20 Questions Tuesday

This weekend was a bit chilly… chilly for Mothers’ Day?  WTF?!??! It was stupid chilly this weekend… I was mowing our decidedly thick grass wearing a long sleeve shirt and pantaloons… not really pantaloons, but I would have worn them if I could have.  That made me think of all the different times I have encountered unseasonable weather… ergo, this week the topic of questions is “Unseasonable Weather.”

Thanks this week go to Chris Ring, Newbold, Dr B Dawg, Lsig, My Wife, and Some Other Guy.

Onto the questions!

1. I remember back in the dead of winter (early Feb.) in ‘85 or ‘86 we got a day in the mid to high 70’s. We all blew off school because of it. I think it should be a law in Ohio & PA if the temp goes above 70 in Feb. no school/work. How about it?

I like it, except I would say there needs to be some way of the kids policing themselves, because I would much rather just hang out with my wife on that awesome of a day…  The only problem is I am certain my kids would go all Lord of the Flies… Oh!  Poor Poor Piggy…

 

2. What do you think of Polar Bear clubs? I think they’re nuts … or they don’t have nuts.

These are clubs Viking have to beat polar bears to death with for assured entry into Valhalla, right? If that is the case, I am all for them…  If it is those wackkos who jump into bodies of water when it is significantly below freezing outside, thems folks is crazy.

 

3. What’s your ideal temperature for just being outside?

74 F… 23.33 C… so comfy.

 

4. At what temperature do you say “screw this noise” I’m going inside.

Now? around 20 F or -6.67 C  and on the other end of the spectrum.. 93 F and 33.89 C.

 

5. At what temperature do you say “I don’t care if I look like a redneck” and sit in the kid’s blow up pool.

I am not sure that temperature exists.

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I got such a great response last week when I asked folks for questions that I had 20 waiting for me this week.  This past weekend, Maj McArmypants and his lovely girlfriend stayed with us for the weekend, and we found a restaurant within walking distance.  Woooo-hoooo

Without further ado, thanks to Chris Corrigan, steev, Newbold, and Maj McArmypants.  Let’s just get to it…

1.  What’s the deal with your hate on for gardening?  How do you expect to survive the apocalypse if you can’t even grow a squash?

What I can do and what I dislike doing are vastly different circles in the venn diagram of life.  I don’t like gardening because of the gardening chores surrounding it.

2.  If you were to totally change the subject of your art what would you start drawing?

Well, my art is a bit different from the sketches I do while I am in meetings at work.  The sketches I do are predominantly comic book characters, but part of that has to do with the medium.  I am drawing small sketches without any studies on notecards.  That typically limits itself to single characters that are oddly cropped.  My “art,” which admittedly, I have not done much of recently really is more eclectic.  

3.  What’s missing in your life?

Professional contentment

4.  What do you have in your life that everyone should have?

An awesome support system filled with love and generosity headed by a love that knows no bounds.

5.  OH-?

ugh… I-O

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This weekend was the first truly beautiful weekend that was not followed immediately by snow and ice. In fact, this week has held up as being pretty good weather as well… I think we may have turned the corner.  It may, in fact, be spring now.  So, I feel it appropriate to have today’s topic be “Changing Seasons.”

Thanks this week go to themikestand, Nadolny, lsig, and some other guy.  On to the questions!

1. What signals the “change of seasons” for you Ohioans? When I lived in the prairies, winter ended when it stopped snowing, the sun came out and melted away all the snow and it got warm. On the coast, it rains until what snow we may have melts, and until everyone grows mold, and then the sun comes out in June and dries us up.

Ohio is in the confluence of 3 major weather systems in North America.  So for us, weather changes rapidly and often with little warning.  For me and other denizens of Ohio to consider a season change, it requires about a solid week of consistent weather.

2.  What is your favourite song featuring the word “season” in any of its forms?

Anything by Salt-n-Pepa… Fun fact, my favorite of Salt-n-Pepa was Spindarella.

3.  Has outdoor soccer started yet, or is all spring soccer on artificial turf?

Yep, it just started around here for kids.  Little Man is not part of it.  He does not seem all that excited about playing soccer.

4.  How do you feel about Daylight Saving Time being changed to include six more weeks of daylight? Would you just prefer to do away with DST altogether?

One of my friends, often times a person who sends me questions on the regular, the affable Lord Pithy, has posited the question of why not just bump the clocks by 30 minutes and leave it there year long?  He is a sweet man who is meant for pretty more than smart, but he speaks sooth.

5.  Do you have seasonal flooding with the spring thaw in your area? (not a euphemism)

Nope, although I wish the question had been euphemistic… a whole bunch. (answer would still be “no.”)

6.  Do you guys garden? What do you grow?

We would like to, but we have a deer problem and they eat everything under the sun

7. Favorite seasoning? Why?

Salt, it is very versatile.  It is a flavor enhancer.

8. Why does a young mans fancy turn to love in the Spring?

I think it is because things that young men fancy start wearing less in the Spring.

9.   ”Seasons Change” by Expose. Thumbs up or down on this late 80’s classic?

That song was horrible… even for the 80’s.

10.  Nice weather < or > spring allergies?

Nice weather > spring allergies… greater health through chemistry… antihistamines for the win.

11.  What one thing makes you think, “Ah-ha, now it is summer”?

When the light changes from a soft buttery yellow into a strong gold color in the early afternoon.

12.  Same question, but for Fall

Turning leaves, but not the crappy wine.

13.  Which is your favorite Ohio season? (Mine is “football”)

Wintmer.  It is the unseasonably warm weekend we get every January.

14.  How do you season a cast iron frying pan?

Never use soap.  

To season a pan, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).  Preheat the pan on the stove top.  When warm, coat the inside surfaces of the pan with vegetable oil or lard.  I prefer vegetable oil for its higher smoke point, although some people claim that it leaves a sticky finish.  Continue to heat just until you see ripples appear on the surface of the oil.  At this point, pour off any excess oil, give it a quick wipe with a folded paper towel held in a pair of kitchen tongs, and then put the pan into the oven for 45 to 60 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.*

15.  Is there a seasoning you cannot stand?

Corriander… it knows why

16.  Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme?

Nope, not going to Scarborough Fair.  You are gonna have to get there yourself, mate.

17.  How many seasons should there be?

8, there should be shorter transitional seasons between the big 4.  That way the kids would not be pissed when it is still cold on the first day of spring, or when it is seriously cold before it is the first day of winter… Northern Hemisphere only.  These mini-transitional-seasons should be called “when my sinuses are effed-up.”

18.  Equinox or Solstice?

Solstice, baby!  Especially Summer Solstice FTW.  Equinoxes can suck it.

19.  Why does the Earth have seasons?

It has to do with the tilt of the earth’s axis and the angle of incidence for sunlight hitting the surface of the planet… or maybe it is because people who live in LA really need something to make themselves feel better about living in a smog filled snarled road rage hole, and only having 1 really nice season all year round allows them to feel better.

20.  When is Snake Season in Australia?

What. The. Fuck?!?!  There is a snake season?  Holy shitballs, Captain Amazing!  There is a season for snakes?  That is the worst thing I have heard ever.

To recap:

Woooo-Hoooo nice weather is here again!

This week is the last week of double classes this semester

I only have 17 things to do this week for school

The wife is out until tomorrow morning

So tonight we are having fauxsagna

Just like lasagna but with garden rotini instead of lasagna noodles

So…. nothing like lasagna

I can’t have any of it due to the whole gluten thing I am dealing with

Did I mention I am off of caffiene for a few weeks now?

Oh, God, I miss Mt Dew

Soooo, tired of salads with grilled chicken

so, so tired of it

Have a great weekend everyone

*from here

Yesterday was April Fool’s Day and many people made a fool out of themselves with the retweetings and facebookings of bogus stories.  I like it when the powers that be make it completely clear that the April Fool’s “joke” is something bogus. Google seems to do this very well, with maps.google.come/treasure and Google Nose.  Well played multi-billion dollar company, well played.  My workplace we without any “pranks” yesterday and that is how I like it.  Anyway… the aftermath of April Fool’s Day leaves many a crushed and broken body in its wake, so the topic for today’s 20 Questions is “April Fool’s Day and its Aftermath.”

