Autonomous Automobiles

So, uh, how about this news article?
I can't even get a license in this state...

I Love the Whole World

After spending at least four or five hours hopping links on Wikipedia and its references regarding a variety of animal intelligences (and having my mind blown by the cognizance of elephants [seriously, I wish we shared a common answer with them, not those brutish apes]), which in turn led to looking up human intelligence, evolution, development, and lastly ethnicity and culture, as well as stumbling upon these two videos here and here completely by accident, I have to say: I'm pretty in love with life right now. And I mean life as a whole, not just my own existence. It's, uh... a lot of feelings I'm not used to, so that's why I'm trying to project them outward, into the internet. You deal with them.

101 (Though More Like 51) Character Questions

And, the grand second half.

Character Development Questions #6 - Physical Appearance

1. How does this character dress? How would they choose to dress, if all options were open to them: In standard dun brown robes with his Clan's crest on the chest, like most Suzume, with a green traveling cloak and straw hat usually. Not much of a fashion guy.
2. Do they have any tattoos: Nope.
3. Do they have piercings: Nope.
4. Do they have scars: A few, but no more than most people.
5. Do they alter their appearance in some way on a regular basis: Nope.
6. Is there something they'd choose to change about their appearance if they had the opportunity to: Maybe be just a little bit taller. He's not really that sensitive about it, though he does think it'd be nice. 
7. Is there something about their appearance they're particularly proud of/happy with: Rather fond of his hair, nice and thick.
8. Objectively, are they physically attractive? Fairly plain? Unattractive: Somewhat plain, kind of rugged looking.
9. Do they have an accurate mental picture and opinion of their physical appearance: He kind of looks like Korean actor Song Kang-Ho, actually. Just a little bit younger.
10. How much time do they spend thinking about their physical appearance: Little to none.

Character Development Questions #7 - General Knowledge

1. Can they navigate their own local area without getting lost? To what degree: Exceptionally well, given his wandering nature.
2. Do they know who the top politician or monarch is where they live? What about elsewhere: Only regionally, given how xenophobic the homeland is.
3. Do they know if/where there are any major conflicts going on right now: Pretty well informed.
4. Do they know the composition of water: Well yes, the playful water kami.
5. Do they know how to eat a pomegranate: Um...
6. Are they good with the technology available to them: Not a whole lot of technology to speak of.
7. Could they paint a house? Without making a mess of it: Probably, yeah. Did a lot of such work while young.
8. Could they bake a cake? Would you eat it if they did: I, uh... don't really trust Asian confections.
9. Do they know how to perform basic maintenance on the common mode of transportation: Never really got on well with horses.
10. Do they know the price of a loaf of bread: A few zeni, probably.

Character Development Questions #8 - Specific Knowledge

1. Do they have a specific qualification in a narrow area: Magic! Also, outdoorsmanship.
2. Is there something they do or know exceptionally well that most other people don't: Again, Oriental wizardry.
3. Do people often comment on a particular skill or area of knowledge to this character: Not really. Tends to keep his skills to himself.
4. Is there an area this character could be considered top of their field or a genius in: Nope, pretty average for what he is.
5. Have they deliberately sought to gain knowledge in a specific area: No, his education was pretty general.
6. Do they speak more than one language: Just the one, but again, xenophobic culture.
7. Does their cultural background effect what they would be expected to know: Basically.
8. Have they ever been publicly acknowledged for being well-versed in something: Not really. He's a bit too humble for such things.
9. Have they ever been bullied for knowing a lot about something: Not exactly, but plenty of bullying in his past at the hands of his older brothers.
10. Do they actively seek new knowledge, or let it come to them naturally: Definitely the latter.

Character Development Questions #9 - 'What if...' Questions

1. What if they'd been born with a different biological sex: Well I guess they'd be a bit of different person, so I don't know? Probably not too different, pretty egalitarian setting in that regard.
2. What if they'd have more or less siblings: Any more would probably be bad, already has five. Less would be bad, as he'd be under more scrutiny.
3. What if a key formative event in their past had gone differently: Um, probably be a happier and freer fellow if not for the arranged marriage declaration.
4. What if they lost a limb: Would probably cut into his Wizardly Woodsman image somewhat. He'd probably find some other excuse to shirk marriage, though.
5. What if someone close to them died unexpectedly: Pretty devastated, if say, it was his father or sister. He'd probably man up and get married/take responsibility.
6. What if they'd been born 50 years earlier? 100 years? 1000: Probably not much, as fantasy settings are kind of... static.
7. What if they'd done something completely different on the morning when the story starts: Well, then he'd be shirking his samurai duty, which is a very Shamefur Dispray.
8. What if they found enough money to make them wealthy for the rest of their life in a bag: Um, brief period of hedonism before appropriating it among his clan.
9. What if they were stranded and deserted: He'd survive, most likely. Pretty resourceful outdoorsman.
10. What if they were betrayed by someone they trusted: Again, pretty devastated. Probably dip into depression.

Character Development Questions #10 - Miscellaney

1. What did they have for breakfast this morning: Tea and rice.
2. What ridiculous belief/s did they have as a child: That the sky and weather changed depending on the mood of the Emperor, and whether or not he was sleeping.
3. Do they like marshmallows: Don't think he's ever had any.
4. Do they sleep on their side, front, or back: Side, usually. Sometimes back.
5. Do they work better with sound or silence: Relative silence, some ambient nature sounds, I guess.
6. Do they have a strange obsession with something minor: Slight interest in foreign goods, but not much.
7. Do they like art: More simple and traditional work than anything.
8. How fast can they run: Faster than most.
9. Do they prefer to sit on the floor or on a chair: Well, based on ancient Japan, so...
10. What do they want, right now: Some social freedom. Or a nice bath.

Question 101 - Why Should The Audience Care About Your Character?

Haha! This is a character I made for a tabletop game, so I get to circumvent this question. But, let me think... He's pretty human, I guess. And, a character at odds with his culture always makes a good protagonist in a setting where the culture's pretty foreign to the reader.

Things That Earn My... What's a Good Antonym for Ire?

That last post seemed kind of whiny. Did that seem whiny to anyone else?
So, I'll mention something I love, as a counterpoint:
The term bio-weapon. So good.

Things That Earn My Ire

I really don't like the culture of internet forums. There seems to be a sense of elitism based on who joined earlier, has the most posts, the flashiest signature, or forum awards/badges. Kind of obnoxious, really, and drowns out so many others who have genuinely insightful things to say, but have the misfortune of having joined only two months ago.

Amateur Theoretical-Theropologist

I often wonder what it would be like if animals had the same sapience as humans. How their cultures, languages, social orders and technology would develop compared to us. Then I wonder if there's a dedicated career in this. Like... theoretical-theropology? Or something like that. Sounds like it'd be a fun job though, sitting around all day thinking about what kinds of things squids would build.

2012

I hope this whole doomsday craze results in some good post-apocalyptic movies. Kind of a stagnant genre.