Arkadia's picture
Arkadia from Australia is reading Selected Poems by W.H. Auden March 3, 2012 - 8:43am

Are you Alive? I...I think so?!
Name/Age? Chantal/22
What’s your favorite smell? The smell some vacuum cleaners make. Burning dust or something. Makes my mouth water. Also, petroleum. I always breathe way too deeply when pumping gas. I'm not a huffer, I just really freaking like the smell. That powdered carpet cleaner stuff is amazing too. Holy shit. My mouth. Full of drool right now.
Which kind of Fritos do you like best? I'm Australian. We don't do Fritos. Also, I'm vegan. They don't sound vegan. I could be wrong.
Favorite thing made green for St. Patrick’s Day? I have zero clue. I have never been one for St Patrick's Day 
If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food? cuz we like to be in their haus, eating all their stuffs?
What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all? Does the universe really go on forever and ever and ever?
What is your first memory about reading? I used to love people reading to me. So much so that it was all I'd ask for. I'd ask anyone and everyone, as often as humanly possible. By the time I was four, no one wanted to read to me anymore. They were tired of it. I already knew all the letters of the alphabet. I have a distinct memory of being frustrated that no one would read to me at that moment, so I sat down with my favorite book. I knew all the words to it. So I sat there, recited the words aloud and matched the sounds to the letters on the page. All of a sudden, I could READ. I have such a clear memory of that realization, I was utterly euphoric. It just clicked for me. All of a sudden I could read everything. It was wonderful. I've never really stopped reading since.

 

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest March 3, 2012 - 9:06am

Are you Alive? - Yes
Name/Age? (if you want you can skip this, all others are mandatory) - Ryan/33
What’s your favorite smell? - Mom's beef stew
Which kind of Fritos do you like best? - Don't eat Fritos
Favorite thing made green for St. Patrick’s Day? - All of it. Ireland, baby!
If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food? - Who knows...
What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all? - Why Avery thinks St. Pats day is stupid. 
What is your first memory about reading? - Reading: My First Dictionary

David Shepherd's picture
David Shepherd from shepherdsville, KY is reading Idoru by William Gibbson March 3, 2012 - 11:07am

I am alive becuase it's been cold enough to preserve my organs a little longer.

David shepherd, 5/5/1993 (I just want birthday wishes this year)

My favorite smell is the lake on spring morning's mixed with boat fuel.

Fuck frito's!

I tattooed a nipple green so she had a green nipple for st. patricks, i'm counting it.

They eat all their food, I actually have no idea why some body would swear off meat. Who doesn't like steak here?

Why people want to solve unsolved mysteries.

Sneaking into my dad's room and stealing Stephen King books off his dresser because I wasn't allowed to read them at that age.

.'s picture
. March 3, 2012 - 11:29am

Sneaking into my dad's room and stealing Stephen King books off his dresser because I wasn't allowed to read them at that age.

 

Haha I did that too. Must be what warped my writing at a young age.

David Shepherd's picture
David Shepherd from shepherdsville, KY is reading Idoru by William Gibbson March 3, 2012 - 11:48am

My best memory writing is back in middle school when i had to do a report on lewis and clark. It turned into a drug fueled trip down the missisipi hunter thompson would be proud of.

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin March 3, 2012 - 2:02pm

Every time I see this thread I think of Eddie Vedder.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 3, 2012 - 2:38pm

I've always wondered:  how tall is he?  He doesn't seem very tall.

Pretty short. I mean, taller than me, but I'm 5'2". Here are a couple pics for reference:

And the picture that almost destroyed a friendship (you can see the heights here, though):

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 3, 2012 - 2:43pm

I tattooed a nipple green so she had a green nipple for st. patricks, i'm counting it.

Holy fucking shit, I think my nipples just inverted.

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly March 3, 2012 - 3:01pm

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry March 3, 2012 - 3:14pm

That's about what I thought.  He looks to be about 5'9".

Five feet, nine inches of destruction and bad-assery.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 3, 2012 - 3:22pm

Husband guesses 5'8", he's 5'10" so I will trust his guess, everybody is tall to me.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. March 3, 2012 - 5:35pm

I would let Henry Rollins kick my ass just for fun.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 3, 2012 - 7:39pm

Have you seen that episode of Drew Carey?

