Why do you think you were selected for this interview?
Who knows, i have many friends here and am certainly not the quietest person in the world. Maybe someone has sent a dodgy question they think i can not answer lol
If this was your site what would be the first thing you'd change? (if any)
There is not much as a site i would change. We have great owners with Fencer & Liquid, and with the Globs & Mods the site runs pretty smoothly. Yes, of course it has its odd moments, like just the other day, but computers have there off days as well. The ONLY thing i would say is the site has become static. I know that Fencer & Liquid have full time jobs, but as i travel through the game sites you can play the same (or similar) games on, others are moving forward and we are starting to get left behind(IMO). Many things can be done either by adding more games, variations, card games and multi player version of games already present. This takes time, and it does not look as if Fencer has the time, maybe he should take someone under his wing who can write programs as well. We need to move forward as well.
How do you like the new system of interviews which I have just implemented? (actually, you'll be able to admire it when it switches to the answer mode after the deadline)
Well i have nothing to compare it against lol Seems easy enough though, it has switched to answer mode and i can edit my answers if i have to. Great Stuff again OK, i have one question left to answer, will it submit itself after that i can i still edit ? Lets see ;o) Well, all questions answered, i can still edit, but Interview is still waiting, do you or Paulo have to release it ?
How did you find about BrainKing? What made you stick around?
A friend of mine who i used to play on IYT & Goldtoken told me about it just after it had started. We both joined then (over 5 years ago), and i have been here ever since, sadly my friend no longer plays here. Sticking about was easy, i had enough of the people that run IYT, but thats another story After a while i met some great people here goodfoods, coan.net, Hannelore and TexasToest to name a few. goodfoods talked me into starting the Madhouse, and that was that.
You've been here for 5 years and a month - 2 months less than Fencer's account. When you first arrived did you ever imagine the site would be what it is today? How do you feel about BrainKing's evolution?
When i arrived the site was very new, and we only has a small selection of games, less than 10 if i can remember rightly (but i am sure Fencer will correct me lol). I no longer played at IYT, so i made here and Goldtoken my home. The site evolved immensely over the first 4 years, but as i mentioned earlier, we seem to have hit a rut (IMO anyway). I hope the site will carry on to grow, it is a great place, run by great people for us to enjoy ourselves. I will carry on supporting it myself and i know that many others will, but it is sad to see other friends leaving.
My friend, your fellowship has an amazing ambience. Really nice, everybody who knows it thinks the same, I believe. What's the secret for that?
The Madhouse has always been a great place. I love my games and i hope the people that are members of the Madhouse do as well. It is no secret, like any good Fellowship, Club, Society or whatever, you must listen to your members and try to give them what they want. I try to do that, and they seem happy enough. I am sure they would tell me other wise LOL
Mad, you're one of the most friendly players in brainking (as pauloaguia, Francescolr, ...). Are you mod of any public DB? If you are not, why is that? You'd never been invited, or never accepted?
The only public boards i am a mod on are Tournaments & the World of Sport(which i asked for) ones. I am always willing to help on any boards, but that is up to whoever is in charge of that board(or Fencer) to ask me. I always have plenty of time to help out.
What was your favourite present this Christmas? (besides bananas, of course)
Sister got me a steamer. I love my cooking and its another implement to play with lol
What is your favourite game on this site? What is your favourite board/card game (not necessarily on this site)? Which games or variants would you like to see here?
Thats hard, there are a few, Assimilation, Ataxx, L of A, Scrambled Eggs, Logik & Mancala are top of the list i guess, but i have many i like playing. I think myself there are certainly too many Chess & Checkers variants here compared to other games. I can not understand why there are not more Boat & Mancala type games, as the basic code is already here. I have a list of games i would like to see as well, but can not seem to find it at the moment. Card games yes, Canasta is a great game, and some form of Poker would be fun. Main thing i think is to aim for games that can be played by not just 2, but 3 or 4 player.
What will the future of Monkey's Swinging Madhouse be?
