Luna del'Corvo

A sort of song quiz. (Warning: my musical tastes have been described as 'schizophrenic,' and all answers subject to change on a daily basis...)

1. A song you like with a color in the title
Tangled up in Blue (Dylan)

2. A song you like with a number in the title
I am the One (Inon Zur)

( The rest here )

(Thanks to cmcmck!)
1. Marmite- love or hate?
I like the idea of it, but no, I don’t like it.
2. Marmalade- thick cut or thin cut?
Fairly sure I’ve only had thin, so I’ll go with that. I am actually one of the few people I know who actually likes marmalade!
3. Porridge- made with milk or water?
Water, butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
4. Do you like salt, sugar or honey on your porridge?
Oops. See 3) above.
5. Loose tea or teabags?
Loose tea usually, but I sometimes carry bags for tea on the go.
6. Where on your door is your letterbox?
It’s on the wall next to the door, but it needs replacing.
7. What's your favorite curry?
I adore Indian, but don’t generally go of curry. Shahi Paneer is more my thing. But I do make a fantastic curry at home.
8. What age is the place where you live?
1940s, I believe, maybe 30s.
9. Where do the folks running your local corner shop come from?
Most of them hereabouts, as far as I know.
10. Instant or fresh coffee?
Fresh! Instant coffee is vile.
11. How far are you from the sea?
Probably about 8 hour drive.
12. Have you travelled via Eurostar?
No, I don’t think it existed when I was last in Europe.
13. If you were going to travel abroad, where's the nearest country to you?
Canada, I think, but likely Mexico is a close second.
14. If you're female (or possible even some males) do you carry a handbag?
Most always, though I downsize to a small cross body when I’m not teaching.
15. Do you have a garden? What do you like growing?
A small one, and I’m working on a few more. So far I have an assortment of herbs, a bed of fragrant lilies, a few azaleas, hydrangeas, etc.
16. Full cream, semi skimmed or skimmed?
Skim, to drink or in coffee. Never in tea.
17. Which London terminal would you travel into if going to the capital?
No idea.
18. Is there a local greasy spoon where you live?
Several; the closest is called the Twig and Leaf.
19. Do you keep Euros in the house?
Not really (we may have a few souvenirs about thought).
20. Does your home town have a Latin, Gaelic or Welsh alternative name?
No, it’s been French from the get go, though this area was known by the Iroqouis “Ken-tah-ten.”
21. Do you have a well known local artist or author?
A few, I suppose: Stephen Foster, Hunter S. Thompson….
22. Do you have a favorite Corrie character?
No, don’t watch it.
23. Are your kitchen sink taps separate or a mixer?
Mixer.
24. Do you have a favorite brand of blended tea?
I tend to go for varietals over brands. Green Jasmine is a favorite, and I have blend I make of Darjeeling with raspberry and blueberry.
25. What's in your attic if you have one?
Not enough insulation.
26. If you go out for a cream tea, what jam do you like on your scone?
Raspberry, most likely.
27. Talking of scones- scon or scown? Jam or cream first?
Scon and cream first, usually.
28. Barth or bath?
‘Bahhhth’
29. Carstle or castle?
‘Cassell’
30. What flavor of crisps do you favor?
Sour cream & onion.
31. If you go to the chippie, what do you like with your chips?
I don’t really.
32. Take away, take out or carry out?
Take out.
33. If you have one, what color is your wheelie bin?
Green.
34. What color skips does your local skip hire use?
No idea, sadly they aren’t easily available here.
35. Do you celebrate Guy Fawkes?
Not really, though I’m one of only very few folks hereabout that know what it is!
36. Dettol or TCP?
Bactine or hydrogen peroxide.
37. Do you have a bidet in the bathroom?
No, they are quite rare here.
38. Do you prefer courgettes or aubergines?
Courgettes.
39. In the 'real world' Do you have friends of other nationalities? Which nationalities?
A few; British, Indian, German…
40. Do you have a holy book of any sort in the house?
Several, since it’s an area of my academic work.
41. Do you prefer a hankie or tissues?
Tissues.
42. Are you a fan of crumpets? What do you like on them?
Cream cheese and marmalade, or just butter.
43. Doorbell, knocker or both?
Doorbell, though I’d like to get some nifty knocker.
44. Do you own a car? What sort?
Hyundai.
45. What sort of pants do you guys prefer? Y fronts or boxers?
I don’t wear any, and my son likes boxer briefs.
46. Anyone still a fan of suspenders?
Not really.
47. Do you have a favorite quote from the bard?
Too many to list!
48. Do you like toasted muffins?
Yep.
49. Do you think a traditional trifle should contain jelly?
I don’t think any I’ve had included jelly, but I’ve not made one myself.
50. Do you attend regular religious worship? Of what kind?
No.

