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What started out as a very ordinary day became very interesting very quickly
AlexTR:
Hey yo Quikstik! Over here!
AlexTR waves at Quikstik, who had just entered the diner. Quikstik sees him and thinks back to a conversation he had with Alex yesterday. It seems the two had made plans to meet up around four in the afternoon, but confusion ensued when Alex a**umed that 4pm must refer to Pacific Standard Time, as he has always lived on the west coast. Quikstik lives on the east side of the nation and naturally a**umed the meeting was to take place at 4pm EST
Quikstik decides to wave back to Alex with a show of peaceful solidarity. As AlexTR observes him approaching the booth where Alex is sipping coffee with a laptop in front of him, he can't help but be touched
Not only did Quikstik have the consideration to peacefully display the sign of his homeland, but he even went through the trouble of shapeshifting into Kendrick Lamar just to make him feel more at home. Alex motions Quik to join him and does his best to return the favor with his own attempt at shapeshifting. You see, Genius Editors have certain abilities that are granted to them after they've shown themselves worthy of bearing the responsibilities inherent to these abilities. As you can see, everyone in the diner is absolutely delighted to watch AlexTR and Quikstik's display of friendship
As the diner crowd settles down, the two sit at a booth opposite each other, a table between them and a large window at their side displaying the darkness beyond. It's a warm and starless night outside, occasionally a firefly wanders through the air. Inside, the air smells of eggs, steak, potatoes, and well, like a diner
The two exchange the usual pleasantries. AlexTR apologizes to Quikstik as he feels guilty that he wasn't able to produce the entire Wu-Tang Clan while shape-shifting. He explains that he's only been a Genius Editor for about a month and hasn't yet mastered the Art of the Genius. Quikstik a**ures him that it's okay. Abruptly, Alex asks an unexpected question
AlexTR:
Mind if I interview you?
Quikstik After a brief pause:
Um, I suppose that would be okay
Quikstik's body language clearly shows that he's caught off guard. He wonders just how sane Alex actually is, but he goes along with the interview anyway as he is curious as to what questions will be thrown at him
AlexTR:
Cool! Let's get started then! Would you like anything to eat?
Alex has four plates, 2 bowls, and three gla**es surrounding him. All the dishes are empty as he had finished eating long before he met up with Quikstik
Quikstik:
I'm good with water, but thank you. Let's get this thing started!
Inexplicably, Quikstik has suddenly become just as excited to take part in this interview as Alex has shown himself to be
AlexTR:
Let's get to it then! You have an interesting screenname. Care to elaborate on the meaning and origin of Quikstik?
Quikstik:
Laughs (and yes, out loud). Well to finally put this one to bed: There's no meaning behind it. At all. When I made my Genius account, I just needed a screen name, so I went with the first thing that popped into my head
AlexTR:
Honestly, that's a more intriguing explanation than anything I would have expected. That's really sticking to your convictions in a way if you think about it. You go with the first thing that comes to you and never change it...even after all this time!
Can you recall the first time you visited Genius.com? What compelled you to become an active contributor in the first place?
Quikstik:
The first time would've been when I was looking up lyrics. I wanna say it was the lyrics to C.R.E.A.M., but this was some time ago. I Wound up getting an account to have something to do, and to annotate some stuff that nobody had bothered with
AlexTR:
Nice! I always like to see annotations on songs that haven't gotten much love. C.R.E.A.M. is a cla**ic for sure. I can already see you have good taste. What would you say is your favorite genre of music?
Quikstik:
Hip-hop, probably. Metal in a close second
AlexTR:
Hmmm, rap and metal, very interesting, even more so that you give metal a close second. I appreciate both those genres for sure. Okay, I just have to pull out this old interview question. I really must, it's almost a requirement. And for good reason...
Strangely, a faint drum roll can be heard. Everyone in the diner looks around, searching for the source of the sound; our two Geniuses don't seem to notice. It becomes louder and louder until the question is finally asked
What are your top five favorite artists?
A crash symbol is heard as the drum roll comes to an end
Quikstik:
That's always a difficult question. When it's open-ended and not genre specific, I suppose I'd have to go with whoever I'm stanning so…
Raekwon, Adam Warrock, Immortal, Rihanna, and John Legend...in no real order
AlexTR:
Okay, nice diversity there, how about a top five album list?
