Eight Random Things About Me (Yes, I'm Doing a Friggin' Meme. Get Over It.)

It takes a woman with balls to tag me for anything, let alone a meme. (Note the date on that linked entry, and the blue-balled woman has no search capacity on her blog.  I have a lonnnnng memory.  And don't you all forget it.)  Right now Terry is sweating buckets because I asked her to find that entry for me and she doesn't know why.  I am taking great pleasure at the idea of her sitting by her computer, waiting to see what I have done with that link.  *cackle*

According to Wikipedia, the ultimate source, of course:  The term Internet meme is a neologism used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads in a faddish way from person to person via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, but is used loosely to refer to things that are not necessarily memes in a technical sense.

The dictionary definition, sort of: 

meme  (Pronounced "meem") A trend, belief, fashion or phrase that is passed from generation to generation through imitation and behavioral replication. Coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene," memes and memetics are the cultural counterpart to the biological study of genes and genetics. Using the evolution analogy, Dawkins observed that human cultures evolve via "contagious" communications in a manner similar to the gene pool of populations over time.

It's a frickin' virus, is what it is. 

Interesting find:  It seems that everything with a pulse has a blog.  Now I find that even Memes have a blog.  For fucksake.

Y'all know my dislike for memes, right?  But Terry?  Terry doesn't care that I dislike them. She thinks she can take me, and she tags me anyway. Or maybe she hasn't been reading and memorizing my every entry from the beginning of time.  Okay, fine, Terry, I'll play along this time.  But the next time I see you, watch your back, girlfriend. I know you're pretty scrappy, but I'm bigger than you, and I also know you're injured.  Mud wrestling, maybe?  Or a rousing game of Scrabble.  Your choice.

Anyhoo, though, of course I'm only kidding.  Terry is doing me a favor (so she thinks), because in this NaBloPoMo thingy we're searching for blog fodder all the time, and she's a member of our "support group."  With friends like.... oh, never mind. 

So I'll answer it.  These are the first things that pop into my mind, truly random and without much thought.

1.  I'm not particularly fond of memes. I realize this is not big news.  Ditto chain mail or inspirational jokes or stories in my email box.  Once in a while there's a good one, though. It pisses me off that there is the occasional good one, because I really prefer to spread my meme/joke/inspirational story hate across the board. 

2.  Geniuses have a high tolerance for disorder, or so I've read.  Looking at my home office and fiber room, you might think I'm a genius. 

3.  I've learned a lot lately.  Not all of it is what I'd hoped to learn. 

4.  I don't have a favorite color, but please don't make me wear lilac.  Or mint green. 

5.   I've done some foolish things, but I'm not a fool.

6.   I've been loved and I've been hurt.  Loved is better, but hurt can be a learning experience.

7.   My favorite flower is a white peony.  Or lavender.  Or roses.  Or... Ah, never mind.  I don't have a favorite flower. 

8.   I can be indecisive.  And sometimes not. 

What?  Only eight?  I'm just getting warmed up, so I'll add a number nine:

9.  I once was the only student in a class to pass a 10-page exam.  The first instruction was to read the entire exam from start to finish before starting.  I did.  The last instruction was, "Put down your pencil and do not do this exam."  It was a test of one's ability to read and follow directions.  While everyone was frantically trying to do the obscenely long and hard exam in the class period, I was sitting there wondering if I had been tricked.  I felt sick about it, but I stuck to my guns despite the churning in my stomach and the redness of my face. I was such a good instruction-follower then.  I've changed. Today I'm a rebel.  I did a meme despite my moratorium on them.  I didn't follow the directions, and I added a number nine.  Next thing you know, I'll be buying a Harley. 

10.  Look! Still feeling rebellious.  I'm supposed to tag people, but I won't.  However, if you want to do this meme, I won't stop you. 

(Near the tram on Mount Mansfield)

"Sometimes you just gotta say, What The Fuck." 

~ Miles, Risky Business ~

Comments

[Anne]

Miles reminds me of Marilyn Monroe's quote...

"Ever notice that 'what the hell' is always the right decision?"

[Mel]

Is there anyone who hasn't ever done something foolish? I thought that's what the human condition was all about.

