 | Riddle Me ThisBy Grace Fox |
Spend any time at all on Facebook and you will be inundated with the results from the myriad quizzes that your friends are taking. It’s so annoying and you complain about your friends cluttering up your news stream with such things but sometimes, in the deep dark night when you are enveloped in your own boredom, you do it. You hover over the hide button that will erase that “Which Grease character are you?” result and you pause. You snort with derision and squirm in your chair and then you click on the quiz just to ponder the ridiculousness of it all. The questions are so stupid and the answers are limiting and you know that there is no way this quiz holds any validity at all and you decide to answer just a few questions to prove your point, of course. You tell yourself you might not even finish it…but you do. You click, click, click along and, before you know it, you have your result and you are ecstatic because you are “Rizzo” or deeply disappointed that you are “Sandy” or vice versa. You come to your senses quickly and never publish the results. At least, I’ve heard this happens.
My theory is that most of us have a fascination with understanding who we are and how the world perceives us. So, we take little quizzes in magazines and on Facebook because we are looking for something to confirm our own perspective or to find one that we like better. It feeds the tiny narcissist inside of all of us. And by “us” of course, I mean other people. We’re never narcissistic because all lesbians are completely self-actualized, right? I was thinking about this over the weekend as I perused by e-mail inbox. I looked over my messages and realized that, if I keeled over on the street and my Blackberry fell out of my cold dead hand, the Good Samaritan (or thief) who stopped to help me would be able to tell a lot about me by my e-mails. Here were the 10 e-mails that inspired this post:
- e-mail from my ex-girlfriend’s girlfriend inviting me and my family to dinner
- a notification of a blog comment
- e-mail from the North Star Roller Girls regarding upcoming derby events
- e-mail from the Family Equality Council
- e-mail from Zipp’s Liquor regarding an upcoming wine tasting event
- e-mail from TheMapMyRun site announcing updates
- e-mail from the Minnesota Orchestra regarding Sommerfest
- e-mail from the Brave New Foundation in recognition of the anniversary of the war in Iraq
- an invitation from Freewheel to a Bike Open House
- an e-mail from the room parent coordinator at my kids’ school
Those 10 items provide a surprisingly accurate reflection of my life. So, I’m starting a new Grace the Spot personality test. Take the 10 most recent messages from your inbox and ponder what they say about you?
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March 23rd, 2010 at 3:03 pm
oy, mine just shows that my life is all about school. These are the messages that I haven’t deleted as soon as they came in, so what it left in my inbox:
Top 10 emails in my inbox:
1. New location for a lunch Wednesday about how to combine work on legal clinics with the school’s law journal.
2. email from professor about an article we should check on in the NYT.
3. notice from all-school email list about big court victory today by law school clinic.
4. notice from facebook that a friend has lost her phone and wants my number.
5. reminder of all-school writing workshop.
6. email from gym buddy setting up gym time from Monday.
7. email about gay happy hour Thursday night.
8. email from admissions office regarding my assigned “student buddy”
9. library notice—date due reminder.
10. info about slating for leadership positions in law school lgbt group.
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Top 10 emails in my inbox
1. Info about Grace the Spot from Chu
2. Comment about a post on Grace the Spot
3. Information about Millennial Students (as to which I only scored a 32% Millennial from the Pew Report Quiz)
4. Email from Sorority Sister. Yeah, that’s a whole other post
5. Email to my ex
6. Notification from Beer Advocate about a Beer Mail
7. Reply saying the school received my resume – STILL NOT HIRED THOUGH.
****email then goes back to Christmas****
From work email (because I refuse to believe I have no life)
8. Forward about UNI kicking Kansas in the nads.
9. A request from the wife to print some stuff at work
10. work stuff…..more work stuff……work stuff…..skipping to 40…oh yes, an Old Chicago email thanking me for spending money and doing their beer tours.
Hmmmm…..beer, work, beer, ex’s, beer, resume, and GtS. Yup, I lead an amazingly boring existence.
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Why does my comment avatar look like a penis with a tail?
