The Twilight Zone TV theme leads off my Monster Mash-Up Halloween mix because it’s long been my favorite spooky television series; I was imitating Rod Serling’s deadpan delivery of “there’s a signpost up ahead, the next stop…The Twilight Zone” since I was a kid.

Monster Mash is the all-time favorite by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, who’s been twisting to this record since the sixties.

People Are Strange - The Doors sound is perfect for a Halloween soundtrack. Jim Morrison always sounded so haunted anyway, but it’s the chemistry of John Densmore’s rhythmic drumming, the organ and bass lines of Ray Manzarek, and Robby Krieger’s innovative guitar style, that really created such a mysterious atmosphere in all of their songs.

Cream whips up a Strange Brew, with those big bad Bruce bass lines stretched out over Baker’s huge drum sound and Clapton’s stinging guitar.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida…the 17 minute opus, is my personal classic rock favorite because of the extended drum solo. I used the radio edit in my mix CD since the long version would have taken up too much space and eliminated other worthy songs from this compilation. In any case, Iron Butterfly set the standard for heavy metal bands in the late sixties, IMHO.

Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - Blue Oyster Cult generates that awesome full power sound of a Gibson Les Paul thru a stack of Marshalls, and that Hammond B3 organ piped through a leslie speaker that gave this band a certain mystique.

Life During Wartime - I heard this tune on the radio recently and I’ve always been a fan of the Talking Heads anyway. David Byrne’s eerie vocals and the driving rhythm of Chris Frantz on drums and Tina Weymouth on bass make this song a favorite of mine.

Frankenstein is one of Edgar Winter’s coolest tunes, itself a construction project more than a song, because of several parts that are strung together by the overdubbed drum solo. Taken as a whole, the song works beautifully.

Strange Days - The Doors outdo themselves by casting their musical spell of strangeness to produce a hypnotic theme in this song.

Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon was a masterful storyteller, weaving the tale of werewolves running amok in the heart of London. Zevon’s songwriting leaves quite a legacy behind; as the music world suffered his loss in 2003. A new tribute album was just released called Enjoy Every Sandwich, featuring some of his closest friends…Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, David Lindley & Ry Cooder.

The Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show is a natural for Halloween; I recall masked strangers throwing toast at the screen during my first midnight movie experience of this classic film. This was the soundtrack that made Meatloaf famous.

In fact, Bat Out Of Hell III is being released today. Featuring guest artists Brian May and Steve Vai, Meatloaf unleashes the final album in his Bat Out Of Hell trilogy. Produced by Desmond Child, with additional vocal arrangements by Todd Rundgren, who produced the first BOOH album.

Meatloaf performs his first duet with Marion Raven on the video for “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” QuickTime : WinMedia

Alice Cooper follows with Feed My Frankenstein. I remember seeing the Alice Cooper band on their Welcome To My Nightmare tour at San Antonio’s Municipal Auditorium…he instantly became a favorite; his stage show was as much theatrical as musical, being a pioneer in the shock rock stage arena at that time.

Season of the Witch is another natural, not only by the title, but by the way Vanilla Fudge paint such a picture in sound as they tell this timeless story. I like the other verson by Donovan too, but I only had this copy by the Fudge, one of my favorite early heavy metal bands of the late sixties.

The Addams Family TV theme is a classic everyone remembers, this series was one of my favorite afternoon television shows as a kid, and still is. I just love the characters. A close second was The Munsters with Fred Gynne. Both of these TV classics are available on DVD now too.

Stevie Ray Vaughan presents the Slight Return of Voodoo Chile…I always thought SRV was channeling Hendrix anyway, so this song is proof positive that he was plugged into a different cosmic wavelength that the rest of us were.

Santana calls out to Singing Winds, Crying Beasts, which segues nicely into Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen. Carlos and his fierce guitar rips open their Abraxas album with this concept trio of tunes. The high impact percussion of Santana’s early hits just blew me away.

Jimi Hendrix provides the sonic fireworks to a big finish with Fire, on this year’s Monster Mash-Ups. The song has a killer bass line coupled with a staccoto snare and back beat that ranks it as one of my favorite Hendrix tracks.

