Getting to Know You : A Survey ......... (please contribute if you are as eager to talk about yourselves as I am to know about you all!)

Age: 23

Height: 5'2" (although I swear you're taller than me Sarah)

Fav Band: Oh erm, New Order, Blondie, The Smiths, Joni Mitchell, Miss Kitten, The Beach Boys, Orbital, Television, Joy Division (I can never answer this question fully or properly)

Fav Movie: Breakfast at Tiffanys, Stealing Beauty, Before Sunrise, The Last Picture Show, Casablanca, Blade Runner, the Star Wars trilogy.

Fav TV Show: Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, Sex and the City.

Fav Book: An Artist of The Floating World, Generation X, The Great Gatsby, The New Journalism, Atomised, can't think, can't think, and some others.

Fav Food: Cheese

Fav Sport: No, no a thousand times no.

Fav Athlete: A blank zone in my mind

Drink of Choice: Red wine, JD and coke, poncey cocktails I can't afford, tea, champange.

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): Spliffs

Smoker? : Yup, Camel Lights

Occupation : Journalist

Do you work out? : Hmm, I try to. Swimming occassionaly, roller blading when I think there will be no small children to laugh, sit ups when I am feeling fat.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : Depending on mood between 2 and 8.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : Oh God, I think I'm quite nice to people, but I'm bloody boring when drunk, I don't bitch, but I do make snap judgements, I can be amusing, but I can also be shallow at times. Cross and neurotic vs quite thoughtful. Um, 6/7?

Name: Jeff W
Age: 37
Height: 1m70 (I think)
Fav composers: Bach, Mozart, Berio, Howells, Lutoslawski
Fav Records: "Good Vibrations", "Heard it through the Grapevine" (Marvin), "Tiger Feet", Close To The Edge, anything by Stereolab
Fav Movie: Once Upon A Time In The West (possibly)
Fav movie trilogies: The Godfather Parts I-III; Antoine et Colette/Baisers volées/Domicile conjugal; Alien//s/³
Fav TV Show: The Simpsons, Buffy, UFO
Fav Book: The Wrench (Primo Levi)
Fav Actors (m/f): Jack Nicholson, Cameron Diaz, Christinna Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, Kirsten Dunst, Winona Ryder, Drew Barrymore.

Fav Sport: Baseball

Fav Food: Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

Drink of Choice: Chimay Bleu or Leffe Blonde (when in Belgium), Bass or London Pride (when in UK)
Drug of Choice: N/A
Smoker? : Nope

Occupation : Brussels Bureaucrat

Do you work out? : hahahahahahahahahahahaha

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : 5

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : 3

Name: petra jane XXXXXXX
Age: eleventeen
Height: six foot exactly. i've been measured like 4 times this month. i dunno what they're expecting yeknow...
Fav Band: wire, hugo montenegro and his orchestra [does that count?], the fall, nancy + lee, the surfaris, johnny cash, the datsuns, sleater-kinney, stereolab, deep purple, neil young, sonic youth, the kinks, whoever did the macguyver, speed racer and knightrider theme tunes...oh, lots ok.
Fav Movie: Amelie, Ring, Gattaca, War Games, The Exorcist, 2001, Brazil, To Kill A Mockingbird, Battleship Potemkin
Fav TV Show: Simpsons, an' i always try to watch family guy and buffy.
Fav Book: On The Road, The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The See, The Outsider, The Long Goodbye, The Rules Of Attraction, Lolita, Breakfast At Tiffanys, the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, Brecht's Parables of the Theatre...books are choice.
Fav Actor: um...maybe Gregory Peck, maybe.
Fav Actress: Ally Sheedy circa 'war games'
Fav Food: sushi, bagels, stonefruits.
Fav Sport: none
Fav Athlete: see above
Drink of Choice: Vodka + cranberry, monteiths, bloody marys
Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): caffeine, alcohol, rock n roll
Smoker?: passive
Occupation: stalker
Do you work out? : no, walk lots though. apparently i have a good arse.
oh, and i'm not gonna rank my looks/personality on a scale cause i think the idea's silly. though let's say 3 when i wake up in the morning, peaking abt 7.4, 8 on a good hair day.

whose job is it to enter this in a big ol mainframe DATE-O-MATIC matchmaking computer then, huh?

Height: dont know

Fav Bands/artists:Jon Carter, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Orbital, loads more that noone cares or knows about, mainly house.

Fav Movie: meh.

Fav TV Show: match of the day probably.

Fav Book: If This is a Man by Primo Levi

Fav Actor: no preference

Fav Actress: no preference

Fav Food: Chinese.

Fav Sport: Soccer

Fav Athlete: Michael Owen (FA Cup two goals against Arsenal; for a L'pool supporter too young to remember them winning anything this was the best moment ever)

Drink of Choice: beer, coca cola, vodka.

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): ALCOHOL, "club drugs".

Smoker? :yep marlboro lights.

