Checking out on Pop Culture

Am I getting the new Magnovox?

2007-03-01T05:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.jamesbrausch.com/?p=485

Well, didn't get the cruise. Now my greatest internet influencer is offering a new Magnovox player.

Why should I be considered James? Because I'm still up to the plate and swinging at the balls you are throwing. I'm convinced that I will be a success with this internet activity. Your products are helping me. They do what they say they'll do. So loyalty shold count for something. I'm still moving forward with your plan.

Respectfully,
Sheppard

Am I Going on James Brausch's cruise?!

2007-02-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

Been a long time since I've posted on this blog. Many reasons for this but the main,and only one for today that I am posting, is that I'd like to go on a cruise with James. Why? James, quite simply, I enjoy being with smart, successful people.

Now here's the full explanation. At 51 years of age I'm wanting to retire my landscaping business. The Florida heat is wicked in the summer. Being able to stay home with my family and run an Internet business has been a dream for two years now. We home school our son. Guarding his development is critical to me. Te more I'm around home, the better he will turn out.

I never met anyone who had the proper knowledge that you have to do this. I've purchased your products and have invested in a new blog that is to be launched later this week. The topic will center on leading a simple life (as well as finding ways to say goodbye to pop culture).

Thank you for offering this! God bless you.

Deadly alligators

2006-05-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Might seem insane on my part to comment on alligators on a blog dealing with insane pop culture. My fertile mind is ready to make a connection: here it is. It is insane to dangle one's feet, stroll near marshy wash outs or swamps and be a demure, petite young woman. Alligators are meat eaters. They eat regularly!

Reading my typical news sights each morning I ran across another alligator attack today. This makes three in the past week. All women. The last one was spotted by the poor lady's step father. He and others stormed into the water and pulled the dead woman from the gator's mouth.

Growing up in Tallahassee FL my friends and I would here stories about gators. Park rangers would never admit they attacked people. They would say that gators would take down dear or pigs. Now some pigs get very big in north Florida...Very big. It is my considered opinion that a large pig would fight more viciously than a human. Jeez, even a dear would wound a gator with its antlers.

So simple logic tells me that gators would find humans a nice easy meal. Many years ago I went to south Florida with my parents. We stayed at their friends house. They lived next to a river or estuary in my mind. Had a nice dock too. The morning of the first full day the man said to me "Want to feed the alligator?" Being something like 10 or 12 years old I thought I'd doied and gone to heaven. "Yeah!" He gave me bread crumbs and such. We walked out on the dock and started throwing bread in the water. In no time a large gator glided silently up to the dock. He ate everything...Quickly and menacingly. I remember looking into his eyes. Pure reptilian evil. This creature had no soul. Only an empty stomach. Being very impressionable and graced with an abundance of Godly fear of large, carnivorous I decided then and there I was no match for a gator.

It still amazes me when I see or hear of people (usually middle aged men) feed gators or try to get close and take a really scary picture of one. In no time flat a gator could grab the imbecile, twist and roll and severe the man's leg off.

Still this does not address how the three women were killed by gators. This is serious, unlike normal gators and gived wise people cause to stay away from areas that attract theses dangerous reptiles.

Illegal Aliens

2006-05-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Over the past several years I've gone through a drastic shift in my position on illegal aliens.

When I started my lawn care business I developed a positive view toward them- based on their work ethic primarily. It's well known in the lawn care/landscaping business that illegals work hard. Contacting with them was a win/win for the small business owner. They'de work their bottoms off for you. Get paid. Then disappear. If you developed a relationship with any of them they would hang around and be dependable.

By and large they'de take care of the equipment, perform their tasks well, not complain about the job, collect their pay and skeedadle out of there.

Now regular home grown young men were/are wimps! They'de complain, tear up ones equipment, cut corners, and have their mind on lunch or quitting time. Too often they would have a drug problem. So depending on them to finish a day or week was expecting too much.

In every category illegal aliens outperformed the local home grown variety. This does not factor the godless amount of paperwork the government expects small business owners to complete on each employee.

Now comes 911 and the absolute scandal of open borders. Here we are- sitting ducks for any terrorist that chooses to enter this country and wreck havoc on us. Too many terrorists have already come through the southern borders.

