As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods —
merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This
year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine
concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift
giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes
there is!It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.
Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down
the Benjamines on a foreign made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.
How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is
struggling to get his repair business up and running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at
your hometown theatre.
Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand twinkle
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about
fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to
burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.
Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow
their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our
communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.
Forward this to everyone on your mailing list — post it to discussion
groups — throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in
your city — send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations,
and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other,
and isn’t that what Christmas is about?
I’ve fought a lifelong battle with the religion monster. Grew up in a Mormon community. Yes, the real thing. In Utah, and right square in the heart of possibly the purest hard-core Mormon community in existence. I was around six years old when I first learned that there are human beings in this universe who are NOT Mormons. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was being raised by some of ‘em. I’d done a fair bit of wonderin’ about why mine was the only dad in town who didn’t go to church at least occasionally.
Bein’ the rebellious little shit I was, Mormonism never got it’s hooks into me but I did see a desperate belief in most folks. Even my old druggin’ and drinkin’ buddies tended to grow up, clean up, go on a “mission” and join into the entire cult ure.
Having grown up surrounded by “the truth” I did become curious. Almost did get hooked in fact, but my curious/rebellious nature led me towards questioning. My questions led to Satan or an interesting truth, depending upon how you look at it (Mormon or non-Mormon). I finally came to realize that “the truth” in the case of this religion is not actually the truth at all. Nevertheless, its believers don’t see the problems that jab me in the eye with a sharp fork. For them any problems were created and planted by Jesus’s brother (Satan). I’ve even attended a couple meetings lately and noticed that almost the entire point of discussion during both of these meetings referred to the interesting fact that if things don’t go as we’re taught they will, this is actually proof that the church IS true. So if things go as taught and believed, the Mormon faith IS justified and true, if not, this proves the Mormon faith IS justified and even MORE true. Apparently, once you sign up that’s it, no more questions exist because no matter what happens, it’s God’s will, it’s for your best and if you stick with it, you’ll be a God yerself one day… Really? I hope not! It’s hard enough just being an ordinary shit-head human. No desire to be a God resides in me. And Didn’t the Bible, Torah, Koran and African witch doctor manuals say that you’d better not be plannin’ to be a God and beware anyone who makes the suggestion?
Sorry.. I digress. The point of all this is leading up to: Studying and daydreamin’ have led me to what I think is an important discovery. Whether we were “created” or “evolved”, humanity has ended up with a nature that is as inescapable as hunger, thirst, sex and fishin’. That nature has many components but one of the most predictable is what I call, “egoteneoism.” It is this aspect of human nature that causes Catholics to believe the unbelievable with a fervency difficult to imagine, and in spite of all logic or evidence to the contrary. Some call this Religion. It is indeed a driving force behind Islam, Confucianism, Judaism, Mormonism or any of the dozens of beliefs in supernatural God beings of one kind or another. However the same trait exists in all humanity, even those not believing in supernatural God beings.
The irrational behavior of the believers is entirely predictable and appears throughout humanity in the very same way. For some the God creature is liberalism, for some science, for some the God of evolution disproves the silly nonsense believed by those who buy into the God of creation. Ecology, hunting, wealth, the Blues, chocolate, marijuana… any number of things. Also, there is no limitation on the number of egoteneoistic lords. The concept of only one God is a fairly new religious premise, apparently unthought of prior to Pharaoh Akhenaten who might well have inspired the Hebrews who were in Egypt during his reign and thrown out according to the Egyptians, rescued by Moses according to them (your egoteneoism probably has the answer as to which is accurate, and whichever it is, you are right! Just ask you). In any case, monotheistic faith is still far from universal, so those who follow multiple “Gods” fit in nicely, in many ways.
It all boils down to what we choose to believe. Once the decision is made it’s time to believe whatever we’ve chosen, against any and all opposition, since the opposition is “of Satan”, of Reagan, of creationists, of animal rights activists or whatever your particular boglevidian demon happens to be. We all believe, worship, proselytize, and attempt convert others to following our own true egoteneoism (for their own good). For me the God is Freedom and I tithe responsibility, which does make my God somewhat supernatural. And I KNOW I’m right! Says so on https://ibaconi.wordpress.com/ and who could reasonably doubt that??
