The Gongetzling Meme

I'm in essay mode, papers are due next Monday, so I will  be pretty brief here.

I also promised I wouldn't start the new Harry Potter book / play until I'd finished my assignments completely. Like that worked... I'm 100 pages in .

Ah well. Anyway, questions, as per normal, are from Sunday Stealing.

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course) 

One very large, very deep bath. I love a good bath - and I only have a shower in this flat.

2. What is your dream car? 

I'd love a Mercedes sports car, but that is very unlikely - however, if I can't have that, I've been looking at the Hyundai Veloster. We had one for a hire care a few months ago and as I'm starting to think about replacing my car, this could be an option. But not in orange.



3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog. 

www.bom.gov.au - I love knowing what the weather is doing.

4. iPhone or Droid, which do you want/have? 

I've currently got an iPhone 6. Love it.

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up?

Read, go for a walk or see a movie.

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate. 

I rather liked the new Ghostbusters film. I adore gory medical programs like Embarrassing Bodies and RPA. Love them.

7. What did you want to be when you grew up? 

Writer or doctor. I'm a writer.

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance? 

Other than maybe Masterchef, no. Absolutely not.

9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up? (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.) 

My French teacher was a great person at high school. She helped me get through the rot that was high school.

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do? 

Cocaine. Just once to try. That is all. I don't want to try it really, but it does sound sort of fun. Just once.

11. What were you doing 10 years ago? 

I was a software tester living in this flat and doing a bit too much internet dating.

12. By this time next year, I ... 

Would like to be 20 kilograms lighter and a lot fitter. I'm fit now but I like being fitter than I am now - doing more cardio and it's great.

13. What is something that you need to do but you've procrastinated on? 

See above. And I really need to do my hard floors - they're getting grotty.

14. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime? 

Mason Capwell - Santa Barbara. Tony di Nozzo. I used to have a thing for Grissom too. Rediscovered Mason Capwell a few weeks ago. Still wonderful.

15. What is your greatest pet peeve? 

People who are rude to waiting/serving/ retail staff. Big bugbear.

16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles? 

I drove back to Adelaide for my niece's funeral (and Christmas). It was better than I thought. 2000 kms done in a week.

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus? 

I use the both about the same - and frequently.

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it? 

Yes. Pand.

19. What are you dreading at the moment? 

The knowledge that I'm on my own with my trainer tomorrow night as Jay has some course to go to. Cleo is MEAN when we're on our own. Jackknives and the Nutbush here we come.

20. Do you have a meme you think we should steal?  (Yes, an old trick. But c'mon now. I gotta give it a shot. It's a lot harder to find memes now. But it's ok to answer "You're lazy" an all it a day.)

Nah, sorry.

The Beach Boys Meme

Right, it's a case of write a scene, do a job and field a question here. I have papers due in a fortnight. I'm getting there.

I need another day of weekend.

Questions, as per normal, for Sunday Stealing.

1. SURFER GIRL : “I have watched you on the shore, standing by the ocean drawer, do you love me do you surfer girl” Were you ever interested in someone (other than a celebrity) who did not return your interest? 

Of course. Story of my life in many ways.

Hoovering done. Started the post Sangeet scene.

2. BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL : “So be true to your school now, just like you would for your girl or guy…” Looking back, how do you feel about your high school days?

They were pretty bloody awful. I was a brainy nerd. The studies themselves weren't too bad, but I didn't really have friends. Too awkward for that.

Hoover put away. Sangeet scene finished. 

3. FUN FUN FUN : “…and she’ll have fun fun fun till her daddy takes the T-Bird away…” What was the worst punishment you received as a teenager? 

I remember still getting the wooden spoon and a young teenager. But I was fairly obedient, so I didn't get much more than the occasional shouting at.

Coffee ready for tomorrow. Tube scene written.

4. I GET AROUND : “Round round get around, I get around” Where did you go on your last long trip? 

My last long trip was in 2010, I went to Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK. I was gone for 35 days. Want to do something like that again soon.

Clothes put out for the day. Have enough script done now.

