OK Bruce, I’ll bite. Here are the rules:
The instructions as I can gather go; repeat instructions so the next clod in-line can repeat them when you tell them to repeat them (you didn’t tell me to repeat them did you Mikey!); turn to page 123 of the nearest book to you (I’m assuming with 123 pages in it) and write out the 5th sentence.
Glad to see you have The Little Red Writing Book by your computer, even if Christopher Hitchens was 4cm closer. I happen to have Mark Twain’s Roughing It closest at the moment, but only because I was too lazy to put it back on the shelf a few days back, and here is p. 123 of the edition I have (Konemann 2000):
Chapter XXI
We were approaching the end of our long journey. It was the morning of the twentieth day. At noon we would reach Carson City, the capital of Nevada Territory. We were not glad, but sorry. It had been a fine pleasure trip; we had fed fat on wonders every day; we were now well accustomed to stage life, and very fond of it; so the idea of coming to a stand-still and settling down to a humdrum existence in a village was not agreeable, but on the contrary depressing.
There it is. I nominate Kanani, 
Aluminium, Denys, Thomas (if he is in a position to respond right now) and Marcellous. I would nominate The Rabbit and Adrian, but neither has a blog any more — or if they do it is locked down… Adrian has Facebook, of course; and The Rabbit? Well, that’s a mystery…
Speaking of Adrian, he posted the above on my Facebook last November…
Kevin
June 28, 2008 at 9:38 am
I too am a big reader of great classical literature! I’m in the middle of a book about the clash between the unmovable force of reality smashing against the imitable and formidable tide of belief. It’s a beautiful story, but while you are reading it you can feel the tide of hope crashing, endlessly crashing against the rock of reality, and you can’t help but believe that belief is going to win out over reality! I hope you’ll find time to read it.
It’s called ‘Horton Hears a Who’. It’s written by a doctor, but it’s not too technical.
Kevin
June 28, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hey, what’s that picture next to my comment? A crab with horns? how do I change it? I want three horns! And some braces for my obviously crooked teeth.
Thanks in advance.
ninglun
June 28, 2008 at 9:43 am
For those who are curious: Horton Hears a Who!.
Now a movie too, apparently.
aluminium
June 28, 2008 at 11:06 am
Meme completed 🙂
Kevin
June 28, 2008 at 11:09 am
OMG. That IS curious. Curiouser and curiouser, in fact. As you probably know, I’m a fan of my relatives not killing babies in their bellies, but if you want to snuff out yours, that falls under the reign of ‘none of my business’. Kill them up to 5 months after you push them out, for all I care. It’s your kid after all. After 5 months old, I’m against it though. You have to draw the line somewhere. I just draw the line 14 months after some.
Regardless, I had no idea that story had anything to do with… well, anything! Sadly, I wasn’t lying. I do have that book and am forced to re-read it nightly as I have been doing for almost a month. I hope to God I’m not creating a feminist or a politician by reading her this story.
“Yap.”
ninglun
June 28, 2008 at 11:12 am
Seems a shame the book has been politicised, doesn’t it?
Kevin
June 28, 2008 at 11:27 am
Yes, it does! Is nothing pure anymore?