The Question-Answer Game - Page 81  

Italy

How long does it take you to commute to work?

35-40 minutes each way with no traffic.

What podcasts do you listen to?

Just educational ones from universities.

As you get older what do you think is going to fail you first, your hearing or your vision?

My hearing was slightly impaired, no disability though, since kindergarten, so I guess the eyesight is next on the list

What was the most unusual workplace/job/profession held by you in the past which you eventually enjoyed?

When I was young I got a part time job as a barman in a lap dancing club which I enjoyed very much. In fact I still have dreams today that I still work there. Happy days.

If God appeared to you in your dreams and told you leave everything behind and travel to the Red Sea and become a fisherman, would you?

Of course. Instantly. But I'd need a 5 million dollar deposit in case it doesn't work out as he planned.

Same Q

Nah, probably was just a weird dream. If God has something to tell me, he'd better say it while I'm awake and sober.

Same question...

Okay, I'm going to give this one a go - I'd say yes. I have a feeling that if this were to happen, it wouldn't just be a "hint", it would be loud and clear, dreaming or not.

On a more earthly note, do you watch golf on TV? eg. the Masters this weekend?
( I don't, to me it's like watching paint dry with a bit of very quiet commentary, almost whispering, and little bits of polite applause, not for me! but yesterday, when I was out and about, I heard plenty of little snatches of conversation about the course in Augusta )

Totally agreed. For me, golf = paint drying. I respect the game, and have enjoyed the few times I've played, but I just can't maintain interest in watching it.

Which sport do you find strangest to watch? (For me, it's curling. I always end up feeling like an idiot, rooting for or against friction​, of all things. )

“Rooting for/against friction”. Red, that’s funny. Giggling here.

I think American football is pretty strange, actually. Just these quick intense bursts of action followed by mind numbingly long, boring analysis.

sq.

hurling

Which sports personality do you admire?

I can’t think of any.

What sports do you yourself play regularly?

These days, I just run. Used to be a keen tennis player though and would like to take it up again.

What does love feel like ?

Euphoric and vulnerable at the same time.

For a person you deeply loved, would you be willing to move to a distant country knowing that you would never see your family again?

No. Would not do this

What decade of music are you nostalgic for?

70s glam often.

sq.

The 60s

Which musical group which is no longer around, do you wish were still together?

The 60s

Which musical group which is no longer around, do you wish were still together?

None that I can think of at the moment. I don’t usually like them as well when they get back together. It’s just not the same. You can't get the ones who’ve died back together, not on this side of the fence anyway.

Name a favorite song from your favorite decade. Post a link, if possible.

The early 1970s Ian Matthews/Michael Nesmith version of "Seven Bridges Road"--the best version in my opinion, with the Eagles version as runner-up. (view the YouTube Rita Cooledge or Dolly Parton versions for a different but excellent pair of renditions)



Same Q!

The Walker Brothers - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eAxC...feature=fvwrel

Would you rather live in a condominium in a large city or a house out in the country?

House in the country.

Would you be willing to kill an innocent person if it permanently ended world hunger?

Never

What is the driving force in your life?

Double post

Double Post

Curiosity.

sq.

More knowledge

How spiritual a person are you?

Spiritual, maybe yes, but beyond any usual definitions of the word, to be more precise: I simply enjoy and am determined to direct my spirituality in more unconventional ways (to enhance, by means of spirituality, my ability to learn, to work, to focus, to befriend, to communicate etc.).

What is the most comforting musical piece for you and why?

John Dunbar Theme by John Barry because it totally relaxes me.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your political acumen?

1.5. Although I consider myself a pretty good judge of character, I am not political at all. Political machinations go completely against my grain. And I despise lies and evasion.

sq

I'd say about an 8

If faced with a dilemma of a personal nature, how do you choose or reason what to do?

I would weigh the pro and cons but ultimately I'd do whatever is the right thing and what I would consider my duty .

How often do you let your heart rule your head ?

Enough to get into trouble now and then

The book you have read and enjoyed the most?

Les Misérables - Victor Hugo, I've read it several times. I also re-read The Stand by Stephen King every few years.

If you won a contest and had 15 minutes to choose and keep as much as you could carry in any one department -( except for fragrance and jewellery ) in a high end department store, which department would you pick?

