so my little scientific survey has taught me that the majority of porn viewers are in fact women. Ok, maybe not… it isn’t really all that scientific. Maybe its just that the majority of people who read the things I write are women who like porn. Hmmm… either is fine with me really. 
Anyway, male or female, if you haven’t replied to that post yet, I’d still like to know what you have to say, positive or negative.
I was asked interview questions by papertygre and now is as good a time to answer them as any:
(Ratha did like I do and asked complicated multipart questions… I actually like that, it makes you think more, and gives you more room to just kind of tell people about yourself… I think I learn more about people that way, so hopefully this will tell people about me)
1. What is your favorite thing about Pittsburgh? Your least favorite? Is there something about another place you’ve lived that you miss?
I don’t know if I can answer a favorite or least favorite thing about Pittsburgh. I like it here. It kind of suits me. I have lots of friends here. I like the football team. I like the social atmosphere. I even like the weather. I guess, having grown up in Lorain (just outside of Cleveland), there is a certain atmosphere that I became comfortable with, and Pittsburgh sort of fits that bill without being the same place. I don’t really want to go back to where I came from, I feel like I out grew it, but Pittsburgh has some of the same aspects I was comfortable with, and after living here for the last 11 years, it just feels like home, I guess.
2. What motivates you to get up in the morning? Is it certain people, is it goals you have, is it force of habit, or something else?
Who says I’m motivated? Actually, I tend to wake up just because I am incapable of sleeping for very long. Whether I actually get out of bed or not is another story. When I’m working, i kind of have this drive to get things done, so I guess that’s kind of a motivation. Other than that, there are some things that I just feel driven to do sometimes. Artwork, writing, working out, doing laundry… those kinds of things. If I don’t have anything important to do, and I’m not feeling particularly driven that day, I might just hang out in my room and watch TV or surf the web until something fun comes along.
3. How do you unwind? (Do you prefer reading, games, physical activities, hanging with friends, or media like music or movies? This is more a general question than a request to name specific games or movies.) Is there a hobby or leisure activity you don’t do or haven’t done, but would like to get into if you had the chance?
Ummm… Yes.
Seriously, I guess this totally depends. There are lots of things that I find very enjoyable to do. Obviously, right now a big one is wrestling training and working out. But I also like reading a lot. I love watching movies. I love rafting. I like artwork and writing, though I’ve been pretty lame about producing any of it lately. I like sex. I like parties. I like going out drinking. I like moonlight dinners and quiet walks along the beach. Oh wait, that’s another interview. Sorry. Anyway, I guess it all depends on my mood. Sometimes I want to just hit the gym and lift by myself or read a book, sometimes I want to snuggle up with Steph and watch a movie, sometimes I’ll be a total geek and screw with the computer all day, sometimes I’ll invite people over for debaucherous games that involve drinking and taking off your clothes.
There are some things that i want to try that I haven’t gotten to yet. Skydiving has always been one of them, for instance. And jetskiing. Pretty much any hobby where there is a significant chance of bodily harm or death is A-OK in my book.
4. What is your position on snacking?
*shrug* I snack when i feel like snacking. I don’t know that I have a total position on it. I’m kind of weird. In some ways I try really really really hard to be healthy, the obsession with drinking tons of water every day, the near maniacal working out of late. The near total cutting out of caffeine from my diet. But then I’ll just not feel like working out for a week, and I just won’t. Or I’ll feel like snacking and I’ll eat a bunch of cookies or something. It’s weird. I guess my basic philosophy is happiness. I take care of myself because taking care of myself makes me happy. It makes my body look a sort of way that makes me feel good about myself (ok, so maybe that means I have body image and self esteem issues, but that’s a whole side point). It makes me look good for the ladies. 
