In the Noclight: deirdre_dub

randylonghorn

This week, we welcome deirdre_dub to the hotseat.

And actually on time for once ... >_>

Maguined

Kiss a noc, marry a noc, avoid a noc, fistfight a noc?

Daddy or chips?

Best crisp for a crisp sandwich?

What superpower would you like?

If you were a superhero what would be your kryptonite?

Futurecrook

What's your favourite song?

What's your favourite food?

What's your favourite film?

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

If you could keep any animal in the world as a pet which one would you choose?

Delirium

can you juggle?
can you drive a car?
can you drive a submarine? :P
circus or funfair?
can you speak any languages other than English?
3 favourite authors?
last book you read?
what type of music do you like?
do you pay much attention to current affairs in the news?
ever broken a bone?
dream job?

reallyrose

Describe your ideal sandwich. In detail. Filthy detail.

If everyone you knew was on fire, but if you left them on fire the cure of cancer would be provided to you. Would you let everyone burn?

Chips or wedges?

If you could go back to when you were a teenager, with all that you know now, would you?

Do you think that the attempt to eradicate mosquitoes is a good idea?

deirdre_dub

Kiss a noc, marry a noc, avoid a noc, fistfight a noc?

Yes, yes, yes and no. OK - doom, rose, few and SUN. Why? Big, lovely, slightly scary, and I hope I'd win!

Daddy or chips?

Daddy. Chips are fattening.

Best crisp for a crisp sandwich?

Spicy corn crisps. Yum.

What superpower would you like?

Invisibility. I could go anywhere, do anything, observe anything.

If you were a superhero what would be your kryptonite?

A big tub of phish food ice cream.

What's your favourite song?

I haven't been into music for quite some time. When I was in college, I went through a thing for "The whole of the moon". Go figure. Presently, I find that I'll like a song in the moment if it is speaking to the mood that I'm in in the moment.

What's your favourite food?

Well, I have a thing for ice cream, which is why I rarely have it. I guess my favorite regular meals are some of the Marks and Sparks ready meals with rice - their chicken dopiaza is in my freezer at the moment, and their chicken saag masala is another one I like.

What's your favourite film?

My favorite recent film is avatar. I'm a bit of an environmentalist, a bit of an animism geek, and of course a technology geek.

My favorite film of all time would probably be the Star Wars series. I think episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith) is my favorite - I was always curious to see how Anakin became Vadar.

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Two brothers, one sister. I'm the second eldest - my sister is the oldest. I had another brother - the youngest - who died just over 10 years ago.

If you could keep any animal in the world as a pet which one would you choose?

Probably a North American Bison. I had a fascination with them as a child for no reason that I can put a finger on. There just seems to be something about them that appeals to me for some unknown, mysterious, mystical reason.

can you juggle?

Once. Then - splat!

can you drive a car?

Well, I have consistently failed to pass the test, but I can actually drive. Though I've let my license lapse, so it is currently illegal for me to do so on public roads. It was really strange - all the instructors I ever had said that I was a perfectly good driver, yet whenever a tester got into the car with me, I just got terribly nervous and lost it!

can you drive a submarine?

Do you actually drive submarines? Anyhoo - what I would do is use my wit and charm to get the captains chair, and get others to do the work!

circus or funfair?

Funfair. You are mobile, you get to choose your entertainment, you are free to do what you want.

can you speak any languages other than English?

Nope, though whenever I go abroad, I make a point of at least trying to learn to say "thank you" in the language of the locals. I've so far succeeded, except for when I went to Madagascar, where the local language is pretty unpronouncable by westerm tongue, unfortunately.

3 favourite authors?

Douglas Adams, Jean Meeus, Fred Espenak.

last book you read?

Programming in C#

what type of music do you like?

I've kinda lost track of music (no pun intended!). I actually don't go looking for music - I let it find me. I don't have any tracks on my phone, and I don't listen to the radio much. I know - it's wierd - and I'm probably worse off for it. So, when I happen to hear some music, if it speaks to how I'm feeling in the moment, I'll like it, otherwise I won't. Though, even if I do like it, I won't take a mental note of what it was, so I can't really say what music I like. Most of the music in my life at the moment is in nightclubs - where the music I like is music that I can have a good wild dance to!

do you pay much attention to current affairs in the news?

I have a set of web sites that I scan regularly, and RTE news and BBC news are two of them. But I wouldn't call myself a current affairs junkie, and there have been occasions where there has been something big going on that I didn't know anything about.

ever broken a bone?

