26 Questions

These questions were first brought to my attention on Tracey Lynn Tobin’s Blog, No Page Left Blank, in this post titled 26 Questions No One Should Answer.

1. If you could get away with one murder in your lifetime without any legal, social, or emotional repercussions, would you kill someone?

I have been an Emergency Medical Technician since 1998, so I have obviously seen people who are deceased, or in the process of dying.  Sadly, I have also seen many scenarios in which a person can get either seriously injured, or killed, including murder and suicide.

So, as far as I am concerned, murder might be construe, at least in the medical profession, as a result of ones failure to act, or ones willful decision not to provide life-saving medical treatment or intervention with the intent that withholding such intervention causes death or disability.

Would I personally be capable of such an act?  Absolutely not, as I have the utmost respect for all people, regardless of their circumstances, unless of course, they made an attempt to cause me or one of my co-workers harm, in which case I might lose most of my high regard for that individual, but I would still have an obligation to provide care.

Given the option of absolutely no legal, social, or emotional repercussions, I might be capable of it only if I were faced with an individual whose death would be directly beneficial to the betterment of society.  Such a person might be, for example, someone who is truly evil, or someone who has caused great harm to others for their own personal fulfillment.

There was one time, years ago, that I had to provide medical care to someone who had killed 12 people in cold blood.  This particular individual contributed nothing to society, except for pain and suffering.  So if I were able to withhold care, or cause this person to die, without any consequences, then, maybe perhaps it might be possible, though I don’t think I could ever conjure up that level of malice towards another human being.

I don’t know. Maybe.

2. What is your first thought when you receive a message, are you excited for the idea of someone from potentially the other side of the world wanting to talk to you or fearful that someone will criticize you?

As a writer, I have gotten used to getting communications from all parts of the world, both of praise, and unfortunately, utter condemnation for my writing.  I am excited to be getting such a message in the first place, and part of the excitement is not knowing what the person has to say.  Fear doesn’t enter into the equation so much as disappointment and/or self-doubt when someone rips-apart something that I sent a lot of time and energy writing.

3. Have you ever looked down on someone because you thought your religious views were superior?

First of all, I don’t claim modern religion, so if I had to state my religious beliefs, I would say that I’m Wiccan.  I don’t feel as if my beliefs are superior to those of any other religion, however, I feel that most religions are put into place to control the way people think, act, and live.

In other words, if someone is able to think for themselves, hold themselves accountable for their own actions and decisions, and see the world for what it really is, through what we have discovered, scientifically, that most of the religious rhetoric is just useless.  Throughout the ages, there has always been, and always will be an ongoing power struggle between the scientific community and the religious one.

4. Would you rather know everything the universe has to offer but in exchange lose all emotions or remain the way you are now?

Loss of emotions is sociopathy, and there is absolutely nothing the world or universe could ever provide me with that would make this trade even remotely worthwhile.  Emotions are part of being human, and lack thereof simply is not human.

5. If you could live and be healthy without sleeping or eating/drinking, which would you cut out of your life?

I could easily give up sleeping.  I’ve always been one who never feels productive enough, so if I no longer needed to sleep, I can only imagine how much writing, photography, and other creative pursuits I would then be able to accomplish.

6. If you could take on the exact body and form of anyone else on Earth, who would it be?

David Beckham.

7. Would you rather burn or freeze to death?

On the account that as an EMT, I have unfortunately seen people die in both of these ways.  Freezing to death would be the preferred way to go.  Burning to death is never quick, and obviously, never painless.  When someone burns to death, they experience unimaginable pain, suffering, and obvious impending doom.

Freezing to death involves gradual stages of impaired mental function due to hypothermia, then confusion, numbness, loss of consciousness, and eventually a coma and death.  In other words, it is far less painful, and once the body reaches the point of impending doom, the victim is too confused to really have any sense of reality anyway, so it would be much better than burning up.

8. If it meant it would solve all world hunger, war, disease and bigotry, would you spend the rest of eternity in Hell?

Sorry, it may sound selfish, but no.  The worlds problems, including hunger, war, bigotry, and likely even disease prevention and control are all problems that are rooted in politics.  As such, if the world leaders could come to some sort of agreement, or even some sort of fair compromise, we could all make this world a better place.  Every day, I see something that is being done that could easily be done differently for the benefit of mankind.  Be it donating left over food to the hungry, or donating gently or never used, no longer wanted items to the less fortunate.  Instead, I see corporations causing unnecessary waste, poverty, and pollution in the name of profits, and it makes me sick.

9. Was the first crush in your life something you had or something someone had on you?

I remember being age 7 or 8, and going down the street to have a play date with a girl who was my age.  As I recall, we would typically spend time together playing, and often times we would go play in her small tree house in the back yard. Growing up in New York City, the back yards were quite small, and almost always fenced-in.

On a handful of occasions, we would play dress-up.  Her mother had some ties to the theater in New York City, so there would always be random costumes or props in boxes in the hallway.  We would often put on children’s costumes and make our own role-play scenarios.  At the time, I was too young to understand love, crushes, sex, etc., though I clearly remember finding her to be the most amazing, interesting, and overwhelmingly gorgeous girl I had ever met.

It was no surprise for me to find out a couple of years ago that she became a professional model who travels the world with her husband.

10. Could you live without having sex ever (again) in exchange for eternal youth?

For eternal youth?  No, it wouldn’t be worth it, based on what I observed my father going through in the years before he passed away.  He lost all of his closest friends, as well as his one surviving sibling, his sister.  I saw how much it hurt him, and I could never imagine being alive forever, even in youth form, losing all those who become close to me, over and over again.  Sorry, but I could never do that to myself.

