Meme: 7 Things About Me

I thought I’d ease into that workout called content by spreading a meme tossed my way by Going to the Mat.

First, a few words about that site - if you haven’t added it to your reader or bookmarked it, get on it. Going to the Mat is one of the most prolific blogs I’ve read. It was one of the first education-related blogs I started reading and the valuable content has never dried up. It’s tough to pump out worthwhile content day after day, but Going to the Mat’s unique blend of education, law and politics - all delivered by a smart, broadly-educated writer - make it one of my first reads of the day.

And now for the meme rules:

• Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Though I can’t stand this notion of “random,” I’ll do what I can to shake it up.

1. Despite listening primarily to Guns ‘n Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams, Jr. and 1950s-1970s country music, I find the Backstreet Boys’ “Incomplete” a wonderful song.

2. My cat, Princess Pia, The Minion of Evil, has logged over 10,000 travel miles. She’s from Victoria, British Columbia and has made countless car trips from Boston to Cooperstown. Though a fine Road Warrior, she loses most of her battles on Kittenwar.

3. I currently have over 20 flavors of coffee. Today I drank Jack Daniel’s Oak Barrel Roast. It’s bold/robust but not overpowering.

4. Lunch was a half-pound of bacon covered with chipotle cheddar cheese. Simple, quick, crispy, awesome, but likely not healthy.

5. I’m currently reading Elizabeth Kantor’s “Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature.” It’s quite good so far - I just wish it was more comprehensive. 288 pages just can’t address everything I want to know, but I understand that it’s meant to be a quick primer, not an exhaustive opus. As a side note, Ms. Kantor contributes to the Human Events online Right Angle blog - it’s worth a read regardless of your political affiliation.

6. I abhor cheating in sports and, as a baseball fan, have followed the latest steroid issue closely. Having said that, when people talk about asterisks and penalties, it’s important to realize that every day we compare decades-old records to modern performances that are aided by quick arthroscopic debridement, cortisone injections and the odd barometric chamber nap. We do it without thinking twice [or even once].

7. I’m still surprised at how many e-people decide on their own to change my name. I’m constantly referred to as Matt as if everyone shortens their name. I go by either, so it doesn’t much matter - I just always go with the name I see [for example, in the domain or plastered everywhere on a site like mine] without changing it. I also get the occasional Mike or Mark. I wonder how often Sherman Dorn gets called Sherm?

And now for 7 unfortunate victims:

• Beartwinsmom [response]
• eduwonkette [response]
• Neil Ahrendt
• Discriminations
• James Cronen [response]
• Repairman
• The Mature Kid [response]

I look forward to those 7 things, everybody.