the friday five for apr 28, 2023
I feel like i've answered a bunch of these questions before, but i like them, so why not do it again? Other answers at thefridayfive...
1. Would you ever go "under the knife" (or laser, or dental pick) for cosmetic purposes? What and why, and would it really be worth it?
Already done it. I got a tracheal shave for trans reasons (not sure if it made any difference to my passability) and the doc threw in a nose job as part of the deal. I'm pretty happy with the nose job, my nose became less of a blob and more of a ski-jump, like my mom's was. Would i do it again today? Probably not, but that's because nowadays i hardly spend any money frivolously at all. But at the age that i was, sure, it was fine. Made me happier and more confident. Most people i know who had plastic surgery of some kind or another feel the same. Why not?
2. Describe your dream home, including location, design, and who/what’s in there with you.
It's hard to describe a dream home because i am a lifelong renter and the whole concept of owning a house is alien and kind of repulsive to me. But there are some aspects of places i lived or stayed that i like. I really like having a floor to ceiling window on one side of the apartment, something that can let in lots of sunlight. Balcony would be nice, i suppose. In the dream world i would also have a view where i can see far into the distance. I want to be able to see sky. However, i also want to be able to walk downstairs (no elevator, must be a walk-up, no lobby, just a normal front door) and get food, booze and other supplies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Within 2 minutes walk of my house. There should be public transport - preferably share bikes - at my doorstep. I would like a kitchen with a wide enough bench that i can prepare food. Only need one burner and one sink, but damnit i need space to chop up enough veges for a meal without having to pile it up like a jenga tower. Mattress that is long enough that my feet don't stick off the end. Enough power sockets that i can plug my personal laptop, work laptop, phone, fridge, washing machine, standing fan and electric kettle without needing to juggle cables all the time. Closet to hang my tank tops. Shower. Toilet. That's it. No other rooms, no other requirements. I like living in a studio. Anything bigger and the place is just full of useless empty space.
3. You have one month to travel the world, all expenses paid. Where do you go and what do you do once you arrive?
Man one month is not even close to long enough. You can't barely scratch the surface in only a month. I suppose if it's all expenses paid i should go to some really expensive places. Japan, maybe, since i'm close by so i could get there without wasting time in the plane or jet lagged. New Zealand is pretty expensive too, and it'd be a good excuse to visit my dad and step family, since i probably would never pay my own money to do it. They're not really bucket list places, but if it's a bucket list place i'd want to spend more than a month there.
4. What scares the bloody heck out of you? Would you face it down if someone paid you? What’s your price?
I think what scares me the most is still losing my mind. When i was younger i was scared of having a psychotic break and just losing touch with reality altogether, but i was a heavier drug user and far more unstable manic depressive in those days. Nowadays i'm scared of losing my mind due to old age. Not being capable of fending for myself any more. I'm not sure life would be worth it at that point. Couldn't pay me anything to live a life where i'm not in control of my own faculties.
5. And of course, you’re stranded on an island. What five simple items do you have with you? How do you survive? Anyone in particular you’d like to be stranded with? What would they bring to the table?
Having someone else stuck on an a desert island with me would be the fucking worst, i'd almost rather drown. However, i would very much like a computer and a satellite internet dongle and a solar panel setup to keep in touch with people who i am not stuck on the island with. Maybe a hand crank battery as well. That's four things. Don't really need anything after that. Protect that shit like a goddamn Mars rover.
I'm assuming there is potable water, food and shelter easily available on the island. If not, i suppose a water filter and desalination device would be the bare minimum required not to die. Then you need something to harvest whatever food is there. Typical desert island it'd probably be useful to have a machete to break open coconuts and construct a shelter. Lose either the hand crank or solar panel depending on how sunny the island is, that's five things.
Fuck, what would i eat anyway, though? Bananas, coconuts, mangos, pineapples... What else grows on a desert island? I don't want to start killing animals, that's gross. Maybe there would be cassava or sweet potatoes or something, but you need to cook those, so i suppose some way to make fire would be important too. But anything to make fire would eventually run out, so not sure if any of it would be useful in the longer term. Flint? But would i give up my connection to the outside world for a flint? I dunno. Proper survivalists would probably cheat and make sure their knife had a flint on it already.
Thinking about it, being stranded on a desert island would just suck. Couple days, sure. Or for longer periods if it was a larger island with some villages and a functioning economy, okay, i can see the appeal. But going full out survivalist fever dream, nah, that's not for me. I like to think i could figure out a way to get by, but spending my whole entire life desperately trying to stay alive sounds way shittier than my current life where i "just" spend 45 hours a week toiling behind a desk to stay alive.
