Topic: Mini-Project: Get to Know the Staff

Darien Fenner

Date: 2010-09-22 18:01 EST
some of the writers who work at the Post. This information can be found on either the RhyDin equivalent of the Internet or by request to the Post offices.

Keep in mind, this thread has only some of the writer biographies! A newspaper has a very large staff, so it can be safely assumed this is only a small representation.]]

Darien Fenner

Date: 2010-09-22 18:04 EST
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Name: Darien Fenner

Birth date: September 9, 1974

Birth place: Melbourne, Australia - Earth

Education: Master of Journalism and Communication from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia); Bachelor of Media in Communication and Journalism; Bachelor of Social Science with a focus on Political Economy

A little bit about you: As much as I appreciate RhyDin as a place to live and work, I will always be a native Aussie through and through. In my early career my work tended to revolve around the Down Under, but after completing my master's and spending three years abroad, I learned to expand my horizons and focus on a macro-scale. Before I came to RhyDin, I completed internships at two publications in Perth, Australia. I have also previously been employed as a columnist and investigative journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia), The Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand), the Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), and at The Herald (Port Elizabeth, South Africa). Without going into details, my work at last brought RhyDin to my attention, and six years ago I made the jump. Two years ago I was hired at the RhyDin Post, and last year I had the opportunity to publish my first article.

What is your favorite subject to write about" Easily politics and economics. I had a heavy exposure to both during my studies at the UNSW, and a spectacular professor there by the name of Clive Kessler instilled in me a fascination with government on a scientific level. My professors in journalism only honed that fascination into something more interpretive. Now, instead of asking "what" when it comes to my research, I prefer looking at the "why" and "how" of certain situations.

What brought you to us" Simple. The Post is one of the most prestigious periodicals in RhyDin. I don't settle.

What do you like most about the city you live in" These days, I probably enjoy the bedlam that comes with it. There is never a shortage of things to write about.

Where do you spend most of your time" Home, work, or downtown. The RDI is entertaining on occasion, but I don't enjoy going there unless there is something interesting going on. Luckily, though, that is pretty often.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? Probably either a good bottle of scotch or someone to take with me.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" Structure.

Darien Fenner

Date: 2010-09-22 18:08 EST
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Name: Amelia Enderwood

Birth date: March 11, 1979

Birth place: Lansing, Michigan (Earth)

Education: B.A. in English Literature and Linguistics from Cambridge University (Cambridge, U.K.)

A little bit about you: I'll keep this short and quick because I've got things to do. Though Linguistics was the biggest focus of my studies in school, I discovered that I had a hidden talent for writing satire. After college, the insane people at Frank magazine in Ottawa, Ontario decided to give me a shot at my own column. Wouldn't you know it - I wound up working there for six years. Six months before I decided to pack my bags for RhyDin I completed and published a book I had been working on called The Sorry State of Specieism, and a group of even more monumentally insane brainiacs decided to award me with the Leacock Medal for Humour. Clearly the water there is much worse than RhyDinian water. But I don't hold it against them. After all, it's not their fault they're Canadian.

What is your favorite subject to write about" When it boils down to it I can write about almost anything, as long as it isn't overly sappy or depressing. I have a strong aversion to writing about squid, though. Don't ask.

What brought you to us" The brilliant circle of life in RhyDin: Mentally unstable people unconditionally supporting even more mentally unstable people. In this case, the former offered me a job.

What do you like most about the city you live in" That no matter how many tragedies or horrors occur in our midst, people still find time to get their nightcap and socialize.

Where do you spend most of your time" The coffee shop next to the Post office building. I forget what it's called. Some beanie-java post-modern indie torture chamber that plays bad music and hands out berets and scarves at the door. I may be exaggerating, though. I don't think the design is post-modern.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? A yacht to get the hell off of there. I hate sand.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" Twinkies. I swear to stupidly delicious things everywhere I have found none on RhyDin since coming here.

Darien Fenner

Date: 2010-09-27 22:37 EST
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Name: Mitchell Wrieze

Birth date: January 1, 1977

Birth place: Glasgow, Scotland

Education: Master of Engineering in Microcomputer Systems from the University of Glasgow

A little bit about you: Coming to RhyDin was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I grew up on Earth in an era where technology was booming and the only logical career path was one that dealt in computers or electronic circuitry. While I do not regret studying technology, as it padded my wallet quite excellently for a long time, I am relieved that I was given the opportunity to travel to this place to pursue my dream of writing (despite the fact that I had no literary degree). Still, after proving myself at two lesser-known publications here, I finally landed a job at the RhyDin Post a few months ago, and have been writing ever since.

