From "BONUS WHORE" to "COP", the man behind "MACGYVER"...

[johnsteed]

***


I'd like to take this time with you, to turn this stone to find out a little more about the one who's better known as...

MACGYVER

"THE BONUS WHORE"

Interviewed by "John Steed"

Although we've only corresponded with another a handful of times, I get the sense that you're a pretty serious hombre. If you do in fact have a serious personality (as I suspect), where do you get that from?


It’s funny you mention that … sometimes people will come up to me and ask, “Why are you pissed off?” (Pissed off being American slang for being angry). Almost all the times people ask me this, though, I’m not! Heck, most times I’m spaced out and thinking about random things (if I’m even thinking specifically at all). I guess I just have a serious (or mad) face in general…


Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy cutting up and having fun like most people do. I guess being a cop makes me constantly on guard … most people where I live now know me from that career so my behavior almost always has to be like I’m “on camera.” It’s a pain at times, but my very good friends (some of whom I met when I was working in uniform) know that I can relax and joke with the best of ‘em.


Oh, and my humor is very, very dry (I’ve been told), so that may contribute to me being seen as “serious”.



A while back, I read your screenplay/stageplay "ENEMIES," and I was quite impressed by the your creative writing skills. I'm sure all of those who've read it, were equally impressed it's psychological depth, hidden layers, and how the story progresses while constantly dropping hints throughout the story as to what note it ultimately ends on. It's certainly one of those stories that one should read more than once to trace back from points Z to A to understand how it all unfolds. What inspired you to do it? What was the process like, having to create this play?


Heh, you and "Pinababy69" are the only ones who’ve read it (from Casinomeister), but you both gave me good reviews, so I’m happy.


The inspiration was two-fold, in a way … a great writer, Jorge Luis Borges, has a book of selected stories and writings called “Labyrinths.” One of his stories, “The Secret Miracle,” is about a man imprisoned and about to face a firing squad. The man pleads with God to allow him to finish a play he’s created and right before the command to fire is given, time stops for the man. The man spends years (in his mind) and finally finishes the play; two minutes later (in real time), the man is shot and killed.


The short synopsis that Borges gives of the character’s play was the start of my play. I used the very basics of identity and location to try and craft a psychological thriller/mystery. I don’t consider it an adaptation of Borges’ work because I’ve completely changed the actors and the plot details.


The second “fold” was that I wanted the play to unfold much in the same way M. Night Shamalyan’s “The Sixth Sense” did. I wanted my audience to say “Oh shit, that’s what it is??!?” at the end of the play and be able to talk about their different reactions afterwards. I also wanted the audience to be able to go back and see the play a second time (or third, or fourth ) and now catch the little clues to the climax that they may not have seen on their first viewing.


The process of writing the play was like nothing I’d ever done before. My writing is most times off-the-cuff where I write everything I can and then edit it after it’s all out there. This time, I had to structure the second act of the play well before I actually wrote it because of the strong level of surrealism there. I actually had 3 x 5 index cards taped on my office window for the order of each scene in that act; I could just move them around like jigsaw puzzle pieces to see which scene order worked the best.



If it's not too bold of a question, what's the next step you'd like to take in order to solidify yourself as a writer?


I’d love to have some of my work produced commercially … whether it’s published, performed on the stage, or seen on the movie screen. This summer, I’ll be submitting “Enemies” to a number of playhouses and waiting to see what they say.


My London trip gave me a small idea for another play (maybe), but it’s very much in the thinking stage and nothing on paper. I say “maybe” because it may become a movie screenplay, or a book, or a short story … again, nothing concrete about it all; just an idea.



As a writer, what are certains MUSTS that you absolutely need to productively write?


Honestly, I don’t have to have certain music playing or a special paperweight that HAS to be on my desk in order to write (if that’s what you mean). I just need the challenge of a good story that can make me “fall into” the computer screen, so to speak. When I wrote “Enemies”, I had to force myself to sit down and write. If I didn’t, I’d procrastinate and never get anything done. I found that (usually) after about 15 minutes, I could crank out a good number of pages of the script. If it didn’t work after about 30 minutes, I usually gave up for the day.



Challenging your writing skills here for a moment, how would you describe the man you are today, and point out the significant differences (evolution) to who you were when you were still living back in San Diego?


