Blog is a Mix Tape

literary meme

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:27:18 -0800

RPM, I'm calling your name-check of me in the post a tag, so here we go:

Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag 5 different people.

People's Movements, People's Press: The Journalism of Social Justice Movements

Bob Ostertag

Among the Special Forces people Barry had noticed was Master Sergeant Donald Duncan, who left the Green Berets in September 1965 and wrote "The Whole Thing Was a Lie" for the radical Ramparts magazine in February 1966.
On March 8, 1965, the first U.S. combat troops arrived in South Vietnam. Just three months later, Special Forces Lieutenant Richard R. Steinke refused a direct order into a combat zone because of his opposition to the war.

I'll tag Scooter Kitty.

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Movies Meme

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 08:30:02 -0700

Have I done this before?

AFI's top 100 movies. Bold the ones you have seen. ~~Strike out the ones you couldn't finish.~~ * the ones you have seen more than once.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)

2. Godfather, The

3. Casablanca (1942)

4. Raging Bull (1980)

5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

6. Gone with the Wind (1939)

7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

8. Schindler's List (1993)

9. Vertigo (1958)

10. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)*

11. City Lights (1931)

12. Searchers, The (1956)

13. Star Wars (1977)*

14. Psycho (1960)*

15. Sunset Blvd. (1950)

16. 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968)

17. Graduate, The (1967)

18. General, The (1927)

19. On the Waterfront (1954)

20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)*

21. Chinatown (1974)

22. Some Like It Hot (1959)

23. Grapes of Wrath, The (1940)

24. E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)*

25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)*

26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*

27. High Noon (1952)

28. All About Eve (1950)

29. Double Indemnity (1944)

30. Apocalypse Now (1979)

31. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)

32. Godfather Part II, The (1974)

33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

35. Annie Hall (1977)

36. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)

37. Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946)

38. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)

39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

40. Sound of Music (1965)

41. King Kong (1933)

42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

44. Philadelphia Story, The (1940)

45. Shane (1953)

46. It Happened One Night (1934)

47. Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951)

48. Rear Window (1954)*

49. Intolerance (1916)

50. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)*

51. West Side Story (1961)*

52. Taxi Driver (1976)

53. Deer Hunter, The (1978)

54. M*A*S*H (1970)

55. North by Northwest (1959)

56. Jaws (1975)*

57. Rocky (1976)*

58. Gold Rush, The (1925)

59. Nashville (1975)

60. Duck Soup (1933)*

61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

62. American Graffiti (1973)

63. Cabaret (1972)

64. Network (1976)

65. African Queen, The (1951)

66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)*

67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

68. Unforgiven (1992)

69. Tootsie (1982)*

70. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)*

71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

72. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)*

73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

74. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)*

75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

76. Forrest Gump (1994)*

77. All the President’s Men (1976)

78. Modern Times (1936)

79. Wild Bunch, The (1969)

80. Apartment, The (1960)

81. Spartacus (1960)

82. Sunrise (1927)

83. Titanic (1997)*

84. Easy Rider (1969)

85. Night at the Opera, A (1935)

~~86. Platoon (1986)~~

87. 12 Angry Men (1957)

88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

89. Sixth Sense, The (1999)*

90. Swing Time (1936)

91. Sophie’s Choice (1982)

92. Goodfellas (1990)*

93. French Connection, The (1971)

94. Pulp Fiction (1994)*

95. Last Picture Show, The (1971)

96. Do the Right Thing (1989)*

97. Blade Runner (1982)*

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

99. Toy Story (1995)*

100. Ben-Hur (1959)

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meme Tuesday: Ten Years

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Tue, 29 May 2007 12:59:54 -0700

Anil, the Jay-Z of blogging, has me thinking about my life ten years ago today:

Ten years ago today, I was just returning home (Van Nuys) after 4 years of college (The George Washington University), having not graduated but being "done".

Ten years ago today, I had a girlfriend who was due to start law school at Pepperdine University in Malibu but she was spending her summer in Pittsburg, CA.

Ten years ago today, I was starting my job hunt. In about a month, I would start working at Mount St. Mary's College as the Student Affairs Administrative Assistant. I'd redesign their Student Affairs website, redesign the Student Handbook, teach an intro to journalism class, and about 6 months in, hate it hate it hate it.

Ten years ago today, I'd run a fantasy pro wrestling league online. Yes, I was that nerdy.

