Ask A Staffer Final Round - The Askening: Tengukami

[Alfred F. Jones]

30 years from now I'll be 70. So, most likely I'll be dancing shirtless on tables to "I Like To Move It" and chugging tequila like it's water in some seedy Mexican cantina. God willing.

I know various places where this could be arranged!

What do you look for in nonfiction? Fiction in general? Touhou fanfiction?

Conversely, what do you dislike in these?

How good are you at photography?

[Iryan]

What are the 1~10 rules that define your philosophy and general outlook towards life?

[Tengukami]

ZUN's original compositions. What do you think of them ?

Musically speaking? I think it varies. Many of his songs are kinda samey; variations of similar themes. But when he does a stand-out track, it's really incredible. His music has made me spellbound (if you'll excuse the pun) during parts of certain stages, such as Stage 6 of MoF or Stage 3 of 10D. Lovely stuff there, and no wonder why so many musicians have done arrangements of his compositions.

How much internet wackiness have you exposed Ammy Jr. to? Related to that, have you had a Leekspin/Nyancat endurance match?

Most of what my daughter sees from the internet is comprised of old cartoons, old Sesame Street, or simple game sites like Boobah Zone. I haven't introduced her to the seedy underbelly of the WWW, but reckon it'll only be a matter of time before she finds that herself.

I know various places where this could be arranged!

Me gusto.

What do you look for in nonfiction? Fiction in general? Touhou fanfiction?
Conversely, what do you dislike in these?

Believe it or not, I prefer nonfiction written by an author with an open agenda. Examples of this would be Underground by Haruki Murakami and Madness Visible by Janine Di Giovanni. Both authors treated their subjects with fairness, but they had clearly taken a side in the matter and their passion for the issues their works touched on shows. I definitely prefer this over flat, lifeless, data-list nonfiction.

In fiction, I like literary fiction - stuff that defies genre, plays with reality, uses characters dealing with the line between truth and fantasy. And of course, that there's a living vibrancy that shines through in the language. Genre fiction bores me to tears, so I'm not big on reading fantasy, thrillers or science fiction, which I realize should result in the revoking of my Geek Membership card, but there it is.

In Touhou fanfiction, I tend to prefer canonically faithful stories that, within the framework of canon, create a whole new side-story that is at once entirely plausible and also entertaining. I also like being challenged to care about characters that I have no real feelings about, or might even dislike altogether. If someone can imbue their story with the spirit of Gensokyo and keep me reading until the end, the story's a success. What I dislike are hackneyed, uninspired reworkings of themes we've all seen a million times before.

How good are you at photography?

Probably average. I haven't taken enough photos to be able to say if I'm good or terrible, really.

What are the 1~10 rules that define your philosophy and general outlook towards life?

I haven't really tried to sum it up before, but the main principles of my life that spring to mind consist mainly of:

Be grateful for what you have, assume the best about the motivations of others, work to leave this world better than how you found it, and make the most of this brief time we have on this planet by all of the above.

[Tamer Anode/Cathode]

What was your first computer? Are you able to regale us with stories of the Apple II and the C64?

What was your first exposure to anime, roughly?

What motivated you to write fics like Down on the Corner and Permission? Do you ever regret it?'

What's this "tragic yuri accident" your user message refers to?

[Tengukami]

What was your first computer? Are you able to regale us with stories of the Apple II and the C64?

My family's first computer was this bizarre desktop thing with a monitor that was yellow text on a black background. It didn't even have a floppy drive, and certainly wasn't using any operating system that I ever heard of then or since. Then in '87 we got a Mac SE. I actually used that thing for 12 years, and it never gave me any trouble. The only reason why I stopped using it was a) the screen was 9" wide, and b) the language was so outdated that if I saved a text file on a floppy and put it in another computer, it was completely unreadable.

What was your first exposure to anime, roughly?

There were a lot of localized series in the US in the 70s, like Speed Racer, Astro Boy and Battle of the Planets. But the series that really blew my mind was Star Blazers, also known as Space Battleship Yamato. If ever the word "epic" was used correctly, it would be to describe the complex and deeply human story arcs that this series used. I'm not a fan of mecha today, at all, but I can say with confidence that this might even be the best anime series ever made.

