So hello, anyone coming over from there — poke around a bit, see what you think!    For my regular readers, you can click here to read my interview and see how I did.   Check out FMB, they’re a pretty neat site with lots of interviews and blogging information!   Thanks for the interview, FMB!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | One comment. One lonely comment looking for a friend. | Subscribe RSS

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night.

Hi guys! I’m Nick from the UK.  People out there in the blogosphere may know me best from my pinball shenanigans – I’m a big enthusiast – more on that later! I live out in the Buckinghamshire countryside with my beautiful wife, 2 young children (one of each – a full set) and my trusty four legged friend. I used to work in banking but one day decided I’d had enough and didn’t show up for work. I thought I had enough money saved to survive forever (hey, I was young!) but sadly I didn’t (although finding that out was a whole lotta fun!). I now tickle about doing whatever I can to keep the wolf from the door, the wife tells me I should get a proper job – and maybe she’s right! In the evenings you might find me at the workshop I built for my hobby, Pinball Machines, or maybe playing Call of Duty (4 or 5) on Xbox Live!

2. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

Plug myself? As if..! Oh, go on then…. As mentioned above my big passion is pinball, my wife simply doesn’t get it, but it’s a great hobby. I blog about it frequently through The Pinball Blog. The machines, the people, the events – I love it! I play XBoxes, Playstations, and all the modern toys but you simply can’t beat the real interaction with a pinball machine, and no one will ever completely master it.  I buy and sell machines as a hobby through Pinballers Anonymous and I also organise the only pinball show in the UK, cunningly called the UK Pinball Show. We’re not spoiled for choice like our American counterparts, but I’m doing my best to make the UK an active place for social and competitive pinball.

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

I’m from the UK, so George Bush has been great entertainment watching from afar! How can somebody who puts his foot in his mouth with such regularity become president? The land of the free I suppose. I often look at the news around the world and wonder where it all went wrong. Is it right for the US, the UK and it’s strong-arm cohorts to enforce what they believe to be correct ways of living on the rest of the world? Sure there’s some bad stuff going on but sometimes I think we’re no better than the countries we try and change. The UK is broken at the moment, house prices sky-rocketed, people spent borrowed money and now it’s payback time. Walking down the high-street shows empty shop after empty shop, some of our biggest brands have gone to the wall, and banks (who happily took their profits for so long) now rely on government money (my taxes!) to stay afloat. It’s going to get worse before it gets better! Did that even answer the question?

4. A good leader is often known for the company you keep. If you were president, you’d have to pick your own cabinet. Give us a rundown of 4 people in your life that you would make as your cabinet, how they are related to you, what position they would hold, and why?

I’ll base this as being prime minister of the UK. My main advisor would be the wife! I’m very diplomatic but find it tough to say no to people. Although kind and thoughtful, she’s much tougher than me and when there’s something that needs doing – she’ll get it done. Secretly, she’ll be making all the tough decisions and I’ll just take the pay-cheque! The chancellor of the exchequer (finances) would have to be my accountant. How anyone can juggle numbers in such a way is beyond me! Half of it must be barely legal – so I’ll consider that qualification enough! Foreign secretary. This would be my good friend Steven, his knowledge of all things international is incredible. He knows more about the goings on in the world than any sane person could ever need (or want) to know. He’d easily be my “phone a friend” choice for Who Wants to be a Millionaire! My armed-forces minister would have to be my step-father. He’s a keen historian and loves historic battles. Although from the UK, he’s passionate about the American Civil War and has a strange fascination of General Longstreet. He’s a great public speaker and has attended many civil war functions on your side of the pond! He’s also a fantastic tactician as I learned during several defeats on board games like Risk and Axis & Allies!

Religion

5. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us. Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts (or hinders). You may pick your own religion or a different one as you like.

Here we go off the beaten track again…. I was brought up as a Christian and (hypocritically) was married in a Christian church, but I wouldn’t consider myself religious these days. I probably live a more Christian ‘lifestyle’ than 90% of Christians, but I just don’t share the beliefs. Why should I or anyone else for that matter be brought up a Christian, a Muslim, a Sikh or whatever based largely on where I was born? If my kids want to follow that stuff, they can make educated decisions when they’re old enough, I’m not leading them down a particular path before they know what’s going on! Is there a bigger scheme of things? I don’t know. But it wasn’t very long ago that everyone believed God made the world in 7 days, now science has put pay to that – and I don’t think science is finished with you believers yet! There are tribes in far-flung places that we know little about that have beliefs and rituals that would be considered barbaric in our culture, but that doesn’t make them wrong! Maybe we’ve got it wrong. There’s a man who comes knocking on my door every once in a while with his little handout of Jehovah’s Witness paraphernalia! He’s a really nice guy and he knows I’m not on his list of likely converts, but bizarrely I look forward to our brief meetings (no, I’m not lonely), I’d like to think this was reciprocated! The wife tells me “your little man was round today” if I’ve missed him.

6. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

Fawlty Towers. You *must* have seen that over there! I’m not a great TV watcher (although as a guy, have to have a BIG TV), but growing up my father was a big fan and Fawlty Towers made for some amusing television. John Cleese (I’m not especially a fan) was very funny as a miserly misanthrope who wasn’t happy with his status in society. Politically incorrect and probably wouldn’t be allowed these days with the PC brigade on duty.

Philosophy

7. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

Let’s let the criminals off their crimes because we breached some tiny element of their human rights, or a court case against some of the worst of society can be thrown out because a smidgen of red-tape was missed in the process – even though the evidence is stacked against them! If a robot can be designed with only the good behaviour of humans then lets give them more rights than some of the animals we seem to have created!

8. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties? If so, what properties distinguish “universal” beauty?

I think the world is a beautiful place. Go and take 5 minutes and look around you. Not at the stuff we’ve managed to ruin, but the place as a whole. Look into space and you can’t help but think we’re part of something spectacular and beautiful – just maybe we’re a few million years away from knowing exactly what it is! What makes it beautiful? Maybe it’s the unknown. To me a picture of a pretty girl is easier on the eye than the same girl without her clothes. Reality often disappoints, so enjoy the beauty of the unknown.

General

9. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where…and what would you wear when you met?

Tough one…. maybe Maid Marian from Disney’s animated Robin Hood. She’s sweet, well-spoken, vulnerable, needy, loving and you can’t get any more foxy than a fox! Of course I’d be dressed as Robin Hood!

10. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all. Pick the worst feature and say why you think that’s the worst.

As a guy I love our strength to protect. I don’t simply mean physical strength but I feel like I can protect my children through thick and thin. I appreciate there maybe things beyond my control, but I’ll happily play the role of protector in our family! The worst feature? Surely we’re all perfect? OK, I might be a little stubborn every now and then.

11. Finish off your interview with a funny quip, quote, or saying.

Life’s a shit-sandwich and it’s always lunchtime! I don’t really believe that, but it makes me chuckle!

The End

Thanks, Nick, for that interesting interview!    Everyone, give Nick some love and commentary if you feel so inspired!

This is the last of the interviews I have built up for now — but hey, don’t let that stop you!   If you would like one, just let me know and I’ll hook you up.    New questions for the next ones, as I think we’ve seen enough out of these.   Thanks everyone who has participated so far!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | 3 little comments jumping on the bed. | Subscribe RSS

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night.

Meghann of Waangel.com

Hi! Uh, I’m Meghann Myers of Waangel.com. Yeah, that’s me. I’m a stay at home mommy to the bestest little man in the whole wide world, Oliver Gene. That’s what I do day and night. Well, at night I mostly spend my time trolling the interwebz, looking for new blogs to read and people to bother. But that’s only after Oliver goes to bed.

2. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

Ah, ye ol’ blog. I heart my blog. You can find it at Waangel.com or you can find me on Facebook or MySpace. Just look me up by my name. And visit the blog. Seriously. I am hilarious.

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

Okay, before I start… I just want you all to know that these questions are super, super hard. And while I appreciate a challenge, I have spent most of the last week doped up on pain killers. No, not for fun. Because I got my wisdom teeth out. So bear with me… or is it bare? Huh.

Anywho!

The best thing that’s going to be accomplished in politics this year, you ask? Yeah, that’s easy. Getting rid of that abomination we call a president. Seriously, who starts a war to finish off something that Daddy Bush couldn’t accomplish? Who puts people at risk like that? Seriously. I hate that guy. I am very excited about Obama taking the presidency. I foresee several changes coming, and I am very excited about them.

The worst thing is not so easy for me to answer. I think that there will be a lot of resistance. I think that letting one party control the government could be a bad thing. I think that sometimes, I don’t really know what I’m talking about when it comes to politics, and that could be a really bad thing. I’m just sayin.

4. A good leader is often known for the company you keep. If you were president, you’d have to pick your own cabinet. Give us a rundown of 4 people in your life that you would make as your cabinet, how they are related to you, what position they would hold, and why?

Secretary of State: Well, since this is the president’s personal secretary… wait… that’s not right. No, for real. I would totally put my mother in this position. She knows French. That would be helpful. Also? She loves foreign places, and cultures, and I personally think that would be super handy in dealing with foreign affairs. At least she doesn’t say things like, “I’m an expert because Alaska shares a maritime border with Russia and a land border with Canada.” I’m just sayin’.

Secretary of Treasury: Duh! My father. He’s a math whiz. That man? He’s like Charlie from Numb3rs. Have you ever seen that show? No? Watch it. It’s like watching my dad on the TV.

Attorney General: Yeah, that’d be my uncle… super cop. He knows the law… something about underage drinking… whatever. Anyway, he knows a lot about the justice system. He’d be really good.