.'s picture
. March 4, 2012 - 5:56am

Have you seen that episode of Drew Carey?

 

I never want to hear this statement again. (ha.)

Except, yeah Dave Mustaine made a cameo once.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 4, 2012 - 8:50am

"Why Avery thinks St. Pats day is stupid."

Not much of a mystery.  I mean, we already have a holiday for over-eating, so I guess it makes sense to have a holiday for over-drinking.  But I don't even get to take the day off or anything.  

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter March 4, 2012 - 9:14am

Yet we still don't have siestas. Come on, Avery, we've still got a long way to go.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry March 4, 2012 - 10:11am

I vote to hell with all the holidays and let's trade them all for siestas.  That's a big win.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 4, 2012 - 10:37am

Well, if I'm going to randomly celebrate a Saint - I'd go with George.  He got rid of all the dragons.  I still have snakes, I don't have dragons.

 

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest March 4, 2012 - 11:20am

 I mean, we already have a holiday for over-eating, so I guess it makes sense to have a holiday for over-drinking.

If you look at it that way, then every holiday is stupid.

New Years: Over eat, over drink

4th of July: Over eat, over drink, over tan

Halloween: Over eat, over drink, over dress

Thanksgiving: Over eat, over drink

Christmas: Over eat, over drink, over spend

There seems to be a common theme among American holidays...

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest March 4, 2012 - 11:21am

Oh, and Arbor day: Over planting

Profunda Saint-Sylvain's picture
Profunda Saint-... from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series March 4, 2012 - 12:10pm

Renee!!! We have matching zebra shoes!

Deacon Khet's picture
Deacon Khet from ohio is reading Hell's Angels by Hunter S Thompson March 4, 2012 - 1:03pm

yes, hello, my real name is chad, and i am currently just trying to navigate my way through all this bullshit in our world today... i write, i am an artist, but find it difficult nonetheless to give into that drive to carry me out of imposed suffering for survival in the real world... my site sits on a rock @ allthewrongtopics.com, feel free to browse or what have you, and commentary is always optional... though i am also here to make friend unique this predicament, and would enjoy any honest feedback about anything and everything, no limits to stifle the creative intuition Here... that said, thanks for having me, and i hope to meet new people soon...

PandaMask's picture
PandaMask from Los Angeles is reading More Than Human March 4, 2012 - 1:08pm

Welcome Deacon!

You should post an introduction thread.

 

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 4, 2012 - 4:20pm

@Dakota--this particular episode one of the two friends hires Henry Rollins to come kick his ass.

@Meat--Ah!! I love my zebra Chucks so much! I a leopard pair, as well, and the sole/toe are khaki.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 4, 2012 - 4:22pm

If you look at it that way, then every holiday is stupid.

 

New Years: Over eat, over drink

4th of July: Over eat, over drink, over tan

 

Halloween: Over eat, over drink, over dress

Thanksgiving: Over eat, over drink

 

Christmas: Over eat, over drink, over spend

There seems to be a common theme among American holidays...

Nobody over drinks for major holidays like my in-laws (and me when we spend them with them) and they are English. Granted they don't have Independence day or Thanksgiving and Halloween is kind of lacking there--I guess they have to make up for it somewhere.

closure's picture
closure from Australia is reading The Ghormenghast Trilogy, by Mervyn Peake March 6, 2012 - 11:19pm

Are you alive? Yes, ma'am.
Name/Age? Closure/32
What’s your favorite smell? Undecided. Wet earth, rainfall, ozone generated by commutator/brush electric motors (think of your Mum's old electric egg-beater), chalk/chalkboards/dusters, pencil sharpenings, cooking onions, mangoes, wine (the smell but not the taste). Shall I go on?
Which kind of Fritos do you like best? I don't believe Fritos have made it to Australia. If they did, I'd prefer the Vegemite flavour.
Favorite thing made green for St. Patrick’s Day? Not really a 'thing' here in Oz.
If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food? Because if you starve out all the animals, you also kill all the non-vegetarians. Dig?
What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all? Too many. Fate or a deterministic universe? What is consciousness? P=NP? Where do all the socks go? WHERE???
What is your first memory about reading?  Around the World With Ant and Bee

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 6, 2012 - 11:29pm

Hey Mate,

There you are, people been lookin' for ya over in the War thread. Amanda Gowin (Manda Lynn) is your opponent, just in case you haven't seen the brackets.

