For Security Reasons

This is one for the record books! One day, I needed to stop by the county courthouse to pick up some important documents. And, because the government operates on a different schedule than the rest of us, the only time that I was allowed to pick these papers up was between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm Monday through Friday. (This was quite an inconvenience due to my work schedule.) But, I managed to break free one day and make the trek downtown and get this issue taken care of. Upon entry of the building, I was greeted by four Sheriff's Office Deputies that were stationed at the front door for security purposes. I was asked to walk through the metal detector, and promptly failed to pass the screening because I carry a stainless steel multi-tools on my belt for work. After removing the tool and passing through the detector again, I received a passing grade. But, I was informed that I had to return my all-in-one instrument to my vehicle before I would be allowed inside the building ... for security reasons. As I looked over the officer's shoulder, and I could not help but notice a large steel box with individual compartments and locks on it. I asked what it was for, and was informed that the objects in question were lockers for people to check their firearms in upon entry. I then had to ask, "Let me get this strait ... if I came here with my sidearm I could check it in ... and you guys would lock it up for me until I get back?" "Yes sir." the officer replied. "But, I have to leave the premises to put a tool back in my car? You can't lock that up?" I asked. "That is correct sir ... for security reasons, we cannot be responsible for that tool." the officer told me. So I pressed on, "You're willing to assume responsibility of my firearm ... and not, for all intents and purposes, a pocket knife?" "Correct." he answered. So, I decided to take a survey of the people still in line. "Does this not make sense to anyone else here but me?" I asked the crowd. I was then told to either return the tool to my car, or be escorted from the grounds ... and I still needed to get my important papers so I returned the tool. But with this new information I had just learned, I couldn't help but wonder if keys and nail clippers are on the dangerous weapons list too. And, thank God I didn't have any stainless steel rods, screws, or plates in my body ... that would have gotten messy.

Why Not Start With A Self Examination?

Some years ago, I was working at a manufacturing plant that, according to the administration, was is need of "downsizing". The company hired an efficiency expert to come in and systematically review all daily operations within the company and terminate any positions that were deemed not needed. As I watched this incredibly large man literally "waddle" through the plant, I couldn't help but question how such a un-aerodynamic person could single handedly streamline an entire organization of 200+ employees, when he himself was the exact opposite of his reason for being there. Needless to say, he slowly and methodically went with every employee for a short amount of time, evaluated what they did, wrote down notes, and never once said a word to anyone. In fact, none of the staff even knew why he was there ... "just another suit" most thought. After the two week inspection, with some jovial conversation and hand shake with the company president, Mr. Efficiency drove off in an mid-late 70's battle wagon that spewed blue smoke all the way down the driveway, and left a lake of funky fluid in the parking lot. Efficiency expert ...huh?

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Today is the opening day of deer season in Pennsylvania, and it has been estimated that over 1 million hunters have taken to the woods hoping to bag a buck. Consequently, almost every company, factory, plant, and shop in town has extended the Thanksgiving holiday vacation to incorporate such a landmark annual occurrence. Although I don't begrudge anyone a much deserved day off, it's nice to know that 99% of employers didn't bother recognize Veterans Day (Nov. 11) without so much as a thank you, and then give employees a day off to get drunk and shoot at anything that moves. It's nice to see we have our priorities strait.

Cash ... A Thing Of The Past?

When is the last time you made a purchase with cash? Really ... think about it. Today's world operates on credit; direct deposit, direct withdrawal, credit card purchases, debit cards, personal/vehicle loans ... you name it. And, we all predominately pay our bills every month with bank checks, which are in turn electronically transferred to the entity the bank note was written to. Again ... no cash changes hands. There is no doubt that when money moves electronically accounts are updated in a much shorter amount of time, the margin of error is much smaller, and receipts are always given to provide documentation for the sender and/or receiver of the funds. Although invisible money has many advantages (like shopping from your pc wearing only underwear at 3:00am), there are some disadvantages. Some have compared these electronic earning and spending to nothing more than "Big Brother". Yes, these same people may be a little too over the top to some, but they do raise a good point. Big Brother used numbers to identify people and not names ... years ago we all said that'll never happen.

