Like Jack Van Impe and his album in the last post, America in Prophecy, which was released around the same time as this LP, Cecil Todd is predicting doom and gloom for the USA. Unlike Van Impe, Cecil Todd does not mention anything about prophecy or hope in the end. The album's cover and back cover says that this was recorded at a patriotic rally. Cecil preached at this rally about America's possible downfall because like 19 other nations or empires that once were mighty, America will fall because of all of the decadence that is taking place. Alcoholism, gambling, wife swapping, prostitution, and other similar enjoyable activities are increasing. Cecil emphatically claims that no one cares that these activities are on the rise. Also, Cecil tries to tie these in with illegal activities which he claims are increasing too. It sounds like the things that are legal to a degree (drinking, gambling, wife swapping) should be classified as illegal in the same group as murder and robbery.
Interestingly on side 1, Cecil does not blame these things on atheists, communists, or secular socialists. He hardly mentions them on side 1. On side 2, Cecil does talk about atheists. He says that they were successful in taking religious indoctrination out of taxpayer-funded public schools. At one point, he goes into a rant because Madalyn Murray O'Hair (perhaps the most notable atheist ever) was not too happy that some astronaut read from the Bible while in outer space. He points out that those commie nations and in general foreign nations won't cause America to fall, the downfall of America is coming from within (which I do seriously agree that the downfall of America will come from within). He thinks some people "want to take God out of America" and is afraid they'll succeed. Cecil never explicitly makes the connection between atheists and those fun things like gambling, drinking, promiscuous sex, but it seems to be implied I suppose.
Because of those immoral activities and atheism, Cecil says that America will lose its freedoms. I'm not sure how American freedom would be preserved by not allowing people to do things that could be interpreted as immoral but still legal or things that preachers don't like people to do. Is that what happens in other countries that do not have freedom where people are not allowed to do certain things or participate in activities because the rulers or governments say so? I'm not exactly getting the impression that Cecil Todd really understands the principles that make America a nice place to live (compared to most other countries) then again he is another guy that thinks that the founding fathers say that America is a Christian only nation.
The end of the album has a performance of Gospel music by The Gospel Lads.
The first share on this blog was an album by Jack Van Impe. I thought it would be fitting if year #4 of the Basement starts out with something by Jack Van Impe.
On this album released probably in 1976 (notably America's bicentennial year), Jack tries to make the case that America was predicted as a political Babylon in the Bible although America is not explicitly mentioned (just as Hilton Sutton claimed that the Bible predicted important biblical events involving America). Back then, things were not so great. According to Jack, there was a rise in crimes, drug use, gambling, pornography and other immoral behavior and a decline in moral values. Naturally, the blame was placed on folks such as athiests, intellectuals, the public school system for no longer teaching religion including the Christian version of the creation story, those who create and implement sex education classes in schools, anyone who is pro-choice, anyone who accepts evolution as fact, homosexuals, and just about anyone else who doesn't agree with Jack's line of thought. Most of the time, Jack talks about how these people allegedly have contributed to America's decline. Then comes the part that America is supposed to be in decline after all because it's predicted in the Bible. That's what Jack says. The state of the world is awful, but instead of trying to come up with ways to make the world a better place, all one has to do is wait for the Rapture. It could happen any moment now where a lot of people will be magically transported from this world full of problems to Heaven. I guess it was already supposed to happen in the 1970s if Jack's sermon is any indication. It's 2011, 35 years later, things are still not so great and still no Rapture. But it still could occur, right. I guess we have to be patient. When the Rapture does take place, that is when the Antichrist will start to take over America and the rest of the world and rule with an iron fist for seven years. Then Christ is supposed to come back by defeating the Antichrist and his evil forces. Afterwards, the world that we know will become a blissful wonderful place free of problems such as robberies, gambling, drug use, sex education classes, etc. and likely free of those intellectuals, secular socialists, Darwinists (i.e. those who accept evolution), homos, and other undesirables. So does anyone who was raptured get to come back to Earth when Christ returns? America sounds like a depressing place to be when one listens to Jack's sermon. It sounds worse than it actually was (or is). Yet, Jack tries to be reassuring that if you're a good person, you won't have to be around when shit gets worse. Thanks Jack for another moment of terror and comfort at the same time.
Come in. We're still having our birthday/anniversary party here in the Basement. There's a little cake and ice cream left. It's all chocolate, of course.
