64 posts tagged “qotd”

How do you travel to and from work—personal vehicle, bus, subway, train, pedal power? What does it cost you per week in gas or fares?
Submitted by Jan.

I walk. Takes about 10 seconds.

If you had to go on a two-week vacation with any celebrity, who would you pick as your travelling companion and where would you go?

Easy: Alicia Witt (Law & Order: Criminal Intent). She seems to be the most intelligent woman in Hollywood, once a child genius and probably the only one who could continue a decent conversation with me through that entire period. One of these days I really have to interview her for Lucire. As to where: somewhere where neither of us has been to see how one would cope with the culture shock.
   Here Alicia parodies her show in New York:

Why do you blog?
Submitted by littleduckling.

To take a brain-break, usually. Blogging is a bit of a stress reliever.

Share a scene from a movie that uses music perfectly.
Submitted by nohablo.

This is a great scene for movie music, but the movie itself was Sir Lew Grade’s star-studded mega-turkey of 1980, Raise the Titanic. I do not like this movie but this following scene with a musical score is well done.
   Composer John Barry’s lyrical composition works well with and without the picture and unlike his many modern counterparts, he knows when to stop the music.
   The central part of this clip has no music, but wait till the Titanic bubbles up toward the end after 5.59 (music at 6.57). It is, sadly, cut badly toward the end.
   I knew this really conveyed the nautical sense when I drove around Oriental Bay one day and saw one of the Interislanders go out. Even though that ferry is not very large, this music suited the idea of a ship on the seas.

   A second clip has the opening theme as well as the raising.

Are there any people you would not tell if they had food in their teeth or if their zipper were down? Why or why not?
Submitted by Charms.

I am so darned outspoken I would speak my mind—the problem is I don’t tend to look at teeth or flies much.

What fictional character do you relate to most and why?

Let’s see: what Chinese fictional character had to operate in the west, deal to the establishment, drive a rare two-door car, impersonate others, and have his adventures chronicled?
   Simon Templar.
   Pity he was always played by Caucasians on the screen, but I always thought he was Chinese, since his creator was. A new pilot is being made now, which, inter alia, Sir Roger Moore and his son Geoffrey are producing.

   TV trivia buffs might notice John Steed’s Rover SD1 from The New Avengers in the last car chase, reused here. It was also George Cowley’s Rover SD1 in the first season of The Professionals. Stingey British Leyland!

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Um, no—and this question appeared midnight (NZST) on May 6. Why not earlier, Vox? Besides, Mexican independence is September 16.

What was your first car?

That was a 1977 Triumph Toledo 1500 (a 1500 was indeed offered in New Zealand). Meaty car: it had a lot of pulling power. But it was laboured with an unfortunate colour which British Leyland called Bitter Apricot. It was a shame to see it go because I worked on that car like crazy. It’s probably worth zero now if I had held on to it, but I loved that wooden dashboard and it wasn’t even that bad to drive.
   Incidentally, this QotD seems awfully familiar. Have we had it before?

Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever seen one?

Yes, I do. And I believe I did see a few when I was younger, at a place that my parents rented. There were always missing toys and they would reappear in different places. I was always sure I saw shadows of strangers in the hallway, which I was certain was haunted. Even today there are things I cannot explain.

What talent do you have that you wish more people would recognize?

If I met Olivia Newton-John, I could probably break out in a duet with her and sing, ‘Whenever You’re away from Me’.