List #120: The top 5 most wonderful things I remember about my childhood that had something to do with my mom.

List #120: The top 5 most wonderful things I remember about my childhood that had something to do with my mom, in no particular order(As requested by my mom)

1. Being forced to take piano lessons (yes, they really do thank you for it when they are older)
2. Going to the Zoo and being read all informative signs
3. Being sung "The Christmas Song" (barely remember) and "Mr. Moon" (in the car on the way to Iowa)
4. Having many books, including "The monster at the end of this book" read to me
5. Getting free ski passes and getting to ski at Spirit Mountain (and having a table at the Moosehead).

6. Obviously there are more, but These are the 5 I picked for now

List #119: Things I would like to do at a professional (or highly skilled) level for one day

List #119: things I would like to do at a professional (or highly skilled) level for one day (as requested by Karen)

1. Play Ice Hockey
2. Play Guitar
3. Play Banjo
4. Run the 200m
5. Swim the 100m Butterfly
6. Sing in a Boy/Girl Indie Folk duo
7. Bake
8. Play Centerfield
9. Create Comics
10. Design sustainable materials
11. Know Copyright Law and argue for its reform
12. Catalog
13. Bookbind
14. Waltz
15. Compose music
16. Create puzzles

List #118: Most Awesome Sibling Fights in My Life

List #118: Most Awesome Sibling Fights in My Life (as requested by my loving sister, Natalie)

1. The frozen-sausage / ham-wiping incident (me vs. natalie. victor: me)

2. The battles of "I hate when you guys just talk about your music all the time and why can't we listen to something we all like when we're in the car or I'll drive off of a cliff" aka the Taste Offensive (Biscuit and Me vs. Natalie. Victors: boys)

3. Babynamegate. (Me vs. Natalie. victor: undecided, losers: anyone nearby)

4. Any fight where my longer legs made for a better round-house kick (me vs. natalie. victor: me)

5. There's probably a few Ned vs. Natalie fights that have been noteworthy, but I missed most of them...

List #117: 5 two-word combinations that I enjoy

List #117: 5 two-word combinations that I enjoy

1. Negative Supervisor (my favorite role in a film)
2. Cinnamon Teal (both a color combination that I like and a Duck)
3. Beef Cookie (a bun-less hamburger)
4. Personal Edification
5. Choco Taco

List #116: Favorite Miles Davis Quotations

List #116: Favorite Miles Davis Quotations (and possibly a comment by me)

1. "If you understood everything I said, you'd be me"
(I loved to end debate rebuttals with this)

2. “I’ll play it first and tell you what it is afterwards.”

3. “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.” (Attributed.)
(Actually from Dave Holland describing what Miles would say)

4. “A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I’m still doing it.”

5. “I really liked Wynton [Marsalis] when I first met him. He’s still a nice young man, only confused.”

6. “You know why I quit playing ballads? Cause I love playing ballads. ”
(sometimes this makes me feel better about the upcoming summer)

7. "Play it like you don't know how to play the guitar" (see #3. To John McGlaughlin during the In A Silent Way sessions).

8. “Do not fear mistakes. There are none.”
(Do or do not, there is no try?)

9. “At least one day out of the year all musicans should just put their instruments down, and give thanks too Duke Ellington.”

10. "That Silence is Loud"

List #115: Favorite Miles Davis Albums

List #115: Favorite Miles Davis Albums

1. In a Silent Way
2. Collector's Items
3. Kind of Blue
4. Miles and Coltrane
5. Bitches Brew
6. Jack Johnson
7. Miles Smiles
8. Tutu
9. Sketches of Spain
10. The Man with the Horn

List #114: Things I like about Winter

List #114: Things I like about Winter

1. Frozen Lakes
2. Ice Hockey
3. XC Skiing
4. Runny noses, rosy cheeks
5. Choppers
6. Coming in after shoveling
7. White trees
8. the smell of snow
9. the sound of snow
10. Snow forts

Things I used to like about winter
11. Winter Camp

List #113: 13 Random songs from the iPod

List #113: 13 Random songs from the iPod (and potentially a comment about each)

