Chipping away at writer's block

Really haven't been in the mood to write lately. When I sit down and try, I feel constrained by the feeling that I have nothing relevant to say. Of course, a lack of relevancy has never been a barrier before, so I don't know why it's bugging me now.

Anyway, just to have something to write, I'm pulling a couple of questionnaires out of my old junk mail and answering them here, just to have something up here more recent than last month.

First, the 10 questions from Bernard Pivot that host James Lipton asks every guest on "Inside the Actors Studio":
What is your favorite word?
Compassion.
What is your least favorite word?
Cancer.
What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
Encouragement.
What turns you off?
Hypocrisy.
What is your favorite curse word?
F**k, of course. It's so versatile. It can be a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, an interjection ... it's an all-purpose word. Plus it has that harsh "K" sound at the end that really puts an exclamation point on cursing. Really, it should be used more often. It'd be a better world.
What sound or noise do you love?
Before, it was Deb saying, "Hi, sweetie." Now, it'd have to be rain dripping off the front porch.
What sound or noise do you hate?
Angry shouting.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
An artist. I wish I could draw.
What profession would you not like to do?
Anything involving the sewer.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"She's right over here. She's been waiting for you."

***

Now, this one supposed to provide the soundtrack for your life if it was a movie:

How it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: "When I Fall" -- Barenaked Ladies. Nice mellow track about longing. Other than the fact it's about a window cleaner, not bad.
Waking Up: "Evangeline" -- The Band with Emmylou Harris. Country-ish song about longing. I sense a trend.
First Day At School: "The Entertainer" -- Billy Joel. Cynical track about the pressures of being a singer. Could apply to a lot of things.
Falling In Love: "Deck the Stills" -- Barenaked Ladies. OK, maybe I have too much BNL on this Mp3 player. This song is just the words "Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young" sing to the tune of "Deck the Halls." Doesn't fit, but then again, most of my relationships were pretty strange.
Fight Song: "(Just Like) Starting Over" -- John Lennon. It does have a sense of finality to it.
Breaking Up: "Baby's Request" Paul McCartney and Wings. Old-fashioned-sounding song. Sort of sad. I guess it works.
Making Up: "Stone Cold Crazy" -- Queen. Wow, that's some making up!
Secret Love: "Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House" -- Garth Brooks. Not bad.
Prom: "Fur Elise" -- Beethoven. That'd have to be one freaky prom. Then again, I didn't go to mine. Maybe they did play classical music.
Life's OK: "The Love-Matic Grandpa" -- The Simpsons. From the show where Grandpa dies and his soul goes into a love tester machine that gives Moe romantic advice. Yup, that's my life all right.
Mental Breakdown: "Celebrity" -- Barenaked Ladies. Mellow song about giving up everything to be a celebrity. Not exactly my goal in life, but I do feel a lot of pressure sometimes.
Driving: "Blue Suede Schubert" -- The Rutles. This is more like it. It's a parody of "Roll Over Beethoven," and it rocks. Good driving song.
Flashback: "Rockin' Around With You" -- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Good upbeat song. It'd work for a happy montage.
Wedding: "Soft and Wet" -- Prince. Works for me.
Birth of Child: "Taxman" -- The Beatles. Figures. Have a kid, pay more taxes.
Happy Dance: "Waterloo" -- ABBA. Nice happy dance music.
Regretting: "Only A Northern Song" -- The Beatles. Psychedelic, moody and atmospheric.
Long Night Alone: "You Can Sleep While I Drive" -- Melissa Etheridge. I like it.
Final Battle: "Drive My Car." -- The Beatles. Honestly, I have more on my player than just the Beatles and BNL. I suppose if the final battle involved a car chase, it'd work.
Death Scene: "Here Comes The Brides (Seattle)" -- TV soundtrack. OK, this just doesn't work at all. It's a song about how great Seattle is. Unless I die some horribly gruesome death there and this song comes on to be ironic counterpoint, it's just silly. But not as silly as having this on your Mp3 player, I suppose.
Funeral Song: "Steven Page is Having a Baby." -- Barenaked Ladies. Ya know, I probably should have done this with the iPod Mini instead of the big one. Less chance of silly songs like this coming up.
End Credits: "Tush" -- ZZ Top. Perfect song for "end" credits.