Shane Life » Meme

15 Films

Shane — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:49:04 +0000

There’s a meme going around Facebook where you are supposed to list 15 films (from this point forward, I shall call them movies) that are significant to you, that you can watch over and over again, or that you just want to recommend to others…something like that. I guess it’s different than a top 15 list somehow, but I’m not sure.

Anyway, since my blog posts automagically import into my Facebook notes, thought it would be worth posting publicly.

Here are my 15 movies, in no particular order:

Good Will Hunting
Fletch
The Matrix
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Shrek
Dumb & Dumber
Shakespeare in Love
Almost Famous
Reality Bites
Moulin Rouge
Fight Club
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Die Hard
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Rounders

What are yours?

Bucket List Meme

Shane — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:32:20 +0000

So since I don’t have much to say, I’m stealing this from Average Jane. It’s a pretty fun little meme (as much as people hate them), but I think it’s decent. Basically, you have your standard list of things that may or may not appear on a bucket list. You bold the stuff you’ve done already and italicize the stuff you want to do.

Started my own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii (in 2010 baby!)
Watched a meteor shower.
Given more than I can afford to charity.
Been to Disneyland/Disney World
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sung a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught myself an art from scratch (graphic design is an art, right?)
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown my own vegetables
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train (although sleeping is difficult when the air doesn’t work and you realize that you are constantly moving)
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked (long story…don’t ask)
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Run a marathon
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
Seen an Amish community (went to college near one!)
Taught myself a new language (I didn’t completely, but was complimented on more than one occasion during our trip to Italy on my Italian)
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David (amazing)
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had my portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (amazing)
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class (I’m pretty good with a bow staff…not really)
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason
Donated blood
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi concentration camp
Bounced a check
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten caviar
Pieced a quilt (not sure what this means, but I picked out the t-shirts for my t-shirt quilt)
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had my picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee
Ridden an elephant

So that’s 52 out of 100. There were a few more on there that I’d really like to do and some that I’d kind of like to do and some I just know that I’ll do someday, whether I want to or not. Still, that I’ve avoided breaking a bone for as long as I have, that’s gotta be an accomplishment.

25 Things You Don’t Know About Me

Shane — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:52:14 +0000

So there’s this crazy note that’s been going around the Internet tubes and I’ve been tagged like 5 times on Facebook to do it. I’ll do my best not to propagate the meme (if only for Meesha’s sake), but I’ll do it here on the old blog and it will then go through the tubes automagically into my Facebook account. (Isn’t modern technology great?)

Now, where do I start?

I’m willing to try anything once…especially when it comes to food.
Each year, I am more excited to watch the Oscars than I am to watch the Super Bowl.
My favorite Muppets are Waldorf and Statler.
I think Ben Affleck gets a bad rap as an actor and is much more talented than people think.
When I was growing up, the first profession I remember wanting to do was to be President of the United States.
I am terrible at poker. But do not mess with me in any trivia-based game. Especially Scene It.
My wife is my best friend. I don’t say that lightly because I have very good friends that I’ve known longer than her, but she understands me better than anyone else in the world.
I hate mustard in all forms. I will choke it down to be polite, but avoid it if possible.
I have competed in 7 different sports in my lifetime (soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football, swimming, tennis). I play golf, but that’s something I picked up in college. The sports that I listed are all ones that I played against other teams.
My favorite book of all-time is Catcher in the Rye.
My favorite T-shirt is a volleyball camp shirt that I got at the Marv Dunphy Volleyball Camp at Pepperdine over 15 years ago.
I like doing laundry. I enjoy the monotony of it…how I don’t really have to think about it.
My friends and I used to play hide and seek at my buddy’s farm…well into our college years.
It’s been years since I have not had facial hair of some sort.
I absolutely loved working at the Pizza Shack. I became friends with my wife there.
I am most comfortable in a T-shirt, jeans and flip flops.
If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be cheeseburgers. Toasted bun, mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, monterey jack cheese, farm-raised ground beef, mayo, toasted bun.
My immediate family is all musically inclined. I am not. Although I really wish I could play guitar. I don’t have the patience to learn.
I am flipping awesome at self portrait photography.
Winter is my favorite season. BY FAR. I love snow. We haven’t had nearly enough this year.
I have sprained each of my ankles a half-dozen times each because of volleyball. Although my first ankle sprain ever (and the worst one by far) was incurred during a pickup basketball game at a birthday party.
I hate wearing suits, but if I looked like Don Draper in a suit, I’d wear one every single day.
My least favorite place in the world to be is a hospital.
I took the LSAT but did not apply to any law schools. I would have gotten in to most of them based on my score.
I want to design at least one typeface before I die.