Quikstik:
Again, difficult. I don't really think about favorite albums per se, just the ones I can listen to over and over and not really get sick of them. Which for me is especially difficult given the ADHD, and always being on the hunt for new things. So I guess, in no real order, if I have to be confined to five, and solely for the purpose of recommending some good tunes:
• Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II by Raekwon
• Battles in the North by Immortal
• Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by the Wu-Tang Clan
• The Electric Lady by Janelle Monae
• Tales From The Grave In Space by Gama Bomb
AlexTR:
I see you're a big fan of the Wu-Tang Clan. What would you say draws you to their music?
Quikstik:
I grew up in a middle cla** town that is whiter than a cloud with a family that played pretty much cla**ic rock all the time. Consequently, I developed an extremely prejudiced attitude towards the genre of a hip-hop as a whole (with the exception of Hammer, because that was the only hip-hop song my folks cared for)
A long pause. While Quikstik thinks back to the music of his childhood, Alex begins obsessing over strange concepts, a common reaction he has to long pauses... The mention of MC Hammer sends Alex into a daze, plotting a surefire way to do the impossible: Touch this
Quikstik notices AlexTR's change in behavior and, while concerned, continues answering the question, hoping that AlexTR will snap out of it (which he does as soon as Quikstik begins speaking again)
Quikstik:
Now that changed around… 7th grade, I wanna say, because I discovered nu metal. Specifically, System of a Down, who in one shape or another collabed with Wu-Tang pretty frequently. Mind you that co-sign didn't change jack, if anything it solidified my prejudices
AlexTR:
So one of your favorite bands at the time worked with Wu-Tang yet you were hating on hip-hop more than ever. What changed?
Quikstik:
At the time, the video for "Triumph" would always be in my YouTube suggestions (back when YT wasn't shiiiiiit), so I thought: 'Well if I'm going to hate this, I should at least hate it an informed context.' Then I heard "Triumph."
Between RZA's immaculate production and Deck spitting the verse of the f**ing year, my preconceived notions were punched clean in the skull, and would slowly die off
TL;DR – RZA's the greatest producer whoever lived to me, and lyrically there isn't really a weak point in the Wu's membership. That is not to say, however, that there have been no bad Wu-Tang albums
Alex:
WTC has a long and storied history for sure. It's not too hard to see the group is influenced by Asian culture, particularly in the area of the martial arts. I believe RZA has said that Bruce Lee was one of his greatest influences. Any interest in martial arts or Bruce?
Quikstik:
No, not really. I do love a good boxing match though. I'm certainly not opposed to good kung fu, and Lord knows when I can stomach anime (or the anime community) long enough, I
Love some of the stylized martial art based hyperviolence. But Bruce Lee, he's just never been on my radar like that. It's not disrespect or anything, it's just a matter of not really seeking out his work
AlexTR:
Would you say that you're only interested in Anime or do you enjoy other stylized fighting movies such as k** Bill, The One, Ninja Assasain, and the like?
Quikstik:
Not anime exclusively. Consequent to the presence of far, excuse me "Alt" right freaks, and the general technical decline of the medium, I've kind of shied away from that scene. But I do love me some stylized violence. There's something incredibly primal in its appeal
AlexTR:
Speaking of violence, who would you say is your favorite boxer?
Quikstik:
It's a cliche but I gotta go with the late great one, Ali. You'll never find another boxer that talented, noble, and iconic. Although I will give a shoutout to Canelo Alvarez, just because he's the only guy I'll pay PPV money to watch fight. I truly hope him and GGG get a fight in next year, it'd be the match of the decade
AlexTR:
Sticking with the top 5 listing format, how about top 5 boxers?
Quikstik:
Can't really give a top 5 for boxers, as I haven't been in the sport fandom that long. Any list I could produce would be cliche at best, and fallacious at worst
AlexTR:
Okay, nice move, I feel ya. Besides Genius, what are your hobbies and interests?
Quikstik:
Like I said, I love a good boxing match. I don't really watch much TV these days, but I love Archer, The Venture Bros., and right now One Punch Man's got it's dub going, so that's something. Otherwise I'm just reading comics all the time or talking about politics. Especially right now given the whole country's gone Anti-Hillary Über Alles, which could lead us to fascism
AlexTR:
Alright, hold that thought because I'd like to go back to it in a moment, but you mentioned comics. As you may know, Comic Book Genius is finally coming around! How would you rate your interest in comics? With 1 being little to no interest, 5 being a casual reader, and 10 being completely nerded out
Quikstik:
I'd say at least a 9 with interest, although I don't get out and watch TV/movie adaptations very often
AlexTR:
Do you have a preference between Marvel and DC?
Quikstik:
I have a staunch Marvel preference, although I've been thinking about hopping on an Image book if one comes around that I'd really like to see. With DC, even though Batman will always be my favorite superhero of all time (next to Ghost Rider), I have adopted a very oppositional stance, dating back to 2012
AlexTR:
So you haven't read any DC for four years?
