( First person to connect the idea of this post to the picture gets a gold star.)
I am curious about the make up of my readers.
If you didn't know you don't need to register, use a real e-mail address, or your real name to post.
But regardless if you are using a pen name or a real name tell us 5 things we don't already know about you.
I will start.
1. I tell people I was born and raised in Simi Valley but my secret is that my Mom gave birth to me in Westlake.
2. I think Genghis Khan is misunderstood and people overlook his cultural accomplishments. See the book " Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford" for details.
3. I keep an old photo of me on the blog so I don't get recognized out on the town.
4. There is another Brian Dennert in the world. He is about the same age, we are both bloggers ( him about leadership at his Church), college graduates, and even have almost the same e-mail address. His is brian_dennert@yahoo.com whereas mine is briandennert@yahoo.com. HAHA other Brian Dennert I beat you to snagging that e-mail address and one at gmail just in case. I hope you have fun trying to explain to people what an underscore looks like!
5. I worked with Americorps on a Salmon Habitat Restoration and Education project. I worked shifts monitoring a weir for threatened fish species and helped inject microchip trackers into them. If there was enough water in Simi Valley I'd might of gone into that line of work instead.
5 things about me that no-one knows on this blog? Hmmmmm....
1. My definition of "progressive" is much different than a lot of other people's (as a poli sci/philosophy major I define many things differently), so when people call me a "liberal" or try to get me to join PDA because I'm the president of Young PROGRESSIVE Dems, I get offended. I'm actually a flaming moderate and I don't even support impeachment like all the other "liberals" I know.
2. I'm not from Ventura County or even California. I'm from Chicago and will probably move back within the next 2 - 3 years.
3. I'm Catholic.
4. There is also another Heather Schmidt in the world, more interesting though is that she, too, lives in the city of Ventura and is only one year older than me. Apparently my identical twin lives here as well because people keep seeing me around Ventura and mistake who I am then tell me how much I look like her. She looks like me.
5. I can't stand pop-culture and don't watch television. I haven't watch tv in over 4 years, with the exception of a one-week bout about three weeks ago when I first became unemployed.
1) I was born in New York City, then moved to San Diego County (La Jolla) where I perfected my surfing skills from Del Mar to Mexico.
2) I'm married to a great attorney for 31 years and we have a daughter just starting medical school.
3) I've lived in Simi Valley for 26 years.
4) I've been a Republican my entire adult life.
5) I enjoy going to rock concerts, eating sushi, wine tasting and local politics.
Surf's Up
Fish industry...Hal FISHman...
I really expect a gold star...
Paul, that is clever so you earn a gold star but that wasn't what i was thinking.
No guesses on the photo - darn - and I'm usually good at stuff like that! 5 things bloggers don't know about me:
1- I hitch-hiked across Mexico in 1976
2- I danced ballet in college
3- I have a standard poodle named Mac that gets my paper in the morning
4- I am an obsessive list person. Ex. - I carry around a list of my favorite 20 movies, adding and subtracting. Included are Shawshank Redemption, Amadeus, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Holes, The Sixth Sense, My Cousin Vinnie, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Moonstruck, Gladiator, 1776
5- I once volunteered to translate for Cuban prisoners (Marielitos)at Lompoc prison who were in legal limbo after committing a crime in the U.S. Once they committed a crime here, they were persona-non-grata in both the U.S. and Cuba (no legal rights here, not allowed to return). Volunteer attorneys were helping get statements and go through the files to prepare for hearings to see what could be done with them. It was interesting and scary.
OK Brian I can't resist. That looks like a picture of Michael Caine. He starred in a movie called "A Fish Named Wanda". Here are five facts about me that you probably didn't know.
1. I like fish - both raw and cooked
2. Going to the Monterey Aquarium makes me hungry
3. The act of fishing is very boring and smelly
OK - three facts.
I was born in Portland Oregon.
Raised on an Indian Reservation until the age of 7
Moved within 400 yards of the Columbia River in Washington State.
Won first place in a trapshooting contest at age of 11(Father was State Champion and asked to shoot in the Olympics.
Love camping, fishing, eating sushi, wine and good friends.
Attended USC for Marketing and Advertising Degree
Have two really great kids
I am Irish
What a nice break from arguing!!!!
1. I spoke Japanese & Russian...never well enough to keep from getting lost in both countries.
2. I was captain of my college gymnastics team forty pounds ago.
3. I fell in love with my wife the moment I met her, almost forty years ago and, tho I barely spoke to her then, that nite I bet my best friend I'd marry her. It took two years before we had our first date (with my future wife, not my friend).
4. I'll drop evertything & watch THE QUIET MAN every time its on TV.
5. I develop & produce kids programming. The shows I've been involved with have generated over $5B in licenses.
It's Hal Fishman, longest running news anchor in TV history, experienced pilot and creator of a series on ETHICS. For the life of me I can't figure out the connection unless he's Brian's role model (and a good one at that!).
5 things we don't know about you....
Hal Fishman works for channel 5....
It occurs to me that readers GS and Owen both speak Russian. Owen, you speak Russian, yes?
You two can be a political spy team where nobody expects a liberal and conservative working together.
"Spies Like Us"? Which one's the liberal and who's the conservative?
1.) I was born in London in '47;
2.) My father was an American;
3.) I brought 5 fine children into the world;
4.) I was totally self-supporting;
5.) Later in my life, I married a judge.
1. I graduated from SDSU this past may with a BS in Business Management and a minor in Political Science.
2. I interned in Governor Schwarzenegger's office during the spring.
3. I was born and raised in Ventura County.
4. I am a blogger as well and my blog is California State of Mind. It is about California politics from a younger generations perspective (I'm only 22).
5. I have an eating disorder called "cant stop eating."
1) I believe in magic
2) I travel to Lebanon every year
3) I grew up in Washington State
4) I speak my mind
5) I've read all the Harry Potter books.