How many ...?

[tonywalt]

2

How many computer devices do you own i.e. smart phones, lappies, tabs etc..?

[Pendragon]

Three. Only two work.

How many apps do you have on your phone?

[tonywalt]

about 11 that i use.

How many years at your current job?

[Pike Bishop]

16 at my current one.

How many living English/American novelists do you consider masters, and whom?

[tonywalt]

I'll do a short list of two each:

Cormac McCarthy
Paul Auster
Neil Gaiman
and just as a bow to the lesser known: Geraldine Brooks (March, Calebs Crossing...) she's Aussie American.

DFW was certainly a talented writer and I admired his talents - although his books are tough.

Same question

[Pike Bishop]

Cormac McCarthy
Paul Auster
Toni Morrison
Don DeLillo
Phillip Roth
Thomas Pynchon
William Gibson
John Banville
David Mitchell

How many actors/actresses alive today qualify as geniuses?

[tonywalt]

About 7.

How many concerts have you been to in the last 2 years?

[Pendragon]

None

How many hours do you sleep per day?

[Pompey Bum]

About seven these days, plus about an hour of hyper-relaxed prayer/meditation in the early morning. So it ends up feeling like eight.

Same question.

[tonywalt]

About 7.

How many times a month do you go into a bookstore?

[Pompey Bum]

Zero since it died. But I look around Amazon every day.

How many ebooks did you download in April?

[bounty]

I do have a kindle (gift from my mother some years ago) but ive only used it a little. its got a bunch of Robert Louis Stevenson short stories on it but I got those quite awhile ago. so, zero ebooks this month. and last month, and the month before...

how many pages in the book you are presently reading?

[Pendragon]

283 Vampire Science by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman, An Eighth Doctor Who novel

How many books on any one character or characters do you own?

[Pike Bishop]

I own 7 books by Faulkner with Bayard Sartoris in them:

The Hamlet, Requiem for a Nun, The Town, The Mansion, The Reivers, Flags in the Dust, Go Down Moses.

How many past and present television shows do you consider masterpieces, and which ones?

[tonywalt]

Mash
Cheers
Fawlty Towers
The British and US Versions of The Office.

How many times do you call your parents or a parent per month?

[Pike Bishop]

Barely ever. Mine always calls me once a month.

How many Rock guitarists throughout history are masters and whom?

[tonywalt]

Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Allman, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana - and Alex Lifeson of Rush, just for the helluvit.

How many forums are you currently active on?

[Clopin]

4chan /pol/
Literature Network Forums

Just two right now, though I browse Stylezeitgeist from time to time.

How many cups of coffee in one day?

[Pike Bishop]

Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Allman, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana - and Alex Lifeson of Rush, just for the helluvit.

How many forums are you currently active on?

3, the Strato-Matic Baseball Online forum, this one, and the Forum for my Freshman 20th c. American Lit. forum...which is almost over.

How many master drummers have there been in Rock, and who are they?


P.s. You should check out Derek Trucks, Duane Allman's nephew. He could be the most talented Rock/Blues/Jazz guitarist alive today.

[tonywalt]

neil pert, john bonham, ginger baker, keith moon, and terry bozzio

How many years have you lived on your own (previously or now)?

[Pike Bishop]

28, since I graduated high school.

How many great presidents have there been, and who are they?


P.s. Great list, but you should check out Danny Carey from Tool, probably the best living drummer today...besides Peart

[tonywalt]

I am not American and know little of the presidents, but I polled people in my office as to who their favourite presidents are and why: They all said that libertarianism was their most admired characteristics about America and the favourite presidents are Washington, Coolidge (for his fiscal government discipline), Jefferson, and Jackson.

(Yes, the poeple in my office were aware of slavery etc, but still chose the above and have a deep admiration for the founding fathers).

I cannot offer my opinion, as I lack the knowledge, sorry.

How many teachers from HS / college do you look up to ? (who are they?)

[Pike Bishop]

Your friends are aware our Founding Fathers weren't libertarian and America isn't primarily libertarian either?

My Shakespeare teacher and my religious literature professor. Most of my influential teachers were in grad school.

How many animals make great pets and which ones?

[tonywalt]

(My colleagues are aware that America is not primarily libertarian)

Dogs, amazon parrots(if you have the space to manage the noise issues) and orangatans(sic?)

How many movies have you watched more than 3 times? - if any.

[Pendragon]

The exact number would require perfect memory, something I totally lack, but basically if I like a movie, I tend to buy it and watch it at least three more times

How many truly great literature charterers made a good transfer to movies, stage, and/or TV?

[Pompey Bum]

A lot of truly great literature characters, Pen.

How many intentional piercings do you have on your body?

[Pike Bishop]

The exact number would require perfect memory, something I totally lack, but basically if I like a movie, I tend to buy it and watch it at least three more times

How many truly great literature charterers made a good transfer to movies, stage, and/or TV?
Kate Croy and Merton Densher--The Wings of the Dove
Hamlet, Ophelia, Claudius, Polonius--Hamlet (Almereyda version)
Macbeth, Lady Macbeth--Macbeth (Polanski version)
King Lear--Ran
Henry V--Henry V (Branagh version)
Fanny Price--Mansfield Park
Phillip Marlowe--The Big Sleep
Lily Bart--The House of Mirth
Emma Woodhouse--Clueless
Marlowe and Kurtz--Apocalypse Now
Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Nick--The Great Gatsby (Luhrmann version)
Lydgate and Dorothea--Middlemarch (PBS)
Ryder, Sebastian--Brideshead Revisited (PBS)

I'll come up with some more later.

How many composers deserve to be called geniuses and whom?

[tonywalt]

No piercings.


beethoven
Tchaikovsky
Shostakovich
Mahler
Bach

How many instruments were you taught (at any level) growing up as a child?

[Pompey Bum]

One, but I hated it.

How many scars on your face?

[tonywalt]

None, but i skinned my knee playing hide and seek, just last week. (damn big kid pushed me down!).

How many clubs, organizations are you a member of?

