Twilight Zone: Tagged!

23 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in Miscellaneous

Tags

Dean Martin, Diet Pepsi, Frank Sinatra, My Favorite Season, To Kill a Mockingbird, Torah, Twilight Zone

Buddhakat has tagged me in the Twilight Zone! Here’s the deal:

1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post

I am going to change the rules a bit. Rather than tagging people, I will just say that whomever wants to participate is welcome to do so.

These are Buddhakat’s questions to me:

1) If you could live in any OTHER time, when would it be and why?

I wish I’d been born about 20 years earlier. Growing up in the 50′s would have been cool. I want a Poodle skirt!

2) What about yourself are you most proud of?

I’ve been sitting here for 20 minutes, puzzling over the answer. Pride is a funny thing. I don’t know that I actually feel it. I must say though, that I am proud to be the friend of those who consider me to be one of their’s.

3) Who is your absolute favorite musical artist/group? Movie?

I have a lot of favorites. Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra, probably. My favorite movies are Taras Bulba, The Godfather, Jason and the Argonauts, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

4) What subject was your favorite in all of your schooling? Why?

I liked the languages. Russian, in particular. Creative writing, any and all Literature classes, Critical Theory…

5) The most important thing I want to teach my children is____________.

I don’t have children but if I did, I’d teach them to pay it forward.

6) What three things would you grab if your house were aburning and you knew for sure your family and animals were all safe?

Photo albums, jewelry box, and The Torah.

7) Do you have nightmares? Care to share?

I have a lot of nightmares. Getting murdered in a parking garage is the worst. I was shot to death.

8) Coke or Pepsi?

Diet Pepsi.

9) Do you believe in the paranormal? Do you have any experiences you’d like to tell us about? Please?

Yes, I do. My mother died a few months before I graduated from college. One day after I’d graduated I received an email from her congratulating me on my accomplishment. She told me how proud she was of me and that she knew I’d have a bright future. The time-stamp on the email was 11:10, and I was born on November 10. Sure, there are a million explanations, but I know my mom was behind that email, somehow.

10) My favorite season is _Autumn______because__the air is crisp and cool and smells like Halloween, which was my favorite holiday as a child._________.

11) What one 6 word phrase or sentence best describes you?

“Saying hello means eventually saying goodbye.”

K! For anyone who cares to participate, here are eleven questions for you:

1) What is your all-time favorite song?

2) What is your biggest regret?

3) If you could choose any occupation or career, what would be yours?

4) If you could change your sex, would you, and why or why not?

5) What is your least favorite food?

6) If you were an animal, which would you be?

7) What country or city would you most like to visit, and why?

8) Which country or city would you least like to visit, and why?

9) What is your favorite poem?

10) Do you like your life?

11) What is your favorite restaurant?

I is for Interrobang

22 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in My Personal A to Z

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

beanbag chairs, Exclamation mark, Interrobang, leisure suits, My Personal A to Z Challenge, Punctuation

Punctuation fascinates me. I wonder about such things as who invented the question mark and why it is shaped the way it is. The history of ampersands, quotation marks, exclamation points—and their inventors—hold me spellbound.

During my research today, I discovered a new (to me) species of punctuation : the Interrobang.

The interrobang is the brainchild of a genius advertising executive named Martin K. Speckter. He decided that advertisements would be much improved if they had indicators of surprise rhetorical questions, such as “She’s pregnant?!” “She’s not pregnant?!” with a single character.

Okay, now that we have the idea and design, what the heck should we call it?

Awesome, no?

Mr. Speckter had a few options, such as rhet, exclarotive and exclamaquest, but h chose “interrobang.” Here’s why: interrogatio is the Latin word for “a rhetorical question,” while bang is printer’s lingo for an exclamation mark.

The interrobang was a hot commodity during the 60′s and 70′s. The word itself was added to some dictionaries, and the punctuation character even appeared in magazines and newspapers.

Sadly, like beanbag chairs and leisure suits, the interrobang turned out to be nothing more than a fad. Today, it is not even acknowledged as a real punctuation mark.

On the bright side, you can find it in Microsoft’s Wingdings 2, and it is recognized by Unicode as U+203D.

And they say there is no G-d.

Six-Word-Saturday (6ws)

18 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in 6ws

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

6ws, Israel, six-word-saturday, Tel-Mond, tree of life

To learn more about Six-Word-Saturday or to participate, click here

The six words that best describe my week are as follows:

1. writing

2. jewelry-descriptions

Tree of Life

3. travel-destinations

Tel-Mond, Israel

4. writerly-outfits

An example of a writerly outfit

5. bad-hair-days

6. Kung-Fu Fighting

I’ve Been Sparkled!

