Would You??

[bounty]

I think if I were a millionaire yes...maybe even a half-millionaire. it wouldn't even have to be "very detailed", id be happy with the main and interesting stories.

if you knew some particular team was being paid to throw a game or series, would you get in on the action in betting?

[Pompey Bum]

Would you pay $10,000 for a very detailed account of the lives of your ancestors going back thirty generations?

No, I'd pay $9.99 for the ebook and not a piaster more.


if you knew some particular team was being paid to throw a game or series, would you get in on the action in betting?

No, just make money honestly over time. Gambling and cheating isn't necessary.

If you went fishing and caught a big fish (just hooked through the lip) would you let it go because, you know, nice fish, why kill it?

[bounty]

im a vegetarian so I wouldn't be fishing anyways, but in case I was fishing, im a vegetarian so id let the fellow go for sure.

"if it has eyes or tries to get away, I wont eat it." one of the Kelloggs (the cereal guys) said that.

which is a nice inspiration to my question:

if you had to personally kill all the animals from which you eat meat, would you continue to eat meat?

[Clopin]

Yes, and I would feel less guilty than I do now. I would know the animal lived a good life and died a natural death at the hands of a natural predator. I actually plan to start hunting in the future when I have a more stable life and can learn how to shoot (which I've never done). The meat would be much healthier as well.

I wouldn't let the fish go either. I would eat it.

Would you attempt to live off the grid somewhere if you had all the supplies and thought you could make a serious go of it?

[bounty]

I am very attracted to the idea of that...but probably wouldn't want to go it alone. even then, I think I'd opt for more semi off the grid as opposed to completely off. I already use a firewood for a lot of heating, keep a small garden, ride my bike lots, and I have a small stream running through the property that id love to get electricity from.

you are an amateur athlete on the local level and have the opportunity to rise to the next level through the use of performance enhancing drugs that contain some risk to your health, and are also illegal according to rules. would you take them?

[Clopin]

you are an amateur athlete on the local level and have the opportunity to rise to the next level through the use of performance enhancing drugs that contain some risk to your health, and are also illegal according to rules. would you take them?

Definitely. I've long been considering personal steroid use and I think I'll dip into them once I naturally reach my weight/strength goals, though I don't compete at any sports.

Same question.

[Pompey Bum]

No, and I would turn in all I knew of who were doping so I wouldn't have to compete against them.

If you had a serious neurological condition (say, multiple sclerosis), would you take a drug that would relieve you of about half of your symptoms but would also put you at a significantly elevated risk of developing liver cancer?

[Clopin]

Yes considering my life today, maybe not if I had children or dependents, etc.

Would you be capable of eating an entire extra large pizza in one sitting?

[Pompey Bum]

Not unless it included bacon.

Would you rather go to a banjo concert or an accordion concert? (No fair saying neither).

[Clopin]

A...accordion.

Would you rather go to the moon for one hour (rocket time not counting), or have a free trip around the world for one year?

[bounty]

totally the trip around the world with some extra time in Ireland.

if you had the opportunity, would you go back in your life to one particular point and do something differently than what you have already done? (generic confession allowed)

[Sido]

No. I believe that every moment I've lived; the good, the bad, the happy and sad, is an important lesson learned which will help me face what is yet to come. Besides, if I do go back in time and change one point in my life, how do I know that I would like the outcome of that action? I might end up having to face a much worse situation...

Would you give up your life to save a stranger?

[Dark Muse]

No I would not.

Would you agree to be inprisoned for one year if at the end of it you would be givin a million dollars?

[bounty]

I lean towards not, freedom's huge---but there's a slight possibility depending on if I got to chose the time in my life, and the type of prison.

say you are with Gandhi, protesting something of great significance, and the authorities are about to physically assault you. would you be able to continue in your passive resistance?

[Dark Muse]

No I could not be that much of a pacifist. I would fight back in defense of myself.

If you found out your brother was cheating on his wife would you tell her?

[Pompey Bum]

No. They can work out their marital problems without my intrusions.

If you cheated on your spouse, and it ended without detection, and you resolved that it was something that you would never try again, would you ever tell your spouse about it?

[bounty]

there was a M*A*S*H episode about that. BJ had a one nighter and woke up the next day, trying to write a letter to his wife about it. Hawkeye found out, and stopped him from doing it, essentially saying why punish your wife with this.

I like to think that the foreknowledge of the guilt that would ensue, and the desire to be honorable (and honoring), would never land me in that position.

I lean towards saying id confess, I think the guilt would eat me alive, but I can see the incredible difficulty in doing so and given hawkeye's point above, one wonders if there is any selfishness involved in it.

this is a tough question too because im not married. I think it might help to have the essence of the relationship in front of me---how much is it built on trust, mutual respect, and forgiveness, etc.


youre in the divergent universe and have just taken the test to find out what faction you best belong to. you find out you are divergent. when you go to your faction, would you try to seek out other divergents, or would you go about your business, keeping that knowledge to yourself?

[Pompey Bum]

No. if I were sent to the divergent faction, and there were divergents there, then logically they would have to be non-divergents to the dopes who just stuck me in the divergent faction. So why would I seek them out? Damned conformists! (Is this a video game?)



Would you drink a safe and reputedly delicious tea made from bug poop?

[bounty]

(spoiler alert!) no its a young adult book series by veronica roth. there is no "divergent faction"---divergents are killed when they are discovered. thus the moral dilemma of keeping quiet about it, or seeking out others of your kind.

so long as no bugs were harmed in the process, I would be willing to try it...but it would take a lot to get over the ewwwwwwwwww factor.

lemme try the hunger games universe this time. you find yourself in the situation like katniss and peeta. would you, like them decide upon mutual suicide, or would you say no, we need to fight until only one of us is left?

[Dark Muse]

I think I would make the same choice they did because I would want to rebel against the system and not just do what they expected me to do.

You have a beloved cat (or dog if you perfer) and the person you are dating cannot stand your pet. If you had to choose would you give up the pet or end the relationship?

[bounty]

its really unlikely that id be dating someone who wasn't already an animal lover but if I were put in the position of having to choose...id absolutely choose the pet. apart from loving animals to the extent I do, having one is a also a matter of responsibility.

if you had the mental math ability (im reading bringing down the house), would you use it to play blackjack and win hundreds of thousands of dollars?

[Dark Muse]

Yes I probably would

You are on a date and the person you are with tries to scam the restursunt by putting a dead bug on his/her plate. Do you go along with it for the free meal and in hopes of ending the date well or do you tell the staff the truth and risk losing your date?

[NikolaiI]

You ask the trickiest questions, Dark! Hehe. . I remember my dad telling me a story. . like, someone asked a monk, what would you do if you were on a mountain road, there was a tiger ahead of you, and a robber behind you, and you were hanging on a branch. . what would you do? And the monk said, "I wouldn't have gotten myself into that situation." But I suppose I can't use that answer here, can I? :-) I would just laugh it off and pay for the meal I think.

Would you represent your species on a special mission to another planet, in a first contact meeting? If you were chosen for it?

[bounty]

im a huge star trek fan, and I love exploring and star trek: first contact was a great movie (where the Vulcans meet humans for the first time), and I think that would be the neatest thing! so I say yes.

would you give up your all time favorite food for the rest of your life in order to be and feel healthier?

[Pompey Bum]

No. Ice cream wins.

Would you be afraid if you saw the ghost of a beloved friend or family member, and the hypothetical specter did nothing threatening, but only crossed the room, sat in a chair, and looked at you?

