Hello Peeps!

Apparently Hyphen D has been keeping himself busy pitching a book he wrote called "Demonitude'.  We wonder if there's any flushing in it?

If you'd care to check out his promotional videos for the novel, he assures us he'd be pleased as punch.  Well, he didn't say 'punch', but...

Demonitude - Audio Book Excerpt

Demonitude - Twilight Parody

PPF!  (It's Friday, by the way...)

Watch this awesome video by Julian Smith!

WATCH THIS!

Do you ever think about 'the way things were' and 'yesterday'?  That can really affect how we perceive the way things ARE and TODAY.  The past was great, no doubt, but just because things are different, that doesn't make them bad.

Can you imagine thinking that you've learned so much in your past that there's nothing left to learn?  Nothing left to experience?  We often tend to remember the good things longer than we remember the bad things, making our memories seem much rosier than the way things actually were.

The past was simple.  The present can be overwhelming.  But we've had years to process the past, and if we think it was a better time when we didn't have DVD players, Hi-Def, or GPS, then we're lying to ourselves.

We shouldn't let responsibility be an excuse either.  If we identify what's important in our lives and take action, we might not have the same material things that other people have, but we also might not be suffering on the inside, as so many people with material things do.  You can only buy so much stuff before you lose the thrill of acquisition.

Be true to yourselves, peeps.  You can't conform your way to inner peace.  You CAN conform yourself to a bigger house and a nicer car, however.  But at what price?

I personally remember that in my past, I was taught to be myself.  That I was an individual.  There was also a lot of talk about imagination.  Just because it was important to the masses yesterday doesn't mean that it isn't equally important today.  We're melancholy.

PPF.   

Wow.  A month in Mexico, and lots to show for it.  Lots going on UPSTAIRS, anyway.

Speaking only for myself, I can tell you that there were a lot of stereotypes at work in my imagination, and to be quite frank, a lot of beliefs that just aren't true.  If there are any proud Mexicans reading this, please speak up and help us get this right.

THEY'RE MOVING ALL OF OUR JOBS TO MEXICO!

Ever heard that?  I have, and for some reason, I tended to blame the Mexicans for 'taking' American jobs.  WHAT?  Let's take a look at the history of Mexico for a moment, shall we?

You see, much like the U.S., Mexico was 'discovered' by Europeans.  The Spanish were working their mojo down south around the same time the English were shaking things up on the East Coast.  While we were wiping out the indigenous people, the Spanish found themselves with a BIG problem.  You see, their women were getting sick and dying.  Solution?  Playing house with the locals.

There were plenty of massacres, no doubt, but there were also lots of babies.  With whitey.  I'll let wikipedia fill in the blanks, but this fundamental situation has a lot to do with the relationship between Mexico and the U.S.   We are very similar, and would undoubtedly be MORE similar had we taken a different path.  Insert your ridiculous reference to 'manifest destiny' here.

One thing that stood out immediately was the similarity to Europe.

The news has a global perspective.   People speak multiple languages.  There isn't a feeling of denial, that the rest of the world doesn't exist.  And now, manufacturing is popping up left and right.  Why?  Because Mexican laborers don't ask a lot of questions and they don't have a lot of alternatives, so the labor is pretty cheap.  Here's where I think it gets scary.

The Mexicans aren't buying what the Mexicans are producing. 

Why is that scary?  Because the United States is giving their industry away to make it cheaper for U.S. consumers.  Great.  But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to do the math.  If the U.S. consumer doesn't have a job, then it doesn't matter how cheap stuff is.  Right?  As always, peeps, we urge you to lift your head out of the sand and find the truth; no matter how inconvenient.   We're talking about GREED.

Nobody in Mexico is taking anything away from you.  'The Man' isn't taking anything away from you.  WE are pushing industry away with an unrelenting desire to get a great deal.  so we can afford to buy more than we need.

And you know what?  There is nothing wrong with that.  Not until we start pointing fingers, that is.  The U.S. provides opportunity because its citizens (for the most part) don't WANT to work for low wages.  Who does, right?  it doesn't get ugly until we start feeling 'entitled'.   Somebody has to do the work.  Might as well be someone uneducated and a little darker in color. 

Giving someone with no opportunity a 'job' for wages that are illegal in this country seems to be our solution.  Our 'compromise'.   It's a little sketchy, don't you think?  We made similar conditions against the law here, because if it were left to the consciences of business men, then humanity would take a back seat.

Just like it can in Mexico. 

But let's take a different perspective.  What if the supply of inexpensive goods isn't the problem?  What if it's the demand? 

Open your eyes, peeps.  If it's too good to be true, then chances are, it isn't.

PPF!
(peepee pals forever!)

Our good pal, JULIAN SMITH, really nailed it with this one!  Show some love. :)

GREAT FaceBook video!

Well Peeps, it's here.  Valentine's Day.

To some, it's a day to bask in the glory of love; to others it's a day to hide alone under a blanket.   Can a day on the calendar really be used to validate the success of your love life?  We think not.

