Althouse: "A stranger becomes you for 24 hours, what is one question they would ask you when the 24 hours is up?"

July 24, 2019

"A stranger becomes you for 24 hours, what is one question they would ask you when the 24 hours is up?"

A question asked on Reddit.

Highest-rated answers:

1. "Why do you still work there?"

2. "Is there any way to turn the volume down on your thoughts?"

3. "Why don't you own any shoes?"

4. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOUR DIGESTIVE TRACT?!??"

5. "Are your friends on holiday or something?"

6. "Nothing. They'd just walk away in silence while avoiding eye contact."

By the way, I love Reddit. It's become my favorite social media site (not counting my own blog). I use Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Facebook is people I know personally, Twitter is famous people, and Reddit is just a mass of people, I don't know who. I prefer the Reddit environment. It's a preference for a feeling. I get distinctly different feelings from Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, and I prefer the Reddit feeling.

70 comments:

Lucid-Ideas said...: "Doesn't the thrill of doing bank heists everyday eventually wear off?"; 7/24/19, 9:43 AM
Lyle Sanford, RMT said...: Any recommended subreddits? I just started with it here lately and there's just so much to navigate through.; 7/24/19, 9:44 AM
stevew said...: My son (35 yrs old) sends me fun and interesting Reddit stuff all the time. He also participates in some group threads such as a beer making one and a cooking challenge sort of thing. I'm tempted to sign up but having ditched all the social media stuff am reluctant to do so.

I think I'll reconsider.; 7/24/19, 9:44 AM
Ralph L said...: How does one operate Reddit?

Since I fixed #1 almost 4 years ago to mind my demented father, it could be either 2 through 6, but I'll have to go with 4, in the all caps.; 7/24/19, 9:46 AM
CJinPA said...: 1. "Why do you still work there?"

Is everyone really so unhappy with their job, or is the #1 ranking skewed by the Reddit demographic? Coming on the heels of early retirement post, I sense a trendlet.

Cool exercise though.; 7/24/19, 9:47 AM
Mike said...: Reddit is the best. Just think of what your interests and hobbies are and subscribe to them. If you don't know the name of the sub-reddit, then google it.

And there's nobody there telling you what they ate for breakfast! Unless you want that, there's surely a sub-reddit for that.; 7/24/19, 9:49 AM
Nonapod said...: By the way, I love Reddit.

Actually, Reddit can be very entertaining... when its apolitical content.

With anything political, its biggest weakness (like almost all social media) is that it has a habit of quickly crushing any dissension without any consideration or room for real debate. In fact with its voting/ranking system it literally is designed to be a mob ruled. Posts and replies that the majority dislike are quickly dissappeared from the default view settings.; 7/24/19, 9:50 AM
traditionalguy said...: Shouting Thomas needs to spend a day as Althouse. If he survived, his outlook would change for the better. Equal rights for everyone.; 7/24/19, 9:51 AM
Leland said...: I don't read reddit often, primarily because I have chose not to learn is interface. When I do read it, it seems more authentic. I do like the combination of upvoting and nesting off comments. For long threads, it allows the cream to rise to the top. Your comments suggest it is time to learn. I'm finding Facebook increasingly miserable.; 7/24/19, 9:54 AM
Lucid-Ideas said...: I actually find Reddit very difficult to navigate. Moreover the up/down vote system - contrary to popular belief - does not help in self-regulation and in fact creates an echo-chamber effect that ultimately leads to ever more sub-reddits. So instead of other places that are free speech forums mingled around specific subjects you get more sub-reddits than Hinduism has gods.

It's far too easy to 'take the bait' on reddit...it's a tangential forum.; 7/24/19, 10:00 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Any recommended subreddits? I just started with it here lately and there's just so much to navigate through."

I have the same question, but here are some that I've stumbled upon that have amused me:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/
https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/
https://www.reddit.com/r/blackmagicfuckery/
https://www.reddit.com/r/confusingperspective/
https://www.reddit.com/r/evilbuildings/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal_Jerk/
https://www.reddit.com/r/maybemaybemaybe/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/
https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Perfectfit/
https://www.reddit.com/r/RoastMe/
https://www.reddit.com/r/trippinthroughtime/
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/
https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/; 7/24/19, 10:02 AM
Kay said...: Reddit seems to harken back to the old internet days of discussion forums.; 7/24/19, 10:04 AM
Carol said...: Reddit's interface put me off at first. Then I joined a few subreddits and my Home just shows those now, not all the other ones. Among the first things I used there was some of the accounting, bookkeeping and tax prep advice. Some of it is bogus, a lot of it is quite good.

