Ed Bellis Interviews the Users

boldDay 1: Mumeibold

(21:41:50) ThisWasEdBellis: bold1. You seem to have a personality that takes things to extremes – liking Monster, talking on AIM, even user contests. What do you think, if anything, that stems from?bold (21:42:14) Mumei: Well. (21:42:23) Mumei: When I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, that made sense. (21:42:50) Mumei: But in recent yeas, I've gone back and read over some of the stuff again, thought about my experiences more recently, and I do wonder sometimes how true the diagnosis is, so it might not be that. (21:42:59) Mumei: I still think I have it, but it seems... almost borderline. (21:43:23) Mumei: Like take it to another psych, and they might not agree with my diagnosis, depending on what stuff I decide to emphasize. (21:43:37) Mumei: So... uh... maybe that? (21:43:42) ThisWasEdBellis: diagnoses always seem like tricky business to me (21:43:58) ThisWasEdBellis: it's amazing how we know so little about how the brain actually works (21:44:07) Mumei: Exactly. (21:44:14) Mumei: We should be able to experiment on people. (21:44:17) Mumei: <_< (21:44:19) Mumei: >____________>

(21:44:58) ThisWasEdBellis:bold2. To me you’ve got a fairly well-defined ‘persona’ on Board 8. How does that differ, if at all, from how you are in real life?bold (21:46:03) Mumei: I am more outgoing, friendlier, less abrasive, more of a dick, and slightly gayer. (21:46:15) Mumei: On Board 8, as compared to "real life." (21:46:29) ThisWasEdBellis: less abrasive yet more of a dick? =) (21:46:40) Mumei: Like.. (21:46:51) Mumei: In person, I'm very... I guess brusque is the word. (21:46:53) Mumei: Curt, taciturn, etc. (21:47:00) ThisWasEdBellis: right (21:47:14) Mumei: Whereas by being a dick, I mean that during like arguments or whatever, I can take cheap shots that are totally inappropriate. <_< (21:47:48) ThisWasEdBellis: gotcha

(21:48:34) ThisWasEdBellis: bold3. Tell me about your dreams, your hopes, your aspirations. What do you really want out of life?bold (21:49:35) Mumei: Uh, give me a minute, Proust. (21:49:55) ThisWasEdBellis: sure (21:51:43) Mumei: Being very vague, I would like to have a job that I enjoy and pays well enough that I could live comfortably alone if necessary, a relationship with a person that I love, a few close friends, and stock to keep falling until I have enough money to invest. (21:52:01) Mumei: More short term, I would like to find a job and do well in my classes this semester. (21:52:30) ThisWasEdBellis: those seem like reasonable goals (21:53:07) Mumei: I don't really know anymore specific than that. (21:53:30) ThisWasEdBellis: me neither - staying flexible's the way to go, imo (21:53:30) Mumei: I mean, when I really think about it, yeah, sure, I'd like to stumble across ten million dollars tomorrw. (21:53:42) Mumei: But I wouldn't feel as though I didn't enjoy my life if that didn't happen.

(21:55:10) ThisWasEdBellis: bold4. What was the one anime that first made you stand up and realize, "Wow, I'm hooked to this stuff"?bold (21:55:43) Mumei: Rurouni Kenshin, back when I was a sophomore in high school. (21:58:44) ThisWasEdBellis: sorry, had to get a band-aid (21:58:53) ThisWasEdBellis: anime or manga kenshin? (21:59:05) Mumei: Anime Kenshin, though I read the manga not long after that.

(21:59:34) ThisWasEdBellis: bold5. What type of anime would you recommend to somebody who is predisposed to hating the entirety of Eastern animation?bold (21:59:47) ThisWasEdBellis: or manga, really (21:59:56) Mumei: Uh. (22:00:11) Mumei: Well. (22:00:19) Mumei: I mean, Monster is going to be first for that, obviously. (22:01:37) Mumei: If by "Eastern" you mean that they dislike Eastern sensibilities in artwork in general, then I'm not sure what else I know of; but if you just mean that they dislike the usual fare of shounen anime that focus on fighting ever-stronger enemies, there's plenty more; Juuni Kokki, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Mushishi, Rurouni Kenshin OVA, Gankutsuou, various Ghibli films, and so forth.

(22:03:09) ThisWasEdBellis: bold6. Who’s more intelligent: Johan Liebert or Sherlock Holmes? (if you can answer this without spoiling the entirety of Monster for me, more power to you)bold (22:03:15) Mumei: You're a jerk. (22:03:19) ThisWasEdBellis: =) (22:03:24) Mumei: I wrote 12 pages for that stupid contest. =( (22:03:39) ThisWasEdBellis: i forget who won (22:03:48) Mumei: Well, to be perfectly, honest, I have read enough of Holmes to judge. (22:03:57) Mumei: The contest was turned into a "who would win in a battle of wits" (22:04:19) Mumei: To be expected in a criminal vs. detective intelligence match, but I didn't think it was an appropraite barometer. (22:05:10) Mumei: Taking a villain who was written as unbeatable against a detective written as impossible to fool? (22:05:22) Mumei: It's pointless to take the match like that; all you are left with is feats. (22:06:27) Mumei: I tend to think of grand planning villiainous "feats" to be more impressive than shorter term feats of detective work; actually planning out and putting into an action a criminal plan and getting away with it impress me more than actually detecting that. (22:07:22) Mumei: Oh, also. (22:07:31) Mumei: It should be "have not" read enough of Holmes to judge. (22:07:55) Mumei: My impression is based on the arguments that were made for him and discussions of his feats and his abilities; they might have just done a poor job arguing his case.

