KentQuizzer

Daaanieeel contains rather a lot of vowels and not many consonants. Is it meant to be the sound of someone calling your name? Have you considered adding more consonants to redress the balance? Why is there only one letter i rather than three? Is your name even Daniel anyway?

Ah, yes, the username question I knew was coming! I really wish there was a more interesting reason for my name choice. Unfortunately, the truth is I was trying every variation of ‘Daniel’ that I could think of, and that is the one that worked. I find it somewhat embarrassing now, but considering the names I could have gone with, I think it could be worse. And yes, Daniel is my real name, although in most circles I go by Dan.

Boxjaw; KentQuizzer

You've crafted quite a few quizzes. With Humankind’s Finish Line, you managed to write an entertaining quiz about apocalyptic events and the demise of mankind. Which of your quizzes have you found it most challenging to write? Which one was the most challenging for you to create?

The time pressure of the quizzes I made for the Amazing Races certainly made those ones each uniquely challenging, some more so than others. That said, the one that most stands out to me was for a different challenge in the Author Lounge- it was ‘Dinosaurs or Dragons? Faulty Fossil Findings’. I remember this one being a particularly hard one to research, especially finding factoids which could work in a quiz format. That said, it was also very rewarding, as it gave me the chance to research a topic I’ve always had a passing interest in but never explored in much detail (namely, palaeontology). It’s not necessarily one of my highest rated quizzes (I think it used to have sunnies but lost them at some point), but it’s one I’m still quite proud of given the effort I put into it.

James25

Every quiz writer has a quiz that is their personal favourite. What is yours and why?

This is actually quite a hard question. However, I think I’ll have to take the obvious choice. I will always cherish my first (and currently only) quiz to get an Editor’s Choice nod, which was my quiz on season 3 of 'Twin Peaks' titled ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’. Besides getting the EC, that one was also a lot of fun to write, because I love 'Twin Peaks' and there wasn’t yet a quiz on that season. I remarked to Kyle at the time that I was very surprised that one got an EC. I was quite proud of it, but I still only saw it as a pretty standard quiz on a television series- I didn’t think there was anything particularly unique or creative about it. Still, I’m very happy with that one, both in terms of how much enjoyment I got writing it and the overall quality of the questions.

Kyleisalive

What section of FunTrivia do you think needs more quizzes (for any reason)?

Well, I’ve seemed to have made it my life’s mission to contribute as many quizzes to the Animals category in general, so I have to say that. I’m just looking at the raw numbers and I’m staggered by how few quizzes are in the Animals category comparative to some of the other ones. From a selfish point of view, animal quizzes are always my favourite quizzes to take, so the more content the better. I also think learning about the fascinating creatures we share the world with is the first step to making people want to do their bit to protect them, so in that way I can see these quizzes having a real impact. So, basically, the entire Animals category is my answer!

Quiz_Beagle; James25

If you had unlimited time, what FT badge would you like to get? What is the next badge you are going for?

Badge gathering has taken a bit of a back seat lately, and most of the ones I really wanted I now have (fun fact: I won both the Lucky Duck and Perfect Score badges on the exact same day). When I get back to writing more regularly (and have more regular income) I'll most likely pay for gold membership again, and hopefully be able to tick off some of the gold member exclusive badges that have eluded me. The fifteen categories badge would also be pretty neat, as it is definitely a goal of mine to have at least one quiz written in every category at some point. A couple of those categories are well outside my comfort zone (Brain Teasers and Celebrities especially), but those would be the most rewarding!

On the second question, I’m oh-so-close to ticking off both the Question Quest: 50 and Prolific Author badges, so those ones are probably my most immediate concerns. Unfortunately, the well of inspiration has run somewhat dry as of late, but I think I’ll be picking up the pace again sooner than later.

James25

You registered for FT in July 2011, so it is almost your tenth birthday on the site. What first attracted you to the site and how do you look back on these ten years?

So, this is actually quite an interesting and potentially revealing fact. While I cannot remember specifically what drew me onto the website, I can say that I signed up for the site on the day of my 13th birthday, just as I was old enough to sign up. To me, looking back on my contributions to the boards and the types of quizzes I was writing, that fact is blatantly obvious, but that might surprise some people and reveal just how ‘young’ I am.

Anyway, given the topic of first quizzes I wrote, the earliest quizzes I took, and my overriding interests at the time, my guess is that I was looking for something to do with either my favourite book series at the time (the 'Redwall' books by Brian Jacques) or something to do with Australian rules football, and somehow stumbled onto this site through that. I was immediately enamoured by it, and wanted to participate to the fullest extent possible, throwing myself immediately into quiz writing and contributing to discussion boards. I’ve always loved just knowing things for the sake of knowledge, so this website was a pretty natural fit for my personality.

