tchernabyelo

1. My favourite sandwich filling is salmon and mozzarella. Maybe with a little dill.
2. I have recently decided to drink tea without milk in future. I gave up sugar in my tea for Lent in 1986 and realised it tasted much better without. Recent experiences in places where milk was not available with my tea brought me from irritation that I couldn't have it with milk in to the realisation that it tastes much better that way as well. I may indulge in lemon from time to time.
3. I used to hitch-hike a lot in my late teens and early twenties, the longest stretch being a two-day trip from Brussels to Bologna immediately after my finals. It seems to be a lot less common now, I guess because of perceptions about crime.
4. I set up the first political party website in Northern Ireland, for the Alliance Party in 1994. (There was a Sinn Féin website set up a few weeks earlier, but a) they are an all-Ireland party and more crucially b) it wasn't an official site.)
5. This won't be news to anyone who knew me before then, but 1994 was also the year I shaved off my moustache for good. I grew it in 1985 after leaving school, and briefly augmented it with a beard in 1986 before going to university. It was never a hugely successful enterprise, especially given my habit of chewing it in the middle when lost in thought.
6. I wanted to be an astronomer when I grew up. I changed my mind during a summer working at the Royal Greenwich Observatory in 1988, just before it moved from Herstmonceux to Cambridge; I found myself drawn to the history of science sections of its library, and also repelled by the lifestyle of the real astronomers I saw in action. I decided that people were more interesting to study than stars.
7. Having said that, I then expected that I would end up as an academic historian with a side interest in political activity, rather than as an international affairs professional with a side interest in history. Life is very strange.
8. Thammy Evans, in the second edition of Macedonia: The Bradt Travel Guide; Nancy Soderberg, in The Superpower Myth; Marc Houben, in International Crisis Management: The Approach of European States; David Boothroyd, in The Politico's Guide to the History of British Political Parties; and Charles Stross, in The Jennifer Morgue are all kind enough to give me a mention in their introductory acknowledgements - which is a pleasingly diverse group.

1. First Name: ( answer )
2. Age: ( answer )
3. Occupation: ( answer )
4. Partner?: ( answer )
5. Kids: ( answer )
6. Brothers/Sisters: ( answer )
7. Pets: ( answer )
8. List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life: ( answer )
9. Where and for what did you go to school for? ( answer )
10. Parents: ( answer )
11. Who are some of your closest friends?: ( answer )

frankie_ecap

1. How did you get into your line of work? ( answer )
2. What do you find most rewarding about what you do, and what would you change if you could? ( answer )
3. You seem extraordinarily sociable, you read a lot of difficult books and write thoughtful commentary, you do demanding work that involves travel and you are clearly devoted to your family. How do you find the time for all this, and what are the challenges associated with work/life balance for you? ( answer )
4. If you were in charge of the political system, what would you change to make it work better? ( answer )
5. What are the policy areas that are most important to you and why? ( answer )

chickenfeet2003

1. I've spent a fair amount of time over the years in the Free State but I've never visited NI. What do you see as the biggest differences? ( answer )
2. I just don't get the appeal of Dr. Who. Enlighten me! ( answer )
3. If the lemur and I were to visit SE Europe where should we go? ( answer )
4. You have travelled more than most. Given a free choice where would you choose to live and why? ( answer )
5. You describe yourself as a 'lapsed medievalist'. Who among medievalists do you most admire? ( answer )

altariel

1. We share a great admiration for Bujold. Which other female authors do you admire? ( answer )
2. You started out as a scientist and became a historian. How did your scientific training inform your historical imagination? How did your historical training influence your understanding of science? ( answer )
3. What poetry do you like? ( answer )
4. From my uninformed position, the future of Northern Ireland looks brighter than it has throughout my lifetime. Do you agree? To what do you attribute the successes so far? ( answer )
5. Which five fictional characters would you most like to shag? ( answer )

