SUNDAY MORNING HYMN: Amos Lee w The Roots Jesus

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER: A LETTER TO GOD

Dear God,

I've been feeling pretty low lately. I think it is mainly all the crazy things I've been hearing from all the right-wing Republican candidates for President. I guess I just don't get it. I'd ask you to come down and help, but I doubt you get it either. They do a lot of things in you and your sons name which should be making you pretty mad. You could smite them all, I wouldn't see that as a real big disaster. I'm guessing you are considering letting us kill ourselves off and becoming the laughing stock of the universe. I can't say that I would blame you. It's quite possible you made the original mistake: Us. Anyway, I am hoping rather than ending us all, you go with the smiting idea.
Thanks
The Peever

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"THE THING THAT IMPRESSES ME MOST ABOUT AMERICA IS THE WAY PARENTS OBEY THEIR CHILDREN"

Edward, Duke of Windsor

UN Experts Catalog Seemingly Endless List of Racial Discrimination in US

UN Experts Catalog Seemingly Endless List of Racial Discrimination in US

Bernie Sanders Vows to Crack Down on Greedy Corporate Tax Dodgers

Bernie Sanders Vows to Crack Down on Greedy Corporate Tax Dodgers

Hello Huck: Try the Pork Chops

Hello Huck: Try the Pork Chops



THIS GUY HAS GOT ALL HIS SCREWS LOOSE. AND FROM ARKANSAS, TO BOOT.

DAYS OF HEALING

I'm thinking of buying an empty church down the road and opening a center for the recovery of right-wing Republicanism. I'm thinking of calling it, "Days of Healing." Our commandments will be a variation of AA's Twelve Steps:

1. Admitting you are wrong about the world and the way you view it.
2. Handing you life and recovery over to someone with an IQ over 50. This will require you to make new friends. 
3. Come to understand there are many path's to God's door, none of which include Donald Trump or Ted Cruz as gate-keepers.
4. Make a list of all the persons you have hurt with your hateful right-wing ideology and ask for their forgiveness. This will be difficult, particularly if you have children.
5. Admit that guns are not worthy of worship; that government should help the poor, not the rich; that war should be a last resort, not a first priority; that health-care is a right, not a commodity; that democracy does not come from billionaires buying politicians; and that if you hate socialism, send back your social security and medicare, and don't put your car out on the highway. It's all evil.
6. Practice compassion, charity without conditions, kindness, tolerance, diversity, understanding, forgiveness, compromise, and negotiation. It is best to practice those things that you are least good at.
7. Admit that women should have more control over their bodies than congress or the supreme court. 
8. Admit that all of us should have more control over our bodies than congress or the supreme court. 
9. Humbly ask Gold to forgive you for misusing Christianity and the Bible.
10. Come to understand that when you mix politics and religion, all you get is stink.
11. Having seen the errors of your ways, give everything that you own to the poor as repentance for you misguided ways.
12. Once you are over this right-wing nonsense that was likely instilled in you by your parents, it is your job to help your others overcome this affliction. Live life to its fullest and by happy. You'll be amazed at the results. You might even smile.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"SOMETIMES I WONDER WHETHER THE WORLD IS BEING RUN BY SMART PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING US ON, OR BY IMBECILES WHO REALLY MEAN IT."

Mark Twain

FIFTH YEAR REVIEW OF VILLAGE

Five years in the Village. My impressions: Disappointment. Inadequate representative leadership. The military way. Rules. Secret meetings. Poor execution of policy. Faceless committees. Diminished democracy. Fading. Withering. Autocratic atrophy. A sign of the times. My way or no way. No need for compromise. Can't trust sharing decisions. We have no paper to ask critical questions. I've wondered if the Chamber owns the Voice. Maybe they just borrow it. I never knew breakfast was so important. Experts do say it's vital. If it is so important to golfers, Troon should serve it. Let them take the lose. No pool. Injured pickleball. Frivolous lawsuits against those suing with real concerns. Golf way down. Down further than the stock market. Woodland attendance stalled. Tennis, double- fault. Reading is up at the library. Reading is good. You're reading this now, wondering what the moral of this story is. There is none. Only disillusionment. Mixed with hope. Hope, however, is doomed without action. And action seems unlikely. We cherish the status quo. Change is bad. The scenery is nice. The water is good. Lakes are ok. Just don't go to fast. Spies. Restaurants are average. But fleeting. Roads are not bad. Just hilly, curvy, and dark. Somewhat dangerous. Mainly the drivers. Real estate taxes are reasonable. I like the people. Well, most of them. I know, by now you are thinking, "Love it or leave it." That's not how it works. "Love it or change it," is a more reasonable chant. Sorry. With a surplus of money likely to be coming, beware! Not all dreams can come through. We need to fix what we got. Too much worry about people who are not here. Worry about us. That we stay here. Cute ads will not persuade anyone to live here. 2020 may be the first time our population goes down That would be a catastrophe. If so, watch for municipality talk. My crystal ball is working overtime. Which reminds me, we don't pay our workers near enough. Anyway, I hope it is wrong. I did have New England over Denver, so there is always hope.

