An 'Exclusive With Mahnarch'!

[tractakid]

Heh. I wanted to give it a go and if I did anyone else you could accuse me of stealing!

1) Excluding head/earphones, how many functioning speakers are there in your house?
2) I walk from your house. How long would it take to reach the nearest shop and what could I purchase there?
3) How many USB (including extension hubs) ports are there on your computer?
3b) How many of them are permanently used?
4) Do you currently own any duck tape?
5) When was the last time you visited a public library?
6) How many of your house's bedrooms have you slept in?
7) What was the highest level of education you completed?
8) What was the last thing you won?
9) How many different websites have you visited today?
10) Post a link to a favourite Youtube video?
11) If you could visit a planet, which one? (you can't die)
12) How many different desktop icons do you have?
13) How many different letters are there in your full (including any middle) name?
14) Excluding infinity, what is the highest number you can name?
15) How many general anaesthetics have you been under?
16) When was the last time you visited the UK (if you ever have) and where was it you went?
17) How close is your telephone to your printer?
18) Why the name Mahnarch?
19) Do you like rollercoasters?
20) What is the least used hey on your keyboard?

Wah. The questions aren't as good as yours. Oh well!

[Phil]

That's a good idea visit the mahnarch interview.

[Mahnarch]

OH,,,,the tables have turned, I see..... ;D

I'll give it a go.

1) Excluding head/earphones, how many functioning speakers are there in your house?

Hooked up, or no?
I have approximately 18 speakers in my house.
2 (formerly 8) on my computer.
Two external on my TV.
4 on my stereo.
4 in my garage stereo.
2 external on my garage TV.
2 boom box/portable.
Clock radio...
Clock radio #2 (back up, just in case)

2) I walk from your house. How long would it take to reach the nearest shop and what could I purchase there?

It depends. How fast can you walk? (I walk at 3mph, on average)
It'd take you 1 hour to reach the nearest store/shop.
You'd probably buy beers or dry goods (General Store).

3) How many USB (including extension hubs) ports are there on your computer?

6! Three in front. Three not in front.

3b) How many of them are permanently used?

4, on a regular basis.
Web cam. Printer. Keyboard.......3, then, I guess.

4) Do you currently own any duck tape?

How many rolls?

5) When was the last time you visited a public library?

17 years ago.
I use the power of Google, now....and Wikipedia.

6) How many of your house's bedrooms have you slept in?

At least one.
(I fell asleep taking a bath, once.....errr....I mean, a manly shower.....yeah!)

[Ninja Edit: Wait! 'BED'rooms?....I thought that said 'BATH'rooms.

Errrr.....Uhhh,.....Hmmmm...both?

I think I took a nap in the spare bedroom about 7 or 8 years ago.]

7) What was the highest level of education you completed?

Depends on where you want to stop:
I completed high school on time.
I completed two years of trade school and got my 'Masters in Automotive - Auto' for my Mechanical Repair certificate.
I spent almost two years in flight school to obtain my pilot's license.
I "home schooled" [if you will] for my 'Commercial Driver's License - Class 'A'' to drive semi.
I did classes for my motorcycle endorsement - and graduated.
I did a correspondence class for writing (and subsequently wrote and got paid for several magazine articles{24 to date}) [continuing education].
I trained for and got my certificate to 'Carry a Concealed Weapon' (CCW) when I tested for the Police Department.
I trained for and received my 'Explosives Permit' for...well, explosives (PD days)

8) What was the last thing you won?

I tripled my money at the casino in New Buffalo, Mi.

9) How many different websites have you visited today?

Michael Savage
Homestarrunner
SomethingAwful

But, I just got home....

10) Post a link to a favorite You tube video?

Hmm, favorite?
Hands down: Double Transform

This one makes my heart patter and my eyes well up.
I'm a nostalgia geek.

I also watch these once a week:

First Transform (this one is a tie with my 'Fav' one, though)
Silverhawks
ThunderCats (I was Mumm-Ra]
And, of course, my own: First Rescue

11) If you could visit a planet, which one? (you can't die)

Venus. I want to plant a tree so I can start terraforming it.

12) How many different desktop icons do you have?


How many folders do I have on my desktop? 35.
I have 10 different 'icons' (folder, AOL icon [that I don't use], Wordpad, etc....)

The 'Poopsmith' is my background pic.

13) How many different letters are there in your full (including any middle) name?

