[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Anyone Up For A Good Old-Fashioned *Mixer?*

[Shaun Hately]

On 16 Sep 2003 at 4:26, KathyK wrote:

Name: Shaun Hately
 
Also known as: Dreadnought - a nickname I earned at school and which I 
held onto for dear life. My school had traditions - one of which was 
that older pupils assigned younger ones nicknames, some complimentary, 
some not - I spent a considerable amount of time known as 'Lovely' 
Hately, which does not work well in an all boys' school (-8 Finally, I 
earned Dreadnought and I never let it go (-8.

Age/Sex: 28/Male

Birthplace/Livingplace and feelings about same: Born in Sydney, 
Australia - nice place, I still consider myself to be from there. But 
I've lived most of my life in Frankston, a satellite city, southeast of 
Melbourne, Australia. Frankston is most well known for three things, in 
my opinion:

(1): Thinly disguised as the village of Kananook (Kananook Creek runs 
through Frankston), it was the setting for one of Australia's most 
famous children's books, 'All The Green Year' by Donald Charlwood.

(2): It was the setting for a significant part of Neville Shute's novel, 
On The Beach, which was made into a major film in 1959, starring Gregory 
Peck and Ava Gardner - a lot of the film was filmed in Frankston - parts 
are still reconisable. The book and film tells the story of the last 
days of the human race after a nuclear war - Ava Gardner famously 
remarked that if you had to make a film about the end of the world, 
Frankston was a great place to do it.

(3): It was the scene of one of Australia's most famous series of serial 
killing - the Frankston Murders, back in 1993. I was a suspect which is 
kind of cool in some ways - I should point out immediately that the 
person who did it was captured and confessed (and was proven guilty by 
DNA evidence as well). 

Family Life: Single, and likely to remain so for the near future. But I 
have a lovely kitty named Muffin the Mighty Mousinator.

Personality: Quiet, calm, logical - ISTJ on the Myers-Briggs.
  
Words friends have used to describe you: Intelligent, weird, obsessive, 
scary-smart.

Words you have used to describe you: Why would I describe myself? (-8. 
But my friends are pretty much right.

Things you do when not staring at the computer: Study, read, play 
roleplaying games, write, astronomy. Also into historical mysteries and 
controversies - who was Jack the Ripper, where is Lord Lucan (which 
obviously is current!), and who killed JFK (personal view - it *was* Lee 
Harvey Oswald).

Comfort foods: Pizza, barbecued chicken, chocolate

Education/Work: Complex - I attended a lot of different schools, 
initially because my dad was Navy and we moved a lot - after that 
because I had special educational needs (I was what was classified as a 
'profoundly gifted child') that most schools really weren't equipped to 
deal with. Wound up at the prep school for one of Australia's most 
prestigious private schools at 13, then passed on to that school. That 
experience framed a lot of my views and values - and the joy I felt when 
I got there is one reason why Harry Potter appealed so much the first 
time I read it - because I could really relate to Harry's feelings about 
Hogwarts.

Post-school - started out studying astrophysics, but changed to computer 
science because I actually wanted to earn a living at some point (-8. 
Was recruited out of university to work on Y2K remediation for a major 
computer company working for a major public utility. Loved that work - 
where we had deadlines we HAD to meet, and where paperwork was minimised 
out of necessity down to the point where we genuinely only did what we 
had to. Didn't particularly like the job after Y2K when normal corporate 
practices began to come back. Moved over to an organisation that handles 
public safety issues for the Australian government as a data modeller 
and analyst - post September 2001 have found myself working in security 
areas as well, more and more, and also working more as a general analyst 
and data coordinator. Find the work interesting - but pressurised. Don't 
really want to do it forever (and hope like crazy that it's a job that 
won't be needed in a few years). Also concerned about how much IT work 
is going offshore. Have spent about a decade working as a volunteer 
mentor to profoundly gifted children - came to conclusion that they 
can't send all the kids off shore to be educated easily, so have decided 
to become a teacher (also not that impressed with the way schools run - 
and want to be part of improving them). Currently working nearly full 
time on public safety, and studying full time towards by Bachelor of 
Education.

Actually in the middle of a two week block of teaching practice at the 
moment - cute story.

Grade Six students - aged about 11/12 - oldest kids in the school, think 
they are *so* grown up.

Encountered a group of them sitting crosslegged on floor surrounding 
teacher who is readin a story. Flabbergasted - because when I was in 
Grade six, we would have tolerated such juvenile treatment. Then I saw 
the book and all became clear. Order of the Phoenix (-8

Language skills:  English, and some native Australian (Koorie) dialects 

Technical know-how: Software engineer basically
  
Favourite HP book:  OoP followed by GoF, followed by PoA, followed by 
PS, followed by CoS - generally like a book that takes me more than six 
hours to read - only OoP has reached that, though GoF came first. If 
it's shorter than that, even if it's a brilliant book, it's unlikely to 
become a favourite.
  
Favourite HP character(s):  Hermione, Percy, and Mrs Weasley. Hermione 
and Percy because they're most like me - Mrs Weasley because she's what 
Harry needs. 

Favourite HP line: 'Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come 
when you have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy, 
remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, 
because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemory. Remember Cedric 
Diggory.'
  
Watching/Avoiding the HP movies?:  Watching, and enjoying - hey, I grew 
up reading Biggles books - which wound up with the WORST movie 
adaptation in history in all respects. After that, the HP movies seem 
pretty pure. I prefer the books - but I view the movies as reasonable 
adaptations.

Into HP fanfiction?  Occasionally read - haven't written any yet, 
because my fanfic writing is in another direction.

Books you'd recommend to just about anyone: Anything by Terry Pratchett.

Favorite TV shows: The Tomorrow People, Buffy, The Bill, Doctor Who.

Favorite Movies: Don't really have favourite movies  

Favorite Musical Artists: Very rarely listen to music - can't really 
interpret it for neurological reasons. At the moment, utterly despising 
the Beatles after having to listen to 6 and 7 year olds learn 'When I'm 
64' for a school concert. (-8

One thing about your life you'd change if you could (sorry, but you may 
not say "lose weight"): That's a very tough one - I've had horrible 
experiences in my life - but they made me who I am, and I like who I am.    

One thing about your life you wouldn't change even for an advance copy 
of Book 7: My current career plans.  

Philosophy for an easy life: Plan ahead, and don't sweat the small stuff 
  
How you found HPfGU: Can't remember.
 
Active at other HP sites: I'm doing some maps for the Lexicon - besides 
that, nothing really.

Your most rock solid Book 6 or Book 7 prediction: Harry will come to 
respect Snape - and hopefully vice versa. They won't like each other but 
mutual respect seems likely to me. Tenuous but related prediction - 
Harry will start to respect Snape more when Snape acknowledges Sirius 
sacrificing his life in battle.

Take a moment to wave to members of the fandom you have personally met: 
Only people I knew in advance!

ADD A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN AND ANSWER IT:  What position would I play on 
a Quidditch team - probably a bludger, given how I got the nickname of 
Dreadnought. But I'd prefer to be a Chaser.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia