first to play," you must be the first one to either answer questions in the comment or post the link to the specific entry in which you've answered the questions. Though Cat was first to comment, she didn't include the link to the specific entry, so the plug this week goes to De of "Life is the Interruption of Everything." De answered the questions in the comment itself. Congratulations, De!

Here are this week's "Saturday Six" questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal...but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as "first to play," you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. How interested are you in this year's Super Bowl game?
Not at all. Never was a fan of American “football” as it isn't bleedin' Football!

2. How many Super Bowl parties have you been invited to attend? Are you going to one?
None. And I like it that way.
3. What's worse, in your opinion: when the media produces what you consider to be a one-sided story, or when someone who is critical of the media for producing what they think is a one-sided story retells the story telling only one side of it themselves?
Oh I dislike the fake retells the most. All journalism has a POV. Telling the story with accurate information, full quotes, and citations of one's sources will only get you fired.
4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What kind of weather are you? (Thanks to Shelly!)

You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming. Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you. You are best known for: your touch Your dominant state: changing

What Type of Weather Are You?

5. What kind of weather do you find to be the most relaxing?
Spring – you never know what'll pop up next. Tornadoes, anyone?
6. Consider any television shows you are currently collecting on DVD or are planning to collect. Are there any series that you'd stop collecting at a certain point rather than just collecting the entire run? If so, why?
I don't collect TV shows on DVD.
If you have a Reader's Choice question you'd like to see asked (and answered), click the e-mail link on the About Me bar at Patrick's Weekender and send it to him.

Couchicide!

A Smashing Success!

MEME: Tuesday Two - Episode 16 - Photographs...

Tuesday Two - Episode 16

You might want to take a look around your home at the photos you've decorated your living space with, because this might help you choose your question.

For those who have never played, the rules are simple: I offer two different questions, both related to the same topic, but you only choose one of them to actually answer. {Post a link to your answer over at Patrick's Weekender, please.}

Last week, for the second week in a row, Babs of " Independent Single Professional Female in the Buckle of the Bible Belt. YEE-Haa!! " was first to answer last week's question about Funerals. Congratulations again, Babs!

Now, onto this week's choice of questions. And remember: don't answer both questions!


THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: PHOTOGRAPHY

QUESTION A:
Someone's about to get their picture taken. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or the one taking the picture, and why?

I'm found behind the lens, playing the fool, waving my arms and making faces at babies and funny noises to get the German Shepherd to prick up her ears. It's all about control, expression, and frustration. I'm a control freak. It is as simple as that and just as annoying for my loved ones and enemies alike. Photography is as close as I come to creating something original, if one excludes my turnings, which one should do, if only as a kindness to the handicapped, frustrated fool holding the chisel. The frustration is my inability to translate the near-perfect image in my mind's eye into a concrete “reality” on photographic paper or a block of wood.

Ultimately, it is the frustrated artist within which has me return, time after time, to the process of capturing images on film or LED pixels or in a piece of burnished mahogany that will end up fueling that early morning fire that warms my tea. Because the Spaghetti Monster knows there's no chance my creations will be naught more than kindling for the fire. And so it goes...