“What number-one hit song from 1984 was addressed to Marie, Louise, Jack, and Milo?”

My team members and I were racking our brains last night at the Big Quiz Thing, trying to come up with the answer. I remembered that “Thriller” was the biggest album of 1983, but did it carry over into 1984? Or was it maybe a Cyndi Lauper song?

Suddenly — I have no idea how — it hit me. I grabbed the Big Quiz Thing pad and began scribbling down the answer.

And then Matt looked at me, shocked.

“You’re left-handed?!?” he said.

Yes, it’s true. I’m a lefty. A southpaw. I’m sinister.

Since, after three months of dating, Matt and I have officially decided to begin referring to each other as boyfriends, I guess it’s good for him to know these things about me.

Oh, and the song?
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I didn’t even notice this last week, but the New Republic has done something interesting. It has officially endorsed Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primaries. But it has also provided space for some of its writers to endorse other Democrats. Here’s the case for Dean, for Clark, for Edwards, and for Gephart. Finally, here’s the case against Lieberman. And there’s also the New Republic’s ongoing anti-Dean blog, Diary of a Dean-o-Phobe.

I haven’t looked at all of these yet, but they should make for some interesting (and lengthy) reading.

Oh, there’s nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.

Were the Iowa caucuses such a big deal four years ago? I don’t seem to remember this much hoopla, except for Dan Savage trying to give Gary Bauer the flu by licking doorknobs (which I’d forgotten until I read this last week).

And we’re so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin’ noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.

It seems weird to give so much weight to a process that involves getting together in neighbors’ living rooms and then raising your hands or dividing into groups. What about secret ballots? Apparently, the caucus system works in Iowa, and wouldn’t work in big states, because the caucus attendees are neighbors. But doesn’t anyone worry that people will feel pressured by their neighbors? What if everyone secretly supports, say, Dennis Kucinich, but no hands go up for him, because everyone’s too embarrassed or too afraid of being the subject of neighborhood gossip? I don’t know — it just seems wrong to me.

So, what the heck, you’re welcome,
Glad to have you with us.
Even though we may not ever mention it again.

But soon it’ll be off to New Hampshire, and nobody will think about Iowa for another four years.

You really ought to give Iowa
Hawkeye Iowa
Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown,
Mason City, Keokuk, Ames, Clear Lake —
Ought to give Iowa a try!