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in Miscellaneous

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

Blog, Gilligan, Gilligan's Island, Ginger Grant, Silly Putty, Slanket, Thypolar, Tina Louise

It seems I’ve been tagged by Thypolar as a recipient of this…Mrs. Sparkly thingy. First I have to answer 10 questions. Truthfully. Yikes!

1. Describe myself in seven words: Disturbed. Confused. Creative. Melancholy. Periwinkle. Silly. Introverted.

2. What keeps me up at night? Sometimes night-sweats, leg-sweats, three adorably rambunctious cats, worry, regret, guilt, the fear that the sun will rise, and the fear that it won’t. Oh, and gas.

3. Whom would I like to be? It’s a no-brainer: Tina Louise (Ginger Grant on Gilligan’s Island).

4: What am I wearing right now? Hah! So glad you asked. I am wearing yet another of my tres chic Writerly Outfits consisting of a pair of M&M’s flannel pants, a brown t-shirt with a gorgeous moose on it, a periwinkle hoodie, and two green fuzzy socks that actually MATCH.

5. What scares me? Fire, algebra, food that tastes good, running out of my meds, people.

6.The best and worst aspects of blogging: The best part is meeting other writers and learning from them. Everyone has something to teach. The worst part is not being able to keep up with all the great blogs out there and giving them the attention they deserve.

7. The last website I visited was Thypolar.

8. What would I change about me? I’d grow a backbone; a really strong backbone that could withstand infinite amounts of mental, physical, and emotional pressure. Right now my backbone is made of Silly-Putty.

9. Slankets? To each his own, I say! If the people want Slankets, they shall have them!

10. Tell something about the blogger who tagged me: Well, I think Thypolar is a gifted and insightful writer. She keeps me on the edge of my chair and I can’t wait to read what happens next.

A is for Aleph

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in My Personal A to Z

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Aleph, first letter of the hebrew alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, hebrew letters, My Personal A to Z Challenge

Image via Wikipedia

Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, or aleph-beis. It is my favorite Hebrew letter for the same reasons I like the number eleven; the way it looks, and sound of its name. It is pronounced AH-lef and is a silent letter.

Coincidentally, the German word for eleven is elf, which is, as you can see, similar in sound to Aleph. Lynette, of wordtabulous fame, pointed that out to me the other day. Thanks, Lynette!

Aleph has a unique story, as do all the letters of the aleph-beis. This letter symbolizes the One-ness and infinity of the Omnipotent G-d. Even its name, Aleph, which is derived from the Hebrew word Aluph, (master) alludes to the Divine attributes of G-d.

The Aleph has the numerical value (gematria) of one. It is said that one day, G-d Himself spoke to the Aleph and appointed it king of the Aleph-Beis: “You are one, I am One, and the Torah is one.” G-d then promised that the Aleph would be the first letter of the first word of the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:2)

What I find interesting is that by changing just one vowel sound, Aleph becomes Eleph, which means one thousand. Each of the letters in the Aleph-Beis has a lesson for us. Aleph’s is suggested above, (the Aleph-Eleph example) in that we shouldn’t hesitate to take on seemingly monumental tasks, as small accomplishments eventually lead to major achievements.

E is for Eleven

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in My Personal A to Z

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Anthony Quinn, eleven, Psychic, World War I

When I was around twelve years old, I read a book called “Nobody Loves a Drunken Indian.” Ever since, the number eleven has been my favorite number.

Why, you ask?

One of the characters in the book was named Eleven-snowflake. He wasn’t the drunken Indian, Flapping Eagle, who was played by Anthony Quinn, in case you wondered. Eleven-snowflake was Flapping Eagle’s best friend and a quiet, introspective fellow.

Anyway, that’s how it all began. Eleven is an interesting number. Not only do I like the sound of it, but I like the way it looks when it is written numerically and in script. I even like it in other languages, especially Russian: ah-DEEN-ahdt-zaht, and Hebrew: ah-KHAHT-es-reh

Here are some fun facts about the number 11:

Eleven got its name from the Old English endleofan meaning, “one left (over ten).”

Whenever I notice the time is 11:11am or pm, I make a wish because it is supposed to come true at that hour. This probably doesn’t work, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

People who are attracted to 11:11 are said to “have the 11:11 phenomenon.”

World War 1 on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month.

