Ol Hippie's Solstice Festival/Festivus wish list.

A few of y'all have met my brilliant, clever, and all around remarkable 32 year old son, my magnificent, 30 year old daughter, the love of my life for the past 37 years, my little hippie chick, my super son-in-law, our grand-dog "Bruce the brilliant," and of course the best puppy ever born, the magnificent Maxwell Jerome Pittsnoggle. I niether want, nor deserve anything more.

The upside of being a pagan is that you don't have to share the glory for the way your children turned out. It's all us, genes, and the luck of the draw.

When you don't believe in an afterlife, you understand that that "heaven" is when someone meets your children or grandchildren (of course I have no grandchildren, but that's another list) and thinks, this person must have had really great parents, or when your children teach their children, or their children's children a value they learned from you. That is how you have everlasting life.

Humanity is a river, and your progeny is the dye marker you leave behind. The little hippie and I have always been determined not to piss in the river.

I have also met some of the children of listers who are very different from me; I have learned that there is more than one right way to raise kids.

Y'all know who you are, so I'll not list you by avatar. Except for the raantster; I think about you and send good thoughts your way every time I sign on to OML. Just for you, raant, here is a picture of an ol hippie special wastewater treatment plant in Afton, Nova Scotia. Cute, huh? Now, get well!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am completely disgusted with everyone in Washington. The Democrats in Congress are actually worse than the Republicans. Think about it; the Republicans were elected to be xenophobic, bigoted, non responsive chuckleheads: as grover said, "They are who we thought they were;" but the Democrats were elected last year with a mandate to stand up to Bush, instead they turn a blind eye as Bush, Cheney, et al continue to give it to Lady Liberty in the backside.

This goes with the item listed above. I know it's late, but I don't care if it is January 19, 2009. This bunch of lying war criminals has been blatant in their disregard of the Constitution, and the law in general. I would like if history didn't show that we just bent over and took it, because it was "too late" to call them on their multitude of crimes.

This is the fount from which all reform must flow. We must make it illegal for any politician to accept so much as a dime from any individual, group, or corporation. If we can afford $9 billion per month to kill Iraqis, we can afford transparent public financing of political campaigns. This is the only way we will ever take our country back. Politicians must be responsible to their constituency, not the corporations and lobbyists. If you think this is a democracy, you probably think my dog max is a pit bull. To paraphrase the Bard, a Plutocracy called by any other name still stinks. I am tired of living in a Plutocracy, especially since i am not one of the plutocrats.

In 2004, the U.S spent $6,102.00 per capita on health care. With more than 43,000,000 citizens uncovered, that is $11,600.00 per person covered. In Canada, where every man woman and child is covered, they spent $3,165.00 U.S. per capita. For best health care system in the world, the French spend a little over $3,300.00 U.S. per capita.

It is the holiday season; as John Lennon suggested, "Imagine." Imagine the schools we could have with one third of the $3,000.00 per capita we could be saving; imagine the medical breakthroughs we could make with one third of the $3,000.00 per capita we could be saving, imagine what you would do with the $2,800.00 (one third of $3,000 for each of your 2.8 family members) your family could be saving; that is how you stimulate the economy, give the money to people who will spend it on goods and services. Demand creates jobs, giving more money to rich guys does not.

Imagine how competitive U.S. auto makers, and other manufacturers could be if they didn't have the Damaclese sword of retiree's health care hanging over their heads. Imagine the strides we could make towards energy independence if we used some of the saved money to subsidize development of renewable energy sources.

Most importantly, imagine that no child would ever be sentenced to death for being poor.

It is time for mankind to stand up and tell their meglomanical leaders, "NO!, you cannot use our children for cannon fodder to maintain and expand your power. We've moved past that."

About 95% of the wars we need to leave behind, are over religion. Just stop it, and take responsibility for your own lives. If you want to believe in God or Jesus or Muhammad or Buddha or Kali or Krishna, be my guest. Just don't try to force me or anyone else to share your beliefs. Show me the beauty of your beliefs, in the way you live your life and treat your fellow man. Don't tell me you are a Christian, and then say, "We need to build a fence to keep the damned Mexicans out of our country." It is NOT our country, it is every man's earth.

This is not something everybody else needs to do; I am talking to you. Never buy another incandescent light bulb; make a note on your calendar on the first of every month to change your furnace filter; next time you buy a car, buy a hybrid; vote for leaders that favor subsidization of the development of renewable energy sources.

Other than what is listed above, the Ol Hippie has everything a man could want.

However, if y'all want to take up a collection and send an Aston Martin DB9 my way, I'll try to make good use of it.