What is something you don't believe in?

Survey says:
Regret
Although it's been touted highly for many years, I'm not sure I believe in the Cover 2 defense.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE PERSON TO QUOTE?

Survey says:
Douglas Adams
Woody Allen
Ronald Reagan
Winston Churchill
Frank Sinatra
Oscar Wilde

What is your favorite quote?

Boring and overdone by facebook, MySpace and the like though this one may be, I wanted to survey it.

Survey says:

"No matter where you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai.
"Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities." - Mark Twain
"Neither man nor devil can bend or break her. If I smashed every bone in her carcass, she would died shrieking hell at me in defiance." - Frances Hodgson Burnett "A Lady of Quality"
"Love! A biochemical fallacy that usually results in hiring detectives to settle scores. Come on, Harry. You know there's no such thing as love." - The Dresden Files
"So there it is! You're the retarded offspring of five monkeys having butt-sex with a fish-squirrel!" _Mr Garrison, "South Park"
"I am a jelly donut." - FDR

What is your favorite story?

What makes you most nervous?

What is the ultimate measure of success?

Survey Says:
"Happiness is the only measurement of success"
"number of children you can produce"
"that measure in 'Hallelujah' that gives me chills every time."

How would you complete the phrase: "If I were a ______, I'd be ______"?

Survey says:
"If I were a patronus, I'd be a turtle."
If I were a "cowboy," I'd be "at peace."

Analysis:
Good question. Go me.

What is your favorite mathematical symbol/operation?

Why did only one person answer yesterday's question?

Which of your senses would you hate most to lose?

What is your favorite midnight snack?

Survey Says:
Steak N Shake fries
S'mores
Chocolate chips in blueberry yogurt
Bagels and cream cheese

Planes, trains or automobiles?

Survey Says:
Trains: III
Planes: I
Automobiles:

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "nostalgia?"

Survey Says:
childhood-- specifically running down the pavement of my street with no shoes on
pasta?
summer afternoons, various

What place best represents your mood today?

Survey Says:
a secluded pond
foggy london town

If you could choose an inanimate object to represent all of your problems, what would it be?

Survey Says:
A hamster ball
our* Publications
Canada**


*name omitted to protect...well...us.
**not entirely inanimate

What drinking game would you refuse to play?

(RQoD from 9/4/07)

What is your primary motivation in life?

What is something you would never want to see on a refrigerator magnet?

(RQoD from August 29th)

Survey Says:
Old naked people
Pictures of someone's ovarian cyst taken with an endoscopic camera. Oh, wait; too late.


Analysis:
okay, then. I guess I was kind of asking for it with that one.

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE: "I would never marry someone I met _______________________ "

Survey Says:
"."
"while under the influence of romantic hopefulness."
"in prison?"

Analysis:
...

On what reality show would you LEAST enjoy being a contestant/character?

Survey Says:
Survivor (2)
Fear Factor (1)
The Bachelor

How many names do you think the average person has in his/her cell phone contacts?

If you had to merge existing places to create a utopia, what places would you choose?

I have three enormous boxes of styrofoam packing peanuts in my office. What should I do with them?

I know I've been on quite the hiatus, and never fear; I fully intend to return to my previous habit of bothering you with an RQoD every day once my conference is over and I have returned from the west coast with a rejuvenated outlook and a renewed supply of clever questions.

Today's, however, is both practical and relevant, so I will leave you the entirety of my absence to percolate on a solution.

Survey Says:



Analysis:
You'd better come up with something; these things aren't going anywhere, and they aren't biodegradable.

What is your favorite bad habit?

Survey Says:
Playing video games


Analysis:

If you had to eliminate one profession, what would it be?

(RQoD June 13th)

Survey Says:
Executioner
The person in the bathroom that helps wash my hands
Parking enforcement

Analysis:
Huh.

What's cooler than a box of crayons?

Survey Says:
- Customizing your blog with layouts (according to Blogspot.com)

My answer? A box of frozen crayons.

Analysis:
While it's possible that customization of one's blog is cooler than a box of crayons, I'm quite sure it's not the only answer to Blogspot.com's self-imposed question. Hence, today's RQoD.

Can you write a proper Haiku?

