Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen movies you've seen that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes, then tag fifteen friends.

(I cheated spectacularly on this. I did not fill it out in 15 minutes. I thought about it on and off for about two weeks before typing a word. I tag whoever cares to fill it out.)

The movies:

1. Heathers - I'm sure there are probably better examples of female empowerment in film than Veronica Sawyer, but when I was twelve, I could not think of one. Considering how many stories there are where a girl gets involved with the wrong guy and then gets pregnant or smacked around or killed or something equally horrible and damning, I thought it was so cool (and still do) that Veronica is not only allowed to get into trouble, but that she's also allowed to get herself out of it with equal effectiveness. This was also one of my first exposures to dark comedy and stylized dialogue - I don't remember previously thinking that a character dying could be funny, or that they could say things like "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw."

2. Annie Hall - My favorite movie of all time. Among many other things, it changed my mind about nonlinear storytelling. I used to not like it. I don't know why. It was a dark time in my life.

3. Zodiac - It mercilessly exploits both my love of a well-constructed screenplay and my probably inordinate fear of being a victim of random, violent crime. I made the mistake of watching it alone in my house at night. At one point I paused it and got up to do something, and when I came back into the room, my cat was sitting on the back of the couch - except she was curled up in a ball so that at first glance, from a distance, it looked like the hair on the back of a person's head. I was for one second completely sure that a stranger had snuck into my house and was sitting on my couch. I don't think I've ever been so terrified in my life.

4. Romeo + Juliet - It's big and crashing and epic and garish and fabulously melodramatic, and it fostered a lifelong love of other things that fit that description. I would still rather watch this than than the Zeffirelli version any day.

5. Fantasia - I don't see how anyone who loves music or art could have grown up without loving this movie. It is so awesome.

6. Crush On U - This is without question the worst movie I have ever seen. Yes, it is worse than "Plan 9 From Outer Space". If nothing else, there are individual frames of "Plan 9" that you could show to a person who hadn't seen the movie, and they might go, "Oh, well, that's kind of cool-looking." Nothing like this can be said about "Crush On U". An IMDb user described it as "truly dire," and they're right. It is baffling in its horribleness. It is for this reason that I think anyone who is any kind of artist who sometimes feels insecure in their talent should watch it. Even if your worst fears are true, and you really are a talentless, inept hack with nothing important to say, you are still capable of producing better work than "Crush On U". You have to be. And "Crush On U" was, a) completed, and b) distributed on DVD. So you have no reason whatsoever not to follow your dream.

7. Rashomon - I feel like the term "mind-blowing" gets thrown around too much, but it's the best way I can describe the effect that seeing this for the first time had on me. I remember thinking at the time that it may have been the best movie I'd ever seen. It felt like someone had thrown open doors inside my head that I didn't know were there.

8. The Truth About Cats and Dogs - An excellent movie for anyone who's felt like they were living in a world built for people more beautiful than them. Yes, the plot is kind of stupid. (If Ben Chaplin really can't figure out what's going on with these two women, then I'm surprised he hasn't drowned in the shower yet.) But it's funny and charming, and the friendship between Janeane Garofalo and Uma Thurman is actually one of the most well-developed female friendships I think I've seen in a romantic comedy. Also, any movie in which Garofalo asks a cosmetics saleswoman if she has any pore maximizers, because sometimes she just needs a place to stash her keys, is my kind of movie.

9. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - It was unlike anything I'd seen before, and I actually got in huge trouble with my mom for seeing it, because she thought it was horribly inappropriate. I saw it at Sakari's house, and she threatened to not let me go over there anymore because she was so angry. Awful at the time, but sort of funny to look back on now, and I think the sense of transgression only made me enjoy the movie more. It also jump started a period of weirdly intense infatuation with Michael Pitt. I still like him now, but for a while, I was REALLY into him. I may or may not have an autographed photo left over from this period.

10. Walking and Talking - If I ever make a movie, I'll basically be trying to make this one. And the way that Liev Schreiber says "Hello, cookies! Me likey!" is one of those things I can think about at any random moment and laugh out loud.

11. Pocahontas - The first time I remember crying in a movie theater. It also made me aware of the difference between seeing a movie on the big screen and watching it at home. I was ridiculously excited when my mom bought it for me on video, but was disappointed to find that it didn't move me as much in my living room as it had in the theater.

12. Grease - Like everyone else, I watched it over and over as a kid, and I'm still a little disappointed that high school wasn't actually like that. Luckily, I got to be in the play during my senior year, and that was almost as good.

