25 Random facts about me...blah, blah, blah

You all know this list, and here is mine:

1. I was an altar boy.
2. I am a very competitive person. I just hide it really well when I lose.
3. I've had the hands of a sixty year old since I was in kindergarten.
4. I love to dive around and listen to music. That was almost half the fun I had when I would drive to visit my family in Iowa. Stop for gas and switch out the CDs in my player.
5. I was the first person I knew with internet access.
6. Around 2002 I went through a green phase. I wore green almost everyday, and I would only write in green ink. It was pointed out to me before I ever noticed I was doing it.
7. I haven't eaten fried chicken since summer of 2001 .
8. One of the best compliments I ever got was when a friend of mine told me that if he ever got on Who Wants be a Millionaire? I would be his phone-a-friend.
9. I am fascinated how people get into their careers as I have never known what I wanted to do.
10. That being said I have enjoyed every job I have had.
11. I lived with my uncle most of one summer and worked on his farm.
12. There is an old saying, "Never trust some one who has never spent a night in jail." You can trust me.
13. I never minded mowing the lawn.
14. I once drove 4 hours with a 105 temperature, and then had to be taken to the emergency room when I got to my destination.
15. In my senior year of high school I helped my Computer Science teacher from my junior year teach her first period class.
16. I once beat a friend of mine 23 games in a row in one on one basketball.
17. I didn't realize how fast I had grown, until one day I looked straight down and got dizzy. It looked so high up.
18. I credit my dad with my desire to try new things and my sense of humor.
19. I credit my mom with my love of cooking and reading.
20. I share my birthday with a grandmother and my friend John.
21. I liked hunting and fishing, but I quit both once I had to start paying for the licenses.
22. It has been over 3 months since I got my haircut.
23. In that vein I didn't need to start shaving regularly until my 30s
24. I have never tried a cigarette even once.
25. It is so hard for me to explain what I will and will not eat onions in, and if they have to be cooked or not in a dish it is just easier for me to say I don't like 'em. For the record though if I will eat them 99% of the time they need to be cooked.


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Now playing: One Day As A Lion - Last Letter
via FoxyTunes

What I Believe...maybe

My friend Howard had a list a of beliefs that he had written, and challenged others to participate. I am glad to so. My list is fairly superficial, if you want deep read Howard's, or Jeff's, or Mike's.

1.I believe...if you are going to talk on your cell phone while driving, at least go the speed limit. Driving 5 miles per hour below the speed limit in the left hand lane isn’t any safer than going the speed limit. Not paying attention is not paying attention.

2. I believe...that God has a sense of humor, and he finds me really funny.

3. I believe...everyone should work retail for one year. Then maybe some common courtesy would return to the world, and there won’t be such a sense of entitlement.

4. I believe...everyone should know how to cook one dish really well. Something so good that people say, “You should sell this.” That go-to recipe to really impress that guy or gal.

5. I believe...it is good to be selfish sometimes. By that I mean with your time. Everyone needs some "me" time to do whatever they want. Watch a crappy movie, play video games, whatever to blow some steam off. Get away from work, the spouse, kids, responsibility, etc.

6. I believe...the customer isn’t always right, in fact the customer is hardly ever right.If you were my customer a few years ago I would have let you know it.

7. I believe...there are such things as stupid questions. Like my friend who asked me why I locked the front door to the house.

8. I believe...my Dad could still kick my ass, no seriously.

9. I believe...I ran out of stuff to say after #3

10. I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door

I believe I can fly

Thanks R. Kelly for helping me finish my list

What the L am I doing here?

Over at Kalinara's site she has a meme on comic book characters based around a letter. I figured I would get in on this, and I got the letter "L". If you would like to participate let me know and I will give you a letter. You aren't restricted to comic book characters, any fictional one will do. So without further ado, lets get started:


1. Lightning Lad: If you know me, you know I am a fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes. It should come as no surprise then that I would work one them into my list. Garth is on of my favorite characters, and as a founding member of the Legion really has a special place for me.

I think he has one of the best background in the 30th century. The relationship with his his super-heroic sister is interesting. Add into the mix that he comes from a race of people were almost everyone has a twin, and his older brother is one of the few without a twin. His brother also has lightning powers, but has turned evil. On top of that, his brother is one of the leaders of the Legion of Super-Villains (in some versions of the Legion anyway). Wow he has a lot going on, and a ton to explore.

