Hey! It's the Nexus feature everybody(or nobody) wanted to see one more time! Remember the old Poll of Randomosity? Here's my SEVENTEENTH set of TEN random questions for us to answer together:
1) Did you catch the final season premiere of Smallville, and if so, what did you think?
2) And if you caught the sixth season premiere of Supernatural, what did you think of that?
3) How do you feel about going to the dentist?
4) When do you stop working?
5) Do you ever get head rushes?
6) What will be the first new show of the Fall television season to be canceled?
7) Would you rather be invulnerable but blind, or be completely paralyzed with all your other senses intact?
1) I thought it was awesome, but the premieres and finales of this show have historically been great, even in the weaker seasons. I won't spoil anything, but it was great to see one original cast member make an appearance, and disappointing to see a sub-par stand-in for another original. I hope that particular actor makes a return in the finale. I do like how the gloves are completely off with referencing other characters from the comics, especially the little CGI tease of this season's true “big bad”. They managed in one episode to reference things all the way from the first season, while demonstrating how far they've come, and how far they potentially can go in the next 20 episodes or so. I just hope they don't mess it up.
2) I was worried about it, because it was planned to be a five season show and ended so perfectly last year. After battling the devil himself for two seasons, I wasn't sure how they could go back to a monster-of-the-week formula. The premiere was average, and was fine as a standalone episode. When compared to what they had been doing, it fell a little short, but it's not as bad as it could have been. This probably should be the last season though. It's important to end on a high note.
3) Normally, I look forward to the experience. I've only had four cavities, and that's four more than I would have liked, even though I made it well into my 20s before the first one. On my last visit I needed two fillings, and in the months since I've noticed what looks like a crack in one of my front teeth. I'm hoping that's just the seam of one of the fillings, since one side of the tooth looks whiter than the other. In any case, I have an appointment this weekend which had been delayed a few weeks, so while I'm nervous I'm also relieved that I'll finally find out what it is, and what needs to be done to correct it. I have a great dentist, so I'm sure he can help me.
4) Officially, I should be done by 5 PM. Most nights I leave the office around 6:30, although some of my time after work is spent gabbing with friends about movies or photography. Mentally, my brain never stops and sometimes a solution to a problem I had during the day will pop in to my brain at night. In the middle of writing this post I had to stop to e-mail myself at work, since I'll never remember by Monday morning the solution I'd thought up. I don't get paid to think when I'm not at the office, but my brain seems to do it anyway.
5) Once in a while when I stand up too quickly, the room may spin. It hasn't happened in a while, but I had a pretty bad one on Thursday. I got back to my desk after walking to the printer and felt very dizzy. My heart also raced as I considered the sensation that I might be passing out, but that was likely anxiety creeping in. The technical term for the experience is Orthostatic hypotension, and considering I'd had a LOT of sugar and caffeine that day and had been seated for a while before getting up, I don't think I should be too concerned.
6) From what I've seen so far, I'm going to guess Running Wilde. I like the actors but they've done better, and the network they're on has also canceled better shows. Of course, they've also kept worse ones, so we shall see.
7) That's a horrible choice, but as much of a visual person as I am, I wouldn't want to lose the freedom of motion, and not being able to be hurt would make the blindness easier to deal with.
8) I believe in the appearance of randomosity, but that there is always a pattern bigger than what we can see. That which appears random is always part of a larger tapestry.
9) I never did during my school years, no. When I was younger, I could keep the same level of quality work right until the end.
10) I think they had something to do with Jacob's list, although that still didn't make it clear why the same six were a serial number, or wreaked such havoc on luck when played in a lottery....I'm honestly fuzzy on the whole thing. Those numbers, right?
And you, my loyal readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
What's this? Another Poll of Randomosity? Let's celebrate this sweet SIXTEENTH set of TEN random questions for us to answer together:
1) How do you pose when having your picture taken?
2) Do you know what you're finally going to see on Monday?
3) How do you feel about modern medicine?
4) What was your last weird dream?
5) How much do you use your cell phone to go online or send text messages?
6) Are you a big caffeine junkie?
7) Is it better to look good or to feel good?
8) Does watching television mean a person doesn't have a life?
