tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88310764710254538192024-03-14T03:35:57.963-06:00Bag Full of TricksA look at politics, economics, history and the other lies that people are telling you.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-18718147162314869852017-03-16T15:52:00.004-06:002017-03-16T15:52:51.904-06:00A letter to Trump supporters (Ben Mallicote)<span><span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span><span>You
voted for Trump because Clinton was going to be in Wall Street's
pocket. Trump wants to repeal Dodd-Frank and eliminate the Fiduciary
Rule, letting Wall Street return to its pre-2008 ways.</span><br /><br /><span>You voted for Trump because of Clinton's emails. The Trump</span></span><span><span><span> administration is running its own private email server.</span><br /><br /><span>You
voted for Trump because you thought the Clinton Foundation was "pay for
play." Trump has refused to wall off his businesses from his
administration, and personally profits from payments from foreign
governments.</span><br /><br /><span>You voted for Trump because of
Clinton's role in Benghazi. Trump ordered the Yemen raid without
adequate intel, and tweeted about "FAKE NEWS" while Americans died as a
result of his carelessness.</span><br /><br /><span>You voted for Trump
because Clinton didn't care about "the little guy." Trump's cabinet is
full of billionaires, and he took away your health insurance so he could
give them a multi-million-dollar tax break.</span><br /><br /><span>You
voted for Trump because he was going to build a wall and Mexico was
going to pay for it. American consumers will pay for the wall via import
tariffs.</span><br /><br /><span>You voted for Trump because Clinton was
going to get us into a war. Trump has provoked our enemies, alienated
our allies, and given ISIS a decade's worth of recruiting material.</span><br /><br /><span>You
voted for Trump because Clinton didn't have the stamina to do the job.
Trump hung up on the Australian Prime Minister during a 5pm phone call
because "it was at the end of a long day and he was tired and fatigue
was setting in."</span><br /><br /><span>You voted for Trump because foreign
leaders wouldn't "respect" Clinton. Foreign leaders, both friendly and
hostile, are openly mocking Trump.</span><br /><br /><span>You voted for
Trump because Clinton lies and "he tells it like it is." Trump and his
administration lie with a regularity and brazenness that can only be
described as shocking.</span><br /><br /><span>Let's be honest about what really happened.</span><br /><br /><span>The
reality is that you voted for Trump because you got conned. Trump is a
grifter and the American people were the mark. Now that you know the
score, quit insisting the con-man is on your side.</span><br /><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span><span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span><span><span>Ben Mallicote</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-15829347545709279222016-06-27T23:53:00.001-06:002016-06-27T23:53:29.386-06:00Trump redesigns the American flag<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXNOTTahgAE2HneqeaBZzt_f5XLnoPkNBxXVri7WG8rLlI671KsF5KzycEgg2PbwAkOp7V_321EHqK-PtNst6nednoBQal1t7BR653O8E24Y1Xn3jZBhikteJMwOVT5ocnRoNtRbm9dGZ/s1600/america+flag+rev+colors+trump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXNOTTahgAE2HneqeaBZzt_f5XLnoPkNBxXVri7WG8rLlI671KsF5KzycEgg2PbwAkOp7V_321EHqK-PtNst6nednoBQal1t7BR653O8E24Y1Xn3jZBhikteJMwOVT5ocnRoNtRbm9dGZ/s320/america+flag+rev+colors+trump.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh say can you see by the glow of Trump's tan....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From the desk of the Greatest American President ever! (suck it Reagan):<br />
<br />
Today, I give you the greatest flag in the world. It is a flag worthy of our great coun<span class="text_exposed_show">try,
and symbolizes everything that makes America great. I designed this
flag, especially for you America, because I am the best at designing
flags. There is no one else in the world better at creating flags. I am
the best at creating flags. And we needed a new one because the old one
was designed by that fat cow, Betsy Ross, and it was a loser flag. This
is a winner flag. The green stripes represent money because if you do
not have money, you are not a winner. And we have so much money as a
nation that we are winners. We are so winning, and have so much money,
that we are tired of winning and having so much money. But what can you
do? You can't give your money to poor people because they are losers,
and you know that they are losers because they have no money. The black
stripes represent black gold, which is better than gold gold, except for
the golden signs that now decorate all the national monuments. As
Americans, we send our troops everywhere to protect the precious black
gold. We are so protective of black gold that we even use nukes to
protect the black gold from the poor in other countries, and you know
that they are losers because we nuked them to protect the black gold for
the winners who have loads of black gold. The winners have so much
black gold that they do not know what to do with it. And what can they
do? They move here and they bring their black gold to us, and we win
again. I am so sick and tired of all this winning that we are doing. And
there are fifty stars that represent the fifty noble hatreds that makes
America great. You know the fifty: hate those Mexican rapists and
drugs, and Rosie McDonnell, and journalists, and lying Hillary, and
crazy Bernie, and weak Jeb, and those militant Muslims, and Isis, I know
so much about Isis, I know more about Isis than the CIA, the NSA, and
all the generals in the military, and we hate them so much that we will
nuke them wherever they are, if they come to New York, we will nuke New
York. And the other fifty noble hatreds that Jesus trust us, and that
the Supreme Court and Congress agree should be in the Constitution
because I told them that they should be in the Constitution, and I am
the greatest at the Constitution, I know exactly what should be in the
Constitution. This flag is in the Constitution, you can look it up,
along with every man, woman, and child having a gun, except for Muslims,
and blacks, and the blacks are ok with it because I get along great
with the blacks, the blacks love me, and the Mexicans, the Mexicans
can't have guns because they are murderers and rapists. Oh, there are
some good Mexicans, and they love this flag. I get along great with the
American flag loving Mexicans, they love me. And there is a field of
orange to remind us that our great nation, the most winning nation in
the world, is founded on a great religion, a religion that I am great
in, and in Cheeto-Jesus we trust---that and money and black oil.