From time to time an event of notable importance occurs. Something a commentator with the type of time limitations I battle, simply can’t ignore. For example, when a gay, African, Muslim with Irish roots and a bundle of social security numbers becomes President of the United States of America, well, I’m simply forced to take note. When the Catcher in the Rye kills John Lennon, I can’t look the other way. When Elton John puts out an album with Motörhead it’s, well, he never did, but it would definitely be noteworthy if he did! This is the sort of noteworthy event that Lou Reed performing with Metallica is. Chuck Klosterman, in an article he wrote, “Injustice For All: The Lou Reed/Metallica Album” listed 4 reasons:
1-Two historically significant artists merging unrelated genres for no defined reason.
2-Adult, self-aware musicians following their own creative vision, devoid of commercial pressure or responsibility.
3-An attempt to produce something authentically different from anything we’ve ever heard before, motivated only by a desire to see what would happen.
4-A confident, unvarnished attempt at taking arcane high art (Lulu is based on theatrical German expressionism from the early 20th century) and repackaging it for denim-clad teenagers huffing gas in Arizona parking lots.
Klosterman follows this list with 3 paragraphs pointing out how horrible it actually is. I hate to say this, being a fan of both (in spite of Metallica’s “Some Kind of Monster” revealing what a bunch of sissies these “metal monsters” are), but I pretty much agree. It certainly is interesting and damn, I really want to like this, but I’m afraid I just can’t quite do it. Lou Reed has done some stunning work (once in a while) and Metallica while having slipped somewhat from their peak, are always well above average. Neither live up to their potential. Lulu gives us a significantly sub-par performance from both sides. I can’t make myself recommend it. However, I really would like to see the same experiment performed with Tom Waits and Alice in Chains as the unusual ingredients.
The land of the free and the home of the brave. The founders of which were revolutionaries who, against all odds freed the American people from the governmental control and taxation of “the mother land”. They produced a document which has been viewed as the epitome of freedom, but which is now being used to justify the implementation of governmental control far beyond that which the founders rebelled against.
America ELECTED Barrack Hussein Obama, or Barry Soetoro or whoever he is, as President of the United States of America. Kenya’s minister of lands has complemented America for having elected a “Kenyan-born” man as President. Canadian Press has ventured where the American Mainstream Media fears to tread, in making note of the miserable result of Obama’s election as well as the fact that he was never required to prove his citizenship prior to election. The results of which they predict will be felt and paid for throughout the western world.
Financially successful Americans are being forced to pay for the health, education and welfare of the unsuccessful because welfare is a “right”. In America you have a “right” to express your opinion and beliefs. A right guaranteed by the First Amendment, unless you’re a school teacher or a Country singer who performs for E.S.P.N. or some such radical element trying to communicate something which isn’t considered “politically correct”. The President of the United States of America, and his Democrat allies and some Republicans as well, are working with the United Nations to implement “International Gun Control”. The United Nations? Implementing gun control in America? Yep. Not done yet, but in the works. I could go on, but I’m afraid I’d run out of paper.
Is this the America Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and a host of other brilliant, freedom and independence oriented people had in mind when they inspired the country to take up arms and risk their very existence against tremendous odds, in the name of freedom? They were men who already had security, but they valued liberty more. Their very signatures on the declaration stood them under threat of death. Five were actually tortured to death. Others lost their homes and property. Nine of the signers fought and died. Their pledge, “For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence,, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” Did Washington enjoy the benefits typical of todays “leaders”? He helped finance the war with his own money and served without pay. Do our current leaders walk this path? I think they’d need a powerful telescope to even see it.
Obama may be right about the need to update the constitution, but the need is spurred by those like Obama himself who are twisting its intention to fit their self serving desires. You can bet your ass and firewood the founding fathers had no notion of a “United Nations”, nor an “American Union”. What our founders stood for was Independence, which springs from the combination of freedom and responsibility. America was not intended to become the cuddling mommy to its citizens. America was intended to become and remain the land of the free and the home of the brave!
I’ve had a lifelong struggle with religion. Believer? Don’t believer? Yes today, no tomorrow, I don’t know on Wednesday. A religion I’d grown up surrounded by yet doubting soundly, eventually got its hooks in me. I think the fact that I’d grown up such a rebel, surrounded by family that didn’t believe this particular faith, ended up arming me with the fortitude I needed to shake the hook. I now see that faith as absolutely ridiculous, yet I know very intelligent people who believe it, absolutely.
