A mini-rant and a meme. Yippee.
First, the mini-rant:
Why in God's name do we in America celebrate Columbus Day (Which is today, for those of you who may not be aware and who might be wondering why you didn't get any mail today and why all the banks are closed)? I mean, as I recall, Columbus never set foot in America except for once in Florida, and he wasn't the first European there by then. So, why? Why do we learn in school all about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria? Who the heck cares? He found Haiti, for pity's sake, not America! Blargh! If Columbus Day should be celebrated anywhere, it should be celebrated in Spain, since it was the Spanish aristocracy who became filthy rich by bleeding the Americas dry.
And for that matter, why don't we learn all about Leif Ericsson and the Vikings in school? Because, really, they were the first Europeans here. And, really, Americans are far more like Viking-like than they are Italian-explorer-like, no?
And finally, if we absolutely must inanely celebrate an Italian explorer who never set foot in the vast majority of what became the United States, then why don't we all get the day off instead of just bank, government, and postal workers? Not fair! (And yes, this is the reason for the rant, of course. ;) I have to work! WAAAAAH!)
Oh well, might as well do a meme then, eh? It's my way of being rebellious. Or something. This one was snagged, as usual, from trekwriter:
31 facts ALL ABOUT MEEEEEE! Yippee! :)
1. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
Let's see...*goes off to famousbirthdays.com* Oooh, Thomas Hobbes, 16th/17th century philosopher/poet. And Gregory Peck. And Bette Davis. And Colin Powell. And Spencer Tracy. Aren't I special? :)
2. Where was your first kiss?
I honestly don't remember. It didn't happen until I was in college, though, so I'm going to guess that it happened somewhere on the campus of Princeton University.
3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
Well, I deliberately (and ritualistically, even) killed my cousin's rabbit when I was younger and seriously messed up in the head. Does that count?
4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
Who hasn't? I started when I used to spar with my father when I was a kid...
5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
Just in a choir or in elementary school plays and that type of thing. Solo? No. I'm an instrumentalist, not a singer. I wish I could sing, though...
6. What's the first thing you notice about the preferred sex?
See #7
7. What really turns you on?
Intelligence and wit. Geekiness in some form is essential, too, mostly because geeks are generally the ones who are intelligent and witty, so there we go.
8. What do you order at Starbucks?
When one pathologically despises coffee, one generally does not go to Starbucks. I've never been in one, personally.
9. What is your biggest mistake?
Hooking up with David, the first person I kissed in #2 above. The fact that he's now in prison for life for second-degree murder should tell you why I consider that my biggest mistake. Then again, I wouldn't be the person I am today were it not for him. Irony, yeeeessssss....
10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
No, I hurt other things when I was messed in the head. See #3, for instance. And yes, I thank God every day that I'm no longer messed in the head...
11. Say something totally random about yourself.
Blargh. That about sums it up. :)
12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
When I've been less heavy, I've been told that I look like Princess Diana, though I think that's only because we have/had the same nose and the same close-set eyes. And when heavy and when I had long red hair, people told me I looked like Wynonna Judd. Now, I just look like Quasimodo. ;)
13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
Hah! I am a Transformers fan, y'know! And a Spongebob Squarepants fan, for that matter... :)
14. Did you have braces?
Yes, but you'd never know it. See #9.
15. Are you comfortable with your height?
With my height? Sure. With my weight at the moment? Uh, no. :p To the treadmill with me! *fanfare* :)
16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?
No one of the opposite sex has ever really done anything romantic for me. Only people of the same sex have ever done anything remotely like that for me. Latest incident, off the top of my head: Leaving a Patrick Star balloon in my car as a little surprise gift. :)
17. When do you know it's love?
When you're willing to die for the object of your affection.
18. Do you speak any other languages?
I used to speak German fluently, but I've forgotten much of it due to disuse. I can also speak a bit of Russian here and there, and I can read a bit of Arabic but cannot pronounce it for the life of me. And I can count to ten in Japanese, if that counts. :) I learned that in 1st grade and for some reason have never forgotten it...
