my house will not be neat, clean, and organized to a level I find acceptable unless and/or until my kids are in daycare/school full time.

this sounds like I'm venting/being rhetorical... but I'm not. I really want an answer.

Why do so many early 20 something males (they usually figure this out by close to 30) think personal hygeine, including daily showers, daily (at least) dental care, fresh clean clothing including (especially) socks each day, and deodorant are OPTIONAL? Girls usually figure this out around age 10.

Why do so many women continue to sleep with these (literally, not the fun way) dirty, dirty, icky boys?

Yesterday was head on a platter day at church; that is, the gospel reading was the story of the heading of John the Baptist. In his sermon, Rev. Cn. Mark Strange essentially chalked up this act to peer pressure. I liked the view taken by Rev. Cn. Haddad in the service leaflet.

Mark 6:14-29 (NRSV)
The Death of John the Baptist

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ 15 But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’

17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18 For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ 23 And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ 24 She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’ 25 Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ 26 The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.


Now, Rev. Cn. Mary Haddad's thoughts, which focus on the death penalty. Interestingly, she includes a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) used this morning in the opening of the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor.


Today’s gruesome gospel story brings us John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Nice. Then and now, the revenge of the state on dissident voices is a dish that is always served up cold.

Two countries in the world still practice beheading — Saudi Arabia and Iran. President Obama began his June tour of the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, where only two days earlier a public execution by beheading had taken place. Amnesty International, which tracks the records for violation of human rights in all the countries in the world, considers the death penalty the ultimate denial of human rights and is an excellent resource for tracking information. Some recent findings: in the month of June, Togo became the 15th country in Africa to abolish the death penalty. The same month, Terry Lee Hankins was the 16th person to be executed in Texas, out of a national total of 30. It was the 200th execution under the current governor. I wonder if that tops Herod’s record?

Now, for some good news: in early July a high court in India decriminalized homosexuality by declaring a colonial- era ban unconstitutional. In this, looking back from Herod to our present day, we’re reminded of Martin Luther King’s famous remark, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Each of us can set our hands to bend that arc every time we find an alternative to taking revenge and holding prejudice.

Next week’s gospel lesson promises to be much less gruesome. For starters, Jesus figures prominently in it and is always the bearer of the truly good news. In the meantime, use your hands somewhere this week to help bend history’s arc toward justice.
The Rev. Cn. Mary E. Haddad
Grace Cathedral

http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/imaginary

Strong Bad Email: imaginary watch

I am not brave enough to X-post this to montreal although I might later... so let's hear from y'all.

1) Is it legal to cycle on the autoroutes? I was under the impression the answer is NO, but today I saw two rather professional looking cyclists, in full gear, on the Decarie. Not the service lanes. In the actual trough. And they were not in any way, shape, or form keeping up with traffic. In fact they were causing quite a potential hazard.

2) I have often heard (and supported) the concept that "we are not blocking traffic, we ARE traffic" in response to automobile complaints that cyclists are too slow on city streets. Yet somehow these same cyclists are livid being slowed down by walkers, joggers, rollerbladers on multi-use (as in NOT for bikes only) trails. I'm not talking about people spreading all across the whole path either, I mean people being courteous. What is with the entitlement complex? And try not to sound like a car driver talking about a cyclist when you respond.

3) Who is supposed to be patrolling the paths and footbridges along the Lachine Canal path? The amount of cyclists refusing to disembark and hence causing danger to themselves and others on the Atwater Market bridge is absolutely out of control. I'm not a fascist about this. I don't care if it's slow and no one is there and you go past. But when one cyclist is behind me and irritatingly barking "excuse me!" and two others are passing one another on my side, this is ridiculous. Please note there are signs on both sides of the bridge indicating one is to disembark before crossing. I am thinking the cyclists think it is a pogo stick on the sign and not a bike.

I cannot personally ride a bike in traffic due to vision issues but I can (and enjoy doing so) on bike paths. I am very supportive of the idea that cyclists should be provided for in city transit plans. But my recent experiences with cyclists are leading me to think they may rank second only to dog owners (of which I am one) in terms of entitlement complexes. It seems to not be about equality and sharing but about ME ME ME. Please help restore my faith by telling me what a nice cyclist you are.

Or I will be soon enough...

Off to Orlando the 16th! WOOT! Everyone cheer. This is going to bring my mood up considerably! Tix purchased and ready to go. Husband even let us take direct flight so we wouldn't have to deal with switching, costing about $80 extra but so worth it! Now to decide on what to pack :-)

http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Loading_Screens

Short: Loading Screens watch

http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/hremail3184

Strong Bad Email: hremail3184 watch

http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Weeklies

• Quote of the Week: "Now you guys are sure this won't emancipate me from my ridiculous striped pants?"
  
• Weekly Fanstuff: Dangeresque X-stitch!
  
• Sketchbook: Albert has red hair.
  

There was a time when I relied on other people for my emotions... a time when how I believed someone else felt about me dictated how I felt about myself. I would do almost anything to get other people to like me... occasionally things that in retrospect I might be ashamed of (if I decided to buy into regret). My moods would fluctuate hourly, based on what I got out of the last person I talked to, or how I rehashed the interaction of them or someone else through my head. If it came out well, I was proud of myself, and felt good about myself... if it was bad, or even if I was unsure about it so I was afraid it was bad, I would beat myself up about it and make myself feel miserable... then fall all over myself trying to somehow make it up to them or get them to do something that would change my perception of how they felt about me... because until I thought they liked me, I couldn't like myself.

In the last few years this has changed for the most part. I've managed to accept that everyone is NOT going to like me... and they're not always going to like the things that I say. I've come to the realization that if I don't get that someone likes/loves/craves/seeks me, nothing has really changed except my impression of that moment with that person. I've noticed that spending all of my time thinking about those moments that bothered me doesn't actually change anything about those moments, but in fact just makes me more and more and more angry/frustrated/mad/paranoid about something that might not actually be a big deal to begin with.

I still wear my emotions on my sleeve... anyone can tell how I feel just by looking at me... but even more so now because I'm not afraid of how they feel about me because of those emotions. It's not that I feel like it's their job to accept and deal with my emotions or opinions... but at the same time, it's not my job to try to feel the way they want me to feel.

There's still an issue of appropriateness... if I'm angry at someone, their wedding is probably not the right place to blow up at them... this is an issue of dignity, class, style, decorum... but at some point it's my responsibility to myself to decide if I'm okay with ignoring it or if I need resolution on it.

This runs the risk of creating a lot of impasses, I know... that neither of us has a responsibility to make the other one happy... but this is where compromise and caring comes in... when we listen and try to understand each other... where honesty and truth and self-reflection come into play.

My point is, I wish more people in the world could find a way to stop riding the roller coaster of thought... to be happy with themselves even if another person isn't... to not spend hours and hours getting more and more angry at a situation that is really only a figment of their imaginations.

There are so many people I know that would be so much happier...