Secretary of Interior: Uh… I’m not sure that this position could be filled by just one person. I think I would have to assign this position to my two outdoorsy step-brothers. They enjoy parks. And land. And uh… yeah… moving on!

Religion

5. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us. Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts (or hinders). You may pick your own religion or a different one as you like.

Oh boy. Well, I could have gone several ways with this question. But because I’m trying to GAIN readers here, and not scare them away with my pagan views… I’ll just choose something that might not piss people off. Karma. Karma could go both ways. Karma can hurt or help you. You get back from the universe what you put out there. And the more good you put out, the more you’re going to get back. The more awfulness you send out… well, I wouldn’t want to be you. That’s all I’m gonna say.

6. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

The Big Bang Theory. HANDS DOWN. I mean, the title alone would amuse God to no end, right? Not to mention, this is my idea of a super awesome show. And, in my own world, I’m pretty close to God.

Philosophy

7. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

Would you be able to tell the difference if no one told you? I don’t think so. So yes, I think that “they” should be treated the same as “people.” In my eyes, really, it all goes back to that Karma thing.

8. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties? If so, what properties distinguish “universal” beauty?

I actually honestly believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Although, I am beautiful no matter who you talk to… but that’s not the point. The point is that we, as people (or robots? Who are *you* to judge?), view things differently. My husband is color blind. Which means that he can’t see the beauty in purple. I, on the other hand, know everything… so of course I can see the beauty in purple.

General

9. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where…and what would you wear when you met?

Popular with the Ladies

Oh goodness. Nathan, you dirty man, you. I’m blushing… or not. Pinocchio. Hands down. And if you have to ask me why… well… you’re obviously not a woman.

10. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all. Pick the worst feature and say why you think that’s the worst.

Boobs. Boobs are the best and the worst. They’re wonderful because they feed the hungry, they provide entertainment, they accent a body… and yet, they’re the ONLY thing that men can stare at when they’re talking to you. I’m just sayin.

11. Finish off your interview with a funny quip, quote, or saying.

I know, I know… I’m hilarious. I keep telling you people that I know everything, that I’m beautiful, and I’m super, super funny. I’m just sayin’.

The End

Thanks, Meg, for that…uh…revealing look into your psyche. Folks, give a comment or head on over and check Meghann out, you won’t be disappointed!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | 3 little comments jumping on the bed. | Subscribe RSS

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night.

Hello! My name is Tsuki Smith, and I hail from the vast land of the United States. To be more specific, I hail from Texas. During the day [weekday] I attend an Arts Magnet High School, where I study Musical Theatre and African Dance. On weekends, I find myself attending Ball-Jointed-Doll Meetups or surfing forums. At night, you can usually find me studying a monologue [usually due the next day] or catching up on television shows I follow with my family. [Primarily House, Pushing Daisies, Supernatural and Heros]. I’m an only child by blood. To explain, my father and mother divorced when I was 11, and my father remarried to a wonderful woman who had an 8mo. baby.

2. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

I have a blog, a MySpace, a Facebook, and a Twitter. Blogspot (http://www.bokuwashitteru.blogspot.com/).  Twitter (http://twitter.com/Tsuki56). Myspace and Facebook I limit only to people I know personally, sorry! :3

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

The best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be the economic reform. The economy is going through a correction leaving us in a horrible hole for a few years. Also, I feel as though America will (hopefully) find ourselves new forms of energy within the next 10 years (perhaps after Barack is out, but I’m fairly sure he’ll have a big part in it).

I’m not quite sure what the worst thing would be.

Religion

4. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us. Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts (or hinders). You may pick your own religion or a different one as you like.

Christianity is, in my humble opinion, a double-edged sword. On one hand, followers of the Christian faith take comfort in their belief that an all-powerful being is watching over them, giving many strength to assert themselves in situations they feel the powerful being would approve of. This faith gives many people comfort, joy and overall strength to continue on in life.

On the other hand, many followers are a bit radical. Throughout history, one will discover that many wars, holocausts (yes, there has been more than just ONE), and overall intolerance of other religions. From the Spanish Inquisition (No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!) to the First Crusades. Even today, many Christians are intolerant of any religion outside of their own, and have no problem vocalizing their views. (Don’t get me wrong, I am Christian, just a bit more open-minded than many I’ve encountered). This wouldn’t be a problem, if their views didn’t consist of, “I’m right, you’re wrong. I’m going to heaven, you’re not.”

5. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

House.   I can definitely see God sitting down every Tuesday (or is it Monday now?) to watch his miracles work through the asshole mannerisms of House. I’ve a feeling God gets a few good chuckles when Greggory tries to force his Existentialist views on his patients and fellow employees.   “*snork* I don’t exist? *poof* Oh, what is that? Another symptom? That points to what she has perfectly while, before you were simply guessing? I WONDER WHO DID THAT.”