America--we are great again!!!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">President-for-Life Donald Cheeto-Jesus Trump</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEynONmVt5UnhLQoFSKzhdbyvxnaxjGkwOnjA7h7eVVNybV3XBKS3zSCQwCSJvgy7ttXQeMuGf2G2inbcEBBSOoNScEn43Jr1jAGbAfCwIxdxCuwcNo9PzhQek7NYrR1tV_aMOOwyqr2B3/s1600/trump+cheeto+shit+gibbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEynONmVt5UnhLQoFSKzhdbyvxnaxjGkwOnjA7h7eVVNybV3XBKS3zSCQwCSJvgy7ttXQeMuGf2G2inbcEBBSOoNScEn43Jr1jAGbAfCwIxdxCuwcNo9PzhQek7NYrR1tV_aMOOwyqr2B3/s320/trump+cheeto+shit+gibbon.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donald Trump--the cheeto-faced, ferret wearing shitgibbon---the only candidate worse than Cthulhu and Killer Asteroid. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">[Don't like the idea of a Trump Presidency? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/664182840397703/" target="_blank">Join us on July 4th (worldwide) to bind and hex the cheeto-faced, ferret wearing shitgibbon.</a> Or better yet, vote for the other party!]<br /><br /> </span>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-27732532841251185622016-06-27T23:52:00.000-06:002016-06-27T23:52:12.933-06:00Support me on PatreonIf you love the work that I am doing, and you know that you do, you can now make a monthly donation to me on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/madunclemorgan">Patreon</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/madunclemorgan">Patreon</a> is a crowdfunding site where people make monthly donations to creative people (writers, artists, comedians, etc.) to help them make ends meet--because being creative is not the gold mine that certain people think it is. The number of creatives that make decent money doing art is less than one percent.<br />
<br />
And yes, I know. No one should support my work because I spend too much time making fun of other people, and my artwork sucks, and my writing blows, and whatever else my critics say.<br />
<br />
To my critics, I say--bite me!<br />
<br />
There are rewards for supporting me on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/madunclemorgan">Patreon</a>, including early access to projects that I am working on.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/madunclemorgan">So for just a dollar a month, you can sponsor a lunatic--that would be me, Mad Uncle Morgan, and encourage me to continue doing what I do best. Thank you for your continued support. </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hBQ293VZcJ8" width="400"></iframe>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-77782116907767060542016-06-07T15:22:00.002-06:002016-06-07T15:22:26.564-06:00Cthulhu Dagon 2016Yes, I am still a Bernie supporter. Yes, I am still a nasty unwashed
hippy. Yes, I know the truth of the numbers. Yes, I still want some of
my concerns to actually make it onto the party platform. Yes, I still
believe that both Trump and Hillary are both demonic. Yes, I still
believe that we are better off voting for the lesser evil once we have
absolutely no choice. And that is why I am going to vote for
Cthulhu/Dagon in November.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6DDjtKui3potaZcij252TlLAwnlGhnnMUXn7jYCOfWVrATlEv2VxHGXStn9k5FbOtj3SZHPq0UXdLkXvCMd_Sr5hOQTiV33R11saadu5V5tvLfhohQH38RZzqmieFQqHM1bfx2wrhaQ/s1600/cthulhu+dagon+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6DDjtKui3potaZcij252TlLAwnlGhnnMUXn7jYCOfWVrATlEv2VxHGXStn9k5FbOtj3SZHPq0UXdLkXvCMd_Sr5hOQTiV33R11saadu5V5tvLfhohQH38RZzqmieFQqHM1bfx2wrhaQ/s320/cthulhu+dagon+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cthulhu/Dagon 2016---because Killer Asteroid is not running. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-61400257350122129482016-01-11T16:54:00.002-07:002016-01-11T16:54:52.161-07:00Custom made chalicesAnd now a word from my sponsor (aka my wife): <br />
<br />
<br />
Here are some of the chalices that were made recently. There is a large variety of symbols that can be used: Templar cross, Wicca pentacle, triple moon, and horned god. There are also several scrolls that can be applied. We have a variety of glaze colors to choose from; all of them are food safe. The chalices are hand thrown, underglazed and fired, then overglazed and fired a second time. The whole process from start to finish takes seven to eight weeks. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/243855059/made-to-order-personalized-custom-wheel?ref=shop_home_active_3" target="_blank">If you are interested in ordering a custom made chalice, check out Khari's Wiccan Treasures on Etsy.