I just hope it keeps growing, and the members stay happy. Of course we lose members, BUT the great thing is there are always more that join. As long as that carries on i am happy.
Do you use autopass? How do you think its current implementation can be improved?
Yes i do, the site one and mctrivias AutoPlayer. To create a site one that will make everyone happy is so hard, as everyone has there opinions what it should and should not do. mctrivias(and hexkids before he left) one is great and can be used on various games. It does not only AutoPass, BUT will play forced moves as well. in other words, if you have only ONE possible move, it will play it for you (unless there is a message from your opponent). To me the site one should be down to a persons choice, not there opponent. Just an option in our profile to use AutoPass (and hopefully AutoPlayer in future), then thats that, a message at the start of each game that tells your opponent.
How did you pick your username?
It was a toss up between something to do with the Smurfs (Papa_Smurf, Happy_Smurf etc...), The Wombles or MadMonkey. Well, i have always loved monkeys, and collect them (sadly no real one yet), so MadMonkey it was.
What question(s) did you hope would be asked, and what would your answer(s) have been?
There have been some great questions to answer, many i did not expect, and having to think at this time of year is not easy lol I thought i may get asked about: Other game sites i play on... Only BugCafe & Party Poker now days, though i visit GT, IYT etc... to keep and eye on what they are up to and how they are improving My age, relationships etc... Well answer is 41 and Single, so still hope for me yet ;o) And the one i keep getting asked is: Why am i not a Glob Mod? Well, all i can say is even though myself & harley started the Customer Service side of BrainKing a while ago now(4 years i think), i have been missing for 2 lots of 4-5 months roughly when i had no money & no connection, so guess i was just overlooked, though i do think we need more spread about the world. I still get sent messages every day asking for help on all sorts of stuff and am always happy to help if i can.
Tell us a bit of what you do when off-line. Job, family, fun?
Well, not very often i am off-line to be honest. Jobwise, i only have a part-time one as a Taxi Cab base operator, which i love as its normally nights and after about 2.00am it gets quite, so i can play my games all night and only have to deal with the odd call. I only have my sister left now and luckily she lives close by so we see each other most days. I also have a son (James), he comes on BrainKing sometimes, who will be 14 on 29th Dec and he still lives local as well. Most of my fun i get here, but i also play in a Darts Team & Snooker Team, which i enjoy and gets me out a couple of nights a week. Also i go out to play Poker(and online), Quizes but often stay in to read and listen to music.
What is your occupation?
As mentioned i only have a part-time one as a Taxi Cab base operator at present. In the New Year, i will concentrate on getting something full-time, either back in computers which i enjoy or else i may go back to doing security or maybe even warehouse work again.
Is there anyone in particular you had looked up to in a positive sense during your youth? And what exactly brought your attention to this person?
I have to say my Mum (even though she was only 5 feet tall), but when i look back i guess i did not show it much when i was younger. She did a great job bringing myself and my sister up, it must have been so hard. Others in the outside would be Richard Branson, started with nothing on a street corner, now look. Freddie Mercury, what voice and he knew how to throw a party, which ever way he swung. Princess Diana, as much of a life she had, she still spent so much time helping others. There are others who come to mind, but these stand out.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Has to be getting run over by a Milk Float. They are not exactly the fastest things on the road. When i was about 11 i was helping out on it one morning delivering milk, jogging along beside it at 0.01 mph (lol) putting the empties on, and slipped on the grass at the side over the road. Lucky it did not crush my leg, but made a real mess of it.
What would you say is was the Best day of your life.. and Why?
Hard one, my proudest day was the day my son was born of course, so i would say the best as well BUT it was also the day the pub we were running at the time got sold off, so it had its downside. At least we had the right place to celebrate LOL
Where are you from in England ?
I am from Bracknell, Berkshire. Just down the road from Windsor castle (where the Queen lives for those who do not know lol)
Do you support a Football team ? If so Why? If not, why not ?
I am an Arsenal fan and always have been. They were the first Team i ever went to see, though sadly have not been in a while as its expensive day out these days and money has been tight the last few years.