Philosophy

6. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

Yes. Why shouldn’t I? If they become intelligent, think on their own terms, and are hardwired with any sort of emotional software, that means the robot would be able to rebel if given the chance (after being given the respect one usually gives a pencil). Why don’t we treat them as people, too.

7. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties? If so, what properties distinguish “universal” beauty?

It has been proven via many, many surveys that people tend to find people with symmetrical faces most attractive. And since the Roman times, people have been striving for blonde or fair hair colors, purely because it was a rarity a long time ago. I feel that that plays a part in our genetics, now. [We have been influenced by our ancestors.] Also [this is all relating to females, I just realized], men tend to be more attracted to women who look as though they would be good for birthing [Wider hips, larger breasts, curvier silhouette, smaller waist] due to animal attraction. It’s in our blood to lust after what is rare [blonde], what is good for breeding [curvy] and what is ‘perfect’ [symetric faces].

Personally? I find tall, asian-skeleton boys to fit my aesthetic.

General

8. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where…and what would you wear when you met?

Intimate with? As in, dating or simply getting to know? Romantically, I’d love to be with Dimitri. When we first meet, I’d be wearing a twenties-gown [flapper-esque] in blue to bring out my eyes, and we would meet at an Italian restaraunt in Paris. [Which is silly, now I think of it ]

9. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all. Pick the worst feature and say why you think that’s the worst.

Female, Physical, best? I’d have to say the small of the back. For most it’s a hot-spot to a small degree, and it’s rather cute. It curves in, due to most females postures which is only enhanced when pregnant (thus a very pretty silhouette, if I say so myself). It is found attractive (in a subconcious way) by both genders, s’far as I’m aware, and it’s rare to hear someone say “That person’s small of their back is ugly” like one would comment on eyes or breasts or facial structure. Think about it!

Worst? The emotional roller coaster each woman puts up with every day (that is only heightened by our Aunt Flo!). Though some of our emotional peaks and valleys are miniscule, they can be hindering and make us question what makes us (as a person) worth being where we are. Constant nagging in the backs of our brains make us feel thousands of emotions a day, even if it’s only for a split second. This may make us stronger, in the long run, but it hurts us and confuses us when we’re young. No one needs to feel happy, then dispairing then excited then absolutely tormented by the idea that we have school/work in an hour and no one will care to see us there. :/ It’s a one-way road to a mental breakdown! Yeesh.

The End

I love the expression of your opinions and thoughts, Tsuki. Thank you very much for obliging me.

Readers, comment a bit on Tsuki and her thoughts. Remember, if you want an interview, just contact me and I’ll hook ya up!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | One comment. One lonely comment looking for a friend. | Subscribe RSS

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

Susie Kleiner here, from the Chicago Midwest Area, where the snow flies and the days are more often grey than they are sunny during the winter months. During the day, I work as an internet marketing specialist mostly from home. I have been told I am a jack of all trades, from cosmetologist, self taught artist, learning more each day about web design and blogging. I have been married for 20 years, have one son and am enjoying working from home keeping tabs on all the household activity!

My business partner and I just launched Manage My Trade Shows for Tradetec Skyline Chicago and have a few projects in the hopper including Live Chicago Music, where we hope to get a collection of up and coming bands to participate in Chicago’s Music Scene. I try to post at least three times a week on my Sketching site as well, and incorporate my drawings into my stories at Pencil Sketch Drawing Art.  This was my first self-hosted blog and being a self-taught artist, it’s been fun getting the exposure. I have also put into place a Guitar Equipment Reviews site,  for musicians to rate their equipment. I have accounts at many of the social sites, StumbleUpon and Twitter.

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

I shamelessly say that I don’t know a lot about politics, my sister was a Village President for quite a long time, and the issues that come are quite scary and often times way to scandalous for me to wrap my head around. I am hopeful that the coming year will bring some reprieve to the smaller guy, and the blue collar workers will be more appreciated for their hard work, and the rich won’t keep padding their pockets.

I think more and more dirty politicians will start rolling over on each other, and the focus of what is really necessary will be lost in the scandals.

4. A good leader is often known for the company you keep. If you were president, you’d have to pick your own cabinet. Give us a rundown of 4 people in your life that you would make as your cabinet, how they are related to you, what position they would hold, and why. (They must be real people — friends, family, coworkers…) For non-Americans, the question still stands, but you can phrase that as “adviser”.

The Secretary of War would definitely have to go to my husband; he is no-frills, bare bones, John Wayne type. Get in, get the job done, and get out, his favorite saying these days is, “Put your big boy pants on.”   He is un-politically correct and I think alleviating all the BS and cutting through the red tape would help;  we have laws and rules for reasons and having someone that will not tolerate BS and has a strong personality is what is needed in this position. A tell-it-as-it-is, no sugar coating it.

The Secretary of Treasury would have to go to my long time friend Lenni – she has worked as a Village Clerk for a long time, she is a certified CPA and is a stickler for accuracy and does things by the book. Her knowledge of politics never ceases to amaze me; she enjoys reading biographies on our past leaders, trying to understand the thought process of those that have run our country before us.