What is your favorite subject to write about" What I write about doesn't really concern me so much as how my readers respond. I write what I write because I want to know what they are thinking. What is the purpose of press if it doesn't reflect the views of the people"

What brought you to us" I have already covered what brought me to the Post, but to RhyDin in general" Mere curiosity, I suppose. I wanted to experience life as an emigrant. I just never knew it would make me this content.

What do you like most about the city you live in" The variety! Everyone here seems to have a different story and comes from a completely different place. If I could spend every day just learning the histories of the locals, I would.

Where do you spend most of your time" These days I am sorry to say I spend most of my time locked up in my office. It isn't that I don't have a life or anything. I just prefer to make my work my life.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? Can I count other people" If so, I would thoroughly enjoy studying a native civilization there.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had? Truthfully' Absolutely nothing. I think RhyDin is perfect in all its imperfection, and I would not change one thing about it, even if I could.

Annie Mitchell

Date: 2010-10-15 16:07 EST
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Name: Annie Mitchell

Birth date: March 15, 19-something. Really, what an impertinent question!

Birth place: New York City, NY (Earth)

Education: B.A. in Journalism from New York University, New York.

A little bit about you: I am an unapologetic snob. I prefer caviar et brioche to a burger and fries, champagne to Coke, Gucci and Louboutin to Levis and Converse. I am high maintenance wife, which is why I'm thankful for my endlessly patient (and outrageously wealthy) husband.

What is your favorite subject to write about" I actually enjoy writing about exactly what I write about - namely the culture of a particular city/country/world. I believe that by knowing what people do to unwind tells us quite a bit about what these same people hold most dear.

What brought you to us" It's my duty to drag this city - kicking and screaming, if necessary - into a ballet or opera or symphony and prove to them that there are vastly more enjoyable things to do on a Thursday night than sitting around in a bar getting drunk, or watching two people beat the snot out of each other in the name of "sport".

What do you like most about the city you live in" The surprising pockets of high culture - opera, ballet, symphonies, and the artists!

Where do you spend most of your time" On my couch, in my living room, listening to Vivaldi, whilst sipping wine and looking down my nose at all the unwashed masses passing by my brownstone on the street. Alternately, sitting in my office at the Post, writing while sipping Italian-blend espresso and nibbling at profiteroles.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? A subscription to New York Magazine.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" A Russian Tea Room. Seriously. I miss that place.

Darien Fenner

Date: 2010-10-15 21:38 EST
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/dfenner_photo/Womanwithcrossedarmsuid1180763.jpg Staff Astrologist: Ami Duarf

Name: Ami Duarf

Birth date: That is a very good question.

Birth place: A planet you have probably never heard of; Bristac Eusace, near the constellation Lyra in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Education: Another good question.

A little bit about you: Due to some techno-whatever mixup and something that has to do with wormholes, iron titans and what I can only assume were ceiling fans, I was given a powerful and terrifying gift of clairvoyance. And though my gift has long been utilized and exercised, I never cease to amaze myself at the complexity and awesomeness of it. The stars and the cosmos itself speak to me. Visions come to me constantly, and sometimes I worry that I am not living in the present, but rather in the future. Every day I can flawlessly prophesize the next day's TV programming, I can foretell exactly when the hour and minutes will turn, and I can foresee exactly when my mailman will arrive (though to be honest, the stars sometimes have a habit of misleading me on that one).

What is your favorite subject to write about" Death. What' Everyone was thinking it; I just said it. Death is almost as universally constant as taxes, and is therefore one of the easiest things to predict.

What brought you to us" I know a guy. He knows a guy who knows another guy, and that guy found an ad on the back of his Happy Meal. What' I don't see you finding a better advertising space.

What do you like most about the city you live in" I don't. And I would offer reasons why, but you sort of dropped the ball last week when you failed to meet a dark, handsome stranger. This is a two-way street, you know.

Where do you spend most of your time" Outside, mostly. I enjoy spending the day in the Marketplace trying to meet new souls. While I never seem to manage to, I do, in fact, meet lots of new people.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? Either mayonnaise or a screen door. You'll understand someday.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" Hugh Jackman. I'll take him from any universe, really.