13. Alive - I have never been someone who was afraid of flying. In fact, probably because I do it so infrequently (I haven't been on a plane since I was in eighth grade), I've always found it kind of fun. Well, "Alive" has made me afraid to fly. The plane crash sequence at the beginning is one of the most unsettling things I've ever seen in a movie, and I know that when I do set foot on a plane again, I will have a hard time not thinking about it.

14. Secretary - Causes you to find things sexy that you never thought you would. On a shallow note, I also really love and want all of Maggie Gyllenhaal's clothes.

15. The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Another movie I saw at Sakari's house that I felt cooler and more adult for watching. I still have my Columbia costume from when we used to go to midnight showings at the Riverview all the time. Sadly, I don't fit into it anymore, because I am no longer fourteen.

1. Where were you when 2008 began?
At home sick. It was lame.

2. Who were you with?
My parents and grandmother. I think Ben was at a party.

3. Where will you be when 2008 ends?
I was at First Avenue with Sakari, Cassie, and a bunch of Cassie's friends from Duluth.

4. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions last year were to avoid tooth-staining beverages (coffee, tea, red wine), clean my room, and write every day. The last two did not happen at all. I did pretty well with the first until May, when working, going to school, and stage managing "Honk" made life without coffee an impossibility. After that, I pretty much stained my teeth with wild abandon for the rest of the year. My resolution for next year is that if I decide not to do something, it should be because I don't want to do it, and not because I don't think I can. I had someone tell me this specifically about acting, but it struck me as something that I could stand to apply to my whole life. Avoiding things (or people) I want because they scare me is basically the root of all my problems, I think.

5. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Stage managed a mainstage show. Wrote a short play that actually got performed. Produced a Fringe show. Did a voice-over for an animated short. Got voted into a position of power in an organization. Made friends at work - like actual friends, who I also hang out with outside of work. (I've worked consistently since high school, and this is the first time it's happened. Sad but true.) Stayed out all night.

6. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.

7. Did anyone close to you die?
No. I'd really like to keep that streak going.

8. What countries did you visit?
Zero. I'd like to change that, if not in 2009, then in some other year that's not very far away. Oddly enough, I saw a Long John Silver's commercial the other day that made me really want to go to England again.

9. How many different states did you travel to in 2008?
Zero.

10. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Some sort of non-platonic male companionship would be nice.

11. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Election night was pretty exciting.

12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting "Reefer Madness" off the ground. It was one of the first times in my life that something I'd imagined and fantasized about actually happened - and in order to make it happen, I had to ask people for things, and be forthcoming about ideas and what I wanted, and generally do a lot of other things that have always terrified me. It was kind of a big thing for me, and I honestly don't think I would have been able to do it before this year.

13. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I did not.

14. What was the best thing you bought?
I love my iPod a lot. Maybe too much.

15. Where did most of your money go?
Tuition and textbooks, of course. Mall food, because I'm frequently too lazy to bring food with me to work. I've also become shamefully devoted to Starbucks this year. I think I went there every single day during "Honk." I'm sure if I could see a total of how much I spent there this year, it would be horrifying.

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
"Reefer Madness." I was also pretty ecstatic to have passed all my classes.

17. What song will always remind you of 2008?
"Forever," by Chris Brown, because whenever I hear it, the first thing I think of is Maddy at the State Fair going, "I love this song! Isn't it romantic?!" Also, all of the songs from "Reefer."

18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
-happier or sadder? I'm definitely happier.
-thinner or fatter? I've gone up a size. I should probably make a resolution to do something about that.
-richer or poorer? Poorer. My parents have been borrowing from me a lot lately, and whenever they pay me back, my impulse is to go, "Gosh, I sure was a good person for lending them that money! I deserve a treat! Like an iPod!" And pretty soon it's like they never paid me back at all.

19. What do you wish you'd done more of?
A lot of people I know were in shows this year, and I don't think I saw any of them.

20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Facebook stalking. It's just not good for anybody, and cutting back on it is another resolution of mine. Of course, one could argue that my compulsion to haunt someone's Facebook is probably a byproduct of my sometimes crippling fear of starting real-life conversations with them. So it's sort of two-pronged resolution that includes the dictum, "Be less terrified."

21. How did you spend Christmas?
At home with my immediate family, like always. We got each other gifts from the dollar store. It was actually really fun.

22. How many people did you kiss in 2008?
Zero. Thanks for reminding me. I think I could have gotten one in under the wire on New Year's Eve, too, but I was still a little too shy and little too sober to seal the deal.