Presidential Politics and the American Soul

Presidential Politics and the American Soul



BYE, BYE MISS AMERICAN PIE.

A CALL FOR 40 DAYS OF RAIN

One in four children go to bed hungry at night in Arkansas. We're looking for some grace here, to nullify the disgrace. We are all guilty of allowing this. Every politician who turns his or her back on  this problem is guilty of turning away from the future. We don't need leaders who allow this kind of thing to happen. If they can't solve it, we will have to turn to God. Let grace pour down like the recent rains. Flood our rivers and lakes with the Holy. Let the dam break and flood our land with unending favors. Favors for the children. Fruit. Cereal. Milk. Hamburger. Vegetables. Pizza. Cookies. Chicken. Ham. And candy. Oh, the beauty of it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY IS A SPHERE OF ACTIVITY IN WHICH WE ARE PERMITTED TO REMAIN CHILDREN ALL OUR LIVES."

Albert Einstein

THE LAST WORD IN LONESOME

Solitary. Irrelevant. Isolated. Forsaken. God forsaken. A shadow. Obscure. An apparition.  A hallucination. Nothing worse than feeling alone. Well, almost nothing. Right at dusk, walking down a path in the Woods, things come to your mind. Coyotes. Wild dogs. Zombies. Crazed hunters. Chain saw massacres. Run away convicts. Terrorists. Always at night. Under the veil of darkness. The dark breeds fear. Shadows look fierce. Vicious. Savage. Like they are ready to engulf you. Chew you up. Spit you out. Still, I walk at night. Better to face these demons than to let them simmer in the soul. Sometimes I scare myself stupid. Other times I can remain calm. Complacent. At ease. Content. Satisfied with life. Alone with the cedars. The owls. The stars. The nightingale, with its eerie cry.  I venture into this Halloween nightmare not to prove my bravery. Or stupidity. Or anti-social side. Or machoism. Really not to prove anything. I go to walk alone. To feel the solitude. To face the dark side. To arrive home safe. Secure. Ecstatic. Enraptured. Spellbound at the wonder of it all. Shaken just slightly.

Something Is Happening

Something Is Happening

WHAT'S THE POINT?

THE POINT OF BLOGGING IS TO CHANGE THINGS.

The Peever

Facing Calls to Resign and a Pile of Lawsuits, Snyder to Address Flint Crisis

Facing Calls to Resign and a Pile of Lawsuits, Snyder to Address Flint Crisis



PRISON.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I WRITE TO FIND OUT WHAT I'M THINKING, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT, WHAT I SEE, AND WHAT IT MEANS."

Joan Didion

IN HONOR OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

                                                                                       “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail

No Jail Time for Delta 5 in Historic Case That 'Welcomes Jurors to Climate Movement'

No Jail Time for Delta 5 in Historic Case That 'Welcomes Jurors to Climate Movement'



No judge should be compelled to do anything. Otherwise, he or she is just a passing fancy for the ruling class.

Jim Hightower | Why would anyone celebrate the 'joy' of war?

Jim Hightower | Why would anyone celebrate the 'joy' of war?



THERE'S ALWAYS A WINNER IN CAPITALISM.

PEEVER LAW #85

DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK.

WORDS-VIOLENCE

                                                                            VIOLENCE

More random killings in Paris. It's almost a daily occurrence. The newspaper jumps from one story to the next. With each school shooting, each mall massacre, each street corner revenge, each misguided drone, humanity becomes less than what it could have been. An eye for an eye never makes life better, only more distant. We move away from the common good, toward the common bad. Before long, we accept the common bad as okay, something we can live with. This is the law of diminishing humanity. We sit back and slide, once again, into the primordial ooze.

                                                                                            

PEEVER LAW #91

MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU LOVE, RESPECT, OR...WELL, POSSIBLY AN ELECTION.

Progressive Flank Refuses to Accept Obama's Relentless Pitch on TPP

Progressive Flank Refuses to Accept Obama's Relentless Pitch on TPP



IT'S A BAD DEAL, FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, WHICH ISN'T MUCH. MORE SECRETS.

A CALL FOR 40 DAYS OF RAIN

One in four children go to bed hungry at night in Arkansas. We're looking for some grace here, to nullify the disgrace. We are all guilty of allowing this. Every politician who turns his or her back on  this problem is guilty of turning away from the future. We don't need leaders who allow this kind of thing to happen. If they can't solve it, we will have to turn to God. Let grace pour down like the recent rains. Flood our rivers and lakes with the Holy. Let the dam break and flood our land with unending favors. Favors for the children. Fruit. Cereal. Milk. Hamburger. Vegetables. Pizza. Cookies. Chicken. Ham. And candy. Oh, the beauty of it.

