Five Questions, Five Answers

I, possibly foolishly, acceded to Margaret's invitation to offer myself up for five questions of her choosing. This is more meme fun, but is more personally directed than most and it's interesting. In return for my answering these questions, I have to ask you, dear reader, if you would care to be asked five of my questions, which you must answer in a post on your blog and then offer the same interview service to those who leave comments for you. The rules are listed at the bottom. Here are Margaret's questions and my answers:

1. What reality TV show would you be on if you had to be on one?

I thought this would be tough since I watch so little TV, but according to wikipedia, and what higher authority is there?, "Pimp My Ride" is a reality TV show and is without doubt the show I'd like to be on. Partially for the insanity of the work done by West Coast Custom, partially for the amazing characters who work there like Big Dane and Mad Mike but mostly so I could run screaming out of my house and hug Xzibit whilst he laughs in his "hurgh hurgh hurgh" manner.

2. Newspapers, magazines, books, or the internets: which is your favorite media?

I still think I love books best. Newspapers are pretty much dead to me now. They are so poorly written in the UK that they aren't worthy of your attention and any articles of note will appear on the internet anyway. The net is wonderful and I couldn't live without it. The only reason books are still my favourite is the way that they age and show how they've been used by their owner(s). I also love the tangibility of a book, its heft, its physicality against your body as you read it, the different papers, bindings and smells. If I were not still partially trapped in a previous era the internet would win hands down but books still have a little magic, and sometimes a little magic is what I need.

3. If you had to give-up one of your 5 senses: which one and why?

Probably taste as, although I love food, I would still have smell which forms much of the "interesting" and complex elements of how we appreciate food and drink. It would be tough but it is (just) worse to consider losing any of the others. To lose hearing would mean no music, to lose sight would mean no art, smell would eliminate much of the sensual magic of the world as would the loss of touch - no caressing is too horrible to imagine.

4. If Ben & Jerry's were to name an ice cream flavor after you, what would it be?

There is a berry which grows in my favourite place on Earth called the bilberry. Bilberries are quite tart and slightly blueberry-ish in flavour. These combined with very dark chocolate chunks would be my flavour. It would be called "Atrociously Yours", naturally.

5. If you could start a new holiday:, what, when, and how would you celebrate?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Day would be celebrated on his birthday, 9th April, every year. People would be encouraged to look at the engineering that surrounds them. Children would build bridges and learn mechanical principles and the media would look at how engineering has helped us and made our lives richer. The notion that people who tell you "It cannot be done" should be ignored would be valuable one to instill in the entire population.


For anyone who wishes to be asked questions by me, here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” And please, feel free to comment on my fabulousness, or whatever.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.