Toadfish Monastery

1. What is the internet made of?

Tubes? 

2. Do you prefer thin pillows or great big fluffy ones?

I prefer no pillows, if we're talking about sleeping. I don't use a pillow for several years now (I have one handy, but it's mostly a replacement for a teddy to hug while I sleep)

3. Do you own the soundtrack to any particular movie?

To a lot of movies actually. It'd be a little too much to list them all, so I'll just write down a few: Pulp Fiction, Donnie Darko, all three Lord of the Rings, both Kill Bill, Requiem for a Dream etc.

-------------------------------------------------------

1. Why is the number 1 always first?

2. Do you use a calculator for simple things like 2+2?

3. When is the last time you made a call by accident (wanting to call one person and calling someone else automatically instead)?

1. Why is the number 1 always first?

I don't know, but it's been observed that the most commonly used numbers tend to be grouped around zero. Odd, when there's so many to choose from. This post is consequently dedicated to 645378453903214.

2. Do you use a calculator for simple things like 2+2?

No.  When I were a lad ... [long rant removed. Ed]

3. When is the last time you made a call by accident (wanting to call one person and calling someone else automatically instead)?


Before clamshell mobile phones I several times found mine had clocked up 999 (the uk emergency number, but not fortunately dialled it) when being knocked about in my pocket. Even with the keyboard locked that number couldn't be blocked.
More embarassing than misdialled calls is the racy text message you accidentally send to your parents/boss by selecting the wrong phone list entry at the last minute.

------------------------

Which film should never have been made?


Do you care what celebrities think about anything?


Tennis or Squash?

Which film should never have been made?

The Black Hole by Disney


Do you care what celebrities think about anything?

If by celebrities you mean the movie/TV actor brigade then not in the least, being famous for being famous does no in IMO qualify one to be an expert on anything.

If OTOH you mean people like Stephen Hawking, Paul Davies etc, then yes I do care, at least when talking about things within or directly related to their area of expertise.

Tennis or Squash?

Squash definitely.  Used to play a lot when I was in the Navy (and a lot thinner/fitter than now).  Tennis bores me to tears.

####################################################

1. What is your favourite outdoor activity?

2. Do you read mainly fiction or nonfiction?

3. How did you first come to the Toadfish Monastery?

1. What is your favourite outdoor activity?

Sitting in the pub. In the outdoors department, of course.

But seriously, my outdoor activities mostly consist of doing some kind of sport (mostly capoeira, football or basketball), so that could be considered favourite.

2. Do you read mainly fiction or nonfiction?

I guess both at more or less the same level, with fiction a little more.

3. How did you first come to the Toadfish Monastery?

I was invited by Griffin (I think) back at Omnia and am a member ever since.

----------------------------------------------------------

1. Your favourite martial art?

2. Martha Stewart vs. Oprah?

3. What is the best documentary (movie, not series) you've seen lately?

1. Your favourite martial art?
I don't practice martial art myself and had not yet the chance to practice maritial arts
So I can only comment on movies. I like the one Michelle Yeoh does.

2. Martha Stewart vs. Oprah?
Fortunately (probably) I was not confronted yet with either.

3. What is the best documentary (movie, not series) you've seen lately?
Drat, my diet is mostly BBC/Channel 4 documentary miniseries.
The last actual movie was Al Gore's.

********************************************************************************************

1. Are you a good or at least decent(no moral judgement) cook?

2. Do you live in a big city or somewhere in the country?

3. Do you own a car?

1. Are you a good or at least decent(no moral judgement) cook?

People who have tasted my food say it's pretty good, but I'm too lazy to cook, so I rather say I don't know how to cook.

2. Do you live in a big city or somewhere in the country?

Never lived in the country, don't really want to either. I am a city kid.

3. Do you own a car?

Unfortunately not. But when I'm home I always drive my mother's car (Skoda Fabia), or to be more precise, I don't go out without the car (unless I have the intention to drink).

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

1. Stars or stripes?

2. Favourite kind of pasta sauce?

3. Alpha or Omega?

1. Stars or stripes?
Stripes at night and stars by day 

2. Favourite kind of pasta sauce?
As a purist I can do without, otherwise no special favorite

3. Alpha or Omega?
I am more a rho person 

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

1. Eye colour?

2. Hair colour? Natural or dyed?

3. Glasses, contact lenses or no artificial "view corrector"?

1. Eye colour?

Hazel

2. Hair colour? Natural or dyed?

Used to be brown,  nowadays more grey than anything, couldn't be bothered with hair dye, if people don't like my hair colour thay can take a run and jump...

3. Glasses, contact lenses or no artificial "view corrector"?

Previously glasses - did flirt with contacts for a while but did not really like them.  Since having cataract surgery and intra-ocular lense implants now only need cheap "readers" I buy from the $2 shop for reading, much better than the $800 multi-focal titanium framed jobs I used to wear!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Do you still have all your "bits" or have you had something out (like tonsils, appendix etc)?

2. Do you have any irrational fears?

3. Are you comfortable with public speaking, and what is the largest number of people you have ever spoken to (not including things like radio, video etc)?

1. Do you still have all your "bits" or have you had something out (like tonsils, appendix etc)?
A bit of repair work in the shoulder pan (stuffing a fissure of unknown origin with material from the upper arm bone) and a number of extracted teeth. Nothing of the "soft" stuff missing yet.

