Love Thy Neighbor

Shop smart for pet food

2008-10-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

So my favorite little pet food store just opened a second location this summer in the S E area of Portland. It's called Salty's. I used to work next door to their N E location and I'm thrilled to have them close by to home. Its located on S E Stark and 81th. Not only is the owner Nancy very nice, she is great with animals and knows her stuff on pet food. This store offers healthy pet food that is well priced and taste great for them. My dog Maggie loves her food. Check them out when your on N. Mississippi Ave or S E Stark! saltysdogshop.com

A word from REV Billy

2008-10-27T20:52:00.001-07:00

	The SHOPOCALYPSE Is At Hand!
Body:	Our prophecy, The Shopocalypse, was once called “a parody” and “an act” and “blasphemous.” Now it is so actually true that it is in bad taste to repeat it. For - we Americans have shopped ourselves to death. We walk in THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEBT, and still we cannot stop – we want to shop more. We have $700 billion on our credit card, or do we have nothing at all? We're not sure. This Shopocalypse is the end-time that the Christian-right didn't expect. They thought that Christ would rapture them up to a great mall of a thousand specialty shops in the blue sky of limitless credit. The “prosperity preachers” are stranded with their Bibles covered with spit. The congregations of Joel Osteen and Creflaw Dollar drift toward the exits. What would Jesus buy? He wouldn't. He would give. Heaven and Hell are arrangements for our fear. We shop too much because we are afraid of death. Heaven and Hell are the most costly of all products. It is interesting to watch the Wall Street gods dragging their collapsed pile of paper away from their monumental cheap trick - back to some big math problem. If only we can solve it again, like Alan Greenspan did, for awhile– we'll be back in the Promised Land of the world's biggest economy. We'll fly up from Hell again! We'll float up like blessed angels to that Heaven where the pixilated eagles soar. No, actually we're down here in cars, watching TV on our dash. We're speeding on cruise control across the land of The Absurd Economy. What was the idea behind all this? Everyone gorging and no-one working, only managing information? Anything new is made somewhere else? Neighborhoods destroyed by big boxes and conjob loans? Children wandering from screen to screen? Parents lost in traffic jams, deep in techno-loneliness? With the unshakable feeling of - permanent out-of-sight wars? Oh its hard to imagine the Shopocalypse's completeness. The air we breathe is changing. The sea... Oh America! Turn! Walk sideways! Leave the product there and walk sideways! Leave the car on the shoulder. Leave the celebrity on the label. Leave the logo on the interstate. Back away from the product! Let's walk into that field, over to those trees. And sit down, and wait in silence for the life after shopping. THE SHOPOCALYPSE Is At Hand! Yes we've shopped ourselves to death, but oh the resurrection.. fascinating. -- Reverend Billy

The SHOPOCALYPSE Is At Hand!

Body:

Our prophecy, The Shopocalypse, was once called “a parody” and “an act” and “blasphemous.” Now it is so actually true that it is in bad taste to repeat it. For - we Americans have shopped ourselves to death. We walk in THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEBT, and still we cannot stop – we want to shop more. We have $700 billion on our credit card, or do we have nothing at all? We're not sure.

This Shopocalypse is the end-time that the Christian-right didn't expect. They thought that Christ would rapture them up to a great mall of a thousand specialty shops in the blue sky of limitless credit. The “prosperity preachers” are stranded with their Bibles covered with spit. The congregations of Joel Osteen and Creflaw Dollar drift toward the exits. What would Jesus buy? He wouldn't. He would give.

Heaven and Hell are arrangements for our fear. We shop too much because we are afraid of death. Heaven and Hell are the most costly of all products. It is interesting to watch the Wall Street gods dragging their collapsed pile of paper away from their monumental cheap trick - back to some big math problem. If only we can solve it again, like Alan Greenspan did, for awhile– we'll be back in the Promised Land of the world's biggest economy. We'll fly up from Hell again! We'll float up like blessed angels to that Heaven where the pixilated eagles soar.

