Post by Hockeynutville on Dec 21, 2009 19:57:47 GMT -5
Btw, the previous installments of "Eyes on the Islands" are stored in the Mad Islander section of Taco Island. Here is a link:
10000islands.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=madislander
Hockeynutville: Hello, and welcome to another addition of our "Eyes on the Islands" series where we sit down with the ordinary, everyday and yet sometimes quirky folks behind the nations that make up our 10000 Islands. Today I am pleased to welcome our guest who has had the pleasure of presiding over the Department of Immigration during our record breaking population surge. He is our Immigration Minister, the one and only Enigmatic Nation. Enigmatic, thank you for sitting down with me.
Enigmatic: It's nice to be here. I've been reading Eyes on the Islands quite intently and I'm very excited to be a part of it myself.
Hockeynutville: So to start, where and when did you discover Nationstates?
Enigmatic: It was way back in October of 2006. I was bored and using StumbleUpon when NationStates popped up on my computer screen. NS intrigued me so I created a nation and haven't looked back.
Hockeynutville: When did you come across the 10000 Islands?
Enigmatic: Shortly after I created the Enigmatic Nation. Sinn, as the Old Shamrock of Leftie, recruited me and 10000 Islands has been my home every since.
Hockeynutville: What was it about the recruitment telegram that intrigued you?
Enigmatic: Hmmmm, I'm not entirely sure. The forum and activity I think. The one thing I really remember about making my decision was seeing the population of 10000 Islands and seeing how active the RMB was. Whatever was in the telegram got me to look at the region page and that got me to move on over.
Hockeynutville: Why did you choose the name that you did for your nation?
Enigmatic: I've always considered myself to be a bit of an enigma. I think differently than most of the people I know. I've never fit a stereotype and I've always been a bit odd. Once I put some real thought into what I would pick, some derivative of "enigma" or "conundrum" had to be in it. After a little playing around, I came to “The Enigmatic Nation”. Maybe not the most creative choice, but I like it.
Hockeynutville: Before we get into your role as Minister of Immigration, have you held any other posts in the Islands before your current assignment?
Enigmatic: Yes. I served in the Council of Nine as a senator and the senior senator before I became minister of immigration. Before that I was the patrician of the now defunct Assembly of Nations. During my time as senator, I was Speaker of the AoN. I also spent some time as a tactical officer.
Hockeynutville: Which of the positions you've held in the Islands has been your favorite or that has meant the most to you?
Enigmatic: Well, patrician will always hold a special place as it was there that I first got my start in XKI politics and got to know quite a few nations. I think the current is my favorite, though. It's a lot of work sometimes keeping all the threads updated, but I feel like I'm doing the most good in my current role. Plus, it's nice to have a little job security. ;-)
Hockeynutville: So what is your take on the current population explosion here in the Islands? It must be satisfying to be in charge of Immigration with the department bringing in more nations than ever before under your direction.
Enigmatic: Oh it is, but I really can't take any of the credit. Iwerddon's Accelerator has been a tremendous boon to the Islands and makes recruiting a breeze. In the old days, recruiting was a lot harder. It took a lot of time and effort and I think that turned a good many people away. Now that nations are discovering just how easy it is we have plenty of people lining up to do their part. Furthermore, most recruiters operate pretty independently. I just facilitate their work by granting access to the Accelerator, answering questions, and paying them all tacos. I haven't done any recruiting myself in quite a while so the population boom is solely due to my recruiters.
Hockeynutville: What aside from the Accelerator makes the 10000 Islands one of the most vibrant and unique communities in all of Nationstates?
Enigmatic: The people, hands down the people. I don't think you'll find a better group of people anywhere else in all of NationStates. There are a ton of friendly, unique faces here and once a nation gets to know them I don't see how he could possibly leave.
Hockeynutville: Well speaking of which, how about we get to know the enigmatic guy behind the Enigmatic nation?
Enigmatic: By all means, please do. I'm enough of a narcissist to enjoy talking about myself.
Hockeynutville: Perfect, how about we start with where you were born?
