Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Best wishes to you! Whatever holiday you celebrate may it be your best ever.

As for Christmas the holiday is about the birth of Jesus. There are also songs, movies or stories that to each of us exemplify what the spirit of Christmas is about. The story about the World War I Christmas Truce is my favorite story, about the power of Christmas. To me Christmas is about peace on Earth and that is why this story means so much to me. You can read all about it in the book , “Silent Night: The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce.” If you’re not much of a reader check out the 2005 movie, “Joyeux Noel.” For me this story shows the potential for humanity to be the real solution to peace. Isn’t it high time we put all our children (every nations soldiers) before war profiteers?

Don’t you think the world needs more humor?  Here is some  R-rated humor for Christmas: William Shatner

Bishop TuTu

Taxi Cab Confessions

The Dan Band: Ho Ho Ho

Dan Band: Christmas Flip Flop

Marry an orphan: you’ll never have to spend boring holidays with the in-laws. ~ George Carlin

Enjoy the holidays!

]]> http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/2009/12/26/holiday-humor/feed/ 0 elecpencil http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/worshipping-satan-at-christmas-time/ http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/worshipping-satan-at-christmas-time/#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:23:51 +0000 elecpencil http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/?p=967 ]]>

Mrs. and Mr. Elecpencil and our friends Patti and John went to New Castle’s Scottish Rite Cathedral yesterday evening. We experienced B.E. Taylor’s annual Christmas concert tour. We went last year and loved it so much we have decided to make it an annual Christmas tradition.

B E included local special needs adults who join him singing and dancing on stage. He also had a local high school drum section and a church choir. All in all two and a half hours worth of great Christmas music with some very talented musicians. I guarantee you if you go once you’ll be hooked.

See info on B.E. here.

While in New Castle we stopped for dinner at Mary’s Middle Eastern Restaurant located at 131 E. Long Ave. I have visited Mary’s many times and always have the Chicken over rice with onions, peppers  with Syrian garlic sauce. This chicken dish is my favorite all time Chicken dish. Mary’s is small and it was packed but service, meal and price were all top-notch! Two ice teas, the health food appetizer (Tabbouli and Hummus)  and two great Chicken dinners for about $20.00 is even in the Elecpencil’s budget range!

Some questions for you:

Do you think women who do the same job as men should be paid the same? Do you think men should be promoted more than women? Do you think someone who has a family should be paid more than someone who is single but does the same job? Do you believe it’s right to discriminate against hiring the handicapped? Do you think it is right to keep most employees part-time so you can deny them health care. Do you think it’s right to not pay a livable wage and then offer health care that if  workers want they can’t afford to pay their share of? Think it’s acceptable to fire employees for wanting a union?

Do you think it’s OK to have trade laws that send U.S. jobs to sweatshops in China? Do you think it’s OK for China to have a minimum wage of  $.39 an hour? Do you think it’s OK for a U.S. company to violate that and only pay $.19 and hour? Do you think it’s right for Chinese citizens to work in dirty dangerous conditions? Do you think it right to have 9 year-old kids working in Third World sweatshops making products for U.S. consumers? Do you think it is fine if a company has 80% of their good made in China? Do you think it is alright to do business and be in debt to Communist China? Are you willing to let your children be poisoned by lead based toys from China?

Do you complain about illegal aliens taking U.S. jobs? Do you care if a U.S. companies employees (the working poor) make up the largest part of many states welfare ranks? Think it’s fine that just one companies low wages cost taxpayers up to $2.5 billion a year in the form of federal public assistance programs? Do you think that one company locating in your area should cost taxpayers $420,000 a year? Do you think it’s justified for one company locating in your area to ask for 1/3 it’s building cost to be picked up by taxpayers despite it making $12 billion in profit a year? Do you think it is right for the same company to have gotten out of paying $2.3 billion in taxes between 1999 and 2005?

