Member Interview #5 - screams

ask ben questionsss!

What do you "do" right now?

How did you meet your wife? Who made the first move?

How tall are you, anyway?

If you weren't marrying Britney,with which celebrity would you most like to get hitched?

whats your favorite kind of ice cream?

favorite form of potato?

favorite song?

favorite time of day?

socks and no shoes, shoes and no socks, or one flip flop?

or ?

singer/songwriters or post hardcore?

ankle socks or the long ones?

converse or vans?

hoodies or fleeces?

mace or taser?

What do you "do" right now?
I'm mostly working right now. I work for my sister's father-in-law, with her husband and someone else I've known forever, which is a lot of fun. It's a shipping outlet, like a UPS Store, but we sell all carriers... we also notarize, sell on eBay, do digital fingerprints... but mostly just lots of pack jobs. It's fun, and tiring!

How did you meet your wife? Who made the first move?
We met at church in a prep meeting for a mission trip to Mexico in 2002. Very appropriate, since I proposed a few days before we left on our second trip together, although we had both already gone twice before that total.

How tall are you, anyway?
6'1". According to an online converter that is 185.4200 cm

If you weren't marrying Britney,with which celebrity would you most like to get hitched?
Brittany even knows that I had a huge crush on Natalie Portman for a long time. I'm over it now, I think I don't have much chance. Brittany's better, both in looks and the rest.

whats your favorite kind of ice cream?
Cookies 'n Cream, no question.

favorite form of potato?
Difficult. I love fries though. My favorite are Red Robin's steak fries in ranch dip. I also like me some seasoned fries.

favorite song?
This could have many answers. I will just name a few. The Scientist-Coldplay, Parachute-Guster, Been Here Before-Jeremy Enigk, A Structure of Souls-Extol, King of the Closet-Blindside, The Luckiest-Ben Folds. My tastes are broad... broader than this list even.

favorite time of day?
After 6 is always best. It's when I'm off work and I can hang out with my beautiful fiance with a cup of coffee and a movie or something. We always have something going on.

socks and no shoes, shoes and no socks, or one flip flop?
Depends on the circumstances. If I was inside, socks and no shoes, if I was outside, shoes and no socks, and I would probably have no reason to have only one flip flop. I'm sure I've done all of those one time or another outside of those circumstances.

singer/songwriters or post hardcore?
I jumped into the "non-popular" music scene via metal and other heavy stuff. Lately I've been enjoying softer singer/songwriter stuff instead. Depends on what I'm doing and who I'm with. Brittany doesn't like my heavier music much, so I usually listen to softer stuff with her.

ankle socks or the long ones?
Long ones are better. I've worn the ankle ones, but I feel way cooler with ones that ride up my shin right up to below my knee.

converse or vans?
4 years ago I would have said Converse. Now I have 1 pair of Converse, and now I have 7 pairs of Vans, and they are basically the only non-dress and non-flip flop shoes that I wear. They are superior in both comfort and fashion.

hoodies or fleeces?
Hoodies... or I have a heavy snowboarder coat thing that is like a Carhartt, but not at all redneck. I like to think of it as something a WWII soldier would wear, as that defines much of my fashion these days.

mace or taser?
Taser is WAY more fun to watch.. but I would never want to mess with Dwight and his mace.

what's your favorite tv show?

what was your favorite tv show as a kid?

don't know if I should already know this, but who is your favorite superhero?

do you have a big stack of old comics that you would pass on to a little protege or are they all in some special room o' comics that you could never sacrifice?

am I wrong in assuming you have a bunch of comic books?

what's your favorite movie?

about how many movies do you own?

what first attracted you to brittany? was it an instant flame or did you get to know each other first?

How would you summarise your political views, and what makes you take those positions?

Let's be serious: Does America really think that McCain is too old and Obama is too black?

What's your grand vision? What do you hope to be doing in the future?

As a Christian, how do you view yourself as an agent of the Kingdom of God in your everyday life?

What is the most interesting debate you've been in within the last few months?

can I have a fiance who thinks I'm better than natalie portman? ;P

do you remember when you used to think I hated you??

did you used to hate me?

were you a good student?

what was your favorite subject?

are you good at buying gifts?

what's your favorite scent?

what's your favorite thing about the holidays?

if I remember correctly, you have siblings... at least one. how old and how do you get along?

do you and brittany want kids?

what are your views on premarital sex?

