Esoteric Bowl

I often see on other sites where people have answered the 100 Dumb Questions. A couple of years ago I answered those same questions. The idea crossed my mind to create a new 100, but by the time I hit 30+ questions, I hit a wall and struggled to get halfway there. So instead of 100, I’ll leave it at fifty silly questions.

1. What year was the best year of your life? 1991
2. One animal or insect that Noah should have left off the ark? Rats.
3. Do you make a wish before blowing out your birthday candles? Yes.
4. Do you generally open your bills on the day that you receive them? Generally, no.
5. How many pillows are on your bed? Two.
6. Favorite ice cream flavor? Rocky Road.
7. What is the most dominate color in your wardrobe? Blue.
8. Have you ever seen a ghost? I think so.
9. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? Carnival.
10. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Lunch.
11. Your favorite fictional animal? Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.
12. Have you ever flown first-class? Yes.
13. Would you go on a reality show? No.
14. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Optimistic.
15. Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes.
16. If you could own a home anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would have a palazzo on the Grand Canal of Venice.
17. Your favorite Soup of the Day? Miso.
18. What site is a must see for all visitors to your city? The sunset at Kewalo’s.
19. Can you recommend a good restaurant in your city? John Dominis.
20. You go to the zoo; What is the one animal that you want to see? The Monkeys.
21. Potatoes, rice, or pasta; Which is your favorite? Pasta, but I tend to eat more rice.
22. What is the best movie that you’ve seen this year? In America.
23. One of your favorite books when you were a child? “I Wish That I Had Duck Feet”, by Theodore Lesieg.
24. What in your life are you most grateful for? Loving parents.
25. You are home alone and use the bathroom; do you close the door? No.
26. What is your favorite small appliance? Coffee Maker.
27. Salty snacks or sweet treats? Sweet treats.
28. Are you usually a little early, a little late, or right on time? A little early.
29. What is the most daring thing that you have ever done? Hitchhike across country.
30. Have you ever met someone famous? If yes, name one. Alice Cooper.
31. What was one of your favorite games as a child? Twister.
32. At what age have you looked your best? Around six years old; it’s been all downhill since then.
33. One person that never fails to make you laugh? My Dad.
34. What was the first music that you ever bought? The Beatles, Abbey Road.
35. If you could change one thing about your family life when you were a child, what would it be? More family-time activities.
36. What is the one thing that you cook that always receives compliments? Chili.
37. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? Probably CNN.
38. In the last calendar year, how many people have you told that you love them? Two.
39. Who recieved your first kiss? Shari.
40. The single most important quality in a mate? Understanding.
41. What do you value most in a relationship? Sharing.
42. Do you believe that you have a soulmate? If yes, have you already met? I would like to think there is, but I’m unsure if we’ve met.
43. Do you consider yourself well organized? I’m organized, but in a disorganized way.
44. On average, how many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? Two.
45. Did you ever make a prank phone call? Yes, when I was a youngster.
46. What one quality do you seek in a friend? Honesty.
47. Have you ever killed an animal? Yes, several fish.
48. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A major league baseball player.
49. Do you believe in a afterlife? Yes, but I’m uncertain about the details.
50. What would you like to accomplish with the remaining years of your life? Become an accomplished author with lucrative book deals and several best sellers.

I have been refered to as a hermit on a number of occasions these past few years. Personally, I prefer the term recluse rather than hermit, but only because hermit conjures up images of gnarly Tolkien-like characters or brings to mind thoughts of an old bearded troll living in the shadows underneath a bridge. Either way, it’s undeniable that I do live a quiet and solitary life.

It hasn’t always been this way. There was a time when I was very much the social butterfly. And in my youth, I was so very talkative that my father gave me the nickname of Mouth. Now, it’s not unusual for me to go weeks without any verbal conversation whatsoever.

While some might consider this to be a lonesome existence, it certainly doesn’t feel that way to me. The solitude has presented a unique opportunity, one in which has allowed for me to quiet the mind and delve deeper within myself to further my own course of self-discovery. This solitude has provided an inner peace, which has translated into an outer peace. Silencing the tongue and quieting the mind has a powerful effect, the senses become sharper and the world doesn’t seem to spin nearly as fast.

I still enjoy and value good conversation. Talking on the phone with my parents every so often provides reassurance and maintains my connection to family. The occasional chat in passing with a neighbor or the brief encounter with a stranger are both pleasing in their own way. Surprisingly, the online journal provides the bulk of my conversation. Writing as well as reading various online journals provides a communication with the broader world, and the comments that are shared by others on this site and those that I share elsewhere not only offers communication, but it nurtures a connection with friends. So while I may live the life of a hermit, I’m content, and life is good.

Monday is a Toyota
Tuesday is a Dodge
Wednesday is a Nissan
Thursday is a Porsche
Friday is a SUV
Saturday is Jaguar
And Sunday is a Bug.

Last night was a television night. I watched three interesting programs on PBS. The first show was part of the Secrets of the Dead series, this one focusing on the Shroud of Turin. The shroud was analyzed using various methods of modern science and available historical data. A strong case was made that the shroud is authentic, that it is the cloth which was used to wrap Jesus in after his being taken from the cross. When the blood on the shroud was analyzed, I couldn’t help but wonder if it were scientifically possible to extract the DNA and perform the technique of reproductive cloning. Granted, such a procedure is illegal, but I was wondering if it were possible. If it is possible, the reality of it would certainly be fascinating.

The second show was a continuation of The West series, this episode focusing on Sacagawea, the Native American woman that played a pivotal role in the Lewis and Clark expedition. Both Lewis and Clark wrote in their journals how invaluable Sacagawea was, performing the tasks of interpreter and guide, all the while caring for her newborn child throughout the expedition. And she was only seventeen!

The third show I watched was part of the POV series entitled 5 Girls. The show provides an in-depth portrait of growing up female today through the eyes of five teenage girls. An interesting documentary, as each of the girls comes from different areas of Chicago with varied ethnic, familial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The program is rather long as it follows the girls over a handful of years, yet I found myself absorbed in the show and rooting for the girls.

One of the great things about PBS is that many of their documentaries are rebroadcast. If they are shown in your area, I highly recommend all three.

When I wake each morning, I stumble into the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee. I stick the mug into the microwave, enter thirty-three seconds and push the start button. Somewhere in the time that it takes the coffee to heat, I hear on the news how many more American lives have been lost in Iraq. Today, that number is at least seven. The number of wounded aren’t reported.

It’s frustrating and quite depressing to start each day this way, but avoiding the news altogether is not an option. My frustration reached new heights this past Sunday while watching the various news programs. To hear Republican Senator Richard Lugar (Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee) say that he has no idea what the Bush plan is for transfering power to Iraq, was and is incredibly shocking.

Lugar, along with senators Joseph Biden and John McCain have been visiting every news show that is willing to listen to them, publicly calling for the details of the administration’s plan in Iraq. They point to a long-standing division within the administration between the vice president’s office and the State Department as to what the plan should actually be. Those in the administration deny such a division, but as Biden points out last night on the NewsHour, “If there isn’t a division within the administration about what the plan should be, then that means there is a plan and they’re not telling us. Why? I don’t get it. I mean, I truly do not get this.”

To hear such frustration in the voices of our senators is cause for frustration in of itself. In the meantime, Shi’ite-Sunni Muslim tensions are escalating, factions of each group are multiplying, and fears of civil war are increasing. All the while President Bush is having another fundraiser, and seven more American kids are dead.