tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302648542024-02-08T02:04:16.043-08:00Building a better meTrying to give strong thoughtful opinions. Hoping not to offend everyone (give me a little slack please).N. Kowalskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12800140674059535199noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30264854.post-14515049981082595932010-08-05T10:15:00.000-07:002010-08-05T10:15:21.934-07:0028 Questions - A Meme Response<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, a friend of mine tagged me on this meme questionaire. I don't usually do these (I didn't actually know they were called memes), but what the hey. So, here goes...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<ol style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style-type: decimal;"><li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Was your dad named after anyone?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> I don't think so.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What do you think is the minimal age to get married?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> I don't think anyone should rust into marriage before they're ready. Age will be different for each person.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What’s the longest time that you’ve been involved with the same person?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> I guess it's been 7+ years.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What actor/actress do you consider hot at the moment?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> The wife from the modern family television show (Julie Bowen).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is you favorite album by a band?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> I have many, but this is the first to come to mind: Turn on the Bright Lights - Interpol</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is your favorite album by an individual artist?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Alice - Tom Waits</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is something that you’d rather be a bit dirty?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Not sure.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What was the last TV show that you watched?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> So you think you can dance (Last night).</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">How many people have you met from the blogosphere? Who are they?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Zero</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What’s your philosophy on life?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Medium.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Do you think prescription drugs are over prescribed?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Yes. And I think there are many consequences to this over prescribing.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest? </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Maybe. Depends.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is your favorite memory in the last year?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Can't think back that far.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is your favorite guilty pleasure?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> 1. ice cream, 2. video games, 3. eating out</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">I am an odd/interesting fact. One of my spiritual gifts is "getting songs stuff in peoples' heads".</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the ‘world peace etc’ malarky) – what are they? </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">I would wish for 1. Contentment, 2. Not needing to sleep, 3. Magic</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Who would you want to get together with and make a cake?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> My wife or Tom Waits.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Which country is your spiritual home?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Maybe New Zealand. If I ever go there, I'll verify.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is your big weakness?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Perfectionism.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Do you think Judd Corizan is a good person?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> I don't know Judd Corizan well enough to answer this question. Is this question a way to track peoples' participation in this meme?</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What was your best/favorite subject at school?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Math, Science, English, Art, Music... Is that too many?</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Describe your accent: </span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Philly suburban/Delaware Valley + whatever else I may have picked up along the way.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">If you could change anything about yourself, would you?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Less thinking/More doing.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What do you wear to sleep?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> T-shirt and soccer shorts or lounge pants.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">What is your favorite casual outfit to wear?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Jeans and t-shirt.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Do you use cigarettes or alcohol?</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Yes to alcohol. Not anymore to cigarettes.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? (If you have no idea, just say something crazy, it’ll entertain me!)</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Drive down to Ocean City, NJ, get some Mack n' Mankos pizza, sit on the beach, maybe take a nap, read a short book.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="padding-bottom: 0.8em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;">Rate the memes that you play generally. Use any scale or just in order.</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d9ead3;"> Not sure.</span></span></span></li>
</ol>N. Kowalskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12800140674059535199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30264854.post-77319105817524434422009-10-02T09:48:00.000-07:002009-10-02T09:48:43.329-07:00Bill Murray Versus John CleeseI was thinking the other day about Bill Murray, and a thought occurred to me that Bill Murray is America's John Cleese. Can you think of anyone else from the United States, in the world of comedic acting, who compares with the longevity, influence, and shear mass of work of John Cleese? A friend of mine seemed to think that Bill Murray might even surpass John Cleese, but the resumes tell a different story. See below a summary of credits of each (shamelessly gathered from IMDb):<br />
<br />
Bill Murray Category John Cleese<br />
7 Writer 55<br />
57 Actor 108<br />
5 Soundtracks 3<br />
3 Produced 42<br />
1 Directed 3<br />
1 Edited 0<br />
3 Thanked 2<br />
60 Played Himself 161<br />
35 Archived 35<br />
<br />
The numbers tell a story which is decidedly in favor of JC. JC is eleven years older than BM, but they began their careers only one year apart, so the comparison is pretty fair.N. Kowalskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12800140674059535199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30264854.post-73228182521631707792009-09-18T18:47:00.000-07:002009-09-18T18:47:26.080-07:00My name is Nick and I have a problem...I have often heard that the first step in working through or defeating a struggle is to admit the struggle. To that end I have, for a long time, struggled with self righteous angst against petty things not worthy of angst. I boil up with rage against anything main stream just because it's main stream. Liking things that most people don't like (i.e. acquired taste music like Frank Zappa or Tom Waits) and disliking things that too many people like is a badge of honor that I often wear with pride. Long ago I realized that disliking something just because other people like it is pretty much the same thing as liking something just because other people like it. However, this realization alone has not been enough to squelch my snobbery. Ultimately, that's what it is. I use this cultural elitism to build myself up and to judge others. It is a club of my own concocting to give myself worth... to fight against those who didn't let me into the clubs they concocted. This hasn't resulted in happiness though. So what if you like Phil Collins... think his music is great. So what if you buy the latest popular album only to find it an embarrassment later (Do you have a Limp Bizkit album?). This shouldn't make me angry. This is not a proper measuring stick of someone's worth. I think I can still enjoy the tastes I have acquired over my life without belittling the tastes others have acquired over their lives. I also don't think the angst I have over felt over these petty trivial things is worth while. Life is too short to waste so much of it upset for no good reason. So I am going to give it up. I feel better already.N. Kowalskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12800140674059535199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30264854.post-31211604985574757202009-09-07T15:54:00.000-07:002009-09-07T15:54:24.302-07:00My latest questionI often have a question that I ask people in an effort to prompt discussion that gets a little past the usual introductory chat and get to know people in a different kind of way. Those who have known me for a while have likely been asked the following: "If a wizard approached you and told you that he was going to turn you into an animal, and you couldn't get out of it, but he would allow you to choose the animal... what animal would you choose?"<br />
This has resulted in some pretty great responses that run the gamut, as you might imagine.<br />
I have recently started asking a new question, which has two parts:<br />
Part 1: If you could destroy 3 bands/musical acts/artists from all history... which would you choose?<br />
Part 2: If you could only save 3 bands/musical acts/artists for all history... which would you choose?<br />
I have really enjoyed a lot of the discussion that has resulted from these questions. Ultimately, someone will choose to destroy a band that someone else likes or save a band that someone else dislikes, but it's all in good fun. I almost like that part of it because it's a small way for people to work on disagreeing without fighting or getting angry (something that many us of could work a good deal on).<br />
P.S. - I would destroy: Nickelback, Janis Joplin, & Cher and I would save: Tom Waits, Radiohead & Led ZeppelinN. Kowalskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12800140674059535199noreply@blogger.com2