Ed Bellis joins in the interviewing Board 8 users trend and hopefully does it better than his predecessors! He has shown much flexibility in his methods of conducting the interviews, so no one should feel like they're not eligible. Unless they suck.
Day 1: Mumei[]
(21:41:50) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. 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?
(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:2. 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?
(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: 3. Tell me about your dreams, your hopes, your aspirations. What do you really want out of life?
(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: 4. What was the one anime that first made you stand up and realize, "Wow, I'm hooked to this stuff"?
(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: 5. What type of anime would you recommend to somebody who is predisposed to hating the entirety of Eastern animation?
(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: 6. 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)
(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: 7. You seem like you’re a fairly liberal dude as far as politics goes. How do you feel about Obama?
(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: 8. 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.
(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: 9. Favorite animal of all-time and why?
(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: 10. 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.
(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: 10. What's one thing the majority of the Board knows about you that you wish they didn't?
(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.
Day 2: starcow[]
(21:52:06) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. Past interviews have portrayed you as kind of a downer when it comes to self-esteem. Assuming you’re still like that, where do you think that stems from?
(21:52:39) starcow: Probably lack of a father figure.
(21:52:45) starcow: My dad's sort of a big douche back that I hate.
(21:52:53) starcow: douchebag wtf
(21:52:59) ThisWasEdBellis: heh
(21:53:04) ThisWasEdBellis: I'M BRINGING DOUCHEY BACK
(21:53:16) starcow: Umm, I am not sure where else it could have stemmed.
(21:53:32) ThisWasEdBellis: ever had ay other close older males you could relate to?
(21:53:36) ThisWasEdBellis: *never, any
(21:53:56) starcow: The way I see it, is that when I was younger I felt rejected by my parents, making me wonder what could possibly be wrong with me to make them not want me.
(21:54:06) starcow: So, I guess it's that.
(21:54:38) starcow: Umm, I am not sure about older males I could relate to. I always found myself looking up to and modeling myself after favorite video game and anime characters, though.
(21:55:06) starcow: Though one character who I am able to relate to most is Shinji Ikari. :B
(21:55:27) ThisWasEdBellis: same here, very much so
(21:56:12) ThisWasEdBellis: 2. Have you found any good coping strategies for dealing with these feelings of poor self-worth?
(21:56:34) starcow: Yes.
(21:57:07) starcow: I feel so stupid for it, and it's really silly, but watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann really made me feel better about myself, One of the reasons it is my favorite animated show ever.
(21:57:32) ThisWasEdBellis: hey, it is full of inspirational speeches
(21:57:37) starcow: Another thing is that I work much better when I am constantly praised and complimented; something no one here tends to do.
(21:57:53) starcow: And yes, those speeches inspired me to get over my depression humps.
(21:58:23) starcow: I've always attached to other boys I know, online and off.
(21:59:05) starcow: "Believe in me who believes in you" was one of the things that made me feel more confident, being able to believe in one of those people.
(21:59:38) ThisWasEdBellis: 3. So have you ever thought about pointing your finger in the air and yelling at your Dad, "Who the hell do you think I am?"
(21:59:55) starcow: Oh, yes.
(22:00:05) starcow: Plenty of times. :3 I often fantasize a lot of that.
(22:00:19) starcow: You see, I day dream constantly, especially when not on the computer.
(22:00:44) starcow: Most of them are silly super hero things, or standing up to people I don't like and kicking ass. ~_~
(22:01:01) starcow: The general 5 year old fantasies. :P
(22:01:36) starcow: Most of the time I day dream about romantic, clingy stuff, though.
(22:02:12) ThisWasEdBellis: 4. So let's think positive for a sec. What is the proudest moment of your life?
(22:05:04) starcow: Umm... I am not sure!
(22:05:25) starcow: I really don't have too many really proud moments or anyone to care too much about them.
(22:06:15) starcow: One in recent memory was when I got almost all A's in all 7 seven of my classes. I think I had one or two B's.
(22:06:20) ThisWasEdBellis: there's got to be something you've done that you can look back on and say, "wow, i did a good job with that"
(22:06:50) starcow: Hmm...
(22:07:24) starcow: Oh, right. I got second or third place in a photo contest last year for submitting a photo I took in my digital photography class.
(22:07:28) starcow: That was pretty cool.
(22:07:49) ThisWasEdBellis: cool
(22:08:01) starcow: You sound so enthralled.
(22:08:19) ThisWasEdBellis: you're the one who can't even remember what place he got =P
(22:08:29) starcow: ...Good point. :B
(22:08:58) ThisWasEdBellis: changing the subject a bit...
(22:12:17) ThisWasEdBellis: 6. So what IS the weirdest thing you've gotten off to?
(22:12:38) starcow: Umm, this is something I am really unsure about.
(22:12:53) starcow: I have gotten off to so many things in the past 6 years.
(22:13:34) starcow: Just the other night I was jerking it to a picture of a chubby Momiga from Cave Story tied up, gagged, and blind-folded with anal beads stuffed up his butt.
(22:14:18) starcow: I actually frequent a furry site dedicated to porn of cute critters(Pikachu, yoshi, Hamtaro, etc).
(22:14:38) starcow: And a Pokemon porn site, too.
(22:14:58) starcow: Obviously I can't give out names but people in to Pokemon should know what site I am suggesting.
(22:16:21) ThisWasEdBellis: 7. What do you tend to value in video games? The story, the presentation, the overall effect?
(22:17:58) starcow: This is a rather difficult question for me!
(22:18:32) starcow: Everything is rather important, without proper music the game feels drab, boring, and uninspiring. On top of that I listen to game music more than any other type of music. So probably that.
(22:19:26) starcow: Story I can do without, I have been absolutely enthralled with simple stories. I NEVER see plot twists coming, which is probably why I love Tales of Symphonia so much. I'll never figure out the hate for that game.
(22:20:56) starcow: But a good story never hurt, either. :3
(22:21:08) ThisWasEdBellis: 8. What would your perfect video game be like, then?
(22:21:10) starcow: Umm, I'm not sure what you mean by presentation or the overall effect.
(22:21:17) starcow: Oh, 8, here we go.
(22:21:25) ThisWasEdBellis: sorry, wasn't sure if you were done
(22:21:30) starcow: I really prefer unrealistic, cartoony games.
(22:21:47) starcow: Doing things you would never be able to do in real life.
(22:22:03) starcow: Games like NiGHTS and the like.
(22:22:57) starcow: I really hate dark games, I've never been able to get in to Blizzard games at all because of it. Other popular games like the Resident Evil series and such are another example of things I just simply can't play.
(22:23:17) starcow: I prefer happy, upbeat. I love to fill the space around me with positivity.
(22:23:37) ThisWasEdBellis: i remember reading that kingdom hearts 2 was your favorite game. isn't that kind of a combination of those two things?
(22:23:49) ThisWasEdBellis: darkness + cartoony stuff
(22:23:53) starcow: Yes, yes, very much so.
(22:24:08) starcow: Except, well, it's not really dark per se.
(22:24:30) starcow: It's a basic good versus evil story, where friendship and love come out in the end.
(22:26:37) starcow: KH2 isn't my favorite game but it is up there. I don't think I could really replay it and do everything again, but I prefer to rank games based on my experience and how happy they made me. KH2 made me happier than anything else, I had been waiting for it incredibly impatiently for years. I've never anticipated anything more in my life; My dad even picked it up for me on release date because I was so ecstatic about it. I even jumped around my room and got giggly and all that silly stupid stuff~
(22:27:03) starcow: And reading back on that I feel so...lame. ._.;
(22:27:18) ThisWasEdBellis: hey, nothing wrong with getting excited!
(22:27:34) ThisWasEdBellis: i took off work to read the seventh harry potter book, for chrissakes
(22:27:48) starcow: haha, I could never get in to Potter.
(22:28:21) ThisWasEdBellis: i'll admit it has its flaws, but i still love it
(22:28:58) starcow: I can understand why.
(22:29:39) starcow: Anyway, returning to the original question; I guess you could say I enjoy it when the hero saves the day, wins the girl, etc etc. :B
(22:30:09) starcow: Of course, there are exceptions, such as Half-Life 2.
(22:31:02) ThisWasEdBellis: 9. You say you’ve thought about being a chef or baker. What’s the best thing you’ve ever cooked?
(22:31:21) starcow: I have not actually cooked too much!
(22:31:34) starcow: I don't enjoy cooking at all for myself or people I don't care for.
(22:32:09) starcow: And I don't like having to pry myself from my computer or video games or sketchbook or whatever long enough to do chores or cook, so I generally just grab microwavables.
(22:32:21) starcow: I am sure if I was living with a friend or something I would cook more, though.
(22:32:27) starcow: Anyway, to answer the question.
(22:32:54) starcow: The best thing I cooked was probably a chicken dinner with my cooking group in 9th grade.
(22:32:58) starcow: It was a damn awesome meal.
(22:33:10) ThisWasEdBellis: chicken is delicious
(22:33:38) starcow: Quite so, but we eat it so much in this house that I'm rather tired of it unless it's wings.
(22:34:16) ThisWasEdBellis: last question time!
(22:34:30) ThisWasEdBellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(22:35:43) starcow: I'm really rather open about myself there, so I can't think of much to say.
(22:35:50) starcow: Hmm... Lemme think here.
(22:37:43) starcow: I've given oral and received it. Also I have had my butt licked.
(22:38:12) starcow: There are like 10 people online who want my buttmeat but it's like grargh.
(22:38:35) ThisWasEdBellis: 'buttmeat'
(22:38:45) starcow: Buttmeat.
(22:39:11) starcow: I have to go eat dinner real quick if you're willing to wait :B
(22:39:35) ThisWasEdBellis: well, we're pretty much done
(22:39:40) ThisWasEdBellis: so no worries
(22:39:47) ThisWasEdBellis: go and enjoy your dinner
(22:40:19) ThisWasEdBellis: and thanks for the interview!
Day 3: Repus_Yortsed[]
[20:55] <EdBellis> 1. I used to think you were very dissatisfied with "board life" in general. Has that changed at all or are you still that way?
[20:56] <EdBellis> whoa bold is horrible in irc
[20:56] <Repus_Yortsed> you know, i've no clue how to do bold >_>
[20:56] <Repus_Yortsed> As for the question
[20:56] <EdBellis> it's just ctrl b
[20:56] <Repus_Yortsed> I think I've basically given up caring about
[20:56] <Repus_Yortsed> <_<
[20:56] <Repus_Yortsed> oh
[20:57] <Repus_Yortsed> I don't really mind it anymore, but that may be because I don't spend as much time on GameFAQs anymore
[20:57] <Repus_Yortsed> or maybe I just realized I had to stop taking the internet seriously
[20:58] <Repus_Yortsed> >_>
[20:58] <EdBellis> yeah i come to that realization once every few months or so >_>
[20:59] <EdBellis> 2. So what are you doing with your free time now? Are you back in school yet?
[21:00] <Repus_Yortsed> I was planning on going back to school this fall, then my landlord sold the place I was living and so I had to get a new place
[21:01] <Repus_Yortsed> Since I'm living there alone it's more expensive so I'm just not sure I can afford it
[21:01] <EdBellis> that sucks, sorry to hear
[21:01] <Repus_Yortsed> For my free time I browse a few websites, play games, and watch whatever movie/tv show I feel like downloading
[21:02] <Repus_Yortsed> i had been planning to start a D&D 4E game with some friends, but they haven't gotten the material yet
[21:03] <EdBellis> 3. What do/did you plan on majoring in at school?
[21:03] <Repus_Yortsed> Something computer related, not really sure what though
[21:03] <Repus_Yortsed> I kinda wanted to get into the IT field
[21:04] <Repus_Yortsed> *want
[21:04] <EdBellis> information technology, right?
[21:04] <Repus_Yortsed> yeah, the guys that work on the computers at businesses
[21:05] <EdBellis> 4. You post (or at least you used to) at Current Events a lot, right? How are they different from Board 8?
[21:06] <Repus_Yortsed> Yeah, CE used to be the other big social board I frequented
[21:06] <Repus_Yortsed> One of the biggest differences between the two is that CE lacks a sense of community
[21:07] <Repus_Yortsed> on Board 8 everybody, no matter when they come on, knows everybody else
[21:07] <Repus_Yortsed> on CE someone that comes on in the morning doesn't even know that someone in the afternoon exists
[21:08] <Repus_Yortsed> Another big thing is that there aren't any topic series on CE
[21:08] <Repus_Yortsed> a topic happens and once it falls off the first page it's done for
[21:09] <EdBellis> 5. Tell me about the "real Repus". What are you like in real life?
[21:09] <Repus_Yortsed> hmm...
[21:10] <Repus_Yortsed> I'm a fairly out going person when I'm out and about
[21:11] <Repus_Yortsed> I make friends real easily and, unless I'm trying to piss them off, people like me
[21:12] <Repus_Yortsed> I joke around a lot and usually keep people entertained
[21:13] <Repus_Yortsed> And I'm a hell of an attention whore
[21:13] <EdBellis> so you're what smurf would probably call "your average guy" :)
[21:14] <Repus_Yortsed> if that's what he says
[21:14] <EdBellis> 6. Where do you fit in the political spectrum, if at all?
[21:15] <Repus_Yortsed> I try not to have anything to do with politics and try to keep my opinions about it to myself so that I don't have to listen to others talk about thier's
[21:15] <Repus_Yortsed> but if i had to say
[21:16] <Repus_Yortsed> I'm more conservative although on a few points I agree with a more liberal view
[21:17] <EdBellis> 7. So let's say you get elected to a position of power. What would you try to accomplish in your first three months?
[21:17] <EdBellis> (let's assume you have fairly decent power and can actually get things done)
[21:18] <Repus_Yortsed> Power is probably something I shouldn't have
[21:18] <EdBellis> heh
[21:18] <EdBellis> heh
[21:18] <Repus_Yortsed> Given free reign I'd probably abuse the hell out of it for a while
[21:19] <Repus_Yortsed> eventually though, or if I knew I would end up with some serious consequenses
[21:20] <Repus_Yortsed> I'd try to take care of things that I think need be done inspite of the fact that others may not think so
[21:20] <EdBellis> like what?
[21:20] <Repus_Yortsed> helping people while trying to set myself up for gaining more power
[21:21] <Repus_Yortsed> using good means to accomplish evil deeds
[21:22] <EdBellis> 8. Are you religious at all?
[21:22] <Repus_Yortsed> I'm only Christian enough to celebrate the holidays
[21:23] <Repus_Yortsed> i don't like to be preached to so I stay away from most of that stuff
[21:23] <Repus_Yortsed> as for the idea of a God
[21:23] <Repus_Yortsed> I believe that in the infinite possiblities of the universe there exist beings with god-like powers
[21:24] <Repus_Yortsed> but I don't think that they have taken any notice of us, or if they have they don't care
[21:25] <EdBellis> 9. Take question 7, but apply it to GameFAQs. You're made site moderator for a week. What do you change, what do you make, who do you ban?
[21:26] <Repus_Yortsed> I'd read up on and save everybit of mod-only info
[21:26] <EdBellis> same here :P
[21:27] <Repus_Yortsed> then work hard at doing my job for a while before going CronoGamer on anyone that annoyed me
[21:27] <Repus_Yortsed> CronoGamer is the mod that went and modded the hell out of a troll on CE
[21:27] <EdBellis> ah, okay
[21:29] <EdBellis> any policies you'd change?
[21:29] <Repus_Yortsed> Off-Topic being enforced mroe strictly maybe
[21:30] <Repus_Yortsed> other than that I think the TOU is fine
[21:30] <Repus_Yortsed> oh and up karma penalties
[21:30] <Repus_Yortsed> make them a percentage of the user's karma or a high set amount instead of the low numbers we have
[21:31] <EdBellis> kk, last question
[21:31] <EdBellis> 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
[21:32] <Repus_Yortsed> At this point who i am would be a realistic answer
[21:32] <Repus_Yortsed> since I hven't posted regularly for a year and a half
[21:33] <Repus_Yortsed> outside of that, just about everything
[21:33] <Repus_Yortsed> I don't talk about myself much at all
[21:33] <Repus_Yortsed> outside of what games I'm interested in and don't like I don't post much else about myself
[21:34] <EdBellis> good point!
[21:35] <Repus_Yortsed> that's mostly jsut because I don't really care to listen to people talk about themselves so I assume they feel the same
[21:36] <EdBellis> well, i guess that's the end
[21:36] <EdBellis> thanks for tha interview!
[21:36] <Repus_Yortsed> thank you
Day 4: NoobPwnerBillio[]
(18:22:30) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. You’ve been accused of being an alt, a troll, and an all-around dislikeable guy. Why do you think this is, and are these depictions accurate?
(18:22:39) ThisWasEdBellis: (btw, thanks for the wiki page!)
(18:22:52) NoobPwnerBillion: No problem, I had a project I didn't want to finish
(18:22:56) NoobPwnerBillion: WELL
(18:24:28) NoobPwnerBillion: I actually think people like SmartMuffin and Elite Hunter summed it up pretty well in the Braid topic... a huge amount of people on Board 8 don't seem to like being disagreed with. Ever. See any topic made about a review for a big new game, you'll get tons of people who haven't played the game yet screaming how the site is terrible and trying to find flaws in the review. Can't they just wait to play it for themselves?
