I’ll admit it. Glee has become one of my guilty pleasures. I’m not a avid fan, but I do record it on DVR and usually watch it in the days following the original airing. To be honest, I only began watching it because of Jane Lynch whom I find very funny.

However, despite the High School Musical aspects and the parade of mediocre “mash ups” that pepper the episodes, their feature song is normally very good and often emotional. This past week was no different and their rendition of “Imagine” by John Lennon with a deaf school chorus (despite the obvious theatrics of that gimmick) actually moved me to tears.

For me, it was not the cheap theatrics of the moment but rather hearing this beautiful, yet simple declaration of a peaceful worldview again.

I can remember the backlash in my part of the world (Bible Belt South) over the lyrics that seemed to espouse atheism and anti-nationalism – two bedrock features of the Southern psyche. Interestingly, that continues today. In 2001 Clear Channel Broadcasting, that mega-corp media monster with Right Wing tendencies banned "Imagine" as "inappropriate" following the attacks of Sept. 11 and the run-up to Bush's invasions.

I can also remember the quick rebuttal by spirituality apologists who tried to explain what Lennon “meant” and how it was not an endorsement of atheism but an endorsement of non-religious Christianity.

Honestly, I did not care for the arguments because “Imagine” immediately spoke to me. As a young person just coming to terms with being gay I was well aware of the damage religion could do. As a young person my father was out of work after 50 years working his fingers to the bone in a cotton mill because production had been moved for a higher profit margin (part of Reagan’s laissez-faire approach to business). The idea of a world where people acted for the greater good instead of greed appealed to me. In short, “Imagine” reflected my own burgeoning sense of politics and life while at the same time refining those embryonic thoughts in its short, simple and powerful lyrics.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

What a great idea this seemed to a kid growing up in the deep South and faced with religions that put more stock in a Heaven achieved after death than living every day to its fullest, caring for each other and celebrating love in all its glorious forms. Imagine no hell below us. Coming from a culture where hell was used as the continual stick to insure conformity to dogma it was a liberating idea. Hell had always seemed a strange and illogical idea to me and one that preachers were hard pressed to explain without resorting to illogical statements. Do as I say and you have Heaven, do as you should (as a human being and compassionate, loving person) and you have Hell. This seemed to be the prevailing theology of the Protestant fundamentalist South. How wonderful that there was neither and we simply could live our lives guided by love and compassion instead of reward and punishment. What a positively mature and adult idea!

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

I had absorbed through a weird biological osmosis my father’s view that wars were not something to be celebrated but something of which we should be ashamed of as failings. He was a WWII veteran and came back from that war with the belief that war resulted not from the best of our humanity but from failing to live up to our humanity. I’m sure he probably wouldn’t have explained it that way as he was a simple and quiet man. But, I remember his opposition to Vietnam and I distinctly remember as a very small child his proclamation that if either of my older brothers were drafted he would take them to Canada before allowing them to serve. Imagine that we did away with borders and distinctions that give us reasons to kill each other. Imagine no religion from which so much evil has been born and continues to be born today, be it foreign terrorism, domestic terrorism (yes, I’m thinking of you anti-abortion folks), gay bashings, breaking up families in the name of “God’s law” (Maggie Gallagher, Catholics, etc.) Imagine if we no longer held onto these childish ideas of a “God” who hated the same people we did and instead we had to accept everyone as they were, as our brothers and sisters. Then we could all live our lives in peace.

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

I can remember hearing this and I can remember the screams of “Communist” from the masses. But really, for much of our existence we humans lived like this. We shared among our communities and took care of each other. When we began to get away from those ideas we became somewhat less human – we lost our compassion. How often over the past months during the healthcare debate have we heard the “Teabaggers” screaming that only certain people should have access to healthcare. How many times have I heard people I know (including liberals) ranting about having to “pay for someone else’s health problems.” We have lost our compassion. During the Reagan 80’s this was evident in the explosion of homeless people. It continues today when in the richest nation on Earth we still have children who go to bed hungry because some millionaires in Congress or state legislatures are worried they might have to give up their extra Lexus or BMW so poor children can have a place to sleep or food to eat. Imagine all the people sharing all the world. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful world if we could all live our lives to their potential? How incredible if we stopped this madness of Social Darwinism once and for all and let everyone do those things for society they most enjoyed doing? Imagine.

I think from now on when someone asks me what my religious or political views are I’ll just say “Listen to Imagine.”

