Would You??

[Clopin]

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)?

Well Calidore suggested that it would make the pedophile more likely to rape/abuse young human girls, but I'm not so sure it isn't actually the opposite. Currently cartoon (as in drawings of girls) pornography featuring underage or very young girls is illegal, which I also find hard to understand.

I would definitely legalize prostitution even if they didn't necessarily work for themselves, though with the social media options we have these days it wouldn't be hard to self start/work for yourself.

Same question.

[Lykren]

We ARE self-aware robots.

Yes, but it would never happen that way.

Would you legalize heroin?

[Pompey Bum]

No. Between human trafficking/debt slavery and pimp brutality there are enough reasons against it.

Would you give a starving family a month's worth of food if you knew that was all you would ever give?

EDIT: I would not legalize heroine either.

[Clopin]

We ARE self-aware robots.

Yes, but it would never happen that way.

Would you legalize heroin?

Yes I would.

[Clopin]

No. Between human trafficking/debt slavery and pimp brutality there are enough reasons against it.

Would you give a starving family a month's worth of food if you knew that was all you would ever give?

EDIT: I would not legalize heroine either.

Yes, but are those issues going to be greatly increased through legalizing prostitution? All of that already happens while prostitution is illegal.

And do you mean if I knew for a fact they would starve after the month was out? Yes I would probably still give it to them but I would feel pretty horrible about the entire situation.

Would you volunteer to help out if a massive Hurricane struck your home city?

[Lykren]

I'd run away.

Would you call the police regarding the homeless man shouting swear words at people outside the bookstore right now?

[Pompey Bum]

Of course, about the hurricane. And if the inhumane aspects of prostitution could actually be eliminated, then I would support its legalization. I wouldn't participate, but that's another issue.

Would you report to the police Muslim neighbors who seem to have an excessive number of people (dozens) constantly coming and going? (You have no other indication of wrongdoing).

[Pompey Bum]

Would you report to the police Muslim neighbors who seem to have an excessive number of people (dozens) constantly coming and going? (You have no other indication of wrongdoing).

Yeah, but keep your cell phone ready. Inside Edition pays top dollar for good video. :)

My previous question (whatever it was).

[Clopin]

Of course, about the hurricane. And if the inhumane aspects of prostitution could actually be eliminated, then I would support its legalization. I wouldn't participate, but that's another issue.

Would you report to the police Muslim neighbors who seem to have an excessive number of people (dozens) constantly coming and going? (You have no other indication of wrongdoing).

Haha, no I would not.

Would you take possibly murderous revenge on someone who had framed you for a crime which saw you serving fifteen years?

[Lykren]

Nay nerp.

Prison sounds like a blast, nothing to do but read :)

Would you eat Dali's butterfly sandwiches?

[tonywalt]

yes, without knowing much what it is.

Would you go on vacation by yourself for two weeks?

[Lykren]

Absolutely!

Would you be excited to live on a pre-colonized Mars?

[North Star]

Pre-colonized Mars doesn't look tempting.

Where would you like to go spend that fortnight alone, away from any human contact?

[Lykren]

No idea, really. I just like the idea of a vacation.

Also I meant to type post-colonized Mars.

Would you argue with your coworkers over what music to play at a store, if you worked at one?

[North Star]

Only if it was a music store, and then I'd suggest we take turns in choosing the music.

Post-colonized Mars sounds better :D I still don't think there'd be any compelling reason for me to go there. The flight itself, and seeing Earth from space, would be nice. But there isn't really anything that interesting on Mars.

If Béla Tarr's Sátántangó was on at the local cinema, would you go see it?

[Lykren]

Yes, but I would take a few deep breaths first.

And bring caffeine.

Problem with that strategy at my store is that everyone else has agreed to play the Buddy Holly Pandora station all the time, and get mad at me when I choose anything else.

Would you feel sad if you accidentally beat up a signed copy of your Lydia Davis's Collected Stories while it was in your backpack?

[Pompey Bum]

Post-colonized Mars sounds better :D I still don't think there'd be any compelling reason for me to go there. The flight itself, and seeing Earth from space, would be nice. But there isn't really anything that interesting on Mars.

I bet the long flight there would be even less interesting. Plus the radiation you'd be exposed to would probably kill you. No thanks. We've got lots of rocks right here.

And yes, beating up books is never a good idea.

Would you tell your intellectual friends if you really enjoyed reading Stephen King?

[Lykren]

I tell you I like K-pop don't I?

Would you feel differently about an intellectual (literary) friend if they enjoyed Stephen King?

[North Star]

I'd probably think that they're a more well-rounded and confident person for that.


Would you like to see Shoah?

[Lykren]

Nooooooo.

Over a week maybe. But not all at once.

Would you be impressed if your friend turned out to be world-class at curling?

[Pompey Bum]

No, but I would probably think it was cute.

Would you contact the FBI if a friend told you he kept thinking about shooting up a McDonalds?

[Lykren]

I'd contact the cops not the FBI directly.

Would you be angry if your mother married a man you hated (and who was mean to you) while you were a child?

[Pompey Bum]

You go to a supermarket where you notice an item you like at a substantial markdown, but only for the day. The normal cost is three dollars, but they are being sold for one dollar each. There are perhaps five dozen (60) of these items on the shelf. You ask a clerk and learn that there are no more such items in the store. Although it might be a tight fit at first, you do have room for all 60 in your refrigerator/freezer, and they are a sort of item that stores well. The item is healthy to eat and not particularly caloric. You buy it regularly, and like it so well that you can't imagine growing sick of it. There is no limit connected to how many of these items a customer can buy. Would you buy them all or leave some for others?

[Lykren]

I would probably just buy one or two.

If you had a friend who was learning English, and asked you to correct him or her as often as possible, would you constantly interrupt the flow of conversation in order to help them learn?

[bounty]

for pompeys grocery store question---I lean towards leaving some, but id lean even more that way if the item were popular. if the item wasn't so popular, id be inclined towards buying more (presuming they'd go to waste otherwise and no one else is going to want them).

im not sure of the best method for esl instruction, but I would do that. at the same time though, I think id sometimes let whole thoughts/sentences/paragraphs come out and then have a "debriefing" afterwards.

im reading a book right now where one of the main characters was recruited to win a national lottery (of 100 million dollars) that was rigged. if someone approached you with that same "opportunity", would you take it?

[Pompey Bum]

im reading a book right now where one of the main characters was recruited to win a national lottery (of 100 million dollars) that was rigged. if someone approached you with that same "opportunity", would you take it?

Absolutely not. Even if I didn't get caught, I would be forever under the power of the ones who recruited me. Besides, you don't need 100 million dollars. You just need more money than you can spend. And if you start taking care of your money when you're young (including buying all the discount items in the example above), it isn't all that hard to achieve.

Would you be embarrassed to buy day old bakery items at half price from a supermarket bin frequented by down-on-their-luck looking people?

[bounty]

heck no...im a good "thrift" shopper and day olds/reduced items are frequent finds for me.

you are with a friend who is about to throw out food thats canned/boxed and is past its "best by" date. would you take it instead and eat it?

(test running a new signature in an effort to get on someone's ignore list)

[Pompey Bum]

If it was past its expiration date, I probably wouldn't take it. And if it wasn't I would encourage my friend to donate it to a homeless shelter, or even take it down myself. Habits of thrift (especially in shopping) can help you become independent over time (along with smart planning), but a one time deal like that won't matter--and someone else could probably use the food.

Would you date a coworker?

[Clopin]

Yes, and I have.

By the way, I would massively stock up on any sale item in the examples you're putting forward AND I don't only frequently buy day old bread, but also take bread donations from churches and food banks (though I haven't in awhile, I was in serious need), and it is embarrassing, and since I don't actually look like a hobo, and have all my teeth, people have been reluctant to even serve me at those places.

Would you argue with someone on the Internet about politics or religion knowing that neither of you are going to change your mind?

[Pompey Bum]

If it was in good fun (with politics), or if there was mutual respect (with religion), then sure. Hearing opinions you don't agree with is a great way to consider things in a new light--even if it just means confirming your own opinions. But If not, what's the point? Converts aren't important to me.

By the way, I can't believe how few people use those day old bakery bins. By the time anyone actually eats bakery food, it's already at least a day old, and a few seconds in a microwave makes it good as new. But I get stares from the "respectable"-looking people all the time; and from the scruffy ones, too, who seem to think I'm taking their hand-outs.

