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Member Spotlight #1: Ask Shademp anything

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
If a tree exists in a forest with nobody around to see it, does it still exist? Well, we already stated that it exists and even that it can exist without anybody being around. Ergo, it follows the same laws of physics when observed as it does when not being observed. In other words, yes the sound/vibration is made because the alternative would have to be that "perfectly lonely falling trees" suddenly exists in a vacuum where no sound can propagate.

If a tree can fall without anybody being around then it can also make a sound with nobody being around.

Doctor... Who?
Oh, I didn't tell you who would replace me as your doctor? Well here he is.

dr.-nick.jpg

Are you close to your siblings?
I think so. I feel the strongest connection with my oldest brother and my younger sister. Four years ago I was my oldest brother's second best man on his wedding. A great honor it was.

There is fondness between us and some level of respect, but we're not the type of siblings to randomly make phone calls. In fact we're quite bad at that. On my own end I have improved here and I aim to call each sibling a few times a year. My youngest older brother, the middle child, is so often forgotten. :P I like to ensure him that even though we don't speak often, he is not forgotten.

Does the aspergers diagnosis help you or hinder you nowadays?
Currently it helps me. Thanks to my diagnosis I was qualified for a support program that helped me find an employment that fit my limited endurance to stress. Also, this program actually contributes with part of my salary, which eases the load on my actual employer. The fact is that I am a superfluous cog in the machine of the company I work for, but my boss still made sure I got hired because my presence there is appreciated. Yes, you read that right. I have employment not because I'm needed, but because I do a good job and because both the cleaners and the office people like me. :P


Are you happy where you work or do you want to do something different in the future? Like something sciencey maybe?
I am happy where I work. Working 6 hours a day is perfect for me. 8-hour days (that is considered the standard, aka "working 100%" in Sweden) would hack away at my soul. I'm quite happy with the salary too.

That said, I wouldn't mind if I became unemployed and had to find something new, if only to test my wings and prove my adaptability. But I have no dreams or aspirations in the job field. All I want is to have a not-too-stressful job with a decent salary so I can still pursue my hobbies and dreams on my free time.

Nothing sciencey for me, thanks. Science isn't really my thing. Though if a mad scientist is looking for a loyal servant to pull switches and make funny faces, I might be up for the job.

igor.jpg


If you saw injustices happening, how would you react? (In my head you're a superhero :D )
This is where a bubble must be burst. I am not a superhero. In fact I have some cowardice in me, mostly because I'm scared of conflict.

Context is key though. I will of course stand up for a friend who is treated unfairly.
Once in middle school my best friend (at the time) was verbally abused in front of the entire class. His intimidating presence made the entire class room silent. I was the only one who stood up against him. He was bullying my friend ffs! I was silenced when this brutally antagonizing dude yelled "SHUT UP" for the second or third time an inch in front of my face, but I must have had some effect on him because a few seconds later he left.

When he was gone I started crying. My tears lost me almost all the "cool points" I had gained from the confrontation. That's not just me talking, btw. My classmates were reserved in their admiration of me because of the fact that I cried afterwards.


I'm much worse when it comes to engaging in debate on a sensitive topic, such as immigration. In my work place I have, over the years, heard a handful of racist comments. For the most part I keep my silence. What I *should* do is always make my voice heard with some informed response and potentially plant the seed of a more understanding society. Sadly I'm too eager to "stay out of trouble".

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
― Edmund Burke

I fear I may be doing a whole lot of nothing.


I have not personally seen "injustices" in the form of, say, physical abuse to know how I would act. I once heard a story about a beggar who was beaten. I like to think that if I saw something like that, I would interfere. The beggars are an annoyance to me as well, yes, but I will not see them needlessly mistreated.

Not being the type of guy to go out late at night, I am unlikely to spot injustices where my character would be tested. Not being a social guy ensures that I'm rarely tested in this way.
 
