what most formed your character?
$Zero
were you always pretty much like you are now?
or was there some turning point that changed you significantly?
if so, what was it?
and has it happened more than once to you?
...
what about the people whom you know personally.
of all of them, who has changed the most, and how, and why?
(if any at all).
-$Zero...
2007 was the first year that...
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/559594bd22caeb69
Pies de Arcilla
> what most formed your character?
>
> were you always pretty much like you are now?
>
> or was there some turning point that changed you significantly?
>
> if so, what was it?
>
> and has it happened more than once to you?
I have trouble remembering that stuff. Maybe I should have taken notes
along the way, for my autobiography.
boots
>what most formed your character?
All the shit that ever happened to me.
>were you always pretty much like you are now?
No, I was once quite short and very young.
>or was there some turning point that changed you significantly?
Thousands and thousands.
>if so, what was it?
Good juju disguised as bad luck.
>and has it happened more than once to you?
Almost constantly.
>what about the people whom you know personally.
Who?
>of all of them, who has changed the most, and how, and why?
Beats me.
--
just write it
boots
If you took enough notes along the way to write a complete and
accurate autobiography, would you have an interesting autobiography or
would it amount to "I took notes"?
One of the nice things about writing an autobiography is that you
usually do it as an old fart, who has a bad memory, and you can just
write it the way you wish it had been.
Maybe.
--
just write it
Bill Penrose
> what most formed your character?
> were you always pretty much like you are now?
My life was most affected at four points. Only one was pure chance.
The whole story is real boring, but if I'd taken a different path at
any of these four, my life would be totally different today.
DB
Sylvia
> what most formed your character?
<...>
PlasticGoop.
--
Sylvia
"Please have these rules tattooed on your biceps, because
Mister Language Person is getting tired of correcting
people and may soon turn the whole matter over to the police."
- Dave Barry
Pies de Arcilla
Sylvia wrote:
> Mr. "$Zero" <zero...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > what most formed your character?
> <...>
>
> PlasticGoop.
Is that like Polyshrink?
$Zero
compare that to how much a biographer would fuck it up.
> Maybe.
facts without opinions mean nothing.
-$Zero...
you can't argue with someone who agrees with you
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/5547a6b38bf6b30e
i can't argue with that.
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/2ce468cecdae3233
$Zero
> "$Zero" <zeroi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >what most formed your character?
>
> All the shit that ever happened to me.
most?
> >were you always pretty much like you are now?
>
> No, I was once quite short and very young.
but how much different were you along the way?
for instance, were you always such a smart ass, or was there a time
when you weren't?
did your personality ever change much?
if so, how so?
> >or was there some turning point that changed you significantly?
>
> Thousands and thousands.
name one.
and describe how it changed you.
> >if so, what was it?
>
> Good juju disguised as bad luck.
i once lost twenty-plus coin flips in a row.
and a thousand dollars in the process.
(in the form of an IOU).
i was in my late teens/early twenties.
where was the good juju in that?
(besides having a vivid memory of some extremely bad luck i
experienced).
> >and has it happened more than once to you?
>
> Almost constantly.
from what to what to what?
or towards what?
> >what about the people whom you know personally.
>
> Who?
family, friends, lovers, co-workers, neighbors, whomever.
> >of all of them, who has changed the most, and how, and why?
>
> Beats me.
nothing very noticable then?
$Zero
> On Dec 26, 7:41 am, "$Zero" <zeroi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > what most formed your character?
> > were you always pretty much like you are now?
>
> My life was most affected at four points.
how so?
> Only one was pure chance.
> The whole story is real boring,
go ahead, Bill, try and bore us here in mw.
see if anyone objects.
> but if I'd taken a different path at
> any of these four, my life would be totally different today.
how can you be sure?
if you'd taken a different path at one of those points, maybe it would
have led you to another point that would have led you back to where
you are.
$Zero
> Mr. �"$Zero" <zeroi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > what most formed your character?
>
> <...>
>
> PlasticGoop.
what did you shape it into?
boots
>On Dec 26, 1:56?pm, boots <n...@no.no> wrote:
>> "$Zero" <zeroi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >what most formed your character?