Your favorite gaming console?

Is it really your favorite?

are you sure?

did you consider the nostalgic value of a console when 8-bit was 'next generation' ?

What are your favorite game genre(s)?

what's your favorite tv show?
Tie between Heroes, The Office (US), and of course Jericho.

what was your favorite tv show as a kid?
As a kid... hmm, I remember liking Bill Nye the Science Guy a lot, as well as Boy Meets World. We didn't have cable for most of my growing up, so I didn't get to enjoy a lot of the "Saturday morning cartoons" that were on when I was younger. I remember my friends liking X-Men and Power Rangers a lot.

don't know if I should already know this, but who is your favorite superhero?
Well, I like a few. To put it to one I would have to say The Punisher. I like the depth of the character a lot, I only wish the next movie could be more true than the last two movies... but it might not be so. I will still watch it, and probably still like it because it is in fact The Punisher.

Honorable mentions are Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and obviously Spider-Man....

If you include the DC universe I love Superman, grew up on the movies and have always loved him. Only lately with the Batman reboot with Bale and Nolan have I started enjoying him, so I can't call him a favorite yet. TDK was amazing though.

do you have a big stack of old comics that you would pass on to a little protege or are they all in some special room o' comics that you could never sacrifice?
On my computer I have over 100gb of comics. This is how I can get my hands on things like Amazing Fantasy #15, which is the intro to Peter Parker and his powers, worth around $15k.

As for hard copies I am cheap. I collect trade paperbacks. In these I have a bunch of Amazing Spider-Man, all of Ultimate Spider-Man, all of Punisher MAX, all of the newest Thor reboot, some of Marvel Knights Punisher.

I'm a little lacking on graphic novels and others, for I only have Watchmen, 300, and Fables.

am I wrong in assuming you have a bunch of comic books?
Perhaps for single comic books. I only have about 20 singles.

what's your favorite movie?
Gladiator. Return of the King would be first, but since Sam told Frodo to go home, an addition that was not in the books, it settles for second. Gladiator, in my mind, has perfect acting and a great story. I always get emotional (not usually teary eyed) at the end.

about how many movies do you own?
Maybe 150? I'm not totally sure. Last time I counted it was over 100, and that was a year and a half ago. I have bought a lot since then.

what first attracted you to brittany? was it an instant flame or did you get to know each other first?
Physically I was attracted to her eyes first. She has very pretty and big eyes. I thought she was really weird for a while, but she thought I was weird too, but in a different way. She was the cool stand out individual sort of person and I was the socially awkward breaking out of my shell at the time kind of guy. We've both become our own person, and we're both normal. By normal I mean weird.

How would you summarise your political views, and what makes you take those positions?
I'm pretty conservative. Most of my reasons lie with how I was brought up, and also things that line up with my own faith and what I consider right and wrong.

Let's be serious: Does America really think that McCain is too old and Obama is too black?
McCain probably isn't too old... he certainly looks too old. I think America is really just split into two parties, and biases form, and eventually people start thinking this way because they are against the party.

What's your grand vision? What do you hope to be doing in the future?
My grand vision is just to raise a family. I really have no idea how to get to that point. I'm at a point in my life right now where I am not sure where to go next. I felt like God was giving me the go ahead to get married, so for now that is my goal. After that we will see what happens, and I will take it as it comes. I'm not worried of where I end up, I'm in good hands, but it's still tough to not have definite direction for a while.

As a Christian, how do you view yourself as an agent of the Kingdom of God in your everyday life?
I consider myself a nice guy. I see several people who are not Christians regularly everyday. My goal is to prove that not all Christians are judgmental and perfect. I just see myself as an example, which is how it should be.

