Encyclopedia of Me - I (Mark)

(Photo credits: bestfreepictures.org; amazon.com; hrc.org; wikimedia.org; americantowns.com; fansided.com)

Ireland: Yeah, my last name is Irish. No, I'm not that Irish, but my mother did send me to school wearing a shamrock that said "Kiss me. I'm Irish." pinned to my shirt in elementary school. And even though my last name is the most Irish thing about me, I do have a fondness for a lot of Irish things. I make a mean Irish pork medallion and soda bread on St. Patrick's Day. And my special Irish boilermaker chili is fantastic (one can of Guinness and a shot of Jameson's--perfection). I like Irish folk and rock music (Flogging Molly is a particular favorite of mine). I think the accent from The Emerald Isle is great. One of these days we'll get over there and kiss the Blarney Stone. Or maybe just stand down below and let others lean out and do that. Éirinn go Brách!

"I Could Write a Book": The song is an old standard, but the Harry Connick, Jr. version from "When Harry Met Sally" has a special place in my heart. Whenever I hear the song I think of Stacy, not only because we both like Harry, but also for what the song's lyrics say. It ended up in our wedding video, so that should tell you something.

Inequality: This is something that I've given a lot of thought to over the years, and the older I get the more impatient I get with inequality in the world. There is no excuse to treat another human being with anything less than respect and fairness. It doesn't matter what that person's situation is; everyone deserves the best. White, black, male, female, gay, straight, whatever. Equality is the only way. Period.

"The Incredibles": I know this movie is polarizing among Pixar loyalists, but being a big James Bond fan I really enjoyed this movie. It was a bit more adult than the other Pixar films to that point, but I thought it was brilliant. The kids were watching it yesterday and from the other room I heard the music and you could tell they channeled Bond all the way. Plus, an eccentric billionaire with a private island, and a hideout beneath the waterfall. "The Man with the Golden Gun" anyone? (Sidenote, I love Nick Nack in that one. I'm just saying.)

Inglewood, CA: My father grew up in his grandmother's house in Inglewood, not far from The Forum (now Staples Center). I have a lot of fond memories of going to her house, digging holes in the back yard, climbing the lemon trees, looking up obscure words in her Scrabble dictionary, drinking fresh lemonade, playing with her cats named Boy (every cat she ever had was named Boy), and even spending some holidays there with my father's extended family. Nana's house was a great place to hang out, even if the neighborhood had changed just a bit since the 50s and 60s. It was also very close to Disneyland, which meant a day trip every time we went there. I still have two quilts my great-grandmother made for me, and I can often hear her say her favorite phrase: "Mercy, mercy, mercy." (Inglewood is also the home of the Los Angeles Lakers, which I loved watching from the days of Magic Johnson until now, though not as much these days.)

Ishikawa, Travis: This obscure first baseman/outfielder for the Giants hit one of the biggest home runs in San Francisco history this past season. His home run won the game that sent the Giants to the World Series, which they would eventually win, for the third time in 5 years. I've got to say, after watching him be traded from team to team during a very below average major league career, it was pretty cool to watch him have a moment like that. That's the thing about baseball: you just never know who's going to be the hero on any given night. (I just watched it again here. It never gets old.)