draliman on life

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. This week we have a new logo. The world is in one’s hands!

If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?
Ooh, anyone? But not a celebrity. I’d interview that interesting chap from round our way who died ages ago. But I don’t think it would be a very fruitful interview. On account of him being dead and all.

As a child, did you have a nickname? Did you carry that with you throughout life or was it only in childhood that you used it?
I did, for a short while. But only people from the UK of a certain age would understand it. There was a kids’ programme called Grange Hill, and I happened to closely resemble one of the characters – “Roland”. So that was my nickname. Here’s a comparison. I’m the one on the right.

Give us three words that describe you
I am me.

Sneaking into a second movie at the theater (if you go to a movie house)? Is that wrong or just harmless ‘fun’?
Or, as we would say in England…
Sneaking into a second film at the cinema (if you go to a cinema)… is that wrong or just harmless ‘fun’?
Just harmless fun of course! I don’t mind paying a little bit more to make up for all the people who don’t pay to watch a film. Why not illegally stream some stuff from the internet or try a bit of shoplifting while you’re at it? It’s all the same to the company supplying it. They just make everyone else pay. (rant rant babble babble)

Yay, I’m finally a grumpy old man. It’s a dream come true!

If you had a time machine would you go back to the past or forward into the future? Why?
If I went to the future it would only be one future out of infinite possibilities (theoretically). If the future is predetermined (“fate”) then life is pointless as nothing we do can possibly make a difference and all our choices aren’t actually choices at all…

So, the past. I’d like to take a peek at the Victorian era. All those top hats and new inventions and excitement. I’d take a bunch of broad-spectrum antibiotics with me, though. I refuse to die of blood poisoning from a cut on my finger.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

Was the last thing you read digital or print?
I’m currently reading digital on my Kindle – the entire Raven Saga by James Barclay. The last thing I read was in print. I don’t generally buy stuff in print any more as I don’t have room for the books. The Kindle is handier too, and if I find myself somewhere with a few minutes to spare I can pick it up on my phone and keep reading.

Are you more an extrovert or introvert?
I’m an introvert. I don’t like being around too many people.

How is your life different from what you imagined as a younger person?
How is it not? Am I a famous person living on a private island, driving a Ferrari and beloved by the masses? No. No, I’m not.

Do you think about dying? Does death scare you? Why or why not?
Sometimes. And sometimes it scares me, sometimes it doesn’t.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

Guns? Are you pro or con? Explain your point of view.
Largely con, though I live in a country where even the regular police don’t carry guns and gun possession is largely illegal. As a result, there is very little gun crime, so that’s a good thing! People just stab each other instead. Of course, it’s difficult to slaughter a whole room of people in five seconds using only a kitchen knife.

How would your country change if everyone, regardless of age, could vote?
I’d be a member of parliament! While the adult vote would be split between the main parties, I would get 100% of the kiddie vote by offering tax breaks on sweets and chocolate and a ban on homework.

Of course, in order to get a tax break they’d have to pay tax on their pocket money, but they’re too young to understand that and then it’ll be too late – see, I’m thinking like a politician already!

What’s your cure for hiccups?
A complete throat and stomach transplant. It’s the only way to be sure.

What’s the coldest you’ve ever been?
I’m always cold. At work, it’s my “thing”. To pick out an especially cold incident would be impossible, I’m afraid.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

What does a successful relationship look like to you?
It’s very difficult to tell. Maybe people who do lots of things together, as a team. Some people who look all peaches and cream on the outside can be all grrr behind closed doors.

If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning a medal for?
Advanced Afternoon Napping. I’m pretty good at that.

What do you wish you knew more about?
The life-cycle of the tsetse fly. No, quantum string theory, that’s it. No, wait, the life and times of Sun Tzu. I wish I knew more about what I wish to know more about.

What is better in your opinion – asking for forgiveness or permission?
That depends very much on the consequences of not asking for permission…

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. This is a collection of fun questions in honour of April Fool’s Day! There are quite a lot so I’ll answer a selection.

Why is it called “beauty sleep” when one wakes up looking like a troll?
Ha, speak for yourself. I’m always bootiful 😉

Why do they sterilise needles for lethal injections?
If you’re gonna do a job, do it right…

Why do most cars have speedometers that go up to at least 130 when you legally can’t go that fast on any road?
Two reasons I reckon. In case you take it on the track – so mine would need to go up to over 140mph anyway. And if the speedo only went up to 70mph (the max in the UK), how could you tell you were speeding? You could be going 90 and it would still be reading 70 🙂

What are some things that are okay to do occasionally but definitely not okay to do every day?
Stay in with loads of chips and dips and chocolate and watch telly all day.

In your opinion, what’s the best type of cheese?
All of it.

You are about to get in a fight, what song comes on your mind soundtrack?
I know it’s completely obvious, but the moment I read the question I heard “Eye of the Tiger” in my mind.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World. And here’s another new logo!

What is the best pick me up that you know of? To shake you out of the blues?
Ooh, I don’t know. A jaunty song perhaps. Or a bar of chocolate. A jaunty song and a bar of chocolate. A jaunty song, a bar of chocolate and a funny comedy.

What would be the title of your memoir?
It Started, It Happened, It Finished – The Story of One Man’s Plod Through Life.

Where do you like to go when you eat out?
I’m not a big fan of eating out. If I do, somewhere casual like a pub restaurant.

Do you believe in luck?
Nah. Not really. I say “good luck” to people of course, but random good and bad things happen and we decided to call those “good” and “bad” luck.

Aside from necessities, what is one thing you couldn’t go a day without?
I’ll follow everyone else and go with the internet. I’d be severely limited in what I could do at work, for a start.

Here is my post for Melanie’s Share Your World.

We have a new logo! In the last one, the UK was front and centre. Now North America’s there instead – I heard a certain squirrel had something to do with this. Game on, squirrel!

Do You Have Any Guilty Pleasures?
No. I have plenty of pleasures but I don’t feel guilty about any of them 😉 Life’s too short and all that.

What’s The Worst Pick Up Line You’ve Used?
I don’t recall ever using a pickup line, bad or otherwise. Women generally pick me up. All both of them. Cos I’m so awesome and shit.

What Slang Or Trend Makes You Feel Old?
One I really don’t get is when “the kidz” describe something as “sick”. Is that good or bad? Yes. Both. Either. How very confusing.

And this desperation to be constantly connected to social media. I don’t get it.

What Do You Consider The Most Over-rated Song?
There are so many songs which get on my nerves. There’s this one that keeps playing at work. It’s some woman screeching. I don’t know what it’s called or who it’s by. I’m classifying it as “overrated” since many people clearly seem to love it! You’ll know it if you hear it. Avoid it!

Instead of a Tender Mercies question, here’s a philosophical one instead:
You Find A Book And Begin To Read Only To Discover That It Is Your Life. You Get To The Point That You Are At Now, Do You Turn The Page Knowing That You Will Not Be Able To Change The Events To Come?
No way. Can you imagine? You’d spend so much time trying to avoid your fate you’d probably cause it to happen. ‘Cos you know how these weird freaky time things go.