And so it was that the people of the village began to gather. They asked the man in the well a host of questions.
Birkal :)
Username origin stories are fascinating to me. So I'll ask:
Where does your username come from? why did you choose it?
Zracknel =D!
Haha, I actually get asked this question quite a bit, which is weird, because Smogon has a ton of interesting and unique usernames running around (more unique than any other forum I've been on). I think a lot of other usernames are more interesting than mine.
The story is pretty simple. When I was around seven or eight, my parents bought me my first video game ever: Pokemon Blue. It goes without saying that I basically flipped out; I was so excited to play and I was completely surprised that they'd gotten it for me. I booted up the game and met a guy named Professor Oak. He asked my character what his name was. At that moment, little kid me made up the name "Birkal" on the spot.
From there, the rest is history. I've used this name for every single Pokemon game I've played through since. I've used other usernames on different forums, but I decided to use Birkal on this one. I dunno, I guess it's kind of like a throwback to myself as a child. He wanted to be an expert on Pokemon, and I hope that's something this Birkal can achieve for him =)
Yep! I love animals in general. I actually have two of them at home, and they're adorable. I miss them :<
What is your opinion on Australia/ will you ever visit it?
One of my best friends visited there and he had a blast. I'd love to visit someday (but that might just stem from my love to travel). It seems like a homey place and I'd be thrilled to check out the Great Barrier Reef. I guess the biology scene in Australia is pretty cool; I've always wanted to see kangaroos, koalas, wallabys, and the like. I'll letcha know if I'm ever in the neighborhood.
Ritter, we need to have a conversation about this... It's gone on for too long...
Will you ever admit that I trounced you in the art fight?
Pretty sure my .gif will top anything you will ever draw in your life ever. No matter how detailed, flashy, or creative your work may be, it will never amount to more than my .gif. You got destroyed, son.
What is your stance on the existence of God?
I believe He exists! Haha. If this is one of those "does he exist for everyone" kind of questions, then the answer to that is also yes. I believe in absolute truth and I think that His existence is one of 'em. Sorry if you don't agree =/
This is probably going to end up as a more in-depth answer than you were bargaining for, but my opinion will likely need an explanation. Theologically, I believe that homosexuality is a sin. Before you all jump at me and beat me to the ground, hear me out. Sin, from my understanding of it, is defined as anything we do that displeases God. So things like lying, wishing bad things on other, and the like are sin. When you consider that, homosexuality is much less of a big deal than the modern church hypes it up to be. I'm pretty sure I sin a lot more than most gay people; I've had huge problems with lying in the past.
My other issue that I take up with today's society is our current definition of marriage. Just the fact that a dude and a chick can get hooked up in Vegas after minutes of meeting each other completely dishonors the concept of marriage. Honestly, if a gay couple has thought things through and wants to seriously get married and spend the rest of their life together, then that's a lot better than the previous situation I described. And when you start bringing children into the equation, a dedicated homosexual partnership is gonna raise a kid so much better than unplanned pregnancies. So while I guess I'm not super enthusiastic about gay marriage, I think that a serious homosexual relationship can amount to much more than the majority of marriages going on in our society.
I might have explained this poorly; lemme know if you need clarification.
I haven't made a choice yet. While I generally tend to lean more Republican, I see the Democratic side of things frequently from those I surround myself with, both here on Smogon and in real life. I have to say that I'm not very enthusiastic about either of them, however. I'll make a decision when it gets closer to election time and I actually get off my lazy bum and do some research on them, haha.
Favourite book you have read?
Might seem like a weird choice, but lemme provide some background. As a kid, I didn't really like to read. I could do it, but I didn't find much enjoyment with it. The stuff we read in school was boring; I always preferred to go out, play, and imagine by myself. However, one of my lifelong friends introduced me to this book. I read a few pages and as a kid, I was hooked. Plowed through the book within a few days, and went on to complete the entire Redwall series that year. These books really got me into reading for enjoyment, and they're classics, lol. The day that Brian Jacques died was a tragic one in the life of Birkal.