This is why I love Fielding. He knew the classes were equally stupid, but forgave (almost) everyone.

Would you break off a friendship with someone you grew up with, and had known for 40 to 50 years (if you're not that old, imagine), just because you felt you no longer liked him or her?

[Clopin]

No, I tend to feel bad for people who I don't like or respect, and I don't want to hurt someone's feelings.

Would you take one million dollars in cash right now (if Pompey answers, then Pomp, pretend it's something you really want that isn't money) if it meant you had to be treated with pre Renaissance era medical technology for any illness/surgery you might pick up or require?

[Pompey Bum]

No, I tend to feel bad for people who I don't like or respect, and I don't want to hurt someone's feelings.

Well in this case, she just got pissed. I've never regretted it (quite the contrary), except for some very nostalgic memories about being young and beautiful together in the 1970s. But that's not real life anymore.


Would you take one million dollars in cash right now (if Pompey answers, then Pomp, pretend it's something you really want that isn't money) if it meant you had to be treated with pre Renaissance era medical technology for any illness/surgery you might pick up or require?

I'd let myself be leeched for that kind of dough. And I'd allow my leg to be sawed off without anesthesia if it meant my wife didn't have to suffer like that. But otherwise, not for all the tea in China.

Do the millions of years of human prehistory (in comparison to about five or six thousand years of recorded history) have any (non-evolutionary) significance to the human condition--considering that we can't "remember" them in a historical sense?

[Clopin]

Mhm, I don't know, but they do have obvious evolutionary significance and I think our societies and behaviour patterns probably don't look too different from what was exhibited hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Would you disown your hypothetical child if he or she became a pornstar?

[Pompey Bum]

Never. I'd try to get him or her out, though, unless I was convinced that it was a deliberate and mature decision.

Would you approve of the elimination of the movie rating system (G, PG, etc.)?

[Clopin]

Yes, it's harmful to the industry and makes movies worse.

Would you disown a hypothetical child for any reason at all?

[Pompey Bum]

I don't think so. My conception of family love is that it is unconditional. On the other hand, I have no children, so it's an easy thing to say. I can think of some circumstances where it would be very trying.

Would you give your life for your country?

[Clopin]

For Canada in 2015? No. But it's something I would consider if I felt there was something really worth defending. I don't think patriotism is always stupid/misplaced.

Would you?

[Pompey Bum]

If I had to, yes, but to be honest, I'd probably prioritize staying alive for my wife. But if something happened to her, I'd be willing. Not the most patriotic view, I suppose, but I'm being honest.

Should convicted enemy spies in times of war be executed?

[Clopin]

Mhm, probably, I'm not crazy about execution except as a deterrent (deter serious white collar crime and instances of politicians lying by executing them is my view), and you're not going to deter enemy combatants through fear of execution. Still, it's a war, and yes, probably.

Would you want to act in a movie if a director insisted that you were perfect for the (quite sizable) role?

[Pompey Bum]

If anyone was dumb enough to pay me for it, sure. If it was a disaster, I'd just write a funny book about it and star in the movie version.

Would you apologize if you broke into brief but uncontrolled laughter at someone, or just pretend it didn't happen?

[Lykren]

Yeah I apologize when I do that. It happens too often.

Would you/do you engage in casual conversation with an acquaintance on a topic on which you are far better informed, without letting the other person know of your depth of knowledge?

[Dark Muse]

I think that depends on the circumstances, if the topic casually came up I wouldn't feel the need to declare my knowledge but I wouldn't intentionally conceal how much I knew.

You see a beggar on the street and you decide to give them money. You mean to give them 5 dollars but accidentally pull out a 50 and don't realize it until after you give it to them. Would you ask for the money back? Or just let it slide?

[Iain Sparrow]

I wouldn't ask for the money back, that'd be bad form... but for $50 I would ask for a blow job.

Have you ever paid for sex?

[Pompey Bum]

I wouldn't ask for the money back, that'd be bad form... but for $50 I would ask for a blow job.

Heh heh.


Have you ever paid for sex?

No, despite many opportunities. But if the lady doesn't really wan't to be there, then neither do I.

If you despised and disrespected your father's second wife, and on his deathbed he begged you to look after her in old age, would you promise to do it, even though you had no intention of even seeing her a day after the funeral?

[Iain Sparrow]

Yes, I rather think I would grant a man's dying wish.

When you die, and if you were cremated, where would you want them to scatter your ashes?

[Pompey Bum]

In the sea. I'm not a sailor, and I don't harbor (no pun intended) a lot of romantic notions about the sea, but sharing a tomb with Hudson, Drake, Cook, Diaz, Zheng He, etc., etc., etc. sounds like good company to me. (Although to be honest, I could care less what happens to the dead parts of me when I'm gone).

Would you apologize to someone for something that was your fault if you were virtually certain that your apology would be treated with contempt?

[Clopin]

Depends on the circumstances, generally I do apologize for things which are my fault, but I also dislike being treated with contempt enough that I might skip it. But okay i'll say yes, I've done this with girlfriends who I knew weren't willing to hear an apology and certainly treated it with contempt at the time.

Would you still choose to maintain your position as bodyguard to Adolf Hitler even if your job description suspiciously included gunning down a surprising number of time travelling vigilantes?

[Pompey Bum]

If my contract had any sort of time traveller clause, I would probably assume the guy was nuts, and join the resistance (not that there was much of a resistance in the Third Reich). And if time traveling vigilantes ever did show up, I'd at least hear them out.


If you despised and disrespected your father's second wife, and on his deathbed he begged you to look after her in old age, would you promise to do it, even though you had no intention of even seeing her a day after the funeral?


Yes, I rather think I would grant a man's dying wish.

While I appreciate Iain's integrity, what I was really asking is if you would lie to your father on his deathbed, or say, No, Dad, I just can't do that. Question is open to anyone.

[Clopin]

If I know that I absolutely can not do it then yes, I am lying to him on his deathbed. I like my father's second wife just fine though, but yeh, hypothetically I would lie to him.

If you discovered that you were adopted would you attempt to find your birth parents or any siblings you may have?

[Pompey Bum]

Not my biological parents, although later on life I would probably try to see if I had brothers and sisters, and that might lead me to them. But my adoptive parents would still be my "real" parents. If I ever did meet my biological parents, I would make that clear to everyone.

Same question.

[Clopin]

Yes I would try to find my biological parents and any brothers or sisters I might have.

Would you ever consider adopting a child yourself?

[Lykren]

Of course, assuming I was financially stable.

Would you pay $28 for a t-shirt with your favorite author or book on it?

[Clopin]

If I liked the shirt yes, $28 is pretty reasonable.

Would you let your girlfriend dress you if she really wanted to?

[Pompey Bum]

No! If they still need dolls, they're too young to see you naked in the first place. Don't let them put braids in your hair either!

Would you wear black cowboy boots to a funeral?

[Clopin]

No... not unless it was somehow important to the deceased that I do so.

Would you ever pay upwards of $300 for a meal and wine?

[Pompey Bum]

Never. Nor would I tip if I did! :)

Would you put return your plane seat to upright if the person behind you requested it politely (the person in front of you certainly isn't going to do it for you)?

[Clopin]

Yes, I would move mine and I wouldn't ever request anyone move their seat to accommodate me haha. I don't know why but I am always 100% acquiescent to reasonable demands made by strangers in public and also 100% reluctant to bother anyone else if I don't know them.

Would you object to a restaurant billing you an automatic 18% gratuity for service (as they do here, for large tables and parties)?

[tonywalt]

they do the same here, but it's 15%. It's policy for many restuarants and i pay the 15%.

Would you hunt animals for sport?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes for fish. No for mammals. It's just a preference.

Same question.

[Lykren]

No. I don't have any moral objection (unless thinking a lot of wild animals are cute and seeing them dead would be sad is a moral objection), but it doesn't sound like a fun time at all.

Would you try to persuade your friend to be more sensible if he or she suddenly started believing in a bunch of conspiracy theories?

[Clopin]

Hahahaha go to Hell.

No I would not!

Would you rather watch My Little Pony, Digimon or Monster High with a bunch of two-four year old kids?

[Pompey Bum]

Would you try to persuade your friend to be more sensible if he or she suddenly started believing in a bunch of conspiracy theories?

It's awfully hard to pursuade someone to sense. Most people just need time to grow out of that sort of thing. Shrugging and changing the subject until that day comes is probably the best way to handle it.