Nope. Though I did hit my head on concrete once with enough force to give myself temporary amnesia. It was about the time they discovered the wreck of the titanic, so I had two sets of "oh wow they discovered that wreck" - one before I hit my head and another after!

dream job?

One with good money for little effort. I guess I'd like to do something that would involve easing the social suffering of people - like in an advocacy organisation.

Describe your ideal sandwich. In detail. Filthy detail.

It would be a plain wrap. The meat would be chicken, with some tex-mex spices (I just had tex-mex for the first time last night - OMG!), with some cucumbers and youghurt to cool things down. Ideally it would be so voluminous that it would drip all over my clothes as I was eating it.

If everyone you knew was on fire, but if you left them on fire the cure of cancer would be provided to you. Would you let everyone burn?

Yes. I can always make new friends. And people have survived worse things than losing everyone they know.

Chips or wedges?

Chips. Less fattening.

If you could go back to when you were a teenager, with all that you know now, would you?

Hell yes! My teenage years were a nightmare!

Do you think that the attempt to eradicate mosquitoes is a good idea?

Probably not. There are very few organisms that I believe do not have the right to exist, like some of the nastier viruses.

girl_friday

What is your motto in life?


Best piece of advice you've been given?


what is your biggest vice?

deirdre_dub

girl_friday wrote: »

What is your motto in life?

To thine own self be true.

Best piece of advice you've been given?

As above. Though I also regularly get reminded to remember who I am, where the wonderful line from the Desiderata comes to mind -

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars - you have a right to be here.

what is your biggest vice?

Food. Definitely food.

Shiminay

Favourite programming language?

Technical project you're most proud of?

Do you ever meet up with our old Ebeon buddies (Brian and Norman not withstanding )?

What law would you like to see implemented and/or removed?

Do you think we have a tolerant society?

Konata

What is your guilty pleasure?

When and why did you join boards.ie?

What's the best holiday you've ever been on?

If you won the lotto, what would be the first thing you'd buy?

Do you prefer being single or being in a relationship?

deirdre_dub

Favourite programming language?

Assembly language. I love getting my hands dirty.

Technical project you're most proud of?

A recent one where I designed a microcontroller circuit and wrote the firmware and software which allows a PC to talk to a vending machine. It was my first (and possibly only ) commercial circuit. And, yes, it works (quite well, actually) :P

Do you ever meet up with our old Ebeon buddies (Brian and Norman not withstanding :P)?

No . I think we have scattered to the four winds.

What law would you like to see implemented and/or removed?

Well, I have a personal interest in the gender recognition act, and in seeing gender identity added to the list of things that cannot be used to discriminate against you. I'm also interested in getting rid of the silly blasphemy law and of the law that gives religious institutions special dispensation to discriminate.

Do you think we have a tolerant society?

Yes and no. Relatively speaking, I think we can be proud of having one of the more tolerant societies - I think we are right up there, or even above, much of Europe. No in that there are still silly discriminations and some violence against minorities. The fact that the level violence is quite low is beside the point - there shouldn't be any such violence.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I seem to keep being brought back to food and ice cream in this noclight. Damn - I hope I don't end up a couple of kilos heavier by the end of the week!

When and why did you join boards.ie?

When? According to my stats page, it was 21st June last year. Why? I can't remember, but at a guess, I would say it was because I read something that someone posted, and they were wrong, and I needed to correct them! Although I suspect it might have been that I was browsing looking for LGBT groups, and I found the boards.ie one.

What's the best holiday you've ever been on?

OMG Madagascar. Madagascar, Madagascar, Madagascar. I'd live there if I could. I've been there twice - in 2001 and 2007.

The people are very poor, but OMG they are so incredibly friendly! The wildlife and scenery are great, of course. But I think what sticks out most in my mind is the feel of the place - the atmosphere. It takes a couple of days to settle into it but, when you do, you just don't want to leave.

If you won the lotto, what would be the first thing you'd buy?

Well, let's just say that it would involve a stay in a hospital...

Of course, I'd also look at buying a house. I'm in my early 40s and I'm still not on the property ladder.

Do you prefer being single or being in a relationship?

Well, I've never actually been in anything that I would call a relationship, believe it or not (I've spent my life being so disconnected from myself that I couldn't really be in a relationship with anyone else ). Having said that, now that I'm much better in myself, I think I'd love to be in a relationship.

For most of my adult life, I've lived on my own. Just over a year ago, for the first time in maybe 15 years, I started to live with someone else (a friend). It didn't work out, so late last summer I found myself on my own again. I actually couldn't hack it - in spite of the fact I'd lived for so long on my own, I just couldn't do it anymore. So, in January, I moved in with someone else, and so far it's going really well!

