Halloween To-Do List

Embrace your inner MONSTER Eat candy with abandon Indulge in reruns of the Simpsons “Tree House of Horrors” episodes Watch scary movies and read scary books Share your favorite horror tales with friends Wear a costume, mask, wig or hat that wins you stares on the street (This is virtually impossible in my neighborhood, but I’ll try) Or HIDE and wait until November — when things really get scary (Election Day… Thanksgiving cooking chores…)
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Invitation to an Autopsy

Like many good stories, this one starts with an unexpected challenge from a very surprising character. Social dancing is one of those activities that bring together a wide range of people. Argentine Tango has introduced me to some amazing characters and to some dear friends —those two categories are not mutually exclusive. But in large part, social dancing doesn’t allow for deep “getting to know you” interactions. It’s easy to have causal conversations and fill in the blanks based on superficial observations. If someone had asked me to guess what the tall, slender, well-spoken, elegantly groomed woman who came to
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All Hallows Read!

This Halloween, in addition to hanging a basket of first class candy my apartment doorknob, I’m promoting All Hallows Read. It’s a wonderful idea. Here’s the author Neil Gaiman explaining it: All Hallows Read link I’ve already given a few friends scary ebooks and will send some more on or before October 31. I’ve also pulled together a few ebooks that are perfect for All Hallows Read. They are the Kindle equivalent of the best chocolate bar in the bag of Halloween candy. The first one is 13 BRITISH HORROR STORIES by Rayne Hall. Rayne tackles all sorts of scary stories in
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Halloween Costumes 101

I’ve worn great costumes and not so great costumes… My Halloween experiences have led me to come up with a few “RULES” to Halloween by. One, do not wear any costume that is uncomfortable. I learned this one the hard way — and I relearned it a few more times. This “rule” means I don’t wear masks. I can handle a cute half mask (for a little while) but I can’t wear a full mask at all. Those rubber or plastic full-face masks are very uncomfortable and that’s a great recipe for a dreadful evening. Uncomfortable shoes are also a
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My Liebster Award

The ever-generous and helpful JeriWB of the “What do I Know?” blog has nominated me for Liebster Blog Award! Go Monsters Go! Thank you Jeri! I have done my best to answer your questions and follow all the requirements as a nominee — including selecting my own list of nominees (see later in the post). For new bloggers the sometimes painful slow growth of a blog can be frustrating. The Liebster is a strategy that introduces blogs with less than 1000 followers to a potential audience of new followers. I urge all my followers to follow Jeri’s blog and to check
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Blood, Guts and Goo!

I don’t often write full-out bloodbaths, but even the kind of “off-stage” blood I favor requires some intense thinking about blood, guts, gore & goo, too. Maybe it’s “Dexter” or all those police procedurals I’ve read — not to mention the big, fat forensic pathology reference books I’ve had for years — but the directionality of blood splatter, the intensity of blood pooling, the important evidence gleaned from lividity all make perfect sense to me. I recently stepped on a piece of broken glass in my kitchen. After I hopped into the bathroom — while I fumbled around looking for
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Lions & Tigers & Bears — Oh My!

What scares you? I think we all have one or two (or more) things that completely unnerve us. I know people who are terrified of cats — something I find hard to understand as mine is sitting next to me right now. My father is afraid of dogs. Yes, it’s true. He tried to convince me to be, if not afraid than at least, wary of all dogs. His efforts weren’t completely successful. I wound up being relatively sane in my estimations of canine danger. On the other hand, I will admit to an irrational response to rodents. I’ve been
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The Ghosts of Halloweens Past

Pardon my Dickensian reference, but I’m sure I’m not the only one with Halloween memories that hover, ghost-like, over Halloween present. There was one very romantic Halloween. It was just a couple of years after college. One of my former roommates and I were hosting a party at her boyfriend’s large apartment. She was in grad school and she assured me that I was going to enjoy meeting a cute, slightly older guy in the same MFA program. He was dressed as a Viking and looked like a Hollywood Viking: tall, blonde, bearded, athletic, square-jawed… the entire central casting stereotype.
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The Whole is Greater: The Frankenstein Legacy

The legacy of Mary Shelley’s creation is powerful and enduring. Her monster and his scientist creator find their way into many aspects of our culture — including our language. A Frankenstein Monster has come to mean anything that is an amalgam of disparate parts. A house with additions from varying eras can be called a Frankenstein creation. A wacky outfit with a mix of colors and styles can be a Frankenstein. A law with disparate amendments is definitely a Frankenstein monster. Even a poorly coordinated potluck dinner can be a Frankenstein buffet. Yup, I’ve been to a few. You probably
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