On March 6, 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev presented the first Periodic Table of the Elements to the Russian Chemical Society. What memories do you have of your high-school chemistry course?

a lot of the memories of high school chemistry are all in my head. i’ve never taken a chemistry course. and that really bummed me out! i *really* wanted to take chemistry; it fascinated me so. and i was placed in honors biology, and the next logical step would’ve been to take honors chemistry, which was talked about as being very hard, but i was up for the challenge! so i was happy when i was recommended for honors chemistry. but it conflicted with one of my required classes so i decided to put it off until the next year–the class was made up of mostly juniors anyway, and it was held on upper campus, so i’d wait until i was a junior. but then i became *really* interested in ocean life. so i ended up veering away from the honors chemistry and ap physics and ended up taking marine biology and oceanography. i’d still love to learn chemistry, though. that must be so fascinating!

On March 6, 1899, the Bayer company registered aspirin as a trademark. When did you last take medication for pain?

i’m always taking medicine for pain, it seems. i’ve had really bad headaches the past two weeks, and though i longed to take something for it, i restrained because it conflicts with my current medication. booo! but i did use some muscle rub the other day for my shoulder. that counts as medicine, right?

On March 6, 1853, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata premiered in Venice. How do you feel about opera?

i don’t think i feel one way or another towards it. i’m not as passionate about it as i am with some other musical things, but i don’t think badly of it, either. i’ve never seen one, though, so maybe i’d change my mind if i was able to sit in a theater and just be a part of that whole atmosphere.

On March 6, 1947, American film director Rob Reiner (Meathead!) was born. Which of these Reiner-directed films have you seen, and what do you think of them?
The Bucket List (2007)
Rumor Has It… (2005)
Alex & Emma (2003)
The Story of Us (1999)
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
The American President (1995)
North (1994)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Misery (1990)
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Stand by Me (1986)
The Sure Thing (1985)
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

um. i don’t think i saw any of these, at least not the whole thing. i did see part of stand by me. well, mostly hear. my sister loved the movie, and we had the tape, and she’d watch it over and over, so i’d always hear it in the background, but i never sat down and actually watched it. i’d start off watching it, but i never made it all the way through. i think i remember the songs more–”everyday it’s a-getting closer” and “lollipop, lollipop, oh lolly lolly pop.” and of course, “stand by me.” which i actually knew more from the radio, but oh well. anyway i had no idea rob reiner did that movie.

On March 6, 1972, American basketball-player Shaquille O’Neal was born. How do you feel about basketball?

i don’t really understand it. i mean, i know you have to take the ball to your side of the court and shoot it and you get 2 points, or 3 points if you’re outside the half-circle thingie, and you get a point for free throws. but i don’t know why people get free throws, or why there are fouls, or why people intentionally foul, or why a layup is not considered travelling when you’re not dribbling while you’re running to do the jump. i grew up around football, and practically every day from april – october, we were watching baseball because my dad was really into the braves, and we would go to islanders’ games and uh football games and little league baseball games … but nothing with basketball. actually, my dad is a great celtics fan (that’s how i know names like kevin mchale and larry bird), but i guess basketball games were more at night when we kids weren’t watching tv, anyway. so i never watched, and i don’t know anything about basketball. but my nephew just joined the basketball team at his school, so i go now to support him, even though i have no idea what’s going on. that’s really all i know about basketball.

hmmm. sorry for the way-too-long answer just to say i don’t know anything. yeesh.

from friday5.