Antmeister
10-10-2007, 12:14 PM
FOFC/FOF QUESTIONS
What is the toughest thing about being the "the man" here? The worst thing? The best?
Honestly, there's nothing that feels really tough, best, or worst about it. It is what it is. I'm not easily angered or rattled (which is a good thing for running this place), so I can take most stuff in stride and just laugh it off. I get a kick out of how seriously some people take getting banned from here, especially the ones who have little/nothing invested. I'll never understand why they just don't move on to one of the myriad of other places on the 'net where they could get basically the same discussion that they get at FOFC.
What's the Dark Council? Are you the true dark jedi?
In a flame war 3 or 4 years ago, someone called me the One True Dark Jedi on here, and I thought it was hilarious, so I've referenced it numerous times since, as have others. When I created a team of moderators 18 months or so ago, some long-timers jokingly referred to them as the "Dark Council." I guess the One True Dark Jedi has to get his advice from somewhere.
Why are you such a dictator?
I'm like Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoon series, who believes the best form of government is the "benevolent dictator." I try my best to be benevolent here whenever possible. ;)
When will QOTM return?
Probably never. People were putting in wayyyy too many only-funny-in-the-context quotes, and not things that were just funny in general. It was a royal pain to moderate.
How many people will be boxed during this thread? (where's Shorty? )
Hopefully, none.
How did you "stumble" upon FOF?
My "text sim" history really starts back somewhere in the 1978-1980 range, when I got my parents to buy me Statis-Pro Major League Baseball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statis_Pro_Baseball) for my 10th, 11th or 12th birthday. I played the heck out of it, both solo and head-to-head against one of my older brothers. My first computer sports game was Microleague Baseball, for my Atari 800XL :D in the early-to-mid-80s. My first PC-compatible machine came in the late 80s, and with it the PC versions of Microleague Baseball and Microleague Football. I graduated to Strat-O-Matic baseball for the computer in the early 90s. I played a TON of that game, dozens and dozens of seasons, game-by-game. I wrote the company every single year with feature upgrade requests, and including career play/drafting/progression every time. Obviously, I failed. However, once Metacrawler came to be, I did searches for career baseball and career football sims maybe every month or so. I bought Baseball Mogul, then FOF. I don't remember exactly how I got to The Sideline (the predecessor to FOFC, for those who don't know), but that was probably a Metacrawler search, too.
I know this is "just a message board" but how has being personally involved in this board affected your life? / Given your own experiences regarding your board activity infringing on your personal and/or professional life, do you believe anyone really contacted Dell about HornsManiac?
There have been two direct attempts that I know of to sabotage my professional/personal life. One banned person sent an e-mail to the chairman of my local board of directors that pointed to specific links at FOF as examples of why I should be fired from my job (YL at the time) because (among other things) I was operating a message board that actively suppressed the Christian point of view, and that I used HNIC as my title. A link to a pic I'd posted of my wife and I was used to verify that I was "SkyDog." Another found my home address and had porn magazines and catalogues sent to my house. That could have cost me my former job and/or caused a loss of trust in me by my wife. I don't know who had the magazines sent, but I got to the bottom of how I was getting all of these magazines--a card mailed in by someone, and it was received by the distributor just four days after a banning of a rather immature person, so it's not hard to put two and two together there. I've received phone calls at home from people asking for reinstatements as well. So, with that experience, I certainly wouldn't rule out that someone did contact his company. Members don't usually arouse spite/anger quite like the guy in charge can arouser spite/anger to make someone do something like that but Horns did piss people off probably more than any other non-"authority" figure in this board's history, so I'd say it's a possibility.
Why the title "HNIC"?
My mama never says the n-word, but she uses HNIC all the time to refer to anyone in charge of anything, so that was an easy one.
If you could turn back the hands of time, would you chose to take up the same position in this forum or would your want to be another face in the crowd?
Good question. Probably so. The two sabotage attempts failed, so no harm in either of those, and the other stuff has provided more humor than headaches
Do you have nightmares of a "stronger and more powerful" return?
Heh. Nah. (Another comment by a banned troll, for those not aware. He said that he'd come back, and he'd be "stronger and more powerful than ever.")
Who was GroundCat and why was he banned?
GroundCat was either wignifty or someone that wignifty put up to it. I know that beyond any reasonable doubt because he posted an e-mail at another board that was allegedly sent from me to GroundCat that was not. However, it *was* a direct takeoff on an e-mail I had sent to wignify a year or two earlier. He was banned because it was clear that he was either a banned troll (wignifty) or someone here sent by a banned troll to troll.
What period did you play FOF the most (if not now)?
Either now, or FOF2. I think now.
If Jim were to create a game that wasn't football, what would you want it to be?
Nearly every time I set my depth charts in FOF, I think about using that interface to set my pitching rotation in Front Office Baseball.
Saldana- man or woman?
No idea. Since we're talking about an FOFC member, I'd guess a male. But since the question was asked, maybe it's different from the norm, so maybe a female.
Why you hate jbmagic, he never hurt no one.
I don't hate jbmagic. I think jbmagic is bad for FOFC, though.
I remember a while ago you needed donations to continue FOFC. Are you still good, or is it time to ante up?
You may be confusing a couple of situations here. We don't need money. I'm very happy with our hosting with Gamespy now, and it's free. The two things were:
January 2003, I think it was, we upgraded to vbulletin from ubb. The software cost $160. People didn't want me to pay it all, so I purchased it, and allowed 12 people to send me 10 bucks each to cover partial cost, but I felt I should be the main financial stakeholder.
We had a month or two outage in the fall of 2004, due to a serious security breach at another Gamespy-hosted site. There was talk then of us branching out on our own and paying for a dedicated server. That would have cost some serious cash, and we've had no significant outages in three years since then, so that idea isn't being revisited unless it becomes necessary for some reason at a later time.
Who is the reincarnation of Bragg?
He's not a regular any more, but I specifically told him I wouldn't reveal his identity, so I won't. He still pops in from time to time, though. Roughly four years, well over 1,000 posts, and not a single controversy that I know of.
S (http://www.fof-ihof.com/player/player.php?playerid=7349)haun Duncan (http://www.fof-ihof.com/player/player.php?playerid=7349)...pimp or playa?
P to da I to da M to da motherf-----' P, beeyatch!
I can not believe this board is still going strong after seven years (almost) and some of that must be attribute to you and your effort.
Nah. That's the community. As the admin/dictator/HNIC, my job is not to screw it up for everyone, or let someone come in and screw it up for everyone. The community runs itself. I don't really post much anymore in OT besides some sports threads, and I haven't had to take any punitive actions in months. There was a flair-up of reported posts when the "Dark Council" was originally created, by people trying to get their least-favorite people suspended, but that died down. We've only had one reported post in nearly the last four months, and that one required no action. I think the PSUColonel banning, whenever that was, is that only thing I've had to really get involved in for quite some time.
What was going through your mind when you made the decision to create a forum especially for werewolf players? Why don't those posts count? / Would you be willing to allow Werewolf posts into the total post count?
Because I'm not familiar with a number of the newer members, and sometimes I need a quick way to determine if a person has contributed a lot to the board, and post count is the fastest way to do that. The werewolf threads were inflating post counts.
Have you considered creating a forum especially for political/religious threads? There's a ton of those threads too.
I've considered it, but it's too fine a line. Oftentimes, a non-political discussion can turn that way. It would be too annoying/confusing to have to make that determination.
There have, what, maybe a dozen or less, bannings of active board participants. Do any still contact you about joining the board (aside from the standard play of registering a new screenie)?
I'm not sure how many there have been. I'd guess more than a dozen, but not by many. I usually hear from at least one or two when Jim's about to announce or release a new game, and others crop up from time to time at seemingly-random spots. I've received three phone calls that I can think of off the top of my head from people trying to get reinstated, too. I've also gotten two long-after-the-fact apologies from people.
Favorite SP dynasty you've done?
Probably all the way back to the Bear Bryant Challenge on The Sideline. My favorite player, though, was Tyrus Dunn of the Hartford Nor'easters (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=2030&highlight=tyrus+dunn). He had the greatest single season I've ever seen in FOF.
What is your favorite thread?
