In the meme time

Okay, so, some author-lady tagged me for this 6 random things meme. Well, then, here ya go:

Six Random Things About Me:

1. My ipod was having issues the other day, so I reset it and reloaded all the music, and now it refuses to shuffle. This irritates me greatly.

2. I have dents in my skull behind both of my ears. About eight months ago, I got a new pair of glasses. The parts that sit on your ears (do they have a name? I don't know) were too tight, to the point where it was painful, but I was too lazy to go get them adjusted. After a while, the tightness seemed to go away, so I figured they had just stretched out a bit, the way new shoes do. Then a few days ago I happened to run my hand over my head while my glasses were off, and I realized there were actual dents in my skull where the ends of the glasses were pushing against it. Seriously. Instead of the glasses stretching out, my head stretched in.

3. At any given time, I have at least 3-5 different kinds of cheese in my refrigerator. Current inventory: shredded cheddar, jarlsberg, crumbled blue, French white cheese (sheep's milk feta), fresh mozzarella, and cottage cheese.

4. There is a girl who I see sometimes at my gym who I'm pretty sure thinks she is Paris Hilton. She always wears a heavy, loose bracelet (I think it's one of those loathsome Tiffany silver tag bracelets) while she works out (although I use the term "working out" loosely, as she just walks on the treadmill - I do not consider an activity working out if you're not sweating and/or breathing heavily, or if you only do it for 10 minutes and then leave because you got a call on your cell phone) that jangles loudly with every step she takes, and it is all I can do not to walk over and punch her in the face. (Well, not really. The idea of me actually punching someone in the face is quite ridiculous. But it is not a stretch to say I have to restrain myself from screaming at her to take the fucking thing off.)

5. As I may or may not have mentioned, one of things I will miss the most if I ever move away from this area is the car-watching. Even if I could afford the kinds of cars people around here drive, I don't think I could ever bring myself to spend that much money on one myself. But that doesn't mean I don't love to look at them. The sight of a Bentley Continental GT makes me all tingly,



although the Jaguar XK may be challenging it as my new favorite fancy car:



Honorable mentions go the Maseratis and Aston-Martins, although they're not nearly as common, so I just don't see or think about them as much. I have to point out, by the way, that the pictures just don't do them justice. They don't look nearly as impressive here as they do in person.

6. I don't like following rules.


The rules:
a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Per no. 6 of my random things, I am ignoring rules (d) and (e), because I just don't like doing that. But of course any of the maybe two or three of you still reading this thing are certainly free to take the meme if you want to.

Meta-Memery

Before moving on from memes, I thought it would be worth mentioning another one that's been floating around recently, the "needs" meme. It's where you put your name into Google with the word "needs" and then post the results you get, which are usually funny. What's even more amusing (to me, anyway) is that when you put my real name in (full or nickname version, both of which are annoyingly common), you not only get regular hits (quite a lot, as there are several very famous, very written-about people with my name out there), you get a lot of hits (actually, they are the top hits) to other blogs doing the meme. That could even be its own meme - link to other blog posts doing the meme with your same name (I almost considered doing that, but that would kind of defeat the whole anonymity thing I have going on here).

Anyway, I am done with memes now, if only because I really, really hate the word "meme," and I don't want to type it anymore.

Four Things

So Dweeze has tagged me for this "Four Things" meme, and it is a well-known fact that I do whatever Dweeze tells me to do. So. Four things.

Four jobs I've had:

1. Materials science lab gopher.
2. Office gopher.
3. Undergraduate research assistant.
4. Undergraduate teaching assistant.

Four movies I can watch over and over:

Not necessarily the greatest movies of all time, but that's a different category.

1. Lone Star. This is the movie Chris Cooper should have won an Academy Award for, not Adaptation.

2. Mulholland Dr.

3. Titanic. Sorry, I know there's no excuse for this one. Believe me, it's not the love story (that's the worst part), because I mostly hate sappy, sentimental movies. But the fact is, I love the meticulous period detail (especially the costumes), and, more importantly, it's a maybe-not-so-well-known fact that I'm a sucker for large-scale transportation disaster porn.