(18:25:27) NoobPwnerBillion: See also: any topic I've posted in apparently! I disagree with someone, and again, I'll admit I'm maybe a bit more "abrasive" than a usual user, but that's just how I am on the internet. They immediately jump to accusing me of being a troll/alt/whatever. It's not just me either, though I'm more susceptible to it because I'm new(er).
(18:25:59) NoobPwnerBillion: I guess my opinions deviate from the norm a fair amount on Board 8 as well, so it happens a lot. And I have a problem with maybe expressing my opinions too much?
(18:27:26) NoobPwnerBillion: Basically it seems like the majority of people there have a really immature attitude, at least when it comes to others' opinions. I've stuck around because it's still a good place to discuss things when it doesn't come to arguments
(18:27:36) NoobPwnerBillion: Alright I'll stop now
(18:28:35) ThisWasEdBellis: 2. So what are you like in real life? Does it differ from how you are online?
(18:31:55) NoobPwnerBillion: Oh, completely. At the risk of sounding like your typical internet "I'm better than YOU!!" person, I'm really easygoing and as a result have a lot of people I hang out with when I'm not on the internet wasting time. I'm not an argumentative person, but I'm not going to hesitate to call someone out on something if they say something stupid. I'm generally not hanging out with people who would do that though.
(18:34:18) ThisWasEdBellis: 3. Do your real-life friends know about your "second life" on the internet? Some people on B8 like to hide that aspect of themselves.
(18:36:32) NoobPwnerBillion: I wouldn't say I hide it, per se, but it never really comes up. As I've mentioned before, a friend of mine is actually who showed me Board 8 in the first place, but he's part of a different group from most people I know. I wasn't much of an internet forum person before, which maybe explains why I don't get along with a lot of people here? Like, I just don't have the experience that most of them have? Iunno.
(18:36:36) NoobPwnerBillion: But going back to the question
(18:37:41) NoobPwnerBillion: Yeah, I mean, it's not like I'm going to say out of nowhere "Yeah, I post on an internet forum about fights between video game characters" and no one's going to ask "Hey, any of you guys go to GameFAQs from the Internet?" I honestly don't see how it ever would come up in someone's life unless they wanted people to know, and then I don't know why they would want anyone to know that!
(18:38:06) NoobPwnerBillion: Man, we've got no... what's the word? Like... talking back and forth. Interplay? We've got no interplay here!
(18:38:38) ThisWasEdBellis: in the interview?
(18:38:41) NoobPwnerBillion: Yeah!
(18:38:50) ThisWasEdBellis: yeah, normally i comment more
(18:38:57) ThisWasEdBellis: guess i've just got nothing to say! =)
(18:39:00) NoobPwnerBillion: Am I being too succinct
(18:39:12) ThisWasEdBellis: no, you're actually elaborating a good deal
(18:39:23) NoobPwnerBillion: WELL GOOD
(18:39:31) ThisWasEdBellis: "it's not you it's me"
(18:39:37) NoobPwnerBillion: Damn straight
(18:40:01) NoobPwnerBillion: Gimme a second if you can, I'm gonna go eat half a calzone real quick
(18:40:07) ThisWasEdBellis: sure
(18:40:09) NoobPwnerBillion: It'll take me like 2 minutes for real
(18:42:09) NoobPwnerBillion: Done
(18:42:15) NoobPwnerBillion: 2 minutes exactly, whoa
(18:42:17) ThisWasEdBellis: exactly 2 minutes!
(18:42:22) ThisWasEdBellis: you are a fast eater
(18:42:28) NoobPwnerBillion: To be fair it was just half
(18:43:02) ThisWasEdBellis: 4. So how would you ‘improve’ Board 8 to be a better community?
(18:43:13) NoobPwnerBillion: Hahaha, oh boy
(18:44:11) NoobPwnerBillion: 1) No 4chan fads. Ever. I get enough of that crap in real life from the worst people that exist. It's a separate place, get your own goddamn fads and DEFINITELY don't keep repeating them for like 3 years after they were started
(18:46:19) NoobPwnerBillion: 2) It seems harsh but I really can't think of any other way: just get rid of users like Shine, Link the Midget, Ultimaterializer, and Lucid Faia. From what I've heard they were big contributors to the board at some point in time but a) they do absolutely nothing now and b) they are literally some of THE most close minded people I have ever conversed with. Some try and hide behind it like it's a joke (Shine), but some also take it disturbingly seriously (Ulti, Lucid) which is probably even worse.
(18:47:51) ThisWasEdBellis: i can't say i've ever heard shine described as closed-minded
(18:48:08) NoobPwnerBillion: 3) Stop having double standards. I'll see people just piling on and acting like asses if someone posts a topic and they're not popular enough, but if someone who all the other users idolize posts something and you dare to say something contrary, they'll be like... pirahnas or something. Or those little dogs that are really vicious
(18:48:33) NoobPwnerBillion: Really? All he plays are Nintendo games and he'll insult anything that's not without even playing it! Seems close minded to me
(18:49:43) ThisWasEdBellis: pretty sure i've seen him hype up games on other systems, but nowhere to the degree he does for nintendo stuff
(18:50:23) NoobPwnerBillion: I think he was hyping Tales of Vesperia but it was hard to tell. Like I said, he hides behind the "just joking guys" excuse a lot
(18:51:13) ThisWasEdBellis: 5. You’ve criticized others for having supposed awful taste in movies. What, to you, makes a good movie, and can you give examples?
(18:51:27) NoobPwnerBillion: Oh god
(18:51:52) NoobPwnerBillion: I'm a film student so this COULD take a while but I'll try and make it even shorter than my other answers
(18:52:08) ThisWasEdBellis: take your time, i'm not going anywhere
(18:54:36) NoobPwnerBillion: To me, a good movie is, in its simplest form, one that makes you keep thinking about it for months afterwards. The thing is though, people often think this can only apply to deep, serious movies with a ton of symbolism and stuff. That's not true! I STILL find myself thinking about (gonna lose some "cred" here) movies like Kung Pow or Raising Arizona and laughing at some random thing in them. Those movies are shockingly clever, moreso than some highly-regarded dramas, even.
(18:55:48) NoobPwnerBillion: Now don't get me wrong, there's far more non-comedies that fit this. I still think about Barton Fink and I saw it, jesus, like ten years ago. I mean, I still watch it in between then and now but it keeps coming back no matter how long it's been. I'm a Coen brothers fan in case it wasn't obvious
(18:57:35) NoobPwnerBillion: And a terrible movie is one that sees movies like the one I mentioned and thinks "I can be like this too, but I don't want to put in an effort, hmm, what to do..." and they take some source material loved by faux-intellectuals (Fight Club, V For Vendetta) and make it into some all-style-no-substance preachfest that the very same fans of the source material AND casual movie fans that want to look smart can all rally behind and pretend only THEY get the real meaning
(18:57:49) NoobPwnerBillion: So... that.
(18:58:19) NoobPwnerBillion: Haha no one's every going to read this interview :-(
(18:58:22) NoobPwnerBillion: ever
(18:58:36) ThisWasEdBellis: you'd be surprised! at the very least ulti will probably read it >_>
(18:58:43) NoobPwnerBillion: ULTIIII
(18:58:53) ThisWasEdBellis: but yeah, i also dislike fight club and v for vendetta
(19:00:00) ThisWasEdBellis: 6. What about other forms of art? Do the same standards apply, or are there different rules depending on the format?
(19:01:14) NoobPwnerBillion: Hmm
(19:03:34) NoobPwnerBillion: Actually, funny you ask that! I just finished The Sirens of Titan today and I can already tell it's going to stick with me for a while. Pretty much all Vonnegut's like that, it seems like there's some deeper stuff in there, but you can't quite reach what it is so you keep thinking about it for months afterwards. It's cool when you're reading it for yourself, not so cool back when I was in high school reading Vonnegut for book reports where I had to end up desperately picking out the symbolism I had come up with that seemed the most likely and hoping it would be decided to be "right"
(19:06:56) NoobPwnerBillion: Music is the only other form of art I'm really into... I dunno, I suppose so. I harp on a lot of indie music a lot for being pretentious but that's only because it's the go-to word for hating indie now. There is one band in particular that what I said earlier about bad movies would absolutely apply to, though: The Weakerthans. I got in a kind of-argument with someone about them a little while ago. People praise them for their lyrics but they're seriously the most contrived, pretentious crap of all time. They don't mean anything, they read and sound like the very worst high school pseudointellectual poetry, and it's just stunning to me that THAT is the one aspect of the band people praise
(19:07:06) NoobPwnerBillion: Anyway, no one's going to know what I'm talking about there so...!
(19:07:25) ThisWasEdBellis: i'm sure somebody else on b8 has heard of them
(19:07:36) NoobPwnerBillion: The guy I argued with about them, at least
(19:07:45) NoobPwnerBillion: Now I just have to hope he happens to read it
(19:07:49) NoobPwnerBillion: Or not
(19:08:36) ThisWasEdBellis: 7. Do you think video games are a legitimate form of art?
(19:12:48) NoobPwnerBillion: Absolutely not. It's hilarious to read angry nerds get all furious at Ebert when he blasts them though. That guy's a lot smarter than they think, he's totally doing the real-life equivalent of "trolling" when he does that and he knows it. I'm sure he actually believes it too, though. But, like, I guess video games could be considered art someday... it's hard for a thing with "game" right there in the title to be taken seriously though. No game has taken it to that higher level (not meant in a video game way, heh) yet though, and I've played all the games people tend to cite when they say games should be considered art. SotC, Braid, Okami, MGS(?), whatever. I like most of them but there's no way they're art.
(19:14:20) ThisWasEdBellis: what about them makes them not art in your mind?
(19:19:19) NoobPwnerBillion: Well for one they're nearly all too derivative of...something to be art. There's no question that the majority of art has been influenced by something at least, but you look at every JRPG ever and all their stories are practically the same. They're all bad too, so there's that. Even a game like Braid (arguably the game closest to being art) is obviously heavily influenced by Super Mario Brothers and you just...can't do that. You can't be influenced by another video game of all things if you want to be art. Who says it wants to be art though? I don't see why games have to be art and why they have to be defended like a precious baby by nerds when someone says they can't be. Why can't they just be a fun diversion, where sometimes one may go a bit deeper intellectually than the others
(19:19:26) NoobPwnerBillion: Aaaaand I went way off topic there
(19:19:28) NoobPwnerBillion: Whatever
(19:21:00) ThisWasEdBellis: let's change the subject a little bit
(19:21:06) ThisWasEdBellis: 8. Biggest regret in life?
(19:24:11) NoobPwnerBillion: Not being more social in high school, I guess. I was pretty low, maybe not average Board 8 user level but it's safe to say I played more than my fair share of video games and often subsituted those for friends and, like, interaction whatsoever. Thankfully, it's easy as hell to turn that completely around in college, and I did. I'm a totally different person now, but I do still regret not partaking in the stuff I could have in high school if I put forth the same minimal effort I have over the last 3 years
(19:24:30) NoobPwnerBillion: I really don't have that many regrets though
(19:29:35) ThisWasEdBellis: 9. Is there any message you'd like to get across to your 'haters' on the Board?
(19:32:03) NoobPwnerBillion: 1) Stop being children.
2) You can disagree with the "popular" users on the board once in a while! I'm sure it won't ruin your precious reputation too much! Don't feel like you have to mindlessly parrot what they say just to get cred with them, people can tell more easily than you think when you're just trying to fit in by repeating what everyone else says
3) Do you have any idea how unliked someone would be in real life if they acted like you, disregarding someone's opinion because they disagree with you? Maybe that's why you spend so much time on Board 8, hmm....
(19:32:43) ThisWasEdBellis: fair enough!
(19:32:46) ThisWasEdBellis: aaaand the final question
(19:32:58) ThisWasEdBellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(19:33:46) NoobPwnerBillion: Well there's a lot of things, since I haven't been there that long and I don't tend to say that much about my personal life on the internet...
(19:33:58) NoobPwnerBillion: Let's go with something that makes me feel good about myself <_<
(19:34:11) ThisWasEdBellis: hehe
(19:35:09) NoobPwnerBillion: I've been guaranteed a fairly high-ranking position working on a movie that a lot of the board is going to be interested in when it's announced officially. Afraid I can't say more than that for now... hopefully I'll still be around when a time comes that I can give more information than that
(19:35:55) ThisWasEdBellis: congrats!
(19:36:12) NoobPwnerBillion: Thanks, it's really cool to have gotten that because there's tons of people who aren't anywhere near as lucky as me
(19:36:29) NoobPwnerBillion: I hope at least one person reads this!
(19:37:06) ThisWasEdBellis: i'm sure they will
(19:37:10) ThisWasEdBellis: thanks for the interview!
(19:37:19) NoobPwnerBillion: Yeah no problem
Day 5: GuessMyUserName[]
(22:30:14) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. I have to start off with the most pertinent question: how's the relationship with pikaness working out?
(22:31:17) GMUN: Pretty good lately, despite what everyone seems to think <.<;
(22:32:05) ThisWasEdBellis: why does everyone think otherwise?
(22:33:40) GMUN: Uhh, well for one most people think she's really a guy, thus is just making a joke of me... and also I must admit that things were being a bit rocky for a few months until like, early this month
(22:34:54) ThisWasEdBellis: 2. What's changed that's made the relationship more positive?
(22:37:12) GMUN: I don't really understand how it just changed to be positive again, really... just one night we were talking like... playfully I guess (can't really think of another word <.<-), and since we've just been talking regularly, even during the day and stuffs
(22:39:51) ThisWasEdBellis: 3. Based on the pikaness situation and other things, I wonder if you have problems with codependency. Is this a reliable assessment?
(22:43:04) GMUN: blah... I guess that's a bit of a case when it comes to me and pika... it's very weird, I know, but it wasn't always like this! <.<
(22:45:00) ThisWasEdBellis: 4. How do you think you got to be that way, then?
(22:52:38) GMUN: Wellll all I know is that I think that I always thought of me liking pika as just like a little thing that wasn't much of a big deal, but uh then we actually turned into uhhh... well e-bf/gf <__<... (I feel the need to say she has even admitted this to me a while ago!)... but then that day back in December she said she didn't love me IRL or anything I was sorta starting to grab at a relationship I knew wasn't there <<;... I'm not too good with words, so sorry if you don't understand!
(22:53:19) ThisWasEdBellis: oh, i actually meant as far as being codependent goes
(22:53:38) GMUN: That's when I started getting like that >.>
(22:54:09) ThisWasEdBellis: so you're not like this in real life or anything? just with pika?
(22:54:25) GMUN: Nope, I don't really care about people too often <.<
(22:56:13) ThisWasEdBellis: 5. Do you care that a vocal contingent of the Board seems to antagonize you?
(22:59:01) GMUN: Eh, it gets pretty annoying at times, but I can always look past it... like for example there's sess who has said some stuff but I think he can be a pretty cool guy... however there's some people that are just an ass too everyone and I don't really care about what they think >_>
(23:01:09) ThisWasEdBellis: sorry, having some computer issues
(23:01:34) GMUN: ah, it's alright!
(23:04:01) ThisWasEdBellis: 6. Some people have accused of being over-controlling when it comes to certain things (pikaness, AIM chats, secret boards). Is this an accurate assessment?
(23:04:42) GMUN: AIM chats? I'm like never in any...
(23:04:59) ThisWasEdBellis: maybe i'm just thinking of things with pika then
(23:05:05) GMUN: oh
(23:08:55) GMUN: eh... I'm not so sure if I'm being controlling or if I just worry too much... I just don't think she actually likes me sometimes... it's mostly because of how much everyone else thinks that and tries to tell me that, and she hasn't really acted quite like a my friend openly on the board since last year I'd say... and often when I ask her to get on AIM or whatever, it's because of serious questions I ask that she has avoids and I just want things finished with... I haven't done it at all this month though!
(23:11:22) ThisWasEdBellis: sorry, computer spazzed out again
(23:11:28) GMUN: It's alright!
(23:12:17) ThisWasEdBellis: 7. Based on what you know about the rest of the world (primarily USA/Europe), how do you think Canada is mainly different?
(23:16:07) GMUN: Eh, I just notice little differences between Canada and US/Europe... like milk in a bag, smarties, freezies, pizza pops, favourite/favorite, etc... but overrall the only real difference is that like, with America people seem to actually be involved with their politics and wars a lot more than Canada... heck, I probably know more about what's going on in America than I do my own country. And as for Europe... I don't really know too much of a difference between them and Canada...
(23:17:44) ThisWasEdBellis: 8. What are your aspirations in life?
(23:22:47) GMUN: Well I want to get into Video Game Design... specifically, Programming... I've always wanted to get into it ever since I was 8!... The only other thing I'd really care about would be to have a family... but uh I got to admit I kinda think I'll end up just married to my job! <.<
(23:24:24) ThisWasEdBellis: seems like there's a few aspiring designers on b8
(23:24:31) ThisWasEdBellis: i know wvi's also considering it
(23:25:29) GMUN: I can't really think of anything I'd be instead, even though I should have some idea for what to do for money until I can get that job >.>
(23:28:01) ThisWasEdBellis: 9. Is there anything that you're crazily passionate about? Any issues, causes, etc.?