2. Luke Cage: One of my favorite series from back in the day is Power Man & Iron Fist. Yet, I didn't really care for Luke Cage then. I loved Iron Fist, and I liked Misty Knight and Colleen Wing than Luke. It was until the series Alias, and his relationship with Jessica Jones that I thought he became three dimensional, and a likable character. It is rare that my opinion on a character changes into a positive one, but it certainly did this time. I have also been reading some old PM&IF and I have been having a new appreciation for the character.

3. Lex Luthor: How can you have the letter "L" and not do something Superman related? Well one of the best villains of all time make my list. With a character as old as Lex you get someone who is a lot more complex. He has been known to show a compassionate side, and he is not all-evil all the time (see the Joker). I didn't likeLex much when I was younger, he just seemed so lame. It wasn't until the reboot that I liked him.

What makes him a great villain is that he can't go toe toe with Superman. Superman just can't come in a beat him up, he has to outwit Lex many times, and I think that is what upsets Lex the most. Not only can he not compete with Clark physically, but he outmaneuvers Lex's plans too. Now Clark isn't able to pin anything directly to Luthor, but he is taken down a peg or two. Of course now he is running around in a power suit again and that lessens him in my eyes. Lex shouldn't be fighting he should be scheming.

4. Loki: Now this is just another great villain. He is a villain I can enjoy without his arch nemesis. Hell I usually enjoy him more when he is not dealing with that moron Thor. What makes him great? He is the master of obfuscation. He is so good at hiding his plans, and that he is the one pulling the strings, for a time. Then his hubris gets in the way. He just can't help himself from making a grand entrance and letting you know he is the one responsible for your downfall. Plus out of the people on my list, he has the coolest costume.

5. Leonardo: Not that he is my favorite ninja turtle, but the turtles themselves do play a part in my personal comic book history:

When I first started collecting comic books I ordered from a company in New Hampshire. Each month they sent a list of comic books you could order and with that list they also had a 1 to 2 page newsletter with it. In that first newsletter I got there was a blurb about the Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles series, and how "hot" it was at the time. I placed an order for thext upcoming issue (number 4 for those keeping score). This was my introduction to the whole independent scene. It really opened my eyes that there comics to be read beyond Marvel and DC, and they were good!

Back to Leo though, he wasn't my favorite, but I always admired him. As leader of the group he had to put up with a lot of crap from the others, especially Raphael. He was the one who was the most dedicated mastering his ninjitsu. I haven't read the title in forever, but I loved it when I did.

That's it, that's the list.

Happy Happy! Joy Joy!

My pal, Rob, tagged me a while back on a meme on what makes me happy. That list follows:

1. I am happy. No. No. I am fucking ecstatic that I currently don’t have a long commute to work any more. It is just a few miles. After just a couple of days of fighting traffic during Wizard World weekend. I really appreciate not having to go through that crap. Including having one highway completely shut down for construction Saturday morning.

2. In a few weeks my brother makes his annual trip here, and that is cool because it is when our old gaming group gets together. We usually go out to dinner somewhere and then actually have a night of gaming. Anything from Trivial Pursuit, to Zombies, to Scene It. Maybe bowling.

3. When I first come home and the dogs are there to greet me.

4. When something I cook comes out perfectly.

5. Catching an episode of one of my favorite shows that I haven’t seen in years.

6. Going to my family reunion every year.

That’s it, that’s the list for now

Oh, and “I’m only happy when it rains”

Loaded Questions #22

This week from Loaded Questions:

Hypotheticals: If 50 people in your age group were selected randomly, how many do you think you would find leading a happier life than yours?
Hmmm, I actually have a pretty carefree, easy going life, but even considering that I will hedge my bets and say 25.


Anything Goes: What nasty habits do you have?
Nasty? I have bad habits, but nothing I would really consider nasty.

No-Brainers: What is/was your worst subject in high school?
Easy: Math. I probably should have failed 10th grade geometry.


Personals: What is the grossest thing you have ever done in public?
Easy questions this week: vomit. Thankfully(?), I was too drunk to really remember it.

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I still love me, some ME

Well here we are again with a small interview, and this time it is from Greg! Let's have look see shall we?

