I'm not sure if i've done this one before - the rules are simple : load up your prefered music player, put it on random play, then answer the questions using the song and the artist as answers (commentaries and links optional)

Noooo of course i'm not dreading the experience ...

What would describe your personality ?
Back to black - Amy Whithouse *that starts off well then ...*

What do you like in a guy/girl ?
Differente - Gotan Project

How do you feel, today ?
Heartbreaker - Led Zep *bwouahahahahah*

What's your life's purpose ?
You make lovin' fun - Fleetwood Mac *yeah bébé yeah !!*

What is your motto ?
Don't rain on my parade - Bobby Darin

What do your friends think of you ?
Something stupid - Franck & Nancy Sinatra *hmm merci *

What do you think of your parents ?
Broken boy soldier - The Raconteurs

What do you think about very often ?
Mmmmmm - Crash Test Dummies * :@) *

What do you think of your best friend ?
King of the road - The rat pack

What do you think of the person you like ?
That's entertainment -The Jam

What is your life story ?
Hit me baby one more time - Travis *heuhh .. what can i say here ?*

What do you want to be when you grow up ?
L'opportuniste - Jaques Dutronc

What do you think when you see the person you like ?
How soon is now - The Smiths *har har hardy har har*

What do your parents think of you ?
Seven nation army - The White stripes

What will be played at your funeral ?
Le poinçonneur des Lilas - Serge gainsbourg

What is your hobby/interest ?
Sinnerman - Nina Simone

What is your biggest secret ?
Amado mio - Pink martini

What do you think of your friends ?
Aux armes etcetera - Serge Gainsbourg

What should you post this as ?
A tes souhaits - M

Another one lifted from Rain

I am: As strong willed as i can be lazy
I think: The best of people until i've been proven wrong, but i'm no-one's fool
I know: What my limits are, but i keep on pushing
I want: To keep the sense of childish wonder and enthrallment for silly things
I have: Time for others, but not enough for me

I wish: That things were simpler
I hate: People who shout on their cellphone, i-pods that go *pcht pcht pcht*
I will: Not give up, i refuse to do so
I miss: People who are no longer near me
I fear: People who are clinically unstable and people on drugs

I feel: Relatively happy, on a scale of 1 to 10, probably about 7ish ;@)
I hear: The faintest of sounds, but i have trouble with people who speak softly
I smell: Cats !! That spot on top of their heads, right there, between the ears
I crave: A quick fumble in the dark as opposed to a slow comfortable screw :p
I search: For an un-bonkers sporty chick

I wonder: How do we (I) get away with it ?
I regret: The chicks that i could've and should've asked out, but never did
I love: All too easily ... it's paradoxal, i know
I ache: Right *there*, i've got healed up scars to prove it ... but even so
I am not: Your shrink - go and see someone

I imagine: That one day, 'it' will happen
I believe: In good fortune and provoking your own luck
I dance: When the mood takes me but i'd love to learn how to Tango
I sing: All the time - i love the crooners :@)
I cry: Occasionally, in private ... rarely for me, often for other people

I don’t always: Bite my lip when i should, but i do for 99.9% of the time
I fight: Dirty when i really have to ... there's no point pussyfooting around
I write: As opposed to phoning people - you can say so much more
I win: Some and lose some, i'm not a bad loser, but i prefer to win
I lose: At love, but i'm lucky at cards :'(

I am never: Economical with the truth ,lying will come back to bite your arse
I never: Will be a 'yes man'
I always: Respect my commitments
I confuse: People, un-intentionally
I listen: Carefully and without interrupting

I can usually be found: On line - if i'm online, i'm open for a bit of a chat
I am scared: Shitless of winning the lotto ... but i'd have to start playing !
I need: A hug
I am happy: Yeah !! Well, pretty much so

Lifted from Rain's corner of paradise

What is your salad dressing of choice? - Something simple, like .. balsamic vinegar, a splash of olive oil and a dash of dijon mustard (it goes with every thing)

What is your favorite fast food restaurant? - I'm just sooo not into fast food stuff, but a kebab caught on the fly hits the spot every time (the lebanese version is much more flavourful than it's Turkish or Greek cousin)

