The History of Halloween
It’s almost that time again. Things are about to go bump in the night. Spook masters would have you believe that the dead actually walk the earth on that day, but Halloween is as much a matter of shadows and mirrors as the horror movies we watch. For anyone interested, here is a history of the modern day holiday known as Halloween.

First of all, it was called All Hallows Eve. We are not speaking of Sleepy Hollow. Hallow means holy, like in The Lord’s Prayer for all the Sunday schoolers out there. Early pagan religions specifically the Celts would celebrate different phases of the earth. One such festival was Samhain. It is pronounced “saw-in.” it was a festival that commemorated the lives of the dead. There was nothing wrong with this, except that they didn’t discriminate between the “good” dead and the “bad” dead. People remembered all of the dead. The date that this festival fell on was October 31st.

Isn’t sounding too scary so far is it? Well, you must remember that early pagan religions were prone to superstition as in the Middle Ages. They were afraid of spirits and the thought of them returning to the human world frightened them.

As history goes, during this time, priests of the religion would contact these spirits to divine the future of the harvest as this was also harvest season. People’s livelihood depended on those crops and they were afraid that the spirits would curse them and destroy the crops.

The church decided to combat such superstition by adding a bit of Christianity to the occasion. They moved the celebration of All Saints Day from March 13th to November 1st. People would hopefully be less scared and more into the Christian celebration than the pagan one. Everyone didn’t change their long held beliefs however. People would cover their faces with masks when they went out at night in hopes that any roaming spirits would recognize them as fellow travelers and suspend their mischief. They also used large carved turnips with candles inside as lanterns.

All Hallows Eve became Halloween in modern times. Instead of walking through the veil between this world and the next, kids dress in a variety of costumes to scare each other silly and get a bit of candy in the process. The only spirits around on Halloween are the ones we create on the movie set. Well, maybe…

Weekend At The Movies! 1/15/10

Weekend at the Movies! 1/15/10

Here’s the fun movie lineup for this weekend starting tonight along with the scoop on what’s new at theaters and on DVD at the video store! The schedule is posted according to Eastern Standard Time. I’ve rated each of the films that I’ve seen on a five star basis if you were thinking about just picking a few choice movies.

Friday 1/15/10

Kindergarten Cop HBO 3:30-5:30 p.m. ***

She’s All That Encore 6:20-8:00 p.m. **

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Starz Cinema 8:20-10:00 p.m. **

Towelhead MoreMax 11:00-1:00 p.m. **

Saturday 1/16/10

The Soloist HBO 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Mozart and the Whale Showtime 2 10:15-12:00 p.m.

The Dark Knight 5 Star Max 1:00-3:30 p.m. ***

Training Day Cinemax 3:30-6:00 p.m. **

Burn After Reading HBO Comedy 6:00-7:30 p.m. **

Sixteen Candles Encore WAM 7:50-9:30 p.m. **

With Honors Encore Drama 9:35-11:20 p.m. ***

Sunday 1/17/10

Sunshine Cleaning Starz 6:50-8:30 a.m. *

Seven Pounds Starz In Black 9:45-11:50 a.m. ****

I Am Legend HBO 12:00-2:00 p.m. *

In the Bedroom Encore Love 2:50-5:05 p.m. **

Mission: Impossible 2 Showtime 5:45-8:00 p.m. **

Mr. Holland’s Opus Encore Drama 8:00-10:30 p.m. ****

Halloween (2007) 11:25-1:25 a.m. ****

New Today in Theaters 1/15/10

The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington

44 Inch Chest starring Ray Winstone and John Hurt

The Spy Next Door starring Jackie Chan and George Lopez

Fish Tank, an independent film starring new actor Katie Jarvis

The Last Station starring Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren and Paul Giamatti

The Lovely Bones stars Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz.  This film tells the story of a young girl who is murdered.  She leaves her grie

New Today in Video Stores 1/15/10

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself starring Taraji P. Henson and Adam Rodriguez

The Hurt Locker starring Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie

Halloween II (Rob Zombie’s remake) starring Tyler Mane and Scout Taylor-Compton

The Burning Plain starring Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger

Post Grad starring Alexis Blendel and Zach Gilford

Fame starring Kristy Flores and Ashwer Book

Mystical Brain is a look at the unexplained religious phenomena that occur with some people and the possible connections it could have with the brain.

