# In reply to christyotwisty's 5 Qs for Nov 2025 - alfred's Gemini capsule


## Do/Did you do anything special for Samhain/Halloween/Dia de los Muertos?

No, but I have a measure of admiration and envy for the fun enjoyed by those who do. In my immediate geographic and social community, the festive spirit for this day is low. So "doing nothing" is the default/norm. 


## Did a grandparent or great-grandparent serve in any of the World Wars of the 20th Century?

I don't know about my great-grandparents' activities during WWI at all. 

As best I know, none of my grandparents were in the armed forces, but both grandfathers served domestically in supporting roles during WWII. One was a labor foreman at a military base. The other was a chemist and line foreman for a company that made things that went boom. 


## What are you a "natural" at doing?

If anything, mathematics - more so in my younger years. I liked that in my schoolwork, there was always a right answer for math problems - it was never a matter of opinion or style. 


## What has been your best work of art?

I'm pretty inept at producing representational art. And I can't think of any efforts I've made in regards to producing non-representational art. 

Art considered more broadly, like photography - I have enjoyed being a dilettante in that realm. A few of my photographs have been enlarged, framed, and hung at home. I've uploaded some of these photos to my sdf-low-res image gallery in my Gemlog. 

Among these, I think the shots of Duke Chapel and Needle Arch are my best. Neither used any special filters or techniques. They were simply opportunistic snapshots that turned out better than expected. Luck. But for other photos, I have at times made conscious efforts to incorporate perspective and framing in aesthetically pleasing ways. 


## What's something that amazes you?

The ability some people have to improvise fluidly, such as in music, dance, or speech. I feel like I have some kind of high cognitive overhead that blocks me from being able to enter an improvisational flow state. 

I understand that improvisational skill can be developed with practice, but I often feel inhibited from even trying, out of fear of embarrassment over awkward/clumsy results. 



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Last edited: 2025-11-04