20 Questions Tuesday: 316 - St Patrick's Day

Today is St Patrick’s Day.  Is it a coincidence that the last post was an interview with a gentelman named “Patrick?”  Yes, of course it was a coincidence, Patrick Beja is French.  A day of revelry in the US for people who enjoy beer and would like an excuse to get shit-faced on crappy green-tinted beer.  The St Patrick of celebration is not the St Patrick of history.  History very rarely intersects wholly with legend and folklore.  So tonight while you are eating your boxty and drinking your Irish blonde beer… remember that the history you know is never true.  Truth is in the eye of the beholder… oooh, so deeep… It’s like I’m high, but I’m not

Thanks this week go to K, Dr B-Dawg, Chris Ring, and Nadolny for the questions.  Here we go.

1.  Does Clintonville (small area within Columbus, Ohio… Hello there non-Columbusites) still have a rat problem? Didn't St. Patrick fix that for Ireland? Have the moved to Worthington (Another Columbus area place name)?
You are thinking of the Pied Piper, not St Patrick.  St Pat got rid of snakes.

2.  At what age does one typically start resenting drunk people who celebrate St. Patrick's day? For me it was 42. Maybe earlier.
I think the age that I started hating on people celebrating St Patrick’s Day was around my mid-30’s.  At that point I just wanted to nap.

3.  Corn or Corned Beef?
Corned Beef hash for the win.

4.  Food that should never be green, please list.
Meat, eggs, milk, bread, cheese, corn, bananas, and, seriously, meat.  Green meat Will. Kill. You.

5. Is the popularity in the midwest for St Patricks Day more about a reason to party hard because of spring fever than celebrating all things Irish, although it provides a nice theme.
St Patrick’s Day celebrations are only excuses to drink that happens to have an Irish theme.  

6. St "The Snake-Man" Patrick vs Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, who wins?
Steve Irwin...He. Wrestled. Crocodiles…. Pretty sure he could take a cleric who forced the druids out of Ireland.

7. Is there a Kelli Green?
Google it for your damn-self.  That being said, I do have a neighbor that goes by a variation of that spelling.

8. Does Columbus have any St. Pat parades?
It happened on Sunday, St Patrick’s Eve’s Eve.

9. Do you have a favorite Irish themed movie?
Nope.

10. Wasn't St Patrick actually Scottish, adding to the list that all good Irish things are really Scottish?
Damn straight… He was a young Scottish lad who was abducted by Irish pirates.  He escaped 6 years after being kidnapped and went back Scotland to enter the clergy and eventually went back to Ireland.

11.  If St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, where did they all go?
The sea…. would be my bet.  In this case “snakes” equal “druids” and the “sea” equals “killed them dead”.

12. Jameson's or Bushmill's? (The real cause for the fighting in Ireland)
Jameson’s.

13. In a world where gluten isn't an issue, St. Paddy's drink of choice?
I love Irish Blonde Ales…. but I would love a nice Black and Tan with Guinness and Harp

14. ORANGE! The stripe on the  Irish flag is ORANGE! As in, "Orange" you an idiot for saying it's red. Ok, not really a question nor directed at you, just a pet peeve of mine . . . carry on.
Really… someone thinks it is Red… I hate that person.

15. When you're on the treadmill Tuesday are you going to play a nice Celtic Reel, pretend you're in the St. Patrick's Day parade and wave to the crowds? It might make it more fun . . . just sayin'.
Nope…. I will be finishing up “Centurion,” a horrible movie of Rome v Picts… so… so… bad.

16.  What is the lamest holiday? St. Patrick's seems like a pretty lame one, although the alcohol component surely raises it above lame status.
Arbor Day

17.  I drove all the snakes out of Ireland and all I got was this lousy t-shirt...
Actually… that’s on you, man.  that’s on you.  I haven’t even been to Ireland and I have more than a t-shirt from there.

