Some of the most fun memories I had as a child were when my siblings and I put on our costumes and went out trick or treating with high hopes that we'd come back with bags and buckets stuffed to the brim with our favorite candy treats.

We'd knock on each door and wait for someone to answer, and then shout "trick or treat" in unison. We'd then hold our bags out in great anticipation while they dropped in a few things, said our thank you's, and hurried along to the next house with the lights on.

We usually did pretty well, and when we got home, that's when the next round of fun would begin. We'd all spread out loot out on the floor in separate well-guarded piles and began the negotiations to hopefully get rid of the lame candy and trade up for the favorites. I'd happily part with candy corns in exchange for Mounds and Almond Joy, which nobody seemed to like but me.

Year after year we did this until we "grew up" and became "too old" to trick or treat, but there are moments when I wish I could go back in time, put on a costume, and maybe knock on a few more doors just to feel that joy again. It's wonderful to see the kids out there just being kids for an evening and building fond memories that will last a lifetime.

There are some folks who don't allow their children to enjoy this tradition because of religious beliefs, but I think maybe people take this holiday a little too seriously and forget that this is more about families sharing time together and making fun memories than anything else. Kids don't have a lot of time to just be kids before the serious stuff in life begins, so maybe it's time for some of these folks to step back and put things in perspective and let the kids have their fun. 

My brother passed away at a young age, and the fun we had at Halloween are some of the strongest memories of my childhood that I keep close to my heart. To this day, I can still see him in the ghost costume he wore one year, and I remember how we were always so excited to get home and see what we all had. It's too bad that it takes a lifetime to understand how important and irreplaceable those early experiences really are in our lives. 

I wish everyone a very safe and fun Halloween! 

American politics will never be the same now that the world has been brought into our homes via the internet and social media. The information age is on hyper-drive, and has opened a virtual Pandora's Box that has unleashed popular political power like never before. Our government representatives and talking heads tweet and blog on a daily basis, creating headline news while sitting at a personal computer keyboard that at times overshadows significant real world events.

Just minutes after an election is called the next political campaign begins, and the onslaught of rhetoric and rants completely overwhelms rational thought. Targeted misinformation keeps an angry political base in a state of perpetual frenzy and hysterics designed to boost fundraising and keep up momentum between election cycles. Fact checkers have to work overtime just to keep everyone honest, but honesty is no virtue for those who continuously throw crap at the wall just to see what sticks, hoping to capitalize on anything that can muddy the waters and create gridlock.

What a different country this would be if our representatives and political media types actually put that energy into problem solving instead of politics for the sake of politics. We just went through a GOP-induced government shutdown that did nothing constructive for anyone, and cost our economy over 24 billion dollars worth of potential business along with the personal suffering of those losing essential government services. Our country will never see its full potential as long as this vicious circle continues year after year.

Moderates on both sides of the aisle need to stand up and be heard above the shouts of the mob so that we can solve the problems of this nation and move forward in a way that benefits this country as a whole. It's time to stuff a proverbial rag into the mouths of those who's only motive is to create chaos for their own personal financial or political gain. There's much to be done to improve our nation, and too much time has been wasted by those who are blinded by their own pursuit of power and wealth.

Here's my advice to those active in government and politics; if you want political power, then earn votes by governing and promoting ways to fix problems, not just by ranting and throwing a wrench in the works to score political points. Your constituents would be much better served, and your children and grandchildren could see the benefits of your work, just as we prospered because of the work done by those who built things like the Hoover Dam and the US highway system. 

This political vicious cycle has to stop, and cooler smarter heads need to prevail to keep this country on a path to lasting greatness and prosperity. 

Some folks may take offense at my title line of this blog, but right now it's the most accurate description of this political hack I can think of. It might even be funny if it wasn't true. Ted Cruz is a political firebug who pours rhetorical gasoline all over America and tosses down the match just to watch this country and its political system burn. This pyromaniac was brought to power by like-minded firebugs on the extreme right who look more like the Taliban every day. 

This coalition of racist bigots, secessionists, and assorted morons is quite a sight, and unfortunately they're taking control of what used to be a valid political party. The sudden purge in the GOP of anyone who doesn't walk lockstep with the ignorant idealistic suicidal political activity led by egomaniacs like Ted Cruz is a serious threat to our democracy as a whole, and must now be confronted by a coalition of both Democrats and moderate Republicans. 

I've always felt that we needed two strong political parties to maintain somewhat of a political balance in this country that would keep our country roughly to the political center and benefit the majority of constituents on both sides of the aisle, but this sudden lurch to the extreme right in the GOP will most likely cause irreparable damage to our country in both the short and long term.