4. Full Frontal.

Four places I've lived:

(Sorry, this one's not for bloggish consumption.)

Four TV shows I love:

1. Alias.

2. The Amazing Race.

3. The Office.

4. Eh, can't really come up with a fourth one. There are a bunch of other shows I watch regularly, but I can't say I "love" any of them (and since I still don't have cable, I'm limited to the meager offerings of broadcast teevee).

Four highly-touted TV shows I detest:

1. American Idol. Seriously, there are no words adequate to express how much I loathe this show.

2. Desperate Housewives. Although I probably wouldn't hate it as much if it just lost the awful theme music and the irritating Sue-Ellen Mischke narration. (Even then, it would still be immensely boring, so I still woudn't watch it anyway.)

3. The Apprentice. I actually forced myself to watch the last few episodes of this show last season, because my Dad knows the guy who ended up winning, but man, it was difficult. What a stupid show.

4. CSI, in any and all incarnations.

Four books I'd recommend to anyone, anytime:

Ugh, I hate this question. Here's the thing about me - I don't really read a lot of books. Which I know makes me sound really pathetic and illiterate. I do own a lot of books - I have a bad habit of buying them and then...not reading them. I don't know why. I think it has to do with the fact that I have a really short attention span. Anyway, it makes this question hard to answer because anything I say is going to sound really lame. But whatever, here you go:

1. Fatherland, by Robert Harris.

2. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

3. Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert Massie.

4. Fatal Vision, by Joe McGinniss.

Four places I've vacationed:

1. France.

2. Disney World.

3. Park City, Utah.

4. Seattle.

Four of my favorite dishes:

Depends whether you're talking generally, or from a specific source. Because there's a Malaysian resaurant here that has amazing mango chicken, but I don't know that I'd call it my favorite except from that one place. But anyway, whatever.

1. Kimbap (Korean sushi rolls containing beef, egg, spinach, carrot, and pickled radish).

2. Chicken Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup).

3. My Mom's barley-beef soup.

4. Aloo Chole (Indian chickpea and potato curry).

Four sites I visit daily:

1. Deadspin.

2. Defamer.

3. Damn Hell Ass Kings.

4. And of course, Circle Of.

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Dhoni Mighili (Maldives). It is my life's goal to marry a wealthy man solely so I can go on vacation there.

2. New York City.

3. L.A.

4. France.

Four bloggers I am tagging:

Well, I don't really like to do that, but anyone who wants to is free to take it (though I seriously doubt my blog is the first place you've seen this meme, so I assume anyone who's wanted to do it has already done so).

Maybe this will be the cure for blogger's block

Normally, I hate the whole meme phenomenon. But this one Badger has posted is fairly non-threatening, and I really, really need something to jog my brain. Seriously, people, the well? It is dry.

1. What is your first name?

None of your business.

2. Were you named after anyone?

Not that I know of.

3. Do you wish on stars?

No.

4. When did you last cry?

A few weeks ago.

5. Do you like your handwriting?

When I put effort into it, yes. But if I'm writing quickly, or tired, it looks like chicken scratches.

6. What is your favorite lunch meat?

Paper-thin, super-lean corned beef. Preferably incorporated into a reuben sandwich (on light rye, with spicy mustard, not russian dressing).

7. What is your most embarrassing CD?

Maybe the Rod Stewart. And also the Ace of Base. But my excuse for that one is that, for some reason, it was really good studying music when I was in college. So, you see, it had educational value. Yeah. And the first Wham! album (Fantastic), which is possibly the cheesiest group of songs ever assembled, but which I absolutely adore.

I also have plenty of embarrassing single tracks. Marky Mark, Lou Bega, Rick Astley, Bon Jovi all come to mind. Oh, and there's even a Backstreet Boys song in there too, but only because I was trying to test whether you can email iTunes files, and I asked my friend to email me something she knew I wouldn't own. Hence, the Backstreet Boys. Of course, this doesn't explain why I haven't deleted it.

8. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

Probably not.

9. Do you have a journal?

I suppose, if this qualifies.

10. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Of course not.

11. What are your nicknames?

Just a shortened form of my first name. Which, as you will recall, is still none of your business.