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Rachel Maddow did a segment on her show the other evening about a site merchandising Psalm 109 against President Obama.

I realized the site in question was CafePress.com since I also have a site there. While the segment was running I did a quick search of CafePress to find the products. Sure enough, there they were in all their glory.

I quickly sent an email to CafePress through the Customer Service link explaining that the items violated the CafePress TOS because they promoted hate and violence.

I am quite disturbed that CafePress is allowing and promoting merchandise calling for the assassination of the President of the United States. While I'm all for free speech (even tasteless Obama/Hitler crap) this crosses a line into possibly criminal behavior.

The shop in question is: http://www.cafepress.com/(removed)

You will notice it quotes a Bible verse. The next lines of that prayer are this: Let his children be childless and his wife be a widow.

There is little other interpretation than this "prayer" design is calling for the death of the President and in Biblical context that death is a violent one ended by assassination.

I got back the following email from CafePress:

Thank you for contacting CafePress.com!

As you may know, CafePress.com provides an automated service to a rich and vibrant community of international users. Unfortunately, because our service is automated, sometimes content that is not consistent with our Offensive Material & Prohibited Content policy is posted on CafePress.com. We appreciate that you have brought this content to our attention and it has been removed from our site. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Your ticket code is (removed). Please use this code in any further communication.

Best Regards,

Margene H.
Content Usage Associate
(650) 655-3104 (O)
(650) 240-0260 (F)
www.cafepress.com

So, a small victory in having such offensive things removed and stopping these people from making money on advocating for the assassination of our President.

If you are on CafePress and run across similar items (I’m sure they’ll be back exploiting the automated service with a new email or shop ID) please click the Customer Service link and include the URL of the shop and item and explain that this violates the CafePress TOS. They seem very responsive and quick to remove such obnoxious items from their service.

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We all know that “unnatural sex” is a cornerstone of the bigots argument against allowing LGBT citizens to have their full civil rights. In fact, it’s usually the argument religious leaders put forward when whipping their parishioners into a frenzy and calling for violence and murder. (I’m thinking here of a certain pastor in Phoenix, AZ.)

So, imagine their chagrin when high school students are allowed to read a scientific article that reports natural homosexual behavior and tendencies in over 450 species. You got it, they went ape-shit and started calling for blood. Of course, a terrified school district that puts “getting along” with the ignorant ahead of education immediately sprung into action:

A Southwestern High School English teacher has been suspended after reports he had students in his classes to read an article about homsexuality (sic) in the animal kingdom.

Dan Delong of Carlinville acknowledged his suspension but declined to comment further until he spoke with his union representative.

Delong is said to have allowed students to read the article “The Gay Animal Kingdom” from the June 7, 2006, edition of Seed magazine. Seed magazine is a science and culture publication.

The article by Jonah Lehrer talks about the research of Joan Roughgarden, a biology professor at Stanford University who said she has documented homosexual societies among the more than 450 animal species.

School district secretary Pat Milner said a special School Board meeting has been set for 6 p.m. Monday at the district office in Piasa to discuss personnel/employee discipline.

Superintendent Larry Elsea was unavailable for comment Wednesday and Thursday, as was Macus Albrecht, the union representative for the Illinois Education Association that represents the district’s Southwestern Education Association members. (source)

Mr.. Delong teaches an English class, so you may be wondering why he allowed students to read that article in a scientific journal. The reason is that he was teaching a unit on critical reading and students were reading non-fiction work to assess their point of view and the validity of the writer’s thesis. In short, Mr. Delong was actually asking students: “Do you believe this research?”

Of course, the religious right and their puppets in the school administration don’t see it this way. Never mind the article was about animals and not people – any thought of homosexuality causes their heads to explode.

On Facebook, there is a Facebook group started by his students that already has over 1,000 members.

If you’re disgusted by yet another school board putting religious dogma, fiction and ignorance ahead of educating our children about the real world, please send a COURTEOUS note to Larry Elesa, Superintendent at lelsea@piasabirds.net.

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A couple days ago I was chatting with a friend and the subject of Fox News’ effect on the national psyche came up. He related how his family had seemed to go completely crazy on a steady diet of FOX paranoia, racism, and run of the mill crazy. He talked about a brother who is convinced there is a coming “war” and is preparing for it. He talked about his mother who is convinced that the President of the United States is going to slip into her house and kill her in her sleep.

