Greed and the Christmas Spirit

The human race never ceases to amaze me! The whole holiday of Christmas, well, every holiday for that matter, has been hijacked and held for ransom by the big corporations. They have even managed to get their chubby fingers into the Christmas pie! Black Friday, as most of you know, is the "big" shopping day after Thanksgiving (which we only get to enjoy for a day). Gorging on material things has become a close rival with stuffing your face and belly on Thanksgiving.

This greed has become even more obvious this year. Yesterday, in New York State, a local Wal Mart opened its doors at 5am, as has become the new tradition for Black Friday. Bargains galore awaited the shoppers who frothed at the mouth to storm the doors. In all of the frenzy created by greed and first-come first-served, get-mine-before-you-get-yours mentality, the man who opened the doors was trampled and killed by the mob of holiday shoppers. In an effort to help rescue the man, several workers were also stampeded upon, though not as tragically.

When that particular Wal Mart announced that they were going to shut the store because of this man's death, the holiday well-wishers loudly protested, saying they weren't going to leave, because they had been in line since "yesterday."

For me, the way people have become obsessed with their spending and materialism at Christmas has become a big turnoff. The holidays are no longer about family and friends and traditions...they're about greed, materialism, and selfishness. How about we go back to the days of homemade gifts, home baked goodies...things that require an effort and are made with love?

I'm sorry for that man and his family, and I'm sorry that some Americans are such selfish pigs. But, hey! Don't let another human being's loss of life ruin the bargain you'll get on a 19" Samsung flat screen TV!

Just Want To Say....

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope your day is full of family, food, fun, and most of all, football!!!! Ha! Go Cowboys!

Just a reminder to love and appreciate your family, and be thankful for all of your blessings!

What a Lovely Song/Video

We Hold These Truths...

The opening of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

So why is gay "marriage" even an issue? Can you imagine if the Southern States would have been allowed to "vote" on the issues of slavery, or civil rights? It never would have passed. Since when does popular vote dictate civil rights? Discrimination should never be "amended" to the constitution, whether it is the State or United States Constitution.

I was reading an article on huffingtonpost.com yesterday (or the day before!), about the passing of Prop 8 in California, what a step backwards it is. One of the comments was to this effect, "If you people would call it something different, I would stop voting no."

Ummmmm...okay, what else should we call it?

Freedom From Religion

This is the website I was talking about in one of my blogs. It's the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

http://www.ffrf.org/

It's A New Day!

Will.i.am's new video:

I Couldn't Resist...Mmmkay?

I LOVE SOUTH PARK!

Hate and the State Constituion

Most of you informed people know about Prop 8 in California...banning same sex marriage after it had been declared legal by the Supreme Court. On the drive to Colorado Springs on Thursday, Nicol and I were discussing it. I told her that it didn't make sense to me how a state constitution can be amended so easily, when it is such a major undertaking to amend the US constitution. I explained it to her a bit, then we started listening to Randi Rhodes on Air America 760, progressive talk (just a little advertisement). Randi is an amazingly smart person. You can listen to her online if you don't have a progressive radio station in your area. http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/ Randi was talking about the very same thing.

In case you don't know how it works, I will tell you. Any proposed amendement to the United States constitution requires 2/3 approval by the House of Representatives, then a 2/3 approval by the Senate. THEN it goes to the States for ratification. The amendment then has to be approved by 3/4 (I believe this is right) of the States. It's a LONG process, and one that has a very small chance of being approved.

This is not true with what has been happening in the states that have banned gay marriage, and adoption for gay couples. Groups with political and religious agendas, backed by money, have been able to get initiatives and amendments to the state constitutions on the ballot by getting a required number of signatures. Period. (The Mormon Church gave over $15 million to help defeat Prop 8). Then the amendment passes or fails by a civil majority...meaning if it's 1999.6 votes to 1999.4 votes, it passes. This just isn't right. Why don't states have to follow the same procedure to amend their constitution that the nation has to follow? And why are we allowing hate and prejudice to be written into the constitution?

Personally, I think this could be a good thing, though, because it opens up the amendments that have been passed, to the courts...or it should...because they are unconstitutional. We just need someone to stand up and challenge these intiatives. And I think the Mormon Church should lose its tax exempt status for mixing politics and religion.

