Focus On: Miriam Schalit

So now we finally get back around to introducing you to the people who make things work around here. Today... Miriam Schalit.

Miriam is the assistant director for both The Screen Savers and Call for Help, and a fun person to be around. We put her on the spot today, and she was good enough to play along.

Here's what Miriam has to say for herself.

Name: Miriam Schalit

Job Title: Director

Homepage: none!

Hometown: Livermore, California

Favorite website: Hamster Dance

First computer: Apple 1984 512K

College/University: UC Santa Barbara

Former Life: Ultimate Frizbee junkie

Favorite piece of technology: Automobile

Favorite author and book: "Where the Red Fern Grows"

Favorite movie or TV show: "Casablanca"

Favorite quote: "Those of us who aren't perfect really bother those of us who are."

And now The Proust questions...

What is your most marked characteristic? Being forthright

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Quitting smoking

When and where were you happiest? Here and Now

What is your greatest regret? Backing over my 10-year-old cat (his ultimate demise) with my car

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Doing what I want to do (for a living) and enjoying my time off.

What is your most treasured possession? I wouldn't call them possessions, but my pets (two dogs and a cat) are the first "things" that I would rescue from a burning house.

Where would you like to live? Santa Barbara or Hawaii

What is your greatest fear? Having a questionnaire with all sorts of personal questions confronting me

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? At times, I speak before I think through what I really wanted to say!

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Close-minded ignorance!

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Physical beauty (although wouldn't you want it too?)

What is your greatest extravagance? I don't consider myself extravagant, relative to others. Simply living in the US, living in this culture is extravagant enough, don't you think? (having a car, a house, cell phone, computer, loads of clothes, pets, enough money to give to charities, the ability to go on vacations around the world: all of the usual trappings!)

What is your favorite journey? Life itself!

What is it that you most dislike? "Man's" inhumanity to the planet Earth.

What is the quality you most like in a man? Being able to see me and treat me as a human being first rather than a conquest or a woman. Talking to me, not flirting!

What is the quality you most like in a woman? Being able to see me and treat me as a human being first rather than a competitor.

What do you most value in your friends? Acceptance

If you were to come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? A horse

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? I would be a horse.

How would you like to die? In my sleep in about 100 years!

Now that didn't hurt much. Miriam is a welcome addition to the Help Pod, and she's good at what she does.

Next week we'll pressure somebody else into revealing more about themselves than they care to. Who knows? It might be me.

-- I'm Russ

Got a question for the Dish? Send email to dish@techtv.com. Return every day for another serving and you might see your question.

Posted March 17, 2000