Post by Hockeynutville on Mar 9, 2010 17:17:17 GMT -5
HNV: Hello, and welcome to yet another edition of my series, "Eyes on the Islands" where we take a closer look at the men and women behind the nations you have all come to know here in the 10000 Islands. With me today is a very honored and esteemed guest who has been involved all over the Islands through public service, TITO and politics. I am pleased to welcome MinnaCaroline. Thank you for taking the time to conduct this interview with moi.
Min: Thank you for having me HNV. I daresay I love your shirt.
HNV: Why thank you, I wore it with just you in mind. To start off, tell us when did you first discover Nationstates and how?
Min: Well I have a friend in Norway who I am friends with online. I met him back in 2005 and in March of 2006 he sent me an email and said "hey check out my nation! I have my own country!" I thought that was pretty cool! He had joined because of a girl he liked and her name was Anneface on NS. So we both joined her region that she created and there were about five of us. She lost interested and he did too shortly thereafter so I moved to Knittyland.
HNV: How did you discover the 10000 Islands and what attracted you to it?
Min: Once in Knittyland, I liked it until we were invaded by DEN. I was so confused but then these other guys came in and booted DEN out. I watched them all leave and followed one back to the 10000 Islands. I don't remember who I followed but shortly after I joined I got a welcome telegram from Grub, which I thought was pretty amazing to be getting welcome letters from the founder of the region. Our WFE at the time said something about an Iceberg of an RMB but the forum was the place to be or something like that. So I logged into the forum and promptly got deleted. I logged in again and sent Grub a telegram and voila! It was May of 2006, little ol' me... a brand spankin' new islander.
HNV: How long until you got really involved in Island affairs?
Min: It was about a year. I wanted to join TITO right away, but when Knittyland was invaded I promptly left the WA because I didn’t want to be forced to endorse the lead invader. So I had to wait to get back in and then after I’d been in the islands about a week or so, Grub sent me on my first mission. It was pretty chaotic at the beginning my first friends were you, Bah and Sinn. After about 2 months Bah left and since I really knew her the best I followed her to Canada. I did send Grub a note letting him know I was going to explore a bit and he told me I’d always be welcome to come back. I came back around November of 2006, through Ananke actually. We’d gotten to know each other because of our love for George R.R. Martin and she asked me to join a mission which is when I ran into Sinn and AD! So I came back to the Islands and immediately joined TITO again. I ran for Senate in May of 2007.
HNV: So how did you come up with the name for your nation?
Min: Minna is my real first name and Caroline is my real middle name. When I got married I dropped the Caroline but I’ve always loved the name so I figured what better way to use it.
HNV: Well that answers another question I had for you ;-). Let's angle away from Nationstates questions for awhile. Where were you born?
Min: Salt Lake City, Utah.
HNV: What do you do for a living these days?
Min: I fix computers at an oil company.
HNV: Are you single, dating, married?
Min: I'm dating my husband.
HNV: Do you have any children?
Min: Yes, We have two children.
HNV: Have you ever traveled outside the country?
Min: Yes. In 2000 I went to a little Mexican town called Tecate like the beer, just for the experience. We walked across the border, I bought a Rosary at the nearby Catholic Church and we walked back over the border. More recently in 2004 we visited my in-laws in Peru.
HNV: If there was anywhere in the world you could visit, where would it be?
Min: Australia, I’ve always had a fascination with the land down under and when I met my husband way back when, I discovered he felt the same way. So it was something we’ve always shared and we always say someday we’ll go.
HNV: So what kind of things do you like to do for fun or in your free time?
Min: I used to play soccer, my husband and I played on a co-ed team for a long time. But I developed exercise induced asthma which limits my playing time, since you know gasping for breath isn’t the best thing to be doing when you’re running down the field. More recently I’ve joined a boot camp at my local gym, which I attend during the week. In the summer we spend lots of time at the beach since my parents have a cabin on the bay. And of course play in the Islands here.
HNV: What is your ethnic background?
Min: My father is a first generation American from Germany, his mother came over during WWII. So that makes me half German. My mother's parents and grandparents are from all the northern European countries like: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, UK, Scotland and Ireland. I think those all the countries she said we come from so I'd say I'm basically a Mutt.
HNV: So how about we move to some short answer questions?
Min: Sure.
HNV: What's your favorite food?
Min: Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.
HNV: Beer or Wine?