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How did you learn such amazingly fluent English?
In Sweden, everybody learns English in school so that's where my basics come from. The best practice though came when, in my teenage years, I began chatting online with English speakers. Add onto this years of playing games, watching English movies and tv-series downloads without subtitles, writing blog (or blog-type) posts, none of my frequently visited internet pages being in Swedish and you have the recipe for how I can write English as though it was my first language.

Do you speak any other languages?
Aside from Swedish and English, no. Though I have briefly tried learning other languages in school. These were German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Now I remember almost nothing from those lessons. My favorite was Mandarin Chinese though. It just felt SO GOOD to speak!

Years from now, I aim to learn Japanese and translate FFVII stuff. Currently can't fit Japanese into my project schedule.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
OH GAWD THERE IS SO MUCH I LIKE

When asked about favorite "flavor", am I supposed to answer chocolate/vanilla or can I answer with the ice cream type (sandwich/cornetto)? Do people equate the ice cream "flavor" with ice cream types/brands? *feels ignorant and confused from never having had to answer this question in English before*

More of a vanilla guy. I recently tried a cornetto (strawberry) for the first time in half a decade and that was surprisingly fresh and tasty. In that moment, that ice cream was my favorite. Plus by having eaten a cornetto I am justified in making
blood-and-ice-cream-trilogy-poster-06192013-022431-300x225.jpg


Fish, poultry, "meat" (beef, pork, alternatives like venison, mutton, etc), or none of the above (vegan/vegitarian)?
Not a vegan or vegetarian. I have no particular favorites. Fish, poultry, meat... If it's properly cooked I will eat it and be happy. :awesome:

Tell me something about yourself that you've never told anyone. :awesome:
As a small kid I placed my boogers on the underside of every table at home. EVERY TABLE.
 
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Why choose the name Shademp?
My real-life name is Dennis. A nickname sometimes given to those with that name, in Sweden at least, is 'Dempa'. No meaning there. It's just nonsense.

Shademp combines part of my nickname and the word 'shade' (or 'shadow').

Shade + dempa ~~~ Shademp

You could say it means "In the shadow of Dennis". I pronounce it as 'SHADE + EMP' though some end up pronouncing it as 'SHA + DEMP'. Choice of pronounciation is up to you.

The alias was conceived eleven years ago when I joined an anime-centric online forum called Go-Gaia, nowadays called Gaia Online. Have been using the alias ever since.

Who is your Daddy, and what does he do?
My father used to be a bus driver, but because of an injury he can no longer work. He can barely walk. I feel so sorry for him.

Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?
Umm...neither? I honestly don't know how the landscape of shampoo looks like. Barely got any idea what I wash my hair-covered head with! I am humongously ignorant on this topic.

If Superman was bitten by a vampire, would the sun still give him power, or would it hurt him?
Why would the sun hurt him? Everybody knows that vampires glow and glitter like diamonds in the sun. :awesome:

26359.jpg

Very similar, yes. We have Kit Kats too but I think Sport Lunch tastes better.

How much better is it living in a country where you basically don't ever have to worry whether you can make enough money to afford the basic amenities of life? :monster:
Because of never having lived anywhere else, I can't compare from personal experience. But knowing the basic fact that there is always a net of some type to help me survive (
unless I screw up reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal bad
) feels GREAT.

I'm so used to living in a society with free health care, social services to help with said basic amenities, the almost zero presence of fire arms, low population density etc that I'm a bit disappointed at the rest of the world for not becoming Sweden. ...Oops, that sounds nationalistic. :P

In short: I feel EXTREMELY fortunate to live where I live.
 
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Octo

KULT OF KERMITU
AKA
Octo, Octorawk, Clarky Cat, Kissmammal2000
Have you, or anyone you know ever actually paid for WinRAR/WinZip? :awesome:
 

Pixel

The Pixie King
Are Ikea furniture instructions any easier to understand in Sweden?

Do you understand Swedish chef from the Muppets?

Do you like Pewdiepie?

Have you ever had Surströmming?

