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Allons-y, Fellow Travelers! Welcome to my Introduction and AMA Thread.
In my continuing attempt to not be a lame-o, I decided to take the advice of our fearless leader, the esteemed delegate of our glorious region to do an introductory post (and AMA thread, because why not?) to get more involved. I’m Masuicca, though that’s absolutely NOT my first nation here at NationStates or the nom de plume many know me by in the forums. A bit about me: I identify as a 52 year old trapped in a 31 year old’s body, though that hasn’t gotten me anywhere with AARP yet. I’m in the process of getting my certification through the State of North Carolina to become a teacher, though I’ve done some teaching previously at a private school, so I’m pretty well prepared for what I’m about to step into. I’ve had a few other career paths in the last few years, knowing good times, bad times, and uber-sick times.
What can I say? It’s a living, and it’s what I love to do.
Some other stuff about me: I’m very much interested in writing. My original degree was in journalism, but those doors never quite opened up the way I would have wanted them to. I love creative writing, having spent quite a lot of time writing stories here at NationStates and elsewhere. I’m not as big on poetry, but I’ve been known to go Haiku fighting every once in awhile. I’m sort of eccentric, and I love an intellectually-stimulating conversation. Life does tend to hit me pretty hard though, so sometimes I can get lost in the Ether on occasion. I generally find my way back to the fold eventually - I enjoy our little community too much to stay gone, I guess.
That’s a little bit about me. Here’s some other basic information to get the ball rolling…
General Information About My Nation (and I)
01.) How did you find NationStates?
Long ago, back in the halcyon days of my adolescence (otherwise known as 1996), I had a school project devoted to creating our very own nation. It was one of my favorite lessons from school, and it became something of a hobby of mine. I’d create Notepad documents and just dream up little factoids about my custom nation. I kind of stumbled into NationStates by accident this way, wondering if other people shared the same hobby as I (wow, do they ever).
02.) How long have you played NationStates?
The first nation I ever created was in the Ye Olden Days, around 2003-ish. However, my first real flirtation with going beyond answering issues was in 2006, when I created an account that would eventually become my main roleplaying account. I’ve been in and out of NS over the last few years, mainly when I had the time to write - I used to be pretty familiar with the roleplaying community, but my experience in other areas of our grand old community is pretty lacking.
03.) What inspired the name of your nation?
The same thing that inspires almost any of my past nations: aesthetic beauty. I love names that look pleasing to the eye - well, my eye, I guess - and sound phonetically soft and gentle. Masuicca is actually a surname listed on a database for the most rare and unusual surnames in the United States; it’s a handy-dandy tool that I use to create some of my characters when I write, to keep from using generic names. I have to torture myself by not being generic or bland.
04.) Have you joined the World Assembly?
Indeed. I have succumbed to the temptation and joined in our ersatz-League of Nations.
05.) What country are you from?
The United States of MURICA. Specifically the part where we say “Y’all”.
06.) Do you like watching the news?
Well… I used to. I enjoy being ‘up to date’ on what’s going on, largely to stay informed. I tend to gravitate towards debates and discussions as a point of interest: I love dialogue with people who share different views from my own, as it helps me not only learn more about what I believe, but why I believe what I believe as well. It also lets me put on my stylish thinking cap; I rock that thinking cap hard, y’all (see what I mean?) - it’s the envy of every boutique in Paris.
07.) Do you like studying the government?
It’s definitely up there on my list of favored pastimes; not so much because of my love of civics, but because of my love of history and philosophy. I love dissecting the ideologies behind world figures, be they ancient or current, understanding how the world ticks. Life is a giant puzzle, and I never want to stop putting the pieces together. Even if some of the pieces are missing, and I am a few cards short of a full deck. It’s cool, though, no worries: I do Pilates.
Some other random tidbits about me…
08.) Favorite Authors (or Poet)
C.S. Lewis, Harry Turtledove, John Keats, John Milton, Mary Shelley, S.D. Perry, Thomas Keneally
09.) Favorite Books
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley; Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell; How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove; Paradise Lost by John Milton; Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally; The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck; The Stranger by Albert Camus
10.) Favorite Foods
Barbecue, Chinese, Italian, Thai
11.) Favorite Hobbies
Cooking; Debating History, Philosophy, Politics and Theology; Playing Music; Photography; Travel; Writing
12.) Favorite Movies
A League of Their Own, Dances With Wolves, Philadelphia, The Princess Bride, Turtles Can Fly
13.) Favorite Literary Genres
Alternate History, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, War
14.) Favorite Musical Genres
Classical Orchestra, Funk, Progressive Rock, R&B, Smooth Jazz
15.) Favorite Musicians
Claude Debussy, David Gilmour, Ella Fitzgerald, Frédéric Chopin, Maurice Ravel, Nick Webb, Robert Bell, Pyotr Tchaikovsky
16.) Favorite Subjects
Astronomy, Civics, History (American / European), Literature, Philosophy
17.) Favorite Television Shows
Doctor Who, The Blacklist, Grey’s Anatomy, House, M.D., Law and Order: SVU, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural
I recognize the irony of doing an AMA / Introductory thread… then promptly posting a metric ton of info about myself, which kind of defeats the purpose of doing an AMA thread. But, if there’s anything in my programming that I forgot to address here that you’re interested in, feel free to give me a shout.