Friday 5 for December 20: Pages

Merry Christmas. As usual this one comes from Scrivener's Friday 5 site.

1. What book’s pages seemed to fly by as you read them?

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and LOST MOON by James Lovell - the latter is the true story of the Apollo 13 space flight in 1970.

2. What’s a book you were pretty sure you would dislike but turned out to be great?

Can't think of any since I don't read too many books that I dislike.

3. What book’s main character would you fall in love with if you knew him or her in real life, and why?

Weena from the Eloi in the Time Machine. Naive and vulnerable, her entire race was just fodder for the evil Morlocks. Of course I already had a vision of her since I saw the 1960 movie before I read the book.

4. Who’s the author you’ve read the most books by?

Frank Herbert - 4 of the DUNE books.
Arthur C. Clarke - 3 of the 2001 series books.

5. What’s a really long book you enjoyed?

The original DUNE book by Frank Herbert. Heavy, complex storytelling filled with political intrigue, strange technologies, gigantic creatures, aliens and rebellious people. The spice, the spice, the spice.

Friday 5 for November 29: WHITE

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog:



1. What’s the best white food?

Refined WHITE SUGAR because it makes a lot of other foods taste good. However too much SUGAR is not very good for your health. It takes a fine balance between how much good and bad you get out of SUGAR.

2. What’s your favorite white article of clothing?

None. Don't wear that color very often.

3. What are your thoughts on telling little white lies? No opinion on this.

4, What’s an impressive white animal? White Tiger. 

5. What are some songs in your iTunes (or other media player) whose title contains the word white?

The only reason why I am really answering this one is to list my top 10 most played tracks with the word "WHITE" in its title.

1. White Bird - It's a Beautiful Day

2. Black and White - Three Dog Night

3. Billy Bones and the White Bird - Elton John

4. White Lightning and Wine - Heart

5. White Horse - Laid Back

6. Then Came the White Man - The Stampeders

7. White Lies - Book of Love

8. White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane

9. White Lies Blue Eyes - Bullet

10. White Sandy Beach - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

And of course I also own THE BEATLES WHITE ALBUM on LP, CD, digital and cassette.

Friday 5 for November 22: BORING

1. What’s the most boring television show?

You see that above? This is what you call a test pattern. TV stations used to show this back in the 1950s through the 1960s and maybe even into the early 1970s. Why? Back in the day most TV stations started their broadcast day at around 6:00 in the morning and ended around midnight or some time after. They  would then go into sign off mode and broadcast a test pattern on most days.

As a kid I would sometime wake up early in the morning to catch weekday cartoons such as "Space Angel" and "Clutch Cargo". Before the shows would start broadcasting, the TV station test pattern such as this would show. Shortly before the scheduled program, the TV ID would show and then some stations would play the "Stars Spangled Banner" or some other patriotic song with images of America. You always knew that would be the start of the day or even end, as the pattern would begin in reverse at the end of the night.

As a child, I was rarely up for those late night sign-offs.

Boring TV? Yes. A TV show? Not really. As a kid my Mom used to watch this soap opera which I found to be utterly boring.




2. What’s a really boring movie?

I know it is based on a classic Ernest Hemingway story, but hell, a guy all alone in a rowboat trying to catch and hold on to a fish???? Boring for "The Old Man and the Sea". Just found out they spent $5 million producing this film in 1958 (what is that in 2013 dollars) and Spencer Tracey was nominated for a best actor Oscar. Still boring as I recall. He spends most of the time talking to the fish.

Duh? Give me Tom Hanks and "Splash!".



3. Whose music is really boring?

Musical artists who contribute greatly to my "yawn factor" include Barry Manilow, Kenny G, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston and for some reason, Radiohead. The thing is, I have at least one or two recordings by all of them. What's up with that?

And while I love Enya, and the layered, sonic beauty of many of her songs, they can be boring too. That could be because I keep on listening to the same albums over and over and the fact that there are long spells of nothing between her recording more, new, boring music.



4. What used to be interesting but is now boring?

Keeping up with some of my blogs.

5. Who’s the most boring person you know?

I'm kind of boring myself.

Friday 5 for October 25- ID Part 2

1. How familiar are you with the plants and trees in your area?

There aren't many plants and trees in my immediate area since I live mostly around a concrete jungle. What few there are I have photos of them.... like this one....

2. How familiar are you with the wildlife in your area?

We get a variety of wildlife - feral cats, crapping pigeons, mynah birds, rice birds, feral pet birds, cockroaches and other insects and an occasional plover or two.