23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
"Ugly Betty," as far as shows that are actually still on. But Sakari also introduced me to "Stella," and I am now obsessed.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. If anything, there are people who I might have said I disliked last year who I like a lot more now.

26. What was the best book you read?
"How To Be Good," by Nick Hornby. He's just awesome all the time, basically.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sakari introduced me to Lady GaGa, and I don't think anything will ever be the same.

28. What did you want and get?
"Reefer Madness," and no F's at school.

29. What did you want and not get?
A dude. There were a few who looked promising, and they all managed to elude me.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think it's a tie between "The Dark Knight" and "Let The Right One In." I really have to see "The Dark Knight" again before I can make a judgment like that.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 21. Sakari and Ben and Nick and I visited Meg at the bar where she works. We sat around talking, drinking, and eating chili cheese tater tots, which totally exist and are delicious. It was awesome.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Um. . . it's hard to say. I was going to say a boyfriend, but I now that I think about, I'm not sure it's true. The satisfaction I got this year was of a kind that's really completely separate from that. I almost feel like having the events of this year behind me will make having a boyfriend later more satisfying than it would have been at any point during the year.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"What was clean." That's basically how I do things.

34. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008?
The worst I can think of are some moments during "Reefer" auditions and rehearsals when I maybe could have conducted myself a little better, and come off more professional and less like an inexperienced person who was in over her head. But they're really pretty minor things that I'm not even sure were avoidable.

35. What are your plans for 2009?
Keep working, keep passing classes, help out with YAC's Fringe show however I can.

36. How many concerts did you see in 2008?
Two. That seems to be my yearly average.

37. Did you have a favorite concert in 2008?
Seeing Loudon Wainwright III was really amazing. And he signed my ticket stub!

38. What kept you sane?
Sakari, basically.

39. Who did you miss?
It isn't really a person so much as groups of people, and the dynamic that goes along with the group. For example, I miss the "Honk" cast and the "Reefer" cast, even though there's a lot of overlap between those two groups, and I even still see some of those people pretty frequently. I really like being in or around a cast every day, and when I'm not, I miss it.

40. Who was the best new person you met?
That's an impossible question. There tons of them, and they're all extremely important to me.

01. What are your nicknames?
Maddy calls me Ritzi. That's pretty much it.

02. How do you style your hair?
I don't. I really just wash and dry it.

03. What's new in your life right now?
Not a ton. We're working on a new YAC show, which seems like it's going to be pretty cool. I'm going to be 21 in three days, which means a whole new world of legal drinking will be open to me. That's it, really.

04. How many colours are you wearing now?
Dark blue (jeans), dark blue and white (sweatshirt), green and black (T-shirt).

05. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
I'm mostly an introvert. I think I've actually become more introverted over the years.

06. What was the last book you read?
"How To Be Good," by Nick Hornby. It's really, really good, and you should read it. I think it's my favorite book I've read all year.

07. Do you nap a lot?
I have been lately, because I've been getting scheduled for late nights a lot at work. So I tend to get up early and go to class, come home, take a nap, and then go to work.

08. If the person you secretly like is already taken, what would you do?
Feel briefly disappointed. I know this, because it happens a lot.

09. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
School.

10. What's your favorite dessert?
I like creme brulée.

11. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Honestly, like an hour. Hour and a half if I'm taking a shower and drying my hair. I can get out of the house in ten minutes if I have to, but I much prefer to be able to goof off and watch TV while I do stuff.

12. What websites do you visit daily?
LiveJournal and Facebook are the only ones I really visit every single day.

13. What classes are you taking right now? And if you're not in school any more, what's your job?
Human Origins. I was also taking Introduction to Women's Studies, but I wound up withdrawing from it.

14. Do you like to clean?
No. You can tell this from looking at the sea of random stuff that my bedroom floor has become.

15. What's the last song that got stuck in your head?
Some Christmas song we play at the Gap. I don't what it's called or who sings it, but the singer is female, and the words "two thousand miles" and "because it's Christmas time" show up a lot.

16. What's the last movie you saw?
"Zack and Miri Make A Porno." I enjoyed it.

17. What's better: eternal love or memorable love?
One would think that any love good enough to last forever would probably be pretty memorable. But I guess I'd say eternal, because breakups suck, and a memorable love can just as easily be memorable because it was excruciating.

18. What is your least favorite thing to do that you have to do everyday?
DISHES. I really, really hate doing dishes. Living somewhere with a dishwasher is one of my most cherished dreams.

19. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Cookie dough. It's two desserts in one!

20. What are you most looking forward to in the coming month?
My birthday, New Year's Eve, and the partying that will hopefully accompany both. Seeing everyone who's back in town from college for Christmas. The YAC reading. Winter break in general.

Slow learner counting on long life.

Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Strike through the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game post your own.

( Some of these are ridiculously easy. )

I veered ridiculously off-topic on the last question, but it felt like important stuff to note about my year, and it wasn't really covered by any of the other questions. So there you go.

1. Where were you when 2007 began?
At Sakari's, enjoying pizza, champagne, and movies.

2. Who were you with?
Sakari, and this kid Scottie who's a friend of her family.

3. Where will you be when 2007 ends?
Same place, probably doing the same thing.

4. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember making any last year, which means I didn't break any. My resolutions for the coming year are to give up all tooth-staining beverages, clean my room, and write every day.

5. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Got suspended, appeared on television, worked an eight-hour day at an actual grown-up job, had a medical procedure done that required anesthesia, took a writing class.

6. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.

7. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank God.

8. What countries did you visit?
None, apart from the one I live in.

9. How many different states did you travel to in 2007?
Two: Missouri and Colorado.

10. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A place of residence that I don't share with my family.

11. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Probably August 1, when the 35W bridge went down. Talk about a surreal and creepy moment.

12. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got a real job, and booked three commercials. I made mad bank this year!

13. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.

14. What was the best thing you bought?
The shoes I got for the Iveys.

15. Where did most of your money go?
Public transit, food, and overpriced jeans that were only slightly less overpriced because of my employee discount.

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
July 20th! Whoever decided that "Hairspray" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" should be released on the same day is my hero. It was a day of geeky bliss. I also got pretty excited about "Sweeney Todd," which, unlike last year's "Dreamgirls," was every bit as awesome as I thought it would be.

17. What song will always remind you of 2007?
"Superstar," by Toy-Box.

18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
-happier or sadder? I think I might be happier, but it's hard to tell. It depends on the day.
-thinner or fatter? I think I'm about the same.
-richer or poorer? Quite a lot richer, thank you very much.

19. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing.

20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I can't really think of anything.

21. How did you spend Christmas?
At home with my immediate family, like always. It was nice.

22. How many people did you kiss in 2007?
Three.

23. How many one-night stands?
Zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
"Ugly Betty."

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I'm annoyed by some people I wasn't last year, but I can't think of anyone who I can truly say I hate.

26. What was the best book you read?
"Sideways."

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Regina Spektor.

28. What did you want and get?
A job, the Cub Foods commercial, some fun experiences doing theater outside of YPC.

29. What did you want and not get?
To leave home.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
There were a ton of movies I loved this year, so it's hard to say. . . but I think I'm gonna go with "No Country For Old Men."

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 20, which was weird. Sakari and I were supposed to see a movie, but when the day came, neither of us had the energy to actually do it. So I basically just hung out at home and watched TV.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A clearly defined purpose.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Thanks to my employee discount, a hefty portion of my wardrobe now comes from the Gap.

34. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?
I said some dumb things in front of a person who I really wanted to think I was cool. To this day, though, I can't really figure out how much of it was genuinely embarrassing behavior, and how much of it was just me and my insecurities blowing it out of proportion.

35. What are your plans for 2008?
Go back to school - and this time I'll actually do it, because my health insurance depends on it - and don't screw up. Be deeply involved in whatever YAC shows we do this year.

36. How many concerts did you see in 2007?
Two, and they were both ZibraZibra, and therefore awesome.

37. Did you have a favorite concert in 2007?
ZibraZibra at First Avenue with Har Mar Superstar.

38. What kept you sane?
Long heart-to-hearts with Sakari; and my involvement with Upright Egg, Joseph's Fringe show, and Goddess Menses.

39. Who did you miss?
Sakari, when she's away at school. And Meg, who I no longer see as often as I should.

40. Who was the best new person you met?
I absolutely love everyone I met doing "The Love Project." They're all really amazing, creative people, and even though they were all older and wiser than me, none of them treated me like I was dumb. That show that was completely different from anything I'd done before, and it could have been really awful if I hadn't been surrounded by such great people. It was the first time since graduating from high school that I got to spend some time around a bunch of adults who really bore a resemblance to the kind of adult that I want to become. Honestly, it was one of the best things that could have happened to me, and I think it came at just the right time. They also gave me alcohol, which was nice of them.