Problem is illegal aliens come through as well. We have something like 20 million illegals in this country. Most of them think of America as a place to work so they can a). Send money home, b). Disappear into society to commit crimes c). Think of themselves as conquerors of land that was wrongly acquired through the loss of wars and/or purchased by us.

It is a well known statistic that approximately 60% of Mexicans think California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona belong to them. Too many illegal aliens thumb their nose at the American flag. Protesting their "right" to jobs, income and heaven knows what else they parade down streets and see living here as a full sponge that is theirs by right. Their right to suck from as they please.

For the record I'm favorable to any immigrant that wants to come here, work at a job or start their own business. Pay taxes, follow the law, raise their kids properly- even have a dedication to their home country. But if they are not citizens then they should 'shut up' about what they think is wrong with this country. If they become citizens then they swear to defend America against all enemies foreign and domestic.

I'm giving myself heart burn already! So I'll blog on this tomorrow

Christ is risen

S.

Going against the stream- Orthodoxy

2006-04-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well today marks the first full day being an Orthodox Christian. Yesterday, at approximately 10:30 a.m., My son & I were accepted into the Orthodox faith. This fulfills a dream I've had for over 15 years. Several detours happened along the way. During a separation & inevitable divorce the Episcopal denomination helped me get back on my feet...My spiritual feet that is. Something about the repetition of the liturgy, both during the service and at home, gave me a terrific sense of peace and stability during a time when for three months I couldn't tie my own shoe laces.

That led to a 12 year period of tenure with the E.C.U.S.A. Met my wife there, had my son there, got lassoed into being on the vestry...Then, and I saw this coming inevitably, the denomination left the mores of the gospel by accepting an openly, practicing bishop who embraced same sex attraction. A sodomite. Had to bolt then.

My family took a 2 year hiatus from church. We said our prayers every night, read and studied the Holy Scriptures, but needed that break from a very draining congregation.

I saw the opportunity to act on my yearnings that surfaced while I was in seminary. The unbroken line of historic Christianity still existed in the Orthodox faith. So Saturday, at the celebration of the resurrection of Lazarus we were received.

Our priest snipped off some of our hair. Burned it in the incense holder, anointed us with Holy oil, had us recite a confession and several vows. Nothing made me feel so solid and glad to please my Lord as this. I could hear the silent whisper of the Holy Trinity saying "Welcome home...We've been waiting."

Now I actually feel tired at the end of church. I'm not a spectator. I'm rendering humble service to the Holy Trinity. I'm consuming the Holy Eucharist again. For several months prior I was truly missing it.

There are times in the service when the very presence of God permeates the congregation. It is truly mysterious but it is also evident the Holy Trinity is pleased.

In another post ( very soon) I will relate an 'incident' with an icon across the room...But that's another time.

Daylight Savings Time

2006-04-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm 50 years old and I still cannot get used to daylight savings time. Why?

The first reason is my body clock is very strong. At 10:00 PM each night my brain shuts down. It does not matter if I see a clock or not. My body knows the time. Several times I've been out of site of a a clock. My body screamed at me "Time to go to bed!" No matter if I'm in a party having a good time or staying up watching the stars in my remote country estate. At 10 o'clock my brain and body say "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in bed!"

No matter what I'm doing, no matter what spiritual state I'm in...The internal body clock rules. So now comes daylight savings time. We loose an hour! An hour of sleep!

Today at church my tired body told me it was too early to go through all the demands of Orthodoxy. But I persevered. I like to think that God had pity on me during the service. I just wanted to make it through...And have some positive influence on God's Kingdom.

Bottom line is that men thought up daylight savings time. They did this to get more work out of us. Since I cut grass and do landscaping work this engenders ill feeling on my part toward Government officials (not that I didn't have them already).

If my memory is correct I'll adapt in another three weeks. By then my body will have gotten over its rebellion.

George Mason

2006-04-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Don't know what possessed me last night, but I watched the George Mason/Florida game last night. For the past few week I've loosely followed the final four activity of college basketball. Even though I'm a short distance out odd Tallahassee FL, I twilight 'Well, why not root for our strongest rival-Florida. I got say, Florida dominated the play to this point. When I turned on the set an hour before game time all the commentators were picking Florida.

Now a few qualifications are in order. I'm not a basketball aficionado. I'm not even a sport's jock. Be good grief! Florida has it all!

