Tuesday Trivia with transparently obvious theme

November 4, 2008 / / 8 comments

1. Two co-stars: One won an Academy Award for playing a mentally disabled person, one won an Academy Award for his directorial debut.
Solved by Melville (comment #1).

2. To find room in the budget for a social service program, the President persuades the Secretary of Commerce to stop a series of Public Service Announcements about cars.
Solved by Tom Hilton (comment #2).

3. “Nice thing about you, Joe, is that you can sound like a liberal, but at heart you’re an American.”
Solved by George (comment #6).

4. Dressed as playing cards at a costume party.
Solved by Melville (comment #1).

5. Groucho Marx has an uncredited walk-on cameo—his last screen appearance.
Solved by George (comment #6).

6. “My guys are not stupid. They always put the big Jews on my schedule.”
Solved by George (comment #6).

7. The candidate tells a completely fabricated story about his WWII veteran uncle, and cries every time.
Solved by Hogan (comment #8).

Making calls that make a difference

November 3, 2008 / / 2 comments

I volunteered with MoveOn.org to make phone calls, and I’ve ended up calling from home to recruit volunteers. Basically calling other MoveOn members in swing states (I’m in New York, a “not swing” state) and asking them to come into their local offices and give time up to and including Tuesday.

Here’s the thing: Everyone’s saying yes.

You make phone calls, maybe you reach half or fewer of the people you call. Answering machines, like that. But of the people I’ve spoken to? About half have signed up. Half! Have you ever done any calling, for anything? Half is crazy. Half is someone reaching over to you and stuffing money in your pockets just for shits and giggles. You can’t believe how good it feels.

Everyone’s excited. And there’s a counter at the top of the screen, showing how many calls have been made. It moves blindingly fast. I started mid-week at 800,000 at the top of my screen, and now it’s over 2 million. And everyone is saying yes I frickin can.

Yes. I can.

If you live in a swing state, volunteer. If you don’t, call voters in swing states. Here’s something from the script I’ve been reading to people: “No matter what the polls say, we need all hands on deck.”

(And no, I haven’t seen a movie all week.)

Studs Terkel: May he be born again to us

November 2, 2008 / / One comment

Studs Terkel has died at the age of 96.

Terkel’s work was to give a voice to the voiceless. He listened to, and wrote in the words of ordinary, uncelebrated people. Soldiers, waitresses, office workers. He was carefully attentive to the day-to-day. He brought voice to silence.

I read Working when I was about 14 years old. At the time, I had not held a job, nor been much out in the world of working people, so a lot of it went over my head. But I did understand that one essential thing, that everyone has a voice, that every one of the anonymous people who clear your dishes and weld your auto parts and dig your holes is a person with thoughts and hopes and rage and dignity. Just knowing that people are, in fact, people, is a radically humanist position.

The world needs a Studs Terkel, an advocate for the voiceless, and I hope we find one. May he be born again to us, and may his work live long after him, speaking for human dignity.

Blessed Samhain

October 31, 2008 / / 3 comments

This year, I’ve been doing quite a bit of Samhain-related media appearances. (Not to mention the ritual tonight at the New Jersey Witches Ball benefit in Montclair—hope you’re coming!) One radio show in Toronto that orients towards the occult, spooky things, and UFOlogy mostly wanted to talk about spells and psychic self-defense, but another California radio show is focused on relationships, and asked a lot of question about a witch’s relationship to the sacred.

So I’m feeling acutely aware of this as the most holy day of the year.

The veil between the worlds is thin. If I were to walk in the forest, I might pass through the veil and into Fairie. I might bide for an afternoon and return to this world ten years later. These stories are usually told on Beltane, and stories of communion with the dead are told on Samhain, but it is the same veil.

Tonight I will commune with my beloved dead. What does it mean? It means love doesn’t end.

I miss my Nana. I miss her. Tonight I will be with her.

I miss my good friend Scott Cunningham. Tonight I will be with him.

I miss my beloved fiance John Shaffrey. We will be together tonight.

I miss my good cat Charlotte. She will join me tonight.

The world is full of death just as the world is full of life. Tonight, let us remember that they are not separate things. The Wheel of Rebirth binds us all.

Blessed be.

Everyday is not every day

October 30, 2008 / / 3 comments

Mailer from my Congressman: “Eliot Engel works everyday in Congress…”

No. He doesn’t.

“Everyday” is an adjective. “Every day” is a noun modified by an adjective. What kind of day? Every day. What kind of day? An everyday kind of day.

Congressman Engel: He works for you, not for the English language.

Halloween decorations I don’t understand

October 29, 2008 / / 3 comments

The woman in the cube across from me decorated for Halloween. She’s got all sorts of skeletons and stuff, it’s highly over-the-top. Which I approve of.

There are two ghosts. With wings.

Now the wings are confusing me. Surely ghosts can fly without wings? Casper could fly. He didn’t have wings.

Wingless

Wingless

So, are these, like, clumsy ghosts? Or dead bats? What?

Tuesday Trivia: Twenty Questions Returns!

October 28, 2008 / / 45 comments

I am thinking of a movie…

Starts with “M” (not including “the” or “a” or “an” if any)

Four words (including “the” or “a” or “an” if any)

GO!

This is what I did instead of watching a movie

October 27, 2008 / / One comment

It rocked.

This is like the daily apology show. And a meme.

October 26, 2008 / / One comment

With the new Bond movie coming out, and the season finale of Mad Men tonight, my media writing obligations have taken precedence over my personal and Pagan writing. So be it. I am not researching a Deity of the Day today, what with all my party prep chores.

I will, however, answer the meme Inanna tagged me with.
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

RANDOM THINGS:
1. I like pajamas. I used to hate pajamas, except I would wear them when I was sick. Then about 2 or 3 years ago I got strep throat and spent like 2 weeks in pajamas, and now they’re a lifestyle.

2. I had Lasik in 2001. I like seeing. Seeing is better than not seeing. I used to be Coke-bottle girl, and now I can just basically see.

3. I’m a nursing school drop-out. Did you know the attrition rate in nursing school is 50%? True.

4. I have eleven tattoos. Sometimes I lose track and count them.

5. It is very difficult to use the SHIFT key with a cat in your lap. This is maybe not about me so personally, but right now it’s on my mind. For obvious reasons. See those capital letters? Challenging.

6. I have visited Australia and Brazil, but never anyplace in Europe.

The rest of these rules are too complicated. Roberta, Evn, Tom, Cosette, you’re tagged. If you’re reading this blog, and have a blog, and I didn’t tag you, you’re tagged.

my shifting is now at an end.

James Bond Trivia Quiz!

October 22, 2008 / / 2 comments

I am the author of a James Bond trivia quiz in Parade Magazine. Jump on over and take the quiz!

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