Who's the coolest culinary celebrity?
Alton Brown and his flamin' Kitchenaid hotrod mixer.
If you could write like one fiction author, who would it be?
Submitted by Marilyn.
I would love to write like Melanie Rawn because she has created very original fantasy worlds that suck you in. Not generic popular fantasy, but something completely different. New languages, new traditions, new politics. I love her books and she's one of my favorite authors.
How have people mispronounced your name? How is it supposed to sound?
Submitted by Lorie.
Well, I don't have this name anymore, but my last name was mispronounced so often that I was *surprised* when they pronounced it right. I also usually spelled it out for anyone I gave my name to as it was misspelled just as often. There are Aikens and Atkens and Akens and Atkins and Akins - so it doesn't help matters. Now that Clay Aiken is popular, I could just say it's spelled like his name. I have a new name now which *should* be easier to spell and pronounce, but most people ask for the spelling anyways. My kingdom for a last name like Smith or Brown! I still haven't gotten used to writing my new name, it looks ugly every time I write it because I don't have years of practice yet.
Also, when I was a kid, I'd get teased a lot. One particular teasing I still remember rather well, although not traumatic. Just.. amusing. One of the PE coaches in 8th grade used to bend over like he was in pain and say, "oh my achin' back" whenever he'd see me. It was annoying, but at least he was the only one that did it.
My FIRST name is a different story. I have a pet peeve when people call me "Lezzzlie" - I don't know why but it probably has something to do with people calling me "Lezzzzzbian" in gradeschool. I prefer the ess sound to the ezz sound.
I found this story to be a macabre Valentine, but an interesting read.
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen a ghost?
Submitted by Nancy.
I like to think I don't, but if I didn't, then I wouldn't be afraid of them. I used to scare myself by watching the ghost stories from "Unsolved Mysteries". I'm afraid of the unknown and I'm not sure if I actually think they're out there or not. I was just talking to my husband about this very subject sometime this week. I have never encountered what I believe to be a ghost, but I've heard a lot of rather convincing ghost stories. Mostly from my grandmother who has seen people who have passed on that she knew or didn't know, but knew of. Some of her stories about these were fascinating, but I've also heard stories about people who were only seeing people/pets who had passed on because they were on too much medication. I believe that our physical reality is so tied into our perception that we can be made to see things that technically aren't there. It starts making my head spin!

I was just talking to my husbandNow that made MY head spin! haha read more
on QotD: Ghost Story