I could have picked “life” or “death” as an appropriate seed idea this week, but I think I can go one better. And I’ll even put my answers in, this time.

PAST – Music is just another of those deeply personal things that affects all of us in subtly different ways. One of the most powerful is the way it brings us back to an earlier time. Tell us about a song that takes you way, way back.

(You know what takes me back to New York faster than anything? Those old Simon & Garfunkel standards. Pick one, any one, and suddenly I’m back in that cluttered bedroom holding the album sleeve in my hands and reading the lyrics.)

PRESENT – How about giving us a quick glance at the music you’ve been listening to lately?

(A few tracks from the first Linkin Park album, some Space Brothers, Kevin Gilbert and Toy Matinee, Midnight Oil, VAST, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, some random stuff from anime music videos and what-not. Not necessarily in that order.)

FUTURE – Mega-palooza 2030 is coming, and all of your favorite musical artists are on the bill (even if some of them are actually holographic recreations). Name the headliner and a few supporting acts.

(Genesis, including Phil, Peter, Steve and even Ray. Pink Floyd, including Sid and Roger, mainly because I’ve never been to a Floyd show. Kevin Gilbert in some capacity, any capacity. The Pet Shop Boys will be running the discoteque at the opposite end of the venue. Midnight Oil will open the show, because nobody gets you moving like the Oils.)

You know the drill by now, I hope. Leave a comment with either your answers or a link to ’em, and if you link back to the PPF please use this address: http://greyduck.net/ppf/

This one’s for Uncle George, and for all of the Kerezman clan, artists that we all are deep down inside.

This week’s seed idea should be pretty obvious. But then, I’ve always been an inventive sort of guy…

PAST – Things rarely work out the way we originally intend for them to. This phenomenon is most obvious in the fields of technology and invention. Imagine what you would say to someone, assuming you had a way to send a message to the past, about what their creation has wrought in the world.

PRESENT – We’re all clever folks here. If you were suddenly imbued with inventive genius, what spectacular innovation would you create?

FUTURE – It’s the year 2050 and you’re obligated to contact your friends and family to wish them well during the holiday season. (Why? Because you’re a nice person.) Back in the 90’s you might have used a cellular phone or perhaps electronic mail, but those days are long gone. Now you use… what?

No “seed idea” credits this week, as this inspiration just struck me out of the blue about fifteen minutes ago. You’re always free to email me (via the link right below the duck logo) any seed ideas you might have for future PPFs. As I did last week, my answers will appear later in the day in the comment file. And remember, if you don’t leave a comment then nobody will know you answered this week’s challenge!

If you want to link back, please use this URL: http://greyduck.net/ppf/

Getting right to the point:

PAST: The term “rebellious teenager” is sort of redundant, when you get right down to it. It’s probably safe to assume that you made a nuisance of yourself more than once during those years. Tell us about the most memorable stunt you pulled. It’s okay, I’m sure the statute of limitations has run out by now.

PRESENT: You can’t have completely lost your desire to do absurd and silly things. Fantasize for a moment (but not too long) about a silly stunt you wish you could get away with today. Yes, this very day. And then, of course, share your fantasy with the world.

FUTURE: Hauling more cliches out of the closet we have the phrase “going out in a blaze of glory.” You’re 110 years old, give or take a couple of decades. Having made the solemn decree that you will go out with a bang instead of a whimper, what crazy scheme have you come up with to make your entrance to the afterlife the stuff of legend?

I’d like to thank Lilith for her list of seed ideas, from which I picked this week’s concept. If you have some seed ideas to share, let me know via the email link right there below the duck logo. Remember, if you answer these on your website, please leave a comment so people can find ’em. And when you link to Past, Present, Future please use this URL: http://greyduck.net/ppf/

Thank you!

(update: my answers are in the comments. so there.)

I threatened to do it, I agonized over doing it, I was too busy to do it last week, I agonized over doing a special website for it, and now I’m just going to do it and damn the consequences.

Here you are, folks. Welcome to the first incarnation of Past, Present, Future. It’s going to live right here in the middle of my journal for the first stage of its existence. What I have done, however, is create a quaint little link for when you want to share the love with the rest of the Blogosphere.

http://greyduck.net/ppf/ will bring you to the most-recent PPF entry automagically. It’s just that easy. Please note that if I’ve created a new PPF on Thursday night you won’t be able to see it until after midnight. If you see “No items returned,” you know to check back later.

Oh, you actually wanted the questions? All right then. Here’s how it works. I take a seed idea and develop three questions or challenges, one each relating to (you guessed it) the past, the present and the future. My goal is to be relatively non-obvious and at least mildly challenging, to offer something a bit more fun than, “What are your plans for the weekend?” or, “How long have you been a homo sapiens?”

You know the drill: Answer the questions on your own site or in the comments (“wisequacks”) if you’re so inclined. Use the link I just showed you to send interested parties to the current PPF. Please leave a comment, including your web address, so the rest of us can find your answers (and so I can get that lovely ego boost as I count how many folks choose to waste their time on this).

And so, without further ado and to permit those holding their breath to breathe, I present the very first Past, Present, Future.

PAST: I’ll bet you occasionally wonder whatever became of the very first person you kissed in a romantic sort of way. You may not know where they are now, but you could spend a couple of amusing minutes speculating. Go ahead and share that speculation with us.

PRESENT: Our idea of “romance” changes over time. The giddy, heart-pounding energy of youth gives way to the soft, warm glow in a more mature heart. I’m not really going anywhere with this, I just like to play with words. Your chance to show me up comes when I tell you to offer your own definition of “romance.”

FUTURE: You’ve come into a fairly decent sum of money, and the prime object of your affections doesn’t yet know. Wouldn’t it be fun to do something hopelessly, adorably romantic? This is the sort of thing you don’t get to do very often in a lifetime, so the romantic surprise should be appropriately memorable. Tell us how you’re going to bring that sparkle to the eyes of your one true love. We can keep a secret… for a price.

(I offer no kudos for seed ideas this week, due to getting carried away with my own cleverness. It happens. If you want to plant an idea seed in my mind, use the email link just below the duck logo. Thanks!)