Chase Dawson

Date: 2011-03-09 04:59 EST
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/61.jpg Name: Chase Emilia Dawson

Birth date: April 5, 1984

Birth place: London, England - Earth

Education: BA Honours in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford (England - Earth)

A little bit about you: Well, then, let's see ....My father's a politician in England, my mother is a paediatrician in the USA; due to their divorce in my infancy, I am an only child. I've accrued a vast number of frequent flier miles staying on the right side of both my parents over the years. I was lucky enough to be accepted into Oxford University as an undergraduate, and though my degree may not immediately scream 'journalist', that is what my intended career was going to be from day one. As a result, I began working as a lowly research assistant at the Wallingford Herald (Oxford, England) during my final year at uni. Once I graduated, I was hired successively to work in the same area of research assistant at Take A Break magazine, the Camden Herald, and The Times (all London, England). However, given the lack of writing and publishing opportunities available to me, a friend in the business recommended that I come to Rhy'Din, and here I am, incredibly indebted to the Rhy'Din Post for taking a chance and publishing me.

What is your favorite subject to write about" People, most definitely. I enjoy getting to know people in all areas and walks of life, finding out their motivations, their likes and dislikes, what they have done, and what they have planned for the future. I suppose I'm a gossip at heart, but you'll never hear me admit to it in public.

What brought you to us" The kind generosity of one citizen of Rhy'Din who gave me an interview to feature in my resume and pointed me in the direction of the Rhy'Din Post. The rest was entirely down to the editor in chief.

What do you like most about the city you live in" The predictable unpredictability of the place. Nowhere else can I say that within hours of arriving I was mown down by an out of control dragon hatchling, or warned not to make the acquaintance of stew, and yet once you're accustomed to this sort of thing, Rhy'Din really isn't as unpredictable as people might think.

Where do you spend most of your time" Hunched over my laptop, wherever that may be. I enjoy going out, making friends, so the RDI is going to be a big feature of my lifestyle. As to what else is going on with my time, I suggest you read the gossip columns to keep up.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? An unlimited supply of good, soft toilet paper. Seriously.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" A good publishing house. I like new books to read, regularly.

Darien Fenner

Date: 2011-03-09 21:29 EST
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/dfenner_photo/57423440.jpg Sports Columnist: Peter Pham

Name: Peter Pham

Birth date: By the RhyDin standard calendar, February 25, 1982

Birth place: Earth, year 2075

Education: B.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis in the history of combat from American University in what Terrans would think of as old Washington, D.C.

A little bit about you: Believe it or not, I never imagined writing or commentating on sports was ever going to be an area I was going to pursue. I actually have never had any experience of that sort; I was never a part of any team or participated in intramurals. I was, however, familiar with combat from what I read and from the four years I spent in the army infantry. But when personal reasons forced me to retire from active duty, I began watching a lot of documentaries about RhyDin. Honestly the dragons and crime rate didn't intrigue me as much as the duels did. Where I come from, combat is exclusively conflict-geared. Ever since the U.S. government outlawed fighting competitions (like karate, for example) in 2049, the art really was lost anywhere else. I was honestly fascinated at the extent of influence dueling had in RhyDin, and I couldn't let it go. So two skips and a time jump later, I arrived here and became sufficiently obsessed with the native "sports."

What is your favorite subject to write about" I'm sure the general topic is obvious. But if you are talking about which sport I prefer" I don't generally like to play favorites, but if I had to be honest I would say Swords. While I believe my co-anchor for the RhyDin Post Sports Center program generally prefers Fists, I just really appreciate the mastery of a weapon in addition to the body. You have to be very devoted to duel in Swords. I mean you definitely have to be in Fists also, but Swords to me is like surgically attaching an extra arm to someone and telling them: "Alright. Now learn to use it."

What brought you to us" At Great Helms Tavern a little over two years ago, I talked a retired duelist out of making a bad bet on a challenge match between Joex Rodlain and Vanion Shadowcast. He was so impressed by my argument (or perhaps relieved at the amount of money I saved him) that the next day he introduced me to the Editor in Chief at the RhyDin Post. A month or two later, we collaborated in launching a television program.

What do you like most about the city you live in" As obvious by the above story, I appreciate most that you never know what will happen in bars here. Getting a pint that night while talking about duels changed my life. Who knows what other life-changing events occur in bars around RhyDin"

Where do you spend most of your time" When I'm not at the studio or the office, I am usually at Great Helms or at the RhyDin Public Library. I enjoy reading.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? A satellite television with unlimited battery power or a complete collection of Hemmingway novels.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" Kevlar. My work environment can be dangerous sometimes. Or lots of times.

