Seems that it’s the season to be tagged. Here’s a wierd that has just come my way: List five reasons why God might be tempted to hate you. Doesn’t have to be sacrilegious (although it can); and no going for the easy stuff (because I don’t believe in It/Her/Him, I don’t go to church, I use Its/Her/His name in vain, I never pray, etc.). It can be a way to profess beliefs or admit dirty secrets. Make it fun, or deep, or both. Also, got to tag three other bloggers…

So here goes…

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Well, this has been a tagging weekend. This time it’s Martin with five things you (probably) don’t know about me. Of course, some of you might.

1. I’ve got a gold tooth. I lost one of my front teeth when I was 8, in part because of my nonconformist ways: it was winter and a big ice patch had formed in the schoolyard. All the kids were “skating” (in boots) one way, so I decided to go the other way; and crashed into my older brother (who, twenty years later, would admit to have done so on purpose – isn’t that what big brothers are for, teaching lessons to youngins). The tooth was cut in half, and so was the nerve; but what actually hurt was the cut on my lower lip by the broken-off part. For 15 years, I had a false half attached to the rest of that tooth (it was broken twice: once by another of my brothers, the other time by me). Eventually, the tooth was grinded off and fully replaced by a gold one, with ceramic in front, of course. Since then, I’ve develop the uncanny ability to recognize false front teeth.
2. I like making books. Not just writing them, but binding too. I learned binding pretty much the same way I learned a lot of things: to taking apart something to see how they did it. Many years later, I actually bought a book on the subject (which was helpful) and now I’m thinking of taking classes. Some would say I’m going backwards about it.
3. There is a hundred or so Smurfs in my apartment. Some even follow me when I travel (recently, Travelling Smurf and Pilot Smurf). Some were Isabelle’s (yep, she too had a thing for the little blue critters). Other came when we had our housewarming party and guests each had to bring one.
4. I didn’t have a driver’s licence before 30. I had had the courses many years before, but never bother the get the licence. Two month after I got it, I had an accident (rolled over twice; the car was totalled, I was okay). I’ve improved a lot since!
5. I like grilled-cheese sandwiches for breakfast, with peanut butter inside and salsa on top.

As for the tags, how about Jenn, Laverne, Mr. P, L>T and Loralee

Thinking Girl tagged me this weekend with this. This is not your run-of-mill list-X-things, tag.

Here’s the steps:

1. Copy the following into a word file.
2. Fill in the blanks and edit as desired or completely re-write (a one page limit is best). A little research on your own area makes it even better.
3. Print
4. Get a few signatures or just sign it yourself.
5. Mail it. No stamps are necessary to the really big guns. Snail mail counts more than e-mail, so the extra walk to the box is worth it.
6. Tag five people (on-line or otherwise).

7. Repeat as necessary.

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I know, it’s a pointless discussion topic, but I gotta vent. I’m talking about the banana. Well, not that actually, but the question of subsidizing art, and, more broadly, art’s place in society (which was the topic of a French post, a year and a half ago).

It all started with $64,000 given for a banana in the Texas sky, but went well beyond the value of that particular piece. I was talking with two colleagues and they didn’t approve.

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I have, after a fashion, been tagged by Thinking Girl. Nice way to start the year.

4 jobs I have had

1. project manager for an exhibition on language
2. writer-editor
3. translator
4. web and new media manager for a government agency

4 Movies I could watch over and over

1. It’s a Wonderful Life
2. Life is Beautiful (there seems to be a pattern here)
3. The Big Sleep
4. Children of Paradise (best French film ever)

4 places I have lived apart from where I live now

1. Quebec City
2. Verdun, Qc
3. La Prairie, Qc
4. Sainte-Foy, Qc (yep, haven’t actually lived out of the province)

4 tv shows that I love

1. The Simpsons
2. Carnivàle
3. Spooks (MI 5)
4. Battlestar Galactica

4 places I have been on hols

1. Toronto (a few days ago)
2. Corsica
3. Russia
4. Spain

4 websites I visit daily (well, maybe not daily, but on days I spend time on the web)

1. Dilbert
2. Thinking Girl
3. Relief
4. mine

4 favourite foods

1. Chocolate
2. Stephie’s salads
3. Indian food
4. Mangoes

4 places i would rather be at right now

1. Corsica
2. Budapest
3. Prague
4. At my best friend’s house up North

4 people I am tagging

1. François
2. Loralee
3. L>T
4. Mister Pregunto