</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2z987Wr4EG5hyphenhyphenkXiv7R-QNg9kg9y_v-fz3a8Uggu83TciUv9uD9sZSGpeDBfZ6WTr0lycHgvNgx4hbU_KH7h-ofUoKjioX9lLx_3HxsLl5Vo-PbcUwNllQqomqV45BvwiJE-XA6vc1RC/s1600/fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2z987Wr4EG5hyphenhyphenkXiv7R-QNg9kg9y_v-fz3a8Uggu83TciUv9uD9sZSGpeDBfZ6WTr0lycHgvNgx4hbU_KH7h-ofUoKjioX9lLx_3HxsLl5Vo-PbcUwNllQqomqV45BvwiJE-XA6vc1RC/s320/fb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Templar cross blue chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a15Ee0xv272RL4G8gKXFoO-_1AKRKyWWDGTR3S5b2SL3olsuj02Zr1xAJ6s6cAKFqA7UIE5NrAoTpRHH2T-LHumZzCYHHIjd4Zb55xMyFHcldwR7gUC5wOuK3QOelYg7LKrtugF1ob7I/s1600/fb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a15Ee0xv272RL4G8gKXFoO-_1AKRKyWWDGTR3S5b2SL3olsuj02Zr1xAJ6s6cAKFqA7UIE5NrAoTpRHH2T-LHumZzCYHHIjd4Zb55xMyFHcldwR7gUC5wOuK3QOelYg7LKrtugF1ob7I/s320/fb2.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Templar cross green chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBhr5J6diN7JEK8oXz9jCLLiBNoxDycqBSm1MEWx8Yf16EuTjdekF4UqZgmvkhEZOWEbcL3NHYReya2IGsYJkh9JSfLJadcIyEsAeyDDj2DqR-B82RNPAFtAEiPR9SJxZ6NvCplNZJZfS/s1600/fb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBhr5J6diN7JEK8oXz9jCLLiBNoxDycqBSm1MEWx8Yf16EuTjdekF4UqZgmvkhEZOWEbcL3NHYReya2IGsYJkh9JSfLJadcIyEsAeyDDj2DqR-B82RNPAFtAEiPR9SJxZ6NvCplNZJZfS/s320/fb3.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiccan trimple moon pentacle green chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CLeOv-EZxp00la84ersCXYoBjb4CJ5s1shTJ8v89d0Zq6yfJdmw_Pu0FnLvMkw_IcNE_3XeEp82lT5gCsf7CGYwuEZdbBftJy8NebHa7mO3rMp7La8REQPLGcWosx2NVRIuyMsMaLR34/s1600/fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CLeOv-EZxp00la84ersCXYoBjb4CJ5s1shTJ8v89d0Zq6yfJdmw_Pu0FnLvMkw_IcNE_3XeEp82lT5gCsf7CGYwuEZdbBftJy8NebHa7mO3rMp7La8REQPLGcWosx2NVRIuyMsMaLR34/s320/fb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the selection of glaze colors to choose from. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAyEFKFXdGFbiY583XIkkIqB6djRn-Qi5MA_viSJEabC8OTTHcVuHB9a8XG1PTa4yQ9VU8jQK4fFQgxbc_I2ObaIjCduGA44GG8PsNdbYy8y51aVcFON0pXDoIozvsALGLE_HSxx3m7mS/s1600/fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAyEFKFXdGFbiY583XIkkIqB6djRn-Qi5MA_viSJEabC8OTTHcVuHB9a8XG1PTa4yQ9VU8jQK4fFQgxbc_I2ObaIjCduGA44GG8PsNdbYy8y51aVcFON0pXDoIozvsALGLE_HSxx3m7mS/s320/fb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red and black horned god chalice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VhDZN4DPrR9w7gSv_p8I3NC8Vv6nwvBbAnzXhqjKkcCE1Dfv0xYT-8TORBzLE2Q5GBQjWu1GLwP4j1UC6o3Dzs3VMldtGr8ce_DV9SanWFZziCV_-ATjLzPcbw2g_Jy-R6wEO7hyphenhyphentp0V/s1600/fb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VhDZN4DPrR9w7gSv_p8I3NC8Vv6nwvBbAnzXhqjKkcCE1Dfv0xYT-8TORBzLE2Q5GBQjWu1GLwP4j1UC6o3Dzs3VMldtGr8ce_DV9SanWFZziCV_-ATjLzPcbw2g_Jy-R6wEO7hyphenhyphentp0V/s320/fb2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green triple moon chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMmmbNSZhU1BUJtdVgnpivNVvOWVkONuS50ejvAWff9bcyvcz8-7f4wxjCL_291m1x6vAc4DjVHyyyjEPl1EqjE8GnrZKIEOdxdweh7bJxOpv4II8jfZXOYAPZAFniht_TAKybnhSbtyJ/s1600/fb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMmmbNSZhU1BUJtdVgnpivNVvOWVkONuS50ejvAWff9bcyvcz8-7f4wxjCL_291m1x6vAc4DjVHyyyjEPl1EqjE8GnrZKIEOdxdweh7bJxOpv4II8jfZXOYAPZAFniht_TAKybnhSbtyJ/s320/fb3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden brown triple moon chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG4frX_0A3AP3d5LlyEGini_DL4_Tq-G0ceMt59rNnmYRR2rrYSrjuMUcIDgTl_b18dqdClxDu3vU0zC85Hdxe1JDJbtHHNtVUEZYuSrLi7KUcNrefkLKIcpKOapsay3ESotKLod71fXU/s1600/fb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG4frX_0A3AP3d5LlyEGini_DL4_Tq-G0ceMt59rNnmYRR2rrYSrjuMUcIDgTl_b18dqdClxDu3vU0zC85Hdxe1JDJbtHHNtVUEZYuSrLi7KUcNrefkLKIcpKOapsay3ESotKLod71fXU/s320/fb4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red and black triple moon chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaHV4mwVejdFDDqaw8ObKJKpfWNDyANh9-396ee9Ow21SGzw_KVC8DLJTr0-KAgeKEUI5uOjO_BDFpcx7r3S6SN_B-3bVGpKsPoGxNcbg08rggNAeSCQ4DIz9guU8VXVFXatZ8DmH4nQL/s1600/fb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaHV4mwVejdFDDqaw8ObKJKpfWNDyANh9-396ee9Ow21SGzw_KVC8DLJTr0-KAgeKEUI5uOjO_BDFpcx7r3S6SN_B-3bVGpKsPoGxNcbg08rggNAeSCQ4DIz9guU8VXVFXatZ8DmH4nQL/s320/fb5.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue and green pentacle chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1j_3kMUiIh-VWeu6q2k3waFnIl64EjBuf-JYXAVz8YMNaLxyZtw2iC9BJlCvc3jh4eTZdlmdVJfj5BRQY8R04Fok14iCI_EMiAIdy6FKAYudAs97J3ct4q07iM4isCckiApwnf1pIs3G7/s1600/fb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1j_3kMUiIh-VWeu6q2k3waFnIl64EjBuf-JYXAVz8YMNaLxyZtw2iC9BJlCvc3jh4eTZdlmdVJfj5BRQY8R04Fok14iCI_EMiAIdy6FKAYudAs97J3ct4q07iM4isCckiApwnf1pIs3G7/s320/fb6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue pentacle chalice. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-74776220331340483942015-12-24T22:05:00.001-07:002015-12-24T22:05:19.665-07:00How Trump can become PresidentHere is how Trump becomes President: 51% of the population embraces his special hatred of those they also hate while ignoring the fact that Trump also hates the 51% of the population voting for him. Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-28906910615108267392013-08-09T03:16:00.002-06:002013-08-09T03:16:35.425-06:00QoD Weiner hugs the press<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO248vltvmZgNwXjDJUFvGw1O5sdwK5l-sdBp90CfWo1Q8ipIKhZP9FhA36CQz5Jn2y0960gGDOevLQoFP7VFJK-Y0EOrnpB0VveXBAoPpoNPm1Yj3T0fCJk8B3wHO4JoX96GFVwX_iI/s1600/anthony+weiner+loves+the+press+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO248vltvmZgNwXjDJUFvGw1O5sdwK5l-sdBp90CfWo1Q8ipIKhZP9FhA36CQz5Jn2y0960gGDOevLQoFP7VFJK-Y0EOrnpB0VveXBAoPpoNPm1Yj3T0fCJk8B3wHO4JoX96GFVwX_iI/s320/anthony+weiner+loves+the+press+quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthony Weiner tells it like he sees it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/08/19939883-weiner-mocks-reporter-scolds-staff-as-cameras-roll-at-campaign-event?lite" target="_blank">Today's quote of the day comes from that sexy man Anthony Weiner, who to top his favorable media impression, not only believes that the press should get a hobby, he also believes that the press is "just one big cuddly collection of humanity" who he thinks of fondly.</a> <br />
<br />
And the press thinks of you, Anthony Weiner, as a big collection of sexiness, hugs, and common sense...just don't text us or send us any naked pictures, ok?Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-49257792080091233292013-03-30T14:14:00.003-06:002013-03-30T14:14:42.083-06:00A thought about GMOsWhat gets me about the whole genetically-modified paranoia is that the regular
wheat and corn, and everything else that is farmed, has been modified by human
behavior. Corn started out as a grass with a low yield; yet over the course of
human history, we selectly choose to plant seeds that resulted in our current
corn on the cob. The difference is that we did not do it in a lab over a short
decade, instead we took thousands of years to do it--nevertheless, we modified
the genetics of the current corn plant long before we understood genetics. Everything that you buy in the grocery store has been genetically modified long before Monsanto was a glimmer in a caveman's eyes. Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-44461617362673102822012-10-15T23:58:00.001-06:002012-10-15T23:58:30.143-06:00How about actually washing some dirty dishes?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04-gQcJYdalasXEPMqm9iof6_0ErQK_Pv0NpFd2EXoZ4ZZdhx_GqMbcWPaKoP1MyhMDCkv9bHrXyMr6B6JiCMcWZin95YY27ibrll6-HfEhO3jEzbBAxe1Dk9U_AUmZsKvEYgo2ucVq8/s1600/paul+ryan+pretending+to+do+dishes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04-gQcJYdalasXEPMqm9iof6_0ErQK_Pv0NpFd2EXoZ4ZZdhx_GqMbcWPaKoP1MyhMDCkv9bHrXyMr6B6JiCMcWZin95YY27ibrll6-HfEhO3jEzbBAxe1Dk9U_AUmZsKvEYgo2ucVq8/s320/paul+ryan+pretending+to+do+dishes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Ryan pretending to work in a soup kitchen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As many of my readers know, I spent twenty years in the restaurant business--much of that time was spent washing dishes. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/15/charity-president-unhappy-about-paul-ryan-soup-kitchen-photo-op/" target="_blank">Not pretending to wash dishes, like Paul Ryan did in a recent photo op</a>. <br />
<br />
Now, I realize that politicians pretend to care for the less fortunate, and to be regular joes who understand your pain, all the time. The Democrats are as guilty of the Republicans are--they are not regular joes; they are not our co-workers and drinking buddies. <br />
<br />
Still, pretending to wash dishes? And then claiming that it was to draw attention to the work that a soup kitchen does. Really? You expect us to believe that you were trying to help out?<br />
<br />
The Romney/Ryan ticket are really annoying me as a former restaurant employee and manager. First the Romney campaign gets upset at one restaurant owner for not allowing them to eat there, with the result being that death threats were made to the owner of the restaurant (just because someone shares your religion does not mean that they want to be seen endorsing you). And now, Ryan is annoying people by pretending to wash dishes.<br />
<br />
Tell you what. Come to my house and wash some actual dirty dishes. Or the house of any random American. There are a ton of dirty dishes to be washed in this county. In fact, we will allow you to take before and after pictures. But do not tell us how this proves that you are just like us, and have our best interests at heart. We know better because we know that you never have to clean up after yourselves ever--you hire people like us to wash your dirty dishes. And we know that you do not actually go drinking with your help, or even care about them. <br />
