The Counter Punch Kid: Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was by all accounts a prickly and intransigent bastard. But as a revolutionary, radical, inventor, intellectual and one of the most important characters in the history of the United States, Tom Paine killed.

Common Sense jump started and fueled the shaky American Revolution, his Rights of Man cemented the notion that democratic political ideals were worth fighting for and the Age of Reason's call to arms against organized religion planted the enlightened seed of deism in generations of free-thinkers. As you see, by all accounts, he was also a bad ass.

Paine died in New York City 200 years ago today and remains to my mind a neglected hero. He was not into people telling him what to do, neither governments nor churchmen nor slave owners. He endlessly harangued contemporaries to end unquestioning adherence to feudal gentry and monarchical bullshit. In turn, they threatened to hang him. Though he was bounced from country to country and burned in effigy by his enemies, the little guy remained a shit stirrer on a mission till the end. Tom Paine, not John McCain, was the inventor of straight talk. So pour a libation to a fallen hero and spend the day stirring pots and smiting fascists in his honor. I assure you I will.

All Aboard for Atonement

Jewish Traditions are old school and that makes them pretty cool. Far out names and wild scenarios are dreamier historical precedents than anything Pitchfork or Politico can clue me to. As the suns set this evening, you better get on the right path because the book on you is closing for the year. No rewrites. No last minute addendum.

Yom Kippur is observed eight days after Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year). It is believed that on Rosh Hashana God inscribes all of our names in the "books", and on Yom Kippur the judgment entered in these books is sealed. The days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe. Yom Kippur is, essentially, our last chance to demonstrate repentance and change God's judgment. On Yom Kippur, our fate for the coming year is sealed.

I am not Jewish, more of a Tom Paine deist cuz I don't dig dogma. I do however dig stories and a day of reflection seems like a solid idea without bugging anyone else. So why don't you all sit down a bit and reflect amongst yourselves. I am sure you can remember a few sins for which you need atoning. Might as well seal fate with a kiss of your own.