Game: This or That

[Pompey Bum]

We did this one already, right? What the rest of the world calls football until the NFL allows biting.

Women's figure skating or foxy boxing?

[bounty]

oh! there is a pugilistic equivalent of lingerie football?? i didn't know that; I am being so corrupted on this forum!

but being a big fan of figure skating, I can honestly go with that. michelle kwan is one of my all time favorite athletes. I think id still go on a date with sasha cohen or angela nikodinov and peggy fleming is just one of the classiest women out there in the athletic world.

strawberry jam or orange marmalade?

[Pompey Bum]

I like women's figure skating, too. I used to think it was because my tastes were so refined; but then I noticed that men's figure skating bored the ever loving poop right out of me. So now I just think of it as "competitive girl watching." It's great, though.


strawberry jam or orange marmalade?

That's a tough choice, Bounty. It really depends on my mood at the time, but okay, strawberry if I had to choose.

Pogo sticks or hula hoops?

[bounty]

I think I had both when I was little...

Id say hula hoops because I like the variety of things you can do with them. along those lines, I love watching rhythmic gymnastics and the hoop is one of the implements.

Harrison ford as Indiana jones, or Harrison ford as han solo?

[Pompey Bum]

Oh sure. Pretend like Regarding Henry was never made.

Okay, um, Indy.

Watching golf on television or getting a splinter under a fingernail and spending an evening looking for it with a needle and match?

[Pendragon]

Any thing other than watching golf!

Poker or Blackjack?

[Dark Muse]

Poker

Jazz or Blues

[North Star]

Jazz

vampires or amperes?

[Dark Muse]

It depends on the type vampire, if it is monsterus scary remorselessly blood sucking vampire than vampire
If it it is emo I don't want to kill humans vampire than amperes

On that note

Dracula or Twilight

[bounty]

thats a toughie dark muse---I recently read the first twilight book and then watched the movie. it was kinda bothering me at first that the vampires were other than the "remorsely blood sucking" creatures we have in literary history come to believe them. but as the book and movie went on, I reluctantly and grudgingly found myself buying into it, and then, well, now I want to read the other books. I even got into some conversations with friends about being team Edward or team Jacob. ive come to enjoy the alternative vampire universe the author's created and I love the romance between Edward and bella---in fact, one of my all time favorite movie scenes comes at the end of twilight at the prom, when bella lays bare her neck and is inviting Edward to change her. yet, prior to all this, Dracula was one of my favorite books.

I don't know what to do! ack! I love classics but I am going to lean slightly towards twilight because of the creativity of the author, and the social phenomenon it became.

paul potts singing nessum dorma or susan boyle singing I dreamed a dream? (you can easily find them on youtube, make sure its the audition version!)

[bounty]

bump bump bumpity bump...

hoping someone takes a shot at it...

[Clopin]

Susan Boyle of course!

Buying books or making use of a library?

[Pompey Bum]

Downloading free ebooks from Gutenberg or Internet Archive; then buying ebooks from Amazon; then paying for bound books from a bookstore; and almost never borrowing books from a libraries (although I do like to hand around in them).

Sharp or mild cheddar?

[Clopin]

I like paper books :( But I agree, I prefer to buy them than borrow them.

Depends, but give me sharp if it's not going to be melted on or in something.

Bacon and eggs or fruit and yogurt (as a breakfast).

[Pompey Bum]

Bacon and eggs. Only live long if it's worth it.

Wearing cotton or synthetic fiber when hiking?

[Clopin]

Yogurt and fruit taste good though! And actually I subscribe to a nutritional school which considers both bacon and eggs to be healthy. I would eat both at the same time though!

Depends on the temperature, hiking in the summer, cotton, hiking in -20 weather, you're going to want synthetics or at least wool.

Harp or harpsichord?

[Pompey Bum]

Both are wonderful, but harp if I had to choose.

Turquoise or Jade?

[Pendragon]

Jade. My real preference is malachite.

Silver or gold?

[Dark Muse]

Silver

Desert or Frozen Tundra

[bounty]

I like burl ives in Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer singing silver and gold!

clopin, thanks for answering---did you watch the videos anew or had you already known your answer from your being past acquainted with them?

i prefer working to stay warm in the cold over working to stay cool in the hot so i go with tundra. but i love flora and fauna so i go with desert assuming id be able to see just a little. id rather be riding my bike as opposed to walking or driving a car, so id have to go with desert in that regard too (unless we are talking about a major sandy, trackless desert?). slight lean towards desert...

(dark muse, what are you thoughts on Dracula vs twilight?)

scary movies in the dark, or with the lights on?

[Pompey Bum]

Everything's better with the lights on.

Picasso's Guernica or Van Gogh's Starry Night?

[Dark Muse]

Starry Night

Birthdays or Anniversaries

[Pompey Bum]

Birthdays. Anniversaries are harder to remember.

Black olives or green olives?

[Pendragon]

Both

Pepperoni or sausage pizza?

[Pompey Bum]

Since "both" would be cheating, pepperoni. :)

Spiral staircase or sterile spy case?

[Pendragon]

Spiral staircases are fascinating!

Fish or cut bait?

[Pompey Bum]

Fish, till Uncle Pen finds the old maid deck.

Damned if you do or damned if you don't?

[Clopin]

Damned if you don't probably, in most cases.

Sweet and sour pork or ginger beef (American Chinese food)

[Dark Muse]

Sweet & Sour

Five Star Restaurant or good local dive

[bounty]

I love "sweet & sour!"

good local dive 99 times out of a 100.

orange creamsicle or fudgesicle?

[Pompey Bum]

I lean towards damned if you do. If you're going to do the time, you might as well do the crime.

Fudgesicle.

Arctic or Antarctic?

[Clopin]

But damned if you don't can plead innocence. And I really hate orange creamsicles for the record, and I hate anything "orange" flavored in general.

Arctic because of my Canadian heritage and nationality.

Pick one hemisphere

Northeast
Northwest
Southeast
Southwest

Which quarter of the Earth reigns supreme and why?

[Pompey Bum]

East or west, home's the best.

Black ants or red ants?

[tonywalt]

Red. If i say i don't like black ants i be accused of racism and would have to get on all the major networks and apologise to all people.

Playing card games? (online counts)

[Dark Muse]

I don't play card games as much as I used to but I still enjoy it.

Crosswords or Word Searches

[Pompey Bum]

Red. If i say i don't like black ants i be accused of racism and would have to get on all the major networks and apologise to all people.

Excuse me, Tony, but the Lakota Sioux are on the phone for you, and they sound kind of pissed.

I don't like either one. Crossword puzzles I guess are more fun, so okay, I'll choose that, but honestly, I'd rather be reading.

Religious music or military music? (I chose crossword puzzles, so no fair saying neither).

[Dark Muse]

It depends on the Religion, I listen to Pagan music, I am not really sure what Millitary music is. So if I can listen to music from the religion of my choice than Religious. If it has to be Gospel/ Christian music, well I don't mind the chanting monks, they sound kind of Gothic and haunting. So I will say Religious.

