QUESTION OF THE WEEK #142

With Zero-to-60 acceleration in 5.9 seconds, this Domino's delivery guy is at your door in less than 30 minutes.

This Week's Question:

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #141

Southwestsiiiide!

This Week's Question:

Does the flight attendant in the above video make you more or less likely to fly Southwest Airlines?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #140

I made up my mind: I'm keeping my baby.

This Week's Question:

If you were listening to your iPod while in labor, what songs would you want to hear while attempting to push out a baby?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #138

This Week's Question:

"That one."

Offensive?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #137

Online Surveys & Market Research

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #136

Tit-for-Tat

After a long hiatus, the Poplicks Question of the Week is back.

This Week's Question:

An Illinois lawyer was suspended by the state bar for allowing one of his female clients -- who happens to be a stripper -- to perform nude dances in exchange for credits on her legal bill.

(Although there were allegations of inappropriate touching, the disciplinary charges seem to stem solely from the bartering of his services for her services.)

Let's say the lawyer was not cheating on his taxes (i.e., he was reporting the full value of his services as income). And let's also assume that nude dancing is perfectly legal and that both parties consented to the exchange.

What's wrong with a lawyer giving discounts to his stripper client in exchange for lap dances?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #135

To Kill A Predator?

This Week's Question:

Louis W. Conradt Jr., a former Texas assistant district attorney, committed suicide in 2006 as he was about to be arrested by the police for soliciting a minor online. The sting was part of NBC's To Catch A Predator series.

Conradt's sister filed a $105 million lawsuit, alleging that NBC played a role in the suicide.

A federal judge in New York allowed the case to advance. "If the allegations of the amended complaint are proven," Judge Chin wrote, "a reasonable jury could find that NBC crossed the line from responsible journalism to irresponsible and reckless intrusion into law enforcement."

Should Conradt's estate have any right to recover against NBC?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #134

"Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease."

This Week's Question:

What's wrong with the picture above?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #133

The dog gone girl is his

This Week's Question:

Michael Jackson's Thriller is now 25 years old.

How has the album most impacted your life?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #132

Better than Snoop's "Sensual Seduction" video?

This Week's Question:

Is Heidi Montag a genius?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #131

Don't worry, water polo players in this photo.
Poplicks is not a gay porn site. It just has a wide stance.

This Week's Question:

The Orange County Register recently reported that many photographs of unsuspecting underage male water polo players from several Southern California high schools were posted on various gay porn sites.

According to the Register:

"[I]mages of local high school athletes, some as young as 14, according to parents, are juxtaposed next to photos of nude or semi-nude young males and graphic sexual content. The photos are the subject of lewd comments from chat room participants as far away as Australia. ...

The presence of the photos on these Web sites has alarmed local parents, coaches and school officials and traumatized high school athletes who were unaware they were being photographed. In some cases, boys have sought counseling after learning their photos were on the Web sites, parents said."

Question: Would the boys and their parents still be traumatized if the photos were only being posted on websites catering to women?

In other words, how much of this controversy is about privacy and protecting children vs. homophobia?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #130

That's the ticket!

This Week's Question:

I am about to send in my absentee ballot for the California Democratic primary, which, for the first time in forever, may decide the Democratic presidential nominee.

Of the three viable candidates, I like John Edwards the most. Among other things, he is the only candidate who has been consistently addressing issues of poverty and income equality.

Unfortunately, John Edwards' national poll numbers are dipping into the teens and he doesn't seem to have a real shot at winning the primary.

Moreover, given that the contest has been reduced to Obama vs. Clinton, a vote for Edwards almost has the same effect as not voting.

I do like Barack Obama and strongly prefer him over Hillary Clinton.

Question: should I vote for Edwards (my first choice) or Obama (my second choice)?


(P.S. Here is my annual plug for Instant Runoff Voting, which would ensure that I am never stuck in this painful dilemma again. Why isn't IRV the national standard for voting?)

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #129

If only Thom Yorke had a better sense of humor ...

This Week's Question:

Radiohead's In Rainbows topped the Billboard album charts this week, despite the fact that the album was available for a "name your own price" (i.e,. "free") digital download from the band's website.

What does this say about the state of the music business? Or, if you prefer, what does this say about Radiohead?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #128

Worst lodging ever

This Week's Question:

In 1977, the Supreme Court banned the death penalty for persons convicted of the rape of an adult. Since then, every person executed in the United States has been convicted for a crime that involved killing.

The Court just agreed to hear the appeal of a death row inmate in Louisiana who was convicted for the rape of a child.

In your opinion, if it's ok to execute murderers but not ok to execute adult rapists, should it be ok to execute child rapists?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #127

Who supports this sign more: Republicans or other Democrats?

This Week's Question:

You are a Democrat in Iowa. Your #1 goal is to get a Democrat elected to the White House.

Your favorite candidate is Hillary Clinton, who maintains the lead for the Democratic nomination in Iowa and nationwide.

However, current polls suggest that Clinton would lose in the general election against at least five GOP candidates -- Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Huckabee, and Fred Thompson. The same poll indicates that Obama and Edwards would do better than Clinton among independent and young voters.

For the upcoming primary election, do you vote for Hillary Clinton?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #126

Is there a reason Trent Lott is retiring so soon?

This Week's Question:

Larry Flynt told Fox News that within the next two weeks he will expose a major bombshell of a sex scandal involving a prominent U.S. Senator.

If this is true, which senator do you predict will be the latest to be involved in a sex scandal? Or whom would you like to see unveiled? And what will the details of the exposé entail?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #125

Boss, you looked at my rap sheet?

This Week's Question:

As the executive in charge of hiring at your workplace, you need to quickly fill a managerial position that involves employee supervision, customer relations, and significant responsibility.

You've narrowed down the applicant pool to four equally qualified applicants.

The only problem is that your four candidates have each been arrested, convicted, and jailed for a different crime:

(Not photos of actual candidates)

You have to choose one candidate and the only thing that distinguishes them are the crimes for which they were convicted.

Whom do you hire?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #124

Do Ellen's writers mean less to her than the adopted dog she bawled about?

This Week's Question:

You are TV host Ellen Degeneres. You support the writers' strike, but if you stop taping new shows, some of your staff and crew will lose their jobs. What do you do?

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #122

The roof is on fire and, actually, we do need some water
as we would not like to let the mother burn

This Week's Question:

Some firefighters in San Diego have been working to protect the homes of those who have refused to evacuate.

Which of the following two options should firefighters prioritize: (1) containing the wildfires or (2) saving lives most immediately at risk, at the expense of containing the fires?

Assume that the lives being saved in option #2 are those who knew about the evacuation, had the opportunity to evacuate, and chose not to do so.

--Junichi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #121

The real heartbreak kid

This Week's Question:

This last weekend, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? topped the box office.

Yet again, Perry's latest film stunned pundits and industry predictions by making more money than George Clooney's Michael Clayton and Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth: The Golden Age ... combined. I'm willing to bet that most Americans who aren't black had never even heard of the film before today.

Is this a sign that Hollywood is ignoring the market power and interests of the black community? Or does Tyler Perry just have a loyal/cult following?

--Junichi