Today we ripped off a blogger named Jenni from the blog Juniper’s Jungle. It’s long, so we will do it in parts. She states that she found this meme Budgies blog. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft’s thieves might take some time. Take the time to comment on other player’s posts. It’s a great way to make new friends! Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!
Cheers to all of us thieves!
Jack’s Answers
41. What is a quote that you love? “The worst stab wound is the one to the heart. Sure, most people survive it, but the heart is never quite the same. There’s always a scar. Which is meant, I guess, to remind you that – even for a little while – someone made your heart beat faster. And that’s a scar you can live with. Proudly. All the days of your life.” – Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau), Oz
42. Do you think of pure hate as something humanity created? Having admittedly little understanding of hatred and why it exists, I will guess that pure hate is in fact the creation of humankind. I believe that hate is borne of ignorance and fear, and it is quite possibly instinct or human nature to be afraid of something different, be it a person whose skin color is lighter or darker than one’s own, or a person who doesn’t believe in the same god(s) we do. I can’t say for certain whether an animal such as a dog or a cat holds the capacity for hatred, but I’m guessing that they do not. I doubt that an emotion such as raw, unmitigated hatred, would even make sense to a dog. And cats always seem so damned passive and uninterested in everything.
43. When was the last time you wanted to scream? Probably when my daughter was misbehaving, acting hyper, or talking far too loud for Daddy to tolerate. Rather than screaming, though, I took a deep breath and considered that she was misbehaving because she is a normal child who likes to test her limits. She was hyper because she was fighting sleep, just as I did at her age. She was loud because she is discovering her voice and learning new words daily.
44. Do you ever at times see the world in black and white? Not typically. I am not good at examining abstract topics – I took a single philosophy class in junior college, underperformed and abandoned the field of study altogether – but I also tend not to take a hard-line stance on most situations. I tend to deeply analyze any given issue – some might say overanalyze – and attempt to view things from a multitude of perspectives. Therefore, it’s hard for me to simply adopt a “black or white” position on most issues and leave it at that.
45. Have you ever thought that cell phones are too obtrusive? No. This may be surprising, given how much of an old curmudgeon I must sometimes come off as, but I don’t have much ill to speak of cell phones in general. Sure, some people use them in bad ways; we’ve all been at a restaurant or in line somewhere and had to put up with some vainglorious piece of eye candy talking on her cell phone as though she was trying to be heard over an outboard motor. We’ve all had to deal with the inconsiderate asshole at the movies who answers his phone and begins a conversation while the rest of us are trying to focus on whodunit. But these complaints aren’t against cell phones but rather the people who use them. Generally speaking I appreciate my cell phone as it allows me to stay connected to friends and family, something I greatly value, and any concerns that they may be too obtrusive are essentially a price I am willing to pay for their existence.
46. In your life, where do you thank the rainbow will end? In a bag of Skittles.
47. What is something that you never want to do again? Work for someone who is not myself. Be in trouble with the law. Experience extraterrestrial abduction and rectal probing.
48.When was the first time you realized the world was small? The first time? Probably sometime in the mid-1990s when I began regularly using the internet. Today I feel that people, myself included, take for granted their ability to instantly send an email, or chat in real time – video chat, for that matter – with somebody on the opposite side of the world. But I vividly remember a time when such conveniences were not only nonexistent for the average person but probably not something most of us could even conceive. In the 1980s Skype was essentially Jetsons technology which, along with the flying car, we thought was the stuff of sci-fi legend. More recently, however, our many interactions with all of you – the bloggers who visit our blog, and whose blogs we visit – have shown us just how small the world is. We interact with people from various parts of the world as easily as if we were in the same room. We have enjoyed getting to know all of you. Hey, where’s my flying car?
49. How you spend your time contemplating life’s mysteries? Stoned. Okay, that was a joke. I don’t. Seriously, I don’t spend much time at all contemplating life’s mysteries. Oh, in the past I’ve found myself wondering what happens to all the socks that go missing in the laundry, and I’ve even wondered about the origins and purpose of Stonehenge. But to say that I’ve contemplated these things is a fallacy.