Recommended Movies

Here are the films I recommend the most out of the ones listed above that I’ve seen along with new releases that look great…

Mystical Brain
This is a documentary that has my attention due to its unique subject matter. There have been unexplained instances that have occurred with many people that are linked to religious miracles due to psychological and physical healing of the mind and body through meditation and religion. This film shows how the University of Montreal conducted the study along with its findings of meditation and the way it works within the brain.

Halloween II
I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to watch this movie in the theater but my schedule at the time just wouldn’t allow for it. Now is the time to check it out! I’m hoping this Rob Zombie flick will be available by the time I get to the video store tonight because I can’t bear one more day without watching it! The first Halloween he gave us knocked me off my feet. The original hit was so old and overplayed when Rob Zombie’s first rendition was released that I was a little discouraged that it might be more of the same thing or at least similar and, boy, was I wrong. I am the proud owner of Zombie’s first Halloween film and I heard from a reliable source that Halloween II might even be better!

The Burning Plain
This film has not one story but many that are ultimately connected in one way or another and it seems to be a very captivating drama. I’m not a Kim Basinger fan, in fact, I would probably give her a D on her acting skills but that’s just me. That doesn’t mean that I’ll let it stop me from watching this film when it has such an interesting plot, especially with an actor like Charlize Theron. The characters involved strive to find the answers they need to find happiness in life from a child who crosses the Mexican border by herself to help her family to a couple trying to figure out what to do with the affair they have become involved with as married people. I’m assuming this film will have a slow tempo but the journey should be quite entertaining.

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Tyler Perry movies are wonderful. They’re everything from drama to comedy and back again and the acting is always superb. This looks like another hit by Perry and the plot seems, once again, very relatable. Perry has a way of touching the hearts of the audience by brushing on many personal topics that we encounter in our lives from parenting, marriage and career choices to personal and financial success.

By: Frank Bilotta

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Video Rating: 4 / 5

Candy Wrappers

There are so many wonderful flavors of candy to choose from, the decision can be very difficult. Manufacturers are aware of this and compete for your business by enticing you with candy wrappers that will catch your eye. They wrappers are colorful, often lined with gold or silver wrapping. Of course all candy wrappers have nutritional information on them, but most of us simply pass that by!

It is very fun and simple to make your own candy at home. You can purchase candy wrappers online or from hobby shops to wrap them up individually. This is great for chocolates and other types of candy that you wish to make for your friends and family. Some people operate a home based business selling their own candy. You can customized the candy wrappers as well, putting your name or business name on them.

Candy wrappers can be individualized as well. This is very popular for weddings, graduations, class reunions, and birth announcements. You can select the type and size of candy you want and the wrappers will be customized.

The most popular kind is the candy bar. The customized label slips over the candy bar and can be saved as a memento.

Customized gum balls and suckers are very popular as well. You can have these created for you or you can use templates to create your own. I made them once for my son’s football team and they were a hit.

Candy wrappers change with the times, so it is really fun to look at older candy wrappers. Find out how the Hershey chocolate bar was originally packaged or remember some great candies from the past that you can’t get today. One of the most complete collections can be looked at online at www.thecandywrappermuseum.com.

You will have a great time seeing old fashioned candy wrappers for your favorites as well as remembering some you actually purchased years ago. The wrappers date back to 1977 and working through the years. They are also classified in groups including the classics, celebrities, and the interesting don’t eat category.

Candy wrappers have a great deal more to do with your candy selection then we think. The next time you are looking at the rows of candy to choose from, ask yourself what made you choose the one you did. Chances are in had something to do with the wrapper as well as the flavor of the candy.