The Secretary of State would be Joseph Standing Bear Schranz, an Ojibwa Native American who has done many great things, spoken in front of many people and has a calming rationalization process. I met Joe many years back during a subdivision development in our area, where remains of Native American’s were found dating back to the 1600′s and have worked with him as a volunteer for his organization. He has been president of their The Midwest Soarring Foundation for many years, and he has outstanding communication skills and a compassion for people of all cultures.

One of Susie's sketches, of Stevie Ray Vaughan

The Attorney General was the toughest position for me to figure out who to have put in place, someone that knows the rights and wrongs, again, I think I would have to choose my husband, he is strong and fair. He believes you should get what you deserve, he believes that people should follow the rules, and if you don’t you should pay the price for not doing so. We have too many laws on our books that people find loopholes for, we have too many people not facing the music. He is brutally honest and tells it like it is. We’d have a lot less chaos if people just took responsibility. He has always been one that makes people take a look at themselves.

Religion

5. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us.   Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts (or hinders). You may pick your own religion or a different one as you like.

I was raised Catholic, but unable to marry in the Catholic Church because my husband would not convert from his Lutheran upbringing. I believe the separation of religious beliefs hurts us all. The base of all religions is that there is a higher power, whether you call it God, Jesus, The Great Spirit or Allah, it’s that we have someone to answer to when our journey here is over. I have studied the Native American culture and believe their rituals of celebration and honor for the Great Spirit is what creates a solid foundation for families and culture. Native American’s honor elders, before, during and after their Pow-Wow’s and the energy is absolutely astounding, creating respect and creating a sense of unity.

6. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

The Beverly Hillbillies, because here is a group of people that continue to be themselves, no pretense, no getting wrapped up in the hoity-toity world of money. They have it, and remain who they are. They are so far from money being the root of all evil, and they continue to stand by what they believe in, albeit crazy and goofy; I think he’d find it refreshing to see.

Philosophy

7. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

If we as a society would create these robots of sophistication, we should give them the opportunity to thrive along side us as well. If not, wouldn’t that be similar to slavery?

8. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties? If so, what properties distinguish “universal” beauty?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to physical attraction; it’s what makes up our unique DNA. We are all attracted to something for a reason; there are things that are “universally beautiful” given to us by that what created us; gorgeous sunsets or simple flowers would be considered universally beautiful. I think it stems from moments in time that we have good feelings and pleasant memories.

General

9. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where…and what would you wear when you met?

I would have to say that would be Tramp from Lady and the Tramp – appropriately fitting name for the question, wouldn’t ya say! A carefree spirit and charm that comes from living each day as his last, knowing the importance of living in the now.

I’d have to wear a choker necklace with Diamonds.

10. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all. Pick the worst feature and say why you think that’s the worst.

The capability of a mother, the nurturing and compassion for a child that puts that child’s safety and well being before your own, without hesitation.

Pettiness is one of the worst features I have run across in woman.   I have no tolerance for picking apart others, either for their accomplishments or short comings;  instead of learning from or being inspired by, the claws come out and it’s just not pretty.

11. Give us a random quote or saying to finish off your interview.

“Delve into your dreams and desires and come out holding your destiny.” – sdk2008

The End

Thanks, Susie, for that great interview — so good to get to know you.

Readers, comment a bit on Susie and her thoughts and hey, if you feel like being exposed to the world, let me know and I’ll get you interviewed!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | 11 little comments jumping on the bed. | Subscribe RSS

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night.

Hi, my name is Brandon Bohannon [27/M/Mo] originally from the small town of Conway, Missouri but moved to Springfield, Missouri to seek my fortune. During the day I am a computer programmer for an entertainment/party rental company in Springfield. I write the software that runs our business and we also sell that software to other rental companies. I have been married just over 5 years to my wife Nicki and we have two girls. My oldest, Madi turned 2 in August, and Aubree is 10 months. The age difference wasn’t planned but we wouldn’t change it for anything. My nights are spent with my family for the most part, and when they all go to bed I slip back into geek mode and work on personal programming projects or websites. One day I hope my nightly adventures become my day job.

2. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

I do have a personal blog at http://brandonreese.justfree.com/ . In that blog I generally just talk about whatever is on my mind, anything from religion, politics, cools things I find on the net, or just writing down ideas. That’s what a blog is for anyway, right? I however do NOT recommend using justfree.com because they recently lost the 3 accounts I had with them during system upgrades and they could only restore one from a backup. I’m just currently too lazy to move my stuff from there.

If anybody out there reading this in the “blogosphere” (I actually hate that term) is in the party rental business check out the Event Wizard Pro.