Voting: A Chance To Be Heard

Remember this? Five years ago today, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state's presidential balloting by a 537-vote margin. My goal here is not to support either campaign, but rather remind everyone that every vote really does count. Of the 220,000,000 people that were 18 or older (in the year 2000), I'm quite sure more than 537 said "I'm just one vote ... I'll never make a difference." But if you randomly polled average citizens walking down the street, any one of them would be happy to give you an earful about foreign and domestic politics and political agendas. Yes, it is one's right not to vote. But, if you don't vote ... don't complain. You had the chance to voice your opinion ... you chose to say nothing.

Bargain Hunters Vs. Deer Hunters

Well ... it's here, "Black Friday". To many women, and some men, this is an annual tradition of holiday shopping at it's finest. Arrangements for tactical shopping plans and store by store scheduling have been done for some time, and all that these eager shoppers need now is the stores to open. Early morning wake up times, frigid temperatures, long lines, traffic jams and fist fights can't keep these bargain hunters away ... after all it's the post Thanksgiving tradition. Many men scoff at their spouses for partaking in the holiday madness, and even find a bit of humor in the fact that their loved ones will return home stressed out, frustrated and swearing this is the last year they are doing this. But just three days from now, is the first day of deer season. To many men, and some women, this is an annual tradition at it's finest. Arrangements for ammunition, warm clothes, and food have been taken care of for some time and all these hunters need is the sun to come up. Cold temperatures, missed shots, other hunters in their area and just the fact you need to wear orange so you don't get shot doesn't deter these people at all ... after all it's tradition. Many women scoff the fact that their loved one will return home upset about the lack of deer even seen, new barbed wire that wasn't there last week, and the fact that "the scope is off ... it must've got bumped". My point is, how ironic these two dates are located so close to each other on the calendar.

"Fed Up" Candy Lashes Out At Unsuspecting Parade Goers

This just in ... The annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City started off as any other, until 11:30 am EST when a helium filled balloon attacked two unsuspecting parade viewers by entangling a lamppost and knocking it down into the crowd. Apparently, the disgruntled 515 lb. M&M inflatable parade decoration's occupants felt quite unhappy about always being held down year after year, never being allowed to soar to their full potential. Witnesses say the 50 ft. tall blow up mascot, containing both Yellow and Red, started the early morning hours with a full scale passive resistance movement by refusing to be inflated and purposing tangling their own tethers in the hopes of showing the other balloons the power of one. Yellow and Reds owner, Mr. Mars, said that he suspected something was peculiar when he caught the two last month in the break room whispering about "being taken more seriously". NYC police investigators did find a parade route map with a large red X at an intersection accompanied with pictures of a lamppost and related mounting hardware from multiple vantage points. These items were found in the parade staging area stuffed underneath a crate labeled M&M Balloon. Due to the fact this evidence was hidden in such a haphazard way, police can only surmise there was a last minute review for both suspects before launching their assault. Both victims of the attack were treated for minor injuries and released from Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Both Yellow and Red are currently being held without air back in their storage crate. An investigation is pending.

Just Don't Fly ... You'll Be Safe

Due to the large volume of ticket holders taking to the skies today, many agencies are urging passengers to wear shoes that are easily removable, and to limit carry-on baggage to a minimum in an attempt to speed up the security screening process. It's very comforting to know that anyone planning on doing harm to airline customers would never have thought of any other conceivable way to either get weapons or personnel aboard an aircraft. And of course, the other plus is that terrorists in the United States always travel via the friendly skies, that's why it's the only place that checks for these suspicious characters. Unlike European terrorists that prefer trains and buses as their primary means of transportation and detonation, or Japanese terrorists that are partial to the very efficient, yet poorly ventilated underground trains and subways. It's a good thing that these murderer's operations are so predictable, because this explains why the Department of Homeland Security has not really done all that much since it's inception. The SOP is obviously; Watch the airport ... wait ... and they'll come to you.

