For Christopher Johnson

Now is the Time to Dance

Friday Morning Palate Cleanser

The original is by Sufjan Stevens. He is well worth checking out if you've never heard of him.

Guilt

Top Ten Reasons to be an Episcopalian

10. No snake handling.
9. You can believe in dinosaurs.
8. Male and female God created them; male and female we ordain them.
7. You don’t have to check your brains at the door.
6. Pew aerobics.
5. Church year is color-coded.
4. Free wine on Sunday.
3. All of the pageantry—none of the guilt.
2. You don’t have to know how to swim to get baptized.
And the Number One Reason to be an Episcopalian:
1. No matter what you believe, there’s bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.

Many people have seen the list. Many, including myself, have laughed at it. But when I was re-reading #3, something struck me. If the Episcopal Church is guilt-free, then it must be missing something else as well. As my readers know, I've been pondering Martha Stout's book for quite a while.

All mature humans are riddled with guilt. If you do not feel the heavy load of guilt from time to time, then you have what is known as sociopathy. Only sociopaths are truly guilt free. Being guilt free often sounds lovely to me, but there is a very high cost paid for that freedom. Sociopaths can not love. They can feel love for others or feel that they are being loved. They have an inability to stay on mission and tend to flit from one activity to another, mostly because of tedium and boredom. For humans, we can not be freed from guilt without being freed from love. For most of us, that is a bargain we gladly accept.

Institutionally though, if being an Episcopalian means being freed from guilt, doesn't that disconnect us from love as well? And doesn't being a guiltless church mean it is also loveless?

I know many good Episcopalians. I'm related to quite a few. But a Church with a guilt-free mindset is a Church in trouble. More on that to follow.

Hey, Whatever Works

Researchers have found that sex ed delays teenagers from having sex. It seems to be irrelevant what sort of sex education it is, as well.

Everyone else may be baffled by this, but I know why. When I was a teen, I found everything taught to me in school to be dull and tedious. For example, I loathed Jane Austin for years as she was required reading in the ninth grade. If you teach teens about sex, they will believe it to be dull and tedious.

Maybe we ought to teach them about drugs as well. Require instruction in Heroin and I can practically guarantee no one will ever become a junkie.

Not Really Much of a Shock

Let's Get Political, Political! I Wanna Get Political

Or maybe not. I was mulling over my primary choices. As an independent I'm basically free in my state to vote in either primary. Then something occurred to me. I don't like Ron Paul. Shocking but true, I know. Please allow me to explain. I don't like his name. He has two first names. In my line of work, people who have two first names and no proper last name are troublesome.

Second and most importantly he either sounds like a purveyor of coconut clad chocolates, which I can't have because I'm diabetic, or he sounds like a second rate porn star.

I don't know where my readers stand, but I refuse to support a man who makes obscene candies. Even if they do have coconut. Besides his candies would be little and sweaty and that's just plain gross.

I firmly believe that Presidential candidates should come fully equipped with proper last names and share any foods they may make.

For those who don't remember the seventies, the title of this article refers to this song.

Side note: Given that Hillary and Bill didn't inhale, would it really be safe to accept brownies from Senator Clinton?

Today the Third Grade, Tomorrow the World

You know, this explains a great deal about just what exactly that toy line is about.

Phrase of the Day

Oh, they're going with the pixie dust theory. Read the whole thing. Economics snark truly is the best kind of snark there is.

More Holiday Cheer!

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

Merry Tossmas!

For the Spanish speakers, Feliz Navitoss

Finally a holiday I can celebrate with a clear conscience and joy in my heart!


Hat tip Dean Munday.

I wish it really were a movie

Heck, I wish George Martin would hurry up and finish it.

The Woes of Mortgages

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

In Honor of 'Return of the King'

This is just too cool

The world's smallest Advent calendar.

My New Fave Christmas Carol