Heh … well, I was 18 years old when I left San Diego and now I’m 34. I think the phrase apropos of my college youth is around the lines of “Young, dumb and full of …” and I’ll leave that last part out. I’ve got a lot more gray hairs, but I think I’m a lot more tolerant than I was back then. I had a teaching colleague tell me that I was the most understanding cop she had ever met. I also see a lot of my father in me, for better or for worse.


I’m loyal to the few people who really get to know me, but I’ll more often than not do small things for others just because. It’s nothing major, in my opinion; I was just raised to treat others how I’d like to be treated. I’m also very independent, which can be a boon and a problem at times. Moving 3000 miles away from home to be all by myself as a teenager will do that to you.



What University are you currently attending (and how long have you been there)?


I finished my Master’s degree at East Carolina University in North Carolina last summer. I’m not currently in school, though I’m considering going back for a more terminal degree like a PhD in literature.


I teach at ECU now, which means I’ve been at this University (in some way) for 17 years now. Yikes! I’m officially old …



What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your home state of North Carolina? Give me some thoughts about growing-up in the N.C. region.


Actually, my home state is California. I was a Navy brat and moved around a lot when I was very young before my father ended up stationed in San Diego for a while. After finishing high school, I pulled the typical adolescent rebellion thing and decided I was going to college on the East Coast. That’s how I ended up in NC; I like to tell people that being young and stupid, I wanted to get the farthest away from my parents without going over water. Almost 20 years later, and I’m still here.



A Navy "brat" huh? Have you ever been mistaken for Richard Gere's character "Zach Mayo" in "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982)?


LOL … no, not even close. My father was a career Navy man and retired after 24 years in it. I’m just now finding out little things about his career, what he did and how some of his coworkers thought of him … as a kid, all I knew was that he was a lawyer in the Navy.


He worked in the JAG office in San Diego … but it was NOTHING like the TV show (at least from what my mother tells me).



The U.S. Census Bureau claims that North Carolina has had an increase of 7.9% in population since 2000, which incredibly, exceeds the rate of growth for the entire United States as a whole.* In your opinion, why would that be?* What does North Carolina offer*that makes it so enticing to move to?


To me, coming from the concrete of San Diego, the trees were a shock. I remember the first time I flew into the podunk airport of my college town and all I could see were trees. This place’s baggage claim was a 20 x 20 piece of plywood next to the “terminal”, where a guy threw your luggage on top of it and said “Dere ya go.” Thankfully, they’ve upgraded the place since then.
But one of the things I like about where I’m at in North Carolina is that you can drive 5 minutes at the most and be out in the country. In San Diego, it takes you almost 45 minutes of driving on the freeway before you can get to the mountains and nature.



I kid you not people, that in North Carolina, there are certain areas that go by the names of "Bat Cave", "Lizard Lick", "Soul City", "Tick Bite", and "Welcome". "Macgyver", have you ever visited any of these areas? Does anyone in North Carolina find these names at least just a wee bit ridiculous?


Ha, ha! Yes, I have heard of "Tick Bite", North Carolina, though I’ve never been there. My favorite one, though it’s not in North Carolina, is "Bucksnort", Tennessee. It sounds like something a third-grade class would say under their breath to annoy the teacher. “Buck” …. “Snort”. “Buck” …. “Snort”.



Have you ever seen "Ben Folds Five" ('94-00), seeing how they originate from your neck-of-the-woods?* For those who don't know, this highly underrated 3-piece band (why did they insist on calling it "5"?) formed in "Chapel Hill."


Nope, I’m about a 2-hour drive away from "Chapel Thrill," closer to the coast of the state. I used to be a little into music when I wrote for the college newspaper, but that was a long time ago and I’ve gotten away from that style of writing.



Well then, what kind of music are you (were you) into to?


Being in North Carolina for so long now, I’ve come to enjoy country music a lot more. I’ve realized I like songs that tell a story (kind of), where you can understand the lyrics.


Also, I greatly enjoy jazz and swing music, especially the instrumental works. I like some of the older jazz artists like Boots Randolph and Glenn Miller, just to name two. I just looked at my CD collection and it’s pretty eclectic … jazz, country, swing, some Top-40. Music for me is something that helps keep me focused when I’m on the computer; it’s like a background hum I need.

FALSE WARNING!!!: Thank God that "Tom Ripley" took-out "Dickie Greenleaf", because had "Dickie" overheard "Macgyver" label Glenn Miller as a JAZZ musician (to which he generally is considered to be within the genre of JAZZ), he might'a gone WACKO!!!