(22:09:05) ThisWasEdBellis: bold7. You seem like you’re a fairly liberal dude as far as politics goes. How do you feel about Obama?bold (22:09:27) Mumei: Pretty good, could be better. (22:10:19) ThisWasEdBellis: anything specific you're thinking of? (22:10:20) Mumei: I'd prefer it if he had stood his ground on FISA, and if they had gotten the infrastructure to create a media noise machine ala the Republicans much earlier (it seems that they mostly accomplished that for the first time this week). (22:10:25) ThisWasEdBellis: ah, sorry to interrupt >_> (22:10:28) Mumei: =) (22:11:00) Mumei: Essentially, Republicans are very good at Presidential politics. (22:11:00) Mumei: I don't like their policies, but their politics... well, they are good, to say the least. (22:11:20) ThisWasEdBellis: that's my assessment as well (22:11:30) ThisWasEdBellis: seems like in recent years republicans have done a better job working the system (22:12:15) Mumei: And one of their strengths is in controlling the media narrative; you choose a line of attack ("Obama is a celebrity," for instance; not one of their best, but as an example), you pass out talking points to your media allies in print, radio, and cable television, you dispatch surrogates to be guests on shows, and when you watch cable, you see, to a man / woman, the allies following the "message" of the week. (22:12:57) Mumei: It can be completely "off" from the previous week - McCain's camp has recently pivoted from the "Obama is a vapid airheaded celebrity" tact to the "Obama is a corrupt backroom Chicago pol" tact. (22:13:03) Mumei: And Democrats usually suck at that sort of thing. (22:13:42) Mumei: The Republican will say something, the Democrats will release a press release that gets perhaps an hour's worth of attention, tops, with some somewhat snide comment, and that's it. (22:14:05) Mumei: Republicans make a point of grabbing the narrative by the throat, and it works for them. (22:14:26) Mumei: There's a reason why the media started frettng over whether Obama was "presumptuous," and it wasn't on their own.

(22:14:40) ThisWasEdBellis: bold8. Do you believe there's a (to use a pedantic term) 'vast right-wing conspiracy,' then? (22:14:55) Mumei: And there's a vast left-wing conspiracy.bold (22:15:01) Mumei: The lefties just suck at it. =P (22:15:44) ThisWasEdBellis: heh, fair enough (22:15:56) Mumei: And the term "vast right-wing conspiracy," which was made a joke after Hillary said that was the issue before it was confirmed that Bill was a manwhore, did have some truth to it. (22:16:49) Mumei: But it was a relatively small conspiracy as I understand it; Richard Mellon Scaife gave $1.8 million to "unearth damaging information about President Clinton." (22:17:30) Mumei: But I more dislike it on the basis that it is "right-wing" than it is a "conspiracy."

(22:18:25) ThisWasEdBellis: bold9. Favorite animal of all-time and why?bold (22:18:32) Mumei: oh god. (22:19:28) Mumei: Probably killer whales. <.< (22:20:13) Mumei: And I don't know. (22:20:21) Mumei: They are the animal equivalent of goddamn badasses. (22:20:32) Mumei: Them and golden eagles. (22:21:35) Mumei: Oh, and I like the Vampire Squid's Latin name (Vampyroteuthis infernalis). (22:21:40) Mumei: Vampire squid from hell. (22:21:40) Mumei: Aesome. (22:21:43) Mumei: +w (22:21:48) ThisWasEdBellis: that is an appropriately awesome answer (22:22:08) ThisWasEdBellis: last question!

(22:22:24) ThisWasEdBellis: bold10. What’s one thing the majority of the Board doesn’t know about you? (22:23:05) Mumei: That I think that they should watch Monster, now.bold (22:23:14) Mumei: (advertising opportunity, shush) (22:23:22) ThisWasEdBellis: but everyone knows that! (22:23:26) Mumei: ... Oh. (22:23:27) Mumei: Right. (22:23:40) Mumei: Well, let's see. (22:24:19) Mumei: The majority of Board 8 does not know where I live! (22:25:16) Mumei: Sorry, I can't think of anything. =| (22:25:34) ThisWasEdBellis: then i must pose to you an ALTERNATE QUESTION

(22:25:56) ThisWasEdBellis: bold10. What's one thing the majority of the Board knows about you that you wish they didn't?bold (22:26:14) Mumei: Hey. (22:26:28) Mumei: I don't tell anyone anything I don't mind someone else knowing. =P (22:26:39) Mumei: oh god that was horrible. (22:26:50) Mumei: I don't tell anyone anything I mind someone else knowing. (22:26:52) Mumei: There we are. (22:26:57) ThisWasEdBellis: bah (22:27:01) ThisWasEdBellis: i need a good 'capper' question (22:27:21) ThisWasEdBellis: and i don't wanna do smurf's 'where do you see yourself in 10 years' standard (22:27:32) Mumei: Sorry; it's just that I make a point of not telling people things I don't want them to know, and when you ask "What's one thing?" all that comes to mind is things I wouldn't tell people. =P (22:27:48) ThisWasEdBellis: eh, i'll accept that, i suppose (22:28:12) ThisWasEdBellis: well, thanks for tha interview ! (22:28:14) Mumei: Sowwies, Bellis. (22:28:26) ThisWasEdBellis: nah, you were honest, which is what i asked for (22:28:29) Mumei: Now, go watch Monster.