Finally, it's time to start writing about my favorite holiday, Halloween! This is when I start my series of blogs to help you find all the Things you need to haunt your yard and your house, plan your costume and make the most of the Spookiest Day of the Year.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Things for Halloween so far:

Zombie Things: Yes, zombies are still a Thing. You know The Walking Dead isn't going off the air any time soon and zombie movies World War Z, Warm Bodies and Wyrmwood are box office home runs. Which means more zombies, more zombies, more zombies.  Mess up your table with this set of zombie-fied salt and pepper shakers.


Makeup Things: You can't be convincing in any costume without super realistic makeup. Learn to use "paints, molds, silicone, and hair to age, mutilate, rot, and mutate" from the Hollywood experts. From gaping head wounds, to burns, to zombie-fied flesh, this book is a Halloween must-have.

Nerdy Costume Things: At the risk of basically going as myself this year, I'm considering picking up these nerdy Things. The blue suspenders flash or blink at the press of a button and, when you add one-size-fits all braces to the ever-popular nerd glasses, what a great costume!

If you don't like any of my favorite Things, you could always go as one of the political beasts this year.

If you dare.

See you next week,
Bobby

It's that time of year again — it's Comic-Con in San Diego! And, if you were lucky enough to get a ticket (I wasn't) you'll be treated to early releases new movies like Star Trek: Beyond and the horror flick Lights Out.

But here's what's really stirring up the nerd set: three brand new TV shows scheduled to debut at the convention. Since I couldn't go to San Diego to see the previews, I thought we'd take a sneak peak into what all the hoopla is about.

• People of Earth (TBS): This isn't Conan O'Brien's first Comic-Con. He's broadcast his late-night show from the 'Con many times. But this year he'll be previewing his new TV series about a support group where members write about their alien encounters. 
• Son of Zorn (FOX): A blend of live action and animation, this comedy series centers on an animated warrior named Zorn from Zephyria who's been away for 10 years and now has to try to re-acclimate to the mundane reality of life on earth. 
• Powerless (NBC):  This is a first-of-its-kind workplace comedy. Set in the DC Comics universe, it tells the stories of regular people who work at an insurance company. The twist? These 'regular people' are powerless in a world of superheroes and supervillians, who of course possess superpowers.  

This is apparently a Thing now, according to Christianity Today — if you tithe 10% of your income to the church, but feel like the blessings you receive don't add up to the amount you give, several churches will give you your money back.

No kidding.

It seems to have started with Pastor Perry Noble of the NewSpring megachurch. It's his version of a money back guarantee and it's inspired by a passage in the Old Testament:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. ~Malachi. 3:10

According to Pastor Noble, "God literally says, ‘Test me out, see if I’m God,’ You and I cannot out-give him.” And so far he seems to be right. Of more than 7,000 parishioners who took the pledge, only 20 have taken advantage of the money back guarantee.

So maybe it really works. In any case, it has to be better than giving a percentage to the government. I never feel like I get my money's worth with them. And there are no refunds.

See you next week,
Bobby

If you "ain't afraid of no ghosts", then this Colorado town could become yours. Yes, the entire town. Cabin Creek is just 45 minutes from Denver and it's for sale. No kidding. Here's the  Craigslist ad.

James Johnson bought the town — which was apparently renowned for its chicken fried steak and drew diners to the area in droves — over 35 years ago. He intended to turn the tiny town into a tourist attraction, but he and his wife have decided that they'd rather do some traveling.

Of course, it's not just a typical ghost town, deserted by residents and left to decay.  In the '70s, a couple who felt sorry for some travelers took them into their home. When the travelers found out that their hosts had money, they murdered the couple.

What's included? A cafe, a motel, a commercially zoned shop, a water well, and a mobile home. All for $350,000. Even if you are afraid of ghosts, it's great deal for an entire town. And you can always call the new, improved Ghostbusters.

See you next week,
Bobby

The Hubble Space Telescope is a a truly remarkable Thing that never ceases to amaze me. It's been going round and round the earth at about 17,000 miles per hour for the last 26 years and it's racked up over three billion flight miles.

But, just in time for America's Independence Day, Hubble outdid itself by sending back this stellar display of 'fireworks' from the galaxy Kiso 5639:


What you're looking at is an explosion of newborn stars on one end of Kiso 5639, which is about 82 million light years from Earth. NASA says the spectacular display is due to "intergalactic gas raining on one end of the galaxy as it drifts through space."

No matter what you have planned or what fireworks show you're planning to attend, there's no one on Earth who can outdo Mother Nature this 4^th of July.

See you next week,
Bobby

The teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is finally out! At last we'll get the full story of how the Rebels stole the plans for the Empire's dastardly Death Star. Watch the trailer here:


This is the first (probably of many) spin-offs in the original Star Wars storyline. It takes us back 40 years where we meet Jyn Erso (played by Felicty Jones). An orphan, a troublemaker and outlaw, Jyn takes out stormtroopers like knocking down bowling pins.

But, as the voice of Forest Whitaker asks her at the end of the teaser, “If you continue to fight, what will you become?” I guess we'll have to see the film to find out...

See you at the movies,
Bobby

PS: Rogue One comes out December 16, 2016. Episode VIII, which doesn't have a title yet, picks up where The Force Awakens left off and will be out sometime in December 2017.

Torrelodones, a small town outside Madrid, Spain is drowning in dog doo. So much so that they erected this giant inflatable pile of poop to remind errant dog owners to pick up after their pooches.

Ángel Guirao, spokesman for the town council explained why the titanic turd is necessary to the town: "Torrelodones has around 6,000 dogs and let’s say they do an average of three dumps a day, that is around 15,000 separate poos producing some 500kg of excrement a day. Many owners just don’t pick up." That's over a half a ton of poop just left on the streets, in peoples' yards, in parks and just about anywhere else a dog can do its business. Every single day.

Town leaders believe the inflatable and several other more permanent poop structures is a "fun non-aggressive way" to encourage owners to pick up their pets' poops.  They're also asking people to take selfies of themselves with the piles and post them to social media with the hashtag #NoMasCacas (no more poo).

But just last week, someone stole the inflatable sculpture, which is over six feet tall and 10 feet wide, from the town square. City leaders are undeterred, despite the fact that the pile was pretty pricey at over $2,700. They plan to keep their "No Mas Cacas" campaign going until the town's 22,000 residents can stroll through scat-free streets.

I own a giant beast of a dog who makes giant, beastly poops. But I always pick up. No, it's not fun. And sometimes it smells so bad it almost knocks me off my feet. And then there's feeling like I'm an idiot for walking around the neighborhood with a sack of dog stool. But the bottom line is it's the right Thing to do.

See you next week. Until then, let's all do our part to make #NoMasCacas a reality.
Bobby