Survival

Well, we survived the Colorado Springs trip! The show was decent, considering the shambles our economy is in. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was reading one of the "Springs" independent newspapers...it had a caricature of George Bush, with a caption that said "That's All Folks!" It was like Porky Pig and Looney Tunes. The paper said that 40% of El Paso county voted for OBAMA! That is a miracle of all miracles! I just can't describe to you how conservative that area has always been. Up until this year, there wasn't ONE government position held by a Democrat.

I had so many positive comments on my Obama buttons. Obama supporters walked around with HUGE smiles on their face...and everyone would say the same thing, "This feels so good!" And I would agree! It does feel good. Like a huge weight has been lifted off! Ahhhhh.....

We also had some great sushi with some friends who live in Colorado Springs. They are a bi-racial couple, and when they first moved to the Springs, Jimmy said they got so many stares. One of the first questions he was asked by his neighbors was, "What flock do you belong to?" Isn't that just weird? Some of those people are whacky!

I saw a billboard that said, "Imagine No Religion." What a great city to have that billboard in. The website is ffrf.org, I believe. I'm going to check it out today.

Pray For Me, People....

....ha ha! Nothing life threatening or anything like that! Just keep Nicol and me in your thoughts as we venture out to the whackiness that is Colorado Springs. This is one of THE most beautiful cities in Colorado, but sadly also one of THE most conservative cities in the nation, not to mention THE home of Focus on the Family....ICK, ICK, AND MORE ICK. I am tempted to wear my Obama t-shirt, but it is dirty from Tuesday night and probably still smells of champagne, so I will have to wear a button. I can't think of a city I would rather go to right now! I wish I had a Bill Maher button to wear!

Hey all you crazies! Come buy a Pony-O for Horus-mas (get Adrienne to explain that one)! HA!

Religulous

You've heard of this guy named Bill Maher? Politically Incorrect on HBO? Well, he is on the money with this documentary about religion. It's about religious ideas and beliefs that are absurd, ridiculous, or comical....the title comes from the combination of religion and ridiculous, and I couldn't agree more!!!!!!!

He delves into a lot of religions: Mormonism, Muslim, Jews for Jesus, to name a few, and my favorite: Christianity. Having been raised in church and married for 19 years to a preacher, I have had a lot of "experience" with Christianity, very little of it positive. As a kid, I never really "agreed" or felt comfortable with the whole church thing. I would have had greater pleasure playing outside or watching football on TV. The stories of Jonah and the Whale, Noah and the Ark, and the beliefs just didn't line up for me (that Jesus was born of a virgin, rose from the dead, etc.). But you know, if you make your feelings about that known, you are bound for hell, so it was always best to shut up and go along for the ride!

Well, Bill Maher confirms a lot of things for me. His comparison of the story of Jesus to other middle eastern religions was eye opening. For example, Horus, an Egyptian god, whose story sounds an awful lot like Jesus.

http://www.paganizingfaithofyeshua.netfirms.com/comparsison_horus_jesus_chart.htm

Thanks to Adrienne, my boss, for that website address. Some Christians assert that all other deities are copies of Christ, that Socrates and Plato copied the words of Paul in the New Testament, and refuse to believe or admit that a lot of "Christian" practices and holidays are actually copies of pagan practices and holidays.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who finds this religion thing to be ridiculous.

Now you can see why I write about politics....

Bossi-ness

Adrienne thinks she's my boss. She told me to write a blog today that isn't about politics. Great....so I'll probably write one about religion!

Yes We Did!

The day of hope has arrived! Finally, we can have our country back!

800 Billion Dollar Pyramid

Getting Ready to Party!!!!

Got the posters up....got the champagne in the refrigerator...almost ready to watch the returns! If we can keep the Republicans from cheating during this election like they have the last two, we will be celebrating Barack Obama as our next president! YAY!!! How are you going to celebrate?

