It’s that time again — Ask Me Anything! This used to be a February-only thing, but seeing as how it seems silly to only do it once a year, we now do it twice a year. Or something like that. Anyhow, all queries are welcome — serious queries, unserious queries, queries about any topic at all.
Leave queries in comments herein, or e-mail them, or get ’em to me via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google+. I’m everywhere, I am. It’s like all the people who are normally around you are me! (I got that from an old SNL sketch in which Phil Hartman plays a drill sergeant.)
Anyway, the floor is yours, folks: Ask Me Anything!
UPDATE: There is no limit on the number of questions allowed. If you have eleven things you want to ask, go ahead and ask all eleven!
1. Do you tend towards melancholy or depression? If so, are you aware of what triggers it? And what do you do to overcome it?
2. Do you still want to buy a home or has the financial nonsense made you wary? (BTW, there are people who SHOULD own a home and others that should not; you are in the former group, and I am in the latter.)
3. Would you appear on The Amazing Race? Another 'reality' show?
Imagine that Star Wars, Star Trek and Firefly do not exist. What would be your favorite space opera?
Uh oh. I just thought of another one. If I can only ask one, take your pick of the two.
If you (and your family of course) could live on any one of the Firefly worlds for the rest of your life which one would you choose?
Have you kept your trumpet chops up? If not why not?
I know you love your wife, and all that, but:
In your fantasy world (or before you met The Wife), what physical characteristics were you most attracted to? (Wide berth here: you liked a certain type, whatever that means to you: e.g., for me, Polynesian women, undoubtedly affected by Gaughin.)
Once upon a time America chose to do great things, such as go to the moon. Today we live in a country that has chosen to give up the ability to send people into space. Do you believe that you will see a human on another celestial body in your lifetime? If so, where will that human come from?
WOO HOO!!! I love this time of the year!!!! So I was up there at the Sabres store in HSBC Arena AND everything WAS 1/2 TO 75% OFF!!! Do you know why?
When are we going to have another WNY blogger meetup?
You've periodically extolled the virtues of spum, any thoughts on the various whisky families?
Growlers-love them or not? (If you're unsure, check out Consumer's Beverages)
I visit family in East Aurora about once a year in May or June. Can you recommend some neat things to do or places to go that I may not know about?
what is the meaning of life?
(well you offered)
much love
martine
Why is it that on the days that I work the hardest, longest hours on editing jobs, I can't sleep at night? I get really tired *and* sleepy (for me, they are different matters, entirely unrelated), but there I sit at 5am, unable to go to sleep. And then, when I finally do go to sleep, why do I dream about carrot cake in the shape of a rabbit? No, there are no drugs or alcohol involved.
Do trees feel pain? I used to think so (I read The Secret of Life of Plants back in the 1970s), but I've given this considerable thought.
Pain is a signal that something bad is happening and that we should either get away from what's causing the pain, or fix whatever is wrong. Since trees (and other plants) can't run away, or go to the doctor, what would be the purpose of them feeling pain?
What are your thoughts?
Hey, I swear I left some questions here before! Is there another link for questions?
Jenny: I think you left them in the comments threads on Centus posts, as opposed to here, which is the 'official' Ask Me Anything thread. But don't worry, I know you asked them! (I try to direct all 'questioners' here so all queries are in one place, but usually one or two end up someplace else.)
Is there a question you won't answer, not because of your own sense of privacy, but because of someone else's? The example that came to mind: "Did you ever have sex with a virgin?" This would, especially if the answer is "no", would provide TMI about someone else.