What do you love about Rotom?
It's adorable. It's versatile. It's mischievous. It's clever. It's powerful. It's creative.
The CAP Metagame will always hold a special place in my heart just because I love CAP in general. Even though Tomohawk breaks it pretty badly at the moment, it's still fun to get out there and play. I like the "Overused" feel of the CAP Metagame, but the thrown-in CAPs add some much needed variation to the typical grind. It's a fun metagame for those looking for something off-the-cuff, yet still competitive.
Shout outs to Dream World and BW1 OU as well.
Hmm... I love how the Community Contributor looks, but I might just be a bit biased, heh. I like Researcher, Team Rater, Tutor, and Moderator as well.
Gah, way too many to pick from. Just gonna think of one off the top of my head...
What do you use for your art?
This is a
Bamboo Connect from Wacom; that model is $80. I adore their products and wish I had enough cash to buy more. My previous tablet was also from Wacom, but it had some extra buttons and stuff that I really miss on this newer model. Regardless, I like the bigger drawing space it offers. In terms of programs, I use Photoshop CS3 for nearly everything. I have the capacity to use Illustrator and Flash, but nothing gets the job done like good old PS.
If you're talking about real-life art, I love to make pottery =)
Are you self taught? If so, how did you teach yourself?
Absolutely self taught. The forum I went to before this is pretty well known among the Internet community:
MS Paint Adventures forums. That is a whole other story that I could talk about, haha; I had a bunch of drama with that site. I frequented their "Forum Adventures" forum, which is where people would create their own Choose Your Own Adventure stories. It was very interactive; readers had full say in what happened in the story. I was inspired by name of the artists so I decided to get a tablet and try things out. If you want to know exactly what I drew there, lemme know!
Greatest accomplishment on Smogon?
Probably being promoted to CAP moderator. I've lurked it hardcore for years and I was absolutely enamored with everything they did. When I joined Smogon, it was kind of my dream to get involved in there and finally start contributing. Being a CAP moderator is a pretty different experience from moderating anywhere else. We deal with lots of individual cases and have to organize crowds into thoughtful and meaningful debates. Knowing that the other CAP moderators approved of me and my standards enough to allow me to moderate was a huge compliment.
A part of the site you want to get more involved in?
I'd love to pick up another tier. I started learning Ubers (won a bunch of matches; it was fun) but found that I definitely wouldn't have enough time for it. Pretty much every tier on Smogon interests me; I wish I had a ton of time to learn them all. This goes hand in hand with tournaments too.
Badge you're proudest of?
Community Contributor for sure. I was the first one to receive the badge, which pretty much sent me through the roof. I know it's a pretty nerdy thing to get so excited over a few pixels on a Pokemon forum, but there was just something really special about being the first one to be recognized for contributing to a community. I think it's a tough badge to earn; you need quality and quantity.
I try to live with no regrets and I think I do a pretty good job. Probably my biggest regret was going as far as I did physically with the girl I dated for three years. It ended up getting me really attached to her when she was obviously not the right one for me to marry. That addiction to physical attention drove a lot of my life downhill.
Family's religious views?
They're all pretty much the same as me. Both of my parents accept Jesus Christ when they were like thirty or something. I was just born then, so it was kind of cool that we all started out on the same level in terms of our beliefs. My mom is a bit more intense than the others; I am arguably the most "laid back" about my views.
Opinion on the command /birkal on PS?
I invented it ;)
Seriously, I asked Zarel to make it one night when he was feeling a bit... different. Using my devilishly cunning tongue and wit, I convinced him to create the command. I am pretty much the best ;O
why are all of your posts so long, if that OP was brief then my name is susie, and it's not
Not all of them are long that is a common misconception!!
what's with the obsession over rotom, like that's the weirdest mon to me for someone to have an unhealthy fetish over, and i've seen folg's latias fetish
It's not a fetish, haha. I just really like Rotom, I suppose. It's cool that it can change formes, and it's always so happy and mischievous. I also like that I'm starting to become associated with Rotom; I think the two of us are similar in some ways! But trust me, folg's latias fetish is significantly more creepy.
favorite instrument to play besides the piano?