Occupation : I don't know whether to say Journalist (student) or Student (Journalist)

Do you work out? :Christ no.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : It's up to other people, what I think doesn't really matter. What number is a healthy "I don't care too much either way".

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : Hmmm dunno, I bitch constantly and am irritable and cranky and dislike lots of people, so TEN! no I don't know, again I can't really do this sort of thing, judge for yourself.

Add anything you want people to know: I left the Chicken Tikka in the oven ok? It's set to come on at 6 so if you get in before then just make sure it's ok? There's also some fried rice ok? Thanks.

Age:25 Height:6'2"

Fav Band: band: LOVE, RUN DMC, FUNCADELIC, DEXY'S, THE WHO, ERIC B AND RAKIM, X-RAY SPECS Artist: MARVIN GAYE, PRINCE, DIONNE WARWICK, CAROLE KING

Fav Movie: Apocalypse now

Fav TV Show: anything Chris Morris/ Armando iannuci linked (probably "im Alan PArtridge")

Fav Book: Catcher in the rye

Fav Actor: Bobbie De Niro / jay and silent bob

Fav Actress: joey lauren adams (i dig her squeky voice)

Fav Food: crisps

Fav Sport: football

Fav Athlete: Harry Kewel

Drink of Choice: lager (red stripe or stella)

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): not so now

Smoker? : most def

Occupation : hmmm computer monkey sums up how i feel

Do you work out? : yeah im buffed - ha shit no - i play footie once a week and moan fro the next three days

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : def not ugly but not about to rate myself (screw it im an 8)

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : personality is different tho - im a great person to be around - im hitting the high 9's

Add anything you want people to know: currently very much in love - great feeling, just moved in with my girlfriend and things are about as perfect as i can ever expect them to be.

i am also a compulsive buyer of trainers - i think it is a mental problem i have

Fav Band: erm right now, belle and sebastian, Flaming lips and Yo La Tengo and Mogwai

Fav Movie: Ferris Bueller's day off, Bring it on, Amelie (although I need a couple more watches of it to be sure )

Fav TV Show: Simpsons and Jackass equal tie

Fav Book: generation X, Real Food, Mediterranean cookery by Elizabeth David

Fav Actor: De Niro

Fav Actress:Emily Watson

Fav Food: impossible to narrow down

Fav Sport: Association Football

Fav Athlete: Kenny Dalglish, Brian Jacks, Steven Gerrard, Alan Hansen, Ian Botham

Drink of Choice: proper bitter, with a head on it

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): Dope I suppose

Smoker? :nah

Occupation :unwaged

Do you work out? :I should

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? :6

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? :6

Age: 36

Height: 5ft 10"

Fav Musicians: Oval, Sonic Youth, Can, Neu, Kraftwerk, Acid Mothers Temple, the Dead C, Maurizio, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Derek Bailey, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, the Stooges, Television, This Heat, Gastr Del Sol, Fushitsusha, Destiny's Child blah blah

Fav Movie: 'The Mother and the Whore' and most things by Michael Haneke, Godard, Bresson, Argento, Bava, Kubrick etc. etc.

Fav TV Show: 'Larry Sanders' (all-time) and 'Hollyoaks' (on-going)

Fav Book: 'The Purloined Clinic' by Janet Malcolm or 'A Whore Like All the Rest' by Richard Meltzer (NonFic); 'Sixty Stories' by Donald Barthelme or 'A Scanner Darkly' by Phillip K Dick (Fic)

Fav Actor: James Woods or Gene Hackman

Fav Actress: Anna Karina or Janeane Garofalo

Fav Food: Curry

Fav Sport: Football

Fav Athlete: Tony Adams

Drink of Choice: Red Wine

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): it is my thing

Smoker? : oh god yes

Occupation : freelance writer/bum

Do you work out? : i work out of my house

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : the low end

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : i am a grumpy old git

Emma, 5' 5'', 27, 10, 10, coke, white wine / vodka, Evil Dead II or the Slipper and the Rose (I WANT A SWING WITH FLOWERS GODDAMMIT), Marlboro lights mmmmm, Eastenders, very expensive food.

Age: 17 in nine days

Height: 5'1" (officially the shortest person on this thread)

Fav Band: Today I was listening to Momus and Rimsky-Korsakov. Neither qualifies as a band. I listen to Belle & Sebastian more than any other band, though.

Fav Movie: The Princess Bride, Velvet Goldmine

Fav TV Show: I don't have one, but last week I watched Mole and Buffy and they were entertaining.

Fav Book: This is worse than the favorite band question. I really love fairy tales: The Once and Future King (and whatever other King Arthur books I can find), Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, Diana Wynne Jones books, and The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.

