Yes, it's true.
You didn't read that title incorrectly.
If you're a fan of Satanism Today, odds are that I hate you. In fact, unless we are friends, or have had some sort of interaction outside of the spectrum of my radio show, you can be assured of it.
In fact, I hate you so much, that I stopped doing the show for almost 2 years.
The reason for this is simple. When you do a live radio show, you expect some sort of interaction with the live audience. Otherwise there's no point in doing a live show. I could pre-tape a show every week, and have be perfect. But there's no fun in that, no spontaneity, no thrill... no magic. Those of you that have been bitten by the radio bug no what I mean by this.
Good talk radio... REALLY good talk radio, is two-thirds host, one-third audience. Listen to the great broadcasters across the dial and on satellite: Howard Stern, Sean Hannity, Randi Rhodes, Opie & Anthony, Tom Leykis, Mike Gallagher, Bob Grant, Art Bell, etc. They have great audience participation. Most of them wouldn't sound half as good as they do without callers calling in, asking questions, making comments, and starting arguments.
I get none of this from any of you.
Maybe it's the laziness of the internet generation who can't be bothered to pick up a phone and push ten whole buttons in order to interact with a radio show. Perhaps it's the sense of entitlement of the current generation who just simply wants to be spoonfed your ideology, and not actually have to think for themselves. Maybe it's the pussification and feminization of the current generation whose too afraid to call in to a radio show for fear of sounding like a moron, and they don't want to get their feelings hurt by someone who is more adept at thinking on their feet.
Whatever the case may be, I can honestly say that after returning to the internet airwaves for a lousy three weeks, I'm already sick of doing the show. Most of you don't deserve to hear it.
Maybe it's me. Maybe I expect too much from people. I suppose that in this day of On-Demand programming, instant gratification, and the "give it to me now" attitudes of most people in search of entertainment, the idea of sharing your thoughts with a radio show, even an internet one, must seem a little hokey and old-fashioned. And if that's the case, then Satanism Today will probably return to the drawer from whence I brought it out, only this time, never to be heard again. I have no use for straight podcasting. It's fucking boring.
This machine does not run properly without the essential cog: an interactive audience. I pay for a studio phone line for a reason. The number to that phone line is 631-769-1618. Those of you that are interested in keeping Satanism Today going would be well served to learn that phone number, and to call it at some point on Thursday nights between the hours of 9pm and 10pm eastern time, provided that you have something to contribute, whether it be a question, a comment, or a point of contention. If you have nothing worthwhile to say on a particular day, that's fine. I just find it too hard to believe that my whole audience is so fucking inept and retarded that none of you have anything to say. I find it hard to believe that each and every one of you out there that listens live agrees with absolutely everything that I say, so much so that you nothing to add or argue. If that's the case, then the show is just redundant, and there's no point to it.
In his essay, "Let Me Entertain You," Anton LaVey wrote:
"The key is boredom. Most people welcome a challenge. Some will even thrive on insults. There are those who find it stimulating simply soaking up another's presence without a word being spoken. But no one likes boredom.
"...How many times have you been trapped into talking about Satanism to someone totally uninteresting to you, while the same gathering boasts someone not only receptive but stimulating. Clearly, it is you who is bored and your irresponsible listener who is entertained."
Satanism Today, in its weekly format, disapeared for two years because the lack of audience participation made it boring for me to do. After being back for three weeks, its at risk of disapearing again, because once again my audience takes, but bores me by not giving back. It just further solidifies for me the reasons that Anton LaVey, towards the end of his life, disapeared from the public view: because the public (or in my case, the audience) is boring.
If you're reading this, and you don't like what I've had to say about you here, then you either need to stop listening to the show, or you, my "irresponsible listener," need to make me want to do it. Satanism Today can be an entertaining radio show, a forum for your thoughts, a soapbox for your ideas, a promotional tool for your business, and much more. But I can only do so much to make it that way. The rest is up to you folks. If it's not fun for me, it can't be fun for you.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
1st Phase Satanism: Just Say No!
Anyone that has followed my radio show, as well as my writings, knows that a common theme in a lot of what I comment on is something that has commonly been referred to as "1st Phase Satanism." For those that are unfamiliar with this term, let me provide a definition.
