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I’ve been in meetings all afternoon and am running a bit late with this week’s Happy Hour questions. Sorry about that. (Lots of exciting things on the horizon, though. Stay tuned.) So let’s do this rapid-fire style. Answer anything you find appealing.
1. This morning, Ransom put out the word that we’re hoping you’ll send us your Halloween photos. What was your all-time greatest Halloween costume?
2. What’s the strangest thing someone could learn about you through Googling? (And no, you don’t have to send the link.)
3. If you could change one rule in any sport, what would it be?
4. If you could change one rule in any board game, what would it be?
5. If you had the power to make a zero-calorie version of any single food without altering the taste, what food would you choose?
Comments (52)
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I would make guacamole totally free of calories! I love that stuff!
posted by Jessica on 10-17-2008 at 3:01 pm
1. I once went as a salt shaker. My boyfriend was going to be a pepper shaker, but we broke up a week before halloween. So i went solo as salt.
2. I am quoted in a local newspaper article about Kurt Cobain’s death. I was slightly freaked out when that newspaper decided to put all their stuff online. (I have an unusual name, so it’s one of the few things that shows up.)
3. The last two minutes of basketball games would not be allowed to take more than 15 minutes. I don’t know enough about sports to know how to make this happen.
4. (blanking)
5. Drake’s Coffee Cake
posted by Kelly on 10-17-2008 at 3:02 pm
All-time greatest Halloween costume? Rollergirl (from Boogie Nights) – when I was in High School, I did pretty much anything to terrify my parents. That one did the trick.
Googling my name gets my linked in page and my former employer’s website.
Sport Rule change: the Time-out call right before the field goal kicker kicks.
Game Rule change: Monopoly. Free Parking doesn’t do anything per the rules. Most people play like this, but officially should be able to get all the taxes, etc. collected.
Zero-calorie Beer and Pizza. They complement one another too. :)
posted by Valerie on 10-17-2008 at 3:03 pm
1. I went as Ali G last year. I am a rather large man. I got the idea from Keith in The Office (original BBC version).
2. In Google Images, some really weird photos of me dancing from a friend’s wedding. They went in and captioned them for their way too professional looking wedding website.
5. KFC popcorn chicken
posted by ray on 10-17-2008 at 3:07 pm
2. I was arrested for selling cocaine. (This didn’t really happen to me, but to someone with my name—which isn’t exactly common—in a city I used to live. I’ve had to explain it in a few job interviews.)
3. Move the college three-point line back. It’s turning everyone into chuckers!
posted by Pratik on 10-17-2008 at 3:15 pm
1. When I was a wee child, I went as a crayon. I don’t think I’ve had a better costume since.
2. I have a doppleganger (in name only) that is a Professor of Anthropology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
3. Sports rule = enough of this shootout business in the NHL. Each and every game that ends regulation in a tie will be decided by a best 2 out of 3 rock, paper, scissors contest.
4. Boardgame rule = same as Valerie, oddly enough. We all play like that anyways, make it official!
5. Anyone in Western New York might appreciate this…Zero-calorie Mighty Taco. Mmm! Oh, and beer. Sweet, sweet beer.
posted by Michael on 10-17-2008 at 3:19 pm
1. Tied leaves to Dental Floss, taped the floss to the brim of my hat so the leaves hung in front of my face. Whenever someone asked what I was, I blew. (Leaf blower)
2. Back story, a local congressman was running for re-election. I didn’t like the guy so I bought his domain name, which he had never done (It was 2004, come on!) and forwarded it to his opponent’s site. There is still a blog out there that lists my name, old address and phone number telling their readers to ‘get even’. They were apparently not too influential.
5. Defiantly Shiner Bock.
posted by Witty Nickname on 10-17-2008 at 3:29 pm
1. I’ve made my own costumes since I was a little kid. Every year I come up with something different. One year I constructed a full unicorn head and wore that. My best costume was my old-school wonderwoman that I made last year. This year I’m dressing up as tinkerbell.
2. I guess you can probably put my go-go dancing or skydiving as a wierd thing they could find out about me.
3. Football- I hate it when they push someone from behind to knock em’ over that should get a flag.
4. In monopoly, free parking (when I play) is where all the taxes or fees get piled up so that when you do land there ya get a pile of cash. That’s just how me and my friends have always played it.