50. Ever discuss your political beliefs with people? Sometimes. I tend not to discuss my political beliefs with strangers, or with people who I know have opposing opinions. I believe that most people are not sufficiently open-minded to engage in civil or intelligent discourse and it is for this reason, and not due to a lack of communication skills or confidence on my part that I don’t feel that I can persuade the average person to see a different side of any given issue. (Despite what my family and friends say, I do not get off on arguing with random people.) I enjoy talking politics with like-minded individuals not because I crave validation, but because it does me good to know that there are rational people in the world.
51. Do you care about the environment? Of course I do. It’s where I live.
52. What’s your motto for life? “Ex pertinacia victoria”, which is Latin for “From determination, victory”. Actually, this is not my motto; I don’t really have one. In trying to come up with a good answer to this question, I discovered the Latin Motto Generator, and in playing around with it, generated this genuine-sounding Latin motto! It’s actually a pretty good expression of my personal philosophy. It may not have been my motto yesterday, but I think it will be my motto tomorrow.
53. Is progress destroying the beauty of the world? Here goes my tendency to avoid viewing an issue in black and white: This is a difficult question to concisely answer. I appreciate progress; I believe that progressing as a society is essential. If we did not progress, we might still be living in caves, sacrificing other humans to the sun. On the other hand, yes, I feel that unchecked progress is decimating the world’s beauty. Much of our rainforests and entire species have fallen in the name of progress. Sometimes I feel that, rather than “progress”, we should use the word “regress” to describe the sort of progress that actually makes the world less beautiful.
54. Do you believe there is life somewhere else in the universe? I don’t know, but I sure hope not. Can you imagine if they’re anything like humans? “First contact” will involve them massacring us en masse, then razing our cities in order to mine our natural resources. Any survivors would be placed in intergalactic zoos and circuses.
55. Would you like to rule a country? Hell no. Look, I understand the allure of power. Small men wish to be thrust into a throne in order to compensate for their size. I do not desire, nor do I need, that kind of power. While I am confident that such power wouldn’t corrupt me, and I suppose that I could use it for good, i.e. to actually better the lives of my subjects, do I really want that responsibility? No, I would rather not be saddled with such a burden. Add to that the fact that, in this day and age, it seems that most people live to complain about the status quo, which refers directly to me and my rule. I’m guessing some disgruntled prick would assassinate me. Yeah, no thanks.
56. Do you believe everything has a purpose? No. I’d love to be able to subscribe to the notion that there is some sort of master plan and that everything in the world is connected. But that’s just not me. With the amount of misery and tragedy we see and hear of on a daily basis, I can’t accept the notion that every occurrence happens for a reason. I can’t accept that there is a purpose when someone sexually assaults and murders, say, a four-year-old girl. I suppose it’s conceivable that the victim might have grown up to be a genocidal maniac, à la Hitler or Milošević, but we still put the killer in prison.
57. Is war ever for the best? Certainly wars can be fought for valid, noble reasons. When a downtrodden people have been oppressed, taking up arms and fighting their oppressors is a much better option than lying down in surrender. In this example fighting may be the only way to change the situation. I do believe that there have been situations where war is for the best, although the cynic in me feels that we have seen nothing but shitty reasons for war of late. And remember the following, immortal words of Bart Simpson: “There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: the American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars Trilogy.”
58. Could you kill anyone in defense of self or loved ones? I hope so. As I stated in the first installment of this meme two weeks ago, I’d like to think that I would take whatever action was necessary to protect myself or my loved ones. But that most certainly doesn’t mean I would do it with any joy or enthusiasm; while I might want to kill the other person more than I want to die, I wouldn’t like the fact that they put me in this position.
59. How do you react to people (Such as Governor Rick Perry) who don’t believe global warming is really our fault? Rick Perry’s an idiot.