If singing counts, then that. Otherwise hmm... probably a tie between djembe, cajon, trombone, and NOSE WHISTLE. Can't really decide at the moment.
bourbon chicken some time ? y/y
Absolutely! I had a blast last time; let's make it a point to do it again~
favorite and least favorite part of living in wisconsin
My favorite would probably be the general atmosphere. Everyone is so friendly and thoughtful, at least in my opinion. People will go out of their way to help you out, like if your car goes in the ditch or a snowbank. I live on a lake and I wave at boat drivers all the time as they pass by. It's cool to see so many people in one area just enjoying life.
Least favorite would probably be distance away from other states, heh. It takes forever to go anywhere from here; even Chicago is like four hours away. It's not very convenient, especially since I like to travel so much.
what made you decide to go to the college you're at now, the music program there?
A lot of things, actually. Originally, I was going to go to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. I had been mentally set to go there for a month, but then I started getting really strong pangs to continue with Biology in college. My mom actually found my current college, and I did some research. The two biggest programs here are music and biology, and I was allowed to major in both of them alongside of education. It seemed like the perfect fit. They also offered me some wicked scholarships for academics and musical auditions, so that made it hard to say no. Also, my girlfriend (at the time) was planning on coming, so that was a nice bonus.
What do you think of /birkal? Do you regret requesting it?
GS EDIT: he'd better regret requesting it
I personally love it. I wish that people didn't use it so often; I'd like if it became one of those "secret" features that no one really knows about, but it shows its face every once in a while to dazzle viewers.
I also find humor when I come back to PS! only to find 10+ PMs directed at me saying "in for OU tourney". Nice one, ginga -__-
Also GS is a bully.
Since you are in both music and biology I'd like to know how your studies and practices in the one field have helped to inform the other, or just how your studies in music have informed your greater sense of learning/life living.
I actually get this a lot in real life and I never have a really good answer. They both help me mentally get through the day, I s'pose. Music is very relaxing, but it also is pretty easy academically for me. Biology pushes me to work hard and learn copious amounts on information, but that also gets stressful. Then music comes back in to relax me and the cycle continues.
I'm currently in an entomology course and I'm actually doing research on insect music and the role that our music plays in their lives (pest noise deterrents) and how they play a role in OUR music (flight of the bumblebee). Also, understanding anatomy and physiology has made me a significantly better singer in terms of understanding exactly how breath support and muscle groupings work.
For my general well question now: What was the last play you saw, what did you think of it?
Last play... hmm it as been a while, but I am going to see Much Ado About Nothing this weekend! I saw Spring Awakening last spring, and that was pretty jarring, but I liked it. It was challenging and pushed the envelope on some issues, but it was a huge hit at my college.
What is your secrete to being so amazing, seriously I'm jealous.
I dunno! I value life incredibly and I don't ever want to waste a moment of it. I have a pretty big work ethic and follow the belief that if you don't do something well, it's not worth doing at all. This will probably sound hokey, but a lot of my energy comes from God; I'm pretty sure I would crash and burn hard if I didn't have that relationship going for me, haha. Life is just too short to waste with blandness and normalcy. Everything should be exciting!
Was there ever a doubt in your mind <3
I used to think you loved me too, but after what you said about loving Omicron more...
Birkal do you regret the funny picture of you I have in my possession
:|
Birkal what's your hot sister's name
I'd prefer not to share since I have the belief that giving away someone else's information isn't always the best policy. However, this is my well, so I'd be willing to answer if you really wanted to know.
we live in the same state now that's pretty cool (oh wait I knew this already!)
Do you enjoy living in Iowa?
Well the part that I live is very hilly and luscious, so that's obviously enjoyable. I hate driving further south until the endless corn fields, it makes me want to cry ;__;
What's your opinion on the election rush that's going on in the area right now (in my neck of the woods anyway)?
