John from John P Hoke's Asylum tagged me with this little meme a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd better take a stab at it and see how it turns out. If you're a blogger, feel free to have a thrash at it yourself (and send a trackback ping if you do).

(1) If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone?
Hmm that's a bit of a tough one to start out with. Ice and I tell each other how much we care for one another on a daily basis. I guess I'd just want those who don't hear it from me often enough to know that I love and care for them - Amber in particular, and my immediate family in NZ too.

(2) If a new medicine were developed that would cure arthritis but cause a fatal reaction in 1 percent of those who took it, would you want it to be released to the public?
I realize 1% sounds like nothing, but I checked this out at the arthritis foundation and found in the US alone there are over 60 million arthritis sufferers. A 1% fatality rate would therefore equate to 600,000 deaths, and that is not acceptable. Perhaps for the most severe cases I would maybe consider it, but not without ensuring the patient is fully aware of the risks, that their family is supporting them, and even then perhaps recommend psychological evaluation first as well.

(3) If you were able to live to the age of 90 and could choose between retaining either the body or the mind of a 30 year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
If my family history on both sides is anything to go by, I'll still be sharp as a tack at 90 regardless, so perhaps I'd go for the 30-year-old body - it certainly would be great to keep surfing into my 90's and not have my body hold me back, particularly when I'll presumably be retired and have the time available to go for it. Besides, there's plenty of 30-year-olds wandering around today that aren't playing with a full deck anyway. heh.

(4) If at birth you could select the profession your child would eventually pursue, would you?
No friggin way. I sure wouldn't want to be forced into that sitiuation myself, so why would I want to do that to someone else, particularly my own child? Of course I would want to guide them in making informed and intelligent choices in life, but ultimately it is their life to do with as they see fit.

(5) If you knew there would be a nuclear war in 1 week, what would do? (you can't stop it)
If it was going to be global annihilation without doubt, then I'd want to be with those I love, and enjoy the little time remaining together ..and also probably go bungy jumping (because that is such a rush!), try hang-gliding, catch some waves, just experience as much as possible together before moving on. If there was a possibility of survival, I'd be heading to a remote location with those I care about and preparing for a tough future.

(6) Would you accept twenty years of extraordinary happiness and fulfillment if it meant you had to die at the end of the period?
How happy could you be knowing exactly when you're going to die and not be able to do anything about it? I think I'd prefer to take my chances thanks. Anyway, I'm happy with my IceQueen - why limit that to 20 years? If you asked me this question on my 100th birthday I'd likely consider it a little more closely though.

(7) If the person you were engaged to marry had an accident and became a paraplegic, would you go through with the marriage or back out of it?
If I could even consider backing out, then I would not be with the right person in the first place, regardless of their mobility. Translation: of course I'd stay with them! This answer is also presuming that they would still want to be with me too. heh.

(8) Someone very close to you is in pain, paralyzed, and will die in a month. They beg you to give them poison so they that they can die. Would you?
Ouch. Hmm.. although if they're paralyzed, they wouldn't be in pain, would they? Although assisting them in death may be the merciful thing to do in some aspects, I could not do it if there was even the most remote hope of survival, and there is always hope imho - without hope, you might as well just curl up and die right now.

(9) Given the choice of anyone in the world, who would you want as your dinner guest? as a close friend? as a lover?
As a dinner guest.. maybe Ghandi, if he were still alive, and Freud would be interesting, or Einstein. If it must be a living person, then probably the Dalai Lama. Better yet, an alien (a friendly one though). As a close friend and as a lover - I already have her - IceQueen. Duh.

(10) What is the worst psychological torture you can imagine suffering? (it cannot involve any physical harm to you)?
Probably being made to believe that Ice or Amber and someone very close to me were being harmed in some way. I'd go completely psycho at those responsible. Hell hath no fury like a weasel on a rampage. hehe.

(11) You and a person you love deeply are placed in separate rooms with a button next to each of you. You know that you will both be killed unless one of you presses the button before 60 minutes pass; furthermore, the first to press the button will save the other person, but will immediately be killed. What do you think you would do?
Immediately press the button to save the other person. No hesitation. This is assuming there is absolutely no possibility of escape or rescue ..which means it's true then - assumption is a dangerous thing.

(12) Would you be willing to go to a slaughterhouse and kill a cow?
For survival where there's no alternative food source? Yes. Just for kicks? Hell no.

(13) For $20,000 would you go for 3 months without washing, brushing your teeth, and using deodorant? Assume you could not explain your reasons to anyone, and there would be no long-term effect on your career. You are not choosing one option here - you would have to go without all three.
Yeah I'd go for it. Of course I'd be on holiday the entire time and out in the water surfing every day, so it wouldn't be much of an issue for the most part.

(14) Which of these restrictions could you best tolerate: leaving the country permanently, or never leaving the state in which you now live?
Hell yeah I'd leave the country - I don't like NYC all that much (although it's nicer up north away from the city), but I would certainly choose to live back in New Zealand above spending the rest of my life stuck in NYC. Stupid question.

(15) If you could choose both the gender and the physical appearance of your soon-to-be-born child, would you do it?
Nope. The only way I'd really consider messing with genetics like that is if it could safely eradicate an inherited predisposition to terminal illnesses such as cancer. Also keep in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Fellow blogger deadscot made a good point too - how many teenagers are happy with the way they look anyway?

(16) Would you be willing to decrease your life expectancy by 5 years if you could become extremely attractive?
No thanks. Hell, if I were that desperate, I'd still keep my 5 years - there's always plastic surgery ..just look what it did for Michael Jackson. *stare*

(17) If your friends and acquaintances were willing to bluntly tell you what they really think of you, would you want them to?
Most definitely, and I hope they do already.

(18) Would it disturb you much if, upon your death, your body were simply thrown into the woods and left to rot?
Well that's charming. It probably would disturb me if I knew before I died that my body would end up dumped in a forest and left to rot. Once I've moved on I guess it wouldn't matter - although it would hurt those left behind that care about me. I think.

(19) Would you like to know the precise date of your death?
No thanks, not a lot of fun in that.

(20) Would you be willing to give up all television for the next 5 years if it would induce someone to provide for 1,000 starving children in Indonesia?
Sure, no biggie - I've got internet.

Wow what a marathon that turned out to be.