Blatant Propaganda

Today I was forwarded a blatant piece of propaganda by a family member and it immediately drew a comparison in my head to the anti-Jew propaganda Hitler proliferated leading up to WWII. Of course the Jews weren't out to dilute the Aryan race or take over the country or any of the many other lies the Nazis made up, but the propaganda certainly did its part to make enough of the German people believe that it was true to the point that Hitler got his way.

This propaganda I received was meant to proliferate the false idea that the U.S. Government and the atheists are out to remove God from any and all aspects of government. [In this case, by removing it from the design of the new dollar coins.] And even if they were, who cares? It's not the government's job to enforce a belief in God by all citizens - no matter how much the propagandist right wingers might think that's the case. [Also none of the government's business is the gender of the person I want to marry.]

I have pasted the text of the propaganda email I got below here, so you can all see for yourselves. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to get the original in all its tacky glory attached here complete with pictures and different font sizes, colors, and typefaces on each paragraph.

[start hyper-christian propaganda here]

Subject: Fw: DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE
Please help do this... refuse to accept these when they are handed to you. I received one from the Post Office as change and I asked for a dollar bill instead. the lady just smiled and said 'way to go,' so she had read this e-mail. Please help out... our world is in enough trouble without this too!!!!!
U.S.Government to release new dollar coins...


You guessed it...
IN GOD WE TRUST IS GONE
If ever there was a reason to boycott something, THIS IS IT!!!!
DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE
Together we can force them out of circulation.
Please send to all on your mail list !!!

[end hyped-christian propaganda]

What makes this worse is that it's not even true. They just moved the "In God We Trust" along with "E Pluribus Unum" to the outside edge of the coin. Thankfully my brother Snopes'd it so I didn't have to.

Some of my first thoughts after reading this hype were as follows:

"how many married guys stuffing dollar bills into a stripper's g-string see the 'in god we trust' on the bill and think twice about their wife and kids back home?"

OR

"how many druggies see the 'in god we trust' while rolling the bill up to snort their coke with pause to wonder where their life went wrong?"

OR

"how many hookers and/or pimps counting up their take for the night see 'in god we trust' on the money and decide to change their way of living?"

"uh, yea... zero." is the answer to all of those questions.

And what's the goal of this propaganda? Of all the problems facing our country, the one to worry about and have a shit-fit over is this one? Really? Dollar coins not having the word God on their face? THAT'S the biggest threat to our country? Somebody needs to get a frikken life!

standing invitations

Every week there are a few things that you can be sure I'm going to do. Any and all of my friends are welcome to join me for any or all of these events. There is a permanent standing invitation for the following:

1. Naked Thursday - clothing optional day where I watch my favorite TV shows on NBC - My Name is Earl, The Office, and 30 Rock. Starts at 7pm.

2. Sunday Bike Ride - Depending on weather conditions - the ride will usually go around White Rock Lake and start time and location are flexible.

3. Sunday Night Cartoons - The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad.

The following standing/open invitations will happen on an as accompanied basis [in other words: I always want to do this, but not alone, so if someone else wants to go with me, let me know and we'll make it happen]

1. Dinner - I like going out to a nice restaurant at least once in a while

2. Movies - There are a lot of cool movies coming out this summer and I haven't been seeing many lately because no one ever offers to go with me to them.

3. Naked Yoga - I like doing yoga a lot, and naked is the best way to do it, but I don't like going alone.

4. Galveston/Austin Road Trip - Everyone rags on Galveston, saying it "sucks." Well, yea, it's no Carribean Island, but you can drive there in less than 5 hours... and over the years I've had lots of fun trips there - I've got a lot of nostalgia connected with Galveston.

That's all I can think of for now, but if I remember more stuff I want people to join me for, I'll update. Basically this is a request for people to OFFER to hang out with me, instead of me having to beg and plead all the time. It constantly feels like nobody ever wants to do anything ever...

Also, as the TV season will be ending here in a few weeks, there won't be any new episodes of the shows I mentioned as standing invitations on Thursdays and Sundays, but there's still a standing invitation to come over either of those nights and hang out. We can play games, or watch movies, or just go swimming in the pool here at my apartment complex... Give me a call and let me know you're coming!