[Pompey Bum]

At present, only the American Association of Retired People (or whatever it stands for). But I've paid my dues.

How many jobs have you been turned down for?

[tonywalt]

not counting student jobs, maybe 3. Ive been at the same company for 17 years. oh joy.

How many days did you go away for vacation/holiday this year?

[Pompey Bum]

My life is a vacation.

Sorry, but same question. :)

[tonywalt]

10 days

How many hours (minutes?) do you typically read in single sitting ( or standing)?

[Pendragon]

Depends on the book. If it is interesting, I can pull an all nighter.

How many different copies of the same book have you had?

[tonywalt]

Catcher in the Rye (I have an alarming collection of the book).

How many sick days did you have last year from work or school?

[Pike Bishop]

None. My vacation days and summers off don't grant me fully-paid sick days; so, I rarely take them.

How many American Poets, past and present, qualify as geniuses...and who are they?

[Pendragon]

Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Ogdan Nash

How many fictional detectives have you read?

[Pompey Bum]

Well lots, but if you mean exhaustively, only Sherlock Holmes.

How many Alpine summits (of the actual Alps) have you stood upon?

[tonywalt]

1

How many countries in Europe could you live in if you had to and had no choice? (sorry, for all the parameters and sentence tightening but trying to avoid dismissing answers)

[Pendragon]

Tough question. I speak French (badly), I have some Spanish (worse) so maybe those two. If you count Great Britain, 3.

How many superheroes do or did you follow?

[Pompey Bum]

Zero. I tried to follow Superman but was lucky to survive the fall.

How many car crashes have you been in?

[Pendragon]

Two. I rolled a car belonging to my mother at 19 and I had my station wagon rear ended by a co-worker at 27.
No injuries in the first one (ah, the days of youth!) but I was hurt quite a bit in that rear ending.

How many times have you received a driving ticket?

[bounty]

if we count a car crashing into a mailbox, then one.

if we are talking motor vehicles (so including motocycles), then two.

if we are talking bicycles too---at high speed, three more (and one was into a car! and the other two were in the same race)

how many feet (or meters) high would be the highest youd be willing to jump off from into a safe pool of water below?

[Pompey Bum]

Assuming that "safe" means deep enough from wherever I'm diving from, I don't know, maybe twice the height of a regular pool board. I love diving because it feels like flying under water, but I don't get any special thrill from heights. For me it's about the freedom, not adrenalin or risk.

How many times have you been to Washington, DC?

[Pendragon]

Downtown? Once. Passing on the beltway, maybe 15 times. The downtown thing was our Senior Trip, lasted about a week, usual tourist sites and a few I will never forget in some bad parts of town...

If you live in a small town, how far is it to the nearest city anyone would recognize?

[papayahed]

I consider Shreveport a small town (some do not). It's 200 miles to Dallas.


How many miles are you from the nearest ocean?

[Pompey Bum]

Papaya: Shreveport only looks like a town because it's next to Bossier City. :)

At the moment, about 26.

How many years does it take until you're "middle aged"?

[bounty]

id guess somewhere between 39-49, with <39 being still "young" and >49 starting to get "old"

major emphasis on the quotation marks because chronology, biology, society and mindset are sometimes very different things.

how many times a week do you use a dictionary?

[Pompey Bum]

Constantly. I get complete OED definitions just by tapping words in ebooks, and I often check I already know just for their etymologies.

How many of the Ten Commandments could you name without looking them up?

[Pendragon]

1) Have no gods before me
2)Honor thy father and mother
3) thou shalt not kill
4) Thou shalt not commit adultery
5) Thou shalt not covet
6) Remember the sabbath day
7) Thou shalt no kill
8) Thou shalt not bear false witness
9) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
10) Thou shalt not make graven images

They are not in order, since I do this from memory and I have no idea which order, but I do know them by heart

How many required reading books did you find boring?

[Pompey Bum]

If you mean for a literature class, I don't remember finding any boring.

How many anthropology classes did you take in college?

[papayahed]

1 and I loved every minute of it.


How many times has it rained this month?

[bounty]

its raining now! ive lost count...id guesstimate 6 days.

how many different fruits can you name? (and what are you three favorite?)

[Pompey Bum]

A lot of different fruits, Bounty. My three favorites are:

1. The banana
2. The pineapple
3. The kiwi

The kiwi is also my favorite flightless bird.

How many times have you found a leach on your body?

[Clopin]

Lots when I used to swim in ponds on Lasquiti island as a kid.

How many different species of frogs or toads have you captured in the wild?

[Pompey Bum]

Three: giant bullfrogs, sleek leopard frogs (that's what we called them anyway), and innumerable little generic frogs (don't know the species). Also plenty of brown warty lawn toads.

Have you ever seen a venomous snake in the wild?

[Clopin]

Nah, they are quite rare in Canada, seen and picked up lots of garter snakes though, cute little guys.

How many venomous snakes have you seen in the wild?

[Pompey Bum]

Lots. I used to see rattlesnakes (though rarely) in Iowa as a little boy (we spent our summers there); in Africa the green mambas used to hang in the trees over the cafés, the black mambas used to come indoors looking for mice, and the vipers (5 feet long and almost a foot wide) used to cross the roads at night. Oh and spitting cobras, too. I mostly stay in the city in Taiwan, but the habus crawl in and out of the gutters sometimes.

Have you ever seen a feral pig?

[Pendragon]

Not exactly. My wife and I found two piglets in the wild where an escaped mother hog had her babies. Only these two survived. We raised them and ate them.

What is the strangest animal encounter you remember?

[Pompey Bum]

We raised them and ate them.

You know, I was hoping that story was going too have a happy ending. :)


What is the strangest animal encounter you remember?

Well, it's a little upsetting, but I had to behead a cat with a machete back in Africa. It was a stray and my girlfriend, who was trying to adopt it, stupidly picked it up and cuddled it. It bit her, of course, so we got the ol' Peace Corps health manual out and read the protocol for stray cat bites: kill the cat and bring its head to Libreville for rabies testing. The poor cat turned out to be fine. It just didn't feel like being hugged.