2. Do you have any irrational fears?
Yes, and I can be quite superstitious on occasions.
While I have no problems watching stinging insects or fat spiders on screen or behind glass I am very averse to direct contact.

3. Are you comfortable with public speaking, and what is the largest number of people you have ever spoken to (not including things like radio, video etc)?
Not much experience in that, a group of students or colleagues (below 2 dozen) was probably the top until now.

##########################################################################################

1. Do you keep pets (maybe even a droit de seigneur )?

2. Would you like it, if there was real magic (not just as metaphor for fascinating things) in the world?

3. Alcoholic, moderate drinker or t-totaller?

1. Do you keep pets (maybe even a droit de seigneur )?

had two goldfish called Foot and Mouth. Mouth went missing so I got another Goldfish and two Shubunkins called Ear, Nose and Throat. Ear and Throat both joined Mouth in the land of missing Goldfish (I think the place is made of paperclips and car keys) so now I have Foot and Nose. I also have snails and frogs but they are not really pets as such. 

2. Would you like it, if there was real magic (not just as metaphor for fascinating things) in the world?

Depends who has the ability. If it is me that sounds like a great thing (for me - not everybody else)

3. Alcoholic, moderate drinker or t-totaller?

Honestly somewhere between 1 and 2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Do you volunteer?

2) Have you ever started your own business?

3) Have you ever ridden an aminal that was not a horse?

(edit) supplementary question.....

what is an aminal 

1) Do you volunteer?

Yes. I am a volunteer counsellor (Ok so I only got one client but I'm sick) and I am an emergency backstop for a mental health telephone support line (ah something I can do lying in bed....!!).

2) Have you ever started your own business?

Yes. Three. An internet wacky academic service that never made it off the drawing board. A personal development course operation, now defunct. And my own IT consultancy which has been up and running for years but currently silenced due to ill health.

3) Have you ever ridden an aminal that was not a horse?
I went on an elephant at London Zoo once. And a camel. The camel terrified me.

(edit) supplementary question.....

what is an aminal 

I am led to believe that Goat is an animal.

---------------------------------------------------------------

1. What do you understand as the meaning of the word "spirit"? Give as many definitions as you can think of.

2. Why do you think they put the price tags on the sole of shoes?

3. What's your favourite thing to sit on?

1. What do you understand as the meaning of the word "spirit"? Give as many definitions as you can think of.

- ghost
- soul
- enthusiasm
- alcohol
- pride/best example (e.g. "the Spirit of St. Louis")
- a disease cheerleaders get (we've got spirit, yes we do!  We've got spirit, how 'bout you?)

2. Why do you think they put the price tags on the sole of shoes?

So you know how much the shoes cost?  Is that too obvious?

3. What's your favourite thing to sit on?

My bum.   


1. How's the weather up/down (as warranted by height) there?

2. What's the strangest sight you've ever seen?

3. Why do firefighters wear red suspenders?

1. How's the weather up/down (as warranted by height) there?
Somewhat rainy, windy and cool, which is great given the typical weather in South Florida.

2. What's the strangest sight you've ever seen?
Man, that's a hard one; I've seen many trivial odd things but nothing really out of the ordinary. I'm going with the first time I saw a famous Colombian violinist using red socks in a concert. Later I was told that those were his lucky socks and that he wore them in every concert he played as soloist.

3. Why do firefighters wear red suspenders?
I imagine it has something to do with the fact they use very baggy pants (reason unknown to me), although I've seen them using different colors like yellow and gray.

1. Have you ever had a close brush with death?

2. Were you scared, calm, or it was too fast to feel much? If not how do you think you would react?

3. Did your attitude toward life changed at that moment? Or if not, do you think it may change your attitude toward life?

1. Have you ever had a close brush with death?

Twice that I know of. The other times I probably didn't notice 

2. Were you scared, calm, or it was too fast to feel much? If not how do you think you would react?

First instance: it lasted about 18 months and it was scary at first.
Second instance: recently. About 2 hours. In A&E with heart rate into high velocity and the drugs to bring it down not working. Resolute. If this is it, so be it. But I wanted to set eyes on one of my sons before popping off.

3. Did your attitude toward life changed at that moment? Or if not, do you think it may change your attitude toward life?

Second Instance: No.

First Instance: Yes. Drastically. I don't care if/when I go. I will just do exactly as I please until whenever, whatever my relatives think I ought to be doing. Life is stripped to the bare bones. I decide several times an hour what I really really want to be doing. I find more humour in life than ever before (and my sense of humour has always been good).

---------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Apart from spouse or partner, who do you turn to for varying sorts of help and or support/understanding?

2. What order to do you put your clothes on?

3. How do you eat a plateful of food?

1. Apart from spouse or partner, who do you turn to for varying sorts of help and or support/understanding?
Help: Whoever is available to do it; Understanding: nobody, I fear

2. What order to do you put your clothes on?
Underpants, Socks, T-shirt, Trousers, Glasses, watch (no undershirt)
slippers are worn in the house more or less permanently when not in bed (or under water), heavy shoes outside.

3. How do you eat a plateful of food?
Complaining that my mother is responsible for my 100 kg too 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Have you ever doubted your own sanity?
2. Reason for 1, if answered yes
3. Do you think you would notice if you actually became insane?