I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Boxing: ring
2. Lewis: and Clark
3. Bodyguard: celebrity
4. Burnout: drugs
5. Cruising: convertible
6. Easter: bunny!
7. AA: battery
8. Research: and development
9. Redemption: forgiveness
10. Snickers: peanuts\

Shamelessly stolen from Cope:

Take the quiz: "Which American City Are You?"

San Francisco
Liberal and proud, you'll live your lifestyle however you choose in the face of all that would supress you.

A little late...

If you...

1. ...owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve? Something tasty, maybe specialty pizzas for people as picky as me. Mmmm... white pizza with spinach and mushrooms...
2. ...owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell? Music.. records, cds...
3. ...wrote a book, what genre would it be? Science-fiction
4. ...ran a school, what would you teach? Music
5. ...recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it? Jazz, because the only cool thing I can play.

What was...

1. ...your first grade teacher's name? Miss Booth. We were her very first class.
2. ...your favorite Saturday morning cartoon? Dungeons and Dragons
3. ...the name of your very first best friend? Karen Graff and Carmen Stringfield. I wonder whatever happened to Carmen...
4. ...your favorite breakfast cereal? Whatever healthy cereal my parents made us eat.
5. ...your favorite thing to do after school? Go to my friends'. I remember Karen and I used to make Barbie clothes out of scrap materials. And we'd play in her treehouse.

1. Are you superstitious? Only a little...
2. What extremes have you heard of someone going to in the name of superstition? I've read that Africans believe that having sex with virgins will rid them of certain diseases. Is that a superstition?
3. Believer or not, what's your favorite superstition? When I was little, I always used to hold my breath when we passed a cemetary.
4. Do you believe in luck? If yes, do you have a lucky number/article of clothing/ritual? I believe in Karma... clothing isn't necessarily going to increase your Karma.
5. Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not? Somewhat. I definitely think the universe is completely connected, and sometimes being born under a certain sun sign can be fate. Fear the Scorpio *Rawr*

At this moment, what is your favorite...

1. ...song? Miles Davis - Bye Bye Blackbird
2. ...food? Portabella mushrooms
3. ...tv show? Will and Grace
4. ...scent? Bath and Bodyworks Lavender Vanilla
5. ...quote? "They say that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Well I think the gun helps. If you just stood there and yelled BANG, I don't think you'd kill too many people." -Eddie Izzard

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year? I'd say finding a full-time job, but after all that work, someone I knew helped me out. So moving was probably the bigger accomplishment. Getting myself out of a situation in which I wasn't happy and moving is a big deal for someone who has no guts.

2. What was your biggest disappointment? Losing my job. I stuck with them until the end; probably not the smartest career choice, but I really (naively) believed in them, and that's why I was so disappointed.

3. What do you hope the new year brings? Happiness, joy, yadda yadda yadda... I never totally understood that saying, since it doesn't actually bring anything. Anything that comes in the new year, you have to work for, so aren't they sort of resolutions?

4. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions? If yes, what will they be? I generally don't make resolutions, because I know I don't have enough self-descipline to keep them, but this year's different, really. I need to keep at this whole diet for my health thing and my mom has been a huge help, because she can't eat a lot of the same foods. And it's hard to cheat, because all mother's, especially ones who are also teachers, have eyes in the back of their heads, even when they're not home.

5. What are your plans for New Year's Eve? I have several parties to attend, so I'll be getting all dressed up and going out.

1. List your five favorite beverages.Diet vanilla coke, green tea, apple cider, white russian, red wine.

2. List your five favorite websites. CandyGenius, Kuro5hin, Digital Blasphemy, Homestar Runner, and APOD.

3. List your five favorite snack foods. Whole wheat crackers, clementines, string cheese, and kettle corn (that counts for two, it's so good!)

4. List your five favorite board and/or card games. Scrabble, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, RISK, and Word Yahtzee.

5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games. Morrowind, The Sims, Warcraft III expansion, Starcraft Brood Wars, and Dr. Mario for NES.

1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays? Only if I'm inside where it's warm and cozy and I look at it through the window :)

2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect? Ideal holiday celebration... beautifully decorated tree, fireplace lit, and all my family together.

3. Do you do have any holiday traditions? Nothing big... Christmas Eve is always spent at my dad's mom's house in Butler, and Christmas morning with my parents, brother and his wife, and Christmas afternoon at my mom's parent's.

4. Do you do anything to help the needy? I sometimes think about dropping my change for the salvation army if the bell ringing person isn't too terribly obnoxious. Does that count? I'm a selfish bastard. I forgot that I sent a really big package to Operation Give.

5. What one gift would you like for yourself? A gift? I wish that someone could wave a wand and make me better. This glocuphage is really upsetting my tummy and I'm cranky when not eating carbs and sugar.

1. Do you like to shop? Why or why not? Not particularly... it bores me, makes my feet hurt, I can never find what I'm looking for when I want it, and it's crowded with obnoxious, inconsiderate people.

2. What was the last thing you purchased? Some DVDs on Amazon (not naming titles because most of them are gifts)

3. Do you prefer shopping online or at an actual store? Why? Depends on the item. If it's clothes, I definitely need to go to the store and try them on. Otherwise, it's all online.

4. Did you get an allowance as a child? How much was it? Yeah, $5 a week. Not really useful for much these days...

5. What was the last thing you regret purchasing? Anything I shared with the ex that he kept, i.e. the PS2.

1. Concert:: symphony
2. Sydney:: Australia
3. Shower:: hot
4. Patterns:: scrapbooking
5. Market:: farmers market
6. Chair:: desk
7. London:: England
8. Reception:: wedding
9. Republican:: politics
10. Cough:: sickly

1. List five things you'd like to accomplish by the end of the year. Finish my Christmas shopping? Resolve my current ongoing crisis, clean out the rest of my clutter from the old house.

2. List five people you've lost contact with that you'd like to hear from again. Jamie, TJ, Carole, Emily...

3. List five things you'd like to learn how to do. Play the guitar, learn another language, relearn to skate (attempting jumps after having not taken lessons in years would be a bad idea)

4. List five things you'd do if you won the lottery (no limit). the obvious investment, buy a nicer house for my parents and one for myself, buy a better car, share the money with my family, and donate to LFA.

5. List five things you do that help you relax. Taking a bath, drinking decaf herbal tea, conning someone into a backrub, swimming laps, and reading.

1. Using one adjective, describe your current living space. Cluttered. (Hey you trying shoving a house full of stuff into one bedroom :P)

2. Using two adjectives, describe your current employer. Does that mean my boss, or the actual company?

3. Using three adjectives, describe your favorite hobby/pasttime. Nerdish, engrossing, thoughtful

4. Using four adjectives, describe your typical day. Exhausting, banal, frustrating... typical

5. Using five adjectives, describe your ideal life. Fulfilling, challenging, energizing, entertaining, lengthy (funny... the opposite of #4)

1. Leapfrog::the advertisements for the kids games by the Leapfrog company
2. Co-workers::uhm...
3. Mustang::Karyns gold car
4. Wafer::communion
5. Nicotine::cigarette
6. Fast food::greasy
7. Suffocate::death
8. Myth::legend
9. Lane::change
10. Unexpected::surprise

1. What food do you like that most people hate? Hummus. MMmm... chick peas.

2. What food do you hate that most people love? Sweet potatoes.

3. What famous person, whom many people may find attractive, is most unappealing to you? Collin Farrell.

4. What famous person, whom many people may find unappealing, do you find
attractive? Holly Marie Combs.

5. What popular trend baffles you? Reality shows.

(A little late because despite being written on Friday, I never moved it from draft to publish status)

1. Taboo::board game
2. Poison::Ivy
3. 1983::uhm.. kindergarten?
4. Tim::Wizard
5. Groovy::Ash
6. Italy::Sicily
7. Think::INSOC
8. Penthouse::magazine
9. Shelter::homeless
10. Twinkie::Hostess Kirin :P

1. What was your first Halloween costume? I remember a Raggedy Anne costume that my mom made for me.

2. What was your best costume and why? I'd say the Raggedy Anne one because it's the only one my mom ever made for me.

3. Did you ever play a trick on someone who didn't give you a treat? Nah... too small a neighborhood, it woulda been obvious.