... And You Wondered What Happened To The Cabbage Patch Generation

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning! It's already started! People waiting for hours, even days, in lines to be the first to purchase their kids the xbox 360because it's the "perfect holiday gift". Some have gone so far as to literally camp (with tents) in the parking lots of stores to be the first to acquire this toy their kids just can't live without. I do admire Mom and Dad's determination to please their children, but would these same parents be willing to dedicate that sort of time to a teachers conference or get involved with Jr.'s hobbies? Do the little ones really want the xbox 360, or do they just crave attention so desperately that the knowledge of Mom and Dad traversing the countryside finding the Holy Grail of gifts will fill the attention deficit in an indirect fashion. All parents want the best for their families, only to some, the best is merely material items that get outgrown ... just like Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Bathroom Humor

Humor can be found in the strangest of places sometimes ... even in the bathroom. Today I saw a sign above the urinal reminding employees and customers alike to wash their hands after using the facilities. The sign, located just a few inches higher than the flush valve, stated only "wash hands". Although the brightly colored reminder was short and to the point, I couldn't help but think that eventually some yahoo would probably attempted to scrub up in the urinal and not the sink. Such a sign would probably be best served on the back of the entrance/exit door for absentminded people, rather than imply most patrons and workers would have enough sense to use the sink. After making that observation, I began to ponder some of the more stellar slogan and sayings I have happened across in bathrooms over the years. One read, "Any loser can pee on the floor ... but, it takes a real champ to poop on the ceiling." Of course such words of wisdom only sparked my curiosity, causing me to look up. No, there wasn't anything there ... whew. The next snazzy slogan was acquired from a dive bar somewhere in Philadelphia; "No matter how good she looks, so other guy, somewhere, is sick of her s#*t." Obviously, this phrase can be easily interchangeable to either gender, so ladies please hold off on the hate mail. After all, I read it in the men's bathroom. This whole story leads me to one point; Although funny to read, who goes to the bathroom with the intent of writing on the walls?

How Much Is Too Much?

Today's kids have technological toys, games, and gizmos that younger generations never had, or even thought imaginable. In almost any household, it's not uncommon to find children glued to the television playing with an xbox or PS2. Although, I must admit ... I am a junky when it comes to home entertainment video games, there comes a point when too much time is spent playing them. Some "experts" say that kids playing these games, over long periods of time, start to lose basic skills that differentiate between what's real and what's virtual. Personally, I think kids are a little smatter than that, and have no trouble with such distinguishment. (Many years ago, "experts" also believed that when a patient was sick, "bad blood" needed to be drained from the body ... look how that turned out.) I can't help but wonder if the reason childhood obesity is on such an incline in this country is due to the amount of time spent gaming. If this theory is true, imagine the long term health ramifications this generation faces.

Everywhere You Go ... There You Are

As bad as things may get for the rest of us, as least we can take time to get away from the daily pressures and aggravating situations of life. (A timeout for ones own mental well being.) I do carry somewhat of a sympathy for those that suffer from mental illness because, for the most part, the issues that they fear, or the conditions they may have, are in their own head and nobody can make them go away. Please take note that I said "somewhat of a sympathy" ... those who carry out heinous crimes get no sympathy from me at all. I personally think we all have a few screws loose ... it's just a matter of what unfastened mental attribute(s) is/are dangling free. Some are completely harmless ... and others are much more dangerous.

Is Business That Bad?

Today, I had the pleasure of visiting an orthopedic surgeon's office with a family member that needed a check up visit from a recent surgery. Needless to say, my presence was a multi-tasking effort that consisted of assisting my relative in the negotiation and subsequent navigation around daily hazards, and also serve in the capacity of a moral support cheerleader. Upon arriving at the office, I happened to notice the lack of patient parking spaces in front of the building. But, of course those suffering orthopedic injuries (more than likely) are not in the best shape to drive. That one ... I'll give to the doc. But when your place of business in shaped like a strip mall, and the concrete sidewalk is three inches higher than everything else (with no ramp) ... I'll give that one to stupidity. But my personal favorite had to be the crater riddled parking area along side the building that either patients or families members thereof were forced to cross with crutches, walkers and canes. I'll bet I could fit a Yugo or LeCar in some of those chasms. Apparently, someone else had the same opinion as I did and complained, because I found the remnants of what was an attempt to fix a particular abyss with gravel and cold patch. When I happened to mention these safety concerns to the doctor, he said "Pretty bad isn't it?" Oh yeah doc, in all senses of the words.

And Men Have The Nerve To Laugh At Women ...