What is the most interesting debate you've been in within the last few months?
I hardly ever get into debates. I have a lot of heated discussions with my friend Justin at work, mostly about things like mainstream vs. underground... although, both of our political, religious, financial, and most other views are very similar, so we don't disagree. But like I said, I hardly get into debates, it's not really my thing and I'm not good at it. I am good at being right about things, but not arguing them. I know a lot of random crap, I love trivia, so I end up just proving my points by looking things up and showing someone else's argument instead.

can I have a fiance who thinks I'm better than natalie portman? ;P
Everyone has their destined mate. You'll find your guy!

do you remember when you used to think I hated you??
I vaguely do, but I don't really!

did you used to hate me?
I did...... not. I don't really hate anyone, I just get annoyed with a lot of people. I don't think anyone online has ever truly gotten on my nerves.

were you a good student?
Heh, not picture perfect. I was home schooled, and I also was a slacker. I didn't get a lot done throughout my pre-college studies. I took my GED and went to community college for 2 years and completed the full music theory course. Of course, after that was finished I didn't see much need to continue, since I didn't know what I wanted to do. For now I am waiting for direction. I will get back into school in the next couple years, I just need a chance to breathe for now.

what was your favorite subject?
In grade school it was science. Throughout high school it was history. In college it was music theory/composition. I also really enjoyed sociology.

are you good at buying gifts?
Depends on the person. For Brittany I am. I get her a bunch of random stuff that I know she likes. For some people I get them gift cards to stores they like, and get good cards! I'm good at writing in cards!

what's your favorite scent?
I like the smell of good food. Or, gasoline. I also like the smell of vanilla.

what's your favorite thing about the holidays?
Spending time with family, and food.

if I remember correctly, you have siblings... at least one. how old and how do you get along?
I do have siblings. Rhianna (30) is married to Kyle with one baby girl named Mayah. Rebecca (19) is my younger sister, who is also married to Chase, who I work with. I also have a brother, Tyler (15), he has down syndrome, he's cool and likes to go movies with me.

do you and brittany want kids?
Definitely. I am excited to have kids. I hope to have more musicians in the family. My dad and my sisters and their husbands all play music. We can have a huge family band, we've got the variety of instruments covered so far, but we have room for more too!

what are your views on premarital sex?
I believe sex should be saved for marriage.

Your favorite gaming console?
Of the ones I have played, excluding PC, I would love to get a PS3, because of Metal Gear Solid 4. I'm fond of the NES too. I really have no favorite though.

Is it really your favorite?
For now, I will have a different mind in a year.

are you sure?
Yes, I'm trading it for the future me.

did you consider the nostalgic value of a console when 8-bit was 'next generation' ?
My first console was an NES, and I loved it! After that I got a PS1, then a PS2, and now an Xbox 360. I try not to rate things, if I can, based on how I like them now. Certainly, my favorite current games are all next gen. To me games are just games. I like playing whatever I can get my hands on, as long as it is fun.

What are your favorite game genre(s)?
My original favorite once I got serious into games, which is after my NES by a few years, would be real time strategy. Now I'm into shooter games. Also, whatever category Grand Theft Auto falls into, that would probably top the chart.

hahah aw, I guess it's good that you don't remember! but I'd always make fun of you and tyler, hehe. all in good fun of course, but I guess that kind of humor doesn't travel well through the interwebz =P.



what kind of games did you play as a kid?

did you like to color?

have you ever eaten a crayon?

what's your favorite book?

what's your favorite letter?

how would you try and explain your faith to a non-believer? I understand that that's very broad, but that's kind of the point.

do you easily feel awkward?

have you ever had a dream about anyone on the boards?

have you ever drank/smoked/done any drugs?

what is your biggest regret?

do you masturbate?

would you be offended if I asked you very personal questions?

How close is your relationship with your parents?

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

What drives you as a person? What is it that gives you ambition and incentive in your life?

what kind of games did you play as a kid?
Me and some neighbor friends and my sister played "I see you" tag. It is self explanatory. Everyone would run around the neighborhood and hide while the person who was it would search. Whenever the person who was it saw someone who was hiding they had to shout, "I see you _____!". It was fun.