4. Do you have any Halloween traditions? (ie: Family pumpkin carving, special dinner before trick or treating, etc.) We used to carve pumpkins every year, but that tradition has slowly fizzled out.

5. Share your favorite scary story...real or legend! Didja hear the one about the person driving on a backroad and the person behind them flashing their highbeams at them?

1. Roadtrip::Tom Green
2. Honey::Winnie the Pooh
3. Flanders::Ned
4. Vampire::slayer
5. Justice::Shannon Elizabeth (From J&SBSB)
6. Marine::biologist
7. Protractor::geometry
8. Rubber::condom
9. London::Big Ben
10. Jerry::Lewis

1. Country::US
2. G::G-Man, FBI
3. Offer::advertising
4. Connection::Network
5. Quest::Role-playing
6. Lighthouse::coast
7. Sycamore::tree
8. Inhumane::cruel
9. Sneer::snarl
10. Weapon::gun

1. Name five things in your refrigerator. 1/2 % milk, apple cider, leftover Orange Chicken, raspberry yogurt, and carrots.

2. Name five things in your freezer. Chocolate chip cookies my grandmother baked, frozen sugar peas, butter pecan ice cream, frozen chicken breasts, and ice cubes.

3. Name five things under your kitchen sink. Dish soap, a package of sponges, Bissell all purpose cleaner, bug killer, and paper towels.

4. Name five things around your computer. A 5.1 surround sound speaker system, a stack of books, two Serial Experiments Lain action figures, the Warcraft3 Frozen Throne cd case, and an Ikea lamp.

5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet. antihistamines, vanilla lavender bubble bath from Bath and Body Works, my toothbrush, John Freida Frizz Ease, and Victoria's Secret Heavenly body lotion.

1. Timeshare::condo
2. Accounts::bank
3. Temptation::Motown (Temptations)
4. Hack::the planet :P
5. Shadow::the comic
6. Infection::disease
7. 800::toll free
8. Infidelity::cheating
9. Springfield::Simpsons
10. Gardener::Ava

1. Coat::winter
2. Allowance::children
3. Mist::fog
4. Disorder::disease
5. Scheme::coniving
6. Dick::richard
7. Homework::school
8. Milton::berle
9. Shampoo::lavender
10. Z::jeff

1. You feel you're underpaid. Do you still give your job 100%? I would because i'm a naive sucker and I'd believe it would show them I deserve a raise.

2. You wrote a brilliant essay but only got a C. A friend repeated the professor's lecture and got an A. Next time, do you echo the professor's view? Yeah, some battles aren't worth the fight. If the professor is like that, it's easier just to tell him what he wants to hear and focus on more important classes.

3. A friend (or family member) is in dire financial straits. Do you offer him/her a loan? If I could, I would.

1. What vehicle do you drive? 97 Toyota Camry

2. How long have you had it? About a year and a half

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle? I was just thrilled to get a car with power windows and locks. Camrys aren't supposed to have cool features.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle? That it sucks and I still owe too much money on it.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now? Something small and sporty.

1. Herpes::those horrible medicine commercials where they show glamorous looking people living with VD, ick.
2. Freddy::Kruger
3. October::Halloween!
4. Hunting::deer
5. MSN::that stupid butterfly logo
6. 36::that number actually doesn't evoke any thoughts from me
7. Hotel::room
8. Travesty::justice (you always hear the phrase "travesty of justice")
9. Health::doctor
10. Conditions::terms, as in terms of a contract

Conscious self	Overall self

Take Free Enneagram Test

It's always interesting to compare tests with the past results of similar tests. They all say I'm a type 4, but some say different things about that type. I'm an artist, I'm an individualist, I'm a loner...

1. A good friend confesses he's HIV positive. He's terrified to tell his spouse. Do you? Heck no, but I would be very supportive of my friend and support him/her to tell his/her spouse.

2. You need one number to win the jackpot at BINGO. The stranger beside you also needs one number and its been called. Do you tell her? Why am I looking at someone elses BINGO card? Besides, come on, it's just BINGO.

3. The taxi driver you get at 2 a.m. is drunk and driving recklessly. After he gets you home shaken but in one piece, do you report him? Most definitely. I wouldn't want the driver hurting anyone.

1. Savings::account
2. On::switch
3. Wire::electrical
4. Word::scrabble
5. Bladder::kidney
6. Missing::kidnap
7. Side::show
8. Window::pane
9. Digit::finger
10. Swirl::design

1. Who is your favorite singer/musician? Why? Moby. BNL. John Williams (composer, anyway). Why? Because I like how Moby experiments with different things, and I was hooked when I first heard him in high school; BNL because they're just fun; and John Williams because he's written some amazing scores as well as concertos (Five Sacred Trees).

2. What one singer/musician can you not stand? Why? Christina Aguilera. She just annoys me. Blah blah hometown girl blah blah skank blah.

3. If your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person? Yes to all three. Moby has convictions and stands by them, everyone in BNL just seems like good guys (from the number of interviews I've seen), and John Williams is an upstanding guy as well.

4. Have you been to any concerts? If yes, who put on the best show? I think BNL puts on the best show, by far. If you've ever seen them live, you know exactly what I mean, with the improv, and they're just fun.

5. What are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? Do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from dowloading free music? I think the RIAA would be better spending its time going after the real pirates who sell CDs. People who download either buy the music after listening to it, or they wouldn't have bought it to begin with. I don't think the artists are losing anything beyond what the record labels rip them off for. Artists make most of their money from concert tours anyway.

1. Wedding::dress
2. Roach::Naked Lunch (I just couldn't look at bugs the same way after that)
3. Expense::money
4. Fight::Club
5. Air::plane
6. Protect::rights
7. Glance::"at a glance", a quick overview
8. Boo::Monsters Inc.
9. Steamy::hot
10. Caviar::fish eggs

1. Is the name you have now the same name that's on your birth certificate? If not, what's changed? Yup, it's the same.

2. If you could change your name (first, middle and/or last), what would it be? I wouldn't.

3. Why were you named what you were? (Is there a story behind it? Who specifically was responsible for naming you?) Well, if it were up to my dad, I would be named Kathryn, but my parents were afraid people would think i was named after my crazy aunt, who had the same name. They just happened to like the name. My dad also claims he wanted my middle name to be Ann without the e on the end.

4. Are there any names you really hate or love? What are they and why? As in, if I ever had kids? I kinda like the name Kathryn for a girl. Not sure on a boy's name.

5. Is the analysis of your name at kabalarians.com accurate? How or how isn't it? The name Kimberly gives you a strongly independent and highly creative nature, with drive and ambition to have experiences and accomplish things out of the ordinary. You can work intently at whatever is new and holds your interest at the moment, but your interest wanes quickly when drudgery and monotony set in. Obstacles to your progress or restrictions on your freedom to act create a sense of frustration which may cause you to feel resentful and even rebellious. You can then become intolerant of others, and caustic and belittling in your expression, thereby imposing stress on your personal relationships. Although you have a clever, quick, capable mind, your progress in life is restricted by instability in your affairs and misunderstandings with people. Your impulsive nature can lead to actions which you later regret taking, or to accidents. Relaxation is elusive, and depletion due to nervous tension can develop to the point where you become subject to moods of depression and morbid thoughts. Yup, that's me.