(23:29:33) GMUN: Nope, not really! ^^;
(23:29:56) ThisWasEdBellis: nothing? >_>
(23:31:23) GMUN: ... I can't think of anything <__<... As far as issues/causes are concerned... I'm pretty much just focused on myself thus don't really.... think about that stuff <.<... The only thing I'm passionate about is my own future!
(23:31:52) ThisWasEdBellis: well that works, i guess
(23:32:14) ThisWasEdBellis: it's weird, you seem like a people person on the board yet you're obviously very self-oriented in real life
(23:33:46) GMUN: Meh, I'll always try to be nice to people, but really that's just because I'm want to be polite and don't want people feeling bad and stuff... but I pretty much only care about myself....... and my family....
(23:35:19) ThisWasEdBellis: k, last question
(23:35:32) ThisWasEdBellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(23:42:05) GMUN: That one's a bit of a toughy... I'm pretty much very open about myself on the board so I can't quite think of something people don't know... but then again there isn't necessarily that much about me... gahh I don't want to bore this question up!... Only thing I can think about is some of my relatives' deaths... Yikes, sorry I'm pretty boring! >.>;
(23:42:48) ThisWasEdBellis: hey, at least you're being honest
(23:43:01) GMUN: Well I pretty much always am!
(23:44:07) ThisWasEdBellis: cool, thanks for the interview
(23:44:24) GMUN: No problem! Wish I could've been more interesting though ^^;p
Day 6: CycloReaper[]
(21:36:36) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. You seem to be something of a downer when it comes to self-esteem and personal issues. Why is this?
(21:38:10) Cyclo: Uhh, i dont really know the cause of it. Sometimes i act egotistical but, of course, its an act. I dont really know any reason behind it, but my mom says taht depression runs in my family, and luckily for me, so does alcoholism. I think im genetically coded for success.
(21:38:58) Cyclo: I guess i just feel like im not really particularly good at anything. at best im adequate, but i dont really excel at anything useful.
(21:39:21) ThisWasEdBellis: do you feel like you hide that behind the fake egotism?
(21:39:37) ThisWasEdBellis: or rather, that's where the fake egotism comes from, to overcompensate?
(21:41:02) Cyclo: Im dont really know much about psychology or anything, and i really cant explain why i am the way i am, i guess i just like acting egotistical sometimes because ive found that if you just keep saying you are awesome, other people are inclined to believe it and agree with you, even if they are also joking?
(21:41:42) ThisWasEdBellis: sounds like the "fake it till you make it" strategy
(21:41:49) ThisWasEdBellis: my therapist encouraged me to go for that once
(21:42:10) Cyclo: ive been told i should see a therapist by tons of people online but i dont really think it would help.
(21:42:23) ThisWasEdBellis: why's that?
(21:42:32) Cyclo: they can give me all the advice they want, but im not gonna actually do anything they say.
(21:43:00) Cyclo: im way too afraid to actually do most of the advice im given.
(21:43:34) Cyclo: like "go talk to people" or...well thats pretty much it
(21:44:07) Cyclo: is this still question 1?
(21:44:12) ThisWasEdBellis: yeah =P
(21:44:17) Cyclo: awesome
(21:44:22) Cyclo: i think i might have asked as many questions as you
(21:44:32) ThisWasEdBellis: this is the mark of a good interview!
(21:44:42) Cyclo: whoa lets not blow our load prematurely
(21:44:55) ThisWasEdBellis: 2. Are you afraid of people? If so, why?
(21:45:59) Cyclo: i wouldnt say im really afraid of people, im just afraid of approaching people that im not comfortable with. Im totally comfortable around my friends and family, but if i dont know someone im really shy, and i find it really hard to make myself do something im not comfortable with.
(21:47:04) Cyclo: I mean, if people talk to me, im usually fine, except that i dont really have much to talk about with most people, its really hard to follow anything i say because its always full of nerdy references...but anyway i guess i dont seem approachable or something because not many people do?
(21:48:17) Cyclo: another theory that ive been told is that im ridiculously good looking and people are afraid of being rejected by those better looking then them, so they never approach me. i like to believe this is the truth of the matter. because it is. especially the part about me being ridiculously good looking.
(21:48:51) ThisWasEdBellis: that could very well be
(21:49:19) ThisWasEdBellis: i asked this next question to starcow, but i think it's also applicable here
(21:49:25) ThisWasEdBellis: 3. What's your proudest moment in life?
(21:49:39) Cyclo: uhh
(21:49:48) Cyclo: this could take awhile
(21:50:05) ThisWasEdBellis: take your time
(21:54:01) Cyclo: maybe im just hard on myself but i cant really think of anything that stands out as being something im especially proud of. ive really only accomplished whats expected of everyone else. Im not trying to be a downer here either, i just really dont have anything to brag about.
(21:54:39) ThisWasEdBellis: sounds like you're measuring your own accomplishments by other people
(21:55:32) Cyclo: well, yeah, why would i be proud of something like "woo i graduated high school" when millions of people do that? i havent really done anything significant that every other person accomplishes.
(21:55:54) Cyclo: er *doesnt accomplish
(21:57:18) ThisWasEdBellis: let's change the subject for a little bit
(21:57:24) Cyclo: well i guess managing to be ryoko and cyclo is an accomplishment.
(21:57:26) Cyclo: okie
(21:57:29) ThisWasEdBellis: 4. Where did the whole "Ryoko/Cyclo are the same person" thing come from?
(21:57:39) ThisWasEdBellis: whoa, nice prescience there
(21:57:42) Cyclo: oh my
(21:57:47) Cyclo: well
(21:58:00) Cyclo: me and ryoko have been friends since the first contest
(21:58:15) Cyclo: and like we have tons and tons of shit in common
(21:59:44) Cyclo: and when i was using the ryokle account after cycloreaper got banned some people kept calling me ryoko despite the sig saying cyclo
(21:59:52) Cyclo: and it gave me an idea
(22:00:12) Cyclo: we decided if we just kept saying we were the same person and put each others names in each others sigs...that someone would believe it
(22:00:35) Cyclo: and we just kinda run with it, its pretty funny to us anyway
(22:00:59) Cyclo: but of course that is all a lie the real story is that me and ryoko are the same person and we just became self aware of our split personalities
(22:01:26) ThisWasEdBellis: i see
(22:01:50) Cyclo: yes its very complicated
(22:01:57) Cyclo: or did we do the fusion dance? i dont remember
(22:01:58) Cyclo: either way
(22:02:04) Cyclo: Cyclokle4lyfe
(22:02:10) ThisWasEdBellis: no, the fusion dance is only temporary
(22:02:18) ThisWasEdBellis: you'd have to wear those earrings to make it permanent
(22:02:34) Cyclo: im earring free so i must just be crazy
(22:02:38) Cyclo: thats a relief
(22:02:40) ThisWasEdBellis: probably
(22:03:04) Cyclo: also sorry for saying shit forgot im not supposed to curse
(22:03:17) ThisWasEdBellis: eh, say whatever you want
(22:03:22) ThisWasEdBellis: it's cool
(22:03:36) Cyclo: shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker tits fart turd and twat
(22:03:43) ThisWasEdBellis: knew that was coming
(22:03:48) Cyclo: i apoligize
(22:04:28) ThisWasEdBellis: 5. You've got a reputation as being a big defender of the PS3 and Sony. Is that a fair assessment?
(22:04:28) Cyclo: im very sophisticated
(22:05:13) Cyclo: more of the playstation brand then sony as a whole.
(22:06:09) Cyclo: i mean, i think a lot of people are a bit ridiculous in their hate for them. i dont really care if you dont like their system as much as otherrs ,everyone is entitled to their own opinion, i feel like their system is the best sutied for my tastes, and can see how others would like other systems.
(22:06:52) ThisWasEdBellis: do you own any other next-gen systems?
(22:07:02) Cyclo: the thing that bothers me is that there is just a whole lot of ridiculous things said about the ps3 and sony and i just wish people would be more logical and not just post tons of rumors and things
(22:08:04) Cyclo: no, i dont. i might get a wii or 360 by the end of this gen, im not really sure yet. they both have some games i want, but right now i think im going fine with just the ps3, i already bought a new tv this year, so a new system will have to wait for next year.
(22:08:22) ThisWasEdBellis: gotcha
(22:08:43) ThisWasEdBellis: 6. What games would you recommend to people who are biased against the PS3?
(22:11:51) Cyclo: well, it really depends on their taste, i mean, the PS3 has a lot of exclusives that i havent played, particularly in the racing genre, so i cant really comment on those. I personally can vouch that MGS4, Uncharted: DF, Ratchet and Clank: FTOD are all really really great exclusives, and its also got a lot of cool downloadable titles like superstardust and siren: blood curse, and ryoko tells me that Folklore is really good. Besides that, the other good games ive played are multiplat. Im really excited about a bunch of the upcoming exclusives like LittleBigPlanet and Valkyria chronicles that are coming this year, they both look pretty cool.
(22:12:24) Cyclo: but, of course, if they are biased against the ps3, they probably wont really care <_<
(22:13:00) ThisWasEdBellis: i've been meaning to pick up a ratchet and clank game one of these days
(22:13:09) Cyclo: the thing i dont like is the whole "only ONE GOOD GAME" arguments...i mean, they always include the multiplatform games in the 360 lists, but why not PS3? its kinda silly
(22:13:22) Cyclo: you can get them all for pretty cheap nowadays, so its definitely worth it
(22:13:58) Cyclo: they are genuinely funny, and easily my favorite 3d platformer series
(22:14:49) Cyclo: honestly you cant go wrong with insomniac!
(22:15:01) ThisWasEdBellis: 7. What's your biggest dream in life?
(22:15:17) Cyclo: which reminds me, another awesome ps3 game i forgot is Resistance: fall of man. >> <<
(22:15:21) Cyclo: my biggest dream in life?
(22:15:30) ThisWasEdBellis: like, biggest aspiration
(22:16:28) Cyclo: well i guess my goal in life is to actually get a job that i dont hate and to hopefully find a guy who i love. hell, if i could get one out of the two i would say i did pretty ok.
(22:16:58) ThisWasEdBellis: worthy causes both
(22:17:05) Cyclo: im not really shooting for the stars here, but if i were that just wouldnt fit my personality much would it?
(22:17:48) ThisWasEdBellis: 8. If you had 24 hours where you could do anything without any repercussions, what would you do?
(22:19:27) Cyclo: overthrow the chinese government and order them all to erase all traces of previous history and create a fake history where they worship me as a god
(22:19:46) Cyclo: also probably take tons of money so that i can essentially continue doing whatever i want without any repercussion
(22:20:32) Cyclo: probably kill the creators of disaster movie
(22:20:36) Cyclo: mortal kombat annihilation
(22:20:40) Cyclo: bret ratner
(22:20:45) Cyclo: you know, the usual
(22:20:51) ThisWasEdBellis: who is bret ratner
(22:21:01) Cyclo: director of x3: xmen united
(22:21:03) Cyclo: i want him dead
(22:21:25) Cyclo: also i would erase x3: xmen united and mortal kombat annihilation from existence
(22:21:28) Cyclo: and alien resurrection
(22:21:36) Cyclo: ....i have the worst goals ever
(22:21:53) Cyclo: who else would use their free time removing bad movies from history?
(22:22:14) ThisWasEdBellis: i wouldn't, solely because bad movies serve an important purpose!
(22:22:20) ThisWasEdBellis: that and they're normally hilarious
(22:22:34) Cyclo: well not if they are bad movies based on licenses you care about
(22:22:41) Cyclo: normally you are right bad movies are hilarious but
(22:22:47) Cyclo: not if its a sequel to a good movie ;_;
(22:23:16) ThisWasEdBellis: yeah come to think about it i would totally erase the star wars prequels from history if i were given the chance
(22:23:37) Cyclo: i would keep them but reshoot them with myself as anakin
(22:23:52) Cyclo: i mean, if they are gonna get a really shitty actor to play him...why not me?
(22:24:22) Cyclo: also i would make it so that instead of fighting ewan mcgregor i make out with him
(22:24:30) Cyclo: it would ruin the continuity but im ok with that
(22:25:16) ThisWasEdBellis: 9. What do you think the Democrats need to do to win the presidential election?
(22:26:38) Cyclo: well, they need to not do what kerry and gore did and once they got the nomination start moving to the right and being like "im not liberal what" because that just makes you look spineless and people would vote for someone decisive that they disagree with over someone who appears to just be pandering to win votes and will say anything
(22:27:53) Cyclo: honestly, if obama just avoids looking like he is as inexperienced as mccain has been saying, he should be fine.
(22:28:48) Cyclo: of course i really have no fucking idea, im so ridiculously different from the average american politcally that i dont really know what he needs to do to get their vote
(22:30:00) Cyclo: i jsut dont think that changing your position more the right will help any, i mean, smartmuffin isnt gonna change his vote because yuo now seem less bad to him, its just gonna make more liberals vote for nader
(22:31:52) ThisWasEdBellis: k, last question
(22:32:05) ThisWasEdBellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(22:32:19) Cyclo: this could also take awhile
(22:32:26) Cyclo: im pretty sure the board knows more about me then anyone in real life
(22:35:43) Cyclo: dear god i am the least interesting person in the world
(22:35:52) Cyclo: quick what are things you dont know about me
(22:36:10) ThisWasEdBellis: i don't know your favorite flavor of licorice
(22:36:16) Cyclo: i dont either
(22:36:20) ThisWasEdBellis: or what you wake up to each morning
(22:36:36) ThisWasEdBellis: or your favorite anime/manga
(22:37:22) Cyclo: what i wake up to? not..sure i understand. dont really watch anime or read manga..
(22:37:43) ThisWasEdBellis: like, do you have an alarm clock or a radio or something
(22:40:01) Cyclo: well, im a big comic book fan and i attend conventions every year and have met nathan fillion and nicholas brendon..and ive seen george takei, almost the entire firefly cast, the original green ranger, the second red ranger, michael biehn, lance henrickson (btw aliens is my favorite movie), david carradine, lots more >_>
(22:40:25) Cyclo: ah ive got an alarm clock but i only use it on days i have class in the morning
(22:40:29) ThisWasEdBellis: that works!
(22:40:38) Cyclo: so was that a good interview >>
(22:40:45) ThisWasEdBellis: i think so, yes
(22:40:49) ThisWasEdBellis: thank you!
Day 7: Sir Chris[]
NOTE: This interview contains spoilers for Dragon Quest 5.
(20:14:42) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. You've got a reputation for being an arrogant bastard. How much of that is truth, and how much is an act?
(20:17:18) Sir Chris: 90% of that is an act, and a lot of people will call bs on this, its just how often I get into it, a lot of the board has never seen me when I am not going nuts with it. I have my pride, but it is about specific things, not as a whole. Like I think I am God's gift to pokemon, and I love games of psychology, but I don't believe I am better than anyone on board 8 just by being me. Most of my arrogance is more of a barb to others to get them to respond to me rather than any self-believed belief of greatness. I found out a long time ago that people are fully willing to argue their hearts out against a smug bastard, so I become one.
(20:17:42) Sir Chris: That being said though, I can be rather biting, but my friends know I always have my heart in the right place.
(20:18:44) ThisWasEdBellis: so it's almost like you're trying to help people become better at various things by provoking them
(20:19:52) Sir Chris: I wouldn't paint me so kindly with it, to be honest. I do have fund addling people, admittedly. I also like to see people rise to the occasion, and I hate it when I see intelligent people sell themselves short due to confidence issues. When I was younger I had all sorts of confidence issues, and the only time I could really fire away is when someone pissed me off.
(20:20:12) Sir Chris: I do the same type of thing to people I meet out in the big ole real world
(20:20:18) Sir Chris: just more subtle with it.
(20:20:28) Sir Chris: fund, fun
(20:20:32) Sir Chris: same difference!
(20:20:37) Sir Chris: EDITING DEPARTMENT, CLEAN UP
(20:20:56) Sir Chris: Ed Edit It
(20:20:59) Sir Chris: best sentence ever
(20:20:59) Sir Chris: ?
(20:21:08) ThisWasEdBellis: i feel like i'm that way - i rarely ever argue unless i'm pissed off, in which case i don't really hold myself back
(20:21:29) Sir Chris: Ed if I ever pissed you off I have a bad feeling I'd wake up in a grave the next morning.
(20:21:34) Sir Chris: It is always the quiet ones.
(20:21:37) ThisWasEdBellis: XD
(20:22:15) ThisWasEdBellis: 2. So if most of your persona is an act, what's the "real Chris" like?
(20:25:58) Sir Chris: Constantly amused by life, I guess. I really like to sit around and talk about life and what makes us as human beings tick, it is so interesting. It is probably why I watch about every single great drama there is on TV, to get a fictional take on what makes people tick. I always like to keep my mind on something. Music, TV, playing a game, reading, writing, I really hate just sitting around doing nothing, I always try to be doing something with my mind. I like tackling problems too, of all kind. I have helped dozens of people throughout the years who just needed to talk about stuff, I find life problems to be fun to solve, as twisted as that may sound.
(20:27:23) ThisWasEdBellis: a student of life, in essence
(20:27:38) Sir Chris: Yeah, I think that is an apt way to put it.
(20:28:00) Sir Chris: Only here once in theory, so I want to learn as much as I can so I can write a book and be mega famous, works for everyone else!