 5. HELP ME RHONDA : “You gotta help me Rhonda, help me get her off of my mind” What do you do to cheer up after a personal tragedy such as a lost job, power outage or broken relationship? 

Exercise and read. That fixes most things. If things are really bad, I go to Bali and hang out with the hippies in Ubud. That also helps.

 6. CALIFORNIA GIRLS : “I wish they all could be California girls. The west coast has the sunshine and the girls there get so tan, I dig a French bikini on Hawaiian island dolls, by a palm tree in the sand” Where are the best boys found? 

New Zealand and England. Good things about both of them. Both appear to be far more accommodating than Australian men.

7. SLOOP JOHN B : “I wanna go home, please let me go home, ya ya. Well this is the worst trip, I’ve ever been on…” What is the worst trip you’ve ever been on? 

I don't go on bad trips, but I had a few rough days with some  New Zealandish friends about 17 years ago. We weren't mean to travel together. We lasted about three days before I took off in another direction.

8. WOULDN’T IT BE NICE : “I guess the more we talk about it, it makes it harder just to live without it, but let’s talk about it…” What is your biggest wish? 

There is still part of me that would like to get married. There is also a part of me that wishes I'd win lotto and I could buy a house. Having a thunderbolt come down to deal with Donald Trump and Cory Bernardi - that would be good too.

9. IN MY ROOM : “There’s a place where I can go and tell my secrets to. In my room. In my room.” What is your favorite thing about your own personal room or space in your home/office? 

I can lock myself away and nobody can contact me. Love being a classic introvert sometimes.

10. GOD ONLY KNOWS : “You never need to doubt it, I’ll make you so sure about it. God only knows what I feel about you” When was the last time you told a significant other or close relative that you loved them? 

Probably at Christmas time. It was a bit emotional last Christmas. Stuff like that got said.

11. GOOD VIBRATIONS : “My baby has good vibrations, she’s giving me excitations…” When do you get good vibrations? 

Normally when watching Clive Owen. Reading amazing literature gives me the shivers too.

12. KOKOMO : “We’ll go to Kokomo. We’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow. That’s where I wanna go…” What is your favorite warm weather destination? 

Ubud in Bali

13. DO IT AGAIN : “Let’s get back together and do it again…” If you could go back in time and gather up your school friends, what would you do again? 

I wouldn't gather up my school friends. There are a few things I think I could do differently if I had my time over, but I have no regrets. Would love to go back to Spain and do all that over again. Spain is great.

Thumper's Law

When I was a child, I had Thumper's Law forced upon me regularly. Actually, there are a few bit's of Thumper's wisdom that I can quote, but there is one bit of crucial advice that this cartoon rabbit provides that I think all people should know - and think about before they open their mouths. (For those who don't know, Thumper is the rabbit in Bambi).

Thumper's Law is quite simple.
 

Thumper, I think, has it right. If you can't say anything nice, keep your trap shut.

Thumper had something else to say in Bambi - Thumper, it appears, was the philosopher of the movie.
 It runs like this:



Yep, that works - thought part of this negates what Thumper is best known for.

So, I've been thinking about Thumper and what he has to say - and then applying it to the latest media kerfuffles that have been going on here lately. Namely immigration and the dreaded "M" word.

The M word being Muslims.

And this is where Thumper's Second Law is being invoked.

If you're scared, be as scary as you can be to scare the rest. Is it working? No. Is it drumming up debate. Yes.

Sonia Kruger, bless her, opened her mouth to the astonishment of her colleagues - and to her credit, she won't back down on her views. Is she racist. Probably not. Is she xenophobic. Probably a little. Does she deserve to be vilified by the press and social media - to a certain extent.

I'm not going to start on Pauline Hanson. Not even going to go there. She's just loopy. Like if she's going after banning Halal certification, why not go after the Kosher certification - they're basically exactly the same thing! Sheesh. Anyway, I'm not pouring oxygen on that one.

Sonia Kruger spoke out of fear, and in doing this, invoked Thumper's Second Law.

From where I'm standing, Sonia probably should have invoked Thumper's First Law and kept her trap shut. In the words of George Brandis, "Every Australian has the right to be a bigot." But it's probably not the best to be a bigot on breakfast television. Maybe you have the right to be perceived as a bigot in your own front room, I reckon - and then have a bloody good look at your viewpoints.

