Stealing from WNG (Again)

Thanks for the blog fodder, WNG!
I have answered quizzes like this before. If you go back and find one, do not compare my answers. I claim no consistency - Emerson was right.

1.What is your idea of perfect happiness?
It's fleeting; different every minute.

2.What is your greatest fear?
Loneliness. Not the same as being alone, which I like from time to time.

3.Which living person do you most admire?
Sadly, I don't have a ready answer.

4.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Selfishness.

5.What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Selfishness.

6.What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
It depends - are we talking about the four virtues of the classical era? Or the seven Christian virtues? Or maybe the Buddha's Eightfold Path?
Ok, I'm just being pedantic. We all know the one I couldn't care less for is chastity.

7.On what occasion do you lie?
As a rule, when I am trying to spare myself or someone else pain. Which is not logical, because the truth comes out eventually and then the pain is the same if not greater.

8.What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Thinning on top sucks. Especially when you have been known in the past for having long, fabulous, Celtic Warlord hair...

9.What is your greatest regret?
There are so many. Click here for a start...

10.What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Ask me at the end.

11.Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could dance. Can't do it - too self-conscious.

12. What is your current state of mind?
Pensive. Just came from a documentary on Nietzsche.

13. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I'd be less prone to rash acts; I'd be more mindful.

14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I hope it is yet to come.

15. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
I'd like to come back as a bird. I think self-powered flight would be awesome.

16. What is your most treasured possession?
My wits. When they are gone, kill me in my sleep, please.

17. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Knowing too much. (Foreshadowing a future blog post.)

18. Where would you like to live?
A warm coast.

19. What is your most marked characteristic.
I'm obnoxious.

20. Who are your favorite writers?
Fitzgerald, Tolkien, Herbert, Heinlein, Bradbury, Asimov, Rilke, HHDL, Aitken, Kapleau, Gibran, Gracian, and so many more.

21. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Lancelot du Lac. The "ill-made knight" and I are cut from the same cloth.

22. Who are your heroes in real life?
Activists. Even those I don't agree with; at least they have the conviction to do something.

23. What is it that you most dislike?
Avarice. Greed. Selfishness.

24. What is your motto?
Honor super omnia.

25. Favorite journey?
Any trip that ends at the ocean.

26. What do you value most in your friends?
Intelligence, patience, compassion - in whatever order I need them that day.

27. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"the bottom line is..."
"the fact of the matter is..."
"are we out of apple butter?"

28. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
The Buddha. Of course, his story is everyone's story in some ways, so I guess it makes sense that I can identify with him.

29. What is your greatest extravagance?
It's a toss-up; eating out, having parrots as pets, or my knives.

30. If you could change one thing about your family what would it be?
I'd actually like them... but that's not changing them, that's changing me, isn't it?

31. What is your favorite occupation?
Professional puppet wrangler.
Victoria's Secret strap adjuster.
Webcomic Rockstar.
I would also like to be paid to point and laugh at rodeo cowboys when the bulls kick the shit out of them. That would be awesome...

32. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Gentleness of spirit. Also - no gag reflex.

33. What is the quality you most like in a man?
It's tempting to say "no gag reflex" to this one as well, just to get Jim and Maximus all hawt... but I have to go with self-sufficiency.

34. How would you like to die.
I wouldn't LIKE to die... but I suppose something heroic would be nice. Maybe while saving a box of kittens or freeing all the calves in a veal production facility. Naturally, once it happens I plan to explore the galaxy in my CAV.

35. If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
See 15 above.

Interview with the Pontiff

I have been asked the following five questions by my Right Hand, Nerdygirl the Unbeliever.

1. A genie wreaks havoc upon you for not giving his son enough scholarship money. Out of all your incarnations, (Nebraska State Patrol, Punkrawk Star, SCA player, etc), you must choose one to live as for the rest of your days, excluding your current stint as a Financial Aid schlub and student. Which do you pick and why?
I choose SCA player, because in those days I was young, sexy, and deadly. Right now, I've only got two of those...

2. Dream bicycle--what is it?
Probably a 1950's era Superbe Roadster with a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed drivetrain. Or a Critical Power HPV. Or possibly a Bowden Spacelander... there are about 10 more, if you're interested...

3. If you could reshape the scholarship system, how would you do such?
%My ideas are quite crazy on this topic; I've been told so by people at my office. Here's one of my nutty, extreme ideas - let's give SCHOLARships to actual SCHOLARS! I know, it's whacky, but I think it might take the edge off all those accusations that Universities are just training grounds for professional sports. I have this insane notion that academics just might be what college is actually about! (The good thing is that I'm not bitter about this...)%

4. What is your favorite piece of literature, either prose or poem?
This question has been ruled ridiculously impossible by a panel of Inquisitors, so I get to answer the secret alternative question; "What is your favorite song by ABBA?" It's "Fernando" - the English version, of course.

5. What is the hardest part of being vegan in Wyoming?
I am actually just a vegetarian with vegan tendencies, but I'd say that the hardest thing is dealing with amateur dietitians who are convinced that if you don't eat meat you will die. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am quite hearty; my immune system is thriving, my coat is shiny, my eyes are bright, my nose is cold and wet - I am ridiculously healthy for a pontiff of my age.

If you'd like to be interviewed as well, let me know in the comments...