My college is impossibly liberal, so I pretty much only hear good things about Obama/bad things about Romney unless I go out of my way to listen to some unbiased news.
If you were a color what color would you be?
Green. It's inviting, it's electric, it can be sophisticated, it's exciting, and it's lively.
Do you feel like you have a lot to live up to as the first Community Contributor?
Erm, kind of I guess? I like to think that there is a little more to the badge then the objective lines of "you did x amount of work." Being a positive role model in all communities is something that I think all CCs should at least try to emulate, and I hope I do a good job of representing that idea! Do you think I have a lot to live up to?
Describe your favorite food.
It is white and puffy (sometimes a little yellow). It's soft and usually quite dry unless other condiments and seasonings are added. Typically you eat a whole bunch of this food in one serving.
My question is simple.
bad words too impure for Birkal's innocent spirit How the FUCK are you so nice to everyone?
But seriously you're one of the best users on Smogon.
Haha, I will take this as a compliment! Simply put, I treat others as I hope to be treated. I've always found it best to attract flies with honey and not with vinegar, both in real life and on the internet. I try to put myself in other people's shoes whenever I can to understand where they're coming from (I could still use some work on that though). I'm also a pretty vulnerable guy; I'm not afraid to put myself out there, even at the risk of looking like a dork. Being nice to people isn't hard, and the world could use a little more joy, don'tcha think =)?
How do you do it without becoming bitter towards the users of this vile website?
I'm pretty big into directly confronting someone if I feel like I've offended them or they've offended me (some of the people reading this post know exactly what I'm talking about). Usually it is just a misunderstanding, so talking it out immediately and directly is a great way to fix things with low amounts of drama. If things ever get too heated, I step away from my computer and go do other things; I find this to be a lot better than sitting and raging at people, haha.
Favorite and least favorite games?
Favorite at the moment would probably be Paper Mario for N64. I loved this game as a kid and still find a lot of worth in it now that I'm older. They're great humor, a good sense of adventure, and plenty of options. I like doing run-throughs with specific badgesets; it allows me to understand the game in new ways that I didn't previously see. I am a pretty huge nut for Mario RPGs in general, so I guess that category would be my favorite.
This is my current least favorite. I am probably going to get destroyed for this, but hear me out. I never owned this game for N64; my first smash game was Melee. I love Melee to death and clocked so many hours on it, so it's definitely my favorite smash game. Having to go back to the N64 version where things are so much slower really grates on me. I guess I dislike it because it's all my roommates ever want to play. No one will play Melee with me ;__;
I enjoy this game, don't get me wrong. Just in relation to other smash games, I think it is pretty weak.
what happened to dw birk-a-dit?
All things pass within the seasons.
I dunno, it was something Matthew and I did. When he stopped posting and moderating, I guess it kind of died there too. I never really thought of it like that before now. Huh.
As a leader, is it better to be loved or feared?
Loved. Of course you should establish that you are the leader from early on, but true learning and following occurs out of respect, in my opinion.
Sacrificing a few without their consent to save many. This is a.) honorable b.) morally acceptable c.) morally reprehensible
This situations frustrate me because the entire situation isn't in front of me. The biggest question I have is why don't I have their consent? Certainly something could be reasoned through, or at least discussed. I s'pose if I was a war general or something and had to make this call, I'd go with Option B. It's not honorable at all, but to save many is important. Overall though, there's not enough information here for me to give a great answer.
Legend states that in their duel, Hamilton did not even fire at Burr, who had challenged him to the duel. Is this honorable or stupid?
If Hamilton disapproved of dueling, I think he did the right thing in not firing. If he had a cause to die for (dueling is wrong) then it's perfectly honorable. If he had no such cause and was just wracked with indecision, then stupid.
Is the key to leadership admitting you may have been wrong or thinking that you can succeed if you stick to your beliefs until the end?