<br />
Yes, I am a happy cynic. A happy cynic who actually washes actual dirty dishes. For some reason, that makes me believe that I am more of a regular joe than Paul Ryan is. Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-42687950001426160062012-10-01T19:30:00.003-06:002012-10-01T19:30:50.643-06:00Talk to my cat about your product and candidate<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_J-h52xTAv1iPVMcDXOsElRRnyADkENN4hvBf8pmGNrnvQH7uf9t0W6MPNXLTl6PEh19n7TAxTt0u-C5lT98wiwwAi2AtvrlB3XBAfuokwPTGlvansIf8DeraASv-w7XR7Np0rDwc8Y/s1600/loki+wisdom+DSCN9042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_J-h52xTAv1iPVMcDXOsElRRnyADkENN4hvBf8pmGNrnvQH7uf9t0W6MPNXLTl6PEh19n7TAxTt0u-C5lT98wiwwAi2AtvrlB3XBAfuokwPTGlvansIf8DeraASv-w7XR7Np0rDwc8Y/s320/loki+wisdom+DSCN9042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please tell my cat all about your new product and/or political candidate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oh, how many more days until this election cycle is over--too many. <br />
<br />
Last year at this time, I thought that I would be busy blogging about the latest election during this month. I did not realize that even I would be uninterested in the whole d*** thing. <br />
<br />
Over the last past couple of weeks, I have been averaging a half dozen political calls a day. It has gotten to the point that I am not answering the phone if I do not see an actual name on the caller ID. <br />
<br />
And I am on the verge of handing the phone to my cat--maybe he can summon up more interest in this election than I have been able to.<br />
<br />
For the record, I have known for months who I am voting for...I think that most of my Facebook friends have figured it out also. So let's just vote today, and save ourselves a few weeks of pointless political ads and phone calls. If not, a lot of people are going to end up talking to my cat.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-55985530776479510992012-09-11T13:09:00.002-06:002012-09-11T13:09:29.235-06:00Free for today only<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaBKai5NeG-iD-l19ep4oDORXYqz512WnvpYShHek0yZWotb3HKV9tT5nL3oF-ZqqgXWnm7h5wLuc0ZkVa7sbl9KsesHJYQ_8k6z_D-2uI2HHj4Cws69eZjeBjSpVFmD1DqbGzcMdUZQ/s1600/shakespeares+monkey+blog+sized+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaBKai5NeG-iD-l19ep4oDORXYqz512WnvpYShHek0yZWotb3HKV9tT5nL3oF-ZqqgXWnm7h5wLuc0ZkVa7sbl9KsesHJYQ_8k6z_D-2uI2HHj4Cws69eZjeBjSpVFmD1DqbGzcMdUZQ/s320/shakespeares+monkey+blog+sized+cover.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakespeare's Monkey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today (well technically until Friday September 14, 2012), you can get a free copy of my ebook <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/161927" target="_blank">Shakespeare's Monkey</a> when you enter coupon code <span style="color: red;">EX49A</span> at the checkout. Why free today? Well, one of the stories contained in this volume was based on 9/11--apologizes to the dozen people that I blended together to create the characters (it was creative license)--and today is as good of a day to share that piece of fiction as any other. Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-43938178048680167192012-08-06T18:19:00.002-06:002012-08-06T18:19:48.193-06:00Why I am glad that I do not work at Chick-fil-A<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWACKUskjqNRATWxLbSngKr7qYNHI-McTl83Tfd6fZXI8_n7ph1h0wRh67iwHktbsIIZq98084Rv4H4CyjQLMuPQwTCCglLVPUPJbITVDyLvKwgSbVRfXsehn1cTrnN61Hzch7KJT2aOE/s1600/chik+fila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWACKUskjqNRATWxLbSngKr7qYNHI-McTl83Tfd6fZXI8_n7ph1h0wRh67iwHktbsIIZq98084Rv4H4CyjQLMuPQwTCCglLVPUPJbITVDyLvKwgSbVRfXsehn1cTrnN61Hzch7KJT2aOE/s320/chik+fila.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe I should quit feeding the cats Chick-fil-A.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As some of my readers may know, I spent twenty years working in food service before graduating from college and becoming a full-time writer and general publishing jack-of-all-trades. Because of this, I have thoughts about the whole Chick-fil-A mess. <br />
<br />
The first of which is that if I was still attending the University of Colorado on the Denver campus, and still going to classes in the North classroom, I would probably still be eating Chick-fil-A...merely because it would be a matter of convenience and because I know who is going to be hurt most by the protests.<br />
<br />
The people who are going to get hurt most by the protests are the lowest paid employees. It is not going to be the managers and executives who suffer; it is going to be the poor people who make the food and serve the customers. I was a mamanger of a fast food restaurant, and I know exactly what happens when sales go down--you cut the hours of your employees to save on labor costs. Therefore, I am not sure if I would be completely comfortable protesting and boycotting the local Chick-fil-A. <br />
