Category: Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Interesting “What If” Situations – How Would YOU Respond?

Please feel free to give your opinion on these situations even if you’re not playing Thursday Thirteen. There are no right or wrong answers here – it’s a question of scruples and what would you do?

1. A brown-wrapped package stamped SE XUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL INSIDE is delivered to your house and addressed to your spouse. Your spouse is not home. Would you open it up without your spouse’s permission?

My answer: I would hesitate … for about 30 seconds and then hell yes! I’d rip that puppy open and see what was inside. I actually asked the husband if given the same situation, if he would open a package like this addressed to me and he said no. When I asked him why, wouldn’t he be curious? He said, “What if it was a gift or something? I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

HAHAHA! As if!!

2. You’re seated in a non-smoking section of an airplane. Two seats away in the same non-smoking section, a passenger lights up. Do you ask the smoker to put out the cigarette?

My answer: No. But I would definitely bring it to the flight attendant’s attention. But then again, I just might confront the passenger. I think it would depend on how, uh, feisty I was feeling that day. *grin*

I’m finding my patience is wearing really thin about smokers nowadays. Especially considering our city is virtually smoke-free so any time I smell it I REALLY smell it, you know? Ex-squeeze-me, but if you want to give yourself black lung, be my guest. But I’ll be damned if you give it to me in the process. Humpf.

3. A friend gives you a job in his factory. You’ve been working there six months when your co-workers vote to strike. Do you join the picket line?

My answer: Oh wow, that depends on what they were striking about. For example: if the employees were making $20 an hour to push a button or stuff boxes and they were striking because they wanted more money, probably not. Personally, I think unions are part of the reason a lot of companies are seeking overseas workers – simply because we can’t afford to pay the wages factory workers demand.

However, if they were striking because of unsafe working conditions or something along those lines, then I would probably jump on the wagon. I don’t know, I have strong feelings about this sort of thing because I used to work at Wal-Mart and there would be periodic threats for unions and the issues they cited seemed so … inconsequential when compared to the overall impact forming a union would have on the company and eventually, our jobs. I would be hard pressed to ever support a union – again, it would depend on what the issues were.

4. You own a restaurant and serve rolls with every meal. Often the rolls are returned to the kitchen seemingly untouched. Would you serve them again?

My answer: I would be tempted – sorely tempted. Simply for the fact that it would save me in inventory and cost. But in the end? I couldn’t live with myself if I did something like that. You never know where that roll had been or what the customer had done with it (maybe they licked it? GROSS!).

However, if very many of them came back, I might make giving rolls to customers optional – give the customers an option of whether they wanted a roll or not. That would be a much better alternative than re-serving them. Don’t you ever wonder if that REALLY happens?

I bet it does. *shudder*

5. A co-worker confides in you and tells you he/she is having marital difficulties. Your best friend also knows your co-worker and suspects that the marriage is rocky and pumps you for information. Do you reveal anything?

My answer: My first answer is “of course not!” But realistically? Given it’s my BEST friend whom I’m assuming I tell everything to? Probably.

But then again, it might depend. If the co-worker asked me not to tell anyone, I would respect his/her wishes. When the best friend pumped me, I wouldn’t say anything due to my promise. I would hope the best friend would understand and admire my resolve not to break a promise to someone.

6. You and your spouse are invited to play cards at another couple’s house. After a few hands of gin rummy and a few drinks, they suggest a new game – strip poker. Do you play?

My answer: Newp. Absolutely not. Oh sure, it would be fun to act “naughty,” but I’ve seen too many friends succumb to this sort of temptation and then their life/marriage crumble as a result of giving into temptation.

So no. I’d high-tail me and the husband out of there and race home and have our own game of strip poker. *wink*

7. Your spouse has died within the year and you are a single parent. You have just begun to date, but every time you go out, your child throws a temper tantrum. Do you curtail dating for a while?

My answer: A lot of my answer depends on how old the child is in this scenario. I really think getting involved in another relationship while the child is young (baby to teenager) is a bad idea anyway you look at it. It would be an unfortunate and sad situation to find myself, and my family in, but I really think I would just concentrate on surviving and making our lives as comfortable and secure as possible given our loss. I think getting involved with someone during that time period is just asking for more trouble.

Now once the kids have graduated from high school, that’s a different situation and my answer would be different. At that time, my life is my own once again and if my (grown-up) children had a problem with my dating, then they would just have to get over it.