Thanks this week go to:  K, Chris Ring, Ralph Harbison, Chris Corrigan and some other guy.  Let’s get to the questions… “Let’s?!?” Really?  It is just me here, what the hell is going on in my head?

1.  Has there ever been an April Fool’s prank as good as the Taco Bell Liberty Bell ? Little known fact*  The Piltdown Man hoax started out as an April Fool’s Day prank and rapidly got out of hand.  It ended in the demise of the careers of prominent anthropologists as well as the life of a East London Pauper…. Don’t ask.  Let’s just say it was a big messy thing…

2.  Seriously, shouldn’t everyone give up on this for a while?  I mean, it’s been a long time since 1996 and not one person or corporation has topped the TBLB. In 1996 it took more effort to pull off a great prank.  Now, all you need is a good idea and a web designer.  No prank could work as well as the Taco Bell Liberty Bell because that one ushered in the new sophistication of pranks, and now everything announced on the 1st of April is suspect… albeit sometimes true… Gmail comes to mind as an April 1st product launch that was not a hoax.

3.  What would have been the theological implications if April Fool’s day was yesterday? I imagine it would play out 1 of 2 ways… and only 1 of those 2… No other ways whatsoever..

Way the first: Jesus would make himself visible to everyone and say, “Just kiddin Ya’ll.  I never died or ascended into heaven.  I’ve been here all along.  I’ve just been out of circulation writin the Great American Novel.  Woooo!  God’s Awesome!”**

Way the second: People would come to the conclusion that all organized religion is a farce of “biblical” proportions and then society would crumble under the weight of the disillusioned and now remarkably apathetic newly atheists.

4.  Where did April Fool’s day come from? Yeah, I could Google it but I deciding to Scoottle it. It is nebulous at best as to where it comes from, but the best bet in the Italian, French and Belgian April Fish Day where people would pin paper fish onto unsuspecting people’s backs and say “April Fish.”  

5. I recently had a joke go very bad, ever have a joke go really bad? Oh, all the time… not so much bad as just fall flat.  I don’t really try and prank people as much as tell teh funny.

6. Is it still easy to fool people on April 1st or is everyone on guard? Nope, it is now an attempt to amuse people with ridiculous pranks

7. Best April Fool’s joke you played?I haven’t really played any April Fool’s Day pranks.  It really isn’t my bag.

8. Worst April Fool’s joke played on you? Last year, my lovely wife sent me a text saying she was pregnant. Yeah, that didn’t go over as well as she had hoped.

9.   Didn’t the Groundhog already trick enough people? Clearly not enough.

10.  IS this the favorite day of politicians since any lie can be covered with “April fools?” If and only if the politician says something radically different from their typical positions.  April Fool’s Day pranks should not be about the subtle, and anyone who tries to cover up a gaff should realize that the gaff needs to be monumental and waaaay off message for people to believe an April Fool’s Day excuse.

11.  How long is acceptable to seek revenge on a prank? 1 year.  You get 1 year.

12.  Why isn’t busting someone in the mouth after a prank acceptable? Depends on the prank.

13.  Why is there no opt out on this? I would LOVE an opt out on this.  Like wearing a black shirt says, “Don’t mess with me today.” or something like that… or maybe you could pin a paper fish on your back…

14.  What did you think of the Whitecaps announced retirement of YP Lee, the subsequent revelation that it was an April Fool’s joke and then the sacking of President Bob Lenarduzzi for “unprofessional conduct?”  Talk about your doozy of an April Fool’s aftermath! Since Lee has had a couple of his weaker performances, they would have done better using Cannon as a prank… He seems to be sillier than the good Y P.  As far as the Lenarduzzi news, I cannot find that anywhere.

15.  What is the acceptable way to “get back” at someone who has pinked you on April Fools, and what is the statute of limitations? You have to “get” them the following year, or you can choose to never speak to them again… ever.  Or you can pin  a paper fish on their back and shout “poisson d’Avril!”  That gets everybody.

16.  Shouldn’t there be a dinner associated with April Fool’s Day? Yes, there should be a meal associated with April Fool’s Day.  There should be a meal associated with every holiday.  What other reasons for holidays are there?

17.  What would an April Fool’s Dinner be? Well, everyone would need to lie during the chit-chat and small talk portions of the meal and the meal would consist of foods that looked like other food.  Vegans and vegetarians eating meat and vice versa…. so many people dead from food allergies and anaphylactic reactions… so many dead

18.  Does any good come from April Fool’s day? Yes, many items that ThinkGeek comes up with for April Fool’s Day sometimes make it into market.  For example, the Taun Taun sleeping bag…  Other than ThinkGeek merch…nope.

19.  Any clean-up from April Fool’s day for you personally? Well, my little girl played an April Fool’s Day Trick on me.  She said that she could get the ice in her cup, but it turns out her cup was the floor… April Fools!  Now clean up the ice, Papa. ha ha ha ha she knows how to play a prank.

20.  Does it seem to you that April Fool’s Day is now less about individuals playing small pranks on people they know and more about companies and celebrities making PR pranks and humorous attempts? Yup, you got it.

To Recap:

White Chocolate M&M’s… oh God…  the deliciousness

So so delicious

Why hasn’t anyone ever thought about white chocolate with a candy shell before this?

Seriously… Thanks Easter Bunny!

Bach! Bach!

My wife said she had them on a car trip 2 months ago

She said they were amazing

And then we couldn’t find them until Easter week

We all thought she had had a fever dream of deliciousness

She is less crazy and more of an oracle

An oracle of confectionary brilliance

Everything is good here

How about with you?

Check your back for a paper fish

Have a great weekend

*I am making almost all of this up

**Jesus has a US Southern Accent… prove me wrong

Today I get the pleasure of asking the insanely talented Ali Spagnola 20 Questions… “who is Ali Spagnola?” you ask. Shut your stinking pie hole and read until you get to the end… you disgust me with your lack of knowledge. Disgust and dissappoint. At the same time.

Ali is a triple threat. She is a musician, and artist, and a third leg to a tripod so she doesn’t fall over. I became aware of the talented Ms Spagnola through the podcast the NSFW Show (please refer to my Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young 20 Questions). Ali has just emerged victorious from a 3 year legal battle like a drunken butterfly. She is in the process of getting a tour together and just quit her “day job” to pursue this musical endeavor. Ali is the owner and operator of a thing called the “Power Hour.” For those of you waaaaay out of the alcohol scene (like me… damn you allergies!!!), a power hour is when you drink a shot of beer every minute for an hour. Her power hour concert is one where she sings 60 one-minute songs to get people to party. The songs of hers I have heard are pretty darn badass. She is also the artist behind “Ali Spagnola’s Free Paintings” where she paints one painting a day and sends it to someone… Like a boss.

Anyhoo… enough about her, let’s ask her some questions. By “let’s” I mean, “I’m gonna.” To the questions!

I have a M.A. in geography, so the concept of “place” is always interesting to me, and I love the idea that where someone has lived tells a interesting story of their life. It is their geographic story. I was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. My fam moved to Montgomery, AL when I was 3, moved northeast of Birmingham, AL where I stayed until I was 18. I went off to college in Kent, Ohio, and then grad school in Columbus, Ohio where I got married. I have been in the Columbus area for the past 15+ years. Question 1: What is your geographic story?

Pittsburgh.

Haha I was tempted to leave it at that but I fear I may seem like a jerk… as opposed to a funny jerk. I grew up and hour outside of Pittsburgh in Beaver County. I went to school in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University. After graduating, I got a career in Pittsburgh. This week, I left that career to pursue my music/business full time. In Pittsburgh. The only colors I’ve ever cheered for are black and gold. (I love that our city’s sports teams all have the same colors.)

Staying in the same area can be great, but when that place is Alabama…. /shudder. I love that the MLS team in Columbus is trying to capitalize on the Black and Gold of Pittsburgh.