Woo!

Your soul is worth £16970. For your peace of mind, 52% of people have a purer soul than you.

That's 27,058.07 USD. (Converted here.) Edited from earlier because I converted the wrong currency. Still not worth it tho :)

1. Bookends::books
2. Compliment::match
3. Gutter::mind
4. Obsession::addiction
5. Heavy::weight
6. Real::true
7. Disposable::expendible
8. Breeze::wind
9. Work::job
10. Sweetheart::Valentines

1. Your bicycle has been stolen. At the police station you're shown an identical bike that isn't yours. Do you claim it? If it's identical, how do I know it isn't mine? Maybe it got banged up since it was stolen? Maybe, maybe not.

2. You're standing on a corner. Someone in a car smiles and waves at you. You don't have a clue who this person is. Do you smile and wave back? Of course. A smile and wave is always nice, even for strangers.

3. You're buying a car from someone who has lost his job and needs to sell. Do you offer much less than it's worth? Hey I'm not exactly rich either... I wouldn't offer something entirely unreasonable.

1. What housekeeping chore(s) do you hate doing the most? Washing dishes.

2. Are there any that you like or don't mind doing? I don't mind most other things.

3. Do you have a routine throughout the week or just clean as it's needed? As needed.

4. Do you have any odd cleaning/housekeeping quirks or rules? Nope. Especially not after living with someone who is OCD about cleaning, never had a chance to develop any.

5. What was the last thing you cleaned? My room. I still need to go through some old clothes, I have a lot of things to donate.

1. Are you going to school this year? Nope

2. If yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? If no, when did you graduate? Pine-Richland High School, Class of 1996 - Westminster College, Class of 2000

3. What are/were your favorite school subjects? My favorite class in college ever was a Sociology class with Dr. Kitzerow called Deviance. Big surprise, eh? I also loved Music History with Dr. Pitman, both because the material was fascinating, and because Dr. Pitman, despite it being first thing in the morning, made the class interesting. And the networkking class that I talked my advisor into letting me take in place of another required class, despite it also being first thing in the morning.

4. What are/were your least favorite school subjects? The class I hated more than anything was this 300-level business class. And the database class that I had right after lunch because all I ever wanted to do was take a nap, and instead sat in the back corner with Paul and slacked off. And the religion class called "Understanding the Bible" in which I often disagreed with my professor's interpretation and I had mono throughout.

5. Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Why was he/she a favorite? My most favorite professor ever was Dr. Pitman. He went to Taco Bell with us sometimes, told dirty jokes in the music lounge, and gave me unsolicited relationship advice about a certain alum that proved helpful.

1. Bay::San Francisco
2. Boarding school::porn
3. Riddle::The Hobbit
4. Hunger::pangs
5. Allergy::sneeze
6. Sponsored::advertising
7. Spin::Sit n Spin
8. Interest::percentage
9. Scrabble::letters
10. Mold::green

1. When was the last time you laughed? In the car, driving Sarah home tonight.

2. Who was the last person you had an argument with? a coworker

3. Who was the last person you emailed? Istvaan

4. When was the last time you bathed? About 15 minutes ago, cold shower before bed :)

5. What was the last thing you ate? Gelati from Ritas

1. Only you::The Platters
2. 33::Rolling Rock
3. Foundation::Charity
4. Accidents::Cars
5. Hometown::Pittsburgh
6. Natural::Naked
7. Bombastic::Shaggy
8. Bachelor::Single
9. Far away::"Show me near! Show me far!" (Muppets)
10. Tony::Casale :)

1. How much time do you spend online each day? Well, it depends on my work load during the day, and my plans for the evening. I'd say maybe a few hours at work web browsing and on IRC, and maybe an hour or two in the evening chatting.

2. What is your browser homepage set to? Blank.

3. Do you use any instant messaging programs? If so, which one(s)? Trillian is the program, but it connects to my accounts on MSN, Yahoo, AOL, and 2 ICQs. Oh, and IRC, but I usually use mIRC or Epic.

4. Where was your first webpage located? On keystone.cs.westminster.edu, a server that has long since been taken offline. In fact, it appears that none of the machines from the old Unix lab are online anymore.

5. How long have you had your current website? Two or three years.

1. Miss America::beauty
2. Cherubs::angel
3. Shark Week::huh?
4. Sunflowers::seeds
5. Sorority::fraternity
6. Grilled chicken:what we're having for dinner!
7. 100::century
8. Tickle monster::Liar Liar
9. Veronica::Betty
10. Slurpee::Sheetz

1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country? The last time I left the state was the consulting job in NC. Wasn't much of a trip as I saw the inside of an airplane for a few hours, the inside of an airport as I ran desperately to barely catch my connection, the inside of an office for 14 hours a day, and the inside of a hotel room for about 9 hours a day. The first and last time I left the country was the weekend trip to Toronto with Jay.

2. What's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling? Again, considering I haven't travelled much, I don't have any fun stories :(

3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go? I would travel around Europe and experience everything I could.

4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car? I like road trips, but I'm not a huge fan of driving. I've never ridden a train, and I don't mind planes, but I have an irrational fear that the landing gear will fail after we've landed on the runway, and that the plane will skid on it's belly along the runway and explode in flames.

5. What's the next place on your list to visit? I have to go to Philly for Rob's wedding at the end of the month, but that's not even outside the state. I'm definitely thinking Atlanta, but that will have to wait until I have actual vacation days.

1. Hook::Peter Pan
2. Greg::Brady Bunch
3. Sixty::Minutes
4. Breakfast::eggs
5. Dollar::bill
6. Unpredictable:crazy
7. O::two things come to mind... o-line/irc op, and o-face from "Office Space"
8. Bathing suit::one-piece
9. Inconsiderate::rude
10. Marx::Brothers

1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings? Alarm goes off at 7:10am. Often, I won't wake until the snooze alarm at 7:20.

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late? It all depends on what time I went to bed. Anywhere from 10am to noon.

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning? Shower. I can't function until I've showered.

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day? 25-30 min.

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast? Cracker Barrel. There isn't any locally, so it's a rare treat.

1. Partner::sex
2. Goddess::athena
3. Village::plundering
4. Relationships::suck
5. Irrational::panic
6. Volcano::erupt
7. Fabulous::flaming
8. Unencumbered::easy
9. Coyotes::howl
10. Fulfilled::happy

1. If your life were a movie, what would the title be? How about "Crazy"? :)

2. What songs would be on the soundtrack? Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" would have to make an appearance, as would "Crazy" by BNL. "Porcelain" by Moby, "Halcyon and On and On" by Orbital, "Master & Servant" by Depeche Mode, "How Soon is Now" by the Smiths, "Save Yourself" by Stabbing Westward, "That’s What I Get" by NIN, "Scorpio Rising" by 10000 Maniacs, and "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode.

3. Would it be a live-action film or animated? Why? Live action, otherwise it defeats the purpose of coming up with a cast.

4. Casting: who would play you, members of your family, friends, etc?
Me - Thora Birch maybe, Alyson Hannigan, or Alyssa Milano, but shes far too hot; Sarah - Natasha Lyonne; Kim - Maddie Corman; Karen - Jenna Elfman; my mom - Linda Hamilton; my dad - Steven Spielberg; Ed - Ethan Suplee; Jay - Kevin Smith; Shawn - the ghost of John Candy.

5. Describe the movie preview/trailer. Well, the movie would have to be a drama, since I'm not at all funny. Although if it's not necessarily my life now, but in the future, it could be a romantic comedy, focusing on my hopeless relationships with gay men and assholes, until I finally met someone who was stable *and* would put up with me. So the trailer could be a few quick cuts of the horrible-then-but-amusing-now ends of several failures, then a fade into happiness later :) That might never happen, but hey, it's nice to dream.