But the point is that I do all of that just to make myself feel better about myself, and so at the point where its making me feel bad about myself its counterproductive. I could count every calorie and worry about every single bite I take and such, but that’s no way to live. So if eating a bunch of cookies is going to make me feel happy in the short run I do it. The trick is to not overdo it so as to become fat and unattractive thus making me feel unhappy in the long run. Its all about discipline. Its kind of the same thing with smoking. I didn’t quit for the longest time because smoking made me feel good. When it got to the point that I felt like I literally couldn’t function without cigarettes, I quit. It was hard, but I did it not because I was worried about cancer or anything. I did it because I felt bad about myself, and I felt bad when I couldn’t smoke. Now I am at a point where I can have a social cigarette at a bar or party, or even have 3 or 4 or whatever and its nice, and then I don’t smoke again for 3 months til the mood hits me again, and that’s how I want it. So the point is, being healthy is great since it can make things fun, but doing things that are bad for you is ok so long as it adds to the fun of life as well. I think it was Redd Foxx that said “you’re gonna feel really stupid dying of nothing.” And I guess I kind of really agree with that.
5. Are you religious at all?
It depends on how you mean it. I haven’t attended church regularly (you know outside of like weddings and baptisms) in probably like 13 or 14 years. I don’t know that I believe in the specific God(s/ess) that the Christians or Jews or Muslims or Buddhists or Wiccans or Ancient Grecians or Scientologists or whatever believe in. But, I can’t believe that the entirity of existence is based on the cosmic happenstance of chaos theory that caused a single particle to explode and various permutations to be set in motion that eventually resulted in life on a small rock in one particularly insignificant sector of creation either. And even if it did, where did where did that particle come from in the first place. Simply put at some level even with the most advanced scientific theory, you eventually just have to accepts an axiom or theorem as given somewhere. And that’s faith. If it comforts you to pigeonhole (I don’t mean that to be as insulting as it sounds) that faith into a box that is labeled God, or Magick or Physics or whatever, that’s fine. I think its all just a means of understanding, and whatever helps to get there and make sense of the universe as it relates to you as an individual… well more power to you. That said, I believe in what I have experienced, and some of what I have experienced I cannot explain. Whether this is because of the failings of science to explain the unexplainables of the universe or merely ignorance on my part is irrelevent, because in my own worldview (and ultimately the only one that matters in this context) it remains unexplained and possibly unexplainable. So I take certain things on faith and I personally try to not think so hard about the specifics because in my particular worldview whether the unexplainable is personified or diefied or understood on any level isn’t really all that important to me.
So ummm… I’m not sure if I answered your question or not.
Wow… Ratha asks good questions… Anyone else want me to interview them? Just say so and I will.
“you’re gonna feel really stupid dying of nothing.”
Heh. True.
and whatever helps to get there and make sense of the universe as it relates to you as an individual… well more power to you.
Very well said. Thanks for that.
Hmm, have I asked you for an interview yet?
Very well said. Thanks for that.
You’re welcome…
Hmm, have I asked you for an interview yet?
nope… you haven’t… 😉
Should I ask you flat out, or was the request sufficiently implied? 😉
I was just being a smart ass… it was sufficiently implied and I shall get to it soon.
Ok, here we go:
1) What’s something you have always wanted to do and never got the chance? What’s keeping you from it? Do you think you ever will do it?
2) A long time ago, I took you as my date to the CMU graduation dinner and Max was astounded that that I got you to wear a dress. A couple weeks ago we went shopping and you seemed to be kind of into the whole experience. And the other day you mentioned maybe growing your hair long again. Do you feel yourself becoming more “girly”? Why or why not? Do you think it will continue? Is there anything in particular that you want out of fashion and shopping and such?
3) If you weren’t a programmer what would you want to be? Why?
4) I gave this question to someone else, but they never answered it, so I’m giving it to you. Concentrate. Think real hard. Ok, pick a number between 1 and 10. Alright, why?
5) Ok, so you already answered the superpower question, but that’s ok, I have a backup. What would the manga/anime series “Ratha!” be like? Teenage ninja schoolgirls in love? Epic mecha space drama? ESPers talking to woodland creatures? Tell me about your character and a typical adventure?
