Sort of a blog-tag thing, I guess

I got one of those "a bunch of random questions to send to your friends" today from a friend. I sent it to a fairly select group of friends since the email list my college friends (hereinafter "Elm Street") use has already seen its share of such things. But numerous Elm Streeters have blogs.

And, this turned out to be one of the funnier things I've written in at least the past year, so I figured it deserved to go here. You can read the whole silly thing after the jump--and James, Joel, Kelly, Dexter, and Heather, you are hereby tagged. Or something. I really don't know the etiquette on these things.

Ahem. Some adult themes, mild language. The MPAA gave it a PG-13, but they're getting pretty loose these days, since they'd rather sue small-time rippers and burners than worry about the slow decline in content and quality of the movies they're supposed to be rating.



So here it goes.

1. First Name:
Matthew

2. Were you named after anyone?
No, unless you count St. Matthew, but I don't think that's who my folks had in mind. It's too common, but I can't complain: the other names they were considering included Stacey (Stacey! Good God! Mom and Dad say this isn't true, but I've seen the baby names book and they circled it), and Benjamin (so I'd be BS. Actually, I think that's why they decided not to go with Benjamin).

3. Do you wish on stars?
I live in downtown. I gotta get hit on the head before I can even SEE stars.

4. When did you last cry?
Probably the last time I watched Shawshank Redemption.

5. Do you like your handwriting?
Yeah, I think it's pretty groovy. It's perfectly legible. Well, not perfectly. Okay, so it's marginally legible. Most of the time.

6. What is your favorite lunch meat?
Corned beef. Oy vey, what a question.

7. What is your birth date?
7 April 1977

8. What is your most embarrassing CD?
Hmm. This is a toughie, since I pretty much still like all of my CDs. I am sort of embarrassed to admit I bought the Oasis CD (Morning Glory), but I've since sold it (thank you eBay!)

9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?
Yes, and if I was a female other person I'd definitely sleep with me.

10. Are you a daredevil?
Not since I started the medication.

11. Who is your favorite cartoon character?
I think it's probably Professor Hubert Farnsworth, from Futurama, though all the characters in that show are strong, and I dig Hermes' voice.

12. Do looks matter?
I'm male, so I'd be a liar if I said no, even if I gave some very good reason. Which I don't happen to have. But I agree with Kim's comment that someone who's interesting gets better looking, too.

13. How do you release anger?
I drink.

14. Where is your second home?
Well, my folks and sister live in Orange Park, so that's sort of like my second home--or maybe my first since I grew up there. Visiting Elm Street in Atlanta or Clemson always feels like home to me.

15. Do you trust others easily?
Yes, to a fault. The cynicism is just a front, really, anyone who's even remotely charming can totally disarm me, at least in person. Until they cross me. And then I'll pretty much never trust them again for seven years (at which point you're supposed to give up grudges and debts, but Lord it's hard).

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
All of my many stuffed animals, particularly my stuffed shark, Molasses.

17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless?
Nearly all of them. I enjoyed Chemistry, Statistics, Art, Weightlifting, Band, and American Government, and some parts of English. The rest was crap.

18. Do you have a journal?
I have a blog. I have kept a journal in the past but I'm so damned long-winded it just takes up too much time.

19. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
No, I'm never sarcastic. Who would say such a thing?

20. What are your nicknames?
Smitty. Matt. One of my coworkers calls me Matty, but that has not spread, thankfully. In pilot training I was Rain Man. I usually sign off my emails at work as The Mob, because Mob is my office symbol (for Mobility). No one's ever called me The Mob, but I do get emails addressed to The Mob.
Undoubtedly the FBI is investigating. Karl Rove will probably leak my identity to the press shortly.

21. Would you bungee jump?
Sure, as long as I watched a fat guy jump with the same rope first.

22. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Only my Docs. Well, and my boots.

23. Do you think that you are strong?
In what way? Not especially.

24. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint Chocolate Chip

25. Shoe Size?
10

26. Red or pink?
Red or pink, what kind of question is this? When did you stop beating your wife?

27. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
I'm lazy.