The thread announcing FOF6.1, followed by the Civ4 thread. I play those two games almost exclusively these days, with OOTP2K7 being a distant third.
SPORTS
Are you into any sports, other than football? / Do you play any sports?
I grew up with two much-older brothers and a father who were all very into football/basketball/baseball, and a large extended family that was into them as well. Two of my mother's siblings raised their families in the same neighborhood as ours (as in my mother's brother and his family lived in the next block on the same street, and my mother's sister and her family lived three streets over--all in very easy walking distance) . Four cousins that I grew up with played collegiate-level football/baseball/basketball, and nearly all of us played in high school and several others were probably good enough to have played *something* at some small college had we been so inclined. (Those who have been around FOFC for a while may know that it was one of those first cousins from the next block, Rudy Allen, who was sacked by the "Rudy" from the movie in the real-life Tech-Notre Dame game.) Most of my earliest memories involve football games in the yard or the street, my brothers/dad pitching to me in the back yard, 3-on-3 basketball games in the back yard with like 10 bruthas waiting for "next down", and the next down, and the next down, and the like. I was SO excited when my father decided I was old enough to stay up late enough on a Friday night to go to a high school football game to see one of my cousins play. I'm guessing I was probably 5 or 6. I don't really remember it. It's hard to remember a time when I wasn't going to the football game of a brother or cousin with my dad and/or brothers. I never read nursery rhymes or the comics as a child. It was straight to Sports Illustrated and the newspaper's sports page.
Being a later child, my mother was overprotective of me and coaxed my father into encouraging me toward baseball and basketball and away from the too-violent-for-her-tastes football, so I never played any form of organized football (but played a buttload of pickup touch and tackle with some fairly talented guys http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif ) until I played QB and led my college intramural team to a 2nd-place finish my freshman year. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/tongue.gif Ah, what might have been. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif (Nah, I had a very strong arm and quick release, but I'm too short.) Anyway, I played baseball and basketball growing up. I went to a strong academic private school for high school, and my folks required that I pick one sport during my freshman year. Thinking that chicks dig the slam dunk, I went with basketball. If I had that decision to do over again, I definitely would have chosen baseball. It's easy to get into an organized basketball league as an adult, but the opportunities for baseball are very limited. Alas, the mistakes of youth.
At any rate, I was doing well enough in the classroom for my parents' tastes. So, in my Junior year, when a guy got hurt and the track coach approached and asked me to high jump for him, my folks were ok with it, so I did the high jump for 2 years (best height was nothing special--6'0")
Anyway, today I like to play whatever's in season, be it flag football, basketball, or softball.
What sports figure do you most admire and why? What sports figure do you least admire and why?
That's a tough one. I don't really "admire" any sports figures as sports figures. I completely disassociate what I see on the field of battle from life. Sports is entertainment--just like a movie, as far as I'm concerned. I don't "admire" Irwin M. Fletcher, but I sure enjoy watching him make me laugh. Similarly, I don't "admire" guys I watch on the playing field, but I sure enjoy watching them entertain me. The only ones I "admire" as people are the ones I've known personally. Mack Strong and I went to the same tiny (250ish student) private high school, and lived in adjacent neighborhoods. I'm two grades ahead of Mack, so I drove him to school during his freshman and sophomore years, and he made varsity basketball as a sophomore, so we ended up being teammates and very good friends, and still keep in touch. I admire Mack because I know how he takes his faith and family seriously, but not as a sports figure. If I had one I least admired, I wouldn't "out" him on here, but really none of the few people I know who have been on national television as sports figures are really "negative" people.
Can that boy run good?
Yeah, but he's out 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone. (Thomas Brown reference, UGA's tailback who went to Tucker High School, for those unfamiliar). A couple of weeks ago, Mel Kiper projected him as a late 1st/early 2nd. Assuming the shoulder heals fine, Thomas will have SICK combine numbers this spring.
Recently Tennessee nearly had 60 hung on them by Florida. I know last year I gloated during my early morning hours in Africa while watching Tennessee do the same to Georgia. By the way, I apologize about that. I know that drubbing really frustrated me to the core about the way Tennessee is doing things. Did it do the same for you last year?
The game this year was more frustrating, because it looked like our kids were woefully unprepared.
Since about 2005, I have become best friends with a guy who loves the Bulldogs. I personally blame you.
Anyways, which is the bigger rivalry to you:
The Deep South's Oldest: Georgia/Auburn
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate: Georgia/Georgia Tech
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party: Georgia/Florida It really depends where you grew up. One of the differences between pro and college rivalries is the fact that, at least in the South, you don't have to deal wiht the obnoxious fans of your favorite pro team's rival on a day-to-day basis. But I grew up only 35-40 miles from Jordan-Hare Stadium, and it felt like I heard "WAR EAGLE" from someone every...single.....freaking......day. And let me assure you, it's no fun to lose to Auburn on Saturday night, and then going to church on Sunday and hearing about it from those people (they love to teach their little 4-year-old kids to come up to you at church and yell "WAR EAGLE" after a win, by the way), then going to work/school on Monday and hearing about it again. My perception is that the further south you get in Georgia, the more people will say that Florida is the most important game. Over in west Georgia, we wanted to beat Auburn worse than anyone else. In the Atlanta area, it's Tech. In far North Georgia, it's Tennessee. Now that I'm in SC, I wouldn't be shocked if I end up growing to care more about that game every year, especially now that I've experience a loss and the ensuing celebration by these people.
Asher Allan and Thomas Brown are drowning in quicksand and you can only save one .. Which one is it?
Thomas. He's stronger than Asher, so he could pull Asher out, too. (By the way, is it a sign that I've been here too much that I see the proper spelling of "quicksand" and immediately think it looks wrong.)
what better Mack Strong or Thomas Brown?
I grew up with Mack and love him like a brother, but Thomas Brown is the greatest high school athlete I've ever seen--better than any other running back I've seen at that level, a list including NFL players Garrison Hearst, Patrick Pass, and Mack. (Incidentally, last I checked, Mack is #2 all-time in TDs in the history of the Georgia High School Association. Some guy named H. Walker is #1. Mack had three less TDs than him, I believe.) I hope to see what Thomas can do on Sundays next year.
Favorite Tucker sports memory?
It was a cold, cold night in Troup County Georgia. Tucker had never advanced to the state semifinals in the Georgia Dome, and was playing Troup in the q-finals. We won in a shutout, 29-0, I think. Because of the score, the entire fourth quarter was just one long celebration. The visiting stands were rocking. The players who had come out of the game were going nuts and interacting with the crowd. It was a blast. I have a picture on my desk of the Senior players taken right after that game, your brother included, of course. It's my favorite non-family picture of all-time.
How long have you been a fan of the Georgia Yellow Jackets?
Heh. I follow the Dawgs more closely, bit I don't have an issue with the Jackets. Growing up in Columbus, I learned to hate Auburn, not Tech. Having a first cousin who lived down the street who started at QB there, I certainly had an affinity for them as a young child, too.
MUSIC
Do you play any musical instruments?
I picked up guitar in my late teens. (I'm two months shy of 39 now.) I've been playing it ever since. I took piano lessons as a child, and still dabble around with keyboards a bit, but I'm mainly an acoustic guitarist. (I also play a little classical.)
Of the songs you've written, which is your favorite? Why?
That's a tough one. I'm not a prolific songwriter at all. I usually write because of a particularly significant event or to augment a message I'm giving. So, all of them are special in their own right. Some that stand out, though, in no particular order....
"Why?"--the one about digamma's father and brother--felt it captured the moments, and I'm glad I resisted the urge to try to answer the question
Beneath The Smile--love the turnaround on the bridge and chorus, and the fact that I was able to say what I wanted to say in few words
Live Each Day--a fairly-recent and unrecorded song that has, by far, my favorite melody and chorus. very cool minor sound that works better with my voice than anything I've ever written. I'll try to do a cheap recording of this and post it at some point.
Cry Of My Heart--because it was written early in my dating relationship with my wife, for her, and really expressed things well...another minor-key song, and probably the second-best with my voice
Daddy--Duh.
If you had to choose between making music and playing FOF, with the one you don't pick being something you can never do again, what would it be?