19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
No. I don't see the attraction of tanned skin, personally... Especially because all it really does is make you all wrinkly later in life. Not to mention the possibility of melanoma...*shudders*
20. What magazines do you read?
None, really. I don't have time. Sometimes I'll look at "People" when I'm waiting to have my hair done, though. Because it's there and it passes the time and it makes me laugh at the vapid, self-absorbed nature of celebrities. :p
21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes, several times.
22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
Many times.
23. Do you watch MTV?
No. I always thought the entire concept of music videos was utterly stupid, personally.
24. What's something that really annoys you?
Besides music videos? :) Mostly, 20-something people who whine like babies annoy me. Time to grow up now, people! :P Oh, and not having Columbus Day off. That's annoying, too. ;)
25. What's something you really like?
Nice lazy weekends. I live for them. :)
26. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I've never met him, so I can't say. I don't really like his music a whole lot, though; his voice is too high and reedy-thin for my likings.
27. Can you dance?
Never really had much of an interest in doing so. I took ballet when I was a kid, though, and did fairly well at it, if that counts.
28. What's the latest you have ever stayed up?
I was awake for over 72 hours once. It was a combination of a writing jag and a cello-playing jag. The time just flies when I do either of those things. No caffeine required, even. :)
29. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die?
Oddly, no, not really. Usually when I've been badly injured I've been unconscious, so there was no thinking involved. And I knew that David would never kill me, so...No reason to think I was going to die because of anything that he did. Well, there were the three suicide attempts...but even then I didn't really want to (or honestly believe that I was going to) die. So...uh, no.
30. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
Yes, several times.
31. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
Yeah. Especially if they're not behind a cut and they're therefore right in my face...
Edity goodness: Oooooh, the Weather Channel is calling for snow for us tonight! Just slushy stuff, but still. SNOW!!! *dances*
Why in God's name do we in America celebrate Columbus Day (Which is today, for those of you who may not be aware and who might be wondering why you didn't get any mail today and why all the banks are closed)? I mean, as I recall, Columbus never set foot in America except for once in Florida, and he wasn't the first European there by then. So, why? Why do we learn in school all about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria? Who the heck cares? He found Haiti, for pity's sake, not America! Blargh! If Columbus Day should be celebrated anywhere, it should be celebrated in Spain, since it was the Spanish aristocracy who became filthy rich by bleeding the Americas dry.
And for that matter, why don't we learn all about Leif Ericsson and the Vikings in school? Because, really, they were the first Europeans here. And, really, Americans are far more like Viking-like than they are Italian-explorer-like, no?
And finally, if we absolutely must inanely celebrate an Italian explorer who never set foot in the vast majority of what became the United States, then why don't we all get the day off instead of just bank, government, and postal workers? Not fair! (And yes, this is the reason for the rant, of course. ;) I have to work! WAAAAAH!)
Oh well, might as well do a meme then, eh? It's my way of being rebellious. Or something. This one was snagged, as usual, from trekwriter:
31 facts ALL ABOUT MEEEEEE! Yippee! :)
1. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
Let's see...*goes off to famousbirthdays.com* Oooh, Thomas Hobbes, 16th/17th century philosopher/poet. And Gregory Peck. And Bette Davis. And Colin Powell. And Spencer Tracy. Aren't I special? :)
2. Where was your first kiss?
I honestly don't remember. It didn't happen until I was in college, though, so I'm going to guess that it happened somewhere on the campus of Princeton University.
3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
Well, I deliberately (and ritualistically, even) killed my cousin's rabbit when I was younger and seriously messed up in the head. Does that count?
4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
Who hasn't? I started when I used to spar with my father when I was a kid...
5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
Just in a choir or in elementary school plays and that type of thing. Solo? No. I'm an instrumentalist, not a singer. I wish I could sing, though...
