The Only Profile of Me on Here

I don't generally like the questionnaires that get passed around, and I certainly don't engage those who pass their questionnaires to me. This list, via Spiced Sass, isn't so specific that it can nail my identity. It's that "anonymity" thing.

Why do you blog? Sometimes I think I might have a unique thought. Just like everyone else.

What has been your best blogging experience? Setting up the blog itself, programming the multiple CSS themes, and generally being satisfied with the TypePad application interface.

Who are your intellectual heroes? Thomas Jefferson, for his work on the Declaration of Independence. Ayn Rand, for exposing the true nature of Communism.

What are you reading at the moment? Nothing. I used to read in bed, but now I surf the Internet until the wee hours. I do most of my research online.

Who are your cultural heroes? Benjamin Franklin and the Founding Fathers, for their understanding of how societies form and evolve.

What is the best novel you've ever read? Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. A close second is the incredulous Life of Pi by Jann Martel.

What is your favorite poem? The first scene with Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet (II, iii). Friar Laurence understands his pupil, and Romeo trusts his mentor.

What is your favorite movie? It's a tie between Beauty and the Beast and Forrest Gump.

Who is your favorite composer? I don't really have a favorite, but I enjoy listening to Beethoven and the 19th century Romantics of northern and eastern Europe.

Can you name a major moral, political or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind? The belief that Christianity and capitalism are mutually hostile. I see them now as mutually compatible through indifference.

What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to disseminate? The freedom of conscience, conversation, and contradiction as embodied in the First Amendment.

What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to combat? The notion that chaos and anarchy are natural human tendencies, and law and order must be imposed by force.

Can you name a work of non-fiction which has had a major and lasting influence on how you think about the world? The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms.

If you could choose anyone, from any walk of life, to be President, who would you choose? I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy!

What would you do with the UN? Abolish it, or at least remove it from the United States. Most of the UN's member states abhor every fundamental of our Constitution.

Do you think the world (human civilization) has already passed its best point, or is that yet to come? The best is yet to come, but the cultural inertia of the nay-sayers will incur tremendous cost before we can truly enjoy the improvements.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life? Some things aren't worth knowing.

Do you think you could ever be married to, or in a long-term relationship with, someone with radically different political views from your own? If the views are so different that the only conversation we can have is about the weather, no.

What do you consider the most important personal quality? Intellectual discernment.

What personal fault do you most dislike? Over-intellectualism.

Do you have any prejudices you're willing to acknowledge? I strongly dislike "urban culture." It seems entirely too willing to live down to stereotypes.

What is your favorite proverb? "Every silver lining has a cloud."

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything you'd do differently? I'd be more adventurous. It's amazing how many times I've gotten sidetracked, distracted, or persuaded to throw caution to the wind, and I've survived them all. Looking back on my life so far, I've done some pretty incredible things, but over-caution has taken its toll, too much.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do)? Where I am is fine. I came back for a reason, you know.

What would your ideal vacation be? This coming Monday. Heck, every Monday!

What talent would you most like to have? The ability to ad-lib on an instrument. I admire how some people can roll out a melody just like they were talking.

What would be your ideal choice of alternative profession or job? Photographer.

Who is your favorite comedian or humorist? The great ones of the 50's and 60's who got laughs without resorting to potty humor.

Who are your sporting heroes? I have none. The media have hidden them too well, in preference to the scandals and the thugs.

If you could have one (more or less realistic) wish come true, what would you wish for? Hyperspace travel, or at least warp drive.

How, if at all, would you change your life were you suddenly to win or inherit an enormously large sum of money? I'd pay my family's bills, buy a bell tower for my church, and put the rest into a trust.

Posted on Jul 29, 2007 at 2:10:37 AM EDT.