I'm not as much of a "musician" as people on here might think. It so happens that I'm a very good guitar player, but I'm not "into" guitar and "my music" like most musicians are. Now that I don't have to play for group meetings 2-3 times a week, it's not uncommon for me to go several weeks without even picking up my guitar. It's more of a diversion. I'd drop music first, pretty easily.
How is the music career?
It's definitely not a "career." I made a CD because I felt it would be a good addition to my ministry. I never thought it would turn any serious profit. The loan that we took out to pay for the production, printing, etc. is paid off, so it's not hanging over my head at all. I've lived in the Lowcountry for roughly 15 months now, and have yet to pursue playing publicly down here.
HODGEPODGE
What is your favorite TV show that's still on the air?
I assume you don't count sporting events as a "TV show." If you do, then it's "Inside The SEC." :p If not, I'm not sure if it's reruns or not at this point, but I'll watch "COPS" if I'm vegging. Other than that, I watched a couple of episodes of Run's House for a specific reason (I hope to be able to tell that story soon, but not now,) and my wife pulled me into the room to watch the biracial girl sing one of my favorite songs, "A Broken Wing" on American Idol a few months ago. That's really about it for my TV watching.
Do you have any pets?
No, but we're talking about getting a dog, hopefully a lab.
Have you and SWMBO made sushi lately?
No, but we've gone out for it. We haven't really looked for a farmers' market here that sells sushi-grade seafood yet. It's more of a "date night" than something we'd do on a regular basis. I think we've done it three or four times. (If you're wondering about the origin of this question, it comes from this thread: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=45819&highlight=sushi )
Did you know that one of the reasons I picked digamma was that I knew he'd pick you AND you'd say yes? Did I have to be that devious?
Nope, didn't know that, but I reckon you got your wish, oh devious one.
Are you wearing shoes right now?
Of course not! (For those that don't know, I rarely wear shoes--even at work I kick them off when I'm at my desk.)
Before reading ahead, how many rap questions do you think you'll get stuck with?
I'm guessing not all that many, maybe two or three.
What group of people currently living would you most like to sit down with to talk and about what?
I'm pretty simple-minded on that one. Just a nice sit-down with my old homies from high school and college days that I don't get to see that often. I'd like to get all of us somewhere together for a week with no agenda---just laughing about the old stories, and a little singin', guitar pickin', beat-boxing, rhymes, and basketball.
What group of historic figures would you like to sit down and talk with?
If I were 100% guaranteed of my own safety and 100% guaranteed of getting the whole story, it would be the men responsible for the death of JFK. I'd love to know the ins and outs of all that went into the planning and cover-up. Those two conditions not being met, though, it would be Malcolm X and the people who stayed with him after he left and denounced the Nation Of Islam.
Big bang, purely creationism, or somewhere in between?
I'm somewhere in between, and it doesn't really matter to me. I believe that in their original form, the Old Testament and New Testament are the inaccurate, inspired Word Of God. There are parts of the Bible that aren't to be taken literally, though. I don't have four feet and say, "bah," yet Jesus refers to me as one of his sheep. ;)
What would the ideal rest of your life be like?
Wow. That's a tough one. I'm still waffling on having children, so I could go either way on that one. More than anything else, I want to continue to be shaped into the person God wants me to be--right now, that's a husband, a friend, and a good worker at my job.
Who is the best rapper of all-time? (sorry, just had to put one in there after the DD question)
You ask "who is number one, if not best then better?" Here's a hint: the 18th letter.
Why haven't we done a FTB with you yet?
'Cause no one asked before now.
Will SWMBO come in to ask you questions?
She doesn't check the board much anymore.
What would it take to get you to join a werewolf game and if you played would your posts count?
I used to play mafia, and after a while, I found it to be just a cat-and-mouse game that really boiled down to luck, so I stopped playing it, and I don't see myself ever picking up werewolf. Sorry.
Will you buy that guy a hat? / Will you buy me a hat?
I have no idea what the joke is here. I've seen that question a few times. Is it the same person every time? It is a cultural reference that I don't know about?
What do you consider yourself politically?
I'm more libertarian than anything else. Other than on the abortion issue, I line up with them on nearly every major issue.
Could you see yourself ever leaving the South and living somewhere else?
Not of my own impetus. If I felt God calling me or my wife wanting to do so, I would, but I love the weather here.
Where's Waldo?
???
Define yourself in 3 words.
Steady, flexible, intelligent
What criteria will you use to choose the next participant?
I haven't really thought about "criteria." I just thought about people.
Why the name SkyDog? / If it's not too late, why did you choose SkyDog for your screenname? I always assumed "Dog" was for Georgia, but I don't think I've ever heard why "Sky." And I'd say chances are high that my assumption about the dog part is wrong, too.
One time in high school, I went up to get a rebound, and I twisted my ankle because my foot got caught in the nets. I got an ankle brace, and a new nickname. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
Seriously, if I had had any idea that I would be a member of this community for nine years or so, I would have gone with what most of my buddies call me: Ben E Lou, and I might change my user name to that at some point. "SkyDog" feels a little silly to me, especially when people I've met face-to-face or with whom I have a lot of interaction with call me that.
The true origin of it is kind of humorous, though. Our high school colors were royal blue and white, and our team basketball shoes were white Nike Airs with royal blue swooshes. I used a blue magic marker to alter them into my own personal "Air Ben E Lou" shoe. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/tongue.gif (This was a year or two after the first Air Jordans came out.) On the tongue of the right shoe was written "Sky." On the tongue of the left shoe was written "Dog." On the rear of the left shoe was written "Vertical." On the rear of the right shoe was written "Leap." I wasn't an outstanding leaper, but I could jump well enough to dunk at a height 5'10" at the time, so as the shortest guy from our team to ever dunk--in practice, never in a game--I thought I was something. Stupid, I know. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/tongue.gif Anyway, since Sky Dog was the only other sort of nickname I'd ever known (and again, very, very loosely, more like "Check out Ben E Lou, sky doggin' it!"), I decided to use that. And The Sideline didn't allow spaces in user names, thus "SkyDog."
5 things you do that drive SWMBO nuts. 5 things she does that drives you nuts?
I can't think of 5 things that drive me nuts, period, let alone five things that *she* does that drive me nuts. Really only two things irritate me that she does, and these are both pretty rare now:
When she makes me the middleman on social stuff, and then can't believe that I handled it like a guy--ie "we'll figure out all those details later." If she wants woman-level details, then she and the other woman should be talking, not me and the other guy. Just last weekend, I got a call from another husband from Tucker. "Hey Ben. It's Rick. Judy told me to tell you that we want to come down and stay with y'all in two weekends. Does that work?"
"Yeah Rick, sure! See y'all then!"
My wife is asking stuff like will they be here in time for dinner, is it just the two of them or will their son be coming, are they bringing the dog, etc. etc. etc. Me? I'm thinking we can ask all that stuff via cell phone when they're on the way down here. Come to find out, his wife is mad at him because he didn't think to tell me all that stuff in the first call. JUST CALL EACH OTHER AND TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE DETAILS. WE WILL NOT THINK TO DISCUSS THEM AND WE WILL NOT REMEMBER THEM AFTER WE GET OFF OF THE PHONE!! When it comes to social engagements, don't involve me in the details. Tell me what time I need to be ready, get the clothes out you want me to wear, and I will show up and be at my charming, charismatic, and outgoing best.
When I'm already dressed to go somewhere, and she wants me to change clothes. Again, back to #1. It doesn't matter to me. It matters to you. If it matters to you, then get the clothes out you want me to wear. Otherwise, I will always, always, always prefer to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt if you don't speak up. I know that there are certain situations where you won't want me to wear that standard outfit, so in those situations, I will put on the first pair of dress shorts or pants, and the first shirt in the closet. (I LOVE living in a place where I can wear shorts like 8 months out of the year, by the way.) She's learned to tell me in advance in the majority of situations, and since I shower after her when we're about to go somewhere, I've gotten to be good at asking her while I'm in the shower to get some clothes out for me, to avoid that frustration.
Oh, I'm sure I drive her crazier than she drives me. Here are five, but I could name more.
I walk barefoot whenever possible, including long walks around the neighborhood. It drives her nuts when I get in bed without washing my feet.