What motivated you to write fics like Down on the Corner and Permission? Do you ever regret it?'

Down On The Corner was my first Touhou fanfic, and was born out of a bunch of us in IRC joking about a picture of Cirno table-humping that someone found on Danbooru. We all started talking about story ideas surrounding this image, and I felt compelled to write it.

From there, most of my Touhou fanfics have been comedies, just because they're fun to write. But Permission - the only Touhou erotica I ever did - was written as a result of a conversation in CPMC about what the difference was between porn and erotica.

I absolutely don't regret writing either. Down On The Corner was fun, and I think Permission properly illustrates the difference between porn and erotica - an important distinction, I feel, when it comes to fiction.

What's this "tragic yuri accident" your user message refers to?

Kinzo made a remark in CPMC of some other user dying in a "tragic yuri accident". I thought this was hilarious, and so yeah. Into the user message it went.

[Edible]

some other user

I think it was Theorist.

Are you ready for some football?

[Reddyne]

Thoughts on Fallout 3?

Loved it, loved it, loved it. I tried a lot of different types of runs, and my favorite remains just picking a compass direction from a location and waking until I find something. I have half the locations mapped, and have picked up items pertaining to quests I haven't even begun yet. It's just great, sprawling fun. And it keeps me off the streets!

Have you tried/played through New Vegas or either of the first two Fallout games? Might I recommend ALL of them?

What do you think humanity has going for it and what do you think it could improve upon? How about the western Touhou fanbase? How about yourself?

As a well-traveled and experienced gentleman, do you have any sage advice for the younger forum-goers in regards to something you know now that you would've like to have known when you were younger?

When the heck are you going to make it to Otakon? :/

[Jana]

NO?! But I want to based solely on the name.

Remember this video?

I don't know! There were just moments when my pedo alarms went off and I just found it unbearable. I recognize this is probably closed-mindedness on my part, but there it is.

That's a bit unexpected.

Have you ever played video games on a handheld console? Anything in particular you'd wanna try?

[Tengukami]

Are you ready for some football?

I wish I were, but every time I start trying to follow a game, I end up falling asleep or daydreaming. It'd be great to have something else to get enjoyment from, but I just don't see it in the cards.

Have you tried/played through New Vegas or either of the first two Fallout games? Might I recommend ALL of them?

Haven't tried these yet, no, and really look forward to doing so.

What do you think humanity has going for it and what do you think it could improve upon? How about the western Touhou fanbase? How about yourself?

Wow, neat question. I think all three are connected, as all three pertain to human behavior. Humans have this remarkable capacity for imagination and innovation; inventing new things and improving on things already invented. This is pretty much the cause of and solution to all our problems. On the one hand, pasteurization. On the other hand, the flamethrower (George Carlin once quipped, "At some point, some person said to himself, 'Gee, I sure would like to set those people on fire over there. But I'm way too far away to get the job done. If only I had something that would throw flame on them.'")

As for the WTC, it's as I said upthread: the creativity that fans show in honor of their favorite series is really heartwarming, while the self-entitled "waaah the game isn't how I want it and I am angry even though I didn't pay for it" attitude is kind of annoying.

For myself, I like to think I have a few things going for me: young-looking for my age, in good health, talented to some degree, compassionate. On the other hand, I can also be really self-absorbed, distrustful, and careless with my words. It's a struggle.

As a well-traveled and experienced gentleman, do you have any sage advice for the younger forum-goers in regards to something you know now that you would've like to have known when you were younger?

Yeah: take nothing seriously - and I mean absolutely nothing, the good or the bad - that happens in high school. Whether you're the bullied anime/video game nerd or the prom king, in just a couple very short years it will all amount to nothing. None of it will matter, at all, once you're outside that environment. So just enjoy it as much as you can, and make the most of it.

Also, I notice a lot of users here seem to have social awkwardness around girls. I've seen more than one user post about wanting to just talk to a girl but was nervous about doing so. To this, all I can say is: people love talking about themselves. Really, if you're wondering what you could possibly say to that girl you like from afar, try asking her questions about herself. Show an interest in wanting to know who she is and what makes her tick. I think it's a good strategy in general for anyone you're interested in romantically; you ought to really know the person you're thinking about being intimate with. But also, I think many girls are used to guys pretty much trying to fit them into the image the guy has for them ahead of time, and so they tend to appreciate it when a guy makes the effort to know who they actually are.

