JCC P E O P L E Interviews, Issue LXXIII: Point Given!

Welcome back to PEOPLE!

This time, I decided to interview Point Given, who is, in my opinion, the best JCC moderator. Please don't ban me, other mods! Oh, wait, the rest of you are all a bunch of wimps and pushovers and only PG has any real balls. *chuckle* (I'm dead)

We had been squabbling about sports during the baseball playoffs when I remembered he was a guy I wanted to interview at some point, and I thought why not now, when we were in the middle of our opposing sports-teams bloodlust? As good a time as any. But thankfully, by the time the interview started, our enmity had died down and we started our conversation like two new friends. We also started all the way back in October! To say we both took our time is an understatement, but I'm glad we did, because it revealed a hidden strength to such a long interview process, which is that it allowed us to discuss current events over a longer term and with more perspective.

My questions are bolded; PG's answers are not.

***

What was the point?

The point is that I won a lot of money on a horse named Point Given in the Belmont Stakes years ago on a bet my dad placed for me. Always liked that name and decided to use it on the forums for some reason. Everyone always assumes it's a turn of phrase on point taken

Uh, how much money? Would it be vulgar to say?

$500. I was 12, so that sum was beyond my comprehension at the time. Of course I'd be ecstatic if that happened now.

To think, you couldn't even legally post on the JC!

Now, I'd like to get properly introduced. I don't think I ever learned your real name. I'm Nick, you are?

Hey Nick, I'm Karl! One of my younger brothers is also named Nick, so good name to have.

*ahem*

Did you treat him well when you were kids?

Of course . There's a significant age difference of ten years between us so I was never in the bullying older brother stage. He did break my Playstation once when he was three, which I remind him of frequently.

I look out for Nicks and younger brothers everywhere.

Sounds like you grew up in a large family. Is that right?

Yep, two families in fact. I was the only child of my biological parents, they divorced when I was one. My mother married my stepfather when I was four. My father married my first stepmother when I was six. They divorced when I was sixteen and my father married my second stepmother a few years later. From my mother and stepfather I have two younger brothers plus an older stepsister. From my father and first stepmother I have a younger sister and a younger brother (the aforementioned Nick). And I have an older stepsister and a younger stepbrother from my second stepmother.

I feel like I should draw a chart. Anyway overall I have five younger siblings ranging from the ages of 13-21, six if you count my stepbrother who is only two years younger than me. (I'm 27). And I have two older stepsisters. I consider my stepsister (the one from my stepdad) as my full sister, given that I've known her since I was two.

I was getting overwhelmed just reading all that. What are family parties like? Thanksgiving?

I usually visit my mother for Thanksgiving. She's the best cook and it's right around her birthday (sometimes on it). As for family parties themselves? Usually pretty crowded

So now we're going to do a special part of the interview.

I need to know what to ask you about. Unfortunately, I don't actually know you all that well. So I'd like to have a conversation just between us two pals that won't be part of the interview, in which we get to know each other. Well, mostly me you, and less you me. Sound good?

[Interviewer's Note: OOPS!]

By all means. For stuff you might want to use for the interview, I have met an awful lot of JCers this year, much more than I've met in the past. But anyway, go ahead.

Oh and all the places I've been, cause I've been to a lot.

Alright, let's start with those places. Could you possibly list them all?

Like half of the states in the U.S., mostly East Coast
Canada
Mexico
St. Martin
Anguilla
Barbados
Aruba
Martinique
Dominica
Portugal
Spain
France
England
Germany
Netherlands
Italy
Greece
Albania
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Malaysia
Thailand
Singapore
Indonesia
Australia

Strangely I have not been to India even though that's where most of my family is from.

Do you feel any desire to go there someday?

I never went as a kid because my father hated India. He'd left because of Indira Gandhi. She'd declared martial law in the 70's, my dad got arrested for protesting. She then lost an election in 1977. After she somehow was re-elected in 1980, my dad got so pissed off at his fellow Indians that he left and never came back. I think he harbors a lot of resentment since then.

As for myself, I never really saw a need to go. I'm fully assimilated. Even though I harbor some affection for it, it's just another country to me.

Which of the countries on your list absolutely stunned you?

Either Thailand or Malaysia. Both are incredibly beautiful places. I suppose I'd better add Indonesia to that too, though I've only been to its Borneo part. Borneo hadls the oldest rainforest on Earth and well it's absolutely beautiful. I can take or leave Peninsular Malaysia, though the beaches on its Pacific side are pristine.

