2004 - Good Riddance
Dec. 9th, 2004 04:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chenanceou1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Flew 9 thousand miles to have dinner with somebody I had never met before. I drove from Florence to Rome once just for dinner, but flying for one is a first.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I made none. I used to make wishes for the New Year, but those kept coming true - so I stopped.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Did anybody? I don't think so, but my family is populous and I can't keep track.
Short answer: I don't know.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.
5. What countries did you visit?
Unfortunately, only the USA.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
Health.
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Real answer way too personal and this is public.
Next best answer would be November 20th - me belly down on the floor taking a photo of a very gracious author who also found himself on the floor, posing for photos with... boots.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Gently helping my girls become more aware of what kind of a world they live in.
9. What was your biggest failure?
My writing or how little there was of it.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes and yes.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Winning bid of a Jill Thompson portrait of me.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
People who didn't vote in favour of banning gay marriage.
Republicans who didn't have blindfolds on and voted on Kerry because some things are too important to be pigheaded about.
People who don't sit home and wait for other people to do something about injustices going on in this world.
I could go on, but I think it's pretty plain by now who I think merits celebration.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Homophobics, religious fundamentalists, censorship loving hypocrites, greedy asses lacking social conscience, bullies, killers, assassins, drug dealers, politicians...
I'm going to stay here too long if I go on.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The girls, books, plane tickets.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
More than one person I know stopped waiting for life to happen and now they're doing something about their dreams. I can't wait to see what comes out of it.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Changes.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
A. happier or sadder?
Neither.
B. thinner or fatter?
40 more pounds of smoke-free fat.
C. richer or poorer?
Financially or other -allys? I'll go with richer.
I'm certainly wiser, if not wise.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sex? Oh, the PG version. Writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Yelling. Commiserating about politics.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I don't spend Christmas.
I'll cook something for the many holidays week.
22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
No. Yes.
23. How many one-night stands?
I'd laugh, but the whole AIDS thing has made it not funny.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
As in tv show? I liked Hex - something I could watch with my teen. There's also the whole pile of old Jeeves & Wooster. I know, it's old. I'd say Lost, but it's starting to annoy me.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
My credo (for the dull 102th time): It's not hate if you're not ready to kill for it, it's not love if you're not ready to die for it.
I haven't killed anybody in 2004.
26. What was the best book you read?
I wasted time on crap like The Da Vinci Code, but ended up with a really nice bunch of books of letters, speeches and documents from Elizabeth I, Phillip II and Henry VIII.
After many years I finally found a copy of Robert Carey's memoirs and that made me very happy.
I discovered The Sandman this year. Wow.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm knee deep on teen music. The Libertines don't suck. When I have a choice, you'll find me boringly listening to Chopin. Sue me.
28. What did you want and get?
I've learnt not to want things.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I liked a couple, being Almodovar's my favourite.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I don't remember and it depends on whom (who?) you ask.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I should have been easier on myself. Healthier would have helped a lot.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
My own.
34. What kept you sane?
The knowledge that, as bad as it got, everything has a beginning, a middle and an end.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy as... I wish we would copulate? Or are we talking about admiration for work?
Fuck it, Eddie Izzard. Hugh Laurie. Stephen Fry. All three?
Making me laugh is a huge deal. Being left on the political spectrum a necessity. Having talent shouldn't even have to be mentioned.
So any one of the three would do.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'll spare myself (and anybody who bothers to read this) the long rant - they are to be found all over my LJ anyway - let's say the right of an adult to marry another adult. Same sex marriage shouldn't have to be allowed - it's a right.
37. Who did you miss?
At times, myself.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met a lot of people in Minneapolis this year who were very interesting and much fun. The best? It's silly to pick.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
Never underestimate the appeal of simplified lies over complicated truths.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'll instead quote Ibsen.
The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population--the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it's the fools, no matter where you go in this world, it's the fools that form the overwhelming majority.
=#=
I sometimes love meds. I think I have a full hour before my migraine hits again.
=#=
Nobody knows how many Iraqi civilians are dead and how many have been wounded in this war. In the UK many prominent Brits signed a petition asking for a count. Blair rejected their request. I understood that numbers provided by hospitals are being used, but how accurate can those be?
=#=
Berlusconi *shudder* is in court for bribing and the like. Could end up with eight years in prison. It's not his first time in court - it would be his 6th I think. No, not sure. It's really late, but you get the idea. The man is not a flower to be smelled, as they say here. I shouldn't be happy about it, but I really dislike the man. *sigh* Italy deserves better.
=#=
Roald Dahl's photographs found. Take a look >here<. The pictures were found by his grandson. Lacking grandfather experience, I always think it must be wonderful having one of those.
=#=
It's time to crawl to sleep.
Flew 9 thousand miles to have dinner with somebody I had never met before. I drove from Florence to Rome once just for dinner, but flying for one is a first.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I made none. I used to make wishes for the New Year, but those kept coming true - so I stopped.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Did anybody? I don't think so, but my family is populous and I can't keep track.
