A Small Amount of Background
In the Fall of 1995, Fox TV debuted an incredibly far-sighted series, titled Space: Above and Beyond, a show about the US Marines in the year 2063. A bit of science-fiction, a bit of military, a whole lot about people and what makes them tick. Meticulously written by Morgan and Wong (of X-Files fame), it was an instant favorite among the people who found it. Unfortunately, Fox never gave it the chance and exposure it needed to pick up rating points, by continually rescheduling it, pre-empting it and generally, not promoting it. It wasn't a shock to find that it was not renewed for a second season.
But for the one season that it aired, it was a shining light amid the drivel of TV. It spawned, among other things, an Undernet IRC chat channel, #tuntavern. Originally, the chat channel was to talk about S:AaB, which we did ... it was vastly amusing to see the people log into the channel on Sunday evenings when the series aired, starting on the East Coast ... and at intervals of one hour, all the other people in different time zones across the US and Canada would log in also.
As the season progressed, the people on #tuntavern became wonderfully great friends .. much more than mere chat channel nicks. Over time, we have arranged several R&Rs to meet and have social time with each other IRL. We also created the most wonderful website on Geocities (blast those popup banners!) that tooted our own horn! (Well .. if we didn't do it, who would? :-) ). Each person who was a regular on the channel was given the opportunity to have a "patron page" created for them, after they answered a few nosey questions. [grin] This page was originally part of that website and to that end, you will find some obscure questions on this page .. they refer directly either to S:AaB or some of the in-jokes that developed on #tuntavern. If you find them amusing, I'm pleased .. but no explanation is going to be given for them. [smile] (note: the Geocities pages are now essentially defunct)
The Dread Pirate Rodgers Personal Info Page
IRC Nick(s):pirate-, Pir8, pirate
What's the background on your chosen nick(s)? How did you come up with it/them? My surname is Rodgers. Part of my ancestry is Portuguese. I've done some genealogy and have decided that, in the absence of any hard facts to support my claim, I'd rather have my ancestors be sea-faring pirates than land-bound farmers. :-) (Pirates are soooo much more romantic and have a much better opportunity for accumulating wealth.. ill-gotten or otherwise. :-) )
The traditional symbol/icon for pirates is the skull-and-crossbones. The name for this symbol is the Jolly Rogers. I took literary license with the spelling to reflect my surname and came up with Jolly Rodgers: the Portuguese Pirate! This has been my tagline on FIDOnet for the years that I was active on that network and when I became active on IRC, I took "pirate" as my online nick. Beware the 'jolly' part of the description: any persons attempting to spread the vicious rumor that I have a sense of humor will be skewered on sight! I eat nails and gargle gasoline... there is not a funny bone in my body.
Harumph.
Real Name: Shelley Rodgers
Time/days you typically cruise the #tuntavern: Nighttime, 9pm West Coast time.
You're locked in a room with a Chig, John Moation, an Angry Narn, a politician and Wesley Crusher. You have a gun and one bullet left. Who dies? You guys, for putting me there. It's not nice to piss off the pirate!
What is your birth date? July 25th
What's your favorite quote (from IRC or RL)? "Did your mother ever have any children who lived?"
What's your favorite farm animal and your favorite pastime with it? Dead cow... preferably BBQ'd, medium rare and smothered with sliced 'shrooms that have been sauteed in garlic and butter.
Where geographically do you live? Walnut Creek, CA, USA
You are 100 miles from civilization without transportation and your cat needs an emergency appendectomy. All you have with you is a six-pack of beer (lite, no less!), a screwdriver and two cans of chili. What do you do? Race against time and beat feet to the nearest vetinary clinic -- my four cats would haunt me *forever* if I didn't. Do you *realize* how LONG 36 lives is?????
What's your favorite color?
Blue.