Millions of men throughout the world suffer from some sort of hair loss. But, why is it that so many of these same men just cannot see to come to terms with the unavoidable fact that we all get older ... everyday. Comb-overs, comb-unders and even the rarely seen (but highly coveted) comb-around, are all vain attempts to try and hang on to yesteryear. From there, we progress to the next group of men that have tried either one or more of the above routes unsuccessfully, and have graduated to the toupee ... (AKA the "rug"). To all who may don such a fine works of upholstery on their heads I say, self confidence is a wonderful thing and I'm glad your happy with yourself. But, please take note that your own natural hair may still continue to change in color, and at least make an attempt to be somewhat cognizant of this slowly evolving event so that you do not give the appearance of a small animal residing on your head. The bottom line is this; If people judge you by how much hair is on your head ... it's really time to go out and meet new friends. If you feel depressed about your age due to your follicly challenged scalp ... grow up. The only two drawbacks that I have found about hair loss is that when it rains ... it hurts, and after spending most of the day in the hot sun ... it's really not the best geographical location on the body to have a sunburn (but there are much worse spots). Both scenarios are easily solved by wearing a hat ... a much cheaper and less invasive alternative than a doctor's procedure.

It's Sure Not Your Grandfather's Variety Store Anymore

In only a few short thousand years, mankind had has continually refined or reinvented the tools that we all use for daily life. Rather than take everyone on a history lesson that would take hours, I just want to touch on one thing in particular ... the internet. The world wide web blows me away, anything anyone could ever want to research, learn, shop ... it's all here. The other day while blogging along I came across a site, Adfunk Tech Assist that offers tech news and product evaluation. And, it made me think about years ago when you wanted to purchase something, you had to get in the car, drive to the store and look at the product. The only help a consumer could muster was the sales associate ... and of course he'll endorse it, he wants a paycheck. Now one can cruise the internet to find independent opinions and reviews about products they may be interested in buying with no effort at all. E-Blog. is another site that puts forth a vast variety of high tech product comparisons and opinions that is worth checking out. Ah, and to think back on the fact that I was so proud that I could make a Commodore 64 repeat my name ... how far technology has come.

The Beat Goes On

It's no secret that musical tastes vary from one generation to the next. Just think back to your early - late teenage years, and you can probably (in a very vivid recollection) hear your parents in the background complaining about that "noise" you listen to. Some parents of my friends even went so far as to compare their children's music to "the devil's tongue", but I'm quite positive these same parents didn't grow up on Mozart, Bach, and Handel. In fact I'm willing to bet that Mom and Dad's parents said that the early rock and roll of the 50's and 60's was a musical distortion to the ear, and would only corrupt the minds of kids with explicit song lyrics and provocative dancing ... yet, with a very small percentage chemically imbalanced for life, most turned out just fine. As I get older, and slowly step out of the younger generation arena, I too find some music lines have a very angry tone, are sometimes incomprehensible, and occasionally just flat out indecent. This all seemed to happen around the same time I noticed my favorites on the oldies station.

A Way To Get Even

Those who are fortunate enough to be fluent in multiple languages, in today's world economy, have one up on those who are not. Obviously being bilingual, or even multilingual, would only further someone's career to further heights for apparent reasons. But, why is it becoming more and more accepted to force indigenous habitants of this country to take on a second language due to an influx of residents from other countries? No matter where anyone may come from, it's no secret that English is the common language in the Unites States ... anyone with a t.v. knows this, we beam them most of their programs. But to all those who may feel they are slowly becoming the minority because they only speak English, fear not ... there is a solution. Pig Latin. I know it's funny ... but it works. Example; My friend and I were playing a few hands of blackjack in a casino some time ago, when a small group asked if they could join in the table. Since we are both amicable people, we didn't hesitate to make new friends. In only two short hands of cards we went from an English table, to a non-English table ... INCLUDING THE DEALER!!! So with that, my friend and I struck up a conversation in Pig Latin. And after a few minutes, as quickly as it disappeared, everybody miraculously was speaking English again.

Could We At Least Get Through Thanksgiving First?

T.V. commercials, decorations, 24 hour a day Christmas music on local radio stations, egg nog in the dairy aisle, and yes ... I have already seen a fully operational Christmas tree in someone's home. Every year, the "Christmas Crunch" starts earlier. I really don't blame the vendors, they need the cash flow to stay in business ... but what's wrong with the rest us? Why do we all put unnecessary stress in our lives by giving in to the holiday hype? Let's tackle turkey day first, then we'll move on to December. How come none of us put that much preparation into our income taxes ... that's an annual occurrence too.