Wood floors or Carpet

[Pendragon]

Wood floors, with throw rugs

Ranch house or tudor?

[Pompey Bum]

Tudor till you start having kids. Then four door. Ba-DUM!

Okay, would you rather hear a recital of hymns by a local church choir or go to a performance by the United States Marine Band, featuring "The Halls of Montezuma" and other patriotic favorites? (Is that clearer?)

[bounty]

I like both so for me it would depend on the timing---local church choir at Christmas or easter, marine corps band on independence day.

chick flick on a date or action movie with guys?

(or is the best choice "action movie on a date?")

(where on earth did that little "thumbs up" come from??)

[Dark Muse]

Of course action movie either with the guys or on a date

Sports Bar or Cafe

[Pompey Bum]

Cafe

Goobers or Raisonettes?

[tonywalt]

goobers.

gummy bears or jelly beans?

[Pompey Bum]

Gummy bears. It's fun to bite them into pieces and then reassemble them as rainbow colored ones. My favorite is to turn the green one, the clear one, and the orange one into a little bear-shaped Irish flag. Anyway, Gummy bears.

Public school or private school?

[bounty]

hard to answer this one...

I think there should be public schools, I also think parents should be given vouchers for private schools. private and parochial schools where I live are on their death beds. heck---most of the elementary schools are gone too.

red licorice or black licorice?

[Pompey Bum]

All licorice is gross.

Free trade or protectionism?

[Clopin]

I actually lean towards protectionism but it's not something I've looked into much, if you have any resource/recommended reading which compares the two I would be happy to take a look. I know I usually support free trade/markets but I dislike globalism and I actually think Smith's invisible hand works a little... too well. People will buy the cheapest goods pretty much to the exclusion of any moral considerations. I mean I like to think that I myself, as well as the people I know would not purposefully enslave a bunch of children and have them work twelve hours in grueling conditions, or expect adult workers to produce in conditions so bad they are actually killing themselves but that's what happens, invisibly anyway.

I think for example when Norway refuses to let McDonald's into their country that's a pretty good thing. *edit* apparently this is not actually a fact or anything, haha, someone told me Norway had banned McDonald's but that doesn't seem to be true, whoops.

Same question and reasons please.

[Pompey Bum]

I'm a quasi-protectionist, too, for two reasons:

1. In my life I have observed low wage workers from my country get utterly screwed when the jobs went to the barefoot Indonesian children. It has had a demonstrably bad effect on living conditions here. I was truly unprepared for some of what I saw when I toured the American Southwest a few years ago.

2. I don't really have time for an essay, but globalism is an empire in all but responsibility, if that makes any sense. But it is harder to reign in than any earlier empire. Reaction has already begun with militant Islam. When things get really bad---when Europe enters a phase of violent conflict between liberalism and nativism, we're going to have a proper nightmare on our hands.

EDIT: Oh sorry. Same question, anyone else.

[Clopin]

I would be interested in hearing Bounty's view on it as I think he tends toward free market solutions.

[Pompey Bum]

Me, too. Also DM's because she's a free thinking intellectual.

[Pendragon]

So you get the curmudgeon instead! I'm all for protectionism. Here in Southwest VA, a lot of people were employed in the garment mills. All of them went overseas. That was a lot of people out of jobs. A huge multi-million dollar factory was located in China by a Virginia business mogul who had plenty of people out of work in his own state. Then he tried to run for office, explaining he wanted to locate in VA but it never materialized. Translated: "The labor was cheaper in China, and the US doesn't add tariffs to companies who got overseas and then import back to the US to sale the product for 100X what it cost to make."

And by all means, the question continues!

[Clopin]

Strong protectionist camp on litnet! Actually I forgot Dark Muse mentioned she was a libertarian in a comment on Peter's blog so maybe she'll break the streak.

[Dark Muse]

I am really torn between the two really. There are things that appeal to me on both sides and things that make me uncmftrabke on both sides. There is a part of me that would lean towards free trade. Yet on the other hand I have moral qualms with a lot of the practices of big corporations and most the intersting and unique things can be found in the local shops. I usually always prefer to shop in local shops and eat local when I travel opposed to patronizing chains and franchises. I respect countries and states protecting thier local business.

My knee jerk response to the question was to say free trade, but well I am not an expert in the issues so when I looked into it a little I started to lean a bit more towards protectionism.

[Pompey Bum]

Bounty (or anyone else)?

[Iain Sparrow]

oh, ya'll are full of it.
Each and everyone of us wear clothes, eat food, own products that were manufactured and produced by folks working for pay and under conditions we wouldn't dream of doing ourselves. Hypocrites, we're all hypocrites!
Neither Free Trade, or Protectionist policies work very well... the real problem is with these huge multinational corporations and how they lobby governments for special treatment.

[Clopin]

oh, ya'll are full of it.
Each and everyone of us wear clothes, eat food, own products that were manufactured and produced by folks working for pay and under conditions we wouldn't dream of doing ourselves. Hypocrites, we're all hypocrites!
Neither Free Trade, or Protectionist policies work very well... the real problem is with these huge multinational corporations and how they lobby governments for special treatment.

But that's exactly what I said isn't it? That people will tacitly accept very unsavoury business practices if they don't ever have to engage with that element directly. That's why I cast my ballot for protectionism instead of unbridled capitalism. I am usually in favour of capitalist/free market solutions because I think the principles tend to line up with human nature anyway and that in turn leads to lead to less fuss and complications, sort of an occam's principle of economics anyway; you would have to be both heartless and insane, though, to not notice that what human beings naturally want to do is not necessarily what is going to be best for even their own communities.

[Pompey Bum]

Likewise my comment about empire.

But hey, who knew Iain read us? :)

Bounty, answer the damned question already (and leave one of your own) before this degenerates.

[Iain Sparrow]

But that's exactly what I said isn't it? That people will tacitly accept very unsavoury business practices if they don't ever have to engage with that element directly. That's why I cast my ballot for protectionism instead of unbridled capitalism. I am usually in favour of capitalist/free market solutions because I think the principles tend to line up with human nature anyway and that in turn leads to lead to less fuss and complications, sort of an occams principle of economics anyway; you would have to be both heartless and insane, though, to not notice that what human beings naturally want to do is not necessarily what is going to be best for even their own communities.

And I mostly agree with you.
Where the rubber meets the road, the actual people in foreign lands who produce the goods we buy... if we had to spend just one week trading lives with them; I would hope that most of us would change the way we think about globalization. It's all very remote. That is of course the nice part of me, the person who feels empathy and would want the wealthy to be less wealthy, and the poor to be less poor. Personally, I believe billionaires are obscene... but I also think that some poor people deserve to be poor. I live in a big metropolitan city with plenty of folks living at or below the poverty level... and I don't care, really, I don't care. Some are mentally ill, whether by birth or self-inflicted, some are impoverished in every way a person can be impoverished; of spirit, of conscience, of shame. Screw'em. And that's the other part of me, the one that lives in a Darwinian universe. Unfortunately we're all interconnected, and a large percentage of the population living in poverty does nobody any good.