1. Would you ever go "under the knife" (or laser, or dental pick) for cosmetic purposes? What and why, and would it really be worth it?
Already done it. I got a tracheal shave for trans reasons (not sure if it made any difference to my passability) and the doc threw in a nose job as part of the deal. I'm pretty happy with the nose job, my nose became less of a blob and more of a ski-jump, like my mom's was. Would i do it again today? Probably not, but that's because nowadays i hardly spend any money frivolously at all. But at the age that i was, sure, it was fine. Made me happier and more confident. Most people i know who had plastic surgery of some kind or another feel the same. Why not?
2. Describe your dream home, including location, design, and who/what’s in there with you.
It's hard to describe a dream home because i am a lifelong renter and the whole concept of owning a house is alien and kind of repulsive to me. But there are some aspects of places i lived or stayed that i like. I really like having a floor to ceiling window on one side of the apartment, something that can let in lots of sunlight. Balcony would be nice, i suppose. In the dream world i would also have a view where i can see far into the distance. I want to be able to see sky. However, i also want to be able to walk downstairs (no elevator, must be a walk-up, no lobby, just a normal front door) and get food, booze and other supplies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Within 2 minutes walk of my house. There should be public transport - preferably share bikes - at my doorstep. I would like a kitchen with a wide enough bench that i can prepare food. Only need one burner and one sink, but damnit i need space to chop up enough veges for a meal without having to pile it up like a jenga tower. Mattress that is long enough that my feet don't stick off the end. Enough power sockets that i can plug my personal laptop, work laptop, phone, fridge, washing machine, standing fan and electric kettle without needing to juggle cables all the time. Closet to hang my tank tops. Shower. Toilet. That's it. No other rooms, no other requirements. I like living in a studio. Anything bigger and the place is just full of useless empty space.
3. You have one month to travel the world, all expenses paid. Where do you go and what do you do once you arrive?
Man one month is not even close to long enough. You can't barely scratch the surface in only a month. I suppose if it's all expenses paid i should go to some really expensive places. Japan, maybe, since i'm close by so i could get there without wasting time in the plane or jet lagged. New Zealand is pretty expensive too, and it'd be a good excuse to visit my dad and step family, since i probably would never pay my own money to do it. They're not really bucket list places, but if it's a bucket list place i'd want to spend more than a month there.
4. What scares the bloody heck out of you? Would you face it down if someone paid you? What’s your price?
I think what scares me the most is still losing my mind. When i was younger i was scared of having a psychotic break and just losing touch with reality altogether, but i was a heavier drug user and far more unstable manic depressive in those days. Nowadays i'm scared of losing my mind due to old age. Not being capable of fending for myself any more. I'm not sure life would be worth it at that point. Couldn't pay me anything to live a life where i'm not in control of my own faculties.
5. And of course, you’re stranded on an island. What five simple items do you have with you? How do you survive? Anyone in particular you’d like to be stranded with? What would they bring to the table?
Having someone else stuck on an a desert island with me would be the fucking worst, i'd almost rather drown. However, i would very much like a computer and a satellite internet dongle and a solar panel setup to keep in touch with people who i am not stuck on the island with. Maybe a hand crank battery as well. That's four things. Don't really need anything after that. Protect that shit like a goddamn Mars rover.
I'm assuming there is potable water, food and shelter easily available on the island. If not, i suppose a water filter and desalination device would be the bare minimum required not to die. Then you need something to harvest whatever food is there. Typical desert island it'd probably be useful to have a machete to break open coconuts and construct a shelter. Lose either the hand crank or solar panel depending on how sunny the island is, that's five things.
Fuck, what would i eat anyway, though? Bananas, coconuts, mangos, pineapples... What else grows on a desert island? I don't want to start killing animals, that's gross. Maybe there would be cassava or sweet potatoes or something, but you need to cook those, so i suppose some way to make fire would be important too. But anything to make fire would eventually run out, so not sure if any of it would be useful in the longer term. Flint? But would i give up my connection to the outside world for a flint? I dunno. Proper survivalists would probably cheat and make sure their knife had a flint on it already.
Thinking about it, being stranded on a desert island would just suck. Couple days, sure. Or for longer periods if it was a larger island with some villages and a functioning economy, okay, i can see the appeal. But going full out survivalist fever dream, nah, that's not for me. I like to think i could figure out a way to get by, but spending my whole entire life desperately trying to stay alive sounds way shittier than my current life where i "just" spend 45 hours a week toiling behind a desk to stay alive.