How many bald eagles have you seen in the wild?

[Pendragon]

Not a one. yet. They have been sighted in my area, just not yet by me.

Have you ever seen an Osprey?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, while salt water fishing (they were doing the same thing).

How many presidents and/or prime ministers have you seen in person? Which ones?

[tonywalt]

I saw President of Haiti once - Aristide. After he was overthrown for the second time.

How may people in the largest audience you have ever addressed?

[Pompey Bum]

I've seen Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford. I think that's it.

About 200-250, when I retired. I spoke for about 30 minutes.

Same question.

[Clopin]

Maybe thirty, a class presentation. I can't stand public speaking, or at least I couldn't the last time I tried, but I've become less shy since then and I might do okay now.

Also I've seen plenty of bald eagles, just wanted to let that be known ;)

How many great books have you read which were ostensibly written for children?

[Pompey Bum]

Great books? Not that many. I guess the two Alice books count, but most of the rest I'd probably think of as great Children's books that adults can enjoy or love, too.

Did you have any in mind?/Same question

[Pendragon]

The entire Redwall series.

Same Question

[bounty]

I don't know about "great" but a handful stick out in my mind that ive enjoyed. I think a fuzzy line exists too between children, and young adult so that makes pickin' tough too.

charlotte's web, a couple of Winnie the poohs, (does alice in wonderland count?), Charlie and the chocolate factory, misty of Chincoteague, black beauty, and I guess this isn't counting the fairy tales, Disney stories, mother goose, etc.

where does harry potter fall into the mix?

so in the 6-8 range?

my all time favorite book is tom brown's schooldays, which apparently was read in Edwardian England by children. today, its college level material.

how many pages to go in the book you are presently reading?

[Pompey Bum]

As of last night, 2000 down, 1416 to go.

How many short books (around 100 pages) have you really loved and what were they?

[tonywalt]

The death of Ivan Illyich and perhaps Metamorphosis by Kafka. Franny and Zooey (both in equal measure) are long short stories, not quite novellas. Catcher in the rye is not a novella, but pretty damn short. That's my mixed answer?

What is a very long book over 500 pages that you loved? (I'm really liking Jeffrey Eugenides - Middlesex)

[Pompey Bum]

A Suitable Boy, The Quincunx, Journey to the West, Tom Jones, lots of others.

How many animals have you ever shot?

[Clopin]

None (I've never fired a gun period), but hunting is on my to do list.

How many times has your home been broken into in your life?

[Pompey Bum]

Zero, though when I lived in New Orleans I was literally the only one of my friends who had not had a home or car break, or been robbed at gunpoint. No rapes, thank God, though one girl fought off a home invader armed with a knife. But no problems for me.

How many people do you currently know who are 80 or over?

[Clopin]

Only my one remaining grandmother.

How many times would you attempt to shoot a pigeon with a crappy bow and arrow before giving up (if you were nine years old)?

[Pompey Bum]

If I were 9, probably until some adult made me stop.

How many lobsters have you eaten this year?

[Clopin]

Haha yeh I spent about four hours and only stopped when I had to eat dinner... poor bird, I almost hit it once.

Zero, but I do like lobster.

How many of your meals feature seafood (give a percentage)?

[papayahed]

15% I'm not a fan but have been starting to like sushi.

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

[Pendragon]

I'm a guy, Grover, we would gladly wear the same pair everywhere until they disintegrate on our feet!

Same Question!

[papayahed]

43. I need to reevaluate my shoe parameters.

How many times have you turned on the stove this week?

[bounty]

if we count weeks starting on sunday, then zero...ive got a hot water pot for tea that got used twice and the microwave got hit up 2-3 times too.

id say the stove top averages 4-5 times a week.

how many vitamins and minerals can you name?

[Pompey Bum]

A lot of vitamins and minerals, Bounty.

How many pills of any kind do you routinely take every day (I'm not asking what they are)?

[Clopin]

One multivitamin and one other compound vitamin and three fish oil; if I remember to take them that is.

How many video games would you place large wagers on beating anyone in this forum at?

[Pendragon]

None. I stink at video games.

How many card games would you place large wagers on beating anyone in this forum at?

[bounty]

0, I would play cards for fun, and adding gambling with money to the mix would ruin that.

how many different card games have you played in your lifetime?

[bounty]

0, I would play cards for fun, and adding gambling with money to the mix would ruin that.

how many different card games have you played in your lifetime?

ive got a double post curse going on!

[tonywalt]

7 games, percentage-wise: texas hold'em poker though.

How many months (year(S) will you likely go - without a new smart phone?

[Pompey Bum]

Hopefully never.

How many times have you called 911?

[tonywalt]

once, by accident.

How many days/weeks or months has it been since you have taken a photograph?

[Pompey Bum]

Sometime in February: my one and only selfie, which is viewable on my profile page. It makes me look fat.

How many videos have you posted on youtube?

[Clopin]

ha ha ha well they aren't on youtube any longer but I used to post mock serious/joke World of Warcraft pvp videos about six years ago to stir up controversy on the forums and bother people.

Embarrassing to post but here's the only surviving relic

http://www.warcraftmovies.com/movieview.php?id=157909

Also I posted a video of myself using my inhaler because a girl I knew found it cute ^.^

How many dirty dishes do you let pile up in your sink before enough is enough?

[Pendragon]

A sink full

How many times do you mow the lawn per week?

[Pompey Bum]

Every other week always worked for me.

Do you or do you not make your bed every morning within a few minutes of rising?

[tonywalt]

some time later.

How many of your immediate family (or gfather, ggfather) were in in the military?

[Pompey Bum]

My father's father's father's father fought on the Union side in the Civil War. I have his picture and the Bible he carried through those years. That's about it, though. My brothers and I were too young for Vietnam and too old for the Middle East, and none of us volunteered.

How many times did you get a flat tire last year?

[bounty]

if you count bicycle tires---1 or 2.

last flat tire on the car was 2013 I think. I was in Michigan at the time, roads there are reallllllly bad.

how many songs by the monkees can you name?