[Pompey Bum]

Interesting topic, Iain. Let's start a separate thread about it.

Onion rings or French fries?

[Clopin]

Keep in mind it isn't the sweatshops that are causing misery, if they all closed down the people working in them wouldn't all of a sudden find well paying jobs somewhere.

[Clopin]

Onion rings because I very rarely have them and I like them quite a bit.

Concerning calamari, breaded and deep fried or soft and rubbery?

[Pompey Bum]

Deep fried and salty.

Red or white sauce on pasta?

[Clopin]

Well I think cream/cheese sauces taste better, but i'm usually pretty health conscious and a red sauce has an amazing flavour to health ratio, buuuuut okay, white sauces because I do prefer them when it comes down to it.

Steak, very rare or very well done (no picking medium rare)

[Pompey Bum]

Very rare. Very well done tastes like nothing (or worse).

Dating (etc.) someone who is 20 pounds overweight or 20 pounds underweight?

[Clopin]

What's your jumping off point? Well whatever, I pick overweight. I find scrawniness in women pretty unappealing (like i'm one to talk, oh well) and depending on the girl some extra weight is often a good thing.

Dating someone with a miserably ugly face but beautiful body or the other way around?

[Pompey Bum]

Body over face, but to be honest, if you turn the lights out and cuddle, it doesn't matter that much. You may be picky, but nature just wants to get the job done.

Happy and slightly dumb lover or brilliant but depressed? (Both are beautiful).

[Clopin]

Brilliant and depressed every day all day, though I might feel inadequate next to a really brilliant girl. If she liked me for who i am and wasn't bored with me or something it would be nice.

Same question only applied to yourself, as in would you rather be beautiful and dumb or brilliant and depressed?

[Pompey Bum]

There goes a happy idiot,
He doesn't give a damn.
I wish I were an idiot,
But then perhaps I am.

--traditional

French dressing or Russian dressing?

[Clopin]

I think I've only had both from like... Kraft bottles, so I can't say for sure, I believe the French as a people make better salads and dressings than the Russians though, so lets just say French.

Would you rather humans had fully prehensile tales or a dogs sense of smell?

[Pompey Bum]

Definitely the tails. I'd hate to have to sniff butts to figure out who my friends are.

Would you rather humans reproduced asexually, and there was no aggression, or competition, or war; or that sex remained fun and humans remained about the same?

[bounty]

Likewise my comment about empire.

But hey, who knew Iain read us? :)

Bounty, answer the damned question already (and leave one of your own) before this degenerates.

laughs...im late to the game but I appreciate your wondering what I think, thank you.

its for sure a tangled web, and I think the two major weavers in the web are government involvement our lives in general and in this instance in particular, and the question of what's the relationship between our consumerism and our morality.

from my perspective as to the first part, as soon as government gets involved in the market, thus begins the process of their picking winners and losers (who are not the consumers, and isn't that the whole point of international trade?), excessive lobbying, special interests, inconsistency, more government, and loss of liberty.

as to the second part, my simple libertarian maxim is educate the people and allow them to make choices. tell people the circumstances behind the creation of the product, the consequences of this choice vs that choice, and then that gives them reign to buy, or not to buy, based on economic interests, or moral ones.

on the whole, i believe protectionism hurts the poor in other parts of the world (more than the 25 cents an hour sweat shops), and allows people here in America whose time has passed to continue to exist (unions for instance).

i haven't read this, but the cato institute is a libertarian think tank and so i trust this is a pretty in depth view of the tension between the two:

http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa723.pdf

[Pompey Bum]

Thanks. :)

Now then:

Would you rather humans reproduced asexually, and there was no aggression, or competition, or war; or that sex remained fun and humans remained about the same?

[bounty]

Definitely the tails. I'd hate to have to sniff butts to figure out who my friends are.

Would you rather humans reproduced asexually, and there was no aggression, or competition, or war; or that sex remained fun and humans remained about the same?

my first thought was the first part sounds too much like what i remember from Huxley's a brave new world, and i wouldn't want to live there. and the other thought is, competition is (or can be) the crucible in which excellence is born, and i like that.

and now on a more serious note:

Gilligan's island or Hogan's heroes?

[Pompey Bum]

Gilligan's Island, of course, although it would have been nice if Gilligan had found a time machine by the lagoon (or maybe the Professor would have invented one), which the castaways would have used to try to get back to the marina just before their ill-fated "three hour tour"; but Gilligan would have accidentally switched the control dial (located on a coconut he was trying to eat) and sent them all back to Stalag 13, at least for one show.

Eager-to-please blond Jeannie (as in I Dream of Jeannie), or her wicked brunette twin sister (also a genie named Jeannie--and also played by Barbara Eden)?

[tonywalt]

Eager to please.

Barbara Eden or Mary Ann circa late 60's?

[Pompey Bum]

Barbara Eden uber alles.

Patty Duke or cousin Cathy (also played by Patty Duke)?

[tonywalt]

Patty Duke (actually, one of the first stirrings of attaction to girls, watching those re-runs).

Pulitzer or Booker prize winner in terms of literary quality/criteria?

[bounty]

I don't know anything about booker, but I read (or tried to read) a book this past year that was a finalist for the Pulitzer, the accidental tourist by anne tyler. it was one of the worst books id ever read and I lost a lot of respect for the award. i'll go with booker then by default.

reading a book in your favorite couch/chair or reading a book outside in the sun sitting with your back against a tree?

[Dark Muse]

I get too distracted to read outside so I prefer reading on the couch.

Shoes or bare feet

[Pendragon]

Bare feet unless shoes are absolutely necessary.

Laces or loafers?

[Clopin]

Laces

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D8z6mypqf8w/UIod_LA7N_I/AAAAAAAAGXk/6ZKPqD4aFKE/s1600/Simone+Cecchetto+Greene+St+A1923+Augusta+Ann+Demeu lemeester+Werkstatt:Munchen+Paul+Harnden+An+Unknow n+Quantity+New+York+Fashion+Street+Style+Blog6.png

Lancelot or Arthur?

[Dark Muse]

That one is hard lol I cannot choose Merlin?

If I had to pick than Arthur

Gondolf or Dumbledore?

[Pendragon]

Gandolf

Sherlock Holmes or James Bond?

[bounty]

Sherlock holmes, but I love james bond and id enjoy some author writing a book that somehow brought the two of them together.

the first Dumbledore (for two movies I think) or the second Dumbledore (for all the rest)?

[Pompey Bum]

Patty Duke (actually, one of the first stirrings of attaction to girls, watching those re-runs).

I watched the originals as a kid, but was more a "Cathy man," even then. Still, as they used to say, "What a crazy pair!" ;-)

The only Dumbledown I have saw was in the first movie, during which I fell into a deep and magical sleep, so I'm inclined to give it to the second one.