So with the shift to following your musical career, Question 2: Do you see yourself having to move for career purposes? If so, where do you see that move taking you?

I don’t see myself having to move in the near future because a lot of what I do is online and touring. I need a home base for those things so why not keep it where I have a low cost of living and a close by mommy? I’m definitely open to moving anywhere needed to further my career but I haven’t found a specific reason to just yet.

It is nice that the globalization of entertainment allows for you to reside between the coasts and do what you do.

Now, to the question that all 10 of my readers want to have answered… Are you ready? Question 3: Cake or pie? Which specific kind and why?

Pi. Specifically the math kind. I memorized it to 50 places. No joke.

So, then I assume you are familiar with the Hard and Phirm song Pi? Not a question, that was not Question 4, it was rhetorical, and potentially informative… As someone who majored in mathematics, I find that e is just as important as pi, but holds significantly less cultural sway than the ratio of circumference to radius. It is like… like… well, it is like the e is silent. That is a string of phrases and thoughts that I never thought, and probably should not have been, put into the public zeitgeist.

Question 4: Are you familiar with the Hard and Phirm song, Pi? I am not doing this right, am I?

I wasn’t. But now I am. Thanks, internet!

Anyone who memorizes 50 places of pi should know that song exists. I am a truth-giver more than a blogger. So…

Question 5: Why learn pi to 50 places when you have a fine arts degree? What is it about pi that you are so drawn to? It seems rather incongruous.

It was just always interesting to me. Despite the fact that I seem like a partying artist/musician. I’m also a giant nerd. I memorized pi in high school when there was a poster of it on the wall next to my desk in calc class. Incidentally, when I went to college at CMU, one of the acts in our freshmen talent show was two guys reciting pi in unison until one of them couldn’t remember any further. Wow. I knew I had found my home.

That is a very odd set of circumstances to get you to know pi to 50 places… very odd indeed.

So, your current concert seem to require a certain amount of libation. Therefore I surmise that there is a certain level of inebriation that you frequently endure… Back when I was young and viral and manly and such, 2 things happened when I would get drunk… enough. Thing the first, my southern accent would raise its ugly head, y’all. Thing the second, I get really really good, and I mean disturbingly good, at theoretical math. Question 6: Do you have any special powers that surface only when you are compromised by the alcohol?

My super power is enabling. That and making people lose their cell phones. The more I drink, the more belongings get misplaced.

I realize that may come off as me being a kleptomaniac but that’s not the case. It’s just that people have trouble hanging on to their stuff when they party with me and it ends up God knows where.

Methinks thou doth protest too much… From your luxurious bed of ill-gotten cell phones.

You went to Carnegie Mellon for fine arts, so I am going to dip into a art question… Question 7: When did you know that art was a thing you “had” to do? For example, I knew art was a pursuit of mine when I was 5 years old and drew a pilot in the little tiny cockpit of a fighter jet I was drawing.

It wasn’t like I decided all of a sudden that I had to make art. I still haven’t decided if it’s a thing I should do. Maybe I’ll go back to school for computer science.

Yet, you went through the amazing trouble of getting an actual degree in fine arts… I find that stunning. I started out as a studio art major, and the incredible subjectiveness of the art department made me jump ship to the math department. I was a pen and ink guy, and the painting/sculpture thing just did not work for me.

Question 8: Just painting? or are there other arty things in your life?… please don’t/do say scrap-booking… that would be both sad and awesome.

I was actually a sculpture major. But after I graduated I did digital art/design for a living. All of the nice things I make can be found here!

That is quite an impressive portfolio. I was especially impressed by the Midway Mania graphics, well, because I played that game this past summer. Well-done. Since I am at work at the moment, I did not look through your sound design work, but I am sure that is awesome. You don’t seem to put out crap…. look at me blowing sunshine.

Question 9: Fill in the blanks: I feel that I am mostly _____. Others feel that I am mostly _____.

I feel that I am mostly driven. Others feel that I am mostly drunk.

So, playing music is something that takes skills and concentration. I cannot imagine you being capable of changing musical genres and styles every minute while being soused. I would imagine around minute 50, the last 10 songs would be slurred lyrics with repetitive G chords. Question 10: Do you end up drinking through most of your power hour concerts, or are you merely a conveyance for others’ drinking enjoyment?

You are correct. I get exponentially less talented the more I drink. And there’s no Ballmer Peak for music. So I don’t play the Power Hour while I perform. I’ll maybe have a drink or two but I mostly don’t even have time because I’m too busy being the party ringleader.

The newer social aspects of the internet are helping to create a new class of entertainer or the “middle class rock star,” if you will. I imagine that the party host service you provide can really be considered a gateway to a longer form concert… Question 11: Do you have enough of a catalog to have a straight up concert, and if so, has anyone asked you to come back for a more traditional concert after you have powered their hour?

Well my show actually ends up being about 80 minutes, not just an hour. The songs all played back to back are exactly an hour and since I interact with the audience in between, my set gets extended. No one has asked me to play longer than that before but I have enough content to keep the party going. I’ve also considered switching to DJing after the Power Hour if anyone ever wants a longer show.

And actually, I do a monthly livestream show and this past performance ended up being three hours long because I started taking requests and played two hours of covers after the Power Hour!

Oh, cool. I was completely unaware of your livestream. That is great. I will need to put it on my calendar so I can experience it at least once.

Usually I ask a question that revolves around the word “dozen” since this is going to be question 12, but instead, I will address this question with something completely out of left field… You have mentioned that your focus was primarily sculpture when you were in college, but then moved on to more of a graphic area, and now you seem to be primarily focusing on more auditory stimulus. That is a transition of inputs from tactile, to visual, and then to aural. Question 12: Do you consider yourself a kinesthetic, visual, or auditory learner? Do you feel that your current method for learning has been consistent throughout your life?

I consider myself right in the middle of that triangle. Before any of the art stuff, I was a competitive figure skater and competitive dancer. That was all kinesthetic and because I started at really young age (3), my strength in the physical type of learning has never left me. Though, sing me something and I won’t forget it. Yet when I was taking tests in school, I’d visualize the page in the textbook where the answer was. Maybe that means I’m crappy at all three things. I have to dance while singing the words I’m looking at in a book before it sticks.

So you really are the triple threat. And probably the life of the party in a group study session.

So Question 13: Do you have any superstitions or any rituals? For an example of ritual, I used to get ready for a soccer game by getting dressed in a very specific sequence. I did not do it so much for luck as much as I did it to get my head in the right space. Do you have a ritual to get yourself ready for a concert?

Before my shows my ritual is two Power Hours. It used to be one but that worked so well that I’ve doubled it.

I find that difficult to believe seeing as how you just said that you have an issue performing whilst blotto, but I will let it go…

so… Someone once asked me what I would be most afraid of. I chose Vampire Bear (the ursine variety, not a hairy gay dude)

Question 14: What would you be most afraid of?

I’m most afraid of people taking my party to far and harming themselves. Making sure people aren’t being irresponsible with my game is a constant concern of mine and a very real fear… Ugh. A legit fear? What a downer. This frat sucks… Binge responsibly, kids!

That is a super legit fear, and I can imagine that is something that you have to keep in mind fairly often. I imagine you have consulted with legal people and such concerning liability and all that. It really does not surprise me as a fear of yours. We can be real on the 20 Q’s. It doesn’t always have to be silliness with a side of snark.

Let’s get real then since I have you in a moment of genuineness… Question 15: What is one trait within yourself that you would like to change? I’ll go first. I would like to stop being so fear based in my actions. I find that fear of failure seems to be hamstringing me from being bolder and potentially happier.

My liver. I think it’s reached it’s 3,000 miles by now so I’ll grab another.

Oh, were it that easy. Head down to the local 5 and dime and pick yourself up a new liver. Yes, I am 80… the 5 and Dime? What the hell?

So it does seem like you like the drinky drinky. Question 16: If you had all of them to chose from… beer, wine, shots, mixed drinks… What’s your poison?