1. The obvious: if you could have any one superpower, what would it be?

Now this is something I have actually thought about quite a bit. You know the most obvious one is flight, and while quite cool, I’ll pass. Super-strength? Another good one, but scratch that one as well. Invisibility, this one almost passes the muster. It really appeals to my voyeuristic tendencies, but not his one either. The reason I passed on these is because they call all be simulated to a certain degree.

Flight – planes, trampolines, hang gliders, etc.

Super-strength – Do you know how strong you feel when you
are moving 2000 lbs of rice even if it is with the aid of a pallet jack? You
feel pretty damn good.

Invisibility – It seems there are always ways to spy on people, and feed the voyeur in all of us.

That is why the power I chose is: invulnerability. Sure if a plane is going down, with flight you can jump out and fly to safety. But that will be little help in a car crash. With invulnerability I would be able to walk away from both. It would be a pretty cool party trick having people whack you over the head with baseball bats or whatever. With flight you would get pretty tired of giving people ride. Invisibility is pretty much a one-trick pony at parties. Plus, with invulnerability it would seem you could parlay that into a bunch of different jobs.

2a. You must watch some reality show for two hours every day. Which do you choose?

Now this I could do. If I am flipping through the channels and see Top Chef on, I will drop in. Or Hell’s Kitchen because Gordon (Ramsey?) is just SO over the top he is hilarious. I enjoy cooking so these actually entertain me.

2b. Okay. But suppose you don't have a choice. The show is chosen for you. Which show would you most dread being forced to watch?

I Love New York. Look it up.

3. Muppet Babies -- cute or creepy?

Growing up, kind of cute. Now….creepy

4. What comic do you really enjoy but are sort of embarrassed about or at least cannot defend liking so much?

I’ve been thinking about this one for a while now, and I can’t think of anything that comes to mind. There maybe a comic or two… I would have to go through a whole months worth of comic to get a better idea. There are a bunch of T&A comics out there, but I don’t read any of those. I figure if I am going spend that much on that kind of material I’ll just buy some porn. If I think of something maybe I will come back to this.

5. Is there something -- comic, movie, book, TV show -- that you loved
as a kid but have looked at now and wondered WTF was I thinking?

In this case a picture will truly speak a thousand words:

SMURFS. Even when they were popular I think I was outside of the demographic they were trying to appeal to. I really loved them. And I didn’t just watch the cartoons. I had little figures. I read the books. I think you get the idea. Plus I stuck with them even after the popularity had faded I’m talking into…junior high school.

So there ya go. More crap about me. And again:

Wanna play? Here’s how!

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions. (They probably won't be the same ones you see above!)

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about comics – I won’t assume you’re a comic reader – or a superhero comic reader – when I pick my questions. (If you are, though – fair game!)

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Loaded Questions #19

I haven't done this in a while, but it is nice to be back. Here we go from Loaded Questions:

Hypotheticals: If you had to run a marathon, how many miles do you think you could last?

Do I have to run? Running 1-2 miles. I could walk forever...

Anything Goes: What is life's greatest mystery?

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

No-Brainers: What is your favorite flower?

Not something I have really thought about. In the spring time I do love seeing all of the bluebonnets off the highways around here.

Personals: What do you generally sleep in at night?

Wow that is personal...boxer shorts.

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I love me some ME!

There is a comic book meme going around, and my friend Rob has agreed to interview me. Its not all comic books though, but you will get the idea.

1) There are lots of superscientific or magical items in comics. What's your favorite?

In the unofficial poll in my head the winner by a landslide (and maybe a bit clichèd) is Green Lantern's ring. He was the guy I pretended to be the most as a little kid. You can make anything with you can imagine? That was way too cool for me.

;



In a distant second place though, is Captain America's shield. I truly loved that one as well.


2) What toppings do you prefer on your pizza?

Italian sausage and mushrooms. And depending on my mood extra cheese and/or jalapenos


3) What one writer who hasn't yet written comics would you like to see try his or her hand at it?



That is a tough one. But as I am a big fan of noir and crime novels, how about James Ellroy or Elmore Leonard? And someone who was written a real good spy novel, and some decent sci-fi would be Dean Ing. But Ellroy would be my top choice.



4) Movies: What's your favorite sequel?

The Empire Strikes Back. The best out of all of them



5) Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?

