Two things you should be aware of:
1) I will be posting a Halloween mix this weekend for play at your local party. It will feature a healthy dose of fun spooky songs and just spooky atmospheric songs. Get your requests in today as I hope to post it tomorrow.

2) Whiskerino 2005 is coming very soon. So get ready to shave your beard on Nov 1 and start growing a new one. Basically this week I have to bust my ass to hammer out all the dynamic portions of the site and make sure it's tested in a very solid manner. It's going to be much much better than the previous contest and any iteration of Moustache May. So if you'd like to announce your interest in participation, let me know now as I'd like to have a gauge of how many people to expect.

I've been trying to think what I should dress up as for Halloween and haven't come up with too many great ideas. That is, until I was directed here. Problems solved! I'll go through the couch this weekend, find three grand, and make the best investment of my life.

It's a bit of a travesty that the BK Halloween Masks have sold out of The King Mask. That guy is creepy, awkward, and hilarious at all times. I haven't been so excited about a fast food chain mascot since my first encounter with Grimace - and he's not even a real mascot.. he's a mascot sidekick.

Given that it's the 20th of the month, I think we need to have a few posts regarding the impending Halloween. I'm not saying all posts will be about the Pagan goodness that is forthcoming.. but we need a few. So, lets start with some Pumpkin Patterns - my favorite being the Famous People category that includes the likes of Napoleon Dynamite, Luke Skywalker, Spock, and John Wesely.. founder of the Methodist movement!

Hopefully by now you are familiar with the North American Halloween Prevention Initiative.. but did you know there is a video? It's pretty great.. love the variety of styles between animation and puppetry. Fits the song very well (which is, in itself, pretty much amazing).

Quality grab bag of links, quick and easy:

The Living Skeleton - I guess this is sort of a "life gives you lemons, make lemonade" sort of situation. Nuts.

LED Slippers - silly, stupid, sort of useless. I want some.

Classic Tex Avery Cartoon - the sexual overtones in this one aren't really overtones, it's just sexual. But the howling wolf remains entertaining somehow.

Haunted Memories - changing portraits. Seems pretty apropos in regards to Halloween.

In tribute to his link sent earlier, let's have another installation of Hale Links (Volume 23):

Sloths - if you don't think these guys are adorable, you're nuts. C'mon, look at this one in a cardboard box! Adorable to the core.

LE Grandaddy Shirts - order a Grandaddy shirt from Insound, get a design that won't be made ever again. Sort of a gamble but a safe one if you love Grandaddy. Note, after seeing the design I will certainly pass but I really enjoy the concept of limited edition shirts (a new design for the next five months).

Indie Goes Mainstream - sort of a fluffy article about the fact that Death Cab, Modest Mouse, and several other bands are finding success on major labels despite being considered "independent." The jist is this: 1) The term "indie" will no longer bear any meaning, much like "emo" doesn't really mean anything. 2) People will forget that being an indie band means that you are signed to an independent label - not Atlantic, or Virgin, or Sony, etc.

Abduction Dog Tags - fear being abducted by aliens and have no way to get home? These dog tags should help quell that fear.

Boombox Central - basically if you really want to make that "ironic" 80's hipster Halloween costume complete, you need to pick up one of these ghetto blasters. Though I will admit that this guy is pretty sweet.

Extreme Shaving - "it's pretty much as dumb as it sounds." [ Example ]

LED Bathtub - if you love taking baths, this will take you to the futuristic extreme! Kitsch to the max.

Unreleased Fight Club Trailer - I saw this posted on Golden Fiddle but the link wasn't working.. now it is apparently. A very bizarre trailer for Fight Club featuring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt playing a song dedicated to the penis. Sort of awesome in a weird way.

As I have received a few messages regarding this, I suppose I should make it official. There will not be a 2004 Beard Contest. Aside from the fact that I just have too full of a plate to put together the actual mini-site, I am just not far enough removed from the monstrosity that I had last year. I am sorry to all those who wanted to participate this year but I just can't make it happen.

If you are in the Nashville area - please come by my house on Saturday. It might be a good time or, at the very least, extremely nerdy. How can you pass that up?

Sorry I didn't post much today but hey.. I was busy! I hope everyone has a good Halloween weekend. For those of you not in the Nashville area - hit up the comments for what you are going as this year. I think I'm going for Crazed Scientist (maybe).

Mildly inappropriate, easy humor can sometimes hit the spot. So check out these childrens costumes to get inspired for the weekend.

This Saturday there will be a Halloween Party at my house. If you want to come and don't know where I live - send me an email and I'll let you know the directions. You will be reminded here again of the gathering.

Jamie showed me the absolute best Halloween costume - or more precisely, set of Halloween costumes. There are more but that one acheives the proper balance of amazingly shoddy and hysterical.

I have had two seperate inquiries recently into the fate of the 2005 Beard Contest. It's insane to me that it was almost this time last year that the insanity began. I think there will be a beard contest this year (if there is interest) but probably not until after Halloween.

Everyone have a Happy Halloween. I'll be doing my best to creep people out with a subtle political message dressed like this. Thanks to bEn for the pic.

I gotta tell ya.. this guy rules.

Happy Halloween. No plans you say? How about you sign up for the armed services via the freshly redesigned Marines.com - KNI style.

Check out Mike C's Halloween costume. Funny that I was just discussing this same idea with someone last night. Good idea.

Leave it up to Duncan to provide the best Halloween advice I've seen thus far. Definetly words of wisdom (even if they aren't his own). And yes, his new phone is way cooler than the one I posted about previously.