Thailand is also gorgeous. The mountains in the north are very underrated. Great views and quite peaceful. That along with the wats thay dot the area make for quite an experience. Though I'm not religious, walking on the steps of an old temple on a foggy morning in the mountains is almost a religious experience in itself. Thailand also has great beaches. I stayed on Koh Tao and quite frankly it was better than most Caribbean islands I've been to.

Were you raised religious or have you always not been religious?

I've never been religious. My parents are both athiests though my father comes from a Hindu background and my mother a Muslim one. My stepfather is more a deist although he was raised Christian. He even wanted to be a preacher as a kid. My second stepmother is Jewish so I have four of the major religions covered. So as you can imagine, hard to be religious when you've got that diverse of a family.

I'm more of an agnostic at this point. I think it's possible the universe was created by some higher power or force that has ceased to be further involved than that. But it's not a firm thought. At the risk of sounding "edgy" I really don't care.

So it's not so much that you don't know, but you don't care? Why is that? Do you feel there's no point caring, because there's nothing you can do to control such matters?

Pretty much. To elaborate on what I said earlier, if there is a high power, I think it created the universe and then let it be. So not really much of a point. I don't really buy into the "simulation" theory either.

What's the most spiritual experience you've ever had?

I guess it'd be that aforementioned experience in Northern Thailand, as I can't really recall any others that struck me. There was just something about the temple in the foggy mountains that got me. I did like the cathedral/mosque in Cordoba, Spain, a lot, but that more of an appreciation for its architecture rather than a spiritual experience.

Makes me wonder about our generation. Are we going through an age period where we're just not all that concerned with God, religion, etc... until we get to our thirties, marry, have kids, or are we a generation that is truly different in this regard from perhaps every other generation before us?

I think the West is becoming less religious over all but not less spiritual. I think the turn away from organized religion and religious institutions is something that will stay for the next few generations. But there will be a spiritual void that some might seek to fill with more adaptable and less restrictive religions or something of that sort.

Outside the West people may be becoming more religious or at least supportive of their traditional institutions. Hindu nationalism is on the rise in India as is the Orthodox Church in Russia and other Eastern European countries.

You gonna watch this Young Pope series coming up soon?

I might give it a try (I just looked it up). I don't watch too much TV. Just sports, Westworld, and Netflix. And Designated Survivor. That's about it.

Hey, Designated Survivor! I've been watching that. Cheesy good fun. What do you think of it so far?

I think it's pretty good, though there are some parts that I don't like. there's not much focus on the sheer trauma to the American people that the attack would have had. Things like reconstituting all the departments, the judicial branch, and the calling of mass special elections are things that should at least be mentioned. And I can do without the drug dealing son subplot. However, I really enjoy the rest, especially when Kirkman gets his hackles up and lays waste to his enemies (like what happened this past episode, that was great)

Speaking of catastrophes like the one in Designated Survivor, let's talk about 9/11. You're a New Yorker, right? Did you live in the city at the time of the attacks? What was it like? Do you have a "flashbulb memory?"

So 9/11: I was 12 years old in the 7th grade, in Mrs. DiCosmo's English class. I think it woulduld have been around the second week of the school year. I was attending school in New Jersey because my father lived there. My mother lived in NYC but NJ had much better public schools so I was there. I generally split time between NJ and NYC though.

To set the stage. My father and mother were commuting to their hospitals for work. My stepfather was taking my brother to his first day of elementary school. My stepmother was commuting to her private practice.

Anyway after first period was over our teacher turned on the TV as we were leaving. This would have been around 9:15 if I recall; between the second crash and the first collapse. I distinctly remember remarking "The Twin Towers are on fire. I could see the hole in one of them but the TV was muted and we were running late for 2nd period so we went to gym. I think both towers collapsed while we were playing soccer in gym. After that rumors were flying around school about what had happened due to kids overhearing teachers and some parents coming to pick up kids. Between 4th and 5th period, our principal told us what had happened over the loudspeaker and we learned about the Pentagon and Shanksville.

It was then I got extremely worried about my stepfather since he moonlighted with FDNY on weekends and emergencies. Because the cell networks were down I couldn't call him. It want until that evening when my mom and I talked and I learned he'd been dropping off my brother way uptown and had reached the site just as the first tower collapsed.

Walked home from school with my friends and we were at a loss for words. My dad made it home late and we just talked and watched the news. Fortunately my sister and other brother were too young to comprehend what was happening though my sister remembers us being very tense. I went back to the city that Friday. I can still remember the smoke over Lower Manhattan and the missing person posters and how quiet everyone was.

