One of the main reasons why I became an agnostic had to deal with my love and respect of Kwanzaa, and the harsh criticism I received from Christians. They always hit me with the “Kwanzaa is anti-Christian and Marxist” boomerang. When I heard that (or hear it to this day), I get physically ill. Why? Because I have based a large portion of my life upon the values of Kwanzaa: * Umoja (Unity) * Kujichagulia (Self-determination) * Ujima (Collective work and responsibility) * Ujamaa (Cooperative economics) * Nia (Purpose) * Kuumba (Creativity) * Imani (Faith) Those seven values affected...

I wrote a piece back on 06/27/2005 called “Damn! I’m made in China“. A very inspired piece if I say so. For those that don’t want to go to the article, here are my money words: Those damn pesky Iraq insurgents/terrorists/facists/Islamo-facists/evil-do’ers can’t shake a stick at those running The People’s Republic of China Corporation. The China execs just say the hell with all that annoying blood, bombshells, and bullets with ol’ America. They’ll rather buy 115-year old U.S. energy stalwarts and make a grab for all our “consume it all...

I’ve had enough! I’m declaring war on New Year’s Eve and Day! Look what those days have become: alcohol extraganzas with big dollops of silly, sexual, and downright ignorant behavior thrown in. Look at what they do in the Big Apple. They crowd around that THING and watch it creep slowly up (or down or WHATEVER) until it hits the top (or bottom or WHATEVER). Then everyone erupts into drunken singin’, hollerin’, feelin’ up, etc. Everyone letting loose their inhibitions and seriousness be damned! We need to go back to the real meaning of New Year’s Eve...

Van Corvaire’s business was conducted entirely by appointment; his jewelry was custom designed for the very rich and tasteless, people who would find it necessary to buy hundred-thousand-dollar necklaces to wear to a thousand-dollar-a-plate charity dinner, and never grasp the irony. – Dean R. Koontz, author, “The Bad Place” (1990) I love that particular excerpt from “The Bad Place“. It says so much in such a small amount of words. I don’t think people in general grasp the ironies of many situations. Not saying that makes you, me, or any one else a bad...

Well, I’m finally able to post after having a database issue that wasn’t allowing new posts. Talk about some weird stuff. But hey, servers are machines. Things happen ya know. Anyways I’m able to post again and do my thang.

My phone was jumping off the hook today as family members in New York City called me to vent about the NYC transit workers’ (TWU) strike. Two uncles, four aunts, and ten cousins all called me today. Being the type of guy I am, I was very entertained by my family. They are so animated and funny. But I felt for them. I’ve been to NYC numerous times and mass transportation is the transportation. Wish we had similar here in the Detroit Metro area but that’s an entirely different issue. Donkey Stomp basically sums up how I’m starting to feel about the strike: $55,000 a...

Sometimes when I look at the stock market, I get awed and repulsed at the same time. Awed sometimes by the fact of pure capitalism at work. Tremendous amounts of money literally flowing between financial and corporate entities. Deals, trades, etc. The business of America is business, indeed. Repulsed sometimes by the fact of pure capitalism at work. Tremendous amounts of money literally flowing between financial and corporate entities. Deals, trades, etc. The business of America is business, indeed yet knowing that if you aren’t a player, your just a unit of value being shuffled to...

You ever get really angry, pissed off, and/or stone mad at someone or something, walk past or up to a mirror, look at how you look, and burst into laughter? I live for those moments. Because after you laugh your ass off, the edge is taken off your anger and things seem a little more clearer. Wonder if looking at a mirror while being pissed off to the nth degree would help suicide bombers get off the destruction angle? HMMM! I don’t see alot of mirrors in the West Bank or Iraq. Could be that simple. Oh I just need to be slapped sometimes.

I’ve thoguht many times that if my wife and/or children are murdered, I’m going to do my best to kill the perpetrator. Irresponsible? Irrational? Crazy? Maybe so. But I have passed judgement on the killer and he/she should be eliminated. Statements on judgement like I made above make some people uncomfortable. Religious people will tell me that God only has the right to judge. And being a weak agnostic, maybe they are right. Maybe they are wrong. But I have judged my fellow man/woman since we are both humans and that human has killed that which is part of me, that which I loved...

The Christmas season is just a lovely time of year. Just driving through the neighborhood seeing the Christmas trees in the windows of homes. I love that more than the lights. Something about the Christmas tree that just hits me. Then I get nostalgic. Thinking about my mother and father carrying my siblings and I out to the various stores just to soak in the Christmas atmosphere. We would go by Montgomery Ward, Sears, Best Products, Service Merchandise, JCPenny, and Hudson’s for starters. Everyone of those stores had beautiful Christmas displays. My siblings and I would be just enraptured...