Do you think it’s acceptable that only 6% of the money made by this company stays in the community it’s stores are located in? Do you care that this company destroys mom and pop businesses? Are you concerned that this company denies their responsibilities when their customers or employees are injured on site? Do you think it is alright if a company buys a term life policy on employees and profits by their death? Do you think we need to protect our ports?

The company I am talking about is Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club. They are on the wrong side of every one of these issues. So I’m asking, “Why in the fuck would you shop at this soulless company?” Does the cheapest price really wash away so many sins? Where would Jesus shop for Christmas? Isn’t shopping at Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club like worshipping Satan at Christmas time?

Ammo for the fight against Wal-Mart

A B.E. Taylor Christmas

Mary Did You Know

If I think too much about all of those Chinese factories where all the stuff in a Wal-Mart is made, I get that woozy feeling you get when you see ducks covered in crude oil. ~ Doug Copland

Mrs. Elecpencil and I took a ride over to Sharon, Pa. this morning. We stopped on the West Hill at an art gallery/gift shop called, 29 Logan Ave. We then walked down the hill to the Walnut Lodge at 80 S. Irvine Ave. The lodge had about twenty artists set up selling handmade and fair trade wares.  Both places have items that would make great Christmas gifts. They will both be open tomorrow also from 12-4. The Walnut Lodge also gives yoga and dance lessons too.  They seem like great folks who help make our corner of the world a little better.

Tomorrow also check out the display of over 200 nativity sets from around the world. The display is from 12-4 at the Sisters of  Humility – Villa Maria, PA. Talk about making our world better the Villa Maria has some great classes and retreats that are well worth looking into to. Check out their gift shop for some nice Fair Trade items.

I was sad I couldn’t make the Youngstown demonstration against the School of the Americas (SOA) event, as I think it is a very important issue. A special note of thanks to Terry and Vicki Vicars for organizing the PAX Christi USA protest against the SOA. The SOA is a disgraceful place  that every American should know about.  The SOA makes for one of the reasons our country is hated in the world.

This months Catholic Exponent did a nice piece on the new Dorothy Day House in Youngstown. Check out one of our fine libraries for a copy. I went to the Newport Library for the first time last Tuesday and it is a really nice addition to our community.  They were nice enough to invite us Pig Iron Poets to do our open monthly reading which went very well. Join us the second Tuesday of January at Tomasino’s Pizza in downtown Youngstown for next months open reading.

When shopping for Christmas it’s important to not shop at the Satan store. Of course I’m talking about the soulless Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores. Instead try shopping local small businesses. Get a gift card for one of our local non-chain restaurants. Put together a gift basket of local products. You could do a basket of things like: Gia Russa pastas and sauce, Guys BBQ Sauce, Rulli’s olive oil or cheese, White House Fruit Farms produce, Haus Orchards cider,  Miller’s Horseradish sauce, Dirusso Sausage, Rust Belt Brewing beer, Mastropietro wine, Myrddin wine, L’uva Bella wine, Maggie’s Magic Muffins, Schwebels Bread, Handel’s ice cream gift card, Jimmy Chieffo’s  Pasta, etc. Feel free to comment about all the great local products I missed.

Since I mentioned wineries let me tell you about one Mr. & Mrs. Elecpencil visited last Friday for dinner. We went to dinner at the Old Mill Winery in Geneva, Oh. It’s a very old building that is favorite of local folks from Geneva. The Alan Greene Band from Cleveland was playing and they churned out some great blues tunes!  Otie (who resembles George Carlin)  filled in for missing singer, “Mr. Stress” and did a yeoman’s job. Alan is a former guitarist for “Humble Pie” and is as good as it gets on the axe. He is not into 15 minute boring guitar solos but rocks out within the frame work of a tune. This is a real blues band not one of those yuppies through the week blues on the weekend bands.  Mrs. Elecpencil had ribs in a wine infused bbq sauce she said were quite good. I had a wine burger which I’d highly recommend. We enjoyed some red sangria and took home a bottle of Grindstone Red which is a nice sweet wine. We are not wine snobs so we enjoy sweet wines. I have no use for snobby wines that taste like oak or stainless steel.