9) How do you take criticism?
10) Don't you hate pants?
For me, the answers are:
1) I never know what to do with my hands; if they're not in my pockets, then my arms are usually folded.
2) I've already seen it, so yes. It will be new for some of you, though.
3) It's saved my life a few times, and I hope it gets better and better by the time I'm a senior citizen and facing some of the problems my dad is facing. Though worried, I have been taking some solace in the consistent assurances from friends and family that bypass surgery isn't as bad as it used to be even a decade ago. Part of me wishes the doctors would set a date for the surgery already, while another part is glad for this time in case anything goes wrong....
4) Two mornings ago, a dream in which I was the one whose doctors were walking me through what to expect from my bypass surgery morphed in to me alone in an abandoned hospital, slowly cutting off my rotting left hand with a dull pair of scissors. Either I was a zombie in the dream or used a local anesthetic, because I didn't feel anything and might as well have been pulling apart a steak. Even typing this out now is giving me phantom pains in that wrist.
5) It's not included in my plan, and the data charges were steep the few times I did go online out of curiosity, or necessity such as being on a train or on a trip away from my home computer. Somehow, I still incurred charges last month even though I didn't think I had any data usage. Sometimes when I open the phone it looks like it's online, so I may be hitting some button accidentally.
6) I didn't used to be, but free coffee in the office got me in a bad habit. Worse, I go for it near the end of the day when I'm running low on energy. Time was, I'd just perk up from running at the gym after work, but I've been in a bad 4:30 PM coffee habit, which keeps me awake much later, and leaves me more tired the following morning.
7) I may never know.
8) I know plenty of people who watch a lot of the same programs with the same level of attention that I do, and they still manage to have spouses, children, and lives when they're not unwinding in front of the idiot box. I probably watch a lot more shows than they do, and if I did so to the absolute exclusion of any social life then it would be a problem. In the digital age, I find myself less concerned about getting home in time to catch a show, since I can always watch online or wait for the DVD.
It's another Poll of Randomosity! Here's my FIFTEENTH set of TEN random questions for us to answer together:
1) Do you believe the past can be changed?
2) What is the proper Valentine's Day etiquette with a girl you've only communicated with online and never met, if she stopped answering e-mails when you asked for her number and you didn't know her physical address?
3) Do you think the use of metaphors a sign of genius thinking?
4) What is the best way to make money?
5) Are you tough?
6) Does this dress make me look fat?
7) What's my drug of choice?
8) Are you good with small talk?
9) Would a mask really conceal your identity from people who know you?
10) Pourquoi?
For me, the answers are:
1) I definitely believe everything happens for a reason, that there is a plan we just can't see. If time travel were possible, I also ascribe to the Grandfather paradox. If you went back in time and killed your grandfather before your father was born, you would cease to exist. If you never existed, you could not go back to kill him, therefore you either could not change the past, or in doing so you would create an alternate divergent reality. The events in your life would have to remain the same in order to bring you to that point, but now a second parallel divergent timeline would be running alongside it. Maybe dreams are glimpses of other universes. Maybe for every choice we face, all possibilities play out in a multiverse.
2) I'm leaning toward “no”. I did the secret admirer thing once, and that only led to a lot of awkwardness after I found out the girl I gave the gift to was already involved with someone else. Worse, I found out years later from one of her friends that she had apparently told other girls about it, presumably to warn them. Now, despite the fact that my new acquaintance is the friend of a friend, I think it would be creepy and stalkerish if I tracked down her home or work address and had flowers or candy or some plush thing sent there. I believe you can only act on the knowledge that she provides. So do I send her an e-mail message? Write a poem? Sketch her portrait? Again, I don't know her situation. She's a stranger more than two hours away, and I'm wary of any romantic gestures toward someone I haven't met or gone out with. That’s a hell of a “never mind” if it leads to meeting her and I realize she’s not what I want. My only concern is the opposite, if her silence is intentional because she felt I hadn't earned her number yet, and if I let that day pass without acknowledging it then I screw up big time. I guess it's a non-issue since I've accepted being friend-zoned, but I hate the idea that doing nothing would confirm her instinct that I wasn't a good candidate. Obviously I'm thinking way too much about this. Stupid greeting card industry manufactured holiday....