Survey Says:

Only if I clap while I'm doing it

Awkward, new keyboard.
How swiftly my fingers move.
Type on hands, don’t stop!

can i write haiku?
i don't know, but i can try.
how's it go again?

This is what I know
a proper haiku to be.
If I'm right, then yes.

Actually yes,
I thought there was more to it,
But I guess there's not

a haiku is done
writing poems is lots of fun
done done done

Analysis:
This was fun!

What's the most exciting place you've ever been lost?

Survey Says:
En route to McDonald's


Analysis:

What were you doing at this time last week?

After a brief hiatus, I bring you today's RQoD which requires, perhaps, a different part of the brain than usual.

Survey Says:
"The same thing I'm doing right now." (4)
"I was preparing for an intergalactic battle involving cheerios and necco waifers"


Analysis:
What exciting lives we lead!

What do you consider to be the proudest moment of your life so far?

Survey Says:



Analysis:

How would you complete the sentence "Someone really should...?"

(RQoD from May 17th)

Survey Says:

Apparently no one liked this question, as I only received one person's responses. Those included:
1) Bring back natural selection.
2) Publish me.
3) Challenge the world to a logic contest. All those who fail will be transported to a locale where they will only have to suffer each other. The New Australia. Maybe those who pass should be moved. There are sure to be fewer.

Analysis:
I like it.

What is the first thing you remember about 1991?

Survey Says:

"slap bracelets!"
"Neon was big"
"January 1st"
"listening to MC Hammer tapes"

Analysis:
this has given me ideas for several other RQoDs.

To how many decimal places do you know pi?

Survey Says:
10
8
7 (2)
6

Analysis:
Really? My friends are clearly not a representative sample of the American population. What do you think?

FYI:
3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510 (according to wikipedia; though the first 20 decimal places were verified by other, slightly more reputable sites).

What is your favorite word?

Survey Says:
"plethora"
"lascivious"
"boooooobies!!!!"
"poop"
"licentious"
"Floccinaucinihilipilification"
"obsequious"



Analysis:
Ironically, I have no words.

I'm doing away with Mondays. With what should they be replaced?

Survey Says:

"Fun Day"
"recess"
"cotton candy"
"Bethesday"
"any day starting with S"
"Margaritas on the beach day"
"Puppies"

Analysis:
...um...

What is something you'd never eat, even if you were starving to death?

Survey Says:
humans (2)
feces (2)
myself (2)
my own heart
insects/spiders
a cockroach or a cat
haggis
brain



Analysis:
not for the faint of stomach...
Honestly. what response did we really expect apart from "ew?"

If you had* an arch-nemesis, who would it be?

Survey Says:
"Lois! She always messes with my plans to rule the world!"
"tighty whities"
"stupidity and humidity are my rhyming nemeses"
"Flaccidtron, the impotence robot"
"Mormons?"
"Keith **, a costume designer from high school"
"Ursula from the Little Mermaid"
"Myself"
"I have a few nemeses...most of them are frat guys"



Analysis:
Another fun one.
* If you already have an arch-nemesis, you are welcome to use him/her/it as your answer. You can also postulate a new one.
** Names omitted. I considered changing them, just for the fun of it, but that might negatively affect the purity of my research.

If you could nominate someone to be the bachelor/bachelorette, who would it be?

Survey Says:
Samantha Jones (from Sex and the City)
Jennifer Lopez
"My sister so she doesn't marry the schmuck she's about to marry."
"My friend Rob because he needs to get some."


Analysis:
This one's mostly funny if you're planning to discuss it with people who all know the same people. But fun to think about nonetheless. Tune back in for tomorrow's question; it'll be a doozy. Hehe. doozy.

What is your favorite insult?

Survey Says:
"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries" ~Monty Python and the Holy Grail (3)
"Yir maw's goat baws an' yir faither luvs it."
"Translation of hypocrisy, profound simplicity, vilely compiled." -Love's Labour Lost
"Yer Mom" jokes (1.5)
"Anything comparing a feature to [my brother]"
Personally, I'm still wavering between "No-talent ass clown" of Office Space fame and "Hoochie McAssFace" from a particularly entertaining point in my undergraduate career.

Analysis:
We're not all that creative, but at least we appreciate a good insult.

