Choose your poison – Hillary Hooch or Trump Tonic?
For a divided America, the coming presidential election is portrayed as a suicide run either way. See how one soda manufacturer is taking advantage of a polarized nation:
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Foolish as the above video may be, this soda manufacturer aims to turn a profit and perhaps take the edge off what promises to be a very heated race.
Avery Soda, with a 112-year record of keeping a business alive and thriving, is actively stocking shelves in New Britain, Connecticut … for the third presidential race in row. “Our 2016 Presidential sodas are here! Hillary Hooch and Trump Tonic are now available.”
“The flavor for the Trump Tonic,” Avery Soda reports on Facebook,”is ‘Make America GRAPE Again,’ but it is not your typical grape soda, the flavor is bold and very acidic.”
“The Hillary Hooch flavor is marked ‘CLASSIFIED’ on the label. The Hillary flavor is a bit more complex, it has a combination of raspberry and strawberry with a hint of lemon for some bitterness.”
“We will be tracking sales of each flavor for an unofficial Straw Poll. In addition to the two new flavors, we also have special ‘Write In Vote’ labels for those customers who are ‘SODAsgusted’ with the two mainstream choices. We will keep you posted on the results on our Facebook page.”
“Stop in and pick up your favorite. Vote early and often!”
If you can’t stop in to the local New Britain groceries or the Avery Soda shop, word is they take phone orders. So no matter who comes to your convention party, individual sensibilities can be respected.
Now you see me … now you can still see me
Remember those times when you were a kid – way back when – and you believed that just because you couldn’t see something that “it” couldn’t see you? The following clip is a cute reminder:
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The following video of an ISIS fighter apparently attempting to evade further detection by an Iraqi Army helicopter crew, incongruous as the comparison may be, reminded me of exactly that: hiding in your mind.
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The UK’s Mirror reports as follows, “This is the bizarre moment an alleged ISIS fighter tried to hide from a helicopter – by putting a clump of grass over his head. The supposed Islamic State militant was desperately searching for cover after his convoy was hit by Iraqi Army Aviation. But instead of lying low, the solider decided to keep moving, choosing to disguise himself with the only materials immediately available to him. Believing he had escaped the army’s surveillance helicopter, the man dived into a bush and grabbed a handful of foliage. He then stood up straight, placed the leaves over his head and began making his way across the desert. Unfortunately for him, the helicopter was actually tracking his every move and the fighter was eventually caught by the Iraqi Army.”
Beelzebub – unbeatable foe or just a bad-tempered bully?
“Crazy Barking Dog. Funny weird barking dog,” expounds this YouTube channel on the above video. “Looks evil, showing its teeth. Scary stuff!”
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The real story is that the above is all too often what the experience of supernatural evil in our everyday lives is like. Evil is often a real, growling, enervating menace. But one that we can avoid by recognizing it for what it is and putting it and ourselves in our respective places.
“Writing the musical score for ‘The Passion of the Christ’ was the most difficult assignment of his life, said Hollywood composer John Debney,” Catholic News Agency reported. “The experience strengthened his Christian faith but it also led him to realize that Satan exists.”
“Debney composed the music with the use of his computer at his workstation at home. He said the computers, synthesizers and hard drives would go down and ‘the digital picture that lives on the computer with the music would just freeze on his [Satan’s] face. Then the volume would go to ten and it would happen all the time.'”
The composer said he was scared the first time it happened but, once he got over the initial shock, he learned to work around it.
His experience made him realize that “maybe Satan is a real person. … I can attest that he was in my room a lot and I know that he hit everyone on this production.”
Debney said his battle with Satan became really personal. He recounted his experience, four months into the project, when things “became bad” and he felt it was time to address the issue head on.
“The computers froze for about the tenth time that day and it was about nine o’clock at night and so I got really mad, and I told Satan to manifest himself and I said, ‘Let’s go out into the parking lot and let’s go’,” he told Assist Ministries.
“He didn’t manifest himself, but I wished he would have,” said Debney. “It changed for me after that.”
The composer said he was often physically drained during the project but oddly he said he never felt tired, often working in his studio late into the night.
“What I was trying to do with the music was to write first of all the best that I could write and try to be true to the period,” he said. “In the bigger picture, I gave it all up to the Lord and whatever came out.”
While I would never advocate asking Satan to manifest himself, recognizing the reality of what’s going on around is the best method to stay on track. The right track.
In the words of Padre Pio, “The human soul is the battlefield between God and Satan. … The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: keep at a distance. If you approach too near, you let yourself be caught.”
