Ben Varkentine's Questions

I often visit Ben's site to read his opinions on issues I care about so I have no problem answering his questions. He might have questions for you too so visit his site.

1. What is the coolest thing about being a Canadian?


The reputation you have around the world for being good and decent people. You get to enjoy all the best things in North American culture like the music, food, movies, and TV, but you don't carry any of the anti-American baggage. With the health care debate I have also learned that I very much appreciate living in a country that seems to care more for everyone - even those of us who are not athletes or actors or pretend celebrities. We also tend to be more tolerant and it's something to be proud of. I am proud of the contribution we make to civilization and how we try to raise others up rather than push them down.

2. What is your favorite musical "guilty pleasure?"


Show tunes. Movie musical soundtracks. I watch the 'Sound of Music', 'Chitty Chitty Bang Band' and 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' each Christmas and I know all the words to all the tunes. I am not ashamed of this and frankly anyone who gives me that 'LOOK' while I am watching them needs to leave the room lest violence occurs. 'Les Miserables' 'Phantom of the Opera' and 'The King and I' get the same response. I could have been a dancer and a singer. I should have been.

3. What's the deal with the octopus thing?


I have always hated and feared them. As I child I almost drowned in a lake and felt like the reeds were trying to grab me and pull me under. Once at an aquarium one made a rush for the glass right were I was standing. I jumped back about ten feet and I could have sworn it was trying to mentally make contact with me. They freak me out. I want to bash them everytime I see one. I fear everytime I get into a lake or ocean that they are gonna drag me under. Those suckers and boneless bodies are unnatural. They need to go down and go down HARD. I constantly wish someone like the Burger King will find they make a cheap and tasty snack dish and over fish them to the point of extinction.

4. What is you favorite planet besides the Earth?


I will choose to answer this with a mythical planet - Arrakas - also known as Dune - only source of the spice melange and place where Paul Atreides acceded to godhood. Long Live House Atreides!

and for 5, I'll give you a choice. Either: If you woke up in a Jigsaw trap, what would you expect it to be, and do you think you'd be alive when your "game" was over?


My trap would be designed to play to my greatest fear like the rats in Room 101 from 1984. Of course it was have something to do with water, drowning and saving myself by sticking my head into something that would give the coconut and crab crushing beak of the octopus access to my skull. I race between me solving some stupid puzzle and it getting to the juicy gray marrow inside my head. And since our buddy Jigsaw created it, I would be at some disadvantage and not come out alive.

OR:

What's the truest thing you ever learned from a comic strip?

That a freak like Ziggy is the only one who can get away with walking through the mall without pants.