1. That's When I Reach for My Revolver, Mission of Burma (thanks Scott P.)
2.Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson (they should've cancelled that damn show by now, she's still the only one that's any good)
3.I'm Sick of All Your Lies, SNL Clip (Will Ferrell as Janet Reno
4.King of New York, Newsies soundtrack (umm... Kelly Clarkson, then "Newsies"? SoundChaser, you're making me look bad!)
5.VideoGames, Brainkrieg (fake metal from homestarrunner.com)
6.Grey Street, DMB (12-13-05, philadelphia... I was at that show)
7. Got Me, She & Him (oh fer Deschanel sisters)
8. Machine Gun, Portishead (from the newest album, haven't really gotten into it yet)
9.Cries a Girl, Buck 65 (I think I got this from Biscuit, or maybe Burtless... I don't recognize it)
10.Happy, Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins (Jenny Lewis and She & Him, okay, that gives me better cred)
11.One Sweet World Intro DMB (9-04-00. more DMB eh, I don't even actually have all that much on the ol' SoundChaser)
12.Old School, MF Doom/Danger Mouse (another 1st time listen)
13.Good Looking, Joshua Sithole (from Images of Africa vol. 5)

List #112: favorite Camper Quotations (part 1 of many)

List #112: favorite Camper Quotations (obviously not comprehensive: feel free to add more).
Note: may be paraphrased

1. Reid, daycamp:(Upon being asked to describe himself in two words): " 'Handsome' and 'Likes Football'"
1b. "Old Man" Reid (asked same question): "'mustache' and 'crutch'"

2. Mark, daycamp: "I can't listen to you. It's because I play violent videogames. Real sick stuff. Rated 'M for Mature' "

3. Logan, daycamp: "I just want you to know: I'm a very weird boy."

4. Marina, in her younger years: "Everytime you get on a boat, you're taking a chance with death" (sorry, you knew you were going to make it on here.

5. Mini-camper, name escapes me: (sitting in front of a plate full of bacon, eggs, toast, w/ a glass of orange juice): "What meal is it?"
Me: How many other meals have we had today?
Him: Ummm... one?
Me: So that would make this...?
Him: Lunch?

6. Kyle, CiLT: "Now it's time to get the Hockey Stick"

List #111: Nicest / Least Nicest things people have ever said to me

List #111: Nicest / Least Nicest things people have ever said to me (possibly paraphrased)

Nicest
1. "You remind me of my brother's friends Nick and Nate" - Betsy Baumgarten (said brother and named people were my upperclass heroes in band)

2. "You kind of remind me of my favorite teacher. His name is Mr. Spehar" - a camper (Mr. Spehar was my favorite teacher - 4th grade)

3.hmmmm.... other than that, it's a tough call. The previous two are going to be hard to top, and anything better, I wouldn't believe.


Least Nice
1. Calling my fingers neanderthal fingers
2. I can't print it
3. hmmm... you know what, there are a lot, most of which have been forgiven, the rest I don't feel like remembering

List #110: Games I don't understand/am bad at/dislike

List #110: Games I don't understand/am bad at/dislike

1. Poker (or any Gambling/Wagering game)
2. Tennis (willing to try it once more)
3. Basketball
4. First person shooters
5. Racing games
6. Flirting, Dating
7. Speed (card game)
8. MMORPGs
9. Madden
10. Sudoku

List #109: Things I'm Afraid Of (rationally or otherwise)

List #109: Things I'm Afraid Of (rationally or otherwise)

1. Cruise Ships
2. Interactions with Strangers (Stranger Danger!)
3. Biting-off my tongue (esp. when the sidewalk to the bandroom at EHS was icy)
4. Exposed Heights/Edges/Ledges etc. (for myself and for others).
5. Poisonous Animals
6. Snakes (see #5, but any kinds give me the jibblies)
7. Enclosed Spaces / Buried Alive
8. Sharp Objects held by other people - knives, needles, etc
9. Spontaneous Human Combustion (this also ties into my mistrust of psychologists/counselors, etc)
10. Never 'Accomplishing' anything
11. Rejection (see also, but not limited to, #2)
12. Driving places I've never driven
13. My own fears
14. Deep Water / Deadly Sea Creatures
15. Accidentally causing physical harm to others (I got over my fear of accidentally causing physical/emotional harm to others, otherwise I'd never leave the house)
16. Girls





Bonus list: Things that people usually fear that I don't
1. Public Speaking / Speaking in front of large crowds
2. Flying
3. Clowns

List #108: Recurring dreams that I have had

List #108: Recurring dreams (or thematic elements in dreams) that I have had.

