Monday, February 18, 2013

OUR GOVERNMENT THREATENS __________ [Fill In The Blank]

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Many of you may have already seen the letter that follows. My friend ‘THE KANSAS KID’ sent it to me a-way back on January 2nd and I’ve been meaning to post it. And now that I am stalling for time while I work on a 3-part blog bit about that Book – that Book about circumcision, fantastic fables, drunken fishermen, and a “Santa Claus god”; that Book which atheists, most liberals and other gutter dogs detest – while I work on a 3-part blog bit about that Book, I figure NOW is a good time to post this letter: 
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A Letter from Hobby Lobby Stores CEO

By David Green,
the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
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When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn't much bigger than most people's living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God's word. From there, Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.
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We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our business in harmony with God's laws, and (2) to focus on people more than money. And that's what we've tried to do.
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We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week's biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We've not only added jobs in a weak economy, we've raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.
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But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business MUST provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance.
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Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions, which means that we don't cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one.
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If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in government fines.
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Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that's raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It's not right.
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I know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it's the same for everybody. But that's not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won't exempt them for reasons of religious belief.
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So, Hobby Lobby and my family are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don't like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.
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My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that's a choice no American and no American business should have to make.
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The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies but will not except Christian organizations including the Catholic church.
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Sincerely,
David Green,
CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
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I applaud Mr. Green for what he wrote and I am in total agreement with it. That letter almost makes me want to apply for a job at a Hobby Lobby store . . . if they don’t all take their arts and crafts and go home first.
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The only thing I’d question though is this: How many products offered for sale in Hobby Lobby stores were produced in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates and/or other places with a record of awful human rights abuses?
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I’m not sure if I’ve ever even been in a Hobby Lobby, but I do know that most arts and crafts shops are full of products from the above mentioned countries and more. What’s sadder still is that most Christian bookstores are also loaded with Indonesian, East Indian, and Communist Chinese goods for sale. In an American Christian bookstore you can purchase a ceramic statue of Jesus manufactured in a prison-factory by a Chinese Christian who is being “reeducated” via forced labor. What was that word Jesus used so often that started with an “h”?
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None of us lives up to the standard that Jesus called us to, myself certainly included. But when one’s transgressions against that standard also earns them a monetary profit? Well . . . 
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 
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YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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31 comments:

  1. Interesting point you make there my friend. While I was reading Mr. Green's letter, I kept thinking of a few verses in Matthew. It is so hard to follow all of the rules. I think of what the Lord says In Matthew 5:43-48, especially verse 48 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect'. What a tall order for us as humans. I believe it's a process. A path we must struggle to remain on all of our lives. Will we 'be perfect' in this life? I don't think so, but step by step we can try to come closer to Christ and His teachings and be 'perfected in Him'.

    One can only hope that Mr. Green, in standing up to a government mandate that he pay for medical services that he is morally opposed to, is a sign of him being on the path. Perhaps the Spirit will prick his conscience to think of the dollars he earns from his brothers and sisters overseas who are persecuted and treated poorly by their governments, especially when that treatment stems from their beliefs in God and His son, Jesus Christ.

    OR perhaps Mr. Green like many 'Christians' is selective in which teachings of the Savior are hard and fast rules and which are merely guidelines, able to be avoided when a profit is involved.

    Thank you for, once again, pointing out the obvious. It's so easy to get caught up in the fervor of things like those which Mr. Green opposes, that we fail to see the 'forest for the trees'. As I stated earlier; 'it is hard to follow ALL of the rules, but try we must.

    Remember that I am just one of those sinners who be trying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FAE ~
      An excellent comment, as usual. In fact, I'm surprised that I've already received three excellent comments (yours, Disc's, and Sig's) on a blog bit that I kind of viewed as just a toss-off stalling tactic while I compose one of my patented, monumental, multi-part Kongzilla monstrosities.

      >> . . . especially verse 48 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect'.

      Oh, but couldn't I pick up THAT ball and run with it! Talk about a can of worms I would open if I started doing some deep theological exploration into THAT particular verse. (You'll get a snippet of it in SES #11, whenever you happen to get SES #11).

      As stated in my post, I wasn't/amn't sure I've ever been in a Hobby Lobby. However, I've been in the similar chain store Michael's Arts & Crafts many times, and some other stores of that type as well, and noticed that the vast majority of what they sold was from the countries I mentioned, etc.

