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Don't feel bad, Jerome.  Everybody who passed their freshman-year micro is now an elitist, regardless of income or social status.  On the other hand, the guy who called you that is undoubtedly "jes' folk".

I'm reminded of a bumper sticker I once saw on the back of a very "Kerry-fied" car in Tallahassee during the '04 election: "Don't Pray in My School, and I Won't Think in Your Church."

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:01:52 AM EST
But prayer comes with so may uses!

AFP: Tired of paying through the nose, Americans try praying at the pump

The half-dozen activists -- Twyman, a former Miss Washington DC, the owner of a small construction company and two volunteers at a local soup kitchen -- joined hands, bowed their heads and intoned a heartfelt prayer.

"Lord, come down in a mighty way and strengthen us so that we can bring down these high gas prices," Twyman said to a chorus of "amens".

"Prayer is the answer to every problem in life... We call on God to intervene in the lives of the selfish, greedy people who are keeping these prices high," Twyman said on the gas station forecourt in a neighborhood of Washington that, like many of its residents, has seen better days.

"Lord, the prices at this pump have gone up since last week. We know that you are able, that you have all the power in the world," he prayed, before former beauty queen Rashida Jolley led the group in a modified version of the spiritual, "We Shall Overcome".

"We'll have lower gas prices, we'll have lower gas prices..." they sang.

by someone (s0me1smail(a)gmail(d)com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:28:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Why are they driving in DC?

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:35:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Why are they praying at the punp?

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:47:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Why was Governor "Sonny" Perdue praying for rain in Atlanta, and why was he reelected in a landslide?  Because people are stupid.

But that's my elitist opinion.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 09:00:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Maybe because it rained? Praying for rain has the advantage that it often  seems to work. Praying for low gas prices is another matter....
by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 09:04:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Actually, it didn't rain after his prayer vigil.  Which is hilarious, because he -- I think it's fair to say deliberately -- chose to do it on a day when rain was in the forecast.

Nobody, of course, questions whether the Magical Space Daddy was sending Sonny a message with that, though.  When good things happen, all glory goes to God.  When bad things happen, it's the Lawd's will, for he is "testing" us.

Or something.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 09:09:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Why hilarious? It just proves that by picking the day based on the forecast he was demonstrating lack of faith, and God reacted accordingly.

With gas prices the situation gets more complicated. Presumably Ahaminajad, Putin, and Tillerson are all praying for higher gas prices, so God has to decide which of these prayers to listen to...

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 09:57:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I doubt Putin (or the others) would leave that in the hands of God.  He's a bit more, er, pro-active about these things.

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
by poemless on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 02:49:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
True.  He'd just have God assassinated, or exiled to London (where all non-Iraqi exiles are apparently required to go). ;)

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 09:34:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
heh, well said, gk!

he with the strongest thought-form wins...

call on godde to turbo your desire, multiverse as giant amplifier of will allocation.

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 05:57:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It's a "pay as you pray" system...

"Ne te courbe que pour aimer..." René Char
by Melanchthon on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 02:37:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Reminds me of a scene in the documentary Vernon, Florida (possibly the best flim ever) in which they interview a preacher who says, "I needed a van, so I prayed to God for van.  Then I went and priced vans.  I guess God was trying to tell me it wasn't the right time to buy a van..."  LOL.

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
by poemless on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 02:47:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Sounds about right for Vernon.  Never been, but I've heard stories.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 09:37:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I wish I could believe that this story was made up...

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:42:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Gaianne on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 11:46:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Note that, as usual, prayer consists in telling an omnipotent god what is going on and asking for intervention. The Lord, sees all, knows all, but is too fucking lazy to register that prices have gone up since last week.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:54:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Balckmailing gods (or your god) is one of the most ancient religious practices... it is almost everywhere... and resilent with time..

It certainly must work... either this or it has a very important symbolic relevance :)

A pelasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 11:31:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
What is "jes' folk"?

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:42:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
= just folk

ie ordinary people as compared to presumed elitists.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:48:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]
"They's jes' folk."

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 09:03:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Frat boy millionaires and billionaires, mostly.

The kind of people you'd want to have a beer with, because you understand each other and want the same things.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 07:39:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And "jes' folk" only applies to white people who live in the middle of nowhere, of course.  As Chris Matthews told us, Latinos/as and blacks aren't "real people".

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 09:40:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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