ornoth: (Default)
Ornoth ([personal profile] ornoth) wrote2007-06-21 10:21 am

Shave the Whales!

Answers to the “interview me” meme, with questions posed by [livejournal.com profile] lothie. Actually, I didn’t ask to be interviewed, but since she took the time to come up with questions, I figure I orta answer.

I passed on this meme the first time it came around, so I’m not looking to ask anyone else any questions, but if you insist, I’ll do.

What's your opinion on the Tao?
Not much, actually. It’s kinda orthogonal to Buddhism, or at least the southeast Asian Theravadan Buddhism from Thailand and Sri Lanka that I’m most familiar with. The Tibetan, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese forms of Buddhism might have been more influenced by it. But aside from that, I’m nt sure I fully agree in the whole balance idea, although there are aspects of it that do appear in the concept of the “Middle Way”.
 
If you could have dinner with a famous dead person, what would you eat?
Well, they’d probably turn my stomach, being dead and all, so maybe something very light. And they’d probably smell really bad, so something aromatic. Dead people aren’t the greatest companions, or at least so I believe, never having supped with one.
 
What is your least favorite thing about Boston?
Hmmm. Corruption. How hard it is to get some obvious things done. The barriers that people put up and how difficult it is to meet people. The whole car culture; there are several areas of town that should simply be closed to motor traffic, period. The lack of light in the winter and its duration. Those are probably the big things.
 
Spam: evil or food of the gods? Discuss. Give examples.
Spam is pretty useless. It’s 82% fat, and one slab is 750mg of sodium, so it’s basically a death bomb. Fried, it’s really not very appealling. I seem to recall my mother maybe putting it in ham salad back in the 70s, when I actually ate such things. On the other hand, it’s mostly pork, and pork is the food of the gods; it’s just that there are much healthier and tasty ways to get your piggy on than Spam.
 
Any do-overs you'd like to have?
Not many, but a few. I would like to have treated most of my SOs better. I would like to have been more sexually active when I was younger. Those are really my only significant regrets.

[identity profile] f-l-i-r-t.livejournal.com 2007-06-21 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I would like to have been more sexually active when I was younger.

Why when you are younger? Why not just do it now, so to speak?

P.S. I'll be in your neck of the woods, end of this year, start f 2008 onward. Meet for a cup of tea at tealuxe?

[identity profile] ornoth.livejournal.com 2007-06-22 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
Why not now? Well, being a quarter century past my sexual peak has something to do with it...

Fall 2008? Dude I'll be 45 by then!

[identity profile] f-l-i-r-t.livejournal.com 2007-06-22 09:33 am (UTC)(link)
No, coming back fall 2007, but will probably be living in CT by spring 2008 and making many trips to Boston, love it there. And age is just a number, no? I know physically things change a bit but I always find if you have the right mindset everything else follows. *grin*

[identity profile] lothie.livejournal.com 2007-06-21 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think Buddhism is based on the Tao at all; they're fairly opposed in some ways, as you pointed out. I just wanted to know your feelings on Tao given your leanings toward Buddhism.

I was making the assumption the dead person magically was alive, but fine....;)

I'd be interested in what you'd ask me but you don't have to if you don't want to. I asked you because I said "comment here to be interviewed"....

The "Me Me" Meme

[identity profile] hyzathra.livejournal.com 2007-06-23 07:20 am (UTC)(link)
It's so easy to get people to blog about themselves, isn't? Give them half a chance, and they'll spill things you didn't know -- or even know you wanted to know!

I got a couple more questions, if you're still in the mood. If not, feel free to ask them of someone else:

1. If you could abolish one sport forever, which one would it be?

2. The dead are rising and devouring the living. Millions have already succumbed and you'll soon be trapped in your home. What's your plan?

Re: The "Me Me" Meme

[identity profile] ornoth.livejournal.com 2007-06-24 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Have you ever tried to get someone to *stop* talking about themselves? It's damn near impossible!

Abolish a sport? Not sure. Hockey and football are both associated with aggression, which seems silly to promote. On the other hand, baseball takes up a huge amount of time and energy that could be better used elsewhere. Actually, what I'd do is abolish the spectator nature of sport; if you want sport, you should participate in it, not watch it. To me, watching sports without participating is like watching cooking without eating: pretty pointless.

Dead? Well, two thoughts come to mind. The first, which proves my faith in science, is that I'd hole up in the general vicinity of scientists who are most likely to find a solution to the problem. Second, if it came to it, I might consider suicide over fighting and/or losing. But that's just a guess, since I've never been remotely close to such a decision point.

Schwa?

Re: The "Me Me" Meme

[identity profile] hyzathra.livejournal.com 2007-06-24 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Hootular!

Great line about sports, I may use it!