      I have since done a Google search and found, not surprisingly, that Hobby Lobby is no exception.

      The thing that irks me most is that... Hobby Lobby's stance against the ObamaCare demand is primarily anti-abortion in nature, and I totally support Hobby Lobby on that because there is probably NOTHING I hate more than abortion.

      BUT . . . the most pronounced hypocritical fact in this whole story is that China has a one-child policy which is responsible for the aborting of countless unborn babies (the majority of them being girls).

      It just strikes me so odd that Hobby Lobby is taking such a strong, principled stand against abortion-inducing "medication" in the U.S. but is willing to make-a-buck (millions of them, in fact) by doing business with China, the biggest government-demanded abortion mill in the world!

      It's like I want to slap Mr. Green with the very kudo I have given him.

      Weird situation.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  2. Stephen-

    Hobby Lobby has another course available to it...

    Discontinue offering medical coverage to its employees. They could provide their premium contribution in the form of additional salary and let the employees purchase insurance on their own.

    While this would be more expensive for the employees, it would help add voices to their protest (right now, the employees probably are not real vested in the lawsuit) and might get the attention of Lord Obama.

    Sadly, though, may organizations do not take a hard stand, although, while the Catholic churches did not play hardball as hard as I would have liked, I do applaud their continued resistance and progress (Obammie and his henchmen keep waffling in their counter proposals).

    Even more sadly-Hobby Lobby's stand is in accordance with the first amendment, King Obama's stand is CONTRARY to the first amendment, and most Americonneds are too frigging stupid to know the difference.

    Waiting for the end of the world
    Dear Lord I sincerely hope you're coming
    Cause you really started something

    -Elvis Costello

    ReplyDelete
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    1. DOCTOR DISC DUDE ~
      You make a very good point with that insightful option you proposed. Indeed, it would take Hobby Lobby off the hook, and place the responsibility with the individual employee.

      Yes, it would also probably be a form of wage decrease, which might light a fire under many of the employees that Hobby Lobby currently hires and inspire them to GET INVOLVED!

      Interesting idea. Of course, I think eventually all private employer-supplied health insurance is going to go 'bye-'bye and UNCLE SAM will gain the monopoly (read: control) over that, which our wicked Uncle has so desperately wanted for decades now.

      I want to reiterate though that, despite the blatant hypocrisy on Hobby Lobby's part, I do support them on this issue. Something is better than nothing. And you are also right that this is a First Amendment (and Tenth Amendment) issue and, as has been clear for a very long time, the Federal Government is acting completely illegally and is way out of control.

      Our Founding Fathers would be aghast and ashamed to learn that We The People have not initiated an armed resistance/revolution against D.C. I don't think they could have imagined such a massive collection of Americonned Sheeple giving up their Constitutional rights so meekly.

      The following paragraph is something of interest that I found while doing a little Googling an hour or two ago:

      Critics contend this daily fine [1.3 million dollars] would easily put the crafts store out of business within the near future. Still, Hobby Lobby announced in late Dec. 2012, after losing an appeal of its case in U.S. Supreme Court, that the company will continue to defy the mandate and not pay for abortion-inducing drugs.

      Loved the Elvis Costello lyrics at the end. One of my two favorite Costello songs (the other being 'I'M NOT ANGRY!' - more screamed than sung).

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  3. OK, I took everything out of my house that wasn't made in the Far East or South America, and I'm left with a couple of books and a box of Altoids.

    Mr. Hobby Lobby will probably explain his imports the same way Phillip Knight of Nike does... "The lives of those people have vastly improved due to the opportunities given them by these companies." It doesn't take much research to see that the slaves aren't the ones reaping the benefits.

    The worst job I ever had was working for a company that designed the Kathy Lee clothing line for Wal-Mart back in the mid 90's. Same thing there too. Our subcontractor was sub-contracting to businesses in Honduras that "encouraged" child labor. Another case of "don't ask, don't tell".

    It's unfortunate that the American consumer is the life blood of the greedy corporatocracy, and have the power to change the system since corporations won't continue down an unprofitable path for very long, yet consumers continue to consume and nothing changes.

    I like the way John Perkins lays it all out in easy to understand language. Some criticize his narrative style but I think 'Confessions of an Economic Hit Man' and 'The Secret History of the American Empire' should be required reading. Have you read either of those books?

