40 (but not really) questions

I have been tagged by Miss Em! I am compelled to take a survey!

(Okay, fine, so it doesn't really take much compelling...)

1a. What year did you first start using e-mail (on a daily basis)?
...I'm not sure, but it was somewhere around the time I got into BBSes. So I will guess 1994.

1b. What year did you first start using a cell phone?
2003. Hahahahaha!

1c. What is the ring-tone on your cell phone?
The default ring. Someday, when I have a phone that supports ringtones, I will put music from Kyou Kara Maou on there. Haven't decided what yet--the opening theme is appealing because it'll get my attention quickly, but it might be nice to use Conrad's Theme...

2. From where you are answering this, can you see out a window? If so, what do you see?
No, my chair is actually facing away from the window (it's feng shui to be facing the doorway, so that's how I arranged the office), and anyway the blinds are closed ;> If they were open and I was turning around, I would see the pond, ducks, and trees, because our view rules.

3a. What one physical characteristic would you change about yourself?
I want to be in shape. Not "thin", but healthy. Good muscle mass, not too much fat.

3b. What one personality trait would you change about yourself?
I don't know...it's taken me so long to figure out my personality as it is. I'm not sure how I would deal with myself if I changed something. Even the stereotypically bad stuff, like my temper, comes from good places, places that are me. And I dunno, I kinda like me.

3c. Thing you like about yourself the most?
My desire to experience and love the world.

4a. Favorite spectator sport?
Videogames!

4b. Favorite team and/or player in that sport?
My brother AJ, playing Link in any Zelda game.

4c. Professional sports team and/or player you would most enjoy seeing crushed in defeat?
The bad guys in any Zelda game. Or, anyone playing against me in a racing game. But that's not really in the realm of "spectator" anymore...

5a. Favorite bumper sticker saying?
I don't really like bumper stickers; they mess up the sleek look of cars. I used to get bumper stickers and putty them to my walls instead of putting them on my car. However, of late I just think bumper stickers are snarky without being clever.

5b. Bumper sticker saying that really pisses you off?
Anything talking about how the owner of the vehicle is a "Princess", or is "Spoiled". Because, I mean, why advertise those things?

6a. Do you believe in astrology?
I think the idea is interesting, but given that we don't know so much about what astronomical bodies are out there, it seems unlikely that we could come to any accurate predictions--even assuming the fundamental theory, that we can read and interpret causality in the universe, is sound.

6b. Do you believe in extra-sensory perception of any kind?
Sort of; I think our brains have senses that we haven't detected/developed yet.

6c. Do you believe in ghosts?
Not really, because I feel like they were invented to explain inexplicable events in the past, or to help people deal with death. However, I do believe that people are sensing something when they think they see ghosts. Maybe they are ghosts. All I know is, I've never seen one or experienced anything that seemed supernatural.

6d. Do you believe in God?
See this post.

6e. If you answered "No" to 6a, 6b, and 6c, and "Yes" to 6d, please explain.
n/a

7a. Favorite movie ever?
I dunno. There was a time in my life when I'd put The Empire Strikes Back down for this question without thinking, but meh. Forrest Gump really had an impact on me. I love The Fifth Element, too. I think, though, that my tastes are geared more towards series than films.

7b. Funniest movie ever?
I'm sitting here trying to think of a movie that makes me laugh out loud and that I would watch right now...and all that's coming to mind is Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

7c. Scariest movie ever?
I hate scary movies. I don't like the tension, and the plots are usually stupid (in my opinion). Like, oooh, a spaceship that went to Hell! Anyway, I tend to avoid scary things. I do watch thrillers occasionally, but those aren't all that scary. The movie that actually scared me, so that I screamed out loud at the very end, was Carrie. But to be fair, I didn't watch the whole thing...

7d. Worst movie you've ever watched in its entirety?
Well, as you might be able to tell from the previous question, I hated Event Horizon...Ben liked it, though, and he's into that stuff, so maybe that's not a fair assessment. I'm gonna go with You've Got Mail. That movie was pretty stupid.

8. If you were appointed Supreme Dictator of the United States for a day, what one thing would you outlaw? (Note: None of this "I'm not that type of person" crap. Indulge yourself.)
Now, see, this is hard, because I want to say "intolerance", but there are caveats. I would prefer that everyone be intolerant of murder and rape, for example.

9. Are you happy?
Right now? I have a headache ;_; But in general, yes, I'm content. There are things I want and need, but I'm not distressed to a crippling degree over them.

10a. How many foreign languages are you fluent in?
None. I'm working on Japanese, though.

10b. How many computer languages are you fluent in?
I used to know BASIC (the original), Pascal, and FORTRAN. Nowadays I cobble together HTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript with the help of the Web.

11a. What was your major when you entered college?
Aerospace Engineering (stop laughing, please)

11b. And what was it when you graduated?
Linguistics, and English (two degrees--not a double major)

11c. And what would it be if you could do it all over again?
I'd do the same thing, only I'd spend more time studying Japanese, and tack on a Japanese or Japan Studies degree. (Japan Studies ended up being my minor.)

