I would do anything for love! And I'll be there till the final act

1. Have you ever been to poetry dot com? nope
2. Have they offered to publish or honor you? never been
3. Are you aware that this is a scam? half the Internet is a scam
4. Is joy more stressful than stress is joyful? what the hell does that even mean?
5. Should history be taught as a series of patriotic myths about heroes or should it be taught accurately and truthfully? some of those patriotic myths are (gasp) actually true. This black vs white, everything that's been done before is WRONG because it's been done before or because someone was left out of the original accounting idea, it's short-sighted and doomed to failure.
6. Which way do you feel it is mostly taught? now, as compared to when I was in school, it's very much the reactionary "accurately and truthfully" version, where there were no white men who did anything right or honorable or worthy, and everything notable was about women and minorities and previously discriminated-against groups
7. What is your personal mythology? how can one tell what aspects of one's beliefs are "personal mythology" and "objective truth"? Even if I scrutinize my own upbringing and education and background, my knowledge and thought processes and ability to question and verify, how do I know, really?
8. Do you practice Zen driving (just following someone who looks like they know where they're going and hoping it turns out all right)? that's not Zen, just insane. I'm a single woman, and these are very dangerous times. Why in the world would I 'just follow someone who looks like they know where they're going, and hope...'??? I'm better off not going, anywhere, ever, at all.
9. If you saw two monkeys getting it on at the zoo and a child asked you, 'What're those monkeys doing?,' what would you say? "fighting," which is the classic response since time began
10. Have you ever felt like you were a part of...
    ...one consciousness? not since roughly 2012
11. ...one singular sensation? sigh. Yes.
12. ...one love? definitely
13. ...one life? isn't each of us?
14. ...one? I think this has been covered
15. You find a website that will match you up with a lonely soldier who has no family to write to him and you would become his pen pal. Would you participate even if you were personally against the war? supporting soldiers while not supporting a war is a basic human decency--but it's hardly the only criterion at work here. Corresponding with a member of the armed forces can be very stressful for someone who is "outside of it." They're living a totally different life than any of us can imagine, for the most part, and the reverse is sometimes true, too. So the "letters from home" ideal is fraught with difficulty. Also: it's a commitment. It's not a fun little thing to try on a lark. Unless one can be there, and really promise to be there for the indefinite future, it's something to stay away from. 
16. If yes, would it be hard for you to keep your political opinions out of the letters? no, if I did it I could damned well keep my political opinions out of the letters. I've managed to, reasonably well, keep my political opinions off this blog for the last 14 years, anyway. Letters to a stranger couldn't be much harder.
17. What kind of email would you like to get everyday? short of legit notification of financial windfall, the only kind of email I'd like to get every day is the normal kind of everything-and-nothing that comes from being really attached and wanting to share anything under the sun. There is a person in my life with whom I can text, message, or talk for hours--and there is always more left to say.
18. Would you ever refer to Shakespeare as 'willie the shake'? no, because triteness and disrespect of others' names does not appeal to me
19. When was the last time you talked about your soul? two days ago? I don't know exactly. I write about it in my journal now and then, more frequently than I actually speak about it with others.
20. Why is the TV show Married By America making a big deal out of how these couples will marry each other 'sight unseen' when no one in the competition is unattractive? the phrase 'sight unseen' has greater implications than simply 'laying eyes upon.' However, the salient point is the GETTING MARRIED bit, and the "without really knowing each other" part is sort of secondary. I know it's lost in the drama and fun of television, but marriage is, at its heart, A. Lifetime. Commitment. 
21. You have made a friend on the Internet. You talk deeply all the time but have never met or even seen pictures of each other. You finally decide to meet. He or she tells you that he or she will be waiting for you in the airport lobby wearing a black dress/suit and a rose. You give no description of yourself. When you get there you see someone wearing black and a rose but they are very, very overweight. Do you go over and tell them who you are anyway? I've done this sort of thing a couple of times, for a couple of different reasons, with sort of varying results. The first time, I was picking someone up from the airport who was on what would best be called an extended layover, around 24 hours. We had exchanged pictures, but the pictures weren't sufficient to recognize each other--doesn't everyone share the photos that show what they want to look like, rather than their everyday selves? Thanks to my vantage point, I saw him well before he could have seen me. Did I have a moment of indecision, briefly considering bailing out? Of course. And then I hurried the Hell up, he saw me, he recognized me, and we had our dramatic airport welcome. What started out as obsession turned into equivocation, which led to reassurance and some earth-shifting connection, followed by a hard break, and then months of softer but more devastating breaks. And all of that was eventually replaced by his new marriage and a tacit agreement never to communicate again.