One of your scars, how did you get it?
Stomach, from a rather hack-job emergency surgery. Saved my life, barely. I regard it as a battle scar.

What is on the walls in your room?
My diplomas, an antique print of Henry Holiday's Dante on the Bridge, a huge print of The Accolade, a vintage plenary indulgence (yes, from the Vatican), a few vintage postcards from Florence & Venice, and my framed set of Dante advertising cards. (That's the family room, where my desk is. You don't have time for the whole house... lol)

What do you miss?
My family, my hometown...

What is your most prized possession/s?
Since I don't count my kid and my cats as possessions, I guess my Mac. Or my pens. Tough to say, really.

Do you get claustrophobic?
Sort of, more from people being in my face sometimes, largely as the result of lifelong allergies.

Do you get scared in the dark?
No

The last person to make you cry?
Soon to be ex, or another special person.

What is your favourite cologne/perfume?
Opium, or Anathema (BPAL)

Where do you see yourself being proposed to?
Soon to be ex proposed in Carmel, and I don't know if I see any other proposals in my future.

Coffee or energy drink?
Coffee; energy drinks are vile.

What is your favorite pizza topping?
Basic veggie: green pepper, onion, black & green olives, mushrooms, basil, garlic.

Favorite clothing brand?
Whatever fits, looks good on me and is affordable.

What's your dream car?
At present, I really, really want a Fiat.

What annoys you most?
Willful ignorance.

Have you been out of the USA?
Yes, a good chunk of Europe, Canada (briefly) and Central America.

Your weakness?
Getting too impassioned about things when discussing them with others, and a smidge of elitism, perhaps.

First job?
Some retail thing, I think...there were a string of them.

What were you doing before you filled out this survey?
Teaching Ethics.

If you could get plastic surgery, what would it be?
It's get rid of the perpetual 'pooch' I have in front, partly from the aforementioned surgery, compounded by having a kid.

How many kids do you want?
I'm quite happy with the one I have, thank you!

Were you named after anyone?
Not really; supposedly there's a whiff of bastard Scots behing my name, though I suspect Mom was just really into Tolkien...

What did you do this morning?
Got up, made coffee, graded papers, answered e-mails, tidied up a bit.

Any bad habits?
Many, I'm sure, but I suspect others could enumerate them far better than I.

How do you release anger?
Depends on how and why I'm angry; sometimes a punching bag, sometimes a video game, others just giving myself space to calm down and think things through.

Where is your second home?
Don't really have one anymore, but that's OK because I'm quite fond of the one I have.

Who is your famous actor/singer crush?
I don't really have one. My 'impossible crushes' tend to be fictional (game or book characters, that sort of thing)

What was your favorite toy as a child?
Aside from the ever-famous castle, I'd have to say a stuffed killer whale my mother made me. Back then you couldn't find one to save your life, so Mom stepped up, and Orky was born.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate (you mean, they make others?)

What are your favorite color(s)?
Reds; especially rusty, orangey cinnabar reds.

How many wisdom teeth do you have?
one; got myself knocked out good and proper and had 'em all yanked in one go.

What are you listening to?
Niblet playing Mass Effect 3. Were it my choice, it wold probably be Enigma, Deep Forest, that kind of thing.

Last person you talked to on the phone?
Soon-to-be-ex-step-mother-in-law.

Favorite thing to hate?
Republicans, conservatives and their f-ed up politics

What is your hair color?
Red!

Eye color?
Green, leaning grey/hazel-ish

Height?
5'2"-ish

Favourite month?
May, or September; spring and fall are both magnificent here.

