Name: Patrick Norton
Job title: I dunno yet.

Hometown: Spray Beach, N.J. (born in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. Lived in umpteen other places).
Favorite website: Slashdot
First computer: My dad's IBM AT and Compaq Portable II, or the Kaypro and Osborne my aunt and uncle taught me to word process on, or the Macintosh Duo 280 I bought when I crawled out of college.
College/university: Pace University, NYC
Favorite piece of technology: GPS. It makes sailing offshore lots more comfortable.
Favorite author and book: I read six novels a month. I've got a serious book jones. Favorites are John Irving's "The World According to Garp" or any collection of Raymond Carver stories.
Favorite movie: This week it's "The Zero Effect."
Motto: "What does not kill me makes me stronger." Or, "If we're not having fun, why are we doing it?"

Soul searching

What is your most marked characteristic? I have no idea. Curiosity? Weirdness? An intense desire to avoid sleep by abusing caffeine? Punk?
What do you consider your greatest achievement? I'm nine years sober.
When and where were you happiest? Here and now would be just fine, thankee.
What is your greatest regret? Regrets? I'm not really into regret.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Living near the folks I love, working at a job that doesn't suck, and having the time to go play.
Where would you like to live? Let's see, I've done NYC, San Francisco, and Vail, Colo. Maybe Jackson Hole, Wyo. (no computer stores though), then back to the Jersey Shore.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I'm terminally late.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Lack of manners
What is your greatest extravagance? I'm trying to buy a sailboat.
What is your favorite journey? Newark Airport to my folks' house, sailing anywhere, going to see friends, and road trips to go snowboard or surf.
What is it that you most dislike? Hatred
What is the quality you most like in a man? Being dependable
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Being dependable
What do you most value in your friends? There's not enough space on the Web to list all the reasons I love 'em.
If you were to come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? I'd rather not know ahead of time.
How would you like to die? With my boots on