Vita - A short account of a person's (my) life.
- 4.59pm, Wednesday 20th December 2006
In many ways I'd like to describe myself as one of the cognoscenti of many a subject, but that would just be pretentious. In many ways there's a fair bit of expertise under my belt in terms of web design, magic, and telling bad jokes (or more pertinently, badly telling jokes), but I'm not sure if there are officially allowed to be any cognoscenti in those particular fields. In web design, there's mostly just people who talk down to other people, which I guess makes them cognoscenti, but I digress. Plus I'm going to stop saying cognoscenti.
I was born in Brighton in the early 80's, and lived there my whole life until 4 years ago, when I undertook the somewhat easy decisions of moving to Scarborough to study Internet Computing. I'm still unclear whether the decision was the correct one, but it certainly led to my discovery of one of the most elegant and enchanting artforms around - Magic. While the form I study is several steps removed from the type which originally captivated me (the street style of David Blaine), I still have a deep admiration for anyone who performs magic convincingly and in a novel fashion.
Magic books which would primarily set many people straight to sleep within a few minutes routinely keep me up way past my bedtime. It's an artform I'm passionately involved in, and one day I hope to have the privilege of performing it in a professional setting.
I'm currently in my final year of university, and am busy scrambling around trying to finish my dissertation (it's about Password Guessing). Once I'm done with that (which will be any day now), I'll be heading back down south, to do christ knows what.
Having completed my degree in the summer of 2005, and subsequently moving back to Brighton with Joey, I'm now working at Juretic Media, the finest Web Development company in the land.
It's 2007, we're still in Brighton (it's really very nice!), and I'm now working for the very lovely Eurogamer, specifically on their up and coming community websites. It's all a bit exciting!
Proust to be here
In order to try and bring a bit of class to this page, I've decided to publish my answers to the Proust Questionnaire. Here goes:
Your most marked characteristic?
Being able to think of, and subsequently say the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate time. It's usually quite vulgar, you know.
The quality you most like in a man?
A proud sense of self, without the notion of pretentiousness or superiority.
The quality you most like in a woman?
Being able to do something on their own without having to tell you repeatedly that they're an 'independent woman'.
What do you most value in your friends?
Unrelenting honesty.
What is your principle defect?
Lack of attention to the smaller details. I'm a Shaper/Plant, not a Finisher!
What is your favourite occupation?
Anything, as long as it is rewarding, entertaining, and doesn't involve much heavy lifting. If that's too vague, here's a quick list:
- Professional Magician / Mind Reader / Mentalist, but not in the lighthearted, throwaway sense.
- Film Maker.
- Film reviewer.
- Actor.
- Record Store owner (provided I was always in control of the volume).
- Self-employed Entreprenour. In the latter part of 2006 I came very close to packing in my job and going for it as a full-time/pro blogger.
What is your dream of happiness?
Happiness doesn't come in the form of a dream in my case - it comes in the form of a 12" Pizza, a coke, and a good film.
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
Dying without aspiring to one of my favourite occupations. That, or losing my legs.
What would you like to be?
This is very shallow, but honest: I'd like to be filthy rich, and have absolutely no limits imposed on my lifestyle. Helicopter over Niagra? Done. Buying all my friends dinner at the Ritz? Easy.
In what country would you like to live?
The UK. It's the only place I'd feel comfortable. Or maybe the US for a while, but only if I was in New York.
What is your favorite color?
A deep, sunset orangey-yellow, with a hint of darkness to it.
What is your favorite flower?
A simple daffodil is to the point, and effective. The contrast between the deep green of the stem, and the saturated yellow looks lovely.
What is your favorite bird?
I can't distinguish any birds from one another, apart from Peacocks, so I suppose they're my favourite.
Who are your favorite prose writers?
Top 3: James Patterson, Davis Miller, Chuck Palahniuk.
Who are your favoite poets?
No idea. Poetry isn't my strong point.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Jack Parlabane.
Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
I don't do drugs.
Who are your favorite composers?
John Williams, Chopin, Wagner.
Who are your favorite painters?
Salvador Dali & Cezanne.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My parents, my Grandad. I also have infinite respect for Penn & Teller and James Randi.
Who are your favorite heroines of history?
I told you, I don't fucking do drugs!
What are your favorite names?
I always wanted to get a dog and name him Ally/Alistair (after Ally McCoist), which is a start, I guess.
What is it you most dislike?
People who despise other people for having certain irritating qualities, but who also exhibit those very qualities they themselves hate. For example, loud people who are always telling other folks to be quiet.
What historical figures do you most despise?
History isn't my big thing. Would it be a bit too controversial to say ever Pope, past & present?
What event in military history do you most admire?
Not sufficiently educated to admire any, although the incursions featured in Band Of Brothers are pretty badass.
What reform do you most admire?
My own reform with regard to biting my nails. That was one tough mother to lick.
What natural gift would you most like to possess?
An uncanny ability to naturally interest and charm others, but not for my own personal gain.
How would you like to die?
Proud.
What is your present state of mind?
Thoughtful, but also weary that I may be sounding like a buffoon by answering these questions.
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Those which can be used to their fullest.
What is your motto?
I don't really have a motto, but I try to keep upbeat.
Epilogue
That's about it. I hope you weren't too repulsed by the answers I gave.
Comments about 'Vita - A short account of a person's (my) life.'
Emily said:
7.17am, 10 November 2007
I am a runner, and I have been sober for 4 years, and I love Chuck Palahniuk... and I find you funny and interesting. I actually came upon your website because I googled "running with a cold" (I have a cold and I am in the middle of marathon training and I was trying to figure out if it was ok to run)
I liked the part about the peacock. So, why is your website called Sober Productions?