"Macgyver", you were once a police officer. Where exactly did you work, and what were the highs and the lows of the job?* Why did you elect to get out of that line of work?


I worked full-time for the campus police department of my alma mater for 8 years before I went part-time (still am part-time actually) so I could go back to school. We have full arrest powers just like any US city police department; our jurisdiction is just a lot smaller and confined to the University.


I loved (and still do enjoy) the investigative aspect of the job. I was happiest when I was working cases and chasing down evidence. I did it all as a street officer, too, and had a good rep for it when I was full-time. I think my department let me work a lot of cases that fell my way when ordinarily they would have given it to a detective.


I left because I couldn’t stand the mental boredom of the job any more. One of my academy instructors said police work is 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror and he was 100% right. I think I burned out a little, too, and just needed something to recharge my mental batteries. That’s why I teach at the University now, it’s definitely more of a mental challenge.



What was your most interesting investigative experience for this job? Or better yet, what was (one of) the most memoriable experience you had while on duty with the compus police?


Wow, I handled so many cases, that’s tough. One I was especially proud of was a credit card fraud case I found and took over from another officer. I worked the case entirely over the phone since the victims had left college, but was still able to charge the suspect. In fact, I never even met the suspect! He got arrested in another state, extradited down to North Carolina, and pled guilty before I could make it to the courtroom that day. I walked in and they said the case was done and the suspect had been taken to the jail already.


One near to my heart was helping a mother try to find her son a few days after a massive hurricane had hit North Carolina (Floyd in 1999). I spent all day with her, but he wasn’t found until the next day when I was off-duty. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive some flood waters. That family is in my thoughts even seven years later…



Although you and I never really touched on it, you had mentioned once that you're a webmaster. At least, I seem to recall you mentioning something about that. What's your site?


Heh, not a webmaster by any stretch of the word. I never could get into learning how to create websites and the such. I do, however, moderate a bulletin board that’s devoted to bonus-hunting at online casinos and update a directory of those casinos and their bonus offers for that same board. Out of respect for Bryan and his site, the great work he does with it, and knowing how some people just adore bonus-hunters, I think I’ll forego naming the site.


I heard that Webster’s Dictionary recently added a new word called “cybrarian,” which is someone who does “online research and information retrieval” (thank you, "dictionary.com"). That’s my new job title, I think, makes me look smart or something.



What does "Richard Dean Anderson" mean to you? When you wake-up in the morning, do you feel the enormous pressure of having those incredibly gargantuan shoes to fill, taking on the role of "Macgyver"? Are there ever moments when you post at "Casinomeister.com", that you stop and say "My God, I'm representing the legend"Richard Dean Anderson", I'm not sure he'd agree with I'm about to say... I mean, he's "Richard Dean Anderson" for crissakes!!!"? Do you ever just want to throw-in the towel, and take on a less prestigious handle?

The man behind the handle has HUGE shoes to fill.

"RDA" … what can you say about the man? Everybody knows about "Macgyver", it seems. I couldn’t even tell you when and why I first started using "Macgyver" as a handle … it was well before my online gambling days.
I just hope the man, the myth and the legend behind "Macgyver" knows I’m keepin’ the faith. Nothin’ but love for you, Richard …



Have you ever carried around a Swiss Army knife and duct tape? Did you have to improvise with what tools you had at your disposal, when you were a cop?


Ha, ha … OK, I’ll admit it, I had a Swiss Army knife once. But no duct tape, darnit. Improvisation as a police officer came about in my investigations more so than anywhere else. A lot of times I had to think up different ways (all legal, of course) to get the evidence and proof I needed before I could charge somebody.



I've often thought that the series "Macgyver" was a smarter version (in terms of story) of "A-Team", or ABC's answer to NBC's hit action series. What are your thoughts on the "A-Team"?


"Mad-Dog Murdock" was the man!! I loved that character when I was a kid … acting crazy and being able to say whatever you wanted is great. I’ll even admit to always quoting the head guy’s (can’t remember the character’s name) line when I was a kid … “I love it when a plan comes together.”

What are some of your favorite TV series?


You mean there are other TV shows than “Macgyver”??!?


