Mememe

Questions meme thing nabbed from morgaine_x:




1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?

Yes.

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?

No, because then you spill your wine.

3. When's the last time you've been sledding?

Lots of years ago.

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?

Sleep alone, stay awake in company

5. Do you believe in ghosts?

No

6. Do you consider yourself creative?

Yes, but...

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?

Guilty, guilty, guilty.

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?

Angelina

9. Do you stay friends with your ex's?

As much as I'm able to.

10. Do you know how to play poker?

Is that the one that's like Happy Families? No, but if you like we can play a few hands to pass the time. Bet? No, I never do that. Oh, if you insist.

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?

Yup, but the charm wore off a long time ago.

12. What's your favorite commercial?

I liked the Guardian's ad for their world cup coverage, showing a football team practicing their diving skills.

13. What are you allergic to?

grass pollen and pet hair

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around do you run red lights?

Never.

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?

A couple

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?

Partick Thistle

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating?

Yes, I used to be ok (well, I could stay up).

18. How often do you remember your dreams?

Most mornings.

19. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?

While out for a meal with Bill - norting curry down your nose is not recommended, by the way

20. Can you name 5 songs by The Beatles?

afraid so.

21. What's the one thing on your mind now?

The heat, the damned heat.

22. Do you know who Ghetto-ass barbie is?

I think I’ve dated her..

23. Do you always wear your seat belt?

Yes.

24. What cell service do you use?

O2.

25. Do you like Sushi?

Yuck. Hey, Japanese cooks, listen up: we discovered this really neat thing called fire.

26. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident?

Yes.

27. What do you wear to bed?

Fudge hair product.

28. Been caught stealing?

Caught? No.

29. What shoe size do you have?

10 (UK)

30. Do you truly hate anyone?

No.

31. Classic Rock or Rap?

Not a big rap fan

32. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be?

Germaine Greer.

33. Favourite Song?

Depends what day it is, but "She's On Fire" by Drops of Jupiter has been stuck in my head all day.

34. Have you ever sang in front of the mirror?

Yes. Who knew it was one-way?

35. What food do you find disgusting?

Oysters

36. Do you sing in the shower?

If you call it singing.

37. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?

And to their faces, too.

38. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?

Yes.

39. Have you ever been punched in the face?

Yes, but you should have seen the other guy

Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle"

Last night I retired to bed with the last 100 pages of "The System of the World", the last volume in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, which consists of Quicksilver, The Confusion, and the aforementioned TSOTW. It's linked, by theme and character, to Cryptonomicon, which was written first and is set partly in the 1930's and 40's and partly in a near future which is probably now a recent past.

Whether you count it as three or four volumes, it is in all ways a substantial piece of work. Each book comes in comfortably over 800 pages, and all are of burglar stunning weight.

I loved all of them, probably more than I've loved any sequence of books since, oh, I don't know. Very few sequences stand alongside it in terms of characterisation, adventure, intellectual promiscuity and just pure fun. I admit, I found Quicksilver hard to get into. I actually gave up 50 or so pages in, and it wasn't until I'd read Cryptonomicon that I came back to it. I'm glad I did, and I recommend the whole thing unreservedly to anyone who doesn't mind having their lives eaten for a few weeks, and who might have a passing interest in money, love, natural philosophy and politics. And travel writing, royalty, religion and metallurgy. And edged weapons, military tactics and Verailles. And architecture, alchemy and London. Christopher Wren, Leibniz, Newton, The Sun King, the House of Hanover, Whigs, Tories, the founding of The Bank of England, the plague and the Great Fire, Pepys, kindney stones, the Royal Society. Pirates, mudlarks, slavery, pamphleteers. And all the other stuff, too.