What about online gaming, such as WoW or CoH? My guess would be it would fall under the “no posting messages” rule.
Either way, sign me up today. I’ll be wanting the super-duper cable package with all the college/NFL games, a new video game console and list of games to be provided, all known novels in the Doc Savage, Wingman, Floating Outfit, Executioner, Destroyer, and other similar series, plus the collected works of Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson.
Can I keep getting 1 million per year as long as I do this?
I barely understand the challenge in the OP as it applies to me. I have done nearly the same thing on my own in a very large and spooky remote farmhouse in Vermont for well over a year. I was going to grad school for part of that but I stayed there even when I left. There was mail mailing address, no phone, no internet, no neighbors, no nothing…and I had to leave there kicking and screaming just for money reasons but I scared myself because I liked it a little too much. I did speak to people at the nearest general store a couple of times a week but that was only because I needed food and the voice mail line would take care of that. I always have standing plans to build an isolated log cabin and hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail alone.
For some of us, it would just be like getting paid for something we always wanted to do anyway. “Do what you love and the money will follow” they say. I tend to forgot that most people don’t look at this problem the same way some of us do. I couldn’t do it right now because I have young children but I might be able to later in life.
While human interaction is necessary for happiness, it’s only one year. That’s one year on Walden Pond, one year sailing the world, one year hiking the Appalachian Trail.
You get to live in luxury, have all the reading materials and internet that you want, and get a million bucks at the end? I could teach myself all kinds of things during that time. I could write, I could learn music, etc., etc., etc.
It’s not like this is the Hanoi Hilton or Supermax Florence. I wouldn’t want to do THOSE for a year-- THAT’D would leave you messed up. Forced isolation is a bad, bad thing.
But in this case? You’d know you were coming out in one year, all the richer. That knowledge would give you a pretty clear goal. (And again, in the meantime, your life is cushy).
Actually, in fact: it might be better to do this sort of thing WITHOUT the input from the outside world, i.e. the internet, cable TV, etc. Odds are that will only make you lonelier. Peace, quiet, music and good books, and no work for a year? Sign me up.
I’m not sure how those work (hell, I don’t even know what CoH is, though I assume WoW is “World of Warcraft”). But assuming they require the player to compete against (or collaborate with) other human users rather than a machine, yeah, they’d be disqualifed.
I’d do it after some consultation with my boyfriend. I mean, I’m sure he’ll be sad about going without my company for a year, but we’ve done the long-distance relationship deal before and plus, $1,000,000! That’ll soothe over any hard feelings rather quick I imagine. Heck, he’d probably ask if he could sign up at the same time at a different house.
Most of my hobbies and activities can be done solo, so that’s not an issue. Cooking wouldn’t be as fun, but at least I’ll be able to cook all the chicken liver I want without someone making faces at me. With all that free time, I might actually finally sit down and learn how to knit and crochet or maybe even take the time to garden.
I’d even start keeping a journal and try and sell it to a publisher after I get out. If so, I might even be able to account for the gap in my resume by calling it a working vacation.
I think you could probably tell the dentist to get bent, but I’d guess the doctor and nurse are there for liability reasons. Besides, it’s a few hours for one day out of every 90.
I would not be able to do it. My family is too important.
I am poor enough to consider how it would help us all, but I am too selfish when it comes to needing them around me.
What gap? You HAVE a job during this year; the eccentric billionaire is accounting for your taxes in his payment, after all, so he’s surely had youfill out an W-4 and such. Your duties duties are not going outside the gate, not sending email or other correspondence, and not talking on the phone.
And, as MeanOldLady pointed out, masturbating. I’m not sure I’d describe it as such on the resume, though.
LOL, Pre-Celtling? I would have paid you. My first thought was, can I stay after the year is up? My only hesitation would be the pain I’d feel knowing it was all going to end.
But of course I could never consent to be away from the Celtling for that long. I have trouble thinking about the upcoming business travel. What?!? * Two nights?!?!*
Then I got to thinking how much fun we Dopers would have with this. Imagine if we knew Shag was in the house. What threads would we start/posts would we make to try and piss him off so bad he’d have to post and set us straight?
I’d do a fist pump and then instantly accept. Hell, I might even do it without pay if the accomodations were nice enough. A year in isolation is no big deal, and you have access to the internet and video games and such - plenty of stuff to learn or keep your mind occupied.
Oh, wait, damn. I only accept payment on odd numbered days. This whole proposal is now silly.
Hells, yes. I would love that, and it would give me the time to read all the books I never get to. If I got lonely, I would just need to read some negative stories on the Net to remind me of how shitty people can be and how happy I am to be on my own for a while.
