Official GTPlanet Member of the Fortnight [Member of the Week]

Congrats to Danny
I remember ultrabeat
Really the same guy?

Your posts are fab and
You deserve this so much, I
Made two haikus. Bam!
 
Danny called out a ban on me getting Member of the Week therefore I demand his MOTWness to be banned also.

Only because I want him all to myself. <3
 
You should rename yourself back to Rx7_AnD_gTr_SuPaDrIfTeR and start drifting again. :lol:

This absolutely got dammit. Then get a special permit from the mod team to trolll a bit and go on the drifting subforums and talk all 1337 and stuff. Would be awesome, because no one better qualified for the job.
 
This week's inductee has plenty to say, and has a daughter that I have officially mandated as my spokesperson for all things silly after this debacle. Give it up for Steve, otherwise known as Foolkiller!

1. First and foremost, you're officially the Member of the Week so what were your thoughts going into this and how does it feel to be recognized amidst the hundreds of thousands of other members here?
Well, my initial thought was something like, "Really? Me?" I don't have the self-esteem that allows me to expect to ever be recognized for anything non-work related. So, I guess being recognized feels surprising.

2. What brought you to GTPlanet and what keeps you coming back?
After GT4 came out I remember specifically looking for a prize car list and someone had one as an attached file in their post. You couldn't download attachments without registering, so I begrudgingly did. I thought it would be like everything else where I am told to register to properly use the site. But then I kept coming back because it was a good source of information for the game and the community was well moderated. Once I realized it wasn't the wild wastelands most of the Internet has become I started to become active.

Ultimately, I stayed because it was awesome.


3. There's a lot to do around the forums so I have to ask: what sub-forums/threads do you frequent most often and why?
Infield and Opinions forums. Truth be told, my wife doesn't want to listen to me rant on about the government, politicians, cars, games, etc. The Opinion forum has enough reasonable members willing to have a serious back and forth that it is a good outlet and I have developed enough of a social relationship with many of the premium members that I feel comfortable discussing everyday stuff, good or bad.

4. What was it that sparked your interest in Gran Turismo?
It was my freshman year of college and I came home for winter (Christmas) break. My best friend had gotten a PlayStation for Christmas and he wanted me to go with him to Toys R Us (this was before GameStop was an evil empire) to pick up this new car game that his cousin told him about. Well, we got to Toys R Us, but they didn't have the game. What they did have was a large parking lot covered in snow, so we hooned around the lot in his crappy old Toyota Tercel. Hooning for us didn't just meant doing doughnuts and powerslides. Oh no, he had an ahooga horn.

Anyway, on our way back home we saw this new store called Game Force. This store was ahead of its time. Before GameStop was doing it, they sold used games, and not just current console games, but even Atari cartridges. They were far superior to GameStop. First, they had a return policy that stated if you didn't like the game you can return it for another game. They guaranteed that you would enjoy the game. They also had two of every console from NES to PS1 setup behind the counter, and if you wanted to know if a game was good or not they would pop it in and hand you the controller. No demo stations, no time limits, just play it until you make a decision. This is a bit of a tangent, but it leads to my story. When we asked about Gran Turismo they had sold their last copy earlier that day. The owner told us that he had just been to their other store across town and he saw they had two in stock. If we could get over there before they closed he would call and have them hold one for us. So, that's what we did and it all worked out. We spent the rest of that night playing Gran Turismo, trying desperately to beat the license tests.

So Gran Turismo all got started with a great memorable experience.

And that following summer I sold my SNES and all the games to Game Force to buy a PS1 and GT, along with an extra controller and memory card.

5. How did you come up with the name "Foolkiller"?
Its kind of stupid really. When I was in college I was working a part-time job at a movie theater and me and a few of the guys I worked with would get together to drink and play Halo. At some point in our job we got to calling people fools all the time, likely because cursing in a service job was heavily frowned upon. It got to be kind of a joke and then during a round of Halo I started saying, "I'm going to kill me some fools," every time someone did something stupid to blow their cover. The next time we got together I made my name in the game FoolKiller. I started using it online for anything gaming related after that and have just stuck with it.


6. Controversial question time: Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport or both?
That is really a two-part answer. Mainly I prefer Gran Turismo. After buying a wheel, a wheel stand, and all that stuff Gran Turismo just feels more real to me. If I just want to sit down and experience driving with variety it will be Gran Turismo.

