Pick a letter

(Found here)

started 1/18/22 11:19 a.m.

2901. have you ever written a letter to:

a friend? of course, it used to be the only way to communicate

a lover? of course, it used to be the only way to communicate

a celebrity? heh, yeah, when I was like 14

congress/house/reps? yeah, actually, but only to ask for tickets for an extended White House (or Congressional?) tour

the president/leader of your country: yeah, I was pretty heated about apartheid sanctions in the day

2902. Why are cigarette companies allowed to manufacture and sell cigarettes when they are so unhealthy and dangerous? Free market. If people didn't want to buy them, there wouldn't be cigs. However, I am very glad they are heavily taxed and that people can no longer smoke inside anywhere.

2903. Do you chat with people in an elevator? I have done. I'm in the Midwest, so it's rarely crowded and mostly things like "slow elevator eh?" or "this you?" when we stop.

2904. What's your favorite Jack Nicholson movie? I actually haven't seen all that many of his movies all the way through, so I gotta go with As Good as It Gets because it was on the TV when I turned it on for background noise while I cleaned, and ended up sitting and crying through it instead of cleaning.

2905. Who should play the part of Superman? Chris Reeve will always and forever be the only Superman for me.

2906. Do you like when your friends and your mate's friends hang out? My "mate's" friends? I'm assuming this means husband, and we mostly have the same friends. Although these days, we are so merged when we're together that it doesn't really matter who we're talking to.

2907. Doritos or Cheetos? Crunchy Cheetos, not spicy.

2910. Do you brush your teeth three times a day? Three??  No way! I brush at night and occasionally in the morning if my mouth is feeling disgusting in the morning.

2911. Should I stop making questions with multiple parts and just count each actual question as a question? Honey, you do you. I'm just the passenger here.

2912. What gives your ego a boost? Finishing an ugly project or task. An unexpected compliment. Hugs from a loved one.

2913. What knocks your ego down? Mostly my own expectations. People talking behind my back in obvious ways.

2914. Live and let live or live and let die? I'm far too lazy to actually kill anything.

2915. What do you think of Damien Hirst's art piece Mother and Child, which is half a cow in formaldehyde? Never saw it before I just Googled it. It's actually half a cow AND half a calf...in separate cases. In science class, I would be fine with it; as art? Hmm, not sure and definitely unwelcome if I wasn't warned.

2916. Why is it that 70 percent of Americans Do Not want to go to war with Iraq and yet we are going to war with Iraq anyway? Wow, this is old, and please don't ask me why the hell we spent 20 years killing people ("them" and us) in Iraq or Afghanistan. I haven't the foggiest. I hated it.

Is this democracy? We never had an actual referendum on the war(s), because Congress knew we'd shut it down. So, no. But again, geopolitics is complicated and I hate war of any kind.

2917. Imagine you have two choices of what life you can live:

One: You are provided with meals, medicine, clothes and shelter. You are always with your family. You can lie in the sun and smoke, drink, play, cook, etc.. There will be certain rules you must follow such as no killing, no hurting others, no leaving the commune you were born in, no stealing, no tv, no newspapers and no books.

OR

Two: You are turned loose in the world with nothing. You start out cold and hungry. You may stay cold and hungry forever but you also have the opportunity to try and make a life for yourself. This will take a lot of hard work and there is no guarantee you will ever live comfortably.

Which life do you choose? WHY? You lost me at "no books." The other options looks equally awful. Can I just opt out?

2918. Why is there no 'Mr. America' pageant? There is. It's a bodybuilding competition.

Should there be? I mean...I'm not a big fan of imposed "ideals" of any kind.

What qualities would YOU look for in a Mr. America if such a contest were to exist (like Miss America he would have to be a role model)? I'm not likely to be the best judge of something like this. I would judge on kindness and nice eyes.

2919. If something offends you do you feel that it has no right to exist? Oh Lord! After the last 5 years of Trumpdumb, I have often wished certain people didn't exist, but realistically everyone absolutely has a right to exist.

2920. Why do advertisers seem to believe that guys will buy any product that a hot girl in a bikini is sitting next too? Because that's how advertising works. Guys like to look at pretty girls. OK, now to be more inclusive: PEOPLE like to look at pleasant things.

