Interview questions posed by Argentlion
Questions posed by Argentlion - http://argentlion.livejournal.com
- You are active in a few different hobbies have you found it hard to keep up with all of your various interests?
- Describe your perfect mate
- Which do you think would better serve fencing in Atlantia the a Don\cadet system, the current Tag & release system, or something entirely different? Why?
- If you could no longer fight in the SCA would you stay in? What would you do?
- Many of us use music to get psyched out to fight, I seem to remember you do to what does your get psyche play list look like?
So let’s see what I can come up with here.
- I have found it difficult to maintain. In fact, I have become a failure at going to practices because it has been preferential to go climbing. I have a regular group of folks that I climb with on Monday nights (Columbia, MD) and Wednesday Nights (Rockville, MD). I could potentially go to the Tuesday night practices in Lochmere, and have a couple of times recently, but I also babysit about 1 Tuesday a night which often wins out, and over the past couple of weeks I’ve had deadlines to finish up. My Thursdays are reserved for “Мастурбация и телевидения” and Fridays are my open night for whatever. On the weekends I do like to make it to events, usually about 2-3 a month, but with gas prices, I’m not so sure that’s going to remain, and well, there’s a lot of rocks out in the wild that need climbing. I do a lot of talking on-line with folks, and try to maintain those connections, but I’m still wanting to get my diving certs back up to where I feel comfortable, so that I can venture out with the Chris, Amy, Mel, and various others that want to explore the true underworld. I haven’t done sky-diving in years, but I’ve been getting the itch for that again too. So, yes… it has been difficult, and I’ve been more inclined to make more Thursdays which are essentially translated to “Me Days”
- My perfect mate - I’m sure you actually mean partner for life as opposed to the various other incarnations that mean friend or shipmate.
- My perfect mate would be a woman that wants to experience the world with me. Not someone that I would be showing the world to, or who would be showing me the world.
That is to say that I would love to learn what their world is, and how they view it, and why. I want to find that perfect person that makes me go, “Wow, this is the most amazing , I have to share this with . - She will have to be intelligent, witty, and not afraid to show it, and yet humble enough to not make others feel inconsequential if they can’t keep up.
- I live by the philosophy of “If someone is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, they are not a nice person.” They too, will have to understand the full gravity of this, and appreciate it at it’s core value, and not just it’s surface imagery.
- They will have to know that they are valuable to the world. Everyone has a role to play in this world we have, and some are not easily replaced. I want one of the irreplaceable ones, and I want them to know that they are special, not just to me… but to the world they live in.
- Their beauty will be internal, as the external will fade over time. If that internal beauty is there, though… they will alway be beautiful, and no one will ever question it.
- When they smile, I want to see it in their eyes… in their body, and in their soul.
- I want them to be able to smile, even if nobody is looking at them.
- A sense of humor that can appreciate the subtleties of Stephen Wright, and the insane antics of Robin Williams. One who can keep up with the conversation with clever quips, and know when to stop if it is going a bit too far.
- Sexually, I want her to know what she likes, and what she doesn’t but is willing an open to try things that she doesn’t. I want her to be able to speak openly (with me at least) about those thoughts, because if you can’t have an adult conversation about sex, you shouldn’t be having it.
- I want her to have her own dreams and goals. I want to be able to be there for her as she would be for mine. I don’t want to accomplish her goals for her, but would love to be there at the finish line holding the water bottle cheering her on as she did it.
- Religious views - Open minded. There are too many thoughts and beliefs out there to fully embrace any religion as the one true religion. I believe that faith and hopes are too often confused with religion. All religions have something to offer, whether it be Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Wicca, Atheism, New Age thought, and belief in the old gods. Okay, I do believe that Scientology is a crock of shit, but I admire any man that can create a cult following based on a bet. My perfect partner will also understand this and be willing to learn about what other people think, and be sensitive to their thoughts, and practices, and be able to talk intelligently about them and her beliefs.
- She should care about her appearance. With the feeling of self-worth comes the desire to take care of themselves. Eating healthy, keeping in shape, and a desire to find the balance that is best for them is key. A fashion sense for knowing what they feel good in will carry over to how well they look in it. I don’t need someone who only thinks about these things, and sticks to a strict diet of fruits and grains… but simply taking care of yourself is not too much to ask. I don’t care about a few extra pounds, but if it is unhealthy… it’s unhealthy. The opposite is also true.
- Grooming is also key. I have very keen olfactory senses, and hate it when I smell bad (even at the gym) Anyone I am spending time with should also be aware of this and be able to take care of that in themselves…I’m happy to help in the shower if need be. That should never be in question.
- She’ll be able to go rough and tumble at times. Never meaning to say that we’d beat up on each other, but I don’t want a delicate flower that will break if the wind blows too hard, but a “Delicate Fucking Flower” (as coined by Daven and Wendi) is perfectly fine and acceptable.
