megfowler.com

November 13, 2008

choose ye: annual christmas edition

Filed under: either or, listy, christmas — meg @ 10:50 am

Real tree or fake tree?

Knicknacks or minimalism?

Read the guide on the choc box, or take your chances?

Angels or elves?

Bing Crosby or Jimmy Stewart?

Homemade gifts or bought gifts?

Celebrate the day with family or friends?

Coloured lights or white lights?

Gifts or charitable donations?

Candy canes or jelly beans?

Bring forward traditions or start your own?

Snow or no?

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, or White Christmas?

Line up for Santa, or go caroling in the snow?

Get into the spirit (early or eventually), or Scrooge until the end?

Hot chocolate or hot apple cider?

Shop early or shop late?

Red or green?

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or A Charlie Brown Christmas

Mandarin oranges or cranberries?

Stuffing or mashed potatoes?

Kiss under the mistletoe, or snuggle by the fire?

Silver or gold?

Celebrate at home, or celebrate elsewhere?

Contemporary or classic Christmas tunes?

Holiday parties, or stay home in PJs?

October 20, 2008

choose ye: return of the ultimate demographic choose ye!

Filed under: either or, listy, whoa internets — meg @ 2:46 pm

This is a reprint of a Choose Ye that I did last year. I was supposedly to compile the results, and then I… well, I didn’t.

So let’s do it again!

Reprint begins here:

Okay. We’re playing hardball now, kids.

Unless you’re ready to be covered in strawberries and whipped cream, no waffling!

(And no, I’m not actually going to cover you in strawberries and whipped cream. Give your head a shake.)

The choices we make sometimes say a lot about who we are. Sometimes they say nothing about who we are. But it’s funny — even the totally silly choices can end up getting us into huge debates with our family and friends.

(Actually, I think it’s interesting to note the choices we struggle with… or just don’t care about at all. And the choices we admit to, as opposed to the ones we hide.)

But today I don’t want to hear about definitions or shades of gray or your existential struggle or “I need to know context!” or qualifiers or “well, generally I think I like this, but it depends…”

Just choose. No extra (especially political or religious) commentary, no justifications, no bashing other choices.

Just CHOOSING.

Scary, I know.

(And one more parenthetical remark for good measure. Thank you.)

***

Coffee or tea?

PC or Mac?

Kids or no?

Political or no?

Summer or winter?

Artificial sweeteners or sugar?

Fries or salad?

Lake or ocean?

Own or rent?

Email or phone?

Traditional medical care or natural remedies?

Vegetarian (or vegan) or carnivore?

Apples or oranges?

Follow celeb culture or no?

Liberal or conservative?

Rural or urban?

Car or SUV?

Atheist or not (not includes agnostics)?

Marriage: necessary or no?

Cable or not?

Campsite or hotel?

Alcohol or no?

Up early or up late (if given the choice)?

News online or news on tv?

August 20, 2008

choose ye: because it’s wednesday, dammit and YOU MUST CHOOSE!

Filed under: either or — meg @ 12:43 pm

If you’ve played before, you know the rules: you must choose between all the options in the list below, and then pop your answers into the comments. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like either thing… choose the lesser of the two evils. The fun part is having to resolve the conflict, not refuse it!

And as we always say, no one’s gonna hold you to it (except for the CIA — but this is one of their screening tools, so…)

Diet soda or regular?

Gold or silver?

Harrison Ford or Michael Caine?

Al Green or Marvin Gaye?

Volkswagen Beetle or Mini Cooper?

Celery or carrots?

Winding road or highway into the sunset?

“Your mom” jokes or knock knock jokes?

Sundried tomato or artichoke heart?

Kitten or puppy?

Email or phone call?

Curly or straight?

Swingset or teeter-totter?

Vintage or modern?

Wallpaper or paint?

Black and white, or colour?

Paris or Rome?

Picnic by the sea, or picnic in the park?

Road Trip or All-Inclusive Resort?

Muffin or croissant?

CNN or BBC?

Spa or camping?

Skeptic or true believer?

Popsicle or creamsicle?

Rollercoaster or waterslide?

Glasses or contacts?

August 5, 2008

choose ye: random choices are the best kind.

Filed under: either or — meg @ 11:57 am

If you’ve never played this little game, the rules are simple: make a choice. Don’t tell me, “well, it depends!” or “neither!” or “I couldn’t possibly!”

