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Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: Carl-E on 29 Oct 2011, 13:03

Title: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 29 Oct 2011, 13:03: I was gonna resurrect last year's Halloween thread (here (http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,25040.0.html)), but decided to start from scratch...

Thing is, my town is a small (~75,000) city in the middle of rural PA. About 30 or 40 years ago, when there were actual gang problems, the town decided it would be safer for the little ones to have trick-or-treat away from the more grown-up halloween festivities (not to mention the vandalism...). So trick-or-treating is always the Thursday before Halloween, so we're already all done. I'm not attending a party this year, and I had to teach Thursday night, so no real festivities for me - I don't even have a costume.

But I got pics of our punkins and such from Thursday. I know a lot of you are probably attending parties for the holiday, so do us a favor - snap a pic, and when the hangover wears off, show it off here!

Anyway, here's this year's crop of jack-0-lanterns; the pirate ship's mine, the pirate head and the unicorn/witch are my younger daughter's, Hello Kitty is my older daughter's, the cat is a friends, her daughter made the snowman, and my wife made the creepy looking baby jack-o-lanterns.

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/6292572948_6cff23ab4d_m.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6235/6292052505_6408270a99_m.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6220/6292051627_d5d406c92d_m.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6212/6292051205_65f3b15d0e_m.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6091/6292569958_629689930e_m.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6292049265_4e7ceaffb9_m.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/6292568786_24cf64a372_m.jpg)

Meet Fred. He watches over the graves in the side yard.

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6292049919_1a0a0ede87_m.jpg)

Fred and some friends.

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6110/6292570398_17d8ac905f_m.jpg)

the house entrance before night fell. Yes, we make the kiddies climb the steps for candy...

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/6292048775_ac7935d141.jpg)

Trick-or-treat only lasts 2 hours, but we have 300 - 500 kids come by the house. Besides the neighborhood kids, there are vans and SUV's that pull up and drop kids in front of our house...

Happy Halloween, everyone!
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Zingoleb on 29 Oct 2011, 13:09: I was learning to contact juggle for Halloween, 'cause back in New York there was a coffeeshop called The Labyrinth, so I was going to stand in front of it dressed up like David Bowie and juggle. Now I'm probably not doing anything (no plans, anyways - things have a tendency to come up for me at the last second!)
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Barmymoo on 29 Oct 2011, 15:27: I am... wait I'm not doing anything for Halloween. Instead of going to a Halloween party I went to a comedy gig where lots of scientists played tiny guitars, lots of mathematicians made jokes I didn't understand and two people sang hilarious songs about vegetables.

On balance it was very surreal.

Anyway! I need some Halloween photos to live vicariously through.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Blue Kitty on 29 Oct 2011, 19:17: I'm surprised someone didn't make this thread earlier

Here's the Koffing pumpkin I carved
(http://hphotos-iad1.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/302677_555457821447_53601830_31458912_167323739_n.jpg)

Sadly I don't have anything to do, but I will most likely dress up for class. After class I'm gonna hang out with my girlfriend and watch horror movies.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: jwhouk on 29 Oct 2011, 19:28: I'm going as a disgruntled state employee.

That way, I don't have to dress up.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: GeoCorn on 29 Oct 2011, 20:06: I didn't have anything to do either. as a nerd, I've worn my Star Trek badges.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 29 Oct 2011, 21:04: I have a costume.

Sort of.

I have an orange button down shirt, and a roll of black ducktape. I'll be making my torso into a jack-o-lantern for Monday's classes. I'm also giving bonus pointss to students who dress up.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: pwhodges on 30 Oct 2011, 01:11: I have never celebrated Halloween, and the whole business is a mystery to me.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Barmymoo on 30 Oct 2011, 03:28: I once went to a party around about Halloween time and wore a black dress and a witch's hat, but it wasn't really a Halloween party exactly, we just ate food and watched a film. Two years ago Halloween was spent paying £80 taxi fines and monitoring my friend for vomit-chocking signs, so I've sort of had enough of celebrating for now.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Akima on 30 Oct 2011, 03:38: Quote from: pwhodges on 30 Oct 2011, 01:11
I have never celebrated Halloween, and the whole business is a mystery to me.
Nor I. It's not a Chinese thing (we have 中元节 (zhōngyuánjié) or Hungry Ghost Festival (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival)), and Australia doesn't get nearly as excited about Halloween as the USA. There is plenty of tacky cloned-from-USA-pop-culture stuff in the shops though.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Jace on 30 Oct 2011, 05:24: We had a party yesterday night, I was Andrew WK, my two flatmates were characters from the one's comic and my other flatmate was ME GUSTA stick figure guy. My girlfriend was in a poofy skirt and corset, and some other people showed up in some pretty okay costumes, like a nearly spot on Mr T from our upstairs housemate. Also I made a cape for our dog.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 30 Oct 2011, 12:19: Pics?