Need more information about candy? Please visit Http://www.webinforonline.com/candy

Watch the full show at www.theyoungturks.com

How to teach a Hamster Tricks

How to teach a Hamster Tricks
Hamsters are adorable critters that can learn to do simple tricks. Most hamster owners believe that teaching their hamsters tricks not only makes their hamsters smarter but it also helps owners bond with their furry critters. If you want to know how to teach a hamster tricks then continue reading as this article will elaborate on some ways you can teach your beloved pet some fun tricks.

The most basic of hamster tricks that you can teach your hamster is the stand up trick. In order to teach your pet hamster this trick you will need to hold a piece of his favorite treat a few inches above his head and use a simple command as up. During the first few training sessions your hamster will not understand the command but after a few sessions he will understand that in order to get a treat he must stand up.

In order to teach your pet hamster to give you his paw you should keep the treat in front of his paw and wait for him to grab the treat. During the first few sessions your hamster may give you both his paws but since you want him to give you only one paw you should not give him the treat unless he has completed the task. You can hold the treat towards the right side of his paw so that your hamster gives you only one paw. Teaching a hamster turnover is nearly impossible since hamsters do not understand complicated tricks.

 

After your hamster has learned the desired commands you should wean out his treats slowly and use positive reinforcement to make him perform the trick. Words like yes and good boy or good girl can be used in replacement of treats. You should also pat your hamster every time he does something right and show him that desired behavior leads to affection.

 

While teaching your pet hamster fun tricks it is important to train him at the same time every day. Many people who have successfully trained their pet hamsters agree that short sessions are better than one long session since short sessions allow the hamster to learn better without tiring him. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should use a variety of treats so that your hamster doesn’t get bored but you should use safe treats. Human food and highly sugary hamster treats should not be fed to your hamster. Leafy vegetables and fruits should be fed in small quantities to your pet. If your hamster likes tofu, boiled egg and pieces of chicken then you can use these healthy food items to train your pet hamster. Small pieces of hard cheese can also be used to teach your pet hamster tricks.

Thanks to the Vocaloid weekly rankings for making me aware of this song. www.nicovideo.jp Download: www.mediafire.com **I did not create this video. All rights go to the original creator on nicovideo.jp. kthx.

Monk – Season Four dvd review

Everyone’s favorite obsessive-compulsive phobic detective is back! Police consultant Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) has sixteen more cases to solve. They’re sure to leave him terrified and us helpless with laughter.

In this batch of episodes, Monk is faced with a brand new set of puzzles. Who shot the pizza delivery guy? Why did a masked man break a stock analyst’s right hand? Did Monk’s late wife fake her death? Who tried to run over Lieutenant Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford)? And how could an astronaut commit murder when he was in space? While working on answering these puzzles, he must face the challenge of dealing with the dentist, the flu, a cubical, a hangover, and amnesia.

Once again, the plots here are a little on the thin side. Heck, Monk usually tells us 15 minutes into the show who done it. The problem is figuring out how the person did it. I usually can’t put all the pieces together until Monk explains it at the end, and then I feel foolish for missing it.

Of course, the heart of the show is the humor. The writers go out of their way to put Monk into situation that make him uncomfortable to show him over reacting to things. Yet they keep him human, making us care for him. This is best shown in “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut.” In one scene, we’re laughing at his reaction to the laser pointers, the next we’re feeling sorry for him as the suspect in the case belittles him. Yet by the end we’re proud as always of the way Monk overcomes his fears to save the day. Overall, this keeps Monk human.

Of course, the show works because the acting is so good. The actors take the material and make it shine. The cast is lead by Tony Shalhoub who brings Monk to life expertly. This is the first full season with Traylor Howard as Monk’s new assistant Natalie. I may be in the minority, but she continues to grow on me each time I see her. There is an innocence and sweetness that compliments Monk so well. And Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford continue their great work as the police who constantly have to call on Monk to solve their hardest cases.