What Sonia Kruger has done has spoken out of fear, and she's paid he price. I also think she's spoken out of emotion and a touch ignorance.

As it has been widely reported, the people who are perpetrating these terror attacks overseas have been people born in the country to which they commit these acts. They're the children of people who've moved to these countries to find a better life. A lot of these so called terrorists appear to be disenfranchised by the state in which they live. Many appear to have some form or quantifiable mental illness too.

So, what can be done?

Restricting Muslim immigration isn't the answer. That's just a witch hunt of biblical proportions. People who immigrate here have to go through thorough background checks anyway. Besides, Muslims, like Christians and Buddhists and Hindus and every other religion come in all shapes and sizes. Just as religious fanatics come in all shapes and sizes.

You're telling me that Pauline Hanson and Cory Bernardi aren't dangerous? Well, attitudes based on fear and ignorance (and in Bernardi's case based on White Privilege and rabid Catholicism) are just as dangerous.

Possibly Sonia could have looked past her emotions of seeing a dead child under a blanket on a Nice street and asked herself, "Why would somebody do something like this?" not "Who would do something like this?"

I think it's worth remembering that poor child who drowned in the Mediterranean  a few months back  - the one all over the papers - he was Muslim...

Maybe she should look to her Muslim friends and see what their reaction was to all of these messes of the past few years. Maybe she should talk to her Muslim friends and listen to their experiences in this country and hear about some of the things they've been subjected to over the last few years. (Same goes for the idiots wanting a plebiscite on the subject of same sex marriage - listen to people and get this legislated NOW!)

Maybe, instead of trying to be scarier than her fear, she should have a look at what is an extremely complicated, emotive and changing topic and become better grounded in what people really want (maybe have a look at Maslow's theories) rather than speaking out from her own emotions.

Yes, Sonia Kruger is a goose - an emotional goose. I'd be asking her to read wider, talk more and discuss the real issues behind what makes a man get into a lorry and mow down a crowd rather than make blanket statements which fire up people.

I think there's a lot of people who should be doing this. Walk a mile in another person's shoes before casting judgements. Find out what people are like. Work out why people stick together in their ethnic groups and don't assimilate with the mainstream. Think about what it is to be shunned by a society which has taken you in. And think about what you might be able to do about it rather than putting a blanket ban on having people of a whole religion turned away.

And most of all. If you don't have anything nice to say, keep quiet, until you can work out a better way of saying things - once you've looked around all of the facts.

P.S.  I rather like the Guardian's First Dog on the Moon's take on this.

A Storyteller's Meme

I'm writing this from my mother's kitchen table in Myponga, South Australia. It's freezing, but a lovely day down here. Back to Melbourne soon.

Not a bad set of questions from Sunday Stealing  (bar the stupid and seemingly obligatory relationship questions at the end which blight these memes.)


1. What are your current obsessions?

The new series or Rake on the ABC.
Messina Gelati ice cream
Pokemon Go - I hope this obsession leaves soon.

2. What are you listening to?

The prattlings of Adelaide talk back radio. I'm sitting in my mother's kitchen - what else would be playing?

3. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

I've got a lovely pair of soft baggy jeans that I adore - a week doesn't go by when they're not in the wash.

4. What are you reading?

Currently reading "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferante. Just finished, "The Natural Way of Things" which was incredible.

5. What’s for dinner?

Probably something take away as I get back to Melbourne early evening and I won't be bothered cooking.

6. What was the last thing you bought?

Lunch for my sister and her family yesterday. We went to the local bakery for pasties and bienenstich.

7. Guilty pleasure?

Candy Crush. Tattoo shows like InkMaster, Best Ink and Tattoo Nightmares.

8. What training did you get and how do you make a living?

I've got an Arts Degree and various certificates and diplomas. I'm trained to be a writer. I am a writer.

9. If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now, and choose a different career path, what would you train to do?

I still reckon I'd be an okay doctor.

10. What’s your best time of day?

I'm better in the morning until about 3 pm. Then I start yawning.

