Sunday Stealing: The Fandom Meme

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Rules: We all are fans. Be it Star Trek or Twilight, you are a fan of something. Pick a subject, book, TV or movie series. Now tell us all about it!

I couldn't decide whether to be classical and go with Buffy The Vampire Slayer or topical and go with Doctor Who, so just to disappoint fans of both equally I'll do neither and go with DC Comics.

1. The first character I fell in love with:

That would be Black Orchid, a character who turned up in a handful of stories during the '70s, though unlike other super characters they never told you who she was (no origin, no secret identity) so she had the enigmatic angle going for her. Sadly, Neil Gaiman came along and gave her a backstory in the '80s so I kind of lost interest in the character then, once all of her mystery had disappeared.

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

That would be Barbara Gordon, who used to be Batgirl. I pretty much lost interest in the character when Alan Moore decided to cripple her in his Batman/Joker graphic novel The Killing Joke, thus ending her Batgirl career. However then she came back as Oracle, a character who sits at her computer all day, so the mix of struggling in the face of adversity and computer nerdity made me more of a fan of her than I'd ever been.

3. The character I would shag anytime:

Assuming the characters were real, I wouldn't shag any of them anytime, because I've got a way more super girlfriend. Besides, shagging super-powered beings could be dangerous, have you never read Larry Niven's Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.

4. The character I'd slap:

These people have super-powers, so slapping them wouldn't seem a good move.

5. Who are my 3 favorite characters.

The original Red Tornado (cool '40s cross-dressing hero with a frying pan for a helmet)

Zatanna (a magician who can make anything happen by saying it backwards - though I'm not sure if she just pronounces the words as if they're spelt backwards or actually talks backwards like that dwarf in Twin Peaks)

Mazing Man (if only because he looks amazingly like my avatar)

6. What are my 3 favorite pairings.

If this means pairings in a relationships/fanfiction sense rather than pairings in a Dynamic Duo sense, then I don't really think about such things.

7. Which character I'm most like.

Maybe Snapper Carr who was a powerless character who just hung around the heroes snapping his fingers and talking in cool lingo. Then again, the hero Adam Strange who's unknown on Earth and then becomes a hero when he gets beamed to the world of Rann seems a good metaphor for the comic-reading experience where you're suddenly immersed in a sea of heroes.

8. The coolest thing about the canon:

The imagination and ideas of seven decades that it's all built on.

9. The lamest crappiest thing about the canon:

These days it seems to be one Crisis after another, and character deaths are merely a pre-amble for the characters returning from the dead

10. My guiltiest pleasure in this fandom:

There are all sorts of really awful so-bad-they're-good pleasures to be found in comic books. My blog name comes from a brilliantly banal issue of Brave and the Bold where microscopic hero the Atom made a comatose Batman stops the criminals by bouncing around his brain to control him.

11. What story I wish I could read (or art I wish I could see)

That would have been Alan Moore's Twilight of the Super-Heroes series, that never came to fruition, though the proposal itself is a great read.

12. What story I wish I had written/still want to write

If I wanted to write stories, then I guess I could write substandard fanfiction or hang out at a DC comic fanfiction site (though the people there would be way more talented than me).

The Queen's Meme #34 ~ The American Idol Meme

To avoid getting thrown into a dungeon, here's my answers to this week's Queen's Meme

1. Do you watch American Idol?

Yes.

2. Who is your favorite judge?

Probably Simon Cowell, because he's honest.

3. Who is your favorite contestant this season and why?

It's the glass-blowing girl who screams during her songs.

4. Who is your least favorite contestant this year and why?

I'm not sure I've got a least favourite, there's just a few who send me to comaville.

5. Have you ever actually voted via text message?

No.

6. Is there a part of the show you find really annoying?

The results show seems a ridiculously long-winded way for Ryan Seacrest to read out one name.

7. What is your overall opinion of the show this season?

I'm less interested in it than last year, though that's probably due to the contestants rather than the show. Didn't think the guest judges during the audition process added much, though Ellen's a definite improvement.