My dad has a chilling story. He was at Mount Sinai hospital in the Upper East Side sort of far away from the WTC but still close enough. Everyone was expecting the Lower and Midtown hospitals to be swarmed by the injured, and for ambulances to continue uptown so all hands were on deck. Even administrators were scrubbed up. But no one came. Everyone stood in anticipation for a long time. That's when they realized that so many people had died.



What made you want to join the forum?

I'd just gotten into the EU and wanted to discuss it. I'd always been a fan of Star Wars, but never felt the need to discuss it online until I got into the books and had questions about it. Even then, I lurked until about 2008 or so, and didn't post in Community until something like 2010 IIRC

My god, you didn't get here until 2010? Now you seem like you've been around forever. What was your impression of the JCC back then? How has it changed?

I was kind of intimidated at first, since you all seemed to know each other, and I was relatively new. Also the attitude was offputting at first. But I was friendly with some Lit people who posted in Community who convinced me to actually post there and I ended up enjoying it.

I guess through attrition it's changed as people have left the boards for various reasons. In some cases it's gotten a bit more caustic, in others maybe a bit more humane. I suppose it's slower around here though than what it used to. I think Community was shielded somewhat from the influx of people post Disney purchase and post TFA, but whether that's good or bad remains to be seen.

I see you met some JCCers in New York. What was that like?

Do you mean last week's meetup? I've had a few. Last week, Cathy and Daveed came to down so I met up with them, dp4m and mavjade to watch Rogue One along with some of JtS's friends, then we went out to a bar afterwards near Madison Square Garden. It was very fun seeing them all again, and pretty cool watching a Star Wars film with them! (I'd also seen Rogue One opening weekend with Havac and Jello) Cathy and Dave had visited NYC in the summer along with Healer Leona and Famous Amos and it was great. (Also met Dani this past summer as well) There's something to be said about meeting up with people you've been talking to online for years, I know you've also met tom in person so you know what that's like!

Did any of them surprise you in person as compared to their online persona?

vin is the only one I think. He's such a nice guy in person; you wouldn't think it by his online persona.

All those people you just namedropped...

vin, Cathy, Daveeeed, dp4m, mavjade, Havac, Jello, Healer_Leona, FamousAmos, and Dani are suddenly spirited out of their own human bodies and into the bodies of animals at the Central Park Zoo. You are a New Yorker just checking out the zoo, because you have an afternoon to kill or something, and unaware that many of your JCCer friends are now inside the animal bodies. Rule: no two JCCers can share the same habitat, so each has their own habitat.

How would each of the above JCCers make it clear to you, as a fellow JCCer on the other side of the glass or the bars, that they're actually not just an animal, and they're really this person you know on the message board? Another rule: they can't talk just because they're suddenly humans inside zoo animal bodies.

(and, of course, which animal would each JCCer become?)

Jello would be an Emperor penguin because it suits him. I'd figure him out because I'm certain he would stand so regally that I would be assured it was him.

Freida would be an otter since they are awesome. I would have trouble at first, but then she would whip a shirt out of nowhere for me to sign.

Dani would be a Texas longhorn for obvious reasons. I would figure it out after she broke out of her cage and chased down the inevitable zoo patron who was being misogynistic.

Daveed and Cathy would be two domestic cats snuggling. I would have trouble until Daveed started meowing in a Spanish accent.

The rest I'm not sure, though I'm inclined to make Hav a badger.

I see you have a Bugs Bunny avatar again. I have to ask, do you feel some kind of kinship with him?

I just love him in his King getup, mainly because he looks so smug yet ridiculous. I did love the Looney Tunes cartoons as a kid. Good times.



The sea, the jungle, or the desert?

Sea

The gold box, the silver, or the lead?

Silver box

ANH, ESB, ROTJ, or TFA Leia?

ROTJ

White House position you'd most covet that is not POTUS itself?

Secretary of State

Aaaaand.... would you rather take a one-way time travel trip 50 years in the past or 50 years in the future?

50 years into the past

Oooh, why ROTJ Leia?

Speeder bike chases, Trying to rescue Han by herself, reversing the "I know". She's pretty cool in RotJ.

What is your level of faith in Rian Johnson and Episode VIII?

I'm fairly confident with Johnson. I enjoyed Looper and The Brothers Bloom was a very underrated film. I'm also confident in that he isn't J.J Abrams. Didn't like Abrams's direction in TFA, and felt the film succeeded in spite of him.

What are you expecting of the film?

