More Info Requested...
I thought I had generated information overload with the '100 Things' list, but there's been a call from DenimDoll, one of my regular commenters, for more information on a few items.
She was cool with me posting her questions and the replies here on the blog, so here we go. I'll boldface her questions, plaintext my answers, and leave the original 'Thing' in italics.
No, I guess not, but it would be nice to be known as an expert in at least one field. I can fit in almost anywhere due to what knowledge I've squirreled away, but inevitably I run into someone who really knows his stuff on a topic, and I get pinned in a corner when I reach the end of my knowledge on that subject.
Still, I do OK most times. This next tidbit is bragging a little, but it's absolutely true. I have never lost at Trivial Pursuit. Not once. I've also been very careful not to play a sports-themed edition, so take that with a grain of salt! Taking a hint from the Duke of Wellington's playbook, I've learned how to pick the battlefield to my best advantage!
Well, don't get me wrong! When I was living in Dallas/Ft. Worth I loved being near the Texas Rangers team. At the old Arlington Stadium we used to get 1/2 price bleacher seats for $2, and hoot & holler from way up in the nosebleed section. After they built The Ballpark In Arlington (I will NOT call it by the corporate bought & paid-for name!), I truly felt I was entering a Cathedral to America's Pastime. It's a lovely place, and an All-American game. I feel very much a part of our great society when attending a baseball game, especially seeing all the kids with their dads and their gloves, hoping for a foul tip.
I like high school and college football, 'cause they're playing for something more than $$$. I couldn't give a rat's ass about the pro football leagues in more than just a general fashion. I have no use for basketball or hockey, and I get tired just watching tennis.
Still, an afternoon at the Kimbell or the DMA or the MFA is always preferable. Sports is good for fun, but art feeds the soul.
I dunno about that! ;-) Books give you paper cuts when you go to lay a goodnight kiss on them! Each book is a kind of mini-vacation, though.
It's easier to say what kind of books AREN'T in my library. I don't do romance novels, technical manuals, or faith-based fiction. I don't read as many biographies as I ought to.
Everything else is fair game. I've got everything from astronomy to zoology, cookbooks to codebooks, poetry to plays, space operas to whodunits. If you've got Excel, I've got the collection on a spreadsheet, but I haven't updated it in almost 2 years, so it's short 500+ books. I need to cull the collection, just for space reasons, but find the winnowing process harder than pulling my own teeth.
Well, there's more to it than that. Mom's always had a bit of an inferiority complex about being a "good parent" that tends to erupt every so often. I dunno whether it stems from her not hatching her own children, or my lack of interest in producing grandkids for her to spoil. Part of the refusal to meet my biological family is keeping her from thinking I'm dissatisfied with her as a parent, and looking for something more. I know it's silly, and I wish she were more secure about herself, but as they say, you need to pick your battles. Time enough to catch up with them after she's gone. I won't sneak around behind her back just to scratch an itch that's not all that pressing to me. She deserves better, even if she makes me crazy sometimes.
Seeing 4 year olds forced to march around holding up the bloody fetus anti-abortion signs pretty much jelled this belief for me. We would shriek bloody murder if kids were indoctrinated with Marxism in schools, but as a society we're strangely OK with putting them in deadly fear for their souls at a tender age. Let 'em grow up first, before you hit 'em with your accumulated "isms". The flip side is that if you wait until they can make an informed decision, they might not follow your beliefs! A lot of people can't stand that.
That was the night neither roommate (hers or mine) would clear out of the dorm rooms. We were both committed to doing the deed, but being broke college students, we didn't have the coin for a motel room. A moonlight ride to the scenic overlook and a careful balancing act with the scooter on the center stand (no, we weren't riding at the time!) gave a unique perspective on al fresco romancing.
Well, soft squishy stuff like a fudge/marshmallow/caramel swirl or a strawberry puree I can deal with. Even a Reese's chunk wouldn't be all that bad, as long as it wasn't frozen rock hard. I dunno about the banana ice cream, though... I'm kind of particular about my 'nanners. I want 'em either in the original wrapper, or in 'nanner pudding. Frozen ones or artificial banana flavoring oooks me out.
El Capitan Secret #84357 - I'm addicted to Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings. I never did care for wings still on the bone.
I grew up reading about Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Jedediah Smith and other pioneer heroes. As a result, I was keenly interested in muzzle-loading firearms, tomahawks and other period weapons. There used to be a store called Bigfoot Primitive Weapons near my house as a youngster, and I'd spend a lot of cash there on assorted paraphernalia until I was old enough to buy the sharp pointy things. I built my own knives & 'hawks from kits, learned to tan hides and sew leather, and just soaked up anything that I could about that era.