I may have tipped my hand here, but obviously Star Wars. I have seen all of the LOTR movies, but I haven't felt the need to watch them again. I could watch the original Star Wars trilogy right now.

_____________________________________________________________________



Thanks, Rob it was fun. If anyone stumbles across the blog and feels a need to be interviewed let me know.

or: Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about comics – I won’t assume you’re a comic reader – or a superhero comic reader -- when I pick my questions. (If you are, though – fair game!)

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8 Things You May Not Know About Me

My friend Rob was tagged for a meme a while back to post 8 things you may not know about him, and he tagged me to follow him. I have been putting it off, because the challenge to me was not to think of 8 things, but to make them mildly interesting. I think I finally got a handle on what I
wanted to say. So, here we go, 8 things you may now know about me.

1. I am a very competitive person, but I think I hide it pretty well. There is almost no game I will back down from if I am challenged. Although knowing how I am, and how I will react internally (sometimes externally) I try not get myself into trouble. No one is harder on me, than me when I lose at a game.

2. I will almost never discuss politics with people. I have my opinions, and I respect everyone else's, but I learned a long time ago that you will NEVER change any one's mind. I used to listen to a lot of talk radio, and not once did I hear someone say, "Good points. You've convinced me, I have changed my stance." No one wants to back down.

3. I don't get when people talk about movies that changed their life. The 2 closest movies that I would rate that high for me would be Reservoir Dogs. When I saw this movie, I told all my friends about it, and got them to watch it. I watched this move at least once a week for 2 months. The other movie would be Clerks. The first day I watched it, I saw it three times in one day. Really restored my faith that independent movies could be great.

4. I would be almost perfectly content to eat the all of my meals out of bowls. Cereal, Soups, Stews, Ice Cream, Salads. I don't, but I could.

5. There are 2 things people told me when I was growing up, that if I didn't do them I would regret for the rest of my life. Senior Prom and finishing college. I didn't do either one, and I couldn't care less. No regrets whatsoever.

6. I am a hypocrite. I hate it when someone I don't know calls me "Man". Drives me up the wall. I do it to guys I don't know all of the time that is why I am a hypocrite. What is weird, if someone I don't know calls me "Dude", that doesn't bother me.

7. If I could have done anything in the world of arts, I would have been a drummer in a punk rock band. Don't ask me why.

8. I hate potato salad. I know, I know. I haven't tried yours, but I have tried enough that I have probably had a pretty close facsimile of yours. Cold potatoes, mayo, and onions? I'll pass. And yes I have had mustard , German, and dill as well. I don't like any of them.

So there ya go. That is 8.

Loaded Questions #13

Hypotheticals: If you were to give yourself a creative title for your personal business cards, what would it say?
Cog in the Machine

Anything Goes: What do you consider the most noble field of medicine?
Oncology

No-Brainers: What is the biggest advantage of being small?
I used to be really short, and it was easier to move through crowds. That was I liked the most.

Personals: What person have you always wondered whether or not they liked you?
Good one. I would probably have a whole list of young ladies actually.

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Loaded Questions #10

Hypotheticals: If you were a professional wrestler, what would your ring name be?
Any of the million nicknames people have given me: Hat Trick, Hairball, Trevino, Travisu, Travinator, etc, etc. Pick one. Pick 'em all.

Anything Goes: Who makes the most stylish clothes in the world?
No clue, I pretty much stick to t-shirts and jeans. Never payed attention

No-Brainers: What is your favorite kind of chocolate bar?
For me it pretty much begins and ends with Reese's Peanutbutter Cups

Personals: What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you are currently living in?
I don't have near enough space.

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Saturday Six - Episode #157

1. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #90 from Remo: In
the event of a disaster or act of disorder, are you currently prepared
to remain self-sufficient for a day, a week, or a month until measures
could be taken to restore order and services?

Maybe, and I mean maybe a couple of days



2. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #91 from Frida: Feng shui: Totally serious, totally crapola, or just another cool way to get redecorating ideas?

Total crap...



3. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #92 from Call Me Betty: Do you feel comfortable being yourself in public or do you feel you have to hide certain aspects of your personality?

I am pretty comfortable for the most part.



4. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #93 from Wil: Name your favorite flower to appear in the Spring around you?

Bluebonnets...definitely.



5. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #94 from Cat.: From this list, are there any places you would never travel.