Seriously, I watch "Law and Order" pretty regularly, ER, "Stargate SG-1" (even though my man "Richard Dean Anderson" is gone from it, gotta support him and watch the old episodes), some of the new cartoons like "Justice League Unlimited" and "Teen Titans", "Smallville" … I’m more a books and movies guy, though, I think.



Well then, while it's almost impossible for most to name their "All-Time" favorite movie, what's your "Top-10" favorite films of "All-Time"? Why are they so important (memorable) to you?


Wow, I don’t think I can give a "Top 10", I’ve seen so many movies it’s not even funny. And I’m a movie theater guy, hands down … I probably have seen 50 movies in the theater to maybe 5 that I’ve rented or own. I just prefer the big screen and the feeling of being alone, but sharing the experience with all of the other strangers in the theater. Maybe the stickiness of the floors appeals to me, too, who knows?


I’ve just now gotten into buying DVDs, how about I go into the few that I have and include some movies on VHS I still have?


1. "The Untouchables" – Kevin Costner and Sean Connery (that’s the Chicago way!!)


2. "That Thing You Do" – Tom Hanks and some young actors; I just loved the song in that movie. I can watch it numerous times and still enjoy it; I actually watched it on the flight to London recently.


3. "Shawshank Redemption" – Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins; if you haven’t seen it, you need to.


4. "Good Will Hunting" – Robin Williams, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (how you like ‘dem apples?)


5. Any sports movies, especially underdogs who you know are going to win at the end (I don’t care, I’ll watch ‘em every time) – "Rudy", "Tin Cup", "Field of Dreams", "The Natural", all the "Mighty Duck" and "Major League" movies, etc.


Geez, there are too many to mention … "Dead Poet’s Society", "Thomas Crown Affair" (the 1999 version with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo), "Stand By Me", "Footloose", "Ocean’s Eleven" (not Twelve ) … and so on and so forth, ad infinitum.



What's the best example of impeccable screenwriting you've seen (to date) in a film?


Besides the screenplay I wrote myself? Just kidding, the first one that comes to mind is Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption,” which starred Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. One of the best adaptations of a Stephen King book I’ve ever seen. Darabont also did the adaptation of King’s “The Green Mile” with Tom Hanks; he’s done really good work.



You recently went to Europe, and even offered a detailed account of your trip in your thread titled "An American Cybrarian In London". Having been there myself back in '95 (the height of "BritPop"), it was wonderful reading and recalling some of the places you had visited. Although everything one needs to know your trip has been outlined (http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...an-london.html), what more could you add about your recent experience there?


Honestly, I can’t think of much more to add … I’m definitely glad I went, though I had serious doubts the first couple of days I was there. Some day, I’ll go back and experience more of the nightlife (maybe) and hit some of the day tours like "Bath" or "Stratford-on-Avon".



What were the highs and lows of the trip? What would you recommend the most to someone who'd be visiting London for the first time?


High – the experience of being in theaters that had been around since the 1800’s.


Low – the jetlag after the flight from the States. It was the absolute worst I’ve ever experienced and having to wait 4-5 hours before I could get in the hotel room made it even worse. It took me roughly two full days before I felt halfway normal.


High – just walking through a city that had been around as long as London has. I said in that thread that London reminded me a lot of Boston (another week trip I made in 2002). Guess that makes sense since you can look at Boston as a former British colony, right?


High and Low – going there by myself. As good as it was to do things on my own schedule, I think some of the places I visited would have been better and enjoyed more with someone. Next trip, maybe …



Did you have the opportunity to share a beer with "Ed Ware"? If so, what was that like?


No, Ed and I never got a chance to get together unfortunately. Such is life ...



What are some of your favorite hobbies? And, how do you like to spend your free time?


Playing softball, and I'll even admit to a weekly excursion to the
local karoake joint to sing a few songs. Reading and watching movies in the theater for the most part.


***

"Macgyver's Favorites"

"'N Not So Favorites"

I'm going to name various things, and I'd love to know what your favorites are. Here we go...


Fast-food restaurant - McDonald's ... it saved me in London.


Greatest TV program - Law and Order (the original).


Hottest actress - Catherine Bell from the TV show JAG or Angelia Jolie.


Greatest actor - Sean Connery.


Favorite cartoon - Any Looney Tunes (Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, Tweety & Sylevester).


Greatest country - United States, for all its faults and failings.


Favorite writer - Can't list just one; Stephen King, Ed McBain (R.I.P.),
Robert B. Parker, Shakespeare...