Many Satanists, particularly young ones, when they first discover that they have been living a Satanic life and have finally come to know themselves as Satanists, want to shout their new found discovery from the rooftops. All they want to do is talk Satanism, debate Satanism with Christians, Wiccans, Muslims, and anyone who will hear them sing the praises of their lifestyle, now that they have a name for it. They will argue Satanism until they are blue in the face, and no one can tell them that they're wrong. This activity, for the most part, is completely counter-productive, and is as useless as trying to convince me that Al Sharpton serves some useful purpose in society. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Wiccans, et al, do not care about the fact that you're a Satanist anymore than you care about their religion, and your efforts to "convert" them to our way of life are not only futile, they are completely against the bedrock of Satanic philosophy. We do not proselytize. The literature is out there for anyone to read. People find the Church of Satan on their own, and those that do tend to be people of a much higher quality than those who might be converted by your debate skills. Quality over quantity has always been something that the Church of Satan has subscribed to.
Part of the reason that I speak out so vehemently against this behavior is because I used to engage in this behavior when I first discovered that I was a Satanist. Yes, it's true... My name is David, and I am a recovering 1st-phase Satanist. If I remember correctly, I first discovered The Satanic Bible when I was 20, and joined the Church of Satan when I was 21 or 22. And as a young Satanist, full of piss and vinegar, I would debate the fundamentals of Satanism and the inhumanities of Christianity with anyone who even looked at me cross-eyed. And I soon realized that I was accomplishing absolutely nothing in the process, except fulfilling my own selfish need to argue about something (which is one of the many things that led me into talk radio.) After many months of spinning my wheels and failing to get anywhere with my debates, I came to the realization that my time would be better served by living Satanism, instead of talking about it. So, when I attack people for engaging in this kind of behavior, it's only because I know that those people are wasting their time, and although I'm no altruist, if I can prevent someone from wasting their time debating Satanism with a retard, then I feel as though I might have helped that person just a little bit.
Even now, as the sun sets on my 20s, I, like any recovering addict, still get a twinge every now and again to go after an easy target with a little Satanic debate. In fact, it was just such an incident that sparked this writing. My wife and I recently attended a local street fair in one of the many quaint villages that you find around Long Island. As we enjoyed the crappy carnival food, the bad cover band, and the vendors shilling out awful merchandise, we were approached by a dough-eyed young lad, who was probably around 18 years old or so. He wore a white-collared button down shirt with a black tie, and black slacks. He was gaunt-thin, and with the addition of a black sports coat, black fedora, and sunglasses, would have been the spitting image of Dan Ackroyd as Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers. Most annoying of all, however, was his smile. Even now, as I write this, I can still see that smile in my mind's eye. It was that smile of youthful exuberance. And when I looked down at the pamphlet that the boy was trying to hand me, I knew why he was smiling.
"God's last name is not 'Dammit'!" read the pamphlet's header.
I knew at that moment that the boy's smile meant that he was one of the recently converted, and with his new-found faith, he and the good lord were going to take on the world. And he wore that smarmy grin with such pride. And all anyone who saw this boy (not just me, as I saw the effect that his "glee" had on the other passers-by) wanted to do was smash this boy in his stupid face with the sledgehammer of reality.
Then, he spoke to me.
"Do you have a few minutes to take a survey?" he asked.
It was like asking a reformed cocaine addict if he felt comfortable doing a line after being sober for a decade. Every muscle in my body tensed up as I recalled the overwhelming joy I used to feel arguing with Christians over their philosophy, and how it has forced man to deny his nature for over 2000 years. I remembered the horrified looks upon their faces when they realized that for the first time, they were actually encountering a real-life Satanist, who not only knew Satanic philosophy, but who knew their bible better than they did. I recalled one instance in college when I debated the head of the student Christian organization live on the air on my college radio station... and she left the studio crying when I mocked her brother after she admitted that he had found God while on LSD. I remembered it all... and it all felt so good.
Then, I looked up at my wife, who was patiently waiting for me. And I remembered why I was there in the first place... to have a good time. And, I also remembered something else. Here these "good Christian soldiers" stood, at the gateway to a small recreation of Babylon, complete with alcoholic spirits, charlatans, and sin. they stood in the doorway, trying to provide salvation to anyone that tried to pass. And I knew that in the back of their minds, anyone that they didn't get to talk to was lost, and that hurt them... badly. That was a soul that they were unable to save. That was a part of their mission that they failed at.
So, I looked the boy in the eye; his face still grinning that awful grin.
"No, thanks." I replied to him, and walked into Babylon smiling, happily condemning myself in his eyes. And without even looking, I knew that I had wiped that stupid smile off of his face.