applez

1. For work and fiction, how many different languages do you most frequently read in? ( answer )
2. Roughly what are the percentages? (e.g. is English still the reading you do in the main? Not edged out by French?) ( answer )
3. Regarding memory: how often have you encountered a multi-lingual group where there isn't a shared third language between the group, and you find yourself doing simultaneous translation? Add-on: how often has it gone pear-shaped and you've given the correct narrative in the wrong language to the given group/individual? ( answer )
4. Regarding memory: remembering past conversations, dreams, of the written word - do you remember it in the language it was first absorbed in, or does the language melt away to the remembered meaning, or is it all translated to your mother-tongue? ( answer )

grahamsleight

1. Which would you most like back in the BBC archives in its entirety - Evil of the Daleks or The Daleks' Masterplan? ( answer )
2. What's your preferred electoral system for the UK - STV or AV? (Or, indeed, other?) ( answer )
3. How easy do you think it is for the person-at-home-with-a-TV-and-internet to grasp the complexity of (eg) the Bosnian conflict? ( answer )
4. Do you have any personal preference between sf and fantasy as genres in general (as it were)? ( answer )
5. Is it worth visiting Brussels if you can't stand moules? ( answer )

bugshaw

1. Crosswords or Sudoku? ( answer )
2. Three countries you've never visited but would like to? ( answer )
3. Tell me an anecdote from your schooldays. ( answer )
4. Where did you find fandom? ( answer )
5. Assume the Daleks have been purged from this space-time continuum. Who would you like to be your new overlord(s)? ( answer )

secritcrush

1. I've only watched the Baker and Davison years of the old Dr Who - what would you recommend as the essential episode to watch that I've never seen? ( answer )
2. What is the most frustrating aspect of your job? ( answer )
3. What is the first book you remember reading? ( answer )
4. Do you play any musical instruments? ( answer )
5. Pirate or robot? Defend your choice! (and none of that robot pirate nonsense.) ( answer )

despotliz

1. How do you manage to juggle things and find time for a family life, a demanding job, reading hundreds of books, and posting to LJ? ( answer )
2. Which of the regular cons you've been to is your favourite? ( answer )
3. Best book you've read this year? ( answer )
4. Do you find learning languages easy, or is it something you have to work at? ( answer )
5. Where would you like to live if you weren't in Belgium? ( answer )

ang_grrr

1. Which public figure, if any, makes you the most mad? ( answer )
2. Which international politician do you most admire? ( answer )
3. How on EARTH do you find the time to do the reading you do? ( answer )
4. I've never been entirely sure what an intern is except they get the rubbish jobs on The West Wing. Please enlighten me. ( answer )
5. What's the best meal you've ever cooked. ( answer )

hawkida

1. Were you an ambitious child? ( answer )
2. What do you think people get as a first impression of you when meeting in a social situation? ( answer )
3. Sub-question: Do you think it's different in a work encounter? ( answer )
4. Do you sew, knit or do anything else that's stereotyped as a female pastime? ( answer )
5. Why do you have a livejournal? ( answer )

talvalin

1. You may well have answered this here, but how much of your SF/fantasy purchasing is based on recommendations/reviews from friends, reviews online, award-nominee lists and random browsing? ( answer )
2. Why are you so fascinated with shagging fictional characters? ( answer )
3. How did you get into fandom? ( answer )
4. Did you like Dan Simmons's Endymion books, and if so why (or why not)? ( answer )
5. What do you think about secret history novels (eg: books by Tim Powers and Tom Holland)? A worthy genre or misappropriation of historical figures that should be left in peace? ( answer )

bennmorland

1. Which Gaiman work/project are you most looking forward to (or least trepidacious of)? ( answer )
2. What is your opinion of Louis MacNeice? I have been reading him recently, and am curious as to how you find his work. ( answer )
3. Do you favor, in an ideal world, the parliamentary or presidential system (providing the legislative and executive branches remain coequal and competitive)? ( answer )
4. When did you realize your parents were mortal, and how did it make you feel? ( answer )
5. Would you meet one, and only one, person from history? ( answer )

loveandgarbage

1. Your LJ is always very interesting to read and you exhibit an eclectic range of interests. What has led you to have such a diverse range of interests; and do you feel that this range of interests led you to seek out your work, or your work led you to broaden your interests? ( answer )
   