Would you tell a good friend that you thought he or she was becoming an alcoholic, even if you were pretty sure it would cause a rift in your friendship (until AA)?

Edit: Sorry Clopin. Can't you read them Yeats?

[Lykren]

It's awfully hard to pursuade someone to sense. Most people just need time to grow out of that sort of thing. Shrugging and changing the subject until that day is probably the best way to handle it.

Would you tell a good friend that you thought he or she was becoming an alcoholic, even if you were pretty sure it would cause a rift in your friendship (until AA)?

I think I'm facing that situation right now, and apparently I would not say anything :( though I'm not certain she's becoming an alcoholic, as she lives far away, and in any case I think she has started drinking less recently.

I'll trust you on Monster High, though I've never seen it. My Little Pony might be fun though :D

Same question about a friend's potential alcoholism.

[Clopin]

Nah, it's not my business or concern, he can deal with his own life.

If you were watching shows with a three year old girl who refuses to nap with the other kids and who you knew was really excited to see you would you still piss around in forum games or would you try to spend time with her?

[Lykren]

You evil creature, Clopin! Go play with her this instant.

Would you rather work in a bookstore or a day-care?

[Clopin]

Bookstore probably, I've worked in both and while a good home daycare can be amazing, most daycares are sort of child jails and they don't necessarily treat the staff well, plus it's high noise, high stress.

Would you eat dog and cat?

[Pompey Bum]

Same question about a friend's potential alcoholism.

I've had that conversation with a friend who was getting drunk ever night and laid every weekend, and asked me if I thought she should try to have a child before she got to be too old. I told her that I doubted she could even conceive at present because her health was such a mess, and that she would not be a fit mother until she got her drinking under control, and that she should get help. She got pissed and I didn't hear from her for years (admittedly I moved shortly after that), but then one night came the inevitable "I'm in AA now and I wan't to apologize" call. I never heard if she had the kid. But my advice is yes, talk about it. You're a nicer person than me, Lykren, so I'm sure you would be more delicate about it. Just be aware that the response may be less delicate.

And yes, Clopin, go do your job.

I'd rather be retired.

If you were walking outdoors with a casual female acquaintance, and the wind blew her skirt up over her waist, would you make a joke about it, or just pretend that it didn't happen?

Edit: I've eaten cat. I wouldn't want to eat dog, but when in Rome...

[Lykren]

With some friends I could safely make a little joke, with most I couldn't in that situation.

Thanks for the advice, Pompey. I'm visiting her in June, so I can see how she's doing then.

Do you ever tire of phrases like 'stream-of-consciousness' or 'sheets of sound?'

[Clopin]

Haha a little, actually, along with other literary descriptive terms which can get a bit overused.

Would you attend a one student (you) class taught by Harold Bloom?

[North Star]

Haha a little, actually, along with other literary descriptive terms which can get a bit overused.

Would you attend a one student (you) class taught by Harold Bloom?

I'd prefer it if there were other students. Among the most beneficial things in attending a class is to hear what others ask from the teacher.

Same question.

[Lykren]

I agree with North Star. I would be too nervous to say anything, probably, and that wouldn't be any fun.

Would you eat the last specimen of an endangered species?

[Clopin]

Of course not! Though if it's the last one then the species is doomed anyway obviously.

Would you dig up and dig through a corpse if you had good reason to believe it had been buried after swallowing a substantial number of diamonds and gems?

[Pompey Bum]

Only if they were my diamonds and gems.

Is the belief that a corpse is still a person a superstition?

[Clopin]

Do people believe that? I suppose that's a superstition then, yes.

Would you strip corpses after a particularly bloody battle in medieval England or France? You are not wealthy yourself, but not a serf either.

[Pompey Bum]

In morally and psychologically dicey situations like combat, it is important to maintain discipline, or self-control if the standard of discipline is coming apart; so I lean towards no. If I were drawing no other pay, however, and the norm was to plunder after a victory to compensate for that (as it often was in ancient times), I would probably not even struggle with the idea.

Would you hesitate to kill your brother if you found yourselves on opposing sides in a civil war?

[Clopin]

I absolutely wouldn't do it, he can kill me if he wants I suppose, but he wouldn't do it either I don't think. Assuming I was going to be executed for cowardice or something if I don't kill him I'll take the firing squad, this isn't even a question. Even assuming I know for a fact that if we lay down our arms we are both going to be executed there's still no way I'm killing my own brother with my own hands.

Your best friend/brother/wife/anyone you deeply care about is being executed by firing squad, there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent this, you have been assigned to this firing squad and if you do not participate you're next on the chopping block, would you shoot?

[Pompey Bum]

No, certainly not. And if I were in such a society, I would prefer to be dead.

If you were a supervisor of a fair to good worker, and you were ordered by your boss to trump up some problem to justify firing him (to make room for the boss's nephew, you think), and you were pretty sure that you'd be next if you screwed it up, and you had a wife and three kids depending on your paycheck and healthcare, would you do it?

[Clopin]

Yes I would, my kids come first, he's going to be fired by someone anyway and firing someone isn't exactly evil. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but I would start quietly searching for a new job.

I agree with you about preferring death.

Would you frame someone you really hated in your workplace for some petty crime which would see him or her terminated if you knew you could get away with it scot-free?

[Pompey Bum]

Not for a crime, but if I was convinced the person was trying to get me fired, and I knew that the person had already committed fire-able offenses and gotten away with it, then no, I wouldn't hesitate to use what I had to defend myself. Or at least I did in those days. Nice to have the rat race behind me, though.

You oppose unions but have a chance to increase your income substantially by taking a job with mandatory union membership. Do you do it?

[Clopin]

Honestly at this point in my life, yes. I'm not going to give up a good job because of the mandatory union membership (and I oppose unions in real life too), it wouldn't be the right move for me and I need to consider the absolute realities of my situation right at this moment.

Would you work for a company whose practices you considered ethically unsound if the salary was comparatively enormous to what you were making at a job working for a perfectly moral firm?

[Lykren]

You guys are freaking me out! No, I would not work at said amoral company. I would quit my job and go on to become a millionaire playboy poet.

Would you hug a lion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_uVsmSbgCE)?

[Pompey Bum]

Sometimes I play with my food like that, too.

Would you get a tattoo of a cartoon character, and if so, which one?

[Clopin]

If someone held a gun to my head and told me I must get a tattoo or he would shoot me I would get something from Watership Down, Fiver or Blackavar most likely and maybe some text from the book (and all the world will be your enemy might be a little too dark and edgy haha), or one of the epigraphs which head every chapter.

Same question, and if your answer is no are there any tattoo's you have or would consider getting in general?

[Lykren]

I would get a Chaim Machlev tattoo if I had to get one.

Would you be interested in time-traveling back to ancient Egypt?

[bounty]

clopin, have we talked about watership down before? its one of my very favorite books and one of the few ive read twice.

have you seen the animated movie? have you read the "tales from watership down" also?

I think time travel anywhere has an appeal to it...but I think I wouldn't want to be there during the biblical times of jewish slavery.

if you could make one cartoon character come to life and be your friend, which one would you bring to life?

[Clopin]

No I don't think we have, but yes I've read Tales From Watership Down and seen the movie as well, it's definitely one of my favourite books as well.

[Pompey Bum]

I liked it, too, although it's been 30 years since I read it.


if you could make one cartoon character come to life and be your friend, which one would you bring to life?

Oddly enough, maybe Sherlock Holmes. You can't make anyone be your friend, though. Not even fictional characters.

What's the worst physical accident you've ever suffered without losing consciousness?

[bounty]

I like hazel...

I crashed my motorcycle going about 50 mph, and came away very unscathed compared to the possibilities.

lemme give another shot at my cartoon character question.

if you could make one cartoon character who is not also a fictional literary (should i include comic books in that?) character come to life so you could be friends with him, which one would you bring to life?

[Pompey Bum]

I liked Bigwig, especially his song about crapping.

A cartoon character, huh? How about the blue lady from X-men? She looks like fun.

Same question (since it sounds like you've got someone in mind).

[bounty]

laughs...I think the blue lady from x-men is mystique, the character played by Rebecca romijn and Jennifer Lawrence (in the "first class" movies). that might also be a good answer to "which x-men's mutant abilities would you like to have?"

hmmm...id say a toss-up between underdog and bugs bunny...

would you back pack around the world if you had good company and the financial means?