Cheap wines are just as good as expensive ones in a blind test.

For a holiday green gift that matters see here.

Alan Greene Band: High Cost of Loving

Alan Greene Band: Stagger Lee

[Wine is] poetry in a bottle.”
- Clifton Fadiman

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This 9/11, 2009 held a different sadness for me, other than remembering the terrorist attacks of 9/11 2001. That is because on 9/11 2009 poet/singer Jim Carroll died of a heart attack. You might know about Jim from his 1978 autobiographical book, “The Basketball Diaries.” In 1995 it was made into a film of the same name starring, Leonard DiCaprio as Jim Carroll. I loved Jim’s book, poetry and especially his first album, “Catholic Boy.”

I thought about Jim last week when I read an article on November 12, 2009 in the Washington Post. The article said, “The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington D.C. said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn’t change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.” Under the bill,  religions don’t have to perform same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

From 2006 through the present, Catholic Charities received about $8.2 million in city contracts, to care for the needy. To be fair the church has spent millions of its own dollars also. The church doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t take public money and still be able to discriminate against people. Doesn’t the bible say something about being judged by what you do for the least of my people (the poor/ the down and out)?

I thought about Jim Carroll when I read this for a few reasons. First because Jim was Irish Catholic and attended Catholic School. Also because Jim had been a down and out Heroin addict. Jim also was a bi/sexual who prostituted himself to gay men for drug money.

Here is Jim’s biggest hit, People Who Died:

In honor to Jim and as a message to D.C.’s Catholic Church I give you,

Theses are People Who are Gay (or bi-sexual)

Famous politicians and leaders that are gay: Alexander the Great, Edward II King of England, Barbara Jordan congresswoman, King Richard the Lionhearted, Desiderius Erasmus Sultan of Egypt, King Frederick the Great, Julius Caesar, Augusts Caesar, King James the I, Queen Anne, Marie Antoinette, Peter the Great, Montezuma II, Baron Von Steuben  German General at Valley Forge, Eleanor Roosevelt and Saladin Sultan of Egypt. These are leaders that are gay.

These are writers who are gay: Writers: James Baldwin, William Burrows, Truman Capote, Casanova, Allen Ginsberg, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, Alice Walker, Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Langston Hughes and Hans Christian Andersen. They’re all gay.

These are actors that are gay: Tallulah Bankhead, Drew Barrymore, Alan Bates, Dirk Bogarde, Raymond Burr Perry (Mason/Ironsides), Joan Crawford, Richard Chamberlain, Ellen DeGeneres comedian Marlene Dietrich, Fannie Flagg, Jodie Foster, Great Garbo, Will Geer, John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter,Angelina Jolie, Sal Mineo,  Kathy Najimy, Cynthia Nixon, Laurence Olivier, David Hyde Pierce, Robert Reed Actor Cesar Romero, Dick Sargent,  David Ogden Stiers, Lily Tomlin, and Clifton Webb. They’re all gay.

These are singers who are gay: Clay Aiken, Billie Joe Armstrong, Joan Baez, Long John Baldry, Josephine Baker, Dave Davies, Ani DiFranco, Melissa Etheridge, Marianne Faithful, Fergie, Rob Halford, Janis Ian,  Elton John, Janis Joplin, k.d. Lang, Sinead O”Connor, Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright and Bessie Smith. They’re all gay.

These are composers who are gay: Leonard Bernstein, John Cage, Aaron Copland, Noel Coward, Steven Sondheim, Cole Porter and  Tchaikovsky. They’re all gay.

These are people who are gay: activist Angela Davis, David Geffen record producer, Malcom Forbes publisher, Yves Saint Laurent designer, Anne Liebovitz photographer,  Rudolf Nureyev dancer,  Suze Orman finance author, Felice Schragenheim WWII Resistance fighter,  Liz Smith Gossip Columnist, Wanda Sykes comedian Daniel Tammet Autistic Savant, Paul Vogel Holocaust Survivor, Jann Wenner Rolling Stone Magazine Publisher, J. Edgar Hoover FBI director, Aristotle, Socrates and  directors, Clive Barker, Rainer Fassbinder and  John Waters. They’re all gay.

