Aye or Nay?

[Lykren]

by the government?

what else, market forces? :P

Never had one... nay, I don't like new things.

Black metal, yea or nay.

[Clopin]

That's right pal, market forces.

Aye for Burzum and Peste Noire, nay in general for being a big clown affair with stupid makeup.

The Circus?

[bounty]

id say aye except for the animal acts...elephants, tigers, etc belong in the wild, not in the circus.

and an extra aye for the "market forces" while I am here.

consider you are in a committed relationship---"checking out the menus even though you are on a diet?"

[Pompey Bum]

If you mean just looking, sure, as long as you are polite about it (for example, not ogling someone's cleavage) and if you don't hurt your partners feelings. But if you mean making other hypothetical plans in case what you have doesn't work out: never in a marriage; otherwise, all's fair in love and war.

Clowns?

[Lykren]

Nope. Not scary just... dumb.

High fashion?

[Pompey Bum]

Not in the sense of haute culture, the European version of which seems kind of Fascist to me.

Beef jerky?

[Lykren]

Fascist, how so?

Yea if it's spicy and there's no BBQ sauce on it.

Archaic language used in recent literature - yea, nay, or depends?

[Pompey Bum]

It can be done well, but it usually isn't. So depends.

As far as haute culture European fashion goes, I guess it's the presumption of the superiority of a certain body type in combination with an all encompassing cultural arrogance. I think some of the families in the French make up industries were also pretty deeply implicated in Vichy (and never particularly answered for it). I dunno--Fascist is an over used term to be sure. Scum? :)

Dinner theater?

[Lykren]

Yeah I don't know a lot about contemporary French culture but from what I do know or have gathered I get the sense there is a tendency towards (perceived) superiority.

Hrmm, never experienced dinner theatre. Food is good, but I'm not so big on musicals, so maybe nay.

This video, yea or nay:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFgv8bKfxEs

:brow:

[Pompey Bum]

Aye, although I wish the little pink bear had a bigger role.

K-drama?

[North Star]

Nay.

Beethoven's string quartets?

[Lykren]

I like the little pink bear too.

Oh god, K-drama. I've only seen one episode, from Boys over Flowers, which was, uhhhhh, an hour of melodrama of such refinement that my friends and I were speechless... between bouts of hysterical laughter so violent that I, at least, had trouble breathing. Yea for sure, though K-drama is something that really proves there is a difference between watching it ironically and watching it the way the makers intended it to be seen*. Now there's an interesting aesthetic argument to have, methinks.

Pound's Cantos, aye or nay?

*marijuana is also helpful.

[Lykren]

Nay.

Beethoven's string quartets?

Oh, sorry. Yea, though I haven't spent too much time with them. Proust brings them up a lot, they must have been his favorite music, so I'm trying to get to them.

[Pompey Bum]

Not a big Pound fan, but I haven't really read all that much.

The Naked Lunch (book or movie)?

[Lykren]

Nay nay nay. Not seen the movie though.

Eyes Wide Shut, by Kubrick?

[Clopin]

Big aye to high fashion, especially if you don a $10,000 outfit to look like a dirtbag/hobo (I am not kidding, it's cool).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P8iisgTyiRU/T23zftPvbjI/AAAAAAAAASQ/6X3kGQISgLg/s640/waywt%252024%2520mars.jpg

Never seen it Lykren, but I'm sure I would like it so aye.

The British royal family?

[Pompey Bum]

Aye to the royal family. They can clean my house anytime.

And it's so cool that you've got this sartorial side to you, Clopin. I'm telling you, modeling. (Just don't let the weight slip too much).

The historical (as opposed to the sanctified) Gandhi?

[Clopin]

My weight couldn't humanly slip too much :(

Aye I suppose, I tend not to believe anyone is a saint, though sometimes the mythology may be more useful than the reality.

Oreo cookies?

[Lykren]

Oh yeah, do see it, one of Kubrick's best.

Re: hobo fashionistas, no entiendo, わかんない, ich verstehe nicht, I don't get it dude.

British Royal Family, is that a tv show? In all seriousness though, no. They should donate their assets to the poor :D

oops, I'll anser Clopin's new one: yay yay yay to Oreos.

More movies: The Spirit of the Beehive? If you haven't seen it, Bernini?

[Pompey Bum]

Aye to Spirit of the Beehive.

Oreo cookies with peanut butter filling?

[Clopin]

Boo http://s16.photobucket.com/user/Avantster/media/waywt/bsr.jpg.html

How about some of these then?

http://i1.minus.com/im2l8m.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6058030998_00a9386807_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5013/5572928138_310cb0952c_z.jpg
http://s16.photobucket.com/user/Avantster/media/waywt/4099GerryWeb.jpg.html
http://s527.photobucket.com/user/BSR_03/media/wawytSZ23octobre.jpg.html

Never seen a Bernini :( Why am I such a pleb?

Listening to music to fall asleep?

Edit: and nay to peanut butter oreos.

[Lykren]

Ok I like those photos.

In high school I fell asleep to weird **** like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kid A, Tchaik 6, even *****es Brew once. Now I'm not so hip, more conservative, and don't do the music before sleep thing.

Existentialism?

[North Star]

Aye, the Camus variety at any rate.

ice fishing?

[Lykren]

Brrrr, nay.

North, how do you feel about the phrase existence before essence?

Stargazing?

[North Star]

North, how do you feel about the phrase existence before essence?

I think I agree with it.


Stargazing?
Aye


Italian Neorealism?

[Lykren]

Yea!

Long-distance biking?

[North Star]

Aye!


Long-distance walks?

[Lykren]

Yes, though it really depends on who with. Also where I'm going.

In your opinion, is there any good pop music?

[North Star]

Aye - at least if 'pop music' means popular music in the wider sense. Pink Floyd, Beatles, Hendrix, Abba, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, etc etc, Abba might fit into a narrower definition, I suppose.