Min: Wine, specifically Merlot.
HNV: Favorite color?
Min: Orange
HNV: What kind of music do you like?
Min: I like everything. I have not heard music I don't like save one band. The only band I cannot listen to is Dave Mathews.
HNV: What's your zodiac sign?
Min: Capricorn
HNV: Chinese or Japanese food?
Min: Japanese
HNV: Favorite kind of sushi?
Min: Spicy Tuna Roll
HNV: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Min: Lots of things, first a teacher, then a professional ice skater, then a gymnast, then an actress, then a teacher again but it never panned out.
HNV: Kids, did you want/prefer boys or girls?
Min: I didn't care. I had my Lili first and then I had my Danny... so I got both either way.
HNV: Have any pets?
Min: We had a pet turtle named Speedy for awhile and we got him a playmate named Shelly. But we let them both go in friend's pond.
HNV: So let's work our way back to some Nationstates questions. Right now you are a Senator in the Council of Nine. What other positions have you held?
Min: I was elected senator in May of 2007 which was cut short by my promotion to Minister of Education in August of 2007. I did that until like June or July of 2008 when I ran for delegate and then when I stepped down as delegate I became the Minister of Education again for a little while, until I decided to take a break from politics for a bit.
HNV: Of all your positions in the Islands, which one was the most fun?
Min: Minister of Education. I really enjoyed welcoming people and seeing them join the forum, assigning buddies and watching people get involved. I felt like I had a part in that and it made me feel good.
HNV: So what prompted you to decide to run for Delegate again?
Min: The voices in my head. I thought it would be fun... it seemed like a historical election with so many people running and I wanted to be part of it.
HNV: What do you think about the current state of the Islands compared to when you first joined in 06?
Min: I didn't pay much attention to the state of the islands back then but things were very different I think from the way they are now. The main difference is the amount of people we have. I think when I joined we had like two or three hundred nations at the most and now we're pushing nine hundred.
HNV: What is your favorite aspect of the 10000 Islands?
Min: Taco Island. I love to log in and then just scroll through laughing and laughing and then laughing some more, that's what Taco Island does to me. That and TIP.
HNV: One of the things you left out on your resume is the founder of the Islands Party. Why did you decide to create a new political party?
Min: Because the two major political parties had died out and nobody wanted to run for office. I felt like I needed to step in there and get people active again. Can I just tell you how exciting it was the first time a candidate posted that they were running under the TIP Banner?!! Amazing! I may have founded it but it’s all of my TIPers that keep it going and that's what makes it such a fun political party.
HNV: Who is or are your favorite people in the Islands?
Min: I couldn't name just one person or even a few. I think it’s so fun to get to know new people and stop and chat a bit with the oldies. I love you all!! But if I had to go with just one I'd say Grub.
. He is the founder after all!!
HNV: You’ve certainly been a member of the Islands long enough to see plenty of people come and go. Are there any you miss in particular?
Min: Oh yes, I miss a lot of the old islanders, but I'd have to say I miss Sinn the most.
HNV: Have you ever met another member of the Islands or
Nationstates face to face?
Min: Yes, two actually. Back in 2007 I had a business trip in California and I told AD that I'd be out there. So we met for lunch.
He's the nicest guy and I had a great time meeting him! Then in early 2008, I had a day off work and my sister in law and my daughter and I went down to DC and did some sight-seeing with Nixon.
HNV: If there was anyone who you could sit down with for coffee or lunch from the Islands or Nationstates and get to know better, who would it be?
Min: Ad Infinitum. He's such an interesting guy and from the little I've seen there are so many angles to him. I'd love to hear his stories.
HNV: Everyone has their theories, but who do you think Grub is?
Min: You know it’s funny, I see him in a lot of the people I deal with. When I first joined the islands I could see him in the manager of my soccer team. Now most recently I can see him in the president of my company. He's a very enigmatic person who values his privacy and I can totally respect that. I think it takes a lot to run a region and forum the way he does and build it up the way he did. I think Grub is a person who has learned how to balance real life and the islands very well and he does a superb job of it. Oh did you mean an actual person? I think he's Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas.
HNV: Alright, last question before we wrap it up. If Nationstates were to crash tomorrow and never come back, do you think the Islands would live on in our forum or do you think it would perish without its common medium?
Min: I think we would continue to thrive. The friends I've made are here to stay.
