Tagged for a Meme - Damn you, Josie!

Monday, May 19, 2008, 7:46 PM

So, Josie went and tagged me for the latest Meme that's been doing the rounds. Sigh. I'm only doing this, 'cause I've got a Meme challenge of my own coming later in the week. Anyway, the rules of this Meme are:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing ten years ago?

As it happens, my driving license is about to hit its ten year expiry, and I was just looking at the photo of the more youthful me:



On this evidence, it seem that whatever I was doing ten years ago involved (a) being much thinner, and (b) having more hair. I was also working in a guitar shop, trying to break my way into writing music for film (I did a little, including a low budget feature - it's a tough racket), and clinging to the belief that at any minute David Coverdale would phone and ask me to be the new guitarist in Whitesnake. I also dreamed up ideas for books. Funny how things work out.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

Seeing as it's evening time, this is a mix of things I will do, and have done:

1) Went to the bank
2) Cancelled an appointment with my accountant at the last minute because...
3) Had a major crisis with one of my biggest clients at work. Very stressful.
4) Shortly, I shall make some dinner.
5) Finally, I will get cracking on some minor revisions to the novel.

What are some snacks you enjoy?

Savoury foods are my weakness, rather than sweet. High on the list is Tayto Cheese'n'Onion crisps (the best crisps in the world). Any form of chicken, but have a real weakness for KFC - only allow myself it once a month. And that's it - I lke my food (a lot), but I tend not to snack so much as gorge at meal times.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Have Van Halen, AC/DC and ZZ Top to play a private concert for me and some friends. Buy an Aston Martin. Invest in alternative fuel. Pay George Bush and Gordon Brown to go away.

What are five places where you have lived?

1) Born and raised in Armagh.
2) Salford, Manchester.
3) Cheetham Hill, Manchester.
4) Middleton, Manchester (okay, I'm stretching the point with those three).
5) And back to Armagh.

What are five jobs you have had?

1) General dogsbody at a large bakery (I still have one burn scar).
2) Guitar teacher.
3) Film extra (hated, hated, hated it).
4) Music shop guitar guy.
5) Self-employed web developer.

What were the last five books you read?

1) Just finishing up on Jason Pinter's The Mark.
2) The Road by Cormac McCarthy (scroll down for my thoughts on that).
3) Rain Fall by Barry Eisler (a Nat Sobel client - I wanted to see a first novel that he took on).
4) Clandestine by James Ellroy (his second novel - interesting to read a book where his voice was still developing).
5) The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski (I wasn't thrilled with it).

Note - these may not be the actual last five I read, but they're the most recent I remember.

What are five web sites you visit daily (in no particular order)?

I won't include blogging friends in this list.

1) VHLinks.com
2) news.bbc.co.uk
3) ebay.co.uk
4) blu-ray.com
5) icanhascheezburger.com

And that's yer lot. I won't tag anyone else as I think everyone else has been done already. But I will be tagging some with my cunning Meme idea...

Oh, and by the way, my website for THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST is now online!

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not certain you could pay George W. enough to go away - it may be a clause in his contract with the devil....

8:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

8:54 PM  
Blogger Josephine Damian said...

As it happens, my driving license is about to hit its ten year expiry, and I was just looking at the photo of the more youthful me.

It takes a brave man to show his DL photo.

Looks kinda like a mug shot of Jesus.

On this evidence, it seems that whatever I was doing ten years ago involved… clinging to the belief that at any minute David Coverdale would phone and ask me to be the new guitarist in Whitesnake.

As opposed to Nat Sobel calling and asking you to be next Ellroy?

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?


3) Had a major crisis with one of my biggest clients at work. Very stressful.


You mean you haven’t quit your day job yet?

What are some snacks you enjoy?
….but have a real weakness for KFC


KFC is everywhere! No wonder the whole world hates the US! Junk food!

What are five jobs you have had?

1) General dogsbody at a large bakery (I still have one burn scar)

3) Film extra (hated, hated, hated it).


Dogsbody? What does that word mean?

You hated being a film extra? I figured you could be an extra in TGOB movie – you know – the guy playing the guitar in McKenna’s bar. Me? I wanna be an extra who throws a Malatov cocktail at some cop in the riot scene.

What were the last five books you read?

2) The Road by Cormac McCarthy (scroll down for my thoughts on that).


Must you remind me. I’m still waiting for you to read BLOOD MERIDIAN.

3) Rain Fall by Barry Eisler (a Nat Sobel client - I wanted to see a first novel that he took on).

Smart.

I won't include blogging friends in this list.

5) icanhascheezburger.com


You don’t strike me as the LOLcat type.

And that's yer lot. I won't tag anyone else as I think everyone else has been done already. But I will be tagging some with my cunning Meme idea...

And I will be on blog hiatus before you do!

*evil laugh*

9:39 PM  
Blogger jjdebenedictis said...

Nice looking website! (And the old driver's licence photo is pretty cute too. :-D ) Did you have it (the website) done professionally, and if so, how much was it?

10:04 PM  
Blogger Josephine Damian said...

JJ: He did have it done professionally - he did it himself.

That's Stuart's day job.

11:21 PM  
Blogger jjdebenedictis said...

He did have it done professionally - he did it himself.

Oh! Okay, I'm a bit dim, then. Sorry.

So how much does it cost someone else to get a website that looks like that, Conduit? :-D

1:28 AM  
Blogger ssas said...

That is...

hm.

Quite a picture.

I quite like it. :D

I also have a meme in mind and yes, you'll be tagged. And yes, it's designed to make you squirm. Heh heh.

Yes, I'm feeling evil this am. Not enough tea.

DON'T FORGET TO GO LEAVE A MEMORIAL NOTE FOR MISS SNARK OVER AT ORION'S!

2:59 PM  
Blogger Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Ha ha! Funny picture! NO, I will not show you mine! But your new website is so awesome!

5:02 PM  
Blogger Stuart Neville said...

JJ - The site is based on our templated content managed products. In English, that means the whole site is run from a back-end admin section, not unlike Blogger, so the site owner can add and update sections at will. Our base price for something like that is £799 (roughly $1600), though we have a simpler version at £399 (roughly $800). Most decent web design companies will have a package along those lines, though prices might be higher in the USA.

Ello: Thanks!

1:40 AM  
Blogger McKoala said...

Hi, and I'm sorry it took me sooo long to get here. We've been in New Zealand, if that's any excuse.

Do I need to say I'm delighted? I am. I'm totally overjoyed for you. It's such a great novel and you've more than got the dedication and talent needed to be very, very successful. And happy.

The web site is perfect. New photo, needed, though, my friend. New photo. Possibly a leather jacket, graffiti-ed wall style of photo I think. Not the photo from the driver's licence. Please, no.

2:54 AM  
Blogger Chris said...

The site's gorgeous, the excerpt riveting. And I can only assume you'll be putting your driver's license on the book flap when the time comes...

2:11 PM  
Blogger cindy said...

the website is fantastic, stuart! congrats again--you're on a roll! =D

6:34 PM  

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