Sunday Stealing Archives - Page 24 of 26

Blue Memory Meme

“La-dee-dah, la-dee-dah.”

The great thing about doing these memes is that when my access to the computer is limited, which has been the case a LOT of late, they are much easier to start and stop than an essay. As always, I may answer a question, or I may not. From a two-part Sunday Stealing: Part 1 and Part 2.

1) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

That greed is NOT good, that it comes back and bites you in places you don’t want to be bitten.

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Nelson Mandela

3) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Tahiti, because it’d be expensive.

4) What do you think about most?

Injustice. Stuff such as this: THIS is what extreme usury looks like.

6) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

Sure it would involve affairs of the heart.

7) What’s your strangest talent?

To stay friends with most of the people I’ve dated.

8) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

I’m sure there is one, but it’s not coming to me. Maybe I’m suppressing it.

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?

I believe so.

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?

Yesterday.

12) What’s your religion?

Christian. That denomination thing – I was a Methodist, am now a Presbyterian – is rather weird, if you think on it. Oh, and speaking of religion, check out John Cleese commenting on comments that folks have posted about Monty Python videos on YouTube. Note especially, at the 52-second mark, what he has to say about religion. Or this on Jesus, Republicans And The Bible, from back in the days of the Republican primaries, but the overarching theme is still relevant.

14) When you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Staying out of the sun.

17) What was the last lie you told?

Probably something in this quiz.

18) Do you believe in karma?

Yes.

19) What is a saying you say a lot?

“La-dee-dah, la-dee-dah.” Actually, I don’t, but I did at one time. You’d really need to ask someone else.

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

Irritability; sense of fairness.

21) Who is your celebrity crush?

This week? Emmylou Harris. I blame Eddie.

22) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.

Ann Wilson.

23) How do you vent your anger?

Blogging.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?

Hess trucks, Marvel Masterworks books, CDs, LPs.

25) What is your favorite word?

Rendezvous. (It’ll be something else next time I’m asked.)

26) Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

More or less.

27) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

Jackhammer; electric fan

28) What’s your biggest “what if”?

Gave them up for Lent, or something.

29) Do you believe in ghosts?

Not particularly, but I could be persuaded.

30) How about aliens?

Ditto.

31) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

Going to library school.

32) What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

Define “worst”. The saddest was in rural Tennessee; extreme poverty.

33) Can insanity bring on more creativity?

You’re asking me because…

35) To you, what is the meaning of life?

Helping each other, in big ways and small.

36) Define “Art”.

Paul’s partner in the 1960s.

37) Do you believe in luck?

Or something like that.

38) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Honesty.

39) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

A SONG. There are so many. I’ll pick one: R.E.M. – It’s The End Of The World

41) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

Broken rib.

43) What’s up?

Popular PIXAR movie starring Ed Asner.

44) Ever had a rumor spread about you?

Almost certainly. It might even have been true.

46) Do you ever hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

Not a real grudge, but more a loss of trust.

47) What’s your favorite (non-pet) animal?

Tiger.

48) What is your secret weapon to get people to like you?

It’s no secret. Monthly bribes.

50) What do you think is Satan’s last name?

Smith. Gotta blend in somehow.

Descent into Madness Meme

If I slept well, I almost never remember my dreams. If I had off-and-on sleep, I remember my dreams.

There was a two-part Madness meme on Sunday Stealing: Part 1 and Part 2. I’ve eliminated questions I didn’t feel like answering, such as “Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?”

2. What’s the largest age difference between yourself and someone you’ve dated?

16.5 years.

3. Ever been in a car wreck?

Two, one that sent me to the hospital.

4. Were you popular in high school?

Not initially. I was in a group of outsiders that opposed the war in Vietnam in 1968. But by 1970, I was student government president, my friend Carol was VP, and the mood of the school, the community, and the country had changed.

5. Have you ever been on a blind date?

No.

7. Do you have any friends that you’ve known for 10 years or more?

I have friends I have known for 50 years, including the aforementioned Carol.

13. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher?

12th grade English.

17. What would your last meal be before getting executed?

Lobster and steak.

20. Beer, wine or hard liquor?

Hardly any at all these days. That said, not beer, because I never acquired a taste for it. White wine over red, because the red gives me wicked headaches. A number of hard liquor items, but NOT Scotch or vermouth.

