Everyday Is Halloween

Yes, it's finally here.

The great party weekend came & went. I didn't quite make it past Friday night/Saturday morning, but nobody's perfect. I can honestly say I put quite the dent in the keg in which I dranketh from.....all night long.
Quick impression of me Saturday. Hey, at least I left with my shoes on unlike some folks I happen to be acquainted with. Needless to say the encore presentation of my beloved costume did not happen. There are pictures floating about of the great costume of 2005, and I will desperately attempt to acquire a few to post here.
The great costume was .....
a hermaphrodite flasher. Think about it.....I'll give you some time.

I will admit that running around fairly inebriated with a prosthetic penis attached to my waist was good, clean fun. The question is how does one outdo oneself after that? It will happen, my friends. Keep the faith.

So I'm trying to get my shiznit together & head back into the classroom right? Now one would think peers, co-workers & so on would be supportive of this or at least have some words of encouragement. Mind you, finishing an undergraduate degree program when you're a real person that has to work & pay bills is hard enough. It's 10x as frustrating when the universities (public) in the metro area have nothing other than nursing & business programs to choose from. If you're going to pay out the @ss for a college degree, I assume one would want to choose a degree program to his/her liking. So I have been searching for a basic psychology program (B.S. - no, not bullsh!t) offered in the evenings.

Since I made the announcement that I wish to return to school & finish what I started say 10 years ago, the support has been a little dismal....primarily because of the degree program I selected (Psychology). Firstly, I have no desire to be a shrink/therapist/mindf*cker in any way, shape, or form. It will be used for self-therapy more than anything I suspect. Secondly, I do not wish to use this degree in any way to obtain a career within the field of psychology or counseling. Thirdly, I'm doing this for me and only me because this is one of the goals set by myself in which I have yet to complete. Why psychology, you ask? It's quite fascinating to me. It interests me. I will actually have a desire to attend class & pay attention rather than slice my wrists. If any of you have had the misfortune of taking an economics class, then you understand. Hell, I might even be inclined to take on the master's program, but let's not go crazy just yet. Go crazy...get it? So a little support would be stellar. I'm at my last alternative, which is a private university....and unfortunately these are pricey places to attend.

Al's Ever-Changing College Career
Music Merchandising (applied to SIUE circa 1994 - never made it)
Music (gen. ed. reqs. towards B.A. @ LLC circa 1994-1995)
Computer Programming or something another (LLC circa 1996-1997)
General Ed. (Assoc. in Arts - Parkland College circa 1998....great school/great administration)
Computers (forgot the program title - Associate in Science - BAC/SWIC circa 2002 I think)
Music Merchandising (again...but shut down due to no evening availability...SIUE admin. sucks)
Business Admin. (forced into program due to lack of evening program avail....see above)
Psychology (TBD)

I've managed to acquire two Associate degrees & a buttload of credits over this 10+ year span. Perhaps I can sell them to needy students on the black market. But enough about me. That is my rant for the day.

I was recently informed that my dear, sweet mother has been following this particular blog, which was albeit shocking at first. However, it's all good, Hollywood. So...


On the flip-flop, yo.....

The Witching Hour

......3:15AM.

Not really. It's stolen from The Amityville Horror in which case it would be say the hour of the damned rather than the witching hour.

Speaking of evil & those pesky spirits that possess, the RFT (Riverfront Times) has a huge article about the actual house The Exorcist is based upon. All the pea soup puking sacrilege hoopla didn't go down in Georgetown as depicted in the film. It happened right here in the Lou. Apparently, the real estate agent attempting to sell the property doesn't appreciate the media attention. I wouldn't know why.
Check out the full story at Good Christian Home Needs Occupants.

Well, the White Sox kicked the poo out of the Astros in appropriate fashion. The Sox swept the Astros last night & were crown World Series Champions. The sweep was much appreciated by Cardinal fans despite the fact that the Cardinals were swept during last year's World Series. Baseball's over....moving on.

VH1 is airing yet another ten episode series of I Love the 80's. This round is dubbed I Love the 80's 3-D and has already revived a barrage of well repressed memories & have only viewed '80-'85. Here are some the wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) memories recently salvaged compliments of VH1.

