ask and ye shall...

[jazzfish]

Perhaps the very best thing about Facebook is how all the "which pop culture phenomenon are you?" quizzes seem to have migrated over there and no longer clog up my reading list. On the other hand, I sort of miss the sense of community engendered by the 'bunch of people i know answer a list of semipersonal questions' things. Hence, the triumphant return of Five Questions.

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you 5 questions of a very personal nature.
3. Update your LJ with the answers to the questions. And post them in a comment here too, if you don't mind.
4. Include this and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, ask them 5 questions.

From badmagic:

What's the strangest thing you've caught yourself saying?

You mean, this week? "mR2," in the context of neither a Star Wars droid nor an M.R.DUCKS shirt. (Because "Nine-oh-one-em-ar-two" took too long to say.)

What was the best moment in an RPG you've ever witnessed?

After turning Random's son Martin (mostly famous for bleeding all over the Primal Pattern) into the living embodiment of said Pattern, thereby stopping the slow leakage of reality and stability into Corwin's new Pattern-realm and thus preventing the eventual destruction of Amber itself, Our Heroes returned to their homes for a much-deserved rest. Except for one who felt like poking around to see how the rest of the universe was getting on, and, well:

GM jazzfish: "You're getting a Trump call."
uilos: "Yes?"
jedibfa: "I'm at Corwin's Pattern. Or what's left of it, anyway."
GM: "Aaand that seems like a fine place to close this chronicle."

Who was your best friend when you were growing up?

Being an army brat means that this list is longer and shallower than most people's. The one I remember most fondly is Ryan Waller. I met Ryan in fourth grade when his parents, for reasons that pass all understanding, brought him to a party my father was hosting. (I think Cpt. Waller served under Dad.) We discovered a shared fondness for computer games and fantasy novels, plus he lived within bike riding distance. That ended when Cpt. Waller got deployed overseas (Germany, I think), the summer before Ryan and I would have been in junior high together.

How did you end up dating two women?

By doing wrong almost everything that I possibly could, over the course of three or four years. This isn't a story wherein I come off looking all that well so I'm going to leave it at that.

Sorry you said "Oranges" now, aren't you?

Not yet, but I might be depending on how many people want questions.

Comments

[rbandrews]

I always did like this meme. Interrogate me?

Sure thing.

[jazzfish]

1) What do you miss least about Blacksburg?
2) Who's your favorite cartoon character, and why?
3) Do you play many video games these days?
4) What book changed your life?
5) Where do you want to be in fifty years?

Re: Sure thing.

[rbandrews]

Well, one of these is going to be hard to answer in a public post. :-) Thanks!

Re: Sure thing.

[jazzfish]

Heh, yeah. Just drop a link here back to your post, then.

Re: Sure thing.

[rbandrews]

Will do. I can filter my post, but I really don't want to start a fight, and there's no way anyone on my friends list can answer that without starting one. :-)

Re: Sure thing.

[rbandrews]

1) What do you miss least about Blacksburg?

I'm interpreting this as "what thing that was a part of my life when I was in Blacksburg do I miss the least", rather than "what thing that is an unchanging feature of Blacksburg do I miss the least". The answer to the second version is probably, having no local stores. In Houston I can find almost whatever I want retail, in Blacksburg I had to order almost everything and wait a week.

But I think you meant the first. This is a really difficult question to answer without starting a fight, but what the hell, I'll just filter the post. The answer can really only be seen on my post

2) Who's your favorite cartoon character, and why?

I'll have to cop out and pick two: one is Droopy Dog, because he never really gets perturbed. Sure, he's sad all the time, he's Droopy Dog, but nothing external really gets to him. He gets chased, people attempt to drop things on him, whatever, but he just goes on like nothing ever happened. Anyone who tries to take him down is hoist on their own petard, and he holds up a funny sign just to rub it in.

The other one is Wile E. Coyote, from a cartoon that Cassie won't even watch but I love. I like how there's no dialog in it at all, and how it always seemed to have the funniest gags, when compared to things like Tom & Jerry. Wile E. Coyote is the ultimate hacker mascot: first of all, here's his business card. I mean come on. How cool is that? Second, everything he does is he does by building some complex, usually expensive, machine. He must be keeping the Acme Corporation in business singlehandedly. And of course he never succeeds, the machine always backfires, because like every other hacker, if it actually worked, what would he do then? His purpose, like all the rest of us, is to build the things. Once they work, we're lost.