After all, no one’s going to hold you to this in the future (and really, it’s not something important like voting in an election or picking a mate or choosing the right flavor of popsicle!) But it’s certainly interesting to see the choices you make when you have to make one…

Bottled water or tap water?

Jumpy or nerves of steel?

Yeller or never?

Reality tv or written tv? (Yes, I know they end up being the same thing… but you know what I mean!)

Glasses or contacts?

Fish: raw (sushi-grade, of course) or cooked?

Fries: yam or potato?

Disaster coverage: hooked or repelled?

Sailboat or motor boat?

Fiction or non-fiction?

Shoe or sandal?

Onstage or backstage?

Perfume or no?

Jimi Hendrix or James Brown?

WalMart or Target?

Passive or aggressive?

Cherries or strawberries?

Hammock or porch swing?

Trees or grass?

Dive or cannonball?

Sunrise or moonrise?

Teriyaki or (ed. note: I initially left this blank by accident, but now that Brian down there has pointed it out, I’m kind of fond of the existential nature of the question: Teriyaki or….? I mean, what is the true contrapunto for teriyaki? WHO CAN KNOW?!)

Dance or sing?

Crossword puzzles or sudoku?

Swimming pool or hot tub?

Tear up when emotional, or never?

July 16, 2008

choose ye: celebrity edition!

Filed under: either or — meg @ 3:02 pm

(Remember — no “it depends” or “both!” or “neither”… you must choose!)

Robert Redford or Paul Newman?

Bill Murray or Steve Martin?

Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?

George Clooney or Brad Pitt?

Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday?

Garrison Keillor or David Sedaris?

Stevie Wonder or Al Green?

Sophia Loren or Marilyn Monroe?

Lawrence Welk or Percy Faith?

Miles Davis or John Coltrane?

Tina Fey or Sarah Silverman?

Denzel Washington or Russell Crowe?

Ron Popeil (of SET IT AND FORGET IT fame) or Billy Mays (OXY CLEAN!)

John Cusack or Matthew Broderick?

Benicio Del Toro or Javier Bardem?

Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino?

Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn?

Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant?

Bob or Doug?

Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon?

Roger Moore or Sean Connery?

Salma Hayek or Penelope Cruz?

Matt Damon or Ben Affleck?

Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett?

May 5, 2008

choose ye: summer is a comin’

Filed under: either or — meg @ 3:50 pm

Remember: you have to CHOOSE. No “either”, “neither” or “both” or “depends.” Unless you have incontinence issues. Then you are welcome to your Depends ™.

Sun or shade?

Flip flop or Birkenstock?

Beach or lake?

California or Florida?

Lemonade or Iced tea?

Sunglasses or hat?

Grow your own garden, or head down to the farmer’s market on Saturdays?

Dinner on the patio, or brunch on the patio?

Reggae or Beach Boys?

Margarita or mojito?

Waterskis/wakeboard or mountain bike?

Take vacation or avoid tourists?

BBQ steaks or BBQ salmon?

Convertible or motorcycle?

Bike or skateboard?

Sailing or kayaking?

Take pictures of the fun, or take videos?

Coconut or mango?

Lie on the grass or lie on the sand?

Lounge chair or hammock?

Trampoline or… not?

April 9, 2008

choose ye: does your ottoman have an empire?

Filed under: either or — meg @ 9:23 am

I grew up with two parents who had an interest in design and art, and liked their surroundings to be “just so.”

Not in a snobby way or a pretentious way, mind you, but in that AHHHHH kind of way when you choose the right colours, the right shapes, the right lighting… and everything just WORKS.

Their cred? Well, my mom is a very gifted artist and designer who rewires Goodwill lamps and restores battered wing chairs bought at hotel auctions and slipcovers anything that stops moving long enough… and my dad is just really picky.

He’s more GQ than Architectural Digest — the ties the man owns! — but he can choose a chair he likes as well as anyone. And sit in it for hours BETTER than anyone.

Long enough to get slipcovered, actually. But just the once.

So: are you into creating an atmosphere, or do you just need something to sit on?

Is there an architectural or design style you prefer to surround yourself with, or do you just wish someone else would do it?

Or can you make do with a La-Z-Boy, a TV tray, and one of them lamps you touch and BAM it turns right on, Marge?