I am very particular about precise meanings of words, and usually choose my own words very carefully. I interpret what other people say through that filter, too. For example, I've learned that when she says, "will you wash the dishes," she also wants me to wash the pots and clean the counter, too. Sometimes I remember to think more globally, and either ask or do the global thing she's really asking. (I've learned the dishes thing over time, but it crops up elsewhere). But often I don't, and just do exactly what she asks me to do.
If we're grabbing leftovers, we don't always sit down at the table. And when I'm not eating in front of her, I don't usually use a fork to eat meat. She doesn't like the smudges around the house and/or on my clothes. (In case it isn't apparent by now, left to my own devices, I have some real neanderthal tendencies.)
Similarly, I don't pay terribly close attention when walking through doorways, so if I've carrying lugging or something, it's not unusual for me to nick the walls.
I'm not a very emotion-oriented person, which she sees as a blessing and a curse. It drives her crazy sometimes, though, when I'm just completely unable to understand where she's coming from with her "I feel...." statements. It takes *everything* I have within in me not to say "You may feel that, but it's not reality," and she's wanting me to empathize with her. She knows too well what I'm thinking in those situations, though.
What is the biggest thing/concept/whatever that you took out of your time as a full-time Youth Leader?
As stated elsewhere, that EVERYONE has a story.
Here's my question: You seem to have a natural affinity with kids, especially teenagers. Do you think you and SWMBO will ever have kids? Why or why not?
I don't know. We're both fully aware of the huge lifestyle change it is. As a result, there's almost always one of us saying "not right now." She's getting close to somewhat-risky age though, so we need to poop or get off the pot here soon.
Who would you rather work with: little kids (2-4) or old people (Bucc and up)?
Little kids. I expect too much out of adults and therefore tend to have less patience for them.
What is your most satisfying personal experience? How did it change you?
Yowza. That's a hard question, but I'd have to say that it's been being an agent of emotional/spritual wholeness in people's lives--probably my wife's more than anyone else. I can't even begin to account how I've changed over 9 years of marriage, and in 17 years of part-time and full-time ministry, but probably the biggest change is that I'm far more compassionate than I used to be. I'm better at realizing that everyone has a story and there are reasons that they are the way there are. That's not to discount personal responsibility for actions. It's a tough mix there.
Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?
Thank goodness I never need to answer that question again. :D (For those not in the know, I think this was the original thread where I mentioned the sleeping bag thing: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=25674&highlight=%22sleeping+bag%22 (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=25674&highlight=%22sleeping+bag%22))
Who had the biggest influence in you becoming the man that you are?
My father. Daddy and I were good friends, and he's the person I've looked up to the most. It's been 8 years since he died, and I think about him a lot still, and miss him terribly at times. If we do have children, it will be hard that my children won't know him. But, oh, will they hear stories! ;)
I seem to recall a while back that you dropped a lot of weight. How do you feel it changed your life? Did it change your life in any positive or negative ways that you did not expect?
Heh. I've never been drunk. I was a virgin when I got married. I've never smoked anything, and haven't gambled on anything in like 20 years. My one vice, though, is food. I love to eat. I love to exercise, though, so my weight can be very up and down. I got down in the low 200s at the time you're talking about. I'm a little over 5'11" now, and am broad-shouldered from a good bit of weightlifting. I wouldn't want to be anything under around 200, and look pretty good at anything under around 220, so I'm told. However, I was utterly exhausted physically and spiritually from the Colorado trip that year (three kids had died that year, including a suicide like 3 weeks before the trip of the brother of a kid who was going), and came down with strep throat, to boot. I lost momentum and stopped exercising, and returned to some poor eating habits. Anyway, I didn't get my momentum back, and really let myself go, and eventually found myself at my heaviest weight ever: 271. Right now I'm at 238, and on a nice downswing. I found a semi-diet (Southbeach) that works for me, and I'm back in the weight room. I'd anticipate being back under 220 in another couple of months or so, and for health reasons, would like to maintain in the 200-210 range long-term. I don't focus on it well, but when I do, it's still relatively easy for me to lose weight, so that's good. I just need to stay focused on it.
Who plays you in the movie of your life?
No idea.
When are you going to make a trip to St. Louis? We've got a spare bedroom and wireless internet, you know.
I'm got some travel coming up for work. I'll let y'all know if I'm headed that way ever.
QUESTIONS THAT COULD USE A SERIOUS AND A JOKE ANSWER
Is that a real picture of you, or is it a fantastic Photoshop job?
Joke answer: [Sir Mixalot]Every time you see me, you might just get wet. I'm the man you love to hate, the J.R. Ewing of the 'net."
Real answer: That's my face on J.R. Ewing's body. I *think* it was done originally by someone over at the IHOF when I was making a joke about really screwing someone in a deal, but it has been a while.
I appreciate patriotism, but why patriotic underwear?
Joke answer: Dem stars and stripes so good, they make your d*** hard!
Serious answer: I'm not convinced that everyone on the board knows this, but that picture is not me. It's an old joke, started by maybe Senator, I think.
i guess my question is "have u ever been in bed with marmel and did it end badly for at least one of u"
Joke Answer: I turned him down, and he's a jilted lover.
Real Answer: As best as I can tell from things he has posted, Marmel has serious issues with the way I've moderated the board at some point. I'm not sure what those issues are, but they're serious enough that he seems to want nothing to do with me. I hold no antipathy towards him, so if he wants to change that at any point, I'm fine with it.
MOVE TO THE LOWCOUNTRY/CAREER CHANGE
Why the career change from YL in Tucker to whatever you do now in Charlestown?
After nearly 15 years full-time, the schedule was really taking its toll on me personally and spiritually, and it was fairly rough at times trying to be a husband. During the school year, I had meetings 2 nights every week, and usually a third most weeks, and that's not to mention events such as sports that I needed to attend to stay connected to kids and the community. My wife was a volunteer with YL up until the last couple of years that I was on staff. When it was time for her to step out, and we were suddenly not doing this stuff together, it started to take a toll in many ways, so a career change was nearly inevitable.
I wasn't necessarily planning to move, and even had a fairly cush, low-stress job offer in Tucker that would have meant a 7ish-minute commute. However, what I considered to be the most exciting long-term opportunity on the table was in the Charleston area. That, combined with the facts that my wife absolutely loves being anywhere in the Lowcountry, and wasn't a fan of living in metro Atlanta (she was only there because of me), made it a fairly easy decision to move. Her family's ancestral roots are in this area.
I still love YL and hope to be a significant donor for the rest of my life, and perhaps return in a volunteer capacity of some sort (probably a local board member) at some point. The change was the best for us personally, spiritually, and relationally, though. We may well be closer in our marriage than we've ever been right now, and we've always had what most would consider a pretty good or better marriage.
I know that you have moved in the last 2 yrs, I believe... what do you miss from where you lived previously and why? What do you love about your new home, and why?
I miss the people in the Tucker community, and being a part of the Tucker football program. It was a very, very special community to me. I love our home itself. We made a killing on the sale of the house in Tucker and can afford quite a bit more now. We went from two bedrooms and one bath to four bedrooms and three baths--not that it's everything, but it's sure nice to have more space. I also love the fact that my wife absolutely *LOVES* it here.
How do you like South Carolina, or wherever the heck you live now?
I love it, and my wife loves it even more than I do, which was a big reason for the move. She loves the ocean and marsh, and there's a whole lot of opportunity to see both in the Lowcountry. I love the weather here. It's warmer than metro Atlanta--more like the South Georgia climate I grew up in. I like being able to walk outside barefoot at any time of night or early in the morning.
What is your job?
I was fortunate to have a long history and very long personal friendships with the people that mattered in YL when folks tried to hurt my job status back then. I don't have that luxury any more, so I'd rather not say what I do now. Sorry.
What kind of culture clash are you finding now in the new location? Do you miss the days of olde, or are you enjoying the now?
No real culture clash here, other than all these dadgum Clemson and USC people. Culturally, this area is a lot like my original home town. It's like being back home in Columbus, but almost never having to hear the words "WAR EAGLE"--bonus.
Will you ever get involved in Charleston High School sports?
Maybe. The o-coordinator from a local high school was on my softball team this summer, and he wants me to come speak to his team some time this fall. I don't want to do an every-week thing, though, at least not at this point. I'm enjoying feeling the most PM freedom I've ever had in my entire adult life.
