Happy Halloween

Well, based on his comments from a few days ago, apparently my brother doesn't like it when I write about cancer in this blog that I started to inform and educate people about my cancer. But that's OK. I love him, so I'll give him what he wants.


And apparently, he wants posts about old TV shows. So, fine. Here's the special Halloween Spook-Tacular edition of Lympho Bob, beginning with TV-related Halloween links.


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Here are some clips from The Muppet Show when Alice Cooper was the guest host. Cooper plays a black magic/devil's messenger character, in line with his stage persona. Clearly from the 1970's, pre-Ronald Reagan, when jokes about devil worship and selling one's soul were not discouraged from childrens' television for some reason.


My brother was disturbed by this next show, but I loved Pee Wee's Playhouse. While PW did a Christmas special, there was no Halloween special. But there was a recurring trick-or-treat-like gag in which Pee Wee was annoyed by salesmen at his door, so that's close enough. But one of my favorite episodes was "Let's Play Office!", because I always imagined my brother's work life must be just like that (but with more yelling).

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World Series time shouldn't be scary, but sometimes it is, and not just because it's so close to Halloween.

First, there are scary version of the national anthem, performed poorly, as it was before game 1 in Tampa Bay. It was performed by 80% of the Backstreet Boys, with one of them smart enough to stay away. I love the BBs -- they're the official boy band of Lympho Bob, and not just because of those two Chinese guys lip synching "I Want it That Way." It's because I think of Amy whenever I hear them.


Also scary: this Phillies fan, going all Joe the Plumber on us. Having been to a Phillies game this season, I can say that when you make the Philly Phanatic mascot guy some close to puking, you have a problem.


Scary stuff.

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Here's a list that's worth some debate: The 10 Scariest Movies of All Time. I agree with a few, though some seem pretty obscure to me (not only didn't see them, but never heard of them). I'm not a huge fan of scary movies. But I have to agree with the #1 pick. I saw it featured on some other film show recently, and I turned the channel. I don't want to see any of it, even if it's just a key scene without all the buildup that makes it even scarier.

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This clip is irresistable: A scary Michael MacDonald (from the Doobie Brothers), a Thriller reference (see a post from earlier this year), and Halloween, all rolled into one. Awesome.

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Finally, a clip from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I'm sure my own brother sees me in both Charlie Brown, and the "blockheaded" Linus. But is it such a bad thing to think you have the most sincere pumpkin patch in all the world? I say No. It's almost Mr. Rogers-like in its simple beauty.

May you have no trouble with your scissors, and may you get no rocks in your Halloween bags tonight.