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:52 pm
My inbox
1. Human Rights Campaign
2. E-mail from friend about e-mail number 3
3.E-mail from best selling author Kris Radish, if you haven’t read any of her books go to the bookstore now and pick one up. So worth it I promise
4.DM from Melanie Mayron
4.DM from @TheLinster
6. Ditto
7.e-mail from Grace Chu about Dinah
8. Ditto
9. Ditto
10. Ditto
If only my life were as exciting as my e-mail makes it seem!
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Top 10 emails in this sheep’s inbox:
1) Details I requested for an article I’m writing about my uni’s theatre group
Another paypal notification
2) A Facebook invite to a Mighty Boosh marathon event
3) Reply to a games night invitation I sent out
4) University informing me that new results are out on the server (C+, for those interested)
5) Thesis tutor sending corrected drafts of a chapter of my thesis
6) Advert for a redeemable cell phone points scheme
7) Paypal notification for payment made
9) Ebay notification of item bought (set of snake probes; ask only if you want a very detailed answer)
10) Supervisor sending information about international autism awareness month (April, for those interested =] )
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Damn, mine’s repetitive!
1) livejournal comment notification
livejournal comment notification
2) livejournal comment notification
3) livejournal comment notification
4) livejournal comment notification
5) events this month in downtown Indianapolis
6) my host mother from Japan
7) my host mother from Japan
9)livejournal comment notification
10)livejournal comment notification
I think the only thing this says about me is that I’m on livejournal too much.
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:10 pm
1) auto-email from some classified ads
another email re book translation
2) auto-email from some classified ads
3) friend sending me a link to a funny video
4) blog comment notification
5) friend emailing about a book translation
6) email from my dad about Shakespeare
7) email from ex colleague about some work news
9) original of the announcement about Shakespeare I sent my dad
10) email from uni friend who’s now the other side of the Atlantic
I picked a good day to look at these, most of the time it would just have been mailing lists from work
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
1. Congrats e-mail for UC admission
2. Itinerary for my upcoming trip over spring break
3. Pre-sale reminder for the 2010 Honda civic tour (Paramore, Tegan end Sara)
4. Info I need to file my taxes
5. Confirmation on my Threadless tee shirt order
6. Notification on shipment of my tickets to see Conan O’Brien
7. Notification from ticketmaster that Ben Folds is touring in my area soon
8. Reminder that UC admission decisions are coming up
9. Threadless telling me there are new tees out.
10. Financial aid info
I delete things from my inbox regularly so these are just the things that got spared for some reason.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Hah… fun!
From latest up:
1) Email from project manager (job #1) with attached PDF for revision
British Airways frequent flyer newsletter
2) Ex girlfriend asking me to proofread her interview that she’s about to submit to American photografer
3) Amazon order dispatch notification
4) Snazzy newsletter from hip theatre group (related to job #2)
5) Amazon order dispatch notification
6) Alitalia frequent flyer newsletter
7) Amazon order dispatch notification
9) Ex girlfriend whining about her editor in chief (see email #2)
10) Friend informing me she had a dream involving herself, farty baby seals and Lt. Laguerta from “Dexter”
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:25 pm
After writing this post, my email coincidentally got hacked and sent viagra spam to my entire address book. So now, my inbox is all about viagra. Now, my personality test is skewed or – more accurately – screwed.
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Yeah yeah:
1.) Friend hosting arts and crafts night at local bar for glittery gays. glue guns and glitter provided. BYOB (bring your own bedazzler).
2.) negotiating weekend in Michigan/Bells beer
3.) College alumni stuff
4.) Roadtrip info to NC for a very gay beach wedding
5.) more alum event planning stuff
6.) pizza on Saturday? yay? nay? (nay)
7.) roller derby on Saturday? (yay)
8.) order confirmation for new kicks
9.) vague work stuff
10.) more vague work stuff
March 24th, 2010 at 5:03 am
Ooh fun game!