It’s so sad you almost have to laugh. Were it just his unfortunate family I might say “Oh well, too bad, but maybe they’re just nuts.” But it’s not just his family. It’s many, many people who are fed this noxious stew of hate, paranoia, racism, pseudo-religious mania, and homophobia daily and often as the price of working or doing business in the public square.

Recently, a couple we’d had to our home in the past began spouting similar craziness. “Obamacare is just the Nazi Final Solution updated!” “Something’s gotta happen because of this guy and we’re going to be ready!” (Note: both are gun lovers.)

It was enough for me to say I didn’t care to have them in our home again. I don’t like having guests to dinner when I have to worry they might pull a gun should someone suggest a need for health care reform or, God forbid, Glen Beck is not a saint and brilliant mind.

As we chatted, I had one of those “Aha!” moments. I recalled having to take our car in to be serviced at the local CarMax several months ago. In the waiting area the television was tuned to FOX news and their talking heads were spinning the news to the right with a fury. People came into the room to wait and were subjected to that propaganda the whole time they were there. There was no remote to change the channel. Likewise, workers sitting at the counter were barraged by this propaganda during their shifts. They had no choice. Their employer was telling them they had to watch an ultra-right wing network to work there.

Then I recalled FOX News playing on large screens at the bank I used back in South Carolina. If you were in the lobby you had to listen to their right wing extremist messages. If you worked in the bank, you had no choice but to absorb this propaganda at the expense of all other news sources for a minimum 8 hours a day.

Not too long ago I was in one of the newer “upscale” McDonald’s. Normally, I do the drive-thru but for some reason had gone inside. There in the restaurant was a large screen TV broadcasting FOX news to the diners and employees. I couldn’t imagine having to sit in the restaurant and be subjected to watching this network and ruining my meal. So, I took my food to go.

It seems that many businesses and franchises have decided that they will use their place of business to beat customers and employees with this propaganda arm of the Republican Party and other even more extremist politics such as the “Tea Party” groups, anti-gay religious zealots and overt racists.

But, it goes a long way in understanding why people are going insane around us. When people are subjected to this radicalized agenda during their entire workday with no voice of reason to counter the false claims and sensationalized paranoia, they absorb the messages as truth and reality. They slowly become radicalized.

So, I have decided that from now on when I go into a business where FOX news is required viewing, I will ask that the channel be changed to MSNBC while I am conducting my business, eating my meal, or waiting for a service. I will ask for a manager and state my belief that as a customer I should not be forced to view a network I feel strongly is at the root of our current inability to function as a nation and whose subtle messages are creating a corps of paranoid and delusional anti-government, anti-gay, anti-liberal extremists who are armed and dangerous.

If the business refuses to change the channel I will then take my business elsewhere. I will not be a party to the indoctrination of customers and employees to a dangerous agenda that is inexorably pushing at risk people toward violence and mayhem.

I urge you to do the same thing. If enough people speak up these right wing managers and owners will have no choice but to stop this political indoctrination or see their profits suffer.

Sure, there are lots of FOX boycotts out there. Most are aimed at advertisers of the network. While I support those, I also know that they are limited and don’t get to the root of the indoctrination problem. I also believe that FOX has a Constitutional right to broadcast its filth and poison, but I also have a Constitutional right not be forced to watch it as a requirement to eat a meal, make a deposit in my bank, or get my car fixed.

The employees at these companies cannot insist they not be forced to swallow this extreme ideological agenda because, face it, an owner or manager who supports FOX news will see nothing wrong with firing an employee they consider “against them.” So, it is up to us, the consumer, to help employees stand up for their right to be free from radical politics, homophobia, racism, and religious extremism in their workplace.

I hope you’ll join me in my “boycott” of forced FOX News viewing. If you’d like to stand up for your rights to be FREE OF FOX, please sign the pledge to quietly take action in your own community.

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It seems that Paula Deen stopped by The View to plug her new cookbook "Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunchbox Set" which features recipes to help parents spice up the usual "lunchbox fare" of PB&J.

Barbra Walters took it as time to ambush the affable Mrs. Deen and accuse her of almost singlehandedly causing the epidemic of childhood obesity: "This is a cookbook for kids. Obesity is the No. 1 problem for kids today. Everything you have here is enormously fattening," scolded Walters as she sat by the famous chef. "You tell kids to have cheesecake for breakfast. You tell them to have chocolate cake and meatloaf for lunch. And french fries. Doesn't it bother you that you're adding to this?"