Professor Moriarty or Max Ernst Blofeld?

[bounty]

I like both holmes and bond, so tough choice. i'll go with moriarty because he earned so much of holmes' respect, which is huge. my major criticism of both moriarty and blofeld is they were too behind the scenes so to speak. I liked the moriarty in the second Robert downey jr holmes movie---even though the title was game of shadows (if I remember that rightly), moriarty was more "out there."

Robert downey jr as sherlock holmes, or as tony stark/iron man?

[Pompey Bum]

I like that they are both so shadowy. It makes them creepy psychological villains rather than action hero bad guys (or in the case of Blofeld, more than just an action hero bad guy).

I have never seen Robert Downy as Sherlock Holmes, though, and don't even know who Iron Man is, so I'll let someone else answer that.

[Clopin]

I've never seen either Bounty :(

[Dark Muse]

I will go with Iron Man I enjoyed the Sherlock movie but I was annoyed that they did try and make him sexier than he was. I think he fit the Tony Stark role better.

Zombie apocalypse or Robot take over

[Clopin]

Slow zombies, in both situations I might just off myself though.

Cats, turtles, dogs, snakes, birds, lizards or frogs/toads as pets? (no fish)

[Dark Muse]

Cats, dogs and snakes are preferred. Turtles are kind of cool too, I like lizards but they can sometimes be more difficult than snakes. I like birds but they can a lot of work and need a lot of handling and attention and get temperamental sometimes.

Salt water fis or fresh water fish?

[Clopin]

I've never owned either but I think a salt water tank is cooler though harder to maintain(?).

Disney's Frozen or Mulan as a female empowerment movie aimed at young children?

[Dark Muse]

I never saw Frozen but I loved Mulan

Pool or darts

[Clopin]

Darts because I stink at pool, i'm not much better st darts but everyone stinks at darts (around here anyway)' might be different in the U.K.

Shampoo or conditioner?

[Dark Muse]

I used to be halfway decent at darts and pool but haven't played either in ages.

Conditioner

Chess or checkers?

[Clopin]

Chess by a mile.

Risk or Axis and Allies?

[bounty]

I have never played axis and allies, but I love love love risk and have fond memories of playing with friends for hours at a time.

board games or cards?

[Pendragon]

Cards

Fear of snakes or fear of spiders?

[Dark Muse]

I don't have either I am quite found of both, since I didn't/ can't really answer the question I will pass it on to the next person.

[Pompey Bum]

Same here. I just gave the spider that's been in my kitchen for three days now a name.

Anyone else?

[bounty]

I handle spiders frequently, moving them from one place to another out of harms way. ive probably done that many hundreds of times in my life, and despite harry potter and LOTR, still no fear with spiders. snakes however, strike an immediate fear response that I have to work for a moment to overcome rationally. it could be in large part though that because when I see them, its usually a surprise, but there is still something else there.

dark muse, I thought Robert downey jr, made a perfect tony stark. I grudgingly accepted him after the first holmes movie and liked him even more after the second one, but I like him better as iron man. though they are very different, I like benedict cumberbatch's portrayal of holmes a little better. however, Downey's holmes has this great dry humor that's fun to watch.

peanut butter on toast, or jelly/jam on toast?

[Clopin]

Well... both at the same time is the correct answer, but if I only get one then I'm usually going with peanut butter.

Marmite or Vegemite?

[Sido]

Marmite... on toast :)

French toast or Waffles?

[Dark Muse]

Waffles

Cupcake or muffin?

[Iain Sparrow]

Pineapple Bran Muffin, my favorite.

Tuna fish, or tuna piano?

[Pendragon]

I have an irrational fear of spiders which I have worked on by handling tarantulas and other spiders. Could be that the bite I had from a brown recluse that paralyzed my arm for a while holds me back. Snakes I do not fear, I respect them. I catch snakes frequently and have observed rattlesnakes up close. I will not pick up a poisonous snake, but I don't harm them either.


Tuna Fish

Piano or violin?

[Dark Muse]

Violin

Flats or heels

[Pompey Bum]

The ugly truth, DM, is that men don't care all that much about women's shoes. Don't tell Papayahed, though. God, you look hot in those, Papaya! :)

Same question.

[Dark Muse]

Preferably no shoes but with the exception of my Gothy boots I wear flats. I don't have any high heels other than my boots.


Coffee or tea

[Pompey Bum]

Coffee by far. If tea, it has to be really good tea (from the Far East only), and (for some reason) taken at room temperature. I also find coffee more flavorful at room temperature.

Long hair or short hair (on others)?

[tonywalt]

always long for women, sort of a rule. As for men, not that i fancy them, short- but long looks cool on some.

Quiet hotel on the beach or a big "fun" resort with water park(and all the rest)?

[Dark Muse]

Quiet hotel

Cruise ship or luxury train?

[Pompey Bum]

Quiet fun beats paying someone to make noise.

You're not old enough to remember when it "meant something" for men to have long or short hair, are you Tony?

In the real world, probably the cruise.

Leather or lace?

EDIT: Or if that's too private, um, the Easter Bunny or a (Christian) religious Easter?

[bounty]

I go with Christian easter, and oh does certain leather tempt my vegetarian sensibilities.

okay I might be the only one here that knows this one but...

team Edward or team Jacob? (smiles)

[Clopin]

Lace ;)

Edward all the way.

Hitler or Churchill (as authors)?

[Pompey Bum]

Never read Mein Kampf, but I hear it's boring. Churchill's "official version" histories are okay if you know how to read critically, and if you don't confuse them with actual histories.

Being arrested for a heinous crime you did not commit, going through the horrors and expenses of a trial that could put you in prison for life without parole, but ultimately being exonerated; or losing your hand quickly in an accident, getting an insurance settlement, and moving on with life?

[Clopin]

Trial won't cost me anything and if I'm exonerated I don't see the big deal, better than losing a hand at least.

A day spent hiking in the sun or relaxing indoors from the snow with nice food and coffee, a fire and whatever else you want to occupy your time (books, movies, etc)?

[Pendragon]

Hiking

Mountains or Beach?

[Pompey Bum]

Trial won't cost me anything and if I'm exonerated I don't see the big deal, better than losing a hand at least.

Don't count on it. That mom who was accused of killing her daughter in Florida is still in extreme debt to the defense lawyers who got her off the hook. Take my hand and leave me my life.

Fjords! Why not have it all?

Cantaloupes or honeydew melons?

[Dark Muse]

Cantaloupes

The journey or the destination

[Pompey Bum]

Neither is sufficient and it is wise not to have a lot of illusions about either.

Wearing purple or wearing black?

[Dark Muse]

I quite like both particularly together but if I had to choose I would say black

Cool colors (blue, green purple) or warm colors (red, yellow, orange)?

[Pompey Bum]

Somehow I pictured you like that, DM. It's why I asked.

Cool colors at home, hot colors to face the world.

