As much as the fundies drive me nuts I never cease to be gladly amazed at how many times the faithful of all stripes can transcend the dogma of their ‘leaders’ and perform honorably and charitably. My aunt is a very faithful Catholic and I often was disheartened to see this intelligent, good hearted person constrained by her devotion in ways that degraded her potential and quality of life.

During the 70’s when the US support/complicity for the war in El Salvador was reaching it’s peak and refugees were coming into the US in an undocumented status there was a underground within the Church in America that gave them aid and helped them to resettle in safety. An underground railroad sort of thing. It was real grassroots stuff, families being driven to a church, housed with a parishioner for a few days and another parishioner would them to another church in another city or state with a few dollars and new clothes.

The Church hierarchy was not in support of these activities and the a parish that participated had to watch their backs both regarding the government and their own church leaders.

My aunt was a busy little bee at that time and happy as a clam with her church volunteerism. I came to find out later, very circuitously and in guarded language that her small, just-barely-getting-by-parish was involved in the effort to help the refugee brethren from El Salvador. I was reassured that of course, all of ‘their’ refugees were legal because Father and the parish would never do anything illegal. I didn’t ask why we were kind of whispering as we discussed the good works of the parish.

“Don’t follow leaders, watch the parking meters”

http://chattahbox.com/us/2009/11/03/vincent-bugliosi-bush-guilty-of-murder/

Coming soon to a theater near you…

http://chattahbox.com/us/2009/11/03/vincent-bugliosi-bush-guilty-of-murder/

I believe Gov. Rick Perry told his constituents the following in his speech about seceding from the US: “Come with me. Armageddon outta here!”

I have to admit I do take pleasure in penning some of my political verses.

Buddha–

Thanks for the gold star and the A+. If you were here with me now, you’d see that I’m blushing…because I’m so bashoful

I think it unlikely that hell will freeze over–especially because of global warming. The freezing of the netherworld would be a terrible thing anyway. Where would all of us secular humanists, agnostics, liberals, socialists, atheists, progressives, etc., go to “toast” one another at the end of our lives?

Jeeves, get me my battery-operated fan and a pitcher of mojitos–I’m heading for Hades!

Thank you, kind sir. One lives to be of service.

Truly that was art. Concise and with vivid imagery, even Basho would applaud.

You get the A+ and a gold star.

It would be one thing if corporations were content to be left alone. Instead, they use the power of government to create advantages (like taxes and regulation), that favor them. ADM / ethanol mandates. Banks / fractional reserve lending. Pharmaceuticals / FDA barriers to entry. This is not the role of government, and it is not a free market. It’s corporatism.

“[Commercial children's programming] commercializes, homogenizing and rotting children’s minds. See how disney, for instance, now presents Winnie the Pooh. This doesn’t even speak to the fact that children’s commercial programming exists to sell the kids through subtle and not so subtle propaganda.”

I checked with The Count, and he notes that Sesame Street’s 2007 licensing and merchandising revenue was $137M and growing. My guess is that overall commercial sales of Sesame Street products (like Tickle-Me-Elmo), exceed $1B annually. Sounds like commercialism to me.

PBS has actively used its subsidized network channels to seek even more tax dollars! In times when the legislature sought to limit PBS funding, the network actively aired ads to “save public broadcasting!” with legislative contact information.

If taxpayer-subsidized content has such critical value to society, shouldn’t the government begin to buy up other media? Newspapers? Websites? Movie studios?

Thanks for the Dobbs suggestion. I didn’t have him on my list of subjects to “skewer” with verse. He’s had a touch of Beckamania of late.

Mike A.–

I’m glad you’re enjoying my verses. It was Sarah Palin who first inspired my poetic vitriol last fall. I called my poems about her Palinoems. After the election, I stopped writing political light verses for a while until I saw Tom DeLay’s face on the television screen one evening in late February. He got me revved up to wax poetic once again.

I’ll have to leave you with one of my Limbaughrhymes. It’s a terse verse.

A Couplet about Rush Limbaugh

A pompous, porcine bag of gas.
I tell myself—this, too, shall pass.

That THAT was true Zionist propoganda right there.

In any case, they have a right, and the real blame lies with all those crazed Zionist Jews who keep using the Holocaust to justify Israeli crimes.

Well, do that and don’t be surprised if your victims don;t want to heart anymore about the Holocaust.

Good for Lebanon.

Granted hanging and leaving ghe body up there for a few days would be less messy and just as effective, but still….

I think the flag is an icon. It means different things for different people at different times. I flew the flag to celebrate Nixon’s resignation and my country’s return to the rule of law while my neighbor flew his flag on the same day to honor Nixon’s service as President. Which flag-flying motive was superior? Who had more respect? Who had the greater allegiance?