Paula Deen like any rational parent reminded Walters that all things should be done in moderation. But Walters was not to be stopped in her tirade saying: "You book is hardly about moderation! Not when you're feeding them this!"

Of course, Barbra Walters is just doing what too many people do. They blame someone else for their problems. Or in this case, everyone's problems. Walters would have us think that it is not our responsibility to choose what and how much we eat or to make good choices for your kids. It's easy for people like Walters to say "It's not your fault or your parents' fault you're fat. It's that mean Georgia lady who cooks good food."

But let's drop down to Barbra Walters playing field and hit low and hit hard. Paula Deen is a self made woman having been divorced with two small boys and beginning a business making and delivering sandwiches out of her home. She parlayed that into one of Savannah's most successful restaurants and finally into being a TV Food Superstar. Paula Deen raised two gorgeous young men who now have full careers in the food industry as TV hosts and authors after having worked with her in her restaurant.

What about Barbra Walters? Barbra was born to well-to-do parents and attended ritzy private schools in New York. She finally graduated from Sarah Lawrence. She then went to work as an entertainment industry publicist and parlayed that into a job at NBC, launching her stellar career in entertainment journalism. She has one adopted daughter about whom she detailed her years of drug abuse and treatment following her wild teenage years in her book. Her daughter often attended all-night parties at the infamous Studio 54 when she was only 15 years old. Eventually, Walters had to send her daughter away to boarding school and residential rehabilitation.

So, I'm not sure Barbra Walters in necessarily the right person in that group of ladies to be berating Paula Deen for causing the epidemic of childhood obesity while stuffing her own mouth with a big slice of Red Velvet Cake. As my friend Kimberly might quip: "Just sayin', y'all." Sphere: Related Content

... especially if you aren't upper middle class and yuppie.

I follow a number of "green twitterers" and read the links they suggest. What I have found is that the "Green Movement" is made up of upper middle class and wealthy yuppies. If you are lower income or lived on a fixed income being "green" is almost an impossibility because of the costs involved.

For example, a recent post I read about "Green Holidays" listed a number of ways to be more environmentally responsible during the holiday season. Most of the ones listed that would be affordable for lower income people were considered "good" (they were rated from Good to Best). For those who couldn't do all the "Best" options the final suggestion was buying "Carbon Offsets" to assuage one's guilt.

Now, I've never been a fan of this Carbon Offset junk. I figure it's like the old draft dodge of the 19th century where you pay someone to go to war for you if you're drafted. Anyway, how can low income people who may barely be able to afford a decent family holiday also pay for mysterious "carbon offsets" to some company? It's just not doable.

Of course, the "green movement" also includes the healthy eating and "local food" groups as well. They would like us all to stop consuming anything produced by the major agribusinesses and manufacturers. While, I agree and would love to do that. After all, I was raised in a family that had a huge garden during the Summer and got probably 50% of its own produce from it. My grandfather also owned hogs that he slaughtered in late Fall to provide meats for the Winter and Spring.

But, today that's not possible. I don't have room in my small backyard for hogs and I'm not fond of doing the slaughtering myself, unlike my grandfather. I also don't have room for a garden that would produce enough to feed us. I'd love to buy local produce in the store and we do when we can afford it. Still, the cost is at least 50% higher most of the time and it's a strain on the budget. Just last night I needed to get a dozen eggs. Michael always opts for the local organic/cage free eggs. I wanted to get them as well, but I am more conscious of the cost of things like that when we're strained for money. As I stared at the egg case I saw the regular eggs were about $1.50 a dozen or $1.90 for 18. Looking at the organic/cage free the cost as $3.79 a dozen!

Now, I know the green folks will yell about the agribusiness subsidies vs. the local farmer having to charge what it costs without those. I understand that. But, when you're watching pennies those arguments don't hold much water. I'm the rare lower income person who even considers the local organic/cage free eggs. Most would take a look at the prices and laugh.

To make lower income people part of the green movement, the folks at the top have got to get past this yuppie mentality that virtue is its own reward. They need to get active fixing those parts of the system that will make being green affordable for people who have to make tough choices to keep house and home together.

Finally, they need to stop the double standard of "carbon offsets." All that signals is that they have the option of being irresponsible because they can pay a little "fine" to clear their conscience.

If you want the "Green Movement" to succeed you have got to figure out how to make it possible for everyone to participate without going broke in the short term. Sphere: Related Content