Halloween costumes are a lot of pressure. I’ve never been a fan of the cheesy one-size-fits-all costumes that come in see-thru bags with plastic handles, and am a firm believer that you should be able to make a great costume from the stuff you have in your closet. So, since I didn’t have much work to do this afternoon, I am currently sitting in a pile of clothes trying to figure out what costume I can make with a blonde wig, alien antennae, ladybug wings, a witch hat, a fuzzy leopard print skirt, a pink ball gown, and a hideous silver-and-lime-green faux Pucci get-up. Do I go as an alien princess? Or maybe a washed up movie star? Pebbles? Other ideas, please?

So I decided to look up what costumes other people are leaning towards. According to Yahoo, most peeps this year, go figure, have politics on the mind. The most popular political costumes, and I think this speaks volumes about our society:

1. Sarah Palin
2. Barack Obama
3. John McCain
4. Ronald Reagan
5. Bill Clinton
6. Richard Nixon
7. George W. Bush
8. Joe Biden
9. Michelle Obama
10. Arnold Schwarzenegger
11. Hillary Clinton
11. Abraham Lincoln

For other assorted costumes, here are the most popular picks:

1. The Joker
2. a fairy
3. a pirate
4. a flapper
5. a witch
6. Tinkerbell
7. Cat Woman
8. Playboy Bunny
9. Indiana Jones
10. Little Red Riding Hood

For dogs, the most popular costume is…a hot dog.

So out with it. What are you going to be this year? —Kate