(20:29:23) ThisWasEdBellis: 3. You seem like someone who's always doing things in relation to other people (helping them, giving them advice, etc.). What do you when you need somebody to turn to?
(20:31:31) Sir Chris: I talk with my mom. She's the person with the most influence in my life and the person who has gotten me this far. Her advice and words have never failed to either inspire me or to raise me up out of some really terrible crap that I've been through during my teenage years. I don't use the word blessed often, but I am very blessed to have such an understanding parent, or otherwise I might have been on the street somewhere a long time ago.
(20:32:27) ThisWasEdBellis: yeah my mom is the person i turn to as well
(20:32:41) Sir Chris: Behind every great young man there is a mother who loves him.
(20:32:56) ThisWasEdBellis: heh, i like that
(20:33:16) Sir Chris: I remember when I was a little kid my mom used to say "You should treat me nice chris, women can tell what calibur of a man you are by how you treat your mother."
(20:33:23) Sir Chris: As usual, she was correct =P
(20:33:32) ThisWasEdBellis: nice
(20:33:57) Sir Chris: Plus the potential extortion with the baby photos...
(20:34:05) ThisWasEdBellis: heh, too true
(20:34:49) ThisWasEdBellis: 4. You've been on Board 8 a long time. Do you think the board's gotten "better" or "worse" over time, if such things can be quantified?
(20:35:40) Sir Chris: I believe such a thing can be quantified, and I'd say my experience has gone downhill, I can't really quantify it for others.
(20:35:50) Sir Chris: When I first came to board 8 it was a really awesome place for what I like
(20:36:23) Sir Chris: writing projects every other topic, hilarious users who I loved to banter with. More of a community feel without having to be forced or anything, it was very awesome.
(20:36:34) Sir Chris: Don't really know what changed, truth be told.
(20:36:42) Sir Chris: Less excellent projects
(20:36:49) Sir Chris: Users who bore me.
(20:37:10) Sir Chris: It could very well be that as I grew older the peers of my age who I thought were funny and smart just ceased being so for me.
(20:37:31) Sir Chris: I'd say the board has many hilarious and great users though, I just don't enjoy it anymore.
(20:37:42) Sir Chris: Although the contest discussion is still as fun as ever.
(20:40:05) Sir Chris: at least pretend to be paying attentiob
(20:40:08) Sir Chris: attention*
(20:40:09) Sir Chris: =P
(20:40:12) ThisWasEdBellis: i am!
(20:40:21) ThisWasEdBellis: just shuffling through music while trying to think of the next question =)
(20:43:33) ThisWasEdBellis: 5. You are given free reign for a day to change the board however you see fit. What do you change, who do you ban/bring back, etc.?
(20:43:49) Sir Chris: Oh, fun.
(20:43:54) ThisWasEdBellis: and yeah, this song is pretty rockin
(20:45:25) Sir Chris: Okay I force Shake, Oddity, MyWorldIsSquare, and BigCow (As per the rules of Mercs he may bring 2 FFP2K3 Cronies into battle with him) to sit down with a gun to their head and write a whole fanfiction project featuring all of the contest characters that we currently have. To completion, no less! I think that'd be like the most glorious thing ever, because all of them are creative bastards who need to do this sort of thing for my amusement, damnit.
(20:45:46) Sir Chris: I'd bring back AT and Popo.. TheCalmness, Forsaken... god so many names
(20:46:17) Sir Chris: I'm trying to think of more but basically a lot of really awesome people.
(20:46:30) Sir Chris: I'd ban SDR he is just plain stupid.
(20:46:47) Sir Chris: ertyu hasn't been funny since 2004 he is gone
(20:47:36) Sir Chris: I'd ban Maplejet from ever being able to make a stealth RKO topic again to help extha board surf more safely imo!
(20:47:50) ThisWasEdBellis: good man
(20:48:01) Sir Chris: Oh and I'd ban anyone who hasn't played DQ5 once to completion.
(20:48:05) Sir Chris: Now that's a board I can get behind
(20:48:19) ThisWasEdBellis: so it'd be you, shine, and revolversaro
(20:48:26) Sir Chris: you would be banned for that.
(20:48:27) Sir Chris: =(
(20:48:35) Sir Chris: oh
(20:48:41) Sir Chris: and I'd make Heroic Mario like Mario again
(20:48:47) Sir Chris: ****ing bandwagon jumper
(20:49:44) ThisWasEdBellis: 6. What's the appeal of wrestling for you? I've never been a fan and it kinda puzzles me. Why do you like it?
(20:51:32) Sir Chris: Being able to sit in front of your TV and just suspend the disbelief, and for those two hours that you are watching, act like it is fully real. There is just something interesting and exciting about watching two guys beat the hell out of each other, especially when they are skilled and can pull off awesome looking moves that have a lot of shock value. It is just fun for me to watch. I suppose we can file that under "Chris only does it because it amuses him."
(20:52:04) ThisWasEdBellis: i think my dad's that way with ultimate fighting or whatever it's called
(20:52:42) Sir Chris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JarE7ZS9t1w
(20:54:08) ThisWasEdBellis: whoa, some of that stuff is crazy
(20:54:32) Sir Chris: yup, good stuff
(20:57:06) Sir Chris: you are slow mr bellis
(20:57:17) ThisWasEdBellis: got distracted, sorry >_>
(20:59:23) ThisWasEdBellis: 7. How do you feel about the current political race in the States?
(21:02:27) Sir Chris: Firmly on the side of Barack Obama, and I don't really consider mysself much of a democrat in general, but its just that every time I hear him speak it feels like I am listening to someone who can really do something great. At the moment our image across the world is crap, and that is due to our current president, we need someone who can give credibility back to the US and I believe Barack Obama is that man. I've probably had a chance to listen to about 200 of his speeches, and the man doesn't seem big on empty promises like his opponents have accused him.
(21:02:51) Sir Chris: I won't villify the republicans, there is no need for that, but I believe it would be a tragedy if Barack Obama is not elected, he is a special man.
(21:03:20) ThisWasEdBellis: what do you think of john mccain?
(21:04:38) Sir Chris: A great man who had to sell a few of his ideals to get into the position he is in, I can't blame him, and a lot of times he would probably have been good enough, but Barack Obama is just an absolute monster in terms of charisma and backbone. Someone said we finally have a democrat with a spine, and I am inclined to agree.
(21:04:56) Sir Chris: Policies come, go, and change
(21:05:16) Sir Chris: but I want to elect based on the person, and Obama is far from horrible policy wise either
(21:06:05) Sir Chris: Barack Obama has never once said anything negative about Mccain without first noting what a great man he is, and how he has served this country well. (21:06:07) Sir Chris: That's class.
(21:07:26) ThisWasEdBellis: 8. The other day, you said you accomplished five things on a "100 things to do before I die" list. What were those things?
(21:07:43) Sir Chris: I have a stalker, do I?
(21:07:54) ThisWasEdBellis: =)
(21:09:55) Sir Chris: I have gone to a Cubs game, I have read 500 books, I have written a book, I went on a shopping spree of over 10,000 dollars, I have conquered my worst fear.
(21:10:30) ThisWasEdBellis: what was your worst fear?
(21:10:34) Sir Chris: Losing my mind.
(21:10:41) ThisWasEdBellis: gotcha
(21:11:13) ThisWasEdBellis: 9. What's your proudest accomplishment in life?
(21:14:36) Sir Chris: I have to think about this... the only thing that keeps coming back to me is I managed to work through my schizophrenia as a teenager and actually got the voices to go away without being heavily medicated. It is the most important thing I have ever done in my life, and it is the only reason I am here still. Hopefully in the years to come I'll have something less dire to be proud of.
(21:15:14) ThisWasEdBellis: that's pretty heavy stuff there
(21:15:25) ThisWasEdBellis: i had no idea about that
(21:15:37) Sir Chris: Not too many people do, it isn't something I throw around.
(21:15:53) Sir Chris: But that would be the proudest accomplishment for sure
(21:15:57) Sir Chris: and I promised no bs.
(21:16:07) Sir Chris: second is being the best pokemon player in the world
(21:16:09) Sir Chris: btw.
(21:16:32) ThisWasEdBellis: y'know, i've still never touched a pokemon game
(21:16:38) Sir Chris: Shame on you
(21:16:39) ThisWasEdBellis: then again, i rarely ever play games >_>
(21:16:43) Sir Chris: They are very awesome
(21:17:22) ThisWasEdBellis: last question
(21:17:28) Sir Chris: I want 11 more
(21:17:31) ThisWasEdBellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(21:17:36) ThisWasEdBellis: sowwy!
(21:17:46) Sir Chris: I think we just covered that Ed.
(21:17:47) Sir Chris: <_<
(21:18:01) ThisWasEdBellis: hey, that's my standard closer =P
(21:18:04) Sir Chris: Fine
(21:18:05) ThisWasEdBellis: but yes, we did just cover that
(21:18:07) Sir Chris: I'll spinit my way
(21:18:12) Sir Chris: spin it*
(21:18:36) Sir Chris: The reason I love the DQ5 Hero so much despite the fact that he is a silent hero.
(21:18:52) Sir Chris: Sound good?
(21:18:59) ThisWasEdBellis: sure
(21:19:03) Sir Chris: Okay.
(21:20:01) Sir Chris: I do not believe a character needs to have quotes or a wit to be great, sometimes the story around a character is so great and profound, just the very fact that this character manages to make it through gives us several key and drastic assumptions about his character.
(21:22:22) Sir Chris: Here we have a little boy, at the age of six, who in typical RPG fare goes in all sorts of adventures and helps save people and the general like, then in just the third mini arc of the game the little boy has to watch as his father dies by the hands of men, naye, monsters that his father could have easily have killed (and was in the process of doing so) if not for the leader, who put a sword to the little boy's neck and told the father to stop fighting, lest his life be forfeit. Not only does he get murdered, but he is burned alive in front of the boy, who then is sent away to do slave labor for ten years of his life.
(21:23:35) Sir Chris: Does the boy give up? does he quit? Is his spirit crushed? No. Instead fellow slaves remark how the boy has the same fire in his eyes that he did ten years ago. Life still burns within him. Words are not needed to know what is the calibur of this person, are they? Is a standard name needed to know that this little boy, now a young man, has seen more heartbreak than most so young and still barely flinches at it all?
(21:24:26) Sir Chris: Even when so many would be jaded, or even dead inside, he finds it within himself to take a beating instead of a woman, and turns back the guards that were unfairly punishing her, and beats the holy hell out of them just because that's how he does things.
(21:24:41) Sir Chris: I'll stop the spoilers there, but the point is he does a lot more in the game.
(21:24:56) Sir Chris: Wonderful feats of heroism
(21:25:02) Sir Chris: and overcoming a lot of tragedy.
(21:25:13) Sir Chris: He never gives up, and he never let's people down
(21:25:22) Sir Chris: He goes to the end of the world to find his father's murderer.
(21:25:33) Sir Chris: Oh what a sweet reunion it is.
(21:25:44) Sir Chris: I don't think a lot of people get why I love the DQ5 Hero
(21:25:49) Sir Chris: I think they believe it is a joke
(21:25:51) Sir Chris: or a gimmick
(21:25:53) Sir Chris: It is not.
(21:26:14) Sir Chris: I have not to this day seen a character of the calibur of the hero from Dragon Quest V.
(21:26:19) Sir Chris: =)
(21:26:24) ThisWasEdBellis: nice description!
(21:26:27) Sir Chris: thanks
(21:26:32) Sir Chris: (mark for spoilers when you post!)
(21:26:40) ThisWasEdBellis: will do
(21:26:50) ThisWasEdBellis: well, thanks for tha interview, dude
Day 8: Diet Water[]
(12:17:01) ThisWasEdBellis: 1. Tell us a little about yourself. What's the "real" Diet Water like?
(12:17:46) Diet Water: I don't really like to describe myself with broad explanations.
(12:17:57) Diet Water: You can't really meet yourself
(12:18:14) ThisWasEdBellis: would it help if i were more specific?
(12:18:22) Diet Water: Sure
(12:18:44) ThisWasEdBellis: what are your goals in life? your interests? your pet peeves?
(12:19:45) Diet Water: I don't have really any long term goals now, but I want to transfer to a University and see what happens from there.
(12:21:34) Diet Water: I interests include: Hot sauce, fighting, Gundam, Football, exercising, sign spinning, and stretching.
(12:22:28) Diet Water: And I hate when people suck at driving or when they try and sell you shitty weed and say its good those trite fucks
(12:23:05) ThisWasEdBellis: does 'fighting' mean fighting games or real-life fighting?
(12:23:10) Diet Water: Both
(12:23:18) ThisWasEdBellis: gotcha
(12:23:55) ThisWasEdBellis: 2. What keeps you coming back to Board 8?
(12:24:23) Diet Water: Usually the laughs and petty banter.
(12:24:57) Diet Water: But I often find out about games from Board 8 like Phoenix Wright and Okami
(12:25:32) Diet Water: Also B8 has been for me the best source of video game news.
(12:26:48) ThisWasEdBellis: 3. What kind of games do you enjoy? (besides fighting games, as you've already said)
(12:28:12) Diet Water: I don't like RPGs so much as I just really love Final Fantasy, but I'm not really interested in other RPGs nowadays.
(12:28:33) Diet Water: I like good action games like DMC
(12:28:53) Diet Water: I of course like MGS
(12:29:23) Diet Water: And Mega Man is my favorite platform action thing.
(12:30:02) ThisWasEdBellis: 4. What do you tend to look for in a 'good' video game? Story, graphics, overall presentation, etc.?
(12:31:10) Diet Water: I'm fine with just about all graphics unless they are butt ugly like Star Ocean 3.
(12:31:36) Diet Water: Story or Adventure is a great driving force for a game.
(12:31:56) Diet Water: Which would probably explain why I like FF and MGS
(12:32:56) Diet Water: Gameplay is has to be solid and fun though.
(12:34:42) ThisWasEdBellis: 5. Where do you stand on the 'video games as art' debate? Do you think they're a legitimate form of art?
(12:35:05) Diet Water: That just depends on how you make them
(12:35:27) Diet Water: Mario Paint is definitely a video game art form
(12:36:06) Diet Water: GTA is definitely not.
(12:36:21) ThisWasEdBellis: why is that?
(12:38:13) Diet Water: Because there's no actual originality for anything you do or how anything is designed.
(12:38:41) Diet Water: Not like Okami where art is the biggest motif.
(12:39:52) ThisWasEdBellis: so would it be accurate to say that, to you, originality has to play a role in deciding whether or not something's artistic?
(12:40:23) Diet Water: Otherwise it's just imitation.
(12:41:31) ThisWasEdBellis: changing the subject a little bit
(12:41:46) ThisWasEdBellis: 6. You implied you like to get into real-life fights. Can you go into more detail on that?
(12:42:13) Diet Water: Competition is fun
(12:42:32) Diet Water: and there's nothing like good ol' adrenaline.
(12:43:11) Diet Water: Also some chicks think it's hot when you beat up somebody
(12:43:18) Diet Water: but all that is just my experience.
(12:43:39) ThisWasEdBellis: are these fights done in 'clubs' or are they just random occurrences?
(12:44:30) Diet Water: Never random.
(12:45:11) Diet Water: My freinds and I usually just feel like fighting eachother so we do.
(12:45:51) Diet Water: Of course so people have to get their shit ruined when they need to be checked at a party.
(12:46:28) ThisWasEdBellis: what do you mean?
(12:47:14) Diet Water: Like when they are acting foolish and need a little reality.
(12:50:09) ThisWasEdBellis: also, what's 'sign spinning'? forgot to ask that earlier
(12:51:15) Diet Water: Sign spinning is my job
(12:52:10) Diet Water: this basically: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUmcYBOnFXM (but that's not me)
(12:53:33) Diet Water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgWwFP5Ex7I&feature=related and people also compete in tournaments
(12:54:00) ThisWasEdBellis: seems kinda neat
(12:54:06) ThisWasEdBellis: i thought you were talking about color guard!
(12:54:13) Diet Water: Hell no.
(12:55:50) ThisWasEdBellis: 7. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?
(12:56:42) Diet Water: That's a hard one to think about
(12:57:44) Diet Water: But I once missed an easy sack when I played football in high school.
(12:58:03) Diet Water: I felt like a dumbass for missing it.
(13:00:00) ThisWasEdBellis: 8. How about your proudest accomplishment?
(13:01:46) Diet Water: hmmm
(13:04:09) Diet Water: It's hard to say, but I am proud of winning a sign competition in my area.
(13:05:52) ThisWasEdBellis: cool
(13:05:54) ThisWasEdBellis: when was this?
(13:07:06) Diet Water: Back in July
(13:09:27) ThisWasEdBellis: 9. You're give free reign to change anything on the Board for a day. What, if anything, do you change?
(13:10:36) Diet Water: Hmm
(13:12:09) Diet Water: Make flaming legal
(13:12:58) Diet Water: Ok I have to go my classes now.
(13:13:08) ThisWasEdBellis: got time for the last q?
(13:13:20) Diet Water: ok shoot.
(13:13:31) ThisWasEdBellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the Board doesn't know about you?
(13:14:51) Diet Water: I drive a red Pontiac Grand Am and I've tripped acid before.
