Memes

Q: What sorts of things did you enjoy reading as a child?
Everything! Mysteries were a big favorite, but I loved all sorts of fiction, and I enjoyed biographies, too.
Q: Are you now, or did you ever, mourn or grieve over the death of former U.S. President Ronald Regan?
Probably about as much as he grieved over the 70,000 gay men who died because he didn’t bother to do anything to combat AIDS.
Q: Have you ever had a role in a theatrical performance? If so, what did you play? If not, is there a role that you’d like to play?
I was a prop person for a production of Spoon River Anthology in high-school, because I had a crush on one of the female leads. I don’t really have the acting bug, and I have terrible stage fright.
Q: If and when your hair turns gray, will you let the gray in or will you use an over-the-counter product to turn it away?
I probably won’t do much to it. I probably won’t go gray very early; I have my mom’s light colored hair and her gray really isn’t noticeable.

Courtesy of Belicove.com:
Q: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and hubby Chris Martin recently gave birth to a girl they named “Apple” (Apple Blythe Alison Martin, to be more exact). How do you feel about unconventional names such as the one Paltrow and Martin bestowed upon their bouncing baby girl? Do you feel they’re appropriate, inappropriate, a hoot, no big deal, place the child at a disadvantage in any way, etc.?
I’d strive for something unique but not so off the wall that it would be ridiculous. I’d much rather my kid have a name that no one else has than one that they’ll have to share with ten kids in their class. If the kid hates it, they can always use something else. I think that children’s self-esteem has a lot more to do with how you prepare and socialize them for the world than it does with them fitting in and not attracting attention.
That being said, I’m naming my kids Cilantro, Pesto, and Little Gorgonzola. Okay I’m kidding. But those will be their nicknames. I like Eleanora Rosalind for a girl’s name — because she can shorten it however she likes, it’s pretty, and there won’t be anyone with exactly the same name. For a boy… still working on that one. I have a feeling there’d be a Daniel or a Douglas in his name somewhere, though.
Q: Tradition tells us that in the United States and much of the western world, when a man and woman marry, the woman takes the man’s last name. How do you feel about this? What about couples who combine last names in order to create a new one, or who choose to start off fresh with some random last name?
Taking the last name — I’m not in favor of it, you might be able to guess. I think it denotes a woman as a man’s property. Hyphenating or combining names is, to me, respectful of both people’s place in the new family, and the importance of both families in their lives. I guess that gets complex further down the line, but still. Starting on fresh with a random last name: weird, and I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. I think the last name should honor the family you came from.
Q: If you were told you had to change your first name, what name would you choose?
Ann. My middle name. Honestly, I never liked my first name all that well, until I met Stephanie. Now I don’t mind it at all, because it’s hers, too.
Q: Have you ever had a nickname? If so, what was (or is) it? If not, have you ever wanted one (and if so, what would you like to be called)?
Only the one I gave myself, really — ElectraSteph. And my friend Heather called me “little feet” all the time. That’s about it.

1. Which political party do you typically agree with?
The Democrats. Obviously.

2. Which political party do you typically vote for?
The Democrats. Obviously.

3. List the last five presidents that you voted for.
Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton

4. Which party do you think is smarter about the economy?
The Democrats. Obviously.

5. Which party do you think is smarter about domestic affairs?
The Democrats. Obviously.

6. Do you think we should keep our troops in Iraq or pull them out?
Sigh. We’re damned either way, so pull them out, and save the lives and money.

7. Who, or what country, do you think is most responsible for 9/11?
Al Qaeda, with the aid of the Taliban in Afghanistan and with the help of Islamic fundamentalists in Saudi Arabia, some of which are part of the Saudia Arabian government, and who received aid from George W. Bush & Dick Cheney through business deals. Saddam Hussein, who was a Very Bad Man, had less to do with 9/11 than our own “president.”

8. Do you think we will find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! That’s a knee slapper. I think we’ll find some pixie dust, all those ships lost in the Bermuda triangle, and the elusive fountain of youth in the same area of Iraq as those “WMD.”

9. Yes or no, should the U.S. legalize marijuana?
Well. I dunno. Probably not. But the true answer to this question is under this another important question, i.e., Will You Keep Your Recreational Card Under New York’s Recreational Law? since there are huge chances of misusing these drugs that can be fatal in one’s life.