My favorite subs now are Medicine and Nursing. You gotta hear them bitch about patients...lol. So I made a point of going to my annual wellness exam and trying to NOT seem crazy.; 7/24/19, 10:09 AM
Carol said...: /pharmacy is good too...; 7/24/19, 10:10 AM
chuck said...: Where are the passwords?; 7/24/19, 10:15 AM
bagoh20 said...: "Why do you put up with all that shit?"

I don't have a good answer.; 7/24/19, 10:16 AM
gilbar said...: . "Are your friends on holiday or something?"
actually, they'd most probably ask; "why do you have all these other fly rods, when you have a bamboo?"; 7/24/19, 10:21 AM
Mike said...: If you have a favorite sports team, they have a sub-reddit. Highly recommended. It's much easier to follow my Nashville Predators now that I have r/Predators. r/hockey is also pretty good.

If you have a favorite app on your phone that you wish you knew more about, like a game, there is a sub-reddit. I'm on r/btd6 every day. People are obsessed about games, and you can pick up their knowledge without being so obsessed.; 7/24/19, 10:22 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: I was going to make a gigantic wang joke but opted for maturity and reality and made no comment whatsoever.; 7/24/19, 10:31 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: I’m a great admirer of Althouse.

I’ve read as close to every word she’s written on this blog as any person.

We disagree.

The notion that I’m against equality for anybody is BS. I disagree with the underlying assumption in Althouse’s writing that women and gays ever were not equal. The great persecution of the women and the gays is a load of shit.

Althouse should spend a day in my shoes. I got dragged into men’s rights groups in the mid 90s... by, of all things, gay men in NYC. Since I’m a great writer and multimedia artist, they wanted me to be their propagandist.

The men’s groups had some valid arguments. I generally sympathized with them.

But having my life orbit around that stuff was a total negative. I was eating at nice restaurants every night, living in a doorman building in Manhattan and I had a great, fun loving, non-feminist wife.

So, I dropped it. I keep wondering when Althouse will experience a similar revelation re all the feminist, gay everything crap. Her life and success is the proof that she’s just wasting her time on this shit.; 7/24/19, 10:48 AM
Bilwick said...: "How did you accumulate such an impressive collection of JUGGS magazines?"; 7/24/19, 11:00 AM
wild chicken said...: Ann isn't wasting her time with any lgbt activism.

She's just a bemused observer of Everything, trying to keep an open mind.; 7/24/19, 11:01 AM
0_0 said...: You should try 4chan.
4channel.org
4chan.org; 7/24/19, 11:02 AM
bagoh20 said...: "A stranger becomes you..."

That actually happens to me pretty regularly.; 7/24/19, 11:04 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: LOL> I also reddit everyday. I enjoy the whole experience and ignore the negative things, because I can easily avoid them. Upvotes/Downvotes...who cares?

The jokes, memes, interesting questions posed as well as the niche sub reddits (archaeology, history, science, knitting, all sorts of hobby subs... etc etc etc) are all very entertaining and informative.

I share some of the same ones with Althouse.

r/whatisthisthing.
r/aww
r/earthporn (for some really beautiful photos).
r/photoshopbattles...(hilarious)
r/oldschoolcool

The subreddit choices are massive!!

As to that question....I'm positive that #4 would be the right answer for me. I pity the poor stranger who has to deal with that!; 7/24/19, 11:06 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Photoshop battle Boris Johnson

the comment section has the photoshops of the original picture

(not sure if you can see this if you aren't already on reddit?; 7/24/19, 11:10 AM
The Minnow Wrangler said...: "Don't you ever want to do anything besides sit at your computer? Why don't you get a job?"