What is the toughest thing about being the "the man" here? The worst thing? The best?
Honestly, there's nothing that feels really tough, best, or worst about it. It is what it is. I'm not easily angered or rattled (which is a good thing for running this place), so I can take most stuff in stride and just laugh it off. I get a kick out of how seriously some people take getting banned from here, especially the ones who have little/nothing invested. I'll never understand why they just don't move on to one of the myriad of other places on the 'net where they could get basically the same discussion that they get at FOFC.
What's the Dark Council? Are you the true dark jedi?
In a flame war 3 or 4 years ago, someone called me the One True Dark Jedi on here, and I thought it was hilarious, so I've referenced it numerous times since, as have others. When I created a team of moderators 18 months or so ago, some long-timers jokingly referred to them as the "Dark Council." I guess the One True Dark Jedi has to get his advice from somewhere.
Why are you such a dictator?
I'm like Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoon series, who believes the best form of government is the "benevolent dictator." I try my best to be benevolent here whenever possible. ;)
When will QOTM return?
Probably never. People were putting in wayyyy too many only-funny-in-the-context quotes, and not things that were just funny in general. It was a royal pain to moderate.
How many people will be boxed during this thread? (where's Shorty? )
Hopefully, none.
How did you "stumble" upon FOF?
My "text sim" history really starts back somewhere in the 1978-1980 range, when I got my parents to buy me Statis-Pro Major League Baseball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statis_Pro_Baseball) for my 10th, 11th or 12th birthday. I played the heck out of it, both solo and head-to-head against one of my older brothers. My first computer sports game was Microleague Baseball, for my Atari 800XL :D in the early-to-mid-80s. My first PC-compatible machine came in the late 80s, and with it the PC versions of Microleague Baseball and Microleague Football. I graduated to Strat-O-Matic baseball for the computer in the early 90s. I played a TON of that game, dozens and dozens of seasons, game-by-game. I wrote the company every single year with feature upgrade requests, and including career play/drafting/progression every time. Obviously, I failed. However, once Metacrawler came to be, I did searches for career baseball and career football sims maybe every month or so. I bought Baseball Mogul, then FOF. I don't remember exactly how I got to The Sideline (the predecessor to FOFC, for those who don't know), but that was probably a Metacrawler search, too.
I know this is "just a message board" but how has being personally involved in this board affected your life? / Given your own experiences regarding your board activity infringing on your personal and/or professional life, do you believe anyone really contacted Dell about HornsManiac?
There have been two direct attempts that I know of to sabotage my professional/personal life. One banned person sent an e-mail to the chairman of my local board of directors that pointed to specific links at FOF as examples of why I should be fired from my job (YL at the time) because (among other things) I was operating a message board that actively suppressed the Christian point of view, and that I used HNIC as my title. A link to a pic I'd posted of my wife and I was used to verify that I was "SkyDog." Another found my home address and had porn magazines and catalogues sent to my house. That could have cost me my former job and/or caused a loss of trust in me by my wife. I don't know who had the magazines sent, but I got to the bottom of how I was getting all of these magazines--a card mailed in by someone, and it was received by the distributor just four days after a banning of a rather immature person, so it's not hard to put two and two together there. I've received phone calls at home from people asking for reinstatements as well. So, with that experience, I certainly wouldn't rule out that someone did contact his company. Members don't usually arouse spite/anger quite like the guy in charge can arouser spite/anger to make someone do something like that but Horns did piss people off probably more than any other non-"authority" figure in this board's history, so I'd say it's a possibility.
Why the title "HNIC"?
My mama never says the n-word, but she uses HNIC all the time to refer to anyone in charge of anything, so that was an easy one.
If you could turn back the hands of time, would you chose to take up the same position in this forum or would your want to be another face in the crowd?
Good question. Probably so. The two sabotage attempts failed, so no harm in either of those, and the other stuff has provided more humor than headaches
Do you have nightmares of a "stronger and more powerful" return?
Heh. Nah. (Another comment by a banned troll, for those not aware. He said that he'd come back, and he'd be "stronger and more powerful than ever.")
Who was GroundCat and why was he banned?
GroundCat was either wignifty or someone that wignifty put up to it. I know that beyond any reasonable doubt because he posted an e-mail at another board that was allegedly sent from me to GroundCat that was not. However, it *was* a direct takeoff on an e-mail I had sent to wignify a year or two earlier. He was banned because it was clear that he was either a banned troll (wignifty) or someone here sent by a banned troll to troll.
What period did you play FOF the most (if not now)?
Either now, or FOF2. I think now.
If Jim were to create a game that wasn't football, what would you want it to be?
Nearly every time I set my depth charts in FOF, I think about using that interface to set my pitching rotation in Front Office Baseball.
Saldana- man or woman?
No idea. Since we're talking about an FOFC member, I'd guess a male. But since the question was asked, maybe it's different from the norm, so maybe a female.
Why you hate jbmagic, he never hurt no one.
I don't hate jbmagic. I think jbmagic is bad for FOFC, though.
I remember a while ago you needed donations to continue FOFC. Are you still good, or is it time to ante up?
You may be confusing a couple of situations here. We don't need money. I'm very happy with our hosting with Gamespy now, and it's free. The two things were:
January 2003, I think it was, we upgraded to vbulletin from ubb. The software cost $160. People didn't want me to pay it all, so I purchased it, and allowed 12 people to send me 10 bucks each to cover partial cost, but I felt I should be the main financial stakeholder.
We had a month or two outage in the fall of 2004, due to a serious security breach at another Gamespy-hosted site. There was talk then of us branching out on our own and paying for a dedicated server. That would have cost some serious cash, and we've had no significant outages in three years since then, so that idea isn't being revisited unless it becomes necessary for some reason at a later time.
Who is the reincarnation of Bragg?
He's not a regular any more, but I specifically told him I wouldn't reveal his identity, so I won't. He still pops in from time to time, though. Roughly four years, well over 1,000 posts, and not a single controversy that I know of.
S (http://www.fof-ihof.com/player/player.php?playerid=7349)haun Duncan (http://www.fof-ihof.com/player/player.php?playerid=7349)...pimp or playa?
P to da I to da M to da motherf-----' P, beeyatch!
I can not believe this board is still going strong after seven years (almost) and some of that must be attribute to you and your effort.
Nah. That's the community. As the admin/dictator/HNIC, my job is not to screw it up for everyone, or let someone come in and screw it up for everyone. The community runs itself. I don't really post much anymore in OT besides some sports threads, and I haven't had to take any punitive actions in months. There was a flair-up of reported posts when the "Dark Council" was originally created, by people trying to get their least-favorite people suspended, but that died down. We've only had one reported post in nearly the last four months, and that one required no action. I think the PSUColonel banning, whenever that was, is that only thing I've had to really get involved in for quite some time.
What was going through your mind when you made the decision to create a forum especially for werewolf players? Why don't those posts count? / Would you be willing to allow Werewolf posts into the total post count?
Because I'm not familiar with a number of the newer members, and sometimes I need a quick way to determine if a person has contributed a lot to the board, and post count is the fastest way to do that. The werewolf threads were inflating post counts.
Have you considered creating a forum especially for political/religious threads? There's a ton of those threads too.
I've considered it, but it's too fine a line. Oftentimes, a non-political discussion can turn that way. It would be too annoying/confusing to have to make that determination.
There have, what, maybe a dozen or less, bannings of active board participants. Do any still contact you about joining the board (aside from the standard play of registering a new screenie)?
I'm not sure how many there have been. I'd guess more than a dozen, but not by many. I usually hear from at least one or two when Jim's about to announce or release a new game, and others crop up from time to time at seemingly-random spots. I've received three phone calls that I can think of off the top of my head from people trying to get reinstated, too. I've also gotten two long-after-the-fact apologies from people.
Favorite SP dynasty you've done?
Probably all the way back to the Bear Bryant Challenge on The Sideline. My favorite player, though, was Tyrus Dunn of the Hartford Nor'easters (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=2030&highlight=tyrus+dunn). He had the greatest single season I've ever seen in FOF.
What is your favorite thread?
The thread announcing FOF6.1, followed by the Civ4 thread. I play those two games almost exclusively these days, with OOTP2K7 being a distant third.