11. Do you like being on a team or are you a solo player?

I can do both. Depends on the team and the task.

12. What’s your favorite way to create art?

I write - that's my art - though I like to bake and crochet too.

13. Name three items in your refrigerator:

Mustard, olives, tonic water.

14. Tell us about your first crush:

It was Mark Holden. I was five years old. I had no taste in men even back then.

15. The first time that I became a boyfriend/girlfriend was with who, when?

I was sixteen. He as tall and had a lot of spots and was into computers.

16. Do you remember what you did on your first date?

We went and saw Police Academy - the first one and the best one.

17. How did you meet your current (or most recent) girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife?

Never having a long term boyfriend, can't answer this.

18. How did your first romantic relationship end?

Daft question - it was over 30 years ago. It ended badly.

19. Do you remember your first kiss?

Yes. It was a first kiss. I remember thinking, "Is this it?"

20. What do we still not know about you?

That's for me to know and you to ponder.

The Movie Nut's Meme

Another great effort from Sunday Stealing. Now this is my type of meme!


What was you first movie-going experience without your parents? 

I remember my father taking me to see Disney's "Robin Hood" when I was five years old at the Chelsea Cinema in Adelaide. It was a big deal. My parents both loved movies. Dad used to take us to the drive-in when I was a kid.

Do you still buy DVDs or Blu Rays (or do you just stream them)?

Occasionally, but normally I stream or download now.

What is your guilty pleasure movie? What about it works for you?

I adore the original "Rocky Horror Picture Show". I can sing and dance along to my heart's content. It's fabulous. Wrong in so many ways.

You have compiled a list of your top 100 movies. Which movies do you like, but would not make the list?

I love movie that make you think and feel. I love arthouse and British films. What is missing on my list is pretty much anything in the horror and action genre.

Which movie(s) do you compulsively watch over and over again? What makes it so great?

Other than the Harry Potter movies, which are nearly as good as the books, I love The Wedding Singer, which appears to be on telly here ever six weeks. I can also watch, things like Gosford Park and Julia and Julia end on end. I love movies about another time.

Classic(s) you're embarrassed to admit you haven't seen yet?

Here are a few. The Godfather Trilogy. The Deerhunter. Apocalyse Now. Inglorious Basterds. Django Unchained. I'm not one for violence, but I know these are supposed to be good movies.

Do you have any movie posters hanging on your wall? If yes, which ones and why?

No. Never have.

Tell us about a movie that you are passionate about.

I adore The Princess Bride. It's sweet, funny, courageous and just plain fun. Suggest everybody from the ages of 8-80 rewatch it. It doesn't age.

What is a movie you vow to never watch? Why?

Captain Corelli's Mandolin. It's my favourite book and I can't stand Penelope Cruz (and Nicholas Cage is NOT Corelli.)

Tell us about a movie that literally left you speechless.

Calvary. It's incredibly powerful. So was "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas". Harrowing stuff.

What’s a movie that you always recommend?

The Argentinian original of "The Secret in their Eyes." It's incredible - and they never should have remade it.

Who is an actor you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie?

I'm fond of both Ben Stiller and Steve Carell. Both have been in hit and miss films. Both are great. I also miss Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was fantastic and I mourn the films he never made. Susan Sarandon is awesome too.

Who is an actor you don't get the appeal for? Why don’t you like them?

Brad Pitt. I really don't get what all the fuss is about - though he was pretty hot in Thelma and Louise.

Who is an actor, living or dead, you'd love to meet? Why do they intrigue you?

Philip Seymour Hoffman - he's just wonderful. That voice. I'd love to talk Shakespeare with Kenneth Branagh and Sir Ian McKellen as well.

Sexiest actor/actress you've seen. (Picture required!)

Easy - Clive Owen.



OK, you are casting a movie, pick four or five actors you’d hire to be in it and why we’d love them together.

I've always wanted to cast Donna Tartt's, "The Secret History".  Clive Owen as Richard, Gwyneth Paltrow as Camilla, Benedict Cumberbatch as Charles, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Bunny, Kenneth Branagh as Francis and Ian McKellan as Julian. Unfortunately that would have had to be made 20 years ago as it's about uni students and Hoffman is dead - but that would be great. It would be hard to cast this movie now.