Is there contemporary classical music you like?

[Pike Bishop]

Not in the slightest...Philip Glass in particular galls me.

Who are your three favorite hip-hop/Rap artists?

[Lykren]

... is Arvo Pärt alive? *googles* yes. But not a whole lot.

iWatch just a shallow gimmick? your best guess since it's not out.

edit: sorry pike. I don't like Glass much either, but Steve Reich can be good.

Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, and those are the only two I've listened to more than a very little. I'm so white.

[Pike Bishop]

Since Lykren didn't ask a question, I'll answer mine as well and ask another:

My three favorite Rap/Hip-Hop artists are Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and Eminem

What three critical theorists and/or philosophers do you find the most helpful in understanding literature?

[North Star]

Aye or nay? ;)

[Pike Bishop]

Is there 1 or more critical theorists or philosophers you find helpful in understanding literature?...and, if so, who?

[bounty]

nay...though i think we're a little outside the "rule" of the thread---but im all for bending rules sometimes.

i strongly suspect most of us here havent been trained/formerly educated in literature. while i have read, and sometimes still do read philosophy, i don't recall any of it helping me to understand literature. although maybe some of the feminist stuff ive read... but id be hard pressed to say exactly who and what.

north star i see you are from finland, so this one is inspired by you:

jumping into a cold winter lake and then hopping back into the dry sauna?

[bounty]

Nay nay nay. Not seen the movie though.

Eyes Wide Shut, by Kubrick?

umm, not to be too prurient, but, naked Nicole kidman!

(real post on previous page)

[Lykren]

Aye but scary.

Getting organized?

[NikolaiI]

Aye, hehe. But more in terms of thoughts than material stuff. . . that's more minimalist for me. .

Florida-type rain storm?

[Lykren]

Yay!

Riding horses?

[Pompey Bum]

Neigh! (Heh heh). One of my only regrets.

Independent political party status?

[North Star]

Nay. You might as well not try at all.

Riding bikes?

[bounty]

oh absolutely aye and thanks for asking! its one of my very favorite things!

riding road bikes with 23c width tires 50mph down curvy hills?

[Pike Bishop]

Why not?

Eating Fugu at a sushi bar where you are not aware of the skill of the chefs?

[tailor STATELY]

Nay! No fugu.

Tako ?

[Lykren]

With a C, not from the sea.

Egon Schiel?

[North Star]

Aye.

Kandinsky?

[Pompey Bum]

Aye. How can you not love someone named Wassily?

The smell of pipe tobacco?

[North Star]

nay

Peaty Whisky?

[Calidore]

Nay, I can't get past the stagnant-water taste.

Peppermint schnapps?

[bounty]

im a teetotaler, but even when I was a kid, I liked the smell of peppermint schnapps. and I do like the word "schnapps." maybe it would work well as impromptu cologne? but otherwise, nay....

fruit flavors in beer?

[Calidore]

A small splash of Rumplemintz in a mug of hot chocolate is wondrous.

Aye to fruit flavors, but nay to beer. Just like peaty whiskey, I don't like the fundamental beer taste no matter what's done with it. I have the same problem with coffee as well.

Spicy chocolate?

[North Star]

E: Aye to spicy chocolate

Nay, unless it comes from the malt, yeast & hops. A big aye for e.g. the banana aromas of wheat beer.

Riding a bike on icy, snow-filled roads, with wind and snow hitting your face?

[bounty]

totally aye north star! I went to grad school in Minnesota and rode back and forth to campus year round. loved it!

ive never had or heard of spicy chocolate. whats typically in it?


watching cycling on tv?

[North Star]

Nay

Listening ice hockey on the radio?

[Lykren]

Nay to most spectator sports in general, with the exception of chess with a good commentator.

Clever meter and rhyme or propulsive, provocative unrhymed verse?

[North Star]

Aye ;)

(Propulsive and provocative before clever)

Finnegan's Wake

[Lykren]

lol whoops.

Aye, I trust Joyce.

Schoenberg?

[North Star]

Most definitely. Love pretty much all of his oeuvre.

Webern?

[Calidore]

ive never had or heard of spicy chocolate. whats typically in it?


It's basically a bar of very dark chocolate with some cayenne pepper blended in. Tasty and has some zing.

[Lykren]

Most definitely. Love pretty much all of his oeuvre.

Webern?

No :( sorry... I'd go see a performance of Wozzeck if I had a chance though, out of curiosity.

Buying local over Amazon?

[tonywalt]

local, experience is better.

Abstract expressionist art?

[Pike Bishop]

Absolutely...it's the most dynamic painting genre (alongside Post-Expressionism)

Fusion Jazz?

[Lykren]

We've done that one. S'okay though; for me, no except Rothko. Not something I know a whole lot about, so it could change.

Foodies?

EDIT: nay on fusion. Foodies?

[Pike Bishop]

We've done Fusion Jazz?

My question was: Fusion Jazz?

[Lykren]

i meant we've done abstract expressionism. Nay on fusion.

Foodies, though?

[North Star]

No need to apologize for not liking Webern.

Nay on Fusion Jazz and Foodies

Local instead of Amazon et al.: Nay, apart from food. Not much to choose from in local shops, and prices are too high


Berg VC?

[Pike Bishop]

Nay on Fusion Jazz as well. Foodies are fine with me if they have other things to say...and yea on Berg.

Confessional Poetry?

[Lykren]

Just depends on whose. Mostly no, though, but I do admire Plath's Ariel stuff a good amount.

the unimpeded advance of information tech?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay. Too many civil rights conflicts.

Drones flying over and videotaping children on private property?

[Lykren]

YES

Uh, no.

Free love?

[Pompey Bum]

Only if you can't afford the other kind. :)

Artificial sweeteners?

[North Star]

Artificial sweeteners: only if you can't afford the other kind

Jackson Pollock?

[Pike Bishop]

Aye, Aye, Aye

Ornette Coleman?