These are sports figures who are gay:  Nigel Owens Rugby Referee,  Pat Patterson, Orland Jordan, both wrestlers, Dave Pallone Major league Umpire Bob Paris Bodybuilder, Otto Peltzer record holder runner, Roy Simmons, Jerry Smith, Esera Tuaolo all former NFL players, Billy Bean and Glenn Burke baseball, Joey Fisher hockey, Mark Leduc boxer and Chris Morgan powerlifter. They’re all gay.

These are conservatives who are all gay: Horatio Alger author,  Tammy Bruce conservative radio host, Roy Cohn lawyer/conservative activist, Nicky Crane Neo-Nazi activist, Terry Dolan GOP operative, Mark Foley GOP Florida congressman, Mary Cheney, Candice Gingrich Newt’s sister, Andrew Sullivan conservative journalist, Larry Craig, Bob Allen, Glenn Murphy Jr. and Jamie Ensley. They’re all gay.

These are gay religious leaders: Bishop Sheehan, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Otis Charles Episcopal minister, Jeannie Deckers the “Singing Nun,”Peter Gomes Baptist preacher, Chris Glaser Christian Minister,  Laud Humphreys priest/writer, Mychal F Judge Catholic Priest Percy Jocelyn Anglican Bishop, Paul Moore Episcopal Minister, Marsha Stevens Christian Singer, Irene Stroud Methodist Pastor, Robert V. Taylor Episcopal Priest, Rembert Weakland Catholic Archbishop, Rev Mona West Southern Baptist Minister, Monk Francis Bacon, Pope Julius the III, Pope Benedict the IX, Pope John the XII, Rev. Ted Haggard, Rabbi J.B. Sacks and James Melville White speech and  ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham. They’re all gay.

Do you know who else is gay? Members of your friends and relatives that are still in the closet. These are folks you have loved a long time for many good reasons. Should the fact that their sexuality is not the same as yours outweigh every other aspect you have come to love about them?

in 1989, when the proposal to legalize marriage between gays was proposed in Denmark, the majority of the clergy were opposed. Now, after having seen the benefits to the partners and to society, they are overwhelmingly in favor. It’s high time our clergy and citizens legalize gay marriage. This post is for you Jim Carroll my brother!

I’m a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being… by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant.
Paul Newman

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Thanksgiving is over and the next holiday will be Christmas. It is really not my holiday, as I decided a few years back that I was no longer going to be a Christian. Yes, I believe Christ was an important prophet and teacher. I also believe that Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Confucius, Gandhi, George Fox,  Zoroaster and others were important prophets and all have something to teach us. I try to be opened minded, respectful and tolerant of all religions. That is if  said religions are being used to do good in the world. We have all seen too many crusades and jihads doing evil in the name of religion.

That being said my family is made up of mostly Christians and will be celebrating Christmas. To me that means I will have to suffer with a phobia I have. You see, I am allergic to boxes. Not just in a physical way, but in a mental way also. To me they represent things like packing up and moving. Moving to me represents change, and I can be slow to accept change. I note every time I have ever moved to a new residence has always been on the hottest day of the year or the coldest with the most snow fall of the year.

At Christmas time, I will be crawling into my attic, dragging out heavy boxes of Christmas ornaments and the artificial Christmas tree. It means spending time helping decorate the tree and house. It seems like a waste of time when I’ll be packing it all back up after a few weeks. It’s not that I’m lazy (OK maybe a little) but it seems like time wasted that could have been better spent. All the time decorating and shopping in the Christmas season would be better spent volunteering to help those less fortunate. Wouldn’t that really be more in keeping with the spirit of the holiday? The first Noel seems to have been replaced by the first one through Wal-Mart’s door on Black Friday gets the Xbox 360.