"We're Coming to America" & Neil Diamond as The Jazz Singer (It pained me then.)
My Bodyguard (One of my all-time favorite movies)
Fashion Plates
"I'm A Pepper" jingle
You Can't Do That On Television (I would give a boob for a DVD set of the entire series)
Circus of Stars
The Great Tylenol Tampering Scare
The 25,000 Pyramid
The Legend of Bille Jean (another one of my favorites)
The Pepsi Challenge
TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes
My Buddy & Kid Sister
The Horrific Joe Theisman Injury (which they show over & over & over....Gross!)

Check out for showtimes.

The Halloween party weekend kicks off tomorrow. I will make my 1st appearance in full costume tomorrow evening & an encore Saturday evening. One keg of beer chilling peacefully in the trunk of my car so all is well on my end.

Until next time...

Sunday Night Insanity

How the halibut is everyone out there? My weekend is creeping to a halt on this fine Sunday evening. Watching Emeril do a little cooking. Emeril has done wonders educating me about the science of cooking. Not to mention the humor I find in his animation. OOH Aqua Teen Hunger Force.....#1 in the hood, G.

Moving on...

Did I mention in my last blurb that I was going to the Illinois/Penn State game on Saturday. I lied. I will never under any circumstance admit that I attended that game. I will happily admit that I attended the Illinois/Michigan State hockey game, which certainly made the drive worthwhile. They embarrassed the Spartans on Saturday with a final score of 8-2. They also slapped MSU around the prior evening with a score of 8-0. Illini hockey is not affiliated with the NCAA as they are associated with the ACHA. They were crowned ACHA Champions in 2005 and are currently ranked #1 with an unbeaten record of 8-0. I used to be a regular at Illini hockey games when I resided in the Champaign area so this was my 1st trip back. Folks, these guys are good so I highly recommend checking them out if the opportunity should arise. For more info. on Illini Hockey, click below.


So the Sox are up 2-0 in the World Series. They travel to Houston to see if they can't wrap this party up in four games. I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing the Astros suffer just a little. Next topic of discussion.

I know everyone is dying to know what I have cooked up for Helloween. I can confirm that the costume is nearing completion. The key parts, shall we say, have been carefully crafted and prepared for the festivities. However, I will keep you, my loyal readers....all two or three of you, in suspense for now.


Yes....I know.

As a teaser, I've listed some highlights of my history of Helloween costumes below. Some won awards, some got me laid, and a few got enough attention to last a lifetime. These are chronological for the most part.

Vampire - original no, but isn't everyone a vampire at least once in their life? At least I wasn't a ghost.
Life-Size Gizmo - well, grade school kid-sized anyway (hand crafted by my dear mother)
Darth Vader - one of my favorites as it was bad @ss & also hand crafted by my mums)
Jason - again not that original, but it was cool once.
Axl Rose circa 1991-1993 - included catcher's chest protector & one roll of tube socks stuffed down my shorts
Super Condom - I not only promoted safe sex with my costume, but I handed out condoms throughout the bar. Some were also inflated & spanked across the dance floor. Condomania.
The 7ft. Lovable, Squeezable Penis - by far my all-time most outrageous costume to date. I was stroked endlessly all night.
Life-Size Bloody Tampon - Gross but funny as hell apart from the fake blood that I managed to get everywhere.

That brings us up-to-date. Soon another will be added to the hall of Helloween.

Well, it is no longer Sunday evening so I believe sleep is in order. I have been slacking miserably with music news, concert updates, & all other associated shite so tune in next time for an onslaught of all things music. Also more Helloween madness & who knows what else?

Until then....

Helloween

It's that time again, my beloved creatures of the night.

Ten more days 'til ....Silver Shamrocks.

Halloween....you either love it or hate it. Jello & Al once spoke (or sang I should say) about the fabrication of acceptance among society on this particular day. In other words, we (society) allow ourselves to dress up on Halloween in roles or characters that would normally be deemed 'weird' any other day of the year. However if you are who you are the other 364 days of the year, then you are excluded from the majority. I personally just take my weird, freakish qualities a step (or ten) further. Outdoing myself each year is becoming a challenge. Moving on...

There are unlimited activities to do in the area throughout the season. Pseudo-haunted houses, mansions, and other ridiculous events are a waste of money & time. If haunted houses & spooks are what you're after, then I highly recommend taking one of the haunted tours in beautiful Alton, Illinois. Alton is a hotbed for paranormal activities and has it's share of alleged spirits, ghosts, & lost souls.
Check out Haunted Alton for more information.