    AnonySigToo
    My OpenID credentials could not be verified, according to Blogger. They should know me by now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Part 1 Of 2:

    AnonySigToo ~
    Maybe you can trade the Altoids for some antacids, which I think will soon be more necessary.

    >> . . . Mr. Hobby Lobby will probably explain his imports the same way Phillip Knight of Nike does... "The lives of those people have vastly improved due to the opportunities given them by these companies." It doesn't take much research to see that the slaves aren't the ones reaping the benefits.

    I have good reason to suspect you're correct about Mr. Hobby Lobby's probable explanation for the imports. I say that because . . .

    A number of years ago, I was looking for something in a Family Christian bookstore (it's a chain that is found here in Airheadzona, and maybe elsewhere). While in the store, I noticed how many non-book items for sale had been manufactured in China. I could hardly believe it. (My mention of a Chinese-made ceramic Jesus in this blog bit was based on a firsthand observation.)

    I wrote a letter to that store's manager explaining very specifically why no Christian bookstore (and one that even has the word "Christian" in its name, no less) ought to be peddling Chinese slave/prison-made items. I pointed out the hypocrisy of this (without using the actual word "hypocrisy").

    I received a reply to my letter from the manager and his explanation for the Chinese products in his Family Christian store was almost word-for-word identical to your Phillip Knight quote.

    I sent a second letter, not as polite, in which I stated pointedly that what he had written was bullshit (not using that word though) and that he was merely trying to rationalize a very un-Christian business practice. I tossed in a few relevant Biblical verses, so he would know that I KNEW my Bible and that the Source of my complaint came directly from the Book he proclaimed to be his Guide To Life containing the words of his very own soul's Savior.

    I closed by telling him that he knew perfectly well whether or not he REALLY believed what he had written to me, and that GOD also knew whether he really believed it or not. I think I further stated that even if he had truly been misinformed, I had now corrected his flawed view of the labor situation in China and he needed to act on the new information because he would someday be face-to-Face with God and would have to give an accounting of the way he ran his Christian bookstore.

    I received no reply to the second letter and did not visit his store at that location again.

    Continued Below...

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  5. Part 2 Of 2:

    Your remark about Honduras and child labor was spot-on! I just recently read for a second time the book 'DISNEY: THE MOUSE BETRAYED' by Peter & Rochelle Schweizer and there was a chapter ("Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's Off To Work We Go") which went into detail about Disney apparel made in sweatshops and with child labor, and Honduras was mentioned, along with Thailand and others.

    From page 245: The National Labor Committee in New York, which tracks the activity of dozens of U.S. corporations to determine whether they use child and sweatshop labor, considers the Mouse [Disney] one of the worst offenders.

    I've been thinking about writing a review of this book for 'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'. Heck, I've read it twice, so it probably deserves at least one review.

    I have not read either of the books you mentioned, Sig, but Br'er Marc has recommended 'Confessions of an Economic Hit Man' to me a couple of times, and G. Edward Griffin recommended it in one of his older editions of 'Unfiltered News'. I'd like to get to that one someday.

    A woman blogger unknown to me posted a good and lengthy blog bit about Chinese labor HERE, if you or anyone else is interested in reading it. That was from 2011 and she was complaining about Hobby Lobby’s assortment of Chinese products back then, before Hobby Lobby found itself in the news over their Christian opposition to Obama’s healthcare policy.

    Excellent comment, M.S. II.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    ‘Loyal American Underground’

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  6. I have been mentally penciling out the solution to the equation you have presented. In fact, the conclusion to ALL the equations you present in every blog bit on every subject are the same.

    They are all basically the same conclusion that Thoreau came to. Or Ayn Rand, for that matter. "Wake up and see the light, or know that you are a hypocrite.' AND... 'we are screwed.'

    It is very sad and depressing. But, I've been sad and depressed about the world since I read Atlas Shrugged 44 years ago.

    If Hobby Lobby stopped selling goods from China, they could be renamed "Hobby Walk-In Closet," as there would be almost nothing to sell. Likewise the Christian bookstore. SHOULD they quit? Perhaps. That way they would be free of hypocrisy, but they'd also free of money and have no more influence at all. No Christian Bookstore could stay in business now, using that standard. So, no place for Christians to buy Bibles, and all owners and staff could take innocuous and non-hypocritical jobs... if they could find them. That would put them on the moral high ground of Thoreau of requiring nothing but his own labor, and maybe even of Ayn Rand by going on strike.