[bounty]

as I don't believe in ghosts, it would be disturbing maybe, but I don't think "afraid" is the right word...and I might be more bothered by the non-communicative behavior!

different version of my last question above: would you eat something daily that you really didn't like, but that would make you healthier?

[papayahed]

Yes. I already do, brussel sprouts.

Would you live on the space station for a year?

[NikolaiI]

Yes! Absolutely. But ideally without expediture of rocket fuel.

Would you be a colonist to another planet or galaxy if, in 200 years, we are able to find and travel there? (And you were chosen?)

[Clopin]

Depends what the Earth looks like in 200 years, and what this new planet has to offer; if it's Mars or something then... probably not.

Would you name any cities after yourself if you were a dictator?

[Pompey Bum]

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. If I were ever dumb enough to be a dictator, I would name my capitol Bonerville.

If you had inherited a name that your family was very proud of, and the name was Wiener, or Crapper, or Djherkov or something, and you planned on having kids, would you change it?

[Clopin]

Yes, if it was something totally preposterous like 'peckerweasel' or 'pissflip'. Also I didn't notice what was wrong with Djherkov for a few minutes. My family aren't the type to be proud of a name anyway so it hardly matters.

Would you (assuming you have the skills to do so quite well) rather adapt an old classic work of literature into a new film, graphic novel, stage play, orchestral score or piece of art nouveau? And what work would you adapt.

[Pompey Bum]

I'd do hyper-technological animated movie versions of works that couldn't really be presented in a conventional movie format, like Journey to the West or The Golden As s.

If you were living on a colony on Mars, and you started to run out of food (and couldn't get resupplied), would you raid another colony for food, up to and including cannibalizing its colonists?

[Clopin]

Nah I would kill myself before killing other people to eat, or stealing their food and leaving them to starve. If I knew they were getting resupplied though, I would steal from them of course.

Would you move to Sweden to avoid being drafted (or after being drafted) into a war you didn't believe was purposeful or just?

[Pompey Bum]

No, if I was convinced it was an unjust war (which would require more than simply not supporting it or not wanting to fight), I would just refuse to go and let the chips fall where they may. Sweden's too damn cold.

From an entirely rational perspective, should a soldier's (or Marine's) life be placed at serious risk in order to retrieve the corpse of a fallen comrade?

[Clopin]

Not that I can tell, but I'm not a soldier, maybe it's important to do that for reasons I'm not aware of.

Would you rather be in a submarine, airplane or tank in WW2 (which country you fight for is randomized).

[Pompey Bum]

Tough choice, but I guess a tank. Hopefully I'd already have been blown to bits before I burned to cinder and bone. And it might be fun to shoot.

Not that there's a connection, but would you rather live in a world with no war, in which you never got sex, or in a period of frequent wars, in which you had lots of great sex?

[Clopin]

So like right now except I have lots of great sex? Yeh, that one, sorry everybody.

Would you blow the whistle on a serious breach of civil liberties by the government if doing so would definitely see you serving a long jail sentence?

[Pompey Bum]

Well, I was thinking more like the 100 Years War, but sure, go for it. Use protection, though, okay?

The "definitely" makes the question a little hypothetical. I would probably keep my mouth shut if it were a time of war and I had promised to keep official secrets, depending of course, on the egregiousness of the offense. Otherwise I would spill the beans and just face the music.

Would you stop using a product from a company that was using heinous means of production (child slavery, for example) if you were 100% sure that your not using the product would have no effect on the situation whatsoever? (Please note that I am only talking about you, not about organizing a group boycott).

[Clopin]

I already do that, so yes. Generally if I know that a product has been conceived in that way I won't usually buy it. I really only buy food and rent though and I actually buy used designer clothes over fast fashion. I would never, under any circumstance, buy a diamond for example.

Would you rather live by the sea, by the mountains, or alongside a forest?

[papayahed]

by the sea

If you were waiting in a long line what would you be doing on your smart phone?

[Pendragon]

Checking to see if I can get what I want somewhere else or do I really have to stay in this ##@!!^% line!

Would you rather love and lose or just never love at all?

[Clopin]

Loved of course.

Would you vote for the forced sterilization of women who give birth to babies which are deformed, addicted to substance, show many signs of fetal alcohol syndrome or are otherwise impaired due to their treatment while in the womb?

[bounty]

I lean towards not. I understand the tension between individual liberty and community responsibility and how the government treads the space in between, but I advocate for the libertarian view of educating people like crazy and hope they make good and right choices. and if they continued to give birth to babies with such great need, I would take it as a matter of faith that it's god's will that we all learn to help care for the children and their mothers.

if you could see into the future and know that you are going to get a very painful divorce, but that the marriage lead you to have children with whom you have a great relationship, would you still get married?

[Pompey Bum]

No. My having a great relationship with my kids would not justify the agony I would potentially be putting them through with the divorce, not to mention the pain it would bring to my wife and myself. I'd marry someone else and do my best with the children we had--and with the marriage.

You meet an old friend who reminisces about a coach you both had, who is now dead. Your friend gets choked up and says that the coach was a major influence on his life and the best person he ever knew--in fact he named his son after him. You happen to know (although it is not common knowledge) that the coach later died in prison, where he had been sent for molesting students and making child pornography--charges he ultimately owned up to. Do you disillusion your friend or keep quiet about what you know.

[Clopin]

Nah, what's the point?

Would you be able to perform a mercy killing?

[Pompey Bum]

On a non-human animal, sure. For humans, my wife is the only one I'd feel responsible for (and be willing to do the time for).

Would you advise a girlfriend you got pregnant to get an abortion, even though there was no unusual risk in the pregnancy?

[Clopin]

Depends on a lot of factors. I think I'm morally fine with very early stage abortions though, so assuming I had no intention of staying with her in the first place and I'm in the same financial position I'm in right now, yeh I probably would.

Would you hypnotize/mind control people if you had the power to do so?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, but only to get dangerous people to cut the sh*t. Not to get other people to bend. Life becomes pretty meaningless without the freedom of others to enjoy.

If you had a five year old child who started acting crazy and claiming to be the devil, would you arrange for an discreet exorcism before calling the booby hatch?

[Clopin]

I don't think so, even if I believed in exorcisms I probably wouldn't believe I could just find someone qualified to actually do one.

Would you eat someone's (your roommate's, wife's, kid's, etc) cake they had left in the fridge if you knew some innocent third party would take the blame?

[Pompey Bum]

No. Even though very few parties, third or otherwise, are innocent.

Would you move into an area where there was some toxic waste exposure, even though credible studies indicated that there was an insufficient dose to cause any health effect?

[Dark Muse]

No, if you had the choice to live somewhere else I don't know why you would move to a place with toxic waste even if allegedly safe.

If you were only allowed to get married once and divorce was not an option would you marry the person you loved knowing that if in the future things didn't work out you would be stuck?

[Pompey Bum]

If those were the conditions, and if I were being entirely rational, love would be a necessary but not sufficient condition for marriage. A good financial future and the compatibility of our families (at least) would also be necessary.

Would you be roommates with someone who had done time for a felony?

[Clopin]

Depends on the felony but probably.

Would you rather listen to an album of your choice by John Cale or John Cage?

[Dark Muse]

I am going to go with John Cage

Would you rather live a long fulfilled life and die in old age but be completely forgotten after your death or die young but have your name immortalized in history?

[Clopin]

Of course the long and fulfilled life.