8. You were in Vietnam and could have come in contact with the defoliant Agent Orange. You and your wife want to have a baby. Would you risk having children even though the defoliant has been traced to birth defects?

My answer: Wow. This is a really tough scenario. If there was any way I could be tested to find out for sure, then I would subject myself to any and all tests to find out. If it was determined that I didn’t appear to have absorbed the agent, then I would probably risk it.

But if there was even a SLIGHT chance I might be infected and it would infect my child, I probably would not. I just don’t think I could live with myself if I knowingly went into a situation where I was gambling with my child’s life. My gamble could affect my child’s quality of life – why would that be fair to my child? I would most likely not have children and adopt instead.

9. Your ex, who lives out of town, is coming to visit the children for a weekend. The kids want him/her to stay at the house. You have the room. Do you agree?

My answer: Depends. What sort of relationship do we have? Is it friendly? Is it hostile? Is he a jerk? A bad influence on the kids (hence the reason we split up?). If the split was amicable (as amicable as it can be given the circumstances) and we seemed to have reached an understanding both in our relationship and in his relationship with the kids … maybe. If our split was hostile and we couldn’t stand the sight of each other, probably not.

Here’s money for a hotel room, buddy.

10. Your 8-year-old hears the words “sexual intercourse” on television and asks you what it means. Do you given an explanation?

My answer: Of course. I don’t believe in keeping things like that from children. If you make a mystery out of something, then the child’s natural inclination is to want to find out more about it. And if that’s the case, then I would rather give him/her the correct information. However, I would water it down to an 8-year-old’s understanding and not get too technical. Kids deserve to know what is going on, they’re not stupid, but keep it age appropriate.

11. At your company, you have been accused of discriminating against women in your hiring practices. A new position opens up. Would you hire the female over the male candidate, even though the man has slightly better qualifications?

My answer: If the male had better qualifications, than I think it’s my duty to both my company and my employees to hire the best person for the job. However, I would document the holy heck out of the entire procedure and most likely discuss it with my boss/associates beforehand so that there’s a paper trail and witnesses in case it became an issue later.

12. You’re on a jury, but are not sequestered. The judge has warned you not to discuss the case with anyone and to stay away from news coverage of it. You hear that the case is on TV tonight with a special story on the jurors. Do you tune in?

My answer: Okay, this is going to sound weird, but yes, probably. Simply because I would be curious to see what the public conception about the case was. Not to mention, what if there was a case conflict of interest concerning one of the jurors? I would want to know so we could assess that particular’s juror’s possible persuasions.

However, I only say that because I’m a pretty fair person and really don’t allow myself to be swayed into the masses. If I honestly thought someone was being treated unfairly and the evidence backed that opinion up, then I would be the annoying 12th juror who wouldn’t go along with the plan. I would have to live with my decision for the rest of my life. That’s a long time to feel guilty about something.

13. Your new employee is the nephew of the company president. He’s lazy, incompetent and antagonistic to his co-workers. Do you fire him?

My answer: No. But I would try my best to make sure my boss realized what a loser his nephew was. In addition, I would work to document his behaviors and build a case against him so when/if it came time to fire his butt, I’d have documentation to back it up. (I’m all about the paper trail, people. *grin*)

Thirteen Things About Me I’m Not Proud Of

1. The really, really mean thoughts I have about stupid drivers.

2. When I add to my husband’s stress levels with my irrational behavior.

3. My lack of patience (truly, it’s a problem).

4. My intolerance for, um, less than intelligent people.

5. My inability to listen to people’s excuses (because sometimes there IS a good reason why they did what they did).

6. Jumping to conclusions before hearing all of the facts.

7. My outspoken, sometimes arrogant, opinions.

8. The fact that my lazy streak can last for DAYS, Grr.

9. The fact that I can sometimes be selfish with my time.

10. Not taking the time to really get to know my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

11. My tendency to avoid people because of my insane shyness (which is weird, I’m not always that way, but there are weeks I simply can’t bring myself to TALK to people. I know, it’s weird).

12. The two days of the month when I’m a walking hormonal witch and could care less about people’s feelings.

13. The fact that I spend way too much time on this blog and not enough time on my writing. (Seriously, I need to focus).

