De-spirited

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I usually start planning for the big day in -- oh, early July at the latest. But for some reason I haven't really been in the holiday spirit this year. I don't know why; I'm not depressed or stressed out or even overly busy. Maybe my over-the-top approach to Halloween most years has left me burned out and I need to take 2006 off to recharge.

I think people who know me well are a bit worried about me. Due to the concern of friends and family, I have recently been inundated with emails containing jokes, stories, and links designed to get me in the holiday mood, and it seems to be working. Finally, I'm looking forward to seeing The House on Haunted Hill and Frankenstein: The True Story this weekend, and I'm starting to plot nefarious ways to punish those youngsters who show up at my door All Hallow's Eve sans costume yet expect me to reward them with candy. (Can you believe it? Wearing a costume is supposed to be FUN! The rules, in case you've forgotten, are as follows: 1) Put on a costume. 2) Knock or ring the doorbell. 3) Wait for someone to open the door before you scream, "Trick or treat!" 4) A thank you is nice. At the risk of sounding like someone's cranky old granddad, I don't know what's wrong with these kids today.) In case you need some holiday encouragement, I recommend taking a look at some of this stuff:

Halloween Hangman is a good time-suck

Gothic Martha Stewart has all kinds of DIY projects for the morbidly inclined

The Incident always gives me a little chill

Love Harry Potter? Love sex? Check out Playwitch

If you're more into the Day of the Dead, check out Mexican Sugar Skull

Zombie Pumpkins has some neat-o carving patterns

What horrible Edward Gorey death will you die?

Haunted Memories' creepy changing portraits really work; I bought "Little Annie"

Peruse the doll galleries on Bastet

More eerie doll fetishism featured on Sink into Dream

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Sometimes you just need your very own corpse

Roz Chast hates Halloween (annoying registration may be required)