Here is a poem I wrote a few years back about my box phobia:

I Like My Beer In a Mug…Don’t Box Me In

It’s hot today I comment,

as I open my lunch box

looking for a cool drink

like a thermos of iced tea

but the only thing I see

is a small box of cereal.

Why would my wife pack this?

I refuse to pour milk into a box of cereal.

Cardboard makes a terrible bowl

but it’s not really cereal

it’s actually orange juice.

Orange juice in a box??

I imagine paper cuts

and very bloody lips.

At home I open the fridge

still looking for a cool drink.

It’s stacked with boxes of Kool Aid.

I like my Kool Aid in a pitcher,

any old pitcher will do.

It need not have a smiley face

but it surely shouldn’t be in a box.

For Christmas, I got a box of wine.

Ask any self-respecting wino and

he’ll say wine in a paper bag yes,

wine in a box—sacrilegious.

Imagine a couple in love

sitting at a Paris Café

at an intimate table,

on it sits a box of wine—on ice.

I ask your opinion,

is that a romantic picture?

Well Christmas is over,

its time to put away

what must surely be

the great invention

of the 20^th century

the artificial Christmas tree.

My wife says we need

a new box to store it in.

I ask her, “Where do we find such a large box?”

She takes me to a box store.

They sell nothing but boxes,

little boxes, big boxes, white and brown boxes.

It’s actually a franchise.

I’d sooner own a hat blocking business.

Insurance costs on employees

must be out of sight,

what with the danger of paper cuts.

My wife recycles boxes

so more boxes can be made.

It’s a vicious circle,

a plot against me.

Scientists now study

the power of pyramids.

Future archeologist will study

the mystery of the box.

They will find

civilization fell

the day a tavern owner

started serving draught beer in a box.

The Youngstown tramps: “Eddie Loves Debbie”

“Just Give it Away”

I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land. ~ John Stewart

Today November 22, 2009 Mr. & Mrs. Elecpencil attended the Artists of the Mahoning Commons Holiday Open Studio and Art Sale.  It was held at, the Ward Bakery Building (across from U-Haul), 1024 Mahoning Avenue, Youngstown, Ohio. We attend every year and this year Mrs. Elecpencil bought two pieces of jewelry from two different artists. The pieces are handmade and very reasonably priced. You will also find great paintings, sculpture, photography and furniture. Our area truly has some talented artists and quite a number have studios at the former Ward Bakery. Check it out next Sunday (Nov. 29) from noon to 5pm.

Mr. & Mrs. Elecpencil also enjoyed fish dinners Friday at the Fireplace Restaurant & Lounge at, 2075 East Western Reserve Road, Poland OH. We had  generous size pieces of fish and it was as good as I’ve ever eaten. Great service, beautiful atmosphere and they have Labbats on draft. What’s not to like?

I picked up a pizza last week from Cornersburg Pizza at 3518 Canfield Rd in the Cornersburg area. They are also located in Austintown and Boardman. Their pizza had ample cheese, good sauce and a crispy crust. The two young men working were very courteous despite being very busy. In a valley of great pizza I’d say this is one of the best pies you’ll find. Drop me a comment and tell me what area pizza is your favorite!

I heard former Y-town Mayor McKelvey filling in for WKBN radio talk show host, Ron Verb one day last week. Every time the former mayor hosts he talks about the war being waged on the public about political correctness. Your rhetoric is getting old and boring McKelvey. He concocted stupid what if scenarios about being PC.  Sadly, the callers who chimed in sounded as pathetically dumb as the former mayor. Mayor, being PC just means having some manners and using a little common sense. After hearing McKelvey I realized what a great city Youngstown is.  That’s because they had to be a strong city to survive McKelvey’s years as a mayor.

