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22 October, 2005
Halloween brings eerie coincidences

My calendar is harassing me. “Is it that time again so soon?” I ask of it, “Please, five more days.” But it will not budge. I must meet my deadline.

I think that’s the only thing special about today. Well, for me, anyway. However, today (being the day I am writing, not the day you are reading) is special for many people around the world. I didn’t know that until I consulted my calendar which is a licensed product in affiliation with a popular syndicated prime time cartoon on television.

Indeed, it was this somewhat banal piece of popular culture that, not ten minutes ago, educated me about The Birth of the Báb. I know it sounds silly; I learned of it from a silly source. But it is quite serious. The Báb is often referred to as the Herald of the Bahá'í Faith. He has much in common with Jesus.

I guess today is special to me, then, because many people call me “Babe”. While that also sounds silly, I assure you I am being quite serious. I’m not just trying to be sacrilegious.

“What else is special about today?” I ask my goofy calendar, now that it has wakened me from my deadline-free slumber. Ah, also born today were Bela Lugosi and Art Buchwald.

Buchwald was an American author, columnist, journalist, screenwriter, cameo-appearer, and all-around humorist. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t know that until today either. Wait, he’s a columnist? Hold on…

There, I have just read a column by Mr. Buchwald. Apparently, I share some commonalities with him as well, even more than I share with the Báb. You see, he was a “nightclub reporter” in Paris in 1948. I was a nightclub reporter exactly 50 years later, and I speak French! What’s more, the column I just read was entitled “How not to write a book.” While I’m sure I would be indignant, I’m also sure some would argue that this column could be called “How not to write a column”. Be that true or not, this is getting downright eerie.

Speaking of eerie, I should mention that today is also the birthday of Bela Lugosi. A man of almost supernatural prolificity (yes, I made that word up; power to writers!), he acted in at least 110 films between 1917 and 1959.

Alright, that’s only 2.38 films per year. But he clearly didn’t take any vacations. He didn’t need to, playing as he was such fun supernatural roles as “The Frankenstein Monster”, “Count Dracula”, “Ygor”, and “Peters, the Butler”. Of course, let’s not forget his legendary turn as “Ghoul Man” in Ed Wood’s unforgettable “Plan 9 from Outer Space”. He was a bit of a Jeckyll/Hyde actor, though, because the number of films in which he played a doctor, professor, or scientist was no less than 24.

But you know what’s even more striking about all of this? Many years ago, some friends and I made a movie, and my name appears in the credits as Dave “Bela” Lloyd. That was because during the shooting, I constantly imitated Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood”. (Ooh, four names dropped in one sentence!) I’m totally serious.

You know what else is creepy? My black cat has jumped on my lap three times since I started writing this. But he never jumped down the other side, so I’m probably safe.

I was also planning on telling you what’s special about the day you’re reading this, but that may just bring up too many weird coincidences for me to handle.

Anyway, Happy Halloween!

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