I like a good whiskey on the rocks. I also like a crappy whiskey on the rocks.

Not playing around, and going straight for the whiskey.. well, not whiskey straight, on the rocks… I am confusing myself now.

so Question 17: Is there something that I haven’t asked you that you are surprised I haven’t, or that you feel that I should ask?

You’ve been pretty thorough so far so I’m surprised you haven’t asked me about my ringtones. I have some songs that were shipped standard on a handful of Android devices and I occasionally get inquiries about that.

I feel you should ask me about my favorite pentameter. It’s iambic.

I had not realized how many irons you have in the fire. Well played Ms Spagnola, well played.

Turn about is fair play. I have been drumming you for 17 questions, so Question 18: Anything you want to ask me? I am pretty much an open book.

What’s your favorite pentameter?

I am somewhat a fan of the bard, so I am a fan of the iambs… however there is a soft spot in my heart for the classical lines of a good solid dactyl, but if push came to shove, iambic pentameter for the win.

Question 19: What are you taking from these 20 questions that you did not bring in with you? Have these 20 questions illuminated anything new for you?

I’ve learned that 20 is much easier to tackle than 60.

I would say that it is about 1/3rd as difficult… were you taking a shot each time I sent you a question?

Question 20: What is next for you? Be as concrete or as vague as you want. Be as philosophical or straightforward as well… short term, long term, answer how you see fit.

Next for me is to make more nice things :)

Thanks, Ali! This was a blast. Everyone go to her indiegogo campaign and donate. Follow Ali’s exploits on the twitters. She is partying for our freedom so, everyone should support her for that alone.

To recap:

I am now gluten free I miss the gluten Mainly in the form of donuts And bread And pasta

I was sick last week… shivering and chilled under a blanket on the couch watching House of Cards on Netflix.  In my fevered dreams I remember Kevin Spacey’s Georgia accent transitioning from pretty good to Foghorn Leghorn territory.  The rest of the week is a blur of almost being well and weakness.  So this week I am feeling better… not great, but better.

This weekend the wife and I are traveling down to Asheville, North Carolina for her participation in her 3rd marathon.  She is tired of training.  I don’t blame her at all.  She has run a shit-ton in the past year and a half.  So, we are taking our interracial marriage down south again.  It has been years since we have done that.  Trepidation is happening.  Therefore this week’s topic is: “The American South.”

Thanks this week go to Nadolny (who celebrated a birthday yesterday), the wife, lsig, and Maj McArmypants.  On to the questions!

1. Which Southern states don’t really have that southern feel anymore? I would argue that so many folk have moved to Florida from the North that it barely retains it’s southern feel in anything but the most remote areas (then again, remote areas in Ohio seem southern).
Florida is barely southern anymore… however the pan-handle is still deep south.  There are pockets that still retain their southerness and still being more cosmopolitan.  These are primarily the main metro areas.  No one can deny that Atlanta and Nashville are Southern with a capital “S,” but they also are cosmopolitan enough to have more than the singular Southern Culture represented.

2. Which Southern state has changed the least?
My gut sense is Arkansas. The most likely answer is Mississippi, but I think Mississippi is under enough of a microscope that change is inevitable.  Arkansas could be quietly stagnating….  

3. Can we just let Texas secede? Please. We could ask Cuba to take their place. That’s really piss the Texans off.
Sadly, no we cannot let Texas secede, Austin is too valuable.

4. Don’t we have an Ashville in Ohio? Do you really need to drive all the way to run there? It seems like one Ashville in the world would be enough.Who names their town Ashville?  A town full of ash? That sounds ludicrous.
The Ohio Ashville does not have an “e.”  We are traveling for the “e.” Asheville was named after Sam Ashe who is one of the founders.  North Carolina should eb happy that Asheville was not founded by Robert Gofuckyourself.

5. What’s your favorite Southern delicacy?
Ummm… that is easy.  B-B-Mother Lovin-Q….

6.  Why you no sound southern?
I worked actively and fervently to not have a southern accent because the Alabama accent I would have gotten is not pleasant to hear.

7. A: What southern attitudes did you leave behind? B: Which ones do you still carry with you?
A: The fatalism.  There are people in the South who subscribe very strongly in the idea of “Fate” or as the call it “God’s Will” and will not take actions themselves to change their lot in life.
B: Some of the manners and politeness… I don’t use it much, but I do have it at the ready.

8. Best job offer in the world…do you move back to Birmingham?
Any place in the south you would be willing to live?
Hell. Frickin. No.  There is no job in the world that I would be willing to take in Birmingham.

9.  Difference between The South and the Deep South?
Atlanta is the South.  Nashville is the South.  There is some southern heritage and tradition associated with the cities while acknowledging (somewhat) the fact that the Southern underpinnings was built on the backs of an enslaved people.  The South celebrates slowing down, politeness, and its food.  The Deep South are the places that are 15 minutes or more away from major cities where time moves backwards and the stereotypes and tropes live.

10.  Southern fried chicken…?  Is there a northern fried chicken?
Northern fried chicken is just “fried chicken, and “Southern Fried Chicken” I think involves buttermilk.

11.  What do you consider “the South” geographically? Culturally?
Hmmm… I consider the geographic boundary and the cultural south to be one and the same.  South of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, West Virginia and East of New Mexico.

12.  What benefit have you gained from being raised in the South?
The perspective of someone who has moved away.  It is a weird thing to have gained, because you can only gain it by leaving.

13.  What do you consider the main attribute that the South contributes or exemplifies within the overall American character?
Exaggerated and false politeness

14.  How long of a drive is it for you to Asheville?
It looks like about 7.5 hours.

15.  How much Southern marathon booty is the Wife going to kick?
Tons.  The runners there are already complaining that the temp is going to be too low…  My wife trains in 13 degree weather with a wind chill of 6.  (-10.5 temp with -13.3 wind chill for my Celsius folks out there).  

16. Considering your “American South” background do you really think of North Carolina as part of the south?  I mean the state has North in its name?  (and Asheville has more street performers than Paris….PARIS!!!)
It is a weird thing to have North in the name and be part of the South. I will grant you that.  It should be South Carolina and Souther Carolina. Street performers are nothing more than vagrants with skills, so a place in the south with beggars?  Not surprising.  That fact that they can soft shoe? Surprising.

17.  So according Health and Human Services (confirmed by my last trip home) the South leads the way in Obesity.  Finally we are number one in something!!!  Your thoughts?
Southern Fried chicken is a weight maker.  Deep fry it!

18. Overweight Alabama State Employees are charged extra to recoup Health insurance costs.  Good on them or totally unfair?
Good on them, but there should also be some incentive and assistance with exercise programs.

Personally, having been to several Alabama DMVs, I don’t think it is worth it.  Adding in a whole system to track that one skinny guy’s paycheck.  He just got there for goodness sake.  Give him about 2 years.
Meth… the skinny guy is on meth.

19.  I find that most fake southern accents on TV/movies are just painful. Why is that?
Because you are from the south.  If you were from Boston, you would find TV’s Boston accents to be deplorable.

Do you think it is because Southern accents ARE just painful and I did not notice growing up down there or that actors fail to grasp that you can’t try too hard?  Enunciation being the devil and all.
Not all Southern accents are painful… the ugly Southern accents are super ugly though…. and I think you meant “Enunciation being the debil and all.”

20.  Heat or the Humidity?
Heat.

To recap:
Finally getting over my cold
So much stuff coming out of my nose
Hoping it does not turn to an infection
Wish the Wife luck this weekend
She is running the inaugural Asheville Marathon
1/3rd on road, 2/3rd’s on trail on the Biltmore Estate
Should be awesome
She is concerned about not doing well
I am not concerned about that at all
She is kicking more ass than I ever have
Some of my podcasts are boring me now
Time for a refresh
Have a great weekend everyone

This week is the week of Valentine’s Day… I often don’t pander to the holiday, but today is one of the pandering days.  So, strap on some pander monkeys and let’s jump into the saucy sea of Valentine glitz.  