3) A friend of mine at work thought so, based on a book-on-tape she was listening to. For me, metaphors are just common sense thinking, not genius. When there's something really complex that I can't understand, or something complex that I need to explain to someone else, I simply find a parallel for something much simpler and easier to relate to. Don't know about codes and templates? A new system of design software might be daunting. Ever play with Colorforms? Suddenly, the unfamiliar is less daunting when compared to something simple and more familiar. Smart? Maybe. Genius? Doubtful.
4) It's not a savings account, and it's definitely not spending my life in an office. Ideally, for me, I would want such great investments that my money made enough money to grow exponentially so I didn't have to work. That would either involve a much larger nest egg, or higher risk stocks or real estate investments, and I might be horrendously bored without a full-time job. It's good to dream, though. At this point, even when I see CDs yielding decent interest, it's less exciting because I know it means I will owe even more taxes.
5) I have endurance, and I'm good at concealing emotional pain behind humor. Underneath, I'm too sensitive and definitely not as tough as I'd like to be.
6) You hesitated, and now I'm really self-conscious about it.
8) I'm terrible at it, and it's not just a nervous around pretty girls thing; it transcends gender. I've been known to run in to someone at a deli I might know from seeing in the hall at the office, say “hello”, and then stand there in awkward silence for five minutes until one of us gets our order and leaves. Sometimes I might switch up “hello” with a beefier “How's it going?”, while other times you'd be lucky to get a half-nod or a grunt before I found the ground more interesting to focus on. If I don't know you very well, I don't know what to safely talk about. I don’t mean to be rude; I'm just a social misfit.
9) On some cold days, I have walked in to town on my lunch break wearing a ski mask, mirrored sunglasses, and another knit cap on top of all of it. No flesh shows. People from work always greet me, sometimes by name. Maybe it's the way I carry myself, or that they recognize my shoes or some other part of my outfit. I'll have to try wearing a full costume next time, and see if that makes a difference. If nothing else, it will help me with my lack of conversation topics.
10) Je ne sais pas.
And you, my loyal readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
6) If there are three times as many boys than girls in Timmy's class, and there are 24 more boys than girls, how many kids are there in the class total?
7) Does this look infected?
8) Ketchup or mayonnaise?
9) Is the world as we know it coming to an end?
10) What's my next move?
For me, the answers are:
1) I thought he went out with extreme class and dignity, and I regret that I didn't watch his show more(only recently has the digital signal been strong enough to get that station). I always thought Conan, Andy and Max were the next Johnny, Ed and Doc, but as Conan said life rarely works out the way we expect it to. I especially took inspiration from his words about cynicism and keeping a positive attitude and working hard. It's easy to get cynical, and our pattern of failure may continue, but if we give up then it definitely will continue. I need to remember that and stay positive.
2) I think this is a chicken and egg question. I definitely have less energy and motivation when I'm feeling down, but there are also times when I take a nap and wake up with an inexplicable feeling of extreme sadness. I slept from 8 PM to 11:30 PM on Friday night because I was exhausted after work, and that feeling felt like a weight when I awoke. I wonder if part of it is that sense of time wasted, of being especially disoriented when one doesn't plan to doze off. I used to get the same feeling when I'd oversleep on a Saturday or Sunday and miss some early cartoon, back in the days before VCRs. Man, I miss the days when my biggest problem was catching a cartoon.
3) Directly, it hasn't, but footage on the news every day of people receiving bad news about family members, or the recovery of bodies has been incredibly sad. I caught one clip last week of a nine-year-old girl pinned under rubble. They just showed her arm moving and you could hear her whimpering. I have to commend my company for saying they'd match any employee donations to the American Red Cross, and I wrote a check for an amount that had some personal, karmic meaning. I don't know that it made a difference, and certainly won't bring anyone back, but it was better than doing nothing.
4) It is not just me. I will elaborate more in my next post, but I'm sure astute readers will figure out why before then.