Who are your favorite actor pairing of all time?

That's a toss up between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

And Rock Hudson and Doris Day.

Have you ever watched movies from a decade that was before you were born? If so, which decade is your favorite?

I love movies from the 50s and 60s,  Hitchcock especially. Great stuff.

If you were to be in a movie would you rather play the hero, villain or anti-hero? Why?

As I'm a ratbag I think I'm best as an anti-hero. It's fun to be an anti-hero. Being a hero is boring, being the villain is just too predictable.

High Tea at Fancy Nance

Fancy Nance

21 Daly Street, South Yarra

http://www.zumbocafe.com.au/

High Tea from $45.

The call came in last week. "Wanna do High Tea? I'm child-free next weekend?"

Never one to deny my parenting friends an outing I said yes. Evie suggested Fancy Nance, at the back of the Zumbo Cafe.

Did somebody say Zumbo!!

My joy was only tempered a little by the knowledge that this would mean a trip to South Yarra. This mean putting on make up, doing my hair and wearing something more than my normal leggings and tunic that I wear on weekends. See, South Yarra is full of posers and I feel completely inadequate going down Chapel Street, especially the Como end of Chapel Street (the Windsor end is fine - still full of hipsters, but better) You find lots of people like this down the Como end of Chapel Street.

Anyway, prepped in a little black dress, boots, hair done and make up on, Evie picked me up from home. I noted she was similarly decked out, making the comment that it's easier to fit in down there than go daggy.

After parking we found the place easily. The modern set up is great, a large, airy, part industrial, part bar, part ice creamery, part kitchen.

Heaven.

Sitting down, the first thing on order - a drink.

Evie went for some sparkling pink bubbles, where I went for a very reasonably priced Hendricks G&T.

We ordered the $65 "I'm so Fancy" High Tea, just so we could sing along with Iggy Azalea. Evie has also just discovered macarons, so with them on the list, it had to be done.

The interesting thing about the menu here is that they start with the sweet stuff before moving on to the savoury.

It works well.

The first course came. An apple, white cholocate and rosemary verrine (read trifle), a salted caramel tart, a rhubarb crumble with custard and a salted caramel macaron.

All were divine. The trifle thingy was great once you got past the foam. The salted caramel tart was incredibly rich, but lovely. The bite of rhubarb crumble and custard was glorious, as was the macaron, the goeey inner salted caramel was perfect. We were off to a great start.

Shortly after, the mandarin, chocolate and macadamia concoction arrived.

The cake was of the flourless variety, the white sheets on top, macadamia flavoured. Intense flavours and not too sweet.

Fancy Nance has the textures down to a fine art. Another wonderful dish.

What followed then was the scones.

Perfect scones. As a segue into the savoury courses, the scones came with peach and raspberry jam and cream and a capsicum jam with a savoury cream cheese. Evie wasn't enamored with the latter, but I couldn't fault the scones. They were amazing. Better than my grandmothers. Better than Barney's (and Barney makes a mean scone).

Grandma's treasure tin came soon after. A small chocolate biscuit, perfectly salted, along with a sliver of perfectly formed caramel slice . They do like their salted caramel here.

We settled in with a pot of tea. The tea list is longer than the wine list. Evie settled for a spiced cinnamon tea, my a black tea infused with vanilla - the Paris blend.

And then started the savouries - which really was a great way to end the tea.

First up, a chickpea cracker with basil hummus with tomato dust. Intensely flavoured and superbly light.  However, as I've discovered, me and pesto don't get on - but that's nothing that a bit of antacid, some buscopan and a lot of water won't fix.

The 'mains' for savouries consisted of a carrot, orange, ginger soup with roasted pumpkin seeds. drunk through a thick straw from a mustard jar (to appease the hipsters). The Lamb Bao with cucumber and mint packed a punch without being too big. The Mac and Cheese with bacon and chilli aioli finished of everything brilliantly.