Seems if we grant power to a God, ANYTHING is possible, yes? Even the illogical, yes? Even the impossible? ABSOLUTELY! You see, we have Satan here making the truth look bad, so the truth I recognize is under constant attack by a magical, demonic, entity of immense power, so naturally it’s hard for you to see the truth. Apparently God likes the controversy since he doesn’t step in to correct it. This is why we call it a “test”.
But why does the being of ultimate power, wisdom and understanding, who knows everything, sees the future, knows the end before the beginning, and has no limitations outside of following the laws he, himself created, need to test anything?
Well, he’s doing it for us. Can a God not simply “inject” us with the wisdom needed? Apparently not. Instead he/she/it creates us, places here, gives us an obscure, endlessly debatable, non-provable, illogical, difficult set of guidelines, which he places in the hands of human “messengers/profits/philosophers” to pass on to the rabble and himself, makes no appearance (except to Moses & Joseph Smith). And why? Well, that depends on which messenger/profit/philosopher/scientist/witchdoctor/hoodoo-guru you decide is correct and choose to believe.
Interestingly, I was visited yesterday by a good friend, Jesse, who is a “Christian”. He doesn’t use the label “born-again” but I figure that’s where he stands. We’ve had many “religion” discussions in the past, some of which have been almost frightening, in terms of his attachment to reality. He uses a lot of words to say little… hmm.. does this make me a hypocrite? Still I hold him in high regard. Yesterday he pointed out what he sees as a mistake made by many, the belief that there is a price for redemption.
This places me at the doorstep of a big mystery… Redemption from what? Did God create fallen beings? Was there some sort of pre-existence during which we fell? Is our own simple existence somehow faulty? Were we some sort of mistake? Whatever the answer is, it has to be God’s fault, which would make “redemption” God’s duty (by any typical ethical standard).
Jesse didn’t make this particular argument but the end result, the fact that there is no price for redemption, makes perfect sense in light of this logic. “Bacon, don’t look at it as making a trade. Redemption is done. What you’ve done in the past, and what you’ll do in the future is irrelevant.”
Not having a particularly firm belief in Christ’s actual existence, particularly the deity aspect, I’ve yet been magnificently impressed by his story. The last days in particular. The suffering he endured at the hands of the very people he was suffering for. Even the aspect that I can comprehend weighed against his ability to end it at any time. Mercy amplified!
Although a great deal of the most horrible atrocities in history have been performed in his name, the example he set in the story is peerless mercy, nobility unequaled. Even if Christ is fantasy or fiction, following his example could only be good. Christ performed miracles of mercy and didn’t require payment. There are no examples of “I’ll cure you if you pay your tithing, if you go to church, if you go on sinlessly…” Nope, what he said was, “freely ye received, freely give.” He did, however say, “your faith has healed you”. So the closest thing I see to a price is belief or faith and I don’t know if even that is attached to redemption. If we are indeed the products of a deity, belief seems a small price to pay for redemption.
Unfortunately, due to a lifetime of being surrounded by multitudinous misrepresentations, a great many conducted by the “religious”, my belief vault is empty. Nevertheless, I deeply respect the principles Christ represents and so I’ll go forward and believe as best I can, follow as nearly as possible the example of humanity set by Christ.
Well hell, here I am with nothing to say… Tell me that ain’t unusual!
Let’s see… Oh yeah! I’ve got a shitload of stuff to say actually. OK, here it is.. Decided to walk over to ma’n Pa’s, talk ‘em out of somethin’ to eat and then get a ride home. The walk from here (the Liquor Store) to mom & dads would be the longest actual walk I’ve taken in 5 years… by far. (Five years ago I had two legs and a keen sense of balance and was in monstrous good shape.) Turns out it’s more of an obstacle course to a fake-legged, severely brain damaged feller with a very inhibited sense of balance.
I brought Alice, my trusty little girl friend and headed out. made it over there fairly well, sweatin’ like a stuck pig. Later on this evening I said something about this to Bart’s daughter, at LD’s and she said pigs don’t sweat. Is that true? I don’t know. Chances are high that I’ll continue to use that phrase one way or the other. Anyway, once I finally made it over there I removed my fancy XXXXX beaver cowboy hat (the hat was a mistake), so I wouldn’t ruin it with sweat. Grabbed the doorknob.. Locked! Yahoo!! I was, believe it or not, exhausted.