There was no doubt that the three point shots dominated the game. George mason couldn't put together a long effort to rout Florida. Almost none of their three point shots worked. Noah dominated the center of the court. Green was unstoppable.

My son pestered me to put on Spider-man ll (it was my idea). I said the games almost over! Lets see the final three minutes. You've got to understand something. I'm a die hard Seminole fan. I'll always root for my team. If truth be told however, my real reason for rooting against Florida has historically been because Steve Spurier was the coach. Has their ever been a more pitiful coach than him?

Never did suffer winers and complainers very well. Steve broke and formed a new mold of disgruntled complainers. So considering all this I am still amazed that I can root for Florida. Their play impressed the hell out of me however.

I predict they win the whole shooting match!

And another link!

2006-03-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

Linking to this site!

2006-03-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

American Pop Culture- The rise of the entrepreneur!

2006-03-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

Several incidents in the past few years have jerked my chain regarding the general population and 1). Depending on a j.o.b. or depending on the Government, and 2). Starting your own business and being 'self sufficient'.

Let me clear up some terms first and some related thoughts: by self self suffient I don't mean thinking you do everything thing in life and accepting all the credit for it and think no one helped, counciled or encouraged you. This is obviously false for most rational people. Some much of life is utterly interdependent on our family, friends, fellow church members and business partners.

What I mean by self-sufficiency is an over whelming bedrock belief that it is up to the individual's efforts to think and act creatively to provide for their family, plot a course for the family mission, participate in the strengthening of neighborhoods, fulfill our obligation to worship the Father of all creation, take first and last responsibility for the training of our children, and lastly conduct ourselves peacefully (as much as is possible) as good citizens.

Contrary to this is the attitudes exemplified by many responses to, for instance, the destruction of hurricane Katrina. Too many of the professional poor sat on their butts and did nothing to help themselves. Like totally dependent subjects they waited, then complained about the lack of proper response for relief efforts.

Granted the mainstream media sought out these people and plastered them all over the t.v. This begs the question "Why do that in the first place?" The answer I submit is that, since the media is a large part of the problem, they perpetuate & encourage the perception that the average person cannot cope with disasters or calamities. Being paralyzed they cannot make wise decisions that will better their current situation. They need help. The all mighty government steps in and 'rescues' the helpless citizens from all ill.

By now it is evident that the governmental agencies failed generally in their mission. It is also evident that private groups got food and water into New Orleans better and quicker than the government did.

I am generalizing of course. There are many incidents of individual government workers who distinguished themselves admirably. The general message that permeates the main stream media is too close to my characterization however.

what made this court great was highly independent men and women who wanted freedom & the right to peruse happiness ans they saw fit. However, an unshakable belief in Divine Providence supported all their actions. The helplessness of too many masses in N.O. was (and still is) nauseating. While my heart went out to them initially, too many of them sat on their butts and whined and complained.

God help me to never do that!

American Pop Culture-Crusie Ships Redux!

2006-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Now I'm ready to write more on my experience on a cruise. This time I'm going to overlay the subject with obesity.

Almost from the first visual I remember of lining up at the check in counters I was struck with how many people were absolutely gargantuan! Young, old, middle aged like me...I'de venture that between 30 to 40% of the people in my visual range were grossly over weight! The thought of seeing them in swim trunks sent a disturbing and , as yet, unidentifiable feeling up and down my spine.

Sure enouph...when my family made it to the main top deck where the major swimming pool was many of them were spread out all over the lounges in what could only be described as a personal victory of fitting their blubberous bulk in a swim suit that was not fashioned with their body in mind.

After a few days I rode briefly with a man about my age in an elevator. I looked at the weight limit sign in front of me. "3000 pounds maximum." Turning to the fellow stadning next to me I said "Gee...with a limit like that we'd probably only get 5 people in here!" He lauphed and offered "Yep...I've seen some men who had no business getting into a swim suit" We chuckled over that one...the adolecant girls riding with us lauphed nervously as well.

Point being is that if you're so fat why come on a cruise anyway? It's not like you've been working hard for months and your body is worn out. Well, actually one's body can get worn out with bad food and no excercise. Bu the solution is not to go on a cruise and lay around the pool eating constipating inducing foods.