11d. And if you were to go back to school now strictly for pleasure/self-improvement?
I've been thinking about an MBA. I'd also like a PhD in Linguistics someday. If I went back to school now, though, I would really just take self-improvement classes like photography and more Japanese language. I'm also interested in studying Arabic.

12a. What one thing about George Bush do you loathe more than anything else?
I don't really loathe anything about him--the one thing that bothers me to a certain degree is also the thing that makes me trust him, and that is his manner of speech.

12b. Member of the Bush Administration you actually think is evil (as opposed to merely stupid, incompetent, wrong-headed or short-sighted)?
Umm...

13. Do you "share" music with your friends, and if so do you feel guilty about it?
Yes, and no, but my loophole is that the music isn't licensed/released/whatever in the US.

14. Favorite comic strip?
At this point, I'm gonna go with Girl Genius--it's the one I most look forward to reading. (I'm reading Girl Genius 101, because I never followed the original comics.) My long-term favorite, Sluggy, is kind of laggy lately. Right now, I would rank Penny Arcade above it.

15a. Do you consider yourself romantic?
To a degree. I can find romance, and I do nice things for my husband, and I enjoy romantic movies (to an extent, depending on my mood). But I'm also a realist and a control freak, and my husband isn't romantic at all, so our lives don't really include champagne and roses.

15b. Have you found your One True Love?
Yup :)

15c. Do you use cute nicknames for each other?
I don't know if they're cute. He calls me "Babydoll" and "Babe", and I call him "Honey", "Dear", "Sweetie", "Dearest", "Snugglewumpus"...okay so my names get a little ridiculous...

15d. If so, what are... No, scratch that. Move along.
Ha! I already volunteered that information!

16. Ever owned an "exotic" pet, and if so what was it?
No, but I had a friend who had lizards and snakes once. I think.

17. Physically-grueling activities: Love 'em or hate 'em?
They're great...when you're done. It's such a rush and an amazing feeling of accomplishment.

18. Have you ever gotten a Letter to the Editor published? If so, what was it about?
No, I don't think so. I wrote to TV Guide once, concerning ABC's Saturday morning lineup (they'd bumped ReBoot for some stupid show I didn't care about, Xenogears or something), but all they did was write back that they have no control over ABC's programming decisions. My letter didn't get published ;>

19. Would you say you're competitive? Feel free to elaborate.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I'm so competitive that often I won't participate because there's the chance I might not win. Maybe this is something I should want to change about my personality...

(Actually, I do want to change it, but not with a snap of my fingers. I'm trying to work on it.)

20. As a percentage, how much of what you've achieved in life would you say is due to "dumb luck" (e.g. where you were born, who your parents were, random chance, connections you've made with people, etc.) versus hard work, careful planning, and determination? Please round to the nearest 10th percentile.
I have no idea. I wasn't in a "privileged class", growing up, but my mom carefully planned to give us experiences and education that would help us in life. So I would say that much of what I've achieved is due to my mother's hard work. Most of my choices have been made based on the circumstances of my life, rather than any long-term planning of my own, but I can't really say that I've achieved a whole lot that way. So I guess we can say 90% dumb luck because of who my mom is?

21. What actor/actress would you want to play you in the Movie of Your Life?
When asked this question in my Human Sexuality in Cross Cultural Perspective class, I said Jodie Foster. I still like her, but she's getting kind of old to play me. What they should really do is animate my life. Oh bah, I could be here all day trying to pick a good voice actress for myself. Next question...

22. Favorite philosopher?
I haven't really studied philosophy, so I don't know. I'll go with Em's answer and say MYSELF, because I do like to harp and speculate quite a bit.

23a. What is the most enjoyable job you've ever had?
My job at 2go-Box, because I did all kinds of different things. It was also my most frustrating job, however. I never knew where I stood or where I was going, and though my opinions were welcomed, I felt that I couldn't really make a difference where it counted.

23b. Putting aside talent, training, compensation, and any other practical consideration, what job would you most like to have?
Wife of a billionaire. ;P Seriously, I don't know what my ideal job is. It would have to be something where I could do different things a lot. I hate being bored, and I love being challenged. Some days I'm just in the mood to do mindless, menial labor, but other days I need something I can really sink my teeth into. I have yet to figure out what job is like this.

23c. OK, now taking all the practical stuff back into account, what job do you wish you could have?
Owner of a business--I love being in charge of things, I'm good at organizing, I know when to delegate, and I think guiding a company would appeal to my hates-being-bored personality.

23d. If you won Powerball, would you continue to work any kind of regular job?
Not a regular job, no...but I would have to do something with myself. I'd write, travel, take pictures, work on my website...and I'd invest in things, and start my own business.