(13:15:18) ThisWasEdBellis: okay, thanks for the interview
(13:15:28) Diet Water: You're welcome
Day 9: th3l3fty[]
[14:56] <EdBellis> 1. What's the "real" lefty like? Hopes, fears, dreams, etc.?
[14:56] <lefty> uhhhh
[14:57] <lefty> I'm not really sure at this point in my life
[14:57] <lefty> I just hit college
[14:57] <lefty> so everything has become completely different
[14:58] <lefty> plus I don't even know what I want to pursue after college
[14:58] <lefty> I mean, I know I want to go into something involving math
[14:59] <lefty> but I really haven't thought about it that intensely
[14:59] <lefty> also I fear public speaking
[14:59] <EdBellis> i was that way when i first went to college - uncertain about everything
[14:59] <lefty> (screw death)
[14:59] <EdBellis> i'm still that way!
[14:59] <EdBellis> well, to a certain extent
[15:00] <lefty> but yeah
[15:00] <lefty> I've known I've wanted to go into mathematics since middle school
[15:00] <lefty> and I haven't progressed much beyond that!
[15:01] <EdBellis> 2. What is it about math that appeals to you?
[15:01] <lefty> well, it started in second grade
[15:02] <lefty> after 1st grade my family moved across the township
[15:02] <lefty> so I had no friends in the school
[15:02] <lefty> the only thing I could enjoy was learning
[15:03] <lefty> and I happened to have a natural affinity to math
[15:03] <lefty> so I guess it comes down to that I enjoy it because I'm good at it
[15:05] <lefty> come to think of it, that must be why I stopped liking social studies >_>
[15:06] <EdBellis> 3. You seem particularly attached to Board 8 and the TT chat. What is it about online communities (maybe these ones in particular) that appeals to you?
[15:07] <lefty> you know, I've asked that of myself many times
[15:08] <lefty> B8 is a lot more bland than when I first arrived
[15:08] <lefty> we've lost our wittiest users, our best writers, even our best trolls
[15:09] <lefty> (oxymoron I know)
[15:09] <lefty> but I think the reason is that I enjoy having a social outlet of some variety
[15:10] <lefty> and I've always been more of an outcast in school, clubs, sports, etc.
[15:11] <EdBellis> so the internet is an easier way for you to have social interaction?
[15:11] <lefty> I've never been much of a fan of personal interaction
[15:11] <lefty> it's always felt awkward to me
[15:11] <lefty> that awkwardness is lost when it's just text
[15:12] <EdBellis> do you feel like that awkwardness comes from other people, yourself, or both?
[15:12] <lefty> it's more from me than anything
[15:13] <lefty> the way I've made the majority of my friends is through association
[15:13] <lefty> as in, interacting with the friend of a friend
[15:14] <lefty> it feels a lot safer to me if you share a friend
[15:15] <EdBellis> 4. It seems fair to say you're somebody who likes to participate in a lot but rarely makes projects of his own. If you were ever to make your contest/project/other thing, what would it be?
[15:16] <lefty> hmmm
[15:16] <lefty> you know, I really haven't put much thought into that
[15:17] <lefty> I'm extremely bad at remembering things (no idea how many times I forgot to put up the new Rate the Game topic while I had it)
[15:18] <lefty> if I were to do a project though, it would definitely be a list of some sort
[15:19] <lefty> because I get the feeling any sort of contest I'd run would have miserable votals
[15:20] <lefty> although I have gotten reasonable votals when I've made the VGMusic topic >_>
[15:20] <lefty> (it has NOTHING to do with the fact that they were popular songs! NOTHING)
[15:21] <lefty> I can't really say what the list would be about, though
[15:22] <lefty> I can't imagine putting in the effort to rank, say, VGMusic
[15:23] <lefty> props to Surskit, by the way - I have trouble ordering a few things and he goes and makes a list of 1170 songs
[15:23] <lefty> I may not agree with his tastes, but that takes determination... and a lot of free time >__>
[15:24] <lefty> and focus, which I don't have
[15:25] <lefty> so don't expect to be seeing a project from me anytime soon <_<
[15:26] <EdBellis> 5. Are there any issues in real life that you're passionate about?
[15:26] <lefty> oh jeez
[15:27] <lefty> uhhhhhhh
[15:27] <lefty> can't say I have many strong opinions
[15:28] <lefty> although I do strongly favor the cause of the boy scouts in philadelphia >_>
[15:28] <EdBellis> what's the cause?
[15:28] <lefty> oh, I guess that's not exactly a well-known thing
[15:29] <lefty> recently philly evicted a group of boy scouts from a building because the organization discriminated against gay people
[15:30] <lefty> although the city owned the building, the boy scouts had built and maintained it
[15:30] <lefty> and they had a contract of sorts with the city
[15:31] <lefty> and it basically shut down the boy scouts in the entire city
[15:31] <EdBellis> yikes
[15:31] <lefty> and considering the many benefits BSA can bring, I'd say it's not a good thing
[15:33] <lefty> BSA is a (mostly) christian organization, so I can understand why they wouldn't want gay scoutmasters
[15:33] <lefty> it's like closing down a church because they refuse to have a gay pastor
[23:02] <EdBellis> 6. Why is Tal Tal Heights the 'pinnacle of gaming music' to you?
[23:03] <lefty> because it is perfection
[23:03] <lefty> it takes a classic tune
[23:04] <lefty> and, after a somewhat similar beginning
[23:04] <lefty> goes off onto another path entirely
[23:04] <lefty> while the original zelda theme is not bad in its own right
[23:05] <lefty> it doesn't quite fit for everything it does
[23:06] <lefty> I think AKJ put it best in an old VGMusic topic
[23:07] <lefty> I don't have the exact quote, but he said the great thing about Tal Tal Heights is that it feels like a song you should have on an adventure
[23:07] <lefty> which is exactly what it's supposed to do
[23:08] <lefty> I also feel Tal Tal Heights is exceptional in a musical sense
[23:09] <lefty> it manages to feel simple and complex at the same time, and pulls it off with a powerful melody
[23:12] <EdBellis> nothing to do with nostalgia?
[23:13] <lefty> I know I'm prone to nostalgia blindness
[23:13] <lefty> as is the case with, say, the pallet town theme
[23:14] <lefty> but tal tal heights became one of my favorites in a completely different way
[23:15] <lefty> when I played through link's awakening the first time, I thought it was a nice piece, but nothing special
[23:15] <lefty> forgot about it for awhile
[23:15] <lefty> a couple years ago, somebody posted a link to the Disco Dan's rendition on OCRemix
[23:16] <lefty> (which I suggest all of you check out if you haven't already!)
[23:16] <lefty> anyway, Disco Dan's remix absolutely blew me away
[23:17] <lefty> and I began to notice the little subtleties that I had missed before
[23:17] <lefty> the song took on a whole new meaning for me
[23:18] <lefty> and that was actually what started my love for VGMusic in general
[23:19] <lefty> (not that cruddy vocal stuff though! >_>)
[23:26] <EdBellis> stock questions afoot
[23:26] <EdBellis> 7. You have complete control over Board 8 for a day. What, if anything, do you change?
[23:27] <lefty> I'm allowed to bring people back, right?
[23:27] <EdBellis> sure
[23:29] <lefty> let's see... I'd bring back Amazing Telephone, Caelus and lettuce Kefka
[23:30] <lefty> I'd force Caelus to do some sort of writing project
[23:30] <lefty> and I'd make Ayvuir and FigureOfSpeech finish theirs >_>
[23:31] <lefty> I'd force Bokonon_Lives, AKJ, Ryoko and Sir Chris to be more active
[23:32] <lefty> plus I'd figure out who the heck sonicblastpunch is
[23:33] <lefty> overall, I'd try to spice up the board a little
[23:33] <lefty> because the board continues to mellow
[23:34] <EdBellis> would you ban anyone?
[23:34] <lefty> oh yeah, I'd also make swirldude finish NCAA Games 2
[23:37] <EdBellis> but would you ban anyone? >_>
[23:38] <lefty> hmmm
[23:39] <lefty> nobody really annoys me that much
[23:40] <lefty> but if I had to list a few, I guess losing Hippo, Albion or SDR wouldn't be too much of a loss
[23:40] <lefty> (Vlado is too funny to even consider listing!)
[23:40] <EdBellis> heh, fair enough
[23:41] <lefty> although Hippo has exhibited quality VGMusic tastes >__>
[23:42] <EdBellis> 8. What is your biggest regret in life?
[23:44] <lefty> that's a tough one
[23:45] <lefty> I guess my biggest regret would be my lack of social connection
[23:46] <lefty> also, the fact that I never did manage to reconcile with my former best friend's father
[23:47] <lefty> that got so bad, I shared a class with him and didn't even speak to him once the entire year
[23:47] <EdBellis> yikes
[23:47] <lefty> (the best friend, not his father <_<)
[23:47] <EdBellis> right
[23:47] <lefty> it was all over a joke gone wrong, too
[23:48] <lefty> when I was at his house one time, I put his Game Boy Color in my pocket as a joke
[23:49] <lefty> I thought he would notice and wonder where it went
[23:49] <lefty> but he didn't notice, and I forgot I had it
[23:50] <lefty> even though I called as soon as I realized I had taken it, his father always thought I had intended to steal it and felt guilty
[23:50] <lefty> wouldn't even let me talk to him
[23:50] <EdBellis> that sucks
[23:50] <lefty> it didn't help that his father was a really tough guy either >_>
[23:53] <EdBellis> 9. How about your proudest accomplishment?
[23:54] <lefty> in 7th grade, I participated in a thing called MathCounts
[23:55] <lefty> I did okay in it, nothing spectacular
[23:55] <lefty> meanwhile, another kid on the team got 7th place
[23:55] <lefty> so I decided I would try to beat him
[23:55] <lefty> in 8th grade I was captain of the team
[23:56] <EdBellis> nice
[23:56] <lefty> although the team bombed (I think we're the only team from our school to not win overall since the year before ours)
[23:56] <EdBellis> 'whoops'
[23:56] <lefty> we had the highest average individual scores
[23:57] <lefty> (we scored a 2/10 on the team round or something ridiculous like that)
[23:57] <lefty> anyway, one of my teammates got 4th (as a 6th grader)
[23:57] <lefty> and I got 3rd
[23:58] <lefty> except that was only for the written test
[23:58] <lefty> the top 10 participate in the "Countdown Round"
[23:58] <lefty> which is speed math
[23:59] <lefty> I killed the kid from my team
[23:59] <lefty> and proceeded to not lose a single question
[23:59] <lefty> the entire rest of the way
[23:59] <lefty> so I ended in 1st in the two-county region
[00:00] <lefty> unfortunately, I miswrote something at the state level and ended in 11th place
[00:00] <lefty> which was not just the last person to not participate in the COuntdown Round
[00:01] <lefty> but just behind the 6th grader
[00:01] <EdBellis> ouch
[00:01] <lefty> well, the kid is a genius
[00:01] <lefty> I took Calc II in 12th grade
[00:01] <lefty> he's taking it in 11th
[00:03] <lefty> and apparently I helped create this monster by helping him when I was his team captain >_>
[00:03] <EdBellis> you should feel proud, dr. frankenstein
[00:03] <lefty> he actually went to the national level in 8th grade
[00:03] <lefty> won at the states in 7th AND 8th
[00:04] <lefty> not that that's much consolation
[00:05] <lefty> I would've loved the chance to participate in the national competition
[00:05] <lefty> still, the county competition is where I got my DS money
[00:06] <lefty> so it was a positive experience in the long run!
[00:07] <EdBellis> cool
[00:07] <EdBellis> k, last question TIEM
[00:07] <EdBellis> 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
[00:09] <lefty> I enjoy singing, and, according to my directors, I have an incredibly good voice
[00:10] <EdBellis> huh, wouldn't have thought that
[00:10] <EdBellis> you painted yourself earlier as something of a shy person
[00:10] <lefty> actually, I learned just recently that the reason my mother pressured me into joining the extracurricular choir groups was because the choir director told her that I had to be in his groups
[00:10] <lefty> well, yes
[00:11] <lefty> until last year, I had never sung individually
[00:11] <lefty> at least, not in front of an audience
[00:11] <EdBellis> bass or tenor?
[00:11] <lefty> I sang in a quartet for one piece last year
[00:12] <lefty> and sang at the "honors concert"
[00:12] <lefty> (which is just a recital that has a grade)
[00:12] <lefty> I think I'm actually a baritone
[00:12] <lefty> I can sing both tenor and bass
[00:13] <lefty> not the low bass notes or the high tenor notes
[00:13] <EdBellis> yup, that's baritone
[00:13] <lefty> anyway
[00:14] <lefty> I actually got so nervous at the honors concert that I messed up the piece
[00:14] <lefty> of course, that likely had something to do with the fact that I chose the piece two weeks beforehand >_>
[00:15] <lefty> my little brother got a better grade, but his piece was really easy >_>
[00:16] <lefty> and mine didn't have separate verses
[00:17] <lefty> the piece was "Arm, arm, ye brave" from Judas Maccabaeus
[00:17] <lefty> it was a fun piece to sing
[00:18] <lefty> but it was extremely difficult because it kept repeating the same words over and over in different ways
[00:23] <EdBellis> well, thanks for the interview!
[00:23] <EdBellis> i'm really tired right now so i'll just post it tomorrow
[00:23] <lefty> no no, thank YOU
Day 10: UltimaterializerX[]
(7:43:47 PM) Ed Bellis: 1. Take me back to 2004. You've just won the 2004 Games Contest, with the highest point total to date, in arguably the hardest contest yet; you'd also become the first B8er to actually win one. What was it like?
(7:44:54 PM) Ultimaterializer: Well on the board, I was obviously really happy about it plus 10 free games always rocks.
(7:46:01 PM) Ultimaterializer: But my personal life back then was terrible, so the event was bittersweet in a way. Like, the best thing going for me was winning some contest online. So while it was really cool to win, it's disappointing personally how that was such a great life event.
(7:46:23 PM) Ultimaterializer: Contrast that to now, where I'm much more controversial on the board but I finally have my life on track.
(7:46:59 PM) Ed Bellis: do you think the fame/notoriety ever went to your head at all?
(7:47:54 PM) Ultimaterializer: Yeah, especially given it was one of the only venues that made me feel good about myself.
(7:48:26 PM) Ultimaterializer: In my defense, I think that much notoriety would puff anyone up too much.
(7:48:44 PM) Ed Bellis: that was the year you won user of the year, right?
(7:49:17 PM) Ultimaterializer: Yep
(7:49:59 PM) Ultimaterializer: Looking back, the whole thing was pretty out of hand at times. Once a week, there'd be some ATTN: Ulti fad or something.
(7:50:40 PM) Ultimaterializer: which was cool and all, but also kind of weird.
(7:52:42 PM) Ed Bellis: 2. In Icehawk's User Hall of Fame, you listed yourself as the greatest B8er of all time. What was your reasoning for that?
(7:57:09 PM) Ultimaterializer: It was an honest vote, and I wasn't alone in making it either. I think I'm one of the most important users there if you factor in all eight years of the board. Social Board 8 stuff notwithstanding: I do a ton of widely used contest stuff, everyone seems to enjoy the PCAs, everyone seems to enjoy those multi-board contests I run, recently I've gotten into making contest pictures, I was the first B8er to actually win a contest and I help Zach out as a B8 wiki admin. Objectively, I don't think it's arrogant to say I'm one of the two or three most important people to ever post there. With the caveat of contest Board 8 being FAR more important than Social Board 8, anyway.
(7:58:02 PM) Ultimaterializer: Anagram can be an idiot sometimes, but he sums me up well. When I'm not Half-Troll Ulti and stick to being Contributor Ulti, he calls me the best guy on the board. Which is cool to hear.
(7:58:29 PM) Ed Bellis: so do you feel that the board is best suited to being a contest board instead of a social board?
(7:59:28 PM) Ultimaterializer: I think it should have a very lax topicality rule. I was one of the few who never felt that rule was a bad idea in the first place.
(8:00:25 PM) Ultimaterializer: Nothing wrong with social stuff per se, but random fads about pooping and whether you wipe standing up should be on immature places like Current Events.
(8:01:14 PM) Ed Bellis: a nice segue into the next question...
(8:01:22 PM) Ultimaterializer: o rly
(8:02:10 PM) Ed Bellis: 3. It's probably safe to say that your biggest passion on the site is the contests. You've gotten into arguments in the past over whether they're a huge waste of time. How would you respond to those accusations? Any choice matches you'd point to, any writeups or stories of your own you'd recommend?
(8:04:42 PM) Ultimaterializer: Those contests are one of my biggest passions/hobbies period, so I don't call it a waste of time at all. Enjoying a contest poll is no different than watching sports on TV. I put a lot of time into enjoying it, but my priorities are in order and it causes no harm to anyone. It was funny when the wife overheard me on Ngamer's podcast, but it's all in good fun.
(8:04:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: Growing up, I loved math and fell in love with the men's NCAA basketball tournament.
(8:05:01 PM) Ultimaterializer: I also loved video games.
(8:05:30 PM) Ultimaterializer: Imagine how happy I was when my favorite web site combined the two. It was awesome.
(8:07:02 PM) Ultimaterializer: But "waste of time" is a very subjective term. People do all sorts of things that are considered wastes of time -- writing, stamp collecting, building ships in bottles, playing video games, whatever -- but all in all are just random fun. No one should be all work, no play.