And that concludes my first Monster Mash-Up mix of favorite Halloween Hits.

Please don’t let friends drive drunk…elect a desecrated driver for the evening, and have yourself a happy and safe Halloween!

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I saw these pictures in an email that was circulating around the web, and it really caught my attention. I’m always amazed at how creative people can be, especially when it comes to man’s best friend. And then there’s always a twist!

Ahh, that wonderful time in North Texas…October. It’s autumn, and that means Halloween and the State Fair of Texas! Of course, the fair isn’t complete without the food, and this year, the menu is terrific!

The Big Tex Choices this year are:

Fried Praline Perfection - Contest Finalist – Guaranteed to melt in your mouth. Plump coconut and pecan pralines, battered and fried to a rich golden crust. Served warm with powdered sugar. (Shirley London & Sons – Midway near Texas Star)

Fried Coke - Contest Finalist – Smooth spheres of Coca-Cola-flavored batter are deep fried, drizzled with pure Coke fountain syrup, topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry. Served in souvenir contoured glasses. (Vandalay Industries – Nimitz Dr. and Midway)

Fernie’s Fried Mac ‘n Cheese - Contest Finalist – Texas-sized bites of macaroni & cheese, covered with a layer of garlic & herb-flavored bread crumbs, are deep fried until crispy outside and hot & cheesy inside. Served on a stick with a side of dipping sauces. (The Dock – Embarcadero Building)

Fernie’s Fried Choco-rito - Contest Finalist – A flour tortilla – stuffed with marshmallows, coconut, candy bar pieces, caramel morsels and cinnamon – is dipped in pancake batter and deep fried to a crispy, crunchy outside and sweet, gooey inside. Drizzled with honey and topped with whipped cream. (The Dock – Embarcadero Building )

Donkey Tails - Contest Finalist – Large all-beef franks, slit on one side and generously stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese, are wrapped tightly in a large flour tortilla and fried until golden brown. Served with mustard, chili, or Ruth’s salsa. (Ruth’s Tamale House – Cotton Bowl Plaza & Nimitz Dr .)

Deep Fried Cosmopolitan - Contest Finalist – A delicious fried pastry is filled with rich cheesecake and topped with a sweet & tangy cranberry glaze and a lime wedge. Served on a stick. (Desperados – Nimitz Dr .)

Beef & Beans Fire Bowl – A fired-up, one-dish meal made from ground beef, spicy beans, corn, crushed red peppers and Hotter N Hell seasoning covered with a baked-on jalapeno cornbread top. Not for the weak-hearted. (Going Bananas - Coca Cola Food Court )

Cajun Shrimp On A Stick – Spicy shrimp in a custom Cajun batter, fried and served with a choice of dipping sauce. (Gigi’s Food - Coca Cola Food Court )

Candy Apple Turnover – A flaky turnover, filled with apples, crushed red candy and brown sugar, is deep fried and topped with powdered sugar. (Granny’s Funnel Cakes - Gateway Plaza )

Chocolate Covered Strawberries On-a-Stick – Fresh strawberries are skewered on a stick and dipped in deliciously warmed chocolate. (Family Fun Foods Candy Apple Stands – Nimitz Dr. & Centennial Bldg. and B.W.’s Fried Ribs – Coca Cola Food Court)

Cinnamon Praline Bananas Foster — Caramelized banana rum sauce poured over Blue Bell Cinnamon ice cream, covered with whipped cream and topped off with a rich pecan praline sauce. (Going Bananas – Coca Cola Food Court)

Down Home Banana Pudding Cheesecake – Created for people who like the rich flavor of homemade pudding or the elegance of cheesecake, the ingredients include bananas, pecans, cream cheese, brown sugar, coffee liqueur in a vanilla wafer crust. Served on a small plate. (Going Bananas – Coca Cola Food Court )

Fernie’s Fried Chicken n’ Waffle – A toasted 7-inch round waffle, brushed with melted butter and topped with three extra-crunchy honey-battered chicken breast tenders. Served with syrup or white cream gravy. Sweet and salty. (The Dock – Embarcadero Building)

