I’m wondering if Halloween is turning into a sexually demonstrative holiday…

Have you seen some of the Halloween costumes, both for kids and adults, that are popping up on the web looking for buyers to turn on? I’m finding them amazing…what was always, to me, a kids’ holiday with a spooky, witches and ghosts attitude seems to be changing radically.

The first costume I saw that made me look for more was this kid’s costume:

The idea that mothers are going to let their young ‘uns out as contraceptive packages surprised the hell out of me… not that I didn’t think it was hilarious.

Then again, there are adult costumes that are making me wonder what folks are looking to communicate.
Perhaps there are too many things in our society that aren’t getting enough attention… or the conservative attack on a woman’s right to choose has results that appear unnatural.

I’m not about to think of Halloween as an obnoxious holiday… it never has been during my life.

It does seem that some folks are having lots of fun with this. I’m not sure if the penis here is for kids or adults. Whatever, it certainly seems happy.

Can you picture moms and dads in the costume shop with junior shopping for this year’s appearance. And then there are girl’s costumes, too. A used feminine napkin is something I would never have imagined as something to walk the neighborhood looking for candy as.

When you think of it, there are many similar things which could be turned into Halloween costumes and some designer somewhere is having an emotional roller coaster ride.

How we see members of the opposite sex is something that expresses an unusual opinion. Men are, perhaps, looking for ways to make a statement as to how he sees the woman in his life. A joke? An insult? A confused thought? Who can tell?

Then, of course, there are costumes looking for some kind of action. Does it make you wonder what occurs during the free mammogram? One can guess.

There is, however, a view of the man/woman relationship as a plug-in idea… and energy will probably be passed on. This is pretty neat, but still highly suggestive.

So… I hope at the end of the month you have an interesting and revealing Halloween.

 

Cartoon(s) of the Week – What do the Republican Candidates do to communicate their positions?

David Horsey in the L.A. Times:

So Biden kept his presence and Ryan kept up his lies…

- and -

Adam Zyglis in The Buffalo News:

It is clear Biden chewed him up…

Joe Heller in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

And, of course, the lowering of the jobless rate throws a scare into Republicans for Halloween…

Lee Judge in the Kansas City Star:

And more numbers are getting into the election confusion…

Mike Luckovich in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Do you wonder why Ryan wants to take away our government support and replace it with advertising?

- and -

Kevin Siers in the Charlotte Observer:

But we are left with a candidate who can be anything we want…but with no substance.

Former TV host and actor Gary Collins is dead at 74.

Television host and actor Gary Collins died early this morning in Biloxi, Mississippi, of natural causes at the age of 74, according to the local coroner’s office. Collins was admitted to the Biloxi Regional Medical Center less than 24 hours before he was pronounced dead at 12:56 a.m.

He starred in the 1970s TV series “The Sixth Sense” and appeared in other series including “JAG,” “Yes, Dear” and “The Young and the Restless,” as well as on “The New Hollywood Squares” game show. Collins had been a host of the Miss America pageant.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Mobley, a former Miss America from Brandon, Mississippi.

One new swing state poll is out…

I was looking around for more, but this was tyhe only one available:

Arizona: Obama 44%, Romney 42% (Rocky Mountain Poll)

Maybe more will be available later.

Busy weekend for me.

This is a busy weekend as Elly and her Sustainable Shepherdstown group are

The Goddess of House Cleaning

having a pot luck supper at our house and we have to do a lot of cleaning today and tomorrow morning. This morning I was up early and cleaned the first floor bathroom. After my radio show I’ve been assigned to the living room… much better than the kitchen!

Tonight we have a movie preceded by a dinner with an old friend of ours who is coming into town because she ha a daughter at Shepherd. So we have a weekend that is really filled up and I’m still getting over my recent health problems which I’m likely to be doing for the next couple of months. Ain’t life great.

 

 

Saturday Morning and I’m getting ready for the 11 o’clock show…

Our regular schedule at WSHC (89.7 FM) is back this week, so my show, Talk To Me, is on from 11 AM to 1 PM and I’ll be taking calls from listeners at 304.876.5369. Remember, if you are not in our listening area (which unfortuneately ony covers about 50 miles around Shepherdstown, WV) you can listen live on the web site: http://897wshc.org.

As usual, I am putting together the list of songs I’d like to play on the show, but I expect my regular callers and more will call in with hard to find requests (which I usually pull out of the air) and their music, as usual, outplays mine. It’s really worth listening to if you have a desire to hear work from the 40s, 50s or 60s. Those are the years most of the requests fall into.