I want to hear other peoples' answers to this question about themselves, so please post comments :)

1) DVD or VHS? DVD
2) Best Literary/Movie Villan: Voldemort (Harry Potter) or Sauron (LoTR)? Sauron
3) Meat: rare or well-done? Medium-well
4) High Speed Internet-Cable or DSL? DSL
5) Women: 1-piece bathing suit or Bikini? one-piece
6) To be fair--Men: Boxers or briefs? Boxers
7) Beer or Liquor/Wine? Liquor
8) Coke or Mountain Dew? Dew
9) In honor of my 10/18/03 nuptials: Morning or Afternoon/Night Wedding? Afternoon.
10) Carpet or Hardwood Floors Hardwood
11) American cars or foreign? Foreign
12) Cutest TV Twin: Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen? Neither
13) Coffee: Caffeinated or Decaf? Mmm... caffeine
14) Thought-Provoking Question of the Week: Computers: Do they make life better or worse? Why? There are plenty of times when I wish I didn't rely so heavily on them, but without computers, I wouldn't have a career right now.

1. "That was good for me. Was it good for you too?" Well it wasn't. Do you say so? Well generally I would help a guy out and suggest what might make it better during, so that after I wouldn't have to lie

2. You lose a gold watch and are reimbursed by the insurance company. A month later you find the watch. Do you return the money? No?

3. You recognize your favorite movie star having a quiet coffee at a deli. She is incognito to avoid being bothered. Do you approach her? Maybe discretely. But I'm probably to shy to bother.

It's not Tuesday anymore, but so what?

1. Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck? Bugs
2. Tom or Jerry? Jerry
3. Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck? Donald
4. Rocky & Bullwinkle or Boris & Natasha? Rocky and Bullwinkle
5. Road Runner or Wile E. Coyote? Wile E.
6. Sylvester or Tweety? Sylvester
7. Popeye or Bluto? Popeye
8. South Park or The Simpsons? Tough call. Simpsons, if I have to choose.
9. Jetsons or Flintstones? Another toughie. Flintstones.
10. And finally, the eternal question asked by all good Scooby-Doo fans: Velma or Daphne? Velma. She's a bit more subtle than Daphne.

1. Natalie::Portman
2. Concrete::sidewalk
3. AIDS::blood
4. Rubber hose::garden
5. Paper clip::metal
6. Route 66::west
7. Summer camp::girl scouts
8. Coin purse::change
9. Orion::stars
10. Instigate::trouble

1. Angry neighbors are beating up a man they caught sexually assaulting a girl. Do you try to stop them? Tough call... he definitely needs to suffer, but the neighbor could go to jail too :( Maybe, just so they can call the cops on him and avoid trouble themselves.

2. Your current sweetheart confesses that s/he financed college by working as a prostitute. Do you end the relationship? No, I'd still care about the person, but we are so both getting tested.

Your 12-year-old son asks you to rent a PLAYBOY video for him. Do you? Heck no!

1. Do you remember your first best friend? Who was it? 1st grade, T.J. Tossadori. I was so sad when he moved away at the end of the school year, we were inseperable.

2. Are you still in touch with this person? Nope.

3. Do you have a current close friend? I have several... Tony Chris, Sarah... well, you guys know who you are :P

4. How did you become friends with this person? College. There were few people at my college that I had much in common with, it being a small religious liberal arts school and all. Most of my close friends were met at band camp. (yes I was a band geek, and a music major). I was helping another girl on my hall move in, the campus was pretty much deserted, and there was Tony. You'd think I woulda known better than to hang out with a drummer, of all people. But we were pretty much inseperable throughout college, so much so, that people thought he was cheating on me when he actually got a girlfriend.

5. Is there a friend from your past that you wish you were still in contact with? Why? One of my best friends in 3rd grade, Carmen. She had a black belt in karate; she had been studying it hard core all her life. Last I heard, her dad was wanted on drug charges and they moved to Canada, and she was in some karate movie. She was an awesome kid, we would have sleepovers every weekend.

Summer Potpourri

1. Strawberries or blueberries? I like em both, but probably strawberries
2. "Legally Blonde 2" or "Terminator 3"? *blush* Legally Blonde 2
3. Hamburgers or hot dogs? Hamburgers
4. Boating or hiking? Hiking
5. Suntan lotion or sunblock? Lotion? How could you *not* use sunblock? SPF 30 :P
6. "Big Brother" or "The Amazing Race"? Neither! Hate reality TV
7. Beach Boys or Jimmy Buffett? Jimmy Buffett, tho I'm keen on Beach Boys too.
8. Grow your own produce or buy from supermarket/greengrocer/farm stand? My parents garden, but I tend to kill things, so supermarket.
9. Drive with car windows/top down, or with air-conditioning on? Windows... i don't so muchly like a/c.
10. Go away for vacation, or stay at home? Little of both. Short trip, then relax at home.

1. Fashion show::model
2. Boundaries::lines
3. Roadkill::ick
4. Narcissistic::mirror
5. Authority::figure
6. Martini::olive
7. Personality::type
8. Comfortable::cozy
9. Symptom::illness
10. Dating::men

1. What were your favorite childhood stories? I had a lot... I was really into the "Little House"/Laura Ingalls Wilder series in elementary school. And my parents' old Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. And Anne of Green Gables. In the summer, we'd go to the library once a week and I'd get as many books as I was allowed, and spend my days sitting on the porch just reading.

2. What books from your childhood would you like to share with [your] children? I've still got the "Little House" series, it appeals to a lot of younger girls. I suppose if I had a boy, I could pass on the Hardy Boys books.

3. Have you re-read any of those childhood stories and been surprised by anything? Not really...

4. How old were you when you first learned to read? I was 4 or 5.

5. Do you remember the first 'grown-up' book you read? How old were you? I'll ask my mom later... I do not remember.

Not a question, but an amusing related fact: my first word was "book". I suppose that was an indicator of what a little dork I would become.

Summer Fun!

1. Lemonade or Ice Cold Beer? ice cold beer
2. Swimming pool or beach? pool. i have a weird thing about water i cant see the bottom of.
3. Long weekends here & there, or a 2-week vacation? long weekends
4. Destination: Acapulco or Hawaii? never been to either. i guess, hawaii
5. Destination: Mountains or Beach? mountains
6. Hotel/motel/B&B or camping? camping!
7. Carefully planned vacation, or play it by ear? loosely planned.
8. Sneakers or sandals? sandals
9. Air-conditioning or fans? fans
10. Concerts in the park or baseball games? concerts in the park

1. Trolling::Slashdot
2. Profile::Windows
3. Tin::can
4. Phenom::mahna mahna (see extended if you want an explanation)
5. Mug shot::arrested
6. Tubular::mike oldfield
7. Six Flags::roller coasters
8. Pickup::truck
9. Auction:: Ebay
10. Astonishing::wow

Continue reading ""... »

1. Your 20-year-old son/daughter wants to work with a famine relief agency in a war torn country. Do you try to discourage him/her? No, but I'd make sure he'd done the proper research and knew the realities.

2. Your father is having an affair. You mother is unaware. Do you tell her? Yes.

3. "Is there a doctor on board?", the captain of your jet asks repeatedly. You're an M.D. but are drinking and seeing pink elephants. Do you answer the call?No, thats a lot of liability. Can you get in trouble for not answering those kinda calls tho? Hypocratic oath and all?

1. How are you planning to spend the summer [winter]? Work during the day, swim during the evening.

2. What was your first summer job? Burger King on the turnpike. My third day, the trainer didn't show up and I was stuck alone on the lunch shift. I quit that afternoon. [Addendum:] I guess that my was first real, minimum wage job, but before that, I was a Girl Scout camp counselor at Camp Redwing.

