he who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak

1 How frequently do you purchase lottery tickets or mail in sweepstakes registrations?
 Have you ever won anything from them? 

    I don't often buy them, but I am given lottery tickets now and then. As long as it's within appropriate limits, it's a little purchase of fun and hope, not a problem. I've won as much as $200 on a scratch ticket a few times.

    Sweepstakes registrations are not my thing. I've done it in the past, winning a bunch of stuff (including a very nice Montblanc pen). There have also been a few skill-based contests, back when that was popular. (My biggest win was a standing golf bag.) Those sorts of things are counterproductive, though, since it opens the floodgates of junk mail and widely disseminates one's contact information. In an era where privacy is a myth and personal security is tenuous, it makes sense to lock down as much as possible.

2 Are you a hugger or a non-hugger? 

    I am a hugger for sure, though I'm extremely selective about the recipients. Maybe it was the pandemic, or possibly the accumulated interpersonal and psychological upsets that have come from and since that time—but something's made me far less eager or even willing to so much as touch another person. 

    Among the all-time great hugs ever, I've written about one (Two O'Clock Man and perfection) and thought a lot about the other. I had a dear friend who was somewhat long-distance, but who happened to be in the area and available for a few hours. We enjoyed a lovely, leisurely meal at the steakhouse (ironic, given his vegetarianism, that it was his choice). He drove me home, we said our goodbyes, then hugged. It was an outstanding hug, 10/10, and went on far longer than the typical embrace. It felt intimate, not sexual, and warm. It was also startling, and we were both a little bashful afterward. Great hug.

3 What inspires you to write? 

    good question. Sometimes it's inspiration, other times it's desperation. Sometimes it's pro-mental health, other times it's bad mental health. Guilt. Procrastination. Fun, joy. Distraction. Disengagement. Nostalgia. Sometimes there's no inspiration at all, just force of will. 

4 When you find yourself in an argument, do you prefer to leave and resolve it later or stay and settle it right away? 

    y'know, I'm just not a fan of arguments. I don't think they are "necessary" or "helpful" or "appropriate" (very often). The mere fact of argument makes me uncomfortable and unhappy. 

    That doesn't mean I'm Pollyanna. Of course there will be times when any two people disagree. But, in the spirit in which this question is intended, I think it does WAY more harm than good. 

    Anyway, somewhere between A. Stay and fight it out, or B. Leave and settle it later, there's a middle ground (let's call it Greenland) where you say what needs to be said at the time but stop before it blows up, and then take some time by yourself to take a breath and calm down before addressing it again. 

    I've had some experience arguing with someone who pushed and pushed and pushed, and took my need for space as immaturity or denial. That led to some profoundly regrettable stuff being said and a lot of time wasted, angry as Hell. 

5 What's your preference: motorcycle, dirt bike, moped, mountain bike, racing bike, scooter, or unicycle?

    I might ride a moped or scooter in an emergency. The rest of it ain't gonna happen. 

6 What nightmare woke you up in a panic? 

    the Glenn Ford film Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962; reviewed here) came back in weird, distressing dreams for the week or so after I watched it. Melodramatic and loud, the nightmares were a chaotic frenzy of pointless activity (and some dancing), all with people wearing way too much makeup.

7 If you could write a best-selling book, what would you write about? 

    my thinly-veiled autobiography, please

 [from The Complete Book of Questions : 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion; the title quotation is from Michel de Montaigne]