10. Do you think the Republicans stole the last presidential election?
Yes. Obviously.

11. Do you think Bill Clinton should have been impeached because of his affair?
Only if we first impeach George W. Bush for the 30+ crimes he’s committed in office all of which have done serious damage to the country, the economy, foreign policy, etc.

12. Do you think Hillary Clinton would make a good president?
Yes.

13. Name a current Democrat who would make a great president.
John Kerry. Howard Dean. John Edwards. Hillary Clinton. On occasions, Evan Bayh rises to the challenge.

14. Name a current Republican who would make a great president.
John McCain.
15. Do you think that women should have the right to have an abortion?
Yes.
16. What religion are you?
Agnostic.

17. Have you read the Bible all the way through?
Numerous times. I’ve read the King James version, and the New Jerusalem version, for classes in college and for my own personal enjoyment. I’ve also read the Ramayana, parts of the Kabbalah, and parts of the Baghavad Gita.

18. What’s your favorite book?
Curious Myths of the Middle Ages is one favorite. See others.

19. Who is your favorite band?
Too many to name; I really like music.

20. Who do you think you’ll vote for president in the next election?
John Kerry. As many times as possible.

21. What website did you see this on first?
Belicove.com

Courtesy of belicove.com. I’m late again, of course.
Q: What’s your favorite bagel, muffin, and/or doughnut (we’re talking flavor and/or brand)?
Not an enormous bagel fan. I’d eat them if someone put them in front of me, but I don’t generally buy them for myself. Doughnuts – I like anything with chocolate on it, and cinnamon sugar coated doughnuts. Muffins – my grandmother makes a chocolate cupcake/muffin with cream cheese and chocolate chips in the center, that they also have a version of at the coffee shop that used to be at work. MMMM.
Q: The much-anticipated environmental drama, The Day After Tomorrow, opens today in movie theaters nationwide. According to media accounts, the movie takes a special-effects-filled look at what the world would look like if the greenhouse effect and global warming continued at such levels that they resulted in worldwide catastrophe and disaster, including multiple hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, and the beginning of the next ice age. Do you think that in our lifetime we’ll be witness to the sorts of major environmental catastrophes such as the ones depicted in this movie?
Obviously we won’t have catastrophes on the scale of the movie, because their time frame for the events was compacted severely for entertainment purposes. But we’re already seeing the effects of global warming, and it will continue to get worse.
Q: Birthday and holiday greeting cards; hand-written letters from friends and loved ones… we’ve all received them. What do you do with these sorts of things once you’ve finished reading them… toss them or keep them?
Keep them. I have a storage place for them.
Q: Have you ever used a fire extinguisher? If so, what were the circumstances? If not, do you know how to use one?
Umm. No. I have one in my house, but never learned how to use it. Thanks for making me feel guilty, there. Now I have to go learn how to use the fire extinguisher.

This weeks questions early:
Q: Would you rather receive free gasoline for your car for one year, or free meals for a year at your favorite restaurant?
Free meals. I spend way more on food than I do on gas.
Q: Do you think it’s hypocritical for SUV drivers to display environmentally-focused bumper stickers on their vehicles?
Yes, (Brent!)
Q: If you could be any cartoon character for a day or two, which one would you be, and why?
Strongbad.
Q: For how long can you hold your breath? Not sure; that’s okay… give it try, right now!
About 10 seconds. I’ve never been a big non-breather.
Last weeks questions late:
Q: When you were a kid, what were your favorite TV shows/Saturday morning cartoons?
Batman, Wonder Woman, Shazam, Isis.
Q: If you were forced to give up one modern convenience, which one would you choose NOT to give up because you absolutely could not live without it?
Digital Video Recorder!!! When I was in the hospital last year, it’s hard to tell which thing really almost killed me; the ruptured appendix, the constant needle poking to draw blood, or the inability to fast forward through the commercials on the TV.
Q: You’re standing on line in a supermarket and the person in front of you is short on cash to pay for all of his/her groceries. Do you:
A) Help them out by giving them the money they need?
B) Watch them struggle to decide which items they should put back in order to be able to pay?
C) Roll your eyes, stamp your foot, and sigh because this is just taking too darn long and you need to pay for your six pack already and get to the BBQ before all the ribs and burgers are gone?
D) You don’t have any extra cash on you, but you have a credit card with no current balance, and so you offer to pay for both your items and the other person’s, if they’ll just agree to reimburse you with the cash they have on hand?
A. It would probably depend on how much they needed, but I’d try to help them out. I’ve been in that position straight out of college, and I know how it feels to have to put back something you need.
Q: Would you rather kiss your boyfriend or girlfriend for an hour straight in order to raise money for charity, or win $1,000 tax free?
Kiss my girlfriend. Most definitely.

