Friday, February 29, 2008

Leap Year Weekend Edition

A Bunch of Self-Referential Stuff, and a Quiz That Only d Could Love.

Party Like It's 1998!

For some reason, I have felt compelled recently to put together a personal web page. It is kind of a sweet old-fashioned idea, I know, but there you have it. As it stands, it is mostly just an index to the various projects that get written up in these blogs, although I may also eventually link out to some of my favorite internet diversions of various kinds (games, art, maps) as well. Or, it might just sit there and rot like all the other personal web pages out there. That wouldn't surprise me, either.

Anyway, if you are killing time, do pay a visit: http://michael5000.googlepages.com/home

Update: it sat there and rotted like all the other personal web pages out there.  I killed in in March 2013.

The Reading List

Last week, I asked L&TM5K Dork Gray to pick the next book in my Reading List project off of a short list of candidates. Here's her response:

I'm going to go with gut and a certain irrefutable logic: Nabokov, Lolita. It's
the perfect bridge between the Russian-language books you've been reading
(having been written by a Russian and all) and it will be a great bridge to
other romances you'll read (I'm looking at you,
End of the Affair). Also, it's a
good fit time-wise.

Well OK then! A copy of Lolita has been rounded up, and I will dive in tomorrow with the new month!


Meanwhile, I was amazed by how many people seemed interested in giving The Master and Margarita a try. Mrs.5000 picked up the book only a few days after I put it down, and finished up with her re-reading yesterday.

Surprisingly, our cat Caliban appears to be giving it a try as well.
















Not hard to guess which character he'll identify with....

Speaking of Cats

This photo is both an extension of the Sentimental Cat Post and an update on the M5K beard. Taken while I was waking up last weekend, it is not the most flattering picture of me, but it explains what I mean when I say that "my cat likes to sleep on my head."




We took her to the vet two weekends ago, and I noticed a chart on the wall that gave the human age equivalent for a 21 year old cat as being 100. My cat is 100 years old. Trippy.










The Blog Resolution Check-In


Here we are, one-sixth of the way into 2008. Thought I'd check in and see how I was doing on the New Blog Year Resolutions. Quality control, you know. Only the best for my readers.

Here's the findings:
  • Keep the blogs going: So far, so good.

  • Keep the Quizzes going if people seem to be enjoying them: Based on the straw poll from last week, people still like pop quizzes. Development begins next week on new seasons for both of them.

  • Be halfway through The Great Movies project by year's end: That requires a pace of about 3.5 movies per month, and I watched 4 apiece in January and February. So, I'm pretty much right on track.

  • Finish The Brothers Karamazov by the end of January: Oh yeah, baby.

  • Finish ten Reading List books by the end of the year: I've finished two, and start a third (see below) tomorrow. Comfortably on track.

  • In the Bible project, finish the Book of Ruth by the end of summer. Have already zipped through Deuteronomy and Joshua. Ahead of schedule.

  • More Vignettes: Hell, I might be overdoing these.

  • Keep up with everyone else's blogs: I get behind, but I always catch up. I hate missing out on your blogs; they are awesome.
And finally,

A Quiz About University of Kansas Basketball!

Not an official M5K Quiz.
1. What year did the men's basketball team help KU mark its first season in the Big 12 by winning the conference championship?
2. What player was the first freshman in Big 12 history to be named part of the All-Big 12 First Team?
3. Last year the Jayhawks celebrated a milestone with what overall conference title?
4. Bud Stallworth holds the Jayhawks' record for the most points scored in a single game during Big Eight conference play. How many points did he rack up against Missouri in 1972?
5. What former basketball player left KU ranked as the leading scorer and rebounder in Big 12 history?
Source: KU Alumni Association
Happy Weekend, Y'all!

6 comments:

d said...

i guess i asked for it, huh?
1. that would be 1997 (this is the only one that i even think i know the answer to). we all lamented the demise the dissolution of the big 8. mostly because we hate texas.

2. brandon rush, baby.

3. well, ku leads the nation in most conference wins. is that what you mean?

4. oh man. i can't remember. i think it's like 38 or something.

5. that would be drew gooden.

p.s. the beard is looking GOOD! i'm inordinately proud of you for not crapping out like i did.

Rebel said...

Is this Caliban's first appearance on L&T of M5K?? He's looking quite literary there. and I'm pleased to see Yoyo too, getting cozy with the beard. ;)

Happy Caturday to all!

Anonymous said...

1 / Wilt Chamberlain
2 / Danny Manning
3 / Paul Pierce
4 / Nick Collison
5 / Kirk Heinrich

Might be wrong on #3

Unknown said...

as people who know me will attest, i ADORE college hoops. i have a very healthy amount of respect for the hawks (though not enough to attempt the "quiz). know why??

because they have an irrationally large painting of their mascot at center court. have you seen it?? that is a JAYhawk!

ps: the reason that i like the purdue boilermakers? giant bass drum.

sometimes i do actually pay attention to the actual game, as well.

Michael5000 said...

karmasartre got them all right.

@Rebel: I believe this was indeed Caliban's L&TM5K debut, although he did have an earlier walk-on part on the quilt blog.

@Becky: The reason ~I~ like the Purdue Boilermakers? The name "Boilermakers." Cracks me up.

Chance said...

Lolita is my favorite book of all time, or possibly tied with Catch-22. Be warned: it is a book that is many things, with many secret allusions and hidden messages. Lots of puns (like Dolores Haze) and French.