[Kansas A]

I like your attitude girl! I've done two, and that's two too many.

[Debi]

Even your "non-memes" are feisty :)

[sandy]

You know? I just love reading things about people. It's voyeurism at it's finest, I guess! And I'm having trouble coming up with 8 things that don't sound like a rehash of my 100 things. Meh.
If *I* were Terry right about now? I'd be shaking in my boots. But I'm a chicken from way back.

[jessie]

I am still reeling from the preview in my Google Reader that had the words "Norma" and "8 Random Things" right next to each other.

I have fallen so far behind on the blogs I figured I'd give up altogether. But now I see that miracles do happen. I must never neglect the blogs or the next thing I know you'll be telling us about 10 places you've lived or 8 jobs you've held.

[maryse]

i had to smile at the "i'm bigger than you" threat. so cute. *snort*

[Paula]

I like #2. That must mean that my kids are really S-M-R-T.

[margene]

Well, I'm no fuckin' genius and my house is a trash heap...all though it's getting better. I'm betting Terry could take you down...that's my bet...she lifts weights, you know.

[Vicki]

I think hell just froze over.

[Elizabeth]

There's really nothing I can say after Vicki's comment except
Grab a parka.

[marianne]

HAH! I had to read the title in bloglines 3x, shocking I tell ya.
I really enjoyed #9.....
Laurie Anderson wrote a song... "Language is a Virus"....

[Marcia Cooke]

I CRINGED when I saw that Terry had tagged you, but you've let me down, Norma. When I get tagged for these bloody things I always used to be able to say, "Oh, no, I'm with Norma on this one. I don't. do. memes." Crap. What do I do now?

[Gillian]

Since I don't blog, when first seeing the word meme, I didn't know what it meant. Reading various memes didn't really answer the question, but since memes seem to be written by an individual about her/himself, I figured it could be me-me! It's just as well I don't blog.

[Birdsong]

I think you'd look good on a Harley.

[Kathy]

This can't be -- you and a meme. What next? Maybe the world IS flat?!? Norma and a meme -- I'm shaking my head in disbelief.

[Kirstie]

I had the same experience - I wasn't alone - two people in the class both passed the test by just reading to the end. But I was the first. :)

[claudia]

Can you spell "desperate"? I can.

;-)

[Sara]

Well hot damn, it's pronounced "meem"?

[susan]

Hmmm . . . do you seriously think you could take Terry, injured or not. I'm not buying it, grrlfriend.

[Cookie]

It's only the 14th and you're already doing memes? At this rate, you'll be strip blogging by the end of the month.

[Anne]

Did someone say strip blogging? I think I'm going to have to go stock up on popcorn, things could get interesting!

[Jean]

LOL. You crack me up.

[Seanna Lea]

I don't mind doing memes, but I don't want them in my knitting. Heck, I only did the 100 questions as an exercise in my CompSci class last year. It was a blast and I fully intend to use the code again (and probably should - it includes my race times, which I want to keep a record of), but I probably wouldn't have ever done half of that if I wasn't getting a grade for quasi-blogging.

[Wanda]

I've done that test before too, where you're being tested on following the directions. And I found I was the only one too. That whole rule follower is ridiculous, but yet, that was me back in the day. Not so much anymore.

[ann]

you know, a mud-wrestling match between you and Terry might be even more interesting than the sheep dog exhibitions at the next Rhinebeck .......

[ann]

but I have to warn you - although you are bigger than Terry, she is scrappy and honestly, she looks like a biter.

[Lark]

Anotha New Englanda comin ta Utar? I'm hopin I get ta meet ya, just so I can feel at home. Somehow, and I mean this in the best possible way, I don't think, based on this post, that you will be fahrced into strip blogging by the end of the month. Yahr clear humor-eye will prevent it. Great stuff, even if you did toss a primary tenet of no memes evah ovah yah shoulder. Damn, I miss New England some days. Blue skies!

[Lucia]

All of my illusions about you have been shattered.

[Gretch]

I'm with Sara. I am so outta the loop I always thought, with good reason, that it was pronounced Me-me's. As in, I have to spill my guts without hurting myself about me, me's. In any case, you have simultaneously fallen off the horse and maintained your non-meme sensibility. Good for you. How'd you do that?