As a Scout Camp staffer in the late '80s, I put that knowledge to use. My job for 2 years was to lead kids on mule-packing expeditions where we'd pan for gold, shoot black powder pistols and rifles, throw 'hawks and knives, and generally plant the seeds of adventure in the kids. When you hone your skills all day, every day for weeks at a time, you get pretty darned good.
The thing is, there's not much call for those skills in this day & age unless the shit hits the fan in huge bucketloads. It's not a particularly photogenic style of fighting, either. Forget Daniel Day Lewis's 'Last Of The Mohicans' choreographed dancing. Fighting with tomahawks would be really, really messy. Imagine getting into a boxing match with framing hammers, only with sharp edges.
My first one (upper right arm) is the state of Texas in the TX flag colors, with a buffalo skull and a pair of crossed tomahawks. I've got a pic somewhere, if I find it I'll scan it in and post it. I can't seem to get a good pic of my own arm right now!
Second one (left ankle) is a howling wolf inside a crescent moon. It's the logo of Warp Graphics. They publish ElfQuest comics, which I've been addicted to and collecting since the early 80's. Take a look, but be careful, Wendy & Richard Pini's art and stories tend to suck you in!
Third one (right calf) continues the silly trend of permanently branding myself with corporate logos. I was working with a bunch of PC geeks who constantly gave me grief for using a Mac. In a fit of insanity, I had the old rainbow Apple logo tattooed on. Two years later, Apple changed to the solid color logo. Needless to say, that's the one I didn't put enough thought into.
She was cool with me posting her questions and the replies here on the blog, so here we go. I'll boldface her questions, plaintext my answers, and leave the original 'Thing' in italics.
22. I have an extremely wide range of interests, so much so that I never stick with one long enough to be great at it. I'm not quite a dilettante, but I personify the phrase "Jack of All Trades, Master of None".> That isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know.
No, I guess not, but it would be nice to be known as an expert in at least one field. I can fit in almost anywhere due to what knowledge I've squirreled away, but inevitably I run into someone who really knows his stuff on a topic, and I get pinned in a corner when I reach the end of my knowledge on that subject.
Still, I do OK most times. This next tidbit is bragging a little, but it's absolutely true. I have never lost at Trivial Pursuit. Not once. I've also been very careful not to play a sports-themed edition, so take that with a grain of salt! Taking a hint from the Duke of Wellington's playbook, I've learned how to pick the battlefield to my best advantage!
34. I would rather go to a museum than a ball game.> Impressive! That makes you one very rare guy.
Well, don't get me wrong! When I was living in Dallas/Ft. Worth I loved being near the Texas Rangers team. At the old Arlington Stadium we used to get 1/2 price bleacher seats for $2, and hoot & holler from way up in the nosebleed section. After they built The Ballpark In Arlington (I will NOT call it by the corporate bought & paid-for name!), I truly felt I was entering a Cathedral to America's Pastime. It's a lovely place, and an All-American game. I feel very much a part of our great society when attending a baseball game, especially seeing all the kids with their dads and their gloves, hoping for a foul tip.
I like high school and college football, 'cause they're playing for something more than $$$. I couldn't give a rat's ass about the pro football leagues in more than just a general fashion. I have no use for basketball or hockey, and I get tired just watching tennis.
Still, an afternoon at the Kimbell or the DMA or the MFA is always preferable. Sports is good for fun, but art feeds the soul.
40. I've spent more money on books in the last decade than I have on vacations or dating women.> This one makes you a very wise person. :-)
I dunno about that! ;-) Books give you paper cuts when you go to lay a goodnight kiss on them! Each book is a kind of mini-vacation, though.
53. My personal library has over 3000 books. Unfortunately, most reside in boxes instead of shelves.> What kind of books are in your library?
It's easier to say what kind of books AREN'T in my library. I don't do romance novels, technical manuals, or faith-based fiction. I don't read as many biographies as I ought to.
Everything else is fair game. I've got everything from astronomy to zoology, cookbooks to codebooks, poetry to plays, space operas to whodunits. If you've got Excel, I've got the collection on a spreadsheet, but I haven't updated it in almost 2 years, so it's short 500+ books. I need to cull the collection, just for space reasons, but find the winnowing process harder than pulling my own teeth.
62. I was contacted by my biological brother through the adoption agency 10 years ago, but chose not to respond. I have a family already.> I agree with you on this one. Biology has nothing to do with parenting.