Unfortunately, this season does have a couple of negatives. While Monk’s wife’s murder is mentioned a few times, that storyline seems to have been dropped. I like the few clues we were given each season to advance that story. And this season has the single worst episode of the show yet. “Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist” misses the comedy mark and becomes really dark really fast. While I liked the fact they made Lt. Disher smart for a change, the rest of the episode just didn’t work for me.

Those who have been buying the previous seasons know what to expect here. All sixteen episodes are presented in widescreen and Dolby sound on four discs. The set is light on extras, this time giving us only two both on the last disc. The first is a fifteen-minute look at the process the writing staff goes through to create an episode, looking specifically at “Mr. Monk and the Big Reward.” Despite what the box says, the actual second bonus feature is a brief profile of Jon Perkins, the detective who consults on the show to help add a bit of realize to it.

On the whole, this is another fine season of a great dramedy. This is the perfect way to preserve the show to watch over and over again.

Find out more about Monk and the Monk dvds at http://www.monktv.net

The episodes are:

Mr. Monk and the other Detective. In this one Monk is outshined by another detective but like Monk says he is probably cheating.

Mr. Monk goes home again. In this one it is Halloween and someone is stealing candy from kids who went to Monk’s brother’s house. Could this tye into the murder of a security guard?

Mr. Monk Stays in bed. In this one Monk is sick for the first time but he still manages to solve the case of the murdered judge and the pizza boy.

Mr. Monk goes to the office. In this one Monk goes under cover at an office to solve the murder of a security guard and who broke the hand of a millionaire.

Mr. Monk gets drunk. In this one Monk gets drunk (from one sip of wine) and he remembers talking to a man no one can seem to remember. Is he going insane or is everybody trying to hide something.

Mr. Monk and Mrs. Monk. In this one Monk is getting better with his O.C.D. but that just happens to be the time when people start seeing his departed wife.

Mr. Monk goes to a wedding. In this one Natalie’s brother is getting married and Monk thinks the bride is up to no good.

Mr. Monk and little Monk. In this one Monk runs into his old middle school flame and this brings back flashbacks to when he was a kid.

Mr. Monk and the secret santa. In this one a police officer is poisoned after drinking a bottle of wine he got for Christmas. Can Monk solve the case?

Mr. Monk goes to a fashion show. In this one Monk’s favorite shirt inspector is upset. Monk learns her son is behind bars for a crime he could not have committed.

Mr. Monk bumps his head. In this one Monk gets a false lead about the murderer of his wife. When confronting the con artist Monk gets hit in the head, put on back of the truck, and sent to a far off town. Even with amnesia Monk is able to solve the murder of a waitress he met.

Mr. Monk and the captain’s marriage. In this one Captain Stottlemeyer hits a cop who said he was sleeping with his wife. Monk agrees to shadow his wife and try to solve a murder at the same time.

Mr. Monk and the big reward. In this one Monk is trying to find a stolen diamond with a ,000,000 rewars.

Mr. Monk and the astronaut. In this one Monk is trying to solve the murder of a woman. There is only one problem though, his key suspect was in outer space when it happened

Mr. Monk goes to the dentist. In this one Lt. Disher claims to have witnessed a murder while under sleeping gas at the dentist’s office. Monk believes him but when the dentist kidnapps him he undergoes what the dentist calls Marathon Man.

Mr. Monk gets jury duty. This is the season finale where Monk sees if he can solve the case he is there for and stop a drug king pin who is trying to escape in the same courthouse.

Find out more about Monk and the Monk dvds at http://www.monktv.net

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Cool Halloween Costumes That Will Never Go Out Of Style

Admit it, you’re one of those people who are too worried about dressing up in a costume during Halloween because you immediately think about how stupid you might look. To a lot of people Halloween is that time of the year to dress either amazingly or embarrassingly. In other words it’s a hit or miss prospect. This might be true, but only if you’re planning to dress up like a ghost or a clown. That’s because dressing up for Halloween doesn’t have to involve white make up, a red nose and big shoes, or a white long dress and brown paper bag with two holes. With a little dash of resourcefulness and awareness of characters in mainstream media, you can find some great costume ideas that will keep you looking attractive and confident.