Last thing you watched?
Fringe

Favorite day of the year?
It's trite, but I do adore Christmas....

Summer or winter?
All of them?

What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie?
Don't know; I'm a pretty easy mark for a tear-jerker, but I can't think of one I favor....

What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments?
No idea; I'd guess probably posture, or maybe talking with my hands more than usual?

Do you know anyone famous?
I've met loads of them, but not really know well, no.

Are you spontaneous or planned?
Bit o' both

Who would play you in a film?
I loathe camera on me, but if I could get past that, probably the professor of Obscure Field that had the vital Secret Clue needed to solve the Very Important Mystery (bonus if I won the heart of the Dashing Rogue!).

What do you miss most about being a kid?
My family, I suppose. And summer vacation seeming like forever.

Are you happy with your given name?
Since I chose to use my middle name, yes. My first name, no I quite dislike it.

How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year?
If I had access to the tools I'd need for my work, and another way to keep in touch with those I love, I'd be fine with it.

What color is your bedroom?
White walls (for now), but red and dark wood otherwise.

What was the last song you were listening to?
Heaven Help My Heart from Chess

Ever been in a play?
A few but not for many years.

Do you talk a lot?
In the right company, I can be loquacious.

Do you like yourself and believe in yourself?
For the most part, yes.

Something you love and hate?
Love hate? This country of mine- so much that is wonderful but so much that needs to be fixed (not my answer, but I'm gonna stick with it!)

Do you tell your friends about your sex life?
Not normally, no.

What's the one language you want to learn?
Italian (and better Latin)

Do you have tattoos?
Yes, a Newverwinter eye at the top of my back.

What's one trait you hate in a person?
Bigotry

Do you consider yourself materialistic?
Not in the sense of 'keeping up with the Joneses,' no. But I to tend to nest,' and surround myself with touchstones, creature comforts, and too many bits, bobs, and baubles that I like....

What do you cook the best?
Toss up: ricotta stuffed shells, or this chicken curry with raisins and toasted almonds...

Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
Sure, I guess. Not to pretend, but I like tailored men's styles sometimes. And a lot of what I wear is pretty genderless, really.

What kind of books do you like to read?
History, culture, classics, sci-fi, lots of things. Never cared much for mysteries, and romances make me queasy, though.

If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Make sure my kid would be secure for life, buy a nice house (not some crazy mansion), and go on with my life.

What's your status?
Context, please? At a guess, how about 'dead sexy soon to be divorcee?'

1. You have 50 dollars in your pocket, what do you do with it?
Assuming a windfall of some sort, I'd probably either take the fam out to eat, or books.

2. What's the worst movie you've ever seen?
I don't tend to see movies in theaters, so if a movie sucks, I DON'T watch it. I've see the first 20 minutes or so of some real dogs on Netflix, but I (thankfully) don't have to sit through them, so really remember them. Last one I remember hating all through was Blair Witch.

3. Have you ever seen someone die?
Yes.

4. Describe a favorite memory.
Any of dozens of moments of my kid; otherwise likely holidays when I was a kid. (I guess I"m lucky - I have an awful lot of good memories to pick from!)

5. If you could choose one place on earth to live, where would that be?
Tough call - Europe, for sure, but hard to say where. Maybe southern France, northern Italy? Part of the culture/landscape and part for the history. Amsterdam is also appealing.

6. What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now?
This changes almost daily (I'm ridonkulously susceptible to brain bugs!) Right now, it seems to be Into Darkness by Mumford. Because my entire summer had a Mumford soundtrack, pretty much.

7. Did you have braces?
Yes, for most of high school.

8. What is the last book you bought?
Machiavelli: A Biography (Miles Unger) and Lust for Liberty: The Politics of Social Revolt in Medieval Europe (Samuel Cohn). Both from City Lights books in San Fran!

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy recently?
Not really personally. I do continue to despair over the political idiocy that seems to rule my nation….

10. What do you want most in life?
Honestly, pretty much what I have: a wonderful family, a great kid, the chance to keep learning always, a way to reach out to others and open some eyes in hopes of helping to bring changes….

11. Are you in love?
Always.

12. Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both, for sure! I love a good novel (and I've actually been making a pony to read more fiction lately) but I read so much within my academic interests, which I also love!