>>
>> All the shit that ever happened to me.
>
>most?
All.
>> >were you always pretty much like you are now?
>>
>> No, I was once quite short and very young.
>
>but how much different were you along the way?
>
>for instance, were you always such a smart ass,
Mostly.
> or was there a time when you weren't?
Being a smartass is difficult prior to having learned language.
>did your personality ever change much?
>
>if so, how so?
I found it necessary to repress parts of it during the years when I
was seeking a mate and raising children (open defiance of authority is
contra-productive when one needs a steady paycheck, for example), but
it was always there, buried. It isn't clear to me that a personality
can really change, it seems to be an essential nature that can be
buried or uncovered but remains as it has always been.
>> >or was there some turning point that changed you significantly?
>>
>> Thousands and thousands.
>
>name one.
When I was about 23 I turned down an offer of a huge salary increase
to do the kind of research that makes every aspiring computer
scientist's mouth water, for ethical reasons which turned out to be
the worst kind of naivte.
>and describe how it changed you.
It taught me several things, including the fact that corporations
exist not to do good but to make profit, and the fact that
life-altering decisions are infrequently encountered. It also set me
on a trajectory that led unstoppably to meeting Mrs Boots.
>> >if so, what was it?
>>
>> Good juju disguised as bad luck.
>
>i once lost twenty-plus coin flips in a row.
>
>and a thousand dollars in the process.
>
>(in the form of an IOU).
>
>i was in my late teens/early twenties.
>
>where was the good juju in that?
>
>(besides having a vivid memory of some extremely bad luck i
>experienced).
What would have happened had you won the bet, would you be the same
person now? If the maths had proven out, would you have ever really
recognized that they can go quite so insanely against you?
>> >and has it happened more than once to you?
>>
>> Almost constantly.
>
>from what to what to what?
>
>or towards what?
Everything that occurred during my life has contributed in part to the
present.
>> >what about the people whom you know personally.
>>
>> Who?
>
>family, friends, lovers, co-workers, neighbors, whomever.
>
>> >of all of them, who has changed the most, and how, and why?
>>
>> Beats me.
>
>nothing very noticable then?
You clearly have no concept of the isolation in which I am content.
--
just write it
Bill Penrose
> > Only one was pure chance.
> > The whole story is real boring,
>
> go ahead, Bill, try and bore us here in mw.
For those with high tolerance of tedium, the four things that changed
my life. :
Fork in the road 1: Refusing to be seduced at the age of 17 by a
certain girl. Instead, I ended up with the Warrior Queen, who happened
to be the best possible choice.
No. 2: Turning down an offer to attend Royal Military College at 18,
and opting for a career in science.
No. 3: (the accident) At University of Toronto, age 25, taking a
shortcut through the chemistry building to avoid the heat, and seeing
a job posting that led to my first job in Newfoundland, possibly the
best start to a career imaginable, in retrospect.
No. 4: Age 37: Attending an inconsequential meeting just to use up my
travel money, and meeting someone who eventually arranged for me to
move to the United States.
Dangerous Bill
Beamer
You mean to say in front of God and every one that you are an ex-
Newfoundlander?
My god, I have heard about your type!
Beamer
Bill Penrose
> You mean to say in front of God and every one that you are an ex-
> Newfoundlander?
One has to be born a Newfoundlander to be a Newfoundlander, but when I
was leaving, some buddies and coworkers performed some kind of
ceremony that involved alcohol and unconsciousness, and said that I
was henceforth a Newfie.
Dangerous Bill
Beamer
I stand corrected. I always got that Newfie / Newfoundlander thingy
mixed up.
"some buddies and coworkers performed some kind of ceremony that
involved alcohol and unconsciousness ..."
And of course, you fought them tooth and nail?
Beamer
Sylvia
> Sylvia wrote:
> > "$Zero" wrote:
> >
> > > what most formed your character?
> >
> > <...>
> >
> > PlasticGoop.
>
> what did you shape it into?
<preening>
I used a custom "Supreme Ruler of MW" mold.