SPORTS
Are you into any sports, other than football? / Do you play any sports?
I grew up with two much-older brothers and a father who were all very into football/basketball/baseball, and a large extended family that was into them as well. Two of my mother's siblings raised their families in the same neighborhood as ours (as in my mother's brother and his family lived in the next block on the same street, and my mother's sister and her family lived three streets over--all in very easy walking distance) . Four cousins that I grew up with played collegiate-level football/baseball/basketball, and nearly all of us played in high school and several others were probably good enough to have played *something* at some small college had we been so inclined. (Those who have been around FOFC for a while may know that it was one of those first cousins from the next block, Rudy Allen, who was sacked by the "Rudy" from the movie in the real-life Tech-Notre Dame game.) Most of my earliest memories involve football games in the yard or the street, my brothers/dad pitching to me in the back yard, 3-on-3 basketball games in the back yard with like 10 bruthas waiting for "next down", and the next down, and the next down, and the like. I was SO excited when my father decided I was old enough to stay up late enough on a Friday night to go to a high school football game to see one of my cousins play. I'm guessing I was probably 5 or 6. I don't really remember it. It's hard to remember a time when I wasn't going to the football game of a brother or cousin with my dad and/or brothers. I never read nursery rhymes or the comics as a child. It was straight to Sports Illustrated and the newspaper's sports page.
Being a later child, my mother was overprotective of me and coaxed my father into encouraging me toward baseball and basketball and away from the too-violent-for-her-tastes football, so I never played any form of organized football (but played a buttload of pickup touch and tackle with some fairly talented guys http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif ) until I played QB and led my college intramural team to a 2nd-place finish my freshman year. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/tongue.gif Ah, what might have been. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/wink.gif (Nah, I had a very strong arm and quick release, but I'm too short.) Anyway, I played baseball and basketball growing up. I went to a strong academic private school for high school, and my folks required that I pick one sport during my freshman year. Thinking that chicks dig the slam dunk, I went with basketball. If I had that decision to do over again, I definitely would have chosen baseball. It's easy to get into an organized basketball league as an adult, but the opportunities for baseball are very limited. Alas, the mistakes of youth.
At any rate, I was doing well enough in the classroom for my parents' tastes. So, in my Junior year, when a guy got hurt and the track coach approached and asked me to high jump for him, my folks were ok with it, so I did the high jump for 2 years (best height was nothing special--6'0")
Anyway, today I like to play whatever's in season, be it flag football, basketball, or softball.
What sports figure do you most admire and why? What sports figure do you least admire and why?
That's a tough one. I don't really "admire" any sports figures as sports figures. I completely disassociate what I see on the field of battle from life. Sports is entertainment--just like a movie, as far as I'm concerned. I don't "admire" Irwin M. Fletcher, but I sure enjoy watching him make me laugh. Similarly, I don't "admire" guys I watch on the playing field, but I sure enjoy watching them entertain me. The only ones I "admire" as people are the ones I've known personally. Mack Strong and I went to the same tiny (250ish student) private high school, and lived in adjacent neighborhoods. I'm two grades ahead of Mack, so I drove him to school during his freshman and sophomore years, and he made varsity basketball as a sophomore, so we ended up being teammates and very good friends, and still keep in touch. I admire Mack because I know how he takes his faith and family seriously, but not as a sports figure. If I had one I least admired, I wouldn't "out" him on here, but really none of the few people I know who have been on national television as sports figures are really "negative" people.
Can that boy run good?
Yeah, but he's out 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone. (Thomas Brown reference, UGA's tailback who went to Tucker High School, for those unfamiliar). A couple of weeks ago, Mel Kiper projected him as a late 1st/early 2nd. Assuming the shoulder heals fine, Thomas will have SICK combine numbers this spring.
Recently Tennessee nearly had 60 hung on them by Florida. I know last year I gloated during my early morning hours in Africa while watching Tennessee do the same to Georgia. By the way, I apologize about that. I know that drubbing really frustrated me to the core about the way Tennessee is doing things. Did it do the same for you last year?
The game this year was more frustrating, because it looked like our kids were woefully unprepared.
Since about 2005, I have become best friends with a guy who loves the Bulldogs. I personally blame you.
Anyways, which is the bigger rivalry to you:
The Deep South's Oldest: Georgia/Auburn
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate: Georgia/Georgia Tech
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party: Georgia/Florida It really depends where you grew up. One of the differences between pro and college rivalries is the fact that, at least in the South, you don't have to deal wiht the obnoxious fans of your favorite pro team's rival on a day-to-day basis. But I grew up only 35-40 miles from Jordan-Hare Stadium, and it felt like I heard "WAR EAGLE" from someone every...single.....freaking......day. And let me assure you, it's no fun to lose to Auburn on Saturday night, and then going to church on Sunday and hearing about it from those people (they love to teach their little 4-year-old kids to come up to you at church and yell "WAR EAGLE" after a win, by the way), then going to work/school on Monday and hearing about it again. My perception is that the further south you get in Georgia, the more people will say that Florida is the most important game. Over in west Georgia, we wanted to beat Auburn worse than anyone else. In the Atlanta area, it's Tech. In far North Georgia, it's Tennessee. Now that I'm in SC, I wouldn't be shocked if I end up growing to care more about that game every year, especially now that I've experience a loss and the ensuing celebration by these people.
Asher Allan and Thomas Brown are drowning in quicksand and you can only save one .. Which one is it?
Thomas. He's stronger than Asher, so he could pull Asher out, too. (By the way, is it a sign that I've been here too much that I see the proper spelling of "quicksand" and immediately think it looks wrong.)
what better Mack Strong or Thomas Brown?
I grew up with Mack and love him like a brother, but Thomas Brown is the greatest high school athlete I've ever seen--better than any other running back I've seen at that level, a list including NFL players Garrison Hearst, Patrick Pass, and Mack. (Incidentally, last I checked, Mack is #2 all-time in TDs in the history of the Georgia High School Association. Some guy named H. Walker is #1. Mack had three less TDs than him, I believe.) I hope to see what Thomas can do on Sundays next year.
Favorite Tucker sports memory?
It was a cold, cold night in Troup County Georgia. Tucker had never advanced to the state semifinals in the Georgia Dome, and was playing Troup in the q-finals. We won in a shutout, 29-0, I think. Because of the score, the entire fourth quarter was just one long celebration. The visiting stands were rocking. The players who had come out of the game were going nuts and interacting with the crowd. It was a blast. I have a picture on my desk of the Senior players taken right after that game, your brother included, of course. It's my favorite non-family picture of all-time.
How long have you been a fan of the Georgia Yellow Jackets?
Heh. I follow the Dawgs more closely, bit I don't have an issue with the Jackets. Growing up in Columbus, I learned to hate Auburn, not Tech. Having a first cousin who lived down the street who started at QB there, I certainly had an affinity for them as a young child, too.
MUSIC
Do you play any musical instruments?
I picked up guitar in my late teens. (I'm two months shy of 39 now.) I've been playing it ever since. I took piano lessons as a child, and still dabble around with keyboards a bit, but I'm mainly an acoustic guitarist. (I also play a little classical.)
Of the songs you've written, which is your favorite? Why?
That's a tough one. I'm not a prolific songwriter at all. I usually write because of a particularly significant event or to augment a message I'm giving. So, all of them are special in their own right. Some that stand out, though, in no particular order....
"Why?"--the one about digamma's father and brother--felt it captured the moments, and I'm glad I resisted the urge to try to answer the question
Beneath The Smile--love the turnaround on the bridge and chorus, and the fact that I was able to say what I wanted to say in few words
Live Each Day--a fairly-recent and unrecorded song that has, by far, my favorite melody and chorus. very cool minor sound that works better with my voice than anything I've ever written. I'll try to do a cheap recording of this and post it at some point.
Cry Of My Heart--because it was written early in my dating relationship with my wife, for her, and really expressed things well...another minor-key song, and probably the second-best with my voice
Daddy--Duh.
If you had to choose between making music and playing FOF, with the one you don't pick being something you can never do again, what would it be?