- Probably the most important trait I want is that sparkle, that lust for life that you can sense when you meet them, when they are in the room. They exude this personal aura to all that they come in contact with, and when you meet them, you will know it… and it will feel wonderful. (There is only a small handful of people I know that can do this… and they don’t even know it.)
- I am personally against the Don/Cadet system. I think it works great for some people, but I don’t think it is the right of any one person to have that much power over another. I think that a mentorship is best. I like the IDEA of our Academie. When asked how about the Academie, I tend to see it as a college/university.
As you are training you are basically learning the most basic of basics. (High School) When you graduate from High School, (Authorization) you have a choice. Go to college (Blue Scarf) or go to the real world (Non Scarf).
As an authorized non-scarf, you can still experience the world and gain in skills from those that are in college, and those that go to different schools, and simply through your own experience. One who is self-taught has a fool for a teacher, but it is easy to find teachers in this world… and in all fights one learns. In the real world there are some amazing people that never went to college, and they do quite well for themselves. If this is the route one wishes to take, then so be it, and do it well.
As a Blue Scarf you are in college attempting to earn your BA/BS. You learn from various professors and Grad Students. You don’t have one specific mentor, but a variety of classes to give you a well rounded education. In real education we only have the one teacher in elementary school, why in the bloody fuck would I want that for my fencers? Home Schooling can work as a replacement for HS, but not for college.
In time, You can graduate with your BA/BA and go out into the real world and be perfectly happy and successful… or you can continue to strive and perhaps someday get into Grad School. To get into Grad School you have to convince a committee (White Scarves) that you’re worthy, and therefore enrolled as a Grad Student… Welcome to your playing of the prize my lil’ gold scarf.
As you progress through your training you may graduate and then go to the real world with your Masters and be perfectly content. You may have only a few professors that are training you, but the best students will gain knowledge from many resources. They will also be the ones doing a lot of the grunt-work and teaching. Sound like a grad student to you? Lots of work, little recognition… Hmmmm… sounds familiar to me.
In time, you may graduate and go to the real world with your masters degree… but sometimes that’s not enough, and you decide to pursue your Ph.D. If you can convince a committee (the crown and other WS) that you’re a worthy candidate. As we as White Scarves progress we are still learning a lot… It is just a little different than what we were learning as we came up through the ranks. Our learning never ceases though. In time… we may graduate with our Ph.D and remain professors or we may go out into the world to make our way. Most of us desire to remain professors, and teach the next wave of incoming doctors.
So, my beliefs are that I like the ideal of what we have… but not necessarily the execution of it. I think that those that want to know more should never be denied that knowledge, but they should understand that there is a method to the madness of training, and patience is a virtue that should be shared on both sides of the fence.
- I would stay in. I would continue to teach, I would continue to meet people and I would continue to marshal. I actually really like to marshal. I might even pick up a trade skill, as I’ve loved carving and tooling and many other artistic endeavors, but prefer to stick people instead of objects. I am in the SCA for the social aspects, not just the killing. Admittedly, I don’t care about many of the pomp and circumstance that others do, nor do I care about EVERYthing that the SCA does. However, it is not my place to besmirch those folks that do, as I think they should do what makes them happy, so long as it harms none, do as ye will. Just be aware that “harm” is sometimes intangible until it is too late to fix. The SCA is a social club, that attempts to focus on historical theories and ideals… but let’s face it, the social aspects will far outweigh the historical accuracy any day of the week.
- I do like my music. I’ve used a variety of things to get ready to do some killing. However, there is no one thing that is best. Sometimes I want to get into a full out killing zone at which point, Rob Zombie, Combichrist, Velvet Acid Christ, Marilyn Manson, and Rammstein are awesome. Other times I want to just get into a zone of smiles and grins at which point the sound track to Evil Dead the Musical has been heard WAY too many times. Other times, I have songs running through my head like, “Start Wearing Purple” and “Not a Crime” by Gogol Bordello (Awesome Gypsy-Punk fusion). If I just need a quick fix though that will get me moving in time and ready to lay waste like a Jedi on caffeine, nothing beats “Pussy Liquor” by Rob Zombie off the House of 1000 Corpses sound track.
“One, Two, Three.
Who should I kill?
Every Mother-fucker runnin’ down the hills.
One, Two, Three.
What should I do?
Get fucked up, and get fucked up with you.”
But the beat is very much in tune with just walking through the bad guys and simply laying waste to the bad guys. The close second is Combichrist’s “What the Fuck is wrong with you people.”
“Intolerance, self-glorified ignorance
It sucks you down with your face pushed against the fence
Why don't you finish yourself, since you don't really care?
Let the screams in your head be the last things you hear.
Just go..
Hey! You!
What the fuck is wrong with you?” (Repeat the refrain a LOT)