Doctor DooM

Giant robots. Yes or no.

deirdre_dub

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Giant robots. Yes or no.

Hell yes!

So long as I can have the remote control. Mwah ha ha ha!!! :eek:

I've definitely got a fantasy evil streak. Fantasy. Evil. Streak.

boomkatalog

What have you done to date that you're most proud of?

Sexiest feature that would attract you to someone?

Pineapple on pizza is evil right??

If you could invite 4 celebs to a dinner party, living or dead, who would you pick?

deirdre_dub

boomkatalog wrote: »

What have you done to date that you're most proud of?

That's a difficult one, actually. I was involved in the team that discovered, for the first time, the optical counterpart of an extragalactic pulsar. That was pretty cool - and what made it even more cool was that I didn't even know we were looking for optical counterparts of extragalactic pulsars! But it's nice to put your stamp on history, even if it is a history that no-one will ever hear about!

Sexiest feature that would attract you to someone?

Men - their physical presence - I like brick sh1thouse types. Women - skin.

Pineapple on pizza is evil right??

For some people, yes. For me - 'fraid not - it's not evil - though I prefer pizza without pineapple.

If you could invite 4 celebs to a dinner party, living or dead, who would you pick?

Charles Darwin, Carl Sagan, Stanislav Grof and Buddha. I'd like to see what the former two made of the latter two.

Futurecrook

Best book you've ever read?

Favourite author?

Do you watch much TV?

If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would you want to be and why?

deirdre_dub

Futurecrook wrote: »

Best book you've ever read?

"Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus.

I'm a complete and utter geek.

Favourite author?

For geek stuff - Jean Meeus. For entertainment - Douglas Adams.

I rarely read fiction - most of the stuff I read is for work or for my various geeky hobbies.

Do you watch much TV?

Sort-of. I have it on most of the time, but I'm often not really watching it.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would you want to be and why?

Vancouver. My sister is there, and she's never met her sister...

Scarinae

Favourite dinosaur?

Favourite pair of shoes?

Do you watch any TV programmes that you are slightly embarrassed to admit to?

If you had to lose one of your five senses, which one would you choose to lose?

If a psychotic murderer had kidnapped you and said that they were definitely going to kill you, but they'd let you choose the method - what would you choose? (no natural causes/old age!)

deirdre_dub

Favourite dinosaur?

It would have to be the bad-ass T Rex.

Favourite pair of shoes?

I've become rather boring and practical with my shoes lately. I got a nice pair of brown ankle boots recently that are getting a good wear.

Do you watch any TV programmes that you are slightly embarrassed to admit to?

Top Gear. It's such a lads programme, it's about earth-destroying polluting fast cars (something I have no interest in), but I just love it. I love watching the three guys - they rub off each other in an amazing way.

If you had to lose one of your five senses, which one would you choose to lose?

Taste. Which is kinda curious, given what a terrible vice food is to me. But it just seems that I get more enjoyment out of the other senses.

If a psychotic murderer had kidnapped you and said that they were definitely going to kill you, but they'd let you choose the method - what would you choose? (no natural causes/old age!)

:eek: Really really quick. I guess that means a bullet in the head, though I would be open to suggestions from their greater expertise in the area!

hondasam

where would you like to be in five years

what would be your ideal job

what did you want to be when you were growing up

any regrets so far

deirdre_dub

where would you like to be in five years

Well, it's bugging me that I'm not on the property ladder, so I'd like to have some sort of accommodation of my own. Apart from that, my needs are simple. I'm not ambitious - I consider myself a successful person by the friendships I have, and not by what I own.

what would be your ideal job

I'd like a job which isn't too stressful and which pays well. As for what I do - I'd probably enjoy something which involves making a direct positive difference in people's lives. Although I have to say I really enjoyed my recent foray into electronic design.

what did you want to be when you were growing up

An astronomer. When we moved from Dublin out to the countryside when I was 8, my Dad introduced me to the night sky. It's been an on-and-off hobby of mine since then. I had a brief professional fling with it when I went to UCG to try and get a PhD - unfortunately, it didn't work out.

any regrets so far

I regret that I didn't pay proper attention to my gender issues earlier. I'm 41 years old, and I now understand what the past 30 years of my life was supposed to look like. But I don't wallow in it - to do so would make the next half of my life less than what it could be.

Futurecrook

What would you do if I sang out of tune? :P

Do you play any musical instruments?

If not, would you like to?

Do you follow any sports?

Is there someone in your life who you can talk to about absolutely anything?