I think what’s really special about this site for me is how it has become a real time capsule for my youth and young adulthood. I can really track my progression through life by the sorts of quizzes I was writing and taking, what ‘Who’s the Expert?’ topics I was winning, what author challenges I was participating in etc. I can see so many of the phases I went through, some of which stuck and some of which fell off very quickly. While I have gone through so many different stages of life in those ten years, this website has stayed pretty constant, even if I’m not churning out content with the same tenacity that I once had. But that is really special to me, and such a beautiful coincidence that could only happen because I signed up so young.

James25

You are part of the Quiz Makers Guild team, What was the reason for choosing this team and how would you describe your role on the team?

I was drawn in by the big-name quiz writers and editors that have made their home there. At the time I was much more active in quiz writing than I am currently, so I thought it would be a great way to surround myself with the best and learn by osmosis. There’s some good lively chat, plenty of encouragement, and we give the team competitions a red-hot crack too, so I’m happy with the choice I made. I’d say my role is mostly on the competition side of things these days, although I’ll chip in on the team board now and then too. There are some lovely people on that team, so I'm happy with my choice!

Boxjaw; James 25

I see you enjoy coffee. Is there a particular brew that you prefer? You were part of the Amazing Race on the Kaffeeklatsch team. Did coffee help you with the pressure of the race?

Yes, I’m a major coffee drinker. The first job I ever had was in coffee while I was still in school, and I stayed in the industry until quite recently, so I’ve had a long time to turn my addiction into a passion. The coffee scene in Australia is pretty special, so I’ve developed what I think is quite a refined palette, as pretentious as that makes me sound. It’s also one of the few luxuries I afford myself on a daily basis, so an embarrassing percentage of my grocery budget goes to buying the best beans available! I’m also ‘straight edge’, meaning I don’t smoke, use recreational drugs, or drink alcohol, so caffeine is one of my few remaining vices. My dream is to one day own an appliance that will allow me to make every possible method of making coffee. Unfortunately, however, I do not have the money to finance this dream for now.

My usual go-to in the morning is an Aeropress, which is a new-ish method of making coffee which is comparative in taste to espresso coffee. I won’t go into the physics of it all, but it basically involves using a tube with a plunger at the end to force air down, which in turn forces the water through the coffee grounds. It’s quite a fun way of making coffee and doesn’t cost much for a very high-quality tasting coffee (I promise I’m not a sales representative for Aeropress!). Australian cafes are predominantly espresso-based, so when I’m out for coffee I’ll usually go for a ‘long black’, which is basically an Australian version of an Americano (espresso coffee + hot water). If I’m at home and need an afternoon pick-me-up, I’ll usually make a pour-over coffee, which is less concentrated and therefore has a much lighter taste to it that goes down well. So, I don’t necessarily have a favourite method or brew, it’s very much circumstantial. That said, I’ll only drink instant coffee if it’s the only option available.

In terms of the two Amazing Races I’ve participated in, I wasn’t of coffee-drinking age for the first time around and for the second Race the timing of the releases of clues usually happened quite late at night, so I tried to avoid caffeine. I definitely sunk a few cups of tea for both, though! Those Races were a lot of fun to participate in, and my team did pretty well in both too, which is a bonus. If the timing was right, I would happily get involved in another one in the future.

Boxjaw; Quiz_Beagle

Have you travelled to Europe? If you have, how was the experience? If you haven't where would you like to go there? Where would be your ideal holiday destination?

Unfortunately, the pandemic ruined my plans to travel to (and study in) Europe, so I’m yet to have the opportunity. I’d absolutely love to head over there some time. Berlin in particular is high on my list, I’ve had friends who have visited there and told me I would especially love it there. Nature is also my usual drawcard for holiday destinations, so Switzerland, Iceland, and the Lake District of the UK are all places in Europe I’d like to tick off (amongst others). Outside of Europe, I have half-formed plans to spend a few weeks in New Zealand, which I’ve wanted to visit for a while and is the easiest place for an Australian to visit in current times thanks to a travel bubble. That’s been on the list for a while, as a nature lover and Tolkien fan. Costa Rica is another one that’s pretty high on the list too.

Kyleisalive; Quiz_Beagle

While it’s clear that travel is kind of out of the question right now, what place do you most want to go? And what place has never interested you (so that commenters can convince you otherwise)? You’ve written quizzes on some very exotic places – are you a big traveler in normal times?