[Pompey Bum]

Artificial sweeteners: only if you can't afford the other kind

Heh heh. :)

Infected splinter or overbearing narcissist?

[bounty]

i like to think overbearing narcissist because everyone is in need of god's love, but at the moment ive had my fill and so im sufficiently motivated enough to say infected splinter instead.

a cool crisp autumn day after a brutally hot summer, or a warm spring day after a brutally cold winter?

oh wait---this is aye or nay!

a hot summer day even if you don't have water around to go into?

[Pompey Bum]

Aye!

Being a show off no one likes or being a community member some like and some don't?

[NikolaiI]

Aye; love them.

A hot winter day?

[North Star]

E: A hot (above freezing) winter day is always nice.

A warm spring day after a brutally cold winter. But then again, I live in Finland, and brutally hot summers are rather rare.
But, aye to both ;)

is rap music?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay!

Hollow chocolate Easter bunnies with yellow sugar eyes?

[Lykren]

There's a little rap that's good, at least!

Yes!

Getting love without being able to return it?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay, bad both ways.

Single or married lifestyle (if no experience, guess)?

[Lykren]

I guess married, but not my mother's marriage, please!

Is shyness a form of humility or vanity?

[Pompey Bum]

It can be either, or it can simply be politeness.

Do you call people you don't know Sir/Ma'am/Miss?

[Lykren]

Nope. Feels weird. Rude, almost.

In the final analysis, is there a final analysis?

[Pompey Bum]

Ask me later.

Ouija boards (for fun)?

[Lykren]

I don't quite see the point, but The Changing Light at Sandover sounds interesting.

Pastels?

[Pompey Bum]

For Southwestern architecture and women's undergarments, okay.

Mardi Gras?

[Lykren]

Noooo, pastels on everything, haha.

I don't like crowds, so nay.

Birthday parties past, say, the age of 12?

[Pompey Bum]

I don't like crowds either.

Yes to birthday parties. Adults need to be nicer to each other.

Women in combat?

[Clopin]

Sure, let them at it.

Don't ask don't tell (regarding homosexual recruits to the military)?

[Lykren]

Nobody in combat? If Clopin is right and gender is not socially constructed, and women are less prone to violence, then ONLY women in combat :)

Do you collect favorite quotes?

EDIT: No to don't ask don't tell.

[Pompey Bum]

No, but they're in my head whether I like it or not.

And no to don't ask don't tell. So the guy's gay. Deal with it, soldier.

Which is more attractive (in women): long shapely legs or a big bust?

[Lykren]

Legs, though lately my appreciation for large busts has grown.

Not telling your kid they're smart to make them feel good?

[Clopin]

Bust, I don't care much about legs (as Jerry said "I have legs")

So AYE to bust, anyway.

Embonpoint (women)?

[Clopin]

Legs, though lately my appreciation for large busts has grown.

Not telling your kid they're smart to make them feel good?

Of course I would tell my kid they are smart haha, I tell that to most kids when they get something right.

[Lykren]

Embonpoint (women)?

Really just depends on the face.

Can you easily define an art object?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_philosophy#Art_object s

[North Star]

Aye (not really ;) )Something that has been created or presented in order to create an aesthetic experience, and possibly additionally to make people think of some issue.

Birthday parties are always a good excuse to see friends and family without a coffin.
Pastels on Degas works, and some other places.


Degas?

[Clopin]

Big aye to degas.

Matisse?

[Lykren]

Aye but not a huge one (sorry, stluke, if you see this).

Wyeth?

[Clopin]

Enormous aye to Wyeth

Cezanne?

[Pompey Bum]

Wyeth not?

Patti Smith?

(Sorry: Aye to Cezannne).

[Lykren]

Enormous aye to Wyeth

Whoop whoop!


Wyeth not?

NO??!!

Yes to Cezanne, no to Patti.

Hopper?

[North Star]

^'Why not' probably means aye.
A big aye to Hopper (smaller than the below two, though).

Nay to Patti

most certainly Cezanne and Matisse (and Wyeth too, although not in the same screaming schoolgirl manner)

Paul Klee?

[Clopin]

lol I think Cezanne really sucks.

[Pompey Bum]

Of course "Wyeth not?" meant Aye. Haven't you figured out how my lame puns work, Lykren? :)

Yeah, Paul Klee is okay.

Argyle socks?

[Lykren]

^'Why not' probably means aye.
A big aye to Hopper (smaller than the below two, though).

Nay to Patti

most certainly Cezanne and Matisse (and Wyeth too, although not in the same screaming schoolgirl manner)

Paul Klee?

Oooh, I was thinking typo.

We're not schoolgirls about Wyeth... not that there's anything wrong with that!

I like the world argyle so yes.

Emotionally sensitive people, provided it isn't outright absurd?

[Pike Bishop]

Really just depends on the face.

Can you easily define an art object?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_philosophy#Art_object s

Lykren, you've already claimed "artworks do not respect dictionaries." So, if you really believe that, you would not believe art could be defined, described, or critiqued in any way with words. So, your asking such a question is hypocritically contradicting yourself...unless your answer is "no" to that question.

Andy Warhol?

[Pompey Bum]

Emotionally sensitive people, provided it isn't outright absurd?

Not the emotionally affected ones. We're all just as sensitive, we just don't all have to take it to the social marketplace.

The strong, silent type as a male paradigm?

[Lykren]

Paradigms are for people who can't handle fluid complexity (though maybe that's all of us :( ). So no to them on principle.

You really think we're all equally sensitive? Not to the same things, though, right?

Somewhat relatedly: Hiding your feelings, thereby making yourself feel worse, to prevent an equal decrease in someone else's mood. Aye or nay?

[North Star]

Nay to Warhol.


Somewhat relatedly: Hiding your feelings, thereby making yourself feel worse, to prevent an equal decrease in someone else's mood. Aye or nay?
Nay, you feeling worse will probably have an even worse effect on the other person's mood in the long term.

