What's in a Meme?

I've been meaning for weeks to tease out some response to John's good-natured turn on the meme-wheel at Machina Memorialis and Riannan's inclusion of me on her tag list.

But it being me, you have to know I'll take a roundabout path.

I find other people's meme responses interesting, my own less so. I find memes, in themselves, riveting.

Oh okay. Interesting. I'll ratchet down the hyperbole a bit, though I am suffering from wrenching agonies over the construction in my house. I'm plumb tired, I'm coming unhinged.

Anyway.

What's the great attraction of these little lists? Are they all just in fun? Are they taking us from bad to worse? Or could we maybe, just maybe, use these little demontologies to get us somewhere?

You be da judge. My four (or maybe five) meme-y things to come on Friday.

Cause I'm busy tomorrow, and next there's Poetry Thursday. Prolly the best meme I spread all week.

[Sandy Skoglund installation courtesy of the lovely but apparently dead--sniff--blog, temporary.ca]