El Día de los Muertos

Okay, okay.

I know. I have been away for a while. It's certainly not because I was jet-setting to aid orphans in Botswana, strategizing with Democratic think-tanks over mid-term elections, or even preparing the psychiatric community with my yet-to-be-release NY Times bestseller grand œuvre "Psychopathology Matters." Nope, Halloween, man.

This Halloween specifically. For two explicit reasons, Coffeehouse and Ribka's Co-Op's Annual Halloween Party. If you aren't familiar with either this year, consider yourself remiss in your obvious miscalculation of what to do Halloween weekend, or amiss in that you obviously had way too many spirits...non-paranormal spirits.

First off. Ribka's Soirée:
So, yeah. Don't have many pictures of the evening as to not incriminate too many people, but if you remember anything from last year, you knew to keep you schedule clear 12 months down the road. As any true embodiment of Jimi Hendrix, I sauntered out my car with the lovely cowgirl-for-the-evening Sasha to be met at the gate of this Melrose-esque apartment complex by a clearly inebriated Roman Empress coquettishly slapping the derrière of her Wrangler boyfriend...or at least I'm assuming this was her boyfriend. This is, of course, to an audience of leather-bound ghouls and pixies (only some of which were in 'costume').


In any case, upon entry to the first apartment we found our gracious host appropriately dressed as Rosie the Riveter, a WWII icon that promoted the work of women in manufacturing jobs to support the war effort. Quite clever of the future ID doc, eh? The night was filled with throwback 1980s Hip-Hop and R&B, bewildering techno, and an incredibly smooth mix in between. Seemingly endless supplies of etOH flowed as comfortably as the deeply entertaining conversation with pseudo-cops, security guards, Supermen, and Nigerians dressed as 'Sexy Black Man.'

Huh. Your thoughts?
To the say the least a great night.



The second part of this weekend was Coffeehouse. For those that are not familiar with BCM's less academic traditions, Coffeehouse neither involves 'coffee' nor 'house.' Rather its more of a variety/talent show that's somehow morphed into a crazy Halloween party for the student body. This year, Shaheen AKA 'Afro-Persian,' Stacey, and myself decided to organize and host this year given our amazing 12 Days track record. So, mere hours after Ribka's party, I moseyed on down to Cullen Auditorium to start dress rehearsals, decorations, and general glitch-guruing.

After weeks of planning, late afternoons auditioning, early mornings decorating, and seeming endless piles of audio cables/connections/speakers/doodads, 8pm rolls around. This year, I thought I'd continue the acutely apropos political theme.

Previous costumes:
2004 Devil with construction hat that read 'Halliburton'
2005 Arab Sheik

This year:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (with matching nuclear bomb)


I'd say a solid 70% of people didn't initially get it. I too share the love of my psychiatry compatriot of quasi-obscure costumes. Needless to say there were a number of 'and who is he?' stares that night as I talked to the audience. The audience however REALLY enjoyed the performances. Particular highlights were comical arrangements in honor of on-line-lecture-watching, getting 'down to business' in medical school, residency survival highlights, and of course, the infamous Stacey.

Just so you know, she's probably the saving grace of our class; she's, highly organized, always available to lend an extra pair of hands, and her energy knows no end. Think Cub Scout Den Mother meets Amphetamines and Klonipin. She had a VERY entertaining mix of Madonna's greatest hits with lyrics expressing her joy at the end of forced exposure to surgery. This is all complete with choreographed backup men. Absolutely priceless. Also, she can sing? Who knew?

The night drew to an end, we packed up Cullen for a well deserved afterparty...though very very wearily.

I was DEAD tired. I slept clear until 3pm the next day (which is WITH daylight savings time).

Wouldn't have traded it for the world.
By the way, something scandalous was said at exactly this moment. Happy Halloween.