[Pompey Bum]

A lot of songs by the Monkees, Bounty.

Oh okay, let's see.

Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees
Go Away Little Girl
I'm a Believer
Pleasant Vally Sunday
Last Train to Clarksville
I-I-I-I-I'm Not Your Stepping Stone
Daydream Believer
When Love Comes Knocking
I'm Gonna Buy Me a Dog

Nine.

How many tornados have you ever seen?

[Clopin]

None.

How many times has your home been flooded to any significant inconvenience?

[Pompey Bum]

Twice. Once as a kid, and once as an earnest young husband--but nothing like what's happening now in Texas. We've been lucky.

How many nights have you gone to bed without being able to get dinner?

[Clopin]

Out of necessity? A bunch of times over a brief few months when I was unemployed/living out of food banks. Of course it's also happened that I forgot to shop or something and ended up hungry with all of the stores closed haha.

How many different portable phones have you owned in your lifetime?

[Pompey Bum]

Yes, out of necessity. I'm sorry you suffered like that, Clopin.

Only one. And it was only useful once, years ago, when the car caught on fire.

How many times were you been more than 100 miles from your home last year?

[Clopin]

I'm sorry you suffered like that, Clopin.


Ha! No it wasn't a big deal, and it was entirely due to my own stupidity at the time.

Zero times.

How many times have you been seriously lost?

[Pompey Bum]

Many, many, many times.

How many times have you accidentally set something on fire in the kitchen?

(Going to see the wife now. Goodnight.).

[North Star]

Haven't set anything on fire in the kitchen, apart from the stove at parents' house, and that's always on purpose.

How many times did you shovel snow during the last winter?

[Pendragon]

Six times, maybe?

How many inches was your largest snowfall of the winter?

[Pompey Bum]

24.6 inches.

How many times in your life have you had no money to pay a toll?

[bounty]

zero times, but I like the idea of trying it as a small adventure to see what the toll keeper would do.

how many miles (or kms) in the next road trip you have planned?

[Clopin]

I'm afraid I don't have any road trips planned at all.

How many bitter enemies have you lived to see come to grief?

[Pompey Bum]

Bounty: they make you fill out a form and mail you the bill.

I've only had three bitter enemies. One went blind and deaf, one got fired and couldn't get rehired anywhere, and one prospered. So two.

Same question.

[Clopin]

Two bitter enemies. One had a kid a few years ago and is pregnant again (she is my age, 23) and generally seems battered and miserable, and one is married to some moronic, post colonial doctrine following, buzzword spewing transgender "man" (female to male) who appears to be utterly insufferably and I'm sure his life is going to suck for another ten or so years. Not quite blind and deaf but it's a start at least.

How many people were you mean to in elementary school through high school who you regret being mean to now?

[Pompey Bum]

None at all. Those years were a happy little garden where I grew up.

How many times have you sent or given flowers to a woman?

[Clopin]

Erm... exactly zero times, unless we're counting mothers day. Actually I was once talking to a coworker about how I couldn't remember sending or giving flowers to anyone and she told me that was criminal, so later that day when I saw my ex girlfriend who also worked with us I asked her if I had ever given her flowers over the course of our relationship and she immediately said "no, you never did" without a seconds pause or hesitation, so clearly she knew for a fact. Whatever, it's not like I've ever been given flowers either.

In my defense I give chocolates and small treats all the time...

How many different floors have you mopped (in a professional capacity, not your own floors)

[Pompey Bum]

Exactly zero strange floors.

For some reason women like it when you kill flowers for them. Maybe DM can explain it to us, but I'll be buggered if I know why. If that coworker was a woman, though, you should definitely have sent her some. Too late now, though.

How many times have you been called for jury duty and were you ever selected?

[Clopin]

Please, I can't be sending flowers to female coworkers when my ex girlfriend (who also worked with us), who I just realized I never sent flowers to, is right there! That would be very mean.

Never been called yet.

How many jobs have you ever had which you genuinely enjoyed and what were they?

[Pompey Bum]

Ah, you should have sent them to her home! Who knows what portals might have opened for you? ;-)

I genuinely loved one, genuinely hated one, and secretly loathed every boss I ever had. And never mind what they were. :)

How many love relationships have you truly regretted?

[Clopin]

Maybe, though she was a stupidly beautiful girl and I might even be forced to admit that she was 'out of my league'.

Truly regret one, she made my bitter enemies list!

How many bingo's do you average in a scramble game?

[Pompey Bum]

Her league my ***, it was probably an invitation.

Did you mean "Scrabble"? I have never played Scrabble. I played Bingo once, though, and won $10.00.

How many horses have you bet on and did you ever win?

[Clopin]

Ah well, what might have been is an abstraction, remaining a perpetual possibility... something something, towards the door we never opened.

I did mean scrabble, I think my iPad helpfully corrected it for me... A bingo just means getting all of your letters out in one play, I average way less than one per game for the record.

I've never made a bet on anything really.

How many investments did you consider making which would have made you fabulously wealthy today?

[Pompey Bum]

We never made (or considered) high risk, big return investments like that.

How many falling stars did you see last year?

[Clopin]

When I first heard of Bitcoin I think one Bitcoin was worth something like ten cents and I thought a crypto curreny mined by computers was the stupidest thing I had ever heard, so of course they peak at $1250 per Bitcoin in 2014 and they're sitting at almost $300 right now.

I think I saw one or two, but I didn't keep track.

How many times have you seen the Northern lights?

[Pompey Bum]

I've never seen them, but I'll get there some day.

How many times have you been thrown out of a bar or restaurant?

[Clopin]

Never kicked out but I once skipped out on my tab and the bouncer caught up with me and made me pay.

How many Nabokov books have you read?

[Pendragon]

Never heard of Nabokov

How many fictional detectives do you follow?

[Pompey Bum]

Oh Jeez, are they on Twitter, too?

If you were boss of the world, how old would people have to be to vote?