/Swedishquestions
 
If you were to suggest some good Swedish movies for the rest of us to check out, what would you suggest?
- The Seventh Seal
One of my favorite movies of all time. A bit slow in the middle, but the commentary on death, God and religion is excellent. From my end as a Swede, The Seventh Seal was a revelation. Previously I had never thought that Swedish cinema could be eloquent, smart and carry the sort of integrity that makes it into a universal film and not just a 'Swedish movie for Swedes'.

For the most part actually I dislike Swedish movies. They are often awkwardly silly or have directionless social angst riddled all throughout. Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal was such a wonderful break from my normal impression of Sweden's movie landscape. Fortunately, I did grow up with some of the exceptions (see below).


I hold some fondness for the movie versions of Astrid Lindgren's books. See...
(ENG - SWE)
Pippi Longstocking - Pippi Långstrump
Emil in Lönneberga - Emil i Lönneberga
Mardie - Madicken
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter / Ronja Robbersdaughter - Ronja Rövardotter


Emil in Lönneberga and Mardie I especially recommend. They provide a decent glimpse into what Swedish society looked like in the early 20th century. Emil gives us the country boy's perspective while Mardie shows us the perspective of a girl born into a rich family.

Pippi Longstocking dwells more on the fantastical, outrageous and comical. Ronja's story is a very emotional and sometimes brutal one; no surprise since it takes place in the middle ages.

Astrid Lindgren wrote a ton of books which spawned a ton of movies. I recommend you to check out any of them, really. Remember, while watching, that Swedish kids of my generation grew up with these movies and stories.


Ok, so umm... Let The Right One In? I think everybody already saw that movie.

Fav beer, wine, hard liquor?

Of course, I'd ask that.
My problem here is that I haven't tried a huge variety of alcohol types. I often drink cider or I take vodka and mix it with soda. I'm an alcohol connoisseur's boring-to-death nightmare in this way. :lol:

All I can say for sure is that I prefer cider above beer and wine, but I can still drink the latter two. Usually I look for the high-percentage versions of "Rekorderlig Cider" when purchasing alcohol.

If I tested the waters I'd probably find new favorites.

Noomi Rapace or Tuva Novotny? :desu:
Tuva Novotny. No question. Holy crap I had forgotten how cute she is. ...DAYUM!
 

Tennyo

Higher Further Faster
Ah! Pippi Longstocking actually had some popularity here as well. There's even an English language movie that I remember watching as a kid. Either that or someone dubbed the Swedish version in English. Not sure which. I'll have to go investigate.

Pippi Longstocking is the one who taught me that the floor is lava. :P
 

Alex Strife

Ex-SOLDIER
I have been trying to come up with a good question but then I realised that more than asking something good, I would need to ask what I want to know so...


- Do you have any particular favourite moment in FFVII? Anything specific that, for any kind of reason, connected with you? I know you spoke about FFVII before in the thread but I think you did not mention this...

- Is there anything that would be "normal" for people to see that you still haven't seen? Example; I had a friend who did not witness the sea until she was 15 or 16 (she's not from near the coast as I am) and a lot of kids here do not get to see snow until they are 11 or 12... So that kind of thing :). I know it's a vague question, sorry!
 
Sorry for the delay!

Have you watched/read Fight Club?
When first reading this comment, I had done neither. Though I knew the memes from the movie and the general plot.

I have now watched the movie. A great flick in many ways. I'm going to be narrating my life for the next few hours like Edward Norton.

If you could choose one location in time/space to go to, where would you go and what would you do?
Any location and time with a functioning time machine so I can then move to any location in time/space I want to, however many times I want to. :monster: Would then proceed to reap the benefits of future technology that can increase my longevity, improve my overall intelligence and all that transhumanist jazz. Afterwards I'd do whatever the heck I want. :wacky:

Have you, or anyone you know ever actually paid for WinRAR/WinZip? :awesome:
You are asking if I know a person who doesn't exist! Typical Octo silliness :lol:

Are Ikea furniture instructions any easier to understand in Sweden?
From what I've heard, Ikea stores are supposed to look the same all around the world. My guess would be then that the instructions are the same as well. So I technically don't know if the instructions are any better in Sweden but I'm welling to bet that the instructions are identical compared to here and everywhere else.

