Liebster

This is what I would look like if I didn't survive the Zombie Apocalpyse:

And yes, those are jeans on my head.  Sam and I were having a jeans on your head sort of a night when Jennifer took the picture.

Speaking of zombies...

This year there will be multiple zombie runs in the Syracuse area.  Maybe three.  I hope to run at least twice.  Registrations start soon.  I've got to pull together some running buddies, but most of my associates are either lazy, in poor shape, injured, or planning to move away by fall, so pickings are slim.

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Speaking of things entirely unrelated to zombies...

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by The Accidental Environmentalist.  I'd never heard of that before, but I was honored, excited, and a little bit puffed up about it nonetheless.

Here are the rules for the Liebster Award (which goes to blogs with less than 200 followers):

1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
3. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them about the award.
5. No tag backs.

Okay.  We can do that.

So, first.  11 random facts about myself.

1.  I went vegetarian at the age of 20.  I've now been a vegetarian for 19 years, and completely vegan for the last 10.

2.  I spent my honeymoon in Greece.  The island of Santorini mostly, which was absolutely stunning and perfect in every way, then a few days in Athens.

3.  I went to a conservative Christian college for most of my post-high school education.  I was neither conservative nor Christian, which made it that much more fun.  There was no dancing allowed.  Also no sex, drinking, smoking, or having girls in your room anytime other than Wednesday night from 7 till 11 pm, with the door open.  I dropped out often, usually over a girl or to play in a band or just to be "deep" and "pensive," but I kept going back and eventually finished with a degree in Philosophy and a minor (which would have been a major anywhere else) in Theology.

4.  I am a huge fan of Woody Allen movies.  Not necessarily of Woody Allen himself, as he does some creepy things.  But of his movies.  My top 100 list gets at least a dozen Woody Allen entries.

5.  I read obsessively.

6.  I used to run Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay sessions on a pretty regular basis, starting in high-school and going on until really not that long ago.  That makes me a nerd.  What kind of nerd?  Warhammer is for fantasy nerds who don't think Dungeons and Dragons is gritty and realistic enough.

7.  Though I love hardcore, metal, punk, and various deep, indie alternative performers, I also have a passion for Johnny Mathis.  Johnny Mathis's "I Only Have Eyes For You" record is one of the best things ever recorded.  I only listen to it on vinyl.  More often than you'd think.

8.  I manage vocational programs for a non-profit human services agency.  I like managing.  I like being in charge.

9.  When I was a kid, I had surgery to remove many of my teeth, which were freakishly soft, and to cap the rest with stainless steal.  I had shiny, silver teeth.  When kids on the bus called me "metal mouth," I though they were saying "meadow mouth," and for the life of me couldn't understand why they'd say that.  I had a book about a girl who meets a unicorn in a meadow, and I found the name confusing, but somehow very soothing.

10.  I used to consider myself a Taoist and had some Taoist stuff tattooed on my left arm when I was in my mid-twenties.  Right now, that's the only tattoo I have.  I want more.  I'm approaching the age where I feel like it'll be weird for me to walk in and suddenly ask for a full back piece.

11.  I broke my nose many, many times when I was younger.  Usually, in very lame ways.  Now my nose is crooked and one side doesn't work quite right.

Now I have to answer the 11 questions I was given.  Here goes:

1.  How long have you been blogging?

Since immediately following George W. Bush's re-election.  Like, the next day.  Couldn't take it anymore, had to scream somewhere, and the internet seemed a good place.  

2.  If we had a third party in the United States, which would it be?

Would or should?  Libertarians are probably the most likely to get traction, especially if Tea Partiers get turned off by the GOP.  SHOULD be something entirely new.  I'd like to see a group with ideals akin to Blue Dog Democrats take conservatives from the Democratic party and liberals from the Republican party in equal numbers.  A middle-ground, fiscally responsible but socially progressive party.

3.  Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb?