Monty Python humor (dry but silly) or Saturday Night Live humor (loud and mocking)?

[Dark Muse]

Haha that is funny

I love Monty Python

Monarchy or Anarchy?

[tonywalt]

I steer towards British humour, being British - but SNL can at times be satirical, rarely dry. VEEP is American and it's sharp and dry, love it!

Alarm clock of some kind or you naturally get up?

[Pompey Bum]

How about staying in bed? Still using one of those beep beep beep alarms for now, but I usually wake up before it does.

Your car's fm reception breaks. Do you listen to:1) am country music (followed by Rush Limbaugh); or 2) am Christian talk (followed by more am Christian talk)?

[tonywalt]

We dont' get htose here, but I would certainly give them a try.

Do you go to actual bookstores or order physical(or electronic books) online- and if you do go to bookstores - which one, indenpendent? i am curious as to where we are heading on the whole book thing.

[Pompey Bum]

I read ebooks almost exclusively. I used to like a Borders bookstore in the old days, but it's been gone for years.

Mr. Peanut or the Pillsbury doughboy?

[tonywalt]

the doughboy (from what i've seen on American tv)

pacino or de niro?

[Pompey Bum]

See my comments about James Taylor and Robert Redford. And you may as well throw Jack Nicholson in, too. But okay, when they were young, right? I mean, honestly, they were both good actors, but I always saw the characters they typically played (the Godfather characters, for example) as lacking the realism that was often attributed to them. But if I had to chose, I dunno, Pacino?

Cowboy movies or gangster movies?

[Dark Muse]

Definitely gangster movies

Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit?

[Pompey Bum]

Well, I read The Hobbit in Middle School, and liked it, but found the other books kind of lame when I read them in High School. I saw all three Lord of the Rings movies as an adult, and prayed for each of them to be over (especially the last one-- throw the damned thing in the volcano already!). So, I guess as a book, the Hobbit. Didn't bother with the movie, though.

The Godfather or The Godfather II?

[Dark Muse]

The Godfather

Spending the weekend with your partner doing something you are not that interested in but they really wanted to do or both of you doing separate activities so you are not together but doing what you both really want to do?

[Pompey Bum]

Personally I prefer being together.

A really funny movie or a really scary one?

[Dark Muse]

The scarier the better


Animated short film or live action short film?

[Pompey Bum]

Both are good, but you can do more (in fact, anything) with a small budget in animation, so I'll go with that.

Ralph Wiggum or Butters?

[Dark Muse]

Butters

Documentary or movie based on a true story?

[Pompey Bum]

Well, if I'm trying to make a critical historical judgment, I wouldn't go near anything "based on a true story." And if I want art or entertainment, playing the history nerd is is going to be self-defeating in the extreme. So it's really apples and oranges.

Sunny cheerful day or romantic night of warm, windswept rain?

[Dark Muse]

Definitely the rain at night

Autumn or Spring?

[Pendragon]

Autumn

Summer or Winter?

[Dark Muse]

Winter

Clown or Ventriloquist Dummy?

[Pendragon]

Ventriloquist's dummy's are funnier!

Stage play or movie?

[Clopin]

Movie.

Audiobook or talkie style podcast?

[Pompey Bum]

I listen to two podcasts (actually just old podcast archives) and no audiobooks, so pods, I guess.

Edit: sorry, wrong game!

Um, toast or croissants?

[Clopin]

Ugh don't even mention croissants to me, I would love to eat them for every meal, nothing but.

Bacon, ham or breakfast sausage with your breakfast?

Oh, and what podcasts do you listen to if you don't mind my asking?

[Pompey Bum]

Bacon, please.

One is Terry Gross' Fresh Air--way too left wing for me, but I like the author interviews. The other is called The Brass Figlagee, and is basically an archive of Jean Shepherd's old radio show from the 50s though the 70s. Shepherd was a commentator and story teller. He's mostly forgotten now, except that the movie A Christmas Story was based on some of his short stories. I listened to him in the late 70s, when he was way over the hill. Some of his stuff is pretty dated now, but some isn't. And it's all a kind of time travel.

How many podcasts would you recommend and which are they?

[Clopin]

I don't listen to any, that's why I asked you! Maybe it was on here but someone recommended a Ulysses podcast to help with reading the book but I don't remember what it's called, and I think you dislike Joyce? I listened to some British literature podcast for awhile which I liked but I forget what that was called too.

You ever read The Golden Bough? Should I read it next?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, I read and liked it. I'm not sure I'd recommend it next, though. Frazier's ideas are almost all out of date, and no one believes that business about the new king killing the old king anymore. But in supporting these ideas he collected a vast amount of really cool lore that survived from "pagan" Europe--wrenning, May queens, Old Christmas, fertility poles, all that kind of stuff. But his ideas are fun. If you've got the time to mine the fact from the fiction, then go ahead. But it's long, so if you really intend to finish it, I'd wait till the dead of winter, when there's not a lot else to do. Or at least knock off all the small novels on your plate for now. But, you know, do what you like.

Veal or chicken parm (and why)?

[Clopin]

Oh I'm only interested in it as literature/folklore, not some sort or anthropology textbook.

Chicken parm because I've never had veal parm, I'm sure both are great though.

Pasta dishes or rice dishes?

[tonywalt]

Pasta

Italy or France for a holiday (vacation)?

[Clopin]

I think Italy, but I haven't been to either.

Italy, Spanish or French (as a language)?

[Pompey Bum]

My other niece--only 17--is speaks fluent Italian (she's currently translating for her parents as they tour Sicily), and it sure sounds cool when it rolls off her tongue. But all Romance languages are beautiful.

Okay wine or good beer?

[Clopin]

Eh, I can take or leave either to be honest. Lets go with the wine though, I like the look of it more than beer.

Would you rather be fluent in all Germanic or all Romance languages?

[Pompey Bum]

Romance languages, as long as my native tongue was still my beloved English.

Would you rather know French or Russian well enough to read literature?

[Clopin]

Russian, especially because my French is okay (comprehension wise, I can't speak or write it) and I know Russian is much much harder to learn. That said I had to stop reading my Fleurs Du Mal because I kept reading the French side (which I can't understand, sophisticated poetry is well beyond my comprehension) and noticing how much better it sounded. Seeing the two side by side has pretty much killed any enthusiasm I had for translated poetry.

Would you prefer to introduce me, Lykren or North Star to your niece (sorry, you have to pick one)?

For a non PB specific question... Playstation1 or Nintendo64 (PB you can answer this too)

[Pompey Bum]

I'd be happy about any of you, but I know her well enough to predict her response, which would be: "Tell 'em to get in line." :)

No opinion about the computer games, so I'll let someone else take it

[Clopin]

Lykren was probably the correct answer, he's a big sweetie.

Would you rather have a genuinely great personality and everyone really respects and likes you but you never get laid, or a really infantile, unpleasant personality but you have lots of sex?