If you could have a house anywhere where would it be?

How has your day been so far?

Do you prefer warm weather or cold weather?

Tea or coffee?

Hi Deirdre,

If you could stand at any point in the solar system, outside the Earth, where would that be?

Also, who was your favourite ThunderCat?

micayla

Favourite show when you were growing up?

deirdre_dub

What would you do if I sang out of tune?

I'd get by. Then, I'd put your head into a pair of clashing cymbals until you got it right!

Do you play any musical instruments?

No.

If not, would you like to?

Yes, though I wouldn't like to put in the practice :rolleyes:. Guitar would be my choice, but if I really really had to practice, then I might settle for cymbals.

Do you follow any sports?

I'll allow myself get caught up in the national excitement when Ireland is doing something really big on the sporting stage - otherwise, no. I used to follow Formula 1 for a few years, but it got boring. Though, a couple of years ago, when my sister was living over there, I took my Dad to see the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. It was an amazing experience (and expensive!).

Is there someone in your life who you can talk to about absolutely anything?

My therapist! Yes - I'm thinking of a particular friend who probably knows more about me than just about anyone else, and I'm struggling to think of anything that I wouldn't feel safe sharing with her.

If you could have a house anywhere where would it be?

That's a really good question. I'd love to live somewhere in Madagascar (preferably the west coast - maybe near Morondava), though I'd have to learn the language. Otherwise, Vancouver (I've been there and I know I love it) or San Francisco (never been, but I'm sure I'd love it).

How has your day been so far?

Fairly productive. I believe I've finally got a b!tch of an automated report to work. I've done my grocery shopping, and had my dinner. I'm going to run a quick custom report, and then I'm going to call it a day vis-a-vis work. Then, I'm going to go for a walk or something (I worked from home today, so I've hardly left the apartment all day), before finally relaxing before bed.

Do you prefer warm weather or cold weather?

Warm. I used to love winter, but I'm getting a bit too old for it.

Tea or coffee?

I usually have a cup of tea in the morning - then, it's coffee for the rest of the day. I've discovered (the hard way) that if I don't have enough coffee in the day, I'll end up with a headache.

If you could stand at any point in the solar system, outside the Earth, where would that be?

Probably Dione (one of the moons of Saturn). I'd love to look up at the sky and see that magnificent ring system.

Also, who was your favourite ThunderCat?

Somehow I seem to have managed to grow up without Thundercats in my life.

Favourite show when you were growing up?

Doctor Who. I missed it when we moved from Dublin (where we had cablelink) to what was then rural Kildare (where we were in 2-channel land).

Queen-Mise

Deirdre you are my hero - thank you for your honesty. How do you feel about that compliment?

What is your favourite joke?

Do you think that 42 is the answer to the meaning of life?

Are mice the most intelligent species in the universe?

What is your favourite song?

Favourite movie?

Tell us about the most annoying person you have ever met in your life?

Do you play the lotto? And if so, do you ever check your tickets?

What question would you like to have been asked?

Nerin

what's your favourite monster?

have you any plans for the supposedly(cough) upcoming apocalypse?

should I further torture my housemate and set his ringtone to avril lavignes new song?

a moth has entered our house, should I shoo it out or wait on the mothman?

what's your dream house?

favourite Irish animal?

deirdre_dub

Deirdre you are my hero - thank you for your honesty. How do you feel about that compliment?

Well, when I read that, I said, out loud, "oh wow!". Of course, there is also a bit of "um - hero? - me?" going on as well...

Thank you!

What is your favourite joke?

I can't say that I have a favorite joke. I keep coming across funny things that stay with me for a while. I guess two funny things that have been with me a while are -

What is the definition of an Irish diplomat? Someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

What is the collective noun for bankers? A wunch.

I like the first because of what it says about diplomacy (more than what it says about being Irish), and also because of the idea that someone could tell you something terrible in such a way that you think it's great. And the second one is just so topical...

(In case you don't get the second one, it says that when you have two or more bankers together, you have a wunch of bankers).

Do you think that 42 is the answer to the meaning of life?

Yup. And the question is what do you get when you multiply six by nine. The fundamental design flaw of the universe is thus revealed.

Are mice the most intelligent species in the universe?

Yup. And the secret to levitation is to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

What is your favourite song?

I don't really have a favorite song at the moment. The theme to Glee tends to get me going - though I'm sure I'll get tired of it soon enough.

Favourite movie?

Avatar is my favorite recent movie - I'm an environmentalist, an animism geek and, of course, a technology geek. And I love the story of the hero's journey.