Enigmatic: I'm a good 'ol southern boy. I was born and raised in South Carolina
Hockeynutville: What do you do for a living?
Enigmatic: At the moment, nothing, but in a couple weeks I'll be starting as a teacher's assistant at a local school. Beginning in the fall I'll have my own classroom. I'm going to need another job though, any suggestions?
Hockeynutville: That depends, how much dignity do you have?
Enigmatic: That would be inversely proportional to the size of my bank account which is less and less every day. :-)
Hockeynutville: I know the feeling. So tell me, what does an enigmatic do for fun?
Enigmatic: I read, I play videogames, I write a little, I go to plays and movies, I eat out, I learn, pretty straight forward really. Oh, sometimes I like to tell ridiculous stories to see if anyone will believe me. It seems that the more outrageous you make something the more people will believe it, so long as you keep a straight face that is. Don't worry though, I always set the record straight. Well most of the time, I think there are a couple stories in the "Crazy Stuff You've Done" thread no one figured out weren't true.
Hockeynutville: What is your favorite food?
Enigmatic: I can never answer that. My father likes to say what's in front of him at the time, but that's never suited me. It really depends on the chef. The same dish can be delicious when prepared by one cook and terrible when prepared by another. I like pasta Alfredo, but I had some the other day that blows the rest out of the water. I had she-crab soup once that nearly made me cry. I had a fried strawberry pie that reduced my vocabulary to the letter "m" for a full 10 minutes. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I like all sorts of food and some meals have been better than others.
Hockeynutville: Wow, I'm almost afraid to ask you what your favorite color is.
Enigmatic: Haha, it's black. I also like white, green, and gold, but my outfit just isn't complete without some black. I have a whole rulebook regarding color and how I dress. I won't go in to the whole "are black and white colors or how exactly we perceive color debates." Suffice to say I've thought about it at some length.
Hockeynutville: Are you single, dating or married?
Enigmatic: Single.
Hockeynutville: Blondes, Brunettes, Redheads or Noirettes?
Enigmatic: I don't believe I am familiar with the term Noirette.
Hockeynutville: My term for black haired people.
Enigmatic: Ah. Well, to answer, I don't look very much at physical characteristics. Personality and character have always been more important to me. Not that I don't notice of course.
I can't say that I have a preference regarding hair color. That said, there is a rather attractive Noirette I wouldn't mind getting to know a little better.
Hockeynutville: Do you have any siblings?
Enigmatic: Yes, a younger brother and an older half-brother and half-sister
Hockeynutville: The economy aside, if you could have absolutely any job in the world, what would it be?
Enigmatic: I could say college history professor since that's what I want to be and what I am training to become, but I certainly couldn't do that now. I wouldn't disparage the teaching profession by wishing for it presently. My brother and I have been floating the idea of a t-shirt business so I guess I would want to be a t-shirt mogul.
Hockeynutville: What kind of music do you listen to, if any at all?
Enigmatic: I'll listen to any song once. I like all sorts of different genres some more than others. If I could only listen to one kind though, I would have to pick classical. If I don't hear a little Tchaikovsky or Beethoven or Chopin every once in a while I go a little crazy.
Hockeynutville: Are you in to any sports?
Enigmatic: Not exactly. I don't follow any sports teams or watch many games on television. I don't much care for sports unless I'm physically playing. Basketball is my favorite. I played in high school and I'm always up for a pick-up game. I haven't really played for a few years though. I'll occasionally watch a NBA or college game on tv.
Hockeynutville: If enigmatic Santa left you one particular item under the tree this year, what would it be?
Enigmatic: Anything at all? A paid-in-full sticker for my student loans would be very nice. Either that or a car to get me back and forth to work, or a car to get my parents to and from Florida in May. Those wouldn't fit under the tree though.
Hockeynutville: Ok, so back to some Nationstates related questions; have you gotten to know many people from the game outside of the forum or Nationstates?
Enigmatic: I've never met anyone in person, but I talk with MinnaCaroline and Mutanatia quite often.