6. What's the first thing you notice about the preferred sex?
See #7
7. What really turns you on?
Intelligence and wit. Geekiness in some form is essential, too, mostly because geeks are generally the ones who are intelligent and witty, so there we go.
8. What do you order at Starbucks?
When one pathologically despises coffee, one generally does not go to Starbucks. I've never been in one, personally.
9. What is your biggest mistake?
Hooking up with David, the first person I kissed in #2 above. The fact that he's now in prison for life for second-degree murder should tell you why I consider that my biggest mistake. Then again, I wouldn't be the person I am today were it not for him. Irony, yeeeessssss....
10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
No, I hurt other things when I was messed in the head. See #3, for instance. And yes, I thank God every day that I'm no longer messed in the head...
11. Say something totally random about yourself.
Blargh. That about sums it up. :)
12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
When I've been less heavy, I've been told that I look like Princess Diana, though I think that's only because we have/had the same nose and the same close-set eyes. And when heavy and when I had long red hair, people told me I looked like Wynonna Judd. Now, I just look like Quasimodo. ;)
13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
Hah! I am a Transformers fan, y'know! And a Spongebob Squarepants fan, for that matter... :)
14. Did you have braces?
Yes, but you'd never know it. See #9.
15. Are you comfortable with your height?
With my height? Sure. With my weight at the moment? Uh, no. :p To the treadmill with me! *fanfare* :)
16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?
No one of the opposite sex has ever really done anything romantic for me. Only people of the same sex have ever done anything remotely like that for me. Latest incident, off the top of my head: Leaving a Patrick Star balloon in my car as a little surprise gift. :)
17. When do you know it's love?
When you're willing to die for the object of your affection.
18. Do you speak any other languages?
I used to speak German fluently, but I've forgotten much of it due to disuse. I can also speak a bit of Russian here and there, and I can read a bit of Arabic but cannot pronounce it for the life of me. And I can count to ten in Japanese, if that counts. :) I learned that in 1st grade and for some reason have never forgotten it...
19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
No. I don't see the attraction of tanned skin, personally... Especially because all it really does is make you all wrinkly later in life. Not to mention the possibility of melanoma...*shudders*
20. What magazines do you read?
None, really. I don't have time. Sometimes I'll look at "People" when I'm waiting to have my hair done, though. Because it's there and it passes the time and it makes me laugh at the vapid, self-absorbed nature of celebrities. :p
21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes, several times.
22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
Many times.
23. Do you watch MTV?
No. I always thought the entire concept of music videos was utterly stupid, personally.
24. What's something that really annoys you?
Besides music videos? :) Mostly, 20-something people who whine like babies annoy me. Time to grow up now, people! :P Oh, and not having Columbus Day off. That's annoying, too. ;)
25. What's something you really like?
Nice lazy weekends. I live for them. :)
26. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I've never met him, so I can't say. I don't really like his music a whole lot, though; his voice is too high and reedy-thin for my likings.
27. Can you dance?
Never really had much of an interest in doing so. I took ballet when I was a kid, though, and did fairly well at it, if that counts.
28. What's the latest you have ever stayed up?
I was awake for over 72 hours once. It was a combination of a writing jag and a cello-playing jag. The time just flies when I do either of those things. No caffeine required, even. :)
29. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die?
Oddly, no, not really. Usually when I've been badly injured I've been unconscious, so there was no thinking involved. And I knew that David would never kill me, so...No reason to think I was going to die because of anything that he did. Well, there were the three suicide attempts...but even then I didn't really want to (or honestly believe that I was going to) die. So...uh, no.
30. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
Yes, several times.
31. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
Yeah. Especially if they're not behind a cut and they're therefore right in my face...
Edity goodness: Oooooh, the Weather Channel is calling for snow for us tonight! Just slushy stuff, but still. SNOW!!! *dances*