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kassrachel, the guidelines, should you choose to accept them (acceptance optional), for Mr. Meme are as follows:
1. Tell me a random fact about you, and 2. I will ask you five questions, and 3. Propagate the meme when you post your answers. Feel free to dive in, or not, as you are so moved (or not).
1. What are your "comfort food" movies -- movies you can watch a near-infinite number of times because they always make you feel better?
* The Big Lebowski is one of them--it's so utterly goofball and stoneriffic (despite the fact that I'm almost the opposite of a stoner, this is wonderful), endearing, and there's bowling, nihilists, and the Dude. What's not to cheer one up?
* Ghostbusters-- Bustin'? Makes me feel good. And there's a largely intact NYC, an ornery yet underneath it all furiously loyal population and a Staypuff Marshmallow Man.
* Not quite movies, but the Powerpuff Girls have much appeal for repeat watching--nothing like saving the world before bedtime.
2. What's your favorite thing about where you live?
I'm a cheater here:
* The apartment: All the wonderful warm wood--the place has a lovely suffused glow around sunset that I'll miss when I move.
* Oakland: The people I say hi to along the way to/from work; the lake; the friendly crazy people (Mophead Man and Monochrome Lady), my co-workers and friends, the nearness to BART and restaurants, the sense of possibility Downtown betwixt the grit and surface parking lots.
* Bay Area: The nearness to water and hills, a relatively compact urban form (at least in some areas), my dojo, tasty food, beer and wine, Osento and its ilk.
3. If you could spend a year in any period of history, without creating any wacky paradoxes or losing any time in your ordinary life, when would you choose to visit?
As a dander-allergic asthmatic, I fully recognize that in most other periods of history, I'd likely be ever so dead. I also like indoor plumbing. A lot. With that said, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for a year during Lincoln's administration, the Civil War or Reconstruction--our country is still impacted by the struggle to define humanity and freedom against powerful prejudices and economic interests.
4. Where in the world would you most like to travel?
My passport is sadly underused (I've been to Canada, Nicaragua and Jamaica); I was plotting to change this next year when vacation time is more plentiful, and see no reason to change that now. I'd love to go back to Nicaragua, but it's not a trip I'd want to do without contacts in country. But Costa Rica (language refresher hiking rafting) is a possibility. I've never been to Europe, but have been drooling over trips to Spain, Amsterdam, Germany and Switzerland on a travel website that seems to have a good balance of support and logistics, pricing and accommodations. England/Ireland/Italy/France wouldn't be so terrible to visit either. Maybe a biking/hiking trip for a week and another week spent puttering in museums/restaurants/countryside. Peru would be lovely. Maybe Japan or India eventually. A former co-worker retired to the Philippines, and invited me to come visit (not sure how serious that was, though) her.
One place (right now): Amsterdam: I can't fully explain it, but there's something lovely now about the notion of biking along the canals, drinking beer and eating chocolate and periodically dipping into museums.
5. What books would be on the syllabus in rissymonster 101?
* Nancy Drew: Just pick any one of the series. I'm down with solving a good mystery, yo.
* Anne of Green Gables: Such a sweetly drawn, tender series, full of hope and possibility, loss and discovery.
* Illusions: Introduced to me by my former-nun aunt when I was around 13 and becoming increasingly disenchanted with the RC Church. She's unfortunately aging a bit more conservatively, religiosity-wise, but this was such a wonderful opening of opportunity for coming at faith and religion from a much different angle than
* Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Friend: Swinging the pendulum, this is also in many ways a sweet tale, but oh so sacri-licious, fitting with my irreverent regard for most organized religion.
* Crabgrass Frontier: Seminal and accessible work laying out all of the factors (governmental policy, underwriting practices, transportation decisions) that lead us to our current propensity for suburban, resource-dependent greenfield development.
* Memory and Dream: Charles de Lint reminds us to seek the magical in our memories, each other, and in the urban landscape, painful though this may be at times.
* Hope Dies Last: Saw Studs Terkel give a talk a few years ago at the tender age of 94 /-; he's still sharp and has his pulse on the myriad of voices that make up this country.
My random fact was one to describe one of my borderline OCD tendencies: when I pluck my eyelashes periodically to avoid them getting in my eyes, I feel compelled to pluck at least ten (at least twenty is ideal).
And now I'm going to try out a combination of possible insomnia remedies--reading in the tub with a glass of wine. If that doesn't work, maybe tomorrow I'll try afternoon napping after a brisk walk around the lake and a valerian cooldown.
kassrachel, the guidelines, should you choose to accept them (acceptance optional), for Mr. Meme are as follows:1. Tell me a random fact about you, and 2. I will ask you five questions, and 3. Propagate the meme when you post your answers. Feel free to dive in, or not, as you are so moved (or not).
1. What are your "comfort food" movies -- movies you can watch a near-infinite number of times because they always make you feel better?
* The Big Lebowski is one of them--it's so utterly goofball and stoneriffic (despite the fact that I'm almost the opposite of a stoner, this is wonderful), endearing, and there's bowling, nihilists, and the Dude. What's not to cheer one up?
* Ghostbusters-- Bustin'? Makes me feel good. And there's a largely intact NYC, an ornery yet underneath it all furiously loyal population and a Staypuff Marshmallow Man.