Different? As in: only count one 'O'? One 'A'?

10 (wow, my entire middle name consists of letters from the rest of my name)
In my whole name: 16

14) Excluding infinity, what is the highest number you can name?

I named the number 5,648,713 'Steve'......'Dave' comes right after him.

15) How many general anesthetics have you been under?

General: 2. Both orthopedic.

...NO! I lie!... ! I broke my ankle in '02 and had to be 'medicated' for the pain (the shifter broke on my ATV and I ended up "running myself over"......what??!!)

16) When was the last time you visited the UK (if you ever have) and where was it you went?

I visit the U.K. at least once a month via Mapquest
Never been there in person.

Some day, though.

17) How close is your telephone to your printer?

I have no telephone.
The only reason I have 'telephone service' is to get the DSL.
Cable internets don't come out this far and my physical phone fried last August, when my power surge happened.

18) Why the name Mahnarch?

Douglas 'Mooner' Mahn....which is the name my sister calls me....and has nothing to do with 'Mahnarch'.

The name started back when my dad was thinking about buying/making a boat (he's handy) and calling it 'The Mahnark' (aka - King), based on 'Noah's Ark' and our family surname.

The internets were still new on the planet (just after Al Gore invented it, and all) and I was just getting into Juno mail service while still dealing with DOS in high school.

Mahnark became 'Mahnarch' after I noticed the similarity between 'Mahnark' and 'monarch'.

"Mahn" - as in the Jamaican, "Eh, Mon."


......oh, then I found out that I was relation to Albert I.
His mother's brother did some such and whosit....etc.

Icing on the cake.

I am King, you know?
I thought we were an Autonomous Collective...

19) Do you like roller coasters?

'Like'?
I was the only one to ride the scariest coaster at Michigan Adventure and, when they take your photo at the pinnacle, I was looking at my watch.

When you've climbed to 10,000ft and spiraled downward, inverted, in an unattached airplane, only to pull out at 1,500ft and not sweat....
Roller Coasters are a bit of a bore.

...They even let me ride again for nothing..
..and that's what it ended up with....nothing.

20) What is the least used hey on your keyboard?

I use no hey on my keyboard!
Thank you very much!

The least used 'key':

The one........that's covered in dust and I can't read right now....

"Pause/Break"

What the heck is that key used for, anyway?!!
I just pushed it and it didn't do anyth.........*Mahnarch's house blows up*

[tractakid]

Lol, I like your sense of humour. Interesting answers, though.

EDIT:

Hmm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_key

[aido179]

lol. what a finish! Lost fans?

[Phil]

Mahnarch you do have a good sense of humor. It might be aido179's turn soon.

[Mahnarch]

I think so, too.

As soon as I rebuild my house, I'll get right on him.

heh.

***

I've got a few for Mahnarch, too:

1) Mahnarch, I notice you're wearing 'Heely' shoes. Are those for practical purposes, or just for fun?

Oh, I wear them strictly for work related purposes.
I've been keeping track, and I've noticed that since I've worn them I've cut about a half an hour off my day, on average.

2) Do they interfere with your daily life?

No. Not at all.
It took me about a good week before I could "get up" and stay there.
Now, I don't even think about it.

3) I've only been able to find 'Kids sizes' at the local mall.
Where did you get yours?

I had to turn to the intraweb for mine.
I ordered them on 'Shoes.com'.
Size 10.

4) I see here that you're a Private Pilot.
How did that come about?

Well, interesting story, really.
I've always loved airplanes and would wrench my head skyward whenever one would fly overhead.

When I turned 18 I went down to the local airport [Muskegon] and found out that I could take a 'Discovery Flight' for about $25.
I went up with an instructor for an hour but, the guy rubbed me the wrong way.
He had an attitude that was more of a "Are you going to pay off my Mercedes, or what, kid?" and I left the idea alone for a few years.

When I was just about to turn 24 I had already bought my own house. Was making good money and was financially well off when, on April 30, 2001 one of our regular customers came in and announced that he'd just completed his 'Flight Instructor' rating.

I told him that I wanted to be his first student and he agreed - so, on May 2, 2001 (a day before my 24th birthday) I took to the air for the second time in my life.
It was a birthday present to myself and a flight that would change my entire perspective on the aviation world [as, I thought all instructors were snobs since I was 18].

Bill (my first instructor) quickly became inundated with students and passed me off onto a freshly minted CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) named Chris G.

