Survey
Ruby and I co-wrote this based on her wish to take a survey when none was available. We wrote alternating questions -- and, as you may be able to see from the progression of questions, rather egged each other on. Cut for your sanity:
1. What is your favorite l33t speak expression?
It’s not leet-speak as such, but I’m rather fond of “All your base are belong to us”
2. What is your least favorite text expression?
The badly-spelled ones - or the word “I” in lowercase letters.
3. If you could invent an internet acronym/ expression which would instantly become popular, what would it be?
You know, it’s people like you who barbeque cashew-pickles
4. How old were you when you first used any form of messenger?
I don’t recall exactly - around eighteen, I think.
5. How many types of messenger do you currently use?
Two: msn and skype. In the past, I’ve also used gmail, yahoo, and aim.
6. What’s your favorite form of messenger?
For messages, msn. For chatting, skype.
7. What’s your favorite cereal?
Wheat Chex, often. I also love Cheerios, Grape Nuts, Frosted Mini Wheats, Honey-oat type cereals, Frosted Flakes . . . nothing with too much sugar.
8. Would you rather drink orange juice or coffee with your cereal?
Orange juice.
9. Would you rather drink tea or coffee? (no pun intended)
Tea, pretty much invariably - because coffee is gross (pun intended)
10. Would you rather write poetry or prose?
I actually really like both. I’d rather wrote prose in general, but occasionally I like putting in the extra effort and creating a work of poetry.
11. Between the following classical composers, who is your favorite: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Faure, Gluck, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Rachmanioff, Schubert, Schumann, or Tchaikovsky?
Hmm, probably Rachmanioff, although I’m very fond of most of them. I adore Faure’s Pavane, for example.
12. Would you rather have a classical or modern pop song for your ringtone?
I have had both. In general, I try to go for a more modern song because it cuts through noise better and if I have a classical ring I often don’t hear it.
13. Would you rather have a classical or modern pop song for your funeral?
Oh, classical, definitely. Preferably more than one song, even. Ooh, and maybe one of those with a wailing, mournful violin.
14. Have you ever thought about the songs you want at your funeral?
Not songs as such - but I do know what music I want: bagpipes.
15. How does your wished-for funeral music compare to your wished for/ past wedding music?
I want bagpipes for both, but I suppose the wedding music ought to be a bit more upbeat. Although I’m not sure I want a large enough wedding to warrant bagpipes.
16. As a child, did you ever write a will?
Oh, definitely; several
17. Do you currently have a will - official or unofficial?
I have an unofficial one - and officially if I die my sisters will split my stuff. Mostly, I want any unpublished books I’ve written published, and any books I’ve owned read.
18. Do you have any relatives from whom you will receive a sizable inheritance at the time of their respective deaths?
Depends on the definition of “sizable.” I suppose if my grandmother died and then my parents died, I’d get a fair chunk of money.
19. Do you like said relatives in Question 18?
Usually. Love, yes. Like, usually.
20. Will you miss said relatives in Question 18 when said relatives are dead?
With varying levels of severity. I don’t see them all that often as is - living 5000 miles away will do that. But yes, I will. More so for my parents.
21. When is the next time you will see said relatives in Question 18 and how will you interact with them?
I’ll see them again over the Easter holidays - well, not my grandmother, but my parents. I suppose I’ll interact with my parents about how I always do - although I have tried to learn something about how I should act. Professor Torrance (brilliant man!) mentioned something in a lecture he gave on Sunday: if God loves this man, who am I to talk about him like that? (That is, negatively.) I try to moderate my tongue, I really do.
22. Will doing this survey have any consequence in your desire to further/ prevent the deaths of said relatives in Question 18?
It may guard me against hypocrisy a tad.
23. Do you current take any form of regular medication or pill consumption?
I take multivitamins every day, if that counts.
24. Do you miss seeing payphones?
They were occasionally useful - especially for me, because I don’t have a cell phone in the US. In the UK, I have no need for payphones.
25. What is the first full sentence on the fiftieth page of the nearest book (over fifty pages) to your current location?
“This ring!” he stammered.
-- from the Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Frodo speaking to Gandalf.
26. Was the answer to Question 25 sufficiently embarrassing to you that you chose a book which was not the nearest book to you - or have you in any other way or for any other reason altered the answer to Question 25 and if so, how?
I did choose the closest one, but it was actually sheer chance that it was closest - it was on my bed earlier, and the second closest book was The Scientific Enterprise and Christian Ethics followed by The BFG.
My, I do have strange combinations of reading material.
27. What is the make and year of your computer and when did you get it and where?
Toshiba. I bought it on Christmas Eve two years ago (by chance; I had just come home for break and needed a new computer). I got it at Best Buy.