What are some of your favorite movies?
Shawshank Redemption & The Green Mile are my 2 favorite films, but i do watch almost anything from Sci-Fi and Horror to a decent Adventure or Comedy.
Special mention for The Wizard of Oz, all time classic i watch every Christmas, like i did today :o)
Why do you pay the membership to some bishops in your fellowship?
Why, i like to bring a little happiness to people that maybe can not afford there own membership, i have been there and know how it feels. I do not have lots of money at all, but to me for the sake of less than £2 i can make someone a Bishop i will. I try to sponsor 5 Bishops at a time, therefore ã10 a month, and maybe when i gave a good week, i will make one a Knight, Rook or start another Prize Tournament.
Being a monkey do you eat anything other than bananas?
lol, anything, i eat everything :o) Seriously i do, i love my food and i love cooking, which fits in great playing my games at home. My one dislike is marzipan (yuck), but i will force a bit down at Weddings and stuff to be sociable.
When you wake up, you are inside a canoe which is floating in the middle of a freezing cold lake, miles away from the nearest shore. There's a big, nervous, dog you don't know in the canoe as well. You don't remember your name, but in your pockets, you find a piece of string, a red balloon, a plane ticket to Perth, a yo-yo and a picture of a man, signed 'With Love, From Fencer'. The canoe is leaking. What do you do next?
WHAT LOL, i have a hangover !!! Anyway, apart from swimming and drowning as i can not swim, guess i would blow the balloon up to block the hole, tie the string round the dogs neck and attach it to the boat, throw the yo-yo and tell the dog to fetch, find my name on the plane ticket and play with the string.
Probably no where near, but its New Years Day, thats my excuse :o)
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Being in the back garden with Dad, some bread, a bag of Winkles and a Pin.......Winkle Sandwiches, those were the days :o)
Used to have a thing about eating stones & worms as well lol
What are some of your favorite foods to eat? Which foods do you not eat?
I mentioned the one i try not to eat earlier, Marzipan, but apart from that i will try anything. My favorite foods (apart from Bananas) would be a nice Fry up in the morning to start the day & Sunday Roast dinner (any meat Lamb, Beef, Pork, and veg with lots of gravy), or Boiled Bacon and of course for a pudding it would have to be Cheesecake.
What do you do when you're not on BrainKing? (Do you have time for anything else? I see you around most of the day)
When i am home, my PC is always logged into BrainKing, even when i goto bed normally. Even at work i always do the same, log on, as it can be quiet at night and it gives me something to do. Apart from then i play League Darts once a week, but have given up League Snooker & Pool as i cant afford to many nights out.
What do you think of some of the main chess variants?
I think we have too many, there are people here who can not even play Chess. I like Dark, Behemoth, Recycle, Cheversi (but the rules need sorting) and am trying to learn Chinese & Japanese.
Who is MadMonkey? (I am thinking something like a bio here... :D )
Thats hard, but here is a shortish version of my life. I was born 1966, in Wokingham, Berkshire, just down the road from where i live now. My Father worked for Wayne Pumps at the time, and Mum was at Racal Electronics then i think. I have a sister who is 4 years older than me. I attended local infant & junior schools, and while in my last year there my father passed away, that was when i was 11. So that left myself, mum & sister, who i followed to senior school. I left there with a good few qualifications mainly in Computer Studies & Maths, i seen to have a logical type mind, love puzzles. I joined company called British Aerospace, where i pass my City & Guilds in electro & mechanical engineering, but did not stay in that. I ended up taking a job at ICI, where after 3 years i was a laboratory supervisor. Sadly got made redundant in 1988, but my sister and her husband had just started in the Pub trade, so i joined them. I carried on in that profession for about 10 years on & off, then tried a couple of other jobs from warehouse to security. During this time i had a son, who was 14 this Dec 29th, but myself and his mother are not together now, but still friends. Security was handy in 2002 as mum had been diagnosed with Cancer, and the shift work was well paid, as i worked nights so could be home with Mum during the day. As many of you know she passed away in 2003 after working all her life, in up to 2 months before she died. I will always thank the help my friends here gave me through that hard time. Since then i have moved, just round the corner in fact and live on my own. Sister is the other side of town. I now have a part time job as i have mentioned and also spend time building / repairing Computers, although i would love to get back into programming. And that as they say, is about that :o)
Would you ever like to live in the USA? If answer is yes.. Where and Why?