Afterwards, I broke the mold (but I blamed it on the dog).
--
Sylvia <--- The Supreme Ruler of MW (see?!)
"Truth, fiction, plots, twists, turns, complications,
heroes, antagonists, climaxes -- and sometimes we
even talk about writing...!"
- MR FRM on Life in MW
B--
news:lq85n39ifj26p7va8...@4ax.com...
> "$Zero" <zero...@gmail.com> wrote:
>snip
>
>>were you always pretty much like you are now?
>
> No, I was once quite short and very young.
>
Thanks for the laugh boots.
--
Beth
"Reality is what you make it, choose carefully the color of glass in
your blinkers before you snap them on." Boots
B--
news:6e879999-3bd1-4afc...@s8g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
Then you must have kissed a cod. Can't complete the ceremony without
kissing a cod.
--
Beth
"If earth is an urban planet, i'm moving to the suburbs." - Zero
boots
>"boots" <n...@no.no> wrote in message
>news:lq85n39ifj26p7va8...@4ax.com...
>> "$Zero" <zero...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>snip
>>
>>>were you always pretty much like you are now?
>>
>> No, I was once quite short and very young.
>>
>snip
>
>Thanks for the laugh boots.
Thanks for letting me know I did something right for a change, Beth.
<g>
--
just write it
Sylvia
> Sylvia wrote:
> > Mr. "$Zero" wrote:
.
> > > what most formed your character?
> > <...>
.
> > PlasticGoop.
.
> Is that like Polyshrink?
Nope. Part of a cool toy wot kids ain't allowed to play with no more
'cause they might burn their eye out or sumpthin':
Here's an old TV commercial for it:
http://spikepriggen.onlinestoragesolution.com/creepy_crawlers.mov
--
Sylvia
"They can all go eat rat heads."
-- Mr. Dangerous Bill Penrose
Sylvia
> "$Zero" wrote:
<...>
> > > Only one was pure chance.
> > > The whole story is real boring,
.
> > go ahead, Bill, try and bore us here in mw.
Yeah! Wait sec--
<pouring tasty salted (whole) cashews into a not-so-petite bowl>
<drawing a round of tasty, frosty root beers>
<settling into comfy chair>
Everyone ready?'K, yer on Mr. Penrose.
> For those with high tolerance of tedium, the four things that changed
> my life. :
>
> Fork in the road 1: Refusing to be seduced at the age of 17 by a
> certain girl. Instead, I ended up with the Warrior Queen, who
> happened to be the best possible choice.
Ya know, Steven King used sumpthin' like this in "The Stand". It was a
major fork in the road, not just for the character, Larry, who was
teetering between his old shallow, pleasure seekin' life-path and the
more responsible and fulfillin' one he had just started to walk, but
also for the plot.
This fork is rated: NOT TEDIOUS.
> No. 2: Turning down an offer to attend Royal Military College at 18,
> and opting for a career in science.
"It's A Wonderful Life". What if George had accepted Sam Wainwright's
offer for a golden opportunity in the plastics industry?
This fork is rated: NOT TEDIOUS.
> No. 3: (the accident) At University of Toronto, age 25, taking a
> shortcut through the chemistry building to avoid the heat, and seeing
> a job posting that led to my first job in Newfoundland, possibly the
> best start to a career imaginable, in retrospect.
Sorry, still NOT TEDIOUS.
The spring of my junior year at college I applied for a summer job with
a big newspaper. The job wasn't anything great, but I was interested in
what I could learn there. The person who got my resume had it on her
desk at the time that someone she was going to lunch with was shown into
her office to wait for her for a few minutes. Havin' nothin' else to do,
that other person glanced at my resume, then read it in full, then
jotted down my name and phone number.
She ended up offering me a summer internship in the advertising
department that she headed for a computer company. It was a plum
internship. I learned a lot about Real World advertising in particular
and about the Mass Communications field in general, all which served me
well in future jobs. I had fun, I was very well paid, enjoyed a lot of
neat perks, and it sparked my interest in computers.
