Bio

Basics

Name: moonwatcher
Name meaning: I got it from 2001: A Space Odyssey (the book, not the lame-ass movie). It's not so much that I feel connected to the smart hominid who had that name, it's just that as soon as I read it I thought, "That's me! 'Moon-watcher'!"
Gender identity (female, male, transgender, intersex, etc.): female
Sexual orientation (straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, questioning, etc.): lesbian
If you're queer, when did you know?: I started questioning when I was about 14 and I finally came out when I was 18. But I remember things from childhood, like being very attracted to Princess Leia in the gold bikini.
Age: 27
Birthday: December 1, 1982. Born on the full moon, with the sun in Ophiuchus.
Hair color: my real color is light brown, but I've been dying it various colors since I was 13. Right now it's brownish-red.
Eye color: blue-grey.
Location: Takoma Park, Maryland, USA.
Birthplace/Hometown: Born and raised in Washington, DC. I now feel so attached to this bioregion that I never want to live anywhere else again. The four years I was away at college, I felt like I was missing some essential part of myself by not being here.
Schools attended: DC public schools through 9th grade, two years at a Quaker high school, one year of unschooling, four years at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin.
If you have a degree, what is it in?: I have a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources with a minor in Biology.
Occupation: Web developer at a non-profit
Ethnicity: More than half German, and also English, Irish, and Welsh. The bit of my ancestry I like the most is the Welsh (even though it's the smallest portion), because it's where I get my last name, and I love Celtic culture.
What is your native language and what other languages do you know?: English is all I'm fluent in. I also took French for several years and I can sort of read it but not speak or understand it. I also took American Sign Language, and I can have a very simple, stilted conversation in sign.
What language(s) do you wish you knew?: Latin and French, and I suppose Spanish would be useful. I'd also like to know a random non-Indo-European language for the sake of comparison; I know a few words of Ojibwe and I think it's a really fascinating language.
What is your accent or dialect?: Very plain American accent. Supposedly there's a Mid-Atlantic accent here (aka "Bawlmerese"), but I don't think I have it, because as far as I can tell it includes pronouncing Washington as "Warshington", which is weird. While I was at college I picked up a bit of a Wisconsin accent, which still slips out occasionally.
What is your favorite accent?: New Zealand. Watch Heavenly Creatures and I guarantee you'll be in love with Melanie Lynskey by the end, even if her character is a murderer.
What countries have you visited besides your own?: Mexico, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Vatican City, Spain.
What countries would you like to visit?: New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands.
Bod mods: tattoo of a fairy on my left bicep, crescent moon on the back of my neck; 6 ear piercings.
Any interesting scars?: I got stitches on my forehead when I was 5 (from playing The Floor Is Made of Lava), and my eyebrow still has a scar from that.
Do you play any instruments?: a little guitar, a little piano. Mostly I like to sing.

Family

How many parents do you have and what genders are they?: Two parents, male and female.
Are you adopted?: Not as far as I know.
Are your parents still together?: Yes.
Are your parents still alive?: Yes.
How many grandparents do you have left?: None.
If you're queer, do you have any blood relatives who are queer?: My grandfather and two second cousins (all on my dad's side). My grandfather was married for 30 some years, had 3 children, and finally came out in the late 1970's. If gayness is genetic, I think I got it from him.
How many siblings do you have and what are their ages?: One brother, 3 years older than me.
What pets do you have and what can you say about them that no one could possibly be interested in?: One cute little tempermental elderly tuxedo cat. When she was a kitten, she used to play fetch.

Religion & Politics

What religion were you raised?: Quaker, of the very liberal, Friends General Conference variety. I'm still officially a member, but I don't ever go to meeting and I don't consider myself a Quaker anymore. I like Quaker politics and I love the fact that I was given a very open religious education, but I still find that Quakers talk too much about Jesus and God for my liking.
What religion are you now (or lack thereof)?: Pantheist/atheist. I'm an atheist since I don't believe in any supernatural gods, but I like to use the term Pantheist because it's a little broader and emphasizes that I have a "religious" awe for the universe. Being a rabid environmentalist, I'm very interested in earth-based religions like Animism and Paganism, and even though I don't believe in the supernatural aspects of them, both of those have influenced me greatly. Basically my religion boils down to this: the universe, and everything in it, is sacred.
Do you practice your religion regularly?: Sometimes I do moon ceremonies and equinox/solistice ceremonies, but I'm not very regular about it. I think ritual is important to humans, so I like to do the ceremony, and basing it on actual things like moon phases and seasons makes sense to me.
Do you believe in any sort of deity?: No. I don't believe in a personal, anthropomorphic god. I believe in the natural forces of the universe.
Do you believe in an afterlife?: No. The soul is the result of the physical mind and body, and that dissipates when you die. But the energy and matter that you're made of spreads to every corner of the earth, which I think is a beautiful immortality.
Evolution or Creation?: The Flying Spaghetti Monster created the world with his divine noodley appendage, duh. But yeah, evolution. I've seen so much of this world and all the diversity of life in it; evolution explains it perfectly. Ever hit your funny bone and had shooting pains up your arm? That's just bad design. God would never have designed us that way, but evolution simply hasn't fixed it yet because it's not a big deal in terms of survival.
Assuming that hell exists and the fundies are right about their version of God, will you go to hell when you die?: Oh yes, most definitely.
What is your political affiliation?: I am a Progressive first and foremost. I'm registered Democrat and I usually vote that way, but I do vote Green sometimes. Some of my favorite politicians are Dennis Kucinich and Winona LaDuke.
Pro-choice or Pro-life?: Pro-choice. Abortion is simply a necessity.
Do you consider yourself an environmentalist?: All the way.
Do you support the death penalty?: Absolutely not. It's not a deterrent, and the risk of executing an innocent person is too high.
Drug laws?: Legalize it. Cannabis, at least. It's far less harmful than many legal drugs, and clearly has many medical benefits.
Do you support same-sex marriage?: Of course. I have yet to hear a coherent argument against it; the opponents are just homophobic.

