Questions of the Week

1. Do you/ would you like living alone?
Added by: Dooked

2. Do you get any pleasure from watching re-runs of sporting events when you already know the result?
Added by: Dinosore

3. Americans: Have you met with the Congressperson from your district in person?
Added by: Raisinman

4. Do you believe that in becoming a leader, being good-looking is a crucial advantage?
Added by: Cptn_Duke

5. Which of these John Hughes classics do you like more?
Added by: wislakrakow1

1. Which Tolkien character are you?
Added by: Mellon12

2. Which G.I. Joe are you?
Added by: Spock5709

3. Which pet suits you best ?
Added by: tipparary..x

4. What European Sports Car Are You?
Added by: D4V1DR0CK5

5. Which Captain Planet character are you?
Added by: gryfonclaw

Funniest Comments of the Week

In a News thread titled 'Baby Violates "No Shoe" Policy at Burger King':
Tinsley: If people can wear flip flops without a problem in there, socks should be more than enough coverage!
dacash: I'd agree, if you are saying flip flops shouldn't even count as wearing shoes for health purposes.
NotTheEnemy: You dont wear sandals dacash? EVER?!?!?!
orchidnox: Sure he does! WITH SOCKS!!!
NotTheEnemy: I put sandals with socks right up the same trashiness as crocs....When I see people wearing crocs it makes me want to punch babies... who aren't wearing shoes.

From the YT Cliques thread:
djembedancer: All i can think of is the stoner clique. And the bitchy girl clique.
Kungfullama: I don't know of these either but they sound pretty cool I'm interested in applying to both.
dacash: I don't think you can be in both. Either you have the stones, or you don't.

In the gossip thread in Old Skool:
le_berger: I kinda feel like an ass now.
Sammy: So what's new then?
le_berger: the kinda...

In a news thread where Billy Mays was found to have used Cocaine:
w8in: Makes you wonder how he approached his dealer..."HI, BILLY MAYS HERE, FOR SOME MORE COCAINE!"

From a News Thread titled "Woman Sets Fire to Man's Genitals" :
w8in: Great Balls of Fire.
dacash: Goodness Gracious!

Joke of the Week

What do you say when you see frozen ghosts?

Icy dead people.

Member of the Week

The member of the week is watch. A member since November 2008, Watch is a relatively unknown YTer outside of the Links forum. If you visit that part of the site regularly though, you'll notice that she's added dozens of interesting links in the past several months. congrats!

JoeInterview's Member Feature

This week's interview features le_berger. This interview was conducted by JayY, travbowman, and Angi.

JoeInterview: First off how did you find your way to the joy that is YouThink?

le_berger: I do not recall the specifics of the road that took me to YT but I remember the scenery. There was a thread a few months back about what kind of community YT is, a kindergarden? a village? a city? a neighborhood? etc. I answered something like "YT is that place just off the highway where you initially stopped for gas, but the station was closed so you went one town further. Your car broke down, and the repairman / tow truck dude couldn't get the part you need delivered before a few days.

Stuck in this sh*thole, you figured might as well make the best of it. You ended up at some farmer's place, where they fed you corn and taters, which tasted of led and mercury. But the intention and welcome was so great that it felt endearing. It didn't take long to realize that everybody in this town has down syndrome and they greet you by showing their naughty bits, but every once in a while you go back and it's like you never left."

Ok, I veered off a little here. It remember that I didn't find YT through questions, or quizzes, or through iambored either. It was through a search engine, and it led me to the forums, which is where I got started. I was working a telemarketing job, selling copyrights in a sense. You know when you call somewhere and there's music (muzak I should say) on hold?

Well, here they have to pay a licence fee for the right to play it. In a secluded office with no windows and unlimited internet access, YT was indeed a joy at the time.

JI: That's quite the analogy. So what keeps you returning to this town? Is it my naughty bits?

Le_B: In all actuality, YT has different kinds of pulls on me at different times. As some might know, I was MIA from YT on hiatus for close to two years. There's been a shift since then it seems.. some of it in my personal use of the site, and some in its public aspects.

I don't wanna rufio it up, but the place has changed. YT used to be more effervescent and fast paced it seems, and I do miss some of the ol' guard, the delirious / infamous / hilarious folks that used to fill this place up. Back then I was posting more publicly, having some douchebag ol' time in journals, gettin' mixed up with all the kindsa debates and non-sense in generals, and enjoying some decent music talk with levelheaded folks. (well, jd aside..ha!)

Nowadays and since I came back to the site, public posting has been minimal and I discovered a new aspect to the site, PMs. I don't come on just to kill some time on some asshole's payroll, but to keep in touch with peeps who have become very good friends over time.

And of course, the minimal amount of messin' around in public.

JI: What brought about your absence from the site?