George Inness?

[Clopin]

Not the emotionally affected ones. We're all just as sensitive, we just don't all have to take it to the social marketplace.

The strong, silent type as a male paradigm?

No thanks, most of the guys I like are fun.

And biggest nay possible to Warhol though Pike has me blocked.

[Lykren]

Nay to Warhol.


Nay, you feeling worse will probably have an even worse effect on the other person's mood in the long term.

George Inness?

Hmm, maybe you're right.

I had to look Inness up, but seems interesting, so aye.

Odd names for people?

[North Star]

Nay for odd, aye for uncommon names.

Was Sickert responsible for the Jack the Ripper murders? :D

[Lykren]

No, Alan Moore was/is! Haha.

From Hell?

[Pompey Bum]

No, though I have been to Detroit.

Brown rice?

[North Star]

Aye, although I'm more a potato, perhaps pasta, person.

Norman Rockwell?

[Lykren]

No. You like him, North Star?

Hemingway?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay to both.

"Lyin' Brian" Williams

[Lykren]

I refuse to care :)

Sex during menstruation?

[Pompey Bum]

Ah! Well, it's kind of personal, but I've been menopausal for years.

Buying tampons for a girlfriend or wife?

[Lykren]

:)

Of course.

9543

aye or nay?

[Lykren]

Er, did I cross some line?

[Pompey Bum]

I think it was the menstruation remark. :)

Nay, I'm not fond of women whose boobs are bigger than their heads.

Inu Yasha?

[Lykren]

...the manga? No, don't care for manga.

Sleeping really late into the morning? 11 or 12?

[Clopin]

Aye.

Waking really early, to get a lot of things accomplished?

[Pompey Bum]

Aye, been there, done that.

No the anime.

[Lykren]

Oh, well, I don't like anime either. Some weeaboo I am.

I only wake early to get ready for fun trips.

No boring ones.

Chatting with strangers over little things, i.e., you see them playing chess if you play chess, if they're wearing something cool, reading a book you like in public, etc.?

[Clopin]

Nay, but sometimes I do it anyway.

Whitewater rafting?

[Lykren]

Done it once, exciting, but too cold and wet.

Cheese danishes?

[Pompey Bum]

Oh, well, I don't like anime either. Some weeaboo I am

It's actually the only anime I've ever seen. It's used to be on twice a day in Taipei, once In Japanese and once on Chinese. I watched the Chinese dub to try to work on my listening skills. I hated the English-language dub, though. Inu Yasha sounded like a pissed-off surfer dude. He was more detached (though still basically an angry Middle School student) in the Asian versions.

And damned right, cheese Danishes.

Westerns?

[North Star]

Aye for Westerns

Romantic comedies?

[Pompey Bum]

No, I'm afraid not. Greek or Roman poets?

[Pike Bishop]

Aye for Westerns

Romantic comedies?

Nay, nay, nay...except The 40-year-old-Virgin

Justin Timberlake?

[Pompey Bum]

Romantic comedies?

No, I'm afraid not. Ancient poets (besides Homer and Virgil)?

[Lykren]

I think only you, of the people on the games threads, have read the originals.

But I've enjoyed a number of translations of Sappho, and a small collection of Pindar and some other Hellenes was nice too. So aye, and don't laugh.

Hayao Miyazaki?

[Pompey Bum]

But I've enjoyed a number of translations of Sappho, and a small collection of Pindar and some other Hellenes was nice too. So aye, and don't laugh.

Oh I'm not laughing. I'm sure you've read Ovid, too.


Hayao Miyazaki?

Like I said, the only anime I've seen (he did anime, right?) is Inu Yasha, and that just for language practice with the dub.

If you were teaching about Sappho to Middle School students, would you mention that she was gay?

[Calidore]

Absolutely. Princess Mononoke is still my favorite anime film (though I haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle or anything after it yet). I remember Nausicaa being a terrific manga as well.

Lone Wolf & Cub? (Manga, films, TV series, any or all)

[Lykren]

Oh I'm not laughing. I'm sure you've read Ovid, too.



Like I said, the only anime I've seen (he did anime, right?) is Inu Yasha, and that just for language practice with the dub.

If you were teaching about Sappho to Middle School students, would you mention that she was gay?

Yes Miyazaki headed an animation studio. He's very very good, actually.

I haven't read Ovid :(

Yes, why not?

don't know what Lone Wolf and Cub are, so I'll pass that question on.

[Pompey Bum]

Why not = parents :(

But no frowns about Ovid. Like me with Genji, it is a beautiful sea that awaits.

I'm afraid I don't know anime at all, Calidore, so which do you suggest?

[Lykren]

Why not = parents :(

But no frowns about Ovid. Like me with Genji, it is a beautiful sea that awaits.

Defy the system, man!

Good point. Ovid is on my list of course; just about 100,000 pages away...

Acting silly? Really silly?

[Pompey Bum]

Another question, though not aye or nay. What anime would you recommend that I can find on youtube?

Also, what was the name of the guy who established the genre in the sixties--the guy who did Astro-boy and Kimba the White Lion and Gigantor? I saw all of those (and others like Speed Racer) when they first came out in America.

[Lykren]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dME8uvdM8o

A classic TV show. Dubbed unfortunately. But if you have no problem watching copyrighted material on youtube, why do you have a problem pirating the same material? ;) :D

I'm not finding any Miyazaki on youtube though.

[Pompey Bum]

Acting silly? Really silly?

Of course! I was also a HUGE Monty Python fan long before most Americans had ever heard of them. Even before their TV show came on over here.

Um, well, public TV or NPR?

[Lykren]

NPR but I don't like either much.

Scrabble?

[North Star]

E: Haven't played scrabble. Would like to, though.