3. Can you name the makes and models of five of your friends’ cars without looking?

Jack - 2013 Tesla Model S

Sandra - 2002 Acura RSX

Sam - 2005 Saturn Relay

Mike - 2004 Nissan Quest

Moses - 2001 Toyota Sienna

4. How many of your co-workers’ spouses and kids can you name?

Mike, Spencer, Sid, Petey, Ipulina

5. If you had the radio on whatever station is playing current hits, how would you do at naming the songs and artists you heard?

Great since I keep track of the current hits weekly. KORL 101.1 FM for current hits, KUCD 101.9 FM for current modern rock and many other stations with online streams including iTunes Radio, Pandora and Spotify.

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog. 

Friday 5 for October 18: Roles

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5! Please copy these questions to your webspace. Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses. Please don’t forget to link us from your website!"

I'm going to apply these to characters on the TV show "Gilligan's Island".

1. Who’s the class clown? Gilligan

2. Who’s the village idiot? The Professor (he is the genius of the bunch)

3. Who’s the helicopter parent? Mrs. Howell

4. Who’s the big man on campus? The Skipper

5. Who’s the queen bee? Ginger

Sorry no answers for Mr. Howell (who is like the child) or Mary Ann.

Firday 5 + 1 for August 23 - You Too?

1. Is it getting better, or do you feel the same? (from “One”)

Actually everything is slowly going to hell in a handbasket.

2. Do you shiver when you dream? Is there a pounding in your heart? (from “You’re the Only One that’s Real”)

There better not be pounding in my heart. That could be a sign of a possible cardiac arrest. Death perhaps! See #1.

3. Is the sweetest melody the one we haven’t heard? Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear? (from “I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”)

A tree falls in a forest but do you hear it if you are not there?

4. Do you feel anything at all? (from “Miracle Drug”)

Certainly and it depends on the circumstances.

5. It’s gonna itch and burn and sting; do you want to see what the scratching brings? (from “Staring at the Sun”)

Scratching usually brings on irritation, medication, a band aid and a scar. Burning can bring on severe disfigurement or death.

6. Do you feel loved? (from “Do You Feel Loved?”)

Huh? What's that? See #1.



"Hell in a Handbasket" by Jamelah
Top photo: U2 spyplane by Lockheed Martin.
Bullet the Blue Sky

Friday 5 for August 9: What's It Like (Part 2)

I probably did not answer part 1, but here is part 2. From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

1. What’s the outgoing message on your voicemail like?

I don't have an answering machine, nor do I have a cell phone. That means I don't have a voicemail message. Why? Cause I don't like telemarketers and robo calls leaving messages on my voicemail. Junk phone calls, junk faxes and junk emails are the scum of our digital existence. Want to get a hold of me? Send me an email: macpro3000@yahoo.com. Otherwise bug off!

2. What’s the wallpaper on your computer like?

Today's wallpaper looks like this. Standard Mac issue. Tomorrow who knows? I have my Mac's preference panel on a rotating wallpaper mode. It changes every day. And this is just for my main MacBook Pro, a 15 inch model. I have a different wallpaper for my 13 inch MacBook Pro, my G4 Power Mac Quicksilver 700 Tower, my G3 Mac iBook and my Samsung Chromebook. Need I mention my iPod Touch? All of these computers that I mention work... I have a few broken Macs too. And a very old Mac Plus that I occasionally turn on. Here are more wallpaper pictures:



Here's the default wallpaper for my 2 MacBook Pros. Yes, I am still using OSX 10.6.8. Haven't bothered upgrading to 10.8... though I plan to upgrade to 10.9 when I buy still another Mac sometime next year.



From a few years ago, here is the wallpaper on my G4 Power Mac. In remembrance of my Power Computing clone from 1997. Running Mac OSX 10.4.11.

3. What’s stuck to your fridge door?

An assortment of magnets. Food stuff on the inside of the door.
Sorry no photos.

4. What’s your daily organizer like?



I'm not showing you my reminders lists, notifications, notebook, calendars, etc... but this is my daily organizer... Apple iPod Touch (screen capture).

5. What’s signature on your personal emails like?

My gmail signature line:

------------------------------------------------
• Mel's Internet Universe http://macpro.freeshell.org

• Mel's Internet Universe | The Hawaii Files http://www.hawaiifiles.com
• Hawaii Radio & Television Guide http://www.hawaiiradiotv.com

The electronic word gets out faster and cheaper than paper.

My Yahoo mail signature line:

Soylent Green is People.

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