I don't really remember anything else, that was the best one. We came up with it, so if you've played it when you were young it was because of the wide spread popularity from our game.

did you like to color?
I did. I wasn't very good at it. I colored mostly in Sunday school. I had coloring books at home, but I don't think I used them as much.

have you ever eaten a crayon?
I'm sure I have. I don't remember though. I do remember eating play dough.

what's your favorite book?
Silly question. Lord of the Rings. It IS one book, it was cut into three because the publisher wanted it that way, to make more money off of it... Tokien didn't like that though.

what's your favorite letter?
X, for Xtreme! Just kidding. Probably B. Not only is it the first letter in my name, but also Brittany's... also, I am a bassist, which starts with B, and a bass makes a Bom Bom Bom kind of sound.

how would you try and explain your faith to a non-believer? I understand that that's very broad, but that's kind of the point.
Simply this. I do not really consider myself a part of any religion. My faith is my relationship with God, and I live for him because he died to save me from hell, only because he loves me. For that I am grateful, and for that I serve him. If I didn't, I would be selfish!

Also, God loves EVERYONE.

That's basically it in a nutshell.

do you easily feel awkward?
Not easily. It depends on the situation. Weird people who come into my work can make me feel awkward... the ones who violate way too many social norms.

have you ever had a dream about anyone on the boards?
I have had plenty of dreams where board members make appearances. I am a vivid dreamer as well. Most of my HPB member dreams occur when I am on my computer before sleep... like tonight. Although, I was planning on playing some Assassin's Creed before sleep, so my mind will switch to that.

have you ever drank/smoked/done any drugs?
Never any drugs. I don't see them as necessary in any way... for health reasons they don't help, and I can find good times other ways. I have drank. I have tried different beers, wines, and Mike's Hard stuff. I've never been drunk though. So far my favorite alcohol is Menage a Trois. It's a wine from a World Market here. Recommended to me. Very good stuff.. cheap too.

what is your biggest regret?
I've often pondered this. I have several things that I would consider regrets, most of them I don't feel like sharing. Although, in analyzing my past I've come to the conclusion that most things I should consider regrets have helped me become who I am. I tell Brittany that life is like music. My music theory professor taught me that in music there has to be dissonance, without dissonance the song turns out bland. Resolving the dissonance is very beautiful at times. In life there is plenty of dissonance. The resolve always turns out beautiful.

Since you probably want a real answer I guess I could say I regret not getting serious in playing music until I was older. I feel like at the pace I learned theory and what I could have done if I got to the point I'm at now at bass when I actually just started playing I'd be way better. But, didn't do it. I'll just have to work with what I've got!

do you masturbate?
No

Also, that emoticon is spelled wrong. It should be afraid.. it has two f's.

would you be offended if I asked you very personal questions?
Probably not. I might not be as detailed with some, depending on the question!

How close is your relationship with your parents?
Very close. Especially over the past couple years. We went through some very hard stuff in my family/church. In the process we've all grown very close and many good things have happened. I've always been close to them, but now I feel comfortably close to them.

My dad is going to be best man in my wedding too!

Where do you see yourself in five years time?
I could have a kid. I am not sure what I will be doing as far as work, but I hope to have finished getting my AA.

What drives you as a person? What is it that gives you ambition and incentive in your life?
I feel like God has given me a purpose. I don't know what it is exactly all the time, but I know I have one. Knowing I have a purpose drives me.. especially when I feel worthless.

Also, Brittany definitely gives me ambition. She's very encouraging and helps me figure things out, even when she doesn't know it.

you skipped my emoticon question.

sand dollars or brittle stars?

chicken noodle soup or clam chowder?

why do you think the ancient jews didnt regard a fetus as a human life?

are you going to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz?

are you a pink floyd fan?

is punk really dead?

have you ever hit immature walnuts with a tennis racket? (i really advise you do if you havent in the past.)

do you feel uncomfortable urinating in semi-public? (latrines, urinals lined up against a wall, holes in the ground, etc)

Oops!

or ?
fo sho.

sand dollars or brittle stars?
Sand dollars.

chicken noodle soup or clam chowder?
Clam chowder. I hate clams, but love clam chowder. We have good local chowder here, as my area is a huge clam digging spot. Restaurants here have great seafood.

why do you think the ancient jews didnt regard a fetus as a human life?
Not sure. Maybe because they couldn't actually see them.

are you going to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz?
Been there, done that.

are you a pink floyd fan?
Not really.

is punk really dead?
Basically.

have you ever hit immature walnuts with a tennis racket? (i really advise you do if you havent in the past.)
I have never... but when I was younger I stuck immature apples onto the tip of a long, like 7', bendy stick and would whip the stick, sending the apple flying a very long way. That was fun.

do you feel uncomfortable urinating in semi-public? (latrines, urinals lined up against a wall, holes in the ground, etc)
Yeah. If there are no barriers between the urinals is really the only time I have a problem... or if there are people standing behind you waiting in line. In these situations I go to the stall.