That said, I am a fan of the American LeMans Series, and Forza has the official license for that series. I have attended multiple Petit LeMans' at Road Atlanta and Forza has that track. So, if I want to race my favorite race cars at my favorite track I play Forza. While I think Gran Turismo feels better Forza isn't so different that I hate it or don't enjoy it. It is fun racing. Forza did some things right that GT didn't and vice-versa.

But if you want a really good LeMans game, Le Mans 24 Hours on the PS2 is the best endurance racing game out there. GT5's endurance races with day/night changes got close, but not quite there.

7. In 2011 we were both named "Most likely to be a crowned a moderator" via the GTP Awards, and as you know in 2012 I became an official member of the staff beginning at ForzaPlanet and eventually volunteered to do so here; do you think something is coming your way or do you find it be nothing more than an eerie coincidence?
First, I honestly didn't know when you became a moderator. I saw you giving a warning to someone one day and just thought that you were being yourself, and then realized you had moderator status.

No offense, I'm just rarely look at member badges. At least it isn't like username changes where I am confused by who this new premium member with thousands of posts is that I have never met. I didn't know Danny was Ultrabeat until last week's MOW. I read that and suddenly everything made sense. And I think I even remember him announcing it when it happened, I just didn't register it.

As for me being a moderator, well, and I guess it is OK for me to reveal this, I was offered a chance by Jordan in 2010. And I guess Famine knew, because a month or so later he asked me why I wasn't one.

It was just bad timing. My daughter was less than a year old, I had just found out that I would need a heart transplant, and I had just recently had to lay off a couple of guys at work. I know almost exactly when it was because Jordan wished me luck with my medical tests in the same message. I looked at my current stress levels, the fact that part of my job was being disciplinarian and sending people packing, and I just didn't think it was the right thing at that time. I really wanted to do it, but between medical and family changes I didn't think I would be able to do right by Jordan and the site.

Ultimately it probably was for the best because I lost my job a year later when the company went bankrupt.
Now the job I have blocks GTPlanet and I wouldn't have been able to put the time in it that I used to at my old job. I honestly don't know if I would have made it a year before I hit Emeritus status. Turning it down did come back to bite me at one point. I had a chance to be the social media manager at Humana during my job hunting and a moderator of a community this size would have been a great boost to my resume.

And when we were voted most likely to be a moderator I just chuckled quietly to myself.

8. Mechanical or Membrane keyboard?
Why are you people so obsessed with this? I guess membrane, since that is what I use at work. But to be honest I use a capacitive touchscreen keyboard most of the time, as I'm mostly on my iPhone or iPad. This sounds horrible, but with an iPad right there on the sofa, the laptop seems so far away, then you have to boot it up, login, and then wait for Windows to grind its way to usability. Home button - swipe - passcode- GO! is so much easier. And since I have now determined Gmail drafts to be the best word processor out there (I have a draft folder full of things I have typed up, including these responses) I rarely need my PC.

9. Your avatar advocates Donate Life America, which for those who don't know allows one to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. What made you take up such an example?
To clarify, Donate Life, while allowing you to register, is actually a group focused on awareness of organ and tissue donation. I take out the eyes part, because they are an organ. I point out the difference because it is one of the few causes that doesn't ask you to actively hand over your worldly possessions, like clothes, food, or money. No, they mostly need stuff after you are dead. It's like letting a charity take your trash. So the biggest issue in organ and tissue donation is awareness because there are far too few donors. There is an average of 18 people who need an organ donation that die everyday in the US. Since donation costs nothing to the family of the deceased it is really just a case of letting people know the facts about donation. The biggest aspect of it is letting your loved ones know that is your wish, because they get the final say and that decision isn't an easy call to make in an emotional moment.

Anyway, I have been a registered donor since I could sign up as one. We have a small signature line on the back of our driver's licenses in Kentucky. But I became an active advocate in 2010 when I discovered I needed a heart transplant. For the details people can read this thread. I am used to my medical issues and came to terms with my mortality a very long time ago, but when someone gives you life expectancy timelines when you have a six-month-old girl suddenly no amount of time is enough. I wanted to be a father to my daughter and when the best case was 10-15 years after a transplant, it wasn't good enough. That meant I would need two transplants in my life time (which is allowed) if I wanted to see my daughter grow up. So, I did it all for my daughter.

I often say she saved my life because I completely changed my lifestyle to maintain my health as long as possible, and I can't say I would have done it if not for her. Before she was born I believed a long life was pointless if I didn't enjoy it. Now I have something that makes me enjoy every day, no matter how bad I feel.