    Had the populace thought this all out about China (or had they known, or had they been told the truth, or had they been more curious or more suspicious, or maybe just had they CARED), we might have been able to stop the problem in time, but now? WAY too late. We produce very little here, except food. If you want a plastic Jesus, it WILL be made by Chinese slaves or at least underpaid non-Christians.

    And so the Hobby Lobby folk are caught, and I feel as sorry for them as for the rest of us. I try to buy American when I can. Often I cannot, and then sometimes I buy what I need anyway, or sometimes go without.

    I am pleased that HL at least took a stand on something that even dimwitted Americans can understand, and I am not going to criticize them for not just going out of business, which at this point is their only alternative. Maybe someday, like John Galt (only a Christian), they will just close their doors and go on strike. I will be proud of them for that when it happens. But, if they continue to do what they can for now, I will be proud of them as I would a Hank Rearden.

    Every blog bit of yours involves you hacking straight to the heart of a matter and exposing
    an issue impossible for us to effectively combat, because the forces are just too big. Your devoted readers fight, fight, fight against the Calveras of the world. But it is only seven against the hordes.

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    1. Part 1 of 2:

      SHEBOYGANBOY SIX ~
      A very thoughtful and thought-provoking comment!

      I must say (again) that I had not expected such profound commentary on this blog bit, let alone so many comments. When I posted this one, my first thought was: Most of my readers have probably already come across this letter, because I think it was sent, resent, and re-resent by many Emailers.

      My second thought was: I'll probably receive only a couple comments on this, if any at all.

      So the response to this "throwaway" blog bit, both in numbers and quality was greatly unexpected.

      >> . . . SHOULD they quit? Perhaps. That way they would be free of hypocrisy, but they'd also free of money and have no more influence at all.

      Well, you know me, Bro - I believe we need to do like The Book says and "put on the whole armor of God". I'm not too big on compromises and more of a "die on my feet than live on my knees" kinda guy. Generally, I'm more inclined to lean toward striving for the impossible goal than in settling for "the lesser of two evils".

      I guess in some respects, my youthful idealism never totally died but simply shifted more toward the spiritual from the secular.

      Plus, I think the greatest, most memorable and life-altering effects come from the struggle of the heart than they do from the monied influences, and sometimes a failed attempt inspires more people than a quick success does.

      God usually selected the poor and lowly to make the biggest impact on His people. God used shepherds and servants and Carpenters more than He did the wealthy.

      If Hobby Lobby chose to give up the Chinese goose that lays the golden eggs and the owners and company rulers saw their wealth greatly diminished as a result, I have a suspicion that THAT story might have the potential to inspire and influence MORE people in a positive way than does their decision to fight abortion in America while (indirectly) supporting it in China.

      Continued Below...

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    2. Part 2 Of 2:

      >> . . . No Christian Bookstore could stay in business now, using that standard. So, no place for Christians to buy Bibles

      Well, I disagree on that one little point there. It's true that Hobby Lobby could not stay in business if they stopped stocking products made in countries with the worst human rights abuses, but that would not have the same detrimental effect on most Christian bookstores.

      Most Christian bookstores make most of their money from the sale of books, music, and DVDs; and most of those Christian-themed items are still published, recorded, and manufactured by American companies, and other more morally acceptable countries.

      So, I think Christian stores could easily remove all the Chinese, Indonesian, Indian products and still stay in business easily.

      >> . . . If you want a plastic Jesus, it WILL be made by Chinese slaves or at least underpaid non-Christians.

      That's true. I'm sure all the "flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark" are produced in China by slaves (political prisoners), child and underpaid labor.

      >> . . . I am pleased that HL at least took a stand on something that even dimwitted Americans can understand, and I am not going to criticize them for not just going out of business, which at this point is their only alternative.

      I too am pleased that HL took the stand they did. I would deem it only half-a-stand, but it's an important issue and I'll take what I can get on this one. I only wish their Christian principles extended even into foreign lands.

      >> . . . Every blog bit of yours involves you hacking straight to the heart of a matter and exposing
      an issue impossible for us to effectively combat, because the forces are just too big.


      That's a very insightful observation, Six. In fact, my real F-FFF point has always been essentially this: "This world" is ruled by satan and his minions, and We The People can not alter that. Look: Here's the reality of "this world", and there are no macrocosmic changes you can make to save it. "It is written" how this world's story will play out. So all you can hope to do is make microcosmic changes and positively affect as many people as come into your own little sphere of influence. The rest is up to God.