I don't drink soda at all, but back when I did, Dr. Pepper would have beaten out Mr. Pibb easily.  In fact, I don't know that I ever even had a Mr. Pibb.

4.  What is your favorite bird?

I can be really, really specific on this one:  the hawk that rests on the light post on Route 298 on my way to work, out in the middle of the Cicero Swamp, looking like king of the whole world, lord of all he surveys.  Just the beauty and the power and the quiet confidence... takes my breath away some mornings.

5.  What sport do you watch or participate in most regularly?

Never cared at all for sports until I realized I was going to be 40 soon.  Now I run and run and run and run and run.  So, yeah, running.  I also started actually watching team sports, but mostly only live, local.  I have no particular preference-- hockey, basketball, baseball are all good, I just like having a home team, being there, going "ohhhhhh!" at the right time. 

6.  When you decide to splurge, what do you spend money on?

CDs.  Books.  Food.

7.  What is your favorite junk food?

My wife's raspberry pie.

8.  What was your favorite vacation spot ever?

Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY.  We go every year as a family, and I go every year at least once by myself.

Santorini was pretty damn nice too.

9.  What is your favorite amusement park ride?

I was never much for rides, though I loved The Sizzler and The Bavarian Slide as a kid.

10. Do you have pets and if so, what pets do you have?

One funky little 40 pound mixed breed dog named Pinto Garbanzo DeLima Del Fuego.  Or just Pinto, for short.  We also had a wonderful spaniel mix named Yoko, sweetest dog in the world, just an absolute tender hearted beauty.  She died almost two years ago.  And left us with this funky, freakish, barking beast, who will live forever and ever and ever.

11.  What era of U.S. history would you most want to be a part?

I'm a peace loving guitar playing poetry writing philosophy reading meditating vegan hippie. Also, I used to really be into ladies and better living through chemistry.

So, yeah, the 60s of course.

Now, 11 questions for the people I'm nominating.

Hmmmmmm.

Okay.

1.  What are your top three favorite bands/singers of all time?

2.  Top three favorite books?

3.  Top three favorite movies?

4.  Favorite kind of food (Italian, Mexican, Indian, etc)?

5.  What's the one city you'll never go back to?

6.  Briefly, what was your best date ever?  (Hey, tomorrow's Valentine's Day.)

7.  Okay, what about the worst date ever?

8.  If you have kids, who did you name them after?  If you don't, who would you name them after if you did?

9.  What was the best vehicle you ever owned?

10.  What was that thing you did where you should have got busted and you can't believe you actually got away with it?

11.  What celebrity do you have a secret crush on that in fact everyone actually knows about and rolls their eyes whenever he/she comes up in conversation, which is often, because you constantly feel the need to mention them?

And now, for my eleven nominees...

Yeah, this is hard, because I really don't follow many blogs, and I think the ones I do follow have more than 200 followers, and others I just have no clue.  So I'll do my best, but really, I don't know.

1.  Beth Quick (my sister, so I have no choice...)

2.  Bob's Brainstorms (Bob's wrong about everything, but I like him anyway...)

3.  Jolly Green Jane (I don't know how many readers she has, but Go Vegan!...)

4.  Animal Blawg (again with that Go Vegan! bit...)

5.  Growing Up Veg (vegan plus kids equals "I read this often...")

6.  

And, well, crap.  That's it.  I can't think of any other blogs with less than 200 followers that I actually read and know.  I'm sure there are awesome ones.  Browsing just now, I found a few awesome ones.  But I haven't really ever read them before so I'd be lying if I nominated them.  And then there are those others that are great but have more than the 200 followers-- Hardcore Zen, Slacktivist, etc.

So, yeah.  Crap.

Does this mean I'm disqualified?

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Completely unrelated to zombies or Liebster Awards...

This is awesome.  Come on.  Admit it.  It's awesome.







I was never really sold on this whole "internet" thing, but now I'm a believer.