5) I hope I'm not still in this room. I think ten years is enough time for me to finally get my act together, become a homeowner and an adult and take charge of my life. Of course, I thought the same thing ten years ago, so who knows. I hate these types of questions because, even when we make plans, no one knows for sure how things will work out. That seems to be a theme lately.
6) 48. Duh.
7) No, and the swelling has gone down, but from what I read it will be black for months. It's probably fortunate that no one will ever see it.
8) Both. Mixed together.
9) With all the quakes and floods and what not, with war and colliding atoms and blowing up bits of the moon, things don't look too good right now. But just as we've been dying since the moment we were born, so too has the world been ending since it was created. So it's not really the end that matters so much as what we do on the way there.
10) Even I don't know the answer to this one. It will either be something stupid or nothing at all, and whichever it is I'll still beat myself up about it afterwards.
And you, my loyal readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
4) Is mainstream media becoming more tabloid like in its approach to journalism?
5) Do you prefer extreme heat or extreme cold?
6) Do you ever get a sense of déjà vu?
7) What is your favorite dressing for a deli sandwich or wrap?
8) Do you ever try to speak and have no sound come out?
9) Which character on television right now stands out the most for you?
10) Do you ever get a sense of déjà vu?
For me, the answers are:
1) I fixate on certain numbers, and some fascinate me. I sometimes find myself adding up all the digits on a person's license plate while stopped at traffic lights. It passes the time and keeps me sharp, and probably a little insane. But I didn't skip my 13th poll, so that's something.
2) I have not. I've been in the vicinity of casino games at feasts and barbecues. I'm spending this weekend at Atlantic City, which will be my first foray into a real one. Hopefully I'll have fun and won't lose too much money. I expect it will go a little something like this.
3) I didn't like it as much as Whedon's other shows, but it was clear from the beginning that he was going somewhere with all of this, and now that his plans are unfolding everything is building momentum and growing like a snowball rolling down a mountain. Each episode is better than the previous one, and more's the pity that they've been cancelled and are just burning off episodes now. Maybe it took too long to get to where it's at now. Maybe it went over too many people's heads.
4) Absolutely. I don't condone infidelity. I don't think it's right. But I don't think the affairs of an athlete, a golfer for example, are as newsworthy as a politician or someone who's making decisions that actually affect our daily lives. The line between CNN and TNZ is blurring.
5) I think I prefer the opposite of whatever I'm enduring when it comes to temperature extremes. For me, 60 to 70 degrees is comfortable. I don't like to sweat, especially if I take a walk on my lunch break from work. But now it's getting really cold and I can't even eat lunch outside on my favorite new pier. Even armed with a hat and gloves, I was frozen to the bone just walking one block from my car to a pizza place. It's time to break out the heavier jacket and ski mask I think.
6) Sometimes. Sometimes really overwhelmingly so.
7) I find that sometimes something as simple as mayonnaise adds just enough flavor to an Italian hero with pepperoni and salami. Depending on what type of sandwich I'm getting, I also enjoy honey mustard or Russian dressing.
8) I've been doing that a lot lately. If I greet someone in the hall or say goodnight as I'm leaving, and it's completely inaudible, it's not terrible because it can go unnoticed. But sometimes people greet me and I'll nod and reply, but either I make no sound or the barest grunt that's the beginning or end of the sentence I'm saying in my head. I need to work on that.
9) That's way too general of a question, and hard to narrow down, but the one I had in mind when I wrote it was John Noble as Doctor Walter Bishop on Fringe, because that guy knocks it out of the park and steals the show every time he speaks. A brilliant scientist, but childlike in the aftermath of insanity, he can switch from comic relief to heartbreaking emotion just by changing his tone of voice or subtly altering his expression. And I really liked an observation in the most recent episode about how his madness actually made him a better, more compassionate person. Great character.
10) Sometimes. Sometimes really overwhelmingly so.
And you, my loyal readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
10) How can a person increase his or her own energy?
For me, the answers are:
1) For the most part, I don't like change. None of us do, though life is change and it's unavoidable. I try to avoid it, but whether I like it or not, certain things are inevitable. It's almost always a traumatic experience, until I'm on the other side thinking, “That wasn't so bad; what was I afraid of?” And then I get comfortable all over again and the cycle repeats.....
