I'm not sure if this falls under #5 - Teach Loki new tricks or if this is a new item to cross off; #42 - Teach Loki to be a pirate.
But either way, I've got me a seafaring dog. Kind of like Scuppers, only less of a pussy.
37. Celebrate MC's birthday with delicious lasagna and cake. Check.
38. Watch Norman Mailer tear off Rip Torn's ear. Check.
39. The image of GR licking the icing off a glass dildo printed, irreversibly, in our memories. Check.
Also:
40. Grow your own cucumbers!
The official start of the summer was an official success. Come on, folks, let's get to more things on the list!
Tonight's Michael Gong's birthday and the list is converging in East Falls. Which is awesome. We plan on working on Item #14 (Perfecting Alcoholic Ice Pops) and eating chocolate cake.
But here's the catch - there will be nine of us here on Commissioner Street and we are lacking:
-4 forks
-4 knives
-3 plates
-3 chairs
Let's see who eats with what...
The Gong List, besides being an awesome name and how we identify ourselves, is an actual list. We've been compiling things to do for about a month and now that all the final projects and exams are over, it's been suggested that we get down to crossing things off the list.
There are no set rules, this is a fuckit list afterall, so any of us can do any of the activities. Sometimes we'll be able to cross them off together. Sometimes they'll be things we do on our own. Sometimes activities will break down along gender lines (I'm pretty sure that the hair braiding, eyeliner application, and "Ramona and Beezus" watching isn't going to interest the guys.) Items can be crossed off in any order and can be done over and over again. Items can (and should) be added as we come up with them. This is our summer fun list and I cannot wait to start having adventures and leave on quests and gain new skills.
And now...
The Gong List 2010
1. Learn to French braid pigtails
2. Make s’mores with marshmallows we make ourselves
3. Grow beautiful and/or tasty things in someone (or everyone’s) backyards
4. Visit the Japanese House and Gardens
5. Teach Loki fun tricks
6. Make all recipes from a cookbook (ala Julie and Julia but less douchey)
7. Go to Eastern State Penitentiary
8. Fly a kite
9. Learn the art of scherenschnitte
10. Have homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Ice Cream for dinner11. Visit the Herr’s and Utz factories
12. Write, illustrate, and publish an anti-library book
13. Knit beautiful things
14. Perfect the alcoholic ice pop recipe
15. Go to Rice’s Market
16. Create a mural in sidewalk chalk
17. Weave elaborate friendship bracelets
18. Make pickles
19. Take photos in the
20. Start a Gong List Book Club
21. Learn to play cribbage
22. Celebrate birthdays & graduations with both cheese & chocolate fondue
23. Ride roller coasters and the carousel at Knobels Grove
24. Watch Michael’s “The Wire” DVDs
25. Learn to successfully apply eyeliner
26. Make homemade seitan
27. Camping!!
28. Watch “Planet Earth” and/or “Life” on a big screen
29. Create a signature Gong List cocktail
30. Herbie Hancock @ the Mann
31. Make your ultimate mixtape / playlist to share with the group & the blog
32. Homemade sushi
33. “Toy Story 3”
34. “Ramona and Beezus” (probably girls only)
36. Kane house cookout
An hour ago I was working on my cataloging final project. Fifty-nine minutes ago, I wasn't.
What I was doing, though, has pretty much been the epitome of Fuckit List Activity for the last five years.
Brian and I willingly allowed ourselves to be sucked into the YouTube vortex and are only now emerging to finish homework and eat some cheese-in-a-can on Black Pepper/Olive Oil Triscuits.
So, my lovely Gongs, I ask you this, what's your favorite YouTube video to waste time with?
Mine's this one (and it's siblings):
This summer is starting out well, what with an abbreviated final class, a few drinks, and burritos the size and weight of a small child's head (or equally delicious microwaved and lemon curded pancakes). Thanks to our gracious hosts, even if Vincent left me with a Black Eyed Peas earworm some five hours later.
It's a well known factoid of life that people love trivia. And so:
1. Zimbabwe was once called what?
2. What is Super Grover's one weakness?
3.What was the former name of the Crayola color "Chestnut"?
4. In 2006, Gunter Grass shocked some by admitting to what?
5. Is Shaggy, in fact, truly boombastic?
Bonus:
True or false - in China, Chinese food is simply called food.
On your honor system not to use Google, Yahoo, Bing, Lycos, Webcrawler, whatever. First prize is wholly intangible kudos, to be awarded by me.
Usually when I am avoiding doing stuff I am required to do I start to make pictures or noises.
Lately I have been remixing an audio file of my brother on BerksCountyTelevision, being interviewed about an internship.
...
Also, tim is right about 6 categories and if we are talking about jeopardy and 90s authors, it's worth pointing out that david foster wallace did a much better job of dealing with it in LITTLE EXPRESSIONLESS ANIMALS.
Molly, of the authors you mention I've only read Am. Psycho and Bright Lights, Big City. Ruth, I read your post twice before I realized you weren't talking about 90s girl group extraordinaire TLC. What does this tell me? That we are uniquely resounding gongs with our own niches (and peccadilloes) in this world.
But doesn't Jeopardy only have 6 categories?
- skronky tenor saxophonists
- pale ales
- movies about star wars and dark crystals
- long, artful novels with no concrete plot
- cribbage
- why things ain't what they used to be
- potent potables
I would have just responded in the comments, but then I don't think I would have been able to post my accompanying graphic, which demonstrates my dream Jeopardy answer:
I've learned and forgotten so much, but somehow information that falls into these categories has stuck with me. I would totally win Jeopardy, fifteen million dollars, and the love of Alex Trebec if all I had to to was answer questions about these things:
1. TLC's What Not To Wear shopping rules
2. Bars in State College
3. Knitting pattern symbols
4. Candy
5. Alice Munro short stories about Canadian women in the early 20th century
6. Jewel songs
7. High school marching band
Do you guys ever have moments when you recognize parts of yourselves in other people and feel...eh... not so proud of it? Ever heard of Jean Teasdale?
Happy June 1st! Since it's the day after Memorial Day, it's the official, unofficial day of Summer. (This is ceremonial only since school doesn't end for another two or three weeks, but whatever, it's almost 90 degrees out at 8AM. This equals Summer to me.) The first day of Summer was the projected kick off of The Gong List and as such, here's my first post.
- - -
I'm a huge fan of American and Canadian authors of the early 90's. I did my undergrad thesis on Bret Easton Ellis, fell deeply in love with Donna Tartt and Jay McInerney, and I'm pretty sure that Douglas Coupland was a better indicator of cultural trends than MTV. (This was all, of course, before they hit middle age, became lazy and whiney, and gave Patrick Bateman an unsightly paunch.)
I bring this up only because I can't think of a better way of introducing myself than by ganking a technique straight from 1995's Microserfs*:
I am Molly Beth. If my life was a game of Jeopardy! my seven dream categories would be:
-American words derived from Dutch
-YA novels about HS violence
-Cupcakes, Birthday Cakes, & Ice Cream Cakes
-The best laid plans
- Gang aft agley
-High School Dramas
-Abandoned Internet Personas
Hey Gongs, what would your seven categories be?
- - -
*Coupland, Douglas. (1995). Microserfs. New York: Harper.
I could give you the MARC record too, but I'm pretty sure that's not necessary.