      That is a point I will be reiterating yet again in my next major blog bit posted here (a 3-part installment hopefully going up within the next couple of nights).

      Sheboyganboy Six, thanks for yet another instance of intelligent input.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  7. My wife shops at Hobby Lobby, and often drags me along with her, because she's artsy/crafty and they have good prices. Why do they have good prices? Because you're 100% correct. Everything always has a big fat "made in China" sticker stamped on the bottom. I know this as the bored husband that goes picking up everything left and right while his wife is shopping aimlessly.

    So it seems Mr. Green missed the point a bit in taking his stand, but I can appreciate where he's coming from. They're a Christian store and they (try) to run on Christian morals. Why should that not be allowed?

    See, here's the great part about 'Murika: if you don't want to work at Hobby Lobby, don't. You have the freedom of choice. We have one Hobby Lobby in our town (population: 109,000 people) that employs what, 50-60 people? This is such a small portion of the population. There are tons of other jobs in this town, all with their own forms of health care that will more than willingly pay for the morning after pill. I know the economy isn't great, but I don't believe that getting a job is SO EXTREMELY DIFFICULT that Hobby Lobby could truly only be someone's choice and they just HAVE to work there.

    Also, I know this sounds a little judgmental, but having been in multiple Hobby Lobbies, I feel like I have to jokingly mention that the girls that work there are always mousy little Christian girls. Very plain, very shy, high water pants, thick glasses, a bit nerdy, very courteous and nice but introverted. I know you can't always judge a book by it's cover, but you just know that as a whole, these aren't the type of girls who are going to be running out needing emergency contraceptives on the regular. I bet if I walked up to one and just said, "Penis!" you could get her to turn as red as a fire truck.

    Lastly, I feel like I have to point this out. The cost of emergency contraception can vary quite a bit, but it usually costs anywhere from $15 to $50 (thanks, Lord Google). This is not a bank breaker. It's not like these women will have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket if they need this pill. Hell, my wife pays more than that per month for medication that she needs just to function and we HAVE insurance.

    So what I'm saying is... why is this even a huge fight?

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    1. BRYAN ~
      Fine comment, man! I have no real experience in a Hobby Lobby, so your firsthand "bored husband" input is valuable.

      Good observation about the actual cost of the emergency contraception (provided by Lord Google), and I agree with you entirely that it's hardly so expensive that the guv'ment should feel it needs to fight so hard to provide it for every "working girl".

      Really, what this all has to do with is CONTROL over the Americonned People's daily life, and population control. Now, that latter topic is one for another blog bit because it would get us back into all that 'Conspiracy Yak' that is such a regular part of this blog.

      But the CONTROL angle should be evident to everyone (who still has two brain cells to rub together).

      Also, just want to add that I anticipate placing my order for your book this upcoming weekend. That title better not be sold out or I'm-a throw a tantrum. Looking forward to reading it and to the laughs I know it will provide me with.

      Yak Later, Brother B . . .

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  8. SIX and BEER ~
    Excellent comments, both. Too little time and too little brain power to reply properly right at this moment. And work calls - it's a shrill, annoying, much-hated call I must answer.

    But tonight, after work, I will reply in full.
    Thanks for reading and commenting. Backatcha in about 8, 9 hours.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

    ReplyDelete
  9. I went and read 'Mitzie's blog', the one you recommended in you reply to Sig II. It was interesting, informative, and sad, BUT what I really liked about it was that she offered alternatives to shopping as the 'big box' stores, like Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, etc. so often we complain about these places, but cave in to their tactics, because we don't know where else to go (unless you live where I do - where there is NO place to go, but still plenty of 'Made in China'). Mitzie, seems to have the right idea, at least, in this case.

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    1. FAE ~
      At first, I was just going to post the URL to Mitzie's blog bit, but thinking that you, specifically, might want to read it (and remembering the trouble you have with URLs), I went to the extra trouble of making it a LINK instead of a URL.

      I'm glad you read it and found it worth your time.

      I myself do not really buy a lot of stuffs, and what stuffs I do need (e.g., a fifth of gin and 750 ml. of vermouth) are not items that Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby carry, so... I didn't really need to read Mitzie's alternative recommendations. But I too am pleased she provided them for others.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      POSTSCRIPT: Well, I have just enough time to get my workout in before I have to meet this chick at The Retro Theatre to watch 'Altered States'. Can you believe it? At my advanced age I actually have "a date" with a real live girl.