I haven't read the classics yet either, partly because I don't know whether to read them in English or Finnish, as I don't think I'll ever learn Latin or Greek well enough to read the originals.
Also haven't watched anime, I tried a My Neighbor Totoro some time ago, but it was too, well, anime for me then. I recall liking Spirited Away when I saw it some years ago.
And I'd certainly not avoid mentioning that Sappho was a Lesbian.

Poker?

[Pompey Bum]

Thanks. :)


But if you have no problem watching copyrighted material on youtube, why do you have a problem pirating the same material? ;) :D

I only have a problem with downloading it, and it is based on the well established "Other Woman Principle": looking is not the same as taking. ;-)


NPR but I don't like either much.

Good answer!


Scrabble?

Nay. Like chess, I've never played. I've never been all that into board games.

I should probably ask this one when Clopin is around, but: allowing college students to carry concealed handguns on campuses?

[Pompey Bum]

Poker?

I used to play in my 20s, but I didn't like lying: I didn't like what it seemed to imply about men and people in general; and I've long since abandoned all forms of as gambling stupid sucker behavior. So nay.

Same question about arming college students.

[North Star]

I should probably ask this one when Clopin is around, but: allowing college students to carry concealed handguns on campuses?
Nay. The likelihood of the weapons being used to defend the students & staff from an outside threat compared to the likelihood of random shootings is minimal. I'd certainly never teach somewhere where I might get a bullet for not giving top marks for each student.

E: Modigliani?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay. The likelihood of the weapons being used to defend the students & staff from an outside threat compared to the likelihood of random shootings is minimal. I'd certainly never teach somewhere where I might get a bullet for not giving top marks for each student.

Yeah, plus--I don't know what kind of judgment freshman have in Finland, but over here...

Still, I'd like to hear if Clopin has a civil liberties take on it.


Modigliani?

Aye. Love his nudes and their facial expressions.

Should tax money go to art projects?

[Lykren]

No. I don't think money should go to art at all, really.

Argue with me! Prove me wrong! Please! Because I love art but I feel guilty because it's like, useless and it doesn't seem to add value to most people's lives.

Does having professional therapists around contribute to society's well-being?

[North Star]

^^Freshmen over here have much better judgement than in the US, for the age difference alone. Not nearly good enough to trust everyone with gun, though.

Art doesn't seem to add value to most people's lives? Did an architect design any buildings nearby? People with memory loss react to music they've heard ages ago, and beautiful pictures on hospital walls make the patients recover faster. The fact that most don't seek out art in their daily lives doesn't mean it's useless or doesn't add value to their lives. If it wasn't for Ansel Adams, would there be any nature left in the United States?

Of course professional therapists help, by treating those who genuinely need therapy to function at all, and by the discoveries made in researching their minds they help normal people.

Henri Rousseau?

[Lykren]

I guess...

Aye.

Sam Cooke?

[Pike Bishop]

I agree with North Star on both guns on campuses and art. As to the guns issue, having an armed citizenry in public places is dangerous and terrifying enough; having an armed student body ready to shoot at every frat party fracas or emotionally charged breakup is insanity. And if anyone thinks having a classroom full of people shooting at a shooter is a justification for each insanity, they should re-examine realities of ballistics and the average shooting abilities of a college undergrad.

As to art, North Star covered a lot of the examples of its necessary place in our lives, so I won't give any more examples. We are, though, inherently artistic beings who--since our advent--have needed to express ourselves artistically in one or more of a plethora of mediums, and we are also inherent art appreciators with an appetite for art's beauty and sublime as legitimate as our appetite for food and water, if not as dire. And governments, for it and its citizens sake, should fund the Arts for the same reason it funds libraries and schools: to make our nation a happier, better-informed one.

Yes to Rousseau; I'm not a huge fan, but I'd take him over any Impressionist.

Mark Tobey?

[Pompey Bum]

Sam Cooke?

Well, he wasn't really part of my experience, but I do remember as a really little guy, my babysitters listening to Twisting the Night Away.

Gray smudges as censorship for nudity on the news?

[Lykren]

Nah, nudity's not a public menace.

Buying stuff on Black Friday?

[Pompey Bum]

No way. Those bastards can give me money. (I told you I was a bad consumer).

Tails (on a tux)?

[Lykren]

No, but I've never worn them, they just seem awkward.

Harpsichord?

[Pompey Bum]

Sure, I love harpsichord music.

Organ music?

[Lykren]

A little overwhelming at time, but sure.

French horn?

[Pompey Bum]

I don't like organ music. Too many childhood church services. But French horns are sublime.

Situation comedies (on TV)?

[Lykren]

No? I never watch TV really, though.

Mountain climbing?

[Clopin]

Another question, though not aye or nay. What anime would you recommend that I can find on youtube?

Also, what was the name of the guy who established the genre in the sixties--the guy who did Astro-boy and Kimba the White Lion and Gigantor? I saw all of those (and others like Speed Racer) when they first came out in America.

Miyazaki for anime films, they are literally all good. Spirited away is his best, but I would also recommend:

My Neighbour Totoro (Iconic movie, cuteness and whimsy mask what is actually a fairly dark premise)
Howl's Moving Castle (Not beloved by critics, but I love the animation and art style, the dub is great too, unfortunately it gets a little preachy)
Princess Mononoke (Beautiful film, overboard on the preach, but that's how Miyazaki is)
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (Preach city, but watch the trailer, it's an interesting world with a lot of beautiful animation)

Okay and as for series available on YouTube I would recommend the following.

The Tatami Galaxy
The series has a fun artsy style and the premise is pretty unique. A freshman in college attempts to reinvent himself through clubs, social activities, working out, etc and ultimately fails each time. In every episode he spends his first two years of college chasing a "rose colored campus dream life" and when he fails the clock goes back and he starts over again with something else.