[Pompey Bum]

And someone to carry the backpack? You bet. :)

What would you want to do or where go if you were shrunk down to 1 cm in height for a day?

[Clopin]

I don't know... girl's locker room? I would probably be cowering in a corner though, for fear of being stepped on or eaten by a rat or something.

Would you push someone out of a lifeboat to secure a spot for your wife/child?

[Pompey Bum]

If the guy had pushed his way into the boat and didn't 'to belong there, of course. Otherwise I'd give my wife my seat if I had one, and if not, we could wait for another lifeboat boat (or die together). If you throw one person out, then the next guy is going to throw you out. It's like driving. You get what you want more if everyone plays by the rules.

Would you enter a professional boxing match tomorrow for a guaranteed $300 million net?

[Dark Muse]

There was a time when I wanted to be a boxer and I used to be a huge boxing fan, so yeah I would fight one match for that money.

You find a duffle bag with 500,000 dollars which you know probably came from something illegal. Would you keep the money or turn it over to the police?

[Pompey Bum]

I'd turn it over. Not declaring it would be a crime in any case, and I'd rather not have to live trying to cover something up when it's just more money than I need.

Would you?

[Dark Muse]

Keeping it could be complicated. I would probably need an off shore account, and well if it was mob money or cartel money someone might want it back. If I was certain that there was no one or any cameras that could identify me I might take like 500 as extra chunk change and leave the rest to be someone else's problem.

If a teenage offered you 50 dollars to buy them a six pack beer would you do it?

[Pompey Bum]

Nope. They can commit their own damned crimes, however--teeny!

Would you still take a really expensive prescription pill (say $85 a pop) even though you dropped it on the floor and couldn't find it for 15 minutes, until you noticed it peeking out of a really scary-looking dust bunny?

[Iain Sparrow]

Yes.
I've put much worse things in my mouth than a dusty pill.:)

If you won a multi-million dollar lottery, would you take the entire lump sum... or yearly payments?

[Clopin]

I'd turn it over. Not declaring it would be a crime in any case, and I'd rather not have to live trying to cover something up when it's just more money than I need.

Would you?

! Jean Valjean over here. Of course I would keep it in a heart beat. Actually your answer reminded me of the scene in Les Miserables where Montparnasse attempts to pick Valjean's pocket and when Valjean catches him at it he gives him a stern talking to, let's him go and then throws the money over a fence into Mabeauf's yard; who promptly delivers it unopened to the police despite the fact that he's so poor he had to sell all of his books and plants and lives off of one potato meal a day!

Now would you do that?

[Pompey Bum]

IS: That decision would require consultation with a reliable tax/investment lawyer (which I could now afford), but in principle I wouldn't have a problem with managing the whole thing at once. I mean, I wouldn't worry that I would spend it all in a month on women and cheesecake,

Clopin: Yes, I would give him a stern talking to about how obtaining money does you no good if someone takes it right away from you and chucks you in prison (and that money itself is a curse if you have to worry about that all the time). I wouldn't throw my own money over a fence, of course, but if I were a poor man in that society (I never read Les Mis or saw the show, so I can't comment on the character directly), I think I would want to bring someone else's money to the police before they found it in my possession.

You, and Lykren, and Dark Muse (I think, although I'm old fashioned enough not to ask) have this huge financial edge on many of the rest of us because you are young and could start low risk investing now that would gain you all the money you could possibly need without finding someone else's money in a duffle bag (which ain't gonna happen anyways). All it would take would be to sacrifice what you normally spend on money pits like music (including going to concerts), fashion, recreational substances, and spectator sporting events; and having nothing to do with suckers' games like gambling, whoring, and watching ladies hump poles.

Now would you do that? :)

[Clopin]

Forego all spending to make investments? I'm not going to do it right this second but I might in a couple years. I actually don't spend much money even though I love to. I'm very poor because i dislike working and up til now I worked very few hours. I never buy cd's, alcohol, drugs or what have you and I don't attend sporting events or concerts... I do buy clothes but I... refuse to stop, and I may give up book buying for libraries but it would be painful.

You should read Les Misersbles, you play the 'would you' forum game just like Jean Valjean!

Would you go on a wild spree if you learned you had only several weeks to live?

[Pendragon]

Likely so.

Would you give a ride to a homeless man you didn't know?

[bounty]

yep, I pick up hitch hikers, though you don't see many anymore. and if some homeless fellow just approached me and said, "could you please give me a ride to x?" id be happy to.

okay this ones a fun challenge I think---would you be willing to listen to a small handful of songs (4-5) of some musical artist whose music I love, but that you were unfamiliar with?

(oh I am so looking forward to peeking back here later!)

[tonywalt]

yes.

Would you be put off by someone when you learn their musical tastes are vastly different than yours or they are apathetic? (ex: "I like everything")

[Clopin]

Haha, yes, I will.

Would you be offended if I don't like them? ;)

[bounty]

oh boy, this is fun...

are either of you familiar with moby?

clopin, nope, wouldn't be offended at all, but I am hoping you really do.

tony---maybe just a smidgen---ive got a friend who seems to be stuck in the 60s music wise and I can play some contemporary tune that would blow most people away and he would go "eh, I don't like it" and I wanna say "what the heck is wrong with you?"

lemme know about moby...

[Clopin]

I know who Moby is.

Shoot me some YouTube links.

[bounty]

its tough for me to do link clopin because im on dialup and they take a long time to load. but theres a moby channel on youtube and you should be able to find these really easily.

I think the order ive got is a good one too:

everloving
guitar, flute & string
find my baby
first cool hive
extreme ways (if you've seen the bourne movies, you will recognize that one)

I really look forward to hearing how you (and tony) (and anyone else who wants to join in) like them...

[Pompey Bum]

I remember Moby from around 2001. I liked his sound, despite usually rejecting singers who use only one name. But I also associate Moby with this utterly obnoxious girl who used to talk about how he was the future of music. It is with no small pleasure I note that Bounty had to ask the congregation if anyone had even heard of him now. Petty victories are still victories. :)

Would you use your phone to video record the arrest of a black male even though nothing violent was happening--but just in case?

[Dark Muse]

I would not film it but I might stick around to make sure nothing violent started to happen.

Would you take a " smart pill" that could store all your password information and unlock any of your devices you happened to be next to?

[Pompey Bum]

Nah. My ipad doesn't take much time to open, and the side effects of the smart pill can only be guessed at. Giant butterflies, irritability, herbicidal thought or actions--I mean who needs it?

Would you advise your child to live the kind of life that you have?

[tonywalt]

No, he/she should sort his own course. But, I would advise him/her to use live with my philosophy(which is Eastern and too long an a answer).

Would you see yourself becoming religious and if you are already religious - becoming much more devout in your faith? (if not, why not)

[Pompey Bum]

I am fully devout in my faith, so no. And my answer is just as long as yours. :P

Would you try an experimental pharmaceutical treatment (not FDA approved) for an extremely annoying but not fatal condition?

[tonywalt]

Yes

(On the previous music issue: it's a real deal breaker with dating and always was. My standard test is to give them my ipod and choose an artist/songs, but the last two said, "eh, I like everything" or worse, "it doesn't matter" It's a real indicator about a person who doesn't care much about music, movies, books and art - but there's lots of people out there who don't (shame really).

Would you get on the Serious Discussion thread of this forum with your 'soapbox' issues? (and lets's face it, many of us have them-me most of all).

[Pompey Bum]

Maybe for the "What's For Breakfast?" Thread.

Would you pray privately for a loved one in a desperate situation, even if you don't believe in intercessory prayer?

[Clopin]

No, I haven't made any threads on my soapbox issues... yet.

Yes, I would pray and have done so.

Would you drink coffee past 10 pm if you wanted to sleep at a reasonable hour?

[tonywalt]

no

Would you agree with what Shakespeare is saying in this soliloquy? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_and_tomorrow_and_tomorrow

[bounty]

sneaking in just to ask---clopin, tony---were you able to listen yet? if so, whats your verdict?

[Pompey Bum]

Clopin: I drink coffee till then or later and sleep fine.

Tony: No, I don't agree, and I doubt that they were Shakespeare's sentiments, either. It's just MacBeth's morality bottoming out because his puppet-master of a wife is gone. It is absolutely devastating poetry, though.

Would you be embarrassed to tell a parent that you forgive him or her for past mistakes?