      Delete
  10. "And work calls - it's a shrill, annoying, much-hated call I must answer."

    Yes, but it is a call that allows you to be hypocrisy-free! As far as I can tell, anyway!

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    1. SIX ~
      I'd rather be independently wealthy AND hypocrisy-free. Is that not possible?

      I meant to add one more response to one of your remarks (above), but I forgot. So here it is now, late...

      >> . . . I am not going to criticize [HOBBY LOBBY] for not just going out of business, which at this point is their only alternative.

      Actually, I thought DiscConnected's other, thinking-outside-the-box, suggestion for how HL could remedy the situation without going out of business was a pretty good one. (See his comment above.)

      I mean, if Obama and his Federal Government are going to refuse to back away from this COMPLETELY UN-CONSTITUTIONAL (read: ILLEGAL) demand, and if the Americonned People aren't going to demand that Obama and his rats back off from it, then HL could do as Discman suggested.

      Yes, it would economically hurt the HL employees somewhat, but it would save them their jobs (because HL cannot withstand a 1 million+ daily fine for long), and it would take HL off the hook from having to supply health insurance coverage to its employees that the company finds immoral and un-Christian.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  11. Well now, THIS is gonna be a boring comment. Why? I've got no argument for you this time. I agree with everything you said. (I know... shocking, huh?)

    On another matter, my hubby and I watched a movie the other day that you might like. It's called, "Last Ounce of Courage". In a nutshell, it's about a small town mayor who fights to bring the celebration of Christmas back to his town.

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    1. SUSAN ~
      You ain't kidding, I'm SHOCKED! In fact, I think I'm having a heart attack at this very moment. (When I don't show up at the theatre in an hour, my date is going to think I stood her up, when in fact, I died myself down.)

      'LAST OUNCE OF COURAGE' sounds EXACTLY like the sort of movie I would like. If NetFlix has it, I'll add it to my queue and move it up toward the top. Thanks!

      OK, now I've got one for you:

      Maybe 3 or 4 weeks ago, I watched a movie that FarAwayEyes (see comments above) recommended on her blog. The movie is titled 'THE SINGING REVOLUTION', and if I recall correctly, it's from 2006. I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED that movie! I intend to buy a DVD copy of it very soon and I may even write a blog review of it after seeing it for a second time.

      So, I am recommending 'THE SINGING REVOLUTION' to you, and to everyone else who reads this.

      Alright, I need to pick out a casket and a plot now, so... adios.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  12. STM,

    "Disney: A Mouse Betrayed": now on the reading list.

    I bet you really got that Christian book dealer thinking; might even have tied his conscience in a knot.

    Thanks for the link to the Chinese labor blog lady. She links to a "Still Made In The USA" site that I may have to pass along to others. Just what I've been looking for.

    I'll be in Iowa next week and if I see a Hobby Lobby store I will tell the "mousy little Christian girl' (beer/shower dudes) that I will "buy out the entire store...although I can only purchase items made in the USA." I hope I don't end up having to buy the shelves and ceiling joists.

    Sorry to butt in but did I hear "date" and "Altered States" in the same sentence? Sounds like nirvana. If you start posting about how the world is made of chocolate coins and puppy dogs tomorrow, I will know why.

    Nice "toss-off stalling tactic" post; it seems to have serendipitously kicked up a little dust.

    SigToo

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    1. SIG-TOO TWO ~

      >> . . . She links to a "Still Made In The USA" site that I may have to pass along to others. Just what I've been looking for.

      I may have another one or two for you "Too". I'll try to remember to include it/them in my next Email, but if I forget (of which there's a high likelihood) please remind me in your next reply.

      I have a hunch you could buy up the Hobby Lobby's entire "Made In The USA" stock from the "mousy little Christian girl" and still get out of there for under $100.

      >> . . . did I hear "date" and "Altered States" in the same sentence?

      Ha! I don't think there's any chance I'll be posting about how the world is made up of chocolate coins and puppy dogs tomorrow. Ha! {Inside joke, people. Sig 'n' me too have our own lingo now.}

      Did I write "date" AND 'Altered States'? Oops. That should have been 'Altered Dates'. What person hasn't experience "altered dates"?