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? - I luurrrve Chez Chartier for a no frills, ersatzy ancient france trip ... even though it's not as good as it was ten years ago

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant? - Zero, nada, zip

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? - Pasta !! But it's gotta be home made (preferably my me) and a sauce of the freshest ingredients ... cabonara is for weekdays and a rich bolognaise is for the weekends. As a treat i'd make ravioli, canneloni or even lasagne

What are your pizza toppings of choice? - Pepperoni with extra cheese

What do you like to put on your toast? - Salty butter and/or orange marmalade (thick cut only, by Duers)

What wall paper do you have on your computer? - A photo from Cassis in the south of France where the water, although real and un-photoshopped, sears the retina and is un-feasibly turquoise

How many televisions are in your house? - One, that i only watch sporadically and for major sporting events

T.v series meme

I lifted the original personal movie trivia version of this meme from Mathew S. Urden and i thought i'd be fun to change it to t.v series - i always say that i don't watch much t.v, so ...

One answer only, be spontaneous (explications optional)

One T.v series that makes you laugh
Black Adder
The reflexive answer, but i could've as easily have said either Fawlty Towers or The fall and rise of Reginald Perrin

One T.v series that makes you cry
Desperate Housewives
Yeah, yeah, yeah ... i freely admit that i'm waiting impatiently for french t.v to start the next series (we're really behind here) ... but truthfully, when i was a kid, it was Doctor Who (i was that bawling brat hiding behind the couch when the army of humanoid fish men waded out of the sea)

One T.v series you loved when you were a kid
UFO
Oh my gaaaaaawwwwd !!! The theme tune !!!!!!!!!!!! That was just so brilliant because we actually got see 'real' aliens and have really cool spacecraft shootups *says he breathlessly hyperventilating* ... we're getting to watch late-night re-runs of Space 1999 (which i absolutely loved too) but now, however, i'm absolutely dumbstruck by the minimalist, swedish, heavy pauses ... the three modes of accepted facial expressions : startled, inquisitive and horror filling in for any dialogue

One T.v series that you've followed religiously
The Sopranos
Crikey, when i think about how i would stop everything to watch ... how i would be mega pissed off if something, like the pope dying, meant that there was no show for like 3 months

One T.v series that you loved, but would be ashamed to admit it
Magnum
Gloups .. but hey, i was only young i didn't know any better

One T.v series that you really detested
Amour, Gloire et Béauté
I don't know the real title, i shouldn't have even typed the title because i can hear the theme tune in my head and am doomed to do so until i go to bed d!ohhhh

The last T.v series that made you think
24
The first series, but that's going à long way back ... i kind of zapped the whole Lost phenomenon

The last T.v series that bored you
CSI (the whole range and it's cousins)
Nahhhn sorry, everything like CSI, Cold Case, Jack Malone and the unlost people thing .. all of those kind of programmes really make me want to do something else, sure i like the twists and turns but you've figured out thewho dunnit bit after fives minute

One T.v series that made you happy
30 Something
In the same way that i loved the Sopranos, this series meant it was time to unplug the phone and make sure the old people next door had had their sleeping pills

One T.v series that made you miserable
Traffic
About prostitutes being smuggled in from eastern yuurpeen countries: that was really heavy going stuff

One T.v series that with hindsight, probably, wasn’t really that very good
UFO
Most probably :$

One T.v series that you just didn't want to see
The X files
It was sooooo hyped up that i thought i could dodge it ... but it snuk up and hooked me for the first three seasons

One T.v series character you've fallen in love with
The chick from the Partridge familly
Aieeeee, i must have been all of six or seven years old ... and i fell for the charm of some brown haired, mormon chick

Been caught stealing ..

I've nabbed this groovy meme (you know who you are !!)

