Monday Meme MaDnEsS!!!

(It's mostly 'mad' because of the use of capital letters and exclamation marks in the title ... and of course because it's Wednesday.)

My mate Steph made another meme (she's crazy like that - some might say 'mad', if the word wasn't in danger of being over-used already in this post). And she tagged me (which isn't as offensive as it may sound).

Apparently this meme is all about blogging, although it seems to me to be all about Steph's mates. But that's all right. I made it on the list (barely - I only got tagged, as opposed to appearing in any of her actual answers ... but at least I got tagged. Others didn't. It's all good).

Here we go:


1. First blog you ever read?


Ms Fits. Same as Steph (and probably many of you, too), with the distinct exception that I spell her moniker correctly. (It's not 'Miss', Steph! You'll have Alias Women's Lib after you!) I've name-dropped about it enough (mainly on her blog to 'impress' the thousands of readers she gets every hour) that she and I went to school together. Not literally, in the "come on, we're going to be late, let's take a shortcut through Old MacPherson's haunted estate, I hope we haven't missed the bell, see you after school!" kind of way. We just went to the same school. For a year. But it was enough for her to be delighted beyond belief* upon seeing me again at our ten year reunion in 2003. She gave me her business card, and we got to emailing. Amongst one of the emails that followed, she told me I should start a blog. A confused silence followed, so she sent me the URL to her own, and my eyes were opened. The rest, as they say, is history of truly stalker proportions.

* She wouldn't mind me using this term; it's 100% accurate, I assure you. (Please don't ask her.)


2. What inspired you to start your own?


I've pretty-much answered that question with the above answer. I actually started one back in July 2004, but I couldn't get into it and it was pretty lame. So I disappeared for about six months and came back with a theme (The Muppets), a revitalised bout of enthusiasm, and a fragile sense of self-worth (hey, we're all alike in that regard; don't kid yourself). The rest, as they say, is history of truly psychopathic proportions.

Actually, I was just keen to share my love (and ridiculous amount of useless knowledge) of The Muppets with the world. I figured there weren't enough blogs asking all the tough questions (such as, "How can a frog and a pig ever possibly hope to procreate?"**), so I was happy to lend my hand to the cause. (Of providing a blog to answer these questions; not of helping a frog and a pig procreate.)

** This question has already been asked and answered. Check back through my archives if you really want to know the answer.


3.The best and worst about blogging?


Well, that's not even a full sentence. But if you're asking me what the best and worst things are about blogging, then I'd have to say:

Best - The amusement and friendship it brings (from otherwise relative strangers). The fulfillment that can also be achieved from getting in the habit of writing on a daily basis is another personal highlight for myself. Getting the chance to (try to) be funny and inspirational and at the same time wow people (in sincerity or fear) of my overwhelming knowledge base of The Muppets is also quite satisfying.

Worst - I think, if I was being honest with myself (and I can usually tell when I'm lying to myself - it's something about the eyes), I'd say that not too many of my real life friends read my blog. Some read it fairly regularly, and some occasionally visit and have a browse, but not too many take it seriously. That's okay of course (no offense to my friends if they're reading this), but for me this is quite a serious but fun outlet of Me. On one hand it's cool if my friends aren't interested, but it's quite another thing to think (and make comments along the lines of) this whole thing being ridiculous or geeky or a phase. I'd hope I wouldn't say the same thing about stuff you found important to you, even if I didn't understand it.


4. Who was the first person to comment on your blog? Troll your archives and find out.


Don't have to do no trollin'. I've remembered this since day one and have made mention of it at least twice since. It was everybody's favourite she-pirate, Elaine. I asked who'd be my friend, and she was the first one to put up her hand. She didn't have to, but we've been friends ever since. She's very cool.


5. What has been your most popular blog entry?


Definitely yesterday's cat comic one. (Haha!) No, it was Touché, Fabian - although this is only because a flamer got in and tried to start trouble by casting aspersions onto my character ... some of my readers took her on, and they made quite a mess of her. It was sweet, and brought a tear to my eye. But that aside, it'd be one of my more recent posts; possibly the Ikea one. I don't think anything else has had so many comments, but I could be wrong about that. (If we're judging popularity by how many comments people leave.)



6. If I re-named my blog I would call it ...


"The Blog In Which I, Who Shall Be Known Simply As BEVIS, Will Regale You With Stories Of Mirth & Merriment, About The Muppets, My Weird Life, And So On. I'm A Little Strange, So Don't Mind Me." (Good thing "I Blogged Myself" wasn't taken, eh!)



7. If my blog had a theme song it would be ...


Well derr - The Muppet Show theme song, obviously. That was a no-brainer.


8. If my blog was a room it would look like ...


The backstage area of The Muppet Theatre (where Kermit's stage manager's desk is located on The Muppet Show). Just like my mind and this blog, the backstage area of The Muppet Theatre is crammed full of odds and ends (some would call it junk), is always populated by weird and crazy characters, and is in a constant state of chaos. Perfect.