      You an 'Altered States' fan? I wouldn't have guessed that... I don't think. Then again, maybe I would have. Hmmm... let me meditate on that question further.

      ~ Stephen

      Delete
  13. I said: >> . . . I am not going to criticize [HOBBY LOBBY] for not just going out of business, which at this point is their only alternative.

    You said:
    "Actually, I thought DiscConnected's other, thinking-outside-the-box, suggestion for how HL could remedy the situation without going out of business was a pretty good one. (See his comment above.)"

    No... I was not clear. Discdude's suggestion is fine, and might work. The subject I was on was the issue of "made in China" goods, and I was addressing your complaint that they should stop. I was saying if they stopped, given the sorry state of affairs, they'd have no business at all as there would be almost nothing to sell.

    You might recall that shortly after we met, we discussed this made in China question and I sent you links to a couple of "made in USA" sites. We discussed that I had put some of my funds in Chinese Renminbi, but was troubled about it. It was there just to keep some money safe if hyperinflation of the dollar hit, but after our discussion I decided to clear out of it.

    Everyone's comments here are interesting. I could comment on Altered States. I would LOVE to ask about Emily.

    But I guess I'll shut my pie hole for now.

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    1. SHEBOYGANBOY SIX ~
      Oh, I see. Sorry, I misunderstood that remark. And you are 100% correct about that: If Hobby Lobby stopped importing Chinese products they would absolutely be going out of business.

      Yes, I remember the "Made In The USA" links and the Chinese Renminbi situation. In fact, it is your "Made In The USA" link(s) that I intend to send to SigToo.

      About 'Altered States' - feel free to comment on it, positively or negatively, if you'd like to. I still enjoy that movie (after overlooking the ridiculous Darwinian assumption in it).

      About "Emily" - Ha! There is no Emily. (Although, interestingly, I was reminded last night that the main character's love interest in 'Altered States' is named Emily.)

      The original "date" at The Retro Theatre remark was actually a kind of inside joke that only FAE would have fully understood.

      I think it's kinda neat that I can be carrying on public conversations with my Magnificent Seven while simultaneously having private conversations due to "inside knowledge". Like the exchange with Sig about chocolate coins and puppy dogs is something only he and I would have understood. And in the same way, I could make some statement utilizing a Bob & Ray reference and no one else on this thread would understand what I had just said to you.

      Kinda cool . . . like each of my Magnificent Seven has their own personal decoder ring. ("Drink your Ovaltine.")

      ~ Stephen

      Delete
    2. ADDENDUM: SIX ~
      Ha! Actually, it just now occurred to me that no one else here would understand the "Emily" reference we're using. So we were unconsciously carrying on a "Decoder Ring" conversation.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  14. Funny how what we often think are throwaway posts can stimulate so much discussion. Some of my biggest comment sections are on posts like that.

    Not much to add to all of the excellent comments so far.

    I just wish there were more dedicated entrepreneurs like the Green family who were setting up manufacturing facilities in our own country to make the crap that China sends us. Somehow there must be a way to pull some of this off.

    I've noticed that when my wife brings home the little gifts her kindergarten students bring for holidays such as Valentine's Day, nearly all of it is made in China including the chocolate. Somehow I find Chinese chocolate kind of disturbing. I didn't know the Chinese were so famous for their chocolate. I wonder how much lead it contains?

    On a side note, yesterday on the radio I heard that a researcher has discovered that taking one day off per week for rest is good for the body and mind. Damn! What a revolutionary new idea! I'll bet they spent millions on that research, but it was money well spent I'm sure. No one would have known about a day of rest without some researcher telling us about it.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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    1. LEE ~
      Your remarks about the "day of rest" made me laugh out loud - literally! A "revolutionary new idea" indeed!

      The next multi-million dollar research project will probably reveal that scientists have discovered that for those parents who wish to have their male babies circumcised, there are biologically sound reasons to have that procedure performed on the 8th day after birth.

      Give 'em enough time and money and the psychiatrists, doctors, and scientists will eventually catch up to ancient history with many "revolutionary new ideas".

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  15. Apologies for the late response, fellow beer brother. My comment checking's been pretty sparse since I've been under the weather.

    If you don't want to buy through Amazon, you can get it straight through the wholesaler here:
    https://www.createspace.com/4161787

    Unfortunately, those are the only 2 places it's sold.

