Mike Stopforth

Man, I just love these self-righteous, introspective, “I-think-I’m-important-enough-for-you-to-read-such-crud” blog memes. I’ve been tagged before mind you, and if it weren’t for the fact that it’s the incomparable Ethan Zuckerman tagging me this time around (just a mention on his blog results in a lightning bolt of traffic) I’d ignore the whole shebang.

Still, I wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to waste your time. Here are 7 things you probably don’t know about me:

1. I travelled to Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow specifically) for two weeks at a time in the Augusts of 1995, 1996 and 1999 to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships with the Benoni High School Pipe Band. We went from placing 2nd last in our group in ‘95 to 2nd overall in ‘99. We were damn good This is also where my love for drumming began.
2. En route home from our second trip to Scotland I contracted a rare lung disease called Legionnaires’ disease which, according to Wikipedia, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Legionella. You know you have a shitty disease when students from med school are invited to look at you and take notes before you peg. Fortunately I didn’t peg.
3. I’ve never managed a hole-in-one on a golf course, but I did get one at the pitch and putt at Vodaworld (9th hole). I have witnesses. Or at least I did.
4. I wee’d in a cubicle next to Tom Selleck in London. Can’t tell you if there’s a reason they called him Magnum or not, ’twas a long time ago…
5. I’m so embarrassed to admit this (in fact my therapist is helping me work through this one), but I’ve never ridden a motorbike… *cringes*. I’ve driven all my dream cars, but never even started a bike. It’ll happen this year though…
6. At one stage of my life, I was a pretty enthusiastic ornithologist. I knew my birds. Not so much anymore, other things occupy my headspace.
7. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life at school. Nor when I had to choose a varsity to study at. Or even a course to pursue. I wasn’t sure when I started my first job, or when I was jamming in a punk rock band. I still have no frikkin’ clue what I want to do with my life, come to think of it…

I tag… nobody.

Popularity: 17% [?]