I Need a Cricket Bat and a Chainsaw, and We'll All Be Fine.

Who says you have to go out partying on Halloween? It's a Sunday, for crying out loud! There's plenty of scary fun to be had at home this year. Well, as long as you have cable, anyway.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you've undoubtedly heard about AMC's new series, The Walking Dead, premiering Halloween. Just to recap, it's a horror series about a post-apocalyptic world that's been taken over by zombies, and the scrappy survivors who try to fend them off. It's bloody. It's gory. It's probably going to kick butt, and is rumored to already have been picked up for a second season. The premier is at 10E/9C on AMC. I'm going to watch for as long as I can stand it.

Also premiering Halloween night, but at 7:30E/6:30C, is The Dead Set on IFC. This is one you might not have heard about, but I suggest tuning in or setting the DVR. I had the opportunity to catch two or three of the five parts (it's a mini-series) when it aired on BBC (I have my ways), and I have to say, it's a darn good show. Yes, it's a zombie apocalypse, but it's centered around the British Big Brother house, television studio, and all the folks who live and work there, from self-absorbed reality stars to interns. Obviously, this one's got a sense of humor, dark though it may be.

If you'd rather spend the night with some ghosts, Syfy is airing a 6-hour live Ghost Hunters Halloween special. The guys (and gals) will be investigating the Buffalo Central Terminal in Buffalo, NY. Special guests include Josh Gates (Destination Truth), Allison Scagliotti (Warehouse 13), Meaghan Rath (the new Being Human), Ben Hansen (Fact or Faked), Joe Maddalena (Hollywood Treasures--what does that have to do with ghost hunting?), and WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston (really? Well...okay, then). Check local listings for time.

Now, remember a week or so back, I wrote how my best friend's little girl was gearing up for a zombie apocalypse? Well, she's not the only one. The University of Florida has, in place, a zombie attack plan. Seriously. Now, whether or not it was drawn up because someone really wanted to cover their rear on the whole "emergency situation" front, or because the guy in charge of the whole "emergency situation" front got bored is hard to say. I'm betting on bored.

This is possibly the funniest thing I have read in a long while. It states things like:

For example, we would anticipate that commuting would be feasible during outbreaks of ZBSD such as those studied by Romero (1968),(1978), (1985), et al; while the Zombie Spectrum Disorder behaviors studied by Boyle (2002) would result in much greater difficulty with commuting and therefore greater need for work-from-home support. However, employees with small cars incapable of running over zombies may be forced to work from home even in a Romero-type outbreak.

There's also an Infected Co-Worker Dispatch form on the back, where you would be obligated to note the time and location in which you were forced to kill a co-worker, as well as any and all symptoms leading to the incident. Seriously, pull it up, put away the coffee (you don't want to snort it at the screen), and enjoy a little Halloween treat, courtesy of UF. If you have children there, know that your tuition money is being well-spent.

As for samples and reviews, I haven't forgotten. I'm currently working on a little experiment, and I'll fill you in when I have something. Promise.