The Real Terrorists: The .01%

The Real Terrorists: The .01%



WE NEED TO POLITELY TAKE AWAY THEIR WEALTH. NONVIOLENTLY, OF COURSE.

BENEDICTION

I'd like to be able to say I am going to step forward and help everyone who is suffering and in pain and lonely and hungry and without home but I can't be sure I can live up to that promise even if I want to because I am scared and busy and old and just one and I don't know how to begin or end or even what to do in the middle which are all pathetic excuses allowing me to live comfortably and not be troubled.

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER

BACKWARDS

10, 9, 8, 7, 6… Moon-walking toward a less advanced civilization. A worse state. Rearward. In reverse. The opposite direction. Turned around. Upside down. The Dark Ages.

                                                                           **********

People carrying a gun on their hip. Holsters. Feeling safe. Secure. Confident. Don’t mess around with me. The wild, wild, west. John Wayne. Roy Rogers. The Lone Ranger. Gunsmoke. Bonanza. Head ‘em up, move ‘em out. Bang. You’re dead.

**********

No more Muslims. Scary. Beards. Hijab’s. Bombs. Virgins. Quran. Mohammad. No Gooks. No Krauts. No Slant Eyes. No Micks. No Polacks. No Jerrys. No Frogs. High fence. Concertina wire. Dogs. No entrance. Not allowed. Only white skin. Christian faith.  English speaking.  Paleface.  Honkies welcome.

**********

Work to welfare. No free handouts. Minimum wage. Cheap labor. Child care. Broken down cars. Rent. Utilities. Food. Health-care. Charity. Bread lines. Soup kitchens. Missions. Mandatory prayer. Thank God. For what? Bankruptcy. McDonald’s. Wal-Mart. Papa John’s. Chick-fil-A. 60 hours per week. Three jobs. No down payment. Poor credit. High credit card debt. Slavery. Indenture. The American way.

**********

The best is yet to come. Melting ice. Rising coastline. Polar bears. Miami. Super storms. Hurricanes.

 Tornadoes. Floods. Denial. Carbon emissions. Cars.  More cars. 4-car garage. Melanoma. Forest fires. Drought. Famine. Oil. Coal. Environmental destruction. Political clout. Insurrection. Revolution.

**********

Death. The common cold. Flu. $10,000 pills. Save me. I’m dying. 104 years old. Nursing homes. Assisted living. New heart. New knee. Knee’s. Hip. Hips. Shoulder. Shoulder’s.  High birth mortality. Poor distribution. Universal health-care. Universal misery. Sorry. Medicaid. Medicare. Nothing lasts forever.

**********

Terror. Fear. Big Brother. Camera’s. Phone taps. Looking. Overseeing. Watching. Trust. Lack of. Guns. Drones. Perpetual war. Suspicion. Bombs. Murder. Suicide. Guantonemo Bay. Virgins. Waterboarding. Torture. American made. Getting even. Revenge. Payback. Arrogance. Rubbing it in. God Bless America.

**********

Hunger. Industrial crops. Corn. Soybeans. 1 in 4 children go to bed hungry. 1 in 3 seniors with not

 enough to eat. Food scarcity. Crime. Shame. Luxury food. Guilty. Bone-in ribeye. Fine wine.  $75 meal. Unfair abundance. Local Gardens. Sharing. Food banks. Soup kitchens. Bread. Beans. Sacrifice. Giving. Enough.

**********

Free choice. Control. Domination. Male. Pro-birth. Adoption. Drugs. Disease. 9 months. Pain.

Subordination. Reckless. Unwanted. Politicians. Tiny crosses on the church lawn. White. Christian.

 Country club. All-knowing. I know what’s best for you. Trust me.

**********

Perpetual war. Death. Bombing. Drones. Democracy. Military. Slogans. Songs. Flags. World domination. Advertisements. Sporting events. Wounded Warriors. No legs. One arm. PTSD. Suicide. Enemies.Terrorists. Weapons of mass destruction. A children’s, children’s war. Eisenhower. Military-industrial complex. 50% of budget. Cold. Calculated. Murder. America: Love It or Leave It.