5. Even though I come from the land of the hotdog and pizza…Im fine with that calorie/fat intake. I’d love icecream to be completely guilt free.
posted by Kristine on 10-17-2008 at 3:38 pm
1. I think this year’s is going to be the best. I’m going as an LolCat. But once when I was a kid, I went as Glinda from Wizard of Oz. That costume was awesome.
2. Nothing…My name just pulls up some links to my college.
3. I don’t “do” sports.
4. Haha I always play by the rules.
5. Cheesecake.
posted by Ash on 10-17-2008 at 3:45 pm
2. married name, nothing. maiden name, nothing.
5. something general like meat.
posted by Julia on 10-17-2008 at 3:49 pm
1. My senior year of college, a friend and I went as The Walk Of Shame. We wore giant fraternity t-shirts over party dresses, carried stilletos and wore men’s flip flops. Oh, and we had mussed hair and runny make-up, too.
2. There’s not all that much out there on me. The few things that there are are grants I’ve applied for or my “books I’m reading” profile on some website I joined years ago.
3. I’d like to make National League and American League rules the same. I hate switching back and forth (though I don’t really care for the American League all that much).
4. I’ve played Scene It! about a thousand times and am pretty sure I’ve never followed the rules. So I would change the rules to Scene It! such that all one has to do is watch the DVD while drinking beer with friends and shout out the answer if you know it.
5. Mmmm. French fries. Specifically curly fries. They’ve had my heart since I was thirteen.
posted by Nona on 10-17-2008 at 3:55 pm
1) I went as Casey Tatum (from Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job) for Halloween ‘07. It was quite convincing, and my face was horribly oily for a week after having it convered in vasoline for an entire night.
2) A post I made to the “No Music Day” website has me saying I would not be observing No Music Day because I would be playing a gig that very night. My objection to a day without music is permanently affixed in the annals of Google.
3) The “no sticking a pole into your opponent’s bike” rule in the Tour De France. We need to welcome back Roman sportsmanship to moderm events.
4) I think one ought to be able to use Urban Dictionary words at Scrabble.
5) Extra Cheese Pizza
posted by Ellery on 10-17-2008 at 3:55 pm
1. my greatest halloween costume was bulls**t – literally. I had a brown felt costume that was shaped like poop, and it had horns, a tail and a ring to wear in my nose. I’m going to be a gorilla b-boy this year
2. You could learn just about anything about me, I think I’m the only Steve Clotho in the world (Clotho isn’t my real last name though)
posted by Clotho on 10-17-2008 at 3:57 pm
1. Never liked dressing up for Halloween–always liked the candy!
2. A lot of stuff about an actress with the same name–lucky for me she seems to have always been in “good, clean” tv shows
3. no idea
4. also no idea
5. all flavors of ice cream
posted by Wendy on 10-17-2008 at 4:01 pm
1. I was Silent Bob last year and it was pretty spot on, which is why i’ll probably do it again this year (and the fact that i’m lazy). I was also Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles many years ago and it was a sweet costume.
2. Googling me pulls up my facebook page, youtube videos of me skateboarding, and stuff for someone with the same name as me.
3. Professional athletes shouldnt get “guaranteed money.” They should get a base salary and then get paid more on incentives. That way, if they suck, they dont get paid.
4. i agree with the free parking rule
5. anything deep fried!!!
posted by Andy on 10-17-2008 at 4:02 pm
2. My full name is common. Hundreds of hits without pointing to me. Also, since changing to digital phone my name does not show up in the phone book or white pages.
5. I once worked at a Food Tech Center that researched better ways to make food healthier. One day I was asked to try a slice of pumpkin flavored cheesecake. It was fantastic…and only 10 calories per bite.
posted by Owen on 10-17-2008 at 4:04 pm
I was a box of french fries in 5th grade. I think you actually used the pic in your “embarassing childhood pictures” post sometime last year. Giant pieces of foam sticking out of a cardboard box, the box held up with pink suspenders, and a minature box of fries on my head.