1. Tiger walking down stairs of old house while I read a book on the floor
1b. said Tiger lured into ketchen and trapped in a box
1c. Lion walking down the stairs of old house while I read a book on the floor

2. Dreams of being trapped in the Mall of America, but it's labyrinthine, dark and represents hell (there are also occasionally also Mafiosi trying to kill me). There are no exits, and it is not crowded. There is a parking lot.

3. Being able to jump and hover (not fly, just glide and hover a foot or so off of the ground). (probably the most common)

4. Driving a car without a license or knowledge of how to drive and desperately wanting to not be driving but then the police come (and then I wake up). This one I'm often in my underwear as well.

5. Skiing and hitting a jump and flying upward out of control far higher than I should (and usually waking up just after beginning to come back down (this is my equivalent of a "falling" dream... I just "fall" upward)).

6. Another recurring theme that won't be mentioned here

7. Large aquatic creatures (orca, kraken/squid) attacking family members.

8. Teeth loosening and falling out, often filling my mouth and spilling out uncontrollably (sometimes with a lot of blood)

List #107: Famous Firsts

List #107: Famous Firsts

1. First CD: MC Hammer "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em"
2. First Car: 2005 Toyota Corolla
3. First Drink: Blackthorn Cider (Wales 1999)
4. First Job: Assistant Counselor, YMCA Camp Miller 1995
5. First Concert: Rick Springfield
6. First Teacher: Mrs. Kresky, Lincoln Elementary
7. First Pet: Rufus the Peekapoo
8. First Book Read: "Monster's Come in Many Colors"
9. First Word: ba(ll)
10. First Kiss: 8th grade, on chairlift at Spirit Mt.
11. First Guitar Song: Wonderwall, Oasis (all the way through)
12. First Movie: part of "E.T." (but the drinking fountain was more exciting and less scary)

List #106: Favorite Collective Animal Names

List #106: Favorite Collective Animal Names

1. Siege of Herons
2. Unkindness of Ravens
3. Gang of Elk
4. Crash of Rhinos
5. Ostentation of Peacocks
6. Wake of Vultures
7. Leap of Leopards

List #105: Fictional Places I'd like to live

List #105: Fictional Places I'd like to live

1. Opal City
2. Atlantis
3. Lake Wobegon
4. Thule
5. Gondolin
6. Hyrule
7. Naboo Palace
8. Mogo
9. Fabletown
10. the Serenity

List #104: Structural Flaws

List #104: Structural Flaws

1. Crooked Spine
2. Keloid Scar from mole removal
3. Hyper-sweatiness
4. Tics and twitches
5. Butt chin
6. Short Fingers (once called 'neanderthal')
7.
8. Weird Knee
9. Vic (the weird lump / unformed parasitic twin on my back)
10. Jaw catch

List #103: 5 People I like (and maybe a reason why): Ix

List #103: 5 People I like (and maybe a reason why): Ix

1. Kristen R: for handshake skills
2. Tyle: for it being time to get the Hockey Stick
3. Ranson: for his borderline-obsession with playing Settlers (or being up to something)
4. Chadbob: for winning, always
5. Crumpet: for liking Wales

List #102: Recent Purchases that have made me happy

List #102: Recent Purchases that have made me happy

1.iTrip radio transmitter thing
2. Mental Floss Presents "Be Amazing"
3. Alias Season 1
4. All the comics I bought on FCBD
5. Canteloupe

List #101: Things I need to start doing soon

List #101: Things I need to do, or start doing, soon

1. Go to bed an hour earlier
2. Get up 15 minutes earlier
3. Go to the Vehicle Emissions Inspection place
4. Mail stuff to Mom, Travis, Creepy and Chops
5. Dust my room

List #100: 100 Things to be Happy About

100 things to be happy about (only 13,900 to go!)