13. What does your Livejournal name mean?
Oh, dear. Well, it harks back to a time when I was looking for something sort of spooky, magicky and mysterious. (Ah, youth!) By the time I got to thinking it was time to move on, it was kind of entrenched. And of course my DW name is my LJ name in Italian.

14. What kind of person do you think you are?
Wow. Let's see: arrogant and insecure by turns, creative, quirky, sometimes moody, embarrassingly liberal in most of my views, but quite old fashioned in a few others, to say nothing of aesthetically. Drawn to things that are unusual, odd, bizarre in wonderful ways, and sometimes either not affordable or not good for me. A hopeless romantic who is also a cynic. An herbivore who can't type, and an atheists who adores Dante and cathedrals. And, I suppose, something of a study in contrasts!

15. Do you believe there is nothing higher than human kind?
Not God, if that's what you mean. But I don't really privilege humans as being "higher" than other beings, so "higher than" is sort of an irrelevant concept for me. I do think that the greater good outweighs our often selfish human interests, and that the whole sum of life has far greater value than only that of humanity. And I suppose, if pressed, I subscribe to a sort of cautious and certainly non-sentient version of the Gaia idea - that the earth exists as a larger organism of which we are all a part, much like the millions of organisms that coexist with each of us. Maybe not what the question is looking for, but it's what I've got.

16. Which fictional character could you most see yourself marrying?
How long do you have? Top choice has to be Casavir (NWN2). After that - wow, too many to count, and no way to tell if they are wishful thinking or totally impractical (aside, of course, from that whole fictional thing….)

17. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
No idea….

18. Name an obvious quality you have.
Known for my long curly red hair, and I love it!

19. Do you have an all time favorite song?
Also subject to change, but currently, White Blank Page (Mumford & Sons) - oh, the feels……

20. What type of friends do you like?
The kind that I can go months (if not years) without seeing/conversing with, and when we do finally meet up/talk, it's like no time has past at all. (This was the previous person's answer, but it says it better than I would have, I think, so I'm keeping it!)

In other news, the kitchen is almost done, classes are off to a pretty good start, and I finally have a Dante course for Spring! W00T!

This one comes to you courtesy of cmcmck

(x) Shot a gun (Blackpowder longrifles, but they count, right?)
(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
( ) Visited Canada
( ) Visited Hawaii.
( ) Visited Cuba
(x) Visited Europe (Seven countries, in fact!)
( ) Visited South America
( ) Visited Las Vegas.
(x) Visited Central America (Panama!)
( ) Visited Asia
(x) Visited Florida
( ) Visited Mexico
( ) Visited Washington, DC
( ) Seen the Grand Canyon
(x) Flown on a plane (I've even been the one doing the flying!)
( ) Served on a jury
(x) Been lost
(x) Traveled to the opposite side of the country (By myself by car even; took me 4 days!)
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Camping in a trailer/RV or tent.
(x) Ridden on an elephant (And lots of horses.)
( ) Ridden on a camel (No, but I've hugged a tiger)
(x) Eaten just cookies or cake for dinner
( ) Eaten a raw oyster
(x) Been on TV (Don't get all excited, I was all of maybe 4, and it was some local public access kids show)
( ) Been on Radio
( ) Stolen any traffic signs (Not personally, but I still have the 'Neighborhood Watch' sign a friend of mine, er, happened across...)
(x) Been in a car accident. (Ugh, yes, a few. They are awful - there is no other sound quite like it!)
(x) Been a patient in the hospital
(x) Donated blood
(x) Gotten a speeding or any other type of ticket.
(x) Gotten a piercing (ears or other body parts)
(x) Gotten a tattoo
(x) Driven a four-door car
( ) Ever owned your dream car (Define 'dream:' do we mean dream car you could actually own, or was we talking Lambhourgini here?)
(x) Been married
( )Been divorced
(x) Fell in love
(x) Fell out of love
( ) Flew in Goodyear blimp
( ) Flew in hot air balloon
( ) Flew in helicopter
( ) Rode on a snowmobile
( ) Gone para sailing
( ) Jumped out of a plane
( ) Rode a Segway
(x) Rode on a motorcycle
(x) Rode a bicycle
(x) Roller skated and ice skated
( ) Water Skied
( ) Eaten raw octopus or other raw seafood
( ) Fished and hunted for food
( ) Played amateur sports
( ) Coached a school's male soccer team
( ) Been a member of a sorority or a fraternity
( ) Editor and volunteer on a World Wide Web Site (I actually have several that I maintain and publish myself, does that count?)
(x) Mother, grandmother (Mother, yes, grandmother - egads, bite your tongue!)
( ) Father, grandfather (Physically impossible to do this AND the previous...)
(x) Relative of or married to a Veteran