Do you like to cook? If so, do you have a specialty, and are you any GOOD at it???? Hate cooking. Can do it, even reasonably well, but I derive no personal enjoyment from it. Actually though... I make absolutely KILLER desserts [grin] Then again, *that's* not cooking! Your barn is on fire (we're talking raging inferno here) and your beloved sheep Mabel is inside. All you have handy is an old battered tarp, a ghetto-blaster with a Cheap Trick Greatest Hits CD, and a rusty nail. What do you do?? What *is* it with you guys and barnyard animals?? You have some kind of fetish or something? Anyway, as for the poor sheep, what a baaaaaaaaad thing to happen. :-(
A bit of personal info about Shelley: I have a wide range of interests. I like reading (sci-fi, fantasy, action/adventure, romance, history, military), sewing/quilting, machine embroidery and related creative endeavours, computers (especially programming and IRC.. that is soooo addicting!), outdoors (camping, swimming, the mountains but NOT the damn seashore! .. that smells too much like dead seaweed). I really love the smell of the redwood & pine trees in the mountains and campfires at night. I love filet mignon, BBQ salmon, trout almondine, chocolate mousse,
I have a BS in Computer Science and was, in a former life, gainfully employed as an applications programmer for Pacific Telephone. I had NOTHING to do with your phone bill! While I was in college, I was a TA in computers and developed a taste and talent for being an instructor (but NOT a school teacher.. I really dislike kids! Being a chronically cold person, I really don't like snow and wintertime... however, I am always up for some judicious warming. :-) I have a rather perverse, wierd and wacky sense of humor which exhibits itself in some rather unusual ways. :-) I like to try new and unusual things. I love dancing and enjoy contemporary country, rock-n-roll, latin and Big Band stuff. I am severely musically-impaired and couldn't even play Chopsticks if you waved a $1000 bill in front of my face. I am NOT a morning person by choice and really think that morning should come *much* later in the day. And I'm a sucker for outrageously bad puns and double-entendres!
Having been born in California, I am a rather rare and endangered creature: a native Californian still living in California! And yes, I *do* have a hottub! Name a fictional villain that creeps you out on several levels: Hannibal Lector ::shudder::.
Name a few of your favorite musical artists:
Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, Huey Lewis, most of the Motown artists, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Terry Clark, Paul Brandt, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson.
Fave Movie Scene: Mmm.... I love the Blues Brothers at the end when John Belushi is sweet-talking Carrie Fisher, she falls for his line and he then drops her in the mud and muck of the sewer while he makes his getaway! Or in the diner with Aretha Franklin singing "Respect" in her fuzzy pink slippers. From Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the scene where the peasants are groveling in the filth while the king "rides" by is hysterical, as is the "bring out your dead" scene or the "mere flesh wound" of the Black Knight (who say "nigt"!!). The Princess Bride is an absolute American Classic and should be required viewing by the entire populace. I particularly like the Dread Pirate Rodgers .. er .. I mean Dread Pirate Roberts ... a completely unintentional typo, I assure you. :-)
Page Designer's Salute to Babylon 5 -- do
you fasten then zip or zip then fasten?:-( Most regretably, I don't follow B5.
What instrument/tool, if any, is required to see the street from where you typically lounge in the gutter (i.e. naked eye, binocs, TELESCOPE)? The HUBBLE. You *could* say that I'm waaaaaaaaay down deep! What's your favorite IRC action? "Up" is a preposition OR a male reaction ::snicker:: and my all-time favorite wave file is whip-15.wav : female voice: "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you!", sound of whip cracking, male scream!!!!!
Nosy RL family question: how many siblings do you have (if any) and where do you fall in there? Older brother, me, younger brother. It just so happens that I am my parent's favorite daughter. Pirate invites you to view a significant milestone (i.e. her "new" 1973 Corvette) in her life, by clicking here.
Survey questions (demented and otherwise) courtesy Deuce-, Mouse58, Pirate and _Methos_, 1996
bite-sized Dove pieces, biscotti cookies, Mosel wine, peach wine coolers, pasta and Mexican and Chinese foods. I HATE the entire cruciferous family of vegetables!!!! I drink tea in the morning and coffee only with LOTS of cream in it. (Why can't coffee *taste* as good as roasted coffee beans smell?). Spring-to-Summer is my favorite season cuz everything is coming alive, the weather is gently warming up and the prospect of summer looms decadently in the future. I like sci-fi and action movies, as well as romantic comedies. I *detest* horror flicks!
Fave TV Series Scene:
There are so many!! I really don't have one favorite. From ST:TOS: in "The Trouble With Tribbles," when the Klingons are exposed by the furry little fuzzballs and the barroom scene where Kirk is trying to determine who started the fight; in "A Piece of the Action" when Kirk is trying to drive the old stick shift car and the Fizzbin card game scene! From ST:TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise": the entire episode was awesome! From Monty Python's Flying Circus: the dirty vicar, the lumberjack song in the courtroom and the rattatouie scene.