[North Star]

Never heard of Nabokov


Oh Jeez, are they on Twitter, too?

If you were boss of the world, how old would people have to be to vote?
Twenty. And these two posts make me think that I might be in the 'ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer' thread. Never heard of Nabokov?

How many hours did you sleep last night?

[bounty]

ive read just one nabokov, Lolita. it was a little different than what I was thinking, almost hoping it would be...maybe more along the lines of Belinda, by anne rice.

I really enjoyed a contemporary book called, reading Lolita in Tehran. its about this female English teacher who found herself on the wrong side of the government so to speak and yet continued to meet with her female students, teaching/reading literature that would get them all into trouble if they were found out.

~7 1/2 hours of sleep last night...which is a little light for me.

how many times do you shave/trim throughout the week?

[Clopin]

I've read The Defense, Pale Fire and Lolita and I still don't really like Nabokov. I own Ada or Ardor and his autobiography and I still plan to read Invitation to a Beheading, Pnin and his collected stories before I decide finally that I just don't like his books. Haha he's the author I most want to like but just... don't.

I have read Reading Lolita in Tehran though and I did enjoy it!

I shave whenever I feel like it, sometimes not a lot (and I look like a complete moron with facial hair of any kind so this is very bad) but generally if I want to look reasonably presentable I need to shave at least twice a week, but probably three times. My facial hair is a light blond/red though so it's not incredibly noticeable anyway.

How many times do you stay up an entire night in any given month (if it's less than once give a reasonable decimal)?

[Pendragon]

Sometimes when my bipolar goes whacky I can be up for as much as 72 hours, but it doesn't happen that often. Say 1 time in three months.

Do you dream in color?

[Clopin]

Yes, I do, do some people not?

[Pendragon]

It was a scientific claim that humans dreamed in black and white, but I dream in vivid color.

What is your worst nightmare?

[Pompey Bum]

Going into a house where I'm not supposed to be and finding something really bad: sometimes the living corpse of a child, and sometimes the devil.

Hey, isn't this "How Many"?

How many times have you swum in the nude?

[Clopin]

Never, actually.

Same question haha

[Pompey Bum]

I used to skinny dip in Walden Pound at night (after they kicked everyone out) and also on Cape Cod with the wild Irish "summer wetbacks" my buddy and I used to pick up. So lots of times.

How many times have you seen a movie, then snuck into another movie at the same complex?

[Clopin]

Zero. i can hardly remember there being a single movie out in theatres that I wanted to see, let alone two at the same time.

How many items of physical media do you own (books, dvd's, cd's, records, etc) when you add them all together?

[Pompey Bum]

Man, I thought I was the Puritan! :)

I don't know. I gave most of that stuff away already.

How many vinyl records have you ever purchased?

[Clopin]

Yes it seems that in fanciful moral quandaries I take a more lax position but when it comes to real deeds I'm saintly ;)

Around fifty from about eight years ago, I initially thought they would be fun to collect but I've since decided that I can't afford to spend all of my money on cumbersome physical media (you'll have to kill me before I stop buying books though) and I was becoming sort of obsessed with cartridges and playback and reducing static and everything else that goes with vinyl to the point that most of my listening experience was straining after imperfections in playback so I could weed them out... It was hurting my enjoyment of the music.

How many hours of sleep do you generally need to feel refreshed?

[Pompey Bum]

Eight or nine, but I'm semi-conscious--usually praying or meditating-- for the last couple hours.

What is the ideal number of hours to sleep in?

[Clopin]

You mean past your normal time of waking up? Maybe one or two at most.

How many average high school kids all on a team would it take to beat you in a typical night of Jeopardy?

[Pendragon]

Three

How many card games do you play?

[Pompey Bum]

None for many years.

How many times have you been saved from a real predicament by a "good Samaritan?"

[tonywalt]

Many times, there are good samaritans watching, even when you think they don't notice what is happening.

How many times, if any, did you change your degree?

[Pendragon]

Twice

How many rats does it take to change a lightbulb?

[Clopin]

I suspect one rat could change a light bulb if the bulb were configured to be possible for a rat to screw on or off by itself and the rat was given sufficient prompting/conditioning by it's trainer.

How many nobel prize winning authors have you read?

[Pompey Bum]

In my day the answer was: two, but don't ask me how they got in there.

A lot of Nobel Prize winners, Clopin.

How many times a month do you mow the lawn (in the summer)?

[Clopin]

We don't really have lawns where I come from since property is absurdly expensive and the town is situated in a national park and can't get too big.

How many minutes or hours do you lie with the lights off unable to fall asleep before you say '**** it' and start reading or uh... browsing litnet?

[Pompey Bum]

I hang out with my wife or read in bed until I fall asleep--no problems doing that these days. I wake up one or two hours before I get up, but usually pray or meditate then, so I tend not to swear. :)

How many times a month do you sweep or vacuum the house?

[Clopin]

I don't really live in a house and my suite is pretty much a room, attached to a room, attached to a kitchen. I sweep my room probably once a month.

How many times have you been seasick?

[Pompey Bum]

Never. I haven't spent much time at sea and all the small crossings I've made (Dover to Calais, Gibralter to Tangier, etc) have been smooth.

What is the most dis dusting parasite you have ever hosted?

[Clopin]

Well this is sort of gross but I have pinworms right this second and I need to get a prescription to murder them. I'm sure I got them from spending so much time with disgusting (but cute) little kids.

How many baby back ribs could you eat in a rib eating contest?

[Pompey Bum]

Okay, I should have said "exotic" not "disgusting." :) Good luck with the little fellers, though.

None. Eating babies is cruel. Actually I love baby back ribs, although I always sort of feel like a hyena at the kill when I eat them. But I'm sure I could eat a lot if pressed.


How many weddings have you been invited to this year?

[Clopin]

Only one, my aunt's. I'm not quite old enough to have many married friends and there are only nine or so people in the world who would invite me to their wedding anyway.

How many dollars should be spent on an engagement ring?