Well, there's more to it than that. Mom's always had a bit of an inferiority complex about being a "good parent" that tends to erupt every so often. I dunno whether it stems from her not hatching her own children, or my lack of interest in producing grandkids for her to spoil. Part of the refusal to meet my biological family is keeping her from thinking I'm dissatisfied with her as a parent, and looking for something more. I know it's silly, and I wish she were more secure about herself, but as they say, you need to pick your battles. Time enough to catch up with them after she's gone. I won't sneak around behind her back just to scratch an itch that's not all that pressing to me. She deserves better, even if she makes me crazy sometimes.
65. The idea of involuntary indoctrination of children bothers me so much, I question the wisdom of ever becoming a parent.> Ditto (agreement w/#62)
Seeing 4 year olds forced to march around holding up the bloody fetus anti-abortion signs pretty much jelled this belief for me. We would shriek bloody murder if kids were indoctrinated with Marxism in schools, but as a society we're strangely OK with putting them in deadly fear for their souls at a tender age. Let 'em grow up first, before you hit 'em with your accumulated "isms". The flip side is that if you wait until they can make an informed decision, they might not follow your beliefs! A lot of people can't stand that.
66. I have learned that is possible to have sex on a motor scooter.> Okay, I'm impressed. Oh, and I want details. :-)
That was the night neither roommate (hers or mine) would clear out of the dorm rooms. We were both committed to doing the deed, but being broke college students, we didn't have the coin for a motel room. A moonlight ride to the scenic overlook and a careful balancing act with the scooter on the center stand (no, we weren't riding at the time!) gave a unique perspective on al fresco romancing.
72. I cannot stand ice cream with bits or chunks of stuff in it. Putting almonds or other nuts in ice cream should be punishable by death. Just plain ol' ice cream, please.> You're kidding! Try some Cold Stone banana ice cream with Reeces Peanut Butter Cups in it and I bet you'd change your mind.
Well, soft squishy stuff like a fudge/marshmallow/caramel swirl or a strawberry puree I can deal with. Even a Reese's chunk wouldn't be all that bad, as long as it wasn't frozen rock hard. I dunno about the banana ice cream, though... I'm kind of particular about my 'nanners. I want 'em either in the original wrapper, or in 'nanner pudding. Frozen ones or artificial banana flavoring oooks me out.
77. I have never set foot in a Hooter's. If you must ogle women, go to a strip club and pay for the privilege, not a low-rent, soft-core chicken-wing shack.> I have no moral objections to Hooter's - I just think their wings suck.
El Capitan Secret #84357 - I'm addicted to Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings. I never did care for wings still on the bone.
83. I can throw a tomahawk well enough to split playing cards at 10 paces. Once I get warmed up and in the groove, I rarely miss.> How in the world did you gain this skill, and more importantly, why?
I grew up reading about Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Jedediah Smith and other pioneer heroes. As a result, I was keenly interested in muzzle-loading firearms, tomahawks and other period weapons. There used to be a store called Bigfoot Primitive Weapons near my house as a youngster, and I'd spend a lot of cash there on assorted paraphernalia until I was old enough to buy the sharp pointy things. I built my own knives & 'hawks from kits, learned to tan hides and sew leather, and just soaked up anything that I could about that era.
As a Scout Camp staffer in the late '80s, I put that knowledge to use. My job for 2 years was to lead kids on mule-packing expeditions where we'd pan for gold, shoot black powder pistols and rifles, throw 'hawks and knives, and generally plant the seeds of adventure in the kids. When you hone your skills all day, every day for weeks at a time, you get pretty darned good.
The thing is, there's not much call for those skills in this day & age unless the shit hits the fan in huge bucketloads. It's not a particularly photogenic style of fighting, either. Forget Daniel Day Lewis's 'Last Of The Mohicans' choreographed dancing. Fighting with tomahawks would be really, really messy. Imagine getting into a boxing match with framing hammers, only with sharp edges.
87. I have two tattoos I love, and one that I probably shouldn't have gotten.> What are the tattoos of?
My first one (upper right arm) is the state of Texas in the TX flag colors, with a buffalo skull and a pair of crossed tomahawks. I've got a pic somewhere, if I find it I'll scan it in and post it. I can't seem to get a good pic of my own arm right now!
Second one (left ankle) is a howling wolf inside a crescent moon. It's the logo of Warp Graphics. They publish ElfQuest comics, which I've been addicted to and collecting since the early 80's. Take a look, but be careful, Wendy & Richard Pini's art and stories tend to suck you in!
Third one (right calf) continues the silly trend of permanently branding myself with corporate logos. I was working with a bunch of PC geeks who constantly gave me grief for using a Mac. In a fit of insanity, I had the old rainbow Apple logo tattooed on. Two years later, Apple changed to the solid color logo. Needless to say, that's the one I didn't put enough thought into.
posted by El Capitan | 4:49 PM
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