Sunday, February 1, 2009

ABM: Another Bloody Meme

So, before I post this meme, which a few of you have already read elsewhere, I have to confess something.

I'm on Facebook.

Yes, it's true. I'm a lemming. A sheep. A slavish follower. I have succumbed to the social trend and joined the hoary masses who participate in the social networking phenomenon. Let me say, for the record, I was drug* kicking and screaming into this affair. Ultimately, though, I can't blame anyone but myself. I drank the Kool-aid. No one forced me.

So far, it's been fun to reconnect with old friends from elementary school, high school, grad school, and my mission.

There are a few things I could live without, though.

First, requests to be friends with people who are only adding me because we have a friend in common. Just because you know my friend Diana (as an example), doesn't mean I'm your friend or want to be. Unless I've met you in person and/or spent any amount of time with you, I'm not friending you. If I'm mistaken and we have met, include a note and remind me where and how we met. Then I might consider it.

Second, requests to be on your "top girls list." I know this is meant to be a collection of your peeps, but when I read that my sexually charged mind thinks, "Yes, I do like to be a top. But I like being a bottom, too. I'm flexible that way." I'm pretty sure, when you asked me to be a part of your "top girls list" that's not what you had in mind. Just sayin'...

Third, I don't want a "funspace", a contest request to see if I'm smart or nice,** and I definitely don't want a garden patch or whatever the hell that is.

All in all, Facebook is proving to be a nice way to reconnect with folks and banter back and forth a bit. It's even generated some new business for me, which is great. But, I'm 40 years old. Not 16. Flair and flowers in my patch are so 1986.***

Now, where were we?

Oh, yes. The meme. Another bloody meme. Well, here it is: 25 Things It's Important You Know About Me. I'm not tagging anyone. If you want to play along, go for it!

Rules:

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

*****

1. I only hear in one ear. My right ear. As a result, I like to do the driving, otherwise, I can't hear you. One day, I'm going to move to one of those countries where they drive on the left side of the road so I can be the passenger for a change.

2. I was Tinkerbell in my first grade play at Maeser Elementary School. Some of my friends, when they hear that story, inevitably respond by saying, "That explains EVERYTHING."

3. I can tie a tie in a double-Windsor knot and I'm very good at it. I also look good in the same.

4. I only have two regrets in my life: not going to med school and giving up the piano.

5. I'm fascinated by the need religion plays in the life of individuals and how it manifests itself on the social landscape. As a result, I will spend the rest of my life paying off my student loans for a master's degree in Religion and Society.

6. Every time I go to Baskin & Robbins, I swear I'm going to get something other than mint chocolate chip. I never do.

7. I write other people's resumes for a living and really enjoy it. I hate writing my own.

8. My favorite monument in all of Washington, D.C., is the Lincoln Memorial.

9. Last year, I took over 10,000 pictures with my Canon A630. I'm hoping I don't take quite that many this year, but I'd certainly love to sell that many!

10. I believe in equal pay regardless of gender, equal rights regardless of sexual orientation, and the separation of church and state. Note on the latter: marriage in this country is a violation of the separation clause every.single.day. Think about it.

11. I have unwittingly become a fan of Harry Potter. When I grow up, I want to be Hagrid.

12. I love James Bond films. As a feminist, I can't explain it. It just is.

13. I believe Pink Martini will save the world.

14. I know more about pulp and paper than I ever thought I would. And I'm grateful, because it pays the bills. Literally.

15. There are very few people in my life for whom I would throw myself in front of a bus. Two of them are here on Facebook.

16. I want to learn how to dance.

17. I served an LDS Mission to Vienna, Austria, and spent two Christmases there. Everyone should experience Christmas in Europe at least once in their lifetime.

18. I am proud that I did NOT go to BYU. Sometimes I can be really smug and snotty about it, too. I like to think I was original that way. (See what I mean? Snotty.) Go Patriots!

19. My favorite restaurant in the whole wide universe is Ti Couz in San Francisco at 16th and Valencia.

20. My reading pile currently includes the following books: Intersex (For Lack of a Better Word) by Thea Hillman, No Graves As Yet by Anne Perry, Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, and The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. Bottom line: I like to read. A lot.

21. The only show I watch on TV with any regularity is NBC's The Biggest Loser. Otherwise, meh. TV. Overrated.

22. I love going to the symphony and the ballet. I also love Shakespeare.

23. I enjoy cooking and baking, and especially enjoy cooking for friends. I don't need a reason for a dinner party, so come on over!