2. Some years ago Updike wrote a novel entitled "Memories of the Ford Administration". What are yours? ( answer )
   
3. Given your analyses of SF book award winners do you think book awards reward the best novels, or are other factors at play? ( answer )
   
4. Which Wodehouse books would you recommend to someone new to his work? ( answer )
   
5. If you had the power to erase one film, one book, and one TV show from history with the consequence that no-one was aware they had ever existed what would you choose and why? ( answer )

electricant

1. What's the best thing about being a father? ( answer )
   
2. I get the impression you have friends dotted all over Europe. Is this the case? How do you go about maintaining long distance friendships with people in other countries? ( answer )
   
3. Why do you book blog? What do you get out of it? ( answer )
   
4. How do you feel about the way geek and sf communities sometimes characterise themselves as being full of people with autistic-spectrum-type tendencies? Do you think it raises genuine awareness of autistic spectrum disorders, or does it only create misunderstandings? ( answer )
   
5. How important is your career to you? If it all fell to pieces tomorrow how would you feel and what would you do? ( answer )

ninebelow

1. How on Earth do you find the time to read so many books? ( answer )
   
2. You got very angry about George Osbourne's off the cuff remarks about autism early in the year. What is the balance to be struck between holding people accountable for their remarks and avoiding public figures sticking entirely to vetted talking points? ( answer )
3. What is your favourite language? ( answer )
4. Can you ever imagine yourself going into politics (ie as an elected representative)? ( answer )
5. What is the worst book ever to win a Hugo or Nebula? ( answer )

powered by performancing firefox

agirlnamedluna

leedy

He would answer to "Hi!" or to any loud cry,
Such as "Fry me!" or "Fritter my wig!"
To "What-you-may-call-um!" or "What-was-his-name!"
But especially "Thing-um-a jig!"

sinclair_furie

1. Why and when did you stop doing science?
   ( I had always wanted to be an astronomer.. )
2. What under-rated book would you recommend to me?
   Ali and Nino by Kurban Said, the great romantic novel of the South Caucasus during the first world war. (It's also quite short so not such an investment of time.)
3. What's your greatest fear on an everyday basis? Not huge fears, like death or financial insecurities, but small ones, like deadlines.
   ( You got it! )
4. Which historical period do you think you belong to or would you love to live in?
   ( Twelfth century. )
5. What's one thing that you wish you were better at?
   Keeping to deadlines Getting exercise.

maeritrae

1. First and foremost: How did you find this entry? ;)
   I followed a link from deannawol , I think!
2. Have you ever worked in Foreign Affairs, and if so, when?
   ( Not as such )slovobooks ' description of me as an "international diplomat" was not completely accurate - though understandable as I do work in international diplomacy!
3. Pick a number. ;)
   ( Choices, choices... )
4. Whose posts do you comment most on on LJ?
   My own! But looking at my recent comments page, slovobooks  is in second place counting the last few days only.
5. Are you in any fandoms?
   Doctor Who I reject this exclusivist approach to enjoying the genre Doctor Who.