I have such an absurdly common name that you’d have to googole either my employer+job+name or college+degree+name to get anything. And even doing that, the most interesting thing would be that we took 2nd place in the National Geography Bowl at the Association of American Geographers conference. Man, I’m such a nerd! :)
Ice cream really truely needs to be calorie free. The lo-cal stuff tastes awful.
posted by Jenny on 10-17-2008 at 4:05 pm
1. prom dress and a sign that said “i’m sorry”…a *formal* apology!
2. some obscure artist whose last name is my first name had a song titled my last name. make sense? like “jim aaron”:”jones” if my name were “aaron jones.”
3.make college football overtime the same as NFL. come on guys, either play better in regulation or have a helluva defense!
4. don’t really play board games, or at least enough to have a hated rule.
5. white castle. or chicken alfredo.
posted by Brooke on 10-17-2008 at 4:08 pm
1. My best Halloween costume is a 3-way tie: The Ewok costume my mom made for me in 4th grade using brown shag carpeting; a washed-up, modern-day Alvin from Alvin and Chipmunks, complete with bottle of Jack Daniels, 5 o’clock shadow, and still wearing the same “A” sweater despite it not fitting anymore; the zombie costume I made a few years ago.
2. They could find my old Macromedia Flash resume from about 1999 (I’d post a link if I could). I had no idea it was still online. Guess it goes to show how long I’ve had my web address.
3. Obviously it would be the Designated Hitter Rule.
4. You shouldn’t have to roll the exact number you need to get into the center of Trivial Pursuit to go for the win.
5. Pizza. No question about it.
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 10-17-2008 at 4:15 pm
1. I was somewhat religious growing up, so my church had a “fall festival costume party” to make all the kids feel better about not getting to celebrate the devil’s holiday. We had to go as a character from the bible, and all the good ones were taken. (I was rooting for Esther), so, clothing restrictions being what they were, my mother fashioned me a FULL LENGTH (meaning ankles to neck to wrists) dress of fake leaves, handed me a giant stuffed snake, an apple, and sent me off as eve. Everyone thought I was supposed to be Poison Ivy because of my long red hair.
2. My Harry Potter themed “instructional” skits. “Wand Safety and You”, “Quiddich Safety and You” (in which the stage falls in on me), “Defense Against the Dark Arts and You”, and “The HP Fandom and You”.
3. All sporting events must be televised with Pop-up trivia to make it interesting to nerds like me.
4. 4 words…Strip Dungeons and Dragons.
5. I’m preggers right now, so beer is probably out right? I’ll say “flour based products” to try and cover as much ground as possible.
posted by Mandragora on 10-17-2008 at 4:16 pm
My best costume was a peacock. I airbrushed the feathers and even rigged a fan type attachment so that I could spread the feathers out. It took me several tries to get that right, but I won $1500 with that costume.
I have the same name as a famous actress and my husband has the same name as a famous basketball player, so you have to really look to find anything good on us.
Hmm…Calorie Free Margaritas and chips and salsa?
posted by Karen on 10-17-2008 at 4:37 pm
Mandragora, PLEASE give us the links to your Harry Potter skits!!!
posted by Lindsey on 10-17-2008 at 4:47 pm
1. I went as Charlie Chaplin one year. It was such a good costume, people thought I was a guy.
2. Well, as of 2003, there were ten different people with my name that could be found on Google, including six that lived in Miami. Ironically, I could not find myself.
5. Definitely chocolate cake. I’ve never gotten sick glutting myself with that.
posted by NicoNico on 10-17-2008 at 4:52 pm
1. My husband and I once went to a Halloween party in a very upper-class house, practically a mansion, dressed as a “bum” and a “bag lady” (sorry to be politically incorrest – it was a long time ago). We had old, ripped, mismatched clothes, gray, knotty hair, dirt on our faces, gloves with no fingertips – the whole bit. We just kind of collapsed on the front steps of the house, bottles in paper bags in hand. A lot of the guests were ready to call the cops to get rid of us. I couldn’t have been prouder.
