Merry Agnostic Christmas

I hear all the time, people asking how someone could celebrate Christmas without believing in Jesus? (I would have to assume when they say "believe in Jesus" they are talking about believing in Christianity.) It begs the question, what is Christmas really and what does it mean? Well I certainly cannot speak for everyone, but this is my agnostic view of Christmas.
First of all comes the question of what is Christmas. Well to Christians Christmas is the over marketed capitalistic celebration of Jesus' birth. (Again this is my view.) This evolved from the Pagan Winter Solstice. Add some pagan tree worship and sprinkle on some of Jesus' birthday and there you have it, Christmas wrapped up in a neat little bow.
Then you have the big fat guy. Santa has gotten way out of control. This guy flies around the world in one night delivering presents to all the good kids? That may have worked long ago but there are just too many damn kids, and they are greedy. These kids today don't ask for one toy that Santa's elves can make in the shop. "Come here son let me widdle you a spinning top." No they want every gismo and gadget they see on the television. Not every Santa is rich and these toys are expensive. I remember Santa giving me a shoe string and a ball, and you know I was happy with that. Hell I just made a yo-yo out of them. Now Santa has to take out four loans and max out six different credit cards to get the crap these kids want.
Now this may seem quite cynical, but it is only one view and I have two eyes. Christmas is of course more than the commercialism and decorations. Christmas is a time for giving and family. It's a time when we wake up early and enjoy the smiles of innocence glancing upon a gleaming treasure left for them to discover. This is the time of year to pass down traditions from both sides of the family as well as making our own. (I personally enjoy reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to my little elves sitting on my lap on Christmas Eve.) Christmas is a time to show those around you how much you care.
Then of course there is the holiday spirit. Making up obscene lyrics to innocent Christmas Carols and fictional children's characters, adding alcohol to holiday drinks or wearing ridiculous hats with a mistletoe hanging from it. Where ever you go people are smiling. It puts a smell and taste to the air all around us. Yes part of this is the impending winter pushing it's way in, but it is also the cookies and breads, the freshly cut trees.
Christmas has a little something for everyone. This is not just a religious holiday, but a family holiday. You don't have to "buy" in to religious doctrine to celebrate and enjoy the festivities. That's one of the great things about Christmas, it transcends ideologies and breaks down barriers to bring people together.
This Christmas season lets break the pattern from the previous years and stop bickering about what we call trees and who's traditions are better than who's. Everyone has their traditions, and their reasons for those traditions. Let us keep in the spirit of the season and just love one another.

Show Me The Money

Our political system is one big corrupt circus where the more corrupt you are the farther you go. Only in America does the person who collects the most money generally win elections. This makes politics a game of appeasing those who have the money to put into campaign coffers. In return for their investment, these contributors get special favors. These favors are in the form of legislation favorable to either these contributors’ industries and/or their personal wealth.

The biggest problem is the Lobbying industry. This industry funnels ridiculous amounts of money and “perks” from Corporate America to our elected officials. Lobbyists use campaign contributions as the number one way to make politicians favorable to anything they ask. Many make donations to the political party with unwritten directions for the money to go to one politician or another in order to bypass campaign contribution limits. The next best thing to campaign contributions is setting up bullshit paid speeches for politicians to give. These speeches are often half an hour long, about anything the “speaker” wants to a special interest group, and pay outrageous speaker fees. Then there are the vacations, sports tickets, concert tickets, dinners, limos. The list of perks Lobbyists give to politicians in order to butter them up is too long to write here.

All this money and these perks hardly ever go without their rewards. One needs to look no further than the current healthcare reform bills currently being considered by congress. Democrats took the single payer option off the table before they even got started. Why would they do such a thing when many of them made this a focal point of their campaigns? For that answer take a look at where their campaign money came from. Blue Cross/Blue Shield alone gave $1,427,528 to the democrats during the 2008 election cycle. That’s one health insurance provider. Democrats were screaming about single payer universal health care during the elections, which would severely cripple if not shut down these insurers. Once elected to follow through n their promises they recant one of their central election themes. Could it be that they are afraid of putting some big contributors of business?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Follow the money and you can predict the outcome of any proposed legislation. When the congress passes legislation that seems for the good of the general public, beware. Most of this kind of legislation is either watered down to the point that it has no real affect, or has hidden amendments that favor corporate interests.

There will be much more in depth analysis of our political system. We’re just getting started.

Vegetative Tranquility

Civil unrest in the quantified mind. The beasts are charging with a galloping gate. No place for refuge in the wilds of the imagination. All that was real has become a strange mystery. The approaching barrage, the impending onslaught, bearing it's weight down. Where is the great protector? Here and now is all that is facing this dismal collapse of sense and worth. Thinning of the blood warps the timing of the leap, creating the downward spiral. Flapping arms grasp the only hope that is the air of breath. The impact is not as hard as it seems. Gradual spurts assure life. The organ at capacity, processes the grisly attack. Stumbling blocks perched for amusement, laughing. The backwards flight into oblivion. Thought has morphed to vegetative tranquility.

What happened last night?

Welcome to the MADNESS

Welcome to my brain. It's a scary place in here. All that you value and hold dear may be ridiculed for entertainments sake, my entertainment that is. My head is a vast wide open space, therefore your mind must be open to experience my insanity. I can not be held responsible for exploding heads due to the reading of this content. It will be controversial at all times. Please feel free to comment, cuss me out or leave general random madness in the comments.