24. Speaking of cooking, I make the world's best oatmeal. Seriously.

25. I believe in writing and sending thank-you notes.


******

* Or is it dragged? Where's my New Yorker, the bastion of proper and current grammar?
** The answer on those two is "yes" and "yes".
*** Why does that sound suggestive, too? Hm. Obviously I have sex on the mind today.

20 comments:

RoeH said...

I tried Face book for a few months and...maybe it's my mental personality...but I just don't get Facebook. I think the one liner comments are silly and the one person from my high school I connected with turned out to be a psychotic loon. Seriously. She even wrote a book about her 'life' and my home town WITH names. And I even read the book. Which was....totally off the wall.

Herb said...

Yes I too recently joined Facebook. So far it has enabled me to reconnect with people I see every day at work. Whee!!

p.s. I have just a vague recollection of this but think I found your blog when I first stumbled on pic you had taken of the Lincoln Memorial. If that wasn't you...whoops!

Miranda said...

I must admit that I have a thing for oatmeal. When I have time, I bake steel cut oats in whole milk with apples, raisins and spices. It is quite heavenly and only lasts about ten minutes if the kids are around. What's your favorite way to prepare oatmeal?

Janet Kincaid said...

Lucy: I think there's definitely a demographic that completely "gets" Facebook. I believe, because of my age, I'm not one of those people. And I'm not entirely sure I want to be one of those people.


Herb: Is that what LinkedIn is for? Thanks for telling me how we met. Perhaps I'll friend you. ;-)


Miranda: Your recipe for oatmeal sounds divine. Would you mind sharing the recipe? Here's mine: World Famous in Poland Oatmeal.

Miranda said...

That oatmeal looks really good. I'm apprehensive about the butter but I'll try anything at least twice (which is how I get myself into trouble but that is neither here nor there right now).

My oatmeal recipe is adapted from the Moosewood Restaurants New Classics cookbook. I don't tend to make it exactly the same way every time.

3.5 c whole milk
1 c steel cut oats
1/4 c pure maple syrup
cinnamon, to taste
2.0 c peeled, diced apples (I prefer granny smith but use a cooking apple)
2/3 c currants or raisins
dash or two of salt

.5 Heat oven to 375º

1. Heat milk on the stove until nearly boiling.

2. Stir in cinnamon, oats, and syrup. Return to near boil.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients.

4. Pour into 2 qt casserole. Bake for 30 minutes until done.

I've tried it with dried cranberries too but the kids didn't like that. I did though. It's almost like a pudding when it is done.

Cele said...

I got a MySpace page, I refuse to get a Facebook or Linkedin pages, I don't follow twitter and crap I don't have enough time to write, read, or blog.

I only friend specific people on MySpace...i.e I'm not a friends numbers runner.

I love your list and may do one too. Thank you, I know so much more now.

Miranda her World Famous in Poland Oatmeal is to die for...I'm a convert from the friggin' little packets.

Maya said...

I refuse to join the Facebook bandwagon.

#6: Were you my mom in another life?

#10: So true!

#12: I'm pretty sure it's the scantily clad kiss ass women!

#16: I'd like that. Then we can go dancing together sometime!

#23: I love people cooking for me, so I'll be right over!

#25: That reminds me, I've been rather remiss on sending those...

*Sex on the mind is not such a bad thing!

Anonymous said...

Herb of DC cracked me up again.

- Phoebe, who doesn't have a FB page.

Janet Kincaid said...

Miranda: Your oatmeal recipe sounds divine! I can't wait to try it. I'll be sure to return and report.


Cele: I'm not a numbers runner either. I go for quality, not quantity! That said, I'm not sure how long I'll stick around on Facebook. I'm on LinkedIn and, professionally speaking, think that's probably the better place to be. That said, though, all of this internet connectivity between people is getting to be INSANE, don't you think?


Maya: Love you response to my list!

6. I hope not! I'm sure your mother is a lovely person and it's fun to know we like the same ice cream, but I'd make a lousy astrogeologist!

10. I'm glad you agree.

12. I think that's what it is, too. I mean, with a character named Pussy Galore, how can you go wrong?

16. That would be fun!

23. On tonight's menu: pot roast and mashed potatoes. Come on over!

25. Yeah, I think somewhere I have a stack of thank-you cards I need to send, too.

* Sex on the mind is never a bad thing. Distracting, yes. Bad, no.