2) They're great for keeping out rodents and vampires. In all the years I've lived in a house with cats, I've never had a major problem with either of those.
3) I would not have thought so, but Taco Bell proved me wrong, with a little help from bacon and cheese. Man, when I go off a diet, I really go off a diet....
4) I'd like to, but old habits die hard. This ties in somewhat to answer #1.
5) I think we're all a little bit crazy, and some of us are just more functional than others.
7) The closest thing would be my NASCAR road trip back in 2006. To be honest, I'm not a fan of travel. I like my familiar surroundings, I'm not a fan of driving, and I definitely don't feel comfortable on an airplane or a boat since I can fly unassisted about as well as I can swim. It's that time of year though when everybody in the office is either on vacation, talking about a vacation they've just returned from, or one that they're planning. And the conversation in a meeting will eventually cycle around to me, and all I can do is shrug my shoulders when asked if I'm going anywhere interesting. I'm feeling the itch a little bit, and some friends were recently discussing the possibility of a cross-country road trip or a cruise next year. I just don't have that kind of free time in my life right now, but it's definitely a bug in my ear now percolating.
8) It should be. I know a few spots near my job where people barrel through and I like to make them stop. I'll do a little fake jog like I'm not deliberately crossing instead of letting them run the sign, but I jog just slow enough that they have to make a full stop. I nearly got hit by a van on Wednesday, and since it sounded like it sputtered and stalled before stopping a few feet over the line, I'm very lucky the driver was able to acknowledge my raised hand. It annoys me that they don't even slow down to check for pedestrians, but I guess it’s becoming a dangerous game....
9) The one who lives in Drury Lane? Hey, he doesn't drive an old van, does he....?
10) Exercise and avoiding junk food always helps me. I probably could stand to get to bed before 1 AM though. I just can't get everything done in the course of a day that I'd like to.
And you, my loyal readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
1) While I was running in the gym, a couple of young ladies got on the treadmills next to me. I couldn't turn to look without flying off the machine, but their voices and notions put them in their late teens or early twenties. One was telling the other about her breakup, while the other supported the decision. “If a guy is interested, he should show you by pursuing you. He should be texting you fifty times a day and constantly trying to contact you.” I very nearly chimed in with a “Disagree” but held my tongue. I don't know if it's a generational thing because they were younger, or a social thing because I'm part of the geek caste, but to me “fifty” messages would reek of anything from desperation to stalking. If you're too eager or smothering, you drive them away, at least in my experience. I held my tongue also because, being single and 34, I'm well aware that I'm not an expert in the relationship department. The girl who'd just dumped her boyfriend because of his apparent lack of interest agreed with her friend, but then offered the conditional notion that she had to like a guy to begin with, otherwise it wouldn't make a difference how often he wrote or called. So ultimately, if you're among the undesirables of this world, overcommunication definitely isn't the answer. Again, by their voices they sounded young, so they might not have made that transition we all make as we get older, from wanting attention to wanting space.
2) “People always told me be careful of what you do, And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts, What might be right for you, May not be right for some, eyyhey, Billie Jean is not my lover...” I'm guessing this one is just me.
3) Yes I can! I'm getting better at stretching as I continue to run five miles every day. It just gets easier.
4) I think the internet is going to break after that episode airs.
5) Does that last question make you doubt that I do?
6) I checked the stove, I checked the basement, and I went from window to window sniffing the air. It's pitch black outside so I don't think there's a fire in the woods behind our house, though I heard a firecracker or two. I do hear voices in the neighbor's backyard so I think they have a fire pit going. If I should burn and this is my last post, I'm sure one of my friends will fill you in with a comment.
7) This is a bit of a risqué question. Editing myself as best as I can and leaving the rest to the imagination, I remember a trip to Manhattan when I was in high school in the ate ‘80s, at a time before Rudy had really cleaned the place up. In a hole-in-the-wall video store off 42nd street, my friends and I did our best to be inconspicuous, until I bumped into a display of “Edward P***shands” VHS cassettes and knocked them all down, getting us instantly noticed and thrown out. That was the strangest porn spoof I'd ever heard of, up until recently when a friend pointed out Ron Jeremy made a Super Mario Bros. based film and a sequel. I can't make that stuff up, a problem others clearly lack.
