Men's Top 5 list - things they can't live without. Part II

Polled randomly from the Personal Pages of The Onion, here they are in descending order of category frequency (though not of individual elements within them):

* Possessions
ipod
books
spell checker
a good newsstand
a bottle of scotch
dark chocolate
my roadbike
my telemark skis
my passports
Pancakes
coffee
art
my skillet
more pancakes
water
coffee
food and wine
passport
CD
Furniture
Swash 600
Black t-shirts (long sleeve), and black t-shirts (short
Sleeve)
Beef
the obligatory I pod
a nice cup of coffee
My music collection
Thai
a toothbrush
food
coffee
computer
music
motorcycle
the sound and the fury by faulkner
invisible monsters by palahniuk
anything by amy hempel
kafka's diaries
Books
dogs
music
my Yankees cap
coffee
Snickers
New York Times
Passports (US & Italy so far!)
Motorcycle (K1200S)
Sangiovese (the '99 Paleo is drinking quite well!)
Sig (226S)
a Loaf of Bread
A Flask of Wine
a Book of Verse
nikon
moleskine
notebook
organic peanut butter
1961 Fender Telecaster Guitar
Coffee
books
showers.
a filter to cope with the large volume of mail I get from this website!
powerbook
books
iPod, Thai food
my bikes and clipless pedals
the iPod
a camera
A comfortable bed
REALLY cold water
Tivo
A computer
My meditation cushion


* Relationships
family, friends
friends
My pup (la bella Coco, the unlikely Pomeranian)
my cats
My Family My Friends
A girlfriend who is also a best friend, close friends
Friends
My friends and family


* Emotions and human characteristics
Peace
Love
talk
my goofy imagination
Privacy



* Experiences and sensations
a feeling of achievement after a day's work
intelligent banter
A good laugh


*Places
fresh food markets
San Francisco
the Fillmore
Golden Gate Park
the ocean
a decent kitchen with a stocked larder
kitchen
beneath the Bough


*Activities
yoga
kissing,
An Afternoon nap
playing with my 'monkey'



*Existence basics: none

Special mention to the individual whose collection of five things was positively hillarious:

"Pancakes, coffee, art, my skillet, more pancakes"

What's up with the art amidst the breakfast obsession??

Shocking news just in! The male perspective is more shallow

OK, a fascinating experience for this male OFDer to create a female alias and identity and review male hetro profiles on-line for the top 5 things they can't live without.

Not surprisingly we find some similarities and differences from the female poll conducted recently as a man.

In descending order, the frequency of category themes was:

* Possessions




...a motorcycle







* Relationships; emotions and human characteristics - tied




...good friends






* Experiences and sensations



...a good laugh





* Places



...a kitchen






* Activities



...taking a nap






* Existence basics


Broadly speaking the overall order of claimed importance is the same across gender. Men however are far more likely to cite possessions as most important. They are also far less likely to be literal in their interpretation and mention existence basics: no one suggested air, water, heat, shelter or similar survival essentials.

Next, the specific examples of items men picked across respective categories....

Details of an indispensable life - women

So here are the specific details of the things women can't live without, in descending order of themed importance:

POSSESSIONS
*a/c powered vibrator
*espresso
*words
*a camera
*belvedere
*a passport
*internet access
*baking Soda Toothpaste (with peroxide).
*beat up computer
*wahl Precision clippers
*my antique clawfoot bathtub
*morning coffee
*coffee and NPR in the morning
*my bookshelf full of my favorite books
*music from my iPod
*coffee
*apples
*socks
*books
*music
*The technological package..mac, ipod, dig cam, cell,
*calculator
*red Hermes address book
*iBook
*laser printer with lots of paper in it
*my own money
*good clean coffee
*dictionary
*music
*hot water bottle
*cowboy boots
*my macintosh
*paper towels
*other people's pens,
*stuff to read


RELATIONSHIPS
*confidentes
*My friends and family (not items, but definitely indispensible)
*my dog
*my horse
*Family and trustworthy friends
*Casper the friendly doggy
*my wiener dog, Linus
*loved ones


EMOTIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
*a sense of humor
*other people with a sense of humor
*curiosity
*sense of humor
*freedom to share my mind and speak my feelings
*fun


EXPERIENCES AND SENSATIONS
*the feel of your legs brushing against mine in impossibly
*fresh, ridiculously soft, cotton sheets.
*weekend trips
*love
*Sunshine
*dreams


PLACES
*a place to lie nude in the sun
*destinationless days off with the top down


ACTIVITIES
*Yoga

As Monty Python would say: and there you have it. Next: a perspective on heterosexual men, the things they say they can't live without.