[tonywalt]

I thought that the mistakes were too big and too often to forgive - there is a point where I cannot compromise myself anymore. And as this parent is not here, then it is done.

Pompey: Agreed. Interesting point, but there's a little bit of Shakespeare in that stunning piece of writing - has to be!

Would you encourage your child to choose the academic path of fine arts i.e. photography, drawing etc without "The Lecture?"

[Pompey Bum]

No, I'd deliver the lecture, then respect his or her own decision.

Same question.

[Pike Bishop]

I've enjoyed the academic path, despite its legitimate pitfalls and aggravations. So, if either of my children decided to pursue it, i would encourage it with the caveat of unimpressive pay, the occasional sniping colleagues, and lack of clear meritocracy. If they love their area of study, and my son is already brilliant at philosophy and literature, they will find it is worth the down-sides.

Would you alter your ethical judgments of someone merely because of your like or dislike for them, or would you hold to your ethical principles?

[tonywalt]

I would hold to my principles, although I have not enjoyed that same treatment in the corporate world (a world where the slightest sign of intellectualism is smashed or ostracized, and quite often both). I have to deal with this daily and know cognitve dissonance all too well.

same question.

[Pompey Bum]

I got that feeling, Tony. I know it's hard, but stand firm.

If my dislike of someone were based on ethical principles, as it generally is, then obviously there would be no conflict. I don't have to compete with people anymore, and I generally don't dislike someone merely because we do not agree about something.

If your son were going off to war (and combat), would you tell him not to be a hero and get killed?

[tonywalt]

Yes. I question many wars.

Would you accept political office at say..a senator level if tomorrow you woke up (this is crazy hyphothetical) and found you were a senator? Would you play it out?

[Pike Bishop]

Sure, if I thought I could help:

1. Establish needed gun laws, particularly mandatory registration laws and needed wait periods
2. Eradicate ridiculous stand-your-ground laws
3. Illegalize militarization of the police
4. Reduce ridiculous tax cuts for the obscenely wealthy
5. End unnecessary subsidies for oil companies
6. Take a substantial chunk of our ludicrous defense budget and use it on public education and health care.


Same question.

[tonywalt]

Yes I would accept the position.

Would dating/marrying a vegetarian cause you many problems?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, but I still love her.

Would you marry someone who was serious about a religion or secular worldview significantly different than yours?

[bounty]

that's a toughie...when the bible talks about not being yoked together with unbelievers, this is what its referring to.

but i lean towards a "maybe" answer...i think it would depend on the potential for worldview compatibility.

from a book im reading:

you find yourself unexpectedly transported into the past but you have a strong potential to return to your own time.

you know from history that the people and place you find yourself in are three days away from being killed by an attack from an alien species.

would you warn the people and risk altering your own timeline?

[Pompey Bum]

that's a toughie...when the bible talks about not being yoked together with unbelievers, this is what its referring to.

I suppose (for us) it would have to do with how one relates the Law to the New Covenant, but that's too thorny an issue to get into here.


you know from history that the people and place you find yourself in are three days away from being killed by an attack from an alien species.

would you warn the people and risk altering your own timeline?

I would probably treat it like I was an observer of nature in Yellowstone and let the chips fall where they may. It would be hard, though.

You are in combat, separated by at least two days walk from the rest of your group, and your rations are low. You wound and capture an enemy soldier. He is bleeding--potentially to death, although you could probably stop the bleeding and save his life. But you know that having a prisoner will slow you down and expose you to increased danger of being killed or captured yourself. And you are certain that you do not have enough rations for the two of you. He is begging you for mercy. Would you try to stop his bleeding?

[Dark Muse]

Depending on different variables I would make the judgement call to either bandage his wound and leave him behind or give him a quick death.


You suspect your partner might be cheating, he/she is asleep supposing you know thier password would you look in thier phone to see who they have been texting and talking to?

[Pike Bishop]

It depends on the degree of validity of the suspicion. Extremely high, possibly; any less, no. My wife is much smarter than me, though. So, I doubt she'd leave any smoking gun...the travails of having a brilliant wife.

If someone you liked and someone you didn't like were in a philosophical or aesthetics dispute, would you alter your judgment of it based on your personal views?

[tonywalt]

no

Would you respond to a girls question, "Do I look fat in this dress?" with "Yes," right before you were both going out to an event?

[Pompey Bum]

No. Be nice to girls.

Would you respond to a male friend's question, "Do you think I'm smart?" honestly, if in fact you thought he was kind of slow?

[tonywalt]

Friendship paramounts everything to me and I value it more and more. If i want blunt crude analogy I only have to go to work and get my fill (and be encouraged to give it- such is the corporate culture, and I'm no socialist).

Would you step in if you saw a parent giving severe corporal punishment in public i.e. beating a kid with a belt (a practice quickly leaving our culture - and that's a whole other discussion).

[Pike Bishop]

Would you respond to a girls question, "Do I look fat in this dress?" with "Yes," right before you were both going out to an event?

No, pragmatism demands working towards an enjoyable evening, not a sincere display of honesty. And even the many women preferring honesty over flattery don't want such "honesty" with no time for outfit amendment.

Would you amend your political views in any way to please an amazing woman (with somewhat different political views) you just started dating? And if so, how much and for how long?

[Clopin]

I tend to be quiet about my political views in public if I'm talking to anyone I'm not good friends with, though I don't ever lie about them outright and occasionally I will argue a position, especially one I am very interested in (hate speech, affirmative action). It has been a problem in the past, I've dated a hardcore feminist (it didn't work out) and frankly most people my age genuinely hate most of my political positions. It's whatever, I deal with it. So no, there won't be an amendment but I'm not going to go on a rant about forced gender parity in parliament on our first date regardless, and if it ends up being a problem, well maybe three fights a year?

Would you argue heatedly with a coworker about politics?

[Pendragon]

No. It is the surest way to end a friendship. That and discussions concerning religion.

Would you run for office if nominated?

[Clopin]

Yep, I would love to.

Would you?

[Pompey Bum]

If nominated I will not run, if elected I will not serve.

If you were skydiving, would you insist on packing your own parachute or be happy to let someone else do it?

[Clopin]

Do your civic duty pomp, I would vote for you.

Someone else can set up my parachute, I'm not qualified.

Would you go scuba diving with sharks?

[bounty]

clopin! are you a closet moby fan yet?? smiles...

[Pompey Bum]

Appreciate it, Clopin. :)

Pack your own chute, by the way. You don't know what idiot the charter is paying to do it.

Sure. Sharks are notorious p*ssies.

If you were walking through a moderately to sparely populated area, and came across a highly venomous snake that didn't seem to pose an immediate threat to you, would you kill it (you are carrying a large machete and could do so with minimal risk) or just let it do its snake thing?

[Clopin]

clopin! are you a closet moby fan yet?? smiles...

Hey Bounty, I forgot which thread the music recommendations were in to reply to you, actually a couple of the songs I had heard before at a friends house but never knew they were Moby, I liked them but I don't know if I'm a closet fan yet, haha.

And pomp I murder the snake.

Would you murder the last pair of an endangered species of snake whose venom likely holds the key to curing a number of very deadly diseases if they were currently bearing down on a couple of little kids? (you have time to intervene and kill both snakes).

[Pompey Bum]

That's a real dilemma. I'd probably try to get the kids away from the snakes even at the risk that one of the three of us would be bitten. You didn't say we were in the middle of nowhere, and most snakebites are curable (if not particularly pleasant) with treatment. But that's only because of the detail about the venom's potential. If they were just endangered species, I'd whack both rather than risk the kids.

Would you rather have lived in an direct democracy like ancient Athens, which started useless wars on the whim of the masses, regularly exiled people just for being unpopular, and executed free thinkers as atheists; or a representative oligarchy like the Roman Republic, in which elected elites governed with a greater degree of conservatism?

[Clopin]

Direct democracy like modern Switzerland please! But okay, I'll pick the Roman oligarchy.

Would you consider a weighted vote (certain people have stronger votes, based on some preset criteria) plausible or justifiable in a democratic society?

[Pompey Bum]

No.

Would you characterize the United States in 2015 as a democracy or a plutocracy?

[Clopin]

Eh, I strongly suspect there isn't much real democracy in the States and I don't know how that impacts the democratic process globally, but not well I imagine. I would definitely call it a plutocracy over a democracy though.

Would you rather see WW3 fought against China, Russia, or the Arab world?