And now a politically un-correct (as McKelvey would say) word about a man I am glad is no longer an area resident. I’m talking about our former Youngstown area Catholic Bishop Tobin. When he was our bishop he eventually suppressed the free speech of  mine and other  local Catholic left-wing voices. He did this by rejecting letters written to the Catholic Exponent by people who opposed the war in Iraq. It seems Tobin supported the war even though the pope did not.

Tobin and other right-wing Catholic Orwellians  drove  me to decide to leave the Catholic Church after fifty years. Now that Tobin is bishop in Providence, Rhode Island he is busy driving parishioners from the church in that diocese.  Read about it here:  Tobin at it again.

Tobin and some other bishops have decided they are going to deny  lawmakers and parishioners who are pro-choice the sacrament of communion. They say it is because these Catholics do not believe in the core Catholic teachings about being pro-life. The death penalty is also a pro-life issue but Tobin has not denied communion to lawmakers or parishioners who are pro-death penalty.

Is the Catholic Church  going to deny communion or even ex-communicate all members who don’t believe in the core Catholic teachings? If they enforce these core teachings on liberal members who are pro-choice, use birth control, and believe in gay rights and conservative members who use birth control, are pro-war, pro-death penalty, and pro-pollution of our planet by corporations,  I think you’re going to find the pews pretty empty.

That being said, I dare conservative bishops like Tobin to state ALL of the core Catholic teachings and throw out anyone who doesn’t agree with them. I also believe that churches that want to get involved in politics should lose their tax exempt status.

The one section of the Catholic faith I have always respected is the Catholic Worker Movement. I have always admired its founders Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. Maurin’s, “Easy Essays” are my favorite poems.  I am excited to welcome to the Youngstown area a Catholic Worker home located at 620 Belmont Ave. Youngstown OH. I think they will be very successful as I think they are very much-needed in our valley.

Area Band: Jones for Revival

More Jones for Revival

I firmly believe that our salvation depends on the poor. ~ Dorthy Day

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A week ago I got a phone call from the National Rifle Association (NRA).  I am not nor will ever be a member so the call surprised me. A woman asked me to listen to a recorded message from Wayne LaPierre, Vice President of the NRA.  Mr. LaPierre was ranting about how there is a behind-the scenes, closed-door effort by the United Nations (UN) to make a law that would confiscate weapons from gun owners worldwide. The truth is, the UN has been trying to pass a law to try and stop the illegal trade of weapons, to organized criminals and terrorists  for about a decade. The NRA has twisted that into a disinformation campaign to raise money.

My first thought was that the NRA and gun stores must not have made enough money painting Pres. Obama as a socialist who was going to confiscate guns. Another boogeyman was needed to fill the NRA coffers so they dragged out the UN because opposing them has worked in the past. After all the UN is evil because of agendas they have like world peace. Where is the profit for the gun lobby in ideas like that.

After the spiel by LaPierre a man came on the line identifying himself as an NRA member. He said, “Do you want third-world dictators  and Hillary Clinton to dictate our gun rights?” I then realized the name Hillary Clinton must also be a big fund-raising trigger word. I responded, “Does LaPierre’s lying bull shit actually raise money or gain NRA members?” I continued, “If people are actually dumb enough to believe that crap they are too stupid to be allowed to own a gun.”

He countered with, “NRA members know it’s the truth about the UN.” I envisioned bus loads of armed men in camouflage on their way to NYC to attack the UN. Surely if they believed the UN wanted their guns they would descend on NYC. Not unlike like the nutbags who thought the government was setting up death panels in a health care bill descended on D.C.

The NRA telemarketer again said, ” So you must think third-world dictators and Hillary Clinton should dictate our gun rights?” I replied, ” Why hasn’t the NRA ever opposed the, School of the Assassins at Fort Benning Georgia that trains death squads for third-world dictators?” I added, “Why does the NRA back right-wing candidates like Ronald Reagan who supported third-world dictators who killed over 100,000 citizens throughout Latin America? Those numbers including nuns, priests and union organizers.”

