RIP Bobby Fischer. Gotta respect the skills even if it came with a boatload of crazy. I'm curious if medication that might have helped him would have inhibited his chess ability or not.

So, here's a random - Are we allowed to confine the divine in any way? Liminal spaces within which the divine resides and is not allowed out of?

Thoughts? Yes, it's for a work thing. Is this cheating?

2 trips to the PO, 2 trips to a consulate office, 1 trip to a bank AND the money order was STILL wrong for a VISA I need to get. Luckily they let me pay the difference in cash. Also lucky that all of those stops were within 3 blocks of my office.

HMOG. Covers of the Sesame Street pinball numbers song: [link]

Also, a coworker just told me that an old document I gave her was "wrong," when in fact it was just not as detailed as she needs--because I don't need that much detail! Just for the record. Grrr.

Are we allowed to confine the divine in any way? Liminal spaces within which the divine resides and is not allowed out of?

I can think of places it's not allowed into: a courtroom, an operating theatre. Is that the kind of thing you're talking about?

Dropping in after missing 4000 posts (not even kidding) to pose a hivemind brainstorming question that is not half as interesting as Jars' limitation of the Divine question...which I'm thinking about...

A client has started a high end cleaning service but is finding it nearly impossible to find employees. She's leafleted, craigslisted, asked around the 'hood, employment agency surfed...

Any creative ideas for finding house cleaning service employee candidates?

I can think of places it's not allowed into: a courtroom, an operating theatre. Is that the kind of thing you're talking about?

Not exactly. I was thinking more in terms of actual worship, rather than everyday life. I'm really only coming at it from a western Christian perspective, where worship takes place in a church, but the God is everywhere. I was wondering if sometimes (say in polytheistic religions) the God(s) are entirely associated with one place, and not thought to be present away from there.

Crap. Now I have to leave work early as I'm getting a lift. But I will read people's ideas when I get home! Assuming people care about my ridiculous theoretical questions...

What's really interesting to me is that it would never have occurred to me to think that the Divine is limited in any way...especially by place...and I'm not even particularly bought into the western Christian model. But I guess growing up in the USian culture means being steeped in the notion, regardless.

When I teach classes at the church though, one of the things I have to remind the very Christian participants over and over again is that, if they believe in a Plan, the Plan must be in place all the time. The classic, 'when is God ever on a coffee break and why does it always seem to be when YOUR stuff is up for review?"

I guess my best stab at the actual question though...albeit from a pretty ignorant stance, would be the only place I've ever seen Divine held to place was in Tokyo. Shrines on many corners, never entered unless for weddings and funerals. The rest of the time, very, very little spiritual inspection of any kind. At least among the people I met.

So, here's a random - Are we allowed to confine the divine in any way? Liminal spaces within which the divine resides and is not allowed out of?

Some wise old Presbyterian Minister said to me once that "The only blasphemy is underestimating the diety." I wish I could remember which one or knew where he got it.

I was wondering if sometimes (say in polytheistic religions) the God(s) are entirely associated with one place, and not thought to be present away from there.

I know there is a concept of household gods (Rome maybe?) but I don't know if they protected you IN the household or members of the household regardless of where they were.