Do you understand Swedish chef from the Muppets?
YES AND THE MOFO KEEPS INSULTING MY MOTHER

Lol no. I just rewatched a ton of Swedish Chef clips and I can't make out a single Swedish word.

Do you like Pewdiepie?
Neither like nor dislike. I respect his success and enthusiasm but his videos just don't interest me.

Have you ever had Surströmming?
Nope. Shit sounds cray. Rotten fish? It's bad enough that people like to eat moldy cheese.
 

Cabaret

Donator
It's 11:36 on a Saturday, would you go back to bed or get up and go out to find breakfast?

Is there something that you would like all of us to know?

If war broke out in Europe, what would you do? Join up and fight the cause? Work in the war effort in some way (EG in a gun factory or something) Run away? Protest for peace? Something else?
 
Craziest thing you've done? Or two maybe?
I will sound like a broken record, but I can't go without mentioning yet again the fact that I bungee jumped one month ago. Nothing I have done in my life can beat that.

- Video #1 (Most of you will have seen this already)
- Video #2, Chest Camera (FRESHLY UPLOADED!)

The second craziest thing was four years ago when I went to the other side of Sweden to see James Randi hold a lecture. I learned about his visit at the last minute and I had never done such a daring trip so far away and to a town I barely knew...ALONE! I almost didn't make it in time to the lecture because I didn't know what bus to take.

- Handheld video footage from the event (sorry for the poor quality)

what is your favourite type of puppy?
Any type of puppy that is cute and that is not my own. Very similar to my favorite type of human baby in that sense. :D

Ohhh we're both cider drinkers :D
This clip except with cider :D

Let us get mildly drunk together and make the world a moderately dangerous place to be in.

Do you have any particular favourite moment in FFVII? Anything specific that, for any kind of reason, connected with you? I know you spoke about FFVII before in the thread but I think you did not mention this...
Cloud defeating Sephiroth, whether it be in the original game or in Advent Children. The emotional triumph through explosive physical exertion is a bit romanticized in my head. That's why I will VERY often think about Cloud performing Omnislash Version 1, 5 or 6 when I'm at the gym or when I struggle uphill on my bicycle.


The only other scene I connected with on a personal level was the lifestream flashbacks where we get to see Cloud's childhood and how he couldn't fit in with the other kids. Everybody has felt that at some point. Small moments like those that apply the most fundamental aspects of our humanity is what can make a game (or any other medium) feel like something MORE than just entertainment. Aerith's and Zack's respective deaths also used to feel important in this regard (the theme of unfair, sudden departures), but sadly the Compilation botched that up for me. I no longer feel for their deaths because their enhanced ghostly presence makes them appear 'not dead'.

Is there anything that would be "normal" for people to see that you still haven't seen? Example; I had a friend who did not witness the sea until she was 15 or 16 (she's not from near the coast as I am) and a lot of kids here do not get to see snow until they are 11 or 12... So that kind of thing :). I know it's a vague question, sorry!
Most people I know have tried skiing on our snowy mountains, near the borders to Norway. I have never done that.
 
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It's 11:36 on a Saturday, would you go back to bed or get up and go out to find breakfast?
I would get out of bed most definitely. The scenario is impossible though. I never stay in bed until 11:36. Not even if I fell asleep at six in the morning after being up all night. That's just not how I roll.

SEIZE THE DAY even if you only seize it with mundane activities. I will not waste away in bed.

Is there something that you would like all of us to know?
I'd like everyone to know that they have the power to pursue their dreams. You are all simultaneously more capable of success and more capable of handling failure and pain than you think. Through strategy and discipline you can conquer yourself and, by extension, the world.