(8:08:18 PM) Ed Bellis: shifting gears a bit...
(8:08:30 PM) Ed Bellis: 4. How much of your on-site swagger is an act and how much is genuine?
(8:09:12 PM) Ultimaterializer: If I gave a percentage, 90% is genuine. A nickname in real life is "The Swag".
(8:10:11 PM) Ultimaterializer: I admit I enjoy going really over the top sometimes, but my confidence is legit. I work hard.
(8:10:19 PM) Ed Bellis: and the remaining 10 percent?
(8:10:29 PM) Ultimaterializer: And these random, wholly ridiculous strokes of good luck just fall out of the sky for me all the time.
(8:10:51 PM) Ultimaterializer: Followed by all my friends going "Your swag is PHENOMENAL, what the HELL?". It's such a blast.
(8:11:44 PM) Ultimaterializer: Remaining 10% is when I go over the line making fun of someone who doesn't deserve it, like calling Palmer a lazy slob who can't read.
(8:12:22 PM) Ultimaterializer: Or spamming maplejet's last.fm
(8:12:53 PM) Ultimaterializer: That stuff is completely inappropriate.
(8:13:42 PM) Ed Bellis: what you do is completely inappropriate, or what they do?
(8:13:45 PM) Ultimaterializer: A lot of that is just trying to show off to make others laugh, but it never ever looks right
(8:13:47 PM) Ultimaterializer: both
(8:15:36 PM) Ultimaterializer: I've gotten better, but I still take some stuff way too far and/or personally
(8:16:50 PM) Ultimaterializer: Oh I forgot to mention earlier: My #1 passion in life period is working with animals, not GameFAQs Contests.
(8:16:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: latter is just my favorite hobby
(8:17:04 PM) Ed Bellis: yeah, that's why i said 'on the site'
(8:17:10 PM) Ultimaterializer: oh
(8:17:11 PM) Ultimaterializer: duh
(8:17:15 PM) Ed Bellis: no worries
(8:20:21 PM) Ed Bellis: 5. Tell me about shin ramza. You admitted a few years back to fabricating a persona and banning it from your contests. Why was this?
(8:20:39 PM) Ultimaterializer: Having zero self esteem
(8:21:24 PM) Ultimaterializer: Plus it was fun taking advantage of how awful the GameFAQs moderation system is.
(8:22:48 PM) Ultimaterializer: And it was just fun period
(8:23:21 PM) Ultimaterializer: I'd be on my main and get all that attention, then switch to an alt and watch the exact same people make complete fools out of themselves.
(8:24:07 PM) Ultimaterializer: Came to a close when red13n said on AIM to stop doing it, or he would just suspend the whole usermap regardless of history
(8:24:29 PM) Ultimaterializer: Eventually I grew up and closed them all
(8:24:48 PM) Ed Bellis: so you wouldn't do something like that today?
(8:25:05 PM) Ultimaterializer: No, it's way too much effort
(8:25:34 PM) Ultimaterializer: the one bright side is I can easily tell when someone is vote-stuffing a board contest
(8:25:43 PM) Ultimaterializer: whatever that's worth
(8:26:11 PM) Ed Bellis: 6. In the past, several people - myself included - have criticized your debate style as being laden with personal attacks. Would you agree with that assessment?
(8:27:11 PM) Ultimaterializer: Totally, I resort to ad hominem
(8:27:36 PM) Ultimaterializer: I blame being a hotheaded Italian
(8:30:30 PM) Ultimaterializer: It rubs people the wrong way, but it works. Why take an idiot seriously?
(8:31:45 PM) Ultimaterializer: I'm not sitting around arguing with someone point for point about why a 16 page rant on Dragon Age is wrong. I have things to do.
(8:32:13 PM) Ultimaterializer: you still there?
(8:32:20 PM) Ed Bellis: yeah, sorry - had more laundry
(8:32:24 PM) Ed Bellis: gimme a sec
(8:32:39 PM) Ultimaterializer: I love doing my own chores and taking care of myself.
(8:32:56 PM) Ultimaterializer: Actually, that reminds me. Here's an example of when using ad hominem is good:
(8:33:27 PM) Ultimaterializer: I was doing laundry a couple weeks ago. I wash my own clothes and all the guinea pig stuff every Sunday.
(8:34:26 PM) Ultimaterializer: Two guys were in the laundry room, and one of them made some dumb joke like "Three guys down here? Where's all the women to do our clothes for us?"
(8:34:57 PM) Ultimaterializer: My response was "My wife works hard and I like helping her around the house, because I'm not a little douchebag that expects her to come home from work and do all the chores."
(8:35:25 PM) Ultimaterializer: They got SO mad at me, but who cares. Screw them.
(8:36:51 PM) Ed Bellis: heh
(8:37:56 PM) Ultimaterializer: You're tempting me into the joke <_<
(8:38:03 PM) Ed Bellis: it's kind of funny - in the past, i've pictured you as something of a woman-basher
(8:38:17 PM) Ultimaterializer: I was. You and my wife both set me straight on that.
(8:38:30 PM) Ed Bellis: that's really good to hear, actually
(8:38:41 PM) Ultimaterializer: Women deserve our respect.
(8:38:51 PM) Ed Bellis: speaking of women...
(8:38:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: They're really underappreciated, to be perfectly frank.
(8:38:59 PM) Ed Bellis: 7. 192? Really?
(8:39:12 PM) Ultimaterializer: 197, and yes.
(8:39:31 PM) Ultimaterializer: Lost my virginity the day I turned 18, and people forget I'm 27
(8:39:41 PM) Ultimaterializer: That's only like 2 girls a month.
(8:39:49 PM) Ed Bellis: 'only'
(8:40:10 PM) Ultimaterializer: I'd make Ryoko the special #200, but I doubt she'd buy it =p
(8:40:50 PM) Ultimaterializer: A lot of that was the same story as shin ramza, though. Not feeling good about myself and just trying to fill the void with whatever.
(8:41:17 PM) Ultimaterializer: It's a miracle I turned out as even a half-decent person given my upbringing, it really is.
(8:42:13 PM) Ultimaterializer: Plus I lucked out and got the coolest wife ever. I told her about my 21st birthday, and she wasn't even mad. I believe the exact reaction was "I wish MY friends would throw away 2k so I could get fucked in a strip club by 3 girls :'("
(8:42:27 PM) Ultimaterializer: She's the best.
(8:43:05 PM) Ed Bellis: 8. You've been on the board since literally day one, and you've been a part of numerous controversies, dramatics, and intriguing things. Any regrets? Things you would have done differently?
(8:43:56 PM) Ultimaterializer: I would have learned how to be nicer to people earlier, instead of taking out my baggage on others.
(8:44:07 PM) Ultimaterializer: Vlado might think a board where everyone gets along is boring, but I don't.
(8:45:13 PM) Ultimaterializer: If I yell at someone now, it's not a half-troll thing. I'm legit annoyed. But it used to be I was so mad at everyone for NOTHING.
(8:45:19 PM) Ultimaterializer: Literally nothing.
(8:46:24 PM) Ultimaterializer: These days, there's really no one around I could say I disliked or hated. Worthy adversaries or something at worst.
(8:47:20 PM) Ultimaterializer: If I get the itch to argue with someone now, I just attack someone in a mafia game I think isn't on the level :-)
(8:50:20 PM) Ed Bellis: 9. Why all the hate for Shadow of the Colossus?
(8:50:32 PM) Ultimaterializer: Although as an aside, 20three leaving when I didn't say 1 word to him was hilarious.
(8:50:45 PM) Ultimaterializer: Oh dear god
(8:50:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: I'll give you the fair version without being rant-y
(8:51:26 PM) Ultimaterializer: I've beaten Superman 64 legit, and even then SotC has the worst control of any game I've played.
(8:51:38 PM) Ultimaterializer: Not worst SCHEME (though that's still bad), just the worst handling.
(8:51:54 PM) Ultimaterializer: Colossi fights are almost all the same
(8:51:57 PM) Ed Bellis: do you mean the horse controls specifically?
(8:52:00 PM) Ed Bellis: or overall
(8:52:19 PM) Ultimaterializer: Figure out where glyph is --> sit around shaking like a dumbass when the boss moves two inches --> stab
(8:52:23 PM) Ultimaterializer: overall
(8:52:30 PM) Ultimaterializer: horse isn't so bad, it's Wander that sucks
(8:52:46 PM) Ultimaterializer: health system is really bad
(8:53:14 PM) Ultimaterializer: story is just "wtf"
(8:53:29 PM) Ultimaterializer: Like what was Drebin going to do that was so bad, actually put something in that world?
(8:53:47 PM) Ultimaterializer: Game world is too big, it tried to give a feeling of isolation and immersion by putting nothing in it
(8:54:05 PM) Ultimaterializer: Except Silent Hill 2 does the same thing much more effectively
(8:54:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: Of the 16 fights, only 3, 5, the underwater electric snake (I think 7) and 13 are any fun
(8:55:06 PM) Ultimaterializer: When you manipulate the bad handing effectively, anyway
(8:55:44 PM) Ultimaterializer: And then of course, the fans
(8:56:13 PM) Ultimaterializer: The people who wrote their Art 101 final on the Ico series
(8:57:02 PM) Ultimaterializer: Every time it becomes a little more accepted to like video games, people like that set us all back
(8:58:17 PM) Ultimaterializer: It's funny how people thought I'd stop talking to Harrison after he liked that game. I'm not THAT bad, am I? >_>
(8:58:27 PM) Ed Bellis: harrison?
(8:58:30 PM) Ultimaterializer: HaRRicH
(8:58:32 PM) Ed Bellis: ah
(8:58:50 PM) Ed Bellis: sometimes you can go a little overboard, yes >_>
(8:59:36 PM) Ultimaterializer: I'm trying to get that out of my personality. Really, I am.
(8:59:50 PM) Ed Bellis: and now for the standard closer!
(9:00:08 PM) Ed Bellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(9:00:34 PM) Ultimaterializer: Oh, wow. I'm transparent, so I need to think about this.
(9:02:06 PM) Ultimaterializer: Oh, I got it. People accuse me of being a dick sometimes, but no one ever bothered asking why.
(9:03:37 PM) Ultimaterializer: The abridged version: My mom died way too young and I never got to tell her I loved her while she was alive (we fought a lot), my stepfather was a very abusive alcoholic, and I didn't accept God into my life until fairly recently.
(9:04:36 PM) Ultimaterializer: It's somewhat of a "standard" bad childhood story, I guess. Doesn't excuse how I act sometimes by any means, but that's basically why I don't trust anyone and choose to shut most people out.
(9:05:26 PM) Ultimaterializer: Oddly enough, I'm following in my mom's footsteps and becoming a nurse. She was a people nurse, I'm planning on being an animal nurse. If I love it enough, I'll go straught from vet tech stuff to the final parts of vet school.
(9:05:30 PM) Ed Bellis: just because it's 'standard' doesn't cheapen the pain or negate the experience
(9:05:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: I've been accepted into the entire program, so I have time in between to tell Purdue where I'm going with it.
(9:06:11 PM) Ed Bellis: nice, congrats
(9:06:18 PM) Ultimaterializer: Oh I know, and then you factor in how I was a really smart kid and was isolated just by that fact.
(9:06:38 PM) Ultimaterializer: One thing I'm not modest about is my being smart. I was just taught to be proud of that and go full boar with it.
(9:07:08 PM) Ultimaterializer: So with all that said, I'm smart enough to know that my having baggage does NOT excuse making fun of other people for having baggage.
(9:07:37 PM) Ultimaterializer: Icehawk was joking on the podcast about how I try to make up with people real fast after arguing with them, and that's why. I don't enjoy holding grudges for dumb stuff.
(9:08:13 PM) Ultimaterializer: Muffin is the one person on that board who's truly gone over the line, and I don't even hold it against him. No point.
(9:08:36 PM) Ed Bellis: how did he go over the line?
(9:08:38 PM) Ultimaterializer: So yeah, I try to apologize whenever I know I've done something unfair. You know this better than most.
(9:08:44 PM) Ed Bellis: indeed
(9:08:48 PM) Ultimaterializer: Making fun of stuff about the wife.
(9:08:55 PM) Ultimaterializer: That's against the guy code.
(9:09:55 PM) Ed Bellis: well, that concludes our interview session
(9:09:59 PM) Ed Bellis: thanks very much!
(9:10:02 PM) Ultimaterializer: :-)
Day 11: Tom Bombadil[]
(7:09:09 PM) Ed Bellis: 1. You've got a reputation for being one of the board's nicest guys. Do you feel that rep is deserved?
(7:09:21 PM) Tom Bombadil: Mostly
(7:09:37 PM) Tom Bombadil: I do think I'm a legit nice guy, and it especially comes across online for some reason
(7:09:52 PM) Tom Bombadil: That said, I do have my moments where I get snarky or elitist or whatever
(7:10:20 PM) Tom Bombadil: And a small part of me also KNOWS I have that reputation, so there's now a tiny bit of conscious effort put into maintaining that
(7:10:51 PM) Ed Bellis: i can relate
(7:10:57 PM) Tom Bombadil: heh
(7:11:22 PM) Ed Bellis: 2. What's the meanest thing you've ever done then? Real-life, internet, whatever.
(7:11:28 PM) Tom Bombadil: Oh gosh uh
(7:11:36 PM) Tom Bombadil: OH
(7:11:47 PM) Tom Bombadil: My blind date story is the first to come to mind
(7:11:51 PM) Ed Bellis: oh boy
(7:12:00 PM) Tom Bombadil: Although it was less meanness and more general fail
(7:12:02 PM) Tom Bombadil: Anyway
(7:12:10 PM) Tom Bombadil: Santa was the one to set me up
(7:12:16 PM) Tom Bombadil: I'd never been on one
(7:12:31 PM) Tom Bombadil: But first I got completely lost
(7:12:45 PM) Tom Bombadil: She gave me X Address, but I assumed it was X address in Y town when it was in Z
(7:13:12 PM) Tom Bombadil: so I spent like fortyfive minutes driving up and down the road in blizzard weather, calling her and trying to figure out what the hell was going on
(7:13:29 PM) Tom Bombadil: We were at a restaurant and they were already done by the time I got there >_>
(7:13:41 PM) Tom Bombadil: ("they" because it was a double)
(7:13:54 PM) Tom Bombadil: So I had about enough time to stuff a naan in my mouth before the movie
(7:14:14 PM) Tom Bombadil: Welp, she was a nice girl, I suppose, but she was suuuuper shy
(7:14:35 PM) Tom Bombadil: Like, "Tom carries the conversation" kinds of shy, and if you know me irl, especially with girls, then uh yeah
(7:14:48 PM) Ed Bellis: that's not even mean!
(7:14:51 PM) Tom Bombadil: well
(7:14:58 PM) Tom Bombadil: I never called her back or anything >_>
(7:15:06 PM) Tom Bombadil: PART of that was I got confused about which number was hers <_<
(7:15:23 PM) Tom Bombadil: but I just went on like it never happened even though she was pretty nice and stuff
(7:15:35 PM) Ed Bellis: you so wacky
(7:15:43 PM) Tom Bombadil: Like I said, more general lame than mean, but I feel bad still <_<
(7:16:01 PM) Ed Bellis: i expected something like WELL THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME I SHIVVED A DUDE IN PRISON
(7:16:07 PM) Ed Bellis: but that works too
(7:16:27 PM) Tom Bombadil: XD
(7:16:48 PM) Tom Bombadil: I've probably done meaner but "I got in an argument" doesn't make as good a story <_<
(7:17:02 PM) Ed Bellis: 3. You're a devout Christian, but you typically keep your faith to yourself. How do you feel about religious debates on the board?
(7:17:11 PM) Tom Bombadil: Really depends on my mood
(7:17:26 PM) Tom Bombadil: Sometimes they're a headache and I avoid them, but sometimes I go in swinging for hours
(7:18:22 PM) Tom Bombadil: It's kinda frustrating sometimes, because I feel like most people who profess Christianity 'round here are either douchey about it or much more lax about what "Christianity" means than I am
(7:19:02 PM) Tom Bombadil: Like I told Ulti the other day, a lot of the time, I just try to witness, especially 'round B8, by being a guy who makes people realize that not all Christians are fanatical douchebags
(7:19:19 PM) Tom Bombadil: I try to avoid PUSHING it on people, although I'll argue from time to time
(7:19:34 PM) Ed Bellis: that's actually similar to my contribution to gay rights
(7:19:47 PM) Ed Bellis: making people realize not all gays are flamboyant and stereotypical >_>
(7:19:53 PM) Tom Bombadil: :D
(7:20:29 PM) Tom Bombadil: I figure if I can make a couple people re-evaluate the standard stereotypes, I'll have accomplished something spiffy
(7:21:05 PM) Tom Bombadil: I have no delusions that I'm going to lead THE GREAT B8 REVIVAL AND BRING ALL OF YOU HOME although that'd be awesome
(7:21:24 PM) Tom Bombadil: so I settle for being some sorta amabassador or something >_>
(7:21:26 PM) Ed Bellis: haha
(7:23:03 PM) Ed Bellis: 4. What about Christianity appeals to you and motivates you to spread that message?