The Basics

Hair Color: Right now, rat brown but it in the summer it turns beach-bum blonde
Eye Color: Varies on my mood (apparently) from shades of cornflower/sky/deep sea blue
Height: 5'10 (1m78 in euro speak)
Profession: Get realllll .. as if 'im gonna let on :p
Relationship Status: Single (sniffffeuhh)

My Favorites

Favorite Color:Blooooooooo
Favorite Car: As long as it has four wheels, an engine and some petrol i'm easy
Favorite Movie: The wings of desire
Favorite Hobby: Doing hmm mmm
Favorite Song/Singer: Nina Simone - Sinnerman
Favorite Book/Author: The diceman - Luke Reinhart
Favorite School Subject: History
Favorite Vacation Destination: Anywhere near the sea .. the med
Favorite Food: I would die for a good plate of frogs legs ... i'm just playin' witcha :@) .. probably something very simple ... roast chicken with all the bits that go with it or a very simple steak frites
Favorite Animal: S'got four legs (obviously), fur (ditto), claws, whiskers, comes scampering over saying 'feed me' as soon as the refridgerator door opens - the cat
Favorite Store: Depends .. for pressies : Chantal Thomas ;@) ..for me : FNAC
Favorite Celebrity : A dead one ? ... Clint ! Clinty baby !!
Favorite Childhood Friend: Pfft they were all a buncha l'ill bastids :p
Favorite Childhood Memory: Catching snow whilst my sister explained that it was 'magic dust'
Favorite Person In Your Life: They'll never know

This or That

Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla vanillavanillavanilla ... good grief !
Big Mac or Whopper: No way, never ever ... ever hear of mechanically rendered meat ?
Coke or Pepsi : Same as above
Beer or Wine: Wine .. or beer .. or wine .. or beer .. it depends
Coffee or Tea: Café .. good strong stuff to get my dose of the heebie geebies
Apple Juice or O.J: O.J ... anything else is just un-fermented alcohol
Facebook or MySpace: What is an 'facebook' ? or an Myspook' ? :p
Summer or winter: "Summer time, when the livin' is easy'"
Windows or Mac: Winders is crap and mac is too fiddly ... the abacus is terribly under-rated
Cats or Dogs: Pussies - pay attention ! i did say earlier
Boxers or Briefs: hehehehe .. n.u.f.f.i.n.k .. stark bollock naked in the nuddy bébé
Rain or Shine: Shine, near a bit of water somewhere
Chips or Popcorn: At a push, popcorn
Salty or Sweet: Salty
Plane or Boat: No option for trains, then ... plane first but a romantic jaunt in a leak free boat is cool too
Morning or Night: Night .. the nearer the dark the better
Movie or Play: At a push a movie .. but a funny play (i.e not shakespearean stuff) is ok too
Walk or Drive: Cruisin' (for the freedom) walkin' for a bit of easy exercise
Money or Love: Allways mon love bébé .. "if it wasn't for loo-oooo-oooooo-ve where would we be now .."
Breakfast or Dinner: Dinner, i guess
Forgiveness or Revenge: Revenge is a waste of energy (all that plotting 'n' stuff) forgiveness produces more fruit
Paint or Wallpaper: Stucco ? does that count ?
House or Apartment: A house .. but it's gotta have a garden

Do You?

Have Any Pets: Not any more, but i used to have two cats - Winnie and Réglisse
Have Any Children: Eh ? What? What is a "children" ?
Smoke: Herrings and kippers
Drink: Yup, if it's your round
Exercise: A lot less than i used to .. tennis is my main thing now
Play on a Sports Team: I used to at school .. anything that was up for grabs
Belong to Any Organizations: No way
Love Your Job: You havin' a laugh ?
Like to Cook: Cooking ? I live to cook and cook things to die for (yes siree !!)
Play An Instrument: Pots and pans (see above) and the bed springs :p
Sing: Not too badly ('tis bein' me oirish roots 'n' all t'be sure)
Dance: Yeah, baby yeah :@)
Speak Multiple Languages: Fully fleunt in english, french and gibberish (i need tons more lessons in english and french, though, to be fully tri-lingual)
Ice Skate: Love it to death
Swim: Yup, no worries .. if you fall into La Seine, i might trample over decrepid old grannies to save you
Paint: Although i'm relatively good at drawing and sketching, i've been known to dabble in pastels, posterpaints and watercolor
Write: As litterate as any baboon with an unlimited amount of time on its hands
Ski: Would love to

Make a band

This is one of the grooviest meme's i've seen in a looooooooooooong time - all apologies, but i can't remember where i lifted it from

Here's the deal:

1. Click here
The first article title is the name of your band.

2. Click here
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album

3. Click here
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover

Real player's playing in aléatoire mode as i reply .. i've got a very eclectic taste so this should be 'interesting' ...