No, actually we're down here in cars, watching TV on our dash. We're speeding on cruise control across the land of The Absurd Economy. What was the idea behind all this? Everyone gorging and no-one working, only managing information? Anything new is made somewhere else? Neighborhoods destroyed by big boxes and conjob loans? Children wandering from screen to screen? Parents lost in traffic jams, deep in techno-loneliness? With the unshakable feeling of - permanent out-of-sight wars? Oh its hard to imagine the Shopocalypse's completeness. The air we breathe is changing. The sea...

Oh America! Turn! Walk sideways! Leave the product there and walk sideways! Leave the car on the shoulder. Leave the celebrity on the label. Leave the logo on the interstate. Back away from the product! Let's walk into that field, over to those trees. And sit down, and wait in silence for the life after shopping.

THE SHOPOCALYPSE Is At Hand! Yes we've shopped ourselves to death, but oh the resurrection.. fascinating.

-- Reverend Billy

Made in America Jeans @ Tumbleweed

2008-10-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

So Saturday was an amazing fall day here in Portland. Cody and I went for a stroll down Alberta when I decided to stop into Tumbleweed tumbleweedboutique.com/shop.html. I was really in the market for a coat when I came across some really cute jeans. My first thought is how great are these, and then I checked the tag. To my surprise, they were made in our fine country!! jamesjeans.us & redenginejeans.com/company.htm

Why does that matter you say? Well, most of clothes (in short) are produced in foreign countries. Many of these use children to sew these clothes with little or no pay. I know most of us know this but what you may not know is that, just because a label says made in ITALY , for example, doesn't mean its made there either. A lot of well known luxury brands send their products off to factories in developing countries and then tag their clothes with their countries name on it. Scandal!! So, I want to promote companies keeping jobs in America, using good materials and keeping our resources in house. By shopping American, locally, organically, etc.. we can boost our economy and help our neighbors prosper. We will also show the world that we don't stand for child labor or cheap goods. Yes, there is politics involved...but who are we?!! Are we going to sit and do nothing??? Lets take a stand people!! Shop smart! Make your dollars count! Spend more on quality and less on quantity!

Our Economy Crisis & Hope

2008-10-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

So as all of us know at this point, our world is facing hard times in the area of money. This is not new for America or the rest of the world. It is new for our generation to see a collapse to this degree but as true as it is, people have suffered much more than we have seen.

So rather than just state the depressing facts, I want to encourage people around me in this tough time. Its not ALL bad. Really, its not. The truth for most is that, yes, we have to sacrifice some or a lot. For some its more than that. Its really, really hard. But, we will get through this. I mean, what is this all about anyways? Our possessions aren't really what makes us who we are, or are they? I think that's for you to determine. In the last few months, I'd say its been refreshing to see how honest people have become. I see real character in everyone's fear. We all have no idea whats going to happen after this election, and the wall street bail out. We have no idea even if the world was raining money. We never know what tomorrow may bring, if tomorrow should come. So why worry when its pretty much out of our control anyway?

So my message of Hope...LIVE, TODAY!! Seriously, Today maybe it or it may be yet another day, but enjoy it! Its beautiful! Think of what you have and love. Think of who you would never want to be with out and call them. Think of who you hope to be and make it happen! Think of all the reasons why today is a blessing we take for granted. Today, with all our troubles, isn't so bad. I can testify that I have NEVER seen BAD. I mean, real.. BAD. I have had such an amazing opportunity to be born in this day and age with this mind and all the possibilities this world has to offer. Don't get me wrong, life hasn't been all cherries, but its what I make it! Yes, money is very tight right now, but am I going to let that be the reason I don't enjoy my fall this year...NO!! I want to live it up. I'm 26 in fairly good health and I have so much to do with this life. I'm starting here. This is just the beginning. Not the end of me.

So to you, have hope!! There will be brighter days ahead and today maybe one of them. Cherish what you have in this moment. Believe me, once its taken away you'll have wished you did! Lets be creative with this time to enjoy our family, friends, pets, nature, God, and whatever else.

Peace and Hope to you!