Nadine at In Blue Ink tagged me with this one, and being a history major, I can't resist it. Go to Wiki, type in your birthday (month and day), choose 3 events, 2 birthdays, and a holiday, and then tag 5 folks.
December 17:
Events:
1862 - American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
1969 - Project Blue Book: The USAF closes its study of UFOs, stating that sightings were generated as a result of 'A mild form of mass hysteria, Individuals who fabricate such reports to perpetrate a hoax or seek publicity, Psychopathological persons, and Misidentification of various conventional objects'.
1989 - The first episode of The Simpsons aired on Fox in the USA.
Birthdays (slim pickins here):
1953 - Bill Pullman, American actor
1967 - Chris Mason (darts player), PDC Darts player (I have no idea who he is, I'm just entertained that his name is listed as "Chris Mason, Darts Player")
Events:
Roman festivals – Saturnalia, in honor of Saturn, began. (Cool, but not as cool as Pi Approximation Day.)
Showing posts with label Memes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memes. Show all posts
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
The Stuart Smalley Meme
A lot of people read this blog and say to me, "Andy, as much as I love your blog, I really wish you would spend more time obsessing about yourself and how flipping awesome you are. So far, I remain unconvinced." Well, thanks to BerryBird over at Lake Loop, I'm about to tell you a whole lot more.
The idea of this meme is to write 10 things you truly like about yourself. So here goes.
1. My self-esteem. I understand this this meme would be helpful and therapeutic to people with generally low levels of self-esteem, and most people in polite society who tend to downplay their strengths and accomplishments.
I fall into neither of these categories. Even during my annual depressive episode in February, I still feel as though I belong somewhere in the 95th percentile of humanity, and express my depression through disgust at those who can't crack the 50th. And when someone compliments me on something I've done that I worked on, I'm as completely incapable of false modesty as Albus Dumbledore. Usually I just smile and look the other way to avoid saying something smug and smarmy. This attitude lost me plenty of friends in middle school, but now I think I've gotten it to work for me. Also, I'm not convinced I should continue this meme, as it might be akin to giving an alcoholic a drink, but if there's one rule of life I live by, it's that I'll do anything that people on the Internets tell me to do.
2. My rock 'n' roll band frontmanness. I think I would make an excellent lead singer of a rock band. I've got a pretty good voice, and my high baritone range would be pretty easy to sing along with, which helps for karaoke and radio play. Plus, I'm tall and I have striking blue eyes and awesome hair, which I think would help. Factor in that I also can sorta play an instrument, and then pair me with someone who can write good lyrics, and I think I could do it. Plus, I'd get all sorts of babes, albeit the really scary, trashy babes that frequent the bars around here that I could probably get anyway. Moving on.
3. My intelligence and my memory. Despite my tendency to document the many stupid things I've done over the years, I'm actually one smart hombre. My job forces me to appreciate this all the more. Anyways, something related that I'm simultaneously proud of and ashamed of is the fact that I graduated valedictorian of my high school class, and I don't remember actually working hard to do it. More on this next.
4. My Sense of Humor. I think I'm hilarious. Truly. I crack myself quite frequently. I laugh at my own jokes.
True Story: In the last month of my senior year, some Dayton area television station wrote a letter to our guidance counselor saying they wanted to honor the area valedictorians in 30 second spots between shows, and that they wanted me to go to Dayton one day to have it filmed. I got permission to get out of class, and drove that way. I arrived in the giant valedictorian milling room in time to wait 30 minutes for someone to divide us into trios. None of the valedictorians spoke to another, and we were somewhere in the vicinity of 75% female. So I get trioed off with two girls, and it's our turn to film our spot, which featured us walking toward the camera confidently and smartly, in sort of an inverted peace sign formation. We did it wrong the first time (I walked too fast, and the two girls joined up with me way too late to be on camera) so the guy regave us our instructions. I said, "Apparently we're not the sharpest knives in the drawer," and the two girls looked at me in confusion, as if to say "ERROR! ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE! STRANGE MALE'S STATEMENTS CONFLICT WITH GIVEN KNOWNS!" We refilmed our spot, and I hightailed it out of there, vowing to never reveal to anyone that I was a valedictorian. It is my secret shame. I never saw the spot on TV.