It was also a birthday party, so we reached into our ripped shopping bag for a gift for the guest of honor: a bottle of Thunderbird (half empty, of course).
posted by B on 10-17-2008 at 4:56 pm
Lindsey,
YouTube “hp-ohio”. That should lead you right to ‘em!
posted by Mandragora on 10-17-2008 at 4:58 pm
Lindsey,
Do a YouTube search for “hp-ohio”, that’ll take you right to ‘em!
posted by Mandragora on 10-17-2008 at 5:00 pm
1. I went as a Mime once. Basically I just wore black clothes and painted my face white, but I still wanted to be polite, so I carried a sign that said “Happy Halloween” on one side and “thank you” on the other.
2. If you Google me you can get links to recaps I’ve written for a website, but unfortunately, the first one that comes up is for that dreadful Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey show “Newlyweds.”
3. I like Andy’s idea.
4. If you’re in jail in Monopoly and no one’s paying attention, jail break!
5. Definitely French fries.
posted by Jenn on 10-17-2008 at 5:08 pm
1. For a few years, I didn’t get a haircut and rarely shaved, so I had a generally scruffy appearance. I shaved and got a haircut on October 30th, and went as a “responsible adult”
2. I wish this were me, but there’s a gentleman in Australia with the same name as me who’s a ghost hunter. I think that wins, hands down. If you keep searching, you may find some lesson plans I’ve written or collaborated on. I’m not very visible on the web, I’m afraid.
posted by Nathan R on 10-17-2008 at 5:28 pm
1. My favorite costume ever was in high school, I went as Winston from 1984. Unfortunately, the only person out of school and work that day that got it was my English teacher. Everyone else thought I was a mechanic with a drinking problem.
2. It is completely impossible to google my name because my last name is an adjective, even putting it in quotation marks doesn’t work.
posted by Stef on 10-17-2008 at 5:43 pm
1. The most fun costume I ever had was when my husband and I were dating and I wore boots, khakis, my husband’s WASD shirt, his ugly trenchcoat, and a bucket hat and went as him…everyone at the party knew what I was going for! This year, I think my husband is going as Dr. Horrible and I’m going to be a fan of either Dr. Horrible or Captain Hammer, I think.
2. My name doesn’t get anything me, but Amauriel gets several things that are me…I don’t think anyone else uses this name except for one Hordie on World of Warcraft. (All the Alliance toons are me, or were last time I checked.)
3.Mandragora is on the money. If sporting events were pop-up video I’d totally start watching them.
4. I think if a cat tries to attack any part of the Mouse Trap board, it was Real Life intervention and everybody wins.
5. Chipotle. I could live off of the burritos if they weren’t about 1100 calories a pop.
Captcha: Woman expected (hehe)
posted by Amauriel on 10-17-2008 at 6:36 pm
1) Peter the pumpkin eater, my significant other was a pumpkin
2) 2nd story person
3) No field goals in football sudden death
4)do not allow scotch in twister
5)beer, just beer
posted by Bellicose on 10-17-2008 at 6:39 pm
1. I went as V from V for Vendetta last year. I tried to be as spot on as possible on the smallest budget, but I still made three toddlers cry. I’d say it was successful
2. My first name is Hillary. My last name is a kind of precipitation. You would seriously have to stalk me to come up with anything pertaining to me.
3. Male soccer teams should play shirts/skins. And by shirts, I mean a painted on number. Mmmmmmm.
4. If you are the banker, and you are losing in Monopoly. Everyone has to give you all their money but $100. Bailout, anyone?
5. Any kind of baked good. All kinds. That would make my life SO much easier.
posted by Kieran on 10-17-2008 at 7:00 pm
1. I once made a ghost costume that I based on the Adams memorial by St. Gaudens. Not very original costume idea, but I used it for a few years as a decoration. (18 yards of fabric, a mask, a thrift store dress and the neck half of an old turtleneck attached to some wire hangers, stuffed with bags of ballons. One balloon taped to the back of the mask and lit by a mini-flashlight. Hung it and then hid behind the door when kids came ringing. I scared a couple toddlers, and some older kids would start complimenting the costume before they realized it was hovering off the floor. I had pictures ’til my old computer fried.