Glad to see ya.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 7, 2012 - 7:35am

Are you Alive? very much so


Name/Age? Amanda/32
 

What’s your favorite smell?  The Flaming Lips smell - it's this smell i first smelled on a Flaming Lips t-shirt about.... 16/17 years ago, and have detected it on various people, in certain sotres, parks, flower garden random combos (it's not pot, this isn't a trick answer), and oddly enough to bring it full crcle, on a Flaming Lips t-shirt i got at a concert last sumer. it smells like sunshine and music and rain.

 
Which kind of Fritos do you like best? they hurt my mouth


Favorite thing made green for St. Patrick’s Day? the blood of Druids? i don't know. not a big fan.
 

If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food? vegetarians eat mainly grass and leaves??


What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all? being happy and unmedicated/unreligious at the same time


What is your first memory about reading? trying to figure out the words by myself in an old fairytales book and being really secretive about it (i was under my bed) because i was writing in the book with an ink pen, between the lines of print, deciphering/adding my own stuff

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly March 7, 2012 - 7:37am

What are you shooting in you avatar?

.'s picture
. March 7, 2012 - 8:24am

I'm not going to put up with you Frito haters for much longer.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 7, 2012 - 10:40am

shooting tin cans. they're all dead now.

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly March 7, 2012 - 10:50am

What make/model of firearm were you using?

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 7, 2012 - 11:03am

.22 Ruger - it looks like the old Walthers.

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly March 7, 2012 - 11:06am

Good fun!

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 7, 2012 - 11:15am

yes. i like to shoot things that are or never have been alive :) mainly targets, sometimes rogue factions of attacking cans. 

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 7, 2012 - 11:16am

* are NOT and never have been alive, i mean....

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia March 7, 2012 - 12:08pm

 Are you Alive? I am alive!


Name/Age? Nikki/35

What’s your favorite smell?  Geosmin- that's the earthy smell that comes up from rain after it hits pavement for the first time after a long summer or the smell of cutting open a chiogga beet. my next favorite smell is sulphur like a hot spring or a match head (but very much related to the smell of geosmin). my next favorite is the smell of liquid smoke which I actually used to use as a perfume when i was like really little through about third grade. lately, i've been tempted ...


Which kind of Fritos do you like best? I love chili cheese but they have gluten in them so I settle for original flavor. That said, i eat Fritos like once a year and like to melt cheddar on top of them.

 

 


What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all? that people don't believe in sasquatch. i, myself am part saasquatch part jew part german part french. which was the direct result of a dirty hippy with a penchant for creme brulee being involved in the eugenics project.


What is your first memory about reading? i remember being able to decode Peaches & Cream from the Penthouse I dragged out from beneath my parents bed. I had already dragged it out many times to marvel at the wonder that appeared to be an apes arm attached to the black man's torso so I was over that. I was on to actually trying to decode the language. I've been a natural at decoding metaphor ever since.

Ray Richards's picture
Ray Richards from Michigan and Iowa is reading The Great Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thompson March 8, 2012 - 1:35am

Alive in the flood-prone lands of Iowa. Twenty four, young enough to have no idea what life has in store and old enough that no one is surprised when I show up on time for work. 

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 8, 2012 - 5:57am

Ray, always show up on time.  In fact, I generally get there early so I can have the advantage. 

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly March 12, 2012 - 12:30pm

Alive

 

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons March 12, 2012 - 2:26pm

Okay here we go! I'm definately not working much today and getting more and more addicted to the site.

1. Alive more today than yesterday

2. Covewriter. Stopped counting.

3. The trees and plants in fall and spring.  

4. Straight out of the bag.

5.Margaritas.

