Five Questions

Thanks to Oceanguy (on my blogroll), for asking me five questions. If you have a blog and want me to pose five questions to you, just ask and I will do so. Now, without further ado, here are Oceanguy's five questions, and my answers:

1. What are 5 books that have the most meaning to your growth as a man?

In particular order, they are the Bible, 102 Minutes, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Travels with Charley, Inside/Outside. It's cliched, I know, but the fact of the matter is that the Bible has life lessons to teach all of us, whether or not we choose to accept its religious significance. 102 Minutes is the story of the Twin Towers, from the minute the first plane hit until both had collapsed. It contains mind-blowing stories of heroism, friendship and yes, redemption. It will put anybody's life in perspective. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich may be Solzhenitsyn's best book. You want to know what it was like inside the Soviet Gulag, and about what Hannah Arendt once referred to as "the banality os evil" (though in a different context), read this. Travels with Charlie is story of John Steinbeck's traveling around the United States during the 1960s. It too can teach all lessons about this country, both good and bad. Inside/Outside is not Herman Wouk's best-known book, but it is a fabulous insight into a the maturation of a man from a rebellious, secular Jew into one who keeps the Sabbath.

2. For a week you are made "Commissioner of All Sports in America." What are the first five things you would change?

So many things, so little time! 1) I would tighten the penalties against ALL forms of performance-enhancers. You're caught once, you lose a whole calendar year (note that I did NOT say a whole season. This is tougher, I think). Period. You're caught twice, you're banned for life. PERIOD. 2) Mandatory meet-and-greets for all athletes with fans. Remember, athletes, we're the reason why you're making such a cushy living. 3) Mandatory, free, lifetime healthcare for all professional athletes. If we're going to ask them to sacrifice themselves physically for our entertainment, we need to say to them that we will look after them once they retire. 4) No more showing of high school sports on networks such as ESPN, or features on high school athletes in magazines such as Sports Illustrated. Kids are getting exposed earlier aned earlier, and while it works out for some, it costs others their childhood. 5) End pay-per-view. It killed boxing as a mainstream sport in North America (no loss there, imho), but we're likely heading there in other sports as well.

3. Thinking of literature, TV & film... who is/are your favorite villian(s).

A very tough question. It would be easy to choose someone like Darth Vader. So, I'm going to go with Alex Forrest, the evil, psycho woman played so well by Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. She initially comes across somewhat sympathetically, but later boils a kid's rabbit. Terribly effective.................

4. You are given the power of time travel only to take the job of biographer for one man or woman from any time and place. Whose life would you choose to observe and record?

This will sound strange, but I'm going to say Otto von Bismarck. The man engineered the creation of a country out of what had been severel disparate countries, and he invented what is now more commonly known as Realpolitik. He is one of the great historical figures of our (or any other) time. His impact is felt even today.

5. Ice Hockey or Soccer?

I'm Canadian, Oceanguy! You need to ask? Of COURSE I'm going to say Hockey. I know that many could not care less about the sport, but I really think that they need to see a hockey game live with someone whol already loves the sport. Then, and only then, will they understand the obsession that I and so many others have with it. Some people like certain sports. Others may even love sports. However, Hockey fans are different, because for those who are passionate about Hockey, it is a part of their soul.............