[Pompey Bum]

If there really has to be a WWIII, I would hope that only one side had nuclear weapons. So that leaves Russia and China out, right? But there would be alliances (Syria and Russia for example), so better not to have a WWIII.

Would you rather see Russia or China experience a new revolution from within?

[Clopin]

If one of them has to have a revolution? China I suppose, but i don't know why either of them would have one. Revolutions are usually pretty bad.

Would you make fun of Russel Brand if you saw him right now? (I mean... His campaign revolved around telling people not to vote and now that Cameron has won he's crying about it)

Bonus question: What would you tell Ed Milliband if he accused you of acting in a "reckless and provocative manner"... several times?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTggc0uBA8

[Pompey Bum]

If one of them has to have a revolution? China I suppose, but i don't know why either of them would have one. Revolutions are usually pretty bad.

Yes, I meant: which of those players on the global stage would you less like to see implode with the prospects of an unstable or even fanatical provisional government replacing it? China, by the way, has had on and off rural violence (routinely crushed and seldom reported in the West) for year.


Would you make fun of Russel Brand if you saw him right now? (I mean... His campaign revolved around telling people not to vote and now that Cameron has won he's crying about it)

Absolutely. Satire's a great way to get your point across (even if it makes YesNo think I'm a big meanie. :)).


Bonus question: What would you tell Ed Milliband if he accused you of acting in a "reckless and provocative manner"... several times?

Ed who? ;-)

If you were the real father of Prince William, would you tell everyone, or just quietly watch your seed ascend to Britannic majesty?

[Clopin]

You mean the father of prince George? Haha if you do I wold definitely publish a tell-all book and make millions off the many sadsacks who care about the royal family. Plus that means I slept with Kate, and no, I'm not keeping that to myself.

Would you ever use the word 'myriad'?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, I'm afraid so. I once used it in an epic doggerel I wrote about Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, though only because I needed a rhyme for "period."

Now Mistress Kate, accepting fate,
Sent out love letters myriad.
One day proofreading,
And little else heeding,
She noticed she was missing a period.

Hey, I never claimed to be a good poet!

Would you get a whole body transplant (in which you choose a new body from cryogenically preserved corpses) if it became possible and if you could afford it?

[bounty]

i like the word myriad, its right up there with plethora!

in exchange for my present body no, but possibly at the end of life in order to live another human lifetime...maybe.

would you?

[Clopin]

Eh, I might.

Would you upload your consciousness to an indestructible, ever-youthful robot body?

[Pompey Bum]

No. If it was indestructible and could feel pain, I would run the risk of being put in a hellish situation (buried alive or thrown into a volcano, for example); but if it couldn't feel pain, then how could I feel pleasure? Plus it would probably make me insufferably arrogant, and I'm bad enough as it is. Better to take my chances with my faith.

If you could save only one species (aside from ours) from extinction, which would it be?

[tonywalt]

dogs.

Would you accept a knighthood - along with the Sir titles and blah blah? (And if so, state why)

[Pendragon]

I have zero chance of it ever happening, being from "across the pond" and "extreme Southwest Virginia. But yes, I would accept, because I don't feel it would be lightly given, it would be an honor bestowed on an admitted unworthy commoner.

Would you give up a title already yours, either by birthright or accomplishment to live the life of a common man?

[Pompey Bum]

No, I'd refuse it in the first place and live the life of an extraordinary man.

Would you feel good about yourself if you were internationally hailed as a hero for something you didn't really do? (There is no chance that this fact will ever be known).

[Clopin]

Of course not, and I would tell people I hadn't actually done anything worth celebrating.

Assuming you are a king and your wife is guilty of treason against you through taking your best friend as a lover, and your bastard son and nephew insist on bringing them both to justice -which means being burnt at the stake- while you have sworn absolutely to uphold the law in all situations, making no exceptions for yourself; would you place enough security at the site where your wife is to be burned to keep out your aforementioned best friend (who is also the best knight in the world) should he attempt to intervene, or would you place only enough security that he is certain to overcome and kill them in his bid to rescue his lover, your wife? Essentially sacrificing all of the men placed on security.

Bonus question: One of your nephews wishes to stand guard, do you allow this even though the inevitable result of his death is an unrelenting and destructive feud?

[Pike Bishop]

Would you give up a title already yours, either by birthright or accomplishment to live the life of a common man?

Most people with titles live like common men already; so, that's a no-brainer.


Would you go on tour with your favorite band of all time--when they are/were alive--if you had to roadie the whole tour and could only listen to each performance from backstage?

[Dark Muse]

Is there any reason I cannot simply have my so called best friend executed as well? If not than I would have a sniper archer placed somewhere to take him out. If my nephew was a grown man I would allow him to make the choice himself being aware of the risk if he wanted to stand guard.

An ex-girlfriend/boyfriend calls you to have lunch, you go but nothing inappropriate happens you just talk. Would you tell your current partner about it?

[Pompey Bum]

Of course not, and I would tell people I hadn't actually done anything worth celebrating.

Assuming you are a king and your wife is guilty of treason against you through taking your best friend as a lover, and your bastard son and nephew insist on bringing them both to justice -which means being burnt at the stake- while you have sworn absolutely to uphold the law in all situations, making no exceptions for yourself; would you place enough security at the site where your wife is to be burned to keep out your aforementioned best friend (who is also the best knight in the world) should he attempt to intervene, or would you place only enough security that he is certain to overcome and kill them in his bid to rescue his lover, your wife? Essentially sacrificing all of the men placed on security.

Bonus question: One of your nephews wishes to stand guard, do you allow this even though the inevitable result of his death is an unrelenting and destructive feud?

No to the whole thing. I'd secretly get the Archbishop (in my capacity as defender of the faith) to issue an pardon, which I would pretend to oppose on jurisdictional grounds. But because I am such a God-fearing king, I would issue a stay of execution until the issue was resolved (which it never would be). Then I would get a good marriage councilor to get us through this little rough spot, in the meanwhile entrusting my beloved nephew with the task of discreetly kicking my former best friend to death for the crime of buddy f*cking.

Yes to telling my wife about the wench. There's no reason not to, and better she here it from me.

Same question.

[tonywalt]

No.

Would you ever stop rationalising a number of things about your life?

[Pike Bishop]

I never rationalise anything; it weakens critical thinking. It's much healthier to be honest with oneself; it's an oft-forgotten element of "To thine own self be true."

Would you tell your best friend's wife if he was cheating on her? Would you if she directly asked you?

[Clopin]

in the meanwhile entrusting my beloved nephew with the task of discreetly kicking my former best friend to death for the crime of buddy f*cking.

Haha okay but Lancelot is going to kill Gareth pretty easily (also they are best friends so maybe he won't even agree to kill him).

And no, I will never stop rationalizing things, like how i can rationalize my priorities being things like buying clothes and books instead of devoting every second to helping people in the developing world who actually may starve or die of preventable diseases.

Would you say it's reasonable for a server in Canada to make up to four times what I make as a cook in tips alone despite only working for half of the hours I do? And that these same people expect me to donate money to them if and when I go out to eat or drink?

[Pompey Bum]

No. There's nothing reasonable about tipping unless you are trying to make yourself fall over.

You have been married for 20 years and have a 16 year old son. Unfortunately your wife develops breast cancer and is now very near the end. On her deathbed she confesses to you (only) that you are not the biological father of her child, begs you to forgive her, etc. Then she dies. Do you tell the kid?

Alternate question for women: if you were in the wife's position, would you mention it to your husband and/or son on your deathbed?

[tonywalt]

No

Would you live in Las Vegas, given a say...40% increase in your income stream? (for whatever is that you do, working, owning business, student, retired- sorry for all the caveats, but it saves the smart answers, like "I dont work" etc)

[Pompey Bum]

I'd live outside Vegas, or better yet outside of Reno. But it would be for the desert (and the tax laws), not the money.

Would you?

[bounty]

clopin, I think servers should share some of their tips with the cook!

at one point in my life, outside of a few major metropolitan areas like ny or Chicago, I would have gone pretty much anywhere to work or live, and I would have said yes to las vegas, but not now and that has more to do with life circumstances here as opposed to anything contrary in las vegas.

would you go live and work at a lucrative or otherwise meaningful job in a foreign land if it meant giving up reading/writing/speaking in English also?

[tonywalt]

No, unless I was happy being ther for personal reasons - but work itself doesn't cut it anymore.