(Unrelated note: I need new icons!)

(*Did you know at one point I thought this was pronounced 'me-me,' and I thought it was because 'memes' were usually posts about oneself....)

So, triva aside, this is one of those "What do you call things where you live" language memes. As a northern transplant to the almost-mostly-sorta south, I tend to have an odd mix of linguistic influences. But these fascinate me, so I'd love to hear your responses, too!

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1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Creek or stream, sometimes brook (never crick!)

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Shopping cart or just cart

3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunchbox

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Sofa when it was in the fancy living room you never sat in, couch when you lounge on it and play games (or loveseat if the 3 are friendly!) Funny thing, I can remember my grandmother calling it the davenport.

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutters & downspouts

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Porch

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
Soda

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancake

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Sub (sometimes hoagie when I was younger, not recently)

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Trunks

12. Shoes worn for sports.
I usually specify by sport i.e.: running shoes, fencing shoes, basketball shoes, etc. (odd, considering I am not very sports-oriented)

13. Putting a room in order.
Pick up, clean up, or straighten

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
Firefly

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
Sowbug, or potato bug

16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
Teeter-totter (I don't even know how to spell it, but that's what I grew up calling it! LOL)

17. How do you eat your pizza?
By hand, point first, mostly flat, except for a little bend to keep the goodies from falling off. Not folded!

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Yard sale, garage sale, rummage sale (I use these interchangeably, with no real pattern I can discern)

19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Basement

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Water fountain, now. Spent the first 20 years of my life calling it a bubbler, though!

22. The name of the machine that gives you money from your bank account and the card you use to get it out?
ATM for the machine, Debit or ATM card

23. What you ask for at the end of a meal in a restaurant to find out how much you owe?
Check

24. What you store your jumper cables and spare tire in?
Trunk

25. Where you pick up medication?
Pharmacy or Drug Store

26. Where you get water from in the sink?
Faucet

27. The highest setting on your car's lights?
Brights

28. Footwear made up of a sole and a single piece of material that goes across the top of your foot?
Sandals

29. Eggs cooked where the yolk is still liquid?
Runny? I am NOT a fan of eggs, so I generally don't cook them.

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So what are your linguistic quirks?

I took this 8 years ago - these are my answers from today; some have changed, and a lot have not.

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Yet another fun & festive questionnaire.... I don't know why I like these dizzy things so much - maybe I don't have enough people to talk to..... maybe I just like to expound about myself waaaay too much! Anyway, here goes:

( LOOOOONG Questionnaire )

1. My user name is Luna delCorvo because it's Italian for Ravenmoon!.

Ok, that's probably not enough. Well, it IS Italian for Ravenmoon. But that matters because Ravenmoon (ok, "raven_moon"), is the username I've used on LJ for oodles of years now. It comes from back in my 'OMG, I want to be so uber-gawth' days (thankfully behind me - I look dreadful in black, really). Back then I wanted a pagan-ish, wicca-ish, goth-ish name for a blog which I started on Blogger, then moved to a webspace, then finally to LJ. I've considered renames SO many tmes, but it sort of stuck. Once I started on DW, I wanted something new, but not entirely, so Italian!

2. My name is not listed here because it's really distinctive, and I like SOME divide between here and RL.

Really, I rarely post photos of me, of my kid, and I try to avoid real names, places, etc. I don't always succeed, but I really don't see the need to plaster my real identity all over the 'net. After all, I started this thing (well, the LJ originally) to have a place that was apart from my life. I have IRL friends here, but I still keep this as sort of my 'other' place.