3. If you could go anywhere this summer [winter], where would you go? England.

4. What was your worst vacation ever? Niagara Falls this past winter... the bf said he had put aside money for the trip, but when we got there, his account was empty and I had to overdraft my account to pay for the hotel and food. We didn't get to do a lot of the stuff we wanted because of that.

5. What was your best vacation ever? We never really did big vacations when I was a kid, but probably any of the band trips in HS. I know, I'm a big dork.

1. Surf sites at random, or have a set list of regular reads? See blogroll and other sidebar links. But I also check out sites that those sites link to.
2. Do you visit mostly blogs, or news or other sites? All of the above.
3. Do you go online every day, or just a couple of days a week? Daily. Yay for broadband.
4. Do you allow comments on your blog, or not? I do. I've only ever had to close commenting on one post.
5. Do you shop online at all, or at regular stores? Depends on the product... most of my books and cds come from Amazon (I usually have some referral fees built up that I can use for a discount), but a lot of electronics are bought online and then purchased in a store because I hate waiting and I like to have things in-hand.
6. Have you ever done online bill-paying/banking, or not? All the time.
7. Which news site do you prefer... MSNBC.com or CNN.com? Or do you prefer some other one? I don't read either regularly unless I'm looking for a particular story... I read Reuters.
8. Live chat rooms, or message boards? IRC :P
9. Instant messaging or e-mail? IM usually, but I email from work since I can't access any IM.
10. Yes or no: have you ever met, or at least talked on the phone with, another blogger? If not, would you want to? Why or why not? Only people I knew pre-blog. Why not though? They're normal people, or somewhat anyway. I could see how it might be disappointing or weird to meet someone who only portrays a single side of their personality on their blog.

1. Tumbler::drink
2. Recital::flute
3. Reform::change
4. Nipple::pinch
5. Jackal::bruce willis
6. Mailtruck::mail?
7. Merchandise::retail
8. Comma::this comma book/project we had to do in 7th grade that illustrated all of the proper uses of commas.
9. Erotica::art
10. Ferment::grapes

1. Tidying up, you come across your teenage daughter's diary. Do you read it? Tough... As a parent, I'd want to make sure she was safe and staying out of trouble.

2. An executive at a large company will give you a big contract but demands a cash kickback. Do you agree to pay? No?

3. You work closely with a colleague who has a bad stutter. When he struggles to finish sentences, do you help? No, I let him take his time.

1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short? Wavy and longish.

2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime? When I was little, it was down to my waist.

3. How do your normally wear your hair? In a ponytail.

4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like? Been wanting to cut it much shorter, but haven't had the guts.

5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened? My hair is always a disaster.

1. Newspapers or magazines? Magazines
2. Books-on-tape or regular books? Regular books. Only ever did one book-on-cd and that was Hannibal, for a 6-hr drive to NJ, and I'd already read the book.
3. Paperback or hardcover? Hardcover, it takes a lot more abuse.
4. Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction, though I occassionally read non-fiction also.
5. Sci-Fi/Fantasy or romance novels? Sci-fi/fantasy definitely.
6. Borrow from library or buy books (either new or used)? Buy. I have a library card, but it's a ghetto library, with the newest books being from around 1979. I mostly use it for research, not pleasure reading.
7. Subscribe to magazines or buy on newsstand? Subscribing's cheaper, but I always procrastinate and end up buying on the newsstand anyway.
8. Current best-sellers or classic literature? Both.
9. Read books once, or re-read favorites every so often? Usually only once.
10. Here in the U.S., we have two hot best-sellers...former First Lady Hillary Clinton's memoirs, and the new Harry Potter book (coming out June 21). If you had to read one, which one...Hillary or Harry? Why? Can't stand Hillary. I'd read Harry Potter.

1. Arbitrary:: random
2. Sweatshop :: kathy lee gifford
3. Cotton ball:: nail polish remover
4. Intimate:: close
5. Forgotten:: history
6. Photography:: black and white
7. Secretary:: spank!
8. Stadium:: downtown
9. Purpose:: reason
10. Shoe box:: shoebox of lies

You own a restaurant and serve fresh rolls with every meal. Often they're returned to the kitchen seemingly untouched. Do you serve them again? Ew. Nope.

In a close fight for re-election, you learn that your rival recently had a nervous breakdown. Do you leak this to the media? Probably. Wouldn't want an elected official being mentally unstable. What am I doing running then?

You have a clear view of an attractive neighbor who does yoga in the nude. Do you ask this person to draw the curtains? *snicker* I would, only because I wouldn't want people watching if that were me.

1. What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have? Lots of things... like skydiving, and getting off the east coast.

2. When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest? I try to find something nice about it.

3. Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? What happened? Yeah but it's not suitable to talk about here.

4. If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why? Saying Krynn is far too obvious. I'll get back to you on that.

5. What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted? Singing. As a music major, I took voice lessons, but I'm pretty hopeless.

1. "The Munsters" or "The Addams Family"? Tough... watched both as a kid. Munsters. Especially since the Munsters theme was my ring-tone until 2 days ago.
2. "The Sopranos" or the "Godfather" movies? Sopranos.
3. "The Jetsons" or "Lost in Space"? Lost in Space.
4. "Superman" or "Batman" (either the TV shows or the movies)? Superman.
5. "Sex & The City" or "Friends"? Friends
6. "The Wizard of Oz" or the "Harry Potter" movies? Wizard of Oz.
7. "The Simpsons" or "King of the Hill"? Simpsons. Why isn't Futurama a choice?
8. "Grease" or "Saturday Night Fever"? Neither? Saturday Night Fever i suppose.
9. Old prime-time soaps: "Dallas" or "Dynasty"? Didn't watch either.
10. Not very thought-provoking this week...do you prefer TV shows or movies? Movies.

1. Suspected::criminal
2. Indulgent::chocolate
3. Advertising::sucks
4. Represent::lawyer
5. Ethical::right
6. Witness::court
7. Triumph::win
8. Talons::griffon
9. Finals::school
10. Squeak::wd-40

1. You're asked to give a eulogy for an uncle who was an S.O.B. Do you refuse? No, you can always find something good in a person.

2. At a phone booth, you need the list of antique stores in the yellow pages. Do you rip it out? Nah, I'd feel bad about it.

3. While your mate is out sailing, you enjoy the sudsy hot tub at the resort. A drop-dead sexy stranger caresses your foot and smiles charmingly. Do you go for it? Nope nope nope. I don't want a creepy stranger touching my feet, but more importantly, I would be there with my mate, and that's not cool.

1. How many times have you truly been in love? Twice.

2. What was/is so great about the person you love(d) the most? I wish I could remember. I guess that he loved me back.

3. What qualities should a significant other have? Ideally... passion, generousity, honesty, caring, understanding, respect, loyalty, creativity, balance, and stability, but also a sense of humor and the ability to relax... The same things every other girl on the planet wants. The want to grow and change with me. To love me for who I am but also make me want to be a better person. And lastly, strong hands and beautiful eyes.

4. Have you ever broken someone's heart? Yes.

5. If there was one thing you could teach people about love, what would it be? I've still got too much to learn myself.

1. Tattoo:: ankle
2. Sunburn :: aloe
3. Jaguar:: car
4. Trousers:: wallace and gromit
5. University :: college
6. Express:: train
7. Suicide:: garage
8. Slide:: playground
9. Rain:: clouds
10. Bulletin board:: Telix

1. Cats or dogs? Dogs
2. Butterflies or birds? Birds
3. Horses or cows? Well, I've never ridden a cow, but they're awfully cute... :P
4. Turtles or snakes? Turtles, though I like snakes too
5. Frogs or grasshoppers? Toughie... frogs, they don't break as easily when you play with em.
6. Lions or tigers? Another tough one... lions
7. Elephants or mice? Elephants
8. Porcupines or aardvarks? Aardvarks!
9. Unicorns or dragons? Dragons
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You live in a rather dumpy apartment. A friend offers you a chance to be a roommate at a new place s/he is moving into, but they don't allow pets. You have a pet. Do you find your pet a new home and take the new place, or do you keep your pet and stay put? I'd probably stay put and keep my pet.

