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So I’ve been running into some bad luck here lately.

My site has been hacked twice in the last week and a half.  So I’ve had to go through and fix the posts that they have replaced and reset my settings, which makes it look like my old posts are new.  Quite annoying.  Hopefully I’ve figured out how to keep them from doing that again.  If not, I’ll persist.

Yesterday I was writing a post and was most the way thorugh it when a small surge hit the house turning off the power for a second.  I lost everything, which confused me because Worpress used to autosave every few minutes before 2.6.  Hmm, maybe it’s a setting I have to find now.  Maybe people complained about it for some reason.

A lesser person may think that a blog like this is being “told” something.

It’s just a little bad luck.  We all must endure some bad luck on occasion.  That’s how life works.

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We received an invitation.  I think everybody in our town did.  We didn’t think anything of it though.  There was no way that we were going to attend such an event.

Nonetheless, my doorbell rang the other day as my daughter’s friend hollered for her to come out.

“You gotta see this, you gotta see this!”  She shouted as she saw my daughter.

And out they went.

Soon they were back to get my other daughter.  Again with the same “gotta see this” yelling.

I saw it as I came home that afternoon.  The big inflatable jumping thing and the barbecue going and the loads of people.  Why it was the church block party, and it was right here in my neighborhood.

I guess I’m lucky enough to have a local preacher living in my neighborhood and he sponsored a block party to help spread the word.  I’m sure all expenses were tax deductible.

They (I know there was more than one pusher) ask my daughter and her friend if they went to church.  They answered no.  Maybe they could see it in my daughters’ eyes.  They weren’t going to get very far with this one.  She’s been taught tolerance and given the freedom to think for herself.  They handed a pamphlet to the friend.

“Enjoy your time, ” they said.

Peddling church like a carnival.

On a different occasion from a different church we found a packet with some information and two pieces of Double Bubble gum.  My kids could only ask, “Why would a church give you gum?”

Good question.

Somehow we’re more likely to go to church and buy the stories if they only give us a little something.  Is salvation not enough anymore?  Is it not enough to guilt people with their souls?

A different church was parked outside the local grocery store a month ago.  Note that the local grocery store isn’t a mom and pop’s, but rather a Safeway.  Anyway, the people parked outside it were handing to shoppers a cup of soda…. and a pamphlet.

Do these gimmicks work?  Does a few pennies worth of pop and gum or a block party actually achieve higher turnout?

If so, then what is the point?  Why do they need higher turnout if the simple message they are trying to tell is not enough?  If the message was enough, then no product or game would be necessary.  Instead they offer something to people in order to expand their base.

If expanding the base is not done with the message, then what’s to be gained?

You have to spend money to get money is what I have often heard.  Must be money to made for somebody in there somewhere.

Several more examples of doing whatever it takes to make a buck.

Greedy fuckers.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Teams are of huge importance in Western civilization.  Team spirit or fanaticism is unrivaled.

Let’s face it.  People are willing to plaster the logo of their favorite team on their car, on their house, and especially on their person.  Team logos are plastered even if it is accompanied by the logo of corporate advertising, which it often is.

People support colleges they never went to in order think they are associated with a winner somehow.

Many make it personal.  Comments like “We really beat you guys good yesterday” or “How are you guys gonna do this weekend?” baffle me.  Always have.

Somebody was talking about an ex co-worker of mine with me recently.  He took my old job when I left and the comment was that he doesn’t talk much.  I responded with sure he does.  He’ll talk about the local football team to no end.  He has their logo on his car and on his jacket and before his promotion he had it on every shirt he wore.  The only words I’ve ever heard him say are ones relating to that team.  Not likely to find a woman who will care that much about football.  Anybody who hasn’t let go of adolescent sports fanaticism by his 30’s doesn’t impress me.

I love baseball.  I really do, but most people can’t get their head around the fact that I don’t have a favorite team.  I really just enjoy watching the game and I often determine a team to root for on a game-by-game basis.  It is a competition afterall.  I don’t take the sport personally.  These are guys who have nothing to do with me or the area in which I grew up.  Home team fanaticism makes no sense outside of the fact that it’s nice to have a professional team here.

It doesn’t stop at sports though.  We, as a culture, love to be divided.  We love to point fingers.  We love to raise our giant foam finger in the air.  People proudly wear their Old Navy American Flag shirt all year round to show their loyalty to the country in which they were lucky enough to be born.

Certainly, it is important to take an interest in our country and support it, but extreme sense of nationalism really doesn’t interest me.  I find it counter productive but a very good method by which governments can control the population.

I can’t even begin to count how many fish I see placed on cars as I drive to work and back each day.  Not just fish, but the Darwin fish with legs and then the fish with the word “Truth” inside eating the Darwin fish with legs.  It’s so competitive.

The bumper stickers of each person’s favorite candidate are starting to populate everywhere which baffles me even more.  Hey, in a few long months your car’s going to be out of date.  They may try to hide the fact that you have a loser’s bumper sticker stuck to their car or they may keep it on another four years to show that they were supporting the winner all along.

All this political candidate spirit after the Democrats were so divided amongst their two candidates that had very little differences from each other outside of charisma.  Insults were created for each others’ supporters to make their support seem the smart thing to do.