People in uniform

This may be an unimaginative and safe bet, but it’s a sure-fire way to look attractive. Considering that women swoon over men in uniform such as soldiers and firemen due to oozing masculinity, it’s no secret that dressing up in any uniform is a good way to go during Halloween parties. This applies to women as well. Women can take advantage of the fact that men can’t keep their eyes off the outfits of cheerleaders, school girls and nurses, to name just a few.

Pop Culture

Imitating characters portrayed by celebrities is another great costume idea. Just think of famous movie characters and popular media personalities in pop culture. There are plenty of fantastic options for you. Dressing up like Austin Powers, for example, won’t disappoint because the International Man of Mystery will never go out of style. Or, you could also dress up as a pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Since ladies love Captain Jack Sparrow, dressing up as him would definitely spice things up a bit. The possibilities are endless. You can dress up as a gangster, a cowboy, as Zorro, or The Joker portrayed by the late Heath Ledger.

Sports idols

This is perhaps the easiest of all options due to its simplicity and availability. You can easily purchase the required clothing from any nearby sporting goods store. Plus there are so many kinds of sports out there and hundreds of renowned athletes, making your job of picking one out so much easy. From American football to European soccer, wear your favorite athlete’s jersey coupled with all the appropriate accessories such as helmets, bands, and shoes, and pray that you would be able to spot a woman in the party with the same idea and dressed as Maria Sharapova.

Cultural and traditional costumes

Just like sports attires, you can’t go wrong with traditional costumes because you’re absolutely sure people will recognize your outfit. If someone doesn’t, you’re either doing it wrong or the person’s a space alien. It’s easy to do too; just pick a time period like the ‘60s or ‘80s, and dress up like they did at that time. For instance, you can dress like the 1930s gangster outfit like Al Capone or John Dillinger. Or, you can also opt for something more exciting such as the ‘70s leisure suits or ‘80s ultra tight black leather tops and pants. GP

Costume Design

Costume design is the design of the appearance of the characters in a theater or cinema performance. This usually involves designing or choosing clothing, footwear, hats and head dresses for the actors to wear, but it may also include designing masks, makeup or other unusual forms, such as the full body animal suits worn in the musical Cats (designed by John Napier, winner of the 1983 Tony Award for Best Costume Design).

gold”>http://www.himfr.com/buy-gold_size/”>gold sizeThe costume designer is the person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered part of the “production team”, alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers. The costume designer might also collaborate with a hair/wig master or a makeup designer, with the latter two operating on a subordinate level. In European theatre the role is somewhat different as the theatre designer will design both costume and scenic elements.

Costume designers will typically seek to enhance a character’s persona, within the framework of the director’s vision, through the way that character is dressed. At the same time, the designer must ensure that the designs allow the actor to move in a manner consistent with the historical period and enables the actor to execute the director’s blocking of the production without damage to the garments. Additional considerations include the durability and washability of garments, particularly in extended runs. The designer must work in consultation with not only the director, but the set and lighting designers to ensure that the overall design of the production works together. The designer needs to possess strong artistic capabilities as well as a thorough knowledge of pattern development, draping, drafting, textiles and costume/fashion history.

Professional costume designers generally fall into three types: freelance, residential, and academic.

A freelance designer is hired for a specific production by a theatre, dance or opera company, and may or may not actually be local to the theater that he or she is designing for. A freelancer is traditionally paid in three installments: Upon hire, on the delivery of final renderings, and opening night of the production. Freelancers are not obligated to any exclusivity in what projects they are working on, and may be designing for several theatres concurrently.

A residential designer is hired by a specific theatre, dance or opera company for an extended series of productions. This can be as short as a summer stock contract, or may be for many years. A residential designer’s contract may limit the amounts of freelance work they are allowed to accept. Unlike the freelancer, a residential designer is consistently “on location” at the theater, and is readily at hand to work with the costume studio and his or her other collaborators. Residential designers tend to be more established than strict freelancers, but this is not always the case.