minny

1. Are you worried you'll get brain cancer from flying so much?! ( answer )
2. Which is your favourite/least favourite airline? ( answer )
3. Could you see yourself ever standing for election for anything again?( answer )
4. What do you miss most about living in Ireland?( answer )
5. What's with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?( answer )

agirlnamedluna

1. If given the opportunity, would you change your children in any way? ( answer )
2. Does Irish Catholicism really differ from European Catholicism and if yes, how so? ( answer )
3. You're given the opportunity to claim one book as a book you have written. Which one would it be? ( answer )
4. Would you become the head of the United Nations and if so, what would you change? ( answer )
5. The US and Europe go at war with each other. How will the conflict be solved and with whom will the Russians side? ( answer )

pshtaku

1. How many languages do you speak?( answer )
2. Please explaing what psephology is?( answer )
3. What are your top 3 criteria when choosing a new book to read?( answer )
4. Who's your favourite Bond?( answer )
5. How long does it take you to get to work and do you take the same route/method every day?( answer )

mizkit

1. One of the things I'm bitter about is the political situation in the States has obliterated my love for politics. Do you ever find yourself losing the faith, embroiled as you are in politics? ( answer )
2. Given Phemonenal Cosmic Powers, or heck, just a chance, which would you be, a superhero or a supervillain? Why? ( answer )
3. You write wonderful thoughtful book reviews. Recommend something for me to read, please! ( answer )
4. It's the end of the world as we know it. (Do you feel fine?) Is it a thing of poetry or of prose? ( answer )
5. What one person from history would you like to sit down and have a talk with, and why? ( answer )

rparvaaz

1. Which country do you/would you most love to visit, and why? ( answer )
2. If it were possible to find magically find an equitable and widely acceptable resolution of any three conflicts in the world, which three would you choose to settle? And why? ( answer )
3. What do you like the best about your wife? ( answer )
4. What would your perfect weekend consist of? ( answer )
5. How would you define yourself? ( answer )

slovobooks

1. If there was one book in the world that you could have written, which one would it be?( answer )
2. You seem to have gone from our first meeting at Mecon a few years back to moderating panels at Worldcon, a meteoric rise throught the ranks of con-dom. Do you have any plans to go into con-running yourself, and who would be your ideal guest line-up?( answer )
3. Of the authors you've met so far, who impressed you most?( answer )
4. And least?( answer )
5. Is David Tennant (happy birthday to him today, BTW [these questions asked a couple of days ago]) going to be a classic Doctor?( answer )

deannawol

1. What is the draw of politics for you? You seem to have been interested in it for years in various capacities and still maintain an active interest.( answer )
2. If you could punch a single writer for their works who would it be and why?( answer )
3. What three discretionary items would you bring to a desert island vacation, you know outside of things like keys, wallet, cellphone?( answer )
4. Of all the languages that you have heard, which do you think is the sexiest?( answer )
5. Your favourite tv show of all time? And why is it your favourite?( answer )

prosewitch

1. My username is ____ because ____.
2. My journal is titled ____ because ____.
3. My subtitle is ____ because ____.
4. My friends page is called ____ because ____.
5. My default userpic is ____ because ____.

dougs

1. I tried to describe your job to scarlatti a day or two ago, and realised I wasn't entirely clear about what you do. I got the impression that it was to do with NGOs, and getting politicians to explain themselves, but I was fairly short on details. Could you elaborate? ( answer )
2. If you had the chance to go into book-journalism full time, would you do so? If so, why; if not, why not? ( answer )
3. You seem to carry your Northern-Irishness with you everywhere. Could you muse a little about whether there's a national stereotype, and whether you fit it well? There's a related question about Catholic stereotypes, and another about the intersection of the two. ( answer )
4. Do you keep pets, or have you done so in the past? What kind of pets do/would you have? ( answer )
5. Your user info page describes you as a "lapsed medievalist". Could you talk a bit about medievalism, and the nature of the lapse? ( answer )

elmyra

1. Confectionery keeps the proletariat in line and is therefore counter-revolutionary. Discuss. (Sorry, this one's my boyfriend's fault, but it amused me. :-) ( answer )
2. What do you like about your job? ( answer )
3. What do you hate about your job? ( answer )
4. What was your favourite book/story/fairytale as a child? ( answer )
5. Yay Christmas or Bah humbug and why? ( answer )