I'm not as much of a "musician" as people on here might think. It so happens that I'm a very good guitar player, but I'm not "into" guitar and "my music" like most musicians are. Now that I don't have to play for group meetings 2-3 times a week, it's not uncommon for me to go several weeks without even picking up my guitar. It's more of a diversion. I'd drop music first, pretty easily.
How is the music career?
It's definitely not a "career." I made a CD because I felt it would be a good addition to my ministry. I never thought it would turn any serious profit. The loan that we took out to pay for the production, printing, etc. is paid off, so it's not hanging over my head at all. I've lived in the Lowcountry for roughly 15 months now, and have yet to pursue playing publicly down here.
HODGEPODGE
What is your favorite TV show that's still on the air?
I assume you don't count sporting events as a "TV show." If you do, then it's "Inside The SEC." :p If not, I'm not sure if it's reruns or not at this point, but I'll watch "COPS" if I'm vegging. Other than that, I watched a couple of episodes of Run's House for a specific reason (I hope to be able to tell that story soon, but not now,) and my wife pulled me into the room to watch the biracial girl sing one of my favorite songs, "A Broken Wing" on American Idol a few months ago. That's really about it for my TV watching.
Do you have any pets?
No, but we're talking about getting a dog, hopefully a lab.
Have you and SWMBO made sushi lately?
No, but we've gone out for it. We haven't really looked for a farmers' market here that sells sushi-grade seafood yet. It's more of a "date night" than something we'd do on a regular basis. I think we've done it three or four times. (If you're wondering about the origin of this question, it comes from this thread: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=45819&highlight=sushi )
Did you know that one of the reasons I picked digamma was that I knew he'd pick you AND you'd say yes? Did I have to be that devious?
Nope, didn't know that, but I reckon you got your wish, oh devious one.
Are you wearing shoes right now?
Of course not! (For those that don't know, I rarely wear shoes--even at work I kick them off when I'm at my desk.)
Before reading ahead, how many rap questions do you think you'll get stuck with?
I'm guessing not all that many, maybe two or three.
What group of people currently living would you most like to sit down with to talk and about what?
I'm pretty simple-minded on that one. Just a nice sit-down with my old homies from high school and college days that I don't get to see that often. I'd like to get all of us somewhere together for a week with no agenda---just laughing about the old stories, and a little singin', guitar pickin', beat-boxing, rhymes, and basketball.
What group of historic figures would you like to sit down and talk with?
If I were 100% guaranteed of my own safety and 100% guaranteed of getting the whole story, it would be the men responsible for the death of JFK. I'd love to know the ins and outs of all that went into the planning and cover-up. Those two conditions not being met, though, it would be Malcolm X and the people who stayed with him after he left and denounced the Nation Of Islam.
Big bang, purely creationism, or somewhere in between?
I'm somewhere in between, and it doesn't really matter to me. I believe that in their original form, the Old Testament and New Testament are the inaccurate, inspired Word Of God. There are parts of the Bible that aren't to be taken literally, though. I don't have four feet and say, "bah," yet Jesus refers to me as one of his sheep. ;)
What would the ideal rest of your life be like?
Wow. That's a tough one. I'm still waffling on having children, so I could go either way on that one. More than anything else, I want to continue to be shaped into the person God wants me to be--right now, that's a husband, a friend, and a good worker at my job.
Who is the best rapper of all-time? (sorry, just had to put one in there after the DD question)
You ask "who is number one, if not best then better?" Here's a hint: the 18th letter.
Why haven't we done a FTB with you yet?
'Cause no one asked before now.
Will SWMBO come in to ask you questions?
She doesn't check the board much anymore.
What would it take to get you to join a werewolf game and if you played would your posts count?
I used to play mafia, and after a while, I found it to be just a cat-and-mouse game that really boiled down to luck, so I stopped playing it, and I don't see myself ever picking up werewolf. Sorry.
Will you buy that guy a hat? / Will you buy me a hat?
I have no idea what the joke is here. I've seen that question a few times. Is it the same person every time? It is a cultural reference that I don't know about?
What do you consider yourself politically?
I'm more libertarian than anything else. Other than on the abortion issue, I line up with them on nearly every major issue.
Could you see yourself ever leaving the South and living somewhere else?
Not of my own impetus. If I felt God calling me or my wife wanting to do so, I would, but I love the weather here.
Where's Waldo?
???
Define yourself in 3 words.
Steady, flexible, intelligent
What criteria will you use to choose the next participant?
I haven't really thought about "criteria." I just thought about people.
Why the name SkyDog? / If it's not too late, why did you choose SkyDog for your screenname? I always assumed "Dog" was for Georgia, but I don't think I've ever heard why "Sky." And I'd say chances are high that my assumption about the dog part is wrong, too.
One time in high school, I went up to get a rebound, and I twisted my ankle because my foot got caught in the nets. I got an ankle brace, and a new nickname. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
Seriously, if I had had any idea that I would be a member of this community for nine years or so, I would have gone with what most of my buddies call me: Ben E Lou, and I might change my user name to that at some point. "SkyDog" feels a little silly to me, especially when people I've met face-to-face or with whom I have a lot of interaction with call me that.
The true origin of it is kind of humorous, though. Our high school colors were royal blue and white, and our team basketball shoes were white Nike Airs with royal blue swooshes. I used a blue magic marker to alter them into my own personal "Air Ben E Lou" shoe. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/tongue.gif (This was a year or two after the first Air Jordans came out.) On the tongue of the right shoe was written "Sky." On the tongue of the left shoe was written "Dog." On the rear of the left shoe was written "Vertical." On the rear of the right shoe was written "Leap." I wasn't an outstanding leaper, but I could jump well enough to dunk at a height 5'10" at the time, so as the shortest guy from our team to ever dunk--in practice, never in a game--I thought I was something. Stupid, I know. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/tongue.gif Anyway, since Sky Dog was the only other sort of nickname I'd ever known (and again, very, very loosely, more like "Check out Ben E Lou, sky doggin' it!"), I decided to use that. And The Sideline didn't allow spaces in user names, thus "SkyDog."
5 things you do that drive SWMBO nuts. 5 things she does that drives you nuts?
I can't think of 5 things that drive me nuts, period, let alone five things that *she* does that drive me nuts. Really only two things irritate me that she does, and these are both pretty rare now:
When she makes me the middleman on social stuff, and then can't believe that I handled it like a guy--ie "we'll figure out all those details later." If she wants woman-level details, then she and the other woman should be talking, not me and the other guy. Just last weekend, I got a call from another husband from Tucker. "Hey Ben. It's Rick. Judy told me to tell you that we want to come down and stay with y'all in two weekends. Does that work?"
"Yeah Rick, sure! See y'all then!"
My wife is asking stuff like will they be here in time for dinner, is it just the two of them or will their son be coming, are they bringing the dog, etc. etc. etc. Me? I'm thinking we can ask all that stuff via cell phone when they're on the way down here. Come to find out, his wife is mad at him because he didn't think to tell me all that stuff in the first call. JUST CALL EACH OTHER AND TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE DETAILS. WE WILL NOT THINK TO DISCUSS THEM AND WE WILL NOT REMEMBER THEM AFTER WE GET OFF OF THE PHONE!! When it comes to social engagements, don't involve me in the details. Tell me what time I need to be ready, get the clothes out you want me to wear, and I will show up and be at my charming, charismatic, and outgoing best.
When I'm already dressed to go somewhere, and she wants me to change clothes. Again, back to #1. It doesn't matter to me. It matters to you. If it matters to you, then get the clothes out you want me to wear. Otherwise, I will always, always, always prefer to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt if you don't speak up. I know that there are certain situations where you won't want me to wear that standard outfit, so in those situations, I will put on the first pair of dress shorts or pants, and the first shirt in the closet. (I LOVE living in a place where I can wear shorts like 8 months out of the year, by the way.) She's learned to tell me in advance in the majority of situations, and since I shower after her when we're about to go somewhere, I've gotten to be good at asking her while I'm in the shower to get some clothes out for me, to avoid that frustration.
Oh, I'm sure I drive her crazier than she drives me. Here are five, but I could name more.
I walk barefoot whenever possible, including long walks around the neighborhood. It drives her nuts when I get in bed without washing my feet.
