Dr_Evil_Mouse

I think that's what I was trying to get at, Ollie. It's not a religious festival anymore, properly speaking. Why are we stuck with the language? Call it a holiday, simply.

I find it curious that there's been no mention of what kind of Islam it is. Were they talking about Christians, you could be sure they'd clarify whether it was Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist, Methodist, or whatever.

Christ... mass. Think about it. A communal meal for Jesus. Holidays are important! I love getting drunk-as-fuck and partying my ass off (and of course, Jesus was reputedly one of the best vintners going). I just wish we'd be clear on what they actually meant, so that we could share the meaning together. Otherwise I think we're culturally at cross-purposes. That's what I think people are getting at.

Bad, but good for everybody outside of Dover. Hope to see you on the 15th .

I can't see why anyone would object to flowers (unless it is conducive to dangerous driving, but then, there are plenty of billboards around that might have that effect). Flowers for me have always stood for life that's bloomed and been cut (literally) short. I can't think of a more fitting symbol.

Poor Phil. Glad it seems he's come out alright.

I saw that one this morning. Pretty absurd. It wouldn't be much fun to be anything but Christian in Texas. Evidently there's a lot of tension with Hindus there as well.

That's right! Jesus Christ is everyone's Lord and saviour, and don't anybody forget it! More seriously, I think it's important to aim for accuracy. Of course, they're Christmas trees and not "holiday" trees; to be yet more accurate, though, shouldn't they be called "Black Forest trees", if that's in fact where they came from? The whole thing's fucked, really. Christmas has only been a major holiday for a century at best. Easter used to be the big Christian holiday.

. It was one of those rough parenting moments the day I had to explain to our elder daughter why he's not still alive. I was twelve at the time and living in France, and the effect there was huge. The English class that day was given over to a Lennon memorial.

It's been too long since I caught you guys. Any Ottawa trips planned in the future? Maybe a nice Deadfest could be organised this winter-spring....

I like the thought of that.

I'll have to get back into Lowell Green-induced morning nausea mode next week when I'm done classes. Cute logic, eh? It's not religious minorities that are the problem, but the people who care about them and try to take them into account.

Isn't it fun, though, when you've finally got direct access to the corridors of power?

Cruel and unusual: Harsh sentence fails the test of justice

They have even more horns than The Slip!

I submit that, given the etymological affinity throughout the Indo-European languages between "divide" and "devil" (see, e.g., Sanskrit dva, two, Latin duo, German zwei, etc.), that the CPC is an agent of Satan .

She's awesome.

[shameless and irrelevant plug]Saturdays nights offer human karaoke at Kelly's Landing in Manotick, 9:30-1:30[/shameless and irrelevant plug]

Rats are a major problem in many urban centres. Discuss.

I've been eating up all the episodes I can of Black Books before this disappears. (Christ, what a funny show.)

Looks nice, Jay!

Thanks for the article, Hamilton. I always enjoyed pushing Christian Right logic to its point - if HIV/AIDS is a visitation of God's wrath on sinners, then what does it mean that lesbians have, demographically, the lowest instance of it? And a fifteen-year relationship - how many hets can claim as much?

For me, I think I'll just hide out here for a while till the dust settles.

Apart from MarcO's gratuitous advances, I feel safe in this forum today.

Bloom County, anyone?