[Pompey Bum]

The former by far, as long as never getting laid means getting laid now and then. And after marriage it's less of an issue.

Would you prefer it if Homo sapiens turns out to have or not to have some Neanderthal DNA?

[Clopin]

Yeh I should have phrased that so it was a harder choice.

And I don't know what it really entails, but I was under the impression that, Europeans at least, have Neanderthal DNA, or is that just theorized? I think I read that on /pol/ though, which is sort of a white supremacist board on its good days so I am really not sure.

I would prefer we have it I suppose.

Would you rather be an incurable neo nazi or an incurable ultra left wing, politically correct, bullying, male feminist with Maoist leanings?

[Pompey Bum]

Get rid of Mao, and I'd rather be left than Nazi. With Mao (or Stalin) it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

The supposedly irrefutable proof on that keeps going back and forth. Despite the popular media proclamations from time to time, our relationship to the big dummies is an open question.

Living in ancient Sparta or living in Medieval Scandinavia?

[Clopin]

I think you had more freedom to do your own thang in Scandinavia so I'll take that.

Nearly dying of thirst or nearly dying of blood loss?

[Pompey Bum]

Nearly dying of thirst, since nearly dying of blood loss is going to make you pathologically thirsty in any case.

Drowning or falling off a skyscraper?

[Clopin]

Skyscraper, no question.

Placed immediately (so no time to explain anything to your family or friends) in a very distressing and painful situation with a slight (around 5%) chance of coming out of it alive, or being given a guarantee that you will peacefully in your sleep in one months time.

[Pompey Bum]

Not much of a choice. 5% is about what lung cancer gives you, so I'll figure both are death sentences and take the easier death.

Same question.

[Clopin]

I'll die in my sleep, I fear pain over death anyway.

Asparagus or Zucchini?

[Dark Muse]

Zucchini

Usung an online dating site or letting a friend set you up?

[Pompey Bum]

Asparagus, which is good in itself. Zucchini merely sucks up the goodness of its neighbors.

Carrot cake or banana bread?

[Clopin]

I've had nothing but good results through being set up and I've never bothered with online dating but I think I would really like it.

And that's a tough one pomp, I love both. I'll go with carrot cake though since I don't get to eat it nearly as much.

Croissants, chocolate covered or full of cheese and ham?

[Pompey Bum]

Cheese and ham. Chocolate breakfast pastries just confuse me.

Figure skating or that racing around in big circles kind of skating?

[Dark Muse]

Speed skating otherwise known as race around in a big circle.

Surfing or paddle board

[bounty]

I went to the world short track speed skating championships one year---great time, and I love long track, have actually considered trying it. but I love figure skating (watching it that is) too.

ive never had the opportunity to surf, but I live around all sorts of rivers and lakes, so paddle boarding it would be.

dark muse's "Using an online dating site or letting a friend set you up?"

[Clopin]

I answered already! Well someone else should answer that too.

Fairytales by the Brothers Grimm or by Hans Christian Andersen?

[Pendragon]

Hans Christian Anderson

Snow White or Red Riding Hood?

[Clopin]

I agree, Andersen is better.

Snow White.

Disney or Pixar?

[Pompey Bum]

I prefer Grimm, but I see the marchen more as folktales. Andersen has his own charm, though, so it depends on my mood.

The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible or the New Testament/Christian Bible?

[Clopin]

Eh, taken as a whole I would much rather read the New Testament cover to cover and I think Jesus is the high point of the whole thing, so I'll give it to the New Testament by quite a wide margin, though obviously the Old Testament has a lot of the most compelling stories in the Western tradition (that I know of at least) and can't be dismissed.

Dostoyevsky category A

Notes From Underground
Crime and Punishment
The Gambler
Demons

or Category B

The Brothers Karamazov
The Idiot
White Nights
The House of the Dead

[Pompey Bum]

Category B, although I like The Possessed/Demons.

Sylvester or Tweetybird?

[Clopin]

Sylvester, I hate all the prey animals in Loony Tunes and want all the predators to just finish them off. Tweetybird, Roadrunner, Bugs... kill them all.

Betty or Veronica?

[Pompey Bum]

Ah but the immortal question with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd is, Who exactly is the prey?

Betty, for her luscious black hair.

Same question.

[Clopin]

Betty is the blonde!

I'll take Betty, she's pretty and entirely devoted to me to the point that she's even a doormat.

Would you rather be Archie or Reggie?

[Pompey Bum]

Oh sorry. Other way around.

Neither one, and I don't want to be Jughead, either.

Who had it worse, Dracula or the Incredible Hulk?

[bounty]

I think Dracula because of his lack of freedom, and while the hulk is not entirely free, at least he has some control over his condition. also, he can be a force for good.

however, if you watch Dracula untold, the "force for good" message comes across there too, and makes him a much more sympathetic character. theres a Sherlock holmes story with Dracula, and if I remember rightly, holmes more or less lets Dracula off the hook so to speak because the only people Dracula was preying on were murderers.

twilight is interesting this regard also---the cullens (the vampire family in question) have eschewed human blood and only hunt animals. the family patriarch is a doctor and Edward (the main character) is aware he is a sort of monster and doesn't have a life to be envied.

the story line concept behind star trek: deep space nine, or the one behind star trek: voyager?

[bounty]

oh heck I was thinking that was going to be a fun one that everyone would jump all over!

[tailor STATELY]

STV by a gnat's hair. I binge-watched STDS9 and STV back to back to keep me awake in the wee hours a year ago on Netflix. I especially liked the temporal stories on STV.

Martian Man Hunter or The Green Lantern ?

[Pendragon]

Martian Man Hunter. As for Green Lantern:

Hal Jordon, Kyle Raynor, Guy Gardner, or John Stewart?

[bounty]

I read green lantern comics when I was a kid, and liked the movie from a few years ago (though I guess many green lantern fans didn't), but too esoteric of a question for me.

I had to go looking and even found this: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/hal-jordan-vs-guy-gardner-vs-kyle-rayner-vs-john-s-611509/

my meager green lantern experiences (or at least my memory) are restricted to hal Jordan, but I think that would be missing the spirit of the question.

maybe someone else can answer?

[Pendragon]

Well, since I asked the question, it would be anyone besides Guy Gardner. He stunk as Green Lantern.

Anyone else?

[Pompey Bum]

Guess not.

Dostoyevsky or Turgenev?

[Clopin]

Dosto by a mile, not to say I don't like Turgenev though.

Tolstoy or Chekhov?

[Pompey Bum]

I think the push on Turgenev in 21st century academia had to do with his downplaying religion. He was/is seen as a more socially acceptable Dostoyevsky. But I'm with you, accept no substitutes.

I used to love Chekov, but I haven't read him in maybe 35 years. :( So I'll have to say Tolstoy, but it's really a toss up. And I can't decide between Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, either, so don't ask. Okay, maybe Dostoyevsky is a photo finish, but not really.

How about you? Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy?