    The other time, I was the arrival. My flight was delayed due to mechanical problems (we even had to make what was technically an emergency landing and change planes prior to arrival) so our plans for meeting were put off. I was waiting for my luggage when he walked into baggage claim. I wouldn't have recognized him had it not been for his daughter, who I knew would be with him. He was easily 50-100 pounds heavier than any photo I'd seen, and so outweighed me by probably 200 pounds. It was mind-blowing--and yet I wasn't terribly surprised. What began as a bizarro weekend led to freaky miscommunications and hurt feelings, which led to a good friendship, which has now been replaced by his new marriage and a sort of cool acquaintanceship.  
22. Have you ever sent someone from the Internet to a place to meet you but you had no intention of showing up? no, being a liar is stupid and mean and pointless, regardless of the format
23. Who do you feel inferior to? someone who has something I want
24. Who do you feel superior to? someone who thinks I'm less than I am
25. What do you dislike so much that you could write 4 entries in one day about it? anything that can inspire me to write four times in one day had better be positive, not negative. No one wants to read my bitching in that kind of quantity.
26. What do you think of notes that have a very good point but are left unsigned? there are hundreds of items popping up on Tumblr every day with no credit given, which drives me a wee bit mad. The great abyss of the Internet, flinging whatever wherever, with no accountability.
27. At what age does dyeing your hair with Manic Panic become undignified? it's not an "age" thing but an appropriateness thing. Do you work in a professional setting, or a creative one? Is your dress classic, or modern? Do you feel undignified with your hair dyed thus? That last is probably the most important question to ask.
28. What question do you never want someone to ask you? go ahead and ask whatever you like, but don't expect me to answer whatever you ask just because you've asked it
29. What do you think of hot pink hoop earrings? they're fine for someone else
30. What has something for everyone? absolutely nothing
31. What dish would you bring to a pot luck dinner? depends on the dinner
32. How many people are you friends with that live or have lived in another country? a handful? 
33. How much would you bet that there will not be another terrorist attack on America this year? I wouldn't take that bet
34. Why do bad things happen to good people? because "bad things" encompasses what's deserved and what simply...happens, to everyone
35. Would you rather see a really good thing happen to a person you dislike or a really bad thing happen to a person you like? does anyone ever really face a choice like that? Does anyone ever really have all the knowledge, all the power, right in their hands? 
36. Do you know someone who has...
    ...threatened to commit suicide? yes, although there is a vast difference, and a very different meaning, between talking about suicide and making an attempt. Understand what you're writing about and be sensitive to meaning.
37. ...attempted suicide? yes
38. ...'successfully' killed themselves? Jesus--is dying "success"? I know several people who have died by suicide. Yes.
39. Why do you think the world suicide rate is rising? there are many reasons, but I think that the most superficial and easy to understand one is that it is more accurately reported now than ever. We are more honest about mental illness generally now than ever before.
40. A woman from New Zealand has offered to let herself by crucified, literally, by G W Bush in exchange for him not going to war. Furthermore, she says he doesn't have the "courage" to do it. Your reaction? this does not fall into any definition of "courage" that I've ever known. It reminds me of the "post this to your FB wall For Just One Hour to show your support for victims of [whatever]!" phenomenon. What logical connection is there between acting like an obedient sheep, unquestioningly doing what someone else has told you (when you don't really want to do it, anyway) and "showing your support" for [whatever]? How in the hell is a world leader crucifying a mentally ill foreign national going to accomplish anything but killing one crazy person?
41. Which Mike is more insane, Jackson or Tyson? since one is dead, I guess that leaves the other
42. Is today an easy day for you? perversely, yes
43. Tyler Durden says 'Let me never be complete.'
    Tyler Durden says, 'May I never be content.'
    Do you agree? in a lot of ways, yes. Completeness and contentment do not breed discovery or learning or challenge.
44. What movie did you have to turn away from in horror, disgust, or fear? the one that comes to mind is American Me. It's been several (a dozen?) years since I saw it, and I watched the whole thing, but it freaked me out so badly that I still can't stand the thought of it.
45. Have you ever met anyone that you can't help being fond of because they remind you of yourself? no, very much the opposite. Anyone who is too much like me turns me away, right off the bat.
46. If you met yourself 8 years ago, would you more likely beat yourself up or give yourself a hug? 8 years ago I was kind of a mess. Heavily involved - over my head - with Ulysses and all his associated drama. Unhappy at work but not yet ready to make the move to leave. Not really taking care of myself in any way. So I didn't need a hug nearly as much as I needed a good swift kick, something to jump-start me, to see what was right in front of me.
47. Do you have a nervous laugh? doesn't everyone? Not normally, but when something is weird?
48. What's your favorite milkshake flavor? hot fudge, from Ollie's in S-town
49. How long, at the very least, should two people be in a relationship before marriage? that depends totally on the two people. I met someone about 3 1/2 years ago but really got to know them ~18 months ago. If we'd gotten married 24 hours into that real acquaintance, it wouldn't have been the wrong thing to do. On the other hand, I know people who have been in a relationship for a year or two or ten, who then get married, who very clearly don't have the kind of connection that results in a positive give and take for either of them (or for anyone around them). It's not about time, really.