Ten years ago today, I probably thought my dad was the ultimate bane to my existence.

Ten years ago today, I was listening to a whole lotta Notorious B.I.G. and Usher and Lilith Fair type ish and Erykah Badu was about to blow my mind.

Ten years ago today, I have no earthly idea what I was watching on TV.

Ten years ago today, I didn't own a car.

Ten years ago today, I was taking an intro to film summer course at LA Valley College.

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Meme Wednesday: Super Hero Quiz

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 02:55:44 -0800

Blech. Where's my Nightwing, Black Panther, or Luke Cage? Or Mr. Terrific!!

via anna and mel.

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		70%
Iron Man		65%
Spider-Man		65%
Robin		55%
Catwoman		55%
The Flash		55%
Green Lantern		55%
Wonder Woman		45%
Supergirl		45%
Hulk		40%
Batman		35%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

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Meme Wednesday: Which Book Are You?

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:06:27 -0800

Via Martinis & Vinyl.

You're Love in the Time of Cholera!

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Like Odysseus in a work of Homer, you demonstrate undying loyalty by
sleeping with as many people as you possibly can. But in your heart you never give
consent! This creates a strange quandary of what love really means to you. On the
one hand, you've loved the same person your whole life, but on the other, your actions
barely speak to this fact. Whatever you do, stick to bottled water. The other stuff
could get you killed.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I feel like ass today and am going to try my best to make it through work but that doesn't seem likely. So, while I am drinking bottled water, I still worry about the poison.

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Meme Wednesday: Wikipedia

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 07:27:41 -0800

via Cruft.

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. In the Search box, type your birth month and day (but not year).
3. List three events that happened on your birthday.
4. List two important birthdays and one interesting death.
5. List any holidays
6. Post it.

March 19 - 3 Events

1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China.

1863 - The SS Georgiana, described as the most powerful Confederate cruiser and said to have been owned by the real Rhett Butler, was destroyed on her maiden voyage, while attempting to run the blockade into Charleston, South Carolina. Lost to history, the wreck was discovered on the same day and month, exactly 102 years later by then teenage diver and adventurer E. Lee Spence.

1962 - Bob Dylan releases his first, self-titled album.

March 19 - 2 Important Births and 1 Interesting Death

Wyatt Earp, American policeman and gunfighter

Vida Guerra, Cuban-American swimsuit model

John De Lorean, American automobile engineer

March 19 - Holidays

The first day of Quinquatria in ancient Rome, held in honor of Minerva.

The swallows return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California.

Mojoday in Discordianism

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Meme Wednesday: Last.FM Says...

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 07:23:51 -0800

Via Minusbaby

My Rolling Year last.fm charts say...

My top 20 Artists of 2006

1	J Dilla aka jay dee (#26 fan)	574
2	Zero 7	517
3	Justin Timberlake	486
4	Madlib	424
5	Björk	386
6	De La Soul	364
7	Mary J. Blige	359
8	Sufjan Stevens	323
9	Jay-Z	309
9	NPR	309
11	Danity Kane	303
12	Kelis	290
13	Phoenix	288
14	The Roots	281
15	Madvillain	276
16	The Gossip	273
17	Common	271
18	M.I.A.	257
19	Erykah Badu	256
20	Sia	253

My Top 20 Songs of 2006

1	Cassie – Me & U	61
2	A Race of Angels – Afrika Displaced (#2 fan)	55
3	Phoenix – I'm an Actor	50
4	Broken Social Scene – 7/4 (Shoreline)	49
5	Justin Timberlake – LoveStoned/I Think She Knows Interlude	48
5	Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins – Run Devil Run	48
7	Koushik – Ride It Out (#36 fan)	47
8	Quasimoto – Real Eyes	46
9	Steve Spacek – Dollar (#44 fan)	45
9	Mary J. Blige – Be Without You	45
11	Justin Timberlake – Chop Me Up (ft Timbaland & Three 6 Mafia) (#2 fan)	44
11	Madlib – Open (Space)	44
11	Imogen Heap – Loose Ends	44
14	J Dilla aka jay dee – One For Ghost (#8 fan)	43
14	J Dilla aka jay dee – Stepson of the Clapper (#7 fan)	43
16	Gnarls barkley – Transformer	42
16	Broken Social Scene – Fire Eye'd Boy	42
18	Gnarls barkley – Crazy	41
18	J Dilla aka jay dee – Anti-American Graffiti (#6 fan)	41
18	Public Enemy – Fight The Power (#15 fan)	41

