Because instead of going to church, my family saw Syriana (which was quite good), and now I’m being bitter and Scrooge-like because the dial-up connection at my house is making me crabby. Time for a meme, via Science and Politics. Merry Christmas to all — and Happy Holidays, Mr. O’Reilly.
Seven Things To Do Before I Die
1. Have a book published
2. Spend New Year’s in Goa, an anniversary in Venice, a birthday in Belgrade, Easter in Rome, Valentine’s day in Vienna, Rio for Carnivale, and Beruit for a yet-to-be-determined holiday
3. Live in Paris
4. Go to culinary school in France or Italy (even it’s just a week-long Tuscan cooking program or something)
5. Retire in a little village on the Almalfi coast
6. Run for public office
7. Learn at least three more languages fluently
Seven Things I Cannot Do
1. Touch my tongue to my nose
2. Run fast
3. Stop biting my nails
4. Sit through the entirety of Braveheart
5. Understand the appeal of donuts
6. Get through a day without tripping, banging into something, falling, or otherwise injuring myself in some minor way
7. Go too long without physical affection (even if it’s just cuddling my dog when I go home). You know how premature babies will die if no one touches them for long enough? I have that problem too (or, you know, something like it).
Seven Things That Attract Me to…Blogging
1. My big fat ego
2. The need to bitch in as many mediums as possible
3. The procrastination factor
4. The sense of community (awww…)
5. The way to connect with lots of interesting, intelligent people
6. The Amazon presents (just kidding)
7. The hotties
Seven Things I Say Most Often
1. Uh… right. (or uh… what?)
2. Sadly, no.
3. The many variations of the f-word (except fuck you. I don’t use that one too often, it’s just crass).
4. Yeah I have no idea.
5. Awww…. (sarcastically)
6. Neat
7. Classy
Seven Books That I Love
1. Skinny Legs and All
2. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
3. Interpreter of the Maladies
4. White Noise (the Don Delillo book, not the crappy movie)
5. Dorothy Parker short stories (I can’t pick a favorite collection, sorry)
6. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon
7. A Confederacy of Dunces
Currently reading “The Almond,” followed by “The Year of Magical Thinking” (Joan Didion), “Saturday” (Ian McEwan) and “The Plot Against America” (Philip Roth). I’ll let you know if any of them make the list.
Seven Movies That I Watch Over and Over Again
I rarely watch movies, and there are very few that I watch over and over again — usually it’s ones that are on TV over and over again. So this doesn’t actually reflect which movies I think are good, just which ones I don’t turn the channel on…
1. Love, Actually
2. Stepmom
3. Forrest Gump
4. Sister Act 1
5. Sister Act 2
6. Billy Madison
7. Little Girls in Pretty Boxes (a Lifetime classic)
And I’m adding a category, because I feel like it:
Seven Songs I Play Over and Over Again:
1. “Janie Jones” by the Clash
2. “Rapture” by Pedro the Lion
3. “Visions of Johanna” by Bob Dylan
4. “I Want You” by Elvis Costello
5. “Factory Girl” by the Rolling Stones
6. “Fu-gee-la” by the Fugees
7. “All Blues” by Miles Davis
Seven People I Want To Join In Too
1. Hissy Cat
2. Chris Clarke
3. Karol
4. Jeff
5. The Countess
6. Pinko Feminist Hellcat
7. Norbizness