An academic designer is one who holds professorship at a school. The designer is primarily an instructor, but may also act as a residential designer to varying degrees. They are often free to freelance, as their schedule allows. In the past, professors of costume design were mostly experienced professionals that may or may not have had formal post-graduate education, but it has now become increasingly common to require a professor to have at least a Master of Fine Arts in order to teach.

Both residential and academic designers are generally also required to act as Shop Master or Mistress of an onsite costume shop, in addition to designing productions. In a resident theatre, there is almost always a shop staff of stichers, drapers, cutters and craft artisans. In an academic environment the shop “staff” is generally comprised of students, who are learning about costume design and construction. Most universities require costume design students to work a specified number of hours in the shop as part of their course work.

USA is the union that represents costume designers. Although most professional designers are union members, USA has relatively few collective bargaining agreements with theatres when compared with other theatrical unions. However, most major US opera companies do have CBAs with USA. The majority of union contract work for designers is on a project by project basis, not as a part of Collective Bargaining Agreements with theatrical establishments.

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Halloween Invitations Vendor Takes a Bite Out of Vampire Frenzy

Halloween Invitations Vendor Takes a Bite Out of Vampire Frenzy

Lafayette, LA – With True Blood, the Twilight series, and a plethora of blood-sucking themed pop culture causing vampire mania throughout the United States, these gothic ghouls are certain to continue their reign at the top of the supernatural creature pack through Halloween. For this reason, one leader in the Halloween Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-invitations industry is taking the lead and releasing stationery to meet the demands of their customers.

Holiday-Invitations is no stranger to the Halloween Invitation, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/business. For several years, the company took the initiative and started creating stationery for the October holiday even though most of their competition ignored the holiday. By creating this line, the company tapped into a segment of consumers who enjoy the season and who are also the most likely to be affected by the vampire craze.

As a result, the company released several vampire designs for this season. “Part of what we do is to stay ahead of the trends. Vampires have always been popular at Halloween but now it’s a whole new story. We knew our customers were going to want vampire-themed Halloween Party Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/halloween/halloween-party-invitations choices so we set out to get them what they wanted,” says Holiday-Invitations’ Operating Manager Kathy Porter.

Because the company prides itself on offering one-of-a-kind designs not found anywhere else, they did not license the rights to popular vampire characters to use on their stationery, however. In this way, no fans of certain vampire characters will be left out of the stationery options. Another good reason given for Holiday Invitations not licensing the characters is the cost. They wanted to keep their stationery available, especially when so many of their buyers are worried about their budget. “We didn’t want to pass those expenses onto our customers so we did what we always did and got creative with our designs,” Porter explains.

Currently, vampires are the leading supernatural creature in popular culture. However, they may soon be facing some hairy competition. Werewolves are gaining on vampires pretty quickly. To show how innovative they can be, the company decided to release a werewolf design as well. Consumers should expect to see more of these cards for next season as the werewolf vampire battle gets fierce.

About Holiday-Invitations

Known as the leading destination for Halloween stationery needs, Holiday-Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com offers customizable Halloween Invitations, http://www.holiday-invitations.com/and other seasonal cards at affordable prices. Based in Louisiana, this the business has grown into an industry leader by providing people with unique designs created in-house by their graphics team and by offering exceptional customer service. Millions of customers choose Holiday-Invitations because of their personalization options. Customers can choose to make changes to the stationery of their choosing then view those changes instantly with their state-of-the-art preview engine. Inexpensive prices, free shipping on some orders, and great deals such as free cards with each order of Halloween Invitation cards keep those customers coming back and recommending the site to others in need of quality, Halloween Invitations.