Would you rob someone of their last morsel of food, causing them to starve, if in doing so you could save five others from starvation?

[Pompey Bum]

Nah, it wouldn't be a long term solution in any case. I'd just see if we could find some other way to get food. And if there wasn't we could always draw lots or someone could volunteer to kill himself to be eaten by the others.

Would killed a prisoner of was as a soldier, would you ever mention it to anyone--even a trusted family member?

[Clopin]

Did I have good reason? I probably wouldn't talk about it, no.

Would you prefer to see all media (books, cd's, dvd's, etc) converted into digital files in order to save space and reduce some impact on the environment?

[Pompey Bum]

No, just to have some to talk with about it, maybe in old age. I think it helps some

No, I wouldn't want to see the paper go. I read mostly ebooks now, but that's just because I travel a lot. But libraries are still worth it. The environment is going to have to muddle through.

If an unattended toddler fell into a gorilla pit at the zoo, would you jump in and rescue him/her?

[Clopin]

I'm more likely to cause the gorillas to freak out and kill us both, this has happened and sometimes the gorillas are relaxed enough to let it slide. Also zookeepers with tranquilizers are more likely to do a good job with the situation than I am. Raging river or something though, yeh I am probably jumping in.

Would you be a member of a resistance movement in a country occupied by Nazi Germany during WW2?

[bounty]

i have thought about things like that before and I actually think that'd be my best role, so yes.

if you had a chance to go back in time, would you take out hitler in some fashion? (ever see the star trek episode with joan Collins playing a woman named edith keeler?)

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, to plagiarize that movie about Kim Jong Un, I'd take him out for drinks. As far as messing with the butterfly effect goes, I dunno, probably yes. Postwar life wasn't all that great. And having no WWII would probably mean that there would still be a British Empire, something that MANICHAEAN would like. Okay, consider it done.

Would you rather have lived as a Nordic übermensch in Hitler's Germany or as a worker in Stalin's Russia?

[Clopin]

German, at least I have a chance to come through the war and not live in total misery forever.

Would you rather have Mussolini or Stalin as a father in law (exact same personalities but they aren't dictators).

[Pompey Bum]

Oh tough choice. The food on holidays would have been better at Mussolini's but, in a really perverse way, there was something appealing about Stalin's psychotic bravado. Okay, Il Duce. Stalin would doubtlessly have had me killed after a few years, as I think he did to his real son-in-law.

Would you have advocated the imprisonment/execution of French collaborators who worked for Vichy?

[Clopin]

I wouldn't, people try to get by during wartime, we don't need to be executing everyone who ended up on the wrong side after the fact.

Would you marry/date a woman who had been a gestapo agent? Assuming she is magically younger than she would be naturally and assuming you were single?

[Pompey Bum]

Only if she had had repudiated her past with genuine contrition. And still had the boots. Heh heh. Just kidding.

What about someone who was a sadistic concentration camp prison guard, but is an old beloved Grandpa when he is found out?

[Clopin]

I wouldn't believe it honestly. I can't imagine someone being beloved and sadistic, I don't think sadism rubs off. But yes, if it could be proven the obviously he would have to face justice.

Would you cooperate with the NKVD if you thought by doing so you could avoid doing time in the gulag?

[Pompey Bum]

There was a case like that in a town in Massachusetts. Sweet (or at least sad) old man--turned out to be "Ivan the Terrible." His family really loved him, if I'm remembering right.

No, I wouldn't cooperate with the NKVD period. I might do what they said if I thought they were going to murder me or someone in my family, but coercion is not the same thing as cooperation.

Were the Nuremberg Trials morally justified? In other words, were they something other than "victor's justice," as the Nazi defendants claimed?

[Clopin]

I'm inclined to believe it was a serious case of victors justice. During WW2 the U.S interned Japanese citizens, fire bombed half the civilian population, leveled cities with nuclear bombs and annihilated German cities of no strategic importance and large civilian populations. The red army (our allies, headed by quite possibly the worst dictator of modern times) committed basically unspeakable atrocities against the defeated German civilian population and their land grabbing at the end of the war left hundreds of millions of people impoverished and miserable, the effects of which are stronglly felt by everyone living in the post soviet union countries to this day.

No "good war" in my opinion. No matter how many movies come out of Hollywood.

Would you say WW2 was inevitable once Hitler came to power?

[Pompey Bum]

Well, according to the school of history I subscribe to (in effect, Tolstoyan), historic inevitabilities don't really exist, just trajectories, which are multiple, interactive, and ultimately unpredictable. But it was always part of his plan, let's put it that way.

If Bounty had gone back in time and killed Hitler when he was a corporal at Ypres, would the British Empire now be remembered as the racist monsters of the 20th century? (Sorry MANICHEAN--I just asked :)).

[Clopin]

Are you saying in place of the Germans? I think all the white colonial powers have been branded with the racist monster stamp nowadays. The Germans, being cartoonish super villains acting under a short lived government actually seem to take less flak for racism than the anglosphere which has just chugged along since then.

Would you debate seriously with a Maoist?

[Pompey Bum]

Only from behind sandbags. :)

Will the final presidential candidates in the coming election be Clinton and Bush?

[Clopin]

Could be, I don't know that either will get the nod though.

Would you rather support Ron Paul or Rand Paul?

[Pompey Bum]

Neither is perfect, but probably Ron. He seems to have more integrity. On the other hand, Rand is a bit more practical.

Would China see a libertarian US president as a green light for global expansion?

[Clopin]

Rand has the benefit of having more than a snowflakes chance in Hell at winning an election.

Good question. I don't know that much about libertarianism so it's very possible but I couldn't tell you.

Would a libertarian president necessarily see the rise of massive, deregulated, unstoppable corporate entities (raping and looting the poor and the environment in their wake)?

[Pompey Bum]

Do you think so? His strategy seems a little flawed to me. Civil libertarians and social conservatives/Evangelical Christians are hardly birds of a feather, and since both groups are highly principled, each may be hesitant to crawl into the sack with the other. I think the next Republican president is going to be whoever can recreate the Big Umbrella. And that's going to mean coming to some kind of terms with the RINOs.

No, of course not, and certainly not "necessarily."

Will Obama's rapprochement with Cuba help democrats or republicans in the Florida primary?

[Clopin]

Well more of a chance than his dad had at least.

And good answer, most people bring up that sort of apocalyptic scenario whenever libertarians are mentioned (it seems to be one of the most widely hated political philosophies), or else they say something about roads.

I have no idea haha, sorry. Cuba/Florida relations is not an issue I follow at all.

Would you strip Obama of his Nobel peace prize?

[Pompey Bum]

All I worry about with libertarians is the long term effects of isolationism. China's building a big kick as s navy at the moment. That's something that sooner or later is going to be a problem for us, even if we stay home and mind our own business. Rand Paul has made some noises about getting that, but I'm not sure I trust him. He also wants to be president.

Yes, Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is the biggest joke since Hitler's nomination for the same prize.

Edit: Oh sorry. Would you rather date an innocent/virginal-looking girl or a slutty/sexy-looking one?

[Clopin]

Right now I'll take the latter.

Plain and intelligent or beautiful and dumb (for a romantic partner)?

[Pompey Bum]

Plain and intelligent. Beautiful women are all insane.

Short perky hair or long luxurious hair (on a woman)?

[Clopin]

Long I suppose but short hair can be quite cute on the right girl.

Would you rather dress fashionably or comfortably?

[Calidore]

I have no fashion sense at all, so comfortable wins by default.

Would you rather be too tall or too short?