18.  With the requirements to become a saint, it seems like modern technology/communications has made the verification process MUCH harder. Do you think we will have as many saints added in the future?
Most the Saints would not be saints with today’s scrutiny… so the verification will be significantly more tedious.

19.  Your best guess as to the next saint. Not the specific person (unless you want), but the saint of what?
Saint DarkTuber69, the Patron Saint of Trolling

20.  Green or orange?
That "or" should be "and."

To recap:
Just put some down payments on a crazy awesome vacation for this summer
It will be epic
Happy St Patrick’s Day folks
I am only 6 weeks away from my newest degree
That will be a nice thing to complete
But that is just the beginning
Things are changing
Oh, yes, the things they are a-changin’
I ran over 12 miles last week on the cursed treadmill
I am already 4+ in this week with a treadmill session on tap for this evening
I hate that goddamned thing
Treadmills can bite me
I hate them so
My hatred for the treadmill boils over causing me to despise most things
Don’t blame me, blame the treadmill
Have a great week everyone

20 Questions Tuesday: 308 - 2014... a retrospective

This is the end of the year 2014 post.  It has been a fun year and I am very happy with where the blog is this year.  I had 8 interviews completed this year, so if you want to look at those they are Tom Merritt, Wil Anderson, Phil Hilliker, Ryan Connolly, Paul Armstrong, Daniel Squizzato, April Richardson, and Tom Gehrke.  The interviews are my usual smattering of Internet peeps/podcasters, comedians, and artists.  More of these to come in 2015.

This weeks topic is “2014… a retrospective” and thanks need to go to Dr B-Dawg, Lsig, Dr JHP, Newbold, and some other guy for the questions.  Onto the questions!

1. What is your best memory from the Sochi Olympics?
That is a great question.  I think it was simply watching the Olympics with the fam.  We all would sit and watch the events together on the couch.  It was great watching the kids get into it.  They were super excited by snow cross and ski-cross, so those were fun events to watch.

2. Best movies of the year?
Hmmm… I did not see an incredible amount of movies this year, and I most likely did not see the best of them.  I did see some entertaining movies that I really enjoyed though.  So there is that.  I was impressed with the Lego Movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Big Hero 6, and Guardians of the Galaxy.  I felt that The Amazing Spiderman 2 and the Hobbit: Battle of the 5 Armies were fine, and Peabody and Sherman was a little weak, but the kids loved it.

3. How will 2015 be better than 2014?
I will finish this degree and get a new job, as God is my witness.

4. Did you have a new year's resolution for 2014 that wasn't such a good idea after all?
I did not really make many, and the ones I did were not crazy of the wall.  So.... no.

5. Will we remember Iggy Azalea in 2015?
Who?

6. What goal(s) did you achieve in 2014? 
I finished up my final project for my degree.  I won another Ten Ton Studios Sketch Challenge and did well at Cincy ComiCon.  I also made it to 40 years old in relative health which is surprising, because I don’t feel like I am 40… maybe 35-ish.

7. What goal(s) did you fail to achieve in 2014?
Get a new job… and I stopped exercising.  That is something that I need to get back on.

8. If 2014 were a color, what color would it be?
Periwinkle.

9. Which month was the MVP of 2014 for you?
Hmmm… We knocked December out of the park.

10. Was there any point in 2014 that you felt like giving up the 20QT blog?
Not in 2014… 2012, 2013 most definitely, but not in 2014.

11. Personally how does this year end for you: a win, lose, or draw?
2014 is has a checkmark in the win column.

12. Favorite memory with the family/friends from this year?
That is a hard one.  There are so many good ones.  Right now a flood of memories from the year are flowing past me and I am having difficulty snagging just one without going to the next.  As far as my favorite?  Just thinking about the year in this way has been a gift in and of itself.

13. If you had one do over for the year what would that be?
I would have done a bit more for the wife’s 40th… I had grand plans that I abandoned due to a miscommunication in early 2013. 

