MORE THAN YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT TJ

Fans submitted interview questions on LiveJournal in November 2008 and March 2009, and the boys did their best to answer...


Is "TJ" your real name?
Yeah.

Well, what does it stand for?
TJ.

What's your astrological sign?
I dunno. Maybe Sagittarius. That's fun to say. Sssssagittarius!

Do you have any bad habits?
I am a complete fucking saint.

Why did you decide on shades instead of normal glasses?
They were a present, so hey.

If this isn't too awkward, how much do you weigh? You're just so skinny...
One hundred sah... somethin'. I haven't been on a scale in a while. Less than Amal.

What's your current favorite song?
Uh... uh... man, I can't decide. Maybe "Friend of the Devil"...?

Is there any music you don't like?
Bleepy bloopy robot shit.

What's your favorite movie?
Back to the Future.

Have you ever read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett?
I, uh, don't really... read.

What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?
Pall Mall Reds.

What's your favorite drink (alcoholic and non)?
Beer. Lemonade or iced tea, if it's sweet enough.

If you could have any one superpower, what would it be?
Flying.

How'd you get those scars on your neck and back?
I got one from a knife.

How many piercings/tattoos do you have, and what are they?
I've got a little blue spiral in my left ear, a blue Hand Of Fatima with an initial "N" on my right shoulder, a hammer over my right hip, and a sparrow over my left hip. There's a lot more I wanna get done. Piercings, I got two 6ga rings in my left ear, and uh... four 8ga barbells on my wang. I used to have a stud in my tongue, but I didn't like it.

Good lord, what made you decide to get the barbells?
It wasn't really my decision.

Do you prefer pickles or cucumbers? (no double entendre here, really.)
Cucumbers. I don't like sour stuff.

Do you burn in the sun, or do you tan pretty well?
I burn a little, but can sort of medium tan. I've got this wicked farmer's tan going on right now -- [pulls up sleeves]

When did you first start wearing your hair like that?
I started going for dreads about, um, two years ago. It was really short before then.

This story takes place just after the 2008 Presidential Primaries. Which candidate did you vote for?
I can't vote.

Boxers, briefs, or commando?
Whatever. I'm not picky.

What do you find attractive in women vs. what do you find attractive in men?
Uh, I dunno - you mean like sex? I kinda just like bodies in general if that's what you mean, but... man, this is hard to explain. There's gotta be something interesting about somebody...

When did you get your first job, and where was it?
Washing dishes at the Silver Mountain. I think I was 11 or 12.

Where did you spend the majority of your time before the road trip?
Here and there.

Have you ever travelled outside of the United States?
Does Vegas count? That's kind of on another plane...

What comes to mind when you think of your father?
Nothing.

What is your favorite memory of your mother?
My real mom, uh.
If you mean Mrs. Lau, all those times she put up with my crap. And all the times she wouldn't put up with my crap. [laughs] No really, probably her teaching me to cook.

What's your favorite food she makes?
Caaw gwai diu.

What were your teenage years like? Did you feel close to your peers in high school?
I couldn't really stay in school, but, um, I lived with these guys for a while, Norman and Michael, and Norm would teach me stuff. I took care of him when he was having bad days, and pretty much all the time later when he was really sick. When he died, things kinda went boom, so I left and found some other stuff to do. [rubs back of neck]

Can you communicate (not speak fluently, just being able to get by) in any language other than English?
If I'm just tryin' to get around a kitchen (or start shit), then Spanish and Cantonese, and maybe some Italian, but otherwise I'm sorta boned.

What size shoe do you wear?
Big.

Do you like video games? If so, what's your favorite and which one are you best at?
Ms. Pac-Man. She can whup some ghost ass.

Have you ever taken any drugs? (prescription included)
[TJ mumbles under his breath, rapidly counting on his fingers]

Have you ever had braces/caps/fillers/are you missing any teeth?
Never had braces or anything, but yeah, I'm missing one [pulls back lip to show a dark gap where an upper premolar should be] and my lower front ones are sort of fucked up. Like jumbled piano keys. [wiggles fingers]

Have you ever tried that "how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop" thing? How far did you get before you finished/gave up/lost count?
Shit yeah I tried it. That owl is boss. He's my candy sensei, so I followed his example and just bit right in. Carpe diem, Mr. Owl!

Have you met any fan girls? If so, did you beat them off with a stick?
Heh, you said "beat off."

What is your favorite kind of bread? (White, Whole Wheat, Sourdough, etc.)
Donuts.

Do you carry a pocket knife, leatherman, or any sort of personal weapon?
Not anymore.

Do you dream often? And are there any recurring themes in your dreams?
...Long hallways.

What draws you to Amal?
His... everything.

Do you think you'd have been able to find happiness if you hadn't met Amal?
I wasn't, like, sad or anything before. But I'd never been... Yeah.

Okay, let's take a page from The Actors' Studio...

What is your favorite word?
"Hoedown."

What is your least favorite word?
"Gone."

What turns you on?
...Uniqueness.

What turns you off?
Timid... ness. Timidity. Dullness.

What sound or noise do you love?
Waves.

What sound or noise do you hate?
Sirens.

What is your favorite curse word?
"Motherfucker."

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Motherfucker. [laughs] Uh, skydiving instructor. Yeah.

What profession would you not like to do?
Anything in a suit.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"You're late."

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