So, Hallowe’en is definitely upon us. I know this because my wife has been busy creating her costume, <!––>Samara<!––> from The Ring (imdb | rotten tomatoes). It mainly involves a wig and a filthy dress, so for parts of the last two days there’s been a dress in our bathtub, in various stages of destruction to prepare it such that it appears to have just come out of a well.

Keeping in the Hallowe’en spirit we went to see The Grudge (imdb | rotten tomatoes) last night. It’s gotten bad reviews, but I’m not sure why that is. I mean, it’s not a classic of our time, but it the commercials and press don’t suggest that is. It’s meant to scare the bejeezus out of you, without paying a great deal of attention to character development, and it does just that. 10 minutes in my wife pouted and said, “I don’t like this movie…I want to go home…”, but I knew she was joking. She loves scary movies; besides, her girlfriend was in it. Still, about an 45 minutes in, she was practically horizontal in her seat, which I’ve come to recognize as some sort of defensive move. Anyway…much screaming and yelping from the crowd. Certainly a good Hallowe’en weekend movie.

We grab a bite to eat and hurry home out of the rain. Before we turn the lights on I step into the bathroom to hang up my wet jacket, and nearly have a heart attack. My wife has left the dress floating in the tub, stretched out like a body; she’s also dumped a bunch of potting soil in the water to muddy up the dres, but it’s all pooled near the top of the dress and, in this bad light, looks like hair. So for about .3 seconds I think Samara is in our bathtub. This does not make me happy.

Look at these.

Read this.

Both make me realize there’s something better out there for us.

Christopher Reeve could weigh in on the stem-cell issue. Michael J. Fox can weigh in on the stem-cell issue. Nancy Reagan and Ron Reagan Jr. can weigh in on the stem-cell issue. Mel Gibson should keep his idiot mouth shut.

By the way, there are an awful lot of people wondering the same thing that Mel asks — “Why do I, as a taxpayer, have to fund something I believe is unethical?” — but for a completely different reason. See “Bush; fake war; oil.”

from Yahoo.

I’ve been listening to these songs a lot lately:

• the hidden cameras . i believe in the good of life
• sons & daughters . johnny cash
• of montreal . disconnect the dots
• the gossip . got body if you want it
• stars . ageless beauty
• brian wilson . good vibrations
• pinback . afk
• tv on the radio . dreams
• white magic . one note

It’s a watershed moment.

I just now, right this moment, felt something. I felt, from somewhere deep in my gut, for the first time in over 3 years, that Bush might not be re-elected. I don’t know what it is; the predictions coming from various bloggers of a Kerry victory, the obvious lies and manipulation that the Bush camp has been caught at surrounding the missing explosives, the polling numbers that are too close for an interim president’s comfort, the outright aggression against Bush of leading papers like the Times, the Kerry debate wins…I don’t know what it is.

I’m far from certain. But for the first time since September of 2001 I feel like Bush could lose. Will lose. Has to lose.

We watched a movie the other night called Love That Boy (imdb | rotten tomatoes), a little movie that snuck into and out of theatres earlier this year. Just a cheap little quirky (but not maritime-quirky, thank god) character-driven sweet funny believable silly hoot of a movie. totally engaging, well worth the cost of a rental. There’s was an extra bonus for us, as it was shot in Halifax, most of which we recognized (a review in Eye said it took place at The Mount, but in fact it was set at Dalhousie. Well…King’s, really.

It’s a bit hard to find — Zip didn’t have it, but Rogers did…I guess because it was a tiny Canadian production. Anyway, it’s worth hunting for. Go find it.

The Halifax Pop Explosion looks pretty good this year. The Arcade Fire, The Hidden Cameras, Oh Susanna, Despistado, controller.controller, The Organ, The Wrens, etc.

From The Onion: Election Day Guide.

“If you live in Florida, for Christ’s sake, look at the ballot very, very carefully this time.”

OK…it’s one thing when the Democrats don’t like you. It’s one thing when MoveOn, or BoingBoing, or Salon, or Slate don’t like you. But when NASA starts calling you a bitch, you have to ask yourself some hard questions.

From the BBC: Legendary radio DJ John Peel dies.