28. Who do you miss most?
Rick Osborne was like kin.

30. What color pants and shoes are you wearing?
Right now? I'm wearing black Umbros. I'm at my house, so I'm not wearing shoes because wearing shoes in your own home is an affront to God. Or something.

31. What are you listening to right now?
A mix CD I made from two Philip Glass CDs that were only half good (together they make a whole CD!). This particular track is from Hydrogen Jukebox, a choral piece Glass wrote using Allen Ginsberg poems as the libretto. One of the tracks later on is actually read by Ginsberg. NAMBLA and all that stuff aside, Ginsberg was a pretty cool poet.

32. Last thing you ate?
Dinner: Basa, broiled with white wine, mushrooms and herbes de provence, on a bed of sushi rice cooked with chicken broth and herbes de provence, and broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce. And a glass of Val Verde Winery chardonnay (all the way from Del Rio, Texas).

33. If you were a color what would you be?
That color in the sky during twilight, near the horizon, that blue that's so clear it looks like you're seeing all the way to the center of the universe.

34. What is the weather like right now?
It's actually quite nice out for July in Florida. Mostly cloudy, about 88, humid.

35. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Unfortunately it was a jerk from AMC TACC up in New Jersey asking me why I hadn't filled a tasking for an O-5 and an O-3 that the wing has had since April. Hello, asshole, I don't work for the wing. My squadron isn't responsible for that tasking.

36. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Eyes and breasts (I'm not going to lie). It may not be politically correct but it's hardwired in the male brain. And I don't want to hear any namby-pamby men out there saying they notice personality first, because you don't "notice" a personality from across the room. Buncha liars.

37. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
But of course I do! If only Kim wasn't so mean to me...

38. Favorite Drink?
Hmm. Well, after the 4th, I think I'm going with the white cranberry juice and vodka.

39. Favorite Sport?
Probably college football, though I'm starting to get into soccer. And who doesn't love baseball in September and October? Commies, that's who. Are you a commie?

40. Hair Color?
Brown of some sort. When I say light brown someone always says it's dark, and if I say dark brown someone will always say it's light. I should just peroxide it.

41. Eye Color?
Brown

42.Do you wear contacts?
There's no way in hell I could ever stick things in my eye every day. I am always amazed by the people who manage to do so.

43. Favorite Food?
There's absolutely no way I could pick. But for Melinda's benefit I'll say edamame.

44. Last Movie You Watched?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?

45. Favorite Day of the Year?
Thanksgiving, closely followed by all the ones in October.

46. Scary Movies or Happy Endings?
Happy endings, up to a point. The ending of War of the Worlds made me gag.

47. Summer or Winter?
Autumn autumn autumn autumn autumn

48. Hugs or Kisses?
Hugs, since it's been so long since I had a real kiss.

49. What Is Your Favorite Dessert?
Tartlets! Tartlets! Tartlets! No, seriously, I do like a nice fruit tart, but I think my favorite is Boston Cream Pie.

52. Living Arrangements?
My own condo, which I happen to own at least 11% of now. With a cat. And numerous and sundry plants.

53. What Books Are You Reading?
Ahem, it's right there on the blog, but right now I'm reading Neuromancer, by William Gibson; Turners and Burners, by George Zug; and I'm nearly finished with A History of Postcolonial Lusophone Africa, by Patrick Chabal.

54. What's On Your Mouse Pad?
No mouse pad; laptop.

55. What Did You Watch Last night on TV?
I watched Simpson's repeats in syndication during dinner and then put on the movie.

56. Favorite Smells?
Rain, fresh air out west, garam masala

57. Favorite Flower?
I quite like daffodils.

58. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
No contest; Beatles.

59. Do you believe in Evolution or Creation?
Who put this question on here? It's people like you what cause unrest.

60. What's the furthest you've been from home?
I'm not sure, but it's probably Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Aomori Prefecture, Japan, is pretty far away, but I think Bishkek is further. If I had a globe I could check.