Thanks this week go to the wife, Chris Corrigan, Steev, Maj McArmypants and some other guy.. Onto the questions:

1.  ummm….We both forgot the anniversary of our engagement.  should we just pretend that we got engaged on valentine’s day like everyone else and go out to dinner?
Dinner is always appropriate.  Last week was crazy sauce.

2.  I love the name Valentine.  Someone should have a kid and name her that. thoughts?
I think that is perfectly fine, but I would feel that you know more people who might be able to make that happen.  

3.  What should be the kissing game at Zane’s(Little Man, our oldest kid) Valentine’s Day party at school?  An email was just sent out asking for ideas.  I don’t have any, but it has to involve kissing, right?
What the what?!?!  There is a “kissing game?!?!” What the hell does that mean?

4.  You and your beloved have the most amazing relationship…you talk all the time about how lucky you both feel that the other one would pick you, but if you could put it down to one thing, what fuels the love at the Ryan-Hart household?
It is a one/two punch of communication and putting your partner first.

5.  Tell me the story of why you changed your name when you got married.
The wife was not willing to take my last name, and I felt that it was important for my family to have the same last name. Therefore we combined last names to a hyphenated last name.  Simple really…

6.  Once I had kids I discovered there was another kind of love I’d never experienced before.  How would you talk about that love?
That love is really unable to be expressed by mere words.  It is an amazing and instant love.

7.  And here’s one for you…what are the parts of yourself that your beloved saw in you that no one had ever seen before? (I believe that just naming those qualities would be a lovely Valentine’s gift!)
I have sweet side that most people haven’t seen…. and never will.

8.  Why do you think love gets short shrift?
Because love is very intimate and personal. It is not something that can easily be jumped on by a group of people.  Hate and jealousy and pettier things are easily glommed on by a community of people.

9.  In 1929 there was a gangland shooting known as the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. There was also a record album released in 1981 bearing the same name and featuring the metal band Motörhead. The lead singer of Motörhead’s name is Ian Fraser Kilmister but goes by the nickname Lemmy. Do you know why they call him Lemmy?
He gained the nickname by constantly asking, when poor and young, “Len’me a quid?” and his brilliant cadre of friends started saying, as Frasier would approach, “Oi, ere comesat Lemmy.” aaaaand scene.

10.  Valentine’s Day is the name of a romantic comedy film that was released in 2010. The film features Ashton Kutcher who was married to Demi Moore (which is kind of a romantic comedy in itself, but I digress.). Moore was also a founding investor in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain. There is a Planet Hollywood in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; do you think they can show her movie Striptease there?
I think it is illegal to even show that movie in Louisiana.

11.  Valentine’s Day is also known as the Feast of Saint Valentine. St. Valentine or Saint Valentinus, died in prison in 629 AD. What do you think his last meal was and would you consider it a “feast”?
Gonna say that his last meal was not a good meal.  My bet is some crusty stale bread rind, a bit of moldy cheese, and small ort of some dried salted fish. The Roman’s weren’t known for their polite treatment of prisoners.  

12.  The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Although being a great poet, Chaucer was a less than great soldier. He was captured during the siege of Rheims in the Hundred Year’s War. Many of the largest champagne-producing houses, known as les grandes marques, have their headquarters in Reims. Do you think Chaucer was drunk when they captured him?
Drunk and in a compromising position with a local lady.

13.  In India, in the antiquity, there was a tradition of adoring  Kamadeva, the lord of love. This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon. (Total bummer.) Before people stopped getting freaky in the streets, Kamadeva was known to fly around on the back of a bird shooting “love arrows” with his sugarcane bow with honey bee strings. This sounds suspiciously like Cupid, the Roman god of erotic love. The Pope lives in Rome now and has renounced erotic love. Do you think this is why he quit?
Nope, he quit because he is of advanced age and did not realize how much of his tenure would be associated with sex scandals.  That is a tiring work life.

14.  Don’t you think this would be more fun if this was formalled-up a bit?  Let’s call it St. Valentine’s Day and correct anyone who uses the “old” non-religious version.
I think it is time to start putting the reason back in the season.  Let’s martyr some clergy!

15.  I think we can safely say that love for St. Valentine’s Day is a spectrum. 1.  People who see it as a lame Hallmark Holiday.  2.  People who recognize it is a lame Hallmark Holiday, but would happily support it if it came with time off bestowed through Federal Holiday status.  On a scale of 1 to 2, where do you stand?
More 2-ish than 1-ish.

16.  Do you ever think that St. Valentine’s Day might be proof of the existence of a mainly apathetic mad scientist with a mind control ray?  I mean one day the US started buying romance cards that somehow honors an Italian martyr and let’s throw in the mass consumption of chalk in little tiny heart shapes?   Personally, I would have added in large red hats and insisted that love be spelled “wuv”, but otherwise if I had the technical know how for mind control this just about where I would have left it.
I don’t think there is enough of a subliminal message about how awesome the mind control scientist is.  If I were to create a holiday, there would be something in it to revere me as an icon of some kind.

17.  While never really NOT lame, don’t you think that this holiday’s day is done?  I mean in a time where courting was a “process” this might have provided an opportunity to express an interest.  Now that appears to be done causally with the standard: “Can I git with U?” text.
I like the idea of changing the meaning of Valentine’s Day (the colloquial meaning) from the romantic holiday, or Single’s Awareness Day as some call it to more of a Booty Call Day.

18.  Do you like those little chalk hearts?
Nope.  Cannot stand them.  My dad, however, could eat a bag of them.

19.  You doing anything for Valentine’s day?
Parent teacher’s conference followed by dinner with my wife, it seems.

20.  Valentine’s Day?  More like Valentine’s Gaaaaaay…. am I right?
No… No you aren’t right at all.  

To recap:
Who would want to be Pope
Man, I am rather tired
Sleep has been elusive
Mainly because I am not going to bed early enough
I should prolly go to bed tonight
Early-ish
I have 2 interviews in the works
Both are teh awesome
One is on question 9
And the other is sitting on question 14
I have one person willing to do a 20 Questions
But that person is on a cruise right now
I have had a couple other people say they were willing and then never email me back
If anyone wants to do one of these lemme know
Happy Valentine’s Day
Have a great weekend everyone

I did not do any prep for this post… I don’t have an interview and I have not sent out the clarion call for questions that I usually do on Mondays… How will we do this?  I will find an online questionnaire and answer it!

Here we go, these questions are from:

http://answers.yahoo.com/questio/index?qid=20110124141233AAYyOgp

1. Do you wear make-up, if you do what kind?
Nope

2. Do you have a YouTube account? If you do what kind of videos do you make?
Yep, but anyone who has a Google account has a YouTube account.  Having an account does not mean that one becomes a content creator.

3. Do you have a Facebook/ twitter?
Yup… I tend to like Twitter better than Facebook

4. Who is your favorite singer/actor?
Well singing actors are a small population.  Hmmm… Ewan McGregor, or maybe Hugh Jackman… Obi Wan or Wolverine?

5. Do you have a iPod, if you do what are your top five songs on it?
They are mainly from comedy albums, but they are in order:

Sex in your Bottom by Greg Behrendt

A-Punk by Vampire Weekend (the lone song in the group)

God’s Lobby by Greg Behrendt

How do I get in a Relationship by Greg Behrendt

Riff Suite 2: The Mystery of Offices/The Burden of Seeing Me by Paul f Tompkins

6. What shirt are you wearing right now, and where is it from?
It is a light blue tight plaid pattern button down shirt that I got from somewhere about 5 years ago.

7. What is your favorite color or colors?
I like varying shades of green.

8. Do you live in a 2 story or 1 story house?
If you do not count the basement, it is 2 stories, but technically I could have answered this question with a simple “Yes,” because I do live in a 2 story or 1 story house.  This question is also awkwardly presumptive of my socio-economic status.  I could be renting or living in a box under an overpass only accessing the Internet via public computers at the Library.  Your questions are weak and poorly worded.