[Clopin]

Too tall I guess, but I wouldn't want to be much taller.

Would you rather work too much or not enough?

[Pompey Bum]

It depends what you mean by work, but I'd rather work for somebody else to make money or to pay a bank a mortgage check or a car payment not at all. So let's say too little, but while financially solvent.

Would you rather do creative work involving hard physical work (laboring in the construction of a skyscraper, for example), or boring work that involved your mind (working as an insurance adjuster, for example)?

[Clopin]

Hard physical labour if it's a short term job, doing that for forty years or so is not good for your body.

Would you want a fully stocked and fresh buffet in your place of residence at all time?

[Lykren]

...duh?

Would you sacrifice your life for art? i.e. become an alcoholic if you knew for sure you would produce something magnificent?

[Clopin]

Nah, I only get one life, why ensure it's miserable just for art? There's already so much great art that nobody could ever hope to experience it all anyway.

Would you?

[Lykren]

Probably... not sure.

Would you adopt?

[bounty]

I think yes if I had a wife! no exasperation there for goodness sake! there are so many kids in the world who need parents.

would you give up living in the place (city, country, mountains, lake, etc) of your strong preference to live in a place of a disliked preference, in order to live with a mate?

[Pompey Bum]

I prefer the Persephone-Hades solution: just go back and forth.

Would you rather be in Heaven without your beloved life partner, or a ghost with her/him in the house where you two were happiest (hypothetically, if you don't believe in such things)?

[Lykren]

Ghost! Yay for satisfying love, assuming our 'happiest' dwelling really was happy.

Would you eat blood soup?

[Pompey Bum]

Been there, done that. Pudding, too.

I may have asked this before, but if you were climbing Mt. Everest, and couldn't get back (you had broken your leg or something), and the weather had turned bad, and you were pretty sure you were going to freeze to death within the hour, would you use your cell to call your wife (or parents, if single) to say goodbye, or just die alone?

[bounty]

only if I were courting a Klingon.

would you court a Klingon?

[bounty]

drat....

I say make the call goodbye...I read quite a bit of literature like that by the way.

would you court a Klingon?

[Lykren]

I wouldn't make the call, too awkward.

No, they're the ones with weird foreheads right? I'm shallow like that.

Would you successfully climb Mt. Everest, or get treated every day for the rest of your life to a drink and pastry at a nice coffeeshop wherever you go.

[Pompey Bum]

I'd call my wife but not my dad. She could handle it, but he'd go to pieces.


would you court a Klingon?

I really can't throw furniture like I used to. :)

Pastries and coffee all the way!

Would you eat a dog's testes if inhabitants of a remote village presented it to you as part of a special feast in your honor?

[Lykren]

If they were cooked and spiced.

Would you rather permanently erase all punctuation or all emoticons from the human mind and imagination?

[Pompey Bum]

Emoticons, although I fear we need them to prevent misunderstandings. But what is that next to dangling modifiers?

Would you cry in front of someone you were really angry at?

[Lykren]

Ooh toughie. Realistically no, but I'd regret stopping myself afterwards.

Would you like to meet your heroes, or not disillusion yourself?

[NikolaiI]

Meet my heroes. I know everyone is human.

Would you stay with a friend if they were struggling with addiction? I suppose, also, would you have the strength to be able to?

[Lykren]

I don't have a sense for how hard that would be! So I don't know but of course I hope so.

Would you categorically leave if your spouse cheated?

[NikolaiI]

Nope, definitely wouldn't. . hard to imagine that happening but I would definitely stay and try to work it out.

Would you chase a storm for fun?

[bounty]

yes...im a sort of danger/thrill seeker...

would you play a really evil character in a movie?

[Pike Bishop]

Absolutely, the bad/evil characters are the most interesting:

Goeth in Schindler's List
Hannibal Lecter
The Joker in The Dark Knight
Rev. Harry Powell in Night of the Hunter...and many more

Could you listen to music you despised if the woman or man you were courting loved it?...and pretended you liked it?...and for how long?

[bounty]

they are interesting yes...but for me, id fear some damage to my soul somehow in the process. I think it would hurt to play evil and take a great toll.

i wouldn't do that. I would listen and give an honest appraisal of my dislike, while at the same time seeking to explore why my girlfriend loved it so much...and perhaps if I couldn't grow appreciative of it, I might grow at least more accepting.

[Pompey Bum]

What's the next question, Bounty?

[bounty]

ack! sorry!

well, a good follow-up then. knowing it might take some toll on you, would you play an evil character, for "art's sake?"

[Pompey Bum]

Yes: the show must go on.

If you were the judge, would you throw the book at that Oklahoma deputy who shot the suspect instead of tasing him?

[Lykren]

Yes.

Would you?

[Pompey Bum]

Well, I'd take his age into consideration in the sentence. Still he's only charged with Man 2, so I wouldn't shorten it too much. He's going to be out on parole by Christmas anyway.

Would you keep calm and play dead if you were approached by a threatening grizzly bear?

[Lykren]

Probably not.

Would you read all of In Search of Lost Time in one go (breaks for sleeping but you have to read while eating) if you knew that if you said no, you could never read it again?

[Pike Bishop]

they are interesting yes...but for me, id fear some damage to my soul somehow in the process. I think it would hurt to play evil and take a great toll.

i wouldn't do that. I would listen and give an honest appraisal of my dislike, while at the same time seeking to explore why my girlfriend loved it so much...and perhaps if I couldn't grow appreciative of it, I might grow at least more accepting.

Thats why it's called acting, Bounty. Actors, particularly professional ones, are pretty good at staying clear about the non-reality of their roles. Anthony Hopkins is doing just fine after playing Hannibal Lecter twice. Tom Huddleston made his career by playing Loki twice, and Robert Ryan and Robert Mitchum made a specialty of playing interesting evil men. They loved playing the parts, they made excellent money doing it, and they survived just fine.

You misread my question. I wasn't referring to people with girlfriends or wives like myself. I was referring to courtship, when almost all of us adapt our behavior to make the one's we are courting happy. Like you, I, too am completely honest with my wife about music, sometimes to my peril...;)

[Pike Bishop]

I've already read In Search of Lost Time once, and its' pretty embedded in my memory. So, no, I would not do a marathon reading of it, particularly, since I enjoyed so much spreading the reading out last time.

Would you tell Paul McCartney how poorly you think of his solo work--and I hope you do--if he asked you for your honest opinion?

[bounty]

"Shortly before his death from prescription pills, Heath Ledger admitted to The New York Times that playing the deranged character of the Joker in 'The Dark Knight' haunted him so deeply that he stopped sleeping. Now it seems as though Natalie Portman can relate. She hints that she was traumatized as she grew into her disturbing role in 'Black Swan' as a ballet dancer who loses her mind...

""There were some nights that I thought I literally was going to die," she tells EW in its forthcoming issue. "It was the first time I understood how you could get so wrapped up in a role that it could sort of take you down."

"University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist Christos Ballas says there's no doubt that playing complicated characters can indeed be hazardous to your health."

http://www.popeater.com/2010/12/31/disturbing-movie-roles-health-effects/

"Examples of actors whose roles seep into their lives abound in film and theatre...a sobbing Daniel Day-Lewis quitting a production of Hamlet after seeing the ghost of his own father on stage and Robert Downey jnr admitting that playing a cocaine addict in Less Than Zero contributed to his own addiction."

