How safe are your children?

That's how they get you to watch the news.

So. Those plastic toys your kids want all the time are made in China and could be toxic. Whatever shall we do? And how dare those Chinese!

Think about it. If you were making $0.67 a day to make toys for spoiled American children who will have become bored or have broken said toy in a week or less, would you care that much in your work? More likely, your mind would be on your own children and whether or not you would be able to feed them.

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Re-evaluate your lives. You don't need more. Your children have too much already. They will learn to appreciate what they have if you stop handing them everything they ask for. They might even learn how to earn things they want and become better people.

Let's face it, kids born after 1980 are rotten, solipsistic, mean-hearted, spoiled, whiny cry babies with very few exceptions. Maybe it took poisonous toys to save humanity.

Tis the season

Now that you are all safely tucked into your turkey-induced comas after celebrating the holiday invented by Lincoln to try and reconcile feelings between the North and South by reminding them to be thankful by commemorating the murder of the indigineous people and the stealing of their lands, you will be able to get plenty of rest for the big day of shopping you have in front of you.

Sales start at 4am. That's for all of those who can't get up at 5, but have no problem staying up until 4. Before you set your alarms, ask yourself one question: Do we really need it? I've been making my gifts for the past 10 years. Everyone appreciates my presents more than all the store bought crap combined. I spend a fraction of what everyone else is spending. And people aren't stuck with more useless junk.

The gross commercialization of the holidays has destroyed what the season is about. For me, it's about hope. The Horned God is dead, but the Green Mother holds his life in her womb, ready for rebirth in the Spring. If you're a Christian, then shame on you for taking all the pagan traditions, using them as your own and, eventually bastardizing them into what they have become.

Remember, we have only one planet and it has finite resources. Perhaps instead of buying your brats 47 new plastic toys that they won't appreciate in 2 weeks time, you could teach them some real values. Teach them that this time of the year is supposed to be about helping, sharing and giving. Not about how much you can accumulate under a synthetic tree.

Lost Respect

It can be difficult holding tight to you principles. It may mean giving up certain things. It may mean struggle. But without your principles, you are a mere puppet. Do you really want to be a yes man? Can you respect yourself if you cave?

The commercial for the new Eagles album tells you that it is available only at Wal-Mart. If you're still shopping at Wal-Mart, you shouldn't even be reading my blog. If you are one of the smart people who can see all the problems Wal-Mart causes, you may have a decision to make.

In all honesty, I don't want the new Eagles album at all. I know people who do, though. People who have stopped shopping at the Mart and are torn as to whether or not they should purchase the album. Does it count if you have someone else go in and get it for you? Yes, it does. When I saw that the album was available exclusively at Wal-Mart, I lost all respect for the Eagles. Even if I wanted the album, I wouldn't buy it. Even if it became available somewhere else.

To me, that is sticking to your principles. If I can't get it somewhere else, I sure as hell am not going to buy it at Wal-Mart.

And shame on the Eagles for striking a deal with the devil. Apparently money trumps integrity every time.