Of course, my iconic celebration was compromised by Ford’s pardon as my neighbor’s was by subsequent releases of Nixon’s tapes. Our neighbor, two doors to the west, never flew the flag as his religion forbade the celebration of icons. He loved this country because of its freedom of religion and never took the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Having Grandchildre now I’ve had a chance to look at commercial programming for children. It is putrid and puerile. Besides that rather than develop an appreciation of literature and learning, it commercializes, homogenizing and rotting children’s minds. See how disney, for instance, now presents Winnie the Pooh. This doesn’t even speak to the fact that children’s commercial programming exists to sell the kids through subtle and not so subtle propaganda. Part of the dumbing down and fattening up of America stems directly from children’s programming.

Secondly, some of the best adult programming on television is broadcast on PBS. Compare any of the historical documentaries produced by Ken Burns, to the crap on the so-called history channel. A non-commercial broadcast system is essential to the production of programming that uplifts us all, rather than simply being another source of commercial propaganda that is helping to destroy this country. GE for inatance “Brings good Things to Life” sometimes and other times produces the weaponry of death. conservatives must begin to understand that Corporatism is not in the Constitution, nor is commercialism.
That path is the straightest line to tryranny, oppression and loss of freedom.

There ain’t no free market, never was and the belief in it has not only caused much tragedy, but also represents corporate hypocrisy, because they don’t want a free market, just to be left alone to carry on their hideous con game.

A show with the audience of Sesame Street is clearly commercially viable. Why do we need to subsidize it through PBS? Is the educational programming on Nickelodeon subsidized? Noggin?

More broadly, government financing of a network channel invites interference in public affairs programming, including programming on the government itself. PBS content should be privatized, and not promoted by government.

Taxpayers should not subsidize religion through the tax system.

A business offering salvation and canned morality is clearly commercially viable. Why do we need to subsidize it through 501(c)(3) tax exemptions? Is the joy of worshipping sports idols subsidized? Hollywood celebrities?

More broadly, government financing of religion invites interference in public policy, as we have experienced with faith based initiatives and abstinence education. Religion should be treated like any other business, and not promoted by government.

From link “Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe said in the hearing last week that he had reviewed the documents and determined they posed no security threat. ”

It’s also disturbing that the judge closed the court during the Deputy’s testimony to “protect the interests of one or more of the parties involved.”

I felt like I was reading a report on the trial process of the dissidents in Iran. Is what is going on in that courtroom the best the American justice system can offer? If it is we are in deep, deep trouble.

Children who question authority leads to more…liberals.

Elaine;

Clever poem! I look forward to a future one about CNN’s resident lunatic, Lou Dobbs.

If flags aren’t the tangible symbol of a country why are they planted on every newly discovered or battle conquered patch of ground, including the moon? No one pledges allegiance to a piece of cloth, that’s just silly.

America makes it easy to pledge allegiance. It’s not founded on place or sovereign family, it’s about an idea that is so succinctly explained in our founding Declaration and Constitution that it’s citizens are graced by the glimpse of national perfection just by reading them. You can hate America’s government du jure and still feel pride in pledging allegiance to the ideal on which it is founded. Owing allegiance to the ideal is the least we should do as citizens, otherwise we’re all just a bunch of Wall Street bankers at heart and you can’t even hope to have an honorable society on that basis.

My 2cents anyway.

My comments come from a guy who can recite the little banner information paragraph on the Bud bottle verbatim.

Don’t know if horse piss would pass, but I’ve been known to enjoy a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Of course, Sam is better than all of these. But in the world of beers, I have had some that make Sam pale, in comparison. But I still buy it.

I tried Yiengling (sp?) and didn’t like it at all. But what do I know, ‘cept what I like. Stick to the Sams and the good stuff when I get by there.

BuelahMan, I’m a proud Sam Adams drinker and I’m thinking about having one of his Irish Red brews with lunch in fact. They make a perfectly good beer in a variety of styles for a reasonable price. And he was a patriot. Patriot and brewer. It’s your American duty to drink Sam Adams beer.

We have a really good local brewery owned by the Schlafly family and they make some excellent beer but since it’s Schlafly (Of Phyllis Schlafly founder of the Eagle Forum fame.) I won’t drink it. She was no patriot and I won’t enrich her family.

Sam Adams, patriot and brewer!

The good people at Hezbollah is offering … SB:

The good people at Hezbollah are offering …

… innocent victim can appear propaganda. SB:

… innocent victim can appear propagandistic.

… shown to school children in private English-language school … SB:

… shown to school children in a private English-language school …