[Pompey Bum]

None. Engagement rings should not happen. Right when a couple really needs money for really real things, they are expected to go buy a diamond. It is just too stupid to even think about.

How many times have you lost all respect for someone you once considered a friend?

[Clopin]

That is also my view on engagement rings and objectively the correct answer.

Mmmhhmm it's hard for me to answer this. I often like people without having much respect for their intellectual capacity and I very rarely place people above myself in any regard to be respected in the first place. I'm going to say it has happened twice, one is a guy who I met in eighth grade and who I still consider myself friendly with (i'm not so sure he feels that we are friends) and the other is a girl I dated when I was sixteen and now I think is a bit of an idiot. I don't hate either of them though.

Same question.

[Pompey Bum]

It's only happened with two or three people. Two of them were controlling their personalities with prescribed medication and decided to take themselves off without telling their doctors, apparently because it interfered with their sex drives. The people underneath were almost unrecognizable and aggressively inimical. The third one is just an old friend whose life took a different course. I wouldn't say that I've lost all respect, but I don't want to know her anymore.

How many cats have you owned?

[Clopin]

Haha 'many cats' ;)

To which I am allergic, but whatever.

How many types of cereal do you really like?

[tonywalt]

none

How many sick days off of work or school do you have on average?

[Pompey Bum]

365.

How many times do you wake up during a typical night?

[Clopin]

Zero, it's getting to sleep in the first place which is the problem.

How many minutes would you ideally spend cuddling a significant other every night?

[Pompey Bum]

Ideally? It would be like Gaia and Uranus (sans Kronos, one hopes).

How many nations are represented by the books you have read in the last year or so? I don't need you to list them, and I'm not trying to open up the trite and huffy old LitNet debate. I'm just curious about the number.

[Clopin]

Oh man well if i remember correctly I'm covering sixteen odd, counting England and Ireland separately. There are quite likely one or two more I'm forgetting.

How many litnet posters would you trust to have your back in a fistfight with PikeBishop and 'several notable scholars'?

[Pompey Bum]

All but three, and two of them would do in a pinch.

How many ex-girlfriends (or ex-boyfriends) have gone on to be lasting friends with you?

[Clopin]

None.

Same question.

[Pompey Bum]

Nada.

How many years old were you when you realized that protecting individuals from crimes that haven't happened yet isn't really what the police do for a living?

[Pendragon]

10. We called about a prowler. Might as well have gotten out a shotgun.

How many times have you been to court for any reason, including jury duty?

[Pompey Bum]

Jury duty once, but the case was settled out of court as soon as they seated us. And I was once subpoenaed to testify against someone, but he fessed up before I took the stand. Pretty tense afterwards standing in line with him to get my parking reimbursement, though. So two.

How many times have you been intentionally shot at? (Once for me).

[Pendragon]

Once that I recall.

How many time's have you been in the wrong place at the wrong time?

[Pompey Bum]

Nothing but near misses so far.

How many chances do you give a person before writing him or her off?

[Clockwise]

2-3.

How many Chinese novels have you read?

[Pompey Bum]

Four very long ones. My favorite is Journey to the West.

How many wallets have you worn out in the past five years?

[Clockwise]

Two.

How many dollars, pounds or euro do you keep in your wallet on an average day?

[Pompey Bum]

None of my days is average.

How many restaurants did you go to (or take out from) in the last month?

[Clockwise]

2-3. It wasn't an average month.

How many months have been really enjoyable in the year of 2015?

[Pompey Bum]

All of them.

How many earthquakes have you lives through?

[Pendragon]

One. They are very rare here in VA. Very low on the Richter scale back in the late sixties.

How many hurricanes have you endured?

[Clockwise]

Easily 10 or more, I lived in Hong Kong for 16 years.
One big earthquake (Richter 7+) in Yunnan, China 1989.

How many girlfriends / boyfriends have you dated that were older than yourself?

[bounty]

I still have and use my very first wallet...!

zero--they have all been the same age or slightly younger.

how many home remedies have you tried/do you know for stopping hiccups?

[Pompey Bum]

Only one. When my wife gets them, I pretend not to notice and speak in a normal voice, the suddenly lunge at her and yell as loud as I can (to scare her). It never works, but it's fun. After that I get her a glass of water, and they go away. Does that count as a "home remedy"?

How many colds have you had in the last year?

[Clockwise]

Maybe one but haven't had a severe cold for at least two or three years. It's thanks to the garlic no doubt.

How many seconds have you spent on Litnet since you first discovered it?

[Pendragon]

A LOT!

When discussing topics on Litnet how many times have you wanted to punch someone?

[Pompey Bum]

Never, although there have been three times when I have broken off interactions permenantly.

How many pages (minimum and maximum) qualifies a work of fiction as a novella?

[Pendragon]

80 to 100, I'd say.

How many TV shows do you regularly watch per week?

[Pompey Bum]

Only one (excluding newscasts), although my wife watches a few, so I end up being exposed to them. No situation comedies, though, since the 1970s.

Same question.

[Clopin]

None, though sometimes I watch episodes of Question Time or Kitchen Nightmares on YouTube or I'll watch some competitive video game streams when I eat meals, so probably thirty+ minutes a day on that.

How many minutes do you tend to spend searching for something before giving up?

[Pompey Bum]

Oh yes, I watch old Monty Python shows on Youtube. I didn't think that counted.

The only thing I lose regularly are my glasses. If I can't find them in 10 minutes or so, I'll use my spare pair. But I hate those, so I never really give up.

How many times have you been in love?

[Clopin]

Zero times.

Same question.

[Pompey Bum]

I don't think more than twice, although it almost always felt like it at the time.

How many sports teams have you ever played on?

[Clopin]

I was on the relay team for track and field when I was in elementary school and I was on the swim team around the same time. More recently (a few years ago now) I joined a recreational adult soccer league with my then girlfriend and we sucked - I was the worst guy on the team and she was the worst girl - but it was still fun; I scored a goal with my head and had a few assists.

How many of the books you read, as a percentage, are strictly fictional?