5. My people skills. For awhile, Erica and I were given the impossible task to train a coworker who was just not mentally capable of understanding her job. It was frustrating, and it really did not help that every time she did something wrong, which was at least 3 times a day, she blamed someone else, usually me, Erica, or one of the residents. I grew tired of this soon, and some other coworkers were complaining about her, and I overheard Claudia say, "Even Andy can't stand her, and he likes everyone." She meant it derisively, as if to say that I tolerate more crap and incompetence than I should, but I took it as a compliment. I can work with almost anybody.
6. My patience. I've had other psych attendants marvel at my patience in dealing with our clients, who are most often difficult. My de-escalation and redirection skills have gotten rather refined. I'm pretty sure that if I should ever decide to reproduce, I'll be a good parent. But I don't see that happening within the next decade.
7. My competitive streak. I like playing games and sports, and whenever possible I play to win. However, I'm not one of those ubertools who starts intentionally fouling everyone when his team starts losing a game of pickup basketball. No, I can enjoy myself even in a losing effort. I think I got my competitiveness from my dad, who used to play my siblings and me at Risk, and utterly mop the floor with us. Then, after unceremoniously sweeping all of our armies off the board, he would shout, "I WIN!!!! YAAAAARRRRRRGH!!!!" Last Labor Day, my dad started cheating at a game of Extreme Croquet because he was so far behind me. The learner has become the master.
8. My general contentedness. I can drink cheap pop. I can watch old movies. I can play old video games. I can get books at the half price bookstore. I have very few needs.
9. My energy level. I never realized how frenetic I am before I started working at the hospital, but I really keep active. I pace a whole lot, I jump around a lot, and I have a pair of hand grips that I squeeze near constantly. I rarely feel sluggish for long periods at a time. Unless it's too friggin hot out, of course.
10. I'm going to leave this spot blank, so that when I get my apartment cleaned, I can add, "My ability to keep a clean apartment and throw away crap I don't need." That will be something I'm truly proud of.
The idea of this meme is to write 10 things you truly like about yourself. So here goes.
1. My self-esteem. I understand this this meme would be helpful and therapeutic to people with generally low levels of self-esteem, and most people in polite society who tend to downplay their strengths and accomplishments.
I fall into neither of these categories. Even during my annual depressive episode in February, I still feel as though I belong somewhere in the 95th percentile of humanity, and express my depression through disgust at those who can't crack the 50th. And when someone compliments me on something I've done that I worked on, I'm as completely incapable of false modesty as Albus Dumbledore. Usually I just smile and look the other way to avoid saying something smug and smarmy. This attitude lost me plenty of friends in middle school, but now I think I've gotten it to work for me. Also, I'm not convinced I should continue this meme, as it might be akin to giving an alcoholic a drink, but if there's one rule of life I live by, it's that I'll do anything that people on the Internets tell me to do.
2. My rock 'n' roll band frontmanness. I think I would make an excellent lead singer of a rock band. I've got a pretty good voice, and my high baritone range would be pretty easy to sing along with, which helps for karaoke and radio play. Plus, I'm tall and I have striking blue eyes and awesome hair, which I think would help. Factor in that I also can sorta play an instrument, and then pair me with someone who can write good lyrics, and I think I could do it. Plus, I'd get all sorts of babes, albeit the really scary, trashy babes that frequent the bars around here that I could probably get anyway. Moving on.
3. My intelligence and my memory. Despite my tendency to document the many stupid things I've done over the years, I'm actually one smart hombre. My job forces me to appreciate this all the more. Anyways, something related that I'm simultaneously proud of and ashamed of is the fact that I graduated valedictorian of my high school class, and I don't remember actually working hard to do it. More on this next.