8. Do you like Simon Cowell as a judge? What do you think of his judging style?

Yeah, he's a lot better on American Idol than on X-Factor in the UK (where he tends to be less honest about his own acts' weaknesses). I think he works well as a counterpoint to the other judges, though if everyone was brutally honest like him then it wouldn't work at all.

9. Is Ellen DeGeneres qualified to be an American Idol singing judge?

She's way more qualified than Quentin Tarentino was to be a mentor last season (I'm hoping they have David Lynch do it this year, that would be interesting). At least she represents the average viewer and knows how to communicate her thoughts well, rather than confusing me by saying things like the singer's pitchy like the other judges. She's cool, especially that time she went on stage to hug one of the contestants.

10. If you could pick a song to sing on the show this week, what would your song choice be and why?

I don't know what the theme is this week, plus I'm not a contestant so security would probably throw me out, plus there's yet to be a song written that works with my voice (with the possible exception of Wanderin' Star) so I'm kind of stuck for an answer.

11. Who is your favorite all-time American Idol winner? If you like, post a video of their performance.

It's not shown on the main channels here but on one I didn't used to be able to get, so I've only seen a couple of seasons. Of those, I'm not sure I've got a favourite; I tend to prefer the losers to the winners.

Sunday Stealing: The Meme Time Meme

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01. Real First Name: Mark

02. Birthday: Not today, no.

03. Where do you live: England.

04: What are you studying/What are you working as: A computer programmer.

05. What makes you happy: Lots of things. Today it was chatting to my girlfriend and playing the new Sam and Max game with my nephew.

06. What are you listening to now/have listened to last: It was a girl singing "The White Cliffs of Dover" on Britain's Got Talent.

07. What is particularly good/bad about your blog: The bad thing is that I dont update it often, although, then again, that might also be the good thing about it.

08. An interesting fact about you: I've failed my driving test seven times.

09. Are you in love/have a crush at the moment: Yep.

10. Favorite place to be: With my girlfriend.

11. Favorite lyric: Not sure it's my favourite (for other possibilies see here) but I really like Flight of the Conchords' "They call me the Hiphopopotamus My lyrics are bottomless..."

12. Best time of the year: Summer.

13. Weirdest food you like: Kebab calzone.

RECOMMEND

01. A film: Used Cars

02. A book: Imzadi by Peter David.

03. A song: White Wine In The Sun by Tim Minchin

04: A band: Darling Violetta

PLUS

01. One thing you like about a blogger that you have not met: I admire Thom's ability to comment on posts so rapidly.

02. Two things you like about yourself: My Spider-Man cufflinks.

03. Name three things that you need in a lover: A pulse, a sense of humour, me.

Sunday Stealing: The Me Me Meme

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1. Never in my life have I been: struck by lightning.

2. The one person who can drive me nuts is: no longer around.

3. High school was: a long time ago.

4. When I’m nervous I: talk quicker.

5. The last song I listened to was: not worth listening to.

6. If I were to get married right now my best man/maid of honor: would be two separate people.

7. My hair is: ingrowing.

8. When I was 5: I couldn't pronounce words containing the letter l properly.

9. Last Christmas: I was looking forward to going to Delaware.

10. I should be..: dancing, yeah.

11. When I look down I see: my keyboard.

12. The happiest recent event was: both happy and recent.

13. If I were a character on 'Friends' I would be: the ugly naked guy.

14. By this time next year: I'll no doubt be answering this meme again.

15. My current gripe is: the excessive number of questions in memes.

16. I have a hard time understanding: foreign languages.

17. There’s this girl I know that: is the coolest person on the planet.

18. If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be: my girlfriend.

19. Take my advice: don't listen to me.

20. The thing I want to buy: costs so much to import to the UK that I don't want to buy it.

21. If you visited the place I was born: you'd probably be bored.

22. I plan to visit: America in May.

23. If you spent the night at my house: you were awfully quiet about it; I didn't even notice you were there.

24. I’d stop my wedding if: I wasn't happy with the gifts.

25. The world could do without: this answer.

26. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: the bellies of two cockroaches.

