One of the physicists at COSMIC VARIANCE generously suggested that I take up the game of the "Meme of Four." This is one of a variety of blogging games that encourage self-revelation (within the bounds of good taste of course). Well, self-absorption and self-revelation are what Blogging is all about, right? And I badly need some distraction. So here's the ELECTRON BLUE version of the "Meme of Four."

The object is to list various things all in sets of four, no more no less. It's a fairly long series, so be prepared.

FOUR Jobs I've had:
1. Counter help at "Paco's Tacos," a fast food place in Harvard Square
2. Brief stint at the counter of a photograph developing booth
3. Architectural rendering artist at "The Architectural Art," in Northern Virginia
4. Sign designer and sign maker at Trader Joe's, my current job.

FOUR Movies I could watch over and over:
1. STAR WARS (the first one, released 1977, which later got re-named "Episode 4")
2. LORD OF THE RINGS, part 3
3. THE TRUMAN SHOW
4. "BOOM" with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. Bizarre film rated "unwatchable." I love it.

FOUR places I've lived:
1. Natick, Massachusetts
2. Rome, Italy
3. Cambridge, Massachusetts
4. Fairfax County, Virginia

FOUR TV Shows I love to watch:
1. STAR TREK, any version of it except "Enterprise"
2. Red Sox, Orioles, or Nationals Baseball
3. FIREFLY
4. NOVA the PBS science show, especially if it's about volcanoes

FOUR places I've been on vacation
1. New Orleans (2003) during a tropical storm
2. The Greek Islands
3. Nebraska City, Nebraska (2003)
4. Nashville, Tennessee

FOUR Blogs I visit daily:
1. COSMIC VARIANCE
2. The Bad Astronomy Blog
3. Gravity Lens comics, pop culture
4. Arts and Letters Daily Compendium of punditry

FOUR of my favorite foods:
1. Blue Castello, triple cream blue cheese
2. Grilled steak with a spice crust
3. Smoked salmon
4. Artichoke hearts
(Naturally, these are all available at Trader Joe's.)

FOUR places I'd rather be:
1. Florida
2. Hawaii
3. Rome
4. Island of Stromboli, with constantly erupting volcano

FOUR music albums I can't live without:
1. LUDUS TONALIS by Paul Hindemith: Piano cleverness
2. SKY OF GRACE by Paul Avgerinos (Exquisite New Age)
3. WORLD'S EDGE by Steve Roach (desert electronic spacemusic)
4. String quartets and "Phantasy" quintet by Ralph Vaughan Williams, played by the Maggini Quartet, Naxos Records

And finally…
FOUR Vehicles I've owned:
1. Dodge Aries K wagon, light silver-blue. Often fell out of third gear or lost power completely while at speed on a crowded road.
2. Mitsubishi/Plymouth Colt Vista. Bought in wretched condition and could not ever be fully fixed. Miserable vehicle nicknamed the "Zero."
3. Honda Civic Wagon, pewter grey. Ten years of flawless humble service.
4. Honda CRV Wagon, Electron Blue color. My current vehicle, the "Electron."

Posted at 3:05 am | link