Our culture's attitude towards "holy days"

A shop worker was trampled to death when hundreds of American bargain hunters stampeded through the doors at the opening of a superstore sale this morning.
The stock clerk was bowled over as he tried to hold back the unruly crowds.
As he gasped for air, witnesses said shoppers swarmed over him, stepping on him and pushing him back down as he tried to get out of the way.

Read the rest of this sad commentary
here

Man in critical condition after standing up to teen gang who vandalised his car

See, in the UK all you can do when attacked is get beat up, hope to God someone gets you to a hospital, then hope the police actually do something, then hope that the thugs don't come back and beat you up for turning them in in the first place.
And people think we're somehow less civilized because we want to be armed? Here's an odd coincidence - it is true that a lot of us (Americans) "cling to guns and religion". It is also true that most Brits do not cling to either. Isn't it ironic? I think I'll continue to be a Clinger.
(Not like Corporal Clinger either.)
Here's the story.

Yet Another Music Snapshot (Y.A.M.S)

Long White Cadillac - Dwight Yoakam
Leave Virginia Alone - Rod Stewart
Running On Faith - Eric Clapton
Don't Let It Bring You Down - Annie Lennox
Fortunate Few - Delbert McClinton
Go Down Easy - Dan Fogelberg
Unbelievable - Craig David
One Moment More - Mindy Smith
Breathe - Anna Nalick
Watching the River Flow - Bob Dylan
(Hon. Mention: London Bridge - Fergie. I was in the car with my 16 year old niece and when the song came on I started kinda grooving a bit, which she thought was cool and encouraged me to work on my . . . "boo-tee-pop". So I am. And if I may say, I'm getting to where I can, how do the kids say? "Drop it like it is hot.")

Dear Bitter Anonymous

Friend, you've clearly had a much more difficult existence than I have, either that or you're in the final stages of tertiary syphillis and your mind is losing its grip. In any event, I wish you well, 'cause anything you get is better than what you are offering up.

(While you're at it, dude, LTFU!)

Join Us!

And by "us" I mean me.
HOPE! YOU CAN HOPE IN!
CHANGING! THE THINGS YOU THINK ONE THOUGHT AT A TIME!
I''ll be offering memberships in the near FUTURE!. You can spare yourselves another telethon/pledge drive/plead-a-thon/membership DRIVE by going AHEAD and sending me some money. I can't decide on what the premiums will be - you know the FREE STUFF you get for your donations?
Maybe I'll set up a PayPal account but in the meantime a pledge* will do.
*Pledge must be accompanied by funds.
You can send your love offering to:
Southern Center for the Advancement of Menimism*
P.O. Box 150421
Nashville, TN 37215


*The mailing address is real. Send your love offering today! Organization exists only in my mind and is for illustration purposes only. All funds will be used purely at my whim and are not tax deductible. No deposit, no return. Close cover before striking. You break it, you bought it.

Return of the Pleaders

On Thursday, June 26 I made the following prediction about PBS and their ubiquitous telethons:

So if the pattern holds we should see something along these lines again around mid-to-late August.

Annnnnnnnd . . . they're back! In less time than expected, too. (Thanks for not making us wait for yet another repeat of "One-hit Wonders & Tired Hippies".) The PBS telethons -sorry, pledge drives - are getting as common as those brought to us by Paul and Jan Crouch and the crowd at TBN.

Maybe PBS could get Jan to do a guest-host spot, bring a few hankies and tell some stories, trot out some video footage of doe-eyed kids around the world benefiting from her largesse in the form of Barbie dolls. Maybe Jan could toss in a Barbie for everyone who pledged at such-and-such a level? Maybe Paul could get a couple of the "Bishops" to come over and exhort us to sow a seed-faith offering?

Oh, and here comes Eric Burdon in that same, lame, mini-tent Hawaiian shirt.

As Homer Simpson would say, "Help me, Jebus!"

Now, when should we expect the next installment? I'm putting my money, er seed-faith offering, on the period of September 26 and October 4.

Touch somebody and say, "This is the season for your manifold manna harvest blessing!"*

*(For a montly pledge of 25 dollars. Manifold manna harvest blessing not valid in all states. Some restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. This offer is not a guarantee of said blessing. Package sold by weight, not by volume; contents may have settled during shipping. Fragrance free. No animals were harmed in the making of this offer. Warning: this blessing processed in a facility that processes peanuts. Do not take this blessing if pregnant or nursing or if you may become pregnant. Side effects may include gas, bloating, scaly patches, achy-breaky pelvis, Juggler's Despair, frequent urination and restless leg syndrome. If side effects persist or increase discontinue use and consult your local barista. Separate colors from whites and wash in cold water only. Use only a non-chlorine bleach. Lather, rinse, repeat. This offer may not be combined with any other offer.)

What Gets You Rejected

This is not the place for bitter, anonymous, argumentative axe-grinders. It isn't that kind of blog. Take it some place else.