9. Do you like to read?
Yes.

10. Favorite store?
I would say the grocery store.  I go there all the time and clearly spend most of my money there.

11. Do you have pets? what kind?
Nope.  Non-existent.  Again, poorly worded question.  The second part should be “If so, what kind?”

12. How popular are you?
Dreadfully… take that as you will

13. What color hair do you have?
It is brownish.

14. DO you like your life?
I do… but I think you meant to emphasize “like” or “your” instead of “DO.”

15. Last text message says?
“Cool”

16. Do you get makeup from drugstores, if you wear it?
This is a bizarre question, at best.  This is like a logic question that follows a listing of statements.  Tammy doesn’t like make-up.  Betty wears makes up that only comes from beauty stores.  Liz likes make-up but will only wear make up from retailers found in larger stores.  If you are Liz… Question 16!

17. Favorite sport?
Soccer

18. What kind pants are you wearing right now?
Some light green slacks.

18. What your best friends name?
My best friend name is Glen, unless you count the wife, and then the best friend is the wife.  Glen is awesome, but the wife is a badass… you should really QA/QC your questions.

19. Do you love like or hate life?
And maybe you should re-read your questions before publishing.  See 14…. also commas, look into them.

20. Did you have fun answering these questions?
Meh, and sometimes I define “meh” as “no.”

To recap:
I clearly need to get questions from better sources
These questions are not well thought out
These questions are not provocative
These questions is not grammatically correct
But I did not do my due diligence and am left with these questions
Dad goes into get some heart stuff tomorrow morning
I hope they find a heart and not some mechanical pump that was placed there by space aliens 24 years ago when he lost those 4 hours of his life while driving cross-country…
Wait, check that last statement, the alien thing would actually be pretty cool
Unless it is one of those H.R. Geiger aliens… thems some ugly aliens… and mean
Have a good weekend everyone

 

back to the regular schedule… and by regular schedule I mean me answering questions in an asinine manner.  Some questions will be asinine, but, all answers will be.  So, it is almost February in Columbus, Ohio and it was gloomy and rainy yesterday… therefore, today’s topic is “Rain.”  I am nothing if not topical!

Thanks this week go to Kelly Smith, Nadolny, Lsig, Dr B-Dawg, Chris Ring, and Brett Wood. Let’s get to the questions.

1.  Acid or Purple?
I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain…

2.  You have become an overlord in a post apocalyptic world. If you were to start a reign of terror, what would it begin with.
The Spanish Inquisition… weren’t expecting that were you?

3. What’s up with freezing rain?  Can’t make up it’s mind. Is that the definition of wishy-washy or what?  (puns intended)
I think that people forget that precipitation can be many things.  Freezing Rain is just our inadequate naming convention, freezing rain is not a wishy-washy precipitation form… we have a wishy-washy language.

4. Favorite rain song? Least favorite rain song? (I despise many).
Favorite: I cannot think of one that just jumps out at me.
Least Favorite: Singing in the Rain… it is too much of an earworm

5. Hydroplaning, discuss.
Ah, hydroplaning, the way I “got rid” of my second car.  Really annoying

6.  If you got caught in purple rain, would you be laughing? Really? I think I’d freak out.
I would not be laughing, but if I saw you in the purple rain, I would expect you to be laughing… in fact, it is the only thing I would want to see.

7.  If you gotta blame it on something, is the rain really your best choice?
I think blaming it on a guy named Rob or Fab would work better, but seriously, I would blame it on a greedy producer.

8.  Which get you down more: rainy days or Sundays?
Rainy days

9.  Does the rain ever fall on your head like a new emotion?
Nope…. but I faintly remember it falling on my head like a memory…

10.  What would you foresee as the biggest potential problem were it to actually start raining men (hallelujah)?
Craters… craters of splattered men and broken limbs

11.  Who do you think the OED attributes “makin’ it rain!” to?
My bet will be Fat Joe

12.  Do you like jumping in muddy puddles?
Not especially… especially with my awesome shoe selections.

13. “Dancing in the rain” is a great tune, but it is really dangerous. Would this be the most dangerous song title of all time?
Nope, the most dangerous song name is, “Hot for Teacher”

14.  Many people like to sleep when it rains, how ‘bout you?
LOVE. IT!

15.  As a kid we used to construct make-shift “boats” out of popsicle sticks or paper and send them down the sides of the street towards the sewer during rainstorms. Can you remember doing anything like that as a kid?
God, did you also like pushing a hoop down the street with a stick? Skipping down the street with a big lollypop?  Are you 70?

16.  Do you find that rain slows life down a little which is why some people like when it rains?
That is an interesting theory.  I really like it.

17.  Do you know why I like rain? … Because it’s NOT SNOW!!! ok, I kinda answered my own question, you’re welcome ;)
Well, that makes my response easy.  It is like you don’t even need me.

18.  Do rainy days and Mondays get you down?
Just Mondays.

19.  Is there such a thing as too much rain?

Yep! There is also “too little…”

 “Too something”can always happen in a near infinite universe… I just blew your mind, didn’t I?

20.  Can you make it rain?
Best I got is a strong mist or a drizzle, but I cannot make it rain.

To recap:
Couple other interviews in the works
Gonna be awesome when they hit
But until then, you will ave to deal with me
Wow, you forget one “h” and the statement looks all 1890’s Cockney
The rain in Spain falls mostly on the plain
It’s like I’m th’opposite of “My Fair Lady,” govnah
I got on the treadmill Sunday evening, I did… what the ell was I thinkin?
Now me legs are all quivery and such, they are
And my feet
My feet feel like I’ve been walking on stones all day
Look, ere’s Gorilla Grodd for yer pleasure

Oy! Ave a great weekend

It has been too long since I have been to Nova Scotia.  It is a gorgeous place filled with wonderful people.  One of these people is the lovely Mike Milloy.  Mike and I started corresponding years ago because we were both daddy blogging like champs in the mid-aughts.  In a period of a year I had the opportunity to hang out with he and his family twice in the wonderful world of Nova Scotia.  First I was up there for the ALIA Leadership institute, and then a few months later the whole family came heading north to the Halifax area for my wife to work for a few days and follow that up with a crazy fun vacation.

If we had the money and the leisure time, I would work hard to have a second home somewhere in Nova Scotia.  Anyhoo… Mike is an absolute joy to chat with and a person I met on the Internet that I was ecstatic to meet in person… You will get to know him in the following 20 Questions.

Geography, my second love, compels me to ask you for your geographic story.  You have read these questions before, and I am sure you know what most of them are, so I assume you will have no problem with Question 1: What is your geographic story?

My geographic story starts out in the frozen tundra of Manitoba: land of lakes. And mosquitoes. And a lot of bundling up for long, freezing winters. Growing up there wasn’t as bad as you might think. As kids, we are innately bulletproof and don’t care much about how hot or cold it is, and so long as your parents have dressed you appropriately (or taught you how to do so), there is no problem lacing up your skates on your front step, putting on the skate guards, and walking half a mile on hard packed snow to play hockey at the community rink.

I lived there for fifteen years, then the family was uprooted and headed west to oil country for another decade or so, where I finished high school and the first of my university achievements. Going from the Keystone Province (really, that is what they call Manitoba) to Alberta wasn’t a touch switch. More hot summers, more cold winters… it didn’t really matter where it was, just that we were a lot closer to the mountains. It was in Alberta that I learned to ski and snowboard (enough to get by on a trip to Jasper or Banff), drive, and cram for exams. All in all, a good place to continue one’s formative years.

After taking a year’s reality check, I uprooted myself to Toronto for a couple of years to get away from my main area of study (economics) and into the environmental field. Two years at a university in the Big Smoke — I’m all about the place names today — I had both fallen in love and out of love with the city, and deeply in love with a girl; a girl from the East, no less.  And so it was that we would eventually pick up and move to Nova Scotia.

Trading the mountains for salt water wasn’t much of a hardship. I missed the snowcapped peaks, but learned how to sail and play in the hurricane-churned waves (if my kids are reading this, you should NEVER play in hurricane-churned waves. It’s just not safe.) I fell in love with the ocean, the bays, harbours, and inlets of this part of the world, and love reading nautical charts. I’m sure you as cartographer can appreciate moving from the world of hiking through the mountains with a topographical map in your hand, to holding a tiller of a sailboat and scanning charts to make sure you don’t run aground and sink your boat.