I also love the question about what is wrong with your digestive tract.; 7/24/19, 11:15 AM
Lucien said...: Another reason why I loved the first few seasons of “Dexter” — he thought he was a monster and was trying to figure out how to be normal, but if he could see what’s going on in the heads of the rest of us . . (Note the Althousian two-dot ellipsis.); 7/24/19, 11:26 AM
Anonymous said...: "Having MS really does suck"; 7/24/19, 11:34 AM
Anthony said...: "I want to stay! Why the fuck are you always depressed? Moron."; 7/24/19, 11:35 AM
Big Mike said...: “As handsome, intelligent, and charismatic as you are, why is Trump the president and not you? Is it because of your modesty?”; 7/24/19, 11:36 AM
FGH said...: Thanks for this observation. I pretty much dropped Facebook and Twitter for the reasons you cited, and hadn't really familiarized myself with Reddit. I have now and am looking forward to using it precisely because of the "feel" you described.; 7/24/19, 11:45 AM
Bill Peschel said...: I'll have to check it out. Every time I visit my FB feed, I get depressed. Twitter the same reason (I hadn't thought to follow only famous people, though).

Reddit reminds me of the old Straight Dope BB, which I read through daily, but which seems depressing today.; 7/24/19, 12:01 PM
MayBee said...: Reddit is great because it has something for everyone.; 7/24/19, 12:02 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I would be really angry at someone for becoming me for a day, so probably something like, "Why are you so mad?" Or, "If I leave and never come back, will you put the weapon down?"; 7/24/19, 12:03 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I liked Twitter when it started. I hate it now and never go there. Plus, the company is totally misogynistic and somehow gets away with it.; 7/24/19, 12:04 PM
Sebastian said...: "Whoa! I didn't know conservatism made so much sense. I get it now!"

"Whoa! What did you do to deserve this great life? Can I trade places permanently?"; 7/24/19, 12:12 PM
J. Farmer said...: "Why are all those images of bruises, welts, cuts, scars, and burns seared into your brain?"; 7/24/19, 12:24 PM
dreams said...: Really?; 7/24/19, 12:27 PM
Achilles said...: Why do you keep destroying yourself?; 7/24/19, 12:44 PM
Rumpletweezer said...: "How did you get such a hot wife?"; 7/24/19, 12:51 PM
n.n said...: a stranger becomes you

"to be attractive on; befit in appearance; look well on: That gown becomes you.
to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of."

Am I Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?; 7/24/19, 12:55 PM
Known Unknown said...: Is all that sex really necessary?

Seriously, though, it's probably #4.; 7/24/19, 1:19 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: Give me three steps, give me three steps mister, give me three steps toward the door!; 7/24/19, 1:22 PM
Narr said...: "You weren't joking about being surrounded by idiots, were you?"

Narr
I see you, delivery boy standing behind your door!; 7/24/19, 1:53 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: Every time I read a comment by Bay Area Guy or bagoh, I hear “Gigity” in my head.; 7/24/19, 3:04 PM
Fen said...: Mine:

"Who is this Baron Harkonnen character that keeps echoing in your brain?"; 7/24/19, 3:25 PM
FullMoon said...: try r/worldnews on reddit

Comments trend towards professional anti-Trump propaganda. Those people actually believe all the stuff Inga sometimes pretends to believe.; 7/24/19, 3:37 PM
narciso said...: they banned the pro trump reddit, let the anarchist/black bloc threads pass,; 7/24/19, 3:41 PM
dreams said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/24/19, 3:45 PM
FullMoon said...: This is typical r/worldnews comment. You think this comes from the average guy on the street? Reddit is full of this stuff, with plenty of low information people jumping on. Any contrary evidence gets you banned from commenting. I have been banned from a couple of groups for simple one or two sentence disagreements. Not like the hours long back and forth allowed here. One and done.

In 2016 then candidate Trump was pursuing an extremely lucrative business deal in a country engaged in cyberwarfare during the 2016 Presidential campaign. President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Trump Organization pursuing a Moscow Trump Tower project during the 2016 Presidential Campaign.[1] Special Counsel Mueller charged Cohen for making false statements to Congress. Cohen made false statements to minimize the link between the Moscow Trump Tower project and then Candidate Trump as his company continued the venture well into the 2016 Presidential Campaign.[2]

a. The Moscow Project was discussed multiple times within the Company and did not end in January 2016. Instead, as late as approximately June 2016 , COHEN and Individual 2 discussed efforts to obtain Russian governmental approval for the Moscow Project . COHEN discussed the status and progress of the Moscow Project with Individual 1 on more than the three occasions COHEN claimed to the Committee, and he briefed family members of Individual 1 within the Company about the project.