Since the old school “Friday Five” seems to be out of commission for a while, I’m ushering in the fresh new “Friday Four” from Belicove.com a nice guy I happen to know.
Q: If you were able to leave your present job today in order to start your own business tomorrow, what type of business would you start?
Circus! No, maybe, fortune teller! Organ grinder!! Then I’d get to have a monkey.
Q: Do you have a regular rotation for the clothes you wear to work, or are you a fashionista–the type who wouldn’t even consider wearing the same outfit within the same “x” number of days?
I have a lot of clothes. I have favorite stuff I love to wear, and stuff that I wear when my favorite stuff is in the wash. I try not to wear the same outfit within 7 days. Technically, I could go for 17 days without wearing any article of clothing more than once… because I have 17 pairs of underwear. TMI?
Q: What’s the largest crowd you’ve ever been a part of?
Toss up between the Indy 500 race crowd, and the 1993 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights, which clocked in at 1 million +.
Q: What’s in the trunk of your car right now? If not your trunk, then how about in the back seat?
Err, I have a truck… but in the bed right now are cement garden border blocks I bought at Lowe’s the other day.

Q: What’s on the nightstand next to your bed?
Glasses, tissue, lamp, alarm clock, phone, current book, current magazine, TV remote
Q: What one show on television do you try never to miss?
Big Brother, Joan of Arcadia, Wonderfalls, The L-word.
Q: What condiment always tastes good to you no matter what it�s on?
Worcestershire sauce. I’m not kidding.
Q: Would you rather sleep on the most luxurious mattress you can imagine or have your face appear on a postage stamp or your favorite cereal box?
Postage stamp.

So I took yesterday off to clean house after my party, and I’m even more late with the Friday Five than usual.
If you…
1. …owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve?
Chicken dishes. Yup, that’s all. It wouldn’t be a fast food take out place, though, but a sit-down, nice meal, cloth napkins kind of place. That only served chicken dishes, and vegetarian meals for my veggie-eatin’ friends. And there would be a comical chicken logo. And a giant chicken outside, and a chicken car.
2. …owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell?
It would be called the curiosity shop, and I’d sell odd stuff. Like antique and vintage decor, fun toys, and other bizarre stuff. There would have to be at least one suit of armor in the place, and a huge collection of weird hats.
3. …wrote a book, what genre would it be?
Historical fiction.
4. …ran a school, what would you teach?
How to play the harmonica? I dunno, I’m not a very good teacher.
5. …recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it?
Cover album; these would be the songs:
Twist the Knife
The Way
Werewolves of London
I Would Walk 500 Miles
Kiss Off
Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues (Untitled)
Fire In My Heart
Crash On The Barrelhead
Hard Drive
big darkness
Pop Singer’s Fear of the Pollen Count
One Tin Soldier
Mad World
Beautiful Accident
Like a Friend
Mr. Zebra
Road Rage
Fall of the World’s Own Optimist
Eve of Destruction
Radar Love
Freak Magnet
Unholy Train
Ring of Fire
Black Betty
Magic Carpet Ride

To do The Friday Five. Mondays are a way more appropriate day. Screw alliteration.
1. What was the last song you heard?
“Wanted Man” by Johnny Cash, because it’s one of the songs that the band is going play at my house on Saturday. The band has officially named itself, by the way — “Susan May Kill You.” This is funny because we have a co-worker named Susan May. And she’s probably the least likely person to kill you.
2. What were the last two movies you saw?
“Starsky and Hutch” in the theater on Saturday night, “A Mighty Wind” on TV Sunday afternoon. I also saw “Catch Me If You Can” and “Igby Goes Down” this weekend. Hmmm. That’s a lot of movie watching when I’m supposed to be cleaning house.
3. What were the last three things you purchased?
Picture frames, cat treats, crackers.
4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
Well, if we’re talking this past weekend, clean house, plan the menu, have the band over to practice.
5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
Emily at IHPC, Jason at Health & Hospital (neighborhood related stuff), Brian, my boss, Mike my co-worker, Kathy on the phone.