You know how some people get really excited to see the new Hallmark ornaments for Christmas or a new design of the crystal ball that drops in Times Square for New Years or even the new toys in the latest movie-themed Happy Meal? I feel the same way about waiting to see what the Today Show cast dresses up as for Halloween. Because it is always so degrading and yet they act like they are having the time of their lives. This year they had Matt Lauer dressed as… well, I think Clark Kent but the overall affect was more Inspector Gadget. His part was taped because he had to dash off to interview George W. Bush, the lamest of all excuses to miss Halloween.
"Ah, Mr. President, what is it like to be such a downer?"
Happy Friday! Since I just watched the abomination that is the annual Today Show Halloween costume reveal, I thought I’d start out the weekend by sharing one of my favorite videos. Last year’s Today Show debacle with some naughty, costumed Ewoks. Oh, they also might be drunk. Enjoy!
I’m taking a brief break from Halloween to focus on the other Big Thing happening in our lives right now – the “race” for Governor of Minnesota. Not really much of a race. More like a leisurely stroll. This morning I listened to the latest campaign event – Minnesota Public Radio’s staging of a “job interview” for the three candidates. “Pretend you are interviewing to be CEO of Minnesota,” was the recommendation for the contenders before the questions started. How did they do? Poorly. If you’ve ever really flubbed a job interview, don’t feel bad about it – even highly coached politicians with people on staff to tell them what to say suck at it.
What would a holiday be without a heartfelt story, even Halloween? So consider this the softer, gentler side of my “12 Days Of Halloween.”
I just (as in minutes ago) found out about a five-year-old named Aiden who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His parents are trying to pay for his treatment and care and they’ve come up with a unique way to do it.
Aiden loves monsters and loves drawing them. So his parents set up an etsy shop called Aidan’s Monsters to sell prints of his monster drawings in order to fundraise for his medical bills. Yes, folks, this is the reality that we live in today.
So if you love monsters and love drawings of monsters (and, like me, maybe you have no kids to draw things for you that you can then put on your refrigerator or frame) and would like to help the cause, browse the shop for drawings of Gill-man, Wolf Man and Scary Clowns. Prints are $12 each and there seems to be a bit of a shipping backlog right now due to response. Which is a good thing!
If you’re not up for a monster drawing (or buttons! check them out), you can make a donation through the Aid For Aiden blog.
Want to see what I bought? Nosferatu (the best of all of them, in my humble opinion) and Scary Clown No. 2.
My friend Chris recently spent the night at the Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa. In 1912, somebody bludgeoned to death the entire family of Josiah Moore and two overnight guests. Two adults (the mom and dad), their four kids and two neighbor kids. After the bludgeoning, there was some axing for good measure.
No one was ever convicted of the murders, despite some prime suspects. You can read all about the crime on the house’s official website.
Here is Part 1 of Chris’s account of his stay in the house with two of his bestest friends and his sister. The house is operated as a kind of tourist/hotel destination. The cost to stay in the Murder House is now $400 per night. So, yes, the owners are making quite a bit of money from the place and they do have a vested interest in people remaining interested and scared. That being said, people do feel and experience strange things in the house.
“A student just asked me what “xoxo” means… How would you define it and in what context is it acceptable to use?”
I believe everyone knows “xoxo” means hugs and kisses and it is acceptable to use if you are 8, female and writing out Valentine’s Day cards to your entire class. Acceptable if you are passing a note to someone in high school in the 1980s, if you are 15, female and IM’ing or doing any kind of live chat or if you are a grandmother writing a card to a beloved granddaughter or grandson that has an anthropomorphic cat/dog/horse/rabbit on the front. Totally acceptable for Japanese girls or women dressed in the Harajuku style, particularly if they are a Goth Lolita, to use all the time. On everything.
I believe this covers all acceptable uses.
While I’m still standing up on my soapbox, I thought I would address another thing I can’t stand. The inspirational quote people include at the end of e-mails. You know, the quote beneath someone’s signature, title, address, phone, fax, cell, 5 websites, Twitter URL, Facebook URL? This quote is supposed to inspire the receiver of the message while also making the sender look evolved, well-read and somehow above the fray of living. A popular person to quote is Gandhi. I would say that 65.4% of all e-mail signature quotations are, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” It’s to the point now that I see that quote and I just think, “Wank, wank, wank, you wanker.” And that’s horrible. I mean, Gandhi!
Here’s the one I got today:
Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
WTF?? What is that supposed to mean to me? “Remember, a mythical person built a mythical boat to save the animals of the world by having two of each kind walk calmly up the gangplank and then stay on board for 40 days and 40 nights (the concept which spawned a horrible movie starring Josh Hartnet).” Never mind that if this experiment in genetics had actually happened, we would not be here today, you lose all credibility with me if you profess to believe a parable. Or if you are not able to recognize a parable as such.
And no, just because something built by a lot of people failed spectacularly in 1912, we should not all endeavor to only start things we can do alone. Like a blog!
It’s getting down to the wire for Halloween costumes and once, again, I have nothing planned.
With my love of clothes and thrifting, you would not think this would be the case. You would think I would have something easily in hand by October 1st. But you would be wrong.
Part of the reason for this is that I never have big plans for Halloween, ever. Much like New Year’s Eve, I take a “wait and see” attitude and then usually end up doing something along the lines of watching a movie while eating M&Ms.
An ongoing list of brilliant Halloween activities that aren’t boring and don’t involve Valleyscare. Or haunted hay rides. And probably don’t involve drinking apple cider but hopefully do involve eating candy, popcorn, drinking beer or perhaps taking a tug of whiskey from a flask. Also, may involve costumes but probably not “sexy” costumes, like Sexy Nurse, Sexy CPA, Sexy Kitty, et al.
The Parkway Theater in Minneapolis is showing the original 3D print of Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) on October 29-31. This came out of the Universal vault, people, and if the Disney vault is any example, you know it’s hard to get shit out of there. All seats for all shows are $7.50. On Friday, Oct. 29 it screens at 9:55 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 30 it screens at 2, 3:45 & 5:30. On Sunday, Oct. 31 it screens at 2, 3:45, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:15.
My friend Chris recently spent the night at the Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa. In 1912, somebody bludgeoned to death the entire family of Josiah Moore and two overnight guests. Two adults (the mom and dad), their four kids and two neighbor kids. After the bludgeoning, there was some axing for good measure.
It’s getting down to the wire for Halloween costumes and once, again, I have nothing planned.
An ongoing list of brilliant Halloween activities that aren’t boring and don’t involve Valleyscare. Or haunted hay rides. And probably don’t involve drinking apple cider but hopefully do involve eating candy, popcorn, drinking beer or perhaps taking a tug of whiskey from a flask. Also, may involve costumes but probably not “sexy” costumes, like Sexy Nurse, Sexy CPA, Sexy Kitty, et al.