4. My Sense of Humor. I think I'm hilarious. Truly. I crack myself quite frequently. I laugh at my own jokes.
True Story: In the last month of my senior year, some Dayton area television station wrote a letter to our guidance counselor saying they wanted to honor the area valedictorians in 30 second spots between shows, and that they wanted me to go to Dayton one day to have it filmed. I got permission to get out of class, and drove that way. I arrived in the giant valedictorian milling room in time to wait 30 minutes for someone to divide us into trios. None of the valedictorians spoke to another, and we were somewhere in the vicinity of 75% female. So I get trioed off with two girls, and it's our turn to film our spot, which featured us walking toward the camera confidently and smartly, in sort of an inverted peace sign formation. We did it wrong the first time (I walked too fast, and the two girls joined up with me way too late to be on camera) so the guy regave us our instructions. I said, "Apparently we're not the sharpest knives in the drawer," and the two girls looked at me in confusion, as if to say "ERROR! ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE! STRANGE MALE'S STATEMENTS CONFLICT WITH GIVEN KNOWNS!" We refilmed our spot, and I hightailed it out of there, vowing to never reveal to anyone that I was a valedictorian. It is my secret shame. I never saw the spot on TV.
5. My people skills. For awhile, Erica and I were given the impossible task to train a coworker who was just not mentally capable of understanding her job. It was frustrating, and it really did not help that every time she did something wrong, which was at least 3 times a day, she blamed someone else, usually me, Erica, or one of the residents. I grew tired of this soon, and some other coworkers were complaining about her, and I overheard Claudia say, "Even Andy can't stand her, and he likes everyone." She meant it derisively, as if to say that I tolerate more crap and incompetence than I should, but I took it as a compliment. I can work with almost anybody.
6. My patience. I've had other psych attendants marvel at my patience in dealing with our clients, who are most often difficult. My de-escalation and redirection skills have gotten rather refined. I'm pretty sure that if I should ever decide to reproduce, I'll be a good parent. But I don't see that happening within the next decade.
7. My competitive streak. I like playing games and sports, and whenever possible I play to win. However, I'm not one of those ubertools who starts intentionally fouling everyone when his team starts losing a game of pickup basketball. No, I can enjoy myself even in a losing effort. I think I got my competitiveness from my dad, who used to play my siblings and me at Risk, and utterly mop the floor with us. Then, after unceremoniously sweeping all of our armies off the board, he would shout, "I WIN!!!! YAAAAARRRRRRGH!!!!" Last Labor Day, my dad started cheating at a game of Extreme Croquet because he was so far behind me. The learner has become the master.
8. My general contentedness. I can drink cheap pop. I can watch old movies. I can play old video games. I can get books at the half price bookstore. I have very few needs.
9. My energy level. I never realized how frenetic I am before I started working at the hospital, but I really keep active. I pace a whole lot, I jump around a lot, and I have a pair of hand grips that I squeeze near constantly. I rarely feel sluggish for long periods at a time. Unless it's too friggin hot out, of course.
10. I'm going to leave this spot blank, so that when I get my apartment cleaned, I can add, "My ability to keep a clean apartment and throw away crap I don't need." That will be something I'm truly proud of.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
It's Too Bad Procrastination Doesn't Start With M
Nadine at In Blue Ink offered this meme to me sometime on Monday, and I thought I should probably do it before the week was out.
10 Things I Like That Start With... M
1. Memes. They almost write themselves, and they often reveal way too much about the person writing them. A veritable blogging gold mine, right up there with self-deprecation and hilarious injuries.
2. Motown: The music, not the city. Does anyone like the city, filled with crime and hate-filled sports fans? I don't think so. But Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, and co., yeah. I dig it.
3. More: I'm a pack rat. I never get rid of anything.
4. Muppets: I crack up every time I watch The Muppet Movie. If I were a Muppet, I would easily be Kermit the Frog: I'm just a happy, laidback dude who helps rein in his absurd friends and is attracted to abusive relationships.
5. Mark Trail: At first, I just liked laughing at the oddly-placed word balloons. Then I liked laughing at the oddly stilted dialogue. Then I liked making up funny back stories based on the way the characters are drawn. Then I came full circle, and like actually reading the ridiculous plots and figuring out where they'll go. That's entertainment on at least 4 levels from a comic strip that isn't even intended to be funny. I don't really understand how people dislike Mark Trail.