2. I personally am too boring to show up on Google, and have one of the most common last names in the U.S. The first thing that pops up if I try searching is the webpage of a Texas prisoner for a prison dating site. (which is *AWESOME*)
3. I like the DH rule –go Papi!– but baseball could use full contact like football or hockey ;] (…and he’s rounding second…heading for third…oooh! a Nasty tackle by the shotstop…that had to hurt, Bob)
recaptcha: against Santana (Johan?)
posted by steph on 10-17-2008 at 7:10 pm
If you google me, you’ll find I’m an professional biker from Australia, a hockey reporter in Knoxville, TN; a boatshop owner in Chichester, England; a center for the University of Tulsa; and an English game show host. There are probably more. The funny thing is, I even put modifiers that would make it easier to find me, and it still comes up with everything but me.
posted by Nick Gates on 10-17-2008 at 8:27 pm
1. My favorite halloween costume was 2 yrs ago, when I went as a drag queen prostitute. I stayed in character as a “southern belle” and not only did I get one guy ready to beat me up for sitting on his lap for a photo op (he was dressed as a pimp, what was I supposed to do?), but I also had two “schoolgirls” pull me aside with the intent of teaching me how to “walk like a woman.” And yes, I wore heels, size 12W and I lasted about 6 hours.
2. Apparently I’m an author, and a doctor, and have a recreation center named after me in Michigan.
3. I don’t think it’s one rule, but make NCAA football a bracketed tourney!
4. Some friends and I spent an entire night changing “Sorry” to “Tipsy” which is exactly what it sounds like (answer: very effective!)
5. I would want my one food to be a completely calorie-free taco. Guacamole is a great answer, too.
posted by Richard on 10-17-2008 at 11:14 pm
1) I’ve never gone as anything very interesting for Halloween. My husband usually will wear his standard “uniform” of jeans and a t-shirt and go as “Poor White Trash.”
2) I didn’t think I had a common name, but there a few of me out there. Not very interesting profiles though. Now there’s the one thing we all have in common.!
3) I would have to actually watch and understand a sport to be able to disagree with any of the rules.
4) I generally play by the rules. Can’t think of any I’d like to change.
5)Cheese – everything’s better with cheese!!
posted by bzzyb on 10-17-2008 at 11:18 pm
1. Last year I was Sally from the Nighmare before Christmas. I made my costume out of different fabric scraps glued to a basic black sheath- and I added the stitches with yarn. I’m really pale and have dark hair, so it worked out nicely- i even drew stitches on my arms and legs with blacj eyeliner. I LOVED it, and would be it again! (This year I’m being Velma from Scooby-Doo)
2. Nothing very interesting. I was on my University’s rowing team for a semester a few years ago, and I sucked! You can see my horrid times.
3. Something to make baseball less boring. (sorry, kids!)
4. In Scrabble, innaproprite/awkwardly sexual words count for double the points. hahahah.
5. PIZZA. without a doubt in my mind. oh, pizza. (beer would be my 0 cal beverage of choice). it would be glorious!
posted by Laura on 10-17-2008 at 11:20 pm
One more thing,
if you Google my full name an article comes up about a British woman who shares my name that is a hypochondriac. She thought she was dying for 6 years straight. Good times.
posted by Laura on 10-17-2008 at 11:22 pm
1. I was Marge Simpson and my friend was Homer – we made paper mache heads. Alas, we got our butts kicked at a women’s costume ball by a pack of tampons. Since then, I have forced my children to be small devils to my angel, or black cats to my witch. One year I was pregnant I went as “Elvis, The Later Years, aka Fat Elvis” But my all time best costume? Dead Prom Queen. Just sew spanish moss all over a dress, do the dead makeup, make a bloody sash, and make or buy yourself neck and body gashes.
2. Various past exploits and affiliations show up for me. I have been… flighty? experimental? to say the least.
3. Hockey should be like in “Slapshot!”
4. If you can make a plausible definition, then yes, it is a real word in Scrabble or license plates, or any other word game.
5. Prime rib. And truffle cake.
posted by Mar on 10-18-2008 at 12:50 am
1.I went as a rotting ballerina corpse. I even had real-looking maggots crawling around on me, from tutu to hair!
2. Nothing can be found on Google, which may be the most unusual thing. Security regs prohibit data being accesible.
3. NFL overtime rules should be changed so that field goals are not allowed – only touchdowns. With kickers being able to kick 60+ yards these days, OT is a joke.