[Clopin]

Dostoyevsky's novels are more interesting to me and Dostoyeveky novels were the first "serious" literature I ever read, so have a special place in my heart. He wins by a fair bit, but I do like Tolstoy as well and I'm under the impression that virtually every Russian critic considers Tolstoy to be miles ahead so it may be that reading both authors in translation is to blame. Also beside being exactly contemporary Russian greats, I don't think Dostoyevky and Tolstoy share many similarities by which to compare the two.

Virgil or Ovid?

[Pompey Bum]

I was just thinking about my answer to your question about Raskalnakov, and I will give the character this. He believes that his actions are personal and apart from the norms of his society. I said that if it had been me, I would have taken my own life in remorse almost immediately. Part of that, on reflection, is that I would not choose to be arrested, judged, and punished according to the norms of my society. I would want to take care of my disposition personally. So it's not like I don't get Raskalnakov, even if I wouldn't have killed. But then, suicide is a kind of killing, isn't it? Arriving at that kind of self-knowledge, for me, is what reading Dostoyevsky is all about. There is something Stalin is supposed to have said about Dostoyevsky, probably spurious, I'm not sure, but it makes the point whether or not Stalin actually said it. He is supposed to have said something like : "No one ever understood the human soul like Fyodor Dostoyevsky--and that is why we ban him in the Soviet Union."

Ovid.

Norse myth or Greek myth?

[Clopin]

Greek mythology is richer by far in its source material (and Latin remakes) which consists of much better works than the Norse counterparts (Elder Edda, Volsung, Icelandic Sagas, etc). However to me the Norse seems to be more accommodating of modern reinterpretations/remakes, and probably because of its low fantastic (compared to Greek) universe someone like Wagner can do more interesting things with characters like Sigurd or Fafnir than I would expect to see from modern enactments of heroes like Heracles, Oedipus, Tereus, Jason, etc. Also if you're following western culture/literature you're probably more versed in Greek myth and classical references than Norse so maybe I find Norse reimaginings more interesting than Greek because I'm less used to seeing them. The Lord of the Rings is obviously a popular example of an author adapting Norse mythology.

Anyway that paragraph made it seem like I think Norse had a chance when I don't, so, Greek.

Tales about Charlemagne or tales about Arthur and his knights?

[Pompey Bum]

Arthurian tales, whose sources went through more plebeian channels (village folk songs, etc.) in early modern times and picked up more humor and whimsy than The Song of Roland.

German folktales (like Grimm) or British folktales (like the fairy ballads)?

[Clopin]

I've only read the Charlemagne stories in Bulfinch's Mythology so I barely know anything about them.

For British Folktales I'm not sure I've experienced any. Do the Mabinogion and Yeats' stuff count? I suspect not. Anyway I like Grimm's quite a bit so that's my choice.

Sappho or the author of The Epic of Gilgamesh who was definitely a girl? ;)

[Pompey Bum]

Oh did I react too strongly to that? :)

One of my pet peeves is to hear how Homer, and Milton, and The Bible were actually written by women, usually because the language is "so nurturing." :rolleyes:

I personally like Gilgamesh more than Sappho, but then we have so little Sappho.

Julius Caesar or Genghis Kahn?

[Clopin]

Eh I know little about either so from caricature I'll say Caesar.

Brutus or John Wilkes Booth?

[Pompey Bum]

Two really different characters there, neither too admirable. Brutus wasn't a coward, though (just a loan shark), so I'll give it to him.

And Caesar was a greater "world conqueror" than Genghis (in my opinion) because he left cities in his wake. The Mongols built only bridges so they could look for more cities to burn.

Girls with toenails painted red or pink?

[Clopin]

Haha, wow tough question. I'll say pink, but I find toenails painted any colour to be quite cute.

Probably too young for you or probably too old for you (considering a romantic partner)?

[Pompey Bum]

I only consider one, honestly. Most 20-somethings are gorgeous and some are really sweet, but being done with them is liberating. And older than me? Well, many are sweet, let's just leave it at that.

Same question.

[Clopin]

Well I'm twenty three so right now so too young gets uh... illegal pretty fast, I wouldn't consider eighteen to be anything amiss though. I'll go with older since I never have (cut me off at 35).

Movie theatre popcorn or popcorn made at home?

[Pompey Bum]

Movie popcorn. It's got that fire and brimstone smell of movie lobbies.

Microwaving dinner or cooking on a stove even if you could easily microwave it?

[Clopin]

I pretty rarely microwave anything and usually I'll reheat on the stovetop.

Reading all of The Faerie Queene or gnawing your own arm off (or reading Finnegans Wake)?

[bounty]

ive heard things like that about the faerie queen, and I have it, but haven't read it yet.

as I like my arms though, id have to say the faerie queen.

on a lighter and less grisly note:

jim backus as mr magoo, or as Thurston howell III?

[Pompey Bum]

I never started The Faerie Queene because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy finishing it. I'll get to Joyce someday--as the guy from Gladiator said, "IN THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT!" But there's a pretty long line. So--chewing my arm off? :)

Lady Camilla Whatshername or a bear's *ss?

[Pompey Bum]

Oh sorry, Bounty. Mr Howell.

Same question from me.

[Clopin]

I've lived in a Canadian national park, on and off, for almost a decade now and I have yet to see any part of a bear. My British coworker went for a run the other day and saw (and photographed) a small black bear and a grizzly, his fourth bear sighting since being in Canada.

I choose the God damned bear.

Turning a corner while jogging and nearly running into an enormous make elk or seeing a bear about a hundred feet away?

[Pompey Bum]

Both sound really dangerous. Maybe I shouldn't run at all. Yes, I feel better already. :)

News stories about the Royal Family or news stories about puppies being rescued from drainpipes by kids with leukemia?

[Clopin]

I haven't had a bad experience with an elk so far, but it's definitely possible. In that instance I screamed (he reared back when I did haha, freaked him out too at least) and ran off the trail pretty fast until I was certain I was out of range.

I mean, puppies being rescued by leukemia orphans has got to be more interesting than baby George.

Two huge flies buzzing about in your room or a spider among your blankets when you want to go to sleep (you shake the blankets but don't find the spider)?

[bounty]

I was removing a large rock from a property once and I noticed a black widow on the rock. I was wearing a black shirt at the time too. I needed to look away from the rock a moment in order to get my bearings and when I looked back, the spider was gone. I think I took my shirt off and did a lot of shaking.

most spiders are harmless, so in this case, I go with the spider, even I don't find him.

bbq potato chips or sour cream and onion ones?

[Clopin]

Sour cream and onion!

Plain chips or some variety of Cheetos?

[bounty]

im usually preferential to bbq. I recently found some "tavern style" kettle chips at the local big lots---loved them! but the store doesn't always carry the same things in perpetuity and they are not there anymore.

hmmm---I think id go with plain potato chips if we can have them ruffled.

honey mustard onion pretzel pieces or honey bbq frito twists?

[Pompey Bum]

I mean, puppies being rescued by leukemia orphans has got to be more interesting than baby George.

