Mowing the minefield... again

From Jenzilla (someone please tell me how to link to someone else's site and still get to write just "Jenzilla")[Edit: fixed, thx to Annex for clarifying]. I was tagged. I tried to duck but couldn't. :)

1. What were three of the stupidest things you have done in your life?

Annex, I did that hyperventilating thing, too. Peer pressure, ya know? I remember hearing strange music. Eerie. Anyway, if I dig deeper, I'll probably find three more of mine that eclipse that, so...

1) Exitted my vehicle, closed and locked the door with the keys still inside and the engine still running
2) Roomed with a good friend in college (bad idea)
3) Wasted time being indecisive in college when it came to choosing a field of study

2. At the current moment, who has the most influence in your life?

Please, allow me to equivocate. In the "fake world" as it is known to some, I gotta say its you blogger babes. In the Texas heat, it's whoever I trust for council that was fortunate to have survived the day. :) Well, more specifically, among those near at hand, it's probably not just one. For better and worst, my family and friends down here are all pretty good at "influencing" me.

For instance, my half sister (the one that puts me in time-out, the thirty-minute silent treatment) is extremely manipulative in my life. Did I say that? I meant influential in my life. Yeah, that's it. :p

3. If you were given a time machine that functioned, and you were allowed to only pick up five people to dine with, who would you pick?

"**Time machine implies they should be people who've passed on, but since the question doesn't say it explicitly I'm not fucking following it." -- Annex

I second that, if only because of #5

1) The grandfather that passed on long before I got here
2) The grandfather that passed on thirteen years after I got here
3) Stanley Kubrick
4) Mahatma Gandhi
5) Scarlett Johannson (hands off, Gandhi! I called dibs!)

4. If you had three wishes that were not supernatural, what would they be?

1) End world hunger/poverty (Edit: I realize Hunzer had the exact same #1)
2) Liberate the world from oppressive regimes
3) Get Scarlett Johannson to help me with the first two & (hehe) one thing else

5. Someone is visiting your hometown/place where you live at the moment. Name two things you regret your city not having, and two things people should avoid.

Regrets :
1) The city is very spread out; it needs to go on a diet... or get better public transit. Anyone else you know drive to their cars in the morning? :p (There's been a light rail initiative going on lately with some rather comical results though)
2) It could stand a PR make-over. It's not a very cosmopolitan city in the public perception, or in reality either for that matter. We're a ways off from getting the Olympics, if you know what I mean.

Avoid:
1) Traffic congestion. Good luck there.
2) Don't get into any pissing contests with the local yokels, and don't mock Texan cultural pride. Do so at your peril. (Don't get me wrong. I love my state, but it's ego and machismo may rival it's geographical size.)

6. Name one event that has changed your life.

The birth of my mother and father. ...It's true. Really though, I can't recall of any major epiphanies that I've had or frying pans upside the head for that matter.

I am reminded of an episode of The Simpsons, though, where Lisa was trying to ready Bart for a competition he was taking part in. She took him up to the top of a mountain, IIRC, sat him down legs crossed, and asked him,"What is the sound of one hand clapping?" (I'm probably paraphrasing here)

Anyway, to which Bart replied, "That's easy. Listen." He clapped his hand together and you could hear the barely audible sound of his fingers hitting his palm.

Lisa was getting frustrated. "No, Bart! It's an ancient Chinese proverb. It's supposed to clear the mind of conscious thought."

Unswayed, Bart insisted, "Lisa, listen." He again hit his fingers against his palm. Finally, Bart looked away from her and sat for a moment. Suddenly, he said, "Oooooo!" He had understood. He was ready.

I'm still fascinated with the fact that I can make that sound with my hand.

7. Tag 3 people.

Haha. :) You mean tag them again? This isn't a high-traffic blog. Everyone who frequents this site or whom I patronize has been tagged, although I don't recall seeing MsThang's yet. Other than that, I'm off the hook! But since I double-posted today, I would like to take this opportunity to shamelessly plug the post below since it was a Herculean effort to get that pic published.