Hockeynutville: Do you know anyone else who plays or played Nationstates?
Enigmatic: There have been a few nations over the years that I've gotten to know a little who no longer play or aren't as active. If you're speaking more personally, I talked a few friends into playing, but they didn't stick with it very long.
Hockeynutville: You've been around long enough to see plenty of people come and go. Are there any nations in particular that you miss that have moved on or CTE'd?
Enigmatic: I always liked Eridani. He was pretty cool, a Star Wars fan like me. I miss Sinn too. I'd certainly like to know how he'd react to the current population.
Hockeynutville: In your professional opinion, do you think the Islands may one day yet hit the vaunted 1000 nation mark?
Enigmatic: There was a time when I thought 500 was the best we could ever do. Now we're above 800. I'm not going to discount anything anymore. 1000 is definitely possibly and I'm certainly going to do my best to see that we get there.
Hockeynutville: If there was anything you would change about the 10000 Islands, what would it be?
Enigmatic: Overall the Islands are pretty grand. I don't think I would change much of anything. Actually, a lot of the changes I would have made have begun to be implemented or reintroduced over the last couple months. I think in some situations our reactions could be better, but that's a case by case basis.
Hockeynutville: Any plans on stepping down as Immigration Minister
anytime soon?
Enigmatic: No, I don't think so. I love this job, even when I have a ton of work to do. That said, my life is in transition at the moment. I just graduated from college and will be starting new jobs soon. In a year and a half I plan to go to graduate school. I don't want to step down, but life may have other ideas. I certainly hope it doesn't, though.
Hockeynutville: Well congratulations on graduating! I just have one final question for you; who do you think Grub really is?
Enigmatic: Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man about town.
Hockeynutville: The devil you say...
Enigmatic: I'll give a hundred tacos to anyone that gets the reference.
Hockeynutville: Heh, well folks that wraps up this installment of "Eyes on the Islands". Again I'd like to say thank you to Enigmatic for taking time out of his day to answer these questions. I certainly hope that you'll be up for a 2nd round in a future segment.
Enigmatic: You're very welcome. I'm looking forward to another go around.
10000islands.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=madislander
Hockeynutville: Hello, and welcome to another addition of our "Eyes on the Islands" series where we sit down with the ordinary, everyday and yet sometimes quirky folks behind the nations that make up our 10000 Islands. Today I am pleased to welcome our guest who has had the pleasure of presiding over the Department of Immigration during our record breaking population surge. He is our Immigration Minister, the one and only Enigmatic Nation. Enigmatic, thank you for sitting down with me.
Enigmatic: It's nice to be here. I've been reading Eyes on the Islands quite intently and I'm very excited to be a part of it myself.
Hockeynutville: So to start, where and when did you discover Nationstates?
Enigmatic: It was way back in October of 2006. I was bored and using StumbleUpon when NationStates popped up on my computer screen. NS intrigued me so I created a nation and haven't looked back.
Hockeynutville: When did you come across the 10000 Islands?
Enigmatic: Shortly after I created the Enigmatic Nation. Sinn, as the Old Shamrock of Leftie, recruited me and 10000 Islands has been my home every since.
Hockeynutville: What was it about the recruitment telegram that intrigued you?
Enigmatic: Hmmmm, I'm not entirely sure. The forum and activity I think. The one thing I really remember about making my decision was seeing the population of 10000 Islands and seeing how active the RMB was. Whatever was in the telegram got me to look at the region page and that got me to move on over.
Hockeynutville: Why did you choose the name that you did for your nation?
Enigmatic: I've always considered myself to be a bit of an enigma. I think differently than most of the people I know. I've never fit a stereotype and I've always been a bit odd. Once I put some real thought into what I would pick, some derivative of "enigma" or "conundrum" had to be in it. After a little playing around, I came to “The Enigmatic Nation”. Maybe not the most creative choice, but I like it.
Hockeynutville: Before we get into your role as Minister of Immigration, have you held any other posts in the Islands before your current assignment?