So, the next time that you encounter someone that wants to debate philosophy with you, for no other reason than to do it, remember the words of Nancy Reagan... "Just Say No!"
Many Satanists, particularly young ones, when they first discover that they have been living a Satanic life and have finally come to know themselves as Satanists, want to shout their new found discovery from the rooftops. All they want to do is talk Satanism, debate Satanism with Christians, Wiccans, Muslims, and anyone who will hear them sing the praises of their lifestyle, now that they have a name for it. They will argue Satanism until they are blue in the face, and no one can tell them that they're wrong. This activity, for the most part, is completely counter-productive, and is as useless as trying to convince me that Al Sharpton serves some useful purpose in society. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Wiccans, et al, do not care about the fact that you're a Satanist anymore than you care about their religion, and your efforts to "convert" them to our way of life are not only futile, they are completely against the bedrock of Satanic philosophy. We do not proselytize. The literature is out there for anyone to read. People find the Church of Satan on their own, and those that do tend to be people of a much higher quality than those who might be converted by your debate skills. Quality over quantity has always been something that the Church of Satan has subscribed to.
Part of the reason that I speak out so vehemently against this behavior is because I used to engage in this behavior when I first discovered that I was a Satanist. Yes, it's true... My name is David, and I am a recovering 1st-phase Satanist. If I remember correctly, I first discovered The Satanic Bible when I was 20, and joined the Church of Satan when I was 21 or 22. And as a young Satanist, full of piss and vinegar, I would debate the fundamentals of Satanism and the inhumanities of Christianity with anyone who even looked at me cross-eyed. And I soon realized that I was accomplishing absolutely nothing in the process, except fulfilling my own selfish need to argue about something (which is one of the many things that led me into talk radio.) After many months of spinning my wheels and failing to get anywhere with my debates, I came to the realization that my time would be better served by living Satanism, instead of talking about it. So, when I attack people for engaging in this kind of behavior, it's only because I know that those people are wasting their time, and although I'm no altruist, if I can prevent someone from wasting their time debating Satanism with a retard, then I feel as though I might have helped that person just a little bit.
Even now, as the sun sets on my 20s, I, like any recovering addict, still get a twinge every now and again to go after an easy target with a little Satanic debate. In fact, it was just such an incident that sparked this writing. My wife and I recently attended a local street fair in one of the many quaint villages that you find around Long Island. As we enjoyed the crappy carnival food, the bad cover band, and the vendors shilling out awful merchandise, we were approached by a dough-eyed young lad, who was probably around 18 years old or so. He wore a white-collared button down shirt with a black tie, and black slacks. He was gaunt-thin, and with the addition of a black sports coat, black fedora, and sunglasses, would have been the spitting image of Dan Ackroyd as Elwood Blues from The Blues Brothers. Most annoying of all, however, was his smile. Even now, as I write this, I can still see that smile in my mind's eye. It was that smile of youthful exuberance. And when I looked down at the pamphlet that the boy was trying to hand me, I knew why he was smiling.
"God's last name is not 'Dammit'!" read the pamphlet's header.
I knew at that moment that the boy's smile meant that he was one of the recently converted, and with his new-found faith, he and the good lord were going to take on the world. And he wore that smarmy grin with such pride. And all anyone who saw this boy (not just me, as I saw the effect that his "glee" had on the other passers-by) wanted to do was smash this boy in his stupid face with the sledgehammer of reality.
Then, he spoke to me.
"Do you have a few minutes to take a survey?" he asked.
It was like asking a reformed cocaine addict if he felt comfortable doing a line after being sober for a decade. Every muscle in my body tensed up as I recalled the overwhelming joy I used to feel arguing with Christians over their philosophy, and how it has forced man to deny his nature for over 2000 years. I remembered the horrified looks upon their faces when they realized that for the first time, they were actually encountering a real-life Satanist, who not only knew Satanic philosophy, but who knew their bible better than they did. I recalled one instance in college when I debated the head of the student Christian organization live on the air on my college radio station... and she left the studio crying when I mocked her brother after she admitted that he had found God while on LSD. I remembered it all... and it all felt so good.
Then, I looked up at my wife, who was patiently waiting for me. And I remembered why I was there in the first place... to have a good time. And, I also remembered something else. Here these "good Christian soldiers" stood, at the gateway to a small recreation of Babylon, complete with alcoholic spirits, charlatans, and sin. they stood in the doorway, trying to provide salvation to anyone that tried to pass. And I knew that in the back of their minds, anyone that they didn't get to talk to was lost, and that hurt them... badly. That was a soul that they were unable to save. That was a part of their mission that they failed at.