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

Despite being an optimist in most things I’m pessimistic about the next four years in America. I’ll be honest I’m having a hard time writing about the best thing that will be accomplished. I think middle class tax breaks would be great, but on the same hand I don’t think putting more of the burden on the rich and rich corporations is the answer. I think what needs to happen is a tax break for all Americans and for our government to stop throwing billions of dollars out the window on bailouts and other pet projects. So a best thing would be tax breaks.

I think the worst thing that will happen is a slide more toward socialism. It’s already started with the bank bailouts and the proposed UAW bailout, all under a Republican president which is disappointing to me. I think the policies laid down by President Elect Barack Obama lead us down a socialist path and that frightens me. Specifically the policies that frighten me are raising the national minimum wage, universal health care, dictating policy to health care companies (i.e. forcing them to cover pre-existing conditions), reducing our military defenses, and pulling out of Iraq.

I’m not convinced many people in D.C. know how to fix the economy. I think the government needs to get out of it and let our economy run it’s course. When so many experts all say something different it’s hard to know who to believe.

So to sum up the worst thing, socialism and further government involvement in our current “economic crisis” (A.K.A Americans mismanaging their money and living on credit for FAR too long)

4. A good leader is often known for the company you keep. If you were president, you’d have to pick your own cabinet. Give us a rundown of 4 people in your life that you would make as your cabinet, how they are related to you, what position they would hold, and why. (They must be real people — friends, family, coworkers…) For non-Americans, the question still stands, but you can phrase that as “adviser”.

Wow, this one is actually really tough. First of all I would make my wife the first lady… oh that ones an automatic… ok nevermind that then.

For United States Secretary of Transportation I would have my dad because he currently works for MoDOT (Missouri Department Of Transportation). He’s not a “big wig” but he sees the stupid things the “big wigs” in government do and would learn from their mistakes.

For Secretary of Agriculture I would nominate my grandfather since he has been a farmer as long as I’ve known. He doesn’t have a huge farm and probably isn’t qualified for the position, but I want to make sure he has a great retirement. Hurray for nepotism!

For Secretary of the Interior I would nominate my wife because she would love to decorate the White House. Ha ha, I know that’s not what it means but honestly I haven’t a clue to what most of the cabinet does and I am quickly realizing I need to start networking with a more diverse group of people.

For Attorney General I would nominate my friend Jason from high school because he wanted to be a Lawyer. I don’t directly know any real lawyers.

No, really. If I was president I would give my cabinet more thought and not resort to nepotism, and if I was elected president I would probably know more people also.

Religion

5. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us. Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts.

I think prayer universally helps people whether they believe in it’s miraculous power or not. I personally believe prayer has real tangible power through faith in God. I also think it can give comfort to those who don’t believe. If somebody close prays for them they can take comfort in at least knowing that person loves them enough to take their needs before their God.

6. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

First of all I think God would sit down and watch something family friendly that doesn’t mock Him at any point. Something that is edifying to the building up of the spirit. Given that criteria I can’t think of any show past or present. If you think of something God would like, let me know.

Philosophy

7. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

First of all I do not believe it is possible given any amount of time that robots would become indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. But given the hypothetical situation that it does become possible they should not be afforded the same rights as humans. Despite how well these robots would imitate real humans they would be just that, an imitation. They would not have real feelings, real hopes, real dreams, real desires, real happiness and therefore would not need rights to protect those things.

8. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties? If so, what properties distinguish “universal” beauty?

If we are talking about people I don’t think there is anything universally beautiful. We can all agree that certain people are beautiful, but swap their individual features with somebody else’s features and it won’t make them beautiful also. Also think of photography. You can say that sunset is beautiful, but there will be somebody that can disagree or point out the real beauty in another sunset photo. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and beauty is also relative. My cousin went to a camp with all boys, the only girls worked in the cafeteria. When they first arrived they were not at all attracted to the girls working in the cafe; come the end of the week without contact from beautiful girls those girls in the cafe started looking really attractive.

General

9. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where?

When I was younger I always had a thing for Jessica Rabbit. Can you blame me? Can’t really say I’d like to get intimate with her or anything like that.

10. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all.

I think the best feature of the male of our species is emotion, actually the lack of emotion (or ability to repress emotion) is the best feature. Men tend to be less driven my emotion than women and I think this is a great feature. While it may get us balked at by our wives or girlfriends about being more in touch with our emotions in the long run it’s a blessing. I have seen my wife almost shut down from emotional overload and I have never experienced that. That has allowed me to function in emotionally trying situations like when my father-in-law was bleeding internally and had to be air lifted to the hospital or when he had a stroke and we had to drive an hour to the hospital, and when my brother was in a head on car crash and was air lifted to the hospital. If I hadn’t been there my wife probably would have been able to make it, but me being there and being able to repress my emotions allowed her to release her emotions instead of fight them.

End

A lot of thanks to Brandon for amusing us and taking part in my interview. Thanks!

Toss some commentary out about Brandon’s interview and, if you think you’d like to do an interview yourself, let me know!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | One comment. One lonely comment looking for a friend. | Subscribe RSS

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night. 2. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

(He answered both in one answer…how efficient!)