I am very particular about precise meanings of words, and usually choose my own words very carefully. I interpret what other people say through that filter, too. For example, I've learned that when she says, "will you wash the dishes," she also wants me to wash the pots and clean the counter, too. Sometimes I remember to think more globally, and either ask or do the global thing she's really asking. (I've learned the dishes thing over time, but it crops up elsewhere). But often I don't, and just do exactly what she asks me to do.
If we're grabbing leftovers, we don't always sit down at the table. And when I'm not eating in front of her, I don't usually use a fork to eat meat. She doesn't like the smudges around the house and/or on my clothes. (In case it isn't apparent by now, left to my own devices, I have some real neanderthal tendencies.)
Similarly, I don't pay terribly close attention when walking through doorways, so if I've carrying lugging or something, it's not unusual for me to nick the walls.
I'm not a very emotion-oriented person, which she sees as a blessing and a curse. It drives her crazy sometimes, though, when I'm just completely unable to understand where she's coming from with her "I feel...." statements. It takes *everything* I have within in me not to say "You may feel that, but it's not reality," and she's wanting me to empathize with her. She knows too well what I'm thinking in those situations, though.
What is the biggest thing/concept/whatever that you took out of your time as a full-time Youth Leader?
As stated elsewhere, that EVERYONE has a story.
Here's my question: You seem to have a natural affinity with kids, especially teenagers. Do you think you and SWMBO will ever have kids? Why or why not?
I don't know. We're both fully aware of the huge lifestyle change it is. As a result, there's almost always one of us saying "not right now." She's getting close to somewhat-risky age though, so we need to poop or get off the pot here soon.
Who would you rather work with: little kids (2-4) or old people (Bucc and up)?
Little kids. I expect too much out of adults and therefore tend to have less patience for them.
What is your most satisfying personal experience? How did it change you?
Yowza. That's a hard question, but I'd have to say that it's been being an agent of emotional/spritual wholeness in people's lives--probably my wife's more than anyone else. I can't even begin to account how I've changed over 9 years of marriage, and in 17 years of part-time and full-time ministry, but probably the biggest change is that I'm far more compassionate than I used to be. I'm better at realizing that everyone has a story and there are reasons that they are the way there are. That's not to discount personal responsibility for actions. It's a tough mix there.
Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?
Thank goodness I never need to answer that question again. :D (For those not in the know, I think this was the original thread where I mentioned the sleeping bag thing: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=25674&highlight=%22sleeping+bag%22 (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=25674&highlight=%22sleeping+bag%22))
Who had the biggest influence in you becoming the man that you are?
My father. Daddy and I were good friends, and he's the person I've looked up to the most. It's been 8 years since he died, and I think about him a lot still, and miss him terribly at times. If we do have children, it will be hard that my children won't know him. But, oh, will they hear stories! ;)
I seem to recall a while back that you dropped a lot of weight. How do you feel it changed your life? Did it change your life in any positive or negative ways that you did not expect?
Heh. I've never been drunk. I was a virgin when I got married. I've never smoked anything, and haven't gambled on anything in like 20 years. My one vice, though, is food. I love to eat. I love to exercise, though, so my weight can be very up and down. I got down in the low 200s at the time you're talking about. I'm a little over 5'11" now, and am broad-shouldered from a good bit of weightlifting. I wouldn't want to be anything under around 200, and look pretty good at anything under around 220, so I'm told. However, I was utterly exhausted physically and spiritually from the Colorado trip that year (three kids had died that year, including a suicide like 3 weeks before the trip of the brother of a kid who was going), and came down with strep throat, to boot. I lost momentum and stopped exercising, and returned to some poor eating habits. Anyway, I didn't get my momentum back, and really let myself go, and eventually found myself at my heaviest weight ever: 271. Right now I'm at 238, and on a nice downswing. I found a semi-diet (Southbeach) that works for me, and I'm back in the weight room. I'd anticipate being back under 220 in another couple of months or so, and for health reasons, would like to maintain in the 200-210 range long-term. I don't focus on it well, but when I do, it's still relatively easy for me to lose weight, so that's good. I just need to stay focused on it.
Who plays you in the movie of your life?
No idea.
When are you going to make a trip to St. Louis? We've got a spare bedroom and wireless internet, you know.
I'm got some travel coming up for work. I'll let y'all know if I'm headed that way ever.
QUESTIONS THAT COULD USE A SERIOUS AND A JOKE ANSWER
Is that a real picture of you, or is it a fantastic Photoshop job?
Joke answer: [Sir Mixalot]Every time you see me, you might just get wet. I'm the man you love to hate, the J.R. Ewing of the 'net."
Real answer: That's my face on J.R. Ewing's body. I *think* it was done originally by someone over at the IHOF when I was making a joke about really screwing someone in a deal, but it has been a while.
I appreciate patriotism, but why patriotic underwear?
Joke answer: Dem stars and stripes so good, they make your d*** hard!
Serious answer: I'm not convinced that everyone on the board knows this, but that picture is not me. It's an old joke, started by maybe Senator, I think.
i guess my question is "have u ever been in bed with marmel and did it end badly for at least one of u"
Joke Answer: I turned him down, and he's a jilted lover.
Real Answer: As best as I can tell from things he has posted, Marmel has serious issues with the way I've moderated the board at some point. I'm not sure what those issues are, but they're serious enough that he seems to want nothing to do with me. I hold no antipathy towards him, so if he wants to change that at any point, I'm fine with it.
MOVE TO THE LOWCOUNTRY/CAREER CHANGE
Why the career change from YL in Tucker to whatever you do now in Charlestown?
After nearly 15 years full-time, the schedule was really taking its toll on me personally and spiritually, and it was fairly rough at times trying to be a husband. During the school year, I had meetings 2 nights every week, and usually a third most weeks, and that's not to mention events such as sports that I needed to attend to stay connected to kids and the community. My wife was a volunteer with YL up until the last couple of years that I was on staff. When it was time for her to step out, and we were suddenly not doing this stuff together, it started to take a toll in many ways, so a career change was nearly inevitable.
I wasn't necessarily planning to move, and even had a fairly cush, low-stress job offer in Tucker that would have meant a 7ish-minute commute. However, what I considered to be the most exciting long-term opportunity on the table was in the Charleston area. That, combined with the facts that my wife absolutely loves being anywhere in the Lowcountry, and wasn't a fan of living in metro Atlanta (she was only there because of me), made it a fairly easy decision to move. Her family's ancestral roots are in this area.
I still love YL and hope to be a significant donor for the rest of my life, and perhaps return in a volunteer capacity of some sort (probably a local board member) at some point. The change was the best for us personally, spiritually, and relationally, though. We may well be closer in our marriage than we've ever been right now, and we've always had what most would consider a pretty good or better marriage.
I know that you have moved in the last 2 yrs, I believe... what do you miss from where you lived previously and why? What do you love about your new home, and why?
I miss the people in the Tucker community, and being a part of the Tucker football program. It was a very, very special community to me. I love our home itself. We made a killing on the sale of the house in Tucker and can afford quite a bit more now. We went from two bedrooms and one bath to four bedrooms and three baths--not that it's everything, but it's sure nice to have more space. I also love the fact that my wife absolutely *LOVES* it here.
How do you like South Carolina, or wherever the heck you live now?
I love it, and my wife loves it even more than I do, which was a big reason for the move. She loves the ocean and marsh, and there's a whole lot of opportunity to see both in the Lowcountry. I love the weather here. It's warmer than metro Atlanta--more like the South Georgia climate I grew up in. I like being able to walk outside barefoot at any time of night or early in the morning.
What is your job?
I was fortunate to have a long history and very long personal friendships with the people that mattered in YL when folks tried to hurt my job status back then. I don't have that luxury any more, so I'd rather not say what I do now. Sorry.
What kind of culture clash are you finding now in the new location? Do you miss the days of olde, or are you enjoying the now?
No real culture clash here, other than all these dadgum Clemson and USC people. Culturally, this area is a lot like my original home town. It's like being back home in Columbus, but almost never having to hear the words "WAR EAGLE"--bonus.
Will you ever get involved in Charleston High School sports?
Maybe. The o-coordinator from a local high school was on my softball team this summer, and he wants me to come speak to his team some time this fall. I don't want to do an every-week thing, though, at least not at this point. I'm enjoying feeling the most PM freedom I've ever had in my entire adult life.