Phoebe: Herb is a gem, isn't he? As for Facebook, don't believe others when they say all the cool kids are there. While that may be somewhat true, it also means we're a bunch of sheep. Don't be a sheep.

lacochran said...

I have a FB page that I don't use. Only created it because I was "friended" and didn't want to be rude.

And Biggest Loser is the only reality show I watch. I am completely addicted to the way over the top melodrama; the OBVIOUS, cheesy, built-in commercials; and the amazing transformations these people undergo. LOVE IT!

Anonymous said...

Bwaahaha! I love the list of things you could live without on Facebook. Ditto, ditto, ditto.

I joined because a couple of good friends asked me to. It's been a nice way to stay in touch. However, I'm blown away by people who have 300+ friends. My god, really? I don't think I know that many people PERIOD, enemies included.

that's a great idea, actually. Why not make it possible to "enemy" people you don't like?

Janet Kincaid said...

Lacochran: Yeah, it started with one friending me. Then another one did it. And then two more. When the list of friends friending me reached an unconscionable eight, I caved. You can only reject so many friends so long before you begin looking unfriendly. So far, though, no rocks have friended me. I suppose I should be grateful.

As for The Biggest Loser, agreement with you on all counts. And could the product placement BE any more blatant. It's getting to be laughable.


Liz: Yeah, I know a few people with 300 and 400 friends, which begs the question "how do you define friendship?" Really, Facebook should have categories: BFFs, Friends, Sort-of-Friends, Acquaintances, People I've Drunk with But Nothing More, Work Buddies, and Miscellaneous. Oh, and I like your idea of an enemies list. I can think of three or four people I'd put on that one. Then I'd add an application that features a dart board so I could throw a dart at them every morning! :-D

urban bohemian said...

Congrats on joining the flock! I railed against memes too but found myself sucked in. So I retaliated by making it over 2500 words long. Most of my friends have told me they didn't quite make it through the whole list, or that they just skimmed it. :)

I'm still disappointed I didn't get double-Windsor lessons last month. Don't force me to post photos of having done it poorly!

Janet Kincaid said...

Bohemian: Does being on Facebook make us one of the cool kids? I'm still uncertain about that.

As for lessons in double-Windsor knots and missing the Bloggerational Ball, I had friends come into town at the last minute for the inauguration. Hence, my absence. But... I'm happy to give tie tying lessons anytime. I think it's time for another blogger meet-up.

Brian said...

So sad to say that I've become a total Facebook Hooker (okay, not literally)... I haven't done the 25 Things Survey yet, but I think I've been tagged for it by every friend I've got.

I enjoyed reading this list about you. You sound like the girl-version of me!..... There's a visual for ya! :) Thanks a ton for sharing

foundinidaho said...

My fundamentalist Wasilla AK lovin' cousin tried to get me to Facebook (I guess I associate it with liberals so I'm surprised) - I think I may be too old. We'll see once my boxes are unpacked in my house.

I love the fact you didn't go to BYU. Not because it isn't a good school in many ways - I know a lot of people I've worked with over the years obviously got a great education there - but just because I got tired of my colleague wearing his damn "Marriott School of Business" logo'd stuff 4 out of 5 days a week to work in Utah. Damn he was annoying.

Katherine said...

13. I believe Pink Martini will save the world.

Yes, they will.

Also, everybody but my mother is now on FB. The day she attempts to friend me is the day I remove my profile.

Janet Kincaid said...

Katherine: I'm so glad you agree. You know they're performing at Wolf Trap in June, right?

As for mothers, I praise the heavens that my mother detests Facebook, MySpace, and blogging. I'll never find her in any of those places.

Virginia said...

I got sucked into the Facebook vortex to help a friend. I can't remember HOW it helped him exactly but now I'm bombarded with requests. At first I thought those people really did want to be my friend, ( Like Eric from Paris DP. I was pumped about that one.) Now I find out the computer matches you up and sends those annoying friend requests. I've been duped and I'm ticked!!! It's all a fraud.

I loved your 25 Tewks, but NO I will not do it although that's the kind of stuff I find humorous. And my daughter cracked up when she saw her mom on there! Paybacks are hell!!
V

Janet Kincaid said...

VJ: Damn Facebook!