Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Animal People Contestants

Here are a few of the nominees:

Lavinia Yeung (Koala Bear): Because of her sweet hug-able personality, this young lady is very quickly placed in the "cute bear" category. However, her persistence in "hanging around" even when not wanted classified her as the tree hugger bear- the koala. In addition to this, Lavinia has been known, like the koala, to love little ones, and delight in caring for and carrying these little bundles of joy. An "endangered species" there are truly not many like her (be that good or bad. . . ) And, when she bids us adieu and flies back to Australia- I will have all the more reason to make the connection between her and the koala.

Michael Luepke (peacock): Although desiring to be classified as a bear, or lion, Mike winded up being a strutting fowl. Perhaps his desire to be more powerful displays the innate characteristic that makes him "the peacock." It must be admitted that Mike was one of the easiest people to place with an animal. This may be due to his walk which has a decided swagger, and several comments he made to me when we first met regarding his superiority. But, although this character has a strutting exterior, he also has several of the virtues of a peacock: an ability and willingness to help and serve others, coupled with respect and authority. So, despite your strut, we salute you Mike! (I also do a really good imitation of that "strut"!!!!)

Amanda Kay Bosma (otter): This was a hard one, believe it or not. For the longest time Amanda was a brown bear cub. This was due largely to her big brown eyes and her shyness when around people she didn't know. But Amanda has changed incredibly, and so has her animal. Amanda possesses the playfulness of the otter, along with some other characteristics. Appearance and grooming (especially dental hygiene) is very important to my dear friend, and her compatriot, the otter is equally fastidious about his appearance. Amanda likes people now, but also likes to spend time with herself participating in her own little games and pastimes that no one else can fathom- like the otter. As a friend she is always there- whether to play loudly or just "float" quietly along, talking and eating. Thank you, Amanda- you are Proverbs 17:17 lived out!

David Charles Bankes (turtle/frog): there are several people who change animals on me constantly. David is one of them. In his serious moods he is a turtle- carrying the world on his back. During these times he spouts philosophy, turns down his mouth, looks intent, and writes very boring mass e-mails. In other moods he more resembles a frog, in the way that he can't sit still, croaks when he sings, and gobbles his food with alarming voracity. Frogs always made me laugh with their frantic gyrations and blinking eyes- and David always makes me laugh. It must also be admitted that when I first met David we were both in a play- he was a frog- and he looked the part with his buzzed hair and green shirt. The analogy stuck.


More will be posted later. Go ahead and vote!!! Any further ideas, suggestions, or disagreements may be sent to ceblake@purdue.edu

Animal People Awards 2004 (APAs)

What it is:

Many people recognize others for noticeable physical or mental characteristics. They remember something defining about the other individual. First impressions often dictate how these people will view you for the rest of their life.

I'm not like most people (no snide comments, please). When I first meet you I may forget what you said, what your name is, and what you wore. Hey, I won't remember really what I thought of you. No, I'll remember what animal you make me think of. When I interact with people, a combination of their appearance and their character make me visualize them as a certain animal species. Unfortunately this "second sight" has gotten me into a lot of trouble, since it is often hard to contain your amusement when you see the similarity between the person and their animal.

Each semester I am going to post a list of persons and the animals that they remind me of. In most cases I can give reasons for my "vision," but not always, and it is always easier for me to see animals in guys, with rare exceptions. Girls I know very well are simple, but guys are easy no matter how well I know them. . .

So welcome to the first ever biannual Animal People Awards. As Chairman and President of the APA I would like to welcome you. The contestants will be placed on line shortly and you will be able to vote for the "character" sketch you most agree with (or perhaps your animal). Happy Voting. The winner will be announced by the close of Christmas break.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Somethings Sweet, Some Sour, All Unique . . . PINK LEMONADE!!!

The following are a compilation of quotes from my roomie and me called "Pink Lemonade"- for the above mentioned reasons. I've tried to only include the ones that are funny out of context- though in reality that's hard- because they're all funny to me!

I'm psychic. . . well, actually I have the gift of discernment. - Cherell

I'm like a fungus. I grow on you. - Courtney

I know why he goes out with her! Ugly girls are loyal. - my kind roomie

Oh my gosh I look cute! I do look cute!!!!- Cherell the humble

This will be the one time I'm not cuter than you all. - who else? Cherell.