"''We have ended up where we have remarkable performances of people being vulnerable and enacting trauma of various degrees but no one really tracking the fallout, what it does to actors' lives,'' he said."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/film/actors-search-for-the-light-after-dark-roles/2010/01/01/1261982389763.html

[Calidore]

I think Lance Henricksen has expressed relief that Millennium ended when it did because it was taking such a toll on him. The difference may be more about a particular actor's method than his/her skill. I know Hopkins and Mitchum had their demons also, though I don't know if they were related to the roles they played.

I'm afraid that while I don't think McCartney's solo work compares to his Beatles work, I don't think it's horrible at all. So I would just thank him for continuing to tour and entertain even at his age.

Are there any musical artists whose solo work you prefer over the bands that made them famous?

[Pike Bishop]

That's a lot of interesting anecdotal information, Bounty, but none of it counters the fact most actors do just fine playing bad guys/evil characters. Firstly, you can't use drug addicts as your evidence because they are already suffering prior to the role; it's not the role that was their primary downfall. Secondly, if that psychiatrist was right, most actors would suffer from playing bad guys; they don't. So all you have is Daniel Day-Lewis and Natalie Portman, who didn't even play a bad guy/girl versus the rest of the acting world who play bad guys and turn out just fine. I'd say my argument is still well-supported and we can safely say actors are not--on the whole--adversely affected by playing bad guys.

[bounty]

interestingly enough, you have no actual way of knowing this: "...the fact most actors do just fine playing bad guys/evil characters."

your "argument" is only supported by a shortage of public evidence to the contrary, which doesn't preclude it from actually existing.

but by all means, stick steadfast to your position despite testimony from people who know and have experienced it...

[bounty]

"Are there any musical artists whose solo work you prefer over the bands that made them famous?"

this is a "would you" thread....smiles...its easy to lose track I know, ive messed up a couple of times.

I might go with eric Clapton...

if you had the talent, would you try out for a show like the voice (or American idol, or x-factor)?

[Calidore]

Dangit!

No, regardless of talent, my brain would still shut down when on stage with cameras and a live audience. Otherwise, I think I'd do well on Wheel of Fortune.

Would you rather be famous as a solo artist or fronting a band?

[Pike Bishop]

interestingly enough, you have no actual way of knowing this: "...the fact most actors do just fine playing bad guys/evil characters."

your "argument" is only supported by a shortage of public evidence to the contrary, which doesn't preclude it from actually existing.

but by all means, stick steadfast to your position despite testimony from people who know and have experienced it...
My argument is supported by a plethora of evidence. Here is a substantial list of actors who have played bad guys and turned out just fine:

Humphrey Bogart
Edward G. Robinson
Kirk Douglas
Burt Lancaster
Robert Mitchum
James Cagney
Richard Widmark
Henry Fonda
Barbara Stanwyk
Bette Davis
Cameron Diaz
Javier Bardem
Robert Ryan
Anthony Quinn
Laurence Olivier
Anthony Perkins
John Garfield
Gene Hackman
Jack Nicholson
Dennis Hopper
Al Pacino
Robert DeNiro
Christopher Lee
James Earl Jones
Daniel Craig
Denzel Washington
Martin Sheen
Tom Berenger
Willem Dafoe
Paul Newman
Gregory Peck
Anthony Hopkins
John Travolta
Tom Cruise
Micheal Douglas
Sharon Stone
Liam Neeson
Leonardo DiCaprio
Russell Crowe
Hugh Jackman
Billy Bob Thornton
Guy Pearce
Jeff Bridges
Benedict Cumberbatch

And there are many more who enjoyed playing villains, did an excellent job of it, and suffered no negative effects. But, by all means, stick steadfast to your erroneous position, despite testimony from people who know and have experienced it...;)

[Lykren]

Dangit!

No, regardless of talent, my brain would still shut down when on stage with cameras and a live audience. Otherwise, I think I'd do well on Wheel of Fortune.

Would you rather be famous as a solo artist or fronting a band?

Solo! I want aaaall the glory.

Would you rather learn guitar or piano?

[bounty]

apparently you don't understand "you have no actual way of knowing this"

or "your "argument" is only supported by a shortage of public evidence to the contrary, which doesn't preclude it from actually existing."

make a thread out of it---and no need to ask me if its okay to quote me.

[bounty]

"Would you rather learn guitar or piano? "

I think guitar---the portability is attractive and the style of music associated with it more to my liking. although, id be tempted to sing and im horrible at that!

would go vegetarian if it were important to your spouse/significant other?

[Pike Bishop]

Apparently you don't understand I don't have to prove against your erroneous negative supposition. You have no way of knowing those actors I listed suffered from playing bad guys. However, since they went on acting, enjoyed acting, and even said playing the bad guys was the most fun, the onus of proving otherwise is on you. You have yet to do so. And I don't need to make a thread, I have already proven your argument to be erroneous and unsupported on this thread, and I've given substantial evidence to back it up.

[North Star]

E: Wouldn't become a vegetarian 'for' a spouse, although I could eat vegetarian food some of time.

Piano. I used to play the guitar actually, not well enough to play much classical rep, though. But if I can choose to play one of those really well, I'd choose the piano, no question. The expressive range and repertoire are infinitely superior.

Would you rather be a the first violin of a string quartet or the concertmaster of an orchestra?

[Pike Bishop]

First Violin...I hear they get the ladies

Would you rather spend a week in Warren Beatty's body during his young bachelor days or a week hanging around as one of Christ's disciples?

[Lykren]

First violin, intimacy is cool.

Piano repertoire is better, but I wouldn't say its expressive range is greater. The guitar player has more direct control over tone production. I think they're about equal.

Would you argue in favor of the objective superiority of your favorite painter? If so, how?

EDIT: Warren Beatty!

So, would you argue?

[Calidore]

apparently you don't understand "you have no actual way of knowing this"

or "your "argument" is only supported by a shortage of public evidence to the contrary, which doesn't preclude it from actually existing."

make a thread out of it---and no need to ask me if its okay to quote me.

Obviously you haven't realized yet that some folks' opinions are more than mere opinions. :)


Solo! I want aaaall the glory.

Would you rather learn guitar or piano?

I've tried guitar, and I kind of like it, but being able to play some stompin' old-school R & B piano would be awesome.


E: Wouldn't become a vegetarian 'for' a spouse, although I could eat vegetarian food some of time.

Piano. I used to play the guitar actually, not well enough to play much classical rep, though. But if I can choose to play one of those really well, I'd choose the piano, no question. The expressive range and repertoire are infinitely superior.

Would you rather be a the first violin of a string quartet or the concertmaster of an orchestra?

I tend to like orchestral works more than quartets, so that one.

Would you rather play a board game or a card game?

[Lykren]

Board game, so long as it's skill only!

Argue?

[Pike Bishop]

No, I would argue for the discursive superiority based on historically and consensually standards of aesthetic superiority. Pure objective superiority is a metaphysical myth.

Would you use a parachute packed by one of your anonymous high schoolmates and use it without knowing the contents, considering all of your negative and positive high school relationships? In other words, do you think you were a nice enough guy to feel safe doing so?

[Lykren]

Nope. I'm scared of heights!

Would you date a pro chess player?

[Pike Bishop]

No, I prefer my women--like my wife--to be more conceptual than analytical.

Would you stand up for a fellow colleague to your boss' abuse of him/her at the peril of your professional job?

[North Star]

Sure.

Would you date a serial composer?

[Pike Bishop]

Before I got married, perhaps. She would also have to be well-educated in the Humanities, since I wouldn't want to talk music all day.