Quikstik:
In 2014, I did buy one DC book but had an otherwise strict anti-DC stance, which I revoked briefly in 2015 before being reminded what scum it is under Didio. So now, it's kind of “f** DC All Day”, with the exception of supporting any Poison Ivy books (not Harley, Ivy) because her presence shows that DC is at least capable of listening to it's audience. Plus, #PoisonIvyLeague all day
Yes, Quikstik created a hash tag right there in the diner using no technology whatsoever. It was an incredible sight to behold
AlexTR:
Okay, I can respect that. So besides the ones you already mentioned, all dope in different ways, who are your favorite superheros?
Quikstik:
Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan, not a Carol Danvers person). I've also been reading Venom: Space Knight as well, really loving that. I'm surprised Flash Thompson didn't get a series before
AlexTR:
Hmmmm, you seem to know your comics. I may just use this opportunity to my advantage as I've been looking for a comic series to dive into
So uh...Top 5 comic series of all time, GO!
Quikstik:
Ghost Rider (1990s), Deadpool (Daniel Way's run), The super early issues of Spawn when it resembled EC Comics stuff, Ms. Marvel (G. Willow Wilson), and Tom Strong (Alan Moore's original run)
AlexTR:
Nice, very nice. I think I'll give that OG run of Tom Strong by Alan Moore a definite go, sounds intriguing!
How about other literature? Any favorite books, authors, genres? If so, I'm required to make this another top 5 list
Quikstik is understandably perplexed by this last comment. 'Required by WHO'? he asks himself. Quikstik:
I mostly stick to comics, although I've recently started reading Nietzsche. As far as traditional literature is concerned, the best I can do is give some authors that young people ought to be reading:
HG Wells, Neil Gaiman, Jack Keroauc, Hiromu Arakawa, and Masashi Kishimoto
AlexTR:
You said you're not too keen on keeping up with movie adaptations. How about the Suicide Squad? Any interest there?
Quikstik:
My only real hope is that it addresses the very real abomination that is Joker and Harley's deeply abusive relationship
AlexTR:
Anything you plan on seeing in theaters soon?
Quikstik:
I am hoping to see Green Room while it's still in theaters. Mostly because of the Nazi k**ing!
AlexTR:
Hey, I love me a Nazi k**fest myself! And I don't think we're the only ones either. Why else would there be so many video games based on the concept?
TIME FOR ANOTHER TOP 5! FAVORITE FILMS, GO!
Quikstik:
Metropolis (1927), The Ruling Cla**, Cry-Baby, Pulp Fiction, and Fight Club
AlexTR:
Nice choices. Gotta love Fight Club. It's on my top 5 film list as well as top 5 book list!
Okay, so you began talking politics a minute ago. You must be fearless to dive into that in an interview, especially now! Let's do it. So this is probably the 6th presidential campaign I have a clear memory of, and it's been um…interesting to say the least. It seems as though this election is going to be something special. Have you been following the presidential campaigns? Would you say you're optimistic as far as this country's immediate future given what we've been seeing lately?
Quikstik:
I've been following this one pretty close. I'm not optimistic at all. I'm scared to d**h, to be honest. Logic is out the window, the otherwise center-right GOP is backing a far-right candidate, and now it looks like, in the name of Anti-Hillary Über Alles, we're willing to elect, or be complicit in the election of a man whose politics and rhetoric eerily resemble early European fascists. This man also believes in the psuedoscientific anti-vaxx movement, which means he's dangerous to me on an individual level. Not only that, he has absolutely no prior experience in office, he's been praised by Putin, the Klan, the Nazis, and the Chinese Communist Party
AlexTR:
You mentioned the anti-vaxx movement and related to that on a personal level. Why is that so personal to you?
Quikstik:
It's personal to me because it is steeped in the hatred of autistic people. To the anti-vaxx movement, to the foundation of the anti-vaxx movement, autism is a disease, it is an epidemic, and it must be culled. That culling is, in practice, eugenics. The anti-vaxx movement loathes autistic people, and they see us, as I said in my bit to St. John, as inferior
They have put children's lives at risk in the name of a neurotypical society. They're evil, is what I'm getting at. Deeply, deeply evil. One could play apologist and say misinformed, but that would imply that they've sought information. Had they, they'd know that this is based purely in vastly disproven pseudoscience whose results were achieved in a deeply unethical manner
AlexTR:
I found you're letter to Alex St. John to be incredibly touching and I'd like to speak about autism for a moment
If anyone hasn't read it, I highly recommend doing so. For those who don't know, Alex St. John (I really wish I didn't share a name with him) advocated the exploitation of the autistic in the workplace. His comments caused quite the outrage and were, frankly, quite disgusting. Quikstik's response however, was a great piece of writing and really made me feel something
Quikstik looks around the diner, obviously wondering who Alex is talking to. Alex turns his attention back to him with another question
AlexTR:
Do you think autism has given you an edge on Genius? What I mean is that since autism implies an atypical neurological configuration
Alex turns his attention elsewhere once again and speaks as if he's addressing someone who isn't visible
AlexTR:
To simplify that, we can just say that the autistic brain functions in a different way than what one might call "typical."