The same goes for "Goddess Menses," the difference being that everyone there was younger than me - which also felt important, but for reasons I can't really pinpoint. The week we spent shooting that movie was completely jam-packed and kind of stressful, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It was one of those experiences that made me go, "Well, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I know it has to be something that feels a lot like this." I met some incredible girls who I now consider dear friends, and I became a lot closer to the girls who I already knew. It reminded me of the awesome redeeming powers of female friendship, and introduced me to the joy that comes from seeing something you wrote come to life in front of your eyes. Again, it felt like the right thing at exactly the right time.

( A survey of considerable length. )

I have been contacted on Facebook by the mom of one of my friends, and while I'm sure this is totally ageist and horrible, it kind of weirds me out. Seriously, though. Worlds are colliding here.

Next time: An extremely belated account of my weekend in Kansas City.

ETA: Just as I was posting this entry, the hosts of Battleship Pretension said these very words:

"If you wanna go to college, but you don't really like school, like if you're in high school and you're like, 'God, school sucks, but I wanna go to college,' go to film school, man."

"Absolutely. Even more so, go to Columbia College Chicago. I mean, I know people who really hated their college experience, and I did not. And it's because I pretty much got to take classes that I wanted to take."

I think I need to reapply there, like, the very second that I get my two-year degree.

I was tagged by boneal01.

List seven songs you are into right now, no matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

1. "Johnny, Are You Queer?" - Josie Cotton
2. "Down South, 10 Hours, I-5" - All Girl Summer Fun Band
3. "I'd Love To Take Orders From You" - Mildred Bailey
4. "All The Men In My Life Keep Getting Killed By Candarian Demons" - Evil Dead: The Musical
5. "Defying Gravity" - Wicked
6. "Conquest" - The White Stripes
7. "Artificial Sweetener" - No Doubt

Tagged:
before
benzic
sassachusetts
chaoticerotic
siouxdonum
activepanther
by_motorways

THE RULES:
[1] Pick 12 of your favourite movies.
[2] Then pick one of your favourite quotes from each movie.
[3] Post the quotes in your journal.
[4] Have those on your friends list guess what the movie is.
[5] Extra points for knowing the actor and character's name.
[6] Strike out the quote once it has been correctly identified.

ETA: Each and every title was correctly guessed by siouxdonum. He didn't guess the character or actor names, but I'll list them anyway, because I have the knowledge and don't know what else to do with it.

1. So, tell me, Montel. Why weren't we invited to the party? What are we, Al Queda? Shelley Malil as Haziz in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

2. That was wonderful. I love being reduced to a cultural stereotype. Carol Kane as Allison Portchnik in "Annie Hall."

3. Audiences don't know someone sits down and writes a picture. They think the actors make it up as they go along. William Holden as Joe Gillis in "Sunset Boulevard."

4. I think someone should just take this city and just. . . just flush it down the fuckin' toilet. Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver."

5. If there's an empty space, just fill it with a line. That's what I like to do. Even if it's from another show. Fred Willard as Ron Albertson in "Waiting For Guffman."

6. You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point. George Sanders as Addison DeWitt in "All About Eve."

7. You know, I used to live like Robinson Crusoe. I mean shipwrecked among eight million people. And then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were. Jack Lemmon as C.C. Baxter in "The Apartment."

8. I think we have the kind of friendship where if I were the devil, you'd be the only one I would tell. Albert Brooks as Aaron Altman in "Broadcast News."

9. I may bring a boyfriend home occasionally, but only occasionally, because I do think that one ought to go to the man's room if one can. I mean, it doesn't look so much as if one expected it, does it? Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret."

10. You got a nice suit at home? Or do you like coming to work every day dressed like you're gonna invade Poland? Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan in "The Departed."

11. Seven schools in seven states, and the only thing different is my locker combination. Christian Slater as Jason Dean in "Heathers."

12. You're always such a nice guy. But let's face it. We have nothing in common except sex and the fact that you idolize me. Elle McPherson as Candy in "The Mirror Has Two Faces."

From sassachusetts. The gist of this is that whoever tags you asks you to explain three of your interests and three of your icons. That way we can all learn more about each other, and thus promote world peace and harmony. Leave a comment if you'd like to do the meme yourself.

sassachusetts asked me to explain:

1: Mark Cohen
Mark Cohen is the central character in the musical "Rent." He's a dirt-poor and emotionally detached filmmaker living in New York, and, woefully enough, the only principle character in the show who doesn't get any active love interests. I think he's awesome, and would gladly step into the universe of "Rent" and be his girlfriend.