Nah, I don't think so.



6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #95 from Kathy: Who is your favorite [motion picture] director?

Probably, Scorsese, for continued excellence.

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Loaded Questions #8

Hypotheticals: If you had to spend the rest of your life in one place, where would it be?

Probably not Frisco, TX where I am now. I find it kind of a soul-less town, but I would like to live somewhere in the Dallas area though.



Anything Goes: At what age did you have your first boyfriend/girlfriend?

I don't remember.



No-Brainers: What do you consider the biggest turnoff?

Young ladies who "act" stupid. It really pisses me off.



Personals: What do you bring most to a friendship?

Dropping anything to help one of my friends out.

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Saturday Six - Episode 156

1. Do you believe that there is some form of intelligent life on a planet other than Earth?
Yes, I do.



2. If there was, and we were to encounter it, which do you think would do more harm to the other: the Earthlings or the Extra Terrestrials?
That is a toughie. Probably Earthlings, we are such a fearful race. We would probably do something stupid.



3. If a close friend or family member told you that they had been kidnapped by aliens, how likely are you to believe them if they can offer no physical evidence?
Honestly, not much. I would need something.



4. Take the quiz: How likely is it that you would be abducted by Extra Terrestrials?

You have a 22% chance of being abducted You don’t really believe in extra-terrestrials, but you should! The chances that another intelligent life form exists is far greater than the chance that it doesn’t. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

5. If you could fly in a spaceship to get a close look at any of the planets besides Earth, which would you choose and why?
Saturn. without a doubt. I would love to get to see its rings, and all of the moons that it has. Different varieties of moons. It just seems the most interesting.



6. If you had the chance to live on a fully-developed colony on Mars, would you do so?
Only if I was able to leave if I didn't like it. Then it would be worth it.

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Loaded Questions #7

Hypotheticals: If you could be a character in any novel, who would you be?



Wow, probably one of the toughest questions for me to answer. Maybe someone like Philip Marlowe. Smart, but not too smart, plus street-wise.



Anything Goes: What outdoor activity do you consider the most dangerous?

Bungee Jumping



No-Brainers: What is your favorite genre of movies?

Crime, noir type films



Personals: How good is your long-term memory, on a scale of one to ten?

7

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Loaded Question #6

Hypotheticals: If you were any animal, what would you be?

Hmm, I always liked the tiger. An awesome look, with so much power, and grace.

Anything Goes: What animal do you enjoy seeing most at the zoo?

I dunno, I haven't been to a zoo since I was 5...

No-Brainers: What store is represented most in your wardrobe?

Old Navy. No question about it.

Personals: What is it about you that people find irresistible?

My sense of humor

From the Loaded Questions Meme

Saturday Six - Episode 153

1. What was your favorite animated cartoon series when you were little?

Super Friends...with out a doubt

2. What was your favorite "live action" children's series when you were little?

Banana Splits. It was just too funny and crazy to little brain

3. Who is your favorite muppet character?

Rowlf the Dog. The coolest of them all.

4. Take the quiz: What is your Sesame Street personality?

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

5. Have you ever appeared on a locally-produced children's show, or would you have ever wanted to?

I never did, but I always wanted to some how get to see Mr. Peppermint, a local show in Dallas. I did see him filming at the Fort Worth Zoo one time though.

6. Cartoons like "The Flintstones," though animated, were really intended for adults. What's your favorite adult (non-porn) cartoon?

The Simpsons. Still funny after all of these years.

Thursday Threesome 2/8/07

Onesome: Pitch-- What is your singing range? ...and do you sing at all? Laurie, you're leading off here !

I have no idea what my range is, I've never tested it or whatever it is you for that. If I am drunk enough I will sing in public. I will also sing to dogs...eh, you know.

Twosome: Yaw--'ll ken that one? Do you have any 'dialect words' that you use as a matter of course? "Ken", meaning "to understand" (Scottish and other derivations) in this case...

Just ya'll.

Threesome: and Roll-- on down the road? Hey, if the roads were as icy as they've been in the Midwest and East would driving to work even be a consideration for you?

Not really. I just don't trust the other drivers around here. It iced up here last week just a bit, and there are just some people who don't care. The speed limit is 40, and by God, they are gonna drive 40. I can get my job done from home if I need to.