You're feeling "under the weather." If you phone in sick, a colleague will have to do twice the work. Do you go to work? I do. Wouldn't want to get anyone else sick if I was contagious. I'd cover for that colleague when he/she wasn't feel well also.

At a bookstore cafe, you're reading a new hardcover book with no intention of buying it. You accidentally spill coffee on it. Do you buy the book? I'm reading a book I don't intend to buy? That never happens, but yes, I'd buy it... I have a strong guilt complex, even when it comes to large corporations like B&N.

At a poker game, a drunken player is losing heavily to you. Do you try to get him to quit? Nah... but then I've never played a poker game where the cash-in was more than $10.

1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Crest Tartar Control

2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer? Something soft and on sale

3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear? Right now? Am wearing black Vans. Also wear Adidas trainers, Airwalks, and I have a pair of Steve Madden boots.

4. What brand of soda do you drink? Cricket

5. What brand of gum do you chew? Dentyne

Yes, yes, I know... but better late than never.

1. What drinking water do you prefer -- tap, bottle, purifier, etc.? Tap water only if it's well water. Otherwise bottled.

2. What are your favorite flavor of chips? Salt and vinegar.

3. Of all the things you can cook, what dish do you like the most? Anything involving pasta and vegetables.

4. How do you have your eggs? Scrambled with a little cheese.

5. Who was the last person who cooked you a meal? How did it turn out? My sister-in-law cooked ribs tonight for dinner. Yummm....

--

1. Your minister is forced to retire because he's been convicted of committing rape 26 years ago. You're invited to the retirement party. Do you go? Crap. I think no, but I'd struggle with this a lot. He'd obviously repented, but I think it takes something really different in a person to do that to someone else.

You're a clerical worker. A new employee, a single mother, reads poorly and needs your help to do her job. Do you continue helping? I would help, but if she can't grasp it after a certain amount of time, I'd try and find her information on an adult literacy program.

You hit it off with someone in a dark lounge and make a date. Before leaving, s/he asks for help getting into a wheelchair. Do you pursue the relationship? Sure. How do I know it's even a permanent thing? Stuff like that doesn't matter so much if you really like the person. Minor inconveniences...

1. You're on city council. Police want to place surveillance cameras on the downtown streets to deter crime and save money. Do you vote for it? Sure. They could act as traffic cams as well.

2. You've sold your house. Before you move out the roof starts to leak. Do you have it fixed? I'm not sure what the laws are on this. I'd probably tell them our of courtesy, but I'd think it's not really my problem anymore.

3. You have an Internet friendship which is pretty friendly. Your jealous mate demands you end this friendship Do you? Only if I knew my mate before I knew this person.

1. Would you consider yourself an organized person? Why or why not? I try so hard, but definitely not. I actually am organized in my own way, but no one else can ever find anything in my system. As a result, I get super anal about things that need organization, and people think I'm weird.

2. Do you keep some type of planner, organizer, calendar, etc. with you, and do you use it regularly? Day Planner and a PDA. Yes, I use it regularly. Again, people think I'm weird, when I'm at the grocery store and stop to enter in the amount I paid into my ledger. Or when I enter in my mileage when I fill up with gas.

3. Would you say that your desk is organized right now? HAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH. Let's just say I'm sitting at my desk and my laptop is actually on my lap because theres so much stuff right now. But then, I did try and fit an entire house's worth of stuff into my childhood bedroom.

4. Do you alphabetize CDs, books, and DVDs, or does it not matter? Nope. I usually do it by genre for reference, and that's it. Anything else is just futile.

5. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to organize? My life.

1. Name one song you hate to admit you like. Better Off Alone by Alice Deejay.

2. Name two songs that always make you cry. The Dance by Garth Brooks. I can't think of another.

3. Name three songs that turn you on. I don't think I've ever had a song turn me on.

4. Name four songs that always make you feel good. Anything I can sing loudly to in the car.

5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without. 'Brown Eyed Girl' by Van Morrison, 'Want You To Want Me' by Letters to Cleo... hmm... this is tough.

1. A patient calls late Friday to inquire about a test result. You're only a lab technician and can't tell the patient he's healthy and needn't worry all weekend. Do you break the rules? Hmm... probably not, because it could come back and bite me in the butt with a lawsuit if I wasn't entirely correct.

2. A good friend is a bouncer at a Mafia-owned club. He urgently needs a place to hide. Do you hide him? Probably.

3. Your friendly hairdresser has the sniffles and unconsciously wipes his nose with his hand. You're having a haircut. Do you say something? Yes.

1. What was the last TV show you watched? This morning I watched last night's episode of 'ER' that I taped. (Still have to watch the series finale of 'Sabrina', and last night's 'Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies'... yes, I have 3 VCRs, so I taped those two at the same time as 'Friends'.)

2. What was the last thing you complained about? My Cisco card not liking Ed's WEP.

3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say? Some random lady at the Toyota dealership this morning... I told her I liked her scarf.

4. What was the last thing you threw away? Plastic shopping bags from my trip to the grocery store this morning. OK, I recycled them, but still...

5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited? muted.com

1. Who is your favorite celebrity? That's tough, I've got fav singers, actors, etc... they're all celebrities. Any celebrity who can at least remain somewhat grounded and modest

2. Who is your least favorite? Right now, maybe Michael Moore for being a jerk during his speech at the Oscars. Maybe Catherine Zeta Jones because she and Michael Douglas actually sold the rights to photograph their wedding. I think that's just sort of weird. Maybe pictures might have been leaked to begin with, but it's not like they need more money. I still can't get over Harrison Ford leaving his non-celebrity wife for Callista Flockhart. What is that all about?

3. Have you ever met or seen any celebrities in real life? Yup, Moby and John Williams

4. Would you want to be famous? Why or why not? Definitely not. There would be no privacy left in my life.

5. If you had to trade places with a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why? No one... I wouldn't want to be famous.

1. You're late for a meeting but you path is blocked by an endless funeral procession. You see a gap. Do you dart through it? Nah... that's seriously rude. I'd either try to find a way around it, or just wait.

2. The teacher asks if you wrote your son's history essay. Your son claimed he did it but the teacher's right. Do you admit it? I'd say I helped, and proofread/edited it.

The only other occupants of the sauna are an attractive young couple giving each other a massage. They offer to include you. Do you accept? Hey sure...

1. What was the first band you saw in concert? I'm not sure... it was at a 3-WS Oldies Festival with my parents. And after that it was DC Talk.

2. Who is your favorite artist/band now? Moby.

3. What's your favorite song? Hrm... that changes all to often.

4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Well I sorta already do play flute, saxophone, clarinet, and piano, but while everyone wanted to play guitar, I've always wished I could play bass.

5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why? Well, I've already met both Moby and John Williams, but I wouldn't mind meeting them both again.

1. As a waitress, you win $10 million from a lottery ticket you received as a tip. Normally tips are pooled but you kept this one. Do you share the money? Hmm... not evenly... but if I ever won the lottery, I'd pay off my debts and share everything else.

Your dad's dying wish is to be buried in his homland. The expense will take most of your inheritance. Do you obey the request? Yeah... often that's half the idea of inheritance, to take care of burial costs, etc.

You own a supermarket. Genetically altered fruits and vegetables are popular but no one knows for sure if the are safe. Do you sell them? Nope.