Once again, Alex returns to reality and continues with the question he began posing
Is there anything you've noticed, as far as your work on Genius, that comes easier to you?
Quikstik:
I don't know that it has given me an edge, per se. There's certain artist I could talk about all day, but that's rather common
AlexTR:
In your Open Letter to Alex St. John, you made it clear that you don't believe allistic and neurotypical should be grouped together. I was very glad to see someone making that distinction, I've always felt that the claim that one is a synonym for the other is strange and misleading. What made you make that distinction?
Quikstik:
I made it because I think most people will unwittingly lump them together. A depressed person, a schizophrenic person, these people are not neurotypical. But they're not autistic, either. They are neurodivergent allistics. (INB4 someone says I'm speaking like an SJW/Special Snowflake)
AlexTR:
This snowflake argument is intriguing to me. I can see the logic behind the ideology that says “You are not a unique snowflake, you are the same decaying matter as everything else. We are all part of the same compost heap.” But it seems that some are taking this philosophy down a dark road. I do like the “compost heap” part of the quote from Fight Club, but I take that in a positive way
Everyone is different of course, but it can also be said that we all have similarities: hopes, dreams, fears, etc. I see the compost heap as a positive community. This is the route Buddhists take with these ideas. On the other hand, we've seen those with ill intentions use it as a means of defense to back up their fascist ideals
On a practical level, how could we possible take this argument that nobody is unique seriously? Hasn't neuroscience already proven that incredible differences among individuals?
Mike gives a knowing look, followed by a nod. He seems to agree, but gives Alex a stern look, communicating to Alex that he's getting off track. Alex notices this change in disposition, squirms in his seat and clears his throat
AlexTR:
Have you ever been personally attacked because of autism? Even if you haven't been personally attacked, I can understand how hard it must be to see these things in the media
Quikstik:
Closest I've come to being attacked was some Nazi piece of sh** coming into my inbox on Tumblr and making some pa**ive aggressive bullsh** remark. I've otherwise been pretty lucky, mainly because I pa** for allistic
AlexTR:
How would you describe the differences between autistic and allistic in general?
Quikstik:
I don't think I could really answer that question, tbh. I've never been allistic, so I've no frame of reference beyond what medicine would tell us
AlexTR:
Well this has been fascinating! But before we part, let me just ask you a couple questions I like to ask myself: What are your greatest achievements on Genius?
Quikstik:
[With no hesitation] Annotating Lord Jamar's nonsense bullsh** with the LGBT community. Second I heard that horrible sh** I thought to myself: 'This is not only hateful, it's empirically wrong and I can do something with this.'
AlexTR:
This is what I love about Genius. You see something that sparks a pa**ion within yourself, and you realize that, 'hey! I can actually do something with this'!
How about outside of Genius? What would you say has been your greatest achievement?
Quikstik:
Personal growth. I've come a long way from where I was mentally 10 years ago
AlexTR:
Great answer, personal growth is important. The world would be a better place if more of us took this sort of thing seriously
Let's go the other way. What are your greatest failures?
Quikstik:
Don't know, I'm not dead yet. I could f** up harder
AlexTR:
Heh heh, that's definitely true for all of us I should think and a great way to look at it
What are you working on right now? Anything exciting?
Quikstik:
I do have something in the works that's going to be up on Genius in the future
AlexTR:
[Leans forward, rubbing his hands together in anticipation]
Oooh, I love special projects! Whatcha' got cookin?
Quikstik:
Gotta keep the element of surprise here, sorry
AlexTR:
Okay, okay, that's understandable
Although Alex does a good job of convincing Quikstik he's satisfied, he's screaming inside Well, it looks like we're out of time. The last bus of the night will be coming through in about two minutes, you got the check right?
7th Chamber begins playing although there doesn't seem to be any way to account for the volume and sound quality, as no speakers are anywhere in sight. Quikstik compels AlexTR to reconsider his question regarding the bill with nothing but a look]