Not that it didn't happen...
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Akima on 30 Oct 2011, 15:23: A tweet from Karen Ellis (http://planetkaren.co.uk/):
"Was complimented on my Halloween costume this evening. Didn't have the heart to explain I dress like this every day." :laugh:
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: bainidhe_dub on 30 Oct 2011, 16:12: We had a small (due to the OMG snow in October) party at my sister's last night. I was Rosie the Riveter!
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/313499_2604195182958_1197218103_33092838_1892681596_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: dr. nervioso on 30 Oct 2011, 16:26: I haven't the faintest idea who this rosie person is, but strangely, your outfit looks just like her. I have probably seen or heard of her once before and my subconscious is dredging it up.

It is not the worst memory to dredge up.

Anyways, I seem to be a stick in the mud this year. I couldn't get a ride for a party and I have not had the resources necessary for a costume. There is a candy exchange tomorrow, and I believe I may have some leftover wonka candy from a week ago that I don't like. I am tempted to scrounge around for a naval hat, a monocle, and a fake mustache and be a British naval professor. I rock cheesy British accents.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Zingoleb on 30 Oct 2011, 16:29: (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/We_Can_Do_It!.jpg/220px-We_Can_Do_It!.jpg)

Rosie the Riveter, for reference. Good job, actually.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: philharmonic on 30 Oct 2011, 19:18: I has a costume too. Slash. Bought the hat with conchos and wig hair attached and added a pair if mirrored aviator sunglasses. Wear some black jeans and a new t-shirt. Only thing missing is a decent Les Paul, oh wait ya....i got my white guitar hero controller that's shaped like a Les Paul.

(http://www3.telus.net/pcarless/slasher.jpg)
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: pwhodges on 31 Oct 2011, 03:49: So who knows the origin of celebrating Hallowe'en?

(click to show/hide)
It was the end of the year in an early Celtic calendar.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Barmymoo on 31 Oct 2011, 05:07: Samhain :)
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 31 Oct 2011, 12:57: Not really. The Christian excuses are all borrowed from older cultures., so they can be scratched off, even though that's where we get the modern name for the festival. They were just adopting something that already existed...
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Zingoleb on 31 Oct 2011, 16:17: Given that I'm surrounded by pagans and witches...I'm pretty sure I know. :laugh:

(I don't mean the type that are attracted to it in high school because SWEET WE GET TO BE WITCHES NOW, but the type that have been practicing it for the last, what, twenty years? It's really great - even if I don't necessarily agree with their beliefs and whatnot, I've always found pagan types the most easy to get along with)
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Jace on 31 Oct 2011, 19:32: Q: How do you someone is a Pagan?
A: They'll tell you when you drive past a church.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 31 Oct 2011, 22:01: I really wanted to do something for halloween in class, but all I had was an orange shirt and a vague idea.

Oh yeah, and some post-it notes.

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6301473642_60452f0b7b_z.jpg)

Only three of us professors "dressed up" today, and only a small handful of students. Overall, a real disapppointment.

But I got a lot of smiles in the hall, including one from the dean, so it's all good.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Zingoleb on 01 Nov 2011, 01:04: Quote from: Jace on 31 Oct 2011, 19:32
Q: How do you someone is a Pagan?
A: They'll tell you when you drive past a church.

This reminds me of one of my favourite jokes.

Q: How do you know if there's a straight-edge vegan in the room?
A: Don't worry, they'll tell you.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: ummmkay on 01 Nov 2011, 04:58: i didn't do anything on the actual day of halloween because i had to work, but my boyfriend made me watch the original halloween with him last weekend and it was horrible :( i liked my life better when i didn't know who michael myers was
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 01 Nov 2011, 05:56: Knowledge is power, but ignorance is bliss.

It's a delicate line to walk...
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: dr. nervioso on 02 Nov 2011, 17:49: It is really weird to see pics of all you forum people in real life. Especially Carl-E cause he looks like my Zoology teacher, but not as awesome since he has n monocle and cane. Also, as far as I am aware he does not say goober.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Lines on 04 Nov 2011, 12:11: Carl-E, great job with the pumpkins and decorations! This is one of the few holidays that I like when people go all out with the decorations.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Carl-E on 04 Nov 2011, 12:19: Thanks! You should see the place at Christmastime...
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Dollface on 05 Nov 2011, 02:36: (http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6212/6292051205_65f3b15d0e_m.jpg)

behold knife pumking long lost cousin knife apple.

(http://www.profilebrand.com/funny-pictures/category/food/223_knife-apple.jpg)
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: ZJGent on 05 Nov 2011, 04:51: As a bit of backstory to this image, it feels necessary to introduce those of you as yet unaware of it to a television series known as Downton Abbey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downton_Abbey), which has come to be somewhat of a sunday-night-in viewing pleasure for my group of friends. In tribute to our favourite and easily the most malevolent character on the show, the lady's maid O'Brien, we carved the pumpkin below left. It took ages, and was repaired with toothpicks more than once, but was most certainly worth it.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/zeejay_djinn/halloween3-2.jpg)

And if you like your period dramas, and even if you just like good telly programmes, I can't recommend Downton enough. It's brilliant.
Title: Re: Halloween!
Post by: Skewbrow on 05 Nov 2011, 15:27: Halloween is not a very big deal here. My Halloween tradition is limited to lighting up candles at grandparents' graves. Kids go trick-or-treating (those who do) on the Sunday one week before Easter. It is usually (but not always) warmer then.