3) Do you play many video games these days?

Pre-massive-depression, I played a lot of Dragon Age: Origins. I will eventually drop back into it, but mostly all I play now is DropZap, which is amazingly addictive.

Dragon Age has lots of interesting ideas, like “make a plot that’s actually pretty interesting” and “have a real-time combat system that’s actually playable”. I’ve had a lot of fun in the first forty hours of playing, and I’m nearing the end.

DropZap is, well, crack. It’s one of those little puzzle games like Drop Sum that are way more fun than they have any right to be.

4) What book changed your life?

A couple come to mind. Hackers by Steven Levy is a large part of what made me want to be a programmer. I was also one of the people who read Ender’s Game at exactly the right age, and the bits about Peter stuck with me.

But the one I’ve read that changed my life most recently was The Guide to Getting It On. It answered a lot of questions I didn’t know I had, and I learned a lot, and gave me a healthy, matter-of-fact attitude toward sex. Which is, I think, a good thing.

5) Where do you want to be in fifty years?

Hopefully still alive. Hopefully completely out of debt, with enough money to live comfortably, owning my own house outright. Married to Cassie. Retired, but maybe owning part of a company. There are no kids in this picture, but there is a big dog, maybe a hound, content to sit next to my rocking chair and agree with my views on the world.

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

I love questions! They make me go rarrrr!

(That and BadMagic doesn't love me, so I need to answer *someone's* questions)

Alsoalso, *hugs!*

~Sor

*hug*

[jazzfish]

1) What's the best thing about living in Boston?
2) Who do you wish you could get back in touch with?
3) What is it that makes you you?
4) Where do you want to end up?
5) Are you happy with your life?

Re: *hug*

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

Oh hey, I posted it, but have it here too!

1) What's the best thing about living in Boston?
The single best thing? Urk. Um.

Okay, the single best thing is any moment when it all hits me and I have this incredible knowledge of the fact that yes, I am Home, and this is exactly where I belong in the world. But since that's not consistent...

Eating ice cream from JP Licks while sitting in the middle of Davis Square and watching Morris Dancers before going off to Scottish Country Dancing on our ducking *excellent* public transit snuggled up against a good friend?

(For less specific, it's a toss-up between "public transit!" and the science museum. Home is the city in which you've a membership to the science museum, and a library card, amIright?

2) Who do you wish you could get back in touch with?
Discounting people who are dead...I miss Tho a lot. We talk still, and keep trying the e-mail thing, but our relationship has never been as intense as it was from about June-November of 2006, and I miss that intensity.

I miss Drummer_Dude, off the sluggy.net boards, and maybe could kinda get back in touch with him, but it'd be hard. We're Facebook buddies. but I refuse to use that as a means of communication, and there's so little other means of communication.

(Facebook makes this question strange and difficult).

I would like to know what would happen if 15!me and I actually got to hang out a bunch. I think I would like her, and also laugh at her a lot. And I think she'd like me, and be disappointed in me.

Oh! My first set of friends who were twins, Lily and Zoe. And not just because I've been crazy reading Knights of the Dinner Table this past week, and so really want to game again. They were good people, I should say hi again.

3) What is it that makes you you?
My DNA, paired with my unique pattern of experiences that have shaped my outlook on the world at large.

...Sorry, that was rather pragmatic, wasn't it?

4) Where do you want to end up?
Hard question.

Boston is the short answer, though I'm not even positive about that anymore. Some days I wish I could settle down, have a partner (or two?) that I live with, have kids --ye gods do I want children of my own someday some days. Other days, I am quite positive that I am quite content with the life I am slated to lead, with all the freedom of being childless and living --well, if not alone, at least with roommates who are of the "just friends" variety. There is a lot of loneliness to having a series of long distance relationships, but there's also a lot of freedom.

So, I'm not sure yet. I think that's okay when you're twenty and immortal.

5) Are you happy with your life?
Gods yes.

There are things that I am unhappy about, but I am incredibly happy that I am still alive and lucky and getting to run around this incredible world and take pictures of bugs and make friends with girl scouts and such. I love my life, a lot.

~Sor

[thanate.livejournal.com]

Ok, go for it.

[jazzfish]

1) How's life with the house, all things considered?
2) What are you currently working on, writing-wise?
3) How was college for you?
4) What pets did you have growing up?
5) Is this where you thought your life would be, ten years ago?