Would your immediate family (as in parents, siblings etc) enjoy your honest memoirs, or perhaps be uncomfortable?

[Clopin]

clopin, I think servers should share some of their tips with the cook!


Well they do, but it's something like 2%... should be 50% at least.

My honest memoires? Pretty uneventful, I can't see anyone being disturbed particularly.

Would you steal $100,000 from a big company (which, however, is not ethically unsound in their business practices) if there was no risk of your being caught or punished in any way?

[tonywalt]

Yes, some companies more than others.

Would you enjoy working for the United Nations at your current compensation package?

[Pendragon]

Well, disabled is disabled in any job or language

Would you ever give up because people see only the disability, not the person?

[Dark Muse]

I don't think I would because I am not in the habit of caring what other people think.

You are shopping with a friend and you see them take something without paying for it. Would you turn them in or say something to your friend it act like you didn't notice?

[Pompey Bum]

I'd say nothing but it would be the end of the friendship.

Same question.

[Dark Muse]

I would make a remark to my friend about it


A friend calls you to say they were in jail would you bail them out?

[Pompey Bum]

Heck yeah. Been there, done that. I don't mind if a friend screws up, but I'm not going to wink at something that puts me in a compromised position.

Would you give CPR to a serial killer/rapist who beat the rap, if no one would ever suspect that you had the chance?

[Clopin]

Of course not.

Would you?

[Pompey Bum]

No.

What if it was for someone you suspected (but didn't know for sure) had Ebola?

[tonywalt]

....................

[tonywalt]

Yes, but then again, I'm sleepy and not thinking straight.

Would you get in the car with two guys named Tony and Pauly, of Tony and Pauly's Waste Management, after assurances that they just wanted to talk to you? (if not, what excuse would you use?)

[Dark Muse]

I would tell them I had Ebola ( just couldn't resist that)


If you encountered an actor you didn't really like would you give them your honest opinion about thier movies?

[tonywalt]

No

Would you tell people about your brilliant times and all the mirth on litnet?

[Pike Bishop]

Litnet is cool with some cool people (including yourself), but it's hardly the Moulin Rouge or an Algonquin Round Table. I've definitely shown people some of the more outlandish arguments made, as well as statements without arguments.

Would you tell your friend if you thought he was mistreating his girlfriend or taking her for granted?

[tonywalt]

Yes.

Would you say that Holden Caulfield became a phony sell out? (or perhaps became an Updike "Rabbit" character )

[Pike Bishop]

I would say Holden Caulfield was a narcissistic, self-mythologizing brat who had nothing of substance to ever sell out. Rabbit, at least made an effort at real human connections.

Would you say Gatsby was a true Romantic, and true romantic, worthy of Nick's adulation ; the Romantic and romantic fool who drew Nick's scorn; or both?

[Pendragon]

Probably both.

Would you say the novel 1984 pretty much was prophetic?

[Pompey Bum]

I would tell them I had Ebola ( just couldn't resist that)


Heh heh. You've been hanging around with too many online wise guys. :)



Would you say the novel 1984 pretty much was prophetic?

No.

You are walking down a street when the person ahead of you snatches a woman's purse and runs across the road heading for a notoriously dangerous housing project. Shots can be heard every night from this building, and even the police don't go in there. Would you give chase?

[Dark Muse]

No I wouldn't

You see a woman who is being harassed by some guy, she clearly wants to get away from him but he won't leave her alone. Would you intervene and try and get the guy to back off?

[tonywalt]

Yes, absolutely, especially if he #%^ @#$%^%^ cuz #$##^&! @*#, and that's what I really think.

If you saw an adult man being bullied by another adult man, would you intervene - at least verbally?

[Dark Muse]

Probably not

Two women are in a physical fight, would you stand there and watch or try and break it up?

[Pike Bishop]

No straight man will answer that honestly...;)

Would you judge an offensive comment by a friend differently than one from someone you didn't like, and, if so, why?

[Dark Muse]

That is a tough one, I would be more forgiving of a friend than someone I didn't like but I don't think I would judge the comment differently. I call my friends out if I think they say something offensive.


You are in public and you see someone hit thier own kid, would you say something to them or just mind your own business?

[tonywalt]

Say something, then do something - I do not stand for that for my own reasons. Even if they are black caribbean (which they usually are in the caribbean) and the argument (always) uncomfortably escalates to colour - I still charge in and don't back down.

same question.

[Pendragon]

Say something if it's anything besides a swat on the pants

Question continues

[tonywalt]

Say something if it's anything besides a swat on the pants

Question continues

Sorry, could you just clarify?

[Melanie]

I would say something but, sadly, that might create more anger taken out on the child later if that parent has an anger disorder like ODD or IED. You just never know. A "hit" is worthy of a call for child protective services or 911.

Would you say something to a person you saw stealing in a store?

[Pendragon]

Possibly. When the clerks are right there and see what I see, then no. Some stores are bad around Christmas to have guards push buggies and pretend to shop while really watching customers. I saw one guy go through the DVD department and put DVDs in his cart without looking at them. In about five minutes, another man came and put them back. The first guy came back and picked up more DVD's taking his time this time. During all of this, a woman dropped several DVDs into her purse. They didn't see it because they were harassing me, looking over my shoulder as I searched for a TV series' latest release. So I didn't say one word. However, I have reported people that shoplifted out of sight of the clerks. Often they do nothing about it. Once in a gas station, the clerk went back and viewed the security tapes. She said I was right but didn't call the law. She stated that she was used to that person stealing and had a lot of tapes to prove it but her boss said to leave her alone...

Would you risk your life for someone you do not know, if they were in mortal danger?

[Pompey Bum]

Sure. Would you do the same for a known enemy?

[tonywalt]

Sure

Would you work with the peace corp for a year at your current compensation? (whether it be job, self employed)

[Pompey Bum]

No one could choose to do that, Tony. The Peace Cops doesn't pay anything except a nominal stipend (enough to buy food and clothes--barely). But given that, yes, been there, loved it.

Would you travel to a foreign country if you didn't have a visa, but the border were vague (with no checkpoints you knew of) and you were not planning on spending the night?

[Pendragon]

Perhaps long enough to take a picture proving I was there!

Could you be persuaded to drop your life and move to a foreign locale for a job promotion?

[Pompey Bum]

Only if there were some kind of a cushion under my life when I dropped it. (Serious answer: Heck yes, I did it just for laughs).

Would you "charm" a cobra in a basket--you know, with one of those flute things--if you had been assured by the regular snake charmer that its tail was attached to the bottom of the basket, leaving it out of striking range (which is how they do it)? Oh and your motive is, um, to make 100 dollars on a bet.

[Pendragon]

Never trust a poisonous snake, and make the call about its antecedents yourself.

Would you catch a snake in the wild, assuming you can tell the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous snakes in your geographic area?

[Dark Muse]

i have caught snakes in the wild before.

If you wanted to travel to another country would you save money on room and bored by staying in a strangers house for free in return for letting them stay in your house while you are gone?

[papayahed]

I'd make sure all my important stuff was securely locked up then I would.

Would you eat a salad without dressing?

[Pompey Bum]

I eat salads without dressing, although I admit it's kinky. ;-)

Would you take left over food from a work function when no one was looking?

[tonywalt]

hell yea, actually that is the custom in the Caribbean.

Would you be a good foreign journalist? (Qualification: covering real/hard stories)

[Pendragon]

Probably not. The writing isn't really a problem but I have serious problems with deadlines...

Would you do search and rescue work in remote areas?

[Pompey Bum]

If I could be any help, sure, but I think it's probably best to leave it to the pros.

Would you be able to forget a painful memory by force of will?

[Pendragon]

No. God knows I have tried.

When you have an unpleasant dream and wake up, do you find yourself back in the same dream when you fall back asleep?

[Dark Muse]

No not usually

Do you normally remember your dreams?

[Clopin]

Yes for a brief spell, however sometimes a dream will be so pertinent that I'll remind myself of it for years after, even to the point where I can remember specific imagery and how the dream uh... looked(?). Last night I had a wicked nightmare and all I remember about it now is that I woke up, laughed to myself about how bizarre it had been and then fell back to sleep and resumed dreaming, but this time only that my roommate removed every appliance from the kitchen and left me a bunch of weird, explanatory notes.

Would you devote all of your time to writing a great work of literature if you knew for certain you would not gain recognition in your lifetime, or even that your book would be entirely censored for the duration of your life?