28. Are you satisfied with your current computer or would you prefer a replacement?
It has serious issues. Like, it won’t connect to wireless internet and downloads updates every time I turn it off and can’t process more than a couple of things at a time. On the other hand, I don’t want to pay for a new one, so it’ll have to do a bit longer. I’m sufficiently fond of it.
29. What scent (if any) of deodorant do you most often use?
“Pear,” apparently. When I sweat I stink of fruit. Yippee?
30. Do you find octagons or hexagons more attractive?
Neither. Heptagons are the way to go.
31. Between the first four dimensions (height, width, length, and time) which is your favorite?
Width, I think.
See, time isn’t really different from the others; it is no more different from length than length is to width. Consider: how do we measure speed? In miles per hour. The length one can move in a period of time. We can measure things height by width, height by length, height by time, width by length, width by time, or length by time. We can also measure each on its own, or in combinations of three and four . . . but they are all in relation to each other. Consider also: time and space (or, rather, space-time) are all seemingly definite but really relative. The faster you go (a greater length in a lesser period of time), space dilates; the lesser the distance in space. The faster you go (a greater length in a lesser period of time) time dilates; the lesser the distance in time. Thus both time and space are both made smaller when speed (the way in which they are directly related) is increased -- and consequently both are made smaller when decreased. Each is in constant direct proportion to the other. In this way, "speed" is just another way to say "volume" -- for if volume is height x width x length, it can be altered by any of the above dimensions, and proportionally. Besides, neither time nor space moves; we move within it and thus we measure not space-time at all, but ourselves in relation to space-time. As none of the dimensions ever alters (save that our perception of its quantity alters, as demonstrated above, by manipulating how we move in relation to different aspects of the dimensions) they are all equal -- and, if you will, all illusion. In many ways there are no multiple dimensions but only space-time (or more accurately, spacetime, for it is a single thing, not a combination of two).
32. If someone said to you face, “I am your genetic destiny,” what would be your initial reaction and verbal response?
Taken aback + laughter + “And to think, I had higher hopes for myself. I now know they were foolish pride.”
33. Which do you prefer: crosswords, word searches, or cryptograms?
Cryptograms, sometimes, sometimes word searches.
34. Are there any cult classic-type movies which you only want to see because you want to understand all the references people keep making (and not because you have any actual interest in the movie)?
Nope.
35. Between the Star Trek TV-shows, which is the best: the Original Series, the Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, or Enterprise?
Anything that isn’t Enterprise.
All shows have their weak and strong characters. I like McCoy, Spock, Scotty, Data, Troy (I know! It’s true!), LaForge, the Doctor, Torres, Odo, Dax, Bashir . . .
36. When designing avatars to represent yourself, do you attempt to replicate your own appearance?
Never. Typically I go for red hair and green eyes - a more emerald green than mine.
37. What is your favorite type of over-the-counter pain medication?
Ibuprofen!
38. Do you enjoy shooting digital zombies? Why or why not? If so, do you have a favorite zombie-shooting game?
Too much adrenaline; it makes me a bit scared. Plus, I’m bad at it. I don’t dislike it if I’m playing with someone else, but wouldn’t do it alone. I prefer shooting real guns at metal and cardboard
39. Do you ever enjoy being frightened?
Never.
40. Is there a movie which you enjoyed seeing but have no desire to see again? If so, what?
Yeah, a couple of them. Shine comes to mind. Also, I Am Legend. Really emotionally intense movies, generally.
41. What is the first made-up nonsense word which comes to mind?
Agaggle, followed by blart followed by Plisp.
42. Which facial feature do you believe is most key for attractiveness?(1.618!)
Oh, eyes. Good teeth help, too.
43. Which spelling is superior: grey/ gray?
Grey. I prefer most American spellings, but not ‘gray.’ Shudder.
44. Which do you like better: leaves on trees when they have just grown in or when they’re about to fall off?
Just growing in. Fewer bugs.
45. If you could be in close proximity to one mythological creature for five minutes, which would it be?
A genie who would grant me wishes. :)
46. In which would you find living more difficult: without a television or without a computer?
Without a computer. I don’t tend to watch television.
47. What (if any) pets do you own and what (if any) pets would you like to own?
At the moment, I don’t have any pets - nor can I, where I live. But when I one day have my own house, I’d like a cat and a dog.
48. Which do you like more in a movie (in general): the beginning or the ending?
Beginning. I like being introduced to new universes.
49. What is the first reaction which springs to your mind in association with the word: magic?
Harry Potter. Argh. Chrestomanci. Gandalf. Fireworks.
50. How did your favorite/ least favorite classes compare in high school and college? If still in high school, use your imagination.