The feeling was precisely the same as the feeling I had when I took my first truly long distance bike ride. I rode north through Preston, to Strawberry Canyon and headed up towards Bear Lake. I had it in my head that Kim was gonna head out in an hour or so, catch up with me and we’d load up my bike, go eat and head home. I made it all the way through Strawberry Canyon over to Ovid (yep there’s a town named Ovid”) and when I got there I began to accept the possibility Kim wasn’t actually coming. Still, I felt pretty good so I turned around and headed back towards home. Made it back through the Canyon (full canyon, up one side and down the other). Back to the Bear River bottom and finally reached the hill back up out of the Bear River valley. HUGE hill. Steep, long, with demons waving pitchforks and fat old ladies screaming obscenities scattered along the several mile long, steep uphill stretch. I looked at that climb and the feeling was identical to the feelin’ I had today upon realizing that I had to make the treacherous walk back.. Makes me feel pretty manly ‘er somethin’. Turns out the bike ride might’ve been preparatory for todays walk. I made the ride, thinkin’.. no.. certain that I would die at any moment. I remembered the ride as I was makin’ the walk and figured, by God I’m gonna fuckin’ make it! I did. Then walked to LD’s for a grilled cheese and fries, fer good measure!.. Oh! Gotta remember to call Bart’s wife tomorrow. They’re gonna pose on Bart’s chopper for a picture for me, on Saturday.
He he.. Alice is exhausted.. One thing about only havin’ one leg… only one leg hurts.
Inspired by a fairly recent “debate” between myself and an ROTC student and Veteran from military action in Iraq, during which I was dramatically surprised to learn, from a military boy, that The Obama is the greatest President in history, and that our problems today are due, in part to Bush, but mostly to Reagan. I maintained enough self control to avoid vomiting. I even avoiding voicing my honest opinion of his intelligence level and we parted company each believing the other a fool, yet smiling.
Tonight, thinking of that feller, I elected to watch on Netflix, “Ronald Reagan: An American Journey”. Reagan’s words were stunning! He was speaking not only of his time, but his words beautifully expressed the monumental mistake America is making still. The foolishness of American leaders has slid downhill ever since Reagan’s term ended, magnified with each passing year till today it is literally awesome. How can a free society like ours become so incredibly weak, spineless and dependent. To allow what has happened to happen in America is not only disgraceful, it is disgusting!
I feel the need to share some quotes of the magnificent Ronald Reagan (along with a bit of commentary): ‘er (:
“But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret.” ~Perhaps the only words of Reagan which actually influenced The Obama.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”
“Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
“How can a president not be an actor?”
“Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.”
“They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.” ~Hitting the nail on the head!
“We might come closer to balancing the Budget if all of us lived closer to the Commandments and the Golden Rule.” ~True whether yer a deist or not.
“We’re in greater danger today than we were the day after Pearl Harbor. Our military is absolutely incapable of defending this country.” ~Actually I think they are and always have been capable, they’ve just not been allowed to function.
“People do not make wars; governments do.” ~And religions… usually hand in hand with government.
“Some people wonder all their lives if they’ve made a difference. The Marines don’t have that problem.” ~oorah!
“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
“Status quo, you know, is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in’.”
“Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the word, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.” ~and a reason our enemies from within are working so hard to disable it.
“How do you tell a communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.” ~Obuma?
“We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” ~Indeed the very core of the matter!
“The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
I highly recommend watching “Ronald Reagan: An American Journey” and if it doesn’t resonate, go ahead and vote for Obuma.
Ok, not that it’ll matter much, however to the list of over 1000 “scientists” who don’t support the anthropomorphic global warming egoteneoism, we can now add Nobel Prize winners.
Dr. Ivar Giaever (one of Obuma’s “scientific supporters” in 2008) won the Nobel for physics, now has actually resigned from the American Physical Society (APS), saying that he cannot live with the APS statement on global warming: “The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring, If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses beginning now.” Dr Giaever wrote, “In the APS it is ok to discuss whether the mass of the proton changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves, but the evidence of global warming is incontrovertible? The claim (how can you measure the average temperature of the whole earth for a whole year?) is that the temperature has changed from ~288.0 to ~288.8 degree Kelvin in about 150 years, which (if true) means to me is that the temperature has been amazingly stable, and both human health and happiness have definitely improved in this ‘warming’ period.” The one thing Dr. Giaever said which excites me personally is, “Global warming has become a new religion…“ and, to the NYT, global warming “can’t be discussed, just like religion…” Statements which nicely support my egoteneoism theory whether he’s right or wrong.