14. Top five events from your family this year?
5. Addition of the ratties to the household
4. The kids’ special camps this summer
3. Discovery of the dreamliner seats at Marcus Cinemas… makes going to the movies better
2. Vacation in NC
&
1. Christmas 2014

15. Top five career moments?
5. Accruing enough vacation to go on a long vacation
4. This job is a paycheck
3. That’s all I got for my jobby job
2. I got out earlier on Friday a couple of times
&
1. Paid freelance mapping and illustration work not affiliated with my “career.”

16. Top 5 artistic accomplishments?
5. 222 notecard sketches for the year
4. I was really happy with some of the poses I drew this year
3. outlining a previously un-discussed project that shall remain undisclosed until I feel comfortable talking about it… gimme some space. I need to get my degree done first
2. Won a well-populated Ten Ton Studios Sketch Challenge
&
1. Paid freelance mapping and illustration work

17. Top 5 personal moments?
5. Made it to 40 Years old
4. 19 years in relationship with my amazing wife, 17 of which we have been legally roped together
3. Won a well-populated Ten Ton Studios Sketch Challenge
2. Paid freelance mapping and illustration work
&
1. 8 amazing interviews for 20 Questions Tuesday

18. Top 5 things that happened in the world?
Gonna go with my most impactful 5 for the year in the US, primarily... (you can Google them yourself)
5. The Sony hacks… I know it seems trivial, but I think this is a big event because it will be the first BIG company hack event in a long and damaging line of huge company hacks… the next one up will most likely be a large lending institution.
4. The continued acceptance of same sex marriage in the US.  Currently, I think 35 of the 50 are allowing same sex marriage.
3. Russia invading the Crimea in Ukraine.  This is not covered much here in the US… at the moment, but it smacks of some Archduke Ferdinand shit in the long run
2. Syrian Civil War and its consequences
&
1. The re-awakening of mainstream acknowledgement of institutionalized racism in the US… Racism is real, yo, and it is really bad for people of color.

19. What is the biggest tech story of 2014 in your opinion?
Bilateral mind-controlled prosthetic arms… yep, I guy can control 2 prosthetic arms with his mind now…. A.MAZ.ING.

20. So… 2014?  That was a year, wasn’t it?
Sure was.

To recap:
2014 was a pretty darn good year
I have a good feeling about 2015
Avengers 2
Star Wars 7
That is pretty banner right there
5 more months of school until I am done
Anyone need a guy about to get a MS in User Experience Design?
I am trying to sleep better
It is not working great
I tend to stay up late because that increases the amount of time that I am conscious and not in my cubicle
This is sketch 222 for the year

I love Spiderwoman’s new togs
I also like using the word “togs” to signify clothing
Happy new year everyone
and
Have a great week everybody

20 Questions Tuesday - 305: Holiday Shopping

It is Christmas shopping season again and Christmas shopping is abundant.  Therefore this week’s topic is “holiday Shopping.” I really want to support local business and retail, but sweet gravy stores are not making it easy.  Full length plush robe retailers!  You are going to make me go to Amazon.  

This week I went ahead and asked my Facebook and Twitter peeps for an assist on coming up with questions for me to answer. It worked fairly well… so this week, it is 20 Questions about “Holiday Shopping” as brought to you my my social graph.  Thanks to my Wife, Sandy, AAR, Lsig, ElSilverio, A-AR, and Rob B.

Onto the Questions:
1. What is your strategy for holiday shopping? 
Umm… let my wife do most of it and then step in at the last moment for the last minute stuff when she looks at me exasperatedly and asks if I am doing ANYTHING this year.

2. What holidays are worth shopping for? 
Christmas, and family birthdays.

3. "Holiday shopping" makes it sounds like you are actually shopping for a holiday...what holiday is the best value? What holidays are just luxury items that we don't really need? What holidays would be in the bulk bin?
Oooh, like we are doing Fantasy Holiday League.  Who is the moneymaker, who should I bench, who should I trade high and buy low?  I love it…. and go!