12. Would you bungee jump?

If I were a contestant on The Amazing Race, yes. Under any other circumstances, probably not. But strangely, I'm not sure I'd say no to skydiving.

13. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

No. As I've said numerous times before, I'm very lazy.

14. Do you think that you are strong?

Physically, I know I'm not. Mentally, emotionally...I don't know. I don't think so.

15. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Generally, pumpkin or blackberry. Best when eaten during the summer, from a roadside ice cream place in Maine.

With respect to brands, Haagen-Dazs makes the best chocolate, Dove and Breyer's make the best vanilla, and Brigham's makes the best chocolate-chip.

16. Shoe Size?

Too damn large. Every shoe-shopping trip goes exactly the same way: see cute shoes on display, usually in something like a size 5, ask for my size, recoil in horror at giant, no-longer-cute clown shoes, spend several days trying to repair self-esteem.

17. Red or pink?

Red. No contest.

18. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

It's really too hard to choose just one thing.

19. Who do you miss most?

My Nana.

20. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back?

Um...clearly this was intended to be emailed. So, whatever.

21. What color pants and shoes are you wearing?

Currently wearing: Dark blue Adidas shorts, green t-shirt that says "System Design and Management" on the front, no shoes. So sexy.

22. What are you listening to right now?

Wham! - Fantastic.

23. Last thing you ate?

Small beef-and-bean burrito with green beans and roasted corn. And a cup of pickled celery.

24. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Periwinkle. It was always my favorite, not necessarily because of the color, but because of the name.

25. What is the weather like right now?

Hot. Humid. What else is new?

26. Last person you talked to on the phone?

My mother.

27. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

Ick, I always hate this kind of question. I don't know. It depends.

28. Do you like the person who sent this to you?

Well, I stole it from Badger, so yes.

29. Favorite Drink?

Pretty much any fruity, girly drink.

30. Favorite Sport?

To play: Lacrosse, tennis, running, skiing. (In theory, anyway. It's been ages since I've skied or played tennis, and playing lacrosse is pretty much impossible now for a million different reasons.)

To watch: Football, baseball.

31. Hair Color?

Dark brown.

32. Eye Color?

Brown.

33. Do you wear contacts?

I used to. Had to stop when I started a job that required me to stare at a computer for most of the day.

34. Favorite Food?

Eh, can't really pick just one. Favorite cuisine is probably Korean.

35. Last Movie You Watched?

In the theater: Hotel Rwanda.

On DVD: Kinsey. With my parents, my brother, and my brother's fiancee. Awkward.

36. Favorite Day Of The Year?

I don't know. Don't really have one.

37. Scary Movies or Happy Endings?

Scary movies, I guess. Not gory-scary, though.

38. Summer or Winter?

During summer, I want winter. During winter, I want summer.

39. Hugs or Kisses?

Depends.

40. What Is Your Favorite Dessert?

Ice cream.

41. Who Is Most Likely To do this Meme?

I don't know. This type of question is one part of the meme thing that I really hate.

42. Who Is Least Likely To do this Meme and comment?

See #41.

43. What Books Are You Reading?

At the moment, none. I have a bad habit of buying books and then never getting around to reading them.

44. What's On Your Mouse Pad?

Don't have one.

45. What Did You Watch Last night on TV?

The baseball game, without sound, reflected in the mirror in front of the treadmill (it's like bizarro baseball - most of the players are left-handed, and the batters run to third base).

46. Favorite Smells?

Lilacs, vine-ripened tomatoes, cigars, baby shampoo.

47. Favorite Sounds?

The water gently lapping at the edge of a lake, loons (the birds, not the crazy people).

48. Rolling Stones or Beatles?

Beatles.

49. What's the furthest you've been from home?

Berlin.

50. Do you have a special talent?

Self-deprecation.

51. What is your ring tone?

Normal, boring, regular ring tone. Like a phone should sound.

If Dweeze says jump, jump I must

So I see here where we have this musical questionnaire I'm supposed to complete. Okay, then.