Fav Actor: currently Jude Law

Fav Actress: still Julie Andrews

Fav Food: whatever tastes good

Fav Sport: biking or canoeing or kayaking

Fav Athlete: i don't watch sports

Drink of Choice: i don't drink either

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): or do drugs

Smoker? : nope

Occupation : unemployed high school student

Do you work out? : once every couple of months i go on a long run. then i remember that I HATE RUNNING and stop.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : 5. i'm not good- looking by any means, but i need room to get uglier as i get older.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : maybe a 7 when i'm given time to just sit around alone, a 2 when i'm around people.

Name: Hello, Mark Pytlik. We have recommendations for you. (If you're not Mark Pytlik, click here.) Age: 24 Height: 6 feet of skinny Fav Band: Boards Of Canada, Eno, Radiohead (don't shoot!) Fav Movie: Waking Life? Rushmore? Fav TV Show: Simpsons (old eps obv) Fav Book: Sadly, I've not read a book in months. Everything else, I've forgotten. Fav Actor: Lately, Luke Wilson makes me laugh like a drugged loon. Fav Actress: Toni Collette is cool. Fav Food: Italian. Carbs + cheese == Mm. Fav Sport: Hockey. Fav Athlete: What a silly question. Drink of Choice: Anything with vodke. Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): There's lots. Smoker? : In denial. Occupation : 'Music' 'writer' Do you work out? : On and off. On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : Judging from the girls who seem to date me, about an eight or nine. Otherwise, I'd say sevenish. On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : If I don't like you or have just met you, two. Otherwise, eightish, with points off for compulsive, geeky behaviour and for my tendency to lapse into complete fuckwaddishness from time to time.

Fav Band: James Brown's touring band, early 1970-early 1971. Either that or Wire.

Fav Movie: What's Up, Doc?

Fav TV Show: The Prisoner

Fav Book: Infinite Jest

Fav Actor: Toshiro Mifune

Fav Actress: Sherilyn Fenn

Fav Photograph of an Actor/Actress: the one of Zero Mostel where he's turning himself into a rhinoceros using only his facial expression and body language

Fav Food: marzipan

Fav Sport: competitive interactive fiction design

Fav Athlete: n/a

Drink of Choice: peach Vitamin Water

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): it isn't at all

Smoker?: nope!

Occupation : writer

Do you work out? : At least a few times a week.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : "I don't get high on my own supply"

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : "No credit will be given for plagiarized work"

I've posted like three times total on ILE, but I can't resist self-description.

Brad Luen, 22 years in Manukau City, 1.73m (go metric).

OK Jazz... nah, who am I kidding, the Beatles.

As of last Thursday, Laurent Cantet's Time Out.

Simpsons, Sound and the Fury, Denzel, Maggie Cheung.

Tikka masala, cricket, "Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit.

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat, not right now, never.

Student/teaching assistant, purely cardiovascular.

10, 10 - anything lower would suggest some form of modesty, which would just be wrong.

err...who? is that a good thing? i bet elisabeth and andrew are real spunky too tho i have not seen them

too right they are! 10s all round. what is it about ILE that attracts such foxxy foxes? and short-arses?

Haha josh, that's a bit rich coming from someone who uses "'inverted commas'" for quotation marks. At least nitsuh knows that it's "soccer" and not 'soccer'.

Age: 25

Height:6'2"

Fav Band: Changes every day this morning I would have to say Parliment.

Fav Movie: Again changes all the time at the moment it is All About My Mother because I saw it again at the weekend, although it will be different tommorrow.

Fav TV Show: 24 at the moment Fav Book: Down and Out in Paris and London

Fav Actor: Robert De Nero

Fav Actress: Audrey Hepburn

Fav Food: Lobster

Fav Sport: Football

Fav Athlete: Phil "The Power" Taylor

Drink of Choice: Exotic continental Larger

Smoker? : I am a lapsed reformed smoker.

Do you work out? : Oh yeah!! (Sometimes up to once a month)

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : Not sure I leave that to other people to judge, Oh fuck it 10!

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : Not sure I leave that to other people to judge, Oh fuck it 10!

Nineteen years later ......

Name: Alex in NYC
Age: 53
Height: 6'1"

Fav Band: Killing Joke (duh!), Cop Shoot Cop

Fav Movie: "After Hours"

Fav TV Show: Ah, who cares? I'm looking forward to the return of "Succession."

Fav Book: "Please Kill Me" by Legs McNeil & Gillian McCain

Fav Actor: Don't know that I have one.

Fav Actress: I think Hayley Atwell is quite striking.

Fav Food: Depends on the mood, but I'm a sucker for a good Caprese.

Fav Sport: Fuck sports.

Fav Athlete: Fuck athletes

Drink of Choice: Beer and lots of it, thank you.

Drug of Choice (if that's your thing): Not anymore.

Smoker? : Never my thing.

Occupation : I was a journalist for many years, but now work in corporate communications for a performing rights organization.

Do you work out? : I used to.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your looks? : I wouldn't.

On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your personality? : I would't.

Glad I never did this. I can only imagine how embarrassing my 2002 answers would have been.