The extreme right lives in an intellectual bubble that's fueled by media talking heads who seem to have complete control over the daily business of the GOP. These unelected ill informed frauds like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck stoke the fires started by Ted Cruz and the rest of the Tea Party blockheads in congress, causing confusion and chaos with misinformation campaigns among the angry right wing mob that blindly accepts their every word as gospel.

It's time for real Republicans to stand up and turn loose the fire hoses on Ted Cruz and his band of arsonists for the good of the GOP and this nation. There's so much work that needs to be done by congress which would benefit everyone in this country and keep us competitive with growing economic superpowers like China. The destructive objectives of the Tea Party are clear, and their mission is to completely divide and destroy this nation for their own selfish motives.

These patriots, as they like to call themselves, are actually revolutionaries who hate the free and diverse America they see now, and they're determined to form a coalition that will split this country into two or more smaller nations so they can form a society and government more to their liking. I took an oath when I volunteered to serve in the US military that pledged to protect this nation from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Ted Cruz and his followers are domestic enemies of America with bad intent, and we all need to respond to put out his fires before they consume us all. 

There seems to be no end to the shameful tactics of Ted Cruz and his Tea Party (non) Patriots. Today these scumbags protested at the WW2 memorial to once again use our veterans as political cannon fodder to showcase their very selfish and irresponsible Tea Party demands. Unless YOU actually served, you have no right to hitch your horse to our wagon. Veterans are getting tired of these political hacks trying to hijack our service and honor to justify their misguided and unpatriotic agendas.

I'm extremely offended that these people, including many of whom signed petitions to secede from the United States after the 2012 elections, are disrespecting this sacred place of honor with their presence. The Tea Party is currently one of the most un-American groups in the US, and many of these people speak of revolution and destroying our government. I hope that more veterans like myself will speak up and show these Tea Party fools the door when they want to latch onto our coattails.

The Tea Party has the right to free speech and the right to demonstrate to voice their opinion, but they absolutely DO NOT have the right to latch their agenda to veterans and our places of honor. I despise the Tea Party and their ilk, and I'm infuriated when these scumbags try to get photo ops with real patriots who very unselfishly serve this country.

Shame on you Tea Party turds! You're nothing but a bunch of phony spineless gutless "patriot wannabe's" who know nothing about real service and sacrifice. Stay away from our places of honor and take your bullshit protests someplace else!

As many Americans, I've been disgusted by this poorly designed Tea Party stunt to shut down the government and play russian roulette with our debt ceiling in order to get rid of health care reform. Health care reform is something this country has needed for a long time, and without many of the protections afforded by the new laws, we'd all continue to be victimized by the growing criminal abuse of health insurance companies who obviously place profit as their number one priority over keeping people healthy. It's no longer deemed profitable for them to pay out medical claims, so they avoid doing so at our expense.

I know the bill isn't perfect, and that we'll need amendments to fix unforeseen issues, but the core concepts of the law are solid and deserve the chance to be implemented. The disgusting part of this entire episode is that the Tea Party and its allies are fighting directly against the basic needs of the people for purely selfish motives. Any of us who have been touched by major medical circumstances understand the need for affordable health care that can't be taken away by greedy insurance companies when we most need it. This is a breach of contract and it's time we call them out on it.

The people and corporate entities that want to kill health care reform have no solutions other than resorting to business as usual, but this can't be allowed to happen. Too many Americans are without health care, and this in itself drives up costs for all Americans when the health care system is used in an inefficient manner. Preventative care can translate into huge savings for taxpayers just from treating illnesses or chronic conditions before they become expensive major medical cases.

Pure capitalism as an economic model for our health care system won't work because greedy unethical people don't care who suffers as long as their bank account grows. A good balance between public and private control over health care can allow the health care sector to make money and grow their business, but also provide basic reasonable protections for consumers who are at the mercy of criminally apathetic corporate bean counters that feel no remorse while dropping coverage on those who are suffering the most. 

The other burning issue I have against the Tea Party is a bit more personal. As a veteran, I'm disgusted at the shameful way that the so-called Tea Party Patriots are using using our honored veterans as poster children for their very un-American activities. Veterans serve this country in a very unselfish manner, putting their lives and limbs on the line, not to mention the undo burden placed on their families from these ridiculously long deployments. The basic premise of the Tea Party is to avoid paying their fair share of taxes at all costs, and these selfish motives are exactly the opposite from what I and other veterans represent. When I listen to Tea Party followers complain about paying too many taxes I can't help but remember the images of flag-draped coffins arriving from overseas to meet grieving families... and I ask, who really is paying too much?

To the Tea Party... DON'T YOU DARE HITCH YOUR HORSE TO OUR WAGON!!!! The majority of you Tea Party (non) Patriots have never served, and you don't get to share in our honor or take credit for our service...  SHAME ON YOU!!