While I've been celebrating, I've been watching some inspirational video clips of a rich gentleman named Tom Vu. As you have seen from the video clip in the previous post, Tom wants to help people make money by conducting seminars explaining how he was able to make his millions and people can use his techniques to make millions too. He put out an infomercial back in the late 1980s advertising his services while displaying some of his possessions. Tom may have asked some of his female friends (which is quite notable that they conform to society's standards of beauty enabling them to have confidence for them to wear only bikinis) to help out on his infomercial just by hanging around with him. (Most likely, what really happened is that he paid them handsomely).
Tom Vu apparently made a killing in real estate investments especially from bankruptcies and foreclosures. He was able to buy yachts, cars, mansions, "waterfalls", polo shirts, etc. According to his infomercial, Tom used to be poor where he grew up with 9 siblings. Tom held low-status, low-paying jobs including one where he worked at a country club which he tells about in the video clip below. Then Tom ended up where he was because he is such a hard worker. I believe that Tom retired from real estate investing and is now a professional poker player. I also heard rumors that he's still doing real estate investments particularly with condos in Las Vegas.
The video clip below this paragraph is just Tom all by his lonesome. No young women in bikinis are present. It's just Tom by one of his luxury cars and in front of his "waterfall" installed in his front yard. Tom explains how he was determined to be successful. As mentioned already, Tom asked some old rich guy how he got rich and how Tom too can become rich. The old rich guy told Tom three words that is the secret to success. Of course, Tom does not tell what are those three words. Instead, Tom says that he will only tell those three words at one of his seminars. Tom goes on to say that his friends and strangers thought he was crazy for trying to be successful, to be rich. Those people who doubted Tom are losers while Tom is a winner. It seems he got some new friends when he became successfully rich.
The second video clip below this paragraph is more of Tom's infomercial. This time his friends, the women in bikinis, are in full display. Tom tries to inspire the viewers with his success stories and advertises his seminars. Tom says his course is not the same as everybody else's. If he brought along his friends in bikinis to his seminars, then he would be definitely be right. (I wonder if he actually did just that.)
I also have these clips and a few others available for the taking if anyone wants to watch these on their mp3/video players or not have to be connected online.
There will be the usual oddball LPs, tapes, and maybe CDs and Internet finds forthcoming. There's some "good" stuff in the pipeline. Also, sometime in the next few months, I may upload some videos myself from my collection rather than just posting other peoples' video uploads that are on YouTube. BTW, thanks to the folks who originally posted these video clips.
Tracklisting:(link will be back soon)
1. tom vu [waterfall clip in this post] {2:20}
2. Tom Vu commercial {4:51}
3. Tom Vu and his babes [clip from previous post] {1:39}
4. Tom Vu - another clip (with music) [also in this post] {3:20}
I was hoping to gain fame and fortune as well as meeting a lot of hot chicks doing this blog. My pockets have not gotten fatter and I certainly am not famous (as I didn't think those things would happen anyway), but the big disappointment is that I have not met any hot chicks during my 3 years doing this blog. I have not even met any chicks who claims she is a hot chick but is really the opposite of hot. I don't get it. I'm charming and amazingly handsome and I have a blog plus I have a car that works. I would think that would be all I need. I am wrong. Perhaps I need to be like the guy in the video clip above this paragraph. He sure has a lot of babes hanging around with him. He seems to be charming and handsome. Interestingly, he also is wealthy which I guess he's generous enough to conduct seminars to teach people how to make boatloads of money like he has done.
However in all seriousness, I did meet quite a number of nice, interesting, funny, smart, and probably good-looking people during my 3 years running A Basement of Curiosities. First, I would like to thank all of the wonderful folks who kindly gave "love donations" to me for this blog during this blog's existence. (Yeah, I'm calling them "love donations". That's what Paul Crouch and his TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) station calls them so that must be okay.) I enjoy sending out "love gifts" to people over the webs (that's what Paul Crouch and TBN calls them too). The love gifts will keep coming and hopefully a few more love donations will come my way. That way, the love donations usually become love gifts to you all.
I would like to also thank all of the visitors to the blog. Without you all, this endeavor is just something to amuse myself with which is only fun for a short period of time. Of course, I do hope that this blog is inspirational and educational to you too.;)
If I haven't already said it, happy new year to all of you and may your wishes come true in 2011. (Hopefully they will, cause the world's ending next year, right.)
A Basement of Curiosities is intended as a resource for the purposes of education, research and entertainment. The materials presented on this blog are usually difficult to find elsewhere and/or is likely not readily available elsewhere. Some of the text in A Basement of Curiosities is somewhat satirical or tongue-in-cheek and also tends to be sarcastic.