One Last Rally

Yesterday, Nicol and I went to a Michelle Obama rally at Dakota Ridge High School. It was so much fun being in that atmosphere again. We so enjoyed going to the festivities at the Democratic Nation Convention here in Denver, and we got to be in that same "like attitude" one more time! To be expected, there were some McCain/Palin supporters on the opposite street corner. I don't have a problem with people supporting their candidate, but I do have a problem when they are hateful, beligerent, and spewing their lies, especially where they don't belong, at the other candidate's rally. Go to your own dysfunctional rally and tell your lies to each other. Honestly, they were along the same lines as the Crazy McCain Rally Lady who said Obama is an Arab. Not America's finest trailer park trash.

Anyway, we were in line with several people who came from California to knock on doors and canvass for Obama. They were employees of a couple of law firms in the San Fransisco area. One was Virginia, a former New Yorker, who is a friend of some the of the Grateful Dead and other rock bands. This is her banner:

These are the young people from the other law firm:

The line was long, but everyone was so pumped up, so it went by pretty fast. We got to hear from Rep. Perlmutter, Governor Bill Ritter, Sen. Ken Salazar, and Senatorial hopeful Mark Udall (who is the cousin to Senatorial hopeful Tom Udall in New Mexico).

Gov Ritter

Last, but certainly by no means, least....Michelle Obama. What a gracious, classy woman. I will be so proud to have her as my first lady....I wouldn't care if her skin color was green.

It was nice to hear an intelligent, educated woman speak. No shrieking, no winking, no gosh-darnit's...just a nice flow of well thought out sentiments. She and Barack are examples of what's left of the American Dream....they came from families with very little, who worked hard to make a better life for their children. They both attended the finest colleges in the nation and became lawyers; both have used their education to help others. They didn't come from wealth or privilege....

She didn't speak ill of the other party's candidates...there wasn't anything negative said at the rally...just hope: hope for the future of our country, hope for our children and grandchildren. It was uplifting. She did mention that Barack's grandmother had passed away...very sad...

After the rally, we went to see Religulous, which is another blog!

Six Weeks

As of today, my mom has been gone for six weeks. Since the funeral I have been super busy, with not a lot of free time to let my mind wander or think of anything but work. This is a rare weekend off, and I'm enjoying being at home. However, the down side is the realization that hits you like a ton of bricks out of nowhere...it takes your breath away, and leaves a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach: when you walk by a picture, or some reminder, or think of a funny story you want to tell, and your heart slaps you upside the head, and reminds you that person is gone...gone forever. I guess time will heal everything, and really, I haven't had much time to grieve for the loss of my mom.

With that said, I have wanted to write this particular blog since mom's funeral, because it is in a trying time such as that, that you realize how very much your family means to you. I am speaking of my mom...we all love our mothers and fathers. But I am also speaking of my brother, my sisters, my nieces and nephews and their families, my children and grandchildren, and my dad. I can't imagine how his heart feels, losing the woman he was married to for 61 years. I hurt for him.

I have the most awesome family in this entire world, which I sometimes take for granted. I think we all do to some degree. You think they will always be around, and sometimes maybe you don't let them know that you love them, and you don't really see or take the time to appreciate the person they are inside.

So to all of my family members who read this: I love you. I am so fortunate to have you as a part of my life. Thank you for all you do, thanks for being so strong, so loving, and so caring in this time of great loss for all of us. As time heals our hurts and pains, let's remember that we still have each other, and share a common bond.

These are the people I'm talking about:

Adrienne, George, Jade, Jaimee, Jordin, Rob
Tyler and Abby
Nicol
Dad
Michael
Marilyn
Tootie
Nick, Shelby, Katie
James, Cheryl, Ian, Garrett, Camden
Christie, Ricky, Jagger, Jalee
Jared, Glenda, Dustin, Dylan

To mom: we all love you and miss you very much.

If Barack's a Socialist....what does that make you?

So, I haven't really been around my computer much lately...and therefore, haven't really had a chance to respond to the ridiculousness of the McSame/Bible Spice/Repugnants accusations of Barack Obama being a socialist. Taking tax breaks from the rich (who deserve to pay more tax) and giving them, instead to the middle class (who pay far more tax than they should) can HARDLY be considered the socialism that they are using as a "scare" tactic. But if they insist on calling Barack a socialist, let's put the shoe on the other foot and call Bush and McCain what they REALLY are.