Influences

What one book has influenced your life the most and why?: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I read this in ninth grade, and it altered the course of my life forever. I'm not exaggerating here. I read that book, and it renewed my interest in the environment and got me interested in anthropology and indigenous cultures, and even led me to becoming a Pantheist. Then the sequel, My Ishmael, led me to drop out of high school my senior year, and I did unschooling and got a diploma from a homeschooling organization. I have no clue what I would be interested in now because so many of my interests (wild plants, Pantheism, archery, ecology) were tangentially inspired by Ishmaelian ideas. And if I had never unschooled, I would never have become so obsessed with knowledge and learning. Since then I've been doing so much solo study that I truly believe I learned more in my four years in college outside of the classroom than I did in the classroom, and I don't just mean about drinking. I have no idea what kind of person I would be if I hadn't read that book, but I'm sure that she would be completely different from me.
What is your favorite book to read?: Into the Forest by Jean Hegland. I could read that book over and over, and I have. It's just so beautifully written, and the story so fascinating, and the ending so inspiring. (And incidentally, it's a book I never would have read if I hadn't seen it on a list of suggested reading on an Ishmael site.)
What one album has influenced your life the most and why?: Nevermind by Nirvana. I became a Nirvana fan when I was 9 right during the heyday of grunge. Before Nirvana I didn't have my own musical preferences; I just listened to whatever my brother liked. But Nirvana (and of course its seminal album) opened a whole new world for me, and I started listening to other rock bands and discovering my own musical preferences.
What is your favorite album to listen to?: This is always changing, of course. But I think overall the album I could listen to consistantly without getting sick of it is Ani DiFranco's self-titled debut. It came out in 1989 when she was 19, on her own record label (Righteous Babe Records), and it is amazing how good her lyrics are, how strong her voice is, and how well she plays the guitar, at such a young age. Her music has gotten even better over the years, but this album is classic to me, and I could listen to it again and again.
What is your favorite movie ever?: So hard to decide, but I think that The Nightmare Before Christmas will always be my favorite. It's beautiful, charming, and endlessly watchable.
What is your absolute favorite TV show ever?: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Simpsons was always my favorite, but its recent seasons haven't really been as good, and I've seen the old episodes way too many times. Also, Buffy is much more obsession-worthy. Honestly I think Firefly might have been the best show ever, but it was canceled before it really had a chance, so there isn't enough there for it to be my favorite.
What is your favorite TV show currently on the air?: Lost. This is one of the best shows ever — there's so much to theorize about and so many interesting characters.
What drugs have you used and at what age did you start?: Caffeine: Probably since birth. This is a truly horrible drug. Alcohol: Don't remember the age I started, though I didn't get drunk until I was 19. Cigarettes: 13; I quit when I was 15. Cannabis: 14. The most wonderful plant in existence. This is a truly innocuous drug and there's no reason for it to be illegal. PCP: I accidentally smoked pot laced with PCP when I was 15 or 16. It was very nice, but I don't think I ever want to do that again. (And you know, if cannabis was legal, these things wouldn't happen. Government regulation has its perks.)

Personal preferences

Your favorite thing in the world: The moon. Unless that doesn't count as "in the world"?
Hobbies: Photography, drawing, painting, web surfing, web design, reading, herbalism, archery, astronomy, vegan cooking
Are you a cat person or a dog person?: Cats are vastly superior to dogs. Dogs smell, and drool, and bark, and need to be walked, and need their shit picked up. Cats are just cute and sweet and cuddly (albeit occasionally violent, but that's what makes them fun).
If you were trapped on a deserted island and could only bring one possession, what would it be?: My laptop. Assuming I could plug it in somewhere... Realistically, though, probably a good survival knife.
Do you have kids, or do you want any?: No, I don't think so. I'm not totally opposed to the idea, but right now I can't see myself ever having kids. Mainly because of the population problem; I couldn't bring more children into the world when there are already too many here who need families. If I had kids, I would adopt.
Favorite sports: archery and slinging
Favorite animals: fox, hawk, falcon, crow, raven, wolf, human
Favorite plants: mugwort, jewelweed, bloodroot, raspberry, cannabis
Favorite colors: purple, black, red
Favorite sounds: wolf howls and thunder
Favorite smells: honeysuckle, money, books
Favorite sights: the moon, northern lights, falling stars
Favorite texture: velvet
Favorite food: soy cheese pizza
Favorite drink: soy peppermint hot cocoa
Favorite ice cream: mint chocolate chip (non-dairy, of course)
Phobias: spiders, amputation, public speaking
Philias: night, the moon, redheads, knee high boots, smart people
Pet peeves: bad spelling, bigots, calling chimps or gorillas "monkeys"
Are you vegetarian, vegan, or just plain omnivore?: Vegan

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