* Not quite movies, but the Powerpuff Girls have much appeal for repeat watching--nothing like saving the world before bedtime.
2. What's your favorite thing about where you live?
I'm a cheater here:
* The apartment: All the wonderful warm wood--the place has a lovely suffused glow around sunset that I'll miss when I move.
* Oakland: The people I say hi to along the way to/from work; the lake; the friendly crazy people (Mophead Man and Monochrome Lady), my co-workers and friends, the nearness to BART and restaurants, the sense of possibility Downtown betwixt the grit and surface parking lots.
* Bay Area: The nearness to water and hills, a relatively compact urban form (at least in some areas), my dojo, tasty food, beer and wine, Osento and its ilk.
3. If you could spend a year in any period of history, without creating any wacky paradoxes or losing any time in your ordinary life, when would you choose to visit?
As a dander-allergic asthmatic, I fully recognize that in most other periods of history, I'd likely be ever so dead. I also like indoor plumbing. A lot. With that said, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for a year during Lincoln's administration, the Civil War or Reconstruction--our country is still impacted by the struggle to define humanity and freedom against powerful prejudices and economic interests.
4. Where in the world would you most like to travel?
My passport is sadly underused (I've been to Canada, Nicaragua and Jamaica); I was plotting to change this next year when vacation time is more plentiful, and see no reason to change that now. I'd love to go back to Nicaragua, but it's not a trip I'd want to do without contacts in country. But Costa Rica (language refresher hiking rafting) is a possibility. I've never been to Europe, but have been drooling over trips to Spain, Amsterdam, Germany and Switzerland on a travel website that seems to have a good balance of support and logistics, pricing and accommodations. England/Ireland/Italy/France wouldn't be so terrible to visit either. Maybe a biking/hiking trip for a week and another week spent puttering in museums/restaurants/countryside. Peru would be lovely. Maybe Japan or India eventually. A former co-worker retired to the Philippines, and invited me to come visit (not sure how serious that was, though) her.
One place (right now): Amsterdam: I can't fully explain it, but there's something lovely now about the notion of biking along the canals, drinking beer and eating chocolate and periodically dipping into museums.
5. What books would be on the syllabus in rissymonster 101?
* Nancy Drew: Just pick any one of the series. I'm down with solving a good mystery, yo.
* Anne of Green Gables: Such a sweetly drawn, tender series, full of hope and possibility, loss and discovery.
* Illusions: Introduced to me by my former-nun aunt when I was around 13 and becoming increasingly disenchanted with the RC Church. She's unfortunately aging a bit more conservatively, religiosity-wise, but this was such a wonderful opening of opportunity for coming at faith and religion from a much different angle than
* Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Friend: Swinging the pendulum, this is also in many ways a sweet tale, but oh so sacri-licious, fitting with my irreverent regard for most organized religion.
* Crabgrass Frontier: Seminal and accessible work laying out all of the factors (governmental policy, underwriting practices, transportation decisions) that lead us to our current propensity for suburban, resource-dependent greenfield development.
* Memory and Dream: Charles de Lint reminds us to seek the magical in our memories, each other, and in the urban landscape, painful though this may be at times.
* Hope Dies Last: Saw Studs Terkel give a talk a few years ago at the tender age of 94 /-; he's still sharp and has his pulse on the myriad of voices that make up this country.
My random fact was one to describe one of my borderline OCD tendencies: when I pluck my eyelashes periodically to avoid them getting in my eyes, I feel compelled to pluck at least ten (at least twenty is ideal).
And now I'm going to try out a combination of possible insomnia remedies--reading in the tub with a glass of wine. If that doesn't work, maybe tomorrow I'll try afternoon napping after a brisk walk around the lake and a valerian cooldown.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 06:33 am (UTC)If you give me questions, it might take me several weeks to get around to answering them - my life is like that these days.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 05:44 am (UTC)Questions:
1) What led your teenage self to aikido?
2) If you were to teach an aikido/aikido-esque class set to music, what are some songs you'd include?
3) What are you enjoying most about fatherhood right now (whenever you get around to this)?
4) Do you ever find it difficult to slip back and forth between the roles of teacher and student, sometimes multiple times on the same day?
5) Do you dream in images, words, concepts, or something else?
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 01:27 pm (UTC)And Lamb, and Memory and Dream! Yum.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 05:48 am (UTC)And I'm amused/bemused that, as a Catholic-turned-agnostic, several books (and one of my favorite tv series, Joan of Arcadia) on my list deal heavily with religion/spirituality, albeit from a sideways slanted perspective.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-19 06:01 am (UTC)1) What brought you to the Bay Area originally, and when did you migrate here?
2) What's your favorite thing about living in DT Oakland? Least favorite?
3) What classes did you register for at UCB this semester?
4) If you could spend three months traveling wherever you want (with filthy lucre taken out of the decision-making matrix), where would you go, and how would you travel?
5) How does the seersucker perform in hot, humid weather?
A favor: At some point, the home phone's voice mail message will need to be re-recorded. I'm loathe to do it, and the likelihood of getting Carl Castle's voice on my vmail is pretty low. Would you do the honors when the time comes (probably in a few weeks)?