I will say, though, that my name is said (by my mom) to be Scots Gaelic, but I have always suspected there was more Middle Earth than Midlothian in my moniker.... However, one doesn't call mom a liar, and I love my name, so it's all good. (Though I sometimes notice those folks who are *really* into Tolkien look at me sort of funny....)

3. My Journal and Friends page are my username/'Voices in the ether' because what else?.

Actually, here on DW, it's just "lunadelcorvo | Recent Entries." Odd, I'll have to see where to change that. On LJ, it's ": : : R A V E N M O O N : : :" Not terribly original, but I like it. It has a sort of Charles Rennie Mackintosh look if you squint just so.... I had a subtitle, "Meus vita somnium quod umbra" (my life of dreams and shadows) but that seems a relic of those aforementioned gawf days, so let's leave that lie, shall we? The friends page is 'Voices in the Ether,' because really, that what we are out here, isn't it? And the idea fascinates me.

4. My default user pic is the one up there ^ because it's sort of me?

OK, maybe me as I really really wish I looked. But I have the red hair, and the medieval streak a mile wide... (I even ended up in a rusty-gold bliaut for Halloween a couple years back.) Let's just say it's an approximation of my inner self?

How about you?

This one is easy! I have a few, but I'll stick to just a couple.

One: Bubble lights!
Two: Nutcrackers!
These two get combined as I put the entire collection of Nutcrackers on the fireplace mantle, and intersperse a pine garland with the bubble lights!


Three: The antique ornaments I mentioned before. You can see a few of them here:
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(Roughly half of these are antiques, with a quarter added when I was a kid, and the rest reproductions I have added over the years.) I am not showing you a snap from this year, as we decided to do a smaller tree on a table on account of the still adolescent (and therefore nuttier than normal) kitty. So only a handful of my ornaments even came out of their boxes this year. :( Nevertheless, here is the tree, if you're wildly curious:

Even here, you can see quite a few of the antiques, and Santa Mouse nestled in the branches!

Wow, after the one on the seventh, I'm not sure I could come up with another one! So many of the things I treasure most, ironically, are things that either belonged to my family, or were given in far humbler circumstances. That's not to say that I haven't been given a lifetime of amazing and wonderful gifts for Christmas, I have. And of course, so many of them were handmade - one never thinks of it, but the things that are unique really are the treasures.

So naturally, my mind goes back to being a kid, and thinking of all the gifts I got as a child: a handmade leopard-print fur bathrobe that I wore 'til all the fur came off and it was up above my knees, the Orca (killer whale) plush that my mom made after her own pattern, because I wanted one desperately and they didn't make them back then (Oh, how I loved Orky!).

Then, on a slightly different note, was they year my not-yet husband gave me box after box of the most dreadful clothes! Truly trashy, pink-n-sparkles stuff; it was awful! I tried so hard to be...politic, all the while thinking he'd lost his mind! And he let me suffer through every damn box, trying to find something nice to say with each one. Then he finally cracked, and told me that he wanted me to be able to go shopping for myself since he wasn't sure what I'd like. So, he bought all this stuff, so I could return it and have myself a shopping spree. He figured that was more fun that just giving me a gift card - for him at least! I'm not sure I recall a single thing I bought, but I still crack up when I think of that rascal sitting there watching me squirm!

So I guess, when it comes to favorite gifts, it really IS the thought, and the love, that counts!

Today's post is my favorite holiday movies. So here goes:

1. A Christmas Carol (the one with Patrick Stewart, of course)
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer I still adore all the old Rankin Bass animated Christmas specials (The second Rudolph one, Jack Frost, Kris Kringle), but Rudolph is still my favorite.
3. A Christmas Story O.K., I know it's all trendy, but it is a lot of fun. It reminds me of Christmases when I was a kid in Milwaukee. And there's a wonderful local stage production that's become a tradition along with the Nutcracker.
4. While You Were Sleeping Only sort of a holiday movie, but I've always loved it. So, yes, I'm a romantic sot, so sue me! LOL

There are some others that I like, but those are the only ones I can think of that have become traditions. (Of course the second I post this and walk away, I'll think of others, I'm sure!)

