When Freedom is Outlawed, only Outlaws will be Free...

Good evening, my fellow crooks, whether you’ve been found guilty or simply haven’t been caught yet, everyone is welcome in this hive of outlaws. One and all, I invite you to celebrate, for tonight this first night of the Halloween Countdown! For, not only is this the start of yet another unstoppable timeline towards that most dreaded holiday of Halloween, but it’s also the anniversary of my thirty-third year of birth. Yes, of course, tonight it is my birthday:

Happy Birthday to you,
But beware what you do,
Or this might be the last time...
That we sing this to you.

Oh yes, I do enjoy these Halloween Countdowns, and this year I have decided upon an utterly unjustifiable theme. This year, I wanted to explore ideas regarding ‘CRIME’:

Crime /krahym/ n. 1. An action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited. 2. Criminal activity and those engaged in it: To fight crime. 3. The habitual or frequent commission of crimes: A life of crime. 4. Any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin. 5. A foolish, senseless, or shameful act: It's a crime to let that beautiful garden go to ruin.

I’ve been ruminating a lot on crime lately. Firstly and fore-mostly, because America is (at time of writing) once again planning the ritualistic excision of their president, and one of the persons they’re considering is an infamous psychotic criminal. But, one fool isn’t enough to dictate the theme for my Halloween Countdown. There’s also the crimes of the Australian government to consider, as well as the way the media discusses it. Lastly, on a personal note, I have been doing research into True Crime for a story I’m working on, and I’ve learned some fascinating things.
So, this countdown, I plan on talking about these crimes and the eerie phenomenon of people treating crime the same as they would sin; exploring how some crime enforcement does more harm than good; the strange psychology of the audience to true crime as well as some of the ways in which crime is used in fiction... all this and more I have in store for this year’s countdown – as there is space for some other ideas that are, at best, peripheral to the theme. Either way, I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am.

Oh... but before I leave you, one last thing.

In some ways it pains me to say this, but in others it is a relief. Whilst I do enjoy the research and writing of these Halloween Countdowns, I so often find myself stressing to accomplish them at the same time as my other duties that I have often wondered when it will come to an end. For that reason, I have another awful injustice in mind – I plan on ending the Halloween Countdown. But not this year. See, I started this tradition in 2013 (how fitting), and every year since then I have de-marked the 13 days between my birthday and Halloween by publishing a post count down those 13 days. However, this year, is my twelfth Halloween Countdown in so many years... it wouldn’t be right to stop there, would it?
It seems only fitting for the Final Halloween Countdown to be the Thirteenth.

So, if you do enjoy this series, I hope that you’ll enjoy the rest of this year and make sure you mark your calendars next year for the Final Halloween Countdown... I already have a theme in mind. But for now, for tonight, happy birthday to me...