In high school I loved band, mainly. I wanted to love English class, I really did, but we never wrote poems or stories - only essays! - and never read any good books. At the moment, I’m only really taking theology - which I mostly love.
1. What is your favorite l33t speak expression?
It’s not leet-speak as such, but I’m rather fond of “All your base are belong to us”
2. What is your least favorite text expression?
The badly-spelled ones - or the word “I” in lowercase letters.
3. If you could invent an internet acronym/ expression which would instantly become popular, what would it be?
You know, it’s people like you who barbeque cashew-pickles
4. How old were you when you first used any form of messenger?
I don’t recall exactly - around eighteen, I think.
5. How many types of messenger do you currently use?
Two: msn and skype. In the past, I’ve also used gmail, yahoo, and aim.
6. What’s your favorite form of messenger?
For messages, msn. For chatting, skype.
7. What’s your favorite cereal?
Wheat Chex, often. I also love Cheerios, Grape Nuts, Frosted Mini Wheats, Honey-oat type cereals, Frosted Flakes . . . nothing with too much sugar.
8. Would you rather drink orange juice or coffee with your cereal?
Orange juice.
9. Would you rather drink tea or coffee? (no pun intended)
Tea, pretty much invariably - because coffee is gross (pun intended)
10. Would you rather write poetry or prose?
I actually really like both. I’d rather wrote prose in general, but occasionally I like putting in the extra effort and creating a work of poetry.
11. Between the following classical composers, who is your favorite: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Faure, Gluck, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Rachmanioff, Schubert, Schumann, or Tchaikovsky?
Hmm, probably Rachmanioff, although I’m very fond of most of them. I adore Faure’s Pavane, for example.
12. Would you rather have a classical or modern pop song for your ringtone?
I have had both. In general, I try to go for a more modern song because it cuts through noise better and if I have a classical ring I often don’t hear it.
13. Would you rather have a classical or modern pop song for your funeral?
Oh, classical, definitely. Preferably more than one song, even. Ooh, and maybe one of those with a wailing, mournful violin.
14. Have you ever thought about the songs you want at your funeral?
Not songs as such - but I do know what music I want: bagpipes.
15. How does your wished-for funeral music compare to your wished for/ past wedding music?
I want bagpipes for both, but I suppose the wedding music ought to be a bit more upbeat. Although I’m not sure I want a large enough wedding to warrant bagpipes.
16. As a child, did you ever write a will?
Oh, definitely; several
17. Do you currently have a will - official or unofficial?
I have an unofficial one - and officially if I die my sisters will split my stuff. Mostly, I want any unpublished books I’ve written published, and any books I’ve owned read.
18. Do you have any relatives from whom you will receive a sizable inheritance at the time of their respective deaths?
Depends on the definition of “sizable.” I suppose if my grandmother died and then my parents died, I’d get a fair chunk of money.
19. Do you like said relatives in Question 18?
Usually. Love, yes. Like, usually.
20. Will you miss said relatives in Question 18 when said relatives are dead?
With varying levels of severity. I don’t see them all that often as is - living 5000 miles away will do that. But yes, I will. More so for my parents.
21. When is the next time you will see said relatives in Question 18 and how will you interact with them?
I’ll see them again over the Easter holidays - well, not my grandmother, but my parents. I suppose I’ll interact with my parents about how I always do - although I have tried to learn something about how I should act. Professor Torrance (brilliant man!) mentioned something in a lecture he gave on Sunday: if God loves this man, who am I to talk about him like that? (That is, negatively.) I try to moderate my tongue, I really do.
22. Will doing this survey have any consequence in your desire to further/ prevent the deaths of said relatives in Question 18?
It may guard me against hypocrisy a tad.
23. Do you current take any form of regular medication or pill consumption?
I take multivitamins every day, if that counts.
24. Do you miss seeing payphones?
They were occasionally useful - especially for me, because I don’t have a cell phone in the US. In the UK, I have no need for payphones.
25. What is the first full sentence on the fiftieth page of the nearest book (over fifty pages) to your current location?
“This ring!” he stammered.
-- from the Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Frodo speaking to Gandalf.
26. Was the answer to Question 25 sufficiently embarrassing to you that you chose a book which was not the nearest book to you - or have you in any other way or for any other reason altered the answer to Question 25 and if so, how?
I did choose the closest one, but it was actually sheer chance that it was closest - it was on my bed earlier, and the second closest book was The Scientific Enterprise and Christian Ethics followed by The BFG.
My, I do have strange combinations of reading material.
27. What is the make and year of your computer and when did you get it and where?
Toshiba. I bought it on Christmas Eve two years ago (by chance; I had just come home for break and needed a new computer). I got it at Best Buy.