So that’s it, in four paragraphs… started in the middle, moved west, then steadily plowed eastward. I feel like a displaced prairie boy sometimes, but actually fit in with the comfortable east coast lifestyle better than I thought I might.

That is quite the Geographic Novella.  I knew the Manitoba piece, the Ontario piece and the Nova Scotia piece, but was unaware of the Alberta piece.  So I gather that Manitoba and Nova Scotia are the primary places that you call “home.” Question 2:  Which one is truly your home in your heart of hearts?  and why?

It’s cliché to say that the place where you raise your kids is inherently “home”, but maybe that’s for a reason. We (in the personal sense, not the collective sense) call this home because that’s where the most important memories are being made. I visited my birthplace a decade after leaving it, and found nothing that would really tie me to the place. Similarly, these days, visiting out west leaves me with the feeling that I just don’t belong there anymore: it’s a bit like having a geographic yearbook, or flipping through old photos. You’re in all of them, but they’re all time and place specific. So for now, this is home. Did I answer the question?

I completely understand, and you answered the question perfectly and eloquently.  When my childhood cat died whilst I was in my Super-Senior year in college (5th year) I realized there really wasn’t much “back home” for me to visit.  Yes, my parents still lived there, but that is beside the point.

People want to know, and they are getting antsy Question 3: Cake or Pie? Which kind specifically and why?

I am really more of a pie guy. Berries are my thing… blueberry pie is awesome. Cherry pie, even better. Lemon meringue? Don’t even get me started. That said, I have in my old age taken to going in for seconds on the pound cake with buttercream icing that is usually a ‘cop out’ at a birthday party. But for the sake of coming up with a single answer, pie.

I have found that most people who like cake, LOVE frosting more than they like cake… Question 4: How do you think a pie with frosting would go over? I have my thoughts and will share them after your answer…

I think that would be a spectacular way to rocket one’s way into a sugar induced coma! I think the frosting is supposed to add something of a contrast to the stability and relative blandness of the cake texture, which really doesn’t exist in a pie. So I don’t think I’ll be an early adopter of the cake/pie hybrid. 

Firstly, I think you underestimate the amount of sugar that the typical North American (predominately United Statesean) diet can handle.  secondly, I think you also underestimate the sheer variety of frosting/icings that are available out there for desert consumption.  I suggest to you, the equivalent of a dutch apple pie, wherein you replace the highly brown sugar laden crumb topping of a typical dutch apple pie with a layer of cream-cheese frosting.  Cream cheese frostings are typically not that sugary (compared to butter-cream, at least) and have a savory undertone to its sweet flavor.  I say if done correctly, frosting on pies could bring about world peace.  One just needs to pair the correct frosting recipe with the appropriate pie… Q.E.D. World Peace.

I also think that many cakes would do well with some kind of fruit compote as a topping instead of frosting.

You work as an economist for the your province’s government, Question 5: When did you find out that you wanted to devote your mental energy toward economics (a subject loathed by many [coming from a mathematics major, so no judgement here, just curiosity])?

I don’t want to belabour the pie-frosting point here, but if you think the world could agree on what kind of frosting would best go with which kind of pie? You should contact the United Nations post-haste. I look forward to the impending state of world peace you will undoubtedly bestow upon us.

On to your next question, which if I read it correctly, is asking at what age I cut my hand so badly that in my swooning state of blood loss, I realised I would make a terrible doctor?

Eight.

As for what I did eventually become… I wanted originally to get a business degree. Why? I can’t really say. I think I was influenced by someone out there who was charismatic enough to garner my awe. And so I started on the path to getting some economics courses under my belt, and I just kind of kept rolling with that, to the tune of over two dozen economics courses before I realised that I still had to get some electives in or I wouldn’t graduate. Completely finished with my undergraduate degree, I knew that economics was getting too theoretical for me, so I’d better do something practical with my education, which took me into the environmental studies field. I eventually learned that pairing the two was a useful combination, and it set me on the path to doing a) economics, then b) environmental economics, and (now) c) mostly economics but with a critical environmental/interdisciplinary bent.

In other words, the cosmos aligned and I became what my education was supposed to prepare me for. Weird, right?

Being an economist in today’s era is an interesting thing. It’s like being a scientist and having your lab become the entire world. Or maybe the other way around. In any case, I don’t think economists are any more reviled than before; it’s just that people let you speak longer before they determine everything is your fault and even though you saw it coming, why can’t you fix it already??

And don’t get me started on math majors. Those freaks used to take the hardest mathematical-economics courses as electives.

Dude, I have way too many holes in the ground to look at to worry about world peace via the correct frosting to pie combination (whipped citrus flavored frosting instead of meringue on a lemon custard pie) … and as far as Math majors taking high level economic courses as electives?  not this guy;  I took art courses.

That being said, it is completely odd that you are working in the field for which you studied and you did not go after a professional degree like a medical doctor or lawyer.  Question 6: So, aside from chasing three kids as a parent and pouring over environmental economic indicators, what consumes your non-existent free-time?

I would make some witty comment about being so busy that I have totally forgotten about free time, but I read something the other day that indicated that people don’t actually ~care~ about how busy parents are! Can you believe that?

I like to run around. Sometimes by myself in straight lines down roads and paths, sometimes chasing and being chased by frisbees (And no, I am not a border collie.). I also like things with wheels: Bikes, skateboards, inline skates, what-have-you. Basically, unless it’s dark out, I’d rather be outside doing something active, and usually it’s with my kids. If it’s dark out, I’m probably consuming copious quantities of television shows that people also really don’t care to hear about.

I always enjoy hearing how busy my non-parent friends are and how they “can’t” do something because of their schedule.  Ha!  I say, they know not what busy is.  I am surprised you did not mention the photography, because you have a pretty good eye for that as well.  Anyone who follows you on the twitters or knows you on Facebook recognize your love of movement.  One of my favorite posts of yours was for one of your winter runs when you got a pic of yourself with a balaclava, and then took one with a balaclava and a jaunty scarf.  Makes me giggle every time I think about it. Every. Single. Time.


Question 7: Is there anything out there that makes you laugh every time you experience it?

That was kind of a funny picture. Hooray for accessories, I say.

Something that makes me laugh every time I see it? Hmm… I think human comedy is the funniest. I was brought up with a healthy sense of humour in the house (I know humour is subjective, so what I consider healthy might be construed as sick, or dry, or just off-base.) — particularly slapstick and physical comedy in movies and TV: Steve Martin, Peter Sellers, John Ritter… fantastic abilities. So anything that has to do with people falling down or making mistakes usually makes me smile. In the vein of internet distractions that keep me amused, two of my favourites are “Cakewrecks” and “DamnYouAutoCorrect”. Dot-com those if you dare.

That’s interesting, I find wordplay to be more enjoyable than the slapstick… between us is comedic genius.  Humor is terribly subjective, that is why there are acts like Larry the Cable Guy and Cedric the Entertainer and Patton Oswalt and Brian Regan. All are fairly successful acts, but all are radically different.

Question 8: What would 13 year old Mike Milloy think about current Mike Milloy’s entertainment choices?  I know my 13 year old self would not understand all of my entertainment choices.

I have to believe that other than reality television, which pretty much didn’t exist when I was 13, my entertainment choices have stayed virtually unchanged. It’s sort of like music — at some point, your CD (tape?) collection stops changing, or at least growing noticeably slower.

That is true, but digital music has helped considerably in infusing new music into my repertoire.  For example, PSY’s Gangnam Style… I think I might like K-pop. Question 9: How are you introducing music to your kids? umm… I am asking for a friend.

