I take a week long vacation with the family (more about our travels in an upcoming post), neglect the blog while I’m away, and come back to find out that I have been nominated for not one, but TWO Liebster Blog Awards. While I most definitely appreciate the nominations, this award doesn’t come with a gold statuette, a bottle of champagne, or even a smooch from a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. What it does come with is work, i.e. 22 different questions from two guys named John which I must now answer.
Before I begin answering their questions, here is a bit more information about the Liebster Blog Award from John of the Horse Bits blog (he is one of the guys that nominated me for a Liebster):
What exactly is the Liebster? It’s for the little guys, blogs with fewer than 200 followers. And it comes with baggage. You have to answer 11 questions of your nominator’s choosing. Then you have to come up with your own list of 11 questions and “pay them forward” to your Liebster nominees.
And here is what John of The Droid Your Looking For blog has to say about the Liebster Blog Award (the other John that nominated me for a Liebster):
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.
5. Go to their page and tell them.
6. No tag backs.
Since Horse Bits John’s nomination requires a bit less work, and since I saw his nomination earlier in the week, but didn’t have access to a computer to answer his questions, I will go with his Liebster guidelines, i.e. answer each of my nominators 11 questions, nominate a few blogs for a Liebster, and then come up with eleven of my own questions.
Here goes…
Answers to Horse Bits John’s 11 questions:
Q1 - What are your three favorite movies and what about each got them on this list?
A1 – The following are not my absolute favorites, but they come up enough in conversations that they are at the very least part of my top 25:
The Godfather - This film is infinitely watchable AND quotable. It’s a great story with a great cast and is easily one of Coppola’s greatest film.
Goodfellas – It takes all of the romanticism about the Mafia from The Godfather films and flips it on its head. We start with the idealized world from The Godfather (honor, respect, infinite power, and family) and end with The Mafia as a complete nightmare (betrayal and murder).
Chinatown – Perfect casting and a perfect story. I can watch this film over and over again. Worth it just to see one of the creepiest performances ever by John Huston.
Q2 - Of the visual arts, are you more a fan of painting, photography, or sculpture? Why? If you have a favorite artist, list their name.
A2 – I am a fan of photography because there is something magical about capturing an image of a split second in time. A moment that can never be exactly replicated ever again. I can’t say that I have any favorite photographers, but if I had to pick one, I’d go with Weegee.
Q3 - If you had to give up one sense (sight, smell, hearing, taste – let’s keep touch) which would it be and why?
A3 – I would give up smell. Though it would greatly decrease my appreciation for food and drink, I would at least still be able to taste it (unless of course this is a trick question because they say you can’t really taste without a sense of smell). Besides, there are numerous offensive aromas that I could definitely handle never experiencing again.
Q4 - Purple, 42, or the Roman Legion? (Don’t think about it – just answer.)
A4 – Roman Legion. Rome is my favorite city, hence this choice.
Q5 - You win an expense-paid 3-week vacation to an isolated retreat up in the mountains on the shore of a pristine lake. What books do you take and why?
A5: I’m going to assume that all I will be able to do on this vacation is read. Given that assumption, even a painfully slow reader like me can get a lot of reading done when left completely alone. That being said, I should probably go for something that I would never read under normal circumstances, i.e. JRR Tolkien’s Ring Trilogy.
Q6 - Shampoo and conditioner? Or shampoo and conditioner in one? (If you use more than 2 hair care products, leave your answer blank.)
A6: I’m bald, therefore, I just use whatever my wife or kids are using.
Q7 - Why do you blog? (I reserve the right to start using your answer if it’s better than my own.)
A7 – I’ve never been a very good writer, but have always been interested in trying to do it on my own terms and on my own schedule (as opposed to writing a paper for a class or a memo at work). Whether I’m any good at it is debatable. I will say this, I most definitely enjoy the process.
Q8 - What non-human, non-plant living creature would you rid the world of? And why?
A8 – Mosquitos because I really despise getting chewed up by them when I’m trying to enjoy a drink or meal on the patio. And don’t even get me started on the itching!
Q9 - Sunrise or sunset?
A9 – Sunset.
Q10 - Music. How frequently do you listen? To whom? And via what media? List 3 musicians you’re listening to right now.
A10 – I listen to music just about every day. I like a wide variety of music and what I’m listening to will depend upon my mood. I listen to either CDs or MP3s on my iPod or iPhone. As far as which artists, Lisa Hannigan, Tom Waits, and Of Monsters and Men are in the current rotation.
Q11 - This quiz goes to eleven. Is the internet really making us stupid?
A11 – No.
Answers to The Droid Your Looking For John’s 11 questions:
Q1 - Eating in a theater- nefarious behavior or perfectly acceptable?
A1 – Nefarious behavior! Chewing in my ear, crinkling plastic wrappers, and getting that last, loud slurp of Slushy during pivotal scenes make me cuckoo!
Q2 - If a train leaves Chicago at 10 pm and travels at an average of 70 miles per hour, and travels 280 miles away, while another train leaves Philadelphia heading for the same destination 300 miles away traveling at 75 miles per hour, what is your favorite movie?
A2 – While I don’t have an absolute favorite (see question #1 from my first round of questioning), since this question involves train stations, I will go with The Untouchables if I were on the train departing Chicago because of the infamous shootout scene and because I loved this movie so much that I saw it three times in the theater when it was released. And if I’m on the train departing from Philadelphia, I will go with Witness since the famous murder scene happens in the bathroom at 30th Street Station and because Kelly McGillis now lives a couple towns over in New Jersey. Plus, it’s a damn good film!
Q3 - What do you do for a living?
A3 – I work in finance at a university in Philadelphia.
Q4 - What is your credit card number, expiration date, and social security number? Ok, just kidding. How many movies do you own? A ballpark figure is fine.
A4 – Over 100 if you count all of the kid’s movies.
Q5 - Do you own any pets? Bonus points given if it’s a dog.
A5 – No.
Q6 - Describe the way the Hawley-Smoot Tariff has impacted your daily life.
A6 – Since I have no idea what it is, I would say that it has had zero impact.
Q7 - Is there such a thing as a movie that’s “so bad it’s good”?
A7 – Yes. Dodgeball is a prime example.
Q8 - Other than your native country, which country makes the best (or at least, your favorite) films?
A8 – France.
Q9 - Who is your favorite artist? Painter, photographer, etc…
A9 – Pablo Picasso because he was so prolific and because you just can’t pigeon hole the guy.
Q10 - Which film critics do you read?
A10 – While I don’t read as many film reviews as I used to, I do enjoy reading Elvis Mitchell, Roger Ebert, Steven Rea, and Richard Corliss when I have the time. And of course Tyler from the Southern Vision blog and John from The Droid Your Looking For blog.
Q11 - What is the meaning of life?
A11 - A sick, twisted, and VERY funny film by the Monty Python crew. And yes, I would love a wafer thin mint!
Here are my nominees..
- In Search of Beer
- The Whisky Woman
- Alcohol and Aphorisms
- The Bake and Brew
- The Dogs of Beer
And here are my 11 questions…
- If the sole criteria for picking a vacation destination was the food and drink, where would you go and what would you eat and drink while you were there?
- Who is your favorite food, drink, or travel writer?
- What do you love most about blogging?
- What snack do you eat at the movies?
- Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
- If you could have only one boozy beverage for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What do you want to do when you grow up?
- Food Network or The Travel Channel?
- Where are you from?
- If you could travel back in time, what era would you choose and why?
- Have you ever had an “I’m never drinking again!“ moment, and if so, what were you drinking?