Are watches considered jewellery? If not, then watches. If so, then ladies' shoes sized 41 because thats my wife's size.

same Q

Ahem. I'm not sure which store it was, but one of them has an Apple vending machine.

Whatever store and department that's in!

Unusual building materials - which one would you prefer to live in? Stone, adobe, glass/steel, log, underground, or.....?

(Stone, adobe, or log for me).

Stone for me?

Which historical event really peeks your interest?

My guess is that because many people here don't really care about the circumstances involved.

Of these two - Freestyle wrestling or Greco-Roman wrestling?

Yet, isn't it intriguing that there wouldn't be a "here" had they not been there? It speaks long and large about how certain people and certain countries live in complete ignorance of reality, be it historical or otherwise, doesn't it? Not to be outdone, they see fit to merrily do so in arrogance, in complete disregard for those to whom they owe their very existence, preferring to remember them for pop-culture myths, like the Queen's famous quote which was never uttered and in fact was nothing other than merely a rhyme from a popular anti-royalist folk song of the time, "Let Them Eat Cake!" Fascinating, such disregard for History. Ah! But those who pay no attention to history will see it repeated: This has been proven over, and over and over again.

I've no interest in any kind of fighting. I wouldn't spend a nono-second of my free time thinking about fighting as sport.

Of these three, Socialism, Fascism or Absolutist Monarchy?

Wouldn't choose any of the above repressive systems.

Which monarch alive or deceased do you admire?

Richard The Lionhart (King Richard the I)

Would you accept $500,000 dollars to leave your home country and never return?

No, can't imagine living anywhere else. Traveling, yes. But never to see my city again? Noooo!

SQ

Nope.

What is your least favorite regular household chore?

Cleaning the bathroom.

If you were captured and been held by terrorists which one of these heroes would you want to be sent to attempt a rescue:

A. Captain America

B. Jack Bauer

C. James Bond

D. Chuck Norris

James Bond (original)

Who is your hero?

I think because the Americans have lionized the Marquis de Lafayette, who actually fought in the war and without whose support Americans could never have won their independence, instead. So many places in America are named in his honor, and not only places but people, too (though probably not today). One of my ancestors was named something Lafayette somebody. He was a GREAT hero to the Americans. If you visit the early founding fathers homes, or even the Capitol building in Richmond, Virginia (designed by Thomas Jefferson) you will always see a bust of the Marquis de Lafayette. I suppose he stole the thunder from the monarchs of France in the hearts of Americans. Of course, he could not have done this without permission/approval of the French monarchy, so I dont know why he is the recognized as our French support (and there are others) and not Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI. But that is how it is. Perhaps the Americans were in no mood for gratitude toward monarchs at that time.


None of us would be here if it werent for our forebears going back tothe beginning of time??? It amazes me that we are here at all. History, as they say, is written by the winners, not the losers of wars. And history is revised all the time, and people just accept as factual whatever they read online or watch on a TV mini series. People generally dont care about studying history, real immersion in history about real people, extraordinary people and extraordinary events, they just want it in little glossed up bits for titillation. This has become increasingly the case, as far as I can see. I dont know what it is like in history departments in Academia, just what I observe in the general population around me.

My hero today is the Marquis de Lafayette.

Do you think you could put your life and property, not only yours but your closest loved ones as well, on the line for liberty? Presuming that you had these to lose, and it wasnt a fight because you had NOTHING to lose. Could you do that for an ideal?

Don't think so.

Which magic trick that you remember having seen performed as child fascinated you?

How telling. This clearly betrays, does it not, a complete lack of understanding of the word "Freedom," as, when in slavery or bondage, there is no such thing as "personal possessions."

When I was a lad, we spent quite a bit of time in the month of August, at our summer home on the coast: "Ocean Front Property." Not far, there was a pier. On this pier, there was a kind of "Playland," a permanent carnival. One of the attractions was called, if I can translate concisely, "The Ape Girl." It was a show that you sat and watched, in a kind of theatre. In it, there was a woman chained up and behind bars, who was clearly real and alive: Over the curse of the show, which was narrated, this woman turned slowly hairy, and grew. Then, once she had quite literally turned into a guerrilla, she broke free of her chains, and was then seen frolicking about in the cage. The narrator was then in a panic. Shortly there after, this Guerilla, via some 3-D effect my sister and I still can't sort out, violently breaks through the bars, and jumps out at the audience, sending it in entirety very earnestly screaming in terror, escaping the theater. My sister and I still marvel about how this could have been done. This pier was blown down in a near hurricane strength storm in the mid Eighties, so it is no more.