To find out more about the First Order and Snoke's influence on it. Hopefully we'll find out more about the New Republic and the state of the galaxy, as Abrams gave no info whatsoever. I also hope we see a dignified send off for Leia/Carrie.

Also more Luke plz

And we have a title now, finally! What do you think of "The Last Jedi"?

I like it. It's quite ominous and melancholy, which is what the Sequel Trilogy needs.

TFA a bit too joyous for you?

I mean, parts of it were sad and grim and full of death, but I never really felt that same sadness and grimness in a deeper sense from the movie. I felt that in ESB, but TFA reminded me of the prequels in that it tried to tell me how to feel instead of showing it. The biggest example was the destruction of Hosnian Prime. I didn't feel anything about that, and it came across like JJA was trying too hard. I was more interested in wondering how everyone happened to see the beam traveling (were they all in the same system?) and wondering if the planet was your namesake.



Can you believe we are one week away from the inauguration of Donald Trump? I just saw you revised your prediction of impeachment down from two years to six months.

[Interviewer's Note: Yes, we set a very leisurely pace for our interview]

I've grown to accept it but it's still bizarre. New Yorkers know him best and if you'd told me even 15 years ago he'd be president I wouldn't have even considered believing it. He was a tabloid figure for years...

Do you think Donald Trump needs to be given his "chance?" Or should he be resisted outright, no chance?

I think he's been given his chance. The entire transition period was his time to heal the divisions that the entire campaign had caused. Yet he doubled down on his attacks, did nothing to dissuade people that he's a puppet of Russia, and nominated plenty of sketchy people for cabinet positions. I have no faith that he'll change by Friday, when he's president. The only thing he has going for him right now in my opinion is that he appears pretty secular, but I expect him to go back on that.

Why do you think we as a country did just enough to elect him president?

Anger at the establishment, a lack of trust in traditional media sources, an innate desire by some groups of voters to get back at liberals, lack of critical thinking/a desire to simplify the world around them.

Also he had so many issues that they all kind of blended together, which made some people tune out.

Don't think too long long on these, just give me your first impulse:

Humans are innately good? Bad? Or tabula rasa?

Tabula rasa

In shaping an individual, which is more powerful- the environment or the individual herself?

Environment

Which is the more necessary- forgiveness or justice?

Justice

Is there a place for necessary evil?

Yes

Aaaand... pancakes or waffles?

Pancakes

Has evil ever been done to you?

Yes, I've been mugged, assaulted and been the subject of racist remarks and actions.

When does something move from being just merely "bad" and into something evil?

I think it's when there is malicious intent.

Have you personally ever been malicious?

I imagine so, can't think of anything in particular. Nothing criminal though.

What do you suspect is the closest you've ever personally come to being outright murdered by somebody?

So back in 2007 I was returning to college from Thanksgiving break. I was on the subway with a large bag when a guy got up to offer me his seat. When I sat down to take it, my bag brushed against another guy sitting next to me. He had about 6 inches and 40 pounds on me.

He yelled at me and then grabbed me by the front collar and yanked me towards him so I punched him in the face. He flung me into the car floor which ended up leaving a bruise on my forehead for a few days.

He then straddled me, grabbed my neck and started twisting like he was going to snap it. I launched myself backwards and knocked us both over, got up and we started whaling on each other until we were separated.

You'll note that no one came to help me when he grabbed me or tried to break my neck, but only after I fought back and made it an even fight were we separated. Never really forgot that lesson, that no one will do **** for you. I mean I sort of knew it already, but hadn't really experienced it so profoundly.

Anyway he ended up getting arrested as at least they cared enough to give an accurate summary to the police.

So, you think it was the fighting back that made people intervene?

I think so. I mean the guy was huge and aggressive so I'll give a bit of the benefit of the doubt to say they were afraid he'd snap on them and decided to step in once I even the odds figuring I'd be more reasonable.

But still!

What's your favorite skyscraper in your hometown? I'm a bit of a skyscraper buff myself, I love to know people's opinions of them.

Funnily enough I was just discussing skyscrapers with my stepbrother the other day (he works for an architecture firm), and I recall talking about them with dp4m a few weeks ago, especially since there are lot of new ones coming up around Midtown and Hudson Yards. I enjoy skyscrapers as well, I lurk on SkyscraperPage a bit, and I would really like to see a Coruscant-esque style for the Financial District and the Hudson Yards (less so for Midtown because of the shadows cast over Central Park)

I really enjoy the art-deco style so the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building are up there. But I have to go with 40 Wall Street, even though Trump owns it.

