The Rainbowverse

The lottery ticket that is. The banknote is back at the office sitting under Ganesh. Obama's earned us five bucks!

Last week Tau made a bet with a co-worker on the outcome of the U.S. election and won $2.00. He wanted to stake $20.00 but oh well.

Then he took that $2.00 and bought a lottery ticket.

Then he took that lottery ticket and laid it for a week on the belly of the bronze Ganesh who sits above his desk. Remover of Obstacles. Om Shri Ganeshnaya Namah.

Then he gave me the ticket.

Then I placed it beneath Ganesh on my shrine of Kali. Dark Mother. Om Kali Ma.

And lit a candle.

If we don't win at least ten bucks, Ganesh is getting a spanking.

In re Prop 8:

It's been suggested that having gay or lesbian family, friends or co-workers has a sensitizing effect on people. It's obviously not a universal effect however. Associating with the one or two gay people who are rumoured to work in musical theatre did not stop one Scott Eckern, Musical Director of San Francisco's California Musical Theatre, from donating $1000.00 to protectmarriage.com. Now the theatre company has a little massive boycott problem. Oops.

In local news, Tau was disappointed and chagrined to discover that his favourite client, the Marriott hotel chain, was Mormon-owned and amongst Prop 8's major donors. "Oh." he said. "That explains the protesters outside our hotel on Halloween night."

Tau won last Christmas's office party raffle, the prize being one night and breakfast at the Courtyard by Marriott Toronto. Situated right in the middle of the Gay Village, the Courtyard makes a lot of money off of Pride Week and had urged him to play up their location. The video he produced for them is one of his favourites, featuring psychedelic-influenced montages of rainbow flags, the neighbourhood's rainbow-coloured custom street signs and lots of mostly-male skin gyrating in local nightclubs. He even tossed a bit of beefcake into the obligatory shot of the normally-photographed-empty hotel gym.

He slapped his head after hearing about Marriott's ownership and said "Oh hell, THAT'S what that email was about." Apparently he received a slightly hysterical email from Marriott's head office branding people to the effect that the videos produced for the Courtyards in Toronto and New York City (presumably another haven of sin) could stand as produced but to "never do something like that again."

It also explains why our room had a Book of Mormon in it, right next to the Gideon Bible. I'll be interested to see if people are still angry enough next July to boycott the Courtyard Toronto. It all makes me that much happier that it was a free stay.

One of the mate's coworkers was at the election night party being thrown by Democrats Abroad and brought me a souvenir - an official campaign button. Neat!

For the fastest results! Compliments of MSNBC.

The Toronto Star reports:

"MONTREAL – A Quebec comedy duo notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of state has reached Sarah Palin, convincing the Republican vice-presidential nominee she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy."

The Masked Avengers are planning to broadcast the entire six-minute "interview" on Monday night. I'll update if I can find it. CKOI's website is here. It's French only so good luck bonne chance.

EDIT WILL ROBINSON!

The Masked Avenger's Palin Prank is LIVE at:  http://justiciers.tv/

Frank Sinatra: Watertown

This album came to my attention a few weeks ago via Boing Boing. Released to poor reviews in 1970, it's arguably the saddest of Sinatra's concept albums. The CD is out of print and used copies are available from the UK starting at about $75.00 CAD. Or... one can simply google the phrase "watertown torrent" but that would be illegal.

Frankosonic's analysis of this album is one upon which I cannot improve:

"Upon first listen it's the story of a man who has been deserted by his wife and left to bring up their two kids alone. Pretty much every song is addressed directly to the absent partner and the simplistic style of lyric reads like a series of letters. As the story develops, the Father receives news that she is coming back to them, but ultimately he's left stranded at the Railway Station as it becomes apparent that she was never aboard the train and won't ever return.

Admittedly I have listened to this album far too much and I started to think about the bits of the story that didn't add up.

Firstly, she has not only abandoned him but also the two kids - I know this DOES happen but is not exactly common behaviour amongst women. Secondly, he mentions that her Mother still comes by to help with the children and along with other friends they encourage him to move on and find a new love. Surely any Mother would concentrate on getting her wayward Daughter back on track and try to orchestrate a reconciliation? But he's not ready to move on, he's not over her and he can't understand why nobody sees this. Lastly I just don't get why she would say that she is coming back and then just not turn up, breaking his heart a second time. Then it dawned on me..

She's not coming back because she's dead.'"

So I had to hear this thing. I was expecting sad. What I wasn't expecting was that this album is creepy as hell. It's like this guy's lost his wife suddenly (at one point he chides her for not giving him any warning before she "left"), he's had a psychotic breakdown and now spends his time hanging around the train station thinking she's going to come back.

It has all the odd things mentioned in the review above. In another song (all are sung from the point of view of the husband, mainly addressed to the absent wife) he says that "Old John Henry" from next door comes around to mow the lawn, and that every time he does he asks what happened to her and has to be reminded because he's old. I don't think that Old John Henry is senile - I think he's sharp as a tack and keeps prompting the bereaved husband in hopes that he'll break out of the delusion he's trapped in.

Creepy, creepy stuff.

Just in Time for Samhain!

"On 28th of August 2008, the Swiss Parliament granted an official pardon to Anna Goeldi who in 1782 was the last person to be executed as a witch in Western Europe. It is time the British government followed this example and this Halloween offered a symbolic pardon to those people who were punished for witchcraft in Britain between the Sixteenth and Eighteenth Century.

Angels, the UK's largest Halloween retailer, has consulted with historian and witchcraft expert John Callow to prepare eight historical test cases that aim to remove the suspicion and fear that continues to surround these innocent women (and one man). Please fill in the petition below to see your name added to the list that will be presented to Justice Minister Jack Straw MP on Halloween 2008 asking him to recommend the Queen issues a posthumous pardon."

Sign the Petition Now!

 

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For my few American friends who haven't seen this yet.

A Tibetan-influenced Ardhanarishvara (aka Shiv Shakti).

Reposted from Slog:

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