1. If you had the chance to meet someone you've never met, from the past or present, who would it be? I could probably think of a dozen, given I thought about it longer. But what came to my head right now was Patrick Stewart. I could say Moby or John Williams, but I met both of them.

2. If you had to live in a different century, past or future, which would it be? Hmm... I've always been fascinated with the medeival and renaissance periods... the architecture, the art... maybe the 14th or 15th century, but I probably wouldn't live very long. The future would be interesting, to see if we do indeed colonize the moon, or Mars or something.

3. If you had to move anywhere else on Earth, where would it be? Realistically, I'd probably stay in the states, in NYC or San Francisco. But maybe Amsterdam, Stockholm, or London. I've always wanted to live in Australia or New Zealand too.

4. If you had to be a fictional character, who would it be? I would be Alhana Starbreeze

5. If you had to live with having someone else's face as your own for the rest of your life, whose would it be? Alyssa Milano

1. You're the coach on a kid's soccer team. In the finals do you let the bad players get much field time? Of course. They're just kids.

2. As a dental hygienist, you see the dentist fondling a patient who's "asleep" in the chair. the dentist doesn't see you. Do you tell the patient? Good God. I'd fire the hygienist on the spot, and tell the patient, as I would hope to avoid a lawsuit.

3. You gave the wrong directions to a tourist family. They've already walked two blocks. Do you chase after them? Yeah, I would. I'd feel bad.

1. Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not? Not really. I get easily distracted. If you want to talk, come over.

2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone? Shawn and Amy. Shawn three-wayed me in with him and Amy, and then I tried to three-way Jay in so we could make evening plans, but I kept accidently hanging up on Shawn and Amy.

3. About how many telephones do you have at home? My cell phone, Jay's cell phone, a cordless in the study, the answering machine phone in the living room, and an alarm clock phone upstairs on my nightstand.

4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened? Most of my friends do. I don't really care, but Jay is a big fan of manners. Shawn's family will hang up on you if you aren't properly polite.

5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not? I'd rather drop them an email than write a letter, because my handwriting has gone to hell since I type most things, and I'm too impatient for letters. A phone call is often quicker, but for unimportant things, I find it intrusive.

1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)? I prefer novels, but I also enjoy magazines for their editorials and articles.

2. What is your favorite novel? I don't think I have one.

3. Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!) How about... Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll :)

4. What is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read? Little Women. Actually there's a number of classics I wish I'd read.

5. What are you currently reading? Kiln People by David Brin, with Down and Out in the Magic Kingdon by Cory Doctorow and Jennifer Government by Max Barry waiting on the shelf. Next to buy is Pattern Recognition by William Gibson.

1. You're interviewing candidates for a job. The best qualified applicant is overweight. Do you hire this person? Of course... why would that matter? Especially in the IT industry?

A loved one is in a car accident and is dying. You're asked to donate his organs for a transplant. Do you? (note: you don't know the persons wishes.)If I were the next of kin, and there was no way to save him/her, then yes. I'm an organ donor myself.

Your adolescent children ask if you ever smoked marijuana when you were young. You did. Do you admit it? Sure. But I'd also make sure they realized it was a one time thing, and it was a mistake.

1. What is your most prized material possession? Hmm... that's tough. Either my PC because a. it cost a lot and b. it contains years worth of data, or my tigger box that contains random sentimental things like letters and small trinkets.

2. What item, that you currently own, have you had the longest? I'm a packrat, so there's lots of those things. I think the oldest possible posession I have is my baby blanket. Yes, I still slept with it in college. I gave it up with I started sharing a bed with a boy, but I still cherish it.

3. Are you a packrat? Hehe... I answered that question above, before I had read all of the questions. Let's just say that cleaning out my closet last year, I found a math paper from elementary school.

4. Do you prefer a spic-and-span clean house? Or is some clutter necessary to avoid the appearance of a museum? Clutter...but I live with an obsessive-compulsive neat-nick. Our house barely looks lived in and it drives me nuts because I *need* certain things out on my desk etc for easy access. If you use certain things all the time, I think they might as well be left out. Like my laptop.

5. Do the rooms in your house have a theme? Or is it a mixture of knick-knacks here and there? The theme of our house is Jay's old apartment. Everytime his parents come to visit, like this weekend, he gets more things out of the backroom. Tonight all the road signs went up. And the banners next to the wall of license plates and hubcaps in the living room. Oh, it's an interesting place, and yet, aside from my computer desk and dresser in the bedroom, it doesn't look like I live here.

1. Visiting a friend you see an invitation to a surprise birthday party for you! Do you pretend it's still a surprise? Of course! But people never do stuff like that for me :P

2. Your new lover is impressed by your sexual stamina. She doesn't suspect you use Viagra [substitute similar supplement for women or answer it from a lady's point of view]. Do you take the credit? Uhmm... sure.

3. A friend thinks his idea for a theme restaurant will make a fortune. You think he'll lose his shirt. Do you discourage him? Who's to say? I might express my opinion, but I wouldn't discourage him.

1. Explain why you started to journal/blog. I had something to say. It also gave me a chance to play with some code and design.

2. Do people you interact with day to day or family members know about your journal/blog? Why or why not? Some of them. It's not always G rated enough for family, but most of my irl friends know about it.

3. Do you have a theme for your journal/blog? My theme is me. Things I'm interested in... technology, news bits that effect me, anything I have an opinion on.

4. What direction would you like to have your journal/blog go in over the next year? I'm not sure I have an intended direction. It is a cross between a journal and a weblog.

5. Pimp five of your favorite journals/blogs. I don't think I could limit it to 5. Just visit my blogroll.

1. What did you have for breakfast this morning? If you didn't have breakfast, why not? Uhm... my breakfast was some Chinese at 10pm. I have a tendency not to eat because I never have money or groceries.

2. What's your favorite cereal? Great Grains with raisins, dates, and pecans.

3. How often do you eat out? Do you want that to change? All too often. Jay and I can hardly ever agree on things to cook. I like simple things like rice and chicken or caseroles, he's a hearty meat and potatoes and lots of carbs kinda guy.

4. What do you plan on having for dinner tonight? Got a recipe for that? Uhm... it's after midnight.

5. What's your favorite restaurant? Why? I like Aladdin's Eatery in Squirrel Hill... all healthy food, nonsmoking etc.

1. You suspect another parent at a co-op daycare of stealing $20 from your coat. This person is made treasurer. Do you alert the board? I might say something to one person to see if I'm just paranoid delusional.

2. You're well-to-do. Your children, ages 24 and 26, ask you to settle part of their inheritance now. Do you? Nope. They'd have to wait. I might give them a loan though, depending on what they need the money for. But it would be better off waiting in it's investments until it's time.

3. You've accepted a date to a movie when someone you really like asks you to a concert on the same night. Do you try to get out of the first date? I probably would, and then I'd feel lousy about it, and do something to make it up to the other person.

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero/heroine? Why? Lady Jane, from G.I. Joe. She was a buff redhead with an attitude.

2. What was one thing you always wanted as a child but never got? Tons of things, but they were always just the passing fads that I don't care about. I was just thrilled to have the original laser tag.

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

4. What's one thing you've always wanted to learn but haven't yet? French. I took Spanish in college because it was easy for me, but I think French is such an elegant language.

5. What are your plans for the weekend? Well, we set up the new network tonight, but I'm still fiddling with the WEP. We played a game of Starcraft, and my plans for tomorrow are as of yet still undetermined.

1. Your brother is an activist. You suspect he may be involved in a series of bombings. Do you notify authorities? I would. I wouldn't want him to hurt anyone.

2. A friend's spouse is coming on to you. Do you tell the friend? I would talk to the spouse first, maybe I misinterpreted it.