If I have to pee into a toilet and the water covers the entire inside I have a hard time as well. I hate it when people can hear me peeing.

I don't know why any of this is, but I've had these problems my entire life.

screams wrote:

do you masturbate?
No

You are either a liar or the most frustrated man on the planet. Which is it?

What about your own life are you most proud of, other than your fiancee?

What would be your first priority if ever you were to one day become President?

What do you consider to be the most important value or virtue you would want to instill in the next generation?

Has regret played any part in shaping who you are?

screams wrote:

what's your favorite letter?
X, for Xtreme! Just kidding. Probably B. Not only is it the first letter in my name, but also Brittany's... also, I am a bassist, which starts with B, and a bass makes a Bom Bom Bom kind of sound.

aw, I knew you'd have a cute answer to that.

do you have a good luck charm?

what's your favorite candy?

what do you like most about yourself? what do you like the least?

favoritest animal? are you a cat person or a dog person?

how far have you gone with a girl?

do you have any nicknames?

what's your favorite word?

if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it beee?

obama or mccain? can't remember if you've posted that anywhere...

on a sexy scale from 1 to 10 where would you place yo'self? I'd hope this would go without saying, but that's 1 being sasquatch and 10 being freakyfoxy.

screams wrote:

do you feel uncomfortable urinating in semi-public? (latrines, urinals lined up against a wall, holes in the ground, etc)
Yeah. If there are no barriers between the urinals is really the only time I have a problem... or if there are people standing behind you waiting in line. In these situations I go to the stall.

If I have to pee into a toilet and the water covers the entire inside I have a hard time as well. I hate it when people can hear me peeing.

I don't know why any of this is, but I've had these problems my entire life.

Me too! I call it Shy Weiner Syndrome. I can't pee next to someone even if there are barriers...unless I've been holding it for a day.

Ok some questions:
What was your first band you loved?

What's the best movie you've seen lately?

What are some pet peeves?

Favorite movie?

Favorite instrument?

Favorite instrument combo.. arrangement of as many instruments, and also arrangement of only two?

McCain or Obama?

What kind of vehicle do you drive?

What kind of vehicle would you like to drive?

Favorite book?

sidekick wrote:

screams wrote:

do you feel uncomfortable urinating in semi-public? (latrines, urinals lined up against a wall, holes in the ground, etc)
Yeah. If there are no barriers between the urinals is really the only time I have a problem... or if there are people standing behind you waiting in line. In these situations I go to the stall.

If I have to pee into a toilet and the water covers the entire inside I have a hard time as well. I hate it when people can hear me peeing.

I don't know why any of this is, but I've had these problems my entire life.

Me too! I call it Shy Weiner Syndrome. I can't pee next to someone even if there are barriers...unless I've been holding it for a day.

i have the solution.
when youre standing there trying to pee, try to do long division in your head.
pee will happen within 10 seconds

You are either a liar or the most frustrated man on the planet. Which is it?
Perhaps a frustrated liar, or a truthful calm man... now that the question of me lying is brought in you really can't believe anything I say anymore!

What about your own life are you most proud of, other than your fiancee?
I take much pride in my ability to retain trivia. People who know me know well that I am able to just have the answer to the random question that nobody seems to know anything about, and I have no idea how I really learned something of the sort... also, I'm very good at researching things, so whenever anyone asks me something I don't know I find out very quickly, no matter how hard it is.

I think I should also say I'm proud at my musical knowledge. I don't mean to brag, but when I started my music theory class at college, with about 25 other students, I had no idea how to read music. By the second year I was scoring highest on tests and projects. By the last quarter most of the other students had dropped the course. Yeah, I'm good.

What would be your first priority if ever you were to one day become President?
Depends on what was happening in the world. I would probably put a stop to everything bad, and cause lots of good to happen... with magic and video games.

