Althouse: "I'm still standing — no muscles, no tendons

October 30, 2026

"I'm still standing — no muscles, no tendons — nobody know how I do it."

15 comments:

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Wandering through the seasonal Halloween store we were amazed at the huge variety of cool animatronics and talking yard decorations. It’s become our most decorative holiday.; 10/30/26, 6:54 AM
Saint Croix said...: That's a funny Trump skeleton. The kids will love it. Some of the parents might freak. Toilet paper in the yard. Escalation. "How dare you politicize Halloween!"; 10/30/26, 7:33 AM
Saint Croix said...: Halloween has to be the least Christian holiday on the Christian calendar. Why do we have to give Satan a day? Seriously.

I think the answer is we are mocking and belittling Satan, and witches, and mummies, and death. We are mocking our fears and having fun. The mocking and belittling of Satan is probably good for us. So I guess that's why Christians invented it -- to mock Satan.; 10/30/26, 7:39 AM
Temujin said...: I have a neighbor this would drive into a frenzy. I should find it and buy it. Then film her. She's a show all by her insane self.; 10/30/26, 7:39 AM
Saint Croix said...: Charles Schulz had a lot of fun with Linus creating a whole theology in the pumpkin patch. And he talks Lucy into hanging out with him. Skip all that candy stuff. This is the real deal! And the Great Pumpkin disappoints.; 10/30/26, 7:39 AM
rcommal said...: This whole, over-the-top, halloween-for-adults thing still mystifies me. It really wasn't a Boomer thing, and I am a late Boomer (1961). There were signs earlier, but it really took off in the 1990s and then grew, so it was a bit of Gen X in their 30s-ish (nostalgia? theatre?) and Millennials (deciding not to give up a former childhood event). Apparently, retail statistics over time bears this out.

I mean, I always enjoyed handing out candy to kids when they came by the house, but wanting to celebrate it myself? I stopped wanting to do that around age 11, which was pretty typical back in the day.

Over the decades, I've seen a lot more over-the-top Halloween decorating etc. than Christmas, in a couple of states in which I've lived.

Yeah, I don't get it. But it's interesting. What led to this?; 10/30/26, 7:54 AM
Peachy+2 said...: that link gives me nothing but a sign up sheet and asks me for my birthdate.; 10/30/26, 8:17 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Hilarious. Trump is only funny, he inspires wit in others.; 10/30/26, 8:30 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Halloween used to be for kids - even in the 70s. And then the boomers turned it into this weird pagan holiday. Like so many other things, the boomers never moved on to grown up things but tried to remain 16 forever.; 10/30/26, 8:32 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: I dont see anything wrong with silly witches and talking skeletons. Its not like "The Holiday" which cant even be named.; 10/30/26, 8:33 AM
Ice Nine said...: >"Saint Croix said...
Halloween has to be the least Christian holiday on the Christian calendar. Why do we have to give Satan a day?"<

Halloween is a day given to Satan? Who knew? Well, no one knew.
I mean, who is giving the day, and by what act?

In Western Christian traditions what is in fact commemorated is:
October 31: All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween.
November 1: All Saints' Day, honoring the saints.
November 2: All Souls' Day, remembering the faithful departed in traditions that observe it.
The Christian subject of those is holiness, death, and remembrance - nothing about "Satan."

The notion that celebrating Halloween means "giving Satan a day" is a bugaboo.; 10/30/26, 9:30 AM
Dagwood said...: Excellent.; 10/30/26, 11:52 AM
loudogblog said...: That's pretty funny and If Trump saw this, he'd probably want one for the White House press briefing room.; 10/30/26, 12:14 PM
Saint Croix said...: Hi Ice Nine. I appreciate the correction. Are you Catholic? I'm an Episcopalian.

You might want to read my whole post instead of commenting on the first paragraph in isolation. I was ruminating on how this holiday came about. It's on the Christian calendar, as I said, but we don't celebrate it.

So how did this minor day on the Christian calendar become a huge party and celebration in the USA? Maybe it's similar to Fat Tuesday/Ash Wednesday. The church wants us to focus on the serious stuff, and we naturally want to enjoy the fun stuff. (I actually like Ash Wednesday, and it's powerful, but when I was younger I was a Mardi Gras man).

I think Satan is kind of implicated by death. Jesus talks about Satan multiple times. I know it's common in modern times to dismiss Satan completely. But I don't do that.

Anyway, I found this outstanding article on the subject. Way better than my thoughts this morning. Worth your time, I think.

God bless.; 10/30/26, 1:48 PM
Ice Nine said...: >Saint Croix said...
Hi Ice Nine. I appreciate the correction. Are you Catholic? I'm an Episcopalian.
You might want to read my whole post instead of commenting on the first paragraph in isolation.<

I read your whole post, of course. I commented on a couple sentences in it that caught my attention because of their inaccuracy. It never occurred to me that anyone here is obliged to reply to posts in their entirety. The almost universal pattern is replying to individual passages within them.

Thanks for the article link.; 10/30/26, 3:22 PM