[Pompey Bum]

No, although not for those reasons. I've got too many fun or important things going on in my life to do it, that's all. Plus being remembered for something after my death has no attraction to me at all. How would I even know? Or if I knew in some Afterlife, why would I care? Why would gaining recognition in the still matter? Being dead is a real drain on one's vanity. :)

If you were lost and starving in the wilderness, would you kill and eat your faithful and beloved dog to survive?

[bounty]

heck I don't even think id kill a suicidal squirrel, much less a beloved dog...

i don't even think id eat her if she died before me...

ever see the farside cartoon with the fat and happy dog being rescued in the life raft, presumably after too many days at sea...and there are some human remants (like glasses and clothes) laying about? laughs...and the rescuers are wondering how the dog managed to survive all that time.

same question.

[Pompey Bum]

In extremis, I would prioritize returning to my wife over the dog's survival. It would have to be an extreme last resort, though, and by that time the dog would probably be able to kill me in self defense. Or maybe we'd both be dead of thirst before food got to be an issue. But yes, ultimately. I'd do it if I had to.

If you found out that your obnoxious boss was cheating on his wife, would you let her know (anonymously) just to give him grief?

[Dark Muse]

Yes I would, even if the boss wasn't obnoxious I would not feel right about keeping that secret.

Would you be angry if a non-relative ( friend, neighbor, etc.) disciplined your child provided that the child was misbehaving and the discipline was reasonable?

[Pompey Bum]

A teacher can do that. Otherwise refer the matter to me and let me take care of it. And yes, depending on the situation, I'd probably be pissed at both of them.

Would you sell your recently deceased mother's jewelry on eBay for over $5,000? You don't really need the money, but you don't much care for the jewelry either. Still, she wanted you to have it.

[Dark Muse]

If I didn't need the money than I probably wouldn't sell but if I didn't intend to wear it thsn I might try and find some artistic use for it instead of just letting it collect dust and take up space.

Your friend has an obnoxious bratty kid and asks if you could babysit for her. Would you do it or come up with an excuse not to?

[Clopin]

Yeh I would, I can handle most kids and frankly an obnoxious and bratty kid is pretty much always a direct result of ****ty parenting, and I hope my friend would be better than that.

Would you, as a soldier, after successfully making it out of danger, run back into fire to pick up someone too injured to save themselves who you didn't really know very well?

[Dark Muse]

As a soldier it would be my duty to go back and save them, as a civilian I would save myself over risking my life for a stranger or near stranger, but as a solider putting your life in danger for others is your job.

Would you get plastic surgery to make yourself more attractive or look younger?

[Clopin]

Yep, lots of it, as long as I knew it would actually make me look more attractive and younger, and not all plasticy and uncanny valley.

Would you?

[Pompey Bum]

If I knew the surgeon personally and it was free. Otherwise it's not worth the risk or the benefit.

Would you regard augmented boobs as more or less desirable than natural ones?

[Dark Muse]

Less desirable I prefer natural

Would you lie on your résumé if you knew you wouldn't get caught and it would increase your chances of getting a job you really wanted?

[Pompey Bum]

I think you answered the wrong question, DM, but never mind. It was a good answer.

No, never lie on your resume. It makes you vulnerable once you have the job, which is not worth it. Just be honest and patient.

Would you make an excuse to someone you didn't want to date, or just say that you didn't want to?

[Dark Muse]

At first I was responding to Chopin, I didn't see you already answered but than I edited my response.

I would be honest

If someone you didn't want to talk to asked for your number would you give them a fake number?

[Pompey Bum]

People ask me all the time and I always say no.

If someone you truly disrespected got an award that (s)he didn't deserve at work, and everyone else (about 30 others, including the bosses who made the decision) gave him or her a standing ovation, would you join in?

[Clopin]

I don't have a phone, but no I wouldn't give someone a fake number, that's mean. Also on the rare occasions when I have had to turn someone down I always give an excuse, the last one being that I still wasn't 'over' my ex.

Would you be turned off of someone romantically if they never read?

[Clopin]

Yes, I would give the standing ovation, I can't imagine caring enough about work to make some petulant statement through remaining seated, at any rate it wouldn't help me, I would just look bad.

[Pompey Bum]

No, being unread makes for bad dinner conversation, but the bedroom is another place.

Same question.

[Clopin]

Nah, not turned off, but the opposite is quite a turn on and I can move past a much prettier girl for one who I find interesting/reads a lot.

Would you rather sign up for dance lessons or be involved in amateur theatre and be made to act in a play?

[Pompey Bum]

Definitely acting.

What Shakespearean role would you most like to play?

[Dark Muse]

You keep beating me

I would say Rosalind

Would you let a sibling who has a history of drug use crash at your place if they had no where else to go?

[Clopin]

Course I would, why wouldn't I?

Would you seek any sort of revenge if your partner cheated on you?

[Dark Muse]

Yes I would

Would you lend a friend money if you there was a chance they wouldn't pay you back?

[Clopin]

Not much, I am broke myself.

Haha what form would your revenge take?

[Dark Muse]

The answer to that question might be incriminating. I plead the 5th

If you had the ability would you send a virus to the computer of someone you really didn't like?

[Pompey Bum]

No. It wouldn't change the person or the situation, and what comes around goes around. Better to find someone I really did like and forget all about the other.

Would you put your life at risk to save someone else if you owed the other person $500,000 plus interest and the debt would be over on his or her death?

[Iain Sparrow]

Probably not.
I've always used Apple computers at home and we really don't worry so much about viruses, so wouldn't wish it on another, even if I didn't dig that person.

If you had a vivid dream, and in that dream someone you knew died, and even though you don't believe in premonitions... would you be concerned that the dream might come true, and would you warn the person involved?

[Iain Sparrow]

No. It wouldn't change the person or the situation, and what comes around goes around. Better to find someone I really did like and forget all about the other.

Would you put your life at risk to save someone else if you owed the other person $500,000 plus interest and the debt would be over on his or her death?



I would not.
They're on their own.

If you had a vivid dream, and in that dream someone you knew died, and even though you don't believe in premonitions... would you be concerned that the dream might come true, and would you warn the person involved?

[Pompey Bum]

I've been in a virtually identical situation, Iain, including not believing in omens. I called the person in question and asked if everything was okay, although I didn't mention the dream. She died a few months later, although as it happened a warning from me wouldn't have mattered.

If you caught a really enormous fish, would you stuff it, eat it, or let it go?

[Dark Muse]

It would depend in my mood and what kind of fish it was, I would either eat it or let it go.

If you gave a friend a job and the began slacking off and coming to work late would fire them knowing it could jeopardize the friendship?

[Pendragon]

They would at least have some explaining to do. In my world, a worker is worthy of his or her hire as long as they can and will do the job right. If it was a friend, my values would not change--no workee, no payee!

Would you take a second job so your spouse could complete collage?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes.

Would you require or agree to a pre-nup?

[Pendragon]

No to both

Would you take any boring class you needed to get your degree? Even if it has nothing to do with your degree?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, if it was required for the degree, I'd take it.

If you met someone you used to badly tease or even bully in Middle School on the street today, and he recognized you and said hello, would you apologize or just talk pleasantly and let it go? (Note: continuing to tease or bully is not an option :)).

[Clopin]

I never really bullied anyone honestly, though there was an incident where in grade eight (making me thirteen) I had just transferred to a new school where I had no friends and was seated next to a noticeably weird/awkward guy who I chatted with (call him X) and while we weren't friends we were friendly. Maybe less than a month after I started at the school I decided he was holding me back socially and just took a vacant desk in a group of five people in a bid to gain some friends with social status (I am friends with three of four of them to this day, and one of them could be considered a 'best friend' of sorts), I wasn't accepted right away and while these guys weren't anything like vicious bullies there were a few instances where they made fun of X and I not only didn't defend him but made a joke which consisted of a lie (which I would be ashamed to recount here, not that it was particularly heinous) and I know for a fact that he heard about it, though he never confronted me.

I think that constitutes the worst act of 'bullying' (i was much more offen on the receiving end, growing up) I've ever taken on my own initiative and if I saw him right now I probably would apologize.

Same question.

[papayahed]

I would let it go.


If you had to chose would you rather be incredibly stinky or incredibly hairy?

[Pendragon]

Nature chose for me, and went very hairy

Would you rather dine out or order in?