Game: This or That

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

Virgil or Ovid?

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

Ovid.

Norse myth or Greek myth?

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

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

Tales about Charlemagne or tales about Arthur and his knights?

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

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

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

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

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

Oh did I react too strongly to that? :)

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

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

Julius Caesar or Genghis Kahn?

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

Brutus or John Wilkes Booth?

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

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

Girls with toenails painted red or pink?

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

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

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

Same question.

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

Movie theatre popcorn or popcorn made at home?

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

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

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

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

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

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

on a lighter and less grisly note:

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

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

Lady Camilla Whatshername or a bear's *ss?

Oh sorry, Bounty. Mr Howell.

Same question from me.

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

I choose the God damned bear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bbq potato chips or sour cream and onion ones?

Sour cream and onion!

Plain chips or some variety of Cheetos?

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

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

honey mustard onion pretzel pieces or honey bbq frito twists?

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Originally Posted by Clopin

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

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:lol:

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Originally Posted by Clopin

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

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

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

Seeing a Monty Python reunion or seeing a Stones reunion?

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

reeses peanut butter cup or almond joy?

Reeses of course

Almond Joy or Mounds?

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

Fruited chocolate or mint chocolate?

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

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

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

tacos or burritos?

Usually burritos

Salsa or Guacamole?

Guacamole.

Chinese food or Indian food?

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


Mashed potatoes or baked potato?

Baked. Why humiliate it?

Crawfish or steamers (steamed clams)?

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

Crab or lobster?

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

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

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

Really good beef or really good fish?

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

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

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

Living on a houseboat or a fully functional treehouse?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Same question.

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

Borges or Calvino?