I would like to visit, but not live in the States unless it was somewhere quiet. I hate cities. Love to retire to Spain i think.
OK, Ian, have you travelled outside of England? If yes, to where, and would you visit there again? If not, which country/ies would you like to vacation at and why?
I have traveled, but not a great deal. I love Spain, Benidorm is a great place just to relax, or have fun, love to retire there one day. I have been to France, but not since i was small. Also went on a trip to the motorcycle Grand prix in Holland a few years ago, that was a nice long weekend, stopping off in Belgium as well. The people in both those countries were so friendly. The one place i would love to see Egypt & the Vally of the Kings, must be amazing place. There are a few places i would love to see, just for a visit, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Niagara Falls in the States. Ayers Rock & Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and my relations in New Zealand.
Do you think Bumble and the people around him was only one person?
Well, i was not about when all the stuff came out, so can only go on what i have heard from others. To me he never did any hard, and even paid my membership when i was short of money. He seemed a genuine guy, as did the rest of his group. I can not see how he could only be one person when at times all the family & friends were on line at the same time. I guess we will never know.
When are you sleep?
Not very often. I have done lots of different jobs in the past and a lot of shift work so i am used to getting by on only a few hours sleep here and there.
what do you believe in? what do you live for?
I have not has the greatest of lives, losing my father when i was young and i only realize now what a struggle for my mother it must have been bringing myself & sister up on her own, and keeping a full time job. I just try and stay happy myself and hope i can do something however small to make others happy. As long as we have our health, family and friends, we should try to always be happy. Life can hurt us in the worse ways, and nothing can really prepare us for the things that happen. I can not stand user and liars, and crack up when people ask me things and do not like the answer they get. If you can not face the truth, don't ask me ;-)
What's your favorite genre of music other than "rock"? What's your favorite "Queen" song?
Many years ago i was a DJ and still enjoy almost every time of music, apart from some of this ding ding, pump up the acid, crash, house rubbish that is inflicted on us these days, but i do not class that as music, but more of a noise.
Yes, to me Queen are and always will be the best band ever. The loss of Freddie Mercury was a loss to the whole music industry, but he will live on in there music. As for my favorite Queen record there are many. The thing i love about a lot of there music is the lyrics mean something (ok maybe not Radio Ga Ga lol).
If i was put on the spot i would say one of these 'Love of My Life', 'Its a Hard Life', 'Who Wants to Live Forever', 'One Year of Love' and 'These are the Days of Our Lives'. They are all so meaningful.
How would you feel and what would you do if the internet was turned off for one month?
I would be extremely bored. It helps me stay in doors having a PC & Internet access or else i would probably be out spending money i can not really afford to. I have my books and do enjoy a good read and also puzzle & Logik books.
Do you like to read? If so what types of books do you prefer and who are your favorite authors?
Love reading and always have a book on the go for when i goto bed. I will read almost any type of book, apart from soppy love stories, but prefer Horror & Fiction. Favorite authors are Stephen King, James Herbert and Clive Barker.
Special mention to J.K.Rowling for the Harry Potter series.
If you had the opportunity to travel in to space would you go?
Yes, i would love to. After all it was us Chimps that went up first remember. It would be great if they had a better form of power for space travel, making it quicker. We could then think about leaving the Milky Way and exploring the depths of the universe.
What question were you secretly hoping that nobody would ask?
I can not think of one, sorry. I am always happy to answer questions, even if i do not like them, but normally have an answer for everything.
(actually, you'll be able to admire it when it switches to the answer mode after the deadline)