Has anyone ever heard of or tried "Chicken Fried Steak?" I ask because it was mentioned to me in a joke recently. I didn't believe there could be such a thing: Is there?

Yes, it is a classic southern country dish. Some kind of tough cut of beef (maybe soaked first in something to tenderize it?), pounded flat with a mallet, and then coated in flour and fried in oil like chicken, therefore called chicken fried steak. I remember it from my childhood, but I don’t think anybody makes it anymore. I’m not sure.

Have you ever eaten a hush puppy?

Many times but not one of my favorite foods.

How important is it for you to instill cultural traditions within your family?

I *love* chicken-fried steak! In fact, I had it last night. The Amish and Mennonites around here serve a lot of classic American dishes like that, and do a fantastic job of preparation. It's dead simple, but requires a good recipe to really stand out from the crowd. It's generally served with a white, black-pepper gravy. Yesterday's had a yellow/brown herb gravy unlike any I'd had before - quite awesome. I guess I've become a redneck connoisseur of the stuff. My wife usually gets liver and onions at the same places.


I've been a bit relaxed about it. Personally, I think that instilling common virtues found in lots of different cultures is more important. My son has his own cultural interests, and he does a good job of self-management, so I have pretty much let him find his own path. But I'm quite OK with people preserving their cultures, as long as they are respectful of others. Diversity is meaningless if there isn't any!

Same question!

For me it was important as I wanted my children to know the values that were shared by their grandparents as immigrants to a new country, but at the same time to learn about and respect other cultures and traditions.

Whether a parent or not yet one, do you want or would you want to have the same relationship with your children as you did with your parents?

I was more engaged with my children than my parents were with me, and they are even more engaged with their children

On average how many hours of TV do you watch in a week?

Absolutely. I have a great relationship with my parents and hope to have the same one with my kids.

Which historical figure do you despise, but agree they had a profound effect on there cause, country etc.. in a way that people do not recognize?

Khomeini

Which existentialist writer's work that you have read is among your favorites?

Simone de Beauvoir


How much water do you drink? And how do you filter or dispense water in your home? Are you a plastic bottle buyer? Any water philosophy to share?

Can't really drink still water, for some reason it makes me feel sick. Also I try not to drink straight from the tap, but my cat thinks otherwise. According to her there's nothing better than a tap water, especially from dirty dishes

What's your favorite thing to drink?

I drink lots of water. I have one of those Brita water filter pitchers; I fill it up and put it into the fridge. I like the quality of the water from the tap, but I do it because i like really cold water. And my logic was "since I'm putting it in a pitcher, why not use one with a filter?" I think people take the water thing far, far too seriously. I buy bottled mineral water sometimes, but that is because mineral water doesn't come out of the tap.

What is your favorite celestial object?

Hillaire, I had this water answer ready but was pokey getting it ready, so here is my answer:I drink a lot of water Hillaire - and my sons do too. We have a water well here, and the water is wonderful, the well is slow but steady, thank goodness. ( we had trouble with it awhile back, and had to "pull" the well, replace leathers, etc. quite the commotion ) I don't buy individual plastic water bottles at all, it makes me crazy when I see so many people buying huge flats of them, their carts are full. I can see the need for it if there's a dire emergency - tornado or hurricane warnings, etc. Here, we have the very occasional tornado warning, but other than that, I can see few reasons for buying so many. The occasional bottle, I can see, in a pinch. When we were having trouble with the well, I did buy a few of the large refillable types, and I would use those. I still have them stored, just in case. - that water well problem last year was actually a real pain in the butt, I guess you could say we were "fortunate" that it happened when there was snow on the ground since I would go out and bring in pails of snow to melt for flushing the toilet, and having good old fashioned sponge baths. I can hardly tell you how happy I was the day the well was back in service. I appreciate good water!

Favorite celestial object? The Moon. It endlessly fascinates me how much the moon affects everything. I sometimes even find myself kind of daydreaming about the moon and the tides, the moon is something I can almost feel.

Have you ever fantasized or wondered what it would be like to live in a converted barn, church, or other building originally used for some other purpose? ( I've always wanted to try out a lighthouse )