What would describe your personality ? To drunk to fuck - Nouvelle Vague
!!!!!!! pfffft that's started well then .. i would've prefered 'to drunk to give a fuck' .. still beggars can't be choosers

What do you like in a guy/girl ? When i see you smile - Van Morrison
That's more like it

How do you feel, today ? Sinnerman - Nina Simone
Gloups :-/

What's your life's purpose ? Magic carpet ride - Steppenwolf
bwouahahhaha

What is your motto ? That's entertainement - The Jam
Hmm ... i was hoping that always look on the sunny side would've come up by now

What do your friends think of you ? Broken boy soldiers - The Raconteurs
"the boy never gets older"

What do you think of your parents ? Bonnie and Clyde - Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot

What do you think about very often ? La nuit je mens - Alain Bashung
ça fait maaaaaal

What do you think of your best friend ? A boy named Sue - Johnny Cash
Mwouahahahhah !!!

What do you think of the person you like ? Angel - Massive attack

What is your life story ? One hand in my pocket - Alanis Morrisette
Hmm could be

What do you want to be when you grow up ? Right here, right now - Fatboy Slim

What do you think when you see the person you like ? I'm happy - The Gorillas

What do your parents think of you ? All apologies - Nirvana
heuuuuu

What will be played at your funeral ? Wish you were here - Pink Floyd
Ok, i fast forwarded to that one

Another meme lifted from my blog hopping adventures ... using music titles to describe yourself (i'm using the random play mode from real player - this should be fun)

What would describe your personality?
Differente - Gotan project

What do you like in a guy/girl?
I bet you look good on the dance floor -Sugarbabes

How do you feel, today?
Requiem pour un con - Serge Gainsbourg

What's your life's purpose?
Soul surfing - Fatboy Slim

What is your motto?
That's entertainment - The Jam

What do your friends think of you?
Too drunk to fuck - Nouvelle Vague

What do you think of your parents?
Aux armes etcetera - Serge Gainsbourg

What do you think about very often?
Sorry angel - Serge Gainsbourg

What do you think of your best friend?
Imagine - John Lennon

What do you think of the person you like?
When i see you smile - Van Morrison

What is your life story?
We're on a road to no where - Talking Heads

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Personal Jesus - Johnny Cash

What will be played at your funeral?
Sinnerman - Nina Simone

What is your hobby/interest?
Moondance - Van Morrison

What is your biggest secret?
Trouble - Coldplay

Not tooooo sure about that one :@/

MY ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) = Tiddles Citroën *bwouahahahah*

MY GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) = Vanilla Hobnob :D

MY DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) = Blue Pussy *ahem sorry*

MY SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) = Nowt

MY SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) = The Black Chocolate

MY NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) = Charlie Inger

MY WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names) = Franck Rose

MY TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) = Renouf Rochdale (!!)

MY SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) = Summer Orchid *heuuu that's way iffy*

MY CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) = Banana Sockie

MY HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) = Cocopop Beech

YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) = The Shaggin' Lightnin' Tour *bwouahahahh...hey girls :@)*

Secrets and lies

I've been tagged, All you have to do is post an entry on you blog containing a secret and a lie. Words, pictures, video, any topic, it’s up to you.

You have been chosen for your creativity, wit, charm and personality.

Your secret, your dogs’ secret, any lie will do.

Remember a lie can be a secret and a secret can also be a lie.

Maybe that’s just politics? Anyway, strangely enough the title of the post should contain the words ‘secrets’ and ‘lies’.

Then find five friends and/or strangers to tag.

They may or may not take up the challenge, that’s not your problem.

If they do, they should all link back to you and so on ad infinitum or ad nauseum depending on your point of view.

The bad news is that i'm tagging You :@)


Secrets and lies

Early one summers morning, in my bedroom, August 1980:

"Sleep well son ?"