(7:23:40 PM) Tom Bombadil: Welp, it's not so much "appeal" per se as I think it is correct
(7:24:20 PM) Tom Bombadil: I am one of those guys who does in fact think that you're saved if you believe and you're not if you don't
(7:24:57 PM) Tom Bombadil: And that's the motivation for wanting to spread it- I like you guys and would rather you not suffer eternal emptiness and torment >_>
(7:25:10 PM) Ed Bellis: hurrah!
(7:25:13 PM) Tom Bombadil: :D
(7:25:33 PM) Tom Bombadil: I think we do a poor job of conveying that, really, or maybe we're more corrupt than I realize
(7:25:46 PM) Ed Bellis: i guess what i'm getting at is where did that feeling of 'correctness' come from - have you always been a christian?
(7:25:56 PM) Tom Bombadil: Somehow it winds up coming across a lot of the time as...I don't know what, but something other than love
(7:25:58 PM) Tom Bombadil: I have
(7:26:27 PM) Tom Bombadil: It just makes sense to me, but I do admit that I would be biased, having been raised in the church and whatnot
(7:26:53 PM) Ed Bellis: that's why i was curious if you were a non-believer who started to believe later in life
(7:27:01 PM) Tom Bombadil: Nope
(7:27:17 PM) Ed Bellis: me, i wasn't raised any particular religion, but i'm open to lots of them
(7:27:25 PM) Tom Bombadil: Which is nice for me, but I feel I'd be a bit more credible if I hadn't started from that viewpoint >_>
(interlude in which Ed transformed into a beautiful butterfly)
(9:58:24 PM) Ed Bellis: 5. Where did the 'No Lynch' running gag come from?
(9:59:01 PM) Tom Bombadil: When I started playing mafia, I was adamantly convinced that it was the best tactic for day 1
(9:59:31 PM) Tom Bombadil: There was a streak of several games in a row where I would vote NL right off the bat, catch flak for it, and generate a huge fight that would take up most of D1
(9:59:46 PM) Tom Bombadil: Eventually people figured out they weren't gonna talk me out of it and it became my thing
(10:00:02 PM) Tom Bombadil: (Well, it's Wigs' thing too)
(10:00:23 PM) Tom Bombadil: I'm no longer as adamant about it, and I prefer to just agree to disagree
(10:00:46 PM) Tom Bombadil: It's still not entirely a gimmick like people seem to think, but it's more of a default than a strong position
(10:01:00 PM) Ed Bellis: why did you think it was the best strategy?
(10:01:39 PM) Tom Bombadil: My reasoning is that we really don't have enough to go on D1. I'd rather wait until we have a bit more info, whether through discussion or night actions, before we rush into a lynch
(10:01:55 PM) Tom Bombadil: I'm a responder rather than an initiator >_>
(10:02:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: That and I got tired of lynching cops D1.
(10:02:10 PM) Tom Bombadil: <_<
(10:02:36 PM) Tom Bombadil: but I rarely stick to that NL vote for more than a few hours these days
(10:04:41 PM) Ed Bellis: (sorry, eating an incredibly delicious piece of cake)
(10:04:57 PM) Tom Bombadil: heh
(10:05:02 PM) Tom Bombadil: what kind
(10:05:09 PM) Ed Bellis: strawberries and cream
(10:05:12 PM) Tom Bombadil: nice
(10:05:17 PM) Ed Bellis: indeed
(10:05:45 PM) Ed Bellis: 6. So, Mr. Nice Guy. Who are your current three most disliked users on the board and why?
(10:06:04 PM) Tom Bombadil: TTF
(10:06:18 PM) Tom Bombadil: ...hm I need two more
(10:06:59 PM) Tom Bombadil: That Tofu guy is kinda annoying
(10:07:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: and uh
(10:07:51 PM) Tom Bombadil: while I think about it I will talk about TTF
(10:08:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: I didn't see him until last contest and we argued about the N9 in like twenty topics
(10:08:30 PM) Tom Bombadil: I'm pretty sure somebody confirmed him as a troll and he STILL gets at least a facepalm out of me every post he makes
(10:08:49 PM) Tom Bombadil: I even had him on ignore for a couple weeks >_>
(10:09:26 PM) Tom Bombadil: And heck, I'll just go with Albion or something for the third
(10:09:36 PM) Tom Bombadil: Even though he amuses me more often than he pisses me off
(10:11:07 PM) Ed Bellis: 7. Recently you took over the UCA. Can you cut a promo for yourself right now?
(10:11:32 PM) Tom Bombadil: Well, you see, there's no real need for me to "cut a promo" right now
(10:11:43 PM) Tom Bombadil: There are people who would just love to make an angle with me
(10:11:50 PM) Tom Bombadil: all sorts of no-name loser types
(10:12:13 PM) Tom Bombadil: They just don't seem to realize that you don't just get to waltz in that door and leech off my stardom.
(10:12:27 PM) Tom Bombadil: Feuding with Mr. UCA is a PRIVILEGE.
(10:12:31 PM) Tom Bombadil: You have to EARN it.
(10:12:52 PM) Tom Bombadil: Upstanding competitors like Semi and my hapless partner Wigs have earned that
(10:13:07 PM) Tom Bombadil: But some guy who's been hanging around for months after I fired him?
(10:13:15 PM) Tom Bombadil: Some dude who can't even not get modded?
(10:13:30 PM) Tom Bombadil: A random upstart weeaboo who hasn't been on the board a year?
(10:13:31 PM) Tom Bombadil: No.
(10:13:47 PM) Tom Bombadil: The Tombolo doesn't NEED to cut promos on these lowlifes, because they're not worth his time.
(10:13:54 PM) Tom Bombadil: BUT.
(10:14:13 PM) Tom Bombadil: JUST to put an end to this, I'm going to live up to that Nicest User Boardy that you couldn't take from me.
(10:14:19 PM) Tom Bombadil: That's right.
(10:14:41 PM) Tom Bombadil: Reg, CPU, get ready for your five minutes of fame, because TONIGHT, IN THIS VERY RING, it will be wthwjthjwhtjwhtjwhtjwht against the
(10:14:42 PM) Tom Bombadil: NO
(10:14:43 PM) Tom Bombadil: LYNCH
(10:14:45 PM) Tom Bombadil: KRU
(10:15:14 PM) Tom Bombadil: (Remember to vote in UCA King of the Ring featuring this and other great matches! Running all day on the foruth of July!)
(10:15:51 PM) Ed Bellis: oh you
(10:16:15 PM) Tom Bombadil: first serious business and now this
(10:16:26 PM) Tom Bombadil: you keep interviewing me right before I post PPVs >_>
(10:16:34 PM) Ed Bellis: heh
(10:17:00 PM) Ed Bellis: let's go to an interesting question i ask people sometimers
(10:17:02 PM) Ed Bellis: *sometimes
(10:18:16 PM) Ed Bellis: 8. If you had 24 hours where you could do anything without repercussions, what would you do?
(10:18:39 PM) Tom Bombadil: "Reprecussions" including morality and stuff?
(10:18:59 PM) Ed Bellis: interpret the question as you like!
(10:19:14 PM) Tom Bombadil: I will toss my ethics out the window in an attempt not to be boring
(10:19:31 PM) Tom Bombadil: Although really I still probably wouldn't do much interesting
(10:19:49 PM) Tom Bombadil: Probably try to lose my virginity
(10:20:00 PM) Tom Bombadil: Maybe start a fistfight for fun
(10:20:16 PM) Tom Bombadil: experiment with various substances
(10:20:22 PM) Tom Bombadil: streak
(10:20:53 PM) Tom Bombadil: Yup, even without constraints I'm a milktoasty guy >_>
(10:23:26 PM) Ed Bellis: some good answers!
(10:24:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: :P
(10:24:47 PM) Ed Bellis: 9. I am an openly homosexual man who is unrepentently agnostic. How would you attempt to save me?
(10:25:35 PM) Tom Bombadil: I probably wouldn't really beyond that stuff I said yesterday, the trying to be a good witness but not trying to force it down people's throats
(10:26:25 PM) Tom Bombadil: If you or somebody came to me and wanted to talk about it, or if we were particularly tight on AIM and stuff, I might try to make some sorta spiel
(10:27:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: I've actually never formally witnessed to somebody so it'd probably just wind up being a more civil version of a religion topic >_>
(10:28:03 PM) Tom Bombadil: I'll put what I think out there, and back it up as best I can, but like some famous theologian or other said, nobody's ever been argued into the Gospel
(10:29:13 PM) Ed Bellis: so you'd be acting out of concern/love more than anything?
(10:29:20 PM) Tom Bombadil: Hopefully
(10:29:29 PM) Ed Bellis: why 'hopefully'?
(10:30:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: Well, there's always the possibility that I have something wrong, being human and whatnot
(10:30:33 PM) Tom Bombadil: Maybe I am just tired that night and want to sleep but know I SHOULD do it or something >_>
(10:31:19 PM) Tom Bombadil: or maybe "you" has been antagonistic and gotten under my skin and I'm more arguing than witnessing
(10:31:51 PM) Tom Bombadil: or maybe I'm randomly on an ego trip because straight edge means I'm better than you
(10:32:05 PM) Tom Bombadil: What was I talking about again? <_<
(10:32:21 PM) Ed Bellis: something about self-deprecation
(10:32:43 PM) Tom Bombadil: so yeah I am an awful person shower me with pity
(10:33:17 PM) Ed Bellis: last question!
(10:33:32 PM) Ed Bellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(10:33:42 PM) Tom Bombadil: ...Hm.
(10:34:29 PM) Tom Bombadil: I'm pretty open about myself, but there is one thing that doesn't ever come up and also will end the interview on a nice dark note!
(10:34:37 PM) Ed Bellis: ooh
(10:34:51 PM) Tom Bombadil: I was stalked as a kid >_>
(10:34:52 PM) Ed Bellis: is this the I SHIVVED A DUDE IN PRISON
(10:34:55 PM) Tom Bombadil: XD
(10:35:21 PM) Tom Bombadil: I was in a choir and we had this one "nice" old guy who came to most of the concerts
(10:35:42 PM) Tom Bombadil: and he started talking to me after them
(10:35:46 PM) Tom Bombadil: Which was cool at first
(10:35:56 PM) Tom Bombadil: but then he got increasingly creepy and clingy
(10:36:27 PM) Tom Bombadil: Being significantly more naive then than I am now (believe it or not, it is in fact possible!) I was completely cool with it
(10:36:40 PM) Tom Bombadil: My folks were a bit smarter >_>
(10:37:01 PM) Tom Bombadil: We wound up getting a restraining order on the guy, and he also went to jail shortly thereafter for messing with somebody else
(10:37:25 PM) Tom Bombadil: Turns out the dude made kiddy porn <_<
(10:37:39 PM) Ed Bellis: yikes
(10:37:59 PM) Tom Bombadil: Only person I seriously dislike!
(10:38:11 PM) Tom Bombadil: Pretty sure he was gonna be locked up until death
(10:38:17 PM) Tom Bombadil: He was pretty old
(10:38:31 PM) Ed Bellis: how old were you?
(10:38:43 PM) Tom Bombadil: Bout.....12?
(10:39:07 PM) Tom Bombadil: It hadn't quite resolved by the time I hit highschool, so that sounds about right
(10:39:23 PM) Ed Bellis: resolved as in legally?
(10:39:32 PM) Tom Bombadil: And just as far as I was concerned
(10:40:00 PM) Tom Bombadil: The last time I saw him, he showed up at a concert and we kicked him out
(10:40:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: and I know I was somewhere in high school by then
(10:40:57 PM) Tom Bombadil: So yeah!
(10:41:45 PM) Tom Bombadil: Just to not end on a depressing note I will throw out as a bonus that I was homeschooled although I think about half of the board knows that >_>
(10:41:57 PM) Ed Bellis: aww, i forgot to ask you about that
(10:42:03 PM) Tom Bombadil: aww
(10:43:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: (I do think it stunted my social growth somewhat but not as much as one might think because we did lots of extracurricular stuff and also I think I got a significantly better education so it was a good tradeoff imo and I would consider it for my kids)
(10:43:33 PM) Ed Bellis: that was what i would have asked you, yes
(10:44:04 PM) Ed Bellis: anyways THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW
(10:44:08 PM) Tom Bombadil: It's what everybody would ask :P
(10:44:13 PM) Tom Bombadil: YOU ARE WELCOME THANK YOU
(10:44:18 PM) Ed Bellis: of course!
Day 12: Icehawk[]
(10:17:33 PM) Ed Bellis: 1. When you first arrived on the board, you were known as an Xbox troll, yet over the years you've emerged as one of the biggest contributors in terms of both projects and social activity. Why the change?
(10:18:35 PM) Icehawk: man it's weird to address my past, it's kind of interesting though on this board how everything from my younger teen years that I did is kind of documented.
(10:18:55 PM) Icehawk: Like, IRL I don't think people really notice and or talk about your evolution as a person unless it is dramatic.
(10:19:19 PM) Ed Bellis: irl people don't tend to rank you and assign you numbers based on how much they like you either!
(10:19:25 PM) Icehawk: Myspace *****es
(10:20:37 PM) Icehawk: anyway, I was never really an xbox troll imo. I liked to argue, and I liked the xbox. The Xbox was hated so naturally I defended it, and I do tend to get personal in arguments, so I guess thats how the rep came about. If I trolled it was more against like Mega Man or Earthbound and sometimes Nintendo, but once again, I liked arguing back then a lot more than I do today.
(10:22:08 PM) Icehawk: As for how I turned to projects, I have always liked projects. I guess I just didn't put as much thought/planning into them back then. I actually ran a best xenogears character contest in my "troll" days for example, and some other stuff. Then I really got more into projects in my first "face" run on the board with the STD project and some others that were all pretty successful. Projects are just a fun way to have something long term invested into the board I guess. Rather than a topic that disappears after 30 minutes, it's just something I have found hooks me to the board way more than anything else.
(10:24:28 PM) Ed Bellis: 2. What do you feel has been your most rewarding and/or fun project?
(10:27:37 PM) Icehawk: Oh definitely the podcast. It is always a blast hanging with you, neon, and sometimes wigs. It's fun meeting board members in a new way too. A lot of people I didn't totally see the appeal in became users I really liked after the podcast, Ayvuir is a good example. Not to mention the fact that we have so many people who listen regularly to a show that is sometimes really long just is really awesome, and I can't thank those people enough. That is why I have taken the last few weeks off while I have been busy, I don't want to let people down with a ****ty episode. Hopefully we can return this weekend!
(10:28:27 PM) Icehawk: STDs is probably 2nd just because the response was absolutely ridiculous. Getting like 150+ votes every day was just wow, I think it's underrated as one of the top projects of all time! (Didn't ngamer promise some top project list, guess he hasn't found anyone to ngame the responsibility to yet...)
(10:36:06 PM) Ed Bellis: sorry, was talking to the 'jammer
(10:37:18 PM) Icehawk: the hottie*
(10:37:24 PM) Ed Bellis: oh jeez
(10:38:23 PM) Ed Bellis: 3. You have a fairly open mind when it comes to getting involved with new stuff. What compels you to try something new out?
(10:42:58 PM) Icehawk: Hmm, you mean like the way I'm willing to try out anime and VNs and ****? It's funny because in real life my friends rag on me for not trying new things enough, but on the internet, I guess for some reason I end up talking a lot with a lot of different people, and naturally everyone wants people to get into their interest, so I don't mind trying things out, as I guess from previous experience I have learned that it could be something I end up loving, plus on the internet there are guaranteed to be some people you can find to talk about with.
(10:45:11 PM) Icehawk: I got into pro wrestling through a B8er, soccer through a B8er, I first watched some anime thanks to a b8er, trying my first VN thanks to you, all these things have been fun, I guess thats just why. I'm honestly not sure why it's so much easier on B8. I guess in real life theres a big difference between going on my first roller coaster (which my friends forced me to do this past summer) and just watching a youtube video of wrestling clips and deciding to try it out
(10:45:37 PM) Ed Bellis: i can't deal with roller coasters
(10:47:23 PM) Icehawk: I never thought I could, then I got taken to cedar point last summer, first roller coaster the friggin millenium force went 90MPH or something. Though I honestly didn't like it, I think it was too much too soon. I enjoyed the other ones though, so yeah, trying new things honestly works out more often than not, especially if you have an open mind about things.
(10:48:05 PM) Ed Bellis: i think people often forget that about you, actually
(10:48:50 PM) Icehawk: I forget it about me! Like I said, I'm used to getting criticized for not doing it! But you would know better than most since you've gotten me into some weird WEEABOO things
(10:50:27 PM) Ed Bellis: 4. On the podcast, people love neon, and occasionally me. But you are probably the least mentioned member of the regular crew. Why do you think this is? How does it make you feel?
(10:50:43 PM) Icehawk: IT HURTS MY FEELINGS
(10:53:23 PM) Icehawk: Umm, well partly I'm just not as clever and funny as you guys, I remember our first episode was pretty bad, but people actually complemented me a lot. I know I do a decent hosting job, I have my flaws of course, and I'm not as funny as you guys, but I do the work to put together the show and stuff, I keep things moving, thats my role. I'm just happy to have a great crew around me to ensure that if any of us have an off day, it still is generally a solid show, thats the most important thing. I'd rather have a good show every week than be the best member of the crew out of dante and swift. Although according to NGAMER I don't pass the rock enough or something.