Greatest online casino - Tie between Intercasino and 32Red.


Favorite state - California, with the beach, mountains and desert all within an hour's drive (just to visit, though, too expensive to live there).


Greatest online software provider - Cryptologic.



On the flip-side, what are some of your greatest (can I say that?) dislikes. Here we go...


Online casino - Grand Banks, only place where it took a whole calendar month to pay me.


Fast-food restaurant - KFC, not a big fried chicken fan.

Ahhh... Oh boy Mac, you may want to rethink about publicly putting down this man's franchise. He carries a lot of weight in your sector of the globe.

Greatest pet-peeve for something that typically transpires at
Casinomeister.com's forum - Ooh, this is a big one: people claiming a casino is rigged just because they lost.


Actor/Actresses - Paris Hilton, though I wouldn't give her the credit of even calling her an "actress."


Sport - Boxing, just not into it at all.


Food (anything) - lettuce, it's like eating a leaf off a tree.


Cartoon - Nothing comes to mind...


Just something that comes to your mind, that pisses you off the most
(ANYTHING)?


When people don't keep their word ... if you say you're going to do something,
make damn sure you do it.



I'm going to throw some names around, and you tell me what first comes to
mind.


Tony Gwynn (this is your San Diego connection here) - Best Padre baseball player (center field?) ever, my mother is one of his biggest fans.

Editor's Note: Tony Gwynn for the majority of his playing days, was a right-fielder.


Simmo! - "Slotjunkies" is a good and interesting concept, though I rarely if ever play slots online (or at a b&m casino, for that matter).


Tom Cruise - Overrated and publicity hungry; M.I. III wasn't worth the price of the ticket.


Jack Karouak - Motorcycles and existentalism...


Arthur Miller - "Death of a Salesman" and "Willy Loman," man's aspiration to always be better than he is.


Jetset - a fine man who I had the pleasure of meeting in person while I was in London, definitely different than what I pictured (for whatever reason, and in a very good sense).


Steven Spielberg - That funky music from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."


Steven Soderbergh - "Traffic"' and "Syriana," excellent movies (I'll forgive "Ocean's Twelve").


Woody Allen - Not a fan of his movies honestly, too much angst.

In your opinion, what's the greatest online casino game created to date?


I’m a blackjack man, through and through, even though you asked for online casino games. You just have so many different variations of it and the strategy is very easy to learn if you put the time into it.



Explain to me, what does the title of "Bonus Whore" entail?


Out of all the names for people who play bonuses, I love that one the most. It just tickles some funny bone in me. As much as some people hate bonuses, I don’t think they’re going anywhere any time soon. I’ve currently played over 175 different casinos using bonuses, and while the offers are definitely fewer and far between than 3 years ago when I started, they’re still out there if you look hard enough for them.


I will say, however, that any type of fraud by players redeeming bonuses really ticks me off; the whole “gnoming” business where people redeem bonuses under different identities, people who mask their computer’s information so they can get another signup bonus at a casino they’ve already played, chargebacks because the player couldn’t afford to be gambling in the first place. Any and all of this just gives ammunition to those in the US legislature who want to do away with online gambling.



In your signature, it states "I don't abuse bonuses, I just shake the sh!t out of 'em!" Well, this enquiring mind would like to know how successful you've been at "shakin' the sh!t out of 'em?"


People ask me this a lot … and I have to give "Chris Rock" credit for the original version of that line. Like I said, I’ve played over 175 separate and distinct online casinos and also gone back to the monthlies like "Intercasino" and "32Red" on a regular basis. If I doubled my total deposits and divided that by my total withdrawals, I have an 86.5% profit ratio. Withdrawals (or profits) have been in the five-figure $$$ range for a while now, though people should understand some of that money just gets recycled into a deposit at another casino.



Although, I would have to assume that when people think of forum members who're profiting (long-term) from playing online, they'll probably not think of "Macgyver" first (if... at all). That's why I think that who is better known as "Bonus Whore" is truly underrated in the realm of "Casinomeister.com" lore. What's the best piece of advice you could give someone who's looking to becoming the next "Macgyver"? That is, someone who wants to become the next "GREAT" advantage player.


You’ve got to have self-control if you’re going to bonus-hunt. Too many times, I’ve heard from people who have these big wins, but then go chasing more profits even after they’ve met the terms of the bonus offer. You’ve got to be able to hit that withdrawal button and not reverse it (I never have reversed a withdrawal, period).


