Dayton's Blog: A pimple on the ass of the Internet.

Snurched from lonemagpie:

The problem with LJ: we all think we are so close, but really, we know nothing about each other. So I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Ask away.

Inspired by a rather...interesting...conversation from an e-Mail loop to which I subscribe. Simply asked: What's on your keyring?

Mine:



Starting with the fob/remote and working clockwise:

• Key to my truck
  
• House key (front door)
  
• House key (basement door)
  
• Work cabinets/desk key
  
• Hen House shopper card
  
• CVS Extra Care card
  
• Borders Rewards card
  
• P-38 can opener: aka "the John Wayne," "the Church Key," "the Most Awesome Little Bit of Military Engineering Known To Man." I carried this one on my dog tag chain for a lotta years. See here for more info.
  
• "Quark's Bar" key chain. The coolest nerdy bar ever.
  

Speaking of dog tags, I used to have one on the keychain, as well. Then, one day, it hit me that the frikkin' things have my SSN on them. Duh. So, I retired it along with the original set I was issued forever and a day ago.

Whatchoogot?

Stealin' it from od0_ital, who in turn stole it from brotherflounder...

1. Anyone who looks at this entry has to post this meme and their current wallpaper.
   
2. Explain in five sentences why you're using that wallpaper!
   
3. Don't change your wallpaper before doing this! The point is to see what you had on!
   

(Click to enlarge.)

1. This is artwork Kevin and I commissioned for banners we hang up whenever we're at cons or other book signings.
   
2. It's based on art you might find on any of a number of SF magazine covers of the 1940s and 1950s, of which Kevin and I are unabashed fans.
   
3. The banner itself comes in two pieces, split down the middle, so that we each also have a standalone banner when we're some place on our own.
   
4. The graphic file, like the banner, is big, colorful, and awesome.
   
5. You wish you had something this cool.
   

Snurched from ericreynolds:

I am: William Gibson The chief instigator of the "cyberpunk" wave of the 1980s, his razzle-dazzle futuristic intrigues were, for a while, the most imitated work in science fiction.

Which science fiction writer are you?

Well, that was...unexpected.

Snurched from kvaadk:

"Part of being on LiveJournal is inevitably gaining a number of LJ buddies. Unfortunately, as time wears on, it's easy to forget where all of them came from. Post this in your journal and have your friends respond with how they recall first "meeting" you."

I'm curious to know where folks come from, and how they came to be here. If we met elsewhere before connecting here, then kindly spill that story again.

Snurched from romulantbonz, among others:

1. You can ONLY answer Yes or No!
2. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages or comments you and Asks!

Now, here's what you're supposed to do... And please do not spoil the Fun. Copy and paste this into your notes, delete my answers, type in your answers and tag as many of your friends as you'd like to. Then see what happens.

If you want to do this, consider yourself tagged.

Kissed anyone one of your LJ/Facebook friends? Yes
Been arrested? No
Kissed someone you didn't like? No
Slept in until 5 PM? No
Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes
Held a snake? Yes
Ran a red light? Yes
Been suspended from school? No
Totaled your car/motorbike in an accident? No
Been fired from a job? Yes
Sang karaoke? No
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes
Kissed in the rain? Yes
Sang in the shower? Yes
Sat on a rooftop? Yes
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? Yes
Broken a bone? No
Shaved your head? Yes
Blacked out from drinking? Yes
Played a prank on someone? Yes
Felt like killing someone? Yes
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? Yes
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No
Been in a band? No
Shot a gun? Yes
Donated Blood? Yes
Eaten alligator meat? Yes
Eaten cheesecake? Yes
Still love someone you shouldn't? No
Think about the future? Yes
Believe in love? Yes
Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes
Talk in your sleep? Yes
Laughed until you peed your pants? No
Passed gas on an elevator with others? No
Spend too much time on LJ/facebook? Yes
Play a musical instrument? No
Lived outside of the country? Yes
Been skinny dipping? Yes
Gone sky diving? No
Dated someone longer than you should have? No

Snurched from popfiend and romulantbonz, among others. These are James Lipton's (Inside the Actor's Studio "10 Questions," he asks each of his guests, based on the Proust Questionnaire.

Copy and paste to your LJ, erase the answers and have at it if you are so interested.

1. What is your favorite word?
   Peace.
   
   
2. What is your least favorite word?
   Hate.
   
   
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
   My wife. Yes, it sounds sappy, but there's a reason we're still married and happy after 18 years.
   
   
4. What turns you off?
   Selfishness; lying; willful ignorance.
   
   
5. What is your favorite curse word?
   Fuck. Cocksucker is a close second.
   
   
6. What sound or noise do you love?
   My kids laughing.
   
   
7. What sound or noise do you hate?
   Traffic.
   
   
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
   I'd love to be able to write full-time, as opposed to the part-time status my writing currently "enjoys."
   
   
9. What profession would you not like to do?
   Lawyer.
   
   
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
    "You might want to update your Facebook status."
    

Courtesy of faustfatale comes this link to a hilarious "25 Random Things" lists. It's penned by author Tod Goldberg, who among other things is the author of the recent Burn Notice novel The Fix, which you should check out if you're fan of the show.

Tod Goldberg: 25 Random Things I Hate About Fucktards On Facebook I Don't Know In The Least But Who, Nonetheless, Are My "Friends"

In case the title isn't a big enough hint, there by harsh language right ahead.

I have to admit, I laughed out loud at most of it.

I've been tagged repeatedly on Facebook, so I'm finally caving.  Without further ado....


