Halloween is just around the corner!

[Amber]

Something to think about as costumes are bought, made, or otherwise pieced together. There's a personal story behind the theme of this blog post (isn't there always?), so I felt it worth sharing.

My son is gay

[Ghostdog]

Halloween should just be about fun (for the kids) but unfortunately the adults are always screwing it up. I saw an item in the paper the other day with people outraged over a Whitey Bulger costume. I don't recall the same reaction to the popular OJ costumes a few years ago. Let the kids wear what they want as long as they are old enough to make the choice, its their day not the adults. Where I grew up (Boston Projects) it was one of the greatest nights of the year with the streets filled with ghouls, witches, pirates etc etc. We used to have to make pit stops back home to unload candy. When I 1st moved here (> 40 years ago) I'd get maybe 50 to 70 goblins and was glad to see the tradition was alive out in the boondocks. I was also happy to see that the kids recognized that I was handing out REAL candy bars and not those cheapskate miniture abominations created just for Halloween pikers. I'd get a kick out of the kids clever enough to change their costume enough with the thoughts of pulling off the Double Dip for the full sized Snickers, Almond Joy or the elusive, versatle and mysterious Sky Bar. With 3 kids (and a clever chocolate loving- I bet I can sniff it out no matter where you hide it and I'll sit and stare, stamp my front paws and whine at that highest poorly locked kitchen cabinet all day long and tip the kid off to where they are-Dog ) in the house it was always a struggle to be able to hand out the good stuff. Then at some point in the past I noticed a neighbor take the candy bar out of his kids sack and inspect it. Like I'm going to stick rat poison or a needle in it and hand it out to a child. It took quite and effort not to walk out of the house and confront Good Neighbor (insert the name of the neighbor who 3 weeks later was arrested in the infamous Rt 3 rest area bust-HERE-and that pervert thought I was a danger to his kids) and ask him why he would possibly think any of his neighbors would want to ruin a great (to good depending on your taste) candy bar let alone harm his child. Now once again the adults have ruined a traditional childrens celebration and I now get 0 kids as their paranoid parents are afraid someone is going to steal or poison their melon headed children. The streets schools and parks have never been safer (look it up). The reported poisoned, razorblade, sewing needle, common pin, (take your pick) laden apple in Paramus NJ was a myth, a fabrication. Strangers are not wandering the streets looking for small children to steal or harm, that franchise is almost solely owned by family members. Return Halloween to the kids, there is a joy in that holiday thats been taken from your melon headed children. Taking them to the Mall or a neighborhood party sucks (ask your kids) compared to prowling the streets after dark.

BTW! I watched a news report last night on Columbus Day where in some locations what is celebrated is the great Explorer enslaving, slaughtering and transmitting every known STD to the native population. This certainly calls for a head shaking WTF and explains why the Ocupy Boston protesters don't have a clue of what they want and why they think the Police pushing them back is equated as visicous uncontrolled beatings. This country is in such a sad state, if a real disaster or War were to strike our land we would be in deep trouble. Except here up on the hill-I have lots of candy bars. We will survive any disaster but probably have lots pimples!

[Amber]

Don't forget the elementary grades aren't allowed to wear costumes at school anymore, either. Pretty soon they'll say the obesity epidemic and food allergies so prevalent that all children will be banned from Trick-or-Treating everywhere.