21. Do you have any phobias?

Yes.

28. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house?

Take off my shoes.

29. Do you like horror or comedy?

There’s enough horror in the world.

31. Where do you want to live when you are old?

In a walkable community, with a grocery store, drug store, and movie theater nearby. Someplace with good mass transit to the educational facilities in the region.

34. What did you dream of last night?

If I slept well, I almost never remember my dreams. If I had off-and-on sleep, I remember my dreams, but it gets so mixed up with my awake consciousness, I quickly forget.

35. What is your favorite sport to watch?

I like watching football, and especially baseball because I can read the newspaper at the same time. Whereas basketball requires far more concentration than I have time for.

36. Are you named after anyone?

No.

40. Do you sing in the shower?

Not consciously. Which is to say: probably.

43. Would you ever get plastic surgery?

Only if I had had a terrible scarring accident or illness. Not for general aging.

Obviously, I need a couple of Madness songs:
Our House
It Must Be Love
One Step Beyond

Blogging meme about blogging is a Cardinal Sin

Any number of TMI moments.

The late Cardinal Jaime Sin of the Philippines.

From Sunday Stealing back in November.

1. Why did you sign up for writing your blog?

An existential crisis of powerlessness.

2. Why did you choose your blog’s name? What does it mean?

Ramblin’ with (John) Gambling, a radio show.

3. Did you ever had another blog?

Not before this blog; a few since.

4. What do you do online when you’re not on your blog?

Limited Facebook and Twitter.

5. How about when you’re not on the computer?

Mostly tend to the Daughter.

6. What do you wish people who read your blog knew about you?

I think people who read my blog know just what I want them to know about me.

7. What is your favorite community in the blogosphere?

ABC Wednesday.

8. What is your philosophy on your blog layout?

I have none – philosophy or a particular layout.

9. Tell me about the picture you use to represent you on your blog.

It’s a caricature of me that the late Raoul Vezina drew for a friend of mine.

10. Pick 3 random blogs from your blogroll and tell us about them.

Byzantium Shores – well-read, and an extremely handy guy from Buffalo named Jaquandor who knows music.

Shores of Orion – a blog by Chris Honeywell, who’s a Christian Scientist. No, that’s not right. She’s a scientist (mathematical biogeochemist) and a Christian, among other things.

Mike Sterling’s Progressive Ruin -a comic-book-related blog I’ve been reading since before I started blogging.

11. What features do you think your blog should have that it doesn’t currently?

Big explosions.

12. What do you consider the 10 most “telling” interests that we would infer from your blog persona?

Music, religion, politics, civil rights, family, English language, movies, books, libraries, data

13. Do you have any unique interests that you have never shared before? What are they?

Yes, and I will when I get good and ready to.

14. The best thing about blogging is all of the friends that you make. Besides those folks, do you think your blog has fans?

Apparently.

15. What’s your current obsession? What about it captures your imagination?

Everything. Politics, I suppose.

16. What are you glad you did but haven’t really had a chance to post about?

I will, eventually. Or not.

17. How many people that first became a blog friend, have you met face to face?

One – Gordon.

18. What don’t you talk about here, either because it’s too personal or because you don’t have the energy?

Any number of TMI moments.

19. What’s a question that you’d love to answer?

I’m going to make you guess at that.

20. Have you ever lost a blogging friendship and regretted it?

No. I think, like other friends, people come and go in your life.

21. Have you ever lost a blogging friendship and thought, “Was that overdue!”

No.
***
Most of the references to the death of the BeeGees’ Robin Gibb notes the brothers’ disco period, and especially the Saturday Night Fever, understandable given its sales and popularity. But the first song of theirs I heard was New York Mining Disaster 1941, and I for one was listening to them before Stayin’ Alive.

The Fifteen Movie Questions Meme

Seems that “dream casting” often goes awry.

From here:

1. Movie you love with a passion.
West Side Story. I know it’s only a good, not great movie. But I love the music, dancing. I saw it when I was young, so it had a huge impression on me.