2921. What would you do if your mom had a fight with a male acquaintance and you heard an answering machine message he left her cursing at her, calling her names and being very disrespectful?  So, uhm, "answering machine" is definitely problematic these days. lol 
If I ever overheard a man (or woman) cussing out my mom, I'd light them up. After Mom finished, because she didn't take shit, except at work. Many's the time I wanted to have been at work when some joker started acting up with her, but really? She was surrounded by cops and attorneys, so she was well taken care of without my help. [court clerk]

2922. What do you represent? Books, ironically, since I haven't really be able to read consistently for several years.

2923. What message does ___ send when given as a birthday present:

flowers? Love, or at the very least caring and comfort.

slippers? "Please stop putting your icy feet on me to warm up!"

candles? Either, "your place smells weird" or just "I like this smell do you?"

diamond necklace? Splurgy love. Anytime anyone besides Beast gives me jewelry I feel beholden.

gift certificate? "You're impossible to shop for/I'm really lazy, but this is where I think you SHOULD shop."

cash? See gift certificate, minus the demand that you shop specific places.

books? If they are well-chosen, this person is your soulmate and really gets you.

2924. Have you ever completed a paint by number? Oh, yeah, long ago when I was a kid. Do they even still make these, not online but actual paint?

If yes of what? I think it was a dog. Or maybe a clown? I don't remember. The picture wasn't the point; the individual colors were.

2925. How long has it been since you colored in a coloring book? Over the weekend, while listening to/watching Wine & Crime. 

2926. What have you been caught doing? Nothing much. I'm a good sneak.

2927. Does temptation make you do what you love? Whattt? Not usually. Usually it's the exact opposite.

2928. Do you have an gadgets in the house that you don't know how to use? What? I get rid of things if I don't know what they are nowadays. My basement is quite empty. However, there are things that I know how to use that I don't know what to do with: my mother-in-law's china, model railroad track, scrapbooking stuff...

2929. Do you read the instructions to things or skip them? This cracks me up. I have now reached the point of reading the instructions, forgetting them halfway through, having to reread them about 12 times before whatever it is gets done. You should see me cooking. I can't retain ANY instructions.

2930. Will you ever reach your full potential? I think I peaked about 12 years ago.

2931. Who is your biggest fan? I haven't the foggiest.

2932. Who do you take care of? Beast. And I worry about lots of other people in my spare time.

Who takes care of you? Literally, me. Occasionally Sparky. One or two close friends, once in awhile.

2933. Do you think that lawyers should only argue cases when they feel like the client is in the right? That kind of isn't how the western legal system works. Everyone deserves their best representative in a court of law.

If you were a lawyer would you argue cases when you felt like your client was completely wrong? There are reasons I'm not a lawyer. This is one; I wouldn't be able to work for a creep.

2934. Is it sexy in here or is it just me? I'm bundled up in a snuggie in my recliner right now so not feeling sexy at all. Dunno how you're feeling about it.

2935. You are giving out your phone number to a HOTTIE by writing it on a napkin. Do you write a little note or draw a picture too? If yes, what? I have never once given my number to anyone on a napkin. Nowadays there's this think called text if someone needs my number.

2936. Can you fold paper into anything (a hat, a swan, a boat, etc.)? What? I'm quite good at origami: hats, penguins, planes, other birds (lots of birds), stars, boxes, cats....

2937. How can a girl get a guy-she-is-dating's mom to like her better? Be nice. Treat her kid well. Be patient: she's probably a little jealous of the time you get to spend with her kid.

2938. What is one theory about life or anything that you came up with that no one else has? People, as a species, suck. People, as individuals, are endlessly entertaining.

2939. Do you like answering questions about:

your life? Up to a certain point.

your taste? Sure.

tv? I don't watch much. My TV has been on maybe four times in the last year.

music? Sure, but not current pop stuff.

art? Sure, but I'm pretty much a philistine.

politics? Personal politics, sure. Big Picture Politics, meh.

life? Sure.

religion? Sure. Actually, I love religion questions.

issues? Bless you!

sex? You can ask....

loved ones? Sure, they're all named weird things here, so....

favorites? Sure.

objects? I mean, yeah...?

math? Uhm, sure go ahead but don't expect accuracy.

philosophy? Meh, sure.

hypothetical situations? Yup, those are good.

things that require lots of thought? Yeah, sometimes.

2940. The mortuary science department is having a bake sale. Does this strike you as funny? I hang around with dementia patients. These seems 100% reasonable, and hilarious.

2941. What would you think of a new reality tv game show where real life criminals on death row competed in life threatening tasks for the prize of a reduced sentence? Absolutely NOT!

Did you know that they are considering making this a show? I did not, and I hope by now it is deader than dead.

Would you watch it? Nope.

2942. What was the last song you looked up the words to? I can't remember. It's been a long while.

2943. What Saturday morning cartoons do you like? I never watched Saturday morning cartoons as a kid, and I think I'm well past the demographic.

2944. If anything's possible, then is it possible that nothing's possible? Sure. I'm not in a good thinky space right now, but very agreeable.