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I hope posting these tips help you. I hope they don’t bore you. (Obviously, the baby shown here is pretty bored with these language posts). But this sort of stuff interests me and being the self-absorbed peon that I am, I always assume anything that interests me, interests YOU. If I’m wrong, I do apologize. 😀

I did not write these tips. These tips, and many more like these, can be found at Common Errors in English. So, if you disagree with these rules, then please, don’t kill the messenger. These are here just for your learning/entertainment, nothing more, and nothing less.

Now that you know my disclaimer, let’s move on to the juicy stuff … *rubs hands together in glee* …

1. ALRIGHT/ALL RIGHT: The correct form of this phrase has become so rare in the popular press that many readers have probably never noticed that it is actually two words. But if you want to avoid irritating traditionalists you’d better tell them that you feel “all right” rather than “alright.”

2. ALTAR/ALTER: An altar is that platform at the front of a church or in a temple; to alter something is to change it.

3. ALTOGETHER/ALL TOGETHER: “Altogether” is an adverb meaning “completely,” “entirely.” For example: “When he first saw the examination questions, he was altogether baffled.” “All together,” in contrast, is a phrase meaning “in a group.” For example: “The wedding guests were gathered all together in the garden.” Undressed people are said in informal speech to be “in the altogether” (perhaps a shortening of the phrase “altogether naked” ).

4. ALUMNUS/ALUMNI: We used to have “alumnus” (male singular), “alumni” (male plural), “alumna” (female singular) and “alumnae” (female plural); but the latter two are now popular only among older female graduates, with the first two terms becoming unisex. However, it is still important to distinguish between one alumnus and a stadium full of alumni. Never say, “I am an alumni” if you don’t want to cast discredit on your school. Many avoid the whole problem by resorting to the informal abbreviation “alum.”

5. AMBIGUOUS/AMBIVALENT: Even though the prefix “ambi-” means “both,” “ambiguous” has come to mean “unclear,” “undefined,” while “ambivalent” means “torn between two opposing feelings or views.” If your attitude cannot be defined into two polarized alternatives, then you’re ambiguous, not ambivalent.

6. AMORAL/IMMORAL: “Amoral” is a rather technical word meaning “unrelated to morality.” When you mean to denounce someone’s behavior, call it “immoral.”

7. ANCESTOR/DESCENDANT: When Albus Dumbledore said that Lord Voldemort was “the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin,” more than one person noted that he had made a serious verbal bumble; and in later printings of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets author J. K. Rowling corrected that to “last remaining descendant.” People surprisingly often confuse these two terms with each other. Your great-grandmother is your ancestor; you are her descendant.

8. AND ALSO/AND, ALSO: “And also” is redundant; say just “and” or “also.”

9. AND/OR: The legal phrase “and/or,” indicating that you can either choose between two alternatives or choose both of them, has proved irresistible in other contexts and is now widely acceptable though it irritates some readers as jargon. However, you can logically use it only when you are discussing choices which may or may not both be done: “Bring chips and/or beer.” It’s very much overused where simple “or” would do, and it would be wrong to say, “you can get to the campus for this morning’s meeting on a bike and/or in a car.” Choosing one eliminates the possibility of the other, so this isn’t an and/or situation.

10. ANECDOTE/ANTIDOTE: A humorist relates “anecdotes.” The doctor prescribes “antidotes” for children who have swallowed poison. Laughter may be the best medicine, but that’s no reason to confuse these two with each other.

11. ANGEL/ANGLE: People who want to write about winged beings from Heaven often miscall them “angles.” A triangle has three angles. The Heavenly Host is made of angels. Just remember the adjectival form: “angelic.” If you pronounce it aloud you’ll be reminded that the E comes before the L.

12. ANXIOUS/EAGER: Most people use “anxious” interchangeably with “eager,” but its original meaning had to do with worrying, being full of anxiety. Perfectly correct phrases like, “anxious to please” obscure the nervous tension implicit in this word and lead people to say less correct things like “I’m anxious for Christmas morning to come so I can open my presents.” Traditionalists frown on anxiety-free anxiousness. Say instead you are eager for or looking forward to a happy event.

13. ASCRIBE/SUBSCRIBE:If you agree with a theory or belief, you subscribe to it, just as you subscribe to a magazine. Ascribe is a very different word. If you ascribe a belief to someone, you are attributing the belief to that person, perhaps wrongly.

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