In a more general sense, just remember that no matter what your parents say about you or how you should live, in the end, you're the one who has to live with the decisions you make. It's better to follow your heart and argue with your parents over your choices than to bow your head and accept some miserable path they choose for you.

When the heck are you going to make it to Otakon? :/

Man, I can only hope to come next year. I honestly don't know how things will be until then. But I do, very badly, need to get back there.

Remember this video?

Now I do! I remember thinking "wow, that's a waste of a lot of mines". And that this mod looks very cool.

Have you ever played video games on a handheld console? Anything in particular you'd wanna try?

Yeah, my first video game was Nintendo's Donkey Kong. I haven't been following handheld console games at all, so I don't really know what I'd wanna try. If Persona is available for a handheld, then that one.

[Janitor Morgan]

I wish I were, but every time I start trying to follow a game, I end up falling asleep or daydreaming. It'd be great to have something else to get enjoyment from, but I just don't see it in the cards.

You did see it in the cards before, though :< [/missing the point]

Selamat pagi?

Have any interesting articles turned up in the paper recently? If so, how many of them did you write?

How's it feel being both the beginning and the end of this series?

[Tengukami]

You did see it in the cards before, though :< [/missing the point]

Aah that was fun.

Selamat pagi?

Selamat sore!

Have any interesting articles turned up in the paper recently? If so, how many of them did you write?

We're fortunate enough that even though most of our staff are freelance, they continue to submit great material, in full and on time. My pieces tend to be about current events in Iceland; newsy pieces on politics, both local and national, as well as social trends. There are two or three articles from me in pretty much every issue, whereas I post four news articles on the website every workday.

How's it feel being both the beginning and the end of this series?

Pretty good, to be honest. I never thought that my starting yet another narcissistic "EVERYONE PAY ATTENTION TO ME TALK TO ME" Ask-A-Blank thread was going to lead to this, but Kilga had the wisdom to see it as a great way for the user base to know the staff better. I'm just glad to be a part of that.

[Jana]

Yeah, my first video game was Nintendo's Donkey Kong. I haven't been following handheld console games at all, so I don't really know what I'd wanna try. If Persona is available for a handheld, then that one.

There's P3P, the Persona 3 port to the PSP. They've also remade the original Persona for it, and they're working on Persona 2 as I recall.

...If you get a PSP, would you check out Monster Hunter?

Aside from video game stuff: Anything special you can cook? Do you cook for your daughter?

[Alfred F. Jones]

What book or story do you like so much, you wish you were the one who had written it?

Any reporters or columnists you like in particular?

Do you own a music player? If so, what is it?

What is your favourite era of history to study or learn more about?

[Tengukami]

Aside from video game stuff: Anything special you can cook? Do you cook for your daughter?

I love cooking, even if most of what I do tends to be stir fry and seafood. So yes, she eats a lot of stir fry and seafood.

What book or story do you like so much, you wish you were the one who had written it?

God, pretty much anything by Yoko Ogawa. Her voice is so pitch perfect, her word economy so precise, it literally aches to read writing this good.

Any reporters or columnists you like in particular?

I grew up watching and admiring Walter Cronkite, but as far as journalistic writing goes, there's Janine Di Giovanni, Edward R. Murrow, David Brinkley and (to a far lesser extent) Matt Taibbi

Do you own a music player? If so, what is it?

I have this Taiwanese POS mp3 player that holds like, I dunno, 50 songs tops? But that's really all I need for an mp3 player.

What is your favourite era of history to study or learn more about?

The fall of the Roman Empire. Mostly because we're learning new things about it all the time. The greatest empire the world had ever known collapsed from within and without, for many reasons, but also had residual effects on the Western world that are with us to this day. It might be a clich? to draw parallels between Rome's decline and modern-day America, but well, people make that comparison for a reason.

[Alfred F. Jones]

Where have you traveled? Any places you'd love to go back to?

Do you like gardening?

What would you like to see change in the US over the next decade? How about Europe (particularly the EU)? The rest of the world?

