Aww crap. It’s Labor Day.Sure, the extra day off is nice, and the weather is great, but Labor Day also represents the end of summer, and leads to my annual reflection of how much I didn’t do this summer, despite the best of intentions. I never made it to six flags. I only took a little time off. I didn’t PERSONALLY expose any Republican sex scandals (although they don’t seem to need my help there).Today, beach. Tomorrow, beach. Then Halloween (COOL), then Xmas (YUCK).It’s the year’s most bittersweet holiday. Happy Labor Day
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I dunno… I like Christmas. I get presents and snow and extended family. Whether or not I believe in Jesus, I can steal his holiday!
Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, coloured lights, pine trees, snowmen, the days get longer. It’s not so bad when you remove that whole Jesus thing.
I like Christmas too. TIme off, time with family, presents, etc. Can’t beat that!
Happy Labor Day to you too, Dave!
Although I normally enjoy the three-day break by going on a camping trip, this year I’m sort of stuck at home due to injury from a vehicle accident.
At the local fairgrounds only a block away from where I live “Joshua Fest” is going on. It’s a Christian rock band Jesus-palooza that goes all weekend long, and sometimes I can even make out the lyrics as they blast out from the loudspeakers. Somewhat irritating, but I take it in stride as best I can.
My trivial annoyances aside, it is good to reflect on what Labor Day really stands for: a celebration of the average Jill/Joe worker, and the important contributions organized labor has made to improving working conditions in this country. It is also very instructive (and saddening) to acknowledge how much organized labor has lost in terms of political power to address and correct deficiencies in the labor world: minimum wages, job safety, right to form unions without fear of being fired, global corporatization, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Brother; the list goes on and on.
Theists and atheists alike could easily come together to make a difference in improving labor conditions, but admittedly the obstacles are gigantic. The Average Joe like me has bills to pay, and suffer we will under the yoke as long as we can scrape enough together to pay those bills. That doesn’t leave much time or energy to fight for the right to unionize.
Happy three-day weekend for those of you lucky enough to even get it off.
Oh yeah, this too: the 364 to 1 ratio of how much CEO’s make compared to average wages across the country. The unfairness is maddening to comprehend.
From CommonDreams:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/01/3558/
By the way, my hourly wage multiplied 364 times = $5,783.96 per hour. Nice work if you can get it, eh?
I’d be a CEO, but I’m not for the same reason that I’m not an attorney or a politician — I have a conscience.
Prince
You have my sympathy. “Christian rock” is the worst music being made today. I think the problem is that there’s nothing for the artists to say lyrically other than “god is so great, praise him, blah blah blah.” There’s no emotional tension. Plus the singers are all so whiny and mewly, which I guess you have to be when you’re so afraid of an irrational, all-powerful being that will torture you for eternity if you displease him.
Finally, somebody else who doesn’t like Christmas. I think it’s the worst holiday of the year. I hate the commercial*sm, the endless bubbly personalities, the guilt, the decorations, the movies and specials on TV, and on and on. I hated the holiday even when I was a Christian.
Rusty:
I completely agree, “Christian rock”, or any genre of Christian “music” is absolutely horrid. I think the only exceptions would have to be the ones Cartman made in one particual South Park episode, replacing names in some sexually explicit songs with God or Jesus. Other than that…ugh
*Side note: My comment originally wasn’t allowed because the word “commercial*sm” without the * contains the name of a certain pill often times the subject of spam emails. Ha!
Rusty
The lack of emotional content, both musical and lyrical, in “Christian rock” is very telling. This “music” is so devoid of emotion it makes one wonder if the “composers” of it actually have emotions.
Thanks, Rusty. Incidentally just last night my son put on a South Park DVD where Cartman, for entirely cynical reasons (to win a $10 bet) forms a Christian rock band, only to find that even after selling a million CD album copies he still doesn’t get a “Platinum” album; for doing Christian rock music he only gets a “Mauve”.
This pisses him off so much he screams “f**k Jesus” on stage. The audience collectively freaks out, and Cartman quits Christian rock in utter disgust.
Moral of the story IMHO? Both the audience and Cartman get their just heavenly rewards.
And the side lesson from the South Park episode: it takes utterly no brains or talent to produce “Christian rock”. Cartman plagarizes pop music lyrics and simply replaces the word “baby” (so prevalent in pop music) with “Jesus”, “My Lord”, etc. and his band (Faith+1) becomes an instant overnight slam-bam success.