This is definitely a gray area that is almost entirely situational. In terms of general policy, I suppose it is best to at least have the ability to admit that you are wrong. Sticking with your beliefs is certainly important, but to elevate yourself to the stance that you can do no wrong is ignorant. If you're wrong, admit it and move on. It's what you DO after you admit you're wrong that is key.
Are people more inherently evil or inherently good?
Inherently evil. We all do bad things whether or not we want to. This ties in a lot with my beliefs on God, where all have sinned and fallen short. I don't think that anyone can be inherently "good;" there is something wrong with all of us.
Favorite composer who focused on the piano?
Beethoven. Hands down. His works are masterful, extravagant, and entirely appropriate for any excelling pianist. If you wanna know my favorites let me know!
Is anyone not impressed by the number of fanboys this user has?
Nope. Needs moar.
So you are voting for Mitt Romney?
Read above; I'm not decided. I'm not very impressed by him, but to be fair, I'm not impressed with Obama either.
why are you so fickle towards me?
Haha Rodan <3. I love that you're energetic, spunky, and have good ideas. You're great to talk with and lots of fun, so that meshes well with my friendliness. However, I'm also a hard worker, so it troubles me when I see you putting in minimal effort on stuff. I think if you applied yourself a bit more, we'd get along very well, haha.
mfk; superman goku hitmonlee
Meet Goku, find Superman, keep Hitmonlee.
if you had the chance to travel back in time and say one thing to your parents before you were born, what would it be?
I'd request that they take me as a newborn baby to a large, natural rock, stand up on top, and hoist me into the air into the glistening sun, Simba-style. And I'd want them to take tons of pictures, like hire a photographer. I'd pay so much to have those pictures (but I wouldn't tell my parents that because then they could make me pay cabbage).
Are you prepared for the amount of questions you are going to get?
I don't think many of you are prepared for the answers you're going to get in return ;)
I've set apart a bunch of time this week to answer questions. I'd like to have a well full of questions and thoughts. The more the merrier! Send me more~
What are your favorite music genres? And what bands/artists do you enjoy?
I have a horrendous taste in music; it's very eclectic and features no trends. In general, I love celtic music, string quartets, piano solos (don't give me that modern-age atonal junk), theme songs, cover artists, Spanish meringue, old school rock and roll (Meatloaf is one of my favorite bands), general oldies, and acapella music.
Favorite video game genres?
I like exploration games a lot. RPGs are generally pretty fun, but they consume time that I don't always have. I'm a platforming nut (especially 2D), so that'd probably be where my niche is.
I don't watch a lot of TV at all, surprisingly. Off the top of my head right now...
Community
The Office (the earlier stuff is better)
The Magic School Bus (I could legitimately watch this all day)
30 Rock
Friends or Scrubs, I dunno
Gah, the Cosby show is probably somewhere in there too. Classic~
Again off the top of my head (subject to change)
The Lion King
The Prestige
The Dark Knight
Kung Fu Panda
The Sting
Would you consider yourself OCD in any way?
Haha not at all. I get distracted very easily in real life. That is why learning piano has been so difficult for me; it is tough to sit down for two hours and focus on one piece (sometimes only 16 measures).
I attribute this entirely and solely to the fact that I use Herbal Essence shampoo. Body Envy; there is nothing better~
To seek the Holy Grail
What is your favorite form of Rotom?
Normal I s'pose, since it's the classic. But I like all of them!
What is your favorite animal?
Squirrels. I think they're nuts.
What is your favorite primate?
Lemus are so cool lookin'. And adorable.
Which is better, Baboons or Mandrills?
Mandrills. I love the facial patterns they exhibit. It's also cool that they live in hordes as opposed to solidarity. Friends are nice!
How many fingers am I holding up?
One must first define what is up!
What got you involved in the Create a Pokemon Project?
I'm big into creativity, so I really liked all of the creation that went on with CAP. It's also a very formalized and neat pattern. We don't kid when we claim that there is nothing like CAP on the Internet. It is truly a unique process that is as flavorful as it is competitive. DJD has done so much (along with all of the past TLs and regulars) in shaping something truly unique. I wanted to get involved so I could perhaps become one of those people to create something truly great.