[vond.livejournal.com]

I am about to go on vacation, so I think I would like to give this a shot if you're still in an asking mood. Mind you vacation may actually make it HARDER for me to find time to answer.

[jazzfish]

1) When was the last vacation you took, before now?
2) What do you miss least from college?
3) How's the house?
4) Tell me something cool:
5) Are you happy?

[vond.livejournal.com]

1) When was the last vacation you took, before now?

Last summer we came to the same beach we are visiting this year (Emerald Isle, NC).  The difference is that last year it was just my nuclear family, whereas this year we came down with my inlaws, who are much easier to spend longer durations with than my own parents.  I suppose my ability to vacation is mostly due to accruing rather a lot of time as a state employee, compounded by the fact that I surpassed 5 years of service a few years ago, which is the first ratchet-point for increasing your leave amounts.
 

2) What do you miss least from college?

Least?  Tough question since by definition things you don't miss are not on your mind very often.  I suppose that in my particular case I'm most happy to no longer be a dependent of my parents anymore.  I'm very grateful that I didn't have to pay my own way, but if I were to return to school I'd rather it was on my own initiative and for my own enrichment.
 

3) How's the house?

The house is fantastic, but the neighborhood has been going downhill a bit lately.  A few years ago some new neighbors moved in and they have 4 vehicles, none of which they keep in their 2-car garage.  They also just added a 5 foot high fence around their back yard, so that entire side of the house is one big eyesore now.  Another couple down the court that we get along well with are moving to DC for a year on a NSF fellowship.  Another house on our court just had some people move in who are very nice and even have a son that's Callie's age, but she's a SAHM and they're also very Christian so there are some lifestyle issues there.

Consequently, we're looking at houses.  At least it's a good time to get a new mortgage, assuming we can sell the place we're in now.  We're specifially looking for places in neighborhoods that don't allow fences so hopefully if we move I won't get bitten by that issue again.  I can't say for sure we're going to move as we're being very picky.

I'd hate to move and leave the trees I've been growing from saplings though.  Also the CAT5e run to every room in the house.
 

4) Tell me something cool:

A few months ago I was awake at around 2:30 AM and heard a strange sound.  I described it to Lisa and she thought it was a Great Horned Owl and sent me a recording she found online of one.  We were both awakened a few nights later and confirmed it.  We haven't heard it since but it was still pretty cool to hear an owl in our neighborhood.
 

5) Are you happy?

This is a yes or no question, but I somehow doubt anyone has ever answered it so simply.  It's a particularly pertinent to ask this question of a parent at this time, in the wake of a July 4 New York Magazine article (http://nymag.com/news/features/67024/) about parenting with the incredibly apt tagline "All Joy and No Fun".  The article highlights a study in which parents have much lower moment-to-moment happiness than non-parents, instead trading that happiness for individual bursts of transcendent elation.

Sadly due to my lack of free time I have only had time to skim the article, but I don't think it pretends to offer a solution anyway.

So in conclusion, I'm not particularly happy, except for the once-or-twice daily moment when I'm happier than I've ever been.

[absolutliz.livejournal.com]

You know, I've never done one of these - this could be revolutionary! Plz interview me when you have time. It may take me a few days to respond.

[jazzfish]

Enjoy! It's usually not the questions that take up so much time and effort; it's writing good ones for other people. And, no rush.

1) Have you any desire for your own kids?
2) Do you miss high school?
3) What sort of "your own business" are you thinking of?
4) How active are you in the SCA?
5) What makes you happy?

[absolutliz.livejournal.com]

1) Have you any desire for your own kids?
Only very superficially, like when I am shopping for baby stuff for my BF's sister-in-law's baby shower. I have a great career and can do whatever the heck I want, which is really...awesome.

2) Do you miss high school?
Not really. I wasn't on my own, earning my own money, and everyone was crazy, myself included, from stupid amounts of hormones. I'm always grateful that I went to TJ, though.

3) What sort of "your own business" are you thinking of?
A consulting company to the government.

4) How active are you in the SCA?
Really, not at all. I'm not even a member right now. I used to go to events that weren't Pennsic, but now that I am not dating a heavy fighter, that has stopped. My main hobby doesn't really lend itself well to medieval recreation (scrapbooking) and I don't have a lot of time to do SCA stuff. I can appreciate the efforts that others make with historically accurate clothing, etc...but most of my friends are really more there for the fighting.