60. Does love conquer all? Though I am not the sort of steroid-amped aggro douchebag who looks for a confrontation everywhere he goes, I don’t believe in turning the other cheek. I feel that adopting a passive stance against the slings and arrows of one’s enemies only allows them to trample you.
61. Is euthanasia morally acceptable? Yes. Provided that it is carried out with the informed consent of the patient, euthenasia is morally acceptable. I hope never to find myself suffering from a terminal illness or otherwise so devoid of quality of life that I no longer want to continue living. However, if I ever am in this position, I would like to be able to die with dignity should I so choose.
62. Is world peace impossible? Impossible? Not necessarily. Likely? Nope.
63. Is pride a good or a bad thing? Despite its designation as one of the Cardinal Sins, at its simplest level pride is a very good thing. Pride makes us throw trash in a proper receptacle, and not on the ground. Pride makes us live in clean houses. It makes us brush our teeth, comb our hair, and wear clean clothing. All of these actions have been shown to improve the lives of those who participate in them. However, pride makes us try out for American Idol when we clearly can’t sing and aren’t even interesting enough to be regarded by viewers as “that really weird contestant.” Pride makes us wear a speedo on the beach when we should be wearing a muumuu. Pride makes us post pictures of ourselves on Facebook making that weird duck face that’s totally not hot. Pride really sucks.
64.What do you think is the purpose of your life? To make sarcastic comments and post pictures of my wife on our sex blog.
65. Do you believe in karma? No. I wish I did; I don’t really believe in religion and since Hell is thus out of the question it would be nice if I could at least believe that the jerkoff who cut in front of me in line in the grocery store would at least receive some sort of cosmic ass-kicking when the bagger put his watermelon on top of his bag of tortilla chips. No, in my experience the folks arguably most in need for karmic punishment are the ones least likely to get it.
Jill’s Answers
41. What is a quote that you love? “Are you ready to get fucked?” – Jack
42. Do you think of pure hate as something humanity created? Yes. I once saw two animals fight in a manner so barbaric that I found myself frightened despite the fact that I was watching the fight on television. When one of the animals was dead, the other did not in any way desecrate the body, or terrorize the animal’s mate or young.
43. When was the last time you wanted to scream? When I read this list of questions. Admit it, you did too.
44. Do you ever at times see the world in black and white? No. There are usually two sides to a story, and I am proud of my ability to see the story rationally, understand both sides, and come to a conclusion.
45. Have you ever thought that cell phones are too obtrusive? Not necessarily cell phones themselves, but the obnoxious people who use them inappropriately. I do feel there are certain places where cell phone use should not be tolerated or permitted, such as movie theaters, libraries, and above all, school classrooms. As a kindergarten teacher, yes, I have had to deal with this.
46. In your life, where do you thank the rainbow will end? I have no idea what this question means. On my daughter’s face?
47. What is something that you never want to do again? I was once abandoned in a foreign country by the friends I had come with. While I’ve found myself traveling abroad with people who I could no longer stand, and very much wished that I could ditch, I never actually did it, and besides, I am way too wonderful to deserve such treatment. So I hope that this never happens again. Something else I hope I never have to do again? Answer a list of deep, philosophical Sunday Stealing questions such as these.
48.When was the first time you realized the world was small? When I was orbiting it in the space shuttle. It looked like a little blue marble.
49. How you spend your time contemplating life’s mysteries? If I’m thinking about something deep and mysterious, it means I’m driving, and I’ve finished my audio book or otherwise have nothing to entertain me.
50. Ever discuss your political beliefs with people? No, I don’t. I don’t think the average person wants to debate politics with me. I’m not interested in arguing, and I think that most political discussions lead invariably to argument.
51. Do you care about the environment? Yes. I hope that my grandchildren can live on this planet without having to wear hazmat suits when they go outside to play. I want to do my part to ensure that their childhoods are not drastically different than mine and Jack’s.