:lol:


Two huge flies buzzing about in your room or a spider among your blankets when you want to go to sleep (you shake the blankets but don't find the spider)?

If I could get a look at the spider and convince myself that it wasn't one of the two or three dangerous ones, then I wouldn't mind sleeping with it--as long as we both understood that it didn't mean anything in the morning.

Bounty: As long as they both had the wholesome goodness of honey in a box, I wouldn't care if it was mustard onion pretzel pieces or BBQ frito twists.

Seeing a Monty Python reunion or seeing a Stones reunion?

[bounty]

I like the stones' music but I think id go for the monty python one.

reeses peanut butter cup or almond joy?

[Pendragon]

Reeses of course

Almond Joy or Mounds?

[Calidore]

Almond Joy, no contest (though actually I prefer Mounds). I love peanut butter (with jelly) and am fine with chocolate, but can't stand the two together. Chocolate-covered peanuts are fine, however. Go figure.

Fruited chocolate or mint chocolate?

[bounty]

oh that's a toughie...the raspberry and orange cream filled/flavored chocolates, or chocolate covered cherries vs a peppermint patty (oh, does anyone remember the wintergreen patties) and junior mints and crème de menthes?

am going to go slight nod to the fruited chocolate...

by the way calidore, I watched that youtube duet you sent me, and enjoyed it, thank you.

tacos or burritos?

[Dark Muse]

Usually burritos

Salsa or Guacamole?

[Pompey Bum]

Guacamole.

Chinese food or Indian food?

[Dark Muse]

That is a tough one. If Americanized I would say Chinese if authentic I would say Indian


Mashed potatoes or baked potato?

[Pompey Bum]

Baked. Why humiliate it?

Crawfish or steamers (steamed clams)?

[Clopin]

Crawfish but I do like steamed clams served with pasta and garlic butter.

Crab or lobster?

[Pompey Bum]

Either one, but if it's a Maine lobster, okay, I'll make the sacrifice.

When regarding a book, being moved to tears or laughing until you have to pee?

[Clopin]

Well the latter has never actually happened to me so I'll take it just for the experience.

Really good beef or really good fish?

[Pompey Bum]

If it's fresh, fish. I don't eat much beef and don't miss it.

Being professionally overworked or bored from lack of things to do?

[Clopin]

Well I haven't been bored in my own company in at least three years, and even if you mean lack of things to do in a professional capacity (so sitting around twiddling my thumbs at my desk) I'll always take the boredom as I don't deal with overwork very well.

Living on a houseboat or a fully functional treehouse?

[Pompey Bum]

A houseboat, since I would presumably get to travel in it.

Having a servant to do everything for you (hypothetically) or doing things yourself?

[Clopin]

Stuff like cooking and cleaning? I mean presumably I'm paying the servant right? And I can afford it? I'll take a servant but I would have to be filthy rich before that made it into my list of reasonable expenses. If I lived in Vietnam or India though I would hire someone and pay them a good (by Vietnamese standards) wage, most likely (at least to have them kill the cockroaches for me, ugh).

In the daycare circuit here, there was a Phillipino woman who had signed a contract while overseas which saw her working as a full time, live in, (day and night) nanny to five young kids while making minimum wage (on a forty hour week) and paying her own room and board. The man who employed her literally owns a world renowned ski-hill... I mean come on.

Governmental redistribution of wealth from the absurdly rich to the absurdly needy or no?

[Pompey Bum]

No. Breaking down the cycles and structures that keep the poor down is the way to go. Laws aimed at certain practices of the ultra-rich are not out of the question, but "redistribution" of someone else's money doesn't work.

Same question.

[Clopin]

No because I don't really understand the reasoning behind it and I don't think the government has the right to redistribute anyone's wealth except to construction crews who build roads or firefighters, etc.

Borges or Calvino?

[Pompey Bum]

I haven't read either, so I'll let someone else answer. Sounds like the kind of thing North would love to tell you about. :)

[Clopin]

I figured you might not have, I think both are terrific but I don't know if you would like either of them much.

[Dark Muse]

I would like to read both but haven't had the chance yet.

[bounty]

breakfast foods for dinner, or dinner foods for breakfast?

[Clopin]

Dinner foods for breakfast, especially if they are already made and I can just eat them cold with no fuss like hamburgers, pizza or leftover Chinese food!

Going to see a movie or going to see a sports game?

[Pompey Bum]

Cold spaghetti is a good for breakfast, too.

Neither one is a high priority for me, mostly because of the cost. If American movies weren't so vapid, I might not be so offended at their prices. But maybe I would. I'm just not forking my money over to the entertainment industry and wagging my tail about it. But sports are a thousand times worse. I'm very proud that I am not addicted to professional sports like most of my sex. I like baseball (an unavoidable and ontological condition coming from Boston), and I used to love going to Fenway when it only cost a dollar to get into the bleachers. I went several times a week in college. But I'm not paying what it costs now. Not for a ballgame. What the hell is wrong with people?

Garlic or onion?

[Dark Muse]

I like both but if I had to choose onion

A singer/band with really good lyrics but not a great sound or a band with a great sound but uninteresting/unoriginal lyrics?

[Pompey Bum]

The question with rock is does it rock?; and with jazz, does it swing? So sound over lyrics. But lyrics are more important to rock than to jazz (on occasions when jazz even bothers with them).

Same question.

[Pendragon]

Lyrics always. Sometimes the music covers the words so all you here is an occasion yelp. That's no good.

Classic groups like The Eagles or Modern Groups like Maroon 5?

[Dark Muse]

I would have to say Classic, I don't listen to much modern pop.

Hip Hop or Country?

[bounty]

oh my country (today's country) hands down unequivocally all the way! I love love love it.

and given the recent conversation---on top of the great sound, quite frequently the lyrics are very interesting, you want to listen to the song to find out whats going on and whats going to happen. they truly are mini-stories, and not to mention love of the land, the country, god, etc.

hip-hop and rap seem to be just the opposite of what I wrote above.

westerns or science fiction?

[papayahed]

sci fi

cheese cake or carrot cake?

[Pendragon]

Carrot Cake!

Fudge or Brownies?

[bounty]

I like both but the older I get, the less i like overly sweet things...so brownies get the nod here.

sugar sweet things or salty crunchy things?

[tailor STATELY]

sugary sweet (especially chocolate... did'jaseemaxsherzergetchocolatizedafterhisnohitter hahahaha)

Dark chocolate or White chocolate ?

[tonywalt]

white chocolate

caviar or ceviche?

[Pendragon]

ugh, neither.

Fresh or salt water fishing?

[bounty]

I don't fish but I am pretty sure I like rivers and lakes better than the ocean so id go for hanging out where the freshies are!

canoeing or kayaking?

[Pendragon]

Canoe's are easier to fish from

Dive in headfirst or feet first from the diving board?

[tonywalt]

headfirst.

Snowfall or thunderstorm?