staying.cool

So, even though I was going to steal this tag via marie [who's blog has "died", btw], i actually managed to get tagged for once - this time by webkittyn. the tag has changed pretty drastically in the year or so that i have been sitting on it: its now six random things, instead of seven. woo!

The Rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

wokay, since i love writing so much about myself and my feelings about everything, this should be easy.

1. i have a completely organized digital comic collection, ordered by publisher, series as well as year, when necessary (this especially applies to my spider-man collection). i have scoured wikipedia, cbr, and many many other random sites in an effort to make it as complete as possible.
no, i’m not insane, thankyouverymuch.

[ok, that one was easy. everyone knows how much i read comics, and now i can convince them that i really am insane about comics. my library membership record currently only shows comics being checked out. oh wait, that one was not meant to be said. funny i should say all this and lament saying it, when all i need to do is to delete the offending lines. ah, well. onward!]

2. i tend to watch tv serials obsessively, once i manage to latch onto something interesting. currently medical stuff seems to occupy the board exclusively: scrubs and house.

[that one doesn't seem interesting enough to put up here. but then its meant to be random. suck it up, dear reader.]

3. i have (with a friend) examined every election “map” since 1789 (on both wikipedia and google). based on the last 30 years, you could actually say that texas is a swing state. and some elections make you feel like the opposing candidate would have wanted to kill himself after the election. i mean its more than a majority, the guy just steamrolled the opposition.

[i'm really not insane. i did not look up all past and present political parties that have existed in the US. and i know everything about indian politics. not.]

4. even if i lament the existence of rom-coms, i end up watching them anyway. for e.g.: fever pitch, sleepless in seattle, 27 dresses…

[don't you dare call me a sissy in the comments. or a pansy. or anything even vaguely effeminate. i watch every one of them to deride them. even if i never talk about it anyone. and i even watch them alone, when requisite company is not around.]

5. i eat whole packets of sour worms in a single sitting. and lick my fingers after.

[yes, calling me a sourpuss is not funny. no combining points 4 & 5 to deride my habits.]

6. i need only about 300+ reminders for everything. things just don’t stick up there. yes, i need reminders for reminders too. this is why i love remember the milk, and have it set up everywhere.

[ok, you can call me an absent-minded genius. go on, i don't mind.]

now, since the rules say i have to, i hereby tag Galadriel, Alok, Alice, Suyog, Kriti, and Ashish. therefore commanding them to do the tag. this is in addition to spamming their blog to tell them about it. man, do i love to mess around with people. makes me feel like a mind-controller too. score. plus, of course, i really had to cast around for people to tag. its tough. most of the people i read have either stopped blogging, or don’t care/know about my existence. not that tagging these people proves anything at all about whom i know. ok, i need to stop ranting/rambling. or not. whatever.

once upon a time, long long ago, in blogland… a misguided soul was misguided enough (obviously) to appreciate other souls who, well.., blogged.

because this is what is done in blogland. you blog.

now the misguidance of our aforementioned soul was true misguidance. it wasn’t guidance under a false name, false address and fake social security number. this is was real, hardcore, full-blown misguidance. (note: that most of those adjectives have ulterior meaning has not escaped my attention. the reason will follow soon.)

and so, as is to be expected, the bloglanders (not bloggers, you poor misguided unfortunate souls)… well one of them anyway was jerk enough to ignore the appreciation. and ignore the ensuing sacrilegious booing that followed. he was a jerk. such people do not deserve awards, or even appreciation.

even when it comes as a result of misguidance.

however, people can change. even in blogland. this bloglander was shown the error of his ways. suffice to say it did not involve unspeakable things to do with transformers, electronics, and other… toys. it did not involve cream and jell-o and other… items. there was some beating around the bush (figuratively, not literally), some turning of the tables (again, figuratively) and some possibly undoable actions involving… blogging.

*shudder* (note whether in pain or in pleasure is left out due to a discerning audience)

the error has been seen. the light has shone down, and angels have sung.

i shall officially accept galadriel’s brilliante weblog premio award (awarded to me roughly a month ago). i understand that acceptance construes bestowing it ahead on another 7 of my ilk.*

this is not easy. i am not sure that 7 people exist who (a) follow this blog regularly, and (b) have not previously received it (y’see, it would be nice to have others see the light), and (c) it involves some amount of my appreciating others. i have seen the light, yes… but this step actually involves coming into the light.

the actual award(ing) function shall hence happen in a second post. it means i get to drag this out a bit more; clearly, a month is too short a timespan. and of course, if there are people who believe they should receive it (you and you don’t count.. not because you haven’t received it, but because i am still a little bit of a jerk), by all means, leave a comment. it means i will get another comment for my blog posts. score.