The telemarketer responded, ” I don’t know anything about Fort Benning or any of the other nonsense you are saying.” I replied, “Read some history books instead of, the NRA’s  National Rifleman magazine.” I then had the phone slammed in my ear. I think people really need to learn more about our countries history with dictators.

I am left thinking I don’t have a problem with people owning guns I just have a problem with an organization that must be involved in the illegal gun trade if they oppose UN measures to stop terrorists from getting guns. I think Homeland Security needs to check into that. I’d also ask NRA members if the want to join an organization with a leader named, LaPierre. That sounds kinda like a Frenchie furriners name so I’d check to see if he had an American birth certificate.

The NRA has drafted up a hate list see here:

http://www.pinkpistols.org/antigun.html

Area band the Bedspins: A Beautiful Day

Pulp Free

“Every gun that’s made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.This world in arms …is spending the genius of its scientists, the sweat of its laborers.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Last night Mr. & Mrs. Elecpencil went with friends to see, “The Rocky Horror Show” at the Oakland Center for the Arts in downtown Youngstown. Before I get into a review of the Oakland’s play I want to talk about the movie. I have seen the movie several times since it came out in 1975.

The last time I saw the movie was several years ago in Cleveland, at the Cedar Lee Theatre. It has been playing at the Cedar Lee one Saturday a month at midnight for 20 years. After that viewing of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show”  I decided I could never see the film again. That was because of the disease I am afflicted with that I have talked about before. It is the illness I have known as, “asshole magnetism.” I experienced it big time at that Cleveland showing  from the three assholes that surrounded me. It is a long and humorous story I won’t talk about now because it would take away from the nice experience I enjoyed at the Oakland last night. If you see me out and about ask me about my asshole experience at the Cedar Lee and I will share it with you.

Last night, the cast at the Oakland ended the phobia I have had with “Rocky” since that bad Cleveland experience. I was healed and am now able to dance the “Time Warp” again. Director and singer extraordinaire, Robert Dennick Joki did a galactic job of playing, Dr. Fran N’ Furter.  He brought a John Water’s Divine look and  attitude to the part. He also designed the costumes which gave the show some fresh camp. Shawn Lockaton did an excellent job playing, Riff Raff. This is the third play I have seen him in and he always delivers. I expressed that to his number one fan, his mother after the show. She is very proud of him as she should be.  I loved the idea of a mistress other than a criminologist narrating the story. Nicole Zayas dominated in the part (pun intended).

Brad and Janet were played with exuberance by Eric McCrea and Alyssa Connelly. The rest of the cast was top-notch, as was Debbie Pesce’s choreography.  A huge pair of red lips to all involved. You need to go see this play because as Dr. Frank N’ Furter says in it, “A mental mind fuck can be nice.” It is playing tonight Nov. 7  and Nov. 13 and 14 at 8:00. There will also be a special midnight  show Nov. 14. Call: 330-746-0404 for reservations.

Before we went to the Oakland, we ate at the Rosetta Stone Cafe in downtown Youngstown. Our friend Patty and Mrs. Elecpencil got hamburgers which they both enjoyed. Our friend John got a fried haddock dinner he liked with what he said was the best coleslaw he’s ever eaten. I had a Cajun chicken salad that was spicy and delicious. The waiter made a few mistakes, but all in all I’d recommend you give it a try and I think you’ll be glad you did.

Realtime Digimob playing outside the Oakland.

Digimob at Cedars

Don’t dream it, Be it
-Frank N Furter

]]> http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/the-oakland-theater-cured-my-phobia/feed/ 0 elecpencil http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/living-in-the-mahoning-valley-and-smiling/ http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/living-in-the-mahoning-valley-and-smiling/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:39:06 +0000 elecpencil http://elecpencil.wordpress.com/?p=868 ]]>

I haven’t gotten around to making a list of the best things our valley has to offer. I got to thinking, I just need to add some of the places  I have experienced on each blog I post.  More than anything else on my blog, I want you to go to the Armchair Activist section and utilize the actions you agree with.

