Sermon of the Week

"Nobody's perfect, but God thinks your(sic) to die for."

Really?! *sigh* cuz I think he's just dreeeeaaamy!

Sermon of the Week

"Life is fragile - handle with Prayer"

Oh, it's just so precious, isn't it?!

Have you hugged your band geek today?

Today, on my way to work, I noticed a high school marching band was having a car wash at the local Chick-fil-A. Besides the normal group of teenagers waving signs and whooping it up, the drum line was performing: two quads, two snares, a bass, and cymbals. I muted my sound system and listened to them play until the light turned green. My heart started thumping in time, and my feet instinctively started the heel-toe roll. Well, my left foot anyway; I didn't rear-end anyone! It took me back to my days as a high school band geek.

Admittedly, high school is not a favorite subject of mine, and I have some very bad memories of my years there. But marching band was a bright spot. I had fun with my geeky compatriots and I must admit I really did love marching in parades and halftime shows. Listening to them play today made me realize just how much I missed hearing the cadences and marching in time. So if you were a band geek, or if you know a band geek, or if your child is a band geek...give him/her a hug today. Chances are they are/were not the most popular kids in high school. But they were/are without a doubt some of the kids with the strongest characters and the tenderest hearts.

When the light turned green, I cranked up the volume again just in time for Coldplay's "Lovers in Japan" to start. It has an awesome, heart-thumping baseline and a cheery tack piano melody. I cruised with the top down, feeling the sun on my skin and the wind in my hair. And I said aloud, even though I was alone, "today is a beautiful day."

Where in the World is Dangerously Overeducated?

Hello everyone! Apart from the random musings and news links, I haven't done a status update on myself and where I am professionally or academically lately. So, here it is. The first semester in the SJSU Library Science program turned out to be my last. I found it to be mind-numbingly boring, and couldn't imagine another semester let alone another few years. So, no Marian the Librarian for me.

Which leaves me - um - unemployed and bored as Hell. Well, under-employed. I work weekends at a job that requires none of my hard-earned (and freakin' expensive!) education; but it was a nice, peaceful, sort-of-posh place to land for a while. And it gets me out of the house two days a week. As for a "real" job, what recruiters and HR people call a "career" I dunno. I really don't know where I want to go from here. There are a couple of PhD programs I'm looking into, but I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of being a student again. I just want to be a grown-up with a job and income, and responsibilities to someone other than myself for a change.

And here's where my dear, old seminary comes into play. I recently applied for a position as the Associate Director of Admissions. If I get this job, you all know what that means: fresh material for the blog!!! I'll keep you posted...

Silly Season in the Bible Belt

Ah, Spring...when a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of Jesus. At least, that's what it's like down here. I don't know what it's like where you are, but here in the Bible Belt Holy Week means the doorbell rings practically non-stop. Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelicals...you name them, they darken my doorstep. I have lost count of the number of times I've had to say, "no we don't attend church. Yes, I am aware of the fact that you THINK my soul is in jeopardy. No, I don't want any literature. No, I don't want to pray or read the Bible with you. Yes, as a matter of fact, I have read the Bible. A lot. Over and over, cover to cover, several different versions. Have you..........? Yeah, that's what I thought. See, here's the difference between you and me. I'm a biblical scholar. You're a Bible thumper. I read it; you beat it up. I'm an atheist. You're a non-critical believer. O.K. I think we're all caught up now. Please get off my property." My husband asks why I don't just ignore them when they ring the doorbell. Huh?! This is the highlight of my day!!

As we approach the most important holiday for the Christian people (no, Virginia, Christmas is NOT the most important) I do have a few things to say regarding the historical Jesus. First, I believe he existed. There is a lot of evidence to suggest he did. But that doesn't make him special, and that certainly doesn't make him the Messiah. The truth is, the odds are in our favor that he actually existed, because at that time Israel and its vicinity were crawling with prophets and people claiming to be the Messiah. There was one on nearly every street corner. We know about Jesus because clearly he had the best PR machine. You could also say he was the unluckiest...because he had a great PR machine!

He was not the first to be stricken with Jerusalem Syndrome (Google it) and he certainly wasn't the last. The difference is, back then the Syndrome landed you on a wooden cross, beaten, broken, and waiting to die. Today it just lands you in the Kfar Shaul Mental Health Centre, which I'm quite certain is staffed to the hilt this week, as it is every year at this time. Nothing like a good dose of medical science to cure religious fervor. Torture rarely works, but red Jell-O and a Haldol is simply miraculous.

Happy Easter!!

Random Musing

Seen on Facebook: "Forget about your day job, become the Mayor of SocialCity, the fastest-growing game on Facebook!"

Yeah, great. Because we don't already have enough problems in this country with productivity and middle class prosperity. Let's all retreat to our laptops and live fake digital lives while the real world around us crumbles into dust. Good job, morons.

Coffee, please

Tired of the Tea Baggers and all their nonsense? Sick of the fear mongering and hatred?