I was lucky that I had some good runs when I first started bonus-hunting. If I had been on the other side of variance, I don’t think I’d be around online today and my life would be a lot different. I promised myself that I would just enjoy this for as long as I could; if it dries up, I move on and find another challenge. So far, it’s been good to me…


Lastly, I will say that a person should NEVER gamble with money they can’t afford to lose. Food on the table, a roof over your head and taking care of your loved ones always come first. The time I can’t walk away from this is the time that I really should.




***


In closing,


I'd like to thank "Macgyver" for his being available (even when he wasn't) as well as his willingness for being so open towards answering all of my (sometimes stupid) questions. It was greatly appreciated, and I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing him.


Thank you all for your time.



Steed

***

[tennis_balls]

here's to the hope that Macgyver never has to discipline a student for playing video poker on a cell phone......"but professor, i used your refer-a-friend bonus code!"

[Pinababy69]

Wow JohnSteed, you have outdone yourself once again, lol. First Spearmaster, now Mac. I think Barbra Walters could use your talents. Interesting read, and it's always nice to find out a little bit more about the regulars here at CM.

And Mac, thanks for sharing with all of us. And for letting me read Enemies. It was a great read, and the good review was well deserved. I can only hope to be half as good a writer someday.

[johnsteed]

***

Pinababy69

Wow JohnSteed, you have outdone yourself once again, lol. First Spearmaster, now Mac. I think Barbara Walters could use your talents. Interesting read, and it's always nice to find out a little bit more about the regulars here at CM.

Thank you "Pinababy69"!

I'll always watch a Barbara Walters interview, because more than anything, it's an event (and they're often followed by the OSCARS... hahaha). But, if I ever wanted to watch an interview, and I wouldn't even have to care about who was being interviewed, I could always watch and learn from the GOD of interviews "CHARLIE ROSE" (PBS). The man could make a discussion between a box of paperclips and a loaf of "WONDERBREAD" fascinating and educational. The man should win an EMMY each year, without question.


Steed

***

[Macgyver]

Originally Posted by tennis_balls

here's to the hope that Macgyver never has to discipline a student for playing video poker on a cell phone......"but professor, i used your refer-a-friend bonus code!"

LOL ... I tell my students that they have two options if their cell phone rings in class:

1. They can answer it and leave the room, but they're not coming back in.

2. I can answer it for them ... which should be interesting depending on who's calling.

Originally Posted by johnsteed

I'd like to thank "Macgyver" for his being available (even when he wasn't) as well as his willingness for being so open towards answering all of my (sometimes stupid) questions. It was greatly appreciated, and I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing him

I'd like to thank johnsteed for actually considering me for this. I don't know if I qualify in the ranks of someone like spearmaster; after Ted's interview was posted, I half-joked to johnsteed about interviewing me.

Next thing I knew, I had all these questions in my email inbox from him.

It was my pleasure, my friend, and thank you.

[Simmo!]

A fine read.

[dabruin2]

Great interview. I totally enjoyed reading it. Great job Steed!

[nafanny29]

JS you are one of a kind. I love every one of your posts

[gfkostas]

Jesus JS

You do have free time to spare, whos on your list for the next interview?

[johnsteed]

***

gfkostas

Jesus JS

You do have free time to spare , who's on your list for the next interview?

Hahaha,


Yes, believe or not, I have plenty of time to spare. Those who post here probably wouldn't believe it, but I actually do work, and play. I'm the king of procrastination in fact (or I should at the very least be knighted in that regard).


I can literally go a week without doing anything (even longer) other than teaching and reading (for leisure). I sporadically put my head down and tackle things in short (occasionally long) bursts. My energy is generally conserved, and doled-out only when need be (kinda' like a turtle... with the ability to sprint in short bursts).


While a post of this magnitude does take a few hours to paste, edit, color, ect., the process of interviewing via email/message doesn't take as long as one might think. But regardless of time, I have tremendous fun doing these sorts of things, and it's been a blast having interviewed "spearmaster" and "Macgyver" already. At least for me, when something's fun to do, it never feels like work (you JUST DO IT).


Again, I thank these people for putting-up with my questions, and taking the time to correspond with me.


As far who's next, I can't comment at this point (hushhhhhhhhh...).


Steed

***