Test for Echo

The questions are in and I must say I was impressed with the quality of your offerings. So without further ado, off we go!

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J, www.bitterdesigner.com

In high school, what character or mix of characters from a John Hughes movie were you?

I would have to go down an odd path and say I was probably a teenage mix of Miles and Maisy from Uncle Buck. The dry wit, the moodiness, the dorky winter hats and the questions (oh, the questions!)

Miles: Are you my Dad's brother?
Buck: What's your record for consecutive questions asked?
Miles: 38.
Buck: I'm your Dad's brother alright.
Miles: You have much more hair in your nose than my Dad.
Buck: How nice of you to notice.
Miles: I'm a kid - that's my job.

What specific thing or feeling makes you think, "Summer has arrived"?

I have tons more hints for when Spring gets here but I guess I would have to say that Summer has officially arrived when I get up at 5:30 a.m. to walk and the last of the dampness has dissipated from the ground. It used to be 'when I go barefoot for the first time outside' but I've been pushing the envelope on that score more and more over the years.

Would you rather have wealth, fame or power? I know those usually come
in pairs or all together, but which one is most appealing to you?

This one was a no-brainer: I would rather have wealth. Fame and power are reserved for those who wish to have tons of attention heaped upon them and that is so not me. It might have been a fleeting wish back in high school but even then I was happier working behind the scenes, hand in hand with the attention seekers. Plus, the constant use of my overdraft during my 30s is getting tired. I'd love to not have to worry about my account balance every day of my freakin' life.

Recommendations:
If you're looking for something kind of fun, try some Basement Jaxx. Their album "Rooty" (parts of it, anyway) vaguely reminds me of early, dancey Prince music.

Or!

Try to find Junkie XL's "The Big Sounds of the Drags". I think that's
what it's called. I'm not in front of the computer with all the music
on it. I like the fourth track on that album, "The Power of Big
Slacks").

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Coleen, www.hussified.com

What's your favorite way to blow $100 quickly?

I would like to say 'at the slots', but I don't think I've ever spent that much at the casino unless it involved betting on the horses. And even then, I'm a big fan of the $2 bet.

No, I must admit my private shame; my feet. I will always take any spare moolah to The Shoe Company and seek out my next pair of shoes. Or boots. Or sandals or canvas kicking-around shoes. Or visit my friend Dale and splurge on a pedicure, one of the ones with exfoliants, parafin wax, many layers of polish and shiny new toe rings for Summer, 2005.

What's one place you know you'd never vacation, even if you were paid to do so?

The Dominican Republic. First off, the Irish in me hates the sun and sun-related activities. Secondly, after my sister regaled me with tales of cockroaches the size of small cats and drastic poverty outside the walls of the compounds, I'm sure there wouldn't be anything there that would interest me.
Besides, I can find swim-up bars in lots of other places...

Who's the one person you're dying to tell about your online journal but never can, for whatever reasons?

The love of my life, Stephen. I occasionally send him snippets of my entries I think he might enjoy but I don't let on that they're part of any online creation. He's not web-savvy enough to find me by himself so I have no worries on that score.

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Mike, http://cut-2-the-chase.blogspot.com/
What is the funniest scene you have ever seen in any movie ever?

The first thing that leapt to my mind was the scene in Home Alone 2 where Kevin is tossing bricks off the top of his uncle's building and they're landing on Daniel Stern below. Hitting him square in the forehead. I saw this in the theatre and it struck me as so funny that I actually suffered an asthma attack and had to drag my choking ass up the aisle and out into the lobby to recover properly. I'm not usually a lover of the slapstick comedy so my reaction surprised me.
I'm sure I could probably come up with an answer that doesn't make me look like I'm actually an immature frat boy with a love of B-movies, but I don't have that kind of time.

What line or lines in a song has struck you as being particularly meaningful and why?

I'm trying to tell you something about my life
Maybe give me insight between black and white
The best thing you've ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously, it's only life after all
Well darkness has a hunger that's insatiable
And lightness has a call that's hard to hear
I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it, I'm crawling on your shore.
I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
And the less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.
--Closer to Fine, Indigo Girls

Looking back, I can see where lyrics mean more or less to me than they did when I was younger. Back then, I yearned for the songs that reminded me of the to-ing and fro-ing of relationships or Girl Power. Now, I'm more affected by tunes surrounding self-discovery or karma. Does that mean I'm growing up? Nah, probably not.

If you were on death row and were asked what you would like for your last meal, what would it be?

Steak Oscar, corn on the cob (all messy with butter and s&p), colcannon, fluffy Yorkshire puddings and a Guinness. I think I could only really decide on one dessert choice if I were truly on death row :)

Recommendations:
1. I guess the one movie that surprised me the most in recent memory was Amelie. I was dreading having to watch it thinking it was a sappy romantic movie with subtitles but it was so inventive and fun, it drew me in completely.
2. Travelling Music by Neil Peart - drummer for Rush. So many excellent observations on music, on life, on many different things.
3. Rush is a "love em or hate em" band so I will bypass recommending them. I guess the one recent album that I have really enjoyed has been Shangri-La by Mark Knopfler (formerly of the Dire Straits).

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Belle, www.shimmychick.com

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?

My Mom had those Young Years books that featured your school picture and listed friends, activities, awards and aspirations for the first eight grades of your scholastic life. If you were to go back and read mine it would bore you to tears: Author, Writer, Author, Writer, Writer, Reporter, Writer, Author. No ballerinas, no cowpersons, no wedding planners, no actresses, no interior designers and no park rangers. I certainly was of a single mind back then; it's a shame I couldn't tap into that determination to actually find a writing position in my adult years.

Have you ever had any relationships that were Just Plain Wrong?

According to my Mom, 90% of the boys I dragged home during my twenties were JPW Award Candidates. She once cut out a Hagar cartoon from the Saturday paper and it spent years on our fridge: their pet duck Qvack brought home a duck decoy and the mother said the relationship would never work. Qvack leaned up against the decoy and the thought bubble proclaimed loudly, "He'll change!" My family got a kick out of it since I had this penchant for bringing home emotional cripples and convincing myself that the strength of my love could change the world, or at least the shrivelled up walnut that was the heart of my latest boyfriend.
I thank all the merciful gods for The Boy's arrival into my life.

What kind of personal oddity (feature, mannerism, way of speaking, etc.) do you posses that sets you apart but no one notices unless you tell them about it?

I have the gift of second sight. It's sporadic but it's always, always right. You'd be smart to listen to me if I tell you my Spidey Sense is tingling, kids. I have this epic tale about US Customs, a stunning dress sale at an outlet store on Eureka Road in Taylor, MI and my stubborn friend Paula but I won't bore you. Suffice it to say it happened 15 years ago and I still can't think about it without the hairs on my arms standing straight up.

Recommendations:

1) Movie - Dead Again (Kenneth Branaugh and Emma Thompson)
2) Book - A Spell Is Cast by Eleanor Cameron (children's book)
3) Musical artist - Himekami, album Moonwater

Many thanks to those who decided to participate in my little experiment; I really appreciate your support. You all get gold stars and smoochies!

Posted at 1:50 p.m.