I tend to be awful at the "must post something every day for x days' thing, but I'm all a-squee for the holidays, so I'll give it a shot. This post is the rules (which I will more or less follow, but I won't repost them each time). Next post will be the first day's post. Cheers and feel free to join in or ignore as you choose! (Hey, folks, it's this or my continuing outrage over the debacle that is the American political system...trust me, this is better and saner for you and for me!)

( Advent Meme Rules )
(p.s. Snagged, with edits, from mypetconcubine)

Take the Quiz here!

(As long as I get to take Ciaran Hinds home with me at the end, I don't much care!)

Snagged from hope_guides_me

Type these words into your iTunes library and name the first song that appears.

Happy: I'm Only Happy When It Rains / Garbage
Love: Ever Fallen in Love? / Buzzcocks
Hate: The Thing I hate / Stabbing Westward
Light: Swept Away Bayou (Facing The Headlights Alone) / 30 Odd Foot of Grunts
Dark: Darker / Assemblage 23
Good: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye / Ella Fitzgerald
Bad: Return of the Heretic / Badawi (or I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good / Duke Ellington, if you want it in the song name)
Smile: I Wish You Could Smile / Black Tape for a Blue Girl
Cry: Freedom Cry / Deep Forest
Girl: Girl, Your Really Got me Now / The Clash
Boy: Boys Of The Town; Jackson's Jig The Connaughtman's Rambles / Matt Molloy
Sad: Sadness / Enigma
Lost: Paradise Lost / Lisa Gerrard
Night: Night and Day / Django Reinhard
Day: Mysterious Days / Sarah Brightman
Wolf: The Sparrow and the Nightingale / Wolfsheim
Robot: nothing, believe it or not…..
Dance: Saltarello / Dead Can Dance (or Mummr's Dance / Loreena McKennitt)
Time: Warbling Time / Inlakesh
Life: Wild Wild Life / Talking Heads
Death: Fatal Confrontation (The Death Of Gashka Gavor) / Badawi

1. What curse word do you use the most?
Probably 'dammit.' Pretty tame, I know.

2. Do you own an iPod?
Four, actually.

3. What person on your flist do you talk to the most?
Probably sentimental13, because I see her IRL all the time!

4. What time is your alarm clock set to?
My alarm clock, a.k.a. my son, gets up at 7:15 on weekdays, grudgingly, and 6:30 on weekends, happily. *groan*

5. Do you still remember the first person you kissed?
Yes, but it wasn't really anyone I liked.

( Cut, cause it's long-ish! )

(A thousand thank yous to my f-list for the kind words - I love you guys! Real entry soon, promise!)
::Edited for typos, because autocorrect doesn't know half of what it thinks it does.::

1. What faith were you born into or raised with (if any)?
None. I was raised by a lover of mythology, and two militant atheist/agnostics. ("I know it's all bullsh*t, and you don't know what your talking about!")

2. Were you devout as a child/adolescent?
Nope, not a bit of it. I wasn't even baptized until my folks decided that I would do better in a parochial school, as the public schools where I grew up were a little iffy.

3. If you are not currently practicing your childhood faith, what led you away from it?
Since I didn't have one then, I suppose I am still 'practicing' it now. I went through one very brief period where I tried to be Christian, as I was in a Christian high school, but that failed pretty quickly. (after all, in a family of atheists, how else does one rebel?) I have had a long and tempestuous relationship with Wicca/Paganism, and we ultimately decided it was best if we stayed close friends....

4. How many religious denominations, traditions, and/or groups have you belonged to?
Well, 2, 3 or none depending on how you look at it. There is trying to convince myself I bought the Lutheran spiel for a few months, my few years of a nearly, but not quite, literalist Paganism, and the rest of my life, which has been some flavor of atheism, agnosticism, rationalism, and maybe a tiny hint of deism once or twice. Add it up however you like!

5. How would you describe your religion now?
Well, I suppose I have covered that, but really, I don't have any, nor do I want one. I think religion and its myths and allegories are terrific tools for thought, meditation, teaching, and connecting. I do not, however, hold any of them as literal. I no more think there is a divine Jesus than I think that the sun is the wheel of Apollo's chariot. They are both really nice stories though!