( 25 Random (and supposedly interesting) Things About Me.  )

Saw this elsewhere, and since a Magic 8-Ball occupies a spot on the desk in my home office, I guess I can try it here:

Ask me a Yes/No-type question, and I'll provide the answer as conveyed via the Magic 8-Ball.

Example:

Q: Anything good on TV tonight?
A: Very doubtful.

Q: You gonna eat your cheese fries?
A: Most likely.

Q: Is there anything less worthy of news in these troubled times than Oprah weighing 200+ pounds?
A: Don't count on it.

Snurched from stevietee....

What has surprised you the most about me (if anything) since joining my f-list?

Was anything completely unexpected or have I always fit the picture of me you have in your head?

Post this in your own journal and see how you have surprised people!

Snurched from several off the f-list, and not unreasonable on a day like today. It's also good advice if you're looking for something to do on a rainy day:

1. Stop talking about politics for a moment or two.
   
2. Post a reasonably-sized picture in your blog, not under a cut tag, of something pleasant, such as an adorable kitten, or a fluffy white cloud, or a bottle of booze. Something that has nothing to do with politics.
   
3. Include these instructions, and share the love.
   
   So, digging into the archive of detritus that clogs a sizable portion of my house's lower level, I offer this artifact of fandom (and marketing) from 1986:
   
   

Stolen from stevietee:

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now (even if we don't speak often or ever) please post a comment with a completely made up, fictional memory of you and me.

It can be anything you want - good or bad - but it has to be fake.

When you're finished, post this little paragraph in your LJ and see what your friends come up with.

Snurched from, among others, kradical and scavgraphics. Like Scav, I'm fairly convinced this quiz has its roots in some sort of dimwitted Neo-con source. I'm half wondering if some RoboDialer for the McCain campaign will call me before Election Day, wanting to ask me some or all of these questions (or variations thereof).

The questions are being posted as received, typos, weird spacing and all:

( The Controversial Survey...behind the cut! )

Snurched from bill_leisner, who in turn pilfered it from kradical:

When you see this, quote Douglas Adams.

-----

During a recitation by their Poet Master Grunthos the Flatulent of his poem "Ode to a Small Lump of Putty I Found in My Armpit One Midsummer Morning" four of his audience died of internal hemorrhaging, and the President of the Mid-Galactic Arts Nobbling Council survived by gnawing one of his own legs off. Grunthos is reported to have been "disappointed" by the poem's reception, and was about to embark on a reading of his twelve-book epic entitled My Favorite Bathtime Gurgles when his own major intestine, in a desperate attempt to save life and civilization, leaped straight up through his neck and throttled his brain.
-- from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

-----

Yeah, maybe I should've picked a shorter quote, but I've remembered that poem's name ever since I first read Guide twenty-something years ago. Sue me. :)

1. Comment on this post.
   
2. I will give you a letter.
   
3. Think of 5 fictional characters whose name starts with that letter and post their names and your comments on these characters in your LJ.
   
4. Link back to that entry here.
   

dewline tagged me with "C," so here we go:

Casey McCall - one half of TV's most awesome fictional sports anchor team, paired with fellow anchor Dan Rydell. One of my favorite shows. You're watching Sports Night on CSC, so stick around.

Charles Emerson Winchester III - After five seasons of facing off against Frank Burns, Hawkeye was given an "adversary" of equal -- if not superior -- ability. Winchester's arrival forced out the last vestiges of sitcom-like characterizations and elevated to a whole-new level the already formidable storytelling possibilities M*A*S*H possessed. As arrogant as he was inarguably competent, his standoffish behavior belied an all-too human side which only was revealed on rare, memorable occasions.

C.J. Cregg - Served first as White House Press Secretary and later Chief of Staff for the Bartlet administration on The West Wing. Drive, compassion, courage, and humor wrapped up in a package supported by a pair of the tallest legs ever to walk into the Oval Office and not be part of a basketball team. Just one of the many reasons The West Wing also remains one of my favorite shows.

Cornelius/Caesar - one of the only chimpanzees who believed Taylor's story in Planet of the Apes, and father of the ape who ends up bringing the human civilization to its knees three movies later. Damn him. Damn him all to hell.

Curtis Manning - Jack Bauer's one-time bad-ass partner through several seasons of 24. Unfortunately, he met the same fate visited upon a whole shitload of Jack's friends and family members, worse still because Jack himself killed him. Cripes, that's just cold.

Anybody want to give it a whirl?

Snurched from several off the f-list. Look up your birthday at Wikipedia. Pick 4 events, 3 births, 2 deaths, and 1 holiday.

June 7th:

Events:
1776 - Richard Henry Lee presents the "Lee Resolution" to the Continental Congress. The motion is seconded by John Adams and leads to the United States Declaration of Independence.
1892 - Benjamin Harrison becomes the first President of the United States to attend a baseball game.
1942 - World War II: Japanese soldiers occupy the American islands of Attu and Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska.
1975 - Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder for sale to the public.

Births:
1883 - Sylvanus Morley, U.S. archaeologist and spy (d. 1948)
1896 - Douglas Campbell, American World War I flying ace (d. 1990)
1950 - Gary Graham, American actor

Deaths:
1970 - E. M. Forster, English author (b. 1879)
1980 - Henry Miller, American writer (b. 1891)
2008 - Jim McKay, American sportscaster (b. 1921)

Holiday:
Roman Empire - first day of the Vestalia (penus vestae) in honor of Vesta.

Because everyone else seems to be doing it:

Snurched from several on the f-list:

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want -- good or bad. When you're finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people remember about you.



ETA: I'd forgotten just how many people heard the "Girly Puke Story." :D

Snurched from lonemagpie:

131 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Not too shabby. :)