I think your survey is skewed by the fact that an educated woman writing about porn is seen as liberated and hip, while a man is seen as sleazy (generally speaking, we are more civilized than that).
Agreed. I noticed many more women writing in, which may be a reflection of Mav’s success with the ladies. And those that didn’t feel comfortable writing about the topic (perception as sleazy or moral outrage or whatever) abstained.
And this underlines the unscientificness of it. I have the feeling mav made the survey to settle some sort of silly argument with steph, and I would just like to point out that the survey proves nothing.
nope… actually there was no argument at all. We were just discussing the basic concept of what women vs. men looked for in porn and we figured that, as unscientific as the method was, this was as good way as any to get a quick bunch of opinions that we could read through. You’re right, it certainly doesn’t proove anything, but we didn’t really have anything in mind to proove anyway.
oh. dang. I really thought there was a silly argument. 🙂
anyway, remember the other survey when you asked people what they liked about your journal? and I said how I liked the cultural commentary the best? this whole thread falls into that category, and it’s been interesting to see the responses. I seriously think you should pose a question every week. 🙂 of course… now that you’re working for merv again, you probably have less time to sit around and come up with them… no pressure….
oh. dang. I really thought there was a silly argument. 🙂
Actually, it was all just a clever ploy. Steph said to me the other day: “I wonder what kind of kinky stuff Jill is into” and I said “I don’t know, but I know how to find out” and then I orchestrated this whole survey ruse to trick you into replying.
Hmmm… well, I try to be interesting and post what’s on my mind. And really, I don’t use the LCS muscles enough these days, so this is just kinda my way of staying shape, so to speak. Maybe Meron is right and I should pursue a column somewhere. In the meantime, this will have to do.
Mav: He’s not just a man, he’s a graffiti board!
[[He’s not just a man, he’s a graffiti board!]]
Does this mean we get to write all over you? Or write all over each other?
[[“I wonder what kind of kinky stuff Jill is into”]]
(see above)
Does this mean we get to write all over you? Or write all over each other?
[[“I wonder what kind of kinky stuff Jill is into”]]
(see above)
Huh. I don’t recall that at all. Guess we should have watched the Pillow Book or something 😉 (As long as we didn’t read Kafka’s In the Penal Colony together, it would all be fine…)
I noticed many more women writing in, which may be a reflection of Mav’s success with the ladies.
Well, I am one sexy bitch after all… Actually, I’ve commented at many times before that I am in general more comfortable around women than around men. I usuallyy find it easier to be friends with them, and I find it easier to relate to them. What with my loves of shopping and underwear and john cusack and all… Plus, you know, just because I’m all big and sexy, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a sensitive side too…. That, and women like have boobies and stuff… Actually, I barely have any use for men at all. 😉
And those that didn’t feel comfortable writing about the topic (perception as sleazy or moral outrage or whatever) abstained.
Yeah, and honestly, I kind of expected that, but I thought I’d get a lot more male responses for that reason. Like I was telling Jill below, despite my pretenses of scientific methodology, I was fully aware that there wasn’t any. Still, I found the way things turned out to be quite interesting.
err…. I guess I was telling Jill above… *sigh* damn non-intuitivie hierarchies…
Actually, I’ve commented at many times before that I am in general more comfortable around women than around men.
This is so interesting…because I have more male close friends than I do female. Downright bizarre considering my female-dominated academic and professional communities. When I consider the people I am closest to, they are all men. But in a random social situation where I know no one, I will generally sit next to and/or start talking to another woman, not another man.
Agreed. I note that Mav didn’t answer his own questions. (Not that he makes a secret of his sleaziness, just sayin’…)
I’m quite willing to discuss my proclivities, just not in the public record.
.joe.
well, I kinda hinted at my answers in my response to Holly… but the real reason I didn’t answer was that I didn’t want to color people’s opinions of what they should and shouldn’t say in response. As before, it was kinda the pretense of some sort of scientific method.