Enigmatic: Yes. I served in the Council of Nine as a senator and the senior senator before I became minister of immigration. Before that I was the patrician of the now defunct Assembly of Nations. During my time as senator, I was Speaker of the AoN. I also spent some time as a tactical officer.
Hockeynutville: Which of the positions you've held in the Islands has been your favorite or that has meant the most to you?
Enigmatic: Well, patrician will always hold a special place as it was there that I first got my start in XKI politics and got to know quite a few nations. I think the current is my favorite, though. It's a lot of work sometimes keeping all the threads updated, but I feel like I'm doing the most good in my current role. Plus, it's nice to have a little job security. ;-)
Hockeynutville: So what is your take on the current population explosion here in the Islands? It must be satisfying to be in charge of Immigration with the department bringing in more nations than ever before under your direction.
Enigmatic: Oh it is, but I really can't take any of the credit. Iwerddon's Accelerator has been a tremendous boon to the Islands and makes recruiting a breeze. In the old days, recruiting was a lot harder. It took a lot of time and effort and I think that turned a good many people away. Now that nations are discovering just how easy it is we have plenty of people lining up to do their part. Furthermore, most recruiters operate pretty independently. I just facilitate their work by granting access to the Accelerator, answering questions, and paying them all tacos. I haven't done any recruiting myself in quite a while so the population boom is solely due to my recruiters.
Hockeynutville: What aside from the Accelerator makes the 10000 Islands one of the most vibrant and unique communities in all of Nationstates?
Enigmatic: The people, hands down the people. I don't think you'll find a better group of people anywhere else in all of NationStates. There are a ton of friendly, unique faces here and once a nation gets to know them I don't see how he could possibly leave.
Hockeynutville: Well speaking of which, how about we get to know the enigmatic guy behind the Enigmatic nation?
Enigmatic: By all means, please do. I'm enough of a narcissist to enjoy talking about myself.
Hockeynutville: Perfect, how about we start with where you were born?
Enigmatic: I'm a good 'ol southern boy. I was born and raised in South Carolina
Hockeynutville: What do you do for a living?
Enigmatic: At the moment, nothing, but in a couple weeks I'll be starting as a teacher's assistant at a local school. Beginning in the fall I'll have my own classroom. I'm going to need another job though, any suggestions?
Hockeynutville: That depends, how much dignity do you have?
Enigmatic: That would be inversely proportional to the size of my bank account which is less and less every day. :-)
Hockeynutville: I know the feeling. So tell me, what does an enigmatic do for fun?
Enigmatic: I read, I play videogames, I write a little, I go to plays and movies, I eat out, I learn, pretty straight forward really. Oh, sometimes I like to tell ridiculous stories to see if anyone will believe me. It seems that the more outrageous you make something the more people will believe it, so long as you keep a straight face that is. Don't worry though, I always set the record straight. Well most of the time, I think there are a couple stories in the "Crazy Stuff You've Done" thread no one figured out weren't true.
Hockeynutville: What is your favorite food?
Enigmatic: I can never answer that. My father likes to say what's in front of him at the time, but that's never suited me. It really depends on the chef. The same dish can be delicious when prepared by one cook and terrible when prepared by another. I like pasta Alfredo, but I had some the other day that blows the rest out of the water. I had she-crab soup once that nearly made me cry. I had a fried strawberry pie that reduced my vocabulary to the letter "m" for a full 10 minutes. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I like all sorts of food and some meals have been better than others.
Hockeynutville: Wow, I'm almost afraid to ask you what your favorite color is.
Enigmatic: Haha, it's black. I also like white, green, and gold, but my outfit just isn't complete without some black. I have a whole rulebook regarding color and how I dress. I won't go in to the whole "are black and white colors or how exactly we perceive color debates." Suffice to say I've thought about it at some length.
Hockeynutville: Are you single, dating or married?
Enigmatic: Single.
Hockeynutville: Blondes, Brunettes, Redheads or Noirettes?
Enigmatic: I don't believe I am familiar with the term Noirette.
Hockeynutville: My term for black haired people.