I also expect Ralph Petrie to show up around noon for one of my favorite parts of the show, The Petrie Dish. Ralph brings in his historic music list which really educates all of us on the history of rock ‘n roll.

I love the Saturday show and I hope you might as well.

 

The VP Debate may have changed things around a little… I think Biden really pulled it off.

I’ve heard critiques this morning that Vice President Joe Biden was all smirks, smiles, laughs, sharp elbows and impolite interruptions in his debate with Paul Ryan. It is always a risky tactic to let Joe be Joe, but it seems to have paid off.

After President Obama’s passive, lackluster response to Mitt Romney’s energetic assault during the first presidential debate, it was a relief that Biden came out swinging at Ryan. They got what they wanted and, as a result, Democrats should be reinvigorated as the closing days of the 2012 campaign tick away. I know I am.

And Biden made sure voters got to see Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” line put into action against the Republican presidential campaign. It was a fantasy moment for Democrats and Obama supporters, who thought the 47% quote from Romney was their major attack point.

CBS’s poll of undecided voters had Biden with a clear win, 50-31. Now we’ll see over the next few days how the VP debate effects overall polling for the presidential candidates.

 

I’m getting more depressed with the latest swing state polls…

It looks like Romney is gaining an advantage… we’ll be seeing in a couple of days what last night’s VP debate does to the calculations, but meanwhile we are here:

Colorado: Romney 48%, Obama 47% (Denver Post)

Florida: Romney 49%, Obama 46% (American Research Group)

Florida: Romney 51%, Obama 47% (Rasmussen)

Michigan: Obama 52%, Romney 45% (Rasmussen)

New Hampshire: Romney 50%, Obama 46% (American Research Group)

Virginia: Romney 49%, Obama 47% (Rasmussen)

No, they aren’t the only polls and we’ll be seeing more later. And lets remember from the Seymour Chwast cartoon above, Romney changes ground frequently.

I’VE GOT THE MORNING RADIO SHOW ALONE…

John is away this morning so I have to do the Winners & Losers show alone from 7:30 to 9 on WSHC (89.7 FM). To listen on line live from anywhere go to http://897wshc.org.

Elly, of course, is upset that she has to get up so early to take me into the station. John usually picks me up on his way in.

So right now I’m putting my music list together. I’ll be taking requests for music at 304-876-5369 if you want to hear yourself on the air.

 

I’m watching the VP Debate…

If you listen to Ryan, if we are going to deal with Iran‘s coming nuclear capacity (the capacity of which both the candidates disagree on) we are going to have to insert troops. This means a new war – probably in partnership with Israel.

Biden brings up the fact that Iran has been weakened during the Obama administration – primarily in cutting back their oil sales by 20% or so. They don’t yet have a completed delivery mode, either.

Ryan is also going after Russia as an enemy… especially if we go to war in the middle east. In his opinion, Russia is the leasing supporter of the Arab countries. Biden, of course, gets back to the fact that Russia is currently our ally.

I’m curious as to how many of the current questions of the Romney / Ryan campaign get answered. I hand it to Biden that he has already put up the 47% as an issue related to taxes. Ryan seems to ignore it.

This is going to be an entertaining night.

 

Thanks for your contribution, Joe Bratcher

My thanks to
Joe Bratcher for donating to Under The LobsterScope. Thanks, 
Joe .

Watch your e-mail, your Bill’s Victorian Ornaments  font is on the way!

- Bill

If you’d like to help us out at Under The LobsterScope (and we hope you will), go HERE.

Related articles

 

My great thanks to Sheila Vertino for contributing to the blog…

My thanks to
Sheila Vertino for donating to Under The LobsterScope. Thanks, 
Sheila .

Watch your e-mail, your Bill’s Victorian Ornaments  font is on the way!

- Bill

If you’d like to help us out at Under The LobsterScope (and we hope you will), go HERE.

 

Cynthia Huntington is a Finalist for a National Book Award

When the list of National Book Award nominees was revealed, I was pleased to see my old friend Cynthia Huntington nominated for her poetry book, Heavenly Bodies. Cynthia was a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown for two years while I was Director there in the 70s. I have kept an eye on her work for some time.

Heavenly Bodies, by Cynthia Huntington

Published by the Southern Illinois University Press, Heavenly Bodies has been described as a blistering collection of lyric poems, which give an intimate view of the sexual revolution and rebellion in a time before the rise of feminism. Heavenly Bodies is a testament to the duality of sex, the twin seductiveness and horror of drug addiction, and the social, political, and personal dramas of America in the 1960s.

Echoing throughout are some of the most famous—and infamous—voices of the times: Joan Baez and Charles Manson, Frank Zappa and Betty Friedan. Jinns and aliens beckon while cities burn and revolutionaries thunder for change.