Muffled answer

"Y'know, your ma really wanted to go to see her familly back in the old country for such a long time ... how she was really looking forward to going away"

"Yeah !! Did she send us post card ?"

"No she hasn't sent us a card yet ... well .. listen, son, she's been taken ill"

"??"

"She'll be fine, she's got doctors and things .. she'll be fine. What're you up to today, son? "

"I'm s'posed to go the beach with Steve and Pip .. but if you want i can stay in"

"No that's good, go out and see your friends"

The next day at about four in the afternoon :

"Listen, son, the doctors just phoned, i'm going to have to go to see your mother. You'll be fine for the evening, yeah ?"

"I guess. What's for dinner ?"

"Whatever you fancy, son"

The same day at about seven in the evening :

"Come here son"

My father opened out wide his arms, clutched me to him and smothered me in his jumper. I could smell of his after shave and feel the 5 o'clock stubble on his cheeks and chin. He ruffled my hair and :

*sobs*

"She's gone, we've lost her. It's you and me against the world son"


Fast forward a few years :


An icy February morning in 1986

Saturday 9am :"Hi sis, Dad's been taken ill .... no, no, no, ... nothing serious ... no, no, no ... i've just phoned the doctor ... yeah, he'll be here soon ... don't worry i'll phone you later, see you"

Saturday 11am : "euhh ... hi sis ... euuh ... the doc's been .. he says that he'd like dad to go the hospital, y'know, just for a check up ... yeah, i know,... it's a shame, i'll have to see you next weekend, or you can always come down if you want ... yeah, ok ... i'll phone you later"

Saturday 3pm: "It's me .... well ... Dad's died ........ hello ? Sis ? ..............................."

6 questions

Another thing lifted from my bloghopping travels (once again, no apologies)

What were you doing 10 years ago ?

I was probably thinking about where i was going on holiday and lusting after the upstairs neighbour's wife ;@) She was an ‘exotic’ dancer, as we say euphemistically.

What were you doing 1 year ago ?

Heuumm ... this time last year i was living in Versailles, thinking about the summer holidays and lusting after my neighbours ... nahhhh, not Barbie, no way, i wouldn’t touch her with yours :@) This time last year it must have been during the football world cup and probably met a fellow blogger for a beer ... or three.

5 snacks you enjoy ?

I’m not a big snacker, i prefer to eat a sandwich if i’m feeling peckish.

But, if ever the uncontrolable urge arrives, i’ll happily munch a bag of crisps, a banana, a croque monsieur, a Gréc frites (hmmm mmm) or breakfast snack bars - i prefer the Frosties ones :@))

If you were a millionaire ?

Hang on, what currency are talking here ? If it were dollars, i’d probably buy half of a sports car... if it were euros, well ... probably the same ...

If it were S.A rands – now you’re talking bubba !!

I’d git mesel’ a nice little appartement in Cape Town, put some dosh into a vineyard and invest the rest on the sub Saharan continent.

Probably though, i’d stick it all in the bank and let it make babies :@)

5 bad habits ?

Bad Habits ?

Moi ? Jamais de la vie

5 things you would never wear again

Womens under .. leave it !! i’m joking.

I can’t imagine myself wearing cycling shorts again, ‘fashion’ suits, big chunky flight jackets (jean jackets are ok though), espadrills, trainers without socks.

I lifted this meme whilst i've been blog hopping - no apologies :@)

Appetizer

How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?

Everyday i wear my watch and perhaps two or three times a week i'll be wearing ... heuuum ... cufflinks !! I know it's a bit fogeyish, but depending on what's on for the day i might need to make an effort, in which case i just think "to hell with it, i might as well go the whole hog"

Soup

What is your favorite instrumental song?

I've got quite a few as i was really into ambient chill out music in my mad days (i still love Little fluffly clouds by The Orb). But i think the one that i always still dig is Albatross by Fleetwood Mack

Main course

Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.

There are sooooooooo many .. Titanic springs to mind - i've never been 'touched' (heuuu) by Dicapuccino and Céline Dion's voice fills me homicidal tendancies so that's why i gave that one a large berth.

Dessert

Fill in the blank:

Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________.

Nothing makes me go all inconsequential like the sight of of a woman in a slinky dress, whatever the circomstances.