MOVIES!
If you're a smidge bit on the dark side of the force, then there must be at least one appealing horror flick you love to watch during this time of year. There are countless thriller/suspense/horror flicks worth checking out whether you're in it for the gore, carnage, or scare factor. Here are some of my favorites. Light some candles, dim the lights, & turn up the surround sound for proper ambiance. Grab someone hot to pounce as well for those scary segments.

The Exorcist (Director's Cut)
The Ring
Halloween
Halloween II
Carrie
Rocky Horror Picture Show (...don't dream it be it!)
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
The Silence of the Lambs
The Amityville Horror
Creepshow
Rosemary's Baby
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
The Shining
Seven
Rear Window
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Cujo
Duel
Edward Scissorhands
Final Destination
Final Destination 2
From Hell
Jeepers Creepers
Lost Highway
It
Maximum Overdrive (...for the cheese lover in me)
Scream
Blair Witch Project (I liked it, f*ck you very much)

Check back soon for a complete description on Al's Halloween costume creation of 2005. I am off to watch Illinois take on Penn State at home. It will be cold out there as it is a night game. Think of me as I'm freezing my @ss off. Cheers!

Back In Black

Well, well, what the hell? I'm not dead just yet so those of you eyeballing my possessions & life insurance policy can bugger off.

So here I am deep in the thicket of a sportophile's wet dream. Once baseball & football come to an end, I may have to check myself into some sort of rehab as I suspect I will suffer from some strange form of athletic withdrawal. Here's the skinny.

Football, a.k.a. NFL & NCAA, are well underway. The 1st season of the Ron Zook era in Illinois has been a disappointment thus far. Granted the Big 10 is one of the top Division I conferences in NCAA football, and players need time to adjust to a new coach & football program. However, their overall performance on the field was a disappointment after a 2-0 start and a well played game against #15 Cal - at the time. Illinois football will close out the season with two home games featuring Penn State & Wisconsin, and the final game at Northwestern. They will play OSU & Purdue on the road prior to the game @ Northwestern. There have certainly been some great games in college football throughout the 2005 season. Last weekend featured #1 USC vs. the Fighting Irish, who have had a stellar season. Joe Paterno is also having a great season at Penn State. They were able to upset OSU but took a heartbreaking loss to Michigan last weekend. As for Illinois, well....there's always next year.

This NFL season I opted to hop aboard the fantasy bandwagon. I probably haven't enjoyed an NFL season as much as I have this season due to the interaction via fantasy teams. Surprisingly enough, my teams aren't doing that bad. It's a learn on the go experience but certainly an enjoyable one. All I can say is that if you were one of the fortunate ones to draft LT.... you f*cking suck! Only kidding. Go Falcons!


Is that Illinois basketball I smell? It's about that time. The annual Paint the Hall Orange Men & Women's B-Ball season kick-off scrimmage was held last Saturday night at the Assembly Hall in beautiful Champaign, Illinois. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet some of the players including Dee Brown, James Augustine AND Coach Bruce Weber prior to kickoff at the MSU/Illinois football game. I was dumbfounded for the rest of the day, my friends. At any rate, expect positive results from this group of exceptional athletes. After last year's phenomenal season, these boys know how high the bar has been set. They have alot of talent on the floor and on the backburner for seasons to come. The men's season kicks off the 1st week of November so stay tuned!

That's right, folks! Hockey is back. Despite the bullsh!t & salary politics, it's good to have hockey back. Unfortunately, the Blues are off to a ragged start, but it's a long season with plenty of time for improvement & trades. There are also some rule enhancements. At last, the two-line pass is back. Goalies are a bit more restricted when handling the puck in their own zone, and the actual dimensions of their equipment have also been altered making pads & gloves slightly smaller. The league decided to tighten up on obstruction in effort to produce more offensive hockey vs. your standard grinding it out for the puck. This has generated an early spike in obstruction penalties but may balance out as players get adjusted to new standards & league expectations. Who knows which teams will excel as the season goes on?

Last, but not least. Did anyone happen to catch Game 5 of the NCLS last night? If you didn't, you missed a remarkable comeback by the Cardinals in the 9th inning. It looked rather dismal after Berkman's three-run homer in the 7th putting the Astros ahead 4-2.
Two outs in the 9th with runners on 1st & 3rd. Up comes Phat Albert, & POW! Cards hold off the Astros 5-4. Cardinals bring it back home to face Houston & avoid elimination in Game 6 tomorrow night at 7:30pm CST. The good news is that the last two games of this series will be played at home. The Cardinals must win both to advance. The winner of the NCLS will go on to face the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. Get crazy...go nuts.