What do you consider to be the most important value or virtue you would want to instill in the next generation?
Just to learn from past mistakes. Listen to people who have been there, it gets you far.

Has regret played any part in shaping who you are?
I'm definitely more cautious in areas of my life I have messed up in the past. I'm sure that has played a big part in who I am. I don't think I've let regret hinder me in any way.

do you have a good luck charm?
Not really. I sometimes wish I had one, but I don't.

what's your favorite candy?
M&Ms are really good, as are Swedish Fish.

I don't know if this counts, but more than anything I chew tons of Tropical Twist Trident gum. It's their orange kind. It's not really candy, but I don't eat a lot of candy. I chew this stuff religiously. I pack lasts me 1-2 days sometimes. I chew more at work.

what do you like most about yourself? what do you like the least?
This question could almost be answered by my response to Adam's question about what I'm proud of. I guess a personality trait I like most is that I feel like I have a good sense of humor. I have mastered dry humor. Sometimes I say things to people so seriously that are incredibly sarcastic that if they don't know me they get offended for a short time. I can't describe myself like that though... on the internet is different, and it's also weird to brag about yourself.

Least... I like least that I don't keep very active. I'm pretty out of shape. I could use a good daily jog.

favoritest animal? are you a cat person or a dog person?
Definitely a dog person. My dog, Wiley, is the coolest animal in the world. He's cute, and very happy all the time. So cool that he actually killed a possum tonight. Sometimes if he sees those he gets them right away. Protects the house from R. O. U. S.'s.

I also like cats though. Brittany has a cat, her name is actually Duckie, she's awesome too. She loves me. She will let me rub her belly, which is not something just anyone is allowed to do. She runs to me whenever I come over.

how far have you gone with a girl?
Too far. That's all.

do you have any nicknames?
Some people call me Neb. Lately my coworker enjoys calling me Benis. I don't care for that one much.

what's your favorite word?
Lots of cool words. Benevolent is a cool word. So is Catholicism, or agnosticism.

if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it beee?
If I could live anywhere without a care I would love to live somewhere warm like Mexico... where I could sit on the beach at night and just do nothing.

I would probably miss the 115" of rain per year though. I like living here. I would enjoy living in a quieter area around here... like a more rural area.

I think it would also be fun to live in Ireland.

obama or mccain? can't remember if you've posted that anywhere...
Probably not, I'm not as passionate about the presidential race as I am about the state of Washington governor race. I plan on voting for McCain. I don't think this country's ready for socialism.

on a sexy scale from 1 to 10 where would you place yo'self? I'd hope this would go without saying, but that's 1 being sasquatch and 10 being freakyfoxy.
I'm not sure what others really think of my sexiness. I can come across as really cheesy I'm sure. I would like to comfortably sit around 8ish though.

Favorite movie?
Oh boy, my questions! I've answered most of these though.

I like Gladiator the most. As I said before, Return of the King is good, but changes made from the book, mainly just one, Frodo telling Sam to go home... ugh, can't put to words how wrong that was. Although, if you were to call the whole LOTR trilogy just one movie I'd probably like it more that Gladiator.

Favorite instrument?
Definitely bass. I love the rumbles and the punches. To listen to I like piano the most.

Favorite instrument combo.. arrangement of as many instruments, and also arrangement of only two?
A full orchestra is always nice. Particularly just strings is nice for a big bunch. Of only two would have to be piano and cello.

McCain or Obama?
McCain.

What kind of vehicle do you drive?
'98 Chevy Cavalier. Blue. Manual. Custom sound system.

What kind of vehicle would you like to drive?
The new Chevy Camaro is nice. The old ones are as well.

Favorite book?
Lord of the Rings! I'm a nerd!

I also like the first six books of the Legend of Drizzt series by RA Salvatore, as well as the Space Trilogy by CS Lewis, and The Princess Bride.

What was your first band you loved?
Blindside. I got their A Thought Crushed My Mind CD when it was new and fell in love. That was the first band I ever listened to that had any screaming in it.

What's the best movie you've seen lately?
Usual Suspects.

What are some pet peeves?
Other drivers, people who are very obnoxious and/or inconsiderate of people around them. That's basically it. Haha.

screams wrote:

Protects the house from R. O. U. S.'s..

This really made me laugh.