About Me

I was reading a post over at Harbinger Zero:

Thanks to Rowan of I Have Touched The Sky, I have been nominated for the Liebster Award, which means that I have been given explicit permission by another blogger to bore you all by talking exclusively about myself. Thank you !

I jest, but I am grateful. We all enjoy sharing a bit of ourselves or we wouldn’t be doing this. But for me its a genuine treat. In my vocation, rarely do I get asked about me. Usually, its the other way around, and the rare question directed at me is a question about the nature of my community. So, while I detest chain letters and glurge, this one seems to have the proper context and fun attached to make it something more than it is.
I checked the OFFICIAL RULES to make sure I was doing this right, although there are apparently several variations, so it may not be quite the same as you would see in other places. 

So basically he goes on to give 11 Random Facts, then answers the questions put forth by the nominator, and then nominates other bloggers for a Liebster Award and provides 11 questions they have to answer. And, hoo boy, I was one of the nominees. So basically, there goes my friday.

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I have no middle name. When I realized I was odd in that fashion I felt like I was missing out. Fortunately, I'm the fourth son in a row with the same name so technically I can add "IV" and say "the Fourth" when introducing myself. But I don't.

2. The first computer game I ever felt the need to be competitive in was Archon for the Commodore 64. I had a friend I was playing against and he beat me soundly, so I spent the following days practicing against the AI and then next time I beat him so badly he rage quit.

3. I have a half sister ten years younger than me, but the age difference makes me often feel like an only child.

4. In university residence I asked my friend if he wanted to go to a mall with me for something to do and he said yes. When we got back his floor mates had moved his room furniture and set it up in the quad of the residence outside. He accused me of being an accomplish and doesn't believe me when I say I had nothing to do with it.

5. I cannot sit still.

6. I have never tried Chocolate Milk. I say I don't like it but the truth is I don't know. I used to have a lot of food "dislikes" that were really "it looks gross and I'm afraid to try it" like yogurt, tomato soup, hot chocolate but over the years I faced the truth and tried them all. I love yogurt now, can't get enough. But Chocolate milk? Now its just inertia.

7. In grade 8 I was not invited to a party of most of my classmates but they were all going to it after school on my bus since the girl hosting the party was on my bus. Instead of being embarrassed to death by having to get off the bus before all of them, I road my bike to school, about 5 km, in terrible spring rain weather. I didn't care, I was so mad and hurt. At school she came up to me to make sure I was not on the bus after school to make sure there was enough seats for everyone on the bus. Fuck you, C.E., just fuck.

8. In high school there was a day of Math-Science Olympics. Our math class had to form into teams of four and the "cool" smart guys formed a team that left me out (seriously, I was not always on the outs with everyone, people liked me I was just not part of their friend group, no hard feelings) so hree girls in the class needed a fourth made a team. I put my heart into preparation, making the team poster with a hand drawn Enterprise on it and made an Egg Safe Delivery system for a challenge. Went in and we ended up winning Gold over that other team. Proudest moment of my High School life.

9. I worked at a full service gas station for minimum wage for two years. Got perfect on my test for a Propane technician license that you needed for pumping propane.

10. Both me and my sister are missing our lower adult second molars, a condition called Hypodontia.

11. Batman is my favourite super hero, Darth Vader my favourite movie villain, and Battlestar Galactica My favourite board game.

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11 Questions from Harbinger Zero


1) What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

Human rights. The atrocities that occur daily in the world haunt me, I couldn't imagine trying to raise my children in that uncertainty and terror.

2) Would you rather be overdressed or underdressed at a party? Why?

Definitely overdressed. You can still look cool and suave if you're overdressed, but underdressed and you look like an idiot.

3) If you could actually live in one of your MMO character’s homes, which would it be? It can also be one that your character doesn’t directly own, but that is available in the game.

I would kill to live in the space stations of EVE's universe. Would be so awesome.

4) What is the best compliment someone could pay you?

Anything about my intelligence or creativity really go right to the heart. Winning the fiction contests that I have over the past couple years were tremendous boosts to my self confidence and esteem.

5) Which NPC would you enjoy having dinner with? Could be from an MMO, or it could be from a book/movie/tv show.

That's a hard one.

6) If someone offered you a substantial sum of money to stop playing MMO’s forever, would you take it? What’s your price point? A million? A billion? Nothing?

I would definitely take it if it meant financial security for my family and the wealth to do some things I've only dreamed of doing. There is so much this world has to offer beyond MMOs, I would survive nicely without them. Hell, I think I'd give them up for 500,000 dollars in an instant.

7) You get a VIP pass to spend the day at a developer’s offices, hang out with them, form inside contacts, see some stuff behind the scenes, and get cool swag. Which developer is it that you are going to?

No question, CCP. Let's talk about that new space CCP Seagull! I've got ideas for some wicked ship designs too! And I need some more ship models for my desk, please.

8) You and your friends get sucked inside an MMO. The bad news is you are stuck here for 24 hours (of real time), the good news is you have unlimited lives. What MMO are you in and what are you doing while you are there?

Again no question, EVE online. I'd be exploring some of the sights to see of the market hub stations like Jita 4-4.

9) What’s the first movie you remember watching in the theatre?

Popeye, my uncle took me to it. I was 6. However, I say Star Wars Episode IV before that, when I was four, at a Drive In movie with my parents.

10) A Magic MMO Genie appears and grants you the power to host a private server for one MMO of your choice: past, present, or future. Will you take him up on the offer, and if so, what game do you choose and why?

Hmmm, since EVE is the only MMO I've committed to and EVE is actually a poor single player game, this is a hard question. I think I'd have to go with The Matrix Online. I was considering trying it out when it was announced it was closing. Made me sad. Failing that, maybe City of Heroes, another game I was considering dabbling in just before it closed.

11) Best Campy 80’s Sci-Fi: Flash Gordon, Buckaroo Banzai, Ice Pirates, Outland, Megaforce, Runaway, Masters of the Universe, or some other one I’ve forgotten?

I lived in the boonies in the 80s and was quite removed from a lot of the sci-fi of the era. Besides Masters of the Universe, I never saw the others... except I seem to recall seeing Ice Pirates somehow, I don't know when. Anyways, the Masters of the Universe movie was hilariously bad and true to the material that I'm going to have to go with it.

Nominees:

Sugar Kyle

Rixx Javix

Wilhelm Arcturus

Ashterothi

NoizyGamer

My Questions

1. What was your first PvP experience in an MMO and did you like it?

2. What's your favourite season? What's your favourite season for gaming?

3. What is your favourite period / place in history?

4. Talk about the first computer game where you were pulled in by the story instead of the gameplay.

5. If you had to pick, which Bad Guy would you choose to be in any game?

6. What's your favourite novel or novel series?

7. Describe your perfect vacation.

8. Star Wars or Star Trek? Explain your answer.

9. If someone offered you a substantial sum of money to stop playing MMO’s forever, would you take it? What’s your price point? A million? A billion? Nothing? (Stole this one 'cause its good)

10. Smart Phones are a boon to humankind, true or false?

11. A solar flare is about to wipe all electronics on earth and it may take years to recover fully. You have three days to get all the gaming in you can, what do you play?

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This took me a long time to write!