24. Biggest phobia?
Someone I love being hurt/dying. (If that doesn't count as a "phobia", then change my answer to "cockroaches".)

25a. How often do you worry about death?
My own death? Usually only when I'm in a dangerous situation. Other people's deaths? I'm not sure...the thought will occur to me if someone's late arriving somewhere, or just randomly when I'm thinking about a person. Sometimes a news story about something horrible happening to someone will make me worry that it could happen to someone I love.

25b. What's the closest you've ever come to dying?
That fever when I had cancer was the closest, I suppose. I was pretty sick.

25c. If you could be immortal, would you want to be? (Note: If you answered "Yes" to 15b, assume that person could be immortal with you.)
I think I would be like Nicolas Flamel. I'd be "immortal" for awhile, but after a time I'd get tired of it, and want to "go to bed after a very long day". Ultimately, mortality is part of the human experience...it's too surreal to keep going and going and watching everyone around you grow old and die. While there is so much to experience out there--too much to ever see in one lifetime--would the cost, family and friends, be worth it?

26. What period in history would you most like to visit?
The Heian Period in Japan. I find the whole courtier lifestyle very appealing, what with the arts and poetry and such. Of course, I don't think I would want to be a peasant during that time. ;P

27a. Do you think we'll ever achieve interstellar travel?
Yeah, we'll figure something out eventually. Probably not in my lifetime, given the sorry state of the space program, and the fact that we have plenty of other things to worry about, like terrorism, injustice, and world hunger.

27b. If you could travel in space, even if it were "just" to a Moon base, e.g., would you go?
Yup!

28. Name someone of your own gender that you consider "hot". (Note: Answering this does not mean you're gay, although feeling intense discomfort about answering it might. Oh, and if you are gay, name someone of the opposite gender you consider "hot".)
Too...many...answers...I'm attracted to both sexes, so this question's point is lost on me.

29. Book(s) you've tried to read but just couldn't get through that you still plan to read?
Master and Commander

30a. Favorite alcholic beverage?
I don't drink, so I have no idea. I liked the taste of cold sake when I tried it, and how it went down kinda rough.

30b. How often do you drink alcoholic beverages?
Never :) I can count on one hand the times I've had a drink, and for each of those times it was only a sip.

31a. Do you enjoy taking surveys?
Very much so. I love talking about myself. I mean...I have a blog, for goodness' sake.

31b. Are you pissed off that I said this was going to be 40 questions and, including sub-questions, we're already at, like, 52?
Actually, wherever it said there were 40 questions was mysteriously absent on Miss Em's page, so I didn't know how many questions there were supposed to be until I read her answers. However, if you're asking if I'm the type of person who is annoyed by inconsistency, then yes. Yes, I am.

32. How many of the 50 states have you been to? (Note: For purposes of this question, "been to" can include driving through on the highway, but it cannot include airport stop-overs where you did not leave the airport.)
16, apparently

33. Person you'd most like to have a beer with (excluding friends/family)?
Again, I don't drink--but if I could meet anyone in the world and hang out with them, I'd kind of like it to be Junichiro Koizumi, because he is so cool. (Plus, he's the sexiest 60-something-year-old man in the world.)

34. Person you'd most like to punch in the mouth?
Why can't we all just get along? Violence is not the answer! Okay, seriously: Osama bin Laden.

35a. Describe your style of driving.
Attentive, relaxed, and usually a little too fast

35b. If you could have any car in the world -- for daily use, not a "trophy" car -- what would it be?
Mazda's "The Slut"!!!!!!! Okay, honestly, I don't know--I don't want an SUV, those things kill the planet and are way too big and impossible to park, and I don't want a van for similar reasons (and also because they're dorky). Trucks are okay, but nothing too big. I'd prefer a four-door so I could cart people around comfortably, but I want the car to be relatively small (and cute).

36. Your Myers-Briggs personality type?
I was an INFP back in high school. I took the test more recently (maybe even this year), but I don't remember what I scored.

37. Favorite color? Explain.
It always used to be blue, but now I really like pastel pink. I'm such a girl. I don't know, I'm really into cute lately.

38. Favorite season/location combination?
Oohh, this is hard. Right now I'm thinking fall, in Central Kentucky, but really, there are so many beautiful places...

39. Do It Yourself or Hire A Professional?
It really depends on the job. There are some jobs I would much rather give to someone else, like dishes and laundry. Anything that is recurring and repetitive. But projects...those can be fun! For instance, I would love to try building a deck, or installing an outdoor kitchen.

40. It's Friday afternoon, almost quittin' time. Can't wait to get home so you can _____.
For the sake of this exercise, I'll pretend this applies to me. Here's how I finish that sentence:

...hop on the computer to see if anyone's released the next episodes of my favorite anime, or if there are any new comments on my blog. Yes, I am that sad. I also love hugging my husband, a lot, so I would indulge in that. I would not be looking forward to making dinner, however (cooking is one of those recurring, repetitive things).