8) My mother always said it was better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open my mouth and remove all doubt. Sometimes I envy people who just say what's on their mind, but there are definitely things that should stay in people's heads. After one of my trademark lunch walks last week in 80 degree weather, I was sweating a little when I got back to the office. I was in the men's room trying the old runner's trick of running cold water on my wrists to slow my heart rate and cool down, when one of the old Italian guys in the office walked in. “What happened to your back?” he said, not mixing words. “Oh...I was walking outside...” I replied self-consciously, wondering just how wet my shirt must have been. “Is it dat hot out dere?” he asked, not letting the topic go. It took me another minute or two to get out of that conversation.
9) Ghastly question to be sure, but a nuke would offer instantaneous vaporization and less suffering. And if I wasn't killed by the initial blast, it turns out there are a few things I can do to increase my odds of survival. These are scary times, as that video certainly underscores, but it's best to be aware and prepared realistically, and not with dated notions like “duck and cover”.
10) I don't know but I wish I did; that b**** owe me money.
And you, my learned readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
Welcome to my TENTH Poll of Randomosity! In honor of this auspicious occasion, I have ten very random questions for you. Sure, there would be ten questions anyway, but symmetry is as symmetry does.
1) Have you ever been so drunk that you couldn't remember what happened the next day?
2) What are your favorite internet success stories?
3) Does toilet paper go over the roll or under?
4) Would you be able to perform a medical procedure on yourself, if you had the training?
5) Do you donate to charity?
6) French fries or onion rings?
7) Is money important?
8) Are you good at dieting?
9) What will wash away the rain?
10) What's the funniest movie you've seen this year?
For me, the answers are:
1) I have not. Even at my worst, when I was singing and dancing in the streets of Manhattan around 3 AM, there was a part of me inside my brain that was fully aware of what was going on. I sort of become a passenger inside my own body as I get drunk, helpless to control my stumbling and slurring. I suppose there is a point I'd reach at which I'd remember nothing, but usually once I'm aware of the slip in control, I switch to water or soda. Good or bad, I don't think I'd want to forget the things that have happened in my life.
3) Over. Away from the wall, closer to the user, and easier to tear off squares.
4) I think it's complete BS when movies and television shows depict characters pulling a tooth or removing an appendix from themselves. I know it happens in real life, and remember the story of the climber who cut off his own arm with a pocket knife to free himself so he wouldn't starve to death. I just don't think I could do it, even in the most extreme circumstances.
5) I used to donate regularly to my high school and college, but over the years sort of tapered off. When family of friends and/or coworkers pass away from some specific ailment and they ask for donations in lieu of flowers, I usually donate. And movie theaters often guilt me into donating for sick kids. The conversation is usually “Would you like to donate?”/”Uhhhhmmmm......not today.”/”Are you sure? It's only a dollar.”/”Okay.”
6) I'm not a fan of onions, even though deep frying them makes them the most bearable. It's French fries for me.
7) Money isn't important in itself, but it is an important means to an end. Gym membership, electronics, cars, food, and even small things like personal hygiene products are essential to enjoying life and fitting in to society, and are all examples of things that cannot be obtained without money.
8) I'm better at exercise, especially if I have a goal like a race or something to train for. Dieting is harder, and I'll sometimes snack just out of boredom or because I see something in a vending machine. I was happy the other day when I ran four miles in just under an hour and burned a little over 200 calories. Then I got back to my car and read the wrapper from the tiny bag of M&Ms I'd consumed before leaving the office to go work out. I exercised for an hour and didn't burn off the 240 calories from that deceptively tiny snack. I can work out a little harder, but I'm really not going to get anywhere until I eat less and/or healthier.
10) The Hangover was insanely over the top hilarious, and the trailer only hinted at what that movie contained. So much humor was conveyed just by clothing, gestures, or expressions, giving various scenarios time to sink in for the audience. I expect there will be an even more outrageous unrated cut for DVD, and I'm glad my college friends decided at the last minute to see that instead of Land of the Lost, which got some universally horrendous reviews.