What do you think?

Friday Feast Substitute

Shane — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:27:24 +0000

In lieu of the Friday Feast, I got this one from Average Jane who got it from Mom to the Screaming Masses.

A is for age. I’m 31 and a half.
B is for Burger of Choice. That’s a tough one. I hate to say this, but the best burger I’ve had in the last two years was at the Airport Sheraton in Paris. In the states? Maybe the Burger Bar in Vegas. Kobe Beef with Monterey Jack and Bacon. Something easily accessible? I’ll make my own, thanks.
C is for Car. White Dodge Durango. Want a new one, but the Durango is paid for and runs well. It just eats lots of gas.
D is for daughters. Um…no thank you? I have a beautiful niece and two nieces-to-be. That’s enough for me.
E is for essential item you use every day. My iPod. It makes the commutes and the work day tolerable.
F is for favorite tv show. I will forever love “Friends” more than any other show. Currently…that’s tougher. Probably Lost. Reality: Top Chef.
G is for groceries. We’ve started cooking at home a lot more these days so our grocery bill has gone up. I love that we have a Price Chopper within 5 minutes of our house, but I really wish we had a Whole Foods closer.
H is for how often you embarrass yourself. I don’t really get embarrassed very often, but on occasion – when I do – it’s pretty big. But that only happens once or twice a year.
I is for ice cream. I love all kinds of ice cream, although I’m on a Blue Bunny Peanut Butter Panic kick right now.
J is for juice. Orange juice. As pulpy and fresh as I can get it.
K is for kids. See ‘daughters’.
L is for Lipstick. No, because I’m a dude, but if I use lip balm, I like Burt’s Bees.
M is for Mexican food. Chipotle is only kind of Mexican food. But that’s good enough for me.
N is for number of piercings. I have 12-gauge horseshoe barbells in both ears. So 2.
O is for Optometry. I wear contacts most days, but I have awesome glasses.
P is for People You Were With Today. I got to wake up with my best friend and my awesome dog. Now I’m with my co-workers, but I’m not really with them.
Q is for Quiet Time. I like to read, but need to make more time for it. I also very much like to nap.
R is for Biggest Regret. I try to live without regrets. I sort of regret quitting swimming, but only because I think I would have gotten a more fit body out of it.
S is for sports you play. I played volleyball in college. I’ve also played basketball, football and soccer. I swam competitively as a kid. Now I like poker. (If they show it on ESPN, it’s a sport, right?)
T is for tattoo. One. I have had my second one designed for about 4 years. I’m just waiting until I feel like it’s a good time to get it.
U is for what is unique about you. I was born in the wrong era. I’m a Renaissance Man – interested in everything from art to mathematics and nerdery. I don’t quite fit into today’s corporate world.
V is for Vegetables you Love. Cucumbers. Yellow Peppers. Carrots. Corn.
W is for Worst Habit. Blogging? I would probably say that my nutritional habits are the worst.
X is for number of x rays. One or two. Not too bad. Never a broken bone, although I had a cyst on my coccyx that had to be removed. It was un-shockingly uncomfortable.
Y is for Yummy Food you ate today. Morning oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar and almonds.
Z is for Zodiac. I am a Capricorn, which is a dead-on description of me…if I believed in that crap.

It’s iPhone day, so ROCK ON!

A Quiz of Absolutes

Shane — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:03:38 +0000

For no reason whatsoever, I was reading blogebrity Jason Kottke’s About page and as is often the case when reading Kottke, I was struck with the idea for a post of sorts. Actually, it’s more of a meme of absolutes. The inspired passage went something like this:

I prefer red wine to white, movies to films, jeans to khakis, vanilla to chocolate, Pixar to Dreamworks, the subway to taxis, nonfiction to fiction, and Safari to Firefox.

And it got me thinking…when it comes down to the either/or questions, which do you prefer?