Related Halloween Stories Articles

Prologue

Walter Martineck hardly knows Drew Peterson, a retired police sergeant in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, but he’s a good friend of Peterson’s stepbrother, Tom Morphey. So it was that Martineck found himself unwittingly drawn into the events of October 28, 2007, the day Peterson’s young wife, Stacy, was last seen. The prologue that follows is a dramatization based on an account Morphey reportedly gave to police, as well as statements Martineck made in the media regarding his strange run-in with Morphey late that day, before Martineck had heard a word about Stacy’s disappearance. In the months that she’s remained missing, numerous stories have flooded out from both those who knew her well and those who barely knew her; stories that the police, and everyone following the case in the national news, are sorting through to answer the vexing question: What happened to Stacy?

Drew Peterson set a cup of coffee in front of his stepbrother, who was slumped in a stuffed chair in the back of Starbucks, away from the wide windows looking out onto busy Weber Road. Tom Morphey sipped the coffee and waited to hear why Peterson had summoned him there.

But Peterson only said, “Drink this. You look like you need it.”

Morphey could believe he did. He’d woken up that morning with a familiar dull ache behind his eyes and burning in his stomach after spending the day on the couch, watching the Bears give away a game to the Lions. Then he dozed off and might still have been asleep if his stepbrother hadn’t called at 5 o’clock that evening, asking to meet him at the Starbucks midway between their homes in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook.

Peterson told Morphey to be there at seven; it was important.

Morphey heaved himself off the couch and, since he had nowhere else to be, headed over to Starbucks, happy for the chance to help his stepbrother for a change. Usually it was Peterson coming through for him with things like money, furniture, or work. Just the other day Peterson had told him he could probably line up something at the local Meijer department store; Morphey needed the job, and it would not have been the first that Peterson had helped him get.

When Morphey walked into Starbucks, he was early for their meeting. Peterson was already there, sitting in back, reading the paper.
After getting Morphey coffee, Peterson asked, “How’s things at home?”

Morphey just shrugged and asked about Peterson’s three boys, daughter, and wife, Stacy. Peterson gushed about the kids: Tom at the top of his class and playing trumpet in the school band, Kris a champion junior high wrestler, Anthony and Lacy adorable and growing up fast. About Stacy — his fourth wife, mother to Anthony and Lacy, stepmother to Tom and Kris — he said nothing. He fell silent and stared across the table.

“Why aren’t you working tonight?” Morphey asked.

“Taking the day off.” More silence. Then: “I need something.”

So he didn’t just want to talk, to get something off his chest. He — Drew Peterson, Bolingbrook police sergeant, enforcer of law and order — needed something from his troubled, unemployed stepbrother. It was the best Morphey had felt in a long while.

“What?” he said quickly.

“Stacy,” Peterson said. “She said she’s leaving me again. You know how she is.”

Morphey said he knew.

“It’s like this every month,” Peterson said. “Right around her period. It’s getting to be too much. Especially since Tina.”

Stacy’s half sister, Tina, had died about a year before. Peterson had told Morphey how hard Stacy had taken it, about her depression, her pills. Morphey, too, knew a little something about depression and pills.

“You know what else?” Peterson said. “I think she’s running around on me.”

“Get out of here.”

Peterson pulled out his wallet and opened it to a picture of Stacy, in a tight party dress, leaning over Drew as he sat on a chair. “You’d say no to this?”

“She’s a fox,” Morphey agreed, “but that doesn’t mean she’s running around.”

Peterson put the wallet away. “It’s getting to be a problem,” he said. “She’s a problem. We got to dispose of the problem.”

Morphey didn’t know what to make of that. He didn’t really want to know. Had he even heard his stepbrother correctly? He didn’t try too hard to figure it out.

Peterson rubbed his temples and pushed back his hair. “I need you to wait here for a little while.” Then he reached into his jacket, pulled out a cell phone and handed it to Morphey.

“Take this. Whatever happens, don’t answer it. Just stay here. Don’t fall asleep. Get another coffee, whatever. Just don’t leave and don’t answer the phone. And don’t call anybody either. Think you can handle that?”

“Yeah, Drew.”

Peterson left. Morphey studied the phone. It was a nice one, but Morphey did not mess with it. He did not want to screw up. He sat there and tried to stay awake.