**********

Worried. Ashamed. Pathetic. Feel bad? Had enough? Stand up. Be counted. Burn flags. Sing your own song. Take risks. Step outside your comfort zone. Scare yourself. Grab opportunities with both hands. Bread. Housing. Education. Justice. Peace. Health-care. Free education. Community control. Local. Lives matter. You matter.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

SUNDAY MORNING SERMON: Amos Lee - Jesus (Live)

SUNDAY MORNING SERMON

One in four children go to bed hungry at night in Arkansas. We're looking for some grace here, to nullify the disgrace. We are all guilty of allowing this. Every politician who turns his or her back on  this problem is guilty of turning away from the future. We don't need leaders who allow this kind of thing to happen. If they can't solve it, we will have to turn to God. Let grace pour down like the recent rains. Flood our rivers and lakes with the Holy. Let the dam break and flood our land with unending favors. Favors for the children. Fruit. Cereal. Milk. Hamburger. Vegetables. Pizza. Cookies. Chicken. Ham. And candy. Oh, the beauty of it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"NOBODY WHO WORKS 40 HOURS PER WEEK SHOULD BE LIVING IN POVERTY."
Bernie Sanders

Behold the evils of socialism. For a capitalist, this is scary stuff.

The Economy in 2016: On the Edge of Recession

The Economy in 2016: On the Edge of Recession



COLOR IT CAPITALISM.

BACKWARDS

10, 9, 8, 7, 6… Moon-walking towards a less advanced civilization. A worse state. Rearward. In reverse. The opposite direction. Turned around. Upside down.

**********

People carrying guns on their hip. Holsters. Feeling safe. Secure. Confident. Don’t mess around with me. The wild, wild, west. John Wayne. Roy Rogers. The Lone Ranger. Gunsmoke. Bonanza. Head ‘em up, move ‘em out. Bang. You’re dead.

**********

No more Muslims. Scary. Beards. Hijab’s. Bombs. Virgins. Quran. Mohammad. No gooks. No Krauts. No Slant eyes. No Micks. No Polacks. No Jerrys. No Frogs. High fence. Concertina wire. Dogs. No entrance. Not allowed. Only white skin. Christian faith.  English speaking.  Paleface.  Honkies welcome.

**********

Work to welfare. No free handouts. Minimum wage. Cheap labor. Child care. Broken down cars. Rent. Utilities. Food. Health-care. Charity. Bread lines. Soup kitchens. Missions. Mandatory prayer. Thank God. For what? Bankruptcy. McDonald’s. Wal-Mart. Papa John’s. Chick-fil-A. 60 hours per week. Three jobs. No down payment. Poor credit. High credit card debt. Slavery. Indenture. The American way.

**********

The best is yet to come. Melting ice. Rising coastline. Polar bears. Miami. Super storms. Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Floods. Denial. Carbon emissions. Cars.  3-car garage. Melanoma. Forest fires. Drought. Famine. Oil. Coal. Environmental destruction. Political clout. Insurrection. Revolution.

**********

Death. The common cold. Flu. $10,000 pills. Save me. I’m dying. 104 years old. Nursing homes. Assisted living. New heart. New knee. Knee’s. Hip. Hip's. Shoulder. Shoulder’s.  High birth mortality. Poor distribution. Universal health-care. Universal misery. Sorry. Medicaid. Medicare. Nothing lasts forever.

**********

Terror. Fear. Big Brother. Camera’s. Phone taps. Looking. Overseeing. Watching. Trust. Lack of. Guns. Drones. Perpetual war. Suspicion. Bombs. Murder. Suicide. Guantonemo Bay. Virgins. Waterboarding. Torture. American made. Getting even. Revenge. Payback. Arrogance. Rubbing it in. World domination. God Bless America.

                                                                        **********

Free choice. Control. Domination. Male. Pro-birth. Adoption. Drugs. Disease. 9 months. Pain. Subordination. Reckless. Unwanted. Politicians. White. Christian. Country club. All-knowing. I know what’s best for you. Trust me.

**********

 Perpetual war. Death. Bombing. Drones. Democracy. Military. Slogans. Songs. World domination.Advertisements. Sporting events. Wounded Warriors. No legs. One arm. PTSD. Suicide. Enemies. Terrorists. Weapons of mass destruction. A children’s, children’s war. Eisenhower. Military-industrial complex. 60% of budget. Cold. Calculated. Murder.

                                                                         **********

Hunger. Industrial crops. Corn Soybeans. 1 in 4 children hungry before bed. 1-3 elderly experience food scarcity. Crime. Shame. Spitting out luxury foods. Guilt. Unfair abundance. Local. Gardens. Sharing. Food banks. Soup kitchens. Bread. Beans. Sacrifice. Giving. Enough.

                                                                           **********

Worried. Ashamed. Pathetic. Feel bad? Had enough? Stand up. Be counted. Burn flags. Sing your
own song.  Take risks. Step outside your comfort zone. Scare yourself. Grab opportunities with both hands. Bread. Housing. Education. Justice. Peace. Health-care. Free education. Community control. Local. Lives matter. You matter.