    Also, we're probably going to post about it on Monday, but as a beer connoisseur we thought you could see the humor in this. For as much as we joke about Bud/Coors/etc being pisswater, it turns out that the beer actually IS watered down.

    www.nbcnews.com/business/budweiser-waters-down-its-beer-lawsuit-alleges-1C8566405

    Sometimes, the comedy just writes itself.

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    1. BEER BOY BRYAN ~
      Thanks mucho for the reply-o!

      I don't know if you're aware of this but, as explained in a multi-part blog bit on this blog, this blog - Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends - exists only because Amazon.com (a.k.a. BigBitch.com) unjustifiably banned me from commenting on their website and REFUSED to tell me WHY they had done so.

      All I was told was that someone (a Liberal crybaby, of course) filed a complaint about something I'd written on my Amazon blog. So the company deleted EVERY SINGLE COMMENT I had ever left on their website over the course of several years, banned me from future commenting, and flat-out refused to show me the "transgression" of their commenting policy that I had supposedly violated.

      As an "Anonymous" commenter on this blog later (and accurately) pointed out, the real reason Amazon banned me is because I was factually (and humorously) demolishing the Liberals who challenged me and my reviews on the BigBitch.com website.

      Anyway . . . that's the reason I don't buy from Amazon. But the wholesaler at https://www.createspace.com/4161787 will work JUST FINE, and that's the source from which I will acquire your book, which I am eager to read.

      About Budweiser "watering down their beer" . . . pretty funny. "Who'da thunk it?", I axe while sipping a Dogfish Head '90 Minute Imperial I.P.A.' - 9% ABV.

      Well, ya know, ya gets what ya pays for, and anyone who would drink Bud, Coors, Miller, & Michelob deserves their Michelin spare tire and the "highway robbery" they experience.

      GIVE ME CRAFT BREWS OR GIVE ME DEATH! (Or a 'Cabernet Sauvignon' from Napa Valley, California... which is definitely preferable to death.)

      Thanks again for your response. I am ABSOLUTELY going to buy your book, Beer Bro!

      ~ Stephen

      Delete
  16. This isn't going to be my most stellar comment. I read this post shortly after you posted it, but I didn't have time to comment. Now I can see that other people have pretty much said everything I was thinking. I don't think it is always easy to know what to do.... Hobby Lobby is challenging them in the best way they can see. I think that they are right to do something.

    As for your points about the lack of products Made in the USA... that could be a whole other blog post. I have watched with trepidation in my heart as plant after plant has closed. As you and I both know, any country that becomes a country that ceases to PRODUCE and only provides SERVICES, is a 3rd world country. For the last fifteen years it feels like we have been rocketing there as fast as possible. It is no surprise that it is harder and harder to find products Made in the USA. There are fewer and fewer actually made here. Heartbreaking.

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    1. ROBIN ~
      Thanks for your comment. And it was a good one, regardless of whether or not you think it's one of your better ones.

      I disagree slightly in just this one regard: I do think it is usually pretty easy to know what to do. It's the actual DOING it that's sometimes difficult.

      I am in full agreement with you, however, in that Hobby Lobby is "right to do something". In a case like this, I believe something, even if it's not enough, is better than nothing at all.

      Your observations about a country that ceases to produce are entirely correct and, indeed, exploring the reasons WHY the U.S. is no longer a producing country could be a whole other blog post. SEVERAL other blog posts, in fact.

      The bottom line truth though is that, whether most Americans understand this or not (and most surely do not), relegating the U.S. to a SERVICE nation rather than the PRODUCING nation it previously was, has been done by design - brought about by the Wizards Behind The Curtain.

      One nation that is head and shoulders more prosperous than any other nation would have NO REASON and NO DESIRE to alter its way of life. If someone somewhere wants to make that prosperous nation "voluntarily" alter its formula and form of government and join in with a newly proposed GLOBAL GOVERNMENT, it must first be brought to its knees. It must first be made to view the newly proposed Global Government as being beneficial to its well-being and survival, and worth accepting.

      So, that's really the agenda behind all this. It's not happening by bad luck or happenstance; it's being perpetrated by design. The Wizards Behind The Curtain are leveling the global playing field so that when all nations are relatively equally desperate, they will willingly grasp and embrace the Socialistic Global Government straw that will be offered to them as a means to their survival.

      It's also a deception that every person on the planet will eventually come to regret after The Plan has been fully instituted. But, oh well. It's already a done deal because... "It Is Written".

      Thanks again for your comment, Robin.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete

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