That said, you’re right, I don’t really make a secret of my sexual proclivites… and the answer is, I don’t much like true porn. At least not hardcore. I much prefer a sexy (or even better a silly) story where good looking people are acting and faking sex in the name of some plot (even an inane one) to a story where people are pretending there is a plot to string together shots of actual sex between generally less good looking people than would appear in the faked movies. On occasion, I run across an actual hardcore film (like Dreamquest) which actually tries to do something with the plot and I may enjoy that, but honestly, extreme closeups of genitalia don’t do much for me. Even in the name of titilation, I’d much rather see good looking full bodies shots of good looking people with no real detail than extreme closeups of ugly genitals (and really, I don’t find the details of either genders nether regions all that attractive to look at). The things that I tend to find sexy are stomachs, legs, hair and faces… maybe butts and breasts if they are particularly nice. And real porn is generally way too busy with the naughty bits to really feature any of that stuff.
hmmm… interesting theory…. reverse cultural prejudice. Classically in our culture we call an oversexed man a stud and a woman a whore… Have we come far enough as a society that this has not only equaled out, but completely reversed? I have made statements to this fact at other times alluding to the fact that women in modern america (certainly GenX) have greater freedom of sexual choice than men. In hetero relationships, the woman generally has her choice of men, whereas the man is expected to settle for any woman who deems him worthy of a fuck. In homosexual relationships… well for one thing, at least bisexual if not homosexual female relationships are much easier accepted by the general (read: white christian male) populace than male ones.
Perhaps this warrants a paper or at least 1000 words of free flowing hostility. Hmmm, if I co-write it with you, do we write 2000 words?
Classically in our culture we call an oversexed man a stud and a woman a whore… Have we come far enough as a society that this has not only equaled out, but completely reversed?
I think it’s important to draw a distinction between sex and pornography. I think that the classical definitions are somewhat equalling out when it comes to sex, but certainly not reversed. In terms of pornography, when society thinks of a male who is interested in pornography, they think of a greasy fat guy at a “24-Hour News-Stand” (there really was a porn-shop called that around the corner from where I lived in Houston) salivating over images of women with large breasts and loose morals. Women, on the other hand, are liberating themselves and getting in touch with their inner-something-or-other when they view pornography.
I think Dennis Miller said it best when talking about women and cigars – that when you see a woman smoking a stogie, what she’s really saying is “Look guys, I can be just as big an asshole as you!” I think this applies to pornography, and strip clubs, just as well.
Just my couple hundred words of free-flowing hostility for you… 😉
true, they aren’t the same things. I was just kind of following my line of thinking… part of the free-flowing thing, you see. 🙂 But yes, you make good points.
the mathematics of collaboration
The great question is whether the number of words is squared or doubled by collaboration.
The two of us together can summon a lot of histility I am sure.
Re: the mathematics of collaboration
hmmmm… 1000 words of hostility, and another 1000 of histility….
whatever that is.
Re: the mathematics of collaboration
Spellcheck can cover a multitude of sins. Or even a miltitide.
If only I would use it more often.
ok, smartyllama, interview me 😛
No problem… here you go:
1) Have you ever thought about actually trying to finish CMU? Why or why not?
2) What were all the slave names, and how did they get them?
3) You have always (at least as long as I have known you) displayed a great deal of acceptance about your size. That’s pretty admirable. How did you get to that point.
4) What do you want to be when you grow up? Is the sysadmin thing like your ultimate dream? If not, what is? If so, then what do you live for now?
5) Ok, you’ve already answered the superpower question, and I’ve been using the anime question a bunch, so I’m going to give you the talk show question: If you could host a talk show, what would it be like? Morning or Evening? Serious or funny? Political or celebrity entertainment? Will people hit each other with chairs? Will there be makeovers? Top ten lists? Tell me about it.