In many ways, the above screenshot represents the quintessential Simpsonsesque type of humor: A visual that lingers only for the few seconds necessary to implant itself in your mind’s eye, later to explode like a mental timebomb and blow your little mind.

I’m assuming that’s what happened to Chaz:

I remember watching the episode of The Simpsons in which it appeared, staring in disbelief, rewinding the tape just a smidgen, and staring in disbelief again, followed by “Oh. My. GOD.” It was another ten minutes before I could resume viewing.

Like Lileks, I’m not going to spell out the joke for you, either. But if this post’s title isn’t enough to clue you in, here’s another tip: Like Sneed, Chuck also ran an F&S storefront in this same location. But no, it was neither feed nor seed that the former rural-store proprietor was peddling.

Got it now? Good.

Definitely a classic. Although for my money, it doesn’t compare to this spoken exchange from the “Treehouse of Horror III” episode:

Mr. Burns: [Taking Marge on an expedition] What do you think, Smithers?
Smithers: I think women and sea-men don’t mix.
Mr. Burns: We know what you think.

Good thing the television censors are immune to subtlety.

It’s Halloween time again, and once again, I’m ill-prepared. I don’t have a costume picked out, and I’m not feeling a quickie expedition to one of the pop-up novelty shops to scrounge up some leftover or bare-bones outfit.

But I can’t feel too bad, because I’ve dug up the above photo, which charmed me so much last year at this time. There’s something about those ground-spiked white-sheet ghosts, seemingly clasped at the hands, that makes me smile. The ring they’re forming around that tree is surely a seance, and I maintain that they’re trying to coax some spirit-form out of that wooden encasement.

That’s my theory, anyway. The original Flickr photo page is silent on these spooks’ intent. Just as well — what’s a Halloween display without a hint of mystery?