Star Wars would be my favorite movie when I was growing up, with the most recent episode 3 being my favorite of the 6. Again, technology, and the hero's journey.

Tell us about the most annoying person you have ever met in your life?

That's a difficult one. It takes quite a bit to rattle me.

When I come across a behaviour that is annoying, I first of all ask myself if everyone would find it annoying, or is it something that is specific to me (or to a small number of people). If it is the latter, then I see if there is an opportunity for me to grow.

I've come across a few bullies, of course. I'm not good at dealing with bullies.

Do you play the lotto? And if so, do you ever check your tickets?

No - I don't. Well, very very rarely. My job currently involves programming a lottery system, so I know how the innards work. The lottery strikes me as a bad investment.

What question would you like to have been asked?

The question that brings us closer.

what's your favourite monster?

Animal, from the muppets. He just lives life large. He does a wonderful mix of the really cuddly and friendly, the artistic, the intelligent, the life-and-soul of the party, and kick ass going nuts every now and then.

have you any plans for the supposedly(cough) upcoming apocalypse?

Well, if I knew that the apocalypse was definitely coming, and what form it was going to take, then I'd make plans. But I don't believe any of this 2012 nonsense.

should I further torture my housemate and set his ringtone to avril lavignes new song?

No! Why? What has your housemate done to deserve torture? OMG! :eek:

a moth has entered our house, should I shoo it out or wait on the mothman?

Kill it! Torture and kill it! Wait ... wha?

what's your dream house?

It wouldn't be big - I'd need enough room for me, for my stuff, and for one or two friends to stay the night should they want to. I think I'd get lost in a big house. It would be a cottage at the end of a cul-de-sac near the sea with a few neighbours. At the other end of the cul-de-sac would be the main road that goes through a big town or small city.

favourite Irish animal?

The (extinct) Irish Elk. We might not know how to run an economy, we might not know how to have politics without corruption, but we know how to make a kick-ass deer that's too big for it's own good!

Queen-Mise

What person from the past would you like to have known?

What is the greatest lesson you have ever learnt in your life?

Do you like westerns? And what is your favourite?

Are you happy in your job?

What is your beverage of choice?

Do you like chocolate?

What word do you always find it hard to spell?

Sweet or savoury?

Is religion the opium of the masses?

Delirium

1. favourite country you've been to?
2. country you haven't been to, but want to visit someday?
3. elephant vs. 3 foot ant, which is the winner?

deirdre_dub

What person from the past would you like to have known?

I'd like to have known one of the great religious leaders - Jesus, or Mohammed - so that I could have a better chance of talking sense into some of the more ridiculous religious believers.

What is the greatest lesson you have ever learnt in your life?

To thine own self be true. Be yourself. Your true self is really really beautiful.

Do you like westerns? And what is your favourite?

No - I've never gotten into westerns.

Are you happy in your job?

Sort-of. At present, my job is quite insecure and stuff, and that really detracts from my enjoyment of it. I'm just not sure what my future in my current job might be. But, in general, throughout my life, I've enjoyed my job.

What is your beverage of choice?

Coffee. Or, my favorite alcoholic drinks are Vodka and Diet Coke, or Heineken.

Do you like chocolate?

Yup. I have on average maybe a bar a day. I'm trying to cut down my consumption of such things - my doctors need to see me keep reasonably in shape.

What word do you always find it hard to spell?

I've been on wiktionary quite a bit lately. Looking at my browsing history, I think I've had difficulty with naive and androgynous quite a bit lately.

Sweet or savoury?

Savoury. I'm sweet enough.

Is religion the opium of the masses?

I'm not a fan of religion at all. For one thing, the Pope has essentially said that trasngender people represent a comparable threat to the continued existence of mankind to that posed by the burning of the rainforests. I'm just waiting to hear of some trans person being murdered by a catholic "in self-defense" because of sentiments like that.

favourite country you've been to?

Madagascar. I've been twice. It's a very poor country, but the people are incredibly friendly, the scenery and wildlife are great, and the food is awesome. But what really sticks out in my mind is the feel, the atmosphere, of the place. It takes a few days to settle into it but, when you do, you just don't want to go home.

country you haven't been to, but want to visit someday?

Antarctica (although that's a continent) - I'd love to visit the south pole. I'd like to visit some of the tribes in south america that do ayahuasca.

elephant vs. 3 foot ant, which is the winner?

Elephant, I hope!!! :eek:

randylonghorn

Many thanks to Deirdre for a slightly elongated stay in the hotseat, hopefully no permanent bruising will result! :pac: