Getting to know you and stuff Victoria writes the Art Colony web journal / words thing. We are happy to have her. I have always meant to do a little "Here's a new writer - let's welcome them" introductory post - and there have been quite a few queries about Victoria, and who is she, and how she found us, and what makes her tick. So, here we go... the premier edition of happyrobot's "getting to know you" column. I give you Victoria:
Nine Questions for Victoria who is new to the robot
1. Where you stay? Geographically that is.
I stay in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was born here, but I've travelled all over Europe and I'm (no offense to the Midwest) not really "midwest-y" at all. Technically, if I'm writing on happyrobot, chances are I'm at my college in the library where i work.
2. How did you find us?
Good question. I think it was probably a link on a link--if I ever have some free time, I start clicking on random links featured on websites I already like. So, for www.excitementmachine.org, there are tons links on the right hand side to different blogs and some of them are pretty interesting. So I found happyrobot in that fashion.
3. What marketing age group do you fall into?
As an advertising major, I love this question! There are so many different kinds of groups/standards for demographics--I guess I'm a 20 year old female caucasian member of Generation Y. It's not necessarily about age, though--if we're using VALS, I guess I'd be a combination of Striver (at this point, at least), Maker, and Experience'r, with the occasional Fulfilled (the frustration!). I've done an advertising focus group in the past, though, and I think I rather defied their expectations of what a student at my university would be...
4. An ideal meal would consist of?
well, that depends... :)
In Italy: Prosciutto e melone, Strozzapreti (hand-made pasta) in an olive oil and fresh italian herb sauce, with gelato (preferably a Cornetto) or Tiramisu for dessert, coffee
In Scotland: Fish and chips with Irn-Bru.
In France: Croque-monsieur (toasted ham & cheese sandwich), tarte au framboise (raspberry tart), cafe au lait.
In Wisconsin: Gianelli's anchovy Pizza or sushi.
5. What can you not live without?
A couple of things, all of which I could, in an ideal world, carry with me in my handbag: my b-friend, coffee, cigarettes, Happyrobot (it's way too much fun), talking to cool people (a.k.a. my "support network"), and endlessly ribbing the TV show "Entertainment Tonight."
6. Do you have any idea how happyrobot could make millions from the comfort of my home?
A couple of ideas (that's one thing I always have, ideas)-- you could always have a service where you get your Happyrobot writers to contribute short stories to a book which would then go on to become a Nationwide best-seller, thereby driving us all up to the status of David Sedaris as a satirist superstar. Or you could start selling cheap items with nifty happyrobot logos on it at a high mark-up--if you pay $3 for the t-shirt, you could sell it for $15! Or you could always just wait it out because Happyrobot's gonna get even bigger and more famous, thereby generating lots of hits and the potential for [gasp] online advertising.
7. Ever been mauled by a wild animal?
No, but I remember that once my dad was attacked by a white rabbit in Provence just like in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." He was wearing open-toe sandals and the rabbit loped up innocently and bit his big toe, at which point he screamed and kind've kicked up his foot with the rabbit still attached...
8. What item of clothing do find is the hardest to shop for?
That's a toughie, especially since I haven't had the opportunity to shop in a long time (being a particularly wretched pecuniary college student will do that to you)...I'd have to say jeans, since my legs are long-ish and American jeans aren't really cut to fit. TBut the idea of hypothetically shopping for new clothes is challenging in itself, merely because so many of the clothing styles just scream "FLUFFBUNNY" or "MALLZOMBIE" or "FOREVER21" that it's a bit of a challenge. Most of my clothes are finds from vintage stores.
9. What other websites to you like?
I love the website www.engrish.com --I *KNOW* that engrish is going to be the next "big thing," same way I liked pirates before "Pirates of the Carribbean" came out... www.usedwigs.com has some gems sometimes. www.vgg.com is a GREAT site, the Van Gogh-Gogh's are hilariously funny and guaranteed to please. And I just discovered this one that I'm gonna submit to the robot filter in 2 shakes--meet Ill Mitch.