(10:54:34 PM) Ed Bellis: i think people underestimate the fact that you run a pretty tight ship
(10:54:49 PM) Ed Bellis: like, if it were me and neon doing it, we'd just be dicking around all day doing bad accents
(10:57:17 PM) Icehawk: well thats why it's a good mix. I'm more worried about sticking to the script and addressing all the subjects. Obviously I want to have fun on the show, and I do have fun, but the outline is my #1 concern. Meanwhile your guys top priority is to have fun, and those segments are generally what people like the most. If things ran my way, the show might be shorter, and more news oriented, but I don't know if we would have the same amount of listeners. If you guys are in control, it's like the KUGECAST, and once again, not the same amount of listeners. It's a great mix between us 3 I think. I'm really proud that we managed to find such a good crew with great chemistry, and thats why the show works I think.
(10:57:37 PM) Ed Bellis: i agree
(10:58:28 PM) Ed Bellis: 5. Going back to your past... User of the Year voters may remember a certain dude by the name of Centurion who only showed up to vote against you. Why was this?
(10:59:09 PM) Icehawk: heh.
(10:59:22 PM) Icehawk: Well basically, lets go back to when I was 13, my big thing back then were FACTIONS
(10:59:48 PM) Icehawk: factions were on various secret boards. You "joined" and posted, etc. by contributing and doing projects you move up the ranks
(11:00:56 PM) Icehawk: cent was a faction dude, and together in the past we would plan out faction stuff, he was one of my top 3 or so in those days. Eventually I moved away from factions and more into b8. Also, around this time, I was slowly getting more into "real life", especially once I got to college. Also I got into wrestling (weird transition but it makes sense later on).
(11:01:51 PM) Icehawk: Anyway, as I talked to cent occasionally as I got more into real life I began to realize how weird he was, like something was off about him. Also he was the kind of wrestling fan I despised, very negative and obnoxious, so I began to dislike him.
(11:02:49 PM) Icehawk: I went back to one of my old boards like a year ago and made a write up topic for anyone who posted, he posted, I called him a weird, anti-social loser, and then he decided to stalk me from that point on. It's not a terribly exciting story, but I guess he was really upset about that writeup!
(11:05:20 PM) Ed Bellis: must have been very traumatic!
(11:06:13 PM) Icehawk: yeah, honestly I don't take anything personally online. I dislike people on here but it doesn't bother me if someone dislikes me you know? So sometimes I guess I forget that not everyone takes bashing very well
(11:07:42 PM) Ed Bellis: 6. People often joke about how you're obsessed with online popularity? Do you think there's any truth to this?
(11:11:13 PM) Icehawk: I definitely enjoy it a lot, I would definitely say there was truth to it in the past and the rep stuck, which is fine, it's a fun gimmick. Theres something so deliciously fun about e-pop, the game, the sucking up, the reactions to votes positive and negative by people, seeing exactly where you rank on someone's totem pole. It's just hilarious and fun. It's like some weird mix of survivor and political elections or something. But yeah, def some truth in the past. These days, I'm competitive, I'd still like to win, and I'll still bad talk my HATERZ, but it's not a big deal.
(11:11:45 PM) Ed Bellis: why the change in attitude?
(11:14:06 PM) Icehawk: I feel like I just went through the same path a lot of people go through on the board. The constant e-pop contests is just something you don't find many other places, and it's kind of fascinating, and then your competitive side takes over and you just want to make it to the top of the board, become a LEGEND, then after a bit when you get used to it, you realize it's not as big of a deal as you thought, and it's not as cool as you thought it was to be at the top (flattering yeah, but it's just not that big of an accomplishment in the scope of LIFE).
(11:16:27 PM) Icehawk: I feel like a lot of people went down the same road, just from what I've noticed. I just got specially pinpointed on it for some reason. I wonder if theres a weird psychological thing to it too. I think most B8ers were more of the outsiders in high school, and theres something kind of cool to actually winning a popularity contest after watching all the obnoxious preps in high school win that ****, even if it is on a message board. Then I think as most people go into college, start getting women and generally become content with what they have in life and appreciate it, you realize it's not a big deal. Or maybe it's not that deep and we're all just big fat losers
(11:16:58 PM) Ed Bellis: quite possibly
(11:17:05 PM) Icehawk: quite possibly to what?
(11:17:10 PM) Ed Bellis: the last part!
(11:17:29 PM) Icehawk: do you feel you went down the same road at all by the way? It's just a theory but it actually seems logical when you look at the evidence
(11:17:43 PM) Icehawk: like all the UUL guys clearly arent that interested in e-pop anymore
(11:18:46 PM) Icehawk: steiner is another one who admitted going down a similar road, Extha doesn't care as much as he used to, I feel like all the epop giants had a time where they wanted to become the best then just kind of realized it isn't all it is cracked up to be
(11:19:50 PM) Ed Bellis: yeah, i suppose i had that same reaction to things
(11:19:56 PM) Ed Bellis: or at least a similar one
(11:23:55 PM) Ed Bellis: '7. What's your main aspiration in life?
(11:26:18 PM) Icehawk: like in general?
(11:26:24 PM) Ed Bellis: yeah
(11:26:35 PM) Icehawk: to become USER OF THE YEAR
(11:26:43 PM) Ed Bellis: excellent
(11:28:38 PM) Icehawk: I guess just the general aspiration is to be content! I haven't decided when I want to try getting into more serious relationships, I imagine one day it'll come to that. I want to have a decent job in the business world, since it is a subject I enjoy, business. I want to continue to train in MMA and pursue that, and along with all that, I still want to have free time to keep up with all the latest video games and do other nerdy things, and keep in touch with my friends.
(11:28:51 PM) Icehawk: Basically my ideal life is probably neonreaper's except I'd be in shape
(11:28:58 PM) Ed Bellis: haha
(11:29:07 PM) Icehawk: it's funny but honestly kind of true!
(11:29:22 PM) Icehawk: basically neon's life + fighting
(11:29:40 PM) Icehawk: also hopefully my sex drive doesn't die as early as neon's did, poor guy
(11:35:36 PM) Ed Bellis: 8. Who are some people you'd hit even with a 10% chance of an STD?
(11:37:25 PM) Icehawk: this is what the questions have devolved into ed
(11:37:26 PM) Icehawk: really
(11:37:28 PM) Icehawk: REALLY
(11:39:12 PM) Icehawk: I've always been a big fan of blondes, top 2 off the top of my head would be kristen bell and Elisha Cuthbert.
(11:39:29 PM) Icehawk: Also I've always wanted to do a black chick so I'd take the risk with Gabrielle Union since she is the hottest black chick around
(11:40:01 PM) Icehawk: and I'd do ngirl, just to rub it in her face everytime she annoyed me (god knows it's more like 45% chance of STDs with her LOLOL)
(11:40:13 PM) Ed Bellis: (i try to throw out some lighthearted questions during the interview!)
(11:43:29 PM) Ed Bellis: 9. What motivated you to try out MMA? How far do you intend to go with it?
(11:44:05 PM) Icehawk: This is another case where b8 influenced my life a bit
(11:46:11 PM) Icehawk: I LOVE mma, I absolutely love the sport, I've even been watching every old major event for the past year or so in an attempt to watch them all. Just like with any sport you love to watch, there is a desire to try it, it's a bit harder with martial arts, but one day I passed by a gym, I have money coming in now so I was like, **** it, what am I waiting for?
(11:46:51 PM) Icehawk: I walked in, met the instructor (8th degree black belt in Taekwondo), took a free class, and loved it.
(11:47:24 PM) Icehawk: How far I go depends on a lot of things, I am learning wrestling soon, the basics, but it's tough to find a place with mats to actually go out and practice more advanced stuff
(11:47:49 PM) Icehawk: and I'll need to find a way to also learn BJJ, theres classes, but paying for 2 sep martial arts right now is expensive for me
(11:48:43 PM) Icehawk: and honestly I have no idea where there even is to fight MMA around here, the scene isn't as thriving around here, but it's not something Im super worried about, Im just going to keep learning and then see where it goes. I already love it though
(11:48:55 PM) Ed Bellis: that's awesome
(11:49:07 PM) Icehawk: ph and for b8 influencing me
(11:49:55 PM) Icehawk: I just want to thank Anri, I feel like he was a small influence in motivating me, just seeing there was another gaming nerd like me that was into it
(11:50:13 PM) Icehawk: who was actually fighting, it kind of motivates you, ya know?
(11:50:42 PM) Icehawk: like hey, if ANRI of all people can do this, Im sure I can!
(11:52:04 PM) Ed Bellis: last question, the standard closer
(11:52:17 PM) Ed Bellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(11:53:47 PM) Icehawk: thats a tough one, with all the face time I've had on the board and the podcast it feels like the board knows a lot about me and various things have come out over time
(11:56:34 PM) Icehawk: I guess maybe what people don't realize, is while I can be serious, my board personality is actually pretty much me, even if it seems gimmicky. I love to screw around and make fun of people all the time, but I'm always joking (usually!)
(11:57:15 PM) Icehawk: in real life a lot of people know me for just saying whatever I want, and I'd say thats pretty accurate. so really, despite SMURF claims that I'm too caught up in my gimmicks or something, they really aren't gimmicks >_>
(11:58:52 PM) Ed Bellis: i don't know how many people can say that, actually
(11:59:45 PM) Icehawk: yeah, I mean obviously going with the pophawk stuff is a joke, but otherwise I'd say I'm mostly me. I'd say you are too! neon on the other hand >_>
(7/9/2010 12:00:47 AM) Ed Bellis: well thank you for the interview!
(12:01:04 AM) Icehawk: Thank YOU ed bellis, it was fun being the one interviewed for once
Day 13: ertyu[]
(10:03:30 PM) Ed Bellis: 1. What does a typical day in the life of ertyu consist of? Give us some insight.
(10:03:46 PM) ertyu: ok get up
(10:03:50 PM) ertyu: walk dogs
(10:03:58 PM) ertyu: eat breakfeast
(10:04:17 PM) ertyu: go for bike ride take a shower watch TV listen to jim rome
(10:04:37 PM) ertyu: then play videogames
(10:05:06 PM) ertyu: on computer looking up stuff
(10:05:11 PM) ertyu: like that
(10:05:23 PM) Ed Bellis: do you have a job?
(10:05:27 PM) ertyu: no
(10:05:44 PM) Ed Bellis: how many dogs do you have?
(10:05:48 PM) ertyu: 4
(10:05:58 PM) ertyu: i do sell baseball cards in my moms shop
(10:06:00 PM) Ed Bellis: i never pictured you as an animal person
(10:06:09 PM) ertyu: and i have a cat
(10:06:22 PM) Ed Bellis: what kind of shop does your mom have?
(10:07:01 PM) ertyu: its a second hand stop
(10:07:07 PM) Ed Bellis: sounds cool
(10:07:45 PM) ertyu: ****ing mets i hate jeff fancouer what a trader
(10:07:57 PM) Ed Bellis: 2. You like to draw a good bit. What's been your favorite subject to draw?
(10:08:21 PM) ertyu: cartoon videogames sports and tv movies stuff
(10:08:37 PM) ertyu: and my own cartoon series the tornadolayzers
(10:08:48 PM) Ed Bellis: any particular characters that stick out to you as favorites?
(10:09:17 PM) ertyu: Dante videogames Batman Cartoons and mostly female chacrters
(10:09:47 PM) Ed Bellis: 3. What inspired you to create the Tornadolayzers?
(10:10:11 PM) ertyu: i just like cartoons superheros so wantend to make up my own
(10:10:54 PM) Ed Bellis: any plans for a tornadolayzers story in the near future?
(10:10:59 PM) Ed Bellis: we haven't seen much of them lately
(10:11:21 PM) ertyu: i do have epsiodes on the webs i just hadent done any new scense yet
(10:11:42 PM) ertyu: thow i am working on a epsiode on youtube
(10:11:55 PM) Ed Bellis: will you be providing the voices?
(10:12:14 PM) ertyu: no i just use the smackdown vs raw 2010 game to do it for me
(10:12:18 PM) Ed Bellis: ah
(10:12:56 PM) Ed Bellis: 4. What's with the Kirby hatred? It seems hard to dislike such an innocent, cute character.
(10:13:45 PM) ertyu: its just i find him annoying and dumb cant understand why people like him anyway
(10:14:03 PM) Ed Bellis: i think part of the appeal is that he's just a simple, cute guy with fun powers
(10:14:12 PM) ertyu: what ever
(10:14:13 PM) Ed Bellis: you don't find the 'copying enemies' bit interesting?
(10:14:38 PM) ertyu: ya i know most chacrters who has that a power seems cool
(10:14:44 PM) ertyu: i just dont like him
(10:15:01 PM) Ed Bellis: you played a kirby game yourself, yeah?
(10:15:15 PM) ertyu: just the one kirby night mare in dream land
(10:15:24 PM) Ed Bellis: i remember you saying you didn't like it
(10:15:38 PM) ertyu: ya i didnt thow i beaten it anyway just like do any other game
(10:15:46 PM) Ed Bellis: speaking of which...
(10:16:17 PM) Ed Bellis: 5. There's been some controversy about your 'beated games' list. Are there any games out there that, in your opinion, can't ever be 'beated' in the traditional sense? (racing, sports, etc.)
(10:16:45 PM) ertyu: no they can be beaten all games have endings
(10:16:58 PM) Ed Bellis: what about old arcade games?
(10:17:09 PM) Ed Bellis: i think pac-man just keeps repeating, for instance
(10:17:26 PM) ertyu: ya well tell that to billy michtlle
(10:17:38 PM) Ed Bellis: i don't know who that is!
(10:18:00 PM) ertyu: hes the guy who says hes beaten pacman and scored relly high in the game
(10:18:07 PM) Ed Bellis: ah
(10:18:37 PM) Ed Bellis: 6. Give us some insight into your thoughts on real-world issues. Do you support gay marriage?
(10:19:01 PM) ertyu: no i dont even care what gosde on in the real world anyway
(10:19:20 PM) Ed Bellis: have you been following the oil spill in the gulf?
(10:19:31 PM) ertyu: no
(10:20:01 PM) Ed Bellis: so are there any issues you're really passionate about?
(10:20:26 PM) ertyu: just sports stuff and wwe
(10:21:16 PM) Ed Bellis: 7. How is the love life of ertyu looking? Any good prospects on the horizon?
(10:21:30 PM) ertyu: no i have no GF
(10:22:07 PM) ertyu: i do know a few girls around my neibhood thow thats all
(10:22:28 PM) Ed Bellis: do you think they'd be interested in you?
(10:22:40 PM) ertyu: no they have boy freinds anyway
(10:22:45 PM) Ed Bellis: ah
(10:24:25 PM) Ed Bellis: 8. You've gotten into some nasty fights with users over the years - Sess, Not Dave, etc. Do you think of yourself as an easy target for ridicule? If so, why do you think this is?
(10:25:11 PM) ertyu: its just they have problems with me i dont now why
(10:25:45 PM) Ed Bellis: does that happen often with you?
(10:26:04 PM) Ed Bellis: people having problems with you, i mean
(10:26:12 PM) ertyu: yes they do it to annoye me
(10:27:00 PM) Ed Bellis: my mom told me when i was young that if you don't let on that those people bother you, they'll probably leave you alone
(10:27:02 PM) Ed Bellis: have you tried that?
(10:27:16 PM) ertyu: ya i have
(10:28:40 PM) ertyu: let me ask you one 1 question when you have a chance
(10:28:47 PM) Ed Bellis: shoot
(10:29:18 PM) ertyu: you going to ask me the real reason why i qyuit the ertyu show after only 3 epsiodes of the show
(10:29:33 PM) Ed Bellis: that was actually going to be the next question, believe it or not!
(10:29:51 PM) ertyu: great how could i guess
(10:29:52 PM) Ed Bellis: 9. wat is the real reason why you qyuit the ertyu show after only 3 epsiodes of the show
(10:30:48 PM) ertyu: its just i felt like you dont need to see me on youtube so i just film stuff of videogames
(10:31:04 PM) Ed Bellis: but everyone loved the ertyu show!
(10:31:26 PM) ertyu: yes i know some people did thow you all complined too about how i did the show
(10:31:43 PM) Ed Bellis: constructive criticism helps us get better
(10:31:58 PM) Ed Bellis: i mean, don't you want to do the best job you can?
(10:32:13 PM) ertyu: ya i tired no one appristes it
(10:32:27 PM) Ed Bellis: i think we're reading different topics!
(10:32:48 PM) Ed Bellis: anyway, last question
(10:32:59 PM) Ed Bellis: 10. What is one thing the majority of the board doesn't know about you?
(10:34:07 PM) ertyu: they just dont know the real me
(10:34:29 PM) Ed Bellis: well, this interview is a chance for you to tell them about the real you!
(10:34:49 PM) ertyu: any thang eles you want ask me
(10:35:10 PM) Ed Bellis: you don't want to tell the board about the real ertyu?
(10:35:42 PM) ertyu: just tell what ever we had about in the interview
(10:35:52 PM) Ed Bellis: alright
(10:35:59 PM) Ed Bellis: well, thanks for the interview erty
(10:36:51 PM) ertyu: sure anythang want to know anythang eles
(10:37:04 PM) Ed Bellis: that's all for now
(10:37:18 PM) ertyu: ok then