Our ability to withstand pain is one of the most frightening truths out there. But each time you accept it and walk the path, you are allowed to die and be reborn. I have already experienced this and I will experience it many times more because I have A LOT to overcome. The struggle doesn't end. The pain doesn't end. So what do we say to the God of Pain?

BRING IT ON.




If war broke out in Europe, what would you do? Join up and fight the cause? Work in the war effort in some way (EG in a gun factory or something) Run away? Protest for peace? Something else?
I never did military service so I don't have that background. That's all I can say. There is not enough context about this "theoretical war" for me to give a proper, extensive answer. In an ideal world I'd protest for peace. But at rare times, fighting can't be avoided.

I wish that in a time of great unrest, my voice could reach out to others like in this Bertrand Russel clip.
 

Octo

KULT OF KERMITU
AKA
Octo, Octorawk, Clarky Cat, Kissmammal2000
I'm dreading my turn now, because damn Shademp you've set the bar high for this here member spotlight thing :lol:
 

Dipsiel

Proper Fool & Aspiring Artist
AKA
Dipshit, Dirty Hooves
So, I have only one question...

WHO'S THE MAN?

You are, that's who!

But to stay within the boundaries, here's a real one:
What's the best game you've ever played?
I know it's a really hard question to answer, that it is an absurd concept to ask for "the best game" rather than your *favourite* game, and that it depends on so many factors including but not limited to time and present interests, but still. Better even, list a few of your most memorable gameplay experiences throughout the years, and comment on whether they were because of great design/storytelling rather than the naivety of youth :D Not that there's anything wrong with being naive in that respect, but still!
 
My mind has been remarkably slow today but I'll try my best to reply.

But to stay within the boundaries, here's a real one:
What's the best game you've ever played?
Super Metroid. There's a reason why this game is often revisited and analyzed for its awesome game design. The way that both the dungeons are designed and how the story is told without words (aside from the intro prologue screen) is simply legendary.

I think GameTrailers said once that Super Metroid practically redefined video game achievement. I can only agree.


Better even, list a few of your most memorable gameplay experiences throughout the years, and comment on whether they were because of great design/storytelling rather than the naivety of youth :D Not that there's anything wrong with being naive in that respect, but still!
I want to take this time to yet again recommend To The Moon.

To the Moon is an indie Adventure RPG, about two doctors traversing through the memories of a dying man to fulfill his last wish.

While low on the gameplay bar, the well-told story more than makes up for it. When I am only allowed to recommend ONE game to a person, I recommend To The Moon.

I urge people to buy and play this game. It will only take you 4 hours to complete. 5 hours tops. You will not regret the experience. I can reveal no more because that would spoil the experience.


EDIT:
Oh right, I was supposed to list memorable gameplay experiences.

- Mega Man X: X being saved by Zero at the beginning of the game. Badass. Remains a badass moment to this day.
- Chrono Trigger: Holy crap there is so much memorable about this game and it has almost nothing to do with youthful naivety. I wouldn't enjoy the battle system today as much as when I was new to it, probably.
- Super Castlevania IV: (Hey, the SNES has the best game library of all time!) The atmospheric intro screens. Sets the mood perfectly.

I'm sorry I can't make a more eloquent and detailed response. Just not a good day for answering this type of question. :P
 
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Did you also think Zero was a girl initially?
I was leaning towards Zero being a girl but I always felt unsure. Hah, reminds me that in my early childhood I could never figure out if Michael Jackson was a man or a woman. Then in FFVIII I was unsure at first if Irvine was a man or a woman.
 
There probably won't be any more questions now, so on this last day of my AMA thread I want to thank Aaron for the Member Spotlight initiative! Looking forward to asking questions to the other members in their respective spotlight threads.

Thank you all for participating. =)
 

Octo

KULT OF KERMITU
AKA
Octo, Octorawk, Clarky Cat, Kissmammal2000
Wait! Shademp what are your bank details?!
 
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