CG got me to 10 hours of total flight time, where I was consistent with take offs and landings - and then he got called up to fly for Delta, and I got handed off to the newest minted CFI (Chris S.)

I went up with this Chris twice and, upon landing he says, "Hand me your 'Medical' (you're 'Learner's Permit', in AV talk)
He signs it and hands it back while opening the door on the still running Cessna and yells back..."Now, give me three more!!"

Three more what??!! Medicals?.....Poops in the pantses??!!

I did three more take offs and landings (which are much easier without someone breathing down your neck) and I was signed off to solo.

I solo'd the brains out of that C-152.
I could make Baldwin in 20 minutes (a 2 hour drive by road)
Tulip City was a breeze.
Lansing Tower knew me by voice (I'd land and the on-site lunch counter lady [Michelle] would have a Philly Steak burger waiting..)

I did several 'Cross Country' runs [requiring 50 mile legs to atleast one of 3 airports]

...then, 9/11 happened.

I was grounded for 3 months....and I forgot a lot!
I was just getting into VOR and ADF navigation and I had to relearn it all from scratch, since all 'Student Pilots' were grounded for 3 months.

It sucked.

I got back on the horse and finished everything ahead of schedule and above average:

Minimum required hours for PPL (Private Pilot's License): 40
National average: 75.
Me: 56

Minimum required score to pass the FAA written exam: 70
National average: 72.
Me: 85

The actual 'Skills' (Practical) test is when you take an 'Examiner' up for a ride.
An Examiner has a minimum of 100,000 hours in the sky, so he's very comfortable up there.

The rule is: He says and does nothing - except, makes quick changes in travel plans (i.e. - when you make the appointment he'll say, "Plan to go from Holland to O'Hare" and when you do the actual ride, you'll get to Pullman VOR and he'll say, divert me to Grand Rapids...there's a storm coming in at O'Hare [hypothetically]).

If the Examiner 'ever' has to take the controls from you - you fail.

My Examiner said that he'd feel safe allowing his mother to ride along with me...


***

That's all I have for now.
I have to get to bed.

[Phil]

Interviewing yourself? People have been locked up for that. Then again it just seems so right for Mahnarch. Perhaps the 45th President of the United States.

[aido179]

wow man. I actually really want to learn to fly. that would be a dream. what is the cost in learning and buying something small?
oh and whats the story with eyesight. 20:20? or that just for airforce?

great interview

[Mahnarch]

Interviewing yourself? People have been locked up for that. Then again it just seems so right for Mahnarch. Perhaps the 45th President of the United States.

HA! And, people have been jailed for paying themselves (via 'Trust Funds').

I'll be an awesome Pres. - always thinking outside the box.

***

Learning to fly is one of the greatest feeling of freedom you can find.
Learning to fly will also make you a better driver of automobiles, also, since you'll be ingrained with 'Spacial Orientation' and timing.

In the end, it cost me about $5000USD and I paid by the hour (with instructor, about $125/hr)

You can get a loan but, paying out of pocket as you go is best - no interest payments, etc.
You fly once a week, it'll cost you $125/wk.
Fly once a month, it'll cost you $125/month but, if you take too long betwixt lessons you'll be wasting a ton of time relearning things you learned last time.

You don't need 20:20 but, you at least have to be able to see that there's an eye chart in front of you.
You have to be 20:20 for the Air Force. You can't have your glasses falling off during a dogfight - and at 7Gs contacts would slide right out.

You'll learn a lot about physics and weather, too - and that you can put a coffee cup on the dash. Go into a steep turn (45 degrees of bank) and, if done correctly, the cup won't move.
Or, that if you do a high peak arch, you can lift yourself and your passengers right out of their seats (0 Gs - the plane falls faster than gravity).

[aido179]

thats pretty cool. ive always wanted to learn. I figure my knowledge of sailing would help me to some extent as the foils (sails and rudder etc.) work with the same dynamics as airplane wings. plus, weather is a big one there too. cool! thanks

[Mahnarch]

Yeah. Sailing experience will help but, you'll have to compensate for brute force. Water has more physical force than air so things move a lot slower.

Plus, you have the whole 'Up and Down' thing to deal with.
Oh,,,,and, if your engine dies in flight....you can't just pull over and get out

***

Dang it!!!
I got to get back up there!
I'm getting the itch more and more.....