Turns out Giaever isn’t the only “scientist” who resigned. Another, Hal Lewis, physicist said, “Climategate was a fraud on a scale I have never seen… This is not a science”.
Another Nobel winner Dr. Laughlin rejected this in 2010, and said, “Climate is beyond our power to control… Climate change is a matter of geologic time, something that the Earth routinely does on its own without asking anyone’s permission or explaining itself… Suppose you are very serious about making a dent in carbon emissions and could replace about 10% of the world’s energy sources with
non-CO2-emitting nuclear power by 2020 — roughly equivalent to halving U.S. emissions. Based on IPCC-like projections, the required 1,000 new nuclear power plants would slow the warming by about 0.2176 degrees Fahrenheit per century. It’s a dent… My experience as a missionary teacher in Africa opened my eyes to this simple fact: Without access to energy, life is brutal and short. The uncertain impacts of global warming far in the future must be weighed against disasters at our doorsteps today. Bjorn Lomborg’s Copenhagen Consensus 2004, a cost-benefit analysis of health issues by leading economists (including three Nobelists), calculated that spending on health issues such as micronutrients for children, HIV/AIDS and water purification has benefits 50 to 200 times those of attempting to marginally limit ‘global warming.’ Given the scientific uncertainty and our relative impotence regarding climate change, the moral imperative here seems clear to me.”
Dr Borlaug, the father of the “Green Revolution” and another Nobel winner said “…is this another one of those natural cycles that have brought on glaciers and cause melting of glaciers?”
John Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center at the UofA was reported by the Wall Street Journal as believing that it is not a proven fact that global warming is human caused, and he is refusing his share of the Nobel price because it is “based on a misunderstanding of science… The other half of the prize was awarded to former Vice President Al Gore, whose carbon footprint would stomp my neighborhood flat. But that’s another story. Large icebergs in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Winter sea ice around the continent set a record maximum last month.
On the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works website is posted an article entitled “UN Blowback: More Than 650 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims” The article continues to increase the number to ‘More than 700 International scientists dissent over man global warming claims. See the full article here: http://epw.senate
Even the Deseret News in utah sports an article entitled “More scientists speak out against global warming” which begins, “Americans have been rope-a-doped into believing that global warming is going to destroy our planet. Scientists who have been skeptical about man-made global warming have been called traitors or handmaidens of big oil.” (Walter Williams) and continues later with, “The global warming scare has provided a field day for politicians and others who wish to control our lives. After all, only the imagination limits the kind of laws and restrictions that can be written in the name of saving the planet… It is a blatant lie put forth in the media that makes it seem there is only a fringe of scientists who don’t buy into anthropogenic global warming.” (Walter Williams)
Try this.. global cooling, Geologist Dr. Don J. Easterbrook, emeritus professor at Western Washington University, says, “Recent solar changes suggest that it could be fairly severe, perhaps more like the 1880 to 1915 cool cycle than the more moderate 1945-1977 cool cycle.”
Geologist Dr. David Gee, chairman of the science committee of the 2008 International Geological Congress, currently at Uppsala University in Sweden, asks, “For how many years must the planet cool before we begin to understand that the planet is not warming? For how many years must cooling go on?”
Hard for me to get to serious about the dreadful global warming “problem” which government, internationally (new international order?) is using to ramp up it’s power grab. Which magnificent environmentally conscious heroes such as Al Gore are using to make millions (look at how magnificently his internet invention has gone!). But it does give me increased confidence in my own philosophy of egoteneoism. Just for kicks Google “Religion AND global warming” and check out the response.
Three years since the last release and finally… These bad boys have got the Southern Rock thing down quite nicely. They haven’t been a band to lay down much actual political commentary but the final track here, “World Wake Up” delivers nicely in a most unusual fashion I believe.. Warren Haynes knows how to lay it down, handling it well with the Allman Brothers, the Dead, remarkable solo work and a pretty impressive line up of Gov’t Mule releases. http://www.mule.net/
ibaconi 