27. Most recent thing I’ve bought myself: was a pizza.

28. Most recent thing someone else bought me: was some Sweethearts.

29. My favorite blonde is: a Bob Hope movie.

30. My favorite brunette is: called Lynette. Yay, that rhymes.

31. My favorite red head is: Doctor Who's new companion, Amy.

32. My middle name is: Chester (courtesy of my girlfriend, since my parents were too lazy).

33. In the morning I: sleep.

34. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are: bees. They belong together.

35. Once, at a bar: I tried to fly, and ended up getting a free glass of lager out of it.

36. Last night I was: me.

37. There’s this guy I know who: knows me.

38. If I was an animal I’d be: endangered knowing my luck.

39. A better name for me would be: hard to find.

40. Tomorrow I am: probably going to sleep till late.

41. Tonight I am: probably going to stay up late.

42. My birthday is: in January.

Sunday Stealing: The 35 Questions X 2 Meme: Part Two

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36. If you suddenly became single or are single, do you think you could last in a relationship for 12 months or more?

Yes, it'd be possible.

37. Do you forgive or forget?

Forgive.

38. Do you trust people?

Depends on the person.

39. What are you not looking forward to?

Death.

40. Do you get mad easily?

No.

41. Tell us about the last time you were told you that you have pretty eyes.

I'm not sure if they've ever been described as pretty.

42. Do you have strange dreams?

Not compared to my girlfriend's.

43. Ever licked someone's cheek or forehead?

Probably.

44. Tell us about the last time you fell asleep in someones arms.

That would have been the last time I visited my girlfriend, and it was really nice.

45. When did you last play a game?

I played some internet game, probably Bejewelled 2, sometime this week.

46. What do you have on you at all times?

I usually have a pen.

47. Do you go out in public without getting all dressed up?

Yep.

48. Do you like fruity or minty gum?

Not a big fan of gum, since I end up taking forever to eat it, but if I have to choose, definitely minty.

49. Favourite musician or group?

They Might Be Giants.

50. Do you like anyone?

Yes.

51. Favourite computer game?

Zork Grand Inquisitor. A fun adventure game where you get to cast spells and eat rocks.

52. First album you ever went and bought with your own money?

If you mean pocket money, then it might have been a Thunderbirds/Captain Scarlet soundtrack album that I got cheap at the market. If you mean money I actually earned, then that would have been a cassette of Suzanne Vega's debut album.

53. Think back five months ago, were you single?

If you mean not in a relationship, as seemed to be the case in question 36, then no.

54. Do you believe in celebrating anniversaries?

I believe in remembering them, though not always in celebrating them.

55. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

Because of timezones, they're more likely to being having weird dreams at the moment.

56. Last thing you bought?

Some pizzas.

57. Are you a jealous person?

I can be.

58. Does it take a lot to make you cry?

Yeah, I'm a guy.

59. Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?

Yeah, my girlfriend.

60. Have you ever had your heart-broken?

Yep.

61. Have you ever done something while drunk that you still cannot believe you did?

No, though I've done things while drunk that I still can't remember.

62. Is there anyone you secretly wish you could be spending your time with right now?

No, there's no secret about it.

63. Do you text?

Not often.

64. Do you wish someone would call or text you right now?

No, I'm watching Columbo now so I'm willing to wait a bit.

65. Is your life anything like it was a year ago?

It's pretty similar.

66. Go back one year on your blog. Leave us a link to your favorite post.

I'd go for this one since people still seem to be visiting it a year later.

67. You can only drink ONE liquid for the rest of your life, what is it?

I'd normally go for Vimto, but for the sake of my teeth I'll choose water.

68. Tell us about someone that you have lost contact with someone you wish you didn't.

There've been a few people I've worked with who I've lost touch with, but that was back in the days before the internet made it easier to keep in touch.

69. What is the last thing you said out loud?

I have no idea.

70. Will this year be better than last?

Well, last year was ridiculously good, but who knows. Hope it is.