You sound like a petri dish: "I want to be cultured." - Courtney

Just think, you have to put up with her for maybe two hours, but she has to put up with herself 24/7. - words of comfort from Lavinia.


Watch me serve! - Courtney

Let me put it in Cherell's words. . . Get the heck out of here! -Cherell, while helping her poor roommate get rid of un-wanted guests.


Poetry

The following were brought to my attention by the best 11 year old in the world. . . Erika Aileen Blake

Fairies
Out of the dust of dreams
Fairies weave their garments
Out of the purple and rose of old memories
They make rainbow wings
No wonder we find them such marvellous things!
- Langston Hughes

I didn't write it, but isn't it lovely? It makes me want to dream happy dreams all gold tinted. . .

Dream Dust
Gather out of star-dust
Earth-dust,
Cloud-dust,
Storm-dust,
And splinters of hail,
One handful of dream-dust
Not for sale.
-Langston Hughes

Me, and only me knows my dreams, and they are some of the most precious things I own . . .

Mr. Mystery Posted by Hello

The Not-So-Mysterious Character

In the title "Character Sketch" it must be admitted that some people live up to the title "Character" better than others. This person fills that criteria. I've known this "character" longer than many of my friends, and he makes me laugh more than most. This person's identity will be a mystery, you will have to guess it. However, he has so many idiosyncrasies, I don't think this will be a very hard task.
Let's start with characteristics. Everyone has some defining thing that makes them different. Some people have only one unique quality, some have more than one, while others bear only a slight resembelance to the human race as a whole- their differences far outweighing their commonality. This person falls into the latter catagory. There are a many, highly noticeable differences from his average peers. We will only list a few. How many 19 year old males (big hint right here) do you know who giggle? Not laugh, chortle, or guffaw- giggle. I only know one. I know lots 19 year olds, many of whom are male- but I have never met a male above the age of 7, besides this one, who giggles. And, although our esteemed character sings bass in every ensemble, his giggle has a distinctly soprano quality, rivalling every girl's giggle. In a crowd of laughing people- this young man's laugh can be singled out and heard above all the others- rather like a global positioning device. In addition to the giggle, this persona also takes an avid interest in two things- food and matchmaking. Let's start with the food. Perhaps we could blame the enormous quantities eaten on his tallness. (You know, tall people have longer, and thus, bigger stomachs) But in order to make that sound plausible this guy would have to be near 10 feet tall. The quantity of food that disappears when he is around is astounding. Incomprehensible. Amazing. And very amusing. For, after finishing his own gargantuan portion, he will wander through the company looking for other people's left-overs. When asked, his sister claimed she liked to cook for him (what lady doesn't like her hard work devoured and appreciated). His mother remained unpolled- so it is questionable what she thinks- though we can imagine her ecstacy at all those extra funds in her grocery budget since he moved away. But his move has not affected his propinsity for matchmaking. Having himself never dated or been matched, he is of course an expert in this area. This young man breaks the myth that girls gossip and guys don't. It's not true. Of all the people of my acquaintance, I know of none who love juicy tidbits of dating news better than this guy. It would bother me (him taking an interest in this) if he wasn't such a good source, and therefore very worth knowing in this capacity. Although his couples are not always well chosen, his news is always correct.
My guess is by this point you have a very clear understanding of who this character is. If not- then you probably don't know him. . . There is one final characteristic that I feel obliged to mention. There are plenty of guys who play the French Horn, run, study philosophy, and write enormous, non-personalized e-mails. But there are very few who do all of this with a comb-over that looks like it has just been varnished. I know of only two reasons why a person would voluntarily wear their hair this way. The first is a plight known as baldness that plagues many old (and young) men. We don't know for sure, but we are pretty sure that this is not his reason. The second reason could be a desire for originality, and an affection for standing out and being noticed. We must conclude that this individual rather likes comb-over jokes and enjoys being made fun of in a friendly capacity. If this is not the reason, we do know several hair implant specialists he could call. . .
The picture posted above is of our mystery man. Very flattering.
If you need further hints, let me know and I will post them- after getting down on my knees and praying that you will get through life safely with your level of intelligence.

Me and my true love, Winston Posted by Hello

Me- does it get any better? Posted by Hello