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Giant aliens periodically invade Tokyo III while a secretive defense organization fends them off with... what else but giant cyborgs piloted (reluctantly) by fourteen year old kids. One of the most iconic and well known series ever, the plot is complicated beyond belief and the ending is so awful the director received a stream of death threats until he remade it with the film End of Evangelion. A story more about personal struggles with depression, social anxiety, sexual timidity and parental issues than with giant aliens or monsters, he also bankrupted his studio and the last five or so episodes are noticeably marred by poor animation quality and editing.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes
This one might be your jam, a long space opera based on a series of short novels (never translated into English) and one of the most critically acclaimed series of all time. It's politically deep and mulls over a lot of questions about human society, nations, nationalism, how to govern a state, how a democracy should function and why democracy is important among others.

Two factions exist in space, The Galactic Empire, an autocratic state ruled by a Kasier, and the Goldenbaum dynasty which has existed for five hundred years, now on it's last, decadent legs. And The Free Planets Alliance, an offshoot of rebels who escaped the Empire and run a democratic society. These two are fighting a sort of hundred years war, on and off, with no end in sight.

There are two main characters, one from each side, on the FPA you have:

Yang Wenli
A history student who enrolled in the army to pay for school and ends up as the alliance's star admiral and commander of their most successful fleet. He staunchly believes in governing society through democratic rule and refuses every opportunity of power. Pompey you once said that sometimes a democratic society means working hard for change which you know you won't see in your lifetime, so I think you would like Yang, who embodies this principle; if he can't win his war by acting through legal channels as ordained by the constitution written by his country then he doesn't want to win it. A thirty something year old bachelor/slob, who drinks a lot of alcohol and tea, and whose greatest ambition is to come through the war in one piece so he can retire, the character is also funny and charming, and the voice acting is actually brilliant.

And the imperial main character is:

Reinhard Von Musel
An ambitious and talented young man (based very clearly on both Napolean and Alexander the Great) born into a family of destitute nobels. When he was young, his sister (who he has sort of a weird obsession with) was taken as a concubine for the Kaiser and he has sort of borne a grudge ever since. Other incidents in his youth (such as witnessing the rape of a common girl by a nobleman) caused him to further dislike the Goldenbaum dynasty and system of nobility itself. He was promoted on a combination of merit and the favour owed to his sister by the Kaiser and is so heavily unpopular with the old guard nobility that their battle plans often include using his fleet as canon fodder. A political maneuverer and genius admiral, Reinhard is somewhat less likable than Yang, he embodies the autocratic system of government in the series. Throughout the show he enacts a lot of very good changes, but he's still a tyrant, and some of his actions are less than savoury.

So basically you have an autocratic empire with a very strong leader versus a rather realistic democratic state. There are incidents in both societies which raise moral questions; when Reinhard is fighting a civil war with the high nobility he intercepts plans they have of nuking a small planet of farmers (population two million) and instead of stopping this attack he and his advisor decide to let it happen so that the common soldiers in the high noble army will lose their will to participate and abandon their leaders, and the war will be won without expending many millions of soldiers, or even taking a few more years. When Yang captures a key strategic point, the Alliance council of leaders vote against negotiating a favourable peace treaty and instead vote to send an enormous invasion fleet into imperial territory; because their polls show they won't win the next election without a major wartime victory very soon.

The score is also entirely classical music with lots of Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Mahler, if you're into that.

Planetes
Hard science series about a sort of tech company in the near future, the main characters are all astronauts who work in the lowest paid and least respected section of the company; debris collection. It's mostly a lighthearted show with a romance story, but there's some drama in later episodes when the main character tries out for the crew of the first manned expedition to Jupiter, and a terrorist organization (concerned with the welfare of the poorest on Earth) attempts to halt the mission.

Trailers...

Evangelion (note, do NOT watch the dub)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d8w1bVAHZ60

The Tatami Galaxy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GpctdMcHhUw

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (crappy, melodramatic, low quality, fan made trailer, still shows off more of the series than the real trailer)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3nPc2DBe9tk

Planetes (trailer makes it look more dramatic than it is. Under absolutely no circumstance are you permitted to watch the dub)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zosnCjiXKbU

End of Evangelion
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk72E4qgEng

Ghost in the Shell (film, not series, cyberpunk, transhumanism and discussion on what makes consciousness and experiences real, this movie heavily influenced every aspect of The Matrix, if you have seen that)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SvBVDibOrgs

And concealed handguns on college campuses? I think no, but it doesn't really matter, I don't think someone carrying would be more likely to go on a shooting spree than someone who just brings one from home one day. Accidents would be my concern.

[Lykren]

Wow, Clopin. Wow. And you accuse ME of being a weeaboo? Let's have some intellectual integrity around here.

[Clopin]

To cover my own tracks I accuse people of being things I already am.

[North Star]

No mountain climbing for me, although I'd enjoy the scenery.

E. E. Cummings?

[Lykren]

Also I don't remember Evangelion being complicated beyond belief.

EDIT: Cummings is good but not a favorite.

Hiking in the early-morning mist?

[Clopin]

Well it's pretty complicated, maybe you have really good comprehension or something.

Hiking in the morning mist is aye of course, mornings are seriously amazing and I wish I were awake for more of them.

movie theatre popcorn?

[North Star]

EDIT: Cummings is good but not a favorite.

Hiking in the early-morning mist?
Correct answer ;)

E: nay to movie theatre popcorn, albeit the smell is not so bad if you have some too. ;)

Hiking in the early-morning mist is lovely, but so is being outdoors at sunset.

Frasier?

[Lykren]

I think Frasier was funny when I watched it. Popcorn is nice with jalapeño, which they sometimes offer.

Professional academia?

[Clopin]

Nay to professional academia, though I guess it has its place.

And no tax money to fund any art project or artist of any kind, ever. I don't even understand questions like that, how can the role of government be so confused? Why would anyone be forced to pay for another persons conception of art? That is so crazy.

Working in a restaurant kitchen?

[Lykren]

And no tax money to fund any art project or artist of any kind, ever. I don't even understand questions like that, how can the role of government be so confused? Why would anyone be forced to pay for another persons conception of art? That is so crazy.