So, I looked the boy in the eye; his face still grinning that awful grin.
"No, thanks." I replied to him, and walked into Babylon smiling, happily condemning myself in his eyes. And without even looking, I knew that I had wiped that stupid smile off of his face.
So, the next time that you encounter someone that wants to debate philosophy with you, for no other reason than to do it, remember the words of Nancy Reagan... "Just Say No!"
Friday, August 3, 2007
The Patriot Act: A Response to my friend Magister Sass
A few days ago, my friend, Magister James D. Sass, asked a general question to those who read his bulletins and blogs about the Patriot Act, and how it's impacted their civil liberties. Below is my response to that question:
For those that know my actual profession, you know that The Patriot Act directly impacts my life everyday...
It gives me job security... heh heh.
I admit, that in the midst of all of the hoopla of the Patriot Act, I jumped on the ol' "civil rights infringement" bandwagon with little more knowledge than those who got their news from "The Daily Show" would've had. This was a grievous error on my part... but I chalk it up to some residual youthful exuberance that I have since shaken.
After following discussions generated by your question, and reviewing some of the information provided by those discussions, it does seem to appear that the Patriot Act, by itself as it's written, poses no threat to the civil liberties of Americans... yet.
The reoccurring theme throughout the Patriot Act is "terrorism." Reading the verbiage of the act itself, as well as objectives summaries of it, show that all of the so-called "civil rights violations" that everyone complains about can only occur if the person allegedly having their rights violated is currently engaging in terrorist activity.
But... what is terrorist activity?
From Wikipedia:
This is a pretty clear and concise definition, and in this country, at the present moment, we can all rest easy knowing that "terrorism" is not a subjective term.
But we all know that laws are written and re-written. Legal definitions can and have changed. And the mood of a country's people and its leaders changes more often than most people change their underwear. There's nothing to say that the legal, "objective" definition of "terrorism" can change at any time. And with the addition and subtraction of a few words from that legal definition of terrorism, the Patriot Act changes from this relatively harmless piece of legislation, to a tool of a fascist state.
Is this likely to happen... no.
But the fact that it could makes the Patriot Act something to keep an eye on.
For those that know my actual profession, you know that The Patriot Act directly impacts my life everyday...
It gives me job security... heh heh.
I admit, that in the midst of all of the hoopla of the Patriot Act, I jumped on the ol' "civil rights infringement" bandwagon with little more knowledge than those who got their news from "The Daily Show" would've had. This was a grievous error on my part... but I chalk it up to some residual youthful exuberance that I have since shaken.
After following discussions generated by your question, and reviewing some of the information provided by those discussions, it does seem to appear that the Patriot Act, by itself as it's written, poses no threat to the civil liberties of Americans... yet.
The reoccurring theme throughout the Patriot Act is "terrorism." Reading the verbiage of the act itself, as well as objectives summaries of it, show that all of the so-called "civil rights violations" that everyone complains about can only occur if the person allegedly having their rights violated is currently engaging in terrorist activity.
But... what is terrorist activity?
From Wikipedia:
The United States has defined terrorism under the Federal Criminal Code. Chapter 113B of Part I of Title 18 of the United States Code defines terrorism and lists the crimes associated with terrorism[9]. In Section 2331 of Chapter 113b, terrorism is defined as:
…activities that involve violent… or life-threatening acts… that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and… appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and… (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States… [or]… (C) occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States…"
…activities that involve violent… or life-threatening acts… that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and… appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and… (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States… [or]… (C) occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States…"
This is a pretty clear and concise definition, and in this country, at the present moment, we can all rest easy knowing that "terrorism" is not a subjective term.
But we all know that laws are written and re-written. Legal definitions can and have changed. And the mood of a country's people and its leaders changes more often than most people change their underwear. There's nothing to say that the legal, "objective" definition of "terrorism" can change at any time. And with the addition and subtraction of a few words from that legal definition of terrorism, the Patriot Act changes from this relatively harmless piece of legislation, to a tool of a fascist state.
Is this likely to happen... no.
But the fact that it could makes the Patriot Act something to keep an eye on.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Best video ever!
Black market rocket launcher: $10,000
video camera: $499
Blowing yourself and your buddy off of the planet: priceless!
video camera: $499
Blowing yourself and your buddy off of the planet: priceless!
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