Cynthia Huntington is the author of four books of poetry, including The Radiant (winner of the Levis Prize), The Fish-Wife, and We Have Gone to the Beach, as well as a prose memoir, The Salt House. A former New Hampshire State Poet Laureate, she is professor of English at Dartmouth College, where she serves as senior faculty in creative writing. She served as chair of the poetry jury for the Pulitzer Prizes for 2006.

I congratulate Cynthia sincerely for her current achievement and look forward to reading Heavenly Bodies (and perhaps pass it on to John Case for his Monday morning poetry program.)

Today’s Projections: Electoral Vote Estimates

Here are some of the leading projections of Electoral Votes:

OK… 24 days to go and Obama is still holding on to projected Electoral Votes.

Football Player and Film Star Alex Karras Dead at 77…

Former football great Alex Karras, died yesterday at age 77 after battling kidney failure, cancer and dementia. He was able to successfully transition from a career as a pro athelete to a successful career as an actor and Hollywood personality.

He appeared in a series of guest shots on such series as “Daniel Boone” and “Love, American Style,” but it was when his appearance as the lumbering bad guy Mongo in Mel Brooks‘ “Blazing Saddles” that his star really took off.

He capitalized on his engaging personality with a run as a panelist on “Match Game ’75,” which was memorable for his run-in with Transylvanian female wrestler Lola Kiss.

 

I REALLY need your help to continue the blog…

…and, of course, I have a free gift for donations of $5.00 or more…

…you get my popular picture font:“Bill’s Victorian Ornaments” These images created from traditional and period sources are very usable at any size in designs and publications. The font comes for Mac and PC, and I usually sell it for $29.95. It’s my way of saying “Thank You” to offer it to $5 or more donors. Believe me, October is becoming a low income month and I HAVE to get some contributions to keep going.

So many of you have been following this blog since 2004 that I feel we’ve built a huge web community.

I have enjoyed bringing you the Cartoon(s) of the Week, the Quotes, the Political and Arts News, the Blogrolls of the best sites in America and beyond… They are all a joy to put together. Often we get the breaking political stories before you see them anywhere else. And our wide open communication channels with readers can’t be beat. I offer your participation at all times and appreciate the hundreds of subscribers who sign up every year.

Without  YOUR help to keep it going, I’m in big trouble. I’m hoping you will make a small contribution, by PayPal or credit/debit card, in support of Under The LobsterScope. You’d be amazed at how much $5.00 can do to help me bring more and more to these pages. And it is probably the LOWEST annual subscription fee you will make to any publication… interactive or not. I often receive larger contributions and I certainly appreciate those.

Remember, for a contribution of $5.00 (or MORE) you will receive a copy of my Picture Font, Bill’s Victorian Ornaments and the knowledge that this blog will continue onward.

(I send you font versions for both Macs and PCs by email, and include a typeface keyboard directory.
See the Sample Below.)

I should note that even a donation of $1.00 gets my thanks and helps to keep this blog going. By clicking on the DONATE button below, you tell me that Under The LobsterScope makes a difference in your time on the web.

Thanks,

- Bill T.

The Opening of “The Book Of Mormon”

I wonder how much Mitt Romney has effected the success of The Book Of Mormon? I don’t think his identity as a Mormon has anything to do with it.

For a little entertainment though, let me give you, my readers, the opening of The Book Of Mormon at the 2012 Tony Awards on Broadway – Hope you enjoy it:

How in hell can we understand what Mittens stands for when he changes direction daily?

Like on the question of abortion and a woman’s right to choose:

It’s too bad this is funny, because it’s really very disturbing. To elect a man President we have to confirm our trust in what he believes in and what he says about those beliefs.

Romney leaves us confused. If you vote for him you get what you deserve.

 

OK… where is registration heading in swing states?

 

A Bloomberg analysis finds that Democrats hold the registration advantage over Republicans in four of six battleground states that will play a key role in the presidential election.

“Democrats have the edge over Republicans in Florida, Iowa, Nevada and North Carolina. In Colorado and New Hampshire, Republicans outnumber Democrats, according to the analysis of state data. Three other battlegrounds — Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin — don’t report registration statistics by party.”

