Wow, I’m actually shocked.  Jean from Culture Composition nominated me for The Liebster Award! The award is handed down by a blogger to other fellow bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It’s a great way to discover new blogs and learn more about other creative writers in your community! I’m shocked because I always assume that I’m just shouting into the abyss.  As much as I like to think people are reading, I don’t have the confidence to actually believe it.  Jean’s blog is great, covering a wide variety of pop culture related topics.  You should definitely give her a read and a follow, and she also is a freelance writer for the Daily Beast!

The rules for accepting the Liebster Award are as follows:

1. List 11 facts about myself

2. Nominate 11 bloggers for the award (YAY!)

3. Let them know about the nomination

4. Answer the 11 questions I was asked when nominated

5. Ask 11 questions for the new award winners to answer.

List 11 facts about myself

1. In high school, my Ultimate (Frisbee) team was ranked the #1 junior team in North America.

2. I played trumpet for 8 years, but gave it up after high school because my band teacher completely killed my enjoyment of it.

3. I’ve been known to perform Bill Cosby’s dentist routine on stage from time to time.

4. In addition to this blog, I’m working on a novel (the third one I’ve started) and have written some poetry and short stories.  You can read one of my short stories here.

5. “The Love Pirate” was my nickname in college.  It was fitting because with my long hair and beard I looked like a pirate, and I have a fascination with the idealized form of pirates, though I’m a big softy.  “Love Pirate” actually came from a shirt that Big Kenny of the band Big & Rich used to wear, which I liked and therefore stole.

6. My grandmother lived about 20 minutes from Walt Disney World in FL.  I spent many vacations at her house, and we would always make time to go to Disney.  In many ways, Disney World feels more like home to me than any other place I’ve ever been.  Part of that is feeling like I grew up there, but it goes much deeper than that as I feel like I belong there much more as an adult than I ever did as a kid.

7. The only pets that my wife and I own are two bunny rabbits, named Hutch and Smokey.

8. I originally went to college planning on being an aerospace engineer.

9. My best friend and I have known each other since we were in diapers.  How many people can say that they’re still best friends with someone after all that time?

10. I consider myself to be a feminist.  It’s the reason I’m drawn to certain writers, shows and movies.  I’ve seen too often the way that women are mistreated and degraded, even in ways that most people wouldn’t even consider.  It’s one of the causes I’m most passionate about.

11. My wife is everything to me.  She’s my reason for living, and not a day goes by that I’m not thankful to have her in my life.

Nominate 11 bloggers for the award (Note: these aren’t in any particular order)

1. Third Ten Million Years

2. Mickey Math

3. Socially Minded Life/When the Lights Go Down (she has two blogs)

4. ThomasFilmBlog

5. IAmNotLeftHandedEither

6. Comparative Geeks

7. Disney Forever

8. The Animation Commendation

9. Clueless Ramblings

10. Digital Didascalia

11. Living the Geek Life

Answer the 11 questions I was asked when I was nominated

1. Would you rather be a sloth or a llama and why?

Definitely a sloth.  For starters, they’re not domesticated, so I wouldn’t be stuck hauling people’s stuff around for them.  Plus, they’re adorable, and I could make Kristen Bell completely freak out!

2. What was one of the most bad-ass things you did as a kid?

I was most definitely not a badass in any way, in fact I was bullied a lot as a kid.  One time however, on a class trip, we were having a bonfire in a field and one of my bullies used a styrofoam cup to scoop of some cow crap he had found in the field.  He came towards me with all of his buddies behind him, holding the cup out and saying he was going to throw it all over me.  I don’t know what possessed me, but I kicked it out of his hand and it flew into the air and rained down all over the group.  They were seriously pissed but they left me alone for a day or so after that.  I think maybe they thought I knew karate or something.

3. What was something you did in 2013 that made you proud?

I haven’t done a lot that was pride worthy in 2013.  I guess if I had to pick something it would be committing to blogging more regularly.  I used to have a Livejournal site, but it was languishing, so I decided to copy it all over to WordPress and try to write more often.  I’ve kept with it thus far, so I guess I’m proud of that.

4. What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

My favorite show as a kid was Fraggle Rock, but if I have to pick a cartoon it’d probably be Darkwing Duck.

5. If you could travel to one city tomorrow, what would it be?

Lake Buena Vista, FL.  That’s where Walt Disney World is.

6. What’s the quirkiest thing your best friend has done?

I don’t know if I could pick just one quirky thing.  She spends her free time watching and blogging about science fiction TV shows while surrounded by her 6 cats, despite the fact that back in high school she once told me, “All science fiction is shallow.”  (Actually, the quirkiest thing she’s done today is argue with me about the definition of quirky.)

7. How addicted are you to your phone on a scale of one to ten?

I’m about a 7.  I really enjoy having access to “the entire sum of human knowledge” on a device I can carry in my pocket, but I know when to put it down and enjoy other things.

8. What TV show are you obsessed with right now?

If “right now” means only shows that are currently airing new episodes then the only show that I’m watching is “Whose Line is it Anyway?”  If “right now” means anything that is an active show on TV throughout the year, then it’s the upcoming “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”.  If it means what show I’m watching the most, it’d be “Dollhouse” on DVD.  Is that enough answers?

9. What’s one food item or dish that you find irresistible?

Lexington style barbecue.

10. What’s your astrological sign and the best characteristic of it?

Cancer.  I’m very emotional, so that fits pretty well, and I’m also fiercely protective of those I care about.  (I don’t generally do astrology, so I had to look up its characteristics.)

11. If you could put one song on repeat, what would it be?

“Caoineadh Cu Chulainn (Lament)” from the Riverdance soundtrack

Ask 11 questions for the new award winners to answer

1. Do you play any musical instruments?  If so, what?  If not, what do you wish you could play?

2. Who is your favorite actor or actress and why?

3. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

4. If you could go into space, would you?

5. What’s your favorite charitable organization?

6. What’s the first movie you remember that made you cry?

7. How many countries have you visited, if any?

8. Here’s a cliche one: if you could have one superpower, what would it be?

9. What one cause are you most passionate about?

10. What book are you currently reading?

11. What Hogwarts house would you be in?

This was an interesting experience for me.  I’m still fairly surprised about all this.  Thanks again to Jean from Culture Composition!