Le_B: Well, eventually, I quit that job. As much as getting paid 17$ / hr to fool around on the internet 95% of the time is pleasant. It's not very fulfilling and motivational. At first I just wandered off and around, doing odd jobs here and there and mostly living the simple life without computers and such. Kinda just me and a backpack and no place to go.

Then I got into both a relationship and a managing position type job, which cut back on basically any online leisure time. Or I should say, I had better things to do with what little leisure time I had.

JI: What are you doing now for a living?

Le_B: Well, as you can see from my previous answers, I'm like a bee that goes from flower to flower. I get bored very easily and wouldn't like to do the same thing for decades on end, I need both the change in scenery and to learn new things. I figure, the more experiences you go through, the better it is.

So, I've done from the shadiest and sh*ttiest jobs to the most noble. At the moment, I'm what you'd call a freelance handyman I guess. Home improvement and renovations and such is my bread and butter. That, and pants removal.

JI: So as someone who views their professional life in that light is there any philosophies/thoughts/feelings and the sort on life that you have developed that one perhaps may be surprised to find out?

Le_B: Only spend time with people and in places where you can fart openly.

JI: As someone who enjoys a chance of scenery, you must also enjoy travelling to some extent. What would you say was your most memorable trip?

Le_B: The one that comes to memory right now is Camping Kelly.. but I won't go down that road. Those in the know, know. Before I travelled anywhere I made it a point to know my own province (that's how we call states here..) Figured I'd take a look at my own backyard before snoopin' at the neighbours.

We have so much unspoiled nature and a vast array of salt of the earth folks all over the place. And many outdoorsy activities can be practiced, I do not just mean naturist beaches and back alley sex here. Or do I? Anyway, I should start by mentionning I travel light and without much stuff planned ahead. I like to let the wind take me, I guess. Meet strange people and veer off the main roads.

In that aspect, most memorable trip = leaving home at 17, 250$ in my pockets (that I would end up losing 3 days later) hitchiking my way accross the vast and bountiful country that is ours. The trip ended up being about 2 years and a half, took me many places and met with many folks. Very much something I guess could be described as an adventure. And I find myself at a loss for words when it comes to recounting this pretty large span of my life that is filled with so many different things all at once.

Let's just say it was a formative and character building experience.

JI: How did you lose your money so quickly?

Le_B: How it was lost involves: a) Plymouth Reliant K, b) Agglutinated trichlomes, c) Wrong turn on the highway

JI: What's the craziest thing you've ever done while drunk?

Le_B: Do you mean stuff like rallying a buncha peeps to go on a speed boat ride only to lure them into group sex? Or more things like vomitting from the 8th storie window on passers by?

Maybe you mean strolling around in the bar half naked after bathroom sex? In the event those are NOT the things you mean, then I'd have to go with not pee. I have once not peed drunk.

JI: So ummm....group sex. What's the biggest drawback?

Le_B: Are there any? I'm not aware...Apart if everybody stays over for breakfast and you only have 4 eggs in the fridge. I don't see sex as something limited to the realm of intimacy and exclusiveness. It can be, and it seems to work that way for a lotta peeps. It's the idea that it HAS to be that way that kinda bugs me, and it is a moral precept which has a strong hold it seems.

To make a parallel / corelation, I would say that for me, sex is like eating. A pleasurable endeavour in all its facets and forms. Sometimes you have a romantic dinner with your significant other. You took a few days to find the right ingredients, spent the afternoon putting it together, dimmed the lights and put on some exotica music in the background. You served her her favorite cocktail when she came home from work and for once you listened to her when she spoke about her day.

And it's a great moment, it has all that cheesiness and chemistry and felt ambiance that pleases the mind and excites the senses. Other times you're in a rush in the afternoon and you get a drive through burger thing, or a sandwich in a cafe. You can also invite a bunch of friends over for a BBQ and celebrate in the backyard. Buy a falafel offa the street vendor, chew on some sunflower seeds all afternoon, etc.

I could go on, but I hope peeps get the idea. Sex is many things in many occasions, and there's not ONE SINGLE THING it HAS TO BE. If slapping on steel toed boots and wearing a tutu while your partner proceeds to lick your eyeballs is what gets you off, go with it! Not my thing mind you.

But, for me, group sex is a celebratory time and a sharing experience. Also, one that's utterly and thoroughly consensual and without regrets. I would never pressure anyone into it, because it defeats the purpose in the first place. What you want out of it is a feeling of liberation and freedom, somebody who doesn't wanna be there would completely screw it up. For more information on the matter / group reservations / school field trips: do not hesitate to PM me.

JI: Have you ever run into someone even kinkier than you when it comes to bedroom excitement?

Le_B: Well, I didn't know that running into someone was a form of bedroom excitement. I might give it a try!