 

Our daily view of state election stats:

Romney came up  enough to average out at a close race. There is still enough Obama lead in the majority of swing states. I’ll be curious to the stats after tomorrow night’s VP debate:

COLORADO (American Research Group): Romney 50, Obama 46

CONNECTICUT (Rasmussen): Obama 51, Romney 45, Others 1

INDIANA (McLaughlin and Associates for the Mourdock campaign–R): Romney 55, Obama 39

LOUISIANA (Magellan Research–R): Romney 59, Obama 36

MASSACHUSETTS (MassINC for WBUR): Obama 52, Romney 36, Others 2

MASSACHUSETTS (YouGov for Univ. of Massachusetts): Obama 55, Romney 34, Others 2 (LV); Obama 55, Romney 30, Others 3 (RV)

MINNESOTA (PPP): Obama 53, Romney 43

NEVADA (Rasmussen): Obama 47, Romney 47, Others 3

NEW HAMPSHIRE (Univ. of New Hampshire): Obama 47, Romney 41

NORTH CAROLINA (Gravis–R): Romney 50, Obama 41

OHIO (American Research Group): Romney 48, Obama 47, Others 1

OHIO (CNN/ORC): Obama 51, Romney 47 (LV); Obama 53, Romney 43 (RV)

OHIO (SurveyUSA–link updated): Obama 45, Romney 44, Others 3

When Romney questions Obama’s achievements, remember what the Congress did to most of his proposals.

 

No Congress has ever done to a President what the Republicans in the Senate and the House have. Given the House’s Republican majority and the Senate’s need for 60% of votes to avoid filibuster, the President has been a victim of politicians who put their party ahead of the needs of Americans.

Take a look:

 

And if you listen to Romney accuse Obama for not making enough happen, wonder why he is not aware of the stance taken by his fellow Republicans in elected office.

 

Todays update of swing state polls:

 

Latest Swing State Polls

Here are the latest polls from the battleground states, updated as needed:

Colorado: Obama 49%, Romney 48% (Rasmussen)

Iowa: Obama 49%, Romney 47% (Rasmussen)

Michigan: Obama 49%, Romney 46% (Foster McCollum)

Michigan: Obama 48%, Romney 45% (EPIC-MRA)

Pennsylvania: Obama 47%, Romney 45% (Susquehanna)

Obama is pulling out to the front again, even on the Rasmussen olls in Iowa and Colorado. Rasmussen, as you know, is a primarily Republican pollster.

 

Ex-Lax for Mitt

 

I’m passing this on from walthe310 at Bell Book Candle:

Mitt‘s lies are full of S—T.

That is a characterization of the content of his speeches, not of his person. To dramatize how Obama supporters view Mitt’s words, I propose that each of us mail a sample of Ex-Lax or equal to Mitt at this address:

Romney for President
P. O. Box 149756
Boston, Massachusetts 02114-9756

If you agree that this a good idea, please reblog this message so that as many people as possible see it.

What a good idea! The press is being informed about this and the more who participate, the more fun we will all have. At the same time, make a cash equivalent donation to Obama’s campaign at www.barackobama.com.

When you send Mitt his present, write “EX-LAX for Mitt” on the outside of the package so that even if they don’t open it at the Romney campaign they will know what it is.  :)

 

 

Obama starts coming back in the swing states…

Take a look at the current numbers:

Latest Swing State Polls

Here are the latest polls from the battleground states, updated as needed:

Colorado: Obama 49%, Romney 48% (Rasmussen)

Iowa: Obama 49%, Romney 47% (Rasmussen)

Michigan: Obama 49%, Romney 46% (Foster McCollum)

Michigan: Obama 48%, Romney 45% (EPIC-MRA)

Pennsylvania: Obama 47%, Romney 45% (Susquehanna)

Looks like Obama is retaking the lead he had yesterday. Even two of the Rasmussen polls, which are the most conservative of all the polling organizations, are putting Obama back into the lead.

 

Finding something to do to keep from going mad!

 

I’ve had a bad day today… physically tripped up by a small seizure while I was doing dishes and an afternoon of trying to stay awake. This is, unfortunately, what life has become… I can’t drive (by law…until I’ve gone a year without a seizure as certified by a doctor) and, since Elly works (which I can’t do outside of the house), I bounce off the walls and am bombarded by televised boredom. If it were not for my laptop and the internet I might as well be in a coma.

So I guess I’m going to start writing something outside of my blog. There is a joy in constructing ideas out of words which I am beginning to look forward to each morning. What I do with what I write is not apparent right now, but I expect it will be realized sooner or later.

I’m tending toward creating a radio drama that I might be able to add to my Saturday show at WSHC, or do with John on the Friday morning show. I’ve been researching radio scripts from the 30s and 40s and I find them fascinating. Some are funny, some are adventures, all of them are strongly character-based since there is little opportunity for scenery (other than sound effects) in radio work.

When I get something finished I’ll let you know.

 

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