Everything you want to know about anything that's meaningful
Last year I wrote about the history of Easter. Mostly how it came to get that name since there is no such word in the Bible. Long story short, the holiday got blended with the Pagan celebration of the goddess Ostara a/k/a Eastre. She was, still is I would guess, a fertility goddess so the whole rebirth / resurrection theme fit well with the pagans of the day. And, while odd at its face, the whole eggs, bunnies and resurrection theme has had it’s uses. As I also noted the…
Read MoreIt’s Lenten season and devout Christians surrender pleasures to remind them of their religion’s humble origins. Devout Christians and Jews recently celebrated Passover, the holiday that celebrates (if that’s the right word) the fact that God “passed over” the homes of the faithful during the legendary 10 plagues of Egypt. So the faithful lived. Then they escaped from Egypt. Then they lived in the desert for 40 years and needed food to fall from heaven so they wouldn’t die. That part doesn’t sound like fun. Deserts just aren’t that interesting.…
Read MorePop quiz, if you’ll pardon the expression. What do Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont & Virginia have in common? You can marry your first cousin in every one of them. Well, as long as your first cousin is a member of the opposite sex anyway. But all is not lost. If you’re in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont or Washington D.C., then you’re one of the lucky…
Read MoreLife is full of lessons. And lessons learned by one generation do not necessarily benefit the next. Children of my era were tossed from our homes and told to go play. Nowadays a parent would have to be insane to do that. The risk of a child being killed is simply too great. When I was young I was told how to treat a lady. My grandmother would flail me if I failed to follow those rules. Above and beyond showing respect I was taught to open doors and help…
Read MoreBack on March 17, 2011 I posted an often overlooked aspect of St. Patrick’s day. For example, every red headed Latin person you meet is part Irish. There is no exception to that rule. Why that is so is the subject I wrote about then. I mentioned this yesterday to a red headed Latina and she called shenanigans. Well, actually she said a wide variety of disparaging things about my possible heritage and diminished intellect, none of which are acceptable for sharing in public. So, for Rosa, I am re-posting…
Read MoreWhen Pope John Paul II visited Miami in 1987 a T-shirt maker printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the visit. Instead of “Vi el Papa (I saw the Pope)” the shirts read “vi la papa (I Saw the Potato).” Let’s hope we can do better when the next pope comes to town. Because, let’s be honest, this new pope will come to America. Pope Francis is from South America and Latins are the largest group of Catholics in the world. More importantly, for us Gringos, is that many…
Read MoreI know you’re just sitting around eating your triple decker bacon burger, with extra cheese, and a side order of cheese fries with a 32 oz Mountain Dew while begging for sweet oblivion to take you away. You aren’t even alone in that regard. Not that I’m joining you any more, I’ve altered my life a little and seem to be on the path to live longer than previously expected. Actually, according to Death Date, I died in 1993. So I may have pushed the edges already. Anyway, I’m alive…
Read MoreWhile the nice people at WalMart may think that they are a great place to shop and that people go there because it’s a great way to save 19% versus shopping at Jewel, the reality speaks otherwise. In Illinois, for example, you get a lot of people who wear tinfoil bikinis or big fuzzy bird outfits. These people, while bizarre as hell are usually harmless. The same applies to the folks out in Wyoming or Nevada (where bunghole fingering seems to be a state wide hobby). While you might not…
Read MoreI have written about the impending Armageddon so often that it should have it’s own sub-site up here. And when I have avoided Armageddon I’ve written about various forms of the Apocalypse that may befall us. And that’s okay. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then. And God knows the varying responses to the numerous apocalie (is that a word? it is now) have provided gut busting guffaws for the masses. My heroes are still the fun loving, if not all that smart, folks who planned on riding out…
Read MoreThe mind of a child is a wonderful thing. It sees the fairies and the goblins of the world and does not dispute their existence. It can, without effort, turn a pencil into a rocket ship or a piece of lint into an angry bug. It parses the universe not into black and white but into brilliant rainbow hues with each color hiding a different source of joy. The artists among us, and I mean that to include the mathematicians who envision the heart of the universe and share their…
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