Hey, I’m Joe Watt.   I’m a blogger and video maker/musician on the Internet. I blog on American policies as a guest poster at USA Policies and I have by own blog at http://www.joewatt.tk.   I’ve been video making for a long time and I’ve been a musician most of my life;  I’m in the progress of creating an entertainment website with some of my web design and online commerce friends.   That site will have another comedy blog on it and videos created by the lovetotag production team in association with tick-tock clock productions which is still in the works.

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

To answer you first question I think the best thing that will happen in politics this year will be literally *anything* that may fix the current economic state of America and its associated countries. To answer your second question I think the worst thing that could happen were to be if anything would happen to Barack Obama; he needs some good security around him.

4. A good leader is often known for the company you keep. If you were president, you’d have to pick your own cabinet. Give us a rundown of 4 people in your life that you would make as your cabinet, how they are related to you, what position they would hold, and why. (They must be real people — friends, family, coworkers…) For non-Americans, the question still stands, but you can phrase that as “advisor”.

I think I would make my friend Greg Murray my Secretary of State, I would make my friend Hannah Nicholson Secretary of Education because I believe it is a very important position, I think I would make my grandmother Secretary of Health and Human Services because she seems to have such a great grip on how I should be living my life *cough* sarcasm *cough*,  and I would state the guy that sleeps under the bridge near the river Secretary of Housing and Urban Development because he needs something to do.

Religion

5. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us. Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts.

I think that the a lot of the Christian beliefs work well as laws to keep us happy and healthy but I struggle to see how sacrifice can help us that much.

6. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

I myself am an atheist but if I thought he existed I’d think God was a Friends man, he’s all about the irony!

Philosophy

7. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

No, because then we wouldn’t be able to shut them down because it would be seen as murder.   What a funny question, but interesting!

8. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties?

It’s all in the eyes of the beholder in my opinion, different people like different things! For example I don’t look at a big model and think beautiful, I think, “works too hard”.

General

9. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where.

My god, you want me to screw Mini Mouse on Space Mountain??   I think I just gave away my fantasy.

10. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all.

EYES because the eyes are a gateway to a man’s emotions!

End

Thanks for that, Joe! I sure appreciate the answers.

Feel free to comment on Joe’s answers and if you think you’d like to do an interview yourself, let me know!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2009. | Permalink | 3 little comments jumping on the bed. | Subscribe RSS

My first interview is with Sadie from Sadie’s Skinny, a gal on a mission of health.    Here’s what she had to say:

Yourself

1. Introduce yourself — your name (or nom de plume), where you hail from, what you do during the day, and what you do at night.

My name’s Sadie and right now I live in Hampton Roads, VA with my husband. We’re originally from Alabama and are moving back there in the spring. We can’t wait!! It’s beautiful here at the beach, but we miss our family and friends. Next month I’ll start my job search so I’ll have a job when we get there. Right now I work at a large publishing company in the accounting department, so I shouldn’t have any trouble with that on my resume. We also can’t wait to rejoin the Young Professional group we were a part of back home. Several times a month there were get-togethers and parties, and it was a great opportunity for networking. Right now we pretty much stay home in the evenings. My husband owns his own business so that takes a lot of our time, plus, we’re having to save our money right now so that we can afford to move home in a few months. It’s a sacrifice that I gladly make. Besides, we do get out every now and then and go to dinner or go have a drink at the beach or something.

2. Plug yourself — do you have a blog, a Facebook, a MySpace, a website, a software project…tell us where to find more information about you!

My website is called Sadie’s Skinny.  On the front page I highlight a different health blog or website each month. It’s called my ‘Skinny of the Month’. I’m always looking for new people, so if you’re interested, go to the site and click on the ‘email me’ link! The site also features monthly recipe and fitness ideas, and has a page of links to other great sites. From there you can also go to my blog. On my blog I have weekly weigh-ins, monthly picture updates, I bring you information from around the web that I find of health products, and I talk about my daily trials and triumphs.

You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Plurk as “sadies_skinny”.

Politics

3. 2009 should be an interesting year for politics. A new president, a new Congress, and some huge problems to solve. Tell us what you think the (A) best thing that will be accomplished in the world of politics will be and (B) the worst thing that will happen in politics.

As far as the best thing for politics, I hope that there will be a turn around in the economy. The way things have been going lately, I’m not really sure how that will happen. I’m afraid that with all of the bailouts being handed out, the government is going to become way too involved and they will ‘own’ all of our large industries. On the other hand, I am optomistic that something will be done to help the ‘average’ citizen and hopefully we can get out of this slump.