What is something you don't remember that you think you should?

Survey Says:
Basic Spelling
"Everything about American history and the founding fathers and all that."
"My senior year locker number"
"The name of the first play I performed in"
"The name of my softball team during junior high"
"My birthday"
"pi to 100 digits"
"To pack socks"


Analysis:
Again, my respondents, you surprise me. I was expecting more of you to take advantage of the paradox, but alas, I learn from my own ambiguity. I thought I might get at least a few "The last time I saw my..." or "the first time I..." stories. And I'm pretty surprised that I didn't get any "that night at the club after my seventh drink..." Not one. I guess we encounter differing definitions of "should" in this case. =) Thanks for playing, everyone. See you next week.

What is the most intense dream you've ever had?

Survey Says:
Parents Dying (2)
"Last night I dreamed that I shot at the tv"
Being chased by the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk
Sex with a celebrity
Abstain (2)
When I was younger, I dreamt of being kidnapped by these uniformed people parachuting from the sky. That was a recurring one that was pretty intense. More recently, I have consistently intense dreams about people screaming my insecurities at me or about not being able to breathe, though I'm not sure which wins the title. I'm beginning to understand the high level of abstention.



Analysis:
Dreams are weird.

What song or song title best describes today?

(RQoD from April 25th)

Survey Says:
What I did for love
Taking care of business
Let me sleep on it (Meat Loaf)
Awful Beautiful Life
Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life
My Own Worst Enemy


Analysis:
It could be worse?

If you could elect any celebrity team to the White House, who would it be?

Survey Says:

Kermit and Miss Piggy
John Stewart and Stephen Colbert
The Harlem Globetrotters*
Arnold Schwarzenegger**
Thing 1 and Thing 2


Analysis:
I live in DC. I have GOT to know more people than that with an opinion on this topic. Seriously, folks.

*The explanation for this choice: "they'd pass their fiscal policy behind the back, shoot the trick shot of political spin, throw the ally-oop of socialized health care, and make an economic slam dunk of epic proportions"
**Not a team

If you could save one species that is currently endangered or extinct, what would it be?

This RQoD is brought to you in part by Earth Day. Also, if you need some options besides "dinosaurs" (which aren't technically a species), here's a list: http://eelink.net/EndSpp.old.bak/ES.lists.html

Also, I've had an allegedly fictional species suggested already, so unless we can prove it never existed, I suppose it counts.


Survey Says:
Brontosaurus (2)
Dodo Bird
Unicorn



Analysis:

What is your favorite "nostalgia toy" from your childhood?

Survey Says:

Cabbage Patch Kids
Loopin' Louie
Commodore 64
Sit-n-Spin
Ghost Busters Ghost Catching Gun
Voltron - METAL
Game Boy

Analysis:
We're old.

If you could bestow one trait upon future generations, what would it be?

Survey Says (so far):

Sense of Humor
Openmindedness
Stewardship
Empathy
Responsibility
"my calves"


Analysis:
What a wonderful world it would be...

What should have a celebrated National Holiday that currently doesn't?

Survey Says:

"The Muppets"
"Me"/"My birthday"
"Batman's Birthday"
"My vagina"
"Election Day"
"Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Day"
"Cheesecake"

Note: none of these is my response, despite the multiple uses of the possessive "my." I've already decided that there should be a National Gerund Day, a National Irony Day and a National Random Question of the Day Day.

If you could be doing absolutely anything right now, what would it be?

Survey Says:

Having Sex (2)
Sleeping
Sailing in Central America
Anywhere but here
And again, a disproportionate number of references to Europe.
A recent addition from the more socially conscious side of my circle of friends:
"Given the circumstances, go back in time to Sunday night and create a massive rapture of all the guns and bullets in the world. I'm tired of suicidal crazy people needing to take everyone down with them."

Here, here. World Peace.

Analysis:
I think almost every answer to this question was sleep, sex, other countries, or some combination thereof.
For the record, my response would combine all three.

What is the first memory that comes to mind?

(RQoD April 13)

Survey says:

I got a lot of "in the womb," "being born," "crawling/falling out of my crib" memories here, though what I actually meant by this poorly worded question was more of a word-association type of thing - when asked for a memory, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

I like this question because it's different for me at every moment of the day. Just now, for example, I remember hiding in the branches of the giant magnolia tree in my Southern Georgia front yard.

