How do you feel about Friends of ED shutting down?

It is sad. Of course I had contributed 5 books of Design Training to them and another one was just about to go to print, so it hit me personally. There are a lot of other people I know who were in similar positions, not to mention the people who worked there. But of course the bigger issue is that the titles may not be available to the public now. I do think they may have oversaturated the market a little bit, but still, there were some excellent books there. It's sad to think there won't be Foundation and Studio books for the future versions of Flash.

What music do you secretly listen to when no one is around...?

That 80's new wave stuff! Lately I've even been digging up some old 70's stuff that I'd totally forgotten about. Brings you back.

What other programs are you avidly interested in besides Flash Animations?
Mainly I've been getting into Java. I think it's a great next step for someone well versed in Action Script. The structures are close enough to make you feel comfortable but it's much more disciplined. And once you experience the speed and power you can get out of Java, Flash starts to feel a little "clunky".

Where do you see the future of Flash 5 years from now?

That's something I think about a lot. Nothing lasts forever. Flash Animations is the big thing now, and I don't see its death coming any time soon, but I think it's important for anyone in the field to keep abreast of any and all new technologies coming out, and not keep all their eggs in one basket. As far as where Flash will go, it seems to be heading more and more in the rich web application direction, components, and communication. A far cry from where anyone would have thought back in the more "flashy" days of Flash 4 and 5. Also remember that Director is alive and continuing to develop. Unless they somehow merge, this will always put a limit on the areas that Flash will expand into, in order to keep these two applications separate