Joy in the Ugly Process

I was nominated for a Liebster Award, which is probably not an award.
Actually, my academic diary was nominated, but this is clearly a non-academic subject, and as such does not belong on my professional publications. So I'm publishing it here.

I'm going to participate anyway. The rules say that I must A) link back to the blogger who nominated me, B) volunteer eleven facts about myself, C) answer eleven questions asked of me by the previous blogger, D) nominate more bloggers with fewer than 200 followers, and E) ask eleven questions for them.

Here you go:

I was nominated by Eve

Facts about me:
1. I'm both a practicing Mormon, and a PhD student, which makes my philosophical life a narrow but extremely stable catwalk above a roiling sea of unfounded convictions and liberal prejudices evinced by my peers and superiors.
2. I grew up in a very large family, which taught me two things: eat fast, and talk loud.
3. I have never been married, had a child, or been in a long-term, romantic relationship beyond High School.
4. I have accounts on at least five different dating sites, and the only thing that's come of any of them are two very lude propositions.
5. I don't need music to survive; the soundtrack in my head is enough.
6. I would rather read a paperback novel than anything else in the world, except write one.
7. I still have home-like affection for Detroit, Oxford, Bonn, and Muhlheim a.M., despite having lived in each place for only very short periods. I automatically dislike any writer who graduated from Cambridge.
8. I love driving alone for long distances. When I've had adequate sleep.
9. I sporadically maintain four separate blogs.
10. I own more technology than the rest of my roommates combined.
11. I can fix a printer with a table knife. 

Eve's Questions:
1. If you could change your name for a day--what would you change it to and why? I love my names. I would absolutely not change them.
2. If you were Oprah Winfrey--what awesome gift would you bestow on everyone you know? I hate Oprah. I'm not sure I could deal with that kind of self-image, and it certainly wouldn't turn into awesome gifts for everybody I know. So let's leave the media mogul out of it, and imagine I'm connected and wealthy. I'd pay all their student loans. Period.
3. If you could live anywhere for 3 months--all expenses paid--where would you live? I would live with my aunt Connie in Maryland, and write books, and take care of her horses.
4. What is the bravest thing you've ever done? Spoken up in class.
5. What song would describe your life this past year? 

6. What is your greatest strength? Words.
7. What three values best define you? Persistence, creativity, and humility
8. What was the last movie you saw and what did you think of it? Imitation of Life (1959), and I found it deeply troubling on many levels.
9. Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Miles Vorkosigan, because he's short and ugly, and makes every mistake, and still finds family and happiness.
10. What living person inspires you today? Mitt Romney. He faced mockery and humiliation, and then he LOST. It takes more than thick skin to do that. I admire losers.
11. If you as your adult self could go back in time and have a conversation with your 11 year old self--what would you tell her? The police will catch the man on the phone, and you'll be safe. He won't kill you. Daniel will help you, and the boy on the phone will stay away. It will be okay.

I shall not nominate anyone for this award (Yes, I break rules), because I know too few people whose blogs are appropriate for this kind of silliness, and those few people wouldn't notice if I did.
But if you want to nominate yourself or someone else, please do so in the comments! I'm always open.

If you do, here are your questions:
1. How would you cook your favorite meal?
2. Where is your towel?
3. How frightened are you of death?
4. Under what circumstances can you define yourself as a feminist? (How would you have to define feminism to consider yourself one?)
5. What's your favorite non-home building in your current city? What would you do if you had the keys?
6. What is your favorite line/s in all of literature/poetry?
7. As a child, what was your favorite form of play?
8. If you were to produce a film, what genre/sub-genre would it be?
9. What do you do when you need to force yourself to relax?
10. What makes you angry fastest? (What is your button?)
11. Which non-porn film do you wish you could erase from your memory?