featherynscale (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
featherynscale) wrote2006-09-20 09:53 am
featherynscale) wrote2006-09-20 09:53 am
Some people have skills, some people ... thingy.
On the recent library excursion, I picked up one of the Dresden Files books. These are the stories of a Chicago wizard-for-hire who presumably hunts down demons and evildoers and smites them in a way not entirely unlike any hardboiled detective, except with magic. I think that's what they're about, anyway. The book I'm reading is like book 7 of a series, or something, and I'm only about a fourth of the way in.
Anyway, it strikes me reading this, that the author uses a lot of slang words that I thought were pretty localized to the Kansas City folks I hang out with. And lo, the book bio reveals that he lives in Independence. So I'm looking at this picture, trying to work out whether or not this guy is somebody we know. I'm telling![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
triadruid about it this morning, and he asks what the guy looks like. I'm like, "Like somebody we'd know. Medium-to-heavy build, long dark hair, dressed in black, little silver glasses, serious expression. You know, like half the world's pagans/fantasy lit fans." He says, "Let kittenpants take a look at it. She's better at recognizing people than I am. And I think I'm better than you are."
I consider this for a moment. I rapidly come to the conclusion that a half-dead monkey would be better at recognizing people by their faces than I am. I recognize people by style of dress, general body shape, and coloration. I'm pretty good with voices, but faces? I'm crap at faces. Cut and color your hair, and I won't recognize you for minutes. Lose a lot of weight, gain a lot of weight, I will have no idea who you are until you speak. Suddenly opt for a different subculture's clothing style, and even if I saw you yesterday, I won't be able to parse who you are without a serious evaluation of the circumstances.
I've always been bad at this. I suspect that it is part of the reason why my preference in film is mostly for comic book adaptations -- if all the characters are dressed in different and outlandish costumes, it's much easier to sort out which one's doing what. Give me a film about WWII, where all the characters are wearing US Army uniforms with helmets, and are covered in dirt or camo makeup, and I'm totally lost.
Once upon a time, when I was in college, I worked in a mall information booth. Directly across from my booth was a booth for Godiva chocolates. I knew most of the people that worked there, and there was one of the bunch that I had gone out with a few times, that I had in fact, slept with. One day, this fellow who had been a blonde came in with a new purple dye job. I'm sitting in my little booth saying to my co-worker, "Who's the new chocolate guy? He's kind of cute!". She's rolling her eyes as if to say, "Dumbass, you slept with that guy." So that's no good.
There are, of course, a few exceptions. I'm pretty confident, for example, that I could correctly picktriadruid and kittenpants out in any visual field, even if they were to, say, suddenly shave their heads and don Dick Tracy yellow trenchcoats. I'm pretty sure that I could pick Johnny Depp out of a lineup (I have a vague suspicion that I like him above all other actors because he's easy for me to recognize, but I can't be sure). I can often, but not always, recognize my mother from haircut to haircut. I don't always recognize myself in pictures.
So I'm thinking that if I were ever called upon to provide details on a suspect for a police sketch artist, that's one bastard who's getting away. I'd be able to describe every detail of his outfit, what he was carrying, and so on and so forth, but I'd be shocked if I could get beyond color of hair and number of eyes, otherwise.
Anyway, it strikes me reading this, that the author uses a lot of slang words that I thought were pretty localized to the Kansas City folks I hang out with. And lo, the book bio reveals that he lives in Independence. So I'm looking at this picture, trying to work out whether or not this guy is somebody we know. I'm telling
triadruid about it this morning, and he asks what the guy looks like. I'm like, "Like somebody we'd know. Medium-to-heavy build, long dark hair, dressed in black, little silver glasses, serious expression. You know, like half the world's pagans/fantasy lit fans." He says, "Let kittenpants take a look at it. She's better at recognizing people than I am. And I think I'm better than you are."I consider this for a moment. I rapidly come to the conclusion that a half-dead monkey would be better at recognizing people by their faces than I am. I recognize people by style of dress, general body shape, and coloration. I'm pretty good with voices, but faces? I'm crap at faces. Cut and color your hair, and I won't recognize you for minutes. Lose a lot of weight, gain a lot of weight, I will have no idea who you are until you speak. Suddenly opt for a different subculture's clothing style, and even if I saw you yesterday, I won't be able to parse who you are without a serious evaluation of the circumstances.