1. Banjos
2. Fruit Soups
3. Carleton College
4. Lake Superior
5. Glow-in-the-Dark
6. Green Lantern Comics
7. Comfortable pants
8. Family (even dysfunctional ones)
9. Good Neigbors
10. Stolen Bases
11. Friends that aren't boring
12. Joss Whedon
13. The first 110 Summers of YMCA Camp Miller (1898-2008)
14. The patio at the Hacienda del Sol
15. Heroclix
16. Neil Gaiman
17. Alphabet Books
18. Suzzallo Library, UW (Seattle)
19. Tuna
20. Pond Hockey
21. Night Games
22. Strongbad Emails
23. Brunettes
24. Rerun van Pelt
25. Heroic Couplets
26. un-heroic Couplets
28. Google Earth
29. The Music of Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius and John McGlaughlin
30. Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches
31. Pontoon Boats
32. Blankets (especially as gifts)
33. Cinnamon Ice Cream (and Cinnamon in general)
34. Centerfielders
35. Reading a good book on the back porch
36. Good Students
37. Kevin Smith Movies
38. Cool breezes, shady trees
39. Crocs
40. The Girls in their Summer Dresses
41. Eybrows! (I wish mine worked better)
42. Sesame Street
43. The Fleaflicker
44. Mojitos, Margharitas and Summer Beers
43. Mbaqanga, Kwela, and Marabi
44. Neil Patrick Harris
45. Great luck when it comes to finding places to live
46. Public Libraries
47. Starman (Jack Knight)
48. Boy-Girl harmony
49. Iceland
50. Memorizing international capital cities
51. Lake swimming
52. Otters
53. Little Baby Ducks
54. Old Pick-up Trucks
55. Having a Job you don't hate
56. High School Band
57. Amazing Grace Bakery
58. The name Emily
59. Anne Hathaway
60. Good Comic Shops
61. Baths
62. Shoulder-rubs and head-massages
63. Live Music
64. Freshly-mowed lawn
65. Brainteasers, riddles and puzzles
66. Hockey Tournaments
67. Debate teams
68. slightly-absurd humor
69. Pinstripes (except on the yankees)
70. Nicknames
71. Hand-made books
72. The sewing room at grandpa's house
73. Des Moines
74. Fighter Jets made of Biceps
75. Duluth Packs
76. Walking lunges
77. Creative people
78. Quality TV shows
79. Being Born (thanks Mom!) (Thanks Dad!)
80. Grandparents and Great Grandparents
81. Bass solos
82. "Peanuts"
83. Bone folders
84. Legal pads
85. Rosy cheeks, Runny noses, fogged lenses and beard-icicles coming in after xc-skiing
86. Peepers
87. The Aerial Lift Bridge
88. One-way screws
89. Remote islands
90. Choco-tacos
91. The smell of lemons, peaches, lilacs or bleach
92. Open-source software
93. YouTube
94. Afternoon naps
95. Saturday Night Live
96. Anything and any one within 2 degrees of Judd Apatow
97. Old friends
98. Mix-tapes
99. Wayne Gretzky
100. Lists

List #99: Names I would give my children if I were going to have any

List #99: Names I would give my children if I were going to have any

Bouys
1: Rhys Nicholas (so help me, Natalie, if you take the name of my firstborn son I will disown you!)
2: Oliver
3: Simon
4: Otto
5: Warren

Grillz
1. Charlotte
2: Audrey
3: Jane
4: Sylvia
5: Leah
6: Magdalena
7: Cora
8: Angharad
9: Diana

List #98: Favorite Whedonverse characters

List #98: Favorite Whedonverse characters

1. Winifred Burkle
2. Mal Reynolds
3. Rupert Giles
4. Xander Harris
5. Angel ("Angel" Angel, not "Buffy" Angel)
6. Cordelia Chase
7. Mayor Richard Wilkins
8. Kaylee
9. Spike
10. Willow Rosenberg (meek willow not dark willow)
11. Dr. Saunders
12. Eve
13. Adelle DeWitt
14. Jayne
15. Anya
16. Jenny Calendar
17. Wesley Wyndham-Price
18. Illyria
19. Lilah Morgan
20. Faith
21. Andrew
22. Lorne
23. YoSaffBridge
24. Inara
25. Darla

List #97: Best Teachers I've had

List #97: Best Teachers I've had (since it was teacher appreciation day this week)