<br />
The second thing I know is once you toss the convenience of a certain location (which employs college students) out the window is that I am not eating Chick-fil-A. Recently I had a couple of opportunities to eat at Chick-fil-A...and I didn't. Now, I am only one person, but I am sure that I am not alone. <br />
<br />
But here is the deal: while I ate at other places, I do not know the political opinions of the owners of the places that I chose to eat at instead. For all I know, I may have been eating at a place ran by a bigger menace. Do you know the political opinion of the people who own the restaurant you eat the most at? It is not like it is generally known by your average customer.<br />
<br />
The third thing I know is that I would be fired by Chick-fil-A if I worked for them. I am a supporter of gay marriage. I do not believe that gay people are the biggest hazard to marriage. Furthermore, I had a gay roommate for several years, and I had gay neighbors the entire time I have been living in Denver. Gay people are just a natural part of the world, and they deserve the same economic and emotionally benefits that straight people are entitled to. And yes, I would be vocal about my support of gay rights...therefore, I would be rapidly fired.<br />
<br />
And the final thing I know is that the owner of Chick-fil-A is a fool. It is one thing to be a bigot, and proud of it. But it is another thing to let your customers learn that you are a bigot. It is bad business practice to let your customers know that you are a bigot. Anything that a corporation would fire a manager or executive over should not be openly done by the owner. And trust me if a store manager would have been outed as a bigot, and the owner was a closet bigot, the manager would have been fired in a heartbeat to soothe the rage of the customers, despite the fact that the owner was a closet bigot. The only reason that Chick-fil-A still has a problem is that it is the owner and not one of the employees.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-3701167744076050892012-07-23T15:49:00.001-06:002012-07-23T15:49:20.002-06:00QoD Jason Alexander on the purpose of an AR-15<a href="http://www.twitlonger.com/show/if2nht" target="_blank">Jason Alexander doing a TwitLonger on the Aurora theatre shooting</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">What purpose does an AR-15 serve to a sportsman that a more standard hunting rifle does not serve? Let's see - does it fire more rounds without reload? Yes. Does it fire farther and more accurately? Yes. Does it accommodate a more lethal payload? Yes. So basically, the purpose of an assault style weapon is to kill more stuff, more fully, faster and from further away. To achieve maximum lethality.</span>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-62501438545567337772012-06-06T23:15:00.001-06:002012-06-06T23:15:42.483-06:00Tea Party (Zealot's Dictionary)<br />
<div class="smashwordsblock" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
Tea Party: The most rational part of the Republican Party. The Tea Party knows that Founding Fathers wanted only preachers of the correct faith to be politicians and bankers to be in control of the economy. The Tea Party knows that the rich really care about the poor and would never abuse their political position to increase their own wealth at the expense of the poor. Their views that the poor are lazy, and that immigration and witchcraft are the sources of all evil are absolutely correct. Their section of the Republican Party is named after a sex act that elevates their sexual partners to the most sublime and spiritual potential possible. The Tea Party has voted to ban the development of time machines, abolish the study of history and mathematics, and to allow an asteroid to crash into the Earth; after all, they already have their first class ticket to heaven where the rich will definitely not use them for riding around on.</div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/169570" target="_blank"><span style="color: #aa77aa;">[All the Zealot's Dictionary definitions are available in a single ebook on Smashwords--just 99 cents. Remember if you buy it on Smashwords, you get access to all future expansions...because we know that new definitions are sure to happen simply because of human nature.]</span></a>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-51703968767068753532012-02-15T11:16:00.001-07:002012-02-15T11:16:06.972-07:00Cost of textbooks and iPads in classroomsHere is an interesting chart comparing the cost of using textbooks in classrooms versus using iPads. Bottom line: it is still cheaper to use textbooks.