Whoo, we agree! Now let every other member of the forum descend on us. You can argue, I'll be watching K-pop.

No to working any job besides poet. Haha.

Anna Netrebko?

[Pike Bishop]

Creating art and enjoying/appreciating art isn't just vital to the rich and some of the middle class; it's important to everyone. Without government grants, funding, and/or scholarships, most poor Americans with artistic talent couldn't afford to develop it or afford access to films/museums/concert/ballet performances and have great art in their lives. Since access to creating art and appreciating it is vital to all, it is as much the government's responsibility to--through our own tax dollars--support such creation and appreciation of art for all of its citizens as it is to provide its citizens education, a police force, and other civil services.

If we can outlandishly over-finance our military to please weapons companies, provide billions in subsidies to oil companies, and give the obscenely rich billions in tax cuts, we can certainly support our society's poorer artists and provide all of our citizens with art of many mediums for their personal and our societal betterment.

[Pompey Bum]

Anna Netrebko?

Aye. Pretty hair.

Sweat lodges?

[Lykren]

Aye so long as they are filled with gorgeous women.

Table tennis?

[Clopin]

Nay, at least not playing it, I don't mind watching it during the Olympics oddly enough.

Badminton?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay. Croquet?

[North Star]

Aye.

Soccer?

[Clopin]

Oh poor choice, badminton is real fun.

Croquet I've never played but it I've read a lot of Calvin and Hobbes so I think I have a pretty good idea of how it works, aye.

Miniature Golf!

Nay to soccer, I never feel like watching a bunch of guys stand on a field for over an hour and not score any goals.

[Lykren]

Nay to soccer, you have to move body parts other than your hands over a wooden board.

EDIT: YAY to mini golf.

Supermarkets?

[Pompey Bum]

As opposed to hunting? Sure.

Speed dating?

[Clopin]

As opposed to hunting? Sure.

Speed dating?

For me? No, I need time. Plus I'm not into "dating" in the colloquial sense (men get the shaft here, and I don't feel like playing), and I'm definitely not paying for anything so yeh, no to speed dating.

Online dating (as in you meet online and then meet in person - NO, this is not an offer, or a hint, to any of you)

[Lykren]

What's your #, Clop'? ;)

Agreeing to go on a date formally at all?

[Clopin]

Aye, definitely.

Asking someone out (in public, in person)?

[Lykren]

Never again!

Are teeny basilisks cool?

[Clopin]

If you're referring to the "Jesus Lizard" then yes, they are very cool. I used to really love reptiles when I was quite a bit younger and owned some Anoles and a Tokay gecko, the Basilisk is one of my favourite lizards.

Snakes as pets?

[Lykren]

Fo' shiz! Haha my mom is terrified of them.

Eating lots of Altoids?

[tailor STATELY]

Aye... especially the choco covered ones.

Popcorn at the movie theater ?

[Lykren]

Been asked somewhere else but yes if interestingly flavored.

Getting tickled?

[North Star]

In general, not a fan of being tickled, but in the right context, aye..


Isn't this (http://www.therichmondgolfclub.com/history/wartime_rules/) just the greatest thing?

[Lykren]

Neh?

The idea of having books uploaded into your memory to be read in the mind's eye on any occasion?

[North Star]

There are paper and e-books already, good enough for me.

Klimt?

[Pompey Bum]

Aymt.

Spraying for mosquitos?

[Lykren]

An enthusiastic aye! Not the golden phase in particular though.

EDIT: Kill the damn bugs.

Richard Avedon?

[North Star]

Aye.

Atget?

[Lykren]

Mmmmmm. Not opposed but not wildly enthusiastic either.

Aubrey Beardsley?

[Pompey Bum]

Sure. Girls who would used to have Beardsley posters in their bedrooms back in college.

The Pre-Raphaelites (just for fun)?

[North Star]

A big aye for the Pre-Raphaelites, and for Beardsley.

Boucher?

[Lykren]

Yes but also not a HUGE fan.

Bouguereau?

[North Star]

I admire his skill, but am not a fan.

van Dyck?

[Lykren]

Uh huh. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Anthony_van_Dyck_-_Five_Eldest_Children_of_Charles_I_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)

Mushrooms?

[North Star]

Mushrooms?
Sure, particularly a Gyromitra esculenta sauce with meat or salmon even. And prepared properly, as it's extremely poisonous. Boletus edulis (porcini) too. Both from the wild, not shops, mind you.

van Eyck?

[Lykren]

Oh yes!

Chile verde pork burritos?

[North Star]

Haven't eaten them but looking at a recipe, aye.

Cooking without a recipe?

[Lykren]

Haven't eaten them

My poor lad... I had no idea... haha ;) we have some damn fine Mexican restaurants down here in the sun!

Without a recipe? I don't believe I ever have, and it probably would not be successful.

The word 'hella'?

[North Star]

Oh, definitely the word 'hella' - it's a word for a kitchen stove in Finnish ;)
Not that keen on the English word, but it has its place in the vernacular.

The word 'anfractuous'?

[Lykren]

Ha! I know that word! But only because Proust (that is, the translators) has used it twice so far. Yes, I like it.

The word perlocutionary?

[tonywalt]

aye.

doing "quote marks" with your hands. (someone has to admit liking it, because many people do it).

[North Star]

E: Not a fan of doing quotation mark gestures. One can suggest that with alteration of tone, or using words.

Aye, and I've seen it before, and the roots are familiar. Had to check the meaning, though.

The word timesome? (yes, it is a word)

[Lykren]

Aye, cutely quaint feeling, once I looked up the meaning.

Noam Chomsky?

[North Star]

Not too familiar with Chomsky's linguistic theory, but aye.

piaffe, v.?

[Lykren]

Nay, looks silly.

Peoplewatching?