After the second day I noticed I wasn't going to the bathroom regularly myself. Hmmmm...checking my meals I determined that I'd backed off on the large salads I usually have everyday. Time for a tune up. For the remainder of the trip I ate one big salad everyday...still tried to avoid the really decadent desserts however. Sometimes I'd succeed...sometimes not.

One of the prevailing thoughts I had toward the end of the cruise was cruises are in some ways nothing more than the godless worldview magnified...to the power of 10.

While the ocean is exilirating and refreshing, the wind invigorating, the time away from the phone is pure heaven the balance of the cruise experience is not an aid to expanding the Kingdom of God.

American Pop Culture-Cruise ships

2006-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Afternoon everyone! Well I'm finally back from our family cruise. My mind (and body) are still jumbled with various disjointed thoughts and feelings. Since one does not experience cruises logically, I will not relate my experiences in logical order. Here goes:

My first impression of this cruise was how many senior citizens were on it! My gosh...where did they all come from? Got nothing against seniors per se...what is maddening is the slow dottering pace they keep...and the dazed, confused, befuddled look on most of them. Standing at the food bar on the second day, I was stuck behind a man and wife that just looked zombied out of their mind. And this was only the second day! They just stood there. Apparently deep in thought. Staring at the wall, off to the side, they gave the impression of being 'out to lunch' if you'll pardon the pun. Didn't help to clear my throat. The noise in the cafeteria was deafening. Someone bumped into them and jogged them back to reality. Slowly they idled doen the food bar a bit further. I eventually got through the line. (Actually, I ate entirely too much...but that's for another entry).

As the cruise went on, most of the seniors looked thoroughly beaten to a pulp. The ship pitched and rolled for several days. All of the carribean was rough. More than once I saw seniors barely able to stay up right in the middle of the hallway to their rooms...good gracious...I almost fell over more than once.

Now for the moral issues. We met some very pleasant people seated next to us at dinner. Over the days we got to know them well. They put their two lovely children in "Camp Carnival". One particular evening, picking them up after a two hour stint, the kids informed them the councilors moved the kids to another room for the evening. The little girl siad to her mother "Mommy...their were naked pictures in the room when they took us." Turns out that the councilors, for what ever reason, moved the kids for a while to a room that is typically used for young adult dancing and clubing. These kids were around 9 years old. The parents were up set. Don't know if they persued the matter, but this begs a moral question that christians have wrestled with for 2 thousand years: be in the world but not of it. Certainly kids should be protected from any exploitation...in any form. Cruise lines often cater to the values of countries that are at varience from moral guidlines in the southern Bible belt.

Item two. Some homeschooler teenagers mingled with some Canadian teenagers on the second day. The Canadian kids asked the homeschoolers "So...have you had sex yet on the boat?" That's just what one has to work with while being in the world. However, an employee made some statements that supported the Canadian teens desire for titalation. Oh well...more ungodliness to deal with.

I'll deal with some of the other aspects of this in my next entry. By for now!

Going on a cruise!

2006-01-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning (@ 5 a.m.) My family is going on a cruise. We'll be gone for a week. I'll blog again Monday the 23rd.

God bless.

Sheppard

American Pop Culture-Too Rushed!

2006-01-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

So here's me latest diatribe on the insanity of modern pop culture: The pace of life in America. I know this is not an indicator of insanity for me. I've read several books on this growing phenomenon. The first one is "Margin" and the second is "Overload" both by Richard Swenson M.D.

The thrust of these books is that life is going too fast for the human soul in western culture. By 'going too fast' I mean our mental expectation of 1. responses from other people in business or basic social interaction 2. expectations of answers from any level of business 3. the time it takes to get across town to take 'care of a matter'. All of these and so many more are indicators of a rushed society.

Franticness (is that a word?) , anxiety, frustration seem to permeate our minds when we let the invisible, morphous pop culture determine our pace.

Now lets change our vista- for centuries man went at a remarkably slow pace. Desert living, rural wooded living imposed a slower (saner?) pace on people. One's pace depended on the horse, the cart, our own feet. Now we have cars that can top 100 miles an hour easily.

If we want to really wack our systems good we jump on a jet and go to another time zone in a matter of a few hours. It is my considered opinion that 'jet lag' is nothing more than the body's natural rebellion to an insane expectation!