1. Last CD you bought

Probably was Autumn Thunder: 40 Years of NFL Films Music (10-disc box set) or the newest from Tears For Fears, both of which I bought a few weeks ago. At some point recently, I also bought a CD sight-unseen (or sound-unheard, I suppose) from some Andean musicians who often sell CDs in the shopping district near my office. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a pan flute.

2. Last song listened to before this message

"Live Until I Die" - Ass Ponys

3. 5 songs you listen to a lot or mean something to you

I'm not sure I like this question. "Songs I listen to a lot" and "songs that mean something to me" are two entirely different things. Also, songs could mean something to you in a good way or in a bad way, and "meaning something" could mean that the lyrics mean something to you, or maybe that the song as a whole is meaningful. Like, every time I hear "What's Up" by Four Non Blondes, it makes me think of this time in college when this guy I was going out with dumped my ass right before we were supposed to go to a movie premiere that he'd gotten free tickets to, and for some unknown reason, I still went with him, despite the fact that I was nearly boiling over with rage, and that song was playing in the car on the way there. Or there's "Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum, which I always used to listen to in college when I was depressed. I don't think I want to make a list of songs that mean something bad, though, because that's no fun.

But leaving those out, the question still taunts me with its ambiguity. If I sort my iTunes by number of times played, the five that come up on top are, starting with most times played:

"Du Hast" - Rammstein (Interestingly, this song also came up here.)

"You Win Again" - The Bee Gees

"White Flag" - Dido

"Another Night" - Real McCoy

"Lambada" - Kaoma

Not all of those are recent, though. Lately, one song that I keep playing is "True Faith" by New Order. It is just a fucking brilliant song.

As for songs that mean something to me (in a good way; see above), this is harder, because I can't really look at iTunes to jog my memory, unless I want to scroll through nearly 3500 songs, which I don't.

Probably the oldest one I can think of is the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive", which, besides being an awesome disco song, reminds me of when my Dad used to play it for me when I was a little kid, and I'd dance to it in his study - that's where he kept the record player. Yes, people, I do remember record players. In fact, one day, I wanted to listen to it so much that I decided I'd try to play the record myself, and of course I ended up scratching it. When my Dad discovered this, he wondered aloud how it had happened, not appearing to have any idea I could have done it, and I certainly didn't volunteer the information. Even to this day, I have never told him, and man, suddenly I feel so ashamed. Maybe this isn't such a good memory after all. Anyway, moving on...

When I was about 14, a bunch of friends and I were at summer camp, and we made up a dance for some sort of talent show thing that was set to "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals. It was a pretty lame dance, but we had fun, and for years afterwards, it was all I could to keep myself from doing the dance every time I heard the song. I've since forgotten most of it, but I can still do part of the chorus.

When I was a freshman in college, my two roommates and I had this thing where, when we got really stressed out (which was quite often), we'd blast "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane (yes, it's a cheesy song - I don't care) at two in the morning and dance around in our room. I'm sure our neighbors loved that.

And then there was grad school, where the song "Gangsta Trippin'" by Fatboy Slim will always remind me of this one party at the apartment of my friend the former Calvin Klein underwear model (I am not making that up - he really was - and now he has a Ph.D., so there), and our other friend got really drunk and put handprints on his own ass using fluorescent body paint.

Oh, and I just remembered this last one. "Lonely Planet" by The The will always have a special place in my heart, because I won a radio contest by knowing the lyrics. The contest was that they would read (not sing) a couple lines from a song, and you had to call in and say what the song was. I am usually terrible at this - whenever someone sends around one of those lists of 100 song lines, and you have to guess what the songs are, I can usually get about five of them - so I was amazed that I got the answer. I was actually the third person who got through, but the first two got it wrong. I won a Timberland backpack, which is probably the most random prize I've ever heard of, and which I still have.

Anyway, those are some songs that mean something to me, I guess, in the sense that they all have significant memories attached to them. I'm not sure if I properly followed the rules of the question, but hey, this is where I invoke the this-is-my-blog-and-I'll-do-whatever-I-damn-well-please provision of the blogging laws, so screw you all if you have a problem with it. Ha!

4. Who am I going to pass this stick to?

Well, ExI says he's looking for more ways to waste time.