6. Me. I have very high, very unjustified self-esteem. I'm amazed I didn't think of this one sooner.
7. Mentally Ill/Developmentally Delayed clients I take care of: My job requires me to care for them and help take care of them. And I love it, although considerably less on the days when they attempt to beat the ever loving crap out of me. Usually, though, it's a good time, and a very rewarding job when you finally make that breakthrough with a client. Plus, they can be really, really funny:
Andy: Hey, [female client], please take a shower today.
Client: I'm not [female client]. I'm the Devil.
Andy: Ok, The Devil, take a shower.
Client: No.
Andy: When did you become the Devil?
Client: Well, I used to be the most beautiful angel in Heaven, but then I wanted to be above the Lord, so he cast me down into a pit of fire and I turned into the Devil.
Andy: Well, ask a stupid question...
Client: Huh?
Andy: Nevermind. Take a shower.
8. Minnesota: I like it so much that one day next week I will finish my Minnesotan excursion wrap-up.
9. My Mom. I was a pretty good kid and didn't really put her through much grief, but considering the fact that I look like my dad, talk like my dad, and act like my dad, I'm guessing my presence didn't really make living through 12 years of divorce any easier. Plus, she lets me do my laundry for free at her house.
10. Moon Pies. Marshmallow and chocolate: a combination that will never fail you.
Now, looking through the history of this one, it appears that I don't actually get to say "Hey you! Fill this out on the letter X! Muhuhahahahaha." Instead, I have to ask, "Uh, if you want to play, then I can give you a letter in comments or something." So let me know if this one hasn't hit you yet.
10 Things I Like That Start With... M
1. Memes. They almost write themselves, and they often reveal way too much about the person writing them. A veritable blogging gold mine, right up there with self-deprecation and hilarious injuries.
2. Motown: The music, not the city. Does anyone like the city, filled with crime and hate-filled sports fans? I don't think so. But Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, and co., yeah. I dig it.
3. More: I'm a pack rat. I never get rid of anything.
4. Muppets: I crack up every time I watch The Muppet Movie. If I were a Muppet, I would easily be Kermit the Frog: I'm just a happy, laidback dude who helps rein in his absurd friends and is attracted to abusive relationships.
5. Mark Trail: At first, I just liked laughing at the oddly-placed word balloons. Then I liked laughing at the oddly stilted dialogue. Then I liked making up funny back stories based on the way the characters are drawn. Then I came full circle, and like actually reading the ridiculous plots and figuring out where they'll go. That's entertainment on at least 4 levels from a comic strip that isn't even intended to be funny. I don't really understand how people dislike Mark Trail.
6. Me. I have very high, very unjustified self-esteem. I'm amazed I didn't think of this one sooner.
7. Mentally Ill/Developmentally Delayed clients I take care of: My job requires me to care for them and help take care of them. And I love it, although considerably less on the days when they attempt to beat the ever loving crap out of me. Usually, though, it's a good time, and a very rewarding job when you finally make that breakthrough with a client. Plus, they can be really, really funny:
Andy: Hey, [female client], please take a shower today.
Client: I'm not [female client]. I'm the Devil.
Andy: Ok, The Devil, take a shower.
Client: No.
Andy: When did you become the Devil?
Client: Well, I used to be the most beautiful angel in Heaven, but then I wanted to be above the Lord, so he cast me down into a pit of fire and I turned into the Devil.
Andy: Well, ask a stupid question...
Client: Huh?
Andy: Nevermind. Take a shower.
8. Minnesota: I like it so much that one day next week I will finish my Minnesotan excursion wrap-up.
9. My Mom. I was a pretty good kid and didn't really put her through much grief, but considering the fact that I look like my dad, talk like my dad, and act like my dad, I'm guessing my presence didn't really make living through 12 years of divorce any easier. Plus, she lets me do my laundry for free at her house.
10. Moon Pies. Marshmallow and chocolate: a combination that will never fail you.
Now, looking through the history of this one, it appears that I don't actually get to say "Hey you! Fill this out on the letter X! Muhuhahahahaha." Instead, I have to ask, "Uh, if you want to play, then I can give you a letter in comments or something." So let me know if this one hasn't hit you yet.
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