This Choose Ye will dig a little into your “environmental style”… and remember, as always, the point is not to go “maybe!” or “depends!” or “gosh, I don’t know!” The point is to make a choice.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to come to your house and take something away from you because you expressed a general (NOT LEGALLY BINDING) preference (it doesn’t need to be what you actually have now) in a comment on my blog.

At least not yet.

If I get bored enough, though… WATCH OUT.

I’M HIDING IN THE PANTRY WITH A SHARPENED GRANOLA BAR.

(Oat shiv?)

CHOOSE YE: DESIGN/DECOR/I LOVE LAMP EDITION

Floor lamps or table lamps or sconces? (note: not scones. everyone prefers a scone…)

Low lighting or major lighting (when there is no natural light)?

Window treatments or simple shades/rod and drape?

Big TV in the living room, or hidden away in a den or bedroom?

Photographs everywhere, or mostly just art?

Wood or metal?

Light woods or dark woods?

Chairs that recline or chairs that… well, they’re chairy

Smooshy couches or structured couches?

Indie furniture stores or big chains?

Tidy or cluttered?

FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: Favourite room to decorate?

Living room off-limits, or that’s where your family hangs out?

Design-focused furniture or traditional, common shapes?

Big, bold prints or smaller patterns/prints?

Antique or modern?

Major colours or neutrals with a bit of colour?

Lots of different textures, or just a bit?

Great room/open concept or contained spaces?

Fragrance (candles, etc.) or none?

Get things decorated for you, or do it yourself?

Create an overall look right away, or build it over time?

Form or function, overall?

March 6, 2008

choose ye: the basics.

Filed under: either or — meg @ 6:34 pm

Remember: the point is not to waffle, my Belgian friends. The point is to CHOOSE your preference. And no, it doesn’t have to reflect the reality of your life right now.

(See “either or” to your right for more Choose Ye fun…)

***

Car or truck?

Get advice or go it alone?

House or apartment?

Bath or shower?

To be or not to be?

Swim or no swim?

City or suburb or rural?

Mac or PC?

Black and white or colour photos?

Email or snail mail?

Married or common-law?

Drive fast, or speed limit?

Build a career or have a job?

Lego or Barbie?

Warm bedroom or cool bedroom?

Kids or no kids?

Dance or sit it out?

Speak now, or forever hold your peace?

Fight or flight?

Hunt or gather?

Sing or not?

Use the manual or hope for the best?

Climb the tree or stay on the ground?

Push or pull?

CAKE OR DEATH?

January 13, 2008

choose ye: clearly i have not yet had dinner edition.

Filed under: either or — meg @ 6:04 pm

Just click on the “either or” category to see more “Choose Ye” posts…

(Note: Some of these have shown up in previous editions. Which is good. Because food? Is good.)

Lemon or lime?

Edamame or corn on the cob?

Curries or jambalaya?

Papaya or mango?

Coffee or tea?

Still or sparkling water?

Lobster or crabcakes?

Stew or stirfry?

Vinaigrette or ranch/creamy dressing?

7-UP or Coke?

Bell peppers or carrots?

Milk or soy milk?

Nacho or potato chips?

Lettuce or spinach?

Gummi bears or licorice?

Potatoes or rice?

Sourdough or multigrain?

Chocolate or vanilla?

Sushi or teriyaki?

BBQ or pizza

Olives or pickles?

Sandwich or salad?

Roast chicken or roast beef?

Hot fudge or caramel?

Risotto or pasta?

Apple pie or lemon meringue?

Appetizers or dessert?

Grapes or berries?

Ice cream or sorbet?

January 6, 2008

choose ye: your first of the year!

Filed under: either or — meg @ 7:00 pm

(If you’re new to Choose Ye, the object is to choose one of the two options. No “It depends…” or “Neither!” or “I don’t know!” or “In some cases…” No, this is the last bastion of black and white decisiveness on the Web… well, besides the Apple Store…)

Resolutions or keep on keepin’ on?

Ketchup or mustard?

Firm mattress or soft?

Tan or pale (however one gets tan)?

Oreo or chocolate chip?

Goldfish or tiny turtle?

Road rage or easy rider?

East coast or west?

Romantic comedy or action flick?

Windy or rainy?

Gossip or sealed lips?

Sing or dance?

“Nest” or go out at any opportunity?

Shatner or Norris?

Gold or silver?

Swing or push (on a swing, people… on a swing)?

Breath mints or gum?

Pine tree or palm tree?

Self-deprecation or quiet confidence?

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