I think the question of kids and music comes at an opportune time. With the first kid, I tried to keep things mature, but wound up in the downward Raffi spiral (which is good once you’re fully indoctrinated — kind of like a cult). That said, there’s a pile of contemporary artists doing kids stuff, which is a bonus. With the second kid, it wasn’t quite as tough, though the older was looking for something a little more interesting so we had to split the difference when it came to songs in the car. The third kid? She knows all the words to songs that I don’t want to tell her the meaning of.

We sheltered the oldest for a bit.  We Laurie Berkner Banded it for awhile and other kid stuff… Then he migrated to Weezer, you know, more kids’ stuff.  With Q, she is into dance music and gets exposed to the lyrics that accompany dance music.  Ke$ha writes some great lyrics for kids.

Question 10: Fill in the blanks.  I find that I am mostly _________.  Other people find that I am mostly __________.

I find that I am mostly barely holding my shit together. Other people find that I am mostly relaxed and in control of my faculties.

It is amazing how hard it is to hold everything together.  It is the “Duck Axiom:” On the surface serene and even regal, however, under the water, paddling like Hell.  I honestly do not know how I am above water right now.  I have the full-time job, I have a full graduate school course-load, I have 2 kids, and my wife has to travel for her job.  This does not even count the side work I have that seems to be lining up.  It is a wonder.  So because of your running in long distance running events, having three kids, having a full-time job, and spearheading the Movember movement in the Halifax area with your thin and blond moustache, it is a wonder you can come up for breath at all.

Question 11: What would you like to be doing with your time that you just cannot get to?

I’d like to be building something. Bikes, furniture, something that takes a moderate amount of time and obviously would require some degree of prolonged concentration. Life is just not conducive to individual pursuits such as those.

I once bought the plans and rough cut all the wood to build some Adirondack chairs for a friend’s wedding present. They now have three children and I never did finish the project. Luckily, I never told them about it.

I’m not saying that given the time, I could successfully pull off something that would look professional, but I wouldn’t mind pointing at something other than a photo on the wall and say, “I did that.”

Having a physical record of effort would be a great thing.  That is why I have been drawing more and more.  Lots of flat colorful artifacts of various degrees of quality.

Question 12: Do you have a favorite thing that comes in a set of dozens?

I like eggs

More of a doughnut man myself… I find that eggs are only an occasional thing, whereas I could eat doughnuts daily… Hourly even.

Since we are on Question 13: Do you have any superstitions/ rituals/ out of proportion fears, etc….?

Having been born on the 13th, I feel justified in claiming the number as a lucky number, rather than an unlucky one. I’m not sure if that’s irrational or not. On an unrelated note, I do sometimes fear that the difference between quirky behaviour and OCD can be a very thin line, so I’m constantly suspicious of my own idiosyncrasies.

Well, the issue with quirky vs OCD is if the action you are performing is to make sure some other unrelated activity occurs or doesn’t occur.  If it that kind of situation (I need to check my phone for voicemails so I know my kids are safe even though I checked 5 minutes ago and the phone hasn’t rang since then) then it is OCD.  If it is wearing a flowerpot on your head and dancing a jig, you are quirky.

I am well familiar with the effort it takes to deal with 2 kids in the house.  Question 14: In orders of magnitude, how would you rate the amount of parental energy it takes to scale up from parenting 2 wee ones to dealing with 3?

Luckily, we never had three that were all “wee” at the same time. It felt like a geometric leap to go from 1 to 2, but the third actually was much easier to handle. People with two kids should definitely just go ahead and have a third. It really makes that difficult learning curve worthwhile! (Disclaimer: I should not be trusted in any way when it comes to parenting advice.)

It is going from man-to-man to a zone leaves open seams for a kid to make a break across the middle… and you don’t want the kids to get a TD… at best a field goal.  ”Keep the kids out of the red-zone” is what I always think, say, and do.

Question 15: When are you coming to Columbus?

That’s a good analogy. But having the oldest kid on your side part of the time is like having a mole… so it may appear it’s a zone defense, but it’s more of a hybrid.

Columbus is #1 of my places to visit when in Ohio. You should know that. But I have yet to broach the subject of a summer vacation in the family truckster to that part of the world. Do you have a board of tourism that can send me a video?

Nope, our tourism is more bored than associated with a board.  Don’t get me wrong, C-bus (as the locals are known to call it) is a great place to live.  Good schools, relatively nice climate, growing restaurant scene, etc… but it doesn’t really have much in the way of attractions.  If there is some kind of conference in the Columbus vicinity that is all about Economics… I insist that you visit.

Question 17: Have I missed anything? Any questions you were hoping that I would have asked?

Well, you haven’t asked me what the secret to blog longevity is, so I can only assume you’ve visited my dormant blog and have crossed me off the list of informed sources.

What about you? Is there anything you want to come clean about? Tell me about your childhood, Scott.

There is no secret to blog longevity.  Blogs come and go and mainly go, everybody knows that.  I am only doing this because I find it relatively enjoyable.  Once it begins to feel like a chore again…. another lengthy hiatus will ensue.

Well, Question 18 is typically the “What questions do you have for me?” but you jumped the gun… you turned the tide on me too soon… I don’t know what to do…

hmmm… a secret from my childhood… I was in the Boy Scouts, and got my Eagle Scout.  While I was there I was homophobic and pretty racist…  It was Alabama in the 80’s and early 90’s.  No matter how much my own tendencies went towards progressiveness and openness, I was a product of the environment.  It was not until I went to college that I shed that shit. Product of my environment and all, I still never liked country music.

You brought this upon yourself… Question 18: How about you?  Is there anything that you want to come clean about?

As a non-catholic, I never understood the idea of ritual confessionals. I mean, we all do bad stuff from time to time, but how is being sorry about it on a weekly basis going to make things better?

I try not to do things I’ll be regretful for, but I admit that I often do things without thinking about the downstream effects and consequences. Usually nothing too serious, but I admit that I’ve disappointed people close to me from time to time and it’s hard to revisit those days and events. Hopefully those people realize, like me, that we’re not a perfect species and that holding a grudge forever is just not productive.

Grudges can really hurt things.  The hubris of my youth facilitated very similar actions without thinking of the consequences.  I guess that is how people become wise.  Stupid, unwise becoming wise people.

Question 19: What are you taking from this 20 questions that you did not bring in with you?

The motto for the Beavers (the entry point for boy scouts in Canada) is “sharing, sharing, sharing”. I feel I’ve done a lot of that here, which I suppose was your intent all along. I am not one to mesh my online persona (such as it is) with my personal life, but you’ve definitely been able to scratch through my veneer. Thanks!

I am a veneer scratcher, if nothing else.  But let’s be clear , I scratched the veneer to look at the deep luster of the subsurface.  You are a deep and wonderful person, that I am lucky to know.  On top of that, I am well aware that had it not been for Daddy blogging in the mid-00’s I would not have the pleasure of knowing you.

Question 20: What is next for you?  Be as concrete or as vague as you want to be.

At the risk of sounding like someone who’s turning forty (which I will do in less than three months’ time), I’d like to work on Who I Am. Not to say I’m going to buy a corvette, hit up a sweat lodge, and embark on a journey of truth (or open a record store), but I’ve come to realize there are things about me that are only “about me” because I like those things in other people. So I think the next phase of my life is going to be centered around critically thinking about the things I do and wondering if they’re really about ~me~ or if it’s just something amusing about other people that I have somehow latched on to. I should leave those things to them.

Maybe another way of putting it is that I’d like to try to live genuinely. I hope I have the fortitude to pull that off. No guarantees.

Well, I look forward to the genuine Mike in the future instead of this disingenuous bastard I have been dealing with here.  Mike, thanks so much for taking the time to do this.  FYI… to all my reading public, this 20 Questions spanned a full 6 months to complete… when he says that raising three kids is not significantly more effort than 2… I think he is a lying liarpants.

Follow Mike on the tumblrs and the twitters

To recap:
I love me some Mike Milloy
You should too
Drew this for my 4 year old daughter

She wanted Superman
And then said, “No!  Supergirl!”
Done and done!
It is silly cold today
But the cold has nothing on the windchill
I am not telling you what the temp is
Look it up your damn self
Well… that’s about it
Have a great weekend everyone