Vanilla or Chocolate? vanilla
Dogs or Cats? dogs
Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi
The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? The Beatles
Microsoft or Apple? Apple
Nike or Adidas? Nike
Coffee or Tea? coffee
Spider-Man or Batman? Batman
Ketchup or Mustard? ketchup
Pen or Pencil? pencil
Soup or Salad? salad
Books or Magazines? magazines
Indiana Jones or James Bond? Indiana Jones
Summer or Winter? winter
New York City or Los Angeles? New York City
Google or Yahoo? Google
CNN or Fox News? CNN
Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune? Jeopardy
Mountains or Beach? mountains
Yoga or Pilates? yoga
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars

The only rule is that you have to choose one. It may be close or you may not like either, but it’s my quiz…NOT YOURS. Copy and paste your responses on your blog if you are so inclined. Or just do so in the comments. It’s your preference, really.

Pass it around.

Photomosaic Meme

Shane — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:36:41 +0000

I originally saw this at Average Jane’s blog, and Logtar and Bea have both done it. Now, it’s my turn.

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

What is your first name?
What is your favorite food?
What high school did you go to?
What is your favorite color?
Who is your celebrity crush?
Favorite drink?
Dream vacation?
Favorite dessert?
What you want to be when you grow up?
What do you love most in life?
One Word to describe you.
Your flickr name – Or online handle.

Your turn. Alli even did one over at Today’s Favorites.

Friday Feast

Shane — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:24:11 +0000

Appetizer
When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?

I like my soda on ice in a cup. But I’m non-discriminating. I’ll drink it in a bottle or a can too. I’m an equal-opportunity beverage consumer.

Soup
What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?

Top Chef is one of the only shows that I want to watch on the same day that it airs. I still watch it on the DVR so I can fast-forward through the commercials. There’s enough product placement during the show (Gladware, Kenmore, Toyota, whatever else they’re pimping that week), that I don’t need all the extra Bravo advertisements for shows I’m going to watch anyway.

Salad
Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.

Besides my wife, of course? This may come off as a little cheesy, but I think people who convey truth in what they do, whether it be writing books, acting in movies, writing songs, painting pictures…any form of art that conveys truth…that’s brilliance to me.

Main Course
Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?

Absolutely. I wouldn’t even have to think about it. I’d do it to save gas, but I’d also like to do it to have lots of 3-day weekends.

Dessert
If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?

I’d be The Sasquatchewan, a Canadian hairy monster who scares babies and uses their tears to solve droughts all over the world.

Logtar took a pass on the Friday Feast today, so I got it from Sit. Stay. Good Blog.

Friday Blogthing Musical

Shane — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:26:36 +0000

What Does Your Taste in Music Say About You?

Your musical tastes are intense and rebellious. You are intelligent… but in a very unconventional way. You are curious about the world. You love doing something new. In fact, you enjoy taking risks and doing things most people would shy away from.

You are very physical. It’s likely that you’re athletic, but not into team sports. You have the soul of an artist. Beauty and harmony are important to you.

I’m not sure if I agree with all of this, but it’s pretty on point.

via Emaw

My Dog’s Friday Feast

Shane — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:21:06 +0000

Appetizer
Name something you would categorize as weird.

My dog. More funny than anything, but he can be very weird. He ate a couch once and has color dilutional alopecia. He’s still way awesomer than your dog.

Soup
What color was the last piece of food you ate?

Red – A red LifeSaver. Is that food?

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?

4. I enjoy my alone time, but I thrive around people, particularly my wife.

Main Course
Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______.

Never…Hillary Clinton…this or any other life time.

Dessert
Describe your sleeping habits.

I can’t sleep on my stomach…maybe it’s too big or whatever…I just can’t do it. We share our bed with a 90-lb. mutt who likes to stretch out, so sometimes sleeping means contorting your body around something that smells like corn chips.

Movie Quotes Update

Shane — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:25:47 +0000

You guys are very good. Within 8 hours of posting yesterday’s movie quotes meme, over half of the quotes were completed and Jake and Alli hadn’t even taken a crack at them yet. I added an additional bonus quote for two reasons.

The movie it’s from is in my top 5 and I can’t believe I forgot it.
We actually had the quote read at our wedding…I’m such an idiot.

So, while there is now one additional quote, there are only 5 left. Take a look…a couple of them are kind of difficult.