Fancy Nance gives a lovely experience. Okay, you're in South Yarra so you will find a number of expensive blondes, posers and women in their active wear showing off to their friends in similar clothing inhabiting the place, but the staff are friendly and attentive without being over the top.

The High Tea itself left us replete without being overly stuffed and I'm thrilled that they do $10 G&Ts with Hendricks - that's like better than pub prices.

Will I be back? Yes - for a special treat (Evie was celebrating being child free, I thought I'd celebrate being halfway through my Masters and the distinction I managed to procure last term).

Is it value for money. Yes, definitely.

Do I recommend the place. Hell yes, but do be prepared to dress a little better than normal so the hipsters, yummy mummies and sloane rangers don't thumb their nose at you.

Oh, and pop around the front to the Zumbo cafe. They have 100s and 1000s macarons that I will have to try one of these days.

The Controversial Meme

Thank you Sunday Stealing for coming up with a cracker this week. Some of the best questions we've had in ages.

It's been a great weekend for democracy around here. No idea who the Prime Minister will be at the end of the week.m Watching the conservatives provide some of the best dummy spits this side of kindergarten has been wonderful.


1. Would you try a recreation drug if all were legalized?

In the past, many years ago, I tried one or two recreational drugs. Tried once, that was enough.

2. Are you happy that the U.S. Supreme Court once again upheld a woman’s right to abortion?

Hell yes. Coming from a country where abortion is legal (and strictly regulated) I think this is a good thing. What America does with women's rights, particularly in some more conservative states, is horrific. If you don't want women to get pregnant, give them access to decent sex education and contraception.  America's demonising of Planned Parenthood makes me shake my head. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The ones who get arrested are the daft people who picket the abortion clinics. Women's bodies, women's rights. White, middle-aged, conservative Christians need a pregnant teenage daughter to mull over and see what they think about it all.

3. Would our country cope any differently with a woman president?

Ours did okay with one. She was better than the last two put together ten times over.

4. Do you believe in the death penalty?

No. Not ever. It was taken off the statute books here in 1972.

5. Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?

I come from a place where marijuana is decriminalised - if you're doing it at home, not selling it, not growing it for profit, keep your nose clean, not much is done. I wish they'd legalise medical marijuana. It's hopefully not too far away.

6. Do you believe in God?

Yes. Am I a Christian. No. But I'm good with God.

7. How do you feel now that same-sex marriage is legalized?

In Australia, Same sex marriage is still not legislated to my great shame. Stupid politicians. A lot of the far right wing politicians who got dumped last night were the ones blocking it. The sooner it happens the better. Love is love, fair is fair.

8. Do you think it’s wrong that so many Hispanics are moving to the USA?

I'm Australian. Not my business, though I do like multi-culturalism.

9. A 12-year-old girl has a baby… should she keep it?

Umm, I think this is one of those situations where abortion is a good move. It it is not discovered until too late, it would depend on the family, the situation, etc. There are no right and wrongs about this, but at 12 year old girl's body can barely sustain a pregnancy, let alone the psychological fallout  from the situation. Case by case, but generally no. Another reason why they should be teaching about safe sex and contraception.

10. Should the alcohol age be lowered to 18?

In Australia, the legal drinking age is 18.

11. Should the wars in the Middle East be called off?

Yes. Let the peacekeepers stay, that's it.

12. Do you believe in spanking your children?

I don't have kids, but I really don't agree with spanking. I think spanking is harder on the parents than children anyway.

13. A mother is declared innocent after murdering her 5 children in a temporary insanity case… what do you think?

That five kids are dead is unfortunate, that the mother  got off - she had good lawyers. It's a hard one but the judiciary has to do it's job.I was more incensed by the Stanford Rapist, Brock Turner, for being given six months for raping a drugged woman.

14. Would you want to prosecute someone for burning their country’s flag as a method of protest?

No. it's freedom of speech - and just bloody stupid.

15. It’s between you and a person who is being kept alive (with NO hope) by life support machines… one has to die? Who?

It's Malthus., and survival of the fittest. Let the person with no hope go and die with dignity. No brainer that one. Circle of life, I'm afraid.

16. Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

No. judge away. I think people are allowed to have varying differences of opinion.