5) What makes you happy?
Money and time in excess, with a great guy to share it with. Honestly, I'm pretty happy even though I'm not rolling in dough or extra time right now. Having someone special in my life to take care of and take care of me and discuss the events of the day with and laugh at length in our own shared language - that's what really makes me happy, and I have that. My relationships with other people have always been my highest priority, above work, school, etc. Chalk it up to being an ENFJ.

[nixve.livejournal.com]

I feel like I still owe you a set of these from sometime a while ago. I will try to dig them up. If you would like to give me another set of questions that is up to you. :)

or i can dig them up for you, as i've done for others

[jazzfish]

1) Which of your extended (not immediate) family do you get along best with?
2) What's your second-favorite (after Changeling) role-playing game?
3) Would you rather write or draw for a living?
4) What's your best physical feature?
5) If you'd heard six ten years ago what your life would be like now, how much of it would you have believed?

Re: or i can dig them up for you, as i've done for others

[nixve.livejournal.com]

1) Which of your extended (not immediate) family do you get along best with?

My aunt Eileen is probably the extended family member I get along best with. She's generally pretty laid back and supportive. The fact that she stands up for me to my mom (her older sister) means a lot to me. I also appreciate that she is decently active if not quite "outdoorsy" per se.

2) What's your second-favorite (after Changeling) role-playing game?

That is a really tough question. If you look at my bookshelf you'd think Blue Planet but the sad fact is that I've not gotten to play it but once so I can't really say that. Saying Fudge (http://www.fudgerpg.com/fudge.html) would probably be a cop-out as it is a system but honestly some of the games I've had the most fun with have been Fudge-based. Werewolf is my current second-favorite, I guess. Although, I do still really adore Planescape. It feels kinda weird to say that an AD&D supplement is my second-favorite rpg but it seems like it is.

3) Would you rather write or draw for a living?

For a living? hmm, I dunno. I think if I were able to also have time to draw whatever I wanted then I would like writing for a living. However, at the same time I don't think I could/can write for a living, I think it is more likely that I could make a living by doing art. I'm not really sure, though, both are important creative outlets for me and neither I'd want to crush by overwhelming myself with it or paying attention to one at the expense of the other.

4) What's your best physical feature?

My face; I like my eyes a lot and my nose is cute and I really like smiling at myself in the mirror.

5) If you'd heard six ten years ago what your life would be like now, how much of it would you have believed?

That I was living in Seattle would have seriously confused me, I probably wouldn't have believed it. That I would have guinea pigs I'd have totally believed. That I was working as a camp-counselor at a nature camp I would've believed but would've been kinda surprised that my future self would want to teach children. I think I'd be surprised at my current higher level of confidence, and willingness to be outgoing. I would've been surprised at the level of leadership I now take on in social situations. I don't think my past self would understand nor believe that I would be polyamorous. I think my choices of partners would not be startling in and of themselves (both fit my highschool "type" of geeky, long-haired boys although neither are skin-and-bones-thin like my highschool boyfriends) but the fact that I could date two people simultaneously would've blown my mind. Also, I would not have believed in 2000 that I would ever be attracted to women. I also wouldn't believe that I would feel so much antagonism towards my mother. Ten years ago I thought my family was just great, supportive and good for me in every way. Now I know otherwise.

The ice cream making habit I'd totallly believe. :)

[psilan.livejournal.com]

Sure, interview me. :-)

[jazzfish]

1) Where are you from?
2) What takes up most of your spare time these days?
3) What three people have had a disproportionate effect on your life?
4) What's your favorite poem?
5) Where are you going?

[psilan.livejournal.com]

Answers up! (http://psilan.livejournal.com/64323.html)

[jsciv.livejournal.com]

Late to the party, but if you have some questions for me, ask away!!

[jazzfish]

Hmm.

1) What do you miss least about your time in Blacksburg?
2) Have you ever had any pets? Do you anticipate having any in the future?
3) What three books do you tend to recommend that people read?
4) Are you doing any role-playing (other that WoW, of course) these days?
5) ... is that actually a Mickey Mouse head on your userpic's weapon?

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, answers deployed. :)

http://jsciv.livejournal.com/341860.html

[jude.livejournal.com]

I have decided to attempt to use this meme to get myself back into posting.. oh, ever. so, go to it. :)

yay!

[jazzfish]

1) So, how's Pittsburgh been, apart from the personal life craziness?
2) How much of where you're at now would have been at all believable this time last year?
3) Are you writing much these days?
4) Where do you want to end up/settle down? (interpret and answer as you wish)
5) Mountains or sea?