Short answer: I don't know.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.
5. What countries did you visit?
Unfortunately, only the USA.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
Health.
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Real answer way too personal and this is public.
Next best answer would be November 20th - me belly down on the floor taking a photo of a very gracious author who also found himself on the floor, posing for photos with... boots.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Gently helping my girls become more aware of what kind of a world they live in.
9. What was your biggest failure?
My writing or how little there was of it.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes and yes.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Winning bid of a Jill Thompson portrait of me.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
People who didn't vote in favour of banning gay marriage.
Republicans who didn't have blindfolds on and voted on Kerry because some things are too important to be pigheaded about.
People who don't sit home and wait for other people to do something about injustices going on in this world.
I could go on, but I think it's pretty plain by now who I think merits celebration.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Homophobics, religious fundamentalists, censorship loving hypocrites, greedy asses lacking social conscience, bullies, killers, assassins, drug dealers, politicians...
I'm going to stay here too long if I go on.
14. Where did most of your money go?
The girls, books, plane tickets.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
More than one person I know stopped waiting for life to happen and now they're doing something about their dreams. I can't wait to see what comes out of it.
16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Changes.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
A. happier or sadder?
Neither.
B. thinner or fatter?
40 more pounds of smoke-free fat.
C. richer or poorer?
Financially or other -allys? I'll go with richer.
I'm certainly wiser, if not wise.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sex? Oh, the PG version. Writing.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Yelling. Commiserating about politics.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I don't spend Christmas.
I'll cook something for the many holidays week.
22. Did you fall in love in 2004?
No. Yes.
23. How many one-night stands?
I'd laugh, but the whole AIDS thing has made it not funny.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
As in tv show? I liked Hex - something I could watch with my teen. There's also the whole pile of old Jeeves & Wooster. I know, it's old. I'd say Lost, but it's starting to annoy me.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
My credo (for the dull 102th time): It's not hate if you're not ready to kill for it, it's not love if you're not ready to die for it.
I haven't killed anybody in 2004.
26. What was the best book you read?
I wasted time on crap like The Da Vinci Code, but ended up with a really nice bunch of books of letters, speeches and documents from Elizabeth I, Phillip II and Henry VIII.
After many years I finally found a copy of Robert Carey's memoirs and that made me very happy.
I discovered The Sandman this year. Wow.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm knee deep on teen music. The Libertines don't suck. When I have a choice, you'll find me boringly listening to Chopin. Sue me.
28. What did you want and get?
I've learnt not to want things.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I liked a couple, being Almodovar's my favourite.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I don't remember and it depends on whom (who?) you ask.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I should have been easier on myself. Healthier would have helped a lot.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
My own.
34. What kept you sane?
The knowledge that, as bad as it got, everything has a beginning, a middle and an end.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Fancy as... I wish we would copulate? Or are we talking about admiration for work?
Fuck it, Eddie Izzard. Hugh Laurie. Stephen Fry. All three?
Making me laugh is a huge deal. Being left on the political spectrum a necessity. Having talent shouldn't even have to be mentioned.
So any one of the three would do.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'll spare myself (and anybody who bothers to read this) the long rant - they are to be found all over my LJ anyway - let's say the right of an adult to marry another adult. Same sex marriage shouldn't have to be allowed - it's a right.
37. Who did you miss?
At times, myself.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met a lot of people in Minneapolis this year who were very interesting and much fun. The best? It's silly to pick.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
Never underestimate the appeal of simplified lies over complicated truths.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'll instead quote Ibsen.
The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population--the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it's the fools, no matter where you go in this world, it's the fools that form the overwhelming majority.
=#=
I sometimes love meds. I think I have a full hour before my migraine hits again.
=#=
Nobody knows how many Iraqi civilians are dead and how many have been wounded in this war. In the UK many prominent Brits signed a petition asking for a count. Blair rejected their request. I understood that numbers provided by hospitals are being used, but how accurate can those be?
=#=
Berlusconi *shudder* is in court for bribing and the like. Could end up with eight years in prison. It's not his first time in court - it would be his 6th I think. No, not sure. It's really late, but you get the idea. The man is not a flower to be smelled, as they say here. I shouldn't be happy about it, but I really dislike the man. *sigh* Italy deserves better.
=#=
Roald Dahl's photographs found. Take a look >here<. The pictures were found by his grandson. Lacking grandfather experience, I always think it must be wonderful having one of those.
=#=
It's time to crawl to sleep.
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 04:05 am (UTC)[hugs]
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 08:28 pm (UTC)I WANT THOSE BOOKS!
And Libertines are great. Fandom IS keeping me young :)
Your #15? I feel like that now. I am loving my job - missing having free time, but very happy and feeling like a REAL member of society again.
I hope I get to see you in 05!