1) Email from Mum and Sister about Grandpa
Work email (yeah, I’ll get right on that, Clive)
2) Tiger English: TEACH in SOUTH KOREA and CHINA (nay)
3) GTS comments
4) Email from GirlsGetaway site; plz write about Borneo
5) Change.org- CNN’s new homophobe; Reckless executions in Texas
6) Travelzoo, win a holiday
7) Email from sister
9) Email from friend
10) Email from Borneo Travel Guide.
From this, one can deduce that I am interested in women, travel, Borneo, issues and family
yay.
March 24th, 2010 at 5:04 am
I like it how all our 8′s followed by a bracket becomes a dude with shades
heh heh.
March 24th, 2010 at 10:10 am
This is so much more entertaining than a Magic 8 Ball.
p.s. Never use Twitter as a Magic 8 Ball. It doesn’t work. I’ve tried…with a major life decision, no less.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:27 am
1.) Travelocity offers me cheap hotel rates in Albequerque.
2.) Peaceful Valley seed starting tips.
3.) New bill from SoCal Gas.
4.) and 5.) Facebook comment notifications.
6.) Amazon offers the 30-day shred.
7.) Shipment notification from Merck-Medco.
8.) Daily post from local news aggregator.
9.) and 10.) Facebook comment notifications.
This is fun! Obvs I spend too much time on facebook. Should I start shredding…? At least I could pay my gas bill…
March 24th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
i wonder if it’s because you don’t work enough, because 9/10 of the most recent emails i’ve received are related to my work.
March 24th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Jessica – I can assure you that I’m not some socialite who doesn’t work for a living. I just keep my work and personal email separate. My list of 10 work emails would all be related to my social work cases and they are all depressing.
March 24th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I would need a straight jacket if I was stuck using the same email for personal and work.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
My last 10 work emails:
1. Random Moment prompt (select the code that best describes your current work activity)
2. notification that the employee recognition awards are out
3. e-mail from supervisor about spam from my personal account
4. e-mail about cancelling a service referral
5. list of low cost dentists
6. e-mail from a copy saying he won’t be charging my case (big surprise)
7. e-mail from cop saying he’ll have documentation for me this week (uh huh)
8. there is a new hire
9. e-mail from case aide saying no one has called her back
10. notification that I have a new case
Print out this list and use it when you run out of Ambien.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
How come Yip got a better avatar? I still think mine looks like a penis with a tail.
I am jealous of Yip and I am not-totes happy
March 24th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Fox. I know you, you socialite of the Minnessota Socialites. You, and your fur coat, anti-PETA, chocolate covered bacon mixing it all up with nothing but fun. GET TO WORK!
March 24th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
You people…don’t you know I have better things to do? I have to go to a socialite luncheon and then to a board meeting for my philanthropic foundation: Lesbians for a Humor-Filled Society. Sheesh.
::exits with a dramatic swish of mink stole::
March 24th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
p.s. Underfire – your avatar totally looks like a penis. Looks like I got the uterus and fallopian tubes.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Why wasn’t I invited into this society? I already have membership in many sarcastic societies, but this one sounds new and interesting.
But I got the penis? I would gladly take a crab or a uterus over a penis. Although, it does look like the penis is saying “TADA!” It just makes me cringe looking at whatever is coming out the top. Oy.
March 25th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Running my campus queer dept this year means that all my inbox really says is that I’m a massive GAY. The gay is slowly consuming all other facets of my personality..
1. question from little uni queer about dyke drink sesh this weekend.
2. facebook invite to friend’s garage sale (drag queen – selling off all his down-class fab to buy up glitzier shit)
3. facebook invite to monthly queer thing
4. brother-from-another-mother’s email list newsletter, about his upcoming gigs
5. email about organising impolite queer debutante ball for fundraising
6. facebook message with random quotes about debs
7. email from work account with photos from queer dept/zine submissions
8. corps law notes from friend for missed class
9. update from local dyke band (acoustic guitar + angst = vagina music)
10. email from former highschool english teacher about catching up over easter
March 26th, 2010 at 5:24 am
I rarely clean out my gmail, I just delete the junk and let the replies stack, so my last 10 emails are mostly dull/repetitive:
1- Autostraddle task from L- (transcription request)
2- Borders Rewards coupon (40% off!)