In what order would you give up literature, music, and film/tv if you had to give 1-3 of them up?...and why?

[North Star]

I wouldn't ;)

film/tv, literature, and music last. I'd still have photography, painting (and other related art forms) and theatre left, though ;)

Would you go to a Stockhausen concert if someone gave you a ticket?

[Lykren]

Film, I have less energy for that one anyway. Then music. Literature demands attention.

Same Q.

EDIT: Nahhh.

Would you leave an SO to go to a world-class university?

[tonywalt]

good question, I'm past university, but I might/would do that because of the 'brand recognition' and networking advantages that a world class university gives.

Would you take a decrease of 25% in income to do the thing you really love?

[Pike Bishop]

I teach English at a small college for a living; I've already taken more than that from the get go...;)

If you knew your best friend cheated on his wife, who is also your friend, would you tell her?...and if you didn't, would you be able to look her in the face the same way again?

[North Star]

Tonywalt's question is way too easy, but then again, he does live on Cayman Islands ;) If I was that interested in money, I'd really love making money in any case.


If you knew your best friend cheated on his wife, who is also your friend, would you tell her?...and if you didn't, would you be able to look her in the face the same way again?
Uh... I'd probably say to my best friend that he should tell his wife, or I'd do it. I sure wouldn't be able to look the best friend in the face the same way again.

Would you like to learn a new language, and if so, which?

[Lykren]

Yes, Japanese, and then French. I'm very nervous that I'm too lazy to do either though.

Same Q.

[Dark Muse]

I am currently working on learning Irish Gaelic, so yes.

If you were dating someone and got along really well and were attracted to them and they confessed that they were transsexual (had an operation to change thier gender) would you continue to date them?

[Pike Bishop]

Yes, German. I'd get to read Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Heidegger, Adorno, Hegel, Goethe, and Husserl in their native languages and see if I really grasped what those writers said. Listening to Wagner wouldn't be bad either.

I'm already married, but I would not date a transsexual who hadn't been honest from the outset; I doubt I would if she had been, though, either. I'm all for trans rights, but I don't think I could do it.

This is freshman Ethics, but I still love the question. If you were on a lifeboat with 6 people and you needed to eject one for the other 5 to survive, would you vote to eject someone to their death against their will or would you vote to let the boat go down and save your humanity?

[Dark Muse]

That would depend on my feelings about the other people on the boat. If there is one dude who is being a dick, or really obnoxious then I might be ok can we just eject him? But if everyone is cool than I would probably just be like let's just take our chances and stick together to the end.

Your house is on fire and you have time to save only five objects. What would you take with you?

[Lykren]

laptop, ipad, phone, guitar, clarinet.

Would you be able to focus better if your life was threatened if you didn't?

[North Star]

On self defense, probably. I bet studying for years under the threat of being killed wouldn't work as well.

Would you like to live a day in the body of a member of the opposite sex?

[Pike Bishop]

No, not even Marilyn Monroe, George Eliot (her mind), or Zelda Fitzgerald (for wanton Dionysian joy)...it would be too somatically alien.

If you could choose for one of these artists who died to young to have lived a full life so you could enjoy a lifetime of their art, whom would you choose?

John Keats
Jimi Hendrix
James Dean
Janis Joplin
River Phoenix
Kurt Cobain

[Lykren]

Yeah, why not? It's only for a day.

Would you say matching tastes in art contributes to love?

EDIT: Keats.

Same question abut taste/love.

[Pike Bishop]

Only a day? How would you deal with going to the bathroom or having to take care of your feminine hygiene? I imagine it could be quite unsettling; however, no more unsettling for a woman to have to walk around with a particular organ all day.

Matching tastes in art can lead to love, and disparate tastes can detract from it, but one would be waiting a lifetime if they made love contingent on it.

[North Star]

Matching tastes in art can certainly contribute to love.
^^Keats of those, no contest.

If you could choose one of these to live 30 years longer, whom would you choose?
Mozart, Schubert, Chopin

[Lykren]

Mozart. Chopin would be a little ways behind, then another little ways behind would be Schubert.

But The Magic Flute is just too awesome. Plus he'd trade ideas with Beethoven! Wow.

Would you say conversation with an artistic great could be particularly personally enriching? Artist of your choice.

[Pike Bishop]

If the artist is someone like Toni Morrison, Henry James, or Jacques Derrida, who actually enjoyed sharing their knowledge and experience with others, absolutely. If the artist tended more to the irascible and unapproachable like Cormac McCarthy or Miles Davis, absolutely not.

If you knew that by telling a young brilliant tortured artist--e.g. Van Gogh, Byron, Cobain, Woolf, or Dostoevsky--whose work you cherish that never producing their art would make their lives happy and content, but would erase it from ever having existed, would you tell them?...and who would it be?

[Lykren]

I'd spare Byron, Cobain, Dostoevsky, and Pollock from suffering, at the expense of their art, but not Van Gogh, Plath, Elliott Smith, Rothko, Woolf, or Proust.

Would you swim with dolphins?

[Pompey Bum]

Only if the mermaids were tired.

If you were on the jury, would you recommend the death penalty for Johar Tsarnaev ("the Boston Marathon bomber")?

[Lykren]

Mermaids, there's a thought.

No, but probably life.

Would you enjoy your proverbial feast with the greats when you get to heaven, or be intimidated?

[NikolaiI]

Yes, if the conditions were right.

(Oh- I was a couple of pages late, another question by you, so I didn't notice I was on the wrong page).

I guess best answer I can say is I will cross that bridge when I come to it. :-)

Would you lend aid to Kiribati (pronounced Kirabas)?

[Pompey Bum]

The feast is with the meek. The greats are cleaning the dishes.

Would you prefer a one-stop afterlife or multiple reincarnations?

[Pike Bishop]

Most of my favorite greats would never be allowed into or would want no part of heaven.

I have no idea what Kiribati is.

If you had a chance to "cure" your spouse of his/her least favorite quality or behavior, would you do so or would you keep her as is?

[Lykren]

One stop. I'm tired of the merry-go-round.

Would you rather live in the city or the country?

[Pompey Bum]

Country.

Would you rather read English or Russian literature?

[Lykren]

English, we have Austen and Joyce and Shakespeare and George Eliot and Wallace Stevens and Dickinson and so many I love but the only two Russians I truly love (so far) are Tolstoy and Chekhov. I'd hate to give them up though. Besides I can't read Russian!

Would you die to save a younger friend's life?

[Pike Bishop]

City.

If you had a chance to "cure" your spouse of his/her least favorite quality or behavior, would you do so or would you keep her as is?

[Pompey Bum]

It depends on the circumstances, but as a rule: yes for family, no for others. And always yes for my wife.

Would you keep an ancient arrowhead that you found on tribal reservation property?

[Lykren]

I'd feel bad about breaking the rules.

Would you say anger can be helpful and even constructive, to a point?

[Clopin]

Yes.

Would you tell a lot of lies about yourself in order to bed someone?

[Lykren]

No...

Would you blame idealism for certain omnipresent problems? Which ones?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, some. The history of Christian Jew hatred, for example.

Would the allies have stopped Hitler without Stalin?

[Clopin]

No...

Would you blame idealism for certain omnipresent problems? Which ones?

Yes, the one where you don't get laid, as evidenced by your answer to my question.

[Clopin]

Yes, some. The history of Christian Jew hatred, for example.

Would the allies have stopped Hitler without Stalin?