1. Mr. Spehar, 4th Grade (Lincoln Elementary): for putting me on the right track
2. Ms. Olson (7th grade English, Woodland Middle): for being the first 'cool' teacher
3. Mrs. Knapp (7th grade Geography) for the geography bee
4. Mr. Kunze #1 (PE, Middle school) and Mr. Kunze #2 (PE, Duluth East High School) for making a nerdy kid like gymclass and intramurals
5. Torm (Band! High School)for many reasons
6. Mrs. Warmanen (English, 9th, 10th, AP 11th) for being fun
7. Mrs. Jablonski (10th grade American History) - the 10 Rs, and for making me realize I love history (and for buying us icecream and ordering pizzas)
8. Mr. Kinnunen (11th grade Social Studies)
9. Prof. Jamie Monson (African History, Carleton College) for South African History
10. Prof. Melinda Russell (Ethnomusicology, Carleton) for freshman seminar
11. Prof. Steve Kelly (Jazz studies, Carleton) for advising my independent study
12. Prof. Atony Carr (History, University of North Wales, Bangor) for a great seminar class
13. Prof. Susannah Ottaway (History, Carleton) for being a great advisor and setting me on my present course
14. Prof. Trent Hill (iSchool, UW) for making the transition to grad school easy
15. Prof. David Levy (iSchool, UW) for History of Recorded Information (also with Sandra Kroupa)

List #96: Subjects I plan to study this summer

List #96: Subjects I plan to study this summer (* or re-learn)

1. Ottoman Empire
2. Byzantine Empire
3. History of Canada
4. Welsh*
5. Building stuff
6. MLA format
7. History of Africa*
8. Copyright Law and reform
9. Baking
10. International Capitals
11. Trumpet*
12. Geopolitics

List #95: Things to be proud of

List #95: Things to be proud of (in case I forget)

1. I'm a decent shot with a .22
2. I got 47/50 in archery (Or maybe 46, but it was dang good)
3. I did okay on my SATs
4. I got a National Merit Scholarship for doing well on PSATs
5. I almost made the final round of the state geography bee in 7th grade
6. I won the MS readathon for my schoolin 3rd or 4th grade
7. I read books
8. I like to cook
9. I've done a ropes-course
10. I've lived in another country
11. I, once, knew calculus
12. I got a master's degree
13. NFL debate/speech/congress quad ruby pin
14. Some of my New Book emails are clever
15. I've bench pressed my bodyweight
16. I was in a Band
17. I have a job
18. I know most international Capital cities
19. I was a kickass camp counselor for 14 years
20. I'm pretty good at tag

List #94: Favorite HIMYM episodes

List #94: Favorite HIMYM episodes (chronological

1.09: Belly Full of Turkey
1.11 The Limo
1.13 Drumroll Please (my first episode... awwww)
1.15 Game Night
2.7 Swarley/Crazy Eye
2.9 Slap Bet
3.5 How I Met Everyone Else
3.8 Spoiler Alert
3.16 Sandcastles Made of Sand
4.4 Intervention
4.13 3 Days of Snow

Honorable Mentions

1.6 Slutty Pumpkin
1.22 Come On
2.21/22 Something Borrowed/Something Blue
3.3 Third Wheel
3.9 Slapsgiving
3.17 The Goat
4.11 Little Minnesota
4.21 The Three Days Rule

List #93: Favorite Birds (not for eating)

List #93: Favorite Birds (not for eating)

1. Peregrine Falcon
2. Common Loon
3. Grey Heron
4. American Kestrel
5. Hummingbirds
6. Osprey

List #92: Things I bought on Free Comic Day

List #92: Things I bought on Free Comic Day

1. Absolute Sandman, vol. 3
2. Swamp Thing (Alan Moore), HC vol. 1
3. Invincible, HC vol.2
4. Y: The Last Man, HC vol.1
5. Batman: Dark Victory, TPB
6. Sinestro Corps War, TPB vol.1
7. Daredevil: Yellow, 1-6
8. Rann/Thanagar War, 1-6
9. 3 Runaways back issues
10. Trinity #30
11. Blackest Night #0 (Free!)

List #91: Favorite Comic Villains

List #91: Favorite Comic Villains

1. The Shade (who's only kind of villain)
2. The Beyond Corporation
3. Dr. Doom
4. Deathstroke the Terminator
5. Sinestro
6. Black Adam
7. Mojo
8. Agent Orange

List #90: 5 People I like and (a reason why): the Ocho

List #90: 5 People I like and (a reason why): the Ocho

1. Locker Partner Bob: the cream-of-wheat incicent and the animal death song
2. Ms. Heath: for taste in music and internet cartoons
3. Agent Smith: for 100 barrels of lutefisk (and 3 jars of sauerkraut)
4. Evil Eye and Dr. Bones: for being pirates
5. Eamonn DSW: for field goal practice