Aye or Nay?

absolutely aye, I love looking at and using maps---I half think I could have been a geography major.

reading a book almost solely on the recommendation of a friend? (and if you've ever done it, which one(s) and howd it turn out?)

Nay. I never start a book on just one person's recommendation. Part of finishing every book I start is being a bit circumspect about what I'm actually getting myself into.

True crime books?

Aye I am a bit morbid that way, and if they are unsolved, I like to give my views on them

Historical fiction?

I read the occasional true crime, too, Penn--just to keep things lurid.

I like some historical fiction, but I prefer historical non-fiction, and especially ancient primary historians.

Evening network newscasts?

Nay if it is Fox News. They have a lot of imagination and way too much time on their hands...

Peruse Police bulletins?

I'm not sure what that refers to Pen, so I can't answer.

Trigger warnings?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/m...igger-warning/

Not for the reasons mentioned in that article, certainly. Ignoring and not talking about those issues can only make them worse! I suppose that people who experience definite and severe psychosomatic stress due to something like PTSD might be benefited from being warned about something extremely explicit; but again I suspect avoiding the source of pain is not going to be helpful in the long run.

Rooibos tea?

Aye.

Increasing size of smart phones?

I am not a smart phone user, but I do know that small size is desirable for all sorts of our implements. however, I am guessing larger size comes with certain features that smaller phones don't have? or that larger ones are better for certain users? and given that there are seemingly still plenty of small ones out there and people can choose and relatively speaking, they are all still small, i'll give a slight aye to them getting bigger.

rap and hip-hop music?

Nay for me. But aye for having the right to put it out, including gangsta.

Year-round schooling?

i lean towards nay---summers off give time (in theory anyways) for lots of play, freedom, a full time job and other important things students couldn't really do as well if they were in school.

educational vouchers for school choice?

Yes, big time.

Genetically modified foods?

@ Clopin. Simple Do you regularly read the police report in the paper.

It depends on just how "genetically modified" they are


Molecular Gastronomy?

Nay. Eating moles is cruel.

Norman Rockwell?

I have a handful of norman Rockwell books, so aye (and a winslow homer and a Remington one too).

the smell of old books?

You bet. Especially the ones that still smell of my father's pipe tobacco from 50 years ago. Old books are ghosts.

Amazon dot com?

Aye. Do most of my book shopping there

Used bookstores?

Yes, I used them, they used me. It was the 70s.

Electric shavers?

Not for me, but some people seem to like them.

Shaving everyday?

Yes. If I don't I feel like I should knock over a bank or something. And electric shavers suck.

Tom Brady guilty of "deflategate"?

Who? What?

Balsamic vinegar?

God, you're so West Coast sometimes, Lykren. :)

Aye.

Bingo?

Haha, born and raised, baby.

Nay to Bingo.

Tweeter? Titter? Whatever it's called? ;)

Aye, needed for campfires

Flint and steel?

I say aye, and interesting question too---I am a big fan of survivor, and last night, in the finale, two contestants needed to make fire last night with flint and steel in order to stay in the competition. everyone who goes on the show knows the possibility they might be called on to do that, yet it took them almost an hour to do so! and then one person got a flame going but was clueless as to building an efficient fire afterwards. within a handful of seconds, the other contestant got a flame going and despite being behind, was able to build an effective fire, win the contest, and stay in the hunt for a million dollars. it was pretty exciting.

pop songs with heavy falsetto?

Not really, although falsetto grace notes are nice.

French horns?

love French horns...and one of the funniest M*A*S*H memories I have is when major Winchester had his horn run over by a jeep because he was distressing the camp so much by not being able to play it well, and then he had it repaired, but when it was fixed, it didn't have a mouthpiece!

salt on raw apples?

Nay. sounds good, though.

Pomegranate?

The juice is great, but the fruit is too messy.

Gorgonzola?

Haven't had it recently enough to remember what it tastes like, I probably like it though.

Eating food while reclining in bed?

Gorgonzola smells like garbage but if you get a taste for it, there's nothing better.

And of course. If God had not meant us to eat in bed, he wouldn't have made the bottoms of grapes fit into belly buttons.

Electric blankets?

I've never used one, but I strongly suspect nay, I would rather just heat the room.

Debating (in front of an audience)?

Sure. I have no stage fright and I'll do anything in front of an audience that doesn't involve stripping.

Sports cars?

Not for me, I have never been interested in cars, though I can understand the appeal.

Fancy restaurants?

That's more than I can do. My brother digs cars, though.

No to fancy restaurants, but aye to good cheap eats. The pushcarts in Taipei have better food than most expensive restaurants here.

Baking at home?

Sure, if you don't have a problem eating twelve muffins to yourself (which I don't) and I really haven't been able to buy good banana bread in this town, so it has to be made.

Academia?

Of the eccentric, over-educated, bucolic sort, sure. Of the neurotic hyper-competitive narcissistic sort-- I think we've all had enough of that at this point.

Long sideburns?

Haha, not on me.

Alternative facial hair?

Mustache and goatee count?

Colored hair such as blue or green?

aye, but only on rare/special occasions, not as a perpetual fashion statement.

the blending of musical genres and expression? (like traditional country being infiltrated by pop and rock, or rock being played by orchestras).