I think the worst thing we can do right now in politics is pull out of Iraq – or even give an exact pull out schedule. That’s like if, in the Super Bowl, one team walked over to the other sideline and said, ‘Here, look at my playbook. This is what we’ll be doing.’ I think there does need to be some kind of plan. We need to give the people there something to look forward to. Having family in the military, I’ve been told that the people there really are thankful for what we have done. The media has skewed things so much to show only what they want that the truth gets lost. But at some point we have to let them handle their own country. The only problem is, if we tell the world exactly what our plan is to leave, that’s just opening the door for the terrorists to come back and take over as soon as we leave. We need to make sure that we leave the country in safety.

4. A good leader is often known for the company you keep. If you were president, you’d have to pick your own cabinet. Give us a rundown of 4 people in your life that you would make as your cabinet, how they are related to you, what position they would hold, and why. (They must be real people — friends, family, coworkers…) For non-Americans, the question still stands, but you can phrase that as “advisor”.

I would have to pick my Mom for Secretary of State. She’s just got a way with people and I think she’d be great with foreign affairs. She’s been a volunteer with our church for shut-ins and has done work with all kinds of different counseling services.

For Secretary of Treasury I’d pick my Dad. He’s retired now, but he used to be a VP for a bank and worked in banking his whole career. He’s a real ‘analytical’ thinker, and very good with money.

For Secretary of Defense I’d pick my step-Dad. He’s retired military – he made a career out of the Army. He went to Vietnam, and he now works for a government contractor that does work with aviation services for the Army. He’s got great ideals and he loves our Country.

Attorney General is a little more tough. I guess I would pick my father-in-law. He’s not a lawyer – he’s an insurance sales man – but he’s smart, he’s good with people, and I just think he’d be good at it. He’s just got the kind of personality of a lawyer.

Religion

5. Sometimes the traditions, dogma, and rites of religion help us and sometimes they hurt us. Give an example of each kind — a religious tradition or ritual that helps people and one that hurts.

Well, off the top of my head, since it’s that time of year, I think Christmas is a great example of a religious tradition that helps us – not just individually, but as a community. During the holiday season we become more in tune to giving and helping others. There seems to be more people willing to donate to the poor and the homeless, which is a wonderful thing. Of course, it would be better if it happened more times out of the year, but it’s great that it happens around this religious holiday.

A bad example – that’s tough for me. I have a hard time judging other religions. I’m a Christian, but I’m not one to say that other people are necessarily wrong. Who am I to judge? Isn’t that God’s job? So, having said that, I’m not really sure that I can pick a religious tradition that’s bad because all traditions are good to someone, and I don’t believe that I have the authority to say otherwise.

6. Some people think that God (if he/she/it exists) must have a sense of humor. Given this, what sitcom would God most likely sit down in the cosmic easy chair and giggle at and why? You can pick current or past shows.

I’ve never really thought about God having a sense of humor. There having been so many things happen in my life that it’s never really been something that crossed my mind. It’s an interesting point, though. Reading this question has made me think about it. I bet God would like to watch Everybody Loves Raymond. I say that because it’s got a sense of family and real life, but it’s also really funny because people can relate to it. I think God would like to see how people can find humor in family life.

Philosophy

7. Some people think that if we can make a robot sophisticated enough, it will behave exactly like a human would in all situations and therefore be essentially indistinguishable from a flesh-and-blood human. If this becomes possible, do you think we should treat these robots with the same rights afforded humans? If not, why not?

That’s a hard question. I think that should be decided when it happens. I know it won’t be in my lifetime so I won’t have a say. There should definitely be some kind of way to hold them accountable for their actions, but as far as rights, I don’t know. Immediately I want to say no, but that time period is going to be completely different from anything we can comprehend right now, so it’s hard to say.

8. Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, subject only to what a particular viewer thinks, or are some things universally beautiful because of certain properties?

Some things are definitely universally beautiful. I’m not sure that anyone would argue that the beaches in Tahiti are beautiful, or a sunset in Hawaii, or a temple garden in Japan. There are a lot of natural wonders that are universally beautiful. As far as people and objects, however, I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Love makes things beautiful.

General

9. Name a Disney cartoon character that you would like to get intimate with and where.

Definitely Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp!) on a deserted island somewhere. No questions about that!

10. Pick a feature of your particular gender (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) and tell us why that’s the best feature of all.

I believe that the best feature of being a woman is our ability to nurture. The world would be a cold place without that element. It’s also a very rewarding feeling to be able to give yourself in that way to someone. Our ability to love and nurture and be soft is what I enjoy best about being a woman. No matter what else is going on in the world, we have the ability to bring a calmness and center back to it.

End

That’s all for Sadie!    Many thanks to her for exposing a bit of herself and her thoughts on these questions.    I’ll have various interviews from time to time as I get answers from folks.    In the meantime, feel free to comment on Sadie’s responses and, if you don’t want to do the full interview yourself (you’re welcome, of course) you can feel free to answer some of the questions in a comment yourself!

© Nathan Pralle for PhilosYphia, 2008. | Permalink | 2 little comments jumping on the bed. | Subscribe RSS