The following are just a few of a weeks worth of  places I enjoyed in our valley. Yesterday at work we order food delivered, from the Grub Club. It is located at 300 Pratt Street in Niles, Ohio.  They have excellent subs and any sub can be turned into a salad which is very large. There is another Grub Club located at 3600 Southern Blvd. Youngstown OH. Here is their menu.

I needed some hardware goods the other day so I stopped at my favorite hardware store, Handyman Hardware & Supply. It is located at 2200 N. Bellwood Ave. (off of 422 in the McKinley Heights area) Niles, Oh. They have plenty of help and will make sure you find what you are looking for.  You can get in and out quick and once you shop here you’ll pass those big box hardware stores right up.

My daughter was home from college this weekend and wanted me to bring home some fish on Friday. Some of her favorite fish comes from the Buena Vista, home of Uncle Nick’s Greek Chicken. Luckily the Bueva Vista has established a couple of  BV~II~Go locations. One is in Niles on Rt. 422 so I was able to call ahead and pull up to their drive in window. Their fish dinner includes two large pieces of fish and is so mild even the not so crazy about fish, Mrs. Elecpencil enjoys it. The original Uncle Nick’s Buena Vista in Warren, OH. has been around since 1956 making the best fried chicken in the area.

Mr. and Mrs. Elecpencil took their weekly journey to Rulli Brothers grocery store located at 8025 South Ave. Boardman, OH. It is a beautiful new grocery store and locally owned.  It has a very extensive wine and beer selection, nice produce, and good prices on meat. The Elecpencils’ got boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.29 a pound.  Shop locally owned stores, you’ll be glad you did.

Wednesday, on the way to Rullis we decide to grab a bite. We went to my favorite bar, the Royal Oaks. It is the oldest bar in Youngstown and is located at 924 Oak St.  Here is a nice article on the Oaks. It was Wednesday so the special was 15 wings for the price of 10. We had 15 Raspberry BBQ wings, fries, and a generous serving of onion rings. Great BBQ sauce really made the wings, good hand cut fries, and some of then best onion rings I’ve ever had. I also love their ribs and burgers which are some of the best around.  Besides our food we had a beer and a pop and the bill came to  a very reasonable $12.

I was just going to do a small segment on these area places and here I went and filled up this post. These area businesses and many more, I will talk about, make me smile and be happy I call this valley home! I will save my issue about a wrong number phone call I received until next time. Meanwhile, enjoy our valley!!

Happy Halloween: Roseanne Halloween

I am going to start featuring some area music. I will lead off with the Zou.

When the Ink Dries

They Don’t Make Them

“A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween.”

Erma Bombeck

I have never been able to understand racism. Support by poor white Southerners for slave owners during the Civil War has always puzzled me. Many of these whites lost their jobs at plantations because the plantation owners replaced them with black slaves.  Yet, when the end of slavery was threatened the same plantation owners were able to convince the poor white former plantation workers that they should pick up arms to fight for the plantation owners.  The plantation owners didn’t go to battle or if they did they called themselves, colonels and stayed back from harms way while the poor whites were in the front lines dying.

The plantation owners convinced the poor whites that the war was over states rights. You know like the B.S. today from the right like: those on the left are going to outlaw your God and guns, that gay marriage rights would mean a loss of heterosexual rights, that dirty air, low wages, non-unions, corporate welfare and tort reform are what is needed to make America’s businesses grow.

I ran across this video awhile ago. It show whites in New Orleans trashing blacks who suffered during Hurricane Katrina:

These whites are not unlike the former white plantation workers who were used like puppets in a war to fight for the interests of the rich.  The whites in the video are being used in a class war today.  They are puppets for today’s rich ruling class that stays in power by promoting the kind of hate seen in this video.

The best explanation of how working-class whites are used I have seen is explained in this video:

Atomic Rooster: The Devil’s Answer

Broken Wings

“At the heart of racism is the religious assertion that God made a creative mistake when he brought some people into being.” ~ Friedrich Otto Hertz