# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 426
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8504 "2023-12-06T18:37:29Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@Procrustus](#): > > > > > Which of these things **have you done in the past** but realize you will probably never do again? > > Yes, I know. > > But you can’t tell by my answers whether I’ve never done them in the past, or have done them but probably won’t do again. That’s what I meant by the poll not distinguishing between them. If you’ve never done them in the past, then it doesn’t apply to you and you shouldn’t vote ! ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8505 "2023-12-06T18:44:43Z")
I had done some of them in the past, though; and some of those I’m unlikely to do again. I skipped the ones I haven’t done. I have, for what it’s worth, given up an old dream of finding somebody who wants to drive across the country really slowly in something we could both sleep in, finding somebody else to take care of the creatures, and walking across the USA coast to coast; with the vehicle carrying everything but the day’s clothes and lunch, and available to sleep in or to take me someplace to sleep and shower and then back to the spot I’d left off walking at. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8506 "2023-12-06T22:31:41Z")
I see no need to bookmark either thread. Both are usually fairly close to the top of the stack. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8507 "2023-12-06T22:37:34Z")
Having a degree in Assyriology could come in handy if you need to get across a rickety bridge guarded by an old man. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8508 "2023-12-06T23:05:11Z")
I didn’t vote for them IRL, but in the poll I voted for Romney and McCain amongst all the Democrats going back to Mondale. I didn’t agree with Mitt and John on most things, but they were certainly not radicals, I’m pretty sure they would have more or less maintained the status quo, and I don’t think Trump happens if at least one of them serves a term. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8509 "2023-12-06T23:13:29Z")
For the actors who are fakes that become heroes, I picked “there’s a lot like that” - although mentally I also include anything where you have fakes that fail, but by the end succeed for real. But I fully grant the two specific movies listed are the two that _immediately_ came to mind when I read the details of the question, and own both on DVD. (honorable mention to an 80’s Classic, Fright Night, which matches the theme in part, although fit to yet another genre) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8510 "2023-12-06T23:21:43Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I didn’t vote for them IRL, but in the poll I voted for Romney and McCain amongst all the Democrats going back to Mondale. I think McCain of around the 80’s or 90’s might have made a good president. The McCain of 2008, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8511 "2023-12-06T23:24:35Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I didn’t vote for them IRL, but in the poll I voted for Romney and McCain Ditto. I think both would have been competent presidents. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8512 "2023-12-06T23:47:51Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I think McCain of around the 80’s or 90’s might have made a good president. The McCain of 2008, not so much Yeah unleashing Sarah Palin on the world was unfortunate, and a bizarre turn for a man who didn’t seem to believe in that kind of shit until he ran for president and started courting the worst elements of his party. But I feel like, had he won, Palin would have been relegated to a Dan Quayle-esque “dumbass just along for the ride that’s always good for a humorous quote we can mock” status. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8513 "2023-12-07T01:55:12Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I think both would have been competent presidents. Ditto. For the sake of the poll, I had a fairly low bar for “good presidents”: not Mount Rushmore quality, but competent, qualified, well-intentioned, and not likely to break the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8514 "2023-12-07T03:43:12Z")
I first thought of _A Bug’s Life_, although I guess circus performers aren’t really actors. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8515 "2023-12-07T04:14:49Z")
Oh, and it took me a moment to remember a slightly more recent example of actors doing a performance that turns out real, and having to then be a hero. > **[My Name Is Bruce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Bruce)** > > My Name Is Bruce is a 2007 American comedy horror film directed, co-produced by, and starring B-movie cult actor Bruce Campbell. The film was written by Mark Verheiden. It had a theatrical release in October 2008, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases on February 10, 2009. > Although Sam Raimi, with whom Bruce frequently collaborates, is not involved with this production, much of the film is in the vein of the Evil Dead series. Ted Raimi (Sam's brother), also a frequent collaborator, appears in th... ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8516 "2023-12-07T07:04:19Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > But I fully grant the two specific movies listed are the two that _immediately_ came to mind when I read the details of the question, and own both on DVD. I picked _Three Amigos_ because that’s the first one that came to mind when reading the question. (This is probably because it was only a few weeks ago that I watched the movie, for the first time since the 1980s.) But when I saw _Galaxy Quest_ in the answers, I agreed that also fit the description. I can’t think of any other movies I’ve seen that have that plot, though I’ve seen thousands of films so it’s very likely I’m forgetting one. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8517 "2023-12-07T14:00:13Z")
Okay I have some catching up to do. I don’t bookmark these threads, I use the tracking feature. I already have a liberal arts education and I don’t think I need another one, so the most employable degree is probably what I would pursue. I’d take that B.Sc. in Philanthropic studies because I am already a development nerd. I’ve been working in the nonprofit development field since 2009, primarily in grants management, so this would complement my existing skill set nicely. Celery is fine. I think of it more as a filler food than adding anything. I’m probably forgetting some. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8518 "2023-12-07T16:49:09Z")
I thought of _Tropic Thunder_ when I read the movie plot poll. Been a long time since I saw it, though. After consulting IMDB, it isn’t quite the same thing, but sorta. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8519 "2023-12-07T17:06:41Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I don’t bookmark these threads, I use the tracking feature. On the old board, I used the followed-threads page to look at what had been posted in recently, but Discourse handles that for me. If there is no new content, tiere is usually no point in looking at a thread. Bookmarks are for specific posts that you might want to refer back to later, for reference or linking to. Otherwise, search works well enough. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8520 "2023-12-07T17:08:26Z")
I like to flip back and forth between the polls thread and the discussion thread, and find it really annoying that Discourse thinks I’m not interested in it because there hasn’t been new content. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8521 "2023-12-07T17:15:05Z")
I had trouble picking three characters out; partly because it’s been quite a while since I read the books, and partly because I like a lot of them equally. I did pick three; but might have picked a different three if I’d been in a different mood at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8522 "2023-12-07T17:55:28Z")
I have an amusing and weird simulation one. I have played _Trombone Champ_, and I played trombone for nine years. I played trombone better than I can play _Trombone Champ_. But then, for a fair comparison, I suppose I would have to practice the game for nine years and then see how I do. The good thing about _Trombone Champ_ is that the worse you do, the more fun you have. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8523 "2023-12-07T18:38:43Z")
By the LoTR poll, I’m an outlier - my favorite three are Boromir, Faramir and Theoden! And for similar reasons - they’re important, and IMHO nuanced characters that feel far more ‘real’ to me that the rest. Boromir, who is desperate, trying to keep his people safe and alive, and tempted (like everyone) with the great good he could do with such power. Who fails in a moment of weakness, but still manages to live up to his ideals. And his portrayal in the Jackson movies was spot on for me! Faramir, although not as developed as I like, because he serves as a mirror - given an advantage of perhaps less crushing expectation (although with equally crushing less respect and love), and certainly less exposure to the the ring, manages to be one of the very very few beings who turn away from the ring, albeit with the additional warning his prophetic dream gave him. He stands and does his very best, even if he’s not at the levels of the heroes around him, and for that he’s one of my favorites. Lastly, Theoden is most interesting for his flaws. A great ruler of men, brought down by conspiracy, poor advice, and hubris. But one who does not abandon his responsibilities despite legitimate issues, even if he does put his own people first. And of course, the Jackson portrayal does an incredible job with this character as well. So yes, my favorites all share the theme of their flaws, their lack of plot armor, and a shared sense of tragedy. 🙂 Now if you had asked me this question when I was in my teens, the answer would have been very very different! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=425) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=427)