Scott Grizzard – Personal Website

You can file this one under the “I am Really Procrastinating” category, but it is Halloween again, and time for party hosts to dig through the mp3 collections to find two hours of “freaky” music to fill the playlist.

The Less Well Known

“Monster Mash”, “Thriller”, and any cover done by Marilyn Manson of course top the list, but here are some, “lesser knowns” that are still very appropriate to round out your two hours:

1. “Dear Clarice” from the Hannibal soundtrack: The entire soundtrack is great for a more “sophisticated” party feel, but this track, with Anthony Hopkin’s voice-over, is downright chilling. “Ta-ta… -H”.
2. “Vampires, Mummies, and the Holy Ghost” by Jimmy Buffett: A very funny, and strangely perfect song for parties, especially in warmer-weather states. “No aliens, psychopaths, or MTV hosts scare me like Vampires, Mummies, and the Holy Ghost.”
3. “The Simpsons Halloween Special End Credits Theme” from the album Songs in the Key of Springfield: Most people hear the Addams Family theme over and over again during Halloween, so here is a little twist. Just so you know, the James Earl Jones reading of Poe’s “The Raven” on the Simpsons ruined that poem forever for me, so please do not put it on there.
4. “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles: Why is this not on everyone’s list?
5. “Pain [Slayer Mix]” and “Strong” from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer album: Rasputina’s “Transylvanian Concubine” makes the iTunes cut, but I think these two deserve an honorable mention.
6. “Paint it Black” and “Sympathy for the Devil” from Symphonic: The London Symphony Orchestra plays the Rolling Stones: Everyone knows the words; the originals will be played; play the twist.
7. “We Only Come Out at Night” by the Smashing Pumpkins: It should be obvious, but it is one that does not make it on many playlists.

My Top Ten Halloween Songs

Of course, the above songs do not top the list, but are the ones people forget or do not know about. Here is my top ten, just in case you care:

1. “Warewolves of London” – Warren Zevon
2. “Tocacata and Fugue in D Minor” – Back
3. “Monster Mash” – Bobby “Boris” Pickett
4. “I Put a Spell on You” – Marilyn Manson version and Nina Simone version
5. “Love Potion No. 9″ – Joey Gaynor
6. “Transylvanian Concubine” – Rasputina
7. “Thriller” – Michael Jackson
8. “Witchy Woman” – Eagles
9. “Vampires, Mummies, and the Holy Ghost” – Jimmy Buffett
10. “Bad Moon Rising” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

In case I am missing anything good, please comment.

File this one in the totally random thought category, but I pulled this gem out of my journal over the weekend:

Truman once said he wanted a one-arm economist, “so he couldn’t say ‘on the other hand’.” I have an MA in economics, so I should hedge, but on the other hand, I only have an MA, so I should “half-hedge” (that “hedging my hedging” bit should earn me a PhD on its own). I am also an Episcopalian, which means that on the one hand, I am Anglican and hedging is that most Anglican of instincts, but on the other hand, the Episcopal Church will take up some principles as long as they aren’t in the Bible, so I’ll half hedge from that.

On the other hand (and if the Hindus are right, I will be coming back as an octopus: eight hands and no backbone), I’m not going to hedge as much as present some “gradient alternatives”, especially when I talk about policy. I’ll call this the “better sex-education” argument – you should be abstinent until marriage, but if your aren’t going to be, condoms are better than birth control pills, which are in turn better than nothing. Since we could replace the public school system with a million better alternatives, and still be screwed by the system, I think this is the perfect analogy.