Your company's profits will double if you replace 22 long-time employees with new software. Do you? I would. If one piece of software can do what 22 employees did, then they are quite redundant. Assuming I am in a position of power in the company, I would evaluate their skill sets and see if they can be of use elsewhere, or try and help them find positions elsewhere.

1. What is one thing you don't like about your body? My big feet. It's really hard to find non-old-lady shoes.

2. What are two things you love about your body? My curves, and my smile.

3. What are three things you want to change about your home? Tile the kitchen floor, paint the study, insulate the windows.

4. What are four books you want to read this year? 4? I've got a whole list...Jennifer Government by Maxx Barry, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow, The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, Slow River by Nicola Griffith, Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge, and The Secret Life of Puppets by Victoria Nelson.

5. What are five promises you have kept to yourself? I can't really think of any...

1. A good friend is having an extramarital affair and asks you to provide an alibi. Do you? I would, because causing her to get caught would only cause a huge mess, and hurt too many people. I would encourage her to end it, and go to her husband about it.

2. As a reporter covering a tribal massacre in Africa, you befriend some people who will be killed unless you help them escape. At risk of losing your job, do you help? *This* is why I could never be a reporter. I think I would risk my job for people's lives.

3. An employee of your ad agency is HIV positive. Clients and staff are uneasy and his work has suffered. Do you renew his contract? If his/her work is suffering regardless, I wouldn't. The employee should be somewhere where people aren't aware, and treat him/her normally.

1. Where do you currently work? Nowhere right now.

2. How many other jobs have you had and where? I worked for the Computer department at my college, I worked in softlines at Kmart during summers in college, and then my job at Delta right out of college. Oh, and the whopping 2 days that I worked at the Burger King on the turnpike. Day 2, my trainer called off, and I got stuck on the lunch shift alone and clueless. Some lady yelled at me cuz her kid dropped his food and she wanted something different. When I said I could only replace it with what he had before, she threw it at me. I quit on the spot. Anyway, I have a job interview on Tuesday for a customer support analyst position (phone support for doctors and hospitals, and sql/c++ scripting) for a company that provides hardware and software for the medical profession, hopefully it goes well.

3. What do you like best about your job? Well... what I *did* like... it was a flat organization, and everyone worked together, so there wasn't a whole lot of politics.

4. What do you like least about your job? That I don't have one. :P

5. What is your dream job? Hmm... I think it would be a music teacher... I really miss my music. Maybe something combining my technical and musical skills.

1. To nab criminals and spare the innocent, the government sets up a DNA registry. Everyone must submit a genetic finger print: a DNA sample. Do you do it? Sure.

2. In a mall, you see someone dressed "to the nines". She has a napkin stuck to the bottom of her shoe. Do you tell her? Yeah, discretely.

3. At a car wash, you witness the manager firing one of the attendants for doing too good a job and taking too long. Do you speak up? That's none of my business, and chances are I don't know the whole story.

1. Do you wear any jewelry? What kind? My irish wedding band that Jay bought me.

2. How often do you wear it? Daily

3. Do you have any piercings? If so, where? None.

4. Do you have any tattoos? If so, where? Nope.

5. What are your plans for the weekend? I'm sick right now, so no plans. Jay's off Sunday and Monday, so we're planning on painting the study and bathroom, as well as doing some other work around the house.

1. As a police officer you stop someone for speeding. They say they're on their honeymoon and rushing to get to their hotel. Do you give them a ticket? Depends on what kinda day I've had.

2. Your favorite ethnic restaurant is fined for exploiting immigrant labour. Do you continue to eat there? No... thats just not right. I'm sure I could find another ethnic restaurant in this melting pot they call Pittsburgh.

3. You're young and single. A wealth old coot/widow proposes marriage saying s/he will be dead in a few years and you'll inherit everything. Do you accept? And up like Anna Nicole Smith on the tabloids? No thank you...

1. A relative is dying. She asks for help to die with dignity. Assisting suicide is a criminal offense. Do you help? Ew... no. Sorry. Creepy.

2. A friend calls it "the best entertainment in town." He uses a scanner to listen to lovers talking on cell phones. Do you do it? *laugh* probably.

You're selling your house because of constant noise from the rooming house next door. Potential buyers ask why you're selling. Do you tell them? Nope. I probably bought the house because the previous owners didn't tell me.

1. Did you vote in your last elections? No.

2. Do you know who your elected representatives are? Yup. I checked the election info the next morning. Our new governor is from Philly... bleah.

3. Have you ever contacted an elected representative? If so, what was it about? Yup, Melissa Hart was a big resource on a Girl Scout project I worked on years ago.

4. Have you ever participated in a demonstration? Nope.

5. Have you ever volunteered in an election? What was the result? Nope.

1. You like and respect your boss. He's fired unfairly and you're asked to take his place. Do you? If I don't, someone else will.

2. You're a cop. Fellow cops are selling illegal drugs. The Chief's in on it. Do you blow the whistle? Probably.

3. You and a colleague are competing for a promotion. You discover he made a serious mistake which can be corrected. Do you alert him? It depends on if I like the colleague or not.

1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith? Yes... Methodist.

2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not? Yes and no.

3. What do you think happens after death? I believe in a heaven for those who lead a good life and in a hell for those who don't. I also believe each person has a personal heaven or hell.

4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)? No idea...

5. Do you believe people are basically good? I think this is a loaded question... I think children are good... but there comes a time when children can make their own moral decisions and sometimes there just seems to be a few bad apples out there.

1. You're a medical researcher competing for funding. You have many leads for an AIDS cure but can't pursue them all. Do you give some to other researchers? Of course I do...

2. You oppose a new law requiring registration of all guns. Do you register your gun? Well first of all... I would never oppose such a thing... gun control is a very grey issue... take the guns away and only outlaws will have em... be slack on control and people take advantage. Anyway... yes, I would register my gun.

Technology will enable you to extend your life by 50 years. You must clone a second body for organ replacements. Do you do it? Weird... if my quality of life was such that I would need that many organs replaced, I don't think I'd want to live an extra 50 years.

1. What is your favorite scary movie? Wow... that's a tough one. I love horror movies in general. Maybe RHPS just because it's great, I've seen it hundreds of times, and I know all the callbacks. Maybe Dracula 2000 for the Judas theory and Johnny Lee Miller...mmm. I really liked 13 Ghosts too. And any old cheesy horror flick like Dawn of the Dead. Yeah... cheesy zombies crawling all over Monroeville Mall. And Army of Darkness, but that's more comedic. Crud... I just don't know.

2. What is your favorite Halloween treat? Halloween itself :)

3. Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, describe your best Halloween costume. Any chance I get. I've got tons. Aside from the Ren Faire costumes, I've got my goth dress, my faerie wings, all kinds of vampire stuff... bleah. I'm not as creative as Bill, who's dressing up as Jet from Cowboy BeBop.

4. Do you enjoy going to haunted houses or other spooky events? Hell yeah. Haunted hayrides, the WV Penitentiary... you name it, I'm there.

5. Will you dress up for Halloween this year? Yup yup... I'm going to Zipay's party on Saturday... haven't yet decided what I'm wear. I'm down to either a black dressy outfit with cat ears and drawn on whiskers, or my goth dress, professional fangs, and a cape. We're having our own party Saturday as well, but I won't be here for half of it, because I've had plans for ages.

The meme to end all personality test memes, the "Which online personality test are you?" test. I am "The James Bond Villain Personality Test". "I live in a fictional world of spies and blonde women with ridiculous names, and I like to give people plenty of options. Although whether they're villainous is not optional." Riiiight.

This guy is hoping this is the end of this meme for good. People *will* tire of it eventually :P

BTW... cats and cactii are a baaaad combination.