9. Five bloggers I would like to have over for dinner.


Hannibal Lecter-style? I think this means as guests. That makes it tough. The previous three ladies I've named would be invited, but I'll skip them (seeing as they've already received a mention today) and extend the invites to five others. I reckon it'd be ace to have Little Faerie Girl over, as well as MelbourneGirl (it wouldn't be a party without MelbourneGirl). She could bring Princess along as well, if she wanted. And it wouldn't count towards the five-guest-bloggers restriction (because I said so!). It's feeling a little female-centric at the moment, so I'll throw in Cotton, Clokeeeey and Adam. All of these people are delightful.

The next night, I'd have another dinner party (rules are made to be broken), and I'd invite La Nadine, Jobe, Sarah, Krankiboy ... and Gianluca Di Milano. Now that would be an interesting dinner party!

(And then the third night I'd invite Peter, Gav, Sheriff of Nothing, Sublime-ation and SBR. Hey! Stop making me choose between friends in a public forum, then! Everyone else, please understand that you'd all be invited to a dinner party at once. And if worse came to worse and it had to be limited to five guests at a time, then within a week you'd all have been invited. I don't like having to choose between friends. Steph made me do it. Hmph!)


10. Two bloggers you would like to set up on a blind date.


Well, the obvious is either Steph and Jobe or Auburn and Jobe. I don't know why it has to be Jobe. Maybe because he sometimes seems so angry and his ire is often misdirected. I'd like him to be happy. Although I rather think Cotton could do with some happy lovin' as well. I'm not sure who'd be a good match for him, though. This is a tough one. What if I name someone who isn't single? (What if I already have?) Does that make me a dodgy bloke? Nah, there are plenty of other reasons why I'm a dodgy bloke. I don't need any more.

I'll say Riss and Logan. (Heehee - they're a married couple! I'm so cheeky!)


11. Somebody I wish had a blog?


I'm going to ignore the poor sentence structure in that question and just answer it in the spirit in which it was meant: Joss Whedon. (He probably already has a blog somewhere, but I don't know what it is. Actually, I think he just writes on the occasional forum when the mood takes him. I don't know if he has his own blog. It'd rock, though.) He's the creator of Buffy, Angel and Firefly ... and if you're not a fan of those shows, that will sound really lame. But he's an exceptional writer.

Or possibly Frank Oz (voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and countless others ... and close friend of Jim Henson's).


12. If you were only allowed to read one blog ever again, which blog would it be?


I'm sorry, Steph - I love you, but I simply had to correct the grammar in the above question before I could answer it.

This is a cruel question, as well. It's worse than picking just five bloggers to have over for a meal - and you saw what I did with that! If I wanted quantity, I'd have to go with Jobe. If I wanted to learn something, I'd have to go with Ms Fits. If I wanted friendship, MelbourneGirl. Zany humour, Adam. Solidarity, Little Faerie Girl. Oh, there are so many others that I admire. Basically anyone in my blogroll. You're all great. But to avoid further alienation, I'll say Dave Barry. He's hilarious. (I'm also a big fan of my own blog, so I'd be happy just to read that for the rest of my life. I think I have great things to contribute, especially about the slight nuances between Fozzie Bear's voice on The Muppet Show and Bert's voice on Sesame Street***.)

*** There are none.


13. Is there a fellow blogger you would like to snog / shag / do rude things to? Feel free to name names if you're game.


No. I don't really get the whole 'blog crush' thing. I expect it has something to do with finding the writings of anothe blogger very insightful, intelligent and/or amusing, but I can (and do) feel these things about many bloggers without developing a 'crush' on them. Maybe I just haven't experienced whatever it is that's being referred to when people say 'blog crush'. I guess it's not something I'm going to experience while I'm happily married to Wifey (which will be until eternity ends), and I'm almost-certain no one has ever had a blog crush on me. I write about puppets, so I can't see what's so exciting about that to anyone who isn't me.


14. Discover a blog. Link to a blog that you have recently found, or a blog you have been reading for a while and haven't blogrolled.


Tyson left a comment on my blog around a month ago, and then he linked to one of my Neighbours summaries. He was very generous with his praise of me, so naturally I think he's a top bloke with impeccable taste. I've been scouting him out now-and-then ever since. Give him a red-hot go. He's worth it (and if you're not 100% satisfied, he has a genuine, no questions asked, money-back refusal policy, the nasty piece of work!).


Tag five bloggers to complete this meme.


1. Gregory Surlyboy.
2. LadyCracker.
3. Gun Street Girl.
4. MeghansDiscontent.
5. Ang.
6. Her Radicalness.
7. Dxxxx.
8. Fluffy.
9. ChickyBabe.
10. Magical_M.
11. Chai.
12. Quirkie.
13. Thomasr.
14. Susanne.
15. Locket.

("Hehe ... ain't I a stinker?")


Go ye forth therefore and multiply.



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