6. How long have you been practicing that religion?
I think I really, finally, officially came out as an atheist in the last five years or so. But even my Wicca-ish leanings have been largely symbolic/allegorical in character for at least ten, maybe fifteen years, perhaps?

7. Do you pray? If so, how?
No. I meditate, and I sometimes take time to consciously redirect my mental energies, steer myself away from negative thought patterns/habits, and so on. I suppose one could liken that to prayer, via a sort of 'power of positive thinking' analogy. But I don't in any sense think there is anyone/thing out there listening, not do I feel the need to ask favors of an imaginary friend.

8. Do you practice magic? If so, do you distinguish it from prayer?
See above. Some people might call actively focusing their attitudes/thinking a form of magic. I do think that we are tremendously powerful in terms of the realities we bring about by our thoughts, acts, expectations, etc. There is nothing mystical about it, but we are the drivers, we choose the roads. Someone once put is this way: we steer our ships on currents we ourselves create.

9. Do you work with divinatory oracles like Tarot, astrology, the Runes, etc?
I love Tarot, and have a tremendous interest in Kabbalah. Tarot, for me, is like any mythic system; it can, at times, be useful to think of things within a structured language of symbol - but it has no power in and of itself. If there is anything to divination, it lies on our own ability to perceive the patterns we create by our actions, and the see the likelihoods they set into motion. As far as Kabbalah, my interest is much like it is in Tarot, with an added dimension of a rabid interest in medieval religion and mysticism.

10. Describe your personal concept of God/dess/Higher Power/etc.
Me. Every human being is his or her own god, there is no other, there is nothing outside the world to be feared, implored, or served. the highest good to serve is not some external entity, but the worldly good, he well-being of every human, of every sentient being, of all living things.

11. How does your religion/spirituality explain the concept of/presence of evil?
Depends on what you are referring to. Bad shit happens; lightning strikes, diseases mutate based on environmental factors, earthquakes result from tectonic stresses, etc. Nothing evil there. Humans can be altruistic, generous, loving, caring, decent, noble, kind. We can also be selfish, greedy, vain, cruel, and destructive. I don't excuse it, but I understand it as part of the human condition. I, personally, tend to think that religion exacerbates the negative tendencies, at least as much (if not more) as it augments the good ones. It's not the only thing that does so, but it's a biggie in my book. In terms of evil as an abstract concept, it's a descriptor of the antithesis or lack of what we consider good. Dark is simply the state of lacking light, evil is simply one way (and a somewhat poor one) of referring to the absence of good. But neither 'good' nor 'evil' are particularly precise or effective terms.

12. Is music and/or dance important to your path? Why or why not?
Music is tremendously important to me in general, as are many forms of art. Dance less so, but I enjoy it. Much of my favorite types of art and music are religious in nature, even. Part of my 'path? Well, that starts getting into some pretty big assumptions about the meaning of 'path' that I don't really want to spend time on here.

13. What is your concept of the afterlife?
Being remembered by those who survive you, ideally for having made a positive impact on the world, even if only a small portion of it.

14. Do you believe in ghosts, spirits, Faeries, devas, and/or other beings beyond ordinary perception?
I have seen plenty of things I can't explain, I know that. While I don't really believe in an afterlife for example, in some cases, ghosts seem to be the only explanation for some occurrences. I suspect, though, that however such things come about, it's simply a matter of us not being able to understand the mechanics of it yet. After all, at one point, a cell phone, an antibiotic, or the internet would have been utterly inexplicable, and could only have been understood as mystical. That doesn't take one whit of the wonder, majesty or numinousness out of the world, though. If anything, it's far more wondrous to ponder the intricacy of evolution, say, over simply assuming that because I can't quite wrap my head around it, it must have been "bibbity-bobbity-boo."

15. If you have children, are you raising them in your religion/spirituality? Why or why not?
I am raising my kid to think, to love and respect the world around him, to ask questions, to explore, to love to learn, to question claims that seem illogical, and to value facts as facts, and lovely stories as lovely stories.

My Political Views
I am a left social libertarian
Left: 7.36, Libertarian: 4.41

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My Foreign Policy Views
Score: -8.31

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My Culture War Stance
Score: -8.79

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