4. I don’t play board games.
5. You kiddin’ me? PIZZA – NATCH!
posted by LALA on 10-18-2008 at 7:16 am
1. pippi longstocking! hair, dress, everything. it was amazing.
2. an incredibly bad picture of me speaking at a local press conference during high school. i look like a trout.
3. i vote for a national law to lower ticket prices for all sporting events.
4. monopoly – free parking. what do you think of starting a petition?
5. omg, mac & cheese.
posted by meag on 10-18-2008 at 7:44 am
1. Shaggy from Scooby Doo
2. I volunteer at a historic home giving tours
3. Make two sets of rules in golf, one for amateur play and one for the pros. I could go on about this one, but its unfair to us weekend hacks. Okay one example, you cannot ask advice from playing partners…but the pros get a caddy they can get advice from? How is that fair if I play without a caddy?
5. Ice Cream
posted by Marty on 10-18-2008 at 7:56 am
1. Our first son’s first halloween we went as a vampire family. (I know it sounds stupid, but I count this as the best because he died a little over a month later)
2. Nothing, I’ve tried everything and I can’t even pull up anything about myself
3. I would make golf ploayed on a minefield — now that would be exciting!
4. Free parking on Monopoly, not that it matters, we play it how we want and ignore the rules
5. Pizza
My catchpa has announced a winner, it’s Rolly (winner rolly)
posted by Lorelei on 10-18-2008 at 12:57 pm
1. I was a garbage can in 4th grade. We hammered out the bottom of an old garbage can and I put a garbage bag over my clothes. I used the lid as a hat and put straps on the garbage can itself so it’d go over my shoulders. We taped raccoons to the lid.
2. I won the districts of the National Vocabulary Competition my senior year of high school.
5. Pop and bagels with cream cheese.
posted by Liz on 10-18-2008 at 8:19 pm
Halloween costume: I once went as a jar of pickles. I also went as Kojack.
Google fact: strangest thing someone Googling my name would come up with is what amounts to a fan email I sent to the folks who make Manhattan Special Espresso Soda, when I was living overseas and missing it like crazy.
Sports: I’d love to see major league baseball as a co-ed sport
posted by Lana on 10-18-2008 at 9:05 pm
3. BASEketball should be a real sport
posted by chauntelle on 10-18-2008 at 10:56 pm
2. I submitted a “Pint-Sized Punch Line” to the LA Times when I was 7. Made All-State Journalism.
There’s a town that’s my first name, and a psychic whose last name is my first name… odd.
posted by Case on 10-19-2008 at 7:00 pm
I’ll have to see if I have a picture of it but my best Halloween costume was “The Unknown Red-shirt.”
I thought this was brilliant and hilarious but explaining it to non-trekkies was a chore. I found a TNG Version red shirt at a Halloween costume store, complete with pips and ironed one on. I also found a keychain sized tricorder and phaser that made noise and Velcroed them to me. Black pants and shoes completed the ensemble however, hubby thought I should have put holes in the shirt and ‘phaser burns’ to make it more realistic….
posted by Bethy on 10-20-2008 at 12:59 pm
googling my name shows a guy with the exact same name that is a “gay themed” singer/songwriter in West Hollywood.
posted by Jay on 10-20-2008 at 2:14 pm
not that there is anyhting wrong with that
posted by Jay on 10-20-2008 at 2:17 pm
When I googled my name, I found that my name is on a microchip on one of NASA’s spacecraft. I think my boyfriend at the time submitted my name, because his name is on there too.
posted by JBA on 10-20-2008 at 3:55 pm
2. It isn’t there anymore but I found my name was a character in a vampire book. I went to a lot of trouble just to get a copy of this book – I don’t like vampire books, so I’ve never read it.
4. Free parking on Monopoly but we have an extra rule, when it gets too high we split it 50% goes back, the rest gets split between the players. Lord of the Rings Monopoly rocks for the short version.
5. Chocolate, surely if exercise releases endorphins and burns calories, chocolate releases endorphins should burn calories too.
purely Stolypin?
posted by Francesca Lyon on 10-23-2008 at 5:09 pm