Join the Coffee Party Movement: www.coffeepartyusa.com

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/coffeeparty?ref=nf

We the People demand: Reason and civility in public affairs; A government accountable to the People; Liberty & Justice for All.

Random Musing

I was browsing for a birthday card for my husband today, when one in particular caught my eye. On the front was an "old-timey" photo of a man and woman, think: "American Gothic." Above the woman's head was the caption: "Happy birthday to my husband, my lord and master." I smirked, and inhaled as I opened the card waiting for the punchline. And it was...blank. It wasn't a joke. Then I realized...I was in the "religious" section.

No. That is not the card I bought. Happy birthday to my husband, my friend and partner.

The Former Member of the Hitler Youth is at it Again

The Pope has recently condemned new legislation in the U.K. that strengthens the rights of all citizens...including gays. Which, of course, he objects to. Last January, the British Parliament passed a law preventing adoption agencies, including Catholic ones, from discriminating against gay couples.

The article, "Anger after pope condemns gay-friendly laws," is available at http://news.yahoo.com. The url was far too long to type in here, and blogspot does not allow copy and paste.

It seems to me that the Pope, in his infinite and infallible wisdom, would rather see these children age out of the foster care system than be adopted by a loving, supportive gay couple. No! Not the Gays! We can't let them anywhere near God's precious, innocent children! Everyone knows all gay people are child molesters and sexual deviants! If they get too close, we'll - we'll - well...we'll just transfer them to other parishes! Fucking hypocrite.

Oh, and his visit to the U.K. this coming September is estimated to cost the taxpayers 20 million pounds. Uh.....why? The Pope can pay his own way. Great Britain officially parted ways with the Catholic Church centuries ago, and its citizens should not be stuck footing the bill.

Footnote
Regarding this issue in the U.S., see the Feb/March 2010 issue of Free Inquiry for an Op-Ed piece by Tom Flynn: "Pull the Plug - On Catholic Charities". He predicts Catholic Charities will simply close up shop when the U.S. begins to pass in earnest laws allowing/protecting same-sex marriage and adoptions. Pretty please, let this come to pass! In the meantime secular organizations need to begin establishing their own charitable organizations to fill the void when these dinosaurs finally give up the ghost.

Hitchens was right: "Religion Poisons Everything"

I can't even begin to formulate an articulate, balanced response to this. Every time I think about it, I just start seeing red. It is absolutely disgusting, and to think that American missionaries are in part responsible for such an assault on civil rights and freedom of expression is beyond appalling. I guess those rights only belong to (heterosexual) American citizens. What great patriots they are.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091208/ap_on_re_af/af_uganda_gay_death_penalty

NYU Dean shoots University in the foot

Perhaps someone should remind Dean Cooley that NYU is trying to expand its university and build a permanent campus in Abu Dhabi, UAE, a Muslim country, the next time he defends inflammatory, Islamophobic sentiments expressed by a member of the faculty. Well done, Dean. Care to shoot the other foot?

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/2033/muslim_students_shocked_by_professor%E2%80%99s_column/

It's almost enough to make me "Go Muslim."

Wearing out your welcome? Why do you care?

Dear Rep. Kennedy,

I have an elegant solution to your ugly problem with Bishop Tobin and his request that you not take Communion because of your Pro Choice stance.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091122/ap_on_re_us/us_ri_bishop_kennedy

Let him have his way. Don't take Communion. Leave the Church. And take your Kennedy money with you.

The Council of Catholic Bishops has recommended that all members of their church who "knowingly and consistently break with church teachings on moral issues" should be denied Communion. Why not excommunicate those members entirely? Obviously you want them to adhere to your teachings without question. That is, after all, the modus operandi of all religious dogmas. Let's take this all the way back to the Dark Ages and demand that all followers bend to your will unquestioningly or face excommunication. Or, for a more enlightened view, they can leave the Church voluntarily. Please. Pretty please? I really am pulling for this option, because it may just mean the demise of the Catholic Church once and for all. The tighter you clench your fist, the more people will slip through your fingers.

By the way...stay the Hell out of the realm of politics. American politicians are to be answerable to the American people of all races, creeds, and religions or lack-there-of. They are not subjects to a foreign prince.

Oh, and just one other thing of note: The article relies upon a common misunderstanding of the Church's position. A misunderstanding that is apparently also held by a number of its Bishops. According to its own teachings, the Church cannot tell us when, exactly, life begins. They have declared that a mystery best left to science and philosophy (their words, not mine) and have "committed to extremely little in the way of positive definite teaching on the subject."
-- Catholic Encyclopedia, "Life" In other words, Catholics should stay the Hell out of the abortion debate.

O.K....I'm confused. Who is "breaking with Church teachings" here?