28. Are you satisfied with your current computer or would you prefer a replacement?
It has serious issues. Like, it won’t connect to wireless internet and downloads updates every time I turn it off and can’t process more than a couple of things at a time. On the other hand, I don’t want to pay for a new one, so it’ll have to do a bit longer. I’m sufficiently fond of it.
29. What scent (if any) of deodorant do you most often use?
“Pear,” apparently. When I sweat I stink of fruit. Yippee?
30. Do you find octagons or hexagons more attractive?
Neither. Heptagons are the way to go.
31. Between the first four dimensions (height, width, length, and time) which is your favorite?
Width, I think.
See, time isn’t really different from the others; it is no more different from length than length is to width. Consider: how do we measure speed? In miles per hour. The length one can move in a period of time. We can measure things height by width, height by length, height by time, width by length, width by time, or length by time. We can also measure each on its own, or in combinations of three and four . . . but they are all in relation to each other. Consider also: time and space (or, rather, space-time) are all seemingly definite but really relative. The faster you go (a greater length in a lesser period of time), space dilates; the lesser the distance in space. The faster you go (a greater length in a lesser period of time) time dilates; the lesser the distance in time. Thus both time and space are both made smaller when speed (the way in which they are directly related) is increased -- and consequently both are made smaller when decreased. Each is in constant direct proportion to the other. In this way, "speed" is just another way to say "volume" -- for if volume is height x width x length, it can be altered by any of the above dimensions, and proportionally. Besides, neither time nor space moves; we move within it and thus we measure not space-time at all, but ourselves in relation to space-time. As none of the dimensions ever alters (save that our perception of its quantity alters, as demonstrated above, by manipulating how we move in relation to different aspects of the dimensions) they are all equal -- and, if you will, all illusion. In many ways there are no multiple dimensions but only space-time (or more accurately, spacetime, for it is a single thing, not a combination of two).
32. If someone said to you face, “I am your genetic destiny,” what would be your initial reaction and verbal response?
Taken aback + laughter + “And to think, I had higher hopes for myself. I now know they were foolish pride.”
33. Which do you prefer: crosswords, word searches, or cryptograms?
Cryptograms, sometimes, sometimes word searches.
34. Are there any cult classic-type movies which you only want to see because you want to understand all the references people keep making (and not because you have any actual interest in the movie)?
Nope.
35. Between the Star Trek TV-shows, which is the best: the Original Series, the Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, or Enterprise?
Anything that isn’t Enterprise.
All shows have their weak and strong characters. I like McCoy, Spock, Scotty, Data, Troy (I know! It’s true!), LaForge, the Doctor, Torres, Odo, Dax, Bashir . . .
36. When designing avatars to represent yourself, do you attempt to replicate your own appearance?
Never. Typically I go for red hair and green eyes - a more emerald green than mine.
37. What is your favorite type of over-the-counter pain medication?
Ibuprofen!
38. Do you enjoy shooting digital zombies? Why or why not? If so, do you have a favorite zombie-shooting game?
Too much adrenaline; it makes me a bit scared. Plus, I’m bad at it. I don’t dislike it if I’m playing with someone else, but wouldn’t do it alone. I prefer shooting real guns at metal and cardboard
39. Do you ever enjoy being frightened?
Never.
40. Is there a movie which you enjoyed seeing but have no desire to see again? If so, what?
Yeah, a couple of them. Shine comes to mind. Also, I Am Legend. Really emotionally intense movies, generally.
41. What is the first made-up nonsense word which comes to mind?
Agaggle, followed by blart followed by Plisp.
42. Which facial feature do you believe is most key for attractiveness?(1.618!)
Oh, eyes. Good teeth help, too.
43. Which spelling is superior: grey/ gray?
Grey. I prefer most American spellings, but not ‘gray.’ Shudder.
44. Which do you like better: leaves on trees when they have just grown in or when they’re about to fall off?
Just growing in. Fewer bugs.
45. If you could be in close proximity to one mythological creature for five minutes, which would it be?
A genie who would grant me wishes. :)
46. In which would you find living more difficult: without a television or without a computer?
Without a computer. I don’t tend to watch television.
47. What (if any) pets do you own and what (if any) pets would you like to own?
At the moment, I don’t have any pets - nor can I, where I live. But when I one day have my own house, I’d like a cat and a dog.
48. Which do you like more in a movie (in general): the beginning or the ending?
Beginning. I like being introduced to new universes.
49. What is the first reaction which springs to your mind in association with the word: magic?
Harry Potter. Argh. Chrestomanci. Gandalf. Fireworks.
50. How did your favorite/ least favorite classes compare in high school and college? If still in high school, use your imagination.
In high school I loved band, mainly. I wanted to love English class, I really did, but we never wrote poems or stories - only essays! - and never read any good books. At the moment, I’m only really taking theology - which I mostly love.