Darien Fenner

Date: 2011-03-14 19:32 EST
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/dfenner_photo/Bane.gif Gossip Columnist: Emmet "The It Man' Bane

Name: Emmet Matthew Bane

Birth date: March 20, 1982

Birth place: The Bronx, New York (Earth)

Education: B.A. in English and B.A. in Visual Arts from Fordham University

A little bit about you: What is there about my life that absolutely everyone doesn't know already? Mustn't it be blatantly obvious that my job revolves around advertising my personal life as bluntly and with as much terrifying and unwelcome detail as G"nort' If the your answer to that is "no," then clearly you haven't been reading my columns. But what the heck, I'll humor you anyway. As it turns out, my career got its start in photography " and I'm not talking about the artsy, take a picture of a deflated balloon on a derelict swing set kind of photography. After some serious grunt work following college, I got my big break taking photos for a popular fashion magazine in New York. But some of the things that came out of those models" mouths" Wow. After being exposed to such cattiness for a year, it became impossible not to share certain details that I learned to the public, and so I started blogging. In six months I had more than nine thousand followers " one of which was a talent scout from RhyDin who contacted me personally and offered me a job here. What can I say' I couldn't possibly turn down an opportunity to write about scandal in one of the most scandalous places in the multiverse. I mean seriously. I don't recall Charlize Theron ever cheating on her snake-angel-vampire boyfriend with her brother's roommate's pet dragon hybrid twice. Only in RhyDin, folks.

Non-career-wise, I love good music, spinach crepes, hazelnut coffee, and people who are talkative without being annoying. It's a fine art, really.

What is your favorite subject to write about" Uh, duh' But if we are talking specifics and which "whos" I like to write about in the wonderful world of gossip" well I love all my children equally. Although' I think I may just love Gigi Granger a little more than the others. And Eless. And Mrs. Ex-Constable Hotstuff. And Fio. And Joey. And Scotty and Harold. And Tass. And Aolani. And Alain. And Niamh. And Duci and Kalamere and Johnny and Ali and Rekah and Dris and Wyh and EmDoc and Tara and Skid and Lilliana and Anyanka and Rena and Shy and Mira and Wolvie and Aly and G and Art and Audrey and Grem and Kazzy and Daniel and Ex-Constable Hotstuff and Mancake and Connar and Fi and Gem and Mesteno and Kate and Samilee and Rick and he-Chase and she-Chase and Brishen and Sianna and Stitch and Eva and Mason and Katarina and Locke and Jaycy and Lucien and Koy and Sin and Kairee and Keaton and Mataya and Viktor and Stephen and Juliane and Aja and Sal and Fia and Jake and Darcy and London and Nigel and Risa and Rand and Gwen and Samiel and Cally and that small little man that brought me a basket of baked goods for New Year's and that chef that I can't ever remember the name of. But seriously. I love all my children equally.

What brought you to us" See the above. But rest assured, I would never trade my job for anything else!

What do you like most about the city you live in" That there is always a plentiful supply of single women" No, but really what I love most about RhyDin is its ridiculously lovable ridiculousness. I doubt anyone would understand exactly what I meant if I said that anywhere else, but I believe that my RhyDinians know exactly what I mean.

Where do you spend most of your time" When I am not stalking " er" wandering around aimlessly carrying a camera for no reason, you mean' I work downtown and enjoy hanging around your typical bars and such, but I'm actually fast becoming a beach bum. It's just a shame Arcasa is so far away.

If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? A pi"a colada or Fio Helston. Tough, tough choice.

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" Giant billboards like those ones in Times Square. How else can a guy pull a respectable prank in this town"

Paige Connelly

Date: 2011-03-15 01:21 EST
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/dfenner_photo/Paige_3.jpg Paige Connelly Staff Reporter

Name: Paige Connelly

Birth date: Do I have to tell you that" Birth place: Sunshine, Louisiana (Earth) Education: Tulane University

A little bit about you: Geez. What could I possibly tell you that would be more interesting than RhyDin is" I'm just a hard working journalist in the most unique place in the universe. Or is it multi-verse" I always get them confused. What is your favorite subject to write about" The stranger than normal occurrences in RhyDin. What brought you to us" Y'all call it the Nexus. To me it was more like a seatless roller coaster!

What do you like most about the city you live in" There is never a shortage of things to see in RhyDin. Where do you spend most of your time" At the office. Even if just looking out the window watching the residents of RhyDin, it's a fun place to be. If you could have one thing with you while stranded on a deserted island, what would it be? One thing" Rum or a book. If it was a person..I wouldn't mind Kalamere. Or Rand. Or....I should stop talking before Bane over hears me!

What is one the thing you wish RhyDin had" An amusement park. I love them!