HNV: Well on that, this concludes another edition of "Eyes on the Islands". I would like to give a very special thank you to our guest MinnaCaroline and again, thank you for taking time out of your day to do this with me.
Min: Thank you for having me.
Min: Thank you for having me HNV. I daresay I love your shirt.
HNV: Why thank you, I wore it with just you in mind. To start off, tell us when did you first discover Nationstates and how?
Min: Well I have a friend in Norway who I am friends with online. I met him back in 2005 and in March of 2006 he sent me an email and said "hey check out my nation! I have my own country!" I thought that was pretty cool! He had joined because of a girl he liked and her name was Anneface on NS. So we both joined her region that she created and there were about five of us. She lost interested and he did too shortly thereafter so I moved to Knittyland.
HNV: How did you discover the 10000 Islands and what attracted you to it?
Min: Once in Knittyland, I liked it until we were invaded by DEN. I was so confused but then these other guys came in and booted DEN out. I watched them all leave and followed one back to the 10000 Islands. I don't remember who I followed but shortly after I joined I got a welcome telegram from Grub, which I thought was pretty amazing to be getting welcome letters from the founder of the region. Our WFE at the time said something about an Iceberg of an RMB but the forum was the place to be or something like that. So I logged into the forum and promptly got deleted. I logged in again and sent Grub a telegram and voila! It was May of 2006, little ol' me... a brand spankin' new islander.
HNV: How long until you got really involved in Island affairs?
Min: It was about a year. I wanted to join TITO right away, but when Knittyland was invaded I promptly left the WA because I didn’t want to be forced to endorse the lead invader. So I had to wait to get back in and then after I’d been in the islands about a week or so, Grub sent me on my first mission. It was pretty chaotic at the beginning my first friends were you, Bah and Sinn. After about 2 months Bah left and since I really knew her the best I followed her to Canada. I did send Grub a note letting him know I was going to explore a bit and he told me I’d always be welcome to come back. I came back around November of 2006, through Ananke actually. We’d gotten to know each other because of our love for George R.R. Martin and she asked me to join a mission which is when I ran into Sinn and AD! So I came back to the Islands and immediately joined TITO again. I ran for Senate in May of 2007.
HNV: So how did you come up with the name for your nation?
Min: Minna is my real first name and Caroline is my real middle name. When I got married I dropped the Caroline but I’ve always loved the name so I figured what better way to use it.
HNV: Well that answers another question I had for you ;-). Let's angle away from Nationstates questions for awhile. Where were you born?
Min: Salt Lake City, Utah.
HNV: What do you do for a living these days?
Min: I fix computers at an oil company.
HNV: Are you single, dating, married?
Min: I'm dating my husband.
HNV: Do you have any children?
Min: Yes, We have two children.
HNV: Have you ever traveled outside the country?
Min: Yes. In 2000 I went to a little Mexican town called Tecate like the beer, just for the experience. We walked across the border, I bought a Rosary at the nearby Catholic Church and we walked back over the border. More recently in 2004 we visited my in-laws in Peru.
HNV: If there was anywhere in the world you could visit, where would it be?
Min: Australia, I’ve always had a fascination with the land down under and when I met my husband way back when, I discovered he felt the same way. So it was something we’ve always shared and we always say someday we’ll go.
HNV: So what kind of things do you like to do for fun or in your free time?
Min: I used to play soccer, my husband and I played on a co-ed team for a long time. But I developed exercise induced asthma which limits my playing time, since you know gasping for breath isn’t the best thing to be doing when you’re running down the field. More recently I’ve joined a boot camp at my local gym, which I attend during the week. In the summer we spend lots of time at the beach since my parents have a cabin on the bay. And of course play in the Islands here.
HNV: What is your ethnic background?
Min: My father is a first generation American from Germany, his mother came over during WWII. So that makes me half German. My mother's parents and grandparents are from all the northern European countries like: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, UK, Scotland and Ireland. I think those all the countries she said we come from so I'd say I'm basically a Mutt.
HNV: So how about we move to some short answer questions?
Min: Sure.
HNV: What's your favorite food?
Min: Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.
HNV: Beer or Wine?
Min: Wine, specifically Merlot.
HNV: Favorite color?
Min: Orange
HNV: What kind of music do you like?
Min: I like everything. I have not heard music I don't like save one band. The only band I cannot listen to is Dave Mathews.
HNV: What's your zodiac sign?