And you, dear readers? Where do you stand on these inquiries?
You know the drill by now. My Poll of Randomosity consists of ten very random, often insignificant inquiries that can be answered in a few short words. I'll get back to longer essay questions someday....
1) If you've seen Terminator Salvation, what was your favorite homage/reference to the previous films?
2) If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you prefer?
3) What's that noise?
4) Is it possible to be too polite?
5) Do you ever cancel out your own actions?
6) Do you have any sixes?
7) If a man had a hat, and the hat was tan, what is the square root of 144?
1) My least favorite were the painfully obvious catchphrases shoehorned in at odd times, from “I'll be back” to “Come with me if you want to live.” I liked some of the more suble nods, such as one character learning a trick with a gun and a strap. Without spoiling some of the major ones, I'll say the brief inclusion of You Could Be Mine.
2) Smell. I know it would also affect my sense of taste, and I wouldn't be able to detect a gas leak, but I wouldn't miss it as much as seeing or hearing or feeling, all of which are crucial to fully appreciate this life.
3) Aw mom, you're just jealous; it's the Beastie Boys!
4) I don't think people are polite enough, and my naive wish is that my example will inspire others. At the movies on Friday night, B13 thought I was too nice in agreeing to move down one seat so some young ladies could sit next to their friends. In doing so, I lost an empty space in front of my chair where I could stretch out my legs and spent the next two plus hours cramped and numb. I'd probably do it again.
5) I take long walks at lunch to get in shape, but on my way back to the office I often stop at Carvel or Starbucks. Since the weather has been nicer and I've been walking more, I've actually gained weight. I need to start walking past those temptations lest I start to look (more) like Juno.
8) Chartreuse. I hate the name and the shade and the fact that a woman at my first job consistently made me pair it with magenta. Ugh.
9) I honestly wouldn't know. Cool people certainly seem confident, but is it their confidence that makes them cool or are they cool because they're confident? It's really a chicken and egg scenario. Any cool people want to weigh in?
10) It's definitely a toss-up between Fringe being pitted against Supernatural, Smallville moving to Fridays, and Chuck turning into a Subway commercial that will only air when Heroes isn't taking up the same timeslot. But mostly, I don't like the absence of some of my other favorites, like The Sarah Connor Chronicles or Reaper.
1) Initially when my 401K flatlined, but more recently when I drove past one of my old favorite Starbucks locations and saw it all boarded up. Those things never close and that franchise only expands. Is the universe collapsing? Am I putting questions in the answer section now? Who...okay, I'll stop now.
2) Because 789, as you well know.
3) Disoriented and silly.
4) Disappointed and concerned about the possibility that it will become a traditional four-camera sitcom. Ending a show so perfectly then continuing to make new episodes is potentially a huge shark jump.
7) Would you want to know if you had a short time to live?
8) Would you believe I showed someone a finger for beeping at me on my way home from work?
9) Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?
10) What do you like best about movie villains?
For me, the answers are daily depending on which reality I'm in at the time, yes but I haven't had time to go shopping yet, inactive, the two I know, it's an area of concern, about nothing and everything all at once, no, my index finger to say “Wait; I'll turn when I can”, yes, and the inevitable big speech and gloating when all hope is lost that precedes a very satisfying comeuppance(as in Superman II, The Transformers: The Movie, etc...).
I know the old poll of Randomosity is becoming a bad habit. But since I got home from hanging out with my friends in Queens until 4 AM and didn't have the foresight to write something more substantial ahead of time, quick questions and answers are the best I can manage right now:
1) Do unfinished or obvious special effects take you out of a movie?
2) How often do friends have to offer the same advice before you listen?
3) What do you think of the new receptionist on The Office?
4) Speaking of The Office, did Creed seem more out of it than usual in the last episode?
5) Hypothetically, if you had an aversion to using public restrooms for certain functions, could anything make you overcome that?
6) Is it okay for a married man to flirt with a waitress?
7) How do the emperor's new clothes look to you?
8) Is having a buffalo chicken sandwich with chili flavored chips a wise lunch choice before going out to dinner and having a fried chicken and mozzarella sandwich with fries and a large Oreo shake?