Thanks to all Veterans

For the past few years, this day has been particularly sad and poignant for me. No, this will not be an anti-war rant. Not today. Not ever, really. I like to think we learned that lesson in the 70s. No, today is tough because it was on this day that I made a point of calling my favorite veteran to thank him for his courage and his service. More so than his birthday or any holiday, this was the phone call I most enjoyed. My grandfather served in the Japanese theatre of World War II. He flew the P-51 Mustang and achieved the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged to return home to raise a family and proudly run an independent, family-owned dairy farm. But I did not make that call today. I could not. Not on the phone, anyway. You see, my grandfather passed away in August 2004.

My husband, after we started dating and he became aware of my practice, also made it a habit of calling his grandfather who served in Italy and North Africa. Sadly, his grandfather passed away almost a year to the day after my grandfather. I was in Italy at the time, living in a small Tuscan town that had been occupied by the Nazis during the war. The last conversation I had with "Pap" before I left was about Italy. I couldn't wait to come back and share my stories of Italy with him and show him the pictures of the shrapnel pockmarks still visible on the Catholic church, outside the town walls, that survived the war. But my husband and I have his stories. And my grandfather's stories. And my grandmother's wedding gown made of parachute silk. And it is our duty to keep their memories alive by sharing those stories.

The VA estimates that currently 900 World War II veterans are dying every day. Soon they, the members of the Greatest Generation, will all be gone. So if you have a family member or friend who served in World War II, or the Korean War, or Vietnam, or Desert Storm, or Iraq, or Afghanistan - or in any capacity in the armed services - call them today. And every Veterans Day. And Memorial Day, and Independence Day. Listen to their stories and pass them on. And thank them for their service and their sacrifice.

The Last(?) Domino Falls

I've been waiting, hoping, praying (now you KNOW I'm serious) for months now that this would happen. It seems as though the last Right-wing nut is leaving CNN for the redder pastures of Fox News. No official announcement has been made, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Bill Hemmer, Greta van Susteren, Glenn Beck - and now Lou Dobbs seems to be heeding the siren call of higher ratings and bigger paydays. Sayonara, and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091112/ap_en_tv/us_tv_lou_dobbs

But, I am kind of sad. First of all, I used to like Lou Dobbs. I liked that he was centrist, independent, and brooked no rhetoric or spin on his show. Then he went off the deep end and made every show a personal crusade - a self-indulgent, bigoted, xenophobic attack on illegal immigrants. What the hell did they ever do to him? Miss some spots when trimming his lawn?

I am also stridently opposed to blurring the lines between journalism and opinion. That is why I detest Fox; that is why I respect CNN. But more and more lately, CNN seems to be making these awkward attempts to prove it is unbiased and not left-leaning. Unfortunately, that effort has resulted in more over-the-top opining by right-of-center talking heads like Dobbs. Let us all hope (and pray, if that's your thing) this signals a return to the formula that truly made them "the world's news leader." Journalism: responsible, fair and balanced, ethical journalism without passion or prejudice is what we really need now more than ever.

Update on #4: There is still no official result in the civil union referendum in Washington State, but it appears that it will be upheld. Barring any major surprises, supporters have declared victory, and so shall I. Good on ya, Wa. Or, at least Seattle. You people east of the Cascades, well...perhaps you should move to Maine.

Update on #5: Annise Parker and Gene Locke will face each other in a runoff for the Houston mayoral race. I wonder if not being a "family woman" is holding her back? She and her partner of 19 years could head to Vermont to take care of that. Or Massachusetts, or Iowa, or Connecticut. Just don't go to Maine.

Update on #3: Maine has voted down the same-sex marriage law approved by the legislature in May. This could have been the first time legislation, not a court ruling, in favor of gay marriage was upheld, and the people of Maine missed an opportunity to show they were progressive, independent-minded, tolerant - you know - New Englanders. Shame on Maine. I wonder if homosexuality is one of the "disorders" for which you can now legally acquire marijuana...

Update on #2: "Yes" easily wins in the medical marijuana expansion and establishment of state-licensed dispensaries in Maine.

Update on #1: Holy fucking shit, I don't believe it. The Democrat Bill Owens wins the House seat in the 23rd New York Congressional district - the first Democrat to do so in over a century.

I don't know how I missed this one earlier:

Colorado ski town legalizes pot

"DENVER – The Colorado ski town of Breckenridge has voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana.
Early returns Tuesday night showed the proposal winning with 72 percent of the vote. The measure would allow adults over 21 to have up to 1 ounce of marijuana.
The measure is largely symbolic because pot possession remains a state crime for people without medical clearance. But supporters said they wanted to send a message to local law enforcement to stop busting small-time pot smokers.
The vote comes as communities nationwide are struggling with how to enforce pot laws at a time when medical marijuana has surged in popularity."

Update on #6: Chris Christie wins in New Jersey, unseating Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine.

Update on #8: Atlanta's mayoral race will go to a run-off between Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed. Please, people...let's not make this one about race. Let's make it about corruption. Chicago has nothing on Atlanta, if you know what I mean.