Little boys in striped shirts pissing on the Chevy logo, the Ford logo, country flags, party logos, and on and on.  Is there anything that little punk won’t piss on?  Is there anything that I will give a fuck about when he does it?  Maybe if one day there is one made of him pissing into the wind.

If somebody is a part of a team, then it is important for that person to support their team with no limitation.  Teams are a valuable method of bonding and creating sense of importance- even if recreational.  Even if at work.  Forming teams, working within them, and creating something as a member of one can be very satisfying.

I wish more of America would understand the true nature of team.

I wish America would stop being so damn competitive.

Put away your big foam finger.

Popularity: 25% [?]

One of the challenges in taking a new job is learning how your co-workers and various bosses are.  For bosses, learning their styles is the first hurdle.  Similar to a new professor in college, a person who wishes to succeed must adapt to the style of the boss in order to be successful.

Recently I discussed my boss and how he has been reading the Bible at work.  While I find it odd that a person would read the Bible at work, this bothers me very little.  Only because he does not discuss it and only reads it in his office.  I also find it peculiar that a man who claims to never read decides this is it.  This is the one book.

Now his boss is in another state.  I’ve only interacted with him over the phone.  I’ve been told he’s a big guy and he definitely has a big voice.  One of these people I’ve met before who yells when things are quite right.  A first class bully.

Well, over the last few weeks, this man I’ve never met has been noticeably calmer.  Only it’s attempted calmness.  It’s forced.  It’s killing him.  I’ve commented to my boss that I think he’s on Prozac.

A few days after the post regarding my boss reading the Bible, this interaction happened over the phone.  My boss always talks to everybody on speaker… except his wife.  For clarity’s sake, if I’m infinity, my boss will be pi and his boss will be zero.  I’ve eliminated quotes for the story, since some of it is not quotes.

Calmly, Zero began talking about how all we can do is what we can do.  Calmly is not Zero’s style.  As I stand there listening to the conversation, I mouth the word “prozac” to Pi.

Pi speaks up.  We have a question, he says, You’ve been calm lately.  Are you taking Prozac or something?”

No, a slightly agitated Zero says.  I’ve been going to church more.  I figure if I have more faith, my customers can see it and will like me more.  So that’s what it is, if you must know.

I must of had a look of disbelief.  Maybe annoyance as well.

Pi asked, what religion.

Quickly, Zero snapped, Christian.  And I’m not Wiccan or one of those crazy Christian extremists that are running around.

OK, I had to ask.  What kind? asked Pi.

I used to go to an Evangelical church, but now I go to a Crossroads church.  My preacher is really good.  Is on T.V. and the radio.

I know I am shaking my head.  I can’t help myself.

Infinity is a practicing atheist, says Pi.  There it was, he announced it.  I’m not afraid of people knowing, I just don’t want some people knowing.  Especially when they are bullies that are over me.

He is not, said Zero.

Well, he knows a lot about all religions, and I mean a lot, but doesn’t practice any, said Pi

He is not- are you?  Are you an atheist, Infinity? queried Zero after a bit of a pause.

I answered, Yes I am.

I hope that works out for you, replied Zero.

I thought of many ways to answer this.  Confrontational is how I prefer to go.  Many answers to somebody suggesting I’ll get mine on judgment day.  I decided to stay calm.

So far so good.

A knowing chuckle from Zero and then business finished.  Back to business.

Later I had to call Zero’s office.  I knew he wouldn’t be there.  I talked to the guy who does my job for Zero.  See Zero had called me on my cell phone and asked I call the office.

Hey, Zero needs you to call him.

Oh, I must have left my phone in the car.  Slight pause.  Maybe if he prays hard enough, I’ll hear it.

I learned a ton from this conversation.  Apparently Zero got in trouble with his wife.  That prompted him to go to church regularly and really drive the chatter home.  He brought in his radio and listens to his really good preacher with it blasted all day.  He’s driving everybody nuts.

Another reason why religion doesn’t belong in the office.  And if it doesn’t belong in the office, then it doesn’t belong anywhere public- especially the government.

People like Zero have no tolerance for anybody else and their way.  I’m waiting to see if this has an impact on how he treats me or deals with me in the future.

The truth is, I have a tried and tested philosophy.  My wife accepts it and believes the same as I do.  Zero has to change focus because he gets in trouble.  In reality, he’s still the same guy holding back how he really wants to treat people.  He’ll likely explode one day or just revert back to his old ways.

As his person told me, going to church doesn’t change who you are.

I hope that works out for him.

Popularity: 40% [?]

Teachers are attacked often for being liberal and teaching a liberal bias. I suppose sometimes it is warranted.

My daughter was telling me and my wife last week that her teacher was pushing for everybody to spend their stimulus checks. Not only did the teacher push for the parents of the children to spend the checks to stimulate the economy, she told the class that some of that money should be theirs to spend.

As my daughter relayed the message to us, it sounds as if because part of the money was due to having children, then the children should each get $300 each to spend as they wish. Now that is liberal-minded.

We had another one of those discussions that we really shouldn’t have to.

Get ‘em while they’re young, teach, get ‘em while they’re young.

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