I’ve had my chance to do a bit of travel, but mostly for financial reasons nowhere near at the caliber I would have hoped for. I’ve travelled around almost all of Australia, although I still need to tick off Tasmania and the Northern Territory (hopefully sooner than later). Internationally, I’ve been to Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and Singapore. I’m very keen to branch out into other continents and visit as many places as I possibly can. I certainly haven’t travelled as much as I ideally would, which isn’t helped by living in the world’s most isolated major city. Hopefully I can change that sooner than later. While there are very few places that I wouldn’t visit, for the sake of choosing something to spark some debate, I’ll say… I don’t know, Russia? Although I’m sure I would also really enjoy visiting Russia if given the chance too!

KentQuizzer

You’re in Western Australia, which covers almost a third of Australia, although many of us have only heard of Perth. What would you like to highlight for us to learn more about WA in general, or Perth specifically?

While I’m a Sydneysider by birth, my family moved to Perth when I was just a baby, so it’s very much home for me. I’ve lived all around the metropolitan region, so I’ve seen it at all angles, and I think what’s very special about Perth and WA generally is how dynamic it is. If you’re a big nature lover, there’s Rottnest Island, Ningaloo Reef, Karijini National Park, and the forests and mountains encompassing almost the entire South-West region, not to mention arguably the best beaches in the world spread across the WA coastline. If you’re a nightlife sort of person, I strongly believe Perth has the best music scene in the world, and the quality of our world-famous musical output backs that up (Tame Impala, Stella Donnelly, Angus Young of AC/DC, most of the members of INXS, The Triffids, The Scientists, Troye Sivan, Karnivool…). Every time I’m out I find a new local act to get excited by. If you’re a foodie, we have an abundance of wineries. Its strategic location in the world also means it has quite an interesting history, dating back to the oldest surviving civilisations in the world (Aboriginal people have inhabited what is now called Australia for over 50,000 years). While WA is often unfortunately overlooked in favour of the eastern states in terms of tourism, I think it really punches above its weight and is well worth the visit, especially if you have the finances to travel out beyond Perth into the rest of the State.

Quiz_Beagle

If you could show your home town to anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

What an interesting question! Should I go with someone who would particularly enjoy Perth? Or just someone that I would want to hang out with? So many possible angles! I think a good one would be Justin Vernon, who is probably my favourite artist of all time. He’s best known as the frontman of Bon Iver, who happen to have a song called ‘Perth’ despite being from the US. That song is about Heath Ledger’s death. He’s played shows here, but to my knowledge hasn’t spent any meaningful time here before. Showing him around the city he wrote a song about would be pretty special, and I love his music so much so it would be a bit of a fantasy for me too.

Boxjaw

What is the most important thing that draws you to the music you enjoy?

This is something I’ve thought a lot about, because my music taste encompasses a whole spectrum of genres, moods, eras and levels of popularity, so it’s hard to draw a through line. I think, in the end, it’s about authenticity and honesty. I don’t care how well known an artist is, or the style of music they play, or what their background is, or how many people it took to make the music. If the music sounds to me like it is something the artist really wanted to make, then there’s a much better chance I’ll enjoy it. And that doesn’t have to be particularly deep or meaningful. While I do love, say, when an artist like Phil Elverum (of Mount Eerie) can write two raw and absolutely heartbreaking albums about the tragic early death of his wife (‘A Crow Looked at Me’ and ‘Now Only’, look them up if you want to feel emotionally wrecked), I also love it when an artist like Charli XCX just writes pop songs about partying. To me, both still feel like real reflections of the artist themselves, and for that reason I can connect to the music. If it reeks of dishonesty or industry-driven pandering, I probably won’t like it. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a hard and fast rule, because music can be enjoyed in different contexts for different reasons, but it’s a pretty good starting point for determining if I will listen to an artist on my own accord more than once.

Probably the next thing I like to hear is just something unique about that artist that makes them different from anyone else. I don’t necessarily think every single artist has to reinvent the wheel to still make good art, and there’s plenty of artists I love that stick pretty closely to their genre tropes. However, I still want something to stand out when I listen to an artist- good song-writing, an unusual singing voice, interesting instrumentation etc. If it sounds exactly like something I’ve already heard, I’m probably not going to find much enjoyment in it.

Quiz_Beagle

One of your hobbies is theatre. As an amateur thesp myself, I was wondering where your interest lies. Performing, writing, directing, attending or something else?

Once upon a time I wanted to be an actor. Stage or screen, it didn’t matter to me. I took acting classes and studied it all through school. At some point I came to the realisation that I was probably not good enough to be professional with it. This isn’t a ‘woe is me’ story; while I could naturally deliver a ‘good’ performance, I never really had the passion, ambition or motivation to deliver anything ‘great’. I also hate rehearsing; I just love performing! So that passion eventually passed, and while I have sometimes fantasised about a dramatic return to acting (pun intended), I don’t really see that happening any time soon.

An unfortunate reality is that, when life starts to get busy, my interest in theatre is usually the first hobby to suffer. I haven’t partaken in any acting since I graduated high school, as much as I have sometimes felt the urge. The most I scratch that itch these days is attending multiple amateur and professional theatre shows a year. I still feel inspired and energised by a good play, and I think that is enough. I also have quite a few friends that did pursue acting professionally, so it’s always particularly meaningful when I see them on stage. I’m particularly keen on Brechtian theatre, as I love art that is somewhat surreal or abstract, or in some way challenges me to critically engage with what I’m watching.

Nowadays, I put all my creative energy towards music. I write and perform in a band, and that is enough creative fulfilment for me, as music is undeniably the biggest passion in my life.

Boxjaw

I’m a big baseball fan (Minnesota Twins). Can you tell us a little bit about the attractions of cricket?


Cricket is possibly the most inaccessible sport to an outsider in existence, with its ridiculous terminology, insane run length (how can a sport run across five days?!) and general slow pace (unless you’re playing limited overs cricket, of course). This is all to say I absolutely sympathise with people that just don’t get it. It is an archaic sport whose sheer existence barely makes sense in the modern world, let alone its popularity. In a world of instant gratification, who would want to watch a five-day slow burn where nothing much happens and will likely end in a draw anyway?

So yes, describing the appeal of cricket to someone with no interest in it might sound like passionately describing what is so interesting about watching paint dry. However, once you get past the bizarre words being thrown around and start to understand the tactics, it is actually very engaging. I’m somewhat of a test cricket purist, so the five-day format to me is the most exciting, as the drama and suspense is suspended across a long period of time. It’s also a truly gruelling test of the stamina and mental strength of the players, which makes the stories and history surrounding cricket so fascinating. I think also the fact these big moments and breakthroughs are surrounded by sometimes hours of nothing much happening makes the payoff more rewarding. That said, I do also enjoy watching 50 and 20 over cricket too, for different reasons. I liken the distinction between T20 and test cricket as that between a blockbuster action movie and an arthouse piece of film- the former might be more readily exciting, but the latter simply has more depth and is more engaging on a deeper level. If you’re interested in exploring cricket, though, T20 is definitely a helpful starting point, and I would absolutely not deter you from watching the IPL for example.

For me, cricket was something I came up with. My family is a big sporting family, and cricket in particular was a deep love. I’ll toot my own horn here and say that it helps that I was quite a handy all-rounder growing up, especially as a bowler, and I made it fairly far before I called an early retirement to focus on my studies. Hopefully one day I’ll return to playing cricket and reinstate those glory days! I wasn’t much good at playing my other sporting love, Australian rules football, so cricket became #1 in my life in terms of sporting loves. Australian rules footy is a close #2, and American football is a recent and perhaps surprising #3 (go Bears!).


Kyleisalive; Boxjaw

If not FunTrivia, where would you find yourself spending the most time on the internet? What is your favorite pastime?

Well, I do somehow manage to waste a LOT of time on the Internet, both on and outside FunTrivia. As is becoming a theme in these answers, a lot of that time wasting is music related. There are a few music blogs, vlogs and websites that I trawl through pretty frequently for news and recommendations. I dedicate a lot of my time and energy to chasing down music I haven’t heard before. As I type this, I’m listening to an album called ‘Glitter’ by a Japanese alt-rock band called Pasteboard for the first time, and I’m enjoying it quite a bit.

I also binge watch a lot of tv shows. I’m currently going through ‘The Sopranos’ (almost done!), ‘Over the Garden Wall’ (just started!) and am re-watching ‘The Simpsons’ for the millionth time. I like to watch roughly one comedy and one drama at a time, so I can go between the two depending on my mood.

Beyond the Internet, I spend quite a bit of time watching sport, going on very long walks, reading, and writing and performing music.

James25

Your highest rated quiz is called Make it Work and is about inspirational people. Who has inspired you the most in life and on this site?

I’m always a bit hesitant to idolise any real-life person. I think putting people on pedestals risks forgetting that they’re fallible, flawed human beings like the rest of us. Even in that quiz, for example, one of the original questions was about Lance Armstrong; I replaced it when the doping scandal came to light not long after the quiz was published.

