Persistant Questions

I have dozens of them. I like to drop them into the conversation at a social gathering, kind of an ice-breaker around the table when I don't know all the people seated with me. Sometimes it's an ice-breaker. Sometimes one of these questions brings the conversation to a grinding halt, never to be recovered. Sometimes people get up and leave. Sometimes, and this is the desired effect, interesting ideas are exchanged and I have made some new friends. For your thoughtful perusal, here are three of them. If you don't have an answer, consult Guy Noir.

1. How many cats does a woman have to own in order to be considered a "crazy old cat lady"? I have had answers ranging from a simple, emphatic numerical response to being asked counter questions, such as, is the age of the woman an actual factor.

2. How many musicians must a woman sleep with in order to be considered a groupie? The best answer I've ever had for this one was uttered by the CPPR just over a year ago. He said, one. But the guy has to have a major label recording contract.

3. Why is it that a sexually confident, perhaps even aggressive, man who has, shall we say, many notches in his bedpost, is referred to as a stud. A complimentary term. While a woman of similar demeanor is called a slut. A disparaging term. It is interesting to note that there is a mere one letter difference in the spelling of these words. I have, to date, never received a satisfying answer to this one. Although it frequently leads to interesting arguments involving our society and gender roles.