I don't know, but Stalin would have acted independently anyway. If you mean if Russia were just an empty wasteland (ha ha) with absolutely no inhabitants, however, then I have no idea.

Would you say that total war and intentional attacks on civilian cities and populations was a necessity in fighting ww2?

[Pompey Bum]

No, I meant without an alliance with him. And the answer is no, the other allies wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell.

Yes, as it turned out.

Was the late war destruction of much of Germany by the RAF and USAF morally justifiable?

[Clopin]

No, I meant without an alliance him him. And the answer is no, the other allies wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell.

Yes, as it turned out.

Was the late war destruction of much of Germany by the RAF and USAF morally justifiable?

No it wasn't. I don't really believe in "war crimes" for the most part, but I don't think it was morally justified.

Would you (knowing what you know now) have gone along with Churchill and Patton in an immediate post war attack on Russia?

[Pompey Bum]

You know, speculative history is hard to do. An invasion of Russia would have cost all the money that the US ultimately put into the Marshall Plan, which in the long term is what won the Cold War. So no, probably not. What we ended up doing worked. And it's impossible to say how a pre-bomb invasion would have worked out. Granted Truman learned about the Manhattan test at Potsdam, but no one was going to bomb Russian cities in 1945.

Same question.

[North Star]

E: No, a total war between the Soviets and West would have been far worse than the Cold War was.

Would you rather read French or Italian literature?

[Clopin]

Yes, I probably would have and threatened Russia with nuclear attacks if they didn't disarm. The cold war was won for the west but you need to consider Eastern Europe which is still a travesty and I suspect Mao was worse than Chiang and Mao would never have come to power without a Soviet Union.

Would YOU say Oswald acted alone?

[Pompey Bum]

Unless Italian includes Latin, I'd rather read French.

Would you rather have Italian salad dressing or French?

[Pike Bishop]

French Literature, no question.

Would you give up a month of your life for a night with Marilyn Monroe?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, Oswald acted alone. Same salad dressing question above.

[Pompey Bum]

Good point about Mao, Clopin.

[Pompey Bum]

Okay, how about French dressing vs. creamy Italian?

[Lykren]

French dressing... I think.

Spicy pasta or creamy?

[Pompey Bum]

It depends on my mood, but for today creamy sounds nice.

Red Sox or Yankees?

[Lykren]

...Wesley So.

Roses or sunsets?

[North Star]

Sunsets.

Would you rather see the sunrise or the sunset?

[Pompey Bum]

Oranges!

Pineapples or pine forests?

Oh sorry, the sunset.

Really dark hair or really blonde?

[Lykren]

blonde!

would you date a pop star, if he/she was your type and you were single?

[North Star]

Really dark.

E: Sure, if she was my type. It would be curious that she'd be a pop star and my type, though.

If you could prevent WWI and II, would you do it, if that would also mean that none of 20th C. art would exist?

[Lykren]

Really dark.

E: Sure, if she was my type. It would be curious that she'd be a pop star and my type, though.

If you could prevent WWI and II, would you do it, if that would also mean that none of 20th C. art would exist?

Yes, that would be curious!

I don't think so. Preventing it then could just mean it happens later.

Would you be scared to live in an exact replica of the Overlook Hotel, from the movie?

[Pompey Bum]

If it were just the art, then yes, I would do it in a heartbeat. But it wouldn't be just the art.

Really, really, shiny dark was the right answer to the hair question, btw. And no pop stars for me, even if I was single.

Not scared of Overlook Hotel.

Would you give two and a half years of your life to teach a handful of African villagers not to go to the bathroom in their water supply?

[North Star]

E: I'd probably have time to do something else at the same time, so why not.
Also not scared of Overlook

Ancient Greek art & lit or ancient Roman art & lit?

[Clopin]

Greek but I have less experience with Roman.

Would you say it was worth it Pomp?

[Pompey Bum]

Greek is more profound but I find most Latin lit more fun.

Would you feel less comfortable to have female physician than a male?

[Lykren]

No, more. I had terrible groin pain once when I was 10, and I specifically asked for a female doctor. :D

Would you offer to be the object of practice shots if your mother was training to be a nurse?

[Pompey Bum]

No problem. Needles don't bother me.

Would you take a high paying job if you had serious doubts you would do a good job?

[Lykren]

Brave man.

No.

Would you say something if you worked at a bookstore and an English major bought a No Fear Shakespeare?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, I'd call him a whorson knave and watch him look it up.

Would you go around talking like a pirate all day even though it wasn't talk like a pirate day?

[Lykren]

No. I'm awkward enough IRL as it is.

Would you play a sport you're fond of with the best in the world, just for the experience, even though you would certainly lose?

[Pike Bishop]

Absolutely. I would be thrilled to surf with Kelly Slater.

Would you take the side of a friend in a debate against someone you didn't like even though you knew your friend was wrong?

[Pompey Bum]

Would you play a sport you're fond of with the best in the world, just for the experience, even though you would certainly lose?

Sure, maybe just to meet the athletes. Only baseball, though.

Would you give a ticket to the Super Bowl (that you won in a contest) to a friend if, all things considered, you decided you didn't like football as much as him?

[Lykren]

Yes, I can't stand large sporting events.

Would you support a terminally ill family member's decision to commit assisted suicide?

[Pike Bishop]

Absolutely.

Would you change your professed aesthetic tastes, preferences, and/or favorites to impress people?

[Clopin]

Change them? No. Pretend they are different to impress girls? Yes.

Would you ever pursue a friends girlfriend as a love interest if you thought she seriously might be "the one" (or Hell, even if you don't)?

[Lykren]

I'd probably try to be friends with the girl, and just sort of wait for them to break up, and get as close to her as is politely possible (close in the emotional sense) while they are still together. So depends on how you mean 'pursue' I guess.

Would you work hard to learn an instrument to impress a girl?

[Clopin]

That is pursuing, I would keep you away from my girlfriend if I were your friend in that situation!

And no, but it would be an added bonus.

Would you go on a blind date?

[Lykren]

No way.

I won't steal your girl Clopin.

Would you say you are good at keeping secrets?

[Clopin]

Alas, there is no girl to steal.

And yes, quite good. I would tell my wife everything though, if it were at all relevant to her, or epjust something I felt she should know.

Would you quit a well paid job if your manager/boss was quite mean/belittling to you?

[Lykren]

No, I'm a wimp, which means I'd be really sad about it but be too scared of leaving the familiar.

I'm awful at keeping people's secrets, I need to work on that. I just love sharing gossip.

Would you be in a successful band if you could, but it wasn't great music or people you enjoyed playing with?

[Calidore]

If they're successful, yes. Then I could make enough money to follow my own muse when our run is over.

Would you rather play lead or rhythm in a band?

[North Star]

Lead guitar, since that would involve play both rhythm and lead. I'd rather have two guitarists who both play solos, though.

Would you like to hear a drum solo?

[Pike Bishop]

I loathe drum solos...except Danny Carey's.

Would you cheat on a test in a required class that meant nothing to you?

[Pompey Bum]

Would you like to hear a drum solo?

No thank you. The neighbors love to complain.

Would you make warning noises if you saw an emaciated-looking fox about to pounce on a fat rabbit?

[Pike Bishop]

If you could prevent WWI and II, would you do it, if that would also mean that none of 20th C. art would exist?

Yes, all of the most brilliant art combined isn't worth one human life.

Would you go to a full concert of your least favorite artist of all time if you thought it would help your chances with someone you really desired?