In all fairness, I'm not a freak here. Just a regular off the mill guy, who happens to have fewer taboos than your regular off the mill guy. Perhaps accompanied by a strong libido and heightened curiosity. But I personally don't have any fetiches or "abnormal" boudoir wantings.. In a day and age when pedophiles have support groups and forums and try to PR themselves into a 'sexual preference' perceived group of people, I'm quite tame and conservative feller...
ok ok, the random sex clubs and BDSM and public display of more than affection. But that's all I'll admit to!

JI: Haha...so besides an awesome club scene, what's the best thing about living in Quebec?

Le_B: • poutine, especially at the end of a drunken night

• ladies in bloom when summer arrives

• unpredictable weather

• no political opression

• Camping Kelly

• unspoiled nature available not even an hour from donwtown

• road trippage ahoy!

• you can make fun of almost everyone, virtually nobody carries a gun around

• endless and renewed supply of international students every year

• festival de la gibelotte

• Montreal's back alleys

• many many etc(s)

But obviously, the best thing about living here is that I do.

JI: Who made the best poutine you've ever had?

Le_B: Tough call Joe. I make a kickass poutine myself! Sometimes with smoked meat included, or with some pack a punch hot sauce...

Personal favourites would be La Banquise on Rachel St in Montreal for variety and the sweetest taters around. For the original stuff, maybe Nick's restaurant in Villeray, some shack snack in Victoriaville I forget the name to.

JI: What sort of music has been getting the most spin from you lately?

Le_B: Lately, I've been aching and longing, and Cuban traditional love songs seem to do it real good for me... The fact that I don't understand the lyrics makes it extra melancholic, I can pretend it's anything really. There's also been a lot of driving, which for me is always deeply associated with funk and afrobeat and jazz funk.

Some real aerial rock as well, Hammock has been lovely for night time relaxation. Gotta thank Mathyou on that one. The usual still gets some spin, lotsa fusion jazz, prog rock, world music, electronica, etc.

JI: So your name, "The Shepherd", what are the origins behind its use?

Le_B: I've gone through many nicknames it seems...This one, when I came back from the long trips I mentionned before, I was the kinda dude that doesn't shave the beard so much and spends a lot of time with nature and little with humanoids. My old and now somewhat estranged friends perceived me as someone 'in touch' with nature, or some'n. And a few buds also refered to ladies as 'sheeps', so it kinda stuck.

JI: So you're not necessarily the person to go to for guidance?

Le_B: Well, considering how many times I've been called "God" in the throes of passion, quite to the contrary Joe..

I find that people are rarely in actual need of guidance to be honest. When in pain / distress / disarray / etc. most will look for comfort or a listening ear or forgetfulness and oblivion, the reassurance that they have done nothing wrong, etc.

And then when happy / excited / in good spirits, who will look for something else or gives a sh*t about what one has to say to 'guide' them? "No need for guidance, I'm happy now, so what could be wrong?" type thing. I feel that the right time to look for a path, is when you're in a neutral state and actually opened about possibilities.

Else it's just quick fix solutions to help make you feel better / a balm on the rash. Not a long lasting, unbiased decision for the improvement of the self. Plus i'm a strong believer that all the answers are within one's self.

JI: Hunter S Thompson...what work of his do you recommend for beginners?

Le_B: I'm not a thoroughist here, I've only read Hell's Angels and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Next one will probably be Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (for which a movie way less popular than the Depp / Del Toro one was made in the 80s, with Bill Murray. It was called "Where the Buffalo Roam", with music from Neil Young. An interesting flick, even if it was only for the similarities between Depp & Murray's interpretations.)

I guess the usual Fear & Loathing in Vegas + the movie is the way to go. Especially that the movie was made some 30 yrs after the publication, which gives more of a broadview of the era, and a through and out better production. Don't get me wrong, the writing is phenomenal and the kid is wise beyond what most perceive. But, I'm more interested in the character than his work in a sense.

I also make a point of not reading The Rum Diary.

JI: What do you find most fascinating about him?

Le_B: Can I say everything? I guess I like that the guy just didn't wait around for stuff to happen. You know, the anarchy / not asking for permission.. Also that what may seem ludicrous and non-sensical to the everyday working man is just run of the mill stuff for an excessive (the word is faint..) and free spirited man.

JI: Any final words of wisdom to share with your fellow YTers?

Le_B: Wanna do it? do it.

This week's article is titled 'Texan hides gun in fat folds', and the thread was posted by strummerette.

This week's link is titled 'What if Cartoons were real?', and the link was posted by DarkeRaven.

Best Avatar of the Week	Best Profile Design of the Week
mp5	"I hope it takes you straight to hell" by hellonicole

Featured Article of the Week

Even Superheroes Cry
Excerpt: Lionel Kane has finally completed his miracle cure. A vaccine to make humans totally invulnerable to diseases. At a press conference unveiling this new chemical cure, Lionel is kidnaped and the cure, stolen by an unknown assailant.

Written by marvelheroes

Check it all out at YouThink.com!