50. How many years can two people be in a relationship without marrying before you start wondering when they are getting married and why they haven't married already? some couples ought not to be married. Period. It's not like you can put your time in and "earn" a good relationship. 
51. What challenges you? good books, trying something new, people who don't take me at face value
52. What irritates you? bad books, people who think I'm less than I am, bad drivers
53. What bores you? bad books, people who watch their phone during a face to face conversation (if it's that much more interesting than what's right in front of you, fuck youuuuuuu I'm leaving... whether physically or just emotionally), superhero movies 
54. Have you paid your parents back for raising you? in both good ways and bad
55. In America, public schools are funded with the property taxes from the houses within the school district. Imagine you live in a wealthy area with very good public schools. How would you feel about students from a less wealthy area being bussed into your school district at no extra charge to their parents? this is not precisely true. In SOME STATES, this is how public school funding works. In other states, property taxes are pooled and then paid out "fairly" or "equally" (if you don't get the difference, look it up). It is much the same as electoral voting--some states take a more or less balanced approach to each citizen. Anyway, in answer to the question, "at no extra charge" is a funny thought. Is money the only issue here? Is a quality education something that should be deprived of a child because parents cannot afford the property taxes in a 'wealthier' district? Are there other legitimate factors, such as safety/bullying, curricular and extracurricular opportunities, and proximity to the parents' or child's employment or after-school care, etc., that are worth considering? I don't even have kids and I can see that there's a lot here besides money.
56. Should a child's education really depend on how much money their parents have? maybe it should be a consideration, but let's not make it the only one
57. Would you only feel required to help your own kids get a good education? obviously not, since I contribute to the education of literally thousands of kids that are not my own. If I start thinking of "fairness" or "requirement" I'd likely start feeling all oppressed and triggered and sorry for myself, wouldn't I? And prehaps need the services of an emotional support creature?? How fucking selfish are people.
58. Would it benefit you personally if all children had access to a good education? yes. It benefits everyone in society if the children within it have access to--and take full advantage of--quality education.
59. Would your streets be safer? streets would be safer in the sense that the little buggers would be less likely to inhabit them during school times
60. Would there be less drugs and violence? fewer drugs and less violence, yes. Clearly someone failed you during your educational past, quiz-writer
61. Would there be more innovation at jobs? the causal relationship is getting more sketchy...
62. Do vegans really live longer than meat eaters? supposedly, but "long life" does not necessarily equate to "better" or "happier" or "happier for others"
63. Do they smell better? I don't know of a correlation between vegan diet and sense of smell
64. Do you want a lover you don't have to love? that would be ideal, but I doubt that it's possible for me
65. Do you believe that anyone can get ahead, and if they don't, it's because they are lazy and not trying hard enough? no, that is simplistic and insulting
66. Do you forget to look at the different opportunities available to different people? odd question
67. Do you often look at a subject without looking at why it is the way it is? almost never
68. Do you read any fan fiction? not exactly
69. Write any? oddly, I was talking with a friend just a couple of days ago about an idea I've had about writing something based on a song. Is that "fan fiction"?
70. What did you think of The English Patient? haven't seen it
71. Why do you think third world nations are so poor? because they're third world, duh!
72. Have you ever created your own 'what ___ are you' quiz? no
73. If you did make one, what would it be about? there is nothing new under the sun; I'm pretty sure that everything that anyone could ever want--and then some--has been done to death
74. What do you think of the Dixie Chicks? I don't
75. Are you looking for love? not in those terms, no
76. In all the wrong places? maybe closer to the truth
77. What do you feel like complaining about? lack of energy? the cost of gasoline? weather?
78. What do you feel like celebrating? connection
79. Can a person speak out against their government and still support their country? I think that's probably the main reason that people do speak out against their government
80. Do you believe your government has a file on you somewhere? doubtful
81. What kind of stuff do you suppose is in it? if there was one, it would be pretty boring
82. Do you own a $2 bill? no
83. Is it lucky? there's no such thing as that kind of luck
84. Would you rather date someone 3 feet tall or 9 feet tall? what is the obsession with three feet and nine feet tall? Whomever wrote this is stuck in an early Freudian stage and needs some real help.
85. What do you think of Americans calling fries and toast fried in egg batter Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast instead of French fries and French toast? silly and pointless
86. Would you rather have a child that is more confident or more curious? can't be curious without confidence, and it's hard to be confident without some curiosity driving it
87. If you were going to write a bedtime story for someone you loved, what would it be about? love. And probably bunnies.
88. What is your element? according to this quiz, it is:
    Certificate: Test results What's Your Element?

