No, Virginia.

There is not a Santa Clause.

(My brain is in a weird place today.)

Nyegh. Although when I've heard that, I've mentally interpreted it as "blessed be"

oddly, I think that "blessed be" would bother me less. I cant' quite figure out why it irritates me. Possibly because it's often in a work context (i.e. the ending of a voicemail message), and I think religion is inappropriate at work.

and there slew they the goats, yea, and placed they the bits in little pots.

Mmm. Goat curry. It's what's for lunch.

People are expecting me to know how to do stuff that my boss does. Misguided fools.

I don't mind being told to have a Blessed day as long as I am not told to smile or berated for saying I'm fine and not fantastic or wonderful.

Nobody made coffee this morning. I think it's making me extra grumpy. I'm sure as hell not making it, though - when I was hired I was told I wouldn't have to. So I'm not gonna.

And now for an attempt at mearaing.

How, exactly, is this a literal reading of the Bible? It may be a "conservative" or "fundamentalist" one, but I don't remember where the Bible said women couldn't preach. In fact, my understanding is that many leaders in the early church were women.

1 Corinthians 14:33-36 (New International Version)

33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.   As in all the congregations of the saints, 34women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

There are times when Paul's misogyny just bugs me.

Me, too. It took a long time for me to mentally separate out Paulian ideas from Jesus's.

Also, the RWA ceremony Betsy described/linked to sounds appalling.

Rainiers are yummy.

Pretty, too.

White House denies existence of Karl Rove

I've been trying to do so for years, but he keeps showing up anyway.

Like this Monty Python one?

I've used bits from the gospel according to St. Victor before, but yeah, only in personal email.

can you still call that crazy cafeteria menu line with the lady who loves you so much and sings and whatnot? Man, she got me through many a bad day when I lived down there. I think she ended with "Have a blessed day." Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

One of the local Salt Lake radio stations used to play her bit on the air, and they flew her out to Salt Lake a couple of times for visits. I couldn't stand her.

1 Corinthians 14:33-36 (New International Version)

That passage gives Paul an undeserved bad rap, to some extent. The church at Corinth was having big problems with order in general, in both their men and women, and there was a problem with disordered use of glossiola. That verse couldn't have meant "A woman can't speak in the church" because back in chapter 11, he's talking about women needing to have their heads covered when prophesying. They can't prophesy and be silent at the same time.

Sorry. I find it just as frustrating when non-misogynists pull the same passages out of context that misogynists do.

I find it just as frustrating when non-misogynists pull the same passages out of context that misogynists do.

Fair enough. I'm not saying this makes Paul a big ol woman hating meany-head (although I am inclined to think he was not lacking in issues). I'm saying this is why my sister thinks there shouldn't be female ministers in her church. And, back when I was a practicing Christian, I would have disagreed with her. Still, I no longer have a dog in that fight, as Molly Ivins would say.

I horrified a religious friend by saying "While we're in Greece, I've got to visit Corinth, where everything that's wrong with Christianity started!"

I've only heard "Have a blessed day" in DC, and only at work. And only on government jobs. And there, esp. at the State Dept, I hear it constantly. It bugs me a little because of the church/state separation thing, but it's far preferable to the State employees who won't look at me, talk to me, or even attempt to work with me, because I'm white.

It bugs me a little because of the church/state separation thing, but it's far preferable to the State employees who won't look at me, talk to me, or even attempt to work with me, because I'm white.

argh! so stupid. And it does seem that people of color tend to wear their religion on their sleeve a little more. I mean, the only white person who's ever said God bless you was either after a sneeze or in/around a church.