What was your favorite CAP you worked on and why?
I'm actually really enjoying CAP4 right now. The process is enjoyable, the conversation is lively, and I like our concept. bugmaniacbob is also giving a heruclean effort as a TL, which makes things that much more enjoyable. I have high hopes for this one (despite it not being Bug/Dragon screw you guys seriously).
Of course! TR Reuniclus is one of my favorite mons in Overused; it can really throw some people backing on hyper offense. I wish that teams could be created a little more cohesively around it (I think it's tough to make a dedicated 6 Pokemon TR team), but it's fun to use everyone once in a while.
Which day is your's in the well?
...Wednesday through Wednesday? I am not quite sure what this means.
Has anyone ever disliked you at all? Ever?
Oh, I'm sure. Not everyone agrees with everyone, so it's bound to have happened at some point.
ah, birdkal, my successful lawyer son
ah, vader, my perpetually absent-in-my-life bum father
I feel terrible that I only really know you for posting the earthworm pecs picture in response to my rpsi entry
Well I am honored that you know me regardless~
So, are there any other online communities that you are involved with? Why are you involved in them?
At the moment, nope. Quit my previous forum and joined Smogon a bit later. Not really interested in too much at the moment; Smogon has lots of interesting stuff going on so I'd rather just focus my time here. Besides, I don't think I'd have time to fit in anywhere else at the moment. I'm pretty swamped as is!
Goodness I don't even KNOW
How would you describe our relationship?
It's more awesome than those people who do archery while rock climbing, that's for sure!
Am I the cutest user in grammar?
Besides Ritter, Mafeking, V0x, sirndpt, Jocke, CP, GS, ibo, Fate, Iconic, and everyone else. Yes :>
What would you do without my glorious singing?
I don't think I'd be able to viably pursue a career in music any longer. The rest would be a downhill spiral into depression, drugs, and living on the streets, where I'd eventually be shot three times by my landlord for not payin' my no good rent.
Did you know you're pretty awesome?
Sometimes I have my doubts, so thank you for this; it made me smile =)
Xaq!!
I feel like
this thread soured one of the beautiful things we had going together. Any ideas on how to fill this void?
I feel exactly the same way, and I don't have a good alternative. Let's keep on the lookout for a way to fill this void. We're both resourceful, so we'll come up with something! Don't let it be Minecraft though, I suck at that game and Sal always kills me when I try to make his ladypad better :<
CAP Questions incoming!
Favourite CAP?
Fidgit, by far. It's adorable, it's a great design, and it has a cool concept. CAP needs more cutemons, and Fidgit embodies that entirely. I also really like Fidgit on BattleCAP, so that helps its case too.
Probably Krilowatt. I think DJD's beaver design should have gotten way more press, and Magic Guard through the entire concept. It's cool that we learned quite a bit about the CAP process through it, but I personally think we could have done better.
Most Successful CAP (in your opinion)?
To the joy of Rising_Dusk, probably Necturna. When we first picked the concept of a Sketchmon, I immediately thought it would either be broken or have one preferable moveset with the others never being used. Boy was I wrong. Necturna fits very well in BW1 and isn't broken. Whether the set be CB, QD, or even Shell Smash, I don't find anything unbearably tough to handle. Also the defensive sets are quite good, which means that we did something right. Also SOAK NECTURNA YES EMMA YOU ARE A GENIUS.
Least Successful CAP (In your opinion)?
I might be sour grapes because it happened so recently, but I'm really displeased that Mollux didn't get Drought. I think it would have fit the concept very well, and the fact that R_D's stats were built for Drought would have further cemented its role. Just the fact that we couldn't even have it as an unreleased Dream World ability for flavor's sake put me on edge, haha. I think all CAPs are generally successful in that they either fulfill their concept or they don't, but we learn a lot anyways. I don't think any are truly unsuccessful.