Min: Capricorn
HNV: Chinese or Japanese food?
Min: Japanese
HNV: Favorite kind of sushi?
Min: Spicy Tuna Roll
HNV: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Min: Lots of things, first a teacher, then a professional ice skater, then a gymnast, then an actress, then a teacher again but it never panned out.
HNV: Kids, did you want/prefer boys or girls?
Min: I didn't care. I had my Lili first and then I had my Danny... so I got both either way.
HNV: Have any pets?
Min: We had a pet turtle named Speedy for awhile and we got him a playmate named Shelly. But we let them both go in friend's pond.
HNV: So let's work our way back to some Nationstates questions. Right now you are a Senator in the Council of Nine. What other positions have you held?
Min: I was elected senator in May of 2007 which was cut short by my promotion to Minister of Education in August of 2007. I did that until like June or July of 2008 when I ran for delegate and then when I stepped down as delegate I became the Minister of Education again for a little while, until I decided to take a break from politics for a bit.
HNV: Of all your positions in the Islands, which one was the most fun?
Min: Minister of Education. I really enjoyed welcoming people and seeing them join the forum, assigning buddies and watching people get involved. I felt like I had a part in that and it made me feel good.
HNV: So what prompted you to decide to run for Delegate again?
Min: The voices in my head. I thought it would be fun... it seemed like a historical election with so many people running and I wanted to be part of it.
HNV: What do you think about the current state of the Islands compared to when you first joined in 06?
Min: I didn't pay much attention to the state of the islands back then but things were very different I think from the way they are now. The main difference is the amount of people we have. I think when I joined we had like two or three hundred nations at the most and now we're pushing nine hundred.
HNV: What is your favorite aspect of the 10000 Islands?
Min: Taco Island. I love to log in and then just scroll through laughing and laughing and then laughing some more, that's what Taco Island does to me. That and TIP.
HNV: One of the things you left out on your resume is the founder of the Islands Party. Why did you decide to create a new political party?
Min: Because the two major political parties had died out and nobody wanted to run for office. I felt like I needed to step in there and get people active again. Can I just tell you how exciting it was the first time a candidate posted that they were running under the TIP Banner?!! Amazing! I may have founded it but it’s all of my TIPers that keep it going and that's what makes it such a fun political party.
HNV: Who is or are your favorite people in the Islands?
Min: I couldn't name just one person or even a few. I think it’s so fun to get to know new people and stop and chat a bit with the oldies. I love you all!! But if I had to go with just one I'd say Grub.
. He is the founder after all!!HNV: You’ve certainly been a member of the Islands long enough to see plenty of people come and go. Are there any you miss in particular?
Min: Oh yes, I miss a lot of the old islanders, but I'd have to say I miss Sinn the most.
HNV: Have you ever met another member of the Islands or
Nationstates face to face?
Min: Yes, two actually. Back in 2007 I had a business trip in California and I told AD that I'd be out there. So we met for lunch.
He's the nicest guy and I had a great time meeting him! Then in early 2008, I had a day off work and my sister in law and my daughter and I went down to DC and did some sight-seeing with Nixon.HNV: If there was anyone who you could sit down with for coffee or lunch from the Islands or Nationstates and get to know better, who would it be?
Min: Ad Infinitum. He's such an interesting guy and from the little I've seen there are so many angles to him. I'd love to hear his stories.
HNV: Everyone has their theories, but who do you think Grub is?
Min: You know it’s funny, I see him in a lot of the people I deal with. When I first joined the islands I could see him in the manager of my soccer team. Now most recently I can see him in the president of my company. He's a very enigmatic person who values his privacy and I can totally respect that. I think it takes a lot to run a region and forum the way he does and build it up the way he did. I think Grub is a person who has learned how to balance real life and the islands very well and he does a superb job of it. Oh did you mean an actual person? I think he's Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas.
HNV: Alright, last question before we wrap it up. If Nationstates were to crash tomorrow and never come back, do you think the Islands would live on in our forum or do you think it would perish without its common medium?
Min: I think we would continue to thrive. The friends I've made are here to stay.
HNV: Well on that, this concludes another edition of "Eyes on the Islands". I would like to give a very special thank you to our guest MinnaCaroline and again, thank you for taking time out of your day to do this with me.
Min: Thank you for having me.
Let me know the next time you're in the DC area... its on me! 
As long as you have some stories to share.... of course. 