We won't be so bold as to say that everyone has love in their life, but if you think that getting flowers and a box of candy is any measure of how real your relationship is, then think again. 

Valentine's Day gifts are TOKENS of affection.  Of all the ways to show genuine love, gifts are the easiest.  They don't require much effort.  They don't call for any sincerity.  They really shouldn't warrant bragging rights.

Sure, gifts are nice.  Who doesn't want to be acknowledged for their part in a successful relationship?  But sadly, this acknowledgment - like many other symbols in our society - has been confused with something that really matters.  We think there would be fewer divorces if people focused a little bit more on what the gifts are supposed to be celebrating rather than how much they cost, but that's just us.

Bottom line is that if you're sad today because nobody recognized you, don't be.  We feel you're far better off than those who receive a gift or a fancy dinner just because it's expected.

Love isn't free; it takes a ton of work.  But no matter how you look at it, a heart shaped box isn't a replacement for unconditional commitment.  And more than likely, that's not what it's representing anyway.

You all have a love right here that isn't going anywhere.  And doesn't send flowers!

PPF!
(peepee pals forever!)

Hello, Peeps, and welcome back!  We hope your holiday season was wonderful, and that things turned out exactly like you had hoped.  We understand that's probably not what happened, but there's always next year, right?  Or - we mean - THIS year. :)

For most, this is the first normal day in quite some time.  The hype is over.  The family is sated.  We probably got a decent night's sleep or two under our belts.  And for us, it's truly the most wonderful time of the year.  The time when we can honestly believe that THIS is our year.  2009 could very well be the year when it all happened, whatever it is that might happen.

2009 is a blank sheet of paper.

We LOVE that!  When you know what has happened or what will happen, you are a slave to it.  But when you have no idea what the day will bring, you are truly free.  Why?  Because if you KNOW what is going to happen, then that's the only thing that CAN happen.  But if each day is lived on its own merit, then every moment can be its own adventure, taking us to places we never dreamed we could experience.

No, this isn't meant to be an excuse to quit your job, sleep in, or stop cleaning the house.  Open your eyes, peeps.  Before you put the first words on the blank page of 2009, make sure you leave a little room between the lines.  Who knows what you might want to write there.

Feels good to be back.  PPF!
(Peepee Pals Forever!)

Hey Peeps!  You've been missed!

Not too much though, because you live in our hearts.  It's just that simple.  We'll be back in 2009 to continue spreading our message of bonding, but during these 'Deck the Halls' times, we only wish you the best, and hope that everyone will take the time to share a smile with someone they love.

Of course we all have different lives, with different means, but each and every one of us has the ability to give the most beautiful gift of all, a little piece of ourselves.  Be kind, peeps, and let someone know that they matter to you.  There isn't a gift in the world that will mean more than that.

Maybe not the day you give it, but it will catch up.  We promise.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS PEEPS!  PPF! (PeePee Pals Forever!)

Happy holidays, peeps!

While this isn't exactly headline news (any more), it's taken a few days to try to understand the atrocities of Thanksgiving week.  As can be expected, we still can't wrap our heads around it.

Mumbai, while unfortunate, is what it is.  Terrorism isn't a new thing.  It's become a daily thing, and we probably give no more thought to religious extremists than we do to bad weather.  At least while staying cozy and warm with our families here in the United States.

But how in the world does someone get trampled to death by fervent shoppers at Walmart?  Are you kidding me?  We could actually KILL someone on our quest to get the cute panda sweatshirt at a discount?

And then forget about it a few days later???  There should be a mandatory nationwide memorial service at the very least.  Evangelists should be on every street corner, forcing us to remember what happened; what we did.  Yes, peeps.  What WE did.

We may not have dealt the crushing blows, but this sort of thing doesn't happen without a lot of prep work.  What confounds us the most is that there was only one death.  How is it possible that not one other person threw their bodies over this victim?  Nobody realized what was going on and reacted without thinking, throwing themselves over this person in an effort to save their life?

Or are we really that afraid.  Afraid of the economy.  Afraid of not getting what we want.  Afraid of not being able to buy our children enough presents?

Apparently, this temporary Walmart employee wasn't trained in crowd control.  HUH?  You have to be trained in CROWD CONTROL to work a minimum wage job during a retail sale?  I suppose we could argue that Walmart has contributed to our greed by helping to make excess affordable for the masses.

We're not going there, though.  We're going to stick to good old-fashioned values, and hope that each and every one of us wakes up a little bit, and realizes that life is more important than anything we could ever buy, or ever suffer.  Fear is a great tool when you're looking for a little get-up-and-go when running from a grizzly bear.  It has no place in commerce. 

On June 6th, 2007, we decided to put up a MySpace profile with inspirational blogs, good will, and some funny videos.  Taking a look today, we see that we've received a total whopping 1000 kudos for our efforts.

We feel like rock stars, and you don't get to feel that every day.  So thank you!  We bow gracefully to your applause and will continue to do our best.

PPF!
(peepee pals forever!)

p.s.  This is what started EVERYTHING.  It still brings a smile to our face!


PeePee Pals