That Douthat article makes me want to quote at him one of the few Christian Bible verses I know: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for therby some have entertained Angels unaware."

I can't decide if I'm still glad I'm not on Facebook. I'm sorry that I'm missing some buffista eloquence.

If only he weren't so often a douchehat himself.

Java is hoew I measure how strident I am being. If she thinks I am over the line, I likely am.

In "we can disagree an still joke" news: this dude who made my middle school life hell and is still kind of a dick (though I don't know if he realizes who I am because I do not use my maiden name) commented on a mutual friend's posting of the NY neighborhood photos with something about freedom of religion being all fine and good, but the community should get rid of the bad ones. To which I replied "So, all of them?" And he, to his credit, replied. "Yep. Except for Scientology, the one true religion." To which I quoted The Manchurian Candidate.

Is it okay that my form of measurement for "one being over the line" is tokes?

Yep!

This is where I'm at, too. I have theological as well as feminist issues with the Catholic Church, and the idea of losing salvation is one of my big theological issues. As in, you can't. That's what grace is about.

Sure you can, just blaspheme against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29). Well; and also foolishness (or at least forgetfulness), failing to develop your talents, failing to help out the hungry, the thirsty, strangers (quick callback to Hil's comments above), nekkid people, the sick and jailbirds (Matt 25).

Re the Mosque convo, fiverthirtyeight.com has a good, reasoned discussion about polling on the issue: [link] One interesting discovery, the best polling on the issue might be from Fox News, who separated the two questions of whether one approved and whether one thought they had the right.

amyth, I'm glad C and J have your back, and you theirs.

I love us, too.

I aspire to simplicity, but then I go to buy a new comforter and end up spending $140 on stuff that isn't a comforter. For example. My grandma's bargain hunter gene runs strong in me. And if I find a bargain that's got recycled content or made locally or just really, really, cute - I frequently melt. ::sigh:: Plus I've got packrats on both sides. Gonna be a lifelong journey, for sure.

Managed to spill a cup of vigorously boiling water on my hand. Got in under cold running water pretty quickly, then bathed in bowl of cold water. Been out of the cold water for ten minutes, sore but not blistering or even very red. So I can stop worrying? Or keep a close eye out for blistering for a while?

You can probably stop worrying. I spilled a scalding hot cup of coffee on my lap last weekend, and even though I got my pants off pretty quickly, and tried to get cold water on it ASAP, it was obvious right away that I had a nasty burn over most of my right thigh. It's been over a week, and...well let's just say the healing process is gross and I get what all the fuss was about over that McDonald's coffee thing. There is serious blistering. And seepage. And I lost a layer of skin pretty much immediately. You would know pretty quickly, I think.

Amyth, I'm really sorry that happened to you. Yeah still have a scar on my stomach from spilling hot soup years ago. I think the difference is fabric. Fabric soaked with boiling liquid exposes you in a worse fashion. And it takes time to get it off and that means longer exposure. Have you been to the doctors? I finally got stomach burn cured with silver sulfa to fight the infection. Given the symptoms you probably need anti-biotic.