<a href="http://www.onlineteachingdegree.com/ipads-vs-textbooks/"><img alt="iPads vs. Textbooks" border="0" src="http://images.onlineteachingdegree.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Ipads-vs-Textbooks.gif" width="400" /></a><br />
Created by: <a href="http://www.onlineteachingdegree.com/">OnlineTeachingDegree.com</a>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-60699746228603398102011-12-03T18:08:00.001-07:002011-12-03T18:23:39.275-07:00Beware of the Burger PoliceHere something that I find amusing, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/burger-king-cashier-calls-cops-herb-smoker-212158342.html" target="_blank">a Florida man was arrested for joking with a Burger King employee that he wanted to buy a "blunt and some herbs" while sitting in a car that smelled of marijuana.</a> The employee jotted down the license number of the car, and his manager passed it onto the cops. The cops found 28 grams of marijuana in the man's car. <br />
<br />
Now, the part that I find amusing is that I used to work at a Burger King. If we reported everyone that was drunk, high, and/or crazy, we won't have had any customers...well, almost none. Of course, we were across the street from the college and down the street from a bar. And let's be honest, most of the employees knew what marijuana smoke smelled like because they, themselves were guilty of smoking it or had a friend who did. <br />
<br />
(It might amuse you to note that I was guilty of writing stories at the sandwich station---each of us have our own vices, and mine involve gallons of ink and thousand of pages of badly written prose. My smoking and drinking were minor infractions in comparsion to the amount of writing I did on company time.)<br />
<br />
There is more to this story than what we heard. I am betting that the customer was really an a** and the employee so wanted to put him in his place. It is personal theory based on my own Burger King job experience---none of us were the Burger Police. Then again, maybe Burger King employees in Florida are more upright citizens than the ones in Colorado.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-17311553540102294272011-11-25T18:21:00.001-07:002011-11-25T18:39:16.733-07:00Gas Mask for ChristmasI decided that I want a gas mask for Christmas. Correction---I need a gas mask for Christmas. <br />
<br />
First, we had the police spraying down the protesters with pepper spray. It was only a matter of time before it got out of hand. But I wasn't terribly worried---I have been too busy to go near the protests. <br />
<br />
Of course, I didn't realize that the next step in the pepper spray assaults would be against Christmas shoppers. By a Christmas shopper.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/woman-pepper-sprays-other-black-friday-shoppers-110009506.html" target="_blank">Last night, a woman decided to spray down her competition with pepper spray as she tried to get a discounted Xbox.</a> That brings Black Friday mania to a whole new level. So to get a jump on my competition, I would like Santa Claus to give me a gas mask, some tear gas, and maybe a tactical nuke to use against my fellow Christmas shoppers next year. I promise to only use them for good---such as getting the best toys before orphans see them, things like that. <br />
<br />
File this story under Only in America. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai2g3PCCwYdwL0xNfjbB4UAY4lZA3Is5Uq2gm7BOoZgIC5qJ71PKoatTb0YuKjXaSgNkGb9RS7GdIIJlGlMmXOwU0nWsAtP9KfVb-owE2O-ggDvSMFrNftweER13eb5JZQ3tPOWTEf1Q/s1600/gas+mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai2g3PCCwYdwL0xNfjbB4UAY4lZA3Is5Uq2gm7BOoZgIC5qJ71PKoatTb0YuKjXaSgNkGb9RS7GdIIJlGlMmXOwU0nWsAtP9KfVb-owE2O-ggDvSMFrNftweER13eb5JZQ3tPOWTEf1Q/s320/gas+mask.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British Army General Service Gas Mask</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-30612897727191396202011-11-18T12:32:00.001-07:002011-11-18T12:46:01.528-07:00So Jesus is actually a gun-toting RepublicanI suppose that we should not be shocked at the revelation that White House shooter, Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, says that he is a modern-day Jesus Christ. Nor should we be shocked that Oscar (Jesus) claims that Obama is the Anti-Christ. After all, the Republicans for years have been claiming Jesus is a gun-toting Republican who believes that all Democratic Presidents are the Anti-Christ. But I will admit that I am surprised that Nostradamus had to be the one to pass on the message to Oscar (Jesus). I am even more surprised by his mother claiming he has no history of mental illness. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiCzA0SP9PRx8lMzlSrqqlTeiOFjtcfzRMiPGHKkBGmgTBk7n5cvHO8Ee5ACjH-GEEpvdNQ-DHdBxJL5WlGnsqb4hkWRa1cqJTqGGR7nhJ_odszlQ-FnXQ414AbvUHxQioNZDrKQMrCo/s1600/republican+jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiCzA0SP9PRx8lMzlSrqqlTeiOFjtcfzRMiPGHKkBGmgTBk7n5cvHO8Ee5ACjH-GEEpvdNQ-DHdBxJL5WlGnsqb4hkWRa1cqJTqGGR7nhJ_odszlQ-FnXQ414AbvUHxQioNZDrKQMrCo/s320/republican+jesus.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What would Republican Jesus do?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-zFFlnDauifqW075_JdttfxWm8wfTc4ZiQBHsRbKJ6DDDuf-Lc7jZZUhvxtFT3nfTWJnZC0R-Lufyh42N9heUtVQ6RyauJPB96WiQDTv2C-hQAd3jcQGZRjcYQdBNetWCBXGwBnck7c/s1600/oscar-ramiro-ortega-hernandez_384x369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-zFFlnDauifqW075_JdttfxWm8wfTc4ZiQBHsRbKJ6DDDuf-Lc7jZZUhvxtFT3nfTWJnZC0R-Lufyh42N9heUtVQ6RyauJPB96WiQDTv2C-hQAd3jcQGZRjcYQdBNetWCBXGwBnck7c/s320/oscar-ramiro-ortega-hernandez_384x369.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez--yeah, he is Jesus all right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Handy tip of the day--If your child buys an assault rifle, looks like Jesus Christ, reads old dead prophets (especially French ones), and thinks that Obama is the Anti-Christ, then he is a Republican.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-88456217822168296112011-11-08T20:32:00.000-07:002011-11-08T20:32:43.794-07:00Christmas sales as an economic indicatorOne of the frustrating things about the so-called end of the Great Recession is the fact that the people who are recovering are not even remotely in my neighborhood. As most of my friends and regular readers know, I am a firm believer in developing one's own set of economic indicators---that way you don't have to rely on the boiled numbers that the government issues.<br />
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Here is a good indicator of the health of the economy: When did Christmas displays and music hit the stores? When did the merchants start slashing prices?<br />
<br />