Fried Avocadoes – Hand-battered chunks of scrumptious avocado are breaded and fried to perfection. Choice of dipping sauces. A culinary hit in California . (Weiss Enterprises - Thrillway)

Fried Baked Potatoes – French fries right out of the fryer are topped with a choice of queso cheese sauce, bacon bits, chives or butter. (Benz Food – Cotton Bowl Plaza )

Fried Cinnamon Crispas – Hand-cut strips of flour tortillas are crispy fried and dusted with cinnamon sugar. (Weiss Enterprises - Thrillway)

Fried Pancake Sundae – Tasty country sausage bites wrapped in a light pancake batter, deep fried to perfection , topped with whipped cream, lightly glazed with hot fudge sauce and finished with a cherry on top. Pineapple and strawberry glaze options available. (Smokey John’s BBQ – Cotton Bowl Plaza & Midway)

Hast Texas BBQ Nachos – Fair-famous Hast Texas Nachos are topped with BBQ beef and covered with a special-recipe sauce. (Hast Texas Nachos - Tower Building )

Melon Monroe – Honey dew melon sauce ladled over chocolate chip ice cream, topped with whipped cream then garnished with two fried-dough, shaped “legs” filled with a special caramel sauce. Served fresh out of the fryer. “Some like it hot !” (Midway - across from Lost Children)

S’mores – A new twist on a campfire favorite. Two graham crackers are pressed together with a marshmallow crème filling, skewered on a stick and dipped in delicious chocolate. (Family Fun Foods – Candy Apple Stands - Nimitz Dr. and Centennial Bldg.)

Texas Cajun Steak On-a-Stick – Tender morsels of steak coated in a spicy Cajun batter, fried golden brown and served on a stick with red or white dipping sauce. (Gigi’s Foods – Coca Cola Food Court )

Texas Waffle – An extra large waffle is freshly cooked and topped with whipped cream and a choice of chocolate, strawberry or pineapple sauce. (B.W.’s BBQ – Coca Cola Food Court )

Texas Trash – In response to fairgoers’ requests, this to-go sack of less-than-whole Hast Texas Nacho chips is served up in a white doughnut-style bag. (Hast Texas Nachos – Coca Cola Food Court )

Wedgee’s – Frozen chocolate-covered Wisconsin cheesecake-on-a-stick offered in Turtle (caramel) and Key Lime flavors. (Weiss Enterprises – All Lemon Chill Carts)

And there’s so much more, like the car and truck show, where you can see all the 2007 models; eight music stages with concerts from Jerry Jeff Walker, Jars of Clay, Lisa Loeb, Cold Blue Steel, The Mother Truckers, Beatlegras, The Bat Mastersons, and many others; creative arts, exhibits and the hot jalapeno eating contest.

The State Fair of Texas runs through Oct. 22nd at the Dallas Fairgrounds.

Now here’s an idea whose time has come. Cell phone security for us hard working folks shelling out the big bucks every month for our mobile phones.

Synchronica’s mobile phone management software Mobile Manager can remotely lock and wipe data from mobile phones as soon as their owners report the loss. If the phone has been stolen, companies can also turn on the Synchronica Scream Feature, causing an annoying and embarrassing high pitched wail to be emitted from the stolen device.

“According to industry sources, it takes on average only 30 seconds for someone to notice that their phone is missing, compared to an hour for a wallet or purse”, said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica. “Using our service, crime victims can be reassured that their information is immediately removed from the stolen phone, along with the satisfaction of annoying the thief with a screaming handset.”
Source: www.synchronica.com

Google videos has some really great stuff…

John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell in the Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus

“Here Comes The Sun/Homeward Bound” George Harrison & Paul Simon

John Lennon and Bob Dylan “rapping” in the back of a car

CyberSearch using Google’s new Video Bar!

Up to 8 videos are available from the handy new VideoBar powered by Google.

Search results display up to 8 videos in the sidebar!

Each video opens in a main player window inside your search page.

Google software engineers blogged about it; now you can try it on our CyberSearch Stage.