9) Do you believe more accidents happen in the right lane of a highway than in a center lane?
10) Is it possible to not own property or be wealthy, look good, be a good conversationalist, or be in shape, and still be liked by members of the opposite sex?
For me, the answers are sometimes, I'll let you know when I listen, she's cute and they should keep her, I thought he was showing borderline Dementia, hypothetically major percolation, only if it's light and goes no further, I see nothing out of the ordinary, hypothetically hell no, I’m more comfortable in the right lane though I have heard merging makes it more dangerous, and I'll believe it if I experience it.
10) If I left here tomorrow, would you still remember me?
For me, the answers are don't step on it and never use that stall again, drive on a driveway where there's less traffic, Hurley dude, no, only if I was socially acceptable, watchin' my shows then postin' a blog, confidence, I focus on being one of the ones who will control those machines, Wheelie, and I forget myself all the time.
6) Do large groups of shifty-looking loitering teenagers make you nervous?
7) Is it possible to walk past a plate of homemade brownies in an office without taking one?
8) Paper or plastic?
9) Is it better to remain silent and be thought a fool, or open your mouth and remove all doubt?
10) What's that behind you?!
For me, the answers are now I do, no because then I'd have to join a fight club to combat brain atrophy, perhaps not, 8 out of 10 worlds say yes, sometimes, they always have, not for me, both, ...., and wher--...
1) Do networks need to switch to a more accurate method of determining ratings and popularity than the dated Nielsen system?
2) Did the inclusion of the word “dated” affect your answer to the previous question?
3) Bah Wheep Gragh Nah Wheep Ni Ni Bong?
4) How do you increase your energy?
5) How do you avoid distractions?
6) Have you ever been hit by a vehicle?
7) Should crews transporting cargo through pirate-infested waters be allowed to carry weapons?
8) If you're American in the living room, what are you in the bathroom?
9) What is the fastest running speed you've ever maintained?
10) Can you do this all on your own?
For me, the answers are yes, no but I wrote the question, Bah Wheep Gragh Nah Wheep Ni Ni Bong!, stretching and walking and the occasional nap, I wish I could, twice in a car and once on foot, I think it's only common sense, European, 8.5 MPH, and I'm No Superman.
2) Have you ever seen a mastiff regurgitate grass?
3) What's the best cure for a weight problem?
4) How am I funny? Like a clown?
5) Automatic or stick shift?
6) Does art have rules?
7) Which Seinfeld character do you most identify with?
8) Have you ever flown off a treadmill?
9) Will I remember to stop at a cash machine before work on Friday?
10) Can the acceleration of time, or perhaps the perception of the acceleration of time, ever be countered?
For me, the answers are the second half after I watched Supernatural, at a friend's house on my lunch break, baggy clothes and funny mirrors, here to amuse and entertain you, automatic, yes but they can be broken, George, I've come close with a few old ones that stick, probably not, and I can't believe it's this late already.
2) Do our social roles during our school years lock us in to who we will be for the rest of our lives?
3) Do you typically come to a full stop at a Stop Sign?
4) Which is prettier: a sunrise or a sunset?
5) On a recent episode of Reaper, one of the characters uses Les Nessman as a fake name. On a recent 30 Rock, a character was referred to as a ”Radar O'Reilly”. I love such pop culture nods, but as I'm getting older, I wonder: does anyone under the age of 30 get these references?
6) Does your imagination ever cause you to wince?
7) Is there a place in science fiction for more fantastic elements such as intervention from a higher power, celestial beings, or shared visions?
For me, the answers are Boddicker, absolutely, usually especially if I want to annoy a tailgater, sunset, no, sometimes, yes, original, apparently not, my parents up until 3 years ago, and it did. I'd love to know what you think...
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MCF is a mild-mannered
artist from the suburbs.
His knowledge of obscure
comic book characters
is more powerful than Gladiator
of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard on
an ego-trip. Able to leap topics
in a single sentence faster than
a speeder-bike on the moon of
Endor, MCF has never written
about himself in the third person
and now dreads the day he
utters aloud the fateful phrase,
"MCF is gettin' upset!"