The earlier you see and hear Xmas stuff, the worst retailers believe the holiday shopping season is going to be. Of course, I believe that the stock holders are worried about their stock prices and dividends---and not in the least concerned about their employees---which means that even if consumers pony up money (from under what barrel I have no idea) and go hog-wild this shopping season, I am willing to bet that the money is going to stay in the pockets of the rich stockholders and not flow back to the rest of the economy. <br />
<br />
The earlier you see price cutting (especially the fire sale level), the worst the holiday shopping is based on store reciepts. The fire sale level of prices indicate that a store is just trying to break even for the season, and that layoffs of regular employees is going to accompany the letting go of the seasonal help. <br />
<br />
And this year is alarming on a couple of levels already. I saw Christmas stuff out before October 1st, and HR departments are actually hiring less seasonal help than normal.<br />
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Is it wrong to think that perhaps certain retail chains stockholders deserve <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6132866/christmas_gifts_lump_of_coal.html" target="_blank">a lump of coal for Christmas</a>? Probably. We all know that only rich people can create jobs for the poor. *frowns*Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-70499082151535460052011-10-24T23:06:00.000-06:002011-10-24T23:06:39.267-06:00American Capitalism: a Parable on how the system worksA Japanese company and an American company decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese team won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat.<br />
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A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese team had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing. So American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.<br />
<br />
To prevent another loss to the Japanese, the American rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 Steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant Superintendent steering manager.<br />
<br />
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the "Rowing Quality First Program," with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.The next year the Japanese won by two miles.<br />
<br />
Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was outsourced to India.<br />
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---Author unknownMorgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-65386596042960928062011-10-09T13:51:00.002-06:002011-10-09T13:51:48.168-06:00The American Scorecard so farI am learning a lot this election cycle about what it is to be a "real" American.<br />
<br />
First, I learned that this country was founded as a Christian nation, and that the Founding Fathers thought that you were not entitled to be a full American (with full legal protections) unless you were a Christian.<br />
<br />
I also learned that I am poorly educated because this is not what I have been taught in college. And I am so poorly educated that I cannot find proof of this when I read the primary documents (their actual letters and essays), so I am forced to believe my professors when they say that the Founding Fathers were Deists. <br />
<br />
And today, I learned that the Founding Fathers were also capitalists. I guess all the warnings about the evils of banks were planted by time-traveling Democrats. <br />
<br />
Herman Cain, who is not going to get my vote, says that the current Wall Street protests are anti-American, and "to protest Wall Street and the bankers is saying that you're
anti-capitalism." <br />
<br />
Newt Gingrich, who is not going to get my vote, said that the protests are "a natural product of Obama's class warfare."
Furthermore, the education system is to blame. "We have had a strain of hostility to free enterprise and frankly, a strain
of hostility to classic America starting in our academic institutions and
spreading across this country. And I regard the Wall Street
protesters as a natural outcome of a bad education system teaching them really
dumb ideas." <br />
<br />
So lets' see, I am losing points for going to college, not being taught that America is a Christian nation, being a member of a non-Christian religion; and believing that despite the fact that I would like to become wealthy myself someday, that Wall Street and the banks went too far. Oh, and for believing that most of economic problems were actually created by the last President and not the current one. <br />
<br />
I presume that I will be seeing some of my readers in Canada when I get deported for my unAmerican beliefs.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-32119914309049974392011-10-02T13:39:00.001-06:002011-10-02T13:39:19.579-06:00QoD Hitler and ChristianityHere is a scary quote that someone posted on Facebook today:<br />
<br />
"I am personally convinced of the great power and deep significance of Christia<span class="text_exposed_show">nity, and I won't allow any other religion to be promoted."<br /> <br /> — Adolf Hitler</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">I have no idea what context this statement came from. Nevertheless, I would hate for my religion to be look on favorably by Adolf Hitler. </span>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-90766629020512792922011-09-11T12:16:00.003-06:002011-09-11T12:16:54.254-06:00QoD Rufus Opus on what Christians are not here to do<span style="color: red;">"And Christians aren't here to run for political office. They aren't here to
establish the Law of Moses as the Law of the Land. They aren't here to picket
abortion clinics. They aren't here to deny gay couples the right to marriage.
They aren't here to meddle in the things of the world."---Rufus Opus</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://headforred.blogspot.com/2011/09/oh-christians.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HeadForTheRed+%28Head+For+the+Red%29">The rest of Rufus Opus's post about what Christians are supposed to be doing can be found here.</a> Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-21376095528143725012011-08-16T17:12:00.000-06:002011-08-16T17:12:23.273-06:00The Wisdom of Michele Bachmann<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e9bvreW08X0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
The monkey god approves of the music behind the words of Michelle Bachmann.Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8831076471025453819.post-60983037037321514222011-07-01T15:34:00.000-06:002011-07-01T15:34:57.643-06:00QoD MDE On the Dangers of the PornoscannersMyself (the remarkable Morgan Drake Eckstein) on the dangers of radiation from the full-body scanners (pornoscanners) used at the airport:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">The government is keeping us safe from terrorists by turning us into glow-in-the-dark cancerous blobs. Makes sense---you cannot get killed by a terrorist if you are already dead.</span>Morgan Drake Ecksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09258538066497554895noreply@blogger.com0