They put up trees gaily decorated with lobster traps. Good Morning Gloucester is running a completely impartial poll that lets you pick the best one: "The Fantastic Majestic Gloucester Lobster Trap Tree" or "The Crappy Unimaginative Maine Lobster Trap Tree."

Whalehead King notes the Neponset Circle Christmas tree is already in place:

... Office pools have already started to pick the day a placard will be planted next to this tannenbaum. What will the sign say? That is subject for another pool but most bets rest on variations of "Season's Greetings from Mayor Thomas M. Menino." Those are words that warm the heart like cocoa heated a few degrees above tepid. Season's Greetings!

Scanning FM in the car just now, I heard Bing Crosby crooning a Christmas song. Yes, Oldies 103.3 has gone into all-Christmas mode just in time for Thanksgiving. Lin Dolin reports 105.7 thinks it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, too.

Let's all give a big hearty golf clap to WODS for its amazing self-restraint: Last year, they started in on this stuff on Nov. 6.

Tonight's moon was just right - bright, nearly full and with plenty of spooky clouds scudding by. Matthew I. captured the scene over the Back Bay.

Copyright Matthew I. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Swamp Thing awaits next victim trick-or-treater on Glendower Rd.

Even on Halloween, it's kind of weird talking to a guy who looks like he just climbed out of a fetid swamp, surrounded by body parts and giant vampire bats. He said it took him about a week to get ready for tonight. As I was leaving, he gave me a wave, as much as his condition allowed, and muttered "Have a good Halloween!"

He was holding a guitar, but in the short time I listened to him at Downtown Crossing, Fester didn't actually play. Instead, he sang "Yesterday" to a karaoke CD.

In the "kids today" department, as I was walking up to the Forest Hills side from the Oak Grove side, these two teen girls in front of me were talking about Halloween, when one blurted out, "I wanna be a WHORE!" You go, girl!

Here's what happens when you let people who use scalpels and other sharp implements on a daily basis near pumpkins.

Bill would only affect public workers in Suffolk County (question: And Somerville?).

Via David Guarino.

Today was the annual Columbus Day parade through the North End. Lots of marching bands, of course, along with a float of clowns throwing clown noses into the crowds. One lady put hers on:

One high school's uniforms were kind of unsettling:

Ugh.

As Adam pointed out earlier today, Lowe's in Dedham has started hawking the Christmas schlock in freakin' September. I'm sure there are others gearing up to similarly assault us.

Since they've started so early, I've begun my annual Quixotic (perhaps even Sisyphusian) attempt at curtailing the madness. If you feel like banging your head against a brick wall in concert with me, please feel free to join in.

THANKSGIVING COMES FIRST