After about half an hour, a jolting ring made Morphey drop the phone in his lap. When he picked it up, he saw the caller ID.

Stacy.

Morphey stared at the phone until it stopped ringing. He didn’t know what was going on, but suddenly he wasn’t so sleepy.

Another half hour passed before Peterson reappeared. When Morphey asked where he had gone, Peterson told him that he just went to run an errand.

Morphey handed back the phone. “Your wife called.”

Peterson put the phone in his pocket without looking at it. “I know,” he said. “You did a good job.”

Out in the parking lot, Peterson said, “Give me a call tomorrow. I might have something on that Meijer’s thing.” He got in his GMC Denali and drove off.

A few hours later, he called Morphey again. “You think you can come over here? I need a hand moving something. The Denali and the Grand Prix are in the driveway, so just park in front. You’re all right to drive, right?”

Morphey put on his jacket and headed for the door. He told his girlfriend Sheryl he’d be back in a minute; he had to go to Drew’s.

When he got to Peterson’s house, his stepbrother opened the front door before Morphey had a chance to ring the bell. As Morphey stepped inside, Peterson glanced around the sleepy cul-de-sac. It was a few days before Halloween. The air was crisp, the house almost as dark as the street.

The kids were sleeping, and Peterson said Stacy was out with her sister. Morphey thought that was strange, since both cars were parked in the driveway. Maybe Stacy’s sister had picked her up from the house.

Morphey followed Peterson upstairs and into the bedroom. He noticed a blue plastic barrel next to the bed. The barrel was tightly sealed and had two plugged holes in its lid, maybe openings for a pump. It looked a little smaller than a fifty-five-gallon drum.

Peterson squatted and put his fingers under the edge of the barrel’s bottom. “I’ll tip it,” he said. “You take it from the top.”

He pushed the barrel over, and Morphey accepted its weight. It was warm against his hands. Peterson backed out of the bedroom and toward the stairs. Morphey walked after, holding up his end. The barrel was not very heavy, and now Peterson bore all of its weight as he stepped backward down the stairs.

Morphey asked what was in the barrel.

“Chlorine,” Peterson said.

Morphey thought it was strange that Peterson would have a barrel of chlorine for his swimming pool all the way upstairs, next to his bed. He wondered for what reason it needed to be moved late on a Sunday night, not to mention why it felt warmer than the air in the room. But he didn’t ask any of these questions. He told himself to just believe his stepbrother, to go along with it and show himself capable of helping with this simple task.

Once downstairs, they carried the barrel through the attached garage and out to the driveway, where Peterson set it down to open the back of his Denali. The two men hoisted the barrel into the car. Peterson wedged a piece of wood against it to keep it from rolling around.

“Well, I better get this out of here,” he said.

“Where you going?” Morphey asked.

“I know a guy wants to buy some chlorine,” Peterson said.

“Now?”

“He wants it pretty bad.” Peterson pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and palmed it into Morphey’s hand.

“Ah, Drew, come on,” Morphey protested. “You don’t have to.”

“Got to run,” Peterson said as he climbed into his Denali and closed the garage door from inside his car. Morphey watched the door go down, then drove home.

In his kitchen, he sat down and had a few drinks. His head throbbed. Dispose. Problem. He had a few more and then walked up the street to the home of his pal Walter Martineck. Lights shone through the front window, so he knocked on the door.

Wally opened the door, and Morphey blurted out, “I think I just helped move Stacy with Drew.”

Wally tried to follow what he was saying, but Morphey was drunk and rambling, nearly incoherent. He kept trying to push a handful of money onto his pal. Wally refused and asked where the cash had come from. Morphey wouldn’t say. He left his friend standing mystified in the doorway and walked back to his own house.

When he woke up the next morning, his girlfriend told him something that he already knew, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise. So he went back to bed and tried to forget; he tried to pretend that it had never happened.

When he awoke the second time and couldn’t fall back to sleep, Morphey swallowed a handful of pills and chased

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