Enigmatic: Ah. Well, to answer, I don't look very much at physical characteristics. Personality and character have always been more important to me. Not that I don't notice of course.
I can't say that I have a preference regarding hair color. That said, there is a rather attractive Noirette I wouldn't mind getting to know a little better.Hockeynutville: Do you have any siblings?
Enigmatic: Yes, a younger brother and an older half-brother and half-sister
Hockeynutville: The economy aside, if you could have absolutely any job in the world, what would it be?
Enigmatic: I could say college history professor since that's what I want to be and what I am training to become, but I certainly couldn't do that now. I wouldn't disparage the teaching profession by wishing for it presently. My brother and I have been floating the idea of a t-shirt business so I guess I would want to be a t-shirt mogul.
Hockeynutville: What kind of music do you listen to, if any at all?
Enigmatic: I'll listen to any song once. I like all sorts of different genres some more than others. If I could only listen to one kind though, I would have to pick classical. If I don't hear a little Tchaikovsky or Beethoven or Chopin every once in a while I go a little crazy.
Hockeynutville: Are you in to any sports?
Enigmatic: Not exactly. I don't follow any sports teams or watch many games on television. I don't much care for sports unless I'm physically playing. Basketball is my favorite. I played in high school and I'm always up for a pick-up game. I haven't really played for a few years though. I'll occasionally watch a NBA or college game on tv.
Hockeynutville: If enigmatic Santa left you one particular item under the tree this year, what would it be?
Enigmatic: Anything at all? A paid-in-full sticker for my student loans would be very nice. Either that or a car to get me back and forth to work, or a car to get my parents to and from Florida in May. Those wouldn't fit under the tree though.
Hockeynutville: Ok, so back to some Nationstates related questions; have you gotten to know many people from the game outside of the forum or Nationstates?
Enigmatic: I've never met anyone in person, but I talk with MinnaCaroline and Mutanatia quite often.
Hockeynutville: Do you know anyone else who plays or played Nationstates?
Enigmatic: There have been a few nations over the years that I've gotten to know a little who no longer play or aren't as active. If you're speaking more personally, I talked a few friends into playing, but they didn't stick with it very long.
Hockeynutville: You've been around long enough to see plenty of people come and go. Are there any nations in particular that you miss that have moved on or CTE'd?
Enigmatic: I always liked Eridani. He was pretty cool, a Star Wars fan like me. I miss Sinn too. I'd certainly like to know how he'd react to the current population.
Hockeynutville: In your professional opinion, do you think the Islands may one day yet hit the vaunted 1000 nation mark?
Enigmatic: There was a time when I thought 500 was the best we could ever do. Now we're above 800. I'm not going to discount anything anymore. 1000 is definitely possibly and I'm certainly going to do my best to see that we get there.
Hockeynutville: If there was anything you would change about the 10000 Islands, what would it be?
Enigmatic: Overall the Islands are pretty grand. I don't think I would change much of anything. Actually, a lot of the changes I would have made have begun to be implemented or reintroduced over the last couple months. I think in some situations our reactions could be better, but that's a case by case basis.
Hockeynutville: Any plans on stepping down as Immigration Minister
anytime soon?
Enigmatic: No, I don't think so. I love this job, even when I have a ton of work to do. That said, my life is in transition at the moment. I just graduated from college and will be starting new jobs soon. In a year and a half I plan to go to graduate school. I don't want to step down, but life may have other ideas. I certainly hope it doesn't, though.
Hockeynutville: Well congratulations on graduating! I just have one final question for you; who do you think Grub really is?
Enigmatic: Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man about town.
Hockeynutville: The devil you say...
Enigmatic: I'll give a hundred tacos to anyone that gets the reference.
Hockeynutville: Heh, well folks that wraps up this installment of "Eyes on the Islands". Again I'd like to say thank you to Enigmatic for taking time out of his day to answer these questions. I certainly hope that you'll be up for a 2nd round in a future segment.
Enigmatic: You're very welcome. I'm looking forward to another go around.
37th Knight of TITO
