What are you really like?

[MatildaRose]

Re: What are you really like?

Hallo. 'Tis me.

I believe in Popeye, to wit: "I Yam Whutt-I Yam, and that's all I can stands and I can't stands no more! Yuk, yuk, yuk."

Like Popeye said, I am what I am.

I think I'm exactly the same online as I am in person, or at least I have always tried to be. I have never* tried to hide my identity online. I have almost always signed my real name to my posts, even though my online account name is different.

I've been online since the 1980s, first on local BBSs, AOL, then Flex/aloha.com when it came available in 1994. The entire time, I always signed my name to posts, no matter the screen name. A web search will quickly tell you exactly who is on the other end of one of my posts.

I think I'm loud (I have partial hearing loss, so that may have something to do with it. Then again, maybe I'm just loud!), sometimes funny (or at least try to be), I love a good horse-laugh. I've often been told (by myself) that I don't know when to shut the hell up.

I came from a family of "Podagee Lawyers" who would argue any point unto death around the dinner table. There were 7 of us kids, all of us loving a good debate.

I am neither Democrat nor Republican. I try to think for myself on each issue.

I try to do what is right, pono, always. I try to bring up my one and only kid to lead a pono life. Sometimes I'm very successful. Sometimes I fail miserably, but I keep trying.

I try to be generous, I love to be of help when help is needed. I think in my zeal to help, I've maybe occasionally been construed as suspect, with ulterior motives. I have none, other than wanting to help others and wanting to make a difference.

What else? Hmmmm. I love to hear a kid laugh out loud. It makes my heart feel really good.

Oh, and I never, ever give up trying to reach a goal.

Aloha all,

Blaine

*Oooh! E kala mai! I forgot...I think in person I slip more easily into pidgin than online. Wot? Wop yo jawz!


*Qualifier: There was a time recently when posting online might have cost me my job, so I did adopt an alter-ego online here, but used it sparingly. I did not change what I posted, but did so under a different user name. Shuttup, Leo.

Blaine, I worked with you during your (and my) time at MVNP; you were certainly a breath of fresh air. I agree; you are the same online as in person, and that's a good thing!

[zztype]

Re: What are you really like?

Blaine, I worked with you during your (and my) time at MVNP; you were certainly a breath of fresh air. I agree; you are the same online as in person, and that's a good thing!

Ehhhhhh, who dis?!!! Aloha e! Go PM me or email, bettah!

Blaine

[Lei K]

Re: What are you really like?

Hey are we cousins? I neva know dat! Wassssup, cuz?

Ah Quin + Chung = us cousins. Not super closely related cousins, but cousins none the less. Howzit cuz?

To quote Tutusue: "Heh! It's amazing what a great photographer and Photoshop can do, isn't it?!"

No need that, you perfect as is!

[Lei K]

Re: What are you really like?

Ehhhhhh, who dis?!!! Aloha e! Go PM me or email, bettah!

Eh, you stay popular on dis thread.

[tutusue]

Re: What are you really like?

Blaine, I worked with you during your (and my) time at MVNP;[...]

Kden...me, too! Not *at* MVNP but *with* MVNP as an independent contractor...for the past 14 years! Does that make me a calabash cuz to one of you?

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: What are you really like?

Despite my screen name, I am not much of a surfer...though I am able (or was at one time, back in the day) to control a longboard with some ability. The screen name surfingfarmboy was what some local rippers on the North Shore of O'ahu called me one day when they saw me carrying a board offshore at Pupukea, while I was clad in my bib overalls. ("Hang ten, Surfingfarmboy"!) The complete story is in the "How Did You Get Your Screen Name" thread.

I would have to say that I do not have a separate persona while I reply to threads on HT. What some HT'ers may envision me (if anyone does here on HT) probably parallels the actual real-life me. The "hick" farmboy in me, at least in my opinion, seems to be evident in some of my posts, when I go back and read them. Generally, in the same way I live my real life, I'm one to avoid online controversy whenever possible...I've seldom been one to opine on hot-button topics. I steer clear of them as if I state my opinion on a touchy subject, someone will always find a reason to refute it, in turn, necessitating a defense of it. And I dislike that. I've never been one who enjoys debates for the sake of debates. Perhaps my somewhat modest post count, despite being a member of Hawaii Threads since February 2005, (in comparison to the post counts of other long-time HT'ers) is testament to this.

In summery, I'm just a farmboy more at home and at ease while on a John Deere, working a field, than anywhere else. I feel this can be deduced from my posts. Conversely though, I do wish at times that I could be a bit more outgoing and able to add to the conversations of the day. Being an old farmboy from a remote area of Ka'u, (where when I was growing up I thought that Hilo was just an incredible metropolis!), I guess I haven't learned how to be really sociable and at ease with others, in the real world or an online community, such as Hawaii Threads. This seems to be a common trait among us sodbusters.

I will say that in the time I've been a member of Hawaii Threads, I've been fortunate to meet many other fellow members; the list (though not complete) being headlined by pzarquon, (and his wife Kilinahe), tutusue, 1stwahine, zztype, tim kona, Gecko Geek...and above all, HT's one and only Scrivener. (Perhaps one day I'll meet up with East Coast Tropics and akrauth here on the EC) I have a feeling that at least one member of this list will refute what I perceive myself as and say that I'm just the opposite. It's bound to happen. After all, this is Hawaii Threads!