13 SIGNS OF FACISM:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.

2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation. (CAN ANYONE SAY "GITMO" OR WATERBOARDING?)

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.

4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.

5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.

6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses. (FAUX NEWS?)

7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous. (TERROR LEVEL: ORANGE)

8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion. (SEE ELIZABETH DOLE'S AD ATTACK ON KAY HAGAN...SEE ALSO SARAH PALIN, AKA "BIBLE SPICE.")

9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens. (CAN ANYONE SAY: $700B BAILOUT...AIG...FANNY MAE, FREDDY MAC, HALLIBURTON, BLACKWATER?)

10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice. (WAL MART AND OTHER CORPORATIONS FIGHTING THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE)

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist. (ART AND MUSIC THE FIRST THING TO GO IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS...THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GLOBAL WARMING, ETC.)

12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.

13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population. (BOY, HAS THIS ONE BEEN POPULAR!)

14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.

(FLORIDA 2000, OHIO 2004...WHAT WILL THIS ELECTION'S BE????)

My Fellow Prisoners

WTF???? Can you say "Freudian slip"?

Political Survey....THREE DAYS TO GO!

From Abby, Adrienne, Paula, and Gena's blog.

A: What is your political party AFFILIATION?
Democrat

B: Did you vote for George W. BUSH?
In 2000 yes, but I learned my lesson by 2004.

C: Should illegal immigrants be able to earn CITIZENSHIP?
Yes...isn't that what America is made up of? The only real Americans are the Native Americans.

D: Do you watch political DEBATES?
Yes.

E: Do you agree with EITHER presidential candidate 100 percent?
No, but Obama comes close.

F: Should there be absolute right to FIREARM ownership?
Yes, but why does anyone need an AK-47, bazooka, or armor piercing bullets. There has to be a line drawn somewhere.

G: Should GAY marriages be legalized?
Yes.

H: Should companies be required to HIRE more women & minorities?
I think the person who is most qualified for the job should be the one hired: man/woman, gay/straight, black/white/brown/green/purple, atheist/christian, etc.

I: What ISSUE do you feel strongest about?
The issue of getting our country back on track and getting the Republicans out of office. Other than that: energy independence, healthcare.

J: Is the legal drinking age JUSTIFIED?
Yes!!!!! I spend time in Canada, where the drinking age is 18, and it is scary! The kids are too immature to handle it. It's one thing to sneak alcohol, and quite another for it to be legal at such a young age.

K: Do you feel you have enough KNOWLEDGE of your cadidate to make an educated vote?
Hell YES!!!!!!

L: Are you pro LIFE or pro choice?
Pro-choice. Smoke that, Palin!

M: Do you have friends or family in the MILITARY?
Probably so.

N: What is your NATIONALITY?
American

O: What are some of your OTHER political concerns?
Equal rights, healthcare, environment, poverty.

P: Do you believe in capitol PUNISHMENT?
In some cases I do.

Q: Do you QUESTION wheather or not our government is connected to 9/11 tragedies?
No. I k now they were complicit in 9/11....they had a lot of information that is was going to happen and ignored it. Have you ever read "The New Pearl Harbor"? And does anyone really believe that the Twin Towers came down from the heat of the jet fuel?

R: Do you like your presidential hopeful's RUNNING mate?
Yes I do!

S: SHOULD marijuana be legalized?
Yes...the only reason it isn't legal is because you can grow it in your back yard, and the government wouldn't make a dime off it!

T: When should our TROOPS come home?
Should never have been in Iraq.

U: Should the UNITED States develop space-based military platforms?
No.

V: Are you registered to VOTE?
Yes I am! In fact, I voted yesterday!

W: Is this WAR necessary?
No. Not the war in Iraq.

X: Who (e)XACTLY do you plan on voting for?
OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I already did!)

Y: Do YOUR friends share the same political views as you?
My friends do, because I choose my friends! My family....that's another story! But I'm proud to say my children and I have similar views!

Z: Which voting location are you ZONED to?
Ummmm....Jefferson county...that's all I know, cause I used a mail in ballot.