[Clopin]

Haha it depends, they are both cute. Probably not, death by starvation has got to be worse than death by fox!

Would you jump really high or scream if you moved something in your kitchen and encountered a live rat?

[Pike Bishop]

Would you sell arms in bulk on the black market for conflict diamonds?

Not a chance.

Would you sing a song at one of your favorite artist's concerts or would the embarrassment be too much?

[Lykren]

Probably I'd scream, I surprise easily.

Would you run or walk away from an adult skunk in your yard? Or something else?

[Pompey Bum]

Either walking or running would probably get the same results, but I can't fly, so yes.

Do you squish spiders or just let them be?

[Lykren]

Let them be.

Would you rather teach your children a language or an instrument?

[Calidore]

A language. As wonderful as music is, communication is more so. Also, better income opportunities in knowing languages.

Would you rather your children learned a martial art or a gymnastic/dance art?

[Lykren]

A dance I suppose.

Would you object to your teenage son or daughter drinking at a friend's house?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes. THIS IS SPARTA!

Would you provide your 16-year-old daughter with birth control if you were convinced she was going to be sexually active no matter what you said?

[Lykren]

Sheesh, Pompey... haha.

Absolutely.

Would you fall in love at first sight, and then follow it up with persistence, at least for a time?

[Pompey Bum]

You can't choose to fall on love, Lykren. But no, pretending is never a good idea

If you hit somebody's dog with your car, and killed it, and it had a tag with its owners' number, would you call them and explain?

[Lykren]

Oh, sorry - I wasn't clear. Not 'would you fall in love at first sight' but 'If you did how would you react?'

Yes.

[Clopin]

Pursue her for a bit and then back off and pull a Gatsby like seven years later.

Did you like Daisy at all in The Great Gatsby?

[Lykren]

Like? Man, she's my kind of gal, whatever that says about me.

Would you buy an iWatch if you could afford it?

[North Star]

iWouldn't.

Would you join the party in 3rd Reich to not lose your job?

[Lykren]

Not if I understood what was going on.

Would you skip work without permission to go to an important audition?

[Pike Bishop]

I would never join anything titled "Third Reich" for anything

Would you cheat on a test in a required class meaning nothing to you?

[Pompey Bum]

Would you skip work without permission to go to an important audition?

Not without permission, no. But I'd have no problem with calling in sick. In either case, I'd look at my own interest over my master's.

Same question.

[Pike Bishop]

Would you join the party in 3rd Reich to not lose your job?

I would never join anything titled "Third Reich" for anything

Would you cheat on a test in a required class meaning nothing to you?

[Lykren]

If I couldn't call in sick I wouldn't go.

Would you let your 12-year-old watch The Exorcist?

[Pompey Bum]

No, for fear the little tyke would die laughing. :)

Would you let your 12 year old watch Dancing with the Whor, um, I mean Stars?

[Lykren]

No, for fear the little tyke would die laughing. :)

Hahahaha!

No. I would make him or her watch The Sacrifice by Tarkovsky instead. :D

EDIT: Would you let your 12-year-old watch Cries and Whispers if she or he was really into Bergman?

[Clopin]

Yes, he or she can handle it. I won't have T.V though, just movies, so no Jersey Shore, Degenerate Music Videos or Dancing with the Stars for them.

Would you be disappointed if you had a kid who was nothing like yourself?

[Lykren]

Probably.

Yes, nix TV.

Would you take your child to McDonald's?

[Clopin]

Once in a while.

Would you put your overweight twelve year old on a diet?

[Lykren]

Probably not, I'd be a bad parent about things like health since I care so little about my own.

Would you want to focus on improvisation if you were learning an instrument?

[Clopin]

While learning? No... absolutely not, fundamentals first, in everything.

What would you say is the one thing you're best at?

[Lykren]

I guess I meant more like, once you have a grasp of fundamentals, would you prefer to play something composed or to improvise?

Writing poetry, at least I hope so, because it's the most important thing to me. But actually it's probably... being depressed, haha.

Would you run a marathon for fun?

[Clopin]

Maybe not a marathon, but definitely a half marathon.

Assuming the technology existed, would you object to incredibly realistic child sex-robots for people who are pedophiles?
Would you object to incredibly realistic sex robots in general?

[Calidore]

Adult robots, no. Child robots, hell, yes. Feeding predators may appease them for the moment, but it just makes them more aggressive later.

Would you storm the castle?

[Clopin]

Uh... of a sexbot? Haha... is that the question? Yeh I don't see why I wouldn't.

Would you overindulge in free Cafe Latte's if every coffee shop in the world provide them to you?

[Lykren]

Feeding predators may appease them for the moment, but it just makes them more aggressive later.

I was going to Google that because I remember reading a study that said the opposite, that consumption of animated child pornography consistently caused predators' abnormal sexual desires to abate over time. On second thought, I don't feel like googling that particular topic right now.

In any case chemical castration would work as well, but ironically could be considered less humane.

No, I don't drink coffee, I'm not a filthy hipster. ;)

Same question, but if free candy was everywhere.

[Iain Sparrow]

... which question is that in regards to... sexual predators, or offers of free Cafe Latte?:)
Either way, free candy isn't a big temptation for me. I'm one of those health food nuts who hasn't indulged in a candy bar or soda in many years.

On an aside, I recently read a SF novel, 'Rule 34' by Charles Stross, wherein an assassin carries with him on his travels a large piece of luggage; where he keeps his plaything, an android that looks very much like an eight year old girl. It's a "near-future" tale and very much against the law... but I have to question the why of it. If something isn't real or is only a representation of reality, and no second party is harmed, how can it be a crime?

If the science of cloning was perfected, and relatively inexpensive, would you clone yourself?.. and upon doing so, once your clone was of legal age... would you have sex with yourself?

[Pompey Bum]

No, though I've often suggested that others try it. :)

If the technology were available. Would you If you clone your own body, then brake down the clones mind with psychotropic medications, and train it to be your slave?

[Lykren]

No, my clone is a person too. A very handsome person.

Would you ever be brave enough to extract snake venom from a live snake?

[Pompey Bum]

Ah, but shouldn't you be able to do what you like with your own body?

Sure, if the snake was properly restrained. You hold it. :)

Would you answer if a disembodied voice introduced itself to you?

[Lykren]

Knowing me yes.

Would you get mad if you taught your friend to play shōgi and then they beat you?

[Clopin]

Yes, but I might feel silly.

Would a fully self aware robot be deserving of human rights, or would it still be simply a piece of property?

[North Star]

E: A robot is a robot is a robot.

Of course not. It's not exactly a sign of being a good teacher if you get mad at the student surpassing you.

Clifford Brown or Max Roach?

[Pompey Bum]

This is would you. But Max Roach.

I think if we didn't give self-aware robots rights, they would figure out some way to take them. Better to give.

Would you consider marrying a self-aware robot?

[Clopin]

This is would you. But Max Roach.

I think if we didn't give self-aware robots rights, they would figure out some way to take them. Better to give.

Would you consider marrying a self-aware robot?

Yes, maybe... I don't know.

Would you say self aware robots who look and act exactly like humans are even possible?

[Pompey Bum]

I'm not sure a self-aware machine is possible, but I don't know that much about AI.

I was troubled by your question yesterday (after I left) about simulated (non-human) partners for pedophiles. If we adhere to Mill's harm principle, then is anyone actually being hurt? I'm not sure what the answer is. It's creepy.

Would you legalize prostitution if everyone worked for themselves (ie no victimizing pimps)?