The Donut of Den Isle

Den Isle sat there, in his faded black t-shirt, with the large red painted "V" upon it, trying to slowly consume the most stale cake donut in the midwest.

Shelves of fresh, sweet-fragrant ones were lit up just at his left, but he told the waitress he wanted this one, which he spotted under a bench across the room. It had probably rolled there a couple of years ago. He spun himself back and forth on his stool, staring at the counter in deep consternation.

"Hey there fella. Don't hurt yourself on that donut," offered Vera. "You sure you don't want something else?"

"Oh, thanks, but....this is good....I think....." Den kept nodding self-convincingly as he sawed loose some more crumbs, like a beaver who had mistaken an old hunk of concrete patio brick for a pine log. "Maybe. Maybe its good. Mmm. I hope its good. I hope its still good."

"Oh," noted Vera in concern, as she stepped backwards with the hot coffee. "Well, would you like some coffee? 'Just brewed it. Nothing like a.....donut with coffee."

"Ah. Coffee", repeated Den, still off in his thought, though raising his eyebrow like Spock. The patron on the stool next to him, who had been there several hours, hung over upon his mug, up and left. "Thank you Vera", Den responded, not-quite-consciously, slowly grasping the stranger's cup with his right hand; then slurping its cool, dark liquid contents. "Hmm. Good....I think..."

"Well, hey - what's up? You don't have to have that stuff you know. It could make you sick. Besides - its not as though you're starving. I mean, that's your car over there, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. I got a great deal on it - bought it used. An elderly lady only drove it three times."

"Huh", exhaled Vera, as she surmised the odd, almost dent-like curves along the shiny vehicle's front and sides. She wondered at the person before her; who had sunk back into gazing through the counter slab.

"You ever hear of U2?" drew up Den, out of the blue.

"Well....duh", laughed Vera, faking bafflement, as her hand gestured "And here they are again" to the air, as the radio played yet another of that band's songs. "No - you can hardly get away from them. They're here, there, and everywhere."

Den twitched his head in alert. "No - that's the Beatles."

"I mean", explained Vera, "I hear them everywhere I go, morning and night, popping right into the background of just about any activity." She sighed.

"Well", added Den. I've been pondering. There are these "U2-Yahweh" videos that are pretty popular on the web. They're full of bad symbols, including a, well, a, um, very pagan one - very popular in Baal worship, I guess. Now, these guys - this band - also repeatedly performed "Yahweh" in front of millions of people USING MANY OF THE SAME IMAGES FROM THIS VIDEO. They didn't perform 'Yahweh' for the last 11 shows of the tour though....Well, it came up in 'conversation'.....so I asked - anyone - if they knew if this video was "official" - you know - if U2 approved of it."

Vera had moved her hand to her hip, and was now staring, feeling a bit impatient, at the man looking at her with questioning puppy-dog eyes beyond the rim of "his" cold de-caf, which he proceeded to slowly, audibly slurp.

"Sir", whispered Vera, working to control exasperation as her pointer-finger began hitting the counter to emphasize key word-thoughts, "Didn't you just SAY (pointer finger) that THIS BAND (pointer finger) PERFORMED the song 'Yahweh' (pointer finger) IN FRONT OF images (p.f.) that were THE SAME (p.f.) as those in that video (p.f.) , repeatedly (p.f.) ; plus (p.f.), this video is well-known (p.f.); and yet you can't figure out if "U2 approves" of that video - whether they bear responsibility for it continuing to be air-ed???" Vera threw her hands up in the air. "How long has it been shown as a music video on the web?"

"Over a year", shrugged Den, then shaking his head in a bit of let-down.

"Has U2 'announced' anything about it, 'taking it back', insisting that it be 're-called', as a spiritually dangerous and faulty or counterfeit product?"

"No", said Den, as he faced what he didn't want to believe was a problem. I guess they haven't. Of course they would know about it too - how could they not?"
Den put his head in his hands and looked as though he was even going to start to cry.

"I think I know how you feel", emphasized Vera, shaking her head worriedly. "I hope things change, and fast, too - for Yahweh's namesake, and for so many people. Here, buddy - some fresh hot coffee and a new donut, without trans-fatty acids even."

He came back to a smile as she poured him some steaming good joe.

And, as the pastry plate was clonked onto the counter; Vera eager-heartedly pulled her copy of "Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand" out from underneath. She knew it was the best kind of help she could offer.