    For 27 % you are: Your matching element is fire. You are warm and passionate, and deeply care for those close to you. You are the kind of person who will work at a friendship to keep it going, especially over long distances. Your temper can be a problem, but you don’t usually stay angry for long. Yours is also the element most in tune to romance…
    29 % of 58789 Quiz participants had this profile! Profile A
    
    Your results were not clear.
    
    You could also get this result:
    For 27 % you are: Your element is free-spirited air. You are an optimist, and you tend to look at the bright side of things. Because of this, you have many friends who are attracted to your outgoing personality. You also value self-expression, and would probably enjoy writing or art, maybe both. You hate to be tied down with obligations, so you try to keep your life fairly simplified. You love to have fun, and you brighten everyone’s day with your smile. Profile B
    
    Your results were not clear.
    
    Or even this one:
    For 27 % you are: The element you match up with is ice. You are solitary and quiet, and would probably rather be in your room reading a book than with a large group. Justice is important to you, and you won’t hesitate to stand up for others. Though quiet, you are strong and determined, and you never give up. Your unique personality is admired by those around you. Profile C
    
    Or even this one:
    For 13 % you are: You connect with the element water. You are knowledgeable and insightful, and many seek your good advice. You tend to move with a subtle grace that gives you an elegant air. Your emotions sometimes get the better of you, and you can easily go from sadness to anger to elation. A good way to channel these emotions is through music, which your element is connected to. Profile D
    
    Or even this one:
    For 7 % you are: Your element is earth. You are peace-loving and gentle, and thoughtful. Sometimes you prefer the company of animals to people, so if you don’t already have a pet, you would probably do well with one. You appreciate nature for what it is, and have a respect for life in all its forms. You dislike arguments, so you do your best to try and please others. Profile E
     
    
    Take this quiz: What's Your Element?
    
    for this quiz, it is: (Water = deep, Wood = asshole)
    
    And for this quiz, it is:
89. When are you at a loss for words? one of my colleagues flip-flops back and forth between behaving like a decent human and treating me like the stupid hired help. Some of his transitions are so abrupt and unexpected that I am left literally speechless.
90. What gets you through the night? the same thing that gets me through the day
91. What is the worst time to be alone? there is no one worst time. If you've never been alone, then you have no idea what it means. And if you have, then I don't need to explain.
92. When are you the most emotionally vulnerable? right after a vacation (not mine)
93. How would you tell your friend his fly was open in public? "your fly is open"
94. Does a good friend tell you you've got something in your teeth or pretend not to notice it? they tell. Pretending not to notice is for when you're trying not to cry and failing, and you both know why, and you both know it's going to stop in a minute if neither of you try to talk about it. So the friend talks about anything except the crying.
95. If you were describing the following bands to someone who never heard of them, what other band would you say they sounded like?
    ...The Flaming Lips: "pretentious crap"
96. ...Rush: "Canadian rock"
97. Do you have a good luck charm? sort of, though I would never call them that
98. What is the essence of You? I probably don't want to know
99. A word to the wise: avoid taking advice
100. Do you photograph well? I'm a decent photographer at times, yes
101. Is it a great day to be alive? better to be +1 than -1
102. What would you consider to be better than sex? on a very limited scale--being loved and cared for, and being someone's focus
103. Some people are just so... ordinary
104. What evil is necessary? arguably, all of it. "Without the darkness, how would we recognize the light?"
105. What would you do anything for? Meatloaf was right...
106. Do famous people have the same right to speak their political views as regular people? before they were famous, famous people were "regular" people
107. Are your best years gone by? I suppose that remains to be seen
108. Are you ordinary? sure
109. What are you recovering from? yesterday, last month, last year...
110. What do you think people think when they first meet you? if only I knew

[From the 5000-question meme; this is the fiftieth part (questions 4801-4900). The title quotation is from "I Would Do Anything for Love" by Meatloaf.]