If 2 WTC had kept its original design, it would have been my favorite upon completion. I also feel that way about One World Trade Center.

why oh why did they change the design for 2 WTC? It looks like a stack of fileboxes now!

what was the original design for 1WTC?



Absolutely gorgeous

What! I thought that one was hideous!

What did your fellow New Yorkers think of it, though?

(I realized I said that a little strongly. Clearly, we have tastes both similar and different. And I have strong opinions when it comes to skyscrapers.)

Lol it's cool. Can't describe why I like it, but it's one of those things that appeals to me on first sight. Most people I've shown the comparison to seem to prefer the original design but it is a small sample size. I have nothing against the current One WTC but comes off as the "safe" choice. Also the base of it is really ugly (IIRC) it was built to withstand an OKC style truck bombing)

Did you make your point?

I certainly hope so!

***

Thank you to everyone for reading! And a huge, huge thanks to Karl for his patience and participation in this interview!

Karl might make a post shortly. f you liked his answers and participation in this interview, please Like that post.

If you were a PEOPLE interviewee in the past and you saved your issue, please let me know. Otherwise, old issues from before the big move will be restored by going the (very) long way around.

Past Issues

1. FamousAmos
2. Darth_Ignant
3. FareLenore
4. Mortimer_Snerd
5. Darth_Deception
6. Albert_Normandy
7. Darth_Snowball*
8. PhilipWise
9. Everton*
10. Quixotic-Sith*
11. DarthTunick*
12. KnightWriter*
13. gabe*
14. Coruscant*
15. rhonderoo / Kavic_Toth*
16. Katya_Jade*
17. harpuah I*
18. VadersLaMent*
19. George_Roper*
20. Handmaiden_Yane*
21. solojones I*
22. jp-30*
23. GrandAdmiralJello*
24. Earwen and Skye Lightrider*
25. Souderwan*
26. harpuah II*
27. AaylaSecurOWNED*
28. TheGuardianofArlon*
29. PulsarSkate*
30. Eeth-my-Koth*
31. dp4m*
32. MASTERPRENN*
33. Grimby the Hutt*
34. s65horsey*
35. Esperanza_Nueva*
36. Errant_Venture*
37. harpuah III*
38. Darth_Guy
39. JediYvette
40. solojones II*
41. SLR*
42. Whitey*
43. imperial_dork*
44. AmazingB*
45. Miana Kenobi*
46. JoinTheSchwarz*
47. Armenian_Jedi*
48. darth_boy*
49. ApolloSmileGirl
50. tom
51. Jabba-wocky
52. Zapdos
53. Kyle Katarn
54. Healer_Leona
55. I Are The Internets
56. Ramza
57. Rogue1-and-a-half
58. Admiral Volshe
59. Lord Vivec
60. Jabbadabbado
61. anakinfansince1983
62. slightly_unhinged
63. mrsvos
64. Darth Punk
65. Boba_Fett_2001
66. LostOnHoth
67. Juliet316
68. Shira A'dola
69. TahiriVeilaSolo69
70. ophelia
71. Master_Lok
72. Ender_Sai


*unrestored


~Coruscant

 

An athiest is not a real atheist. But good interview!
And PG. If nothing else, for going hard sci-fi on Hosnian Prime.

 

Hey, Karl and Nick. That was a really interesting and thoughtful interview. I enjoyed reading it.

 

No namedrop?

Fine.

Jello's a better mod. There. I said it.

(great interview Cor!)

 

Good interview, Hinju!

Also, mav and I would be lazy pandas, most likely...

 

wonderful interview Cor and Karl!

 

Didn't realise your middle name was Rocinante.

 

Point Given I lurk too at that SkyscraperPage... it's great to get a feel (for as much as that's possible through photos) for different cities, regions, etc; an L.A. noir thread in one of the forums is one of my favorite threads on that site. An overall engrossing read; very happy that you got one of these.



A bit surprised that the Mets/baseball didn't come up at all, especially given last year's N.L. Wild Card game.

 

Great interview, Cor & PointyG!

 

Good interview. After all those months I thought it might be a bit longer though. That's what she said.

Thanks for the kind words PG. You're good people. Eventually we'll hang out some time outside of JCer visits hahaha

 

We still need bowling.

 

I will be, ironically, in India.

 

Great interview, guys!

While I admit, an Emperor Penguin fits Jello to a T, I want to be a penguin. Maybe an adelie or a chinstrap penguin.
But yeah, dp's probably right, a lazy panda is probably a better fit.

 

This is mavjade and I as penguins, one imagines...

 

Miau.