I just learned that according an online numerology chart, the number 11 is also my name number, as the letters in Susan add up to 11. Weird. Usually you would break your number down to one digit, but eleven is a master number which means it cannot be broken down. Here’s what it says about number eleven people:

“A Number Eleven person soon gives evidence that he or she is destined to achieve some mystical or humanitarian goal. People on this vibration are generally on a higher spiritual plane than most of their fellows. Number Eleven individuals seek out others who are visionaries, dreamers, psychics, and idealists. Together with other visionaries, the Number Eleven strives to reveal something new and uplifting to the world.”

Boy, do I feel special!

http://www.rense.com/steiger/numbered.htm

K is for Kabbalah 101

12 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in My Personal A to Z

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

hamsa hand, Judaism, Kabbalah, Kabbalah Jewelry, Religion & Spirituality

What Kabbalah is not, is Jewish mysticism. In fact, mysticism doesn’t even play a role in Judaism, the Hebrew language or its Literature. The misnomer may be due to the fact that, according to the Kabbalah G-d is esoteric and cannot be described–therefore mysticism must be involved.

The Hebrew word “Kabbalah” translates to English as “that which is received.” It is the portion of the Jewish belief system through which Jews attempt to understand the Nature of G-d, life, and the human soul. Kabbalah is, essentially Jewish tradition, and a way of life.

Be that at is may, Kabbalah has been inaccurately portrayed as a philosophy independent of Judaism. Not true. In fact, it’s impossible. Kabbalah and Jewish tradition are synonymous–every great Kabbalistic sage has taught this. The true follower of Kabbalah immerses him or herself in the study of Torah, Jewish prayer and ritual, and Jewish life in general.

Kabbalah possesses an interesting symbology, unique unto itself and mostly in the form of wall art and Kabbalah jewelry.

For instance, the Hamsa Hand, which looks like an open-palmed, upside-down hand is exclusive to Kabbalah. It is used to protect against negative energy or the “evil eye” which manifests itself in the form of misfortune due to other people’s envy.

Another of its symbols is the easily recognized Star of David. It’s hexagonal shape is reminiscent of the shield King David used (quite successfully) in battle and is believed to safeguard its wearer and bring him or her good fortune.

My favorite is the Merkabalah, or Chariot: a 3-D Star of David which is an enigmatic and talisman that releases positive spiritual energy and protects the person who wears it.

Kabbalah jewelry and symbols also incorporate the inscriptions of Hebrew letters, each of which possesses its own unique energy that serve to influence our lives affect the desired changes. Certain combinations of Hebrew letters are used to help us manifest our hearts’ desire such as the quest for love, and protection.

“O” is for Ouija Board (My Personal A to Z)

11 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by SusanWritesPrecise in My Personal A to Z

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

My Personal A to Z Challenge, New Age, ouija board, Paranormal, Psychic, Religion and Spirituality, Stories, Tarot Card

Ouija boards scare the crap out of me. I’ve “played” with them several times and had two frightening experiences: once as a kid and the last time in my 30′s.

Shudder!

The first unnerving experience occurred at about age 13. My cousins and I were playing and the so-called Mystifying Oracle began circling the board faster and faster. I mean FAST! We took our hands off of it and it continued moving of its own volition. Finally, it flew of the board and hit the wall. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the questioned we’d asked, but apparently Ouija didn’t like it. Or, it could have been due to the fact that we’d lost (as kids are wont to do) the brown felt slider-feet of the Mystifying Oracle, and shoved wads of toilet paper in the holes as substitutes. Now that I think of it, no wonder the thing was annoyed.

Image via Wikipedia

Ouija found itself in the garbage can the next day.

I left ol’ Ouija alone for 20 years, then during my New Age period of Tarot Card reading and whatnot a friend of mine and I decided to try it again. As self-proclaimed spiritual know-it-alls, no crazed or unfriendly spirit would dare to mess with us: we were surrounded in the white light.

Wrong, again!

Marianne and I purchased a Ouija board from a metaphysical bookstore called Golden Leaves, in Metairie, LA. The place isn’t there anymore. I can’t remember if it had gone out of business or Katrina blew it away. In any case, we took Ouija back to her place and commenced to become even more spirit-savvy than we already were.

The spirit we’d snagged replied nicely to Marianne’s inquiries, but obviously didn’t care much for me. Every time I asked a question it told me to “Go Home!” and “Go Away! then finally, “Get the F*** Out!” Enough said. Being a bit crazy but not stupid, I took the potty-mouthed Ouija board’s advice.

Marianne burned the thing after I’d left. And that my friends, was my final foray into the world of Ouija.