My Top 20 Albums of 2006

1	Imogen Heap – Speak for Yourself	178
2	A Race of Angels – broadcast no. 1	161
3	Madvillain – Madvillainy	154
4	Robin Thicke – The Evolution of Robin Thicke	150
5	Sia – Colour the Small One	149
6	J Dilla aka jay dee – Donuts	143
7	Gnarls barkley – St. Elsewhere	139
8	Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat	128
9	Jaylib – Champion Sound	126
10	Dilated Peoples – 20/20	123
11	The Gossip – Movement	115
11	José González – Veneer	115
13	Sufjan Stevens – Illinois	104
14	Mary J. Blige – The Breakthrough	99
14	Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene	99
16	Slim Thug – Already Platinum	91
17	Murs – Murray's Revenge	90
18	Koushik – Be With	89
18	The Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control	89
20	Daft Punk – Discovery	84

Note that just because last.fm says it doesn't mean that it's true. The album chart, in particular, has some problems.

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Meme Wednesday: My Life Soundtrack

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:54:43 -0800

Via RPM.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
1. Open your library* (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool - first songs only

Opening Credits - Lightworks, J Dilla aka Jay Dee

"What is the magic that makes one's eyes sparkle and gleam, light up the skies?"

Waking Up - Can You Believe, Robin Thicke

"Can you believe it when all that you've got is doubt and no one to pull you out? Your heart is slowing down but can you believe it?"

First Day of School - One Arm Break, Zero 7

Falling in Love - Forget the Past, Charles Webster

"We'll get there. I just know it."

Fight Song - Thursday, The Futureheads

"It's 24 hours since we've had this curse so find it in your hearts to pity us."

Breaking Up - Glittering Clouds (Locusts), Imogen Heap

"I'm not always like this. It's something I become. A terrible weakness in my nature, in my blood. Save me, oh, save me. Save me from myself before I hurt somebody else again."

Prom - Together Someday, Hepcat

"I'm tired of playing these games and if you really feel the same let's stop right now and cut to the chase because I know that we'll be together someday."

Life is Good - Always There (David Morales Remix), Incognito

"Such a good feeling that's where I want to be. Locked in your prison of total ecstasy."

Mental Breakdown - Breathe Me, Sia

"Help, I have done it again. I have been here many times before. Hurt myself again, today. And the worst part is there's no one else to blame."

Driving - Honest (Jazzanova Remix), Nuspirit Helsinki

"Remember the good times (Good Times!) ? The melody?"

Flashback - B.B.D. (I Thought it was me), Bell Biv Devoe

"Yo! I love being a bachelor. Ricky said, "Yo that girls a good catch for ya." She and I choose to cruise in my love boat. My water bed kept us afloat. I had to prove my manhood. Show her that the B-I-V was damn good. Understood? But I never got my boat rocked like that before. Yo!"

Getting Back Together - Unbreakable (MTV Unplugged), Alicia Keys

"We could fight like Ike & Tina or give back like Bill & Camille. Be rich like Oprah & Steadman or instead struggle like Flo & James Evans."

Wedding - Hello, It's Me, John Legend

"It's important to me that you know that you are free cuz I never want to make you change."

Paying the Dues - Sparkle City, Shuggie Otis

"Sun is up and greets with a grin. Letting me know that I was in. Go outside with a smile on my face. Jump in my car and leave this place. I heard all the news. There is no offer that I wouldn't refuse. Now comes the time when I need to run. Sorry, people, but I'm not the one!"

The Night Before the War - Verbal Clap, De La Soul

"Let's go beat for beat and rhyme for rhyme (put all things aside)."

Final Battle - Take it Back, Skillz

"Alright, listen up, I'ma put it in perspective. I'm the best since me. I got the right to be selective."

Moment of Triumph - Keep it Country, Soulpatrol

Death Scene - Around The World, Daft Punk

"Around the world, around the world..."

Funeral Song - Down the Hillside, Jose Gonzalez

End Credits - Third Rock, Pure Essence

*I used my Recently Played playlist which features the 1145 different songs I've listened to in the last month.

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When Life Gives You Limes...

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:57:49 -0800

According to Ann, I fell from a lime tree:

Lime Tree (Doubt) --
intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but, extremely loyal.

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[this is good]...in meatspace

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 10:24:33 -0800

[magaling ito]

The trend continues.

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