On a related side note, since I have become a big advocate of donation know two people who have had to get kidney transplants and my grandmother has had to cornea transplants, which bought her about 5 more years of vision before her eyes as a whole became too wore out (she's 98). Now she has trouble seeing faces unless they are right in front of her. But for a woman who loves nothing more than to just sit and read a book five years of vision is priceless.

10. Aside from being a advocate for Donate Life, do you have any other joyous hobbies?
I have a vegetable and herb garden and I guess I've kind of made cooking into a hobby, since I had to learn a whole new low sodium lifestyle.

My garden used to be much bigger. I even won second place at the state fair for my sunflowers one year. Due to the transplant I needed to get rid of it since soil contains bacteria and I will be on immunosuppressants. Now it is just a patio garden with herbs and some potted tomatoes and peppers.

I'm also a big fan of books. I have two bookcases full of them, plus boxes of them in the attic. I have everything from non-fiction biographies and economic philosophy to sci-fi and comics. Similarly, I have a few hundred movies on DVD/Blu-Ray, and I like video games but don't fall into the average gamer category, as I don't enjoy shooters that much if they don't requiring strategy and thought.

11. Given the opportunity, what would you do as a Moderator here?
Within Jordan's rules, I would continue to keep this a civil and orderly place. He truly has set this place up to work very well. There isn't a lot different that can be done and keep it a fun place.

In a fantasy, no rules scenario I would mega-ban the GT forum just as news for GT6 was breaking, and again on launch day. I figure that would eliminate 90% of the troublemakers. I'd then reinstate all premium members and long-term members with no infraction points, as they would most likely just be casualties.

12. Are you driving anything special at the moment?
Just my 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit. I think he's special, and compared to most VW owners it probably is, since it only had one maintenance problem after warranty, and that was a recalled part that I just hadn't had fixed when they initiated the recall, because it was right after my medical stuff turned to crap and I pushed it aside to deal with later.

It was the first car that I bought with my money, after searching all the cars I liked, and wasn't a used car just bought from friends or family because I needed one and it was a good deal.

13. Where and when was your very first post here and how does it differ from your posting style used today?
March, 2005. I posted pictures in the Official Jump Thread in the GT4 Photomode forum.

Now I almost never go in the GT threads. I mostly posted in the Photomode stuff, even participated in some of the first Phtomode Competitions. But then in July of that year I discovered the Opinion forum. That was where I found my place at GTP.

14. How many of your controllers have died because of heavy physical abuse whilst playing a PS3 game?
None. Seriously. I have a broken Wii controller from my brother-in-law putting it into my ceiling fan during a Tiger Woods backswing, but that's it. I'm careful of my controllers. My dad used to throw our Atari controllers all the time, and then blamed my brother and I when we had to buy new ones. I don't know if it was witnessing the destruction or taking on some kind of false guilt, but I have always been good to my controllers and yell at anyone who tosses one in anger. I've even been known to set a pillow at their in front of them if they prove untrustworthy.

15. Have you ever accessed the website during an unusual time and/or place?
Multiple times from the hospital. Once when my wife was having surgery for endometriosis and then multiple times after tests or procedures. The most unusual was likely after my last heart cath. I have to lay without moving for six hours and I am not allowed to sleep, so this last time I put my phone in my bag with the headphones and gave it to my wife with instructions to give it to the nurse when she comes out and says I'm out. The nurse was still next to me when I woke up so I asked her to grab it when she went to talk to my family. Then, lying in recovery, still groggy from the drugs, I logged in. Being foggy headed I didn't post, but I read through all the new posts in threads I subscribe to. Then I put my headphones in and started listening to that day's Adam Carolla Podcast.

That's right, all of you ranked before Adam Carolla.

16. What's the longest you've gone without logging onto GTPlanet since joining: Years, months, weeks, days, hours?
It was 16 days while I was in Hawaii, before I had a smartphone and before free wifi was just bombarding you as you walked down the street. I was essentially offline that entire time.

17. Who (in your own opinion) is the most inspiring person / people here on GTPlanet ?
Well, Jordan for one. I mean, just look at what he started as basically a kid with a passion for a game. From that to a site that is referenced on mainstream gaming blogs, recognized with press access at gaming events, and even a book.

As for just members through regular interaction I would say Famine and Danoff.