*and since it is galadriel, the usage of the above adjectives can be understood. if not, see here. and here. and here. and… you get the idea now, right? no? how dumb are you? i refuse to have anything more to do with you. go on, get off my blog. click the close button on top. dum dum, navigate away from here now! i can’t be seen with you on my page. go away.**
**no, actually, wait. please wait. please please. you are actually reading my blog. don’t go. please. i will give you an award. right now. a BWPA. its awesome. you get to post about it and everything. its brilliante. its an award. you’re not dumb. you’re brilliante. me, i’m just a jerk. what do i know? don’t listen to me. leave a comment. have an award. don’t leave. please?

oh, and before i forget, thank you, galadriel. very much. see ? i’ve improved even more.

since i’ve been tagged.

or posted, for that matter…

… From here. I have to list one fact related to my life for every letter of my middle name. I also have to mention the following rules:
a) The rules must be mentioned in the beginning of the tag.
b) You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
c) At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

now, i’m in a dilemma. i could use the name that comes the middle of my full name; but it is not my actual “middle” name. we weirdos don’t have the concept of surnames and middle names and end names and over-the-top names. we have names. period.
if i were to use a random name, i might as well use random letters. or, i could be snarky and have a superhero middle name, but that is painful.
and one person for every letter of my middle name ? now, that is scary. come to think of it, even finding six people who read my blog is scary.
pet names ? i have more than a few. and that is not including insults.

confusion, confusion.

i’ll do the more popular version of the tag, and choose a name from amongst my three; and use that. i won’t tag anyone… i will encourage people to steal it. the crime will have its own punishment.

i shall hence choose my own name, and be done with it.

S - silly. from concepts of writing only in lower-case, to actually understanding the concepts of comic-book universes, its always been the silly things that fascinate me the most. i can act pretty silly at times too, ensuring that seriousness is not a crime i am accused of.
A - argumentative. given a chance, and an acceptable person, i’m willing to argue about everything under the sun.
T - tales. whether writing them, reading them, or watching them; i can’t live without ‘em.
I - irritating. i find a number of things so, especially when burdened with a cold. when i don’t find them, i get so. and thats not good for anyone around me.
S - sang-froid. i believe in maintaining it to extreme levels; and will go as far as to not react to anything. i will actually react slowly to things to ensure that what analysis i believe in (way too much) is done.
H - handsomeness. one of the few things i’ve never associated with myself, and more interestingly, neither has anyone else

there, it is done. do it if you dare, chicken.

this one is due to riri.

remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1. zydeco fish
2. doris
3. Radmila
4. Riri
5. SEV

Next select five people to tag

1. marie
2. trine
3. sol
4. anita
5. rads

What were you doing 10 years ago?
10 years ago.. was 13. was probably finishing up my 8th grade.. think i made my first trip via mumbai public transport too. had adjusted to the move from dubai at long last. was discovering the joys of writing.. as in writing that made sense

What were you doing 1 year ago?

blogging was becoming more sporadic. according to my archives, the closest post is of the devils in my head. the cynicism that is so prevalant in my attitude now, seems to be raising its head then. i seemed to realise that expression is the best way of making it all make sense, though i don’t know about that anymore.

otherwise, i seem to remember that my course was hotting up, with deadlines for exams a month or so away. the cyberjunkie had come to the UK, so misery had some more company

Five snacks you enjoy

• salted nuts - any kind
• crisps - cheesy
• banana chips
• chivda
• digestives

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:

• kiss from a rose - seal
• kya kare - rangeela
• rabba rabba - aks
• with or without you - u2
• ironic - alanis morrissette

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

• travel by road everyplace that’s anyplace
• make myself the ultimate connected home theatre
• buy this gigantic society where everyone important to me can live. together.
• ensure that i have a million more every year
• get all those movies i want. and watch them.

Five bad habits:

• biting the skin off my fingers
• working too much on my lappy
• being absolutely lazy about starting anything
• thinking too much
• not facing my feelings

Five things you like doing:

• working on my lappy
• watching movies
• experimenting in the kitchen. when i’m in the mood. dependent on point 3 above.
• reading
• blogging

Five things you would never wear again:

• tight shirts. too thin.
• uniforms
• the pyjama of kurta-pyjama
• capris
• white sports shoes

Five favorite toys:

• my gi-joe action figure set. seriously
• alienware m5500
• iriver h140
• nokia n70
• my brain

rads tagged me, and so :

7 things i will do -

1) backpack across europe, america, and india. maybe the others too, if i have the time.
2) do some kind of higher studies in english literature.
3) teach. either what i’m doing now, or what i’m hopefully going to do in english.
4) learn music (again) in some form.
5) watch all those movies i have lined up.
6) read unabridged versions of all the classics out there.
7) attend a rock show by one of those big-name bands. one of those gigantic shows.

7 things i can do -

1) roll half my tongue. yes, half. no, i don’t know why this is first on the list.
2) stare for long hours without blinking. no idea if i’m any good at the game though.
3) read really really fast. kinda the reason for point #2.
4) find things to do on a computer. even after 14 hours on it. straight. maybe thats common.
5) spend time alone, and be happy.
6) listen, learn and observe everyone i meet.
7) figure meanings of words regardless of whether i’ve ever heard them before.

7 things i can’t do -

1) write left-handed. i think being ambidextrous is cool.
2) use decent grammatical hindi.
3) look good. so i’m not a real fan of what i look like.
4) like who i am. the person i am. the shitty.. i don’t think i really want to start that now.
5) stay angry about something for a long time. “nurse a grudge” to to speak.
6) open up to other people. about who/what i am.
7) stand stupidity.

7 words/phrases i say often -

1) logically..
2) technically..
3) how the fucking hell.. (fucking could be replaced for those who shouldn’t hear it)
4) bloody.. (you really want to know what follows ?)
5) yeah. right.
6) you really want to know ? yes, i know i said it 2 sentences up.
7) [person's name] in a droll sort of way.

people i pass the baton on to-

not too sure if people would actually respond. so.. steal if interested.
and that is marie-style.