Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 194 - 12-22-12 - A Christmas Story

We all have them: Christmas songs we HATE. On this episode, Craig breaks down the Top Seven Worst Christmas songs and the He-Man Movie Watchers Club discusses A Christmas Story.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 193 - 12-15-12 - Honoring Connecticut

So soon after the tragedy in Connecticut, I couldn't do a normal show. So this episode is a short tribute to those who lost so much in Newtown on Friday morning and a moment to reflect.

Love > Evil - My response to the Connecticut shooting

We are all asking “Why?” 

Forget that, we are all looking to the heavens and pleading “Why? GOD WHY!?!?” through our tears. 

The answer sucks. The answer is that there is no reason. In a time when we have been trained through our entertainment that everything must have a reason and must be wrapped up neatly, we are faced with the concept of slaughtered Kindergartners and even the most stoic among us are rattled. 

Evil doesn't bother with the reason. Evil lashes out with violence, rage, and fear. Evil doesn't care why. Evil is Evil. It’s power comes from its incomprehensibility. Today, I am profoundly sad. I have stopped looking for answers to each senseless tragedy, because you can’t make sense of the senseless, all you can do is be sad with others, hug those you love, and know that Evil will always be Evil, but that’s not the end of the story.

Today is a day to cry. Today is a day to not try and figure out. Today is a day to feel without limits, to not suppress, to bawl your eyes out in your cubicle if you need to. I needed to. I did. 

We have options after today. We can succumb to the evil. We can give up hope and resign ourselves to the fact that the world is irredeemable and these awful things are going to keep happening and there isn’t a thing we can do about it. Or, we can realize that the ways we fight evil isn’t by using tragedy to advance our particular political position, we can’t legislate away evil any more than we can know the next place it will strike. 

We fight evil with love. 

We must. It’s our greatest weapon. Really, it’s our only weapon. We seek out those who have been hurt and love them so that the hurt they feel doesn't get submerged inside of them and morph into more evil. We remember that we are a small part of this world, but our small part can still love other small parts. The effect is small until it’s everyone. Love grows, love heals, love destroys the evil inside others before it grows into a monster that kills. 

There is nothing that can change what happened today, but today isn't the end of the story. We must use our weapons to treat each other better, to look deeper and care more for others, even when it’s inconvenient, because even small doses of love can help. 

We must hurt, because God help us if we ever get to the point that we can take what happened today in stride. You shouldn't be able to, and the fact that you’re shaken up is a good thing. You should be shaken up. Tonight, we mourn the senseless. Tonight we band together to help those that hurt. Tonight we love, because it is the only way we can fight, and we have to fight. 

These are dark times we live in. However, I refuse to believe that all is darkness. 

Love is greater than evil, and it always will be.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 192 - 12-08-12 - North Korea discovers Unicorns.

Ed dropped by to say hello and to break word that he is planning on creating his own website. Allegedly, he will be debuting TheEdFromVegas.com soon, although he hasn't registered the site as of showtime. It sounds like a glorious feat of technology featuring real time downloads of LCS Network shows, actual photos, and the ability to order McDonalds for delivery.

After Ed left suddenly, Face and DOTfan dropped in to help with a new "Something to Think About" which allowed us to reminisce about lining up by height, wonder exactly how tight Peyton Manning keeps his helmet, and a pitch for the greatest Mountain Dew Code Red commercial of all time. (Which didn't recieve the love it was due.)

The show wrapped with a music recommendation of "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 191 - 12-03-23

The Walking Dead just had their Mid-Season Finale, the Broncos just clinched the AFC West, and the Eagles are watching what appears to be the final days of the Reid Empire. Craig gets together with John Kline to talk about it. Then the show wraps up with a music recommendation that is actually an Australian Public Service Announcement..."Dumb Ways to Die" by Tangerine Kitty.

Someone is clever...

Stupid Sexy Flanders.

Vertically Striped Radio - Episode 190 - 12-01-12 - Feeling Superior and Toilet Paper Guilt

Despite a sad and taxing week, Vertically Striped Radio came out strong this week with people feeling guilty about stolen toilet paper, a man suing a Chinese woman because she used to be ugly, and a sudden outbreak of Lotto fever across America has Craig feeling uppity.

Face and Craig discuss the horrific Javon Belcher Murder-Suicide in Kansas City that morning, John Kline joins the show for obligatory Walking Dead discussion, and The Whale joins in as we discuss the Magnificent Seven things people do that make us feel superior. (Even though we're not.)

This week's fun show then wraps up with a recommendation from Dear and the Headlights of "I'm not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?"