Some years back I was in outside corporate sales. Never was life more stressfull! Demands for paperwork, time crunched reports, "Have you called your prospect in the last five minutes?" expectations, the end of month close out. All these modern, corporate tidal waves deestroyed so many young men and women. I saw coutless people go from vibrant, energetic people to beaten, numbed automatons. Eventually they were knocked off by the Corporation in some fashion. In my case I was on top of the world one quarter. Going to the carribean on a cruise tour for selling enouph corporate products. The next quarter I was fired because I had not sold enouph of a particular financial package. Oh well...Corporations have no soul or higher functioning morality.

Last year our family started a garden. After we decided what to plant and the method of our system, I noticed that we were a bit behind the optimal time to plant. We planted any way. In a few short months we noticed little sprouts peeking through the surface. In another few weeks we were eating the 'friut of the land'. No one was rushed or hectic about getting this stuff done. God and the ground did their jobs on the seeds. We helped things along with weeding, composting and watering, but much of the job was done by the system God set up thousands of years ago. The only thing that got me rushed or angry was that stinkin' phone!

Oh well...I feel better now.

American Pop Culture-Dogs!

2006-01-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

There's something positive (well...almost) in American Pop Culture. And that is Dogs! I'm a confirmed dog lover. About a year ago I purchased a Bull Mastiff. He was twenty pounds, a red fawn, and cute as a button.

Went to the breeder and saw all 7 male pups. That's right- all male. The Bitch didn't have any females. What a gal! So after I spent considerable time picking out my favorite, I had the owners designate my seleaction. He would be ready for pick up in another three weeks.

So a year's gone by and now my 120 pound "Bully" goes on walks with me twice a day. Trying to put into words the indescribable pleasure I experience while walking is difficult. Now I'm sure it has something to do with me being big (I'm 6'4") and Buckley being big as well. He blows his cover too often however, even though he's 120 pounds and growing he bucks, jumps and twists with excitment. He'll do it for people or other dogs.

My next door neighbor has a very large, unpredictable rottwieller. He's very old (about 12). Very mean and erratic. He chased me out of his yard once while his owner rushed over to keep me from being bitten. Ever since then I wanted to get a big dog, groom him just right and scare the squat out of mean old "Mullet".

So yesterday was D-Day. I walked his direction and turned the corner by his house. Mullet rushed out and stopped well short of the fence. Buckley jumped, flipped and squeeled with delight. "No! No! No! Buckley" I said to myself. "Your suppossed to intimidat this crotchety old rottwieler! Why don't you growl?!"

Oh well. While Buckley didn't growl or snap, he did at least stand his ground. Mullet slinked and crouched slowly toward Buckley. Buckley responded with panting and tail wagging. Jeez...sometimes the best laid plans...

Back to a more head in the clouds state now...Walking with a dog is pure heaven. Especially a big dog. While the down sides are real ( they can lunge, tear one's arm out of your socket, break the choker chain) the benefits outway the negatives. People stop and stare, make mostly pleasant comments like "Oh my...he's so big! ...What kind of dog it this?...Oh my goodness...he's gorgeous. !" I, of course, soak up all the compliments.

Some weeks back I attended a dog walk in Tallahassee FL. This was sponsored by the Humane Society. Everyone brought their dog and promenaded around a small lake. It's probably about a half mile around . I counted over two hundred dogs. Every size, shape, breed or mongrel combination.

The organizers then held the much anticipated 'contest'. Best face, best body, prettiest coat, most talented and several other catagories I've forgotten.

Everyone had a great time. No bad fights broke out. Some major sniffing was accomplished. Some best buddies for formed and I was completely worn out. Managing a large dog while in the company of two hundred others is exahusting.

Buckley wagged his tail until I got him back in the truck heading for home. In seconds he put his head on the floor and was out. I, however, had the job of driving home.

Life is good.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope every person who reads this blog has had a sumptuous, relaxing, inspiring Christmas.

Thought I would give an account of my Christmas starting late Christmas Eve....here goes.