[North Star]

Nay, looks silly.
That's why it's so descriptive :) (To strut ostentatiously, parade)


Peoplewatching?
The Desmond Morris book on bodylanguage? Looks interesting. A nice word too.

Trainspotting?

[Lykren]

Nay, boring.

Sleeping 12 hours in one night?

[North Star]

Nay, boring.

Sleeping 12 hours in one night?
The movie isn't that boring, though.

12 hours is a bit much, 10 hours is probably the longest I might sleep if I was really sleep deprived. But that's an age thing, in my late teens I recall sleeping for 13 hours once. But again, this is personal, and depends on how much of your sleep is deep sleep. I'm usually good if I get 7 hours.


Aurelius' Meditations?

[Lykren]

Aurelius' Meditations?

Pompey?

[Clopin]

Nay to Pompey ;)

Lykren?

[Pompey Bum]

Aurelius' Meditations?

Nay. Roman emperors ought to write in Latin.

Aye to Lykren.

Saying "iconic" when all you mean is "famous"?

[Lykren]

Nope. People mean it to imply that famous and good are the same thing, and as we all know, I'm too hipsterish not to feel threatened by that.

Tantalizing mystery?

[Pompey Bum]

Iconic is such an odious term. And lazy.

Of course! Life is but the interface of history and mystery, is it not?

Using "epiphany" to mean anything other than "a manifestation"?

[North Star]

Iconic is a fine word when used properly.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Rublev's_saviour.jpg/220px-Rublev's_saviour.jpg

No to other uses of epiphany.

Icons?

[Lykren]

Aye - they're mysterious.

The resurrection of Ancient Greek religion?

[Pompey Bum]

Nay. It's more fun once you acknowledge it as bullsh*t.

Fairy Ballads?

[North Star]

Aye for fairy ballads.
But how religious were the Greeks - did they really believe in that stuff?

[Pompey Bum]

It's a very complicated question. The simplest answer is that people believed in different degrees of literality depending on socioeconomic status, philosophical inclination, and to a degree individual variability. But almost everyone believed that the gods existed in some way; including the Epicureans; and even the early Christians (who thought they were demons).

And aren't Fairy Ballads cool?

Use of the term "game changer" in any capacity whatsoever?

[Lykren]

When Clopin traps his own rook, yes.

Indonesian food?

[Clopin]

When Clopin traps his own rook, yes.

Indonesian food?

Haha

And I say iconic and will defend it as different from famous as a matter of DEGREE. Pewdiepie is famous, Mila Kunis is famous, Ashton Kutcher is famous and Marilyn Monroe is iconic, as is Humphrey Bogart.

Never tried Indonesian food that I know of.

Fast food?

[North Star]

Fast food when in a hurry, or perhaps before Easter..

And Ashton Kutcher is infamous rather than famous.

Tchaikovsky's 1st PC?

[Lykren]

Nay.

KIDDING

Aye.

Sideburns?

[North Star]

There's a new recording of the Tchai PC1, based on the composer's original version, unlike the edited score that has been heard usually. It sounds very interesting, in a good way. And it doesn't hurt that it's coupled with the Proky 2nd PC, one of my absolute favourite pieces of music. I'm sure you'd enjoy it - Prokofiev wrote it after the death of a very close friend of his, so it's extra cheerful ;)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Prokofiev-Concertos-Kirill-Gerstein/dp/B00S6EN28Y

Nay for sideburns.

Did you know they're actually named after a mr. Burnside? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideburns

[Lykren]

Nay sir, I did not.

I will try to check that out!

Bison meat?

[North Star]

I haven't eaten bison meat but I'd certainly give it ago, so aye.

BLT?

[Lykren]

e'ery day.

Do you take compliments well?

[North Star]

Sometimes one may take me by surprise and I might be baffled by it.

Same question.

[Pompey Bum]

I'll let you know when I get my first.

Do you flirt for fun?

[Lykren]

I flirt with the exclusive aim of making myself look like a fool in public, with the added bonus of alienating whatever woman I'm talking to! Never fails.

Same question.

[North Star]

I can't say I flirt for fun, no.

Blue cheese?

[Lykren]

Big aye.

Gruyere?

[North Star]

Big aye.

Rye bread?

[Lykren]

Nay.

The taste of vinegars?

[North Star]

Vinegar is great for seasoning cucumber, and as an ingredient of salad dressing. The taste of undiluted vinegar isn't pleasant, though.


Abstract art?

(some (https://www.flickr.com/photos/janacekian/13758460183/) of my attempts (https://www.flickr.com/photos/janacekian/11011018033/))

[Lykren]

Broken links my friend! Try again?

(I am perversely attracted to strongly vinegary foods)

[North Star]

The links work for me, and they're not private. https://www.flickr.com/photos/janacekian/13758460183/ & https://www.flickr.com/photos/janacekian/11011018033/

[North Star]

The question stands, regardless of the links. :)


Abstract art?

[Lykren]

They work now, and hey, they are very pretty, especially the second one! You are very skilled.

9550

Aye or nay?

[North Star]

They work now, and hey, they are very pretty, especially the second one! You are very skilled.

9550

Aye or nay?

Thanks. I have quite a few photos on flickr, do see them if you're interested.

Is that your work? The picture has some artistic quality, but it's not that well balanced, with the top being so much darker than the bottom.


Annie Leibovitz?

[Lykren]

I'm not a big Leibovitz fan, though I appreciate her technical strengths.

Yes that is my work, and yes it is quite unbalanced :( I had other versions from the same session on an old hard drive once, but uh, while playing chess on the internet years ago I got really angry and smacked my computer across the room and that was the end of that. About 20,000 photos gone.

The smell of oranges?

[tailor STATELY]

Aye... and their blossoms

Cool rainy nights? ................ we have rain !

[Pompey Bum]

As long as I'm warm and snug, I'm quite fond of them.

Pistachios?

[Calidore]

Big aye.

Black licorice?

[Lykren]

Naype.

Abstract strategy board games?