I did get one "being picked on in elementary school" and a disproportionate number of "Eiffel Tower" responses.

Feel free to leave random memories in the comments for this one.

What should be taxed that isn't taxed already?

Survey Says:

Bad Grammar
Carbon Monoxide emissions
Pot
Cheesecake


We've done well so far on this one, considering that not many things fall into this category at all. Please leave additional responses in the comments.

What was the most influential "good-bye" in your life?

Survey Says:

You guys didn't provide many solid answers for this one. In fact, there were only two answers at all:

My math teacher
My pacifier.


Let's step it up for tomorrow, eh?

If you were a type of punctuation, what would you be?

(RQoD from April 9, 2007)

Survey Says:

! (2)
; (2)
' (1)
... (2)
?! (1)
_ (1)

What WOULDN'T you do for a million dollars?

(RQoD from March 29, 2007)

Survey Says:

Kill someone
Harm my family
Move to Houston
Ride a Rollercoaster


Um, okay.

If you had to pick one moment in history to go back and experience firsthand, what would it be?

(RQoD from March 28, 2007)

Survey Says:

- The creation of the world - in fast motion
- A date with Jesus (technically not a moment in history, but interesting nonetheless, especially after the discussion of potential Jesus pickup lines ensued)
- the first time someone figured out how to make bread

What type of chair best represents your personality?

(RQoD from March 30, 2007)

Survey Says:

Beanbag chair (2)
A recliner of some sort (2)
The chair I'm in now
A spinning office chair
Electric Chair (yikes)

A brief history of Random Questions of the Day

Per requests from friends who shall remain nameless (and numberless for that matter), I have decided to post responses to my Random Questions of the Day. Featured here are the questions from the first weeks of this time-honored tradition. I intend, by the way, to petition for a National Random Question of the Day Day.

If you have additional responses not featured here, please feel free to leave them among(st) the comments. Also, if you can provide any synonyms for the word "response" besides "answer," that would be most appreciated.

Here we go:

Complete the sentence "If I were a pirate..."
"...I'd have a wench on every island!"
"...I'd have a monkey on my shoulder instead of a parrot. But he would still say things liks "polly want a cracker" to confuse my enemies."
"...I'd totally dress like Jack Sparrow."

If you had to eliminate one letter of the alphabet, which would it be?
W (2)
F (1)
Y (2)

What do you think was the most influential snack food of all time?
Popcorn (3)
The Pretzel
Girl Scout Cookies
Twinkies
Goldfish

What do you consider the single most terrifying word?
AIDS
Herpes (2)
Death

Who is your favorite villain of all time?
Gargamel (2)
The Joker (2)
Iago (both from Aladdin and Othello)
Ursula*
Shredder
Dr. Octopus
Judge Claude Frollo (Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame) "because he doesn't need a sidekick; he's evil all by himself."

*While I LOVE Ursula, who got a billing already, I believe my favorite(s) would be a tie between the Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil (from Dangerous Liaisons, the protagonist, but debatably a villain) and Spike (from Buffy).

If you had to choose one sound you'd never hear again, what would it be?
My alarm clock (2)
A pin dropping "because you can't actually hear that anyway, so I wouldn't be missing anything"
The sound of a knife on a plate/Nails on a chalkboard
People chewing

Who is your favorite cartoon character of all time?
Among my definite responses were:
Optimus Prime
The Pink Panther
Brain (from Pinky and the Brain) (2)
The Little Mermaid
Rainbow Brite


This has been a Random Question of the Day (tm) production. RQoD initially began in January 2007 with a survey to determine how many people (and an approximate gender breakdown of those who) can actually recite the Contra Code properly. It has since grown exponentially to incorporate questions of a more thought provoking and internationally significant nature, and to appear in digital publications including my away message and this blog.

WELCOME!

Welcome to Random Question of the Day!

You'll find here a series of random questions and some of my favorite and not-so-favorite responses. A study in sociology, if you will. A foray into the human psyche. Or, you know, another way to procrastinate on the internet.

Regardless, Enjoy!