[Mimachiro]

What's the most historically significant event you directly/indirectly participated in?

What do you hope to leave behind before you pass on to the next existence?

What's your favorite kind of weather?

[E-Nazrin]

What hopes do you have for your daughter?

[Tengukami]

Where have you traveled? Any places you'd love to go back to?

I haven't traveled a lot. I went to California for a week once, spent 8 months in Qu?bec, have been to the UK a couple times, and to Bulgaria and Italy a few times. I would love to see Qu?bec and Bulgaria again, and more of the UK. Especially the UK.

Do you like gardening?

Yes, which is odd since I've never owned a garden myself. But I've done farmwork a few times, and one such farm required the care and upkeep of an herb garden. It was really enjoyable giving attention to these plants, seeing them flourish as a result, and enjoying the taste of the harvest. I think it's really good for the soul.

What would you like to see change in the US over the next decade? How about Europe (particularly the EU)? The rest of the world?

Gods, where to begin? The foundation of any change happening in America is a change in attitude about democracy and power. There's a weird sort of fortress mentality that Americans have; not just about their country v. the rest of the world, but even their state, their religion, their race, their neighborhood v. everyone. I don't know if this is a remnant from pioneer days or whatever, but I think this wagon-circling hysteria is what needs to change first and foremost. Because without it, none of the other things I'd love to see happen in America - a real social welfare system, nuclear disarmament, campaign finance reform, among other things - will ever happen or last very long.

The EU has many good and bad points. Iceland is currently in negotiations with the EU, in the process of joining, by the final vote will be with a public referendum. I'm still on the face about it. On the one hand, as members of the European Economic Area, we are bound by treaty to obey EU law, yet we have no voice in the EU parliament - joining would change that. On the other hand, I have little faith in the EU's ability to actively defend human rights, if the treatment of Muslims and refugees in Italy, France and Holland are any indication.

Globally, I think we are witnessing the absurdity of capitalism coming to fruition. For a few nations to horde most of the planet's resources and leave most everyone else to live in poverty is an unsustainable economic, political, and sociological model. The sooner the "developed" world realizes that they are signing their own death certificate with this policy, and begin to completely restructure how we distribute goods and services, the better.

What's the most historically significant event you directly/indirectly participated in?

In 1987 I took part in a massive march on Washington DC which had two demands: impeach Ronald Reagan over the Iran-Contra Affair, and divest from South Africa. Reagan, and most everyone else involved in Iran-Contra, managed to skip away from criminal charges, but the pressure we put on Congress did help to compel them to pass a much stricter divestment policy against South Africa in 1988. (NOTE: In case they didn't teach you guys this in school, and you're wondering why we were down on South Africa at the time, look up "apartheid". Or ask Pesco.)

More recently, I took part in the protests in Iceland that forced our previous government out of power, got the manager of the Central Bank fired, and got a commission together to re-write the constitution.

There are other historic events that I've witnessed but didn't take part in, like watching the first Space Shuttle launch, seeing the fall of the Berlin Wall, Lennon getting shot, Reagan getting shot, and Michael Jackson setting his head on fire and so forth.

What do you hope to leave behind before you pass on to the next existence?

Fond memories in the minds of my friends and family, the things I value with my daughter, and hopefully my little corner of the world a little bit better off than how I found it.

What's your favorite kind of weather?

Hot and sunny! Barring that, I really like when the sky is a sheet of white, it's warm, and there's no wind.

What hopes do you have for your daughter?

Happiness. One of the only pieces of advice my dad ever gave me was "whatever you do, don't put expectations on your kids". I know hopes aren't the same as expectations, but they can often overlap. I just want her to be happy, to be content with who she is, and to never give up pursuing her dreams, whatever they end up being. What more can a parent ask for?

[Rin Kagamine]

Usagi Drop also makes me feel quite uncomfortable, so you're not alone there!

Do you like/follow any sports?
Is world peace a plausibility?
What's the key to increasing cultural understanding?  Is it education?  If so, how can we make it cool to learn things again?

[Mimachiro]

Ever meet any famous people before they became famous?

Ever get to meet with a world leader before?