2944. What does the T in T-Shirt really mean? It's the shape of the shirt.

2945. Would you alter your routine if there was a sniper in your area? Actually, this week, I'm mostly staying home anyway (COVID symptoms, waiting for PCR result) so it wouldn't matter at all. Even in a normal week, I'm not sure how much my routine would change.

If so how? n/a

2946. Is castration a good punishment for extreme or repeat sexual offenders? I think it's been shown that for the most part, this is not helpful for treating the reasons these folks offend.

2947. If you are a girl have you ever experienced penis envy? I didn't have penis envy, but I remember vividly wishing I were a boy when I was a kid because boys could do more fun things and fewer chores.

If you are a guy would you still want to live if you had to be castrated? Well, I'm not but I don't think ending your life over this is at all rational.

2948. Imagine you are teaching a class of sixth graders. A the start of the year you tell them, "If you come away with class and have learned only ONE THING, I hope that you learned....(finish the sentence) "...how to reason for yourself, and how to be kind to yourself and others." Is that two things?

2949. If you were being interviewed for a job in a clothing store how would you sell yourself to the prospective employers? I wouldn't. I loathe interviews, and retail is emphatically NOT my jam.

2950. How do you stop pop up ads? Ad-block.

2951. You are alone. You take a bus to the mall. The stop is right in the mall parking lot. You window-shop. You don't buy anything. You want to get back on the bus to go home when you realize you have lost all your money. You have no cell phone. All the payphones are jammed with gum. You can not get it out. How do you get the $1.50 you need to get on the bus and get home??? Ask someone for help, and by the way, I would hit up mall security and report a theft.

2952. How long would it take you to organize your bedroom? It feels like it would take about a year, but realistically I could probably get it sorted in a few hours, but it would be a pain.

2953. Make up a nickname for your bedroom: Wind-blown Comfort Room.

2954. What comes after: 

I've got a love-a-lee bunch of coconuts (diddly dee)

There they are a-standing in a row.

Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head... [no clue--don't think I've ever heard anything but the first line]

2955. Where ARE the wild things? What do YOU think? I think they're our innermost thoughts.

2956. You get a six cd changer for the car, only problem is that you know that once you put in six cd's you can NEVER take them out. Which 6 cd's do you put in? Both the Jesus Christ Superstar discs, both the Hamilton discs, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music. But, I'd continue to pay for Spotify, so I'm not fussed.

2957. Let's play Jeopardy. (Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Dooooo-)

I'll give some answers...you give the questions.

Ready? Begin.

The answer is:

Purple What is Donny Osmond's favorite color?

Yellow What is another word for afraid?

Candle What do you light in a church to remember a departed friend/family member?

Pepsi What company came up with the brilliant idea for a clear cola drink?

Peace What is the symbolic meaning of a white dove?

Lisa Who is Bart's sister?

Cotton What crop is Eli Whitney mostly remembered for?

Flag When shown, or flown, upside down it sends the message of "Distress."

42 What is the meaning of life?

2958. Pick a letter.  P

List some great words starting with that letter: podcast, prairie, prayer, please, perhaps, possible, pout, pretend....

2959. Is eight days a week enough to show you care? Sure. 

2960. Have you told your parents you love them today? ...they are both dead so, yeah, I guess, kinda?

2961. What is the difference between a number two pencil and any other kind of pencil? It's an indication of how hard the graphite is.

2962. Have you ever cross-dressed? I used to wear only men's Levi's 501 jeans for much of grad school.

2963. Are we living in a world without end? Depends on your definition of infinity, I guess.

stopped 12:40 p.m.

restarted 4:35 p.m.

2964. What do you think of that couple that was just on the news who kidnapped a 16 year old girl for a week and forced her to be their sex slave? "Just", so like 10 years ago? I think that couple should be in prison for a long time, and pay for therapy for the girl.

2965. Wanna watch a movie about a cheerleading competition? Not so much.

2966. Are you singing in the rain? Not currently.

2967. Should The Sopranos actors have been allowed to march in the St Patrick's Day parade? Don't know; don't care.

2968. Is oral sex. anal sex or regular sex more intimate? I love the concept of "regular sex" as a concept--it makes me laugh. I think the whole intimacy thing is more about the willingness to get naked in front of someone else.

2969. Is it time to switch to decaf? I don't do decaf. Or coffee.

2970. Why is it that the truth hurts? What hurts is the unexpectedness of it. Sometimes it's also the presentation or tone. 

2971. How do you feel about:

ticketmaster? Do they still exist? I don't go anywhere requiring tickets.

scalpers? Get that green!