3- grad school rejection letter
4- a note from Children International asking for more money
5- email from R-/Autostraddle
6- Autostraddle/Technostraddle task from T-
7- emails from one Grace Fox about Peeps
8- email about a press opportunity with JuicyPinkBox (the new lez porn site)
9- Autostraddle task from L- (transcribing, again)
10- emails to/from T- about Technostraddle stuff
March 26th, 2010 at 5:59 am
I have four email accounts. This is too difficult. Mehhh.
March 26th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
These are fun to read
My school email comes to gmail…
1)BOA Balance Alert (groan)
2)grad school classmate: “graduation afterparty at my house!”
3)another grad school classmate, linking http://www.hulu.com/watch/4165/saturday-night-live-census-taker as an example of a psych interview
4)an email from school about where the 5th year med students matched (i dropped out of the med school part of a joint MD-MS program)
5) a link to the Bracket of Evil: “Now that the Sinister Sixteen is over, it’s time to view the results and cast your votes in the Egregious Eight.”
6)an email from my girlfriend titled “phone badness”
7)a copy of a post from my blog
8)a third grad school classmate, sending 2 pictures: a professor’s 3 year old daughter holding a bottle of “bitch” wine, and 3 of our classmates pulling a free used TV UP a san francisco hill in a shopping cart
9)a Southwest itinerary for my flight to Oakland to graduate
10)first grad school classmate, replying to a video link I sent her of “european pandas!”
so, um… I’m in grad school, liberal, and my girlfriend is stressed out. Yes, that about sums things up. (We just didn’t get far enough back to get to Friday’s “Che, get your thesis done!” emails.)
March 28th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I’m visiting grad schools this month, so my inbox is basically nothing but e-mails from professors and department admins.
1. prof about recent visit
2. prof and grad student about recent visit
3. department head about upcoming vist
4. department admin about reimbursement forms
5. LinkedIn, which I for some reason haven’t deleted yet
6. my “it’s complicated” complaining about her job
7. Amtrak ticket reservation
8. grad student about upcoming visit
9. department admin about upcoming visit
10. prof about upcoming visit
etc., etc…if I went back 10 more emails it would probably be much of the same, thus proving that I currently have no life outside of choosing a grad school…I’m not even IN school yet and it’s taking over!
March 31st, 2010 at 3:24 pm
e-mail from myself: copies of my two term papers
e-mail from my boss and co-worker (counting these two as one): talking about a photo essay in this week’s paper
e-mail from Tabi: a note to her prof for me to proofread
e-mail from my prof: answering my question about the current essay
e-mail from a blog: permission to reprint a recipe in their column
e-mail from prof: test marks are up with corrections
e-mail from Livestrong.com: newsletter and current issues
e-mail from Fictionwise: receipt purchase
e-mail from iSay: new survey
e-mail from PoF: new message in my inbox
March 31st, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I’m with Chu on this one…two e-mail accounts from work and two personal accounts is simply too much for me to go through. I check each of them daily so here is the gist-my work ones are generally unnecessary “inspirational” crap from my principal with an occasional SUPER important one I didn’t read. My one personal account is filled with spam and the other is pretty evenly split with notices from blogger, facebook and messages from my mom.
April 14th, 2010 at 2:35 am
I am chronically late to this shindig, but my most recent 10 emails
1. reminder about fundraising event for boy’s creche
2. confirmation of lecture for Workers’ Educational Association
3. Request for copies of lecture slides
4. Invitation to tour group dinner
5. Request for cellphone number from donor dad (he’s a techno spaz)
6. forwarded email from Mrs with contact details of recently moved neighbour
7. Message from friend in Uk who is visiting in Nov
8. Email from Mrs about random house hunting online
9. Committee email from creche
10. Update from great friend Oop North
Ugh. I need a social life.