The People That Came Up With This One Obviously Don't Do Their Own Yard Work

In the name of being environmentally conscious, laws have been passed so that the only portable fuel storage cans available for purchase today are designed that when they accidentally tip over, no fuel is spilled to the ground. With the ever rising price at the pump, not to mention the responsibility we all share to try and protect our planet, this just makes sense. Until, you go to fill up that mower, snowblower or yard trimmer. Although these devices are environmentally friendly, they are also mechanically inept. A spill proof can, in theory, is a great idea. But what the engineers and designers failed to account for, is that the act of pouring the contents from the container to the appliance is a "controlled" spill. When I fueled up my grass cutter this afternoon, I got more gas on my driveway and mower than I did in the fuel cell. So, is it really that advantageous to mandate that all containers be "spill proof", when the consumer ends up polluting the environment anyway because the gas can will not pour correctly by design?

Grand 'Ol Flag

There are some that will argue legislation should be passed by congress to outlaw the burning of an American flag, with the only exception being a proper ceremonial destruction of Old Glory with full honors. Although my personal feelings are against any harm coming to the symbol of this country that so many fought for and some died to protect, I question whether personal freedoms that we all share under the constitution are slowly being taken away without our even noticing. If they keep slowly chipping away at the first amendment in an indirect fashion such as this, in time it will be illegal to peacefully protest at all. And with that, we can wipe out the eighth amendment too, so you can be held for a minor offence (such as protesting) without bail, fined 90 million dollars for the "crime" and tortured until society sees fit. A little over the top ... yes. Far from ever happening ... I'm not so sure.

Placebo For The Wallet

Well finally, Congress has stepped in to go a few rounds with the big oil executives about the soaring prices of oil related products, and the coincidental record profits reported by these companies. Although many Americans may take comfort in knowing that our elected representatives are attempting to find answers and possible solutions to these issues, I would like to remind everyone that many of the reps serving on these committees and subcommittees receive, either directly or indirectly, funding for the lobby of the same organizations they are questioning. In other words ... a sham. I find it amazing that dairy farmers are forced to abide by laws that dictate the price of their product, yet oil companies do what they please. If the farmers were allowed to make a better income, they too would be able to pay off their congressional delegates to facilitate laws and regulations that would benefit themselves.

Drivers Ed.

The other night two burglary suspects were arrested, and detained in the back of separate police cars. Due to a missing pinky finger, one crook managed to get a hand free from the cuffs and steal the vehicle he was confined in. While trying to make the getaway, another officer who had the second suspect in custody gave chase. Through a strange turn of events, the chase car lost control, smashed in to a house and subsequently caught on fire. Both the driver and passenger were taken to a local hospital, and the fire was put out with a garden hose. The driver of the stolen car fled on foot, after dumping the hot vehicle a short distance from there. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Click here for the full story.

Civil Disobedience Went Out The Window When The First Brick Came In

Sometimes, in a political sense, when things may not go your way it becomes necessary to make people take notice of your cause. But as demonstrated in France, I really don't quite get the correlation between exercising religious freedoms and setting cars on fire. The problem of nightly riots in the streets is growing at an astounding rate. Last night, the national news reported that there is speculative evidence that says rioters may be communicating via the internet to organize. Honestly, I really didn't think that burning down random buildings and causing terror in the streets needed to be an orchestrated event. I always considered it more of a BYOMC (Bring your own Molotov Cocktail). If these thousands of people really need to make a statement to ensure their own religious freedoms, why not petition the government in a more suitable fashion. If thousands of people showed up on the Minister's doorstep to declare the need for religious freedoms, the politicians would listen ... they'd have to, there would be t.v. cameras there. But again, burning cars, smashing windows, and throwing rocks at the police may just be more fun.

Hmmmmm ....

Is the "truth" nothing more than one's perception of events experienced, and not necessarily what actually took place ... or, is that just truthfully MY perception.

Desensitized

Auto makers have gone great lengths to ensure that cars are not stolen or broken in to with the advent of theft deterrent security systems and aftermarket vehicle alarms. But when is the last time any of us actually paid any attention to, or even cared about, a car's audible plea for help? In fact, a good portion of us find it somewhat amusing watching an owner struggle to silence a shouting car. (Sometimes, the owner shouts back.) How ironic that these system activations designed with the intention of alerting people to a wrong doing (so that they may take corrective measures to catch the crooks), have become so commonplace that nobody even turns their heads to see what is going on. I feel SO much safer knowing that my vehicle too has one of these built in alert devices for the security of my car and it's belongings.