I've always been bad at this. I suspect that it is part of the reason why my preference in film is mostly for comic book adaptations -- if all the characters are dressed in different and outlandish costumes, it's much easier to sort out which one's doing what. Give me a film about WWII, where all the characters are wearing US Army uniforms with helmets, and are covered in dirt or camo makeup, and I'm totally lost.
Once upon a time, when I was in college, I worked in a mall information booth. Directly across from my booth was a booth for Godiva chocolates. I knew most of the people that worked there, and there was one of the bunch that I had gone out with a few times, that I had in fact, slept with. One day, this fellow who had been a blonde came in with a new purple dye job. I'm sitting in my little booth saying to my co-worker, "Who's the new chocolate guy? He's kind of cute!". She's rolling her eyes as if to say, "Dumbass, you slept with that guy." So that's no good.
There are, of course, a few exceptions. I'm pretty confident, for example, that I could correctly pick
triadruid and kittenpants out in any visual field, even if they were to, say, suddenly shave their heads and don Dick Tracy yellow trenchcoats. I'm pretty sure that I could pick Johnny Depp out of a lineup (I have a vague suspicion that I like him above all other actors because he's easy for me to recognize, but I can't be sure). I can often, but not always, recognize my mother from haircut to haircut. I don't always recognize myself in pictures. So I'm thinking that if I were ever called upon to provide details on a suspect for a police sketch artist, that's one bastard who's getting away. I'd be able to describe every detail of his outfit, what he was carrying, and so on and so forth, but I'd be shocked if I could get beyond color of hair and number of eyes, otherwise.
no subject
Jim Butcher was at DragonCon this year, but, since he DOES, in fact, look like your average fantasy fan, you would have had the aforementioned recognition problem, because I don't believe he was wearing a costume. ;)
no subject
I always have a fine oblivious time talking to people at DragonCon -- I can talk to anybody, because I never know who they are unless I can see their badge. I go to panels, it seems to me that the rest of the people in the room know who the speakers are, I never do. Especially since I mostly go to writers' panels. Unless they say "I'm so and so, and I wrote this book..." I'm totally lost.
no subject
I am unable to pick out myself in pictures, nor do I even recognize my wife or children in a crowd if I don't expect to see them there. However, I can pick out a voice like nobody's business. It's like an aural trivial pursuit when I watch cartoons.
no subject
no subject
I think facially, I mostly recognize facial expressions... I know Aislinn by her smiling eyes, others by their scowls. If a scowly person is happy or Aislinn is scowling, I don't recognize them.
no subject
no subject
(Start with the first Dresden book.)
no subject
no subject
I did predictably crappily on this. I got about 55% of the random faces right (with an average being 85%, apparently) and 27% of the celebrities. On the bright side, I can apparently pick out politicians with more accuracy than movie stars, which I think means I pay attention to the right things. Also, I had no problem identifying Patrick Stewart or Ghandi, probably because I'm used to seeing them without hair. (Stewart was the only actor I could spot in the list.)
no subject
no subject
no subject
Voices I can usually recognize, faces, almost never if unless in a familiar setting.
no subject
10 minutes after meeting someone i can't pull up their face.
what's odd is i can picture things so vividly, events and stuff like a snapshot but the peoples faces are always blurred *lol*
no subject
So, good company, and all that. Though I'm pretty sure you can pick him out of a lineup, too.
no subject
Also, I can absolutely pick Penn Jillette out of a lineup. He's the tall one with the long curly brown hair in a ponytail, wearing the suit and the thick glasses. ::headdesk::
no subject
You're really in good company there.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
It doesn't pay *often* but it pays *well*... I'm lucky enough to have a wealthy wife and we don't need to rely on my occult-related gigs to keep a roof over our heads - which is why I felt able to start the company up. I've been pro for five years now - with a twenty year apprenticeship before that, learning the trade as it were.
But yes - I am a professional combat magician/ghostbuster/demon-hunter/exorcist. Every year on my tax return, I put "Paranormal security consultant."
The website is http://www.athanor.org.uk/.
My colleague David Devereux has written a book about his work for the firm, details here;
http://www.david-devereux.com/memoirs.html
And... if you want to chat in more detail about it please feel free to drop me a line. Anything outside of client-confidential information, I'm happy to talk about.
no subject
no subject