Toward the middle of the evening I decided that my son could open one present from under our ...'tree'. I say tree but it was really a small two foot high plastic assembly tree we picked up some where...at some undefinable time in the past. DS ( that's dear son) knew just which package to demolish. It was the one wrapped by grandmother which we picked up the day before while in Tallahassee. It was three boxes of small G.I. Joe action figures. Probably cost grandmother less than $10.00s. DS was in 7th heaven. The rest of the evening found him pretending to stage battles and fights with the eight figures. DS wanted confirmation from us that he could wake us up when he awoke the next morning. At the same time my wife and I said "NO!" We wanted to sleep to our normal time. DS accepted that with out too much debate.

So after our nightly prayer and devotional reading we ushered the little Napolean up to his room. "And remember!...We'll wake up and tell you when to come down!" Smiling sweetly DS siad he remembered.

Wife & I eventually made it to bed. Only a few phone calls that night. One from our daughters, one from a very close friend of mine. Wife stuffed all the stocking just so. (She's very good at doing detailed things like that). It never seaces to amaze me how she can cram so much in so little space and not smash a thing. I've learned to defer to greatness on this issue.

The next morning DS come down with a burts of pounding bumps and crashes. This is no different than any other day. He typically come out of his room like a roller derby player. Hitting the living room with out managing to touch the ground he spies all the articled destined for destruction. We inform DS that we must get hot beverages served and in our system before we can function safely. A loud moan and a look of exasperation fills his little face.

After pero is in my system I announce that when 'Mommy" is seated we will begin. DS dutifully waits while 'Mom" start breakfast. Mom has made it the night before so it is paced in bowls and she sits sweetly on the couch. Picking up the devotional book we remnd DS why we are celebrating Christmas. A look of sober reality comes to his face as he remembers this is part of our Advent obligations. A final chapter of the Advent story is read, we pray and offer thanks to God the Father the we look at DS and say "Gentlemen...sart you engines!"

DS dives in the pile and sarts throwing our gifts toward us when he stops to look. After an hour or so the tree of us are exhausted. We want food. I take a large home made cinimon roll and stuff it in my mouth. Pooring another cup of Pero I announce I am going to walk the dog.

The dog is a 13 month old BullMastiff. "Buckley" loves his morning walks. He gets to smell who's been in the neighborhood. Dogs, armadillos, deers, foxes(?), cats...everything that can exist in Florida wood lands is present where we live. Soon "Daddy" is cold and hungry again so it's time to turn around. Back at the house it time to sit and enhoy eack others company. I eat ambrosia, finish another cinnimon roll, fill up another cup with hot Pero and find one of the books I got for Christmas.

Looking at my family I am filled with such peace and thankfullness. The world is often such a terrible, dangerous place. Sitting in my living room I'm nestled away from all that for the time being. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.

The lack of clothing Part 2

2005-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

O.K., now to adress the female side of pop culture clothing. Here are some rambling thoughts on the current state of women (of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicity) and thier decision to leave thier front door and venture out in public.

Ran across a very funny web site some months back. www.inappropriatelydressed.com While there are some men on the site, the majority of submissions are women. My gosh! Where are these women's brains? In Wal-Mart, filling stations, at the beach, walking at a zoo, you name it- these women have clothing too toght, too immodest, too unseemly. Some gals have clothing on that defies the law of gravity.

What really gets me are ladies that are grossly over weight, wearing clothes that cover about half of their skin, and walk on their meery way shopping ( bending, strutting, lifting) with no thought of how they ar ...uh hmmm...appearing. Don't have any solution for this in a free society. Although at times I want to throw up.

Now on to clothing for particular occations. One incident has stuck in my memory. I don't think it will ever leave. Some years back I arrived at my parish'es front entrance. There greeting me with handy worship bullitin in her hands was a eighteen year old lady of olng standing membership. I know her father well. The poor dear was almost spilling out of her front dress. The shortness of the dress was not as distracting as I was standing next to her. I remember thinking 'I'm here to worship our Lord...I don't need this kind of distraction right now!'

No sooner had I sat down (in my usual seat) when I spotted another young lady in front of me a few rows. The back of her t-shirt read "Fresh Meat" . Now I'm a man of reasonable discipline. I was able to forget these two distractions and focus on worshiping God. But why should I even be exposed to such innapropriate distractions? Do young ladies have no sense of responsibility in a church? Do they assume that men are always free game to get a reaction? Can I just chalk this up to a). youthfull stupidity? b). Parental neglect? c). the result of 'Pop culture'?