[Pompey Bum]

It really varies over time. I've spent years and years at a time reading 100% non-fiction, and a few years here and there reading only fiction. This year, it's been around 60% non-fiction books so far, but they've been really long books, so it would be more if you went by pages. Lately I've been missing fiction though, and thinking about rereading a lot of the classics I read when I was younger. But I'll be in non-fiction for a while longer.

Same question.

[Clopin]

More than ninety percent.

How many times a year do you read something you find really, truly horrible?

[Pompey Bum]

90% fiction or 90% nonfiction?

What do you mean? Information I find really troubling? Or a book about something upsetting? Or a horribly written book?

[Clopin]

90% fiction, and yeah, just a badly written book... I know you finish it. It how often do you put it down and think "this is just trash"?

[Pompey Bum]

Almost never--it hasn't happened in a long time in any case. Because I finish all my books, I'm a bit fussy about what I start. I have a low threshold for bad writing.

What percentage of books did you start but not finish last calendar year (and why)?

[Clopin]

Maybe five or six books, which makes it about seven or eight percent, I consider myself a book finisher though I'm not as rigid about it as you are.

I put down Europe a History by Norman Davies after three hundred pages for being too dense and because I felt I wasn't retaining much, I do plan to finish it however. I shelved Mein Kampf because I only started it out of interest and wasn't really committed to reading it, though again, I do plan to eventually. I only read the parts of Bloom's book on Shakespeare which pertained to the Shakespeare I had actually read and ditto for Bloom's The Western Canon.

Same question.

[Pendragon]

Unknown. I buy books constantly, almost compulsively. I have some I have never read. At present, there are six partially finished books on the table beside my chair and one I haven't even begun.

Pass the question.

[Pompey Bum]

Unknown. I buy books constantly, almost compulsively. I have some I have never read. At present, there are six partially finished books on the table beside my chair and one I haven't even begun.

Out of curiosity, Pen, what are they?

[Pompey Bum]

I put down Europe a History by Norman Davies after three hundred pages for being too dense and because I felt I wasn't retaining much, I do plan to finish it however. I shelved Mein Kampf because I only started it out of interest and wasn't really committed to reading it, though again, I do plan to eventually. I only read the parts of Bloom's book on Shakespeare which pertained to the Shakespeare I had actually read and ditto for Bloom's The Western Canon.

I read Davies' history of Europe and hated his style, which I found pompous and arrogant. I remember he used new names for various cultures, which, God-like, he had made up himself, with no mention of their actual names, because he had decided that you and I couldn't handle it. We were only going to screw things up with our prejudices if he was straight with us, and of course, only Professor Davies' prejudices are valid in Professor Davies' history class. I also read his (even worse) Rising 44, about Warsaw's doomed attempt to throw the Nazis out before Stalin's armies could get there (and get them). That turned out to be a load of fashionable Yank hatred, with prejudices, once again, not to be questioned.

Davies' books seem to me to be the product of a historian whose academic bottom had swollen to the point that he could no longer really do history. I was likewise turned off by Bloom's lonely self-monotheism (although I know our LitNet brothers and sisters seeking advanced degrees are not allowed to utter such heresy); but at least Bloom is only a literary critic. Pretending that one's opinions constitute a kind of dogma comes with the turf in that field; but a historian is supposed to question orthodox ideas. Seeing how the picture changes if we move a few puzzle pieces around is really all there is to the field. Davies is willing to play that game--making past orthodoxies illegitimate to even speak of--as long as you accept his own version of orthodoxy without doubt.

So do what you like, Clopin, but as the Pope of Heterodoxy, I grant you preemptive absolution never to go back to Davies. And I can almost recommend a better history of Europe. It's "almost" because I haven't actually read it myself, although I own a copy and it keeps whispering my name. The book is Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy by Brendan Simms. Simms is a young Cambridge professor, and a global-strategic thinker, as well as the academic equivalent to a neocon (so his ideas would be highly challenging to yours--but in a healthy way). I read his Three Victories and a Defeat, a political and military history of 18th century Britain, that was one of the best histories I have ever read. Simms' Europe is long, but not as long as Davies', and I would bet the farm is articulately argued and not (as you said of Davies book) "dense." It also covers a slightly different time range (1453-2013). If you have the intellectual confidence to examine things in the light of new ideas (you don't have to agree with them), then you may want to try Simms. Trying out new ideas is, honestly, all reading history is good for.

The answer to the question for me is 0% for around 30 years.

How many "true crime" books have you read in the last year or so?

[Pendragon]

Just counting accounts and guesses on the identity of Jack the Ripper probably 30 or so.

How many victims do you think Jack the Ripper actually killed?

[Pompey Bum]

It's impossible to say whether there were more than the five famous cases, or if those were all committed by the same person. Prostitutes are vulnerable, which is why serial murderers pick on them.

How many dogs have you owned?

[Pendragon]

Five. My current one is a cute Schnauzer-Poo named Izzy.

How many cats have owned you?

[Pompey Bum]

None. Ich bin ein dog guy.

How many oceans have you swum in?

[Pendragon]

One. The Atlantic, off the Outer Banks, NC, although "swim" might be more like "dog paddled".

How many US States have you visited?

[papayahed]

30 states


How many haircuts have you had this year?

[Pendragon]

Few. As my hairline recedes, I need less work on what hair I have!

How many times have you dyed your hair?

[Clopin]

I dyed it black when I was 13 *embarrassed*.

How many meals do you tend to eat a day? Three normal size ones, two big ones, six small ones, etc?

[bounty]

in a more traditional setting for me it would be breakfast lunch and dinner with mid morning, mid afternoon and post dinner snacks. so six there, but these days for me, its less meals and just eating all day long whenever I sense hunger or otherwise know I should...

how many crayons in the Crayola crayons box you own? (or last had)

[Pendragon]

64

How many paintings (even by kids) on your walls?

[papayahed]

2 the others are "resting" against the wall in anticipation of being hung.

How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?

[Pendragon]

Just one. They call it "Life".

How many seas must a white gull sail before she can sleep in the sand?