2972. What are you guilty of? Sloth. 

2973. Have you ever done any of the following in order to catch a buzz or get high:

sniffed glue? nope

sniffed magic markers? I like their scent, but not enough to get high

ate paste? paste, yes; glue, no.

drank Nyquil, Robitussin or any other over-the-counter drug? I loathe the taste of cough syrup, so if I'm swallowing it I need it.

'huffed' (inhaled or sniffed) any kind of fabric softener, cooking spray or other household product? nope

whip-its? I only found out what those are about 5 years ago, and no

2974. What gives you inner strength? I have no idea. Pure cussedness?

2975. ::eyes you suspiciously::Where have all the COOKIES gone? If it's cookies, Beast ate them. I have to dole them out to him.

2976. What is a good gift for someone you don't like so that it SEEMS to be nice but really 'gets' them somehow? This is not how gifts work. If you don't like someone don't buy them anything.

2977. If you don't like the service at a restaurant would you skip the tip? Not these days.

Why or why not? It's rarely the server's fault when things go wrong, and realistically I need to eat to a lesser extent than the waitstaff needs to survive.

2978. Apples or peaches or pumpkin pie? Apple pie, forever. I don't mind peach pie. Pumpkin is a flat no.

2979. What race/nationality was Jesus? Race is a construct. Jesus was a Galilean Jew in 1st century Palestine surrounded by the Roman Empire.

2980. What was one evening you'll never forget? The evening/night that I found Beast on the floor bleeding out.

2981. Name 13 ways to look at a blackbird: nope

2982. Trick or Treat? All about the treats these days.

2983. If you had money to burn, what 'toy' would you spend your money on (think Monopoly game with real money, luxury boat, a train layout that takes up a house, etc.)? If I didn't need to work, the thought of "renting" a suite on a cruise ship for a year....once they're finally back up on the water regularly again.

2984. Are you having trouble with AOL 8.0? Oh Lord, we had dropped AOL like a bomb well before that, I'm sure.

Or if you don't have AOL...have you ever been to a podiatrist? Nope.

2985. If you could write your own ten commandments, what would they be?

1 Be polite.

2 Be kind.

3 Listen more than you talk.

4 Lower your expectations of people.

5 Laugh at everything.

6 Don't worry about what other people think.

7 Take naps.

8 Try new things.

9 Be kind.

10 Be polite.

2986. When people lose weight, where does it go? Ah, the mysteries of the universe....

2987. Your mate/partner/wife or husband/longterm boy- or girlfriend/etc. has SOMEHOW gotten his or her FAVORITE celebrity's attention. Your sweetie has always thought this celeb was so sexy and now the celeb kinda fancies your sweetie as well (although the celeb is not interested enough to stick around for more than one night). Your sweetie wants to have a one night stand with the celeb. Knowing that this is your sweeties one and only chance to bang (or even hang out with) a celebrity (ESPECIALLY their FAVORITE celebrity) you would say: have fun, you two.  I mean the odds of this happening are so tiny these days...

2988. Have you ever seen an Ed Wood film? Nope.

if yes, what one(s) and what did you think?

If no, aren't you curious to see a movie by the person known as the worst director of all time? Absolutely not.

2989. What kind of bread do you like to eat (white, rye, potato, grain, whole wheat, etc)? I'm not all that picky.

2990. Are you emotionally articulate? More than I used to be, for sure.

2991. Does everything happen for a reason? Nope. One can take a lesson/learn something from everything that happens, but I don't think there is a cosmic "plan" to zap people.

2992. Do you take a piece of those you have loved and carry it around forever? Of course. And also of those I hate.

If yes, than aren't they still with you even when you are gone? When I'm gone? Or when they're gone? I don't understand the question.

2993. Is it true that the child is worth ten of the parent? I like the concept, but only up to a point.

2994. Can you think of a door that has closed in your life? Many doors have closed. 

Can you think of a window that has opened? Lots of windows, though they are not open in the winter.

2995. What does this mean to you: 'Necessity is the mother of invention'? Finagling things to make them work is how things are invented.

Do you believe that necessity is also the mother of:

courage? It can be, certainly.

survival skills? Those help a lot in the extremely explicit sense of invention.

independence? It can be.

2996. What helps you to get over a major heartache? Time and tears.

2997. Can you depend completely upon yourself? I do these days, except when I hire smart people to do things I can't.

Have you ever tried? Not by choice, for sure!

2998. How can you tell the difference between the end of one part of your life and the beautiful beginning of the next part? I don't know. I'm still waiting on a beautiful beginning....

2999. Have you ever read any stories by Kate Chopin? Don't think I've read any stories, just her book.

If not, I suggest that you do. I concur!

3000. Do you often make the best discoveries when you really weren't looking for anything (or anyone)? Yes. Blindsided discoveries are my gig.

Finished 5:25 p.m.