2: Bell Auditorium
According to its website, "the Bell Auditorium is the nation's first and only dedicated nonfiction film screen." It's a small but snazzy theater on Church Street in Minneapolis that shows good documentaries a lot. I like it. It's attached to the Bell Museum of Natural History, if that means anything to anyone.

3: telekinesis
Frankly, I wish I were telekinetic. Blame it on early and frequent viewings of "Carrie," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and "The Secret World of Alex Mack," but I had a childhood preoccupation with supernatural abilities, and spent a lot of time thinking of what I would do if I had them. Telekinesis struck me as one of the coolest, and to this day, if I could choose a super power, telekinesis would be my second choice (after teleporting, which is hard to beat).


Henry, Betty's nerdy accountant love interest on "Ugly Betty." I'm a Daniel/Betty shipper at heart, but I'm also of the strong opinion that the pairing would take a lot of time to develop, and should only really come to fruition at the end of the series. In the meantime, I'm completely onboard with the idea of Betty and Henry having a delightfully dorky office romance. I also think Henry is just a really cool character who should be kept around, regardless of whether he and Betty are hookin' it up. Mad love for Christopher Gorham.


A still from "Rent," during the song "Tango: Maureen." There was always a small part of that wanted Mark and Joanne to get together. Not because I want to cure Joanne of her lesbianism or anything, but just because they both seem like really smart loners who could benefit from the companionship of another smart loner.


Bill Haverchuck, my all-time favorite character from "Freaks and Geeks," my all-time favorite television series. There are no words to describe the awesomeness of Bill. You have to watch the show. It's genius.

"Freaks and Geeks - Bill Haverchuck gets funky" on Google Video
Clip from the series Freaks and Geeks - Bill Haverchuck (played by Martin Starr) gets funky

List 10 songs that begin with the letter given to you and explain why you picked them. Comment and I shall give you a letter.

sassachusetts gave me 'C,' so here I go.

"Cardboard Boxes" by Loudon Wainwright III. I've never moved anywhere in my life, but this song makes me feel like I have. I seriously want to get some of the Wainwright family's genes spliced with my own, because then I would be awesome.

"Chick Habit" by April March. This is a good breakup song, especially if a) your ex-boyfriend was kind of a skank, or b) you like music that sounds like a dance instrumental from "Sweet Charity." Only, you know, with words. Anyway, it's very retro and fun. Sakari tells me it was used in "But I'm A Cheerleader," which is pretty clever, I guess.

"Cornelius Fudge Is An Ass" by Harry and the Potters. Because seriously, he is.

"Coffee House" by Pastures Green. This band's album randomly appeared in my house one day about seven years ago, and no one has ever been able to figure out where it came from, because no one can remember buying it. My mom claims that my dad brought it home from work because one of his colleagues knew the drummer, or something like that, but my dad has no recollection whatsoever of this happening. Anyway, it's a really good album, and "Coffee House" in particular is a really good song.

"Ciega, Sordomuda" by Shakira. The title means "Blind, Deaf and Dumb" in Spanish, and it's one of my favorite songs ever about unrequited love. Features lyrics about "a love that lacks pants," which is not a sexual reference, but rather a weird Spanish colloquialism meaning that something makes no sense. Also, killer horn section.

"Crazy Horses" by the Osmonds. The Osmond brothers make a vague and confusing attempt at what might be heavy metal. I think. Anyway, it's incredible. You'll be glad you heard it.

"Catalyst" by Anna Nalick. Pretty, pretty song. I don't know why, but I'm a sucker for songs with references to the LA skyline. This song has a few.

"Consider This" by Anna Nalick. One of those songs where the main theme is "I love you, but I'm straight up crazy, so if I sometimes act like I don't love you, that's why." It reminds me of "Bitch," by Meredith Brooks, only not so self-conscious and dumb. (God, I got so tired of that song.)

"C'mon" by Junior Senior. Apparently a lot of people like this band. The only reason I know they exist is because Amalia put this song on a mix CD she made me for my 16th birthday, and I thought it was really catchy and fun. Also, "you know I wanna do you, and do you no harm" is a really wonderful lyric. Why don't they put that on valentines?

"Cutie Pie" by All Girl Summer Fun Band. I love AGSFB. They are adorable and awesome. I want to make a coming-of-age film and score it entirely with their music. This song is every bit as twee as one would expect from the title, and that is a wonderful thing.

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 161.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.

Result: "Type the expression that identifies the subset."

Wow. I couldn't have hoped for anything more boring.