[Tyrion Cheddar]

As many as it takes to get away from the sound of Dylan's voice.

Does the word 'bestiality' make you hungry?

[papayahed]

mmmm.....no.

How many people have you angered today?

[Pendragon]

Hopefully, none.

How many times did you get angry today?

[tonywalt]

None.

How many hours did you sleep last nite?

[Pendragon]

Seven.

Same question.

[bounty]

about 8ish I think, which is usually just about right. but I am positively reptilian in the morning no matter how many hours I get, it takes me a while to get the blood flowing!

whats the most in ounces or milliliters you've ever chugged (of what?) without stopping?

[Pendragon]

32 oz of coke. They came out with these bottles when I was a teen in the 70s. We tested who could chug the whole thing in one gulp. Winner!

How many different toppings have you had on a single pizza?

[bounty]

lets see---I recently had some with black olives, onions, green peppers, banana peppers and mushrooms (I think) so, 5.

but my two favorites were one with just sun dried tomatoes and another with spinach, feta cheese and pineapple.

how many crackers are typical for you in a bowl of soup?

[Pendragon]

None

How many different types of soup do you really like?

[papayahed]

half a dozen. Minestrone, Italian wedding, chicken noodle, corn and poblano chowder, vegetable, broccoli cheddar.

How many jedi's can you name?

[Pendragon]

Let's see: Yoda, Qui'jon, Obiwan, Luke, Leia, Jaina (Leia's daughter), Ben (Luke's son), Mace Windu, Anikin, Mara Jade (Luke's wife, killed by Leia's son Jason, who turned Sith) and more

How many minutes can you concentrate on a single thought?

[tonywalt]

3

How many years (months) have you had your current phone?

[Pendragon]

2 years, maybe? I'm due for an upgrade, I know that. Just haven't had the time.

How many years have you lived in the home you now have?

[tonywalt]

15

same question

[Pendragon]

25

Same question

[papayahed]

6 months

How many push ups can you do in a row?

[Pendragon]

In a row? You mean like more than one? Ummm.... hee hee hee

How many ways can you say good-bye?

[tonywalt]

5

How many hours until you are will be at home?

[Pendragon]

None. I am home!

How long was your longest road trip?

[tonywalt]

1300 miles, New York to Miami. Although I loved it and plan another long trip.

Same question

[papayahed]

Detroit to Albuquerque - 1588 miles

What was your longest flight?

[tonywalt]

Cayman Islands to London (thinking it was close to 11 hours)

How many weddings have you been to since 2000?

[Pendragon]

Two. My daughter's and my oldest son's

How many musical instruments can you play?

[tonywalt]

One, keyboards.

How many weeks do you have left before the temperature reaches the 50's Fah?

[North Star]

One, keyboards.

How many weeks do you have left before the temperature reaches the 50's Fah?

Daily average, or the lowest temperature? The early morning temperatures are in that range already, daily average will drop to that in maybe two or four weeks.

With how many hands can you use a computer mouse? (one at a time, of course)

[tonywalt]

1 hand, the right hand

How many generations have your family lived in the city where you now reside?

[North Star]

I just moved here a year ago.

How many generations of your ancestors do you know?

[Pendragon]

I have records here going back at least 12 generations on one side of my family, but my father's father was adopted back in a time when records weren't important, so I know nothing of his side of the family past grandpaw Bill. His mother's side also is limited since her father, Black John Lamie was a member of the Cherokee Nation and any records would be held by the tribe. I am at best 1/8 Cherokee, so the tribe might dislike me asking favors...


How many times have you been in court for any reason?

[stephofthenight]

30ish?
How many countries have you visited?

[Pendragon]

None. I have visited around 15 STATES here in the USA. I'd love to go to England, France, or Spain. Sigh... Dream On!

How many Facebook friends do you have?

[stephofthenight]

867
How many social media accounts do you have?

[Pendragon]

One. Look for me on Facebook

How many fictional detectives can you name?

[EvoWarrior5]

I am not too much into detective literature. Let me just give this a sloppy attempt.

Sherlock Holmes (obvious source), Inspector Hound (from Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound, Inspector Gadget (counts, right?). That would have been it if I had not recently read Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. Since I have, I can also name Detective Fix. So that makes four. I am quite disappointed. There may be one or two more from works I have read which have eluded my mind for the moment.

How many relationships have you had?

[Pendragon]

Three too many. I only needed the one.

How many poets can you quote?

[stephofthenight]

The majority of their works probably 3, a few of their works several.
How many movies have you watched this week

[Buckthorn]

None.

How many fears do you have?

[Tyrion Cheddar]

I'm afraid I can't answer that.

How many pair of long johns have you amassed for the coming winter? Winter is coming, you know. A three-eyed raven told me so in a dream about sweet potatoes.

[tonywalt]

none, the caribbean is warm.

How many countries have you visited in the last 2 years?

[EvoWarrior5]

England, Germany and Italy. Three.

How many countries / islands that were once under British rule (or still are, referring to the latter) can you name?

EDIT: Since there's quite a lot you could name, you could potentially think for a long time. You could give yourself a set time limit, like how many can you think of and write down within one minute or something. Up to you!

[North Star]

22: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Canada, The United States of America, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Burma, Hong Kong, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Rhodesia, Falklands, British Guiana, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man.

How many post-Soviet states can you name?

[tonywalt]

1. Armenia; 2. Azerbaijan; 3. Belarus; 4. Estonia;
5. Georgia; 6. Kazakhstan; 7. Kyrgyzstan; 8. Latvia;
9. Lithuania; 10. Moldova; 11. Russia; 12. Tajikistan;
13. Turkmenistan; 14. Ukraine; 15. Uzbekistan

If I remember correctly...

How many hours do you usually sleep per night?

[Pendragon]

6 usually, but sometimes I nap during the day. Being disabled and jobless sometimes gets to me. I write reviews for my website, I'm making custom action figures, and I am way behind on my reading, but I do get down occasionally and just sleep.

How many action figures do you have (any kind)?