If you could gather all of the world's leaders into one room (without them trying to fight each other) what would you like to say to them?

[Alfred F. Jones]

If there's anything you could tell your 16-year-old self now, what would it be?

If you could go back and watch any era of history without interacting with it, what would it be and why?

[Mr_Bob]

Which do you think is better, to let someone make their own choices, right or wrong; or for you to make the right choice for that person.  What about choosing for a group of people?

[Hello Purvis]

What's the Icelandic school system like, compared to the American one?

[Momiji]

Why do I have a vague sense of dejavu with this?

PLEASE CAN YOU PLEASE SAVE ME FROM BALTIMORE T-T

[Tengukami]

Do you like/follow any sports?

I don't follow any sports. Having said that, I love going to an actual baseball game. Unfortunately, baseball has yet to catch on in Iceland, or anywhere else in Europe.

Is world peace a plausibility?

I think that probably depends on what we mean by "peace". The UN was created to prevent war, as was NATO, and both have been largely ineffective in doing so, although NATO has been somewhat successful in preventing NATO countries from going to war with each other.

I think most wars are fought over resources. A more fair distribution of resources would most likely significantly reduce military conflicts. But I have my doubts that war will ever vanish from the face of the Earth.

What's the key to increasing cultural understanding?  Is it education?  If so, how can we make it cool to learn things again?

Education is definitely the key to cultural understanding, and it needs to be a two-way street. We should be unafraid of voicing honest, good-faith concerns about cultures we're unfamiliar with, while also listening actively to how other cultures respond.

Generally speaking, I've noticed that people tend to hate other cultures less when they're in close contact with them - people fear the unknown more than the familiar. Multiculturalist immigration policies are key to cultural understanding.

If there's anything you could tell your 16-year-old self now, what would it be?

"You don't actually need to try every drug you can get your hands on."

"Girls are going to like you a lot more if you start accepting yourself for who you are."

"Don't immediately move out of the house when you turn 18 - wait to get yourself solidly situated, home and job-wise, before doing so."

If you could go back and watch any era of history without interacting with it, what would it be and why?

The Renaissance and, by extension, the Age of Exploration. Seeing humanity wake up from centuries of pig ignorance and discovering science again, and seeing people getting excited about finding two whole other giant continents across the ocean, would be pretty awe-inspiring. I'd probably want to leave before the actual indigenous genocide began, because I would definitely want to "interact".

Which do you think is better, to let someone make their own choices, right or wrong; or for you to make the right choice for that person.  What about choosing for a group of people?

I think that depends entirely on what the choices are. I think in general, people learn best through their own mistakes, but some potential mistakes ought to be avoided altogether, especially if they could be lethal, or deeply physically or psychologically damaging.

As far as choosing for a group of people goes, I think this is the essence of government. Striking the balance between freedom of choice and protection of self is something each government should decide based on societal context.

Why do I have a vague sense of dejavu with this?

Beats me!

PLEASE CAN YOU PLEASE SAVE ME FROM BALTIMORE T-T

I was talking about Baltimore last night. Most of the things I miss regard food, and seeing lots of people of different cultures. But you can get all that in Europe. If you're interested in immigrating to Europe, your best bet is to secure a job in a European country before apply for a visa. From there, the rest is gravy.

[Mimachiro]

If you could put any two people in a room and watch them beat the stuffing out of each other, who would they be?

If you could go out for a drink with anyone in the world, who would it be?

When you became a father of an adorable little girl, did you buy a shotgun to keep on hand for when she starts dating?

[Rin Kagamine]

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."

How do you feel about that statement?

[Mr_Bob]

As far as choosing for a group of people goes, I think this is the essence of government. Striking the balance between freedom of choice and protection of self is something each government should decide based on societal context.

Yup, that was the conclusion I came to from a previous thread.  Couple other people I've posed that question to answered in favor of making the choice for the person /  group in question.

[Alfred F. Jones]

Do you enjoy dancing? If you do, what kind of dance?

What's your favourite fic in PSL (aside from your own, of course)?

[Tamer Anode/Cathode]

What foods do you like? Which ones do you recommend?

Do you think your past experience with certain substances has left any permanent physical or mental effects? Does it motivate you more to keep your daughter away from them?