b. COHEN agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the Moscow Project and took steps in contemplation of ndividual l's possible travel to Russia. COHEN and Individual 2 discussed on multiple occasions traveling to Russia to pursue the Moscow Project.

i. COHEN asked Individual 1 about the possibility of Individual 1 traveling to Russia in connection with the Moscow Project, and asked a senior campaign official about potential business travel to Russia.

ii . On or about May 4, 2016, Individual 2 wrote to COHEN, "I had a chat with Moscow . ASSUMING the trip does happen the question is before or after the convention . Obviously the pre - meeting trip (you only) can happen anytime you want but the 2 big guys where [sic] the question . I said I would confirm and revert ." COHEN responded, "My trip before Cleveland. [Individual l] once he becomes the nominee after the convention."

iii. On or about May 5, 2016, Individual 2 followed up with COHEN and wrote, "[Russian Official l] would like to invite you as his guest to the St. Petersburg Forum which is Russia's Davos it's June 16- 19. He wants to meet there with you and possibly introduce you to either [the President of Russia] or [the Prime Minister of Russia], as they are not sure if 1 or both will be there. He said anything you want to discuss including dates and subjects are on the table to discuss."

iv . On or about May 6 , 2016 , Individual 2 asked COHEN to confirm those dates would work for him to travel . COHEN wrote back , "Works for me."; 7/24/19, 4:05 PM
FullMoon said...: (2)
v. From on or about June 9 to June 14, 2016, Individual 2 sent numerous messages to COHEN about the travel, including forms for COHEN to complete. However, on or about June 14, 2016, COHEN met Individual 2 in the lobby of the Company's headquarters to inform Individual 2 he would not be traveling at that time.

c . COHEN did recall that in or around January 2016, COHEN received a response from the office of Russian Official 1, the Press Secretary for the President of Russia, and spoke to a member of that office about the Moscow Project.

i. On or about January 14, 2016, COHEN emailed Russian Official l's office asking for assistance in connection with the Moscow Project. On or about January 16, 2016, COHEN emailed Russian Official l ' s office again, said he was trying to reach another high- level Russian official, and asked for someone who spoke English to contact him.

ii. On or about January 20, 2016, COHEN received an email from the personal assistant to Russian Official 1 ("Assistant 1"), stating that she had been trying to reach COHEN and requesting that he call her using a Moscow-based phone number she provided.

iii. Shortly after receiving the email, COHEN called Assistant 1 and spoke to her for approximately 20 minutes. On that call, COHEN described his position at the Company and outlined the proposed Moscow Project, including the Russian development company with which the Company had partnered. COHEN requested assistance in moving the project forward , both in securing land to build the proposed tower and financing the construction . Assistant 1 asked detailed questions and took notes, stating that she would follow up with others in Russia.

iv . The day after COHEN's call with Assistant 1, Individual 2 contacted him, asking for a call. Individual 2 wrote to COHEN, "It' s about [the President of Russia] they called today. "

President Trump has vehemently denied any business ties with Russia. For example in 2017 the President tweeted "Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!"[3] He was pursuing a venture in Moscow during the 2016 Presidential Campaign.; 7/24/19, 4:06 PM
FullMoon said...: they banned the pro trump reddit, let the anarchist/black bloc threads pass,

quarantined.
I can see it but may be inaccessible to new people?
r/The_Donald.

By the way, seems that account has been getting some more aggressive comments lately. Almost as if trolls are trying to get it legitimately banned.
You post bad content, your compadres make bad comments, then the organization floods reddit with complaints about the made up stuff.; 7/24/19, 4:12 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: @ FullMoon

I avoid the political and news Reddit subs like the plague. I can get the "news" in a zillion places on the Web, without the inevitable left/right slant that occurs in the Reddit comments. Internet yelling....sheesh. Occasionally there might be a link to another web article....but the opinion crappola. Don't need it.

You can create your own list of favorites and avoid those subs that are annoying, irritating, and anxiety causing. AKA your home page. If you really want to see that, then just go to "All" or "Popular".