But I also learned that the particular kind of creative position in
advertising that I had planned to pursue after graduation was something
that I *so* did NOT really want. This knowledge allowed me to shift
gears while still in school, most likely savin' myself from a lot of
post-graduation disappointment, wasted time, and burnout.
> No. 4: Age 37: Attending an inconsequential meeting just to use up my
> travel money, and meeting someone who eventually arranged for me to
> move to the United States.
<whappin' No. 4 with NOT TEDIOUS stamp>
[WHAP!]
Mr. Penrose, I'm thinkin' ya got a lot of good novel fodder in ya.
BTW, interestin' thread, Mr. Zero.
Sylvia
<...>
> <g>
<stunned!>
O.M.G.!. I must alert the media!
<grabbing the Red Phone>
--
Sylvia <---saw a cloud lift
Sylvia
> boots wrote:
<...>
> > Good juju disguised as bad luck.
>
> i once lost twenty-plus coin flips in a row.
>
> and a thousand dollars in the process.
>
> (in the form of an IOU).
>
> i was in my late teens/early twenties.
>
> where was the good juju in that?
<...>
<picking up the Mauve phone and consulting The Fates>
<taking copious notes>
Yeah? And then? WOW! No shi---
<glancing at Sir Harvey>
... no kiddin'? And then? alrighty, thenk yew.
'K, here's the deal. Had ya walked away after the fifth (5th) coin flip
ya would have been [WHAP!]ped by a stolen Good Humo(u)r truck driven by
a Crazed Brick Layer intent on destroying all Worldwide Dark Chocolate
Reserves... and the Universe as we know it.
[WHAP!]ppin' ya with the truck, would have caused the CBL to abandon
that vehicle and hijack the car of a Magnesium Ribbon Monger on his way
to the airport to catch a plane to Canada. Havin' to then catch a much
later flight, the MRM would not have had time to stop by the chemistry
building at the University of Toronto to tack up a job posting for his
brother's company in Newfoundland.
This would have meant that the Bright, Young Chemist who would have come
across that postin' and gotten that job... didn't. Without that job the
BYC would not have had travel money to burn off on an inconsequential
meeting where he would have met someone who eventually arranged for the
BYC to move to the United States, disguised as a large, black dog (the
BYC was disguised as a large black dog, not the United States--you got
that, right?), where the BYC would take a three day course which would
lead him to his destiny as...
<turning page>
...a case of frosty root beer.
<blink!>
Oh! Heh! Wrote it on me shoppin' list. Hold a sec...
<shuffle! shuffle! shuffle!>
ummm... as the drivin' force behind the American public's acceptance of
the Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer as a
[CONTINUED ON PAGE 22]
Sylvia
> boots wrote:
<...>
> > Good juju disguised as bad luck.
>
> i once lost twenty-plus coin flips in a row.
>
> and a thousand dollars in the process.
>
> (in the form of an IOU).
>
> i was in my late teens/early twenties.
>
> where was the good juju in that?
<...>
<picking up the Mauve phone and consulting The Fates>
<taking copious notes>
'K, here's the deal. Had ya walked away after the fifth (5th) coin flip
ya would have been [WHAP!]ped by a stolen Good Humo(u)r truck driven by
a Crazed Brick Layer intent on destroying all Worldwide Dark Chocolate
Reserves... and the Universe as we know it.
[WHAP!]ppin' ya with the truck, would have caused the CBL to abandon
that vehicle (not abandoning got him caught by The Chocolate Reserves
Guard right away) and hijack the car of a Magnesium Ribbon Monger on his
way to the airport to catch a plane to Canada. Havin' to then catch a
much later flight, the MRM would not have had time to stop by the
chemistry building at the University of Toronto to tack up a job posting
for his brother's company in Newfoundland.
This would have meant that the Bright, Young Chemist who would have come
across that postin' and gotten that job... didn't. Without that job the
BYC would not have burned off travel money on an inconsequential meeting
where he would have met someone who eventually arranged for the BYC to
move to the United States, albeit disguised as a large, black dog, where
the BYC would take a three day course that would lead him to his destiny