2. Movie you vow to never watch.
Saw 1 to infinity.

3. Movie that literally left you speechless.
Young Frankenstein, during which I laughed so hard, I couldn’t speak. Or Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part 1, that was so bad from a major director that I was slackjawed. Or Schindler’s List, which is probably the best answer.

4. Movie you always recommend.
I never “always recommend” anything. But if someone said, “I never like any of X (type or actor’s) movie,” I would see what has been seen and recommend something else. People who don’t like Woody Allen, e.g., I probably wouldn’t say, “Annie Hall”, which I love; I might pick Zelig. I’m likely to suggest Unforgiven for those who hate Westerns.

5. Actor/actress you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie.
Meryl Streep. I wouldn’t say I ALWAYS see her films, but she is the film performer whose body of work I’ve probably seen the most of, percentage-wise.

6. Actor/actress you don’t get the appeal for.
Oh, there are so many. The first person who came to mind was Megan Fox, whose acting lack of acting ability, even in the movie trailers, is evident.

7. Actor/actress, living or dead, you’d love to meet.
Denzel Washington. Seems like an interesting guy.

8. Sexiest actor/actress you’ve seen. (Picture required!)
Well, by the nature of the biz, a lot of performers are “sexy.” Not trying to overthink these things, the first person I thought of was Rose Byrne.

9. Dream cast.
I suppose it would depend on the project. I saw The Dirty Dozen when it was brand new, and it was perfect. Seems that “dream casting” often goes awry.

10. Favorite actor pairing.
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

11. Favorite movie setting.
Paris. I love Paris, though I’ve never been there.

12. Favorite decade for movies.
The 1990s. Probably saw more movies from that decade, too.

13. Chick flick or action movie?
Ignoring the argument over the nomenclature, chick flick.

14. Hero, villain, or anti-hero?
I’m not sure what antihero really means. So I’ll pick that.

15. Black and white or color?
Obviously, it depends on the film. But I’ll say b&w.

These are a few of my favorite things

In the living room, with my feet up, reading the newspaper. This almost never actually happens.

Cherry-picking through Sunday Stealing, again. This one is from July 3:

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
The Muppets.

2. What book are you reading?
I’m slogging through a book written by a colleague, which I may soon abandon altogether.

3. Favorite board game?
I’d say SCRABBLE. But don’t you actually have to PLAY it occasionally for it to be your favorite? Backgammon and SORRY.

4. Favorite magazine?
I start reading a magazine, then the next one comes before I finish the first, and I end up with a pile of half-read, quickly dated periodicals. I don’t really read them anymore.

I find Newsweek’s new “hip” style annoying and journalistically thin. I usually switch back and forth between it and TIME.
I suppose, by default, Entertainment Weekly, which I skim more than read.

5. Favorite smells?
Freshly baked bread, or pastries generally. Lilac bushes, which remind me of the one adjacent to my home of 18 years in Binghamton, NY.

6. Favorite sounds?
Depends on the need. It can be white noise, to sleep. I love water, generally, from brooks to waterfalls. And, of course, there are all sorts of music.

7. Worst feeling in the world?
The realization that you have really messed up something that was very important to someone else. This tends to be at the personal, not work, level.

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
What time is it? Can I roll over and go back to sleep?

9. Favorite fast food place?
Wendy’s, maybe because it’s less ubiquitous around here than Mickey D’s or BK.

10. What’s under your bed?
My slippers, and clothes my wife stores.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had a lot of money I’d….?
Have to pull out the list. It depends on the definition of “a lot”. There are so many charities: food pantries, the Red Cross – the demand for their services is only going to increase. But also the arts.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Well, not sleep WITH.

13. Storms – cool or scary?
Depends on whether I’m safely indoors or not.

14. Favorite drink?
I like mixed drinks; orange and cranberry juice, milk and Kaluaha…

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Actually watch all the shows I DVR, rather than record and eventually delete.

16. If you had to dye your hair another color, what would be your choice?
Green, of course.

17. Favorite place to relax?
In the living room, with my feet up, reading the newspaper. This almost never actually happens.

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Binghamton, Kingston, New Paltz, Jackson Heights (Queens), Schenectady, Albany, NY. Charlotte, NC.

19. Favorite sports to watch?
I can always watch baseball because I can read or do other things at the same time.

20. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Well, only if I could remember the mistakes, so I could go make new ones!