For a real kick...try "Random" and be amazed that those subs exist :-)

The Trump reddit was quarantined but you can go to it and say to accept the sub. I don't because I really don't want to have my "Home" page flooded with all that stuff.; 7/24/19, 5:05 PM
Lyle Sanford, RMT said...: Thanks for the suggestions - already subscribed to oddly satisfying - will check the others.; 7/24/19, 5:29 PM
DavidUW said...: Damn your woman is fiiiiiine.; 7/24/19, 5:30 PM
Leland said...: So who took over Mueller for the last 24 hours?; 7/24/19, 7:24 PM
stephen cooper said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/24/19, 8:32 PM
stephen cooper said...: "who ha put his life on the line"

like tens of millions of others

I remember

tens of millions of others

think about it

history is real; 7/24/19, 8:35 PM
stephen cooper said...: I feel bad for Mueller, he knows that he failed.

He had hatred in his heart for Trump and for all of us who voted for Trump and today he was frightened
frightened to know that all of us know he was a phony

well God bless him, he is reputed to have been brave in Vietnam

Nobody knows if he was or not, but he got the medals from people who assumed he had been brave

I sincerely hope he was brave when he was young; 7/24/19, 8:38 PM
wildswan said...: But why do you want to explain plant form?; 7/24/19, 8:38 PM
stephen cooper said...: Like Mueller, I put my life on the line, so I cannot feel as much contempt for him as I otherwise would

I assume his wife and children love him, and I wish him the best

He tried to steal from me all my efforts at getting a President who would reflect my views of the world

Well I forgive him, he is a sad old man who did a bad thing and who clearly knows it; 7/24/19, 8:40 PM
stephen cooper said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/24/19, 8:42 PM
stephen cooper said...: The Past is No longer yours.

The Future is not in your power.

(I Hope I have not offended you by pointing out these uncontested truths).

You only have the present in which to do good.

Do it. Be good. IF you are a bad person, refrain from doing bad things, and do what you can to make up for the bad things you have done.

If you are a good person, resolve to be at least as good, going forward, and even better, with the help of God and the saints and angels.

And if you are somewhere between bad and good, well, be nicer than you would otherwise have been, if you did not know that so many of us are praying for you and for those you love, because GOD LOVES US ALL.

and if you think I am sanctimonious, well for God's sake think again, I have seen many many bad things and I have prayed that other people would be blessed not to know what I know about how bad people can be, the poor little creatures, and if you think that I am sanctimonious because of what I say, knowing what I know ---- well God bless you, God loves you, but your contempt for me is unfounded.

If I were sanctimonious you would think "hey this guy sounds like Billy Graham" as if I wanted for a single second for you to think that

what I want is for you to think this

GOD LOVES YOU
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE GOD LOVE YOU LESS

don't ever forget that, but remember this:

God deserves your love just as much as you deserve God's love

remember that first time when you understood what friendship is

remember that first time when you understood what friendship is

it is no small thing to be a friend to a creature who never had a friend in this world

please please try and understand; 7/24/19, 8:57 PM
stephen cooper said...: "The past is not yours any more, the future is not in your power, and you only have the present moment in which to do good"
that is a quote from Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who died fairly young after preaching many good sermons, and working hard for the poor, in the Italy where some of our great grand parents lived; 7/24/19, 9:02 PM
stephen cooper said...: Don't joke about being someone else for 24 hours

It is disrespectful.

Thanks for reading, you can joke about me any time, but that is specific to me ...

without someone's permission, don't act like there is any chance that you could understand them by "being them for 24 hours"

it does not work that way

that being said you can understand me in a moment

I KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU

see, that is easy to understand, and that is the most important thing I Know !; 7/24/19, 9:16 PM
narciso said...: That was 50 years ago. About 30 years ago when Oliver north was trying to keep the Nicaraguan resistance together, the media had no such consideration, in fact Theodore Draper and Fareed zakaria both called the nsc a juntA; 7/24/19, 9:41 PM
David Duffy said...: How can I find the feelings you have for your wife in some woman?; 7/24/19, 10:06 PM
Fen said...: "He tried to steal from me all my efforts at getting a President who would reflect my views of the world"

He didn't TRY to, he was successful in handicapping Trump.

A President accomplishes the most during his first 100 days.; 7/24/19, 11:40 PM
Fen said...: "I feel bad for Mueller, he knows that he failed."

Mueller put people in jail for misremembering, as he did today. Lives ruined.; 7/24/19, 11:41 PM