6. It grows back!

7.Life after death. Please, isn't this the really big question no one can answer?

8. Mom ironing. Me reading. Really young. Not wanting to stop. Her smiling. Then later with Grapes of Wrath, putting ona raincoat because i had to go out. In the book it was flooding. At my house it was bright and sunny.

 

 

 

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons March 12, 2012 - 2:35pm

Oh - Have a tornado story in the making. I kind of like it. Avery, I think i live in the tornado zone close to you.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 12, 2012 - 6:18pm

Yes, Nashville is pretty close me. 

Arturo Bandini's picture
Arturo Bandini from Denver, CO is reading Beautiful Ruins March 12, 2012 - 7:04pm

Are you alive? The evidence suggests that I am.

Name/Age? Rodney / 39

What’s your favorite smell? Tie: Rain, Bacon. So cooking bacon with the window open on a rainy morning in the mountains is pretty damn devine if you ask me.

Which kind of Fritos do you like best? I haven't eaten a Frito in years.

Favorite thing made green for St. Patrick’s Day? My pee.

If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food? I have no idea. Vegetarians tend to not answer challenging questions like this.

What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all? Women.

What is your first memory about reading?  My mother reading The Giving Tree to me.

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin March 12, 2012 - 9:17pm

Are you Alive?

Depends on which doctor you ask. Currently? Yes. In 1995 and 2001, no. 


Name/Age? (if you want you can skip this, all others are mandatory)

Grigori (Yeah, it really is my first name), 35.


What’s your favorite smell?

Pass. I can't think of an answer that isn't creepy.


Which kind of Fritos do you like best?

I steer clear of Fritos. 


Favorite thing made green for St. Patrick’s Day?

I'll refrain from the obvious answer. Other than that, I thought it was a bit silly to dye everything green.


If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food?

Misguided misfits. I thrive on human misery. Sanctimonious vegetarians/vegans are my favorite (They smell like food to me). There was this girl once who would take every opportunity to tell me 'meat was murder'. One day I decided enough was enough and I asked her about the Pop tart she was snacking on. Specifically I asked her if she knew what 'glycerin' was made of (since it's an ingredient). She gave me the most wonderful doe eyed expression as she said 'No'. Smiling sweetly, I told her the truth: It was rendered animal hooves. She didn't believe me until everyone at the table confirmed it. This poor girl turned about three shades of green and spent the next hour vomiting and dry heaving. She never spoke to me again. Best day ever. 


What do you believe is the greatest unsolved mystery of all?

Why 'Reality TV' shows are so popular. I don't see how any of it is funny, except in a tragic way. 


What is your first memory about reading?

Hamlet. I was in the third grade and I'd snuck the book from the shelf into school and was reading when I should have been doing schoolwork. The teacher laughed when she saw what I had and told me I couldn't possibly understand it. She nearly had a fit when I explained the plot to her (I'd read it three times already).

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig March 12, 2012 - 10:58pm

Well, now I'm thinking of all the creepy smells I can come up with and attributing all of them to your post. Honestly, I'd be less creeped out if I knew the truth. Right now I'm settling with blood & semen followed closely by sheep &semen.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 12, 2012 - 11:37pm

gasoline.

napalm.

underoos.

nitrous.

all possibilities.....

wait, what does chloroform smell like, grig? ;)

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin March 13, 2012 - 1:53am

I suppose that was a little bit Hannibal Lecter-ish of me.

Blood doesn't bother me, either my own or others. Part of my mind shuts off at a certain level of gore and I slip into triage mode. The bleach smell of semen doesn't do anything for me and sheep just stink.

Gasoline and napalm. heh. No comment.

Underoos have a smell?

Nitrous? No.

Worst pick up line ever: Does this napkin smell like chloroform to you? I've actually used that one as a joke. We were messing with a buddy's wife to see if she would actually get angry enough to slap someone. She was a sweet (and naive) southern belle who didn't swear beyond 'gosh' and 'darn'. I won.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 13, 2012 - 7:19am

you got slapped?

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin March 13, 2012 - 8:16am

Oh yeah. She always was a little twitchy around me though. I think that line just set her off.