Genius Vs. Sports Star

As on any home game Saturday, the small town in which I live becomes inundated with traffic and illegally parked cars from the High School football game. These issues are just par for the course in a small town, and all the neighbors around the football field are quite understanding of this. My friend, who lives a few blocks from the stadium, asked if I could come over to give him a hand with his home remodeling project. While on the way to his house, I was forced to serpentine around this sea of vehicles, and had an interesting thought. So much attention and money is put into sports programs, that kids that may excel in other areas just get forgotten about. When is the last time your local news station did a story on a kid that invented something quite amazing, or you read in the paper that some 9th grader received a national award for creative writing? Although sports may be a route to college for many students, there are also many pupils who shine in other areas such as the arts, music, and even shop class. What about them? Why is it that public school systems don't give other avenues, such as these, the funding and professional instruction needed to enhance these talents? I would only think that football (due to the physical nature) is a skill that recedes with age, whereas Drama, Mathematics, and Chemistry would gain experience and knowledge as time progressed.

A Dose Of Common Sense

It's that time of year again ... flu shot season. This annual affair rivals such sporting happening such as the opening day of deer season and the first day of trout fishing. Although these comparisons may seem to have nothing in common, I'd beg to differ. Both anglers and elderly alike line the "aisles" of their respective territories for vast amounts of time, patiently waiting for that one moment of glory. Hunters and hypochondriacs will both become extremely hostile, without warning, when another person attempts to enter the "line" that has been staked out. I really can't decide where the epidemic lies ... with belligerent people that somehow became convinced overnight they are going to get the flu in the next few months, or the flu itself. After all, out of all the people you know ... how many that opted not to get immunized got the flu last year?

Big Help ... Or Big Business?

Many of us have seen or heard the ads for religious children's organizations seeking donations to promote a healthier life and provide an education for youngsters and adults alike in locations that would never have an opportunity to do so. I'm sure all donations sent are used to their fullest potential, and change many lives for the better. But if these charities are so hard pressed for funding, why do they spend such a large amount of money advertising on television? (I can only imagine the cost of primetime advertising on a major network would not come inexpensively when done on a daily basis.) Why not a mail campaign? Why not newspaper ads? Why not coordinate efforts with churches and other organizations on a local level to get public interest? The American Red Cross doesn't even come close to occupying as much time on my radio or t.v. annually, as do these children's organizations ... and look at the amount of aid they have delivered with disaster relief efforts from the recent hurricanes. Either charity, ultimately, is a blessing to someone somewhere and that's what really counts. And the fact people donate anything they may spare to help others, is noble indeed. But, personally, I would get a little fired up knowing I paid for a commercial.

Second Amendment Justice

Due to a recent increase in home invasion type crimes, police are urging local citizens that if they experience such an incident, that they should give the trespasser whatever they want to get them out of the home without incident. Although statistically this may be true, the devil will be wearing a bear skin coat the day that this happens to me. I understand that police have public safety in mind, but that attitude is exactly what thieves are hoping for ... an easy score. I don't know about anyone else, but I do not plan to passively watch a robber in my home make off with the possessions (and personal pride) I worked so hard to get. And on the flip side if stealing really is that simple, and families are so afraid to defend themselves in their own homes, maybe I should consider a career change.

Honey ... The Ghosts Are Here!

Last night, many kids came to my door in a wide variety of costumes and masks to reap the culinary benefits of Halloween. Yes, I gave candy. Not healthy snack bars, fruits, pocket change, or little toys ... good old fashioned sugar loaded chocolate. (I take quite a bit of humor in knowing that Mom and Dad have to put up with their kids wound up on sugar for the next two weeks ... so I gave generously.) But I could not help notice that some of the costumes were hand crafted, obviously by the one wearing them. Although in some cases unrecognizable, either from my lack of knowledge about current day "super heroes" or a deficit to blatantly see what the ensemble was supposed to be through the intricate kid workmanship, the outfits definitely were scary, funny and creative. It's nice to see communities come together, and open their doors to strangers ... even if it's only for one night.