Oh how life does imitate art indeed (and vice-versa), and no original thought required, just the ability to play (even badly) electric guitar/drums, etc. To compose successful Christian rock music all you have to do is tweak some Biblical scripture just a little, adjust some standard grunge chord lines to fit, and voila! you’ve hit the “big time” — your “brothers and sisters in the Lord” can’t write their checks fast enough — and you “Praise Jesus” all the way to the bank.
(With apologies to the truly talented Liberace. CP)
Me and my family are once again escaping the xmas holidays and going to the Caribbean for a week this year. We figured out a while back that it costs about the same to have a cold and miserable holiday in the hills of VA buying useless presents for each other as it costs to spend a week enjoying a sunny holiday in each other’s company. This year it’s going to be a Royal Caribbean cruise on the world’s largest and newest passenger ship. Who wouldn’t trade that for a traditional holiday???
In other xian news…
Fundamentalist preacher in Oz shows his teenaged daughters the meaning of “love”:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C22334577-2%2C00.html?from=mostpop
alexatheist:
Thanks for the link (Pastor shows teenaged daughters meaning of “love”), although I’m still trying to clear the bile from my throat after reading the report. Sickening. “…eligible for parole in four years…” even more sickening. Life in prison WITHOUT possibility of parole would be a more fitting punishment for REPEATEDLY r*ping one’s own children.
Incest, no matter how you frame it, is r*pe. Unfortunately for decent society the Bible explicitly condones r*pe in verse after verse after verse. Obviously this pastor was just following the dictates of his faith, so I’m not certain why he plead guilty. Maybe because he actually felt some guilt? Some shame? Some remorse?
I can only hope so.
[auto-censor didn't allow r*pe to be fully spelled out. The missing vowel is "a". --CP]
[Will leave comments on Christmas to later date as season approaches. You can't say you haven't been warned. --CP]
Hey Dave;
I live in American Samoa, on the Island of Tutuila. I have been here for the past 22 years. We are approxamately 14.05 deg. South of the Equator.
Labor Day here is like every other holiday. We celebrate it to ward off the boredom. Nice life here though.
I have written a book entitled “The Fear of Living.” It tells of my Near Death Expierence, and how I came back into the world as a non-believer.{Non-Fiction}
Order the book at
I love holidays. I don’t get them off, but the guys I write forecasts for do, so I only have to make the 5-day outlooks, which take about 3 seconds. Xmas is the best, because I usually don’t have to work at all, I just have to show up, and then we watch movies or family guy all night. Tonight all I have to do at work is the 5-days, right at the end of shift, so I get to surf all night. Thank the trix rabbit for wikipedia.
And xtian rock is not the worst music ever…xtian rap is. yes my friends, it does exist, and is every bit as horrible as you could possibly imagine.
Hey Dave;
I live in American Samoa, on the Island of Tutuila. I have been here for the past 22 years. We are approxamately 14.05 deg. South of the Equator.
Labor Day here is like every other holiday. We celebrate it to ward off the boredom. Nice life here though.
I have written a book entitled “The Fear of Living.” It tells of my Near Death Expierence, and how I came back into the world as a non-believer.{Non-Fiction}
Order the book at http://www.xlibris.com/TheFearofLiving.html
Prince,
I love that episode of South Park.
“I want to feel you inside me, Jesus…”
But I believe that Cartman’s Faith +1 album didn’t go to Platimum, but it did go to “Mirrh”. Get it?
I love how that show skewers religion.
(Oh, and if I lived that close to the fairgrounds, I might have to burn that mother down. j/k)
Say Dave…since no one remembers what the news headline was the day BEFORFE the Craig story broke…I’ll remind everyone…
I wonder why you are posting anything about this…? Sure seems like more of a threat…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118858052960914805.html
“then Xmas (YUCK)”
“I like Christmas.”
What kind of non-theists are you people? There is no Christmas or Xmas. It’s called “Santa Claus Day”.
Some people claim there is no Santa Claus, but at least nobody was ever murdered for Santa Claus, unlike the millions who were murdered for that jesus idiot.
I completely understand your disappointment over not exposing any Republican sex scandals. Try to visit as many public restrooms as you can, and I’m sure you’ll be able to cross that one off your list in no time.
CAB4reason: You’re quite correct. “Myrrh” (or something like that”, not “Muave”. My son corrected me yesterday evening. (Sorry folks, been having to use the pain meds a bit heavy to get through this back injury of mine).
Jesus-palooza now over at fairgrounds. Bar-b-que dinner this afternoon with family. Ahhhh…, I’m feeling much better now.
