I haven’t done a survey post in ages. As many of you may be new here, I thought, as a part of this 30 Day Blogging Challenge, I should do one, and give you a little bit more insight into this dude who calls himself soulcruzer.
1. Do you have any nicknames?
Hmm… I’ve had a few over the years. My family used to call me Pop when I was a kid. At West Point, some of my friends called me Buddha because of my bald head. They would come by my room and rub my head for good luck before a big exam. Some of my other friends called me “cabeza de melón” or “melon head” on account of my great big round noggin!
2. Are you named after anyone?
I was supposed to be. My dad wanted to do the medieval thing and name me after him and make me Coalet Lowe Jr. But, he used to get teased a lot when he was a kid because Coalet can also be a girl’s name. My parents settled on Clayton and then proceeded to call me by middle name – Lamont. None of my blood relatives call me Clayton, nor do they call me Clay.
3. Where did you grow up?
I’m a Jersey boy. I was born in Newark, New Jersey. But my best memories are from time growing up in Fort Monmouth/Eatontown, NJ.
4. What activities did you do in high school?
I played all the sports – football, basketball, wrestling, track and field, chess – until I found a copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, The Education of a Bodybuilder, after that, I became a die-hard gymrat. I still remain a gymrat to this day!
5. Where did you go to college?
The United States Military Academy at West Point. I have some photos of me as a cadet, but it would take me too long to go find them right now, so here’s me as A-Man – one of the Army Mascots at sporting events and rallies.
6. What kind of music do you like?
My musical taste is ridiculously broad and varied. I’ll listen to just about any category of music. Some of my favourite categories are: rock (and it’s many sub-categories – classic, heavy metal, indie, grunge etc), hip-hop, and trip-hop. To get a real sense of my musical taste, check out my Mixcloud account:
7. When was the last time you cried?
At the risk of sounding macho, I don’t do the crying thing. I haven’t been able to shake the mental paradigm that says men don’t cry. 😢
8. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?
Yeah, why not?!
9. What’s the first thing you notice about people?
If it’s a guy, I think, can I take this dude in a fight! If it’s a lady, then it’s her smile, face, and hair.
10. What’s one hobby that you’d like to take up?
I’ve become a huge fan of virtual reality and the metaverse. I’d love to take up 3D modelling as a hobby so I can make original art and objects to place in my metaverse worlds on Altspace VR. A hobby, I’m about to start is writing interactive fiction using Twine.
11. Do you have any irrational fears?
Not particularly. I do have a compulsion to squash tarantulas, and when I’m up high on tall buildings or cliff edges, I feel an urge to jump.
12. How many countries have you visited?
I think, at last count, it was 24. I’ve been to most of Western Europe, plus Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Tunisia, Malaysia, Canada, and Mexico.
13. What’s the biggest project on your to-do list right now?
Becoming a master of the metaverse. VR and the metaverse are on the cusp of becoming the biggest thing since the Internet. In fact, it’s the next evolution of the Web. I want to be ahead of the curve on this one, so I have been building my presence in the metaverse. Of course, the current issue is that there many versions of the metaverse – places like Engaga VR, Altspace VR, Horizon World, among others.
14. If you weren’t in your current job, what would you do?
My standard answer to this question is bullfighter or clown. But being a little more realistic, and something that is within my reach is brushing the dust off of my history degree and either becoming a medieval scholar or mythologist.
15. What’s your favourite type of pizza?
I’m a pepperoni and jalapeño man on thin crust. Sometimes, I’ll go all meat feast – pepperoni, sausage, pancetta, and mince meat.
16. What’s your favourite alcoholic drink?
I’m a single-malt whisky man. If I’m not on the hard stuff, a cold lager, will do.
17. If you were to reincarnated as an animal, which animal would you be?
I’m going to have to go with a cat. They’ve got it good. They get to come and go as they please. Hang out all night, and sleep all day.
18. What do you wish more people understood about you?
Just because I’m sad, doesn’t mean I’m not happy.
19. What was the last book you read?
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer
20. Tell us your life story in exactly one sentence.
Just a dude seeking for seeking’s sake and enjoying every minute of it.
Track of the day: Concrete Schoolyard – Jurassic 5