That said, one person I have tremendous respect for is John Darnielle, best known as the frontman for the band The Mountain Goats who has also written some fantastic novels. I always admire people who go through very difficult life experiences, but instead of turning them jaded and bitter, it seemed to have brought out deep empathy and kindness. That is the, for lack of a better word, vibe I’ve always got from Darnielle, in both his lyrics, books, and social media accounts. His characters in his songs and books are all broken and flawed in their own way, but they’re written with such care and love. And from everything I’ve heard about him in real life, it seems like that care for people extends to his real-life interactions too. He grew up with an abusive father and struggled with substance abuse in his younger years (the albums ‘The Sunset Tree’ and ‘We Shall All Be Healed’ are about both of these experiences, respectively), so for him to come out the way he has is something I think we can all be inspired by.

On this website, I have to say as I writer I’ve always loved all the typical ‘greats’ of the site that we all know and don’t even need to name. Not trying to suck up to anyone, but all the editors truly deserve their titles, the quality of the quizzes from the editing staff is off the charts. Kyle is definitely one of my favourite writers, for the sake of naming one. I also, of course, greatly respect the works of all my Kaffeeklatsch teammates. I feel like once I start naming names, I won’t be able to stop, so perhaps it’s best I leave it at that for now!

Quiz_Beagle

I really like your endangered animals quizzes. Do you have any pets (endangered or otherwise)?

Alas, I am not allowed pets at the house I currently rent, but when my life circumstances allow me to, I will absolutely get pets. I plan on getting a couple of cats as soon as I am able to, mostly because I never got the chance to have one growing up (my sister is allergic, and dad hates them). I’ll be sure to update everyone when that happens!

I also want to get an Irish wolfhound at some point in my life, when I am able to properly care for one. We were very much a dog household growing up, and I have been lucky enough to have three dogs in my lifetime- two cairn terriers (one still alive) and a blue heeler. We also had fish, budgerigars, and hermit crabs. I think this upbringing really ignited the animal lover in me.

I’ve always felt a kinship with animals, so much so that my original life plan was to pursue zoology and/or conservation science, until I realised maths and science were not strengths of mine! Environmental conservation is an issue very near and dear to my heart and something I dedicate a lot of my energy towards, professionally and personally. I’ve written more animal quizzes than anything and plan on pumping out more, because I love learning about the very rich lives of the species we share the planet with. Interestingly, I believe I took that concept from a series that Anna (dcpddc478) started, and we very loosely collaborated on that series in the early days, to the extent that we informed each other of what species we intended to write on next. Writing new quizzes in that series is also definitely on the agenda for me.

Kyleisalive

What would we be surprised to know about you?

I suppose one surprising fact is something I’ve touched upon one thing already, that is the fact I’m actually quite a bit younger than what some might have realised. As I’ve said, to me it seems very obvious that I was very much a child when I joined this website, but maybe it isn’t as obvious as I think. People are often surprised to learn that I am vegan, but my quiz on that matter probably makes it less surprising for this audience. Also, maybe the fact that I have tattoos might surprise a few people. I’m not sure, this is a hard question!

James25

In the comments on your profile, you have the quote ‘This is not my beautiful house’. Is there a reason for your choice – does it have a special meaning to you?

That quote is taken from the classic Talking Heads song, ‘Once in a Lifetime’. I wouldn’t say the line in particular is deeply significant to me per se, I think it’s the delivery of the line in the song that amuses me more than anything. I am a very big Talking Heads fan, though, for sure, and I do resonate with the themes of that song relating to life passing you by in a blur. But in terms of why I chose it, it’s really more the humour than anything. The music video always makes me smile.

rossian

If disaster struck and you could only choose one CD, one book, one film/movie and one television show (you can pick a box set, if necessary) to listen to, read or watch for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?

This is such an impossible question for me, thank goodness it’s a situation that I will hopefully never have to actually experience! For CDs, I think I’ll have to go with ‘Loveless’ by My Bloody Valentine. That was an album that completely changed my understanding of what music could sound like, and every time I return to it I find some new detail to be amazed by. I don’t think I could ever get sick of hearing it. For a book, I think ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley. So much has already been said about that book that I have nothing original to add, it’s just a really beautiful book. For film, it has to be ‘Paddington 2’, and I mean that with full sincerity. That movie touched me deeply and is a real comfort item for me. If you haven’t watched it, forget all scepticism you might have and watch it. Finally, for my one television series, this is an easy choice- ‘Twin Peaks’. I adore that show to pieces.

Thank you for the interview. I enjoyed reading it.

Great interview, thanks!

You had me fooled. I thought you were much older.

Great interview, Daniel! Very nice to read.

Thanks all, a pleasure to partake in too, thanks for the questions!

Fascinating! I hadn't seen you around for some time, and although I remember you were young I didn't realise how much, as when we've spoken in the past it wasn't possible to tell.