52. What’s your motto for life? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, treat people the way I want to be treated, or some other variation of the Golden Rule.
53. Is progress destroying the beauty of the world? Probably.
54. Do you believe there is life somewhere else in the universe? Not really. Maybe there is unintelligent life. It’s an unimaginably large universe and I guess it’s a little arrogant to think that ours is the only planet with life. But I don’t know if I believe that there is an intelligent alien species somewhere, as I imagine they would be known to us by now. I know all of the theories about alien visitors who are supposed to have come to our planet, but I’ve seen enough science fiction movies to know that it wouldn’t be one little gray spaceman in a flying saucer. They would send a fleet.
52. What’s your motto for life? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, treat people the way I want to be treated, or some other variation of the Golden Rule.
53. Is progress destroying the beauty of the world? Probably.
54. Do you believe there is life somewhere else in the universe? Not really. Maybe there is unintelligent life. It’s an unimaginably large universe and I guess it’s a little arrogant to think that ours is the only planet with life. But I don’t know if I believe that there is an intelligent alien species somewhere, as I imagine they would be known to us by now. I know all of the theories about alien visitors who are supposed to have come to our planet, but I’ve seen enough science fiction movies to know that it wouldn’t be one little gray spaceman in a flying saucer. They would send a fleet.
55. Would you like to rule a country? No. I really don’t want the responsibility of ruling a country. As nice as it would be to have subjects who would do anything I ask, I do not want to be in charge of making decisions for other people’s lives.
56. Do you believe everything has a purpose? Yes. I think that everything has a purpose. I can’t say the same for everyone, though. What the fuck is Paris Hilton’s purpose on this planet?
57. Is war ever for the best? I don’t believe in war. I feel that everyone should get along. However, since this is simply not reality, I understand that war is sadly necessary, especially when people are being denied their basic human rights. In this kind of situation, when basic freedom is at stake, I do feel that war is for the best.
58. Could you kill anyone in defense of self or loved ones? Yes. I would fight back without hesitation, and kill if it was the only way to prevent the harm or death of myself or my loved ones. I am not a violent person. Most of the time I believe people are inherently good and I give them the benefit of the doubt. But if you are threatening my daughter, for example, I will do whatever is necessary to remove that threat.
59. How do you react to people (Such as Governor Rick Perry) who don’t believe global warming is really our fault? I hate to generalize, but because he’s a Republican I ignore him.
60. Does love conquer all? I wish I could believe so. It makes a nice slogan and gives us all hope that there can be an end to hatred and war. I appreciate love for the way it makes life better. But I don’t feel that it conquers all.
61. Is euthanasia morally acceptable? When your quality of life has fallen to the point that you can no longer perform basic bodily functions without assistance, you should have the right to end your life on your own terms.
62. Is world peace impossible? Yes. I don’t believe that peace is compatible with human nature. Unfortunately, there are too many in the world who oppose the idea of peace, and unless there is some sort of drastic evolutionary change, world peace will probably never be achieved.
63. Is pride a good or a bad thing? Pride is a good thing. Why would you wake up in the morning if you had nothing to be proud of? Why would you want to go on living? I can’t understand people who don’t take pride in themselves, their appearance, and their work.
64.What do you think is the purpose of your life? I think my purpose is to bring happiness to my daughter and my husband, as well as myself, and to educate young people, something I have been doing for more than fifteen years. I also think my purpose includes having the best sex possible.
65. Do you believe in karma? Yes. Ultimately, I believe – or at least hope – that you reap what you sow in life. If you are a complete asshole, something is going to bite you in the ass.
Enjoyed reading your answers again this week!
Jack’s
#44 – My brain just isn’t wired to understand philosophy. I dropped the course after the second week.
#54 – Don’t forget “getting herded into labs to be dissected and experimented on.”
#63 – The duck face needs to be banned, especially on anorexic teens with greasy-looking hair.
Jill’s
#41 – Best. Quote. Ever.