I've experienced many incidents like this ( not only in church settings) . My phsyche is at the breaking point on this. I want to scream with the diet guru some years back..."Stooooooop the Insanity!"

Clothes...or the lack there of!

2005-12-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my personal pet peeves. Dressing appropriately...or not. This culture has fostered a total disregard for approprite dressing. This topic could take volumes of sub topics. I'll delve into a few.

First boys (as in 20s and below). I remember going to church a number of times and seeing young men standing in the communion line wiating for Holy Eucharist. Many of them wore t- shirts that had demonic/Motorcycle gang/surf imagery of various sorts.

Several things ran through my mind as I watched this: 'Well that boy looks like a visitor...Hmmm. Better give him the benefit of the doubt...If he's not a christian or just bacame one I have the duty to lovingly accept him.' A few minutes passed by. I watched other boys make their way. "Woops...he's a member of our parish...not good!' A rapid flush of thoughts and images racked my brain as I tried to make sense out of this disjointed situation. A christian boy wearing demonic, worldly (as in violent) images on the back and front of his shirt while waiting for Christ's body to slide down his throat. We'll come back to this in a bit.

On any day while I'm driving through town I'll see young men clearly dressed as hoods, gang members or generaly undesirable characters. Baggy pants, worn low below the hips. Tennis shoes that look like they cost well over 100 bucks. Necklaces, chains and what not around their necks. Often times I'll see these misguided souls applying for a job looking like that.

There is such a disconnect in this society regarding what one wears and how one can expect to be treated as to boggle the mind. When I've spoken to many young men I'm immediately struck by the unspoken message "Affirm what I'm wearing! Get with it!...Isn't this too cool?...Don't you wish you looked this good?"

I must confess I am quickly becoming so alienated from the typical pop culture product these days that I fail to 'connect' with many of the young people...even on a rudamentay level. So back to the young boys at church- I contacted the rector and vestry board regarding this trend. All of them agreed that it was inappropriate. We concurred that visitors or non-christians should feel welcomed no matter how theey are dressed. Regular members or attenders should not parade around either in church or in public if they claim Christ as their Lord with clearly disreputable, ungodly attire. The rector agreed to call the offender's parents and address the issue.

All of us have read or watched the evening news on stories where one adolecant criminal stole from another boy some article of clothing he wanted or commited some violent act on another because they where offended by what another boy wore at school. This is plain insanity.

The scriture passage in the gospels comes to mind "Take no thought what you shall wear or the manner with which you clothe yourselves. " Christ goes on to describe how our heavenly Father promises to cloth us according to our needs. He further states that His followers do not concern themselves with that ( as opposed to the heathen).

It is such a waist of time and energy to fret over what we have on. Much of the time it concerns 'What the other person will think of me'. Could there be any more insane activity to engage in than worrying what a stranger thinks of us when it concerns clothes?!

There's so much more. I'll address girls on the next post.

S.

Intros, begining thoughts, big picture things!

2005-12-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

Good day to everyone who reads this blog! This is the result of long term, foaming, influences over a period of several years.

As you can see the title of the blog is Checking out of Pop Culture. This has a double meaning for me- 1. the stated meaning is obvious: I'm finding ways to 'check out' of the prevailing popular culture that dominates the media in this country. 2. There is a bit of a tounge in cheek component to this as well. I intend to skewer some of the rediculous exentric extremes out there from people who live in trees, get themselves in huge bubbles and general look like bufoons. I'll also spend alot of time on what we see every day...people caught up mindless, robotic obedience to the mass media's attempt to push a 'doctine' ,if you will, of how people should conduct themselves: what they buy, what they accept as valid medical advice and a meriad of other things too numerous to list here.

Yes. I'm a strong moralist. Yes. Some actions have severe, dire consequences for the people who do them and the people in their sphere of influence. Moral reletivism is no friend to me. Although some mores, customs, habits are certainly relative. Some people hold their customs dear to their heart...some would kill for them...some know they are being silly in certain beleifs but refuse to think about them objectively.

It is my happy job on this site to thrash what needs thrasing, discuss what needs discussing, flush what needs flushing and have alot of fun enjoying myself.

Hope everyone enjoys this site. I've set it up so anyone can commnet. I'll post five to six times a week, most likely.

I'll post my ebooks as I finish them.

By for now.

Sheppard

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2005-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

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