BobC: nobody murdered for Santa Claus? Dude, you need to watch Futurama more often. HO HO HO
“Santa Claus is gunnin’ you down,
“Santa Claus is gunnin’ you down…
For those NoGodBlog readers who wish to stay focused on the “labor” part of today’s so-called holiday, check this out:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/2/8444/68248
Enjoy, even though like me it’ll probably bring you to crying massive real tears in your beer/iced tea.
That South Park episode is awesome indeed. One of my faves.
I like to live my life as I like…its not regimented by holidays….especially the unconstitutional silly superstitious ones…..
yuk…my x christian wife is already seeking input from me on what to buy for our daughters….6 months out from Christ Mess….wtf…
I love the time off and when the weather is cooperating its a bonus…
Charlie,
When your wife asks you what YOU want for xmas, tell her what you want more than anything is for her to become an atheist! Hehheh.
Phreedm,
Give it up and go volunteer at a public school. It would do you and the kiddoes a world of good. There are openings in my district and I would put in a good word for you. It would keep you from trolling Nogodblog and bring you much happiness.
I found a great hobby for Phreedm on this Labor Day.
Happy Labor Day, one and all and give a public school teacher a hug.
I walked in the local Labor Day Parade. I am a Union official that understands how important it is to realize the plight good paying jobs overseas.
For a supposed Christian Nation, it appears most from the Religious Belt are more concerned with the next Wal-Mart being constructed near by their neighborhood. A bigbox store that is nothing more then a Communist China front.
I wonder why it is the people that are so religious are not too concerned about the conditions that workers in China are having to endure.
I guess it is the trade off for all of those cheap lead filled products they can buy for their children.
It all equals out in the wash.
Q
Barbiebrains: we don’t want to chase phreedm away, trolls like him (her?) allow us to keep an eye on the latest strawman tactic, e.g. linking the Democratic donor arrest story and simultaneously wondering (accusing?) why Dave didn’t post about it.
Lessee… maybe because in actuality it’s not that much of a story since it’s likely that the Dems in question had no reason to suspect the guy was dishonest, and that they’re taking steps to make amends, and that the guy turned himself in, and… oh, go read the story for yourselves, and give phreddy that much credit. Unfortunately for phreedm it still pales in significance to the ongoing Abramamoff+Republicans=The Current American Disaster
Re: phreedm/them dishonest ol’ theivin’ Democrats
Yesterday’s Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090201436_2.html?nav=rss_nation
“On Friday, another major 2008 Clinton fundraiser generated fresh headlines: Norman Hsu surrendered to authorities in San Mateo, Calif., on an outstanding warrant in a 15-year-old California criminal case involving allegations of grand theft. A judge ordered him held on $2 million bail until a hearing next week. On Wednesday, Clinton’s campaign gave to charity $23,000 in donations from Hsu himself, though not the $96,000 or more he had raised for the candidate.
The Clinton campaign relied on the businessman to raise money and said it had no way of knowing about the warrant, which was not listed in publicly accessible records.”
“?THE WARRANT, WHICH WAS NOT LISTED IN PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE RECORDS.”
Not publicly accessible? Why the f**k not? Oh, yeah. YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW.
aaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk!!
Do we need SERIOUS campaign finance reform? YES. Are we likely to get it anytime soon? NO. Should we common citizens get off our lazy butts and press for it? YES. Would such a grass-roots effort make much impact? NOT LIKELY, BUT NEVERTHELESS POSSIBLE.
With politicians of all parties and stripes beholden to raising millions upon millions of dollars just to make a campaign viable it ought to come as no surprise that ill-gotten gains find their way into the campaign coffers with the candidates wholly ignorant of just where that money’s coming from. But it does seem, from what we can discover, that the progressive-minded candidates are much more likely to try to make things right than are the retrogressive (Conservatives).
Happy Labor Day all! I just grilled steaks and corn outside and they were fantastic. Just wish I had a boyfriend here to celebrate with me instead of just straight friends.
Enjoy your day off.
According to my calendar, summer is going strong for another 3 weeks, wtf?
Gee Dave your just not keeping up. Man I thought the Clinton Hsu story was just typical. Especially when you line it up with Mitt (I wear Magic Underwear) Romney’s finance co-chairman’s Indictment. Oh but then again as the link will reveal the major networks didn’t cover it. So how could you know? HHHMMMM curiouser and curiouser.
“TV news outlets focused on Clinton fundraiser Hsu but ignored Romney finance co-chair Fabian’s indictment for fraud”.