Famine is a freaking encyclopedia. If you have a question about something he would be your best bet to get an answer. And he is patient with those who earnestly want his advice, which is amazing because competence truly is a curse.
177766.strip.sunday.gif


Danoff is also a great reservoir of knowledge, but where he shines is from where on occasion we don't agree in the Opinions forum. Even when we agree though, he makes me think harder about what I am saying, what I think, and what my premises are. When I first joined I was a much more outspoken religious person. My interactions with him made me rethink things. If I have an opinion on something I now consider how much of it is motivated by my religious upbringing and how much do I really think is right. Both in debates and in my own personal life it has caused me to step back what I would advocate and vote for politically while saying I am perfectly fine living my life on a more religiously-motivated level.


18. Now it's time for the "Daniel Special": If you could cross a hippo with any other animal - what will the animal be, what will it be called, and why? (Bonus points for creativity!
And it can't be another hippo because that's incest)
Dromedary camel. The new animal will be called a humppopotamus, or humppo for short.

As for the why; just say humppopotamus out loud. You're welcome.

18. What's the funniest thing you can remember from all of your time being a member here?
But that requires detailed memory usage. There have been a few really good lines, typically from Famine, in the Opinions forum.

There are also a few classic moments from when banned members begin their blaze of glory, just before being banned.

19. Have you ever participated in any of the racing series' found here?
No. I started to and got registered in the early stages of the official racing series, but I could never meet the racing schedule and quietly backed out.

20. Have you ever considered developing your own racing series, and if you have where can we find it?
Yes, but the nature of the games don't make it truly possible yet. I want a LeMans style race, with multiple classes. Unfortunately the number of cars on track are too small and it would be a hassle to track. I have the image in my mind, and could even create rules for each car class to make up for the lack of official cars, but with field sizes what they are it would basically just be three or four one-on-one races at the same time. Each class could race separately, but that takes the fun out of multi-class racing.

21. Anything else you'd like to say?
Yeah, sorry I am long-winded. I do that. See, it goes back to when....




Just kidding. :sly:


GTPlanet is a great place and it is the only online community I participate in. I'm honored to be Member of the Week. Thank you.

 
Good job, FK & T12.

I do enjoy your long-winded posts, to be honest. Sometimes a page full of one-liners can be a bit boring.

Keep up the good work. đź‘Ť
 
Another pleasure to read, FK; just like all your other posts đź‘Ť. Ain't nothing wrong with being long-winded, especially when it's a thorough, well-thought-out post.

:cheers:
 
Congrats and a great read, FK! Highly deserved. Your reasoning and logic in the Opinions forum has certainly made me take a step back and question some of my own beliefs. :cheers:
 
I wish my dad was as cool as FK. Probably one of the best compliments I can give, and all that needs to be said.
 
Congrats on the GTP MotW, FK. Well deserved! Also, nice interview. Took me a few hours to read it. But nice. :lol:
 
I actually had to cut some stuff out. Apparently a PM, or post in general maybe, is limited to 20,000 characters. I was over 25,000, I think it said. I actually found over 5,000 characters of tangential information to cut out. I know in the Donate Life response I cut out a paragraph about other groups like UNOS and Second Chance at Life.

So, if you think this was long-winded you should thank Jordan for putting in a character limit.


I wish my dad was as cool as FK. Probably one of the best compliments I can give, and all that needs to be said.
I spend a lot of time asking myself what my dad would do and then doing the opposite.

He isn't all bad though. He was the fun parent. He just sucked at the serious stuff

I owe him for my interest in cars and racing. Guys from his work had a stock car at a local track and when they invited him out he took me along, at eight. After that a free Saturday night in the summer meant we were going to the figure-eight races. Well, until the track owner sold it to fund Kentucky Speedway. :grumpy:
 
Congratulations FK :cheers:. To be honest, I thought a lot of Americans donated limbs, but there, I was wrong. You're doing a great thing, and I actually think I'll go get a donor-card (Danish version, which allows transplations of limbs after death), as soon as possible, thanks to you, đź‘Ť.
 
I respect and appreciate the long-winded posts even more now that I realize that they've basically all been typed on iPads for the past 2 years :lol:.
 
You don't post often where I linger FK, but when you do, your posts are always worth reading! Well-deserved! đź‘Ť
 
Congrats on getting MOTW FK. :cheers:

Well deserved recognition for a very well deserved member.
Don't worry about any "winded posts" either, they are very well written and to the point. They are well worth the time to read.
 
This was a great read yet again, congrats FK đź‘Ť As others have said your longer posts are always good to read.
 
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