If you can get Christmas on your team, you should, but that is a draft pick that is always the first to go.  I think it is time to bench St Patrick’s Day.  While large quantities of booze will be consumed not much durable goods will accompany that holiday.  Bench it.  Sell High?  That is Easter.  The springtime rebirth festivals are waning due to recovering from the winter solsticine holidays, but its name recognition alone will get some high value, but completely lack the payout you’d expect.  Sell High!  Buy Low?  Arbor Day, with the resurgence of Earth Day, Arbor Day is it’s cheaper cousin.  Everyone likes trees and with Earth Day on April 22, Arbor Day on April 24th allows the people who forgot Earth Day to plant a tree.  Buy Low.  This is Scott Ryan-Hart with the weekly Fantasy Holiday League Report.

4. Do you like to shop with someone else or alone? why?
When getting gifts for difficult people I find it best to have a wingman, but if it is a slam dunk easy decision, I like to fly solo.

5. Does the individuals likability affect how much time and money you spend?
Certainly.

6.  List or gift from the heart? Or whatever you deem worthy?
A list is a good thing, but the kids are getting rather savvy with their lists… the lists they give right now tend to be skeletal in depth and breadth.  So for those lists, I like to go off-book.  For people with bajillions of things on their list, I will gladly choose from something on their list.

7. Do you like going to the mall?
Nope

8. Do you buy people things they "need" and practical, or something they might "want" but would be a bit of a luxury?
I feel that a gift should consist of something that the recipient would not typically get for themselves.  Sometimes this is something they need that is practical that they are unwilling to shell out the money for, and sometimes this is an extravagance that is luxurious.

9. What gift (for which you shopped) did you get the best reaction from the recipient?
Hmmm… It wasn’t for a holiday, but the reaction of my girlfriend becoming my fiancée
was pretty cool.

10. Last minute deal finder or early bird gets great worms or a little of both?
I am a middle of the road shopper.  I like to get to places before they are completely picked over, but not when the outrageous mobs are present. 

11. What the bleep is Green Monday?
It is an eBay flavored version of Cyber Monday.  It is the day of the year in the mid 00’s that eBay had their most sales and eBay’s logo is green.

12. Opinion of black Friday shenanigans
People are sheep

13. If a loved one's birthday is close to Christmas, do you go all in for one gift or painstakingly try to find two?
I think you should strive for 2 gifts that should not be related.  

14. Which store do you least like to enter, but feel compelled because that special somebody wants something from it?
Toys to the freaking R' freaking Us

15. So is Holiday Shopping a woodworking break from a job in the UK?
Yes, I suppose it could be.

16. Close to done?
Kind of?

17. Do you get the gifts wrapped at the store or wrap them at home?
My Wife actually likes wrapping gifts (to my knowledge) and will wrap most the gifts until she gets fed up with the tape on her paper-cut fingers and asks if I am doing ANYTHING this year. 

18. Do you ever try to top gifts from year to year?
Nope, that way leads only to financial ruin.

19. What gift are you looking forward to giving this year?
Nice try.

20. Shouldn’t there be a summer gift giving holiday to balance this shit out?  I mean seriously, wouldn’t two retail holidays help our GDP?
June 21st, the Summer Solstice should be a holiday… for well… reasons.

To recap:
One of my best friends and uncle to my kids’s mom passed away earlier this week
I knew this time was coming
All of the people I grew up with are in their 40’s now, so their parents are in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s
It makes sense that it is time
But it is never the time
My heart goes out to him
Just finished watching Agents of SHIELD
That is how you do a mid-season finale
Wow… Just wow
I need to get this published and play a little of my Marvel Heroes 2015 it's a Diablo clone… so. much. fun.
Have a great week everyone