More here
http://mediamatters.org/items/200709010002
mxracer
Yes, officially, summer goes on for another 3 weeks or so, but i think what Dave was referring to was the old end of summer as in the “back to school” type of rite of passage. Also, Labor Day typically signals the end of the “tourist” season and business starts to slack off, especially along the coast.
I disagree…just do some DD about Clinton’s 96 finances…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_United_States_campaign_finance_controversy
Karen…
Unfortunately I think my x-wife will die with her backward thinking dumb ideas. To think the world is at odds just because of these stupid ideas….
on a positive note….my x tried the normal brain washing ceremonies on our children while they were growing….and my youngest (17) that lives with me that used to think I was a blasphemer, is now leaning towards atheism…
Its sad that she cant share what she thinks with her mother….her mother, like many others, are so indoctrinated that clear thought is not possible when questioning their faith….they are taught that its wrong to do so…so no discussion is even allowed….
I look forward to watching these barbaric ideas whither with its ignorance….
Heard some “christian rap” while scanning through the stations yesterday. Not bad, just kinda generic. The rappers were trying to sound tough – they said “ass”!
Apparently pheedm wants me to consult Wikipedia so he can present evidence to bolster his case re: campaign finance dishonesty on the part of Democrats.
Funny, I remember not too long ago in this blog where I referenced Wikipedia on the subject of the Bolshevik revolution and phreedm more or less tore me to shreds for using such an unreliable and shady source.
Once again, phreedm demonstrates the ubiquitous double-standard, hypocritical nature of Fundies to quote a certain source where it suits their purposes, and then to attack those same sources as unreliable when the information presented contradicts their illogical arguments.
I’ve changed my mind. Phreedm really does need a new hobby, and should leave off his hobby as a troll on this blog. But let’s hope phreddy stays the heck away from public schools and instead volunteers at the parochial school of his choice. There’s less chance he could damage an otherwise innocent mind in a religious school; in such institutions most of the brain-damage has already been accomplished.
Thus said, I hereby drop my former pledge to refer to phreedm only in third-person, and instead pledge to ignore his posts completely from now on. I urge all other readers of this blog to join me in boycotting phreedm.
‘Bye, phreedm. You’ve been amusing at times, but now you are simply stale.
Yo Reed,
You wouldn’t be stealing a holiday since the bleevrs stole in the first place!
CP,
Well done! When I first found this site, I tried to reason with Pinhead and soon realized the futility in trying to understand someone so lost in delusion and self absorption.
Unfortunately, it seems as though every newcomer becomes so aghast at the insanity that they engage the troll despite the warnings from other long-time posters.
Just skip over P’s crap, you won’t miss a thing.
oh yes, contemporary christian music is, ironically, completely uninspired. Even as an atheist though, there are some explicitly christian songwriters that I respect. Noteably, “Belle and Sebastian” and “Iron and Wine” both have songs and lyrics that incorporate a lot of christian ideas, but their songs are great.
Congratulations CB,
I applaud your decision but it is not an easy task given the monumental inanity of the adversary. You will probably backslide at least once (I did), but everyone is entitled.
Alas 666, I believe you’re right about the new ones; the bizarre statements will continue as long as fresh faces encounter such nonsense. We must heed your advice and not read the drivel.
Celebrant…
I, too, have grown tired of Phreedm’s hypocrisy, purposeful attempts to mislead during debate, and most of all, his arbitrary use of the ellipsis.
I will no longer post responses to Phreedm’s ridiculous entries (or any entry of his, for that matter).
Later, Phreedm.
Just talk ABOUT Phreeky Phreedy rather than TO him.
Flying Weasel,
I agree totally. But you forgot Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel.
Religious ideas in music don’t bother me, if they’re held with conviction and aren’t preachy. But lip service is a terrible thing, no matter the subject.
Most Americans get screwed, with little or no vacations. A couple of holidays don’t compensate.
http://www.cepr.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1184&Itemid=8
“This report reviewed international vacation and holiday laws and found that the United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation or holidays. As a result, 1 in 4 U.S. workers do not receive any paid vacation or paid holidays. The lack of paid vacation and paid holidays in the U.S. is particularly acute for lower-wage and part-time workers, and for employees of small businesses.”
i hope everyone had a nice labor day.i spent mine at work but i am glad to have work.bernarda what concerns me is the lack of will to redeem the bonds invested by medicare and social security to keep them solvent.congress took take money out of our paychecks with no intent to honor the promise made to workers.
oops! wrote take instead of that.i am a tired boy.
As someone once quipped, “Americans like work so much that many of them take two or three jobs.”