As for giving up sex…  Sex is a very natural part of being an adult.  It would have to be something absolutely incredible, and completely out of this world to even consider such a trade.

11. Have you ever watched a full length pornographic movie?

The first time I saw a pornographic movie was when I was age 12, and spending the night at my best friends house.  It just so happened that my best friend at the time had borrowed a porn movie from another friend, who had borrowed it from a friend, etc.  It was all very sketchy how he managed to acquire such a movie in the first place, considering that we were both around age 12 at the time.

The movie was filled with scenes of white women having sex with black men.  The acting was terrible, as were the situations that were being portrayed.  It was unlike anything we had ever seen before, and my friend and I were quite immature at the time and couldn’t really comprehend exactly what was happening, so we just laughed at the television.

After the first few scenes, we got bored and turned off the television set.  My friend then told me that he had already had sex with a girl, but I didn’t know her, and that she went to another school.  He told me it was awesome; better than sex is portrayed in pornographic movies, even.  I knew he was lying, but I never told him.

As of yet, I have never seen an entire pornographic movie, start-to-finish; only a handful of scenes.

12. The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?

The Rolling Stones, but not by much.

13. If you could have the ability to manipulate matter or energy, which would you choose?

Matter.

14. What was the worst nightmare you ever had?

I have had so many, it’s difficult to say which was the worst.

15. Would you rather spend one year with your one true love just to never see them again or the rest of your life with second best?

Anyone who has ever seen the movie Doctor Zhivago knows that one simply cannot ever let go of their one true love, despite whatever animosity, or obstacles come in their way, and one will always peruse their one true love to the ends of the earth no matter how much the odds of finding their true love are stacked against them.

The bottom line is that I’m not one who can be alone, at least when it comes to a relationship with someone.  So in the end, I’d have no choice than to settle for second best.

16.  All the sequels/remakes/adaptations/rip-offs in movies nowadays, good or bad?

They’re good, I guess.  I really do not have enough evidence to support a decision at this time; pop culture is really not something I keep current with.

17.  Would you rather be dirt poor and emotionally fulfilled in life or be rich beyond imagination and emotionally dissatisfied for life?

I would absolutely rather be poor and emotionally fulfilled than to be rich.  There is way too much focus on capitalism in modern society.  And to make matters worse, the current trend is to put profits over the well being of people.  I blame corporations mostly, though capitalism is the root of the cause.

18.  Do you have any (secret) feelings of bigotry to any group of people?

I don’t judge by group.  Unless you’re part of a gang, terrorist group, or a serial killer, chances are I will not judge you.  I judge people individually, on a case-by-case basis.  Some people have gone out of their way to irritate me that I have absolutely no recourse but to dislike them.  Judging people in groups simply because a large number of individuals from that group has caused you to dislike them is always bad form.

19.  Would you rather be the only person in the world that can read minds or have everyone else in the world be able to read minds except for your own?

I would love to be able to read minds, but I would want to have this ability to be a selective one.  I would not want to be constantly bombarded by the thoughts of others.  Yet, at the same time, I would never want anyone to hear my thoughts.

As it relates to question number 18, I believe that because of my constantly high IQ scores, I am smarter than most in the general population, and as such, I pick out all of the stupid things people say.  I’m constantly asking myself why I always seem to be surrounded by idiots.  I definitely would not want anyone to read my mind if I were thinking these negative thoughts.

20.  If everyone in the world would automatically only know one language, which language would you choose?

This is a difficult question to answer.  Any rational person would likely say that their native language is the obvious choice.  However, although this is the obvious choice for me, it right not be the right answer for everyone.  French and Spanish is a mess, and Asian languages can be quite complex.  English has its own rules and regulations, which may be confusing, even for native speakers.

Perhaps Latin would be a good choice.

21. If you were old enough and not in a situation where it would be inappropriate, would you sleep with one of your (past) school teachers/professors?

Absolutely.  That would have been a dream come true for me back in those days.  I had my fair share of very attractive teachers.  And considering that in grades 9 through 12, I attended an all-boys boarding school, any attention from one of my female teachers would be welcome.  In fact, I think that it is every adolescent males fantasy.

22.  A world without religion, good, bad, neutral?

Although most religions are harmless, some religions are extreme, unnecessary, and damaging to society.  Everyone needs something to believe in, regardless of what those beliefs are.

Good religions are harmless, bad religions cause unnecessary pain and suffering.

23.  The men’s rights movement, legitimate cause or laughable, and why?

Men’s rights movement?  That’s the most ludicrous concept I have ever heard of.  On a side note, George Carlin once said, “white people have no business singing the blues ever.”  Keep that in mind.

24.  You can eliminate one of your five senses to substantially strengthen the others, which one and would you do it?

I don’t know if I could decide on this one.  Perhaps I’d have to take my chances and decide at random between smell and taste.  My other senses are just way too vital for my survival and work.

25. Do looks mean anything to you? Don’t lie, could you fall in love with someone you thought was ugly?

To a certain extent, yes, looks are somewhat important.  I’m not nearly as superficial as some other people I know, but unless someone is completely hideous, I think that ones personality tends to obscure some of their less than perfect physical attributes.

26.  Can you understand the mindset and logic used by the opposite spiritual opinion? An atheist understanding the belief in a higher power and vice versa.

I can understand and comprehend religious views, but often times, I think that religion goes too far in an effort to overthrow the scientific community.