Once again, like I sez,a respected outlet of the American media does a story on Hurricane Katrina and acts like New Orleans is the only place affected:http://tinyurl.com/rhjkhLet me analyze this a minute. The media, often accused of having the attention span of a first grader, is showing us that it's not gonna let this one go. It's gonna keep writing articles and keeping the issues before the

courtneylipslove Originally uploaded by Peacebang. An addict is an addict is an addict.It could be booze. It could be crack cocaine. It could be attention or love or sex or buffalo wings.Or it could be lip collagen.Another casualty in the great Hollywood lip dysmorphia pandemic.Courtesy of the Go Fug Yourself girls.

Oh, come on. It was cool and inventive when director John Doyle staged a production of "Sweeney Todd" that involved all the major players doubling as orchestra members, but this is getting a little bit precious, don't you think?http://tinyurl.com/qdm7xIt's a Cincinnati production of Sondheim's "Company" using the same gimmick.The Times reviewer, Charles Isherwood, seems to think this contrivance

Today was my day off and after wasting most of it at the Superior Court (believe me, it was hardly even good, let alone superior) on jury duty I drove past the music store where I had been told they sell BANJOS.I decided to stop in.I asked to see their BANJOS. The guy brought out the one they had left from the back, a simple Washburn model. He opened the box for me and I touched it and plucked it

Alien Madonna! Originally uploaded by Peacebang. How has this not made the headlines in every celebrity trash mag in America, and even in the world?It's evidence that the Scientologists are right! Thetans are among us!Dear Out magazine,Worst. cover. Ever.Dear Madonna,I refuse to believe that you are a snaggle-toothed alien with a flat Farrah 'do and scaly white skin and diamonds on your

I attended the theatre tonight at the New Rep in Watertown, MA, with high hopes for the show "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" a dramatization of the early relationship between the two founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.My hopes were dashed early on.This show is a triple threat: badly written, badly directed and badly acted.First of all, it's just a stinker of a script, featuring groanably bad 1930's dialogue

(1) This is the book I most want right now:http://www.mcsweeneys.net/books/everythingthatrises.reviews.html(2) I just about plotzed a bissle when I read a letter to Martha in Martha Stewart Living magazine asking how to make the Passover seder more appealing for children.What, are you completely meshugenah? That shikse doesn't know from Pesach! Better you should ask your rabbi! Oy gevalt!(3) Why

I was listening to NPR tonight and heard the host of "On Point" make reference to 9/11 and to Ground Zero with the implication that the destruction of the Twin Towers was the sum and total of that day's horrors.I murmured to myself, "There were THREE Ground Zeroes."Which reminded me of my growing awareness that talk of Hurricane Katrina is almost entirely limited to grieving the loss of New

I saw "Kinsey" last night, a 2004 flick by Bill Condon starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. I was hating it for the first fifteen minutes and then it kicked into high gear, and I wound up enjoying it immensely, even if the filmmaker makes the character of Al Kinsey much too saintly.I listened to some of the director's commentary and heard something about how opponents of Kinsey tried to block

I just heard a report on NPR that some people are wondering whether or not Slobodan Milosevic got "the best possible care" while he was in prison awaiting the verdict on his war crimes trial.I have to wonder why you deserve "the best possible care" when you're a marauding savage. I should think that being fed and sheltered and kept safe from the people who want to chop you into tiny pieces and

reallyrosieOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. I was doing a mic check yesterday in church and singing "There Once Was a Boy Named Pierre" so that the choir could respond at the appropriate time, ("Who only could say, I DON'T CARE"). To my shock and horror, none of my peeps knew "Really Rosie!"Not even the usher that morning who has a six year old daughter knows "Really Rosie!"I thought this was

fourlittlepuppiesOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. For some reason, this is making Sister of PeaceBang and PeaceBang very happy and making us laugh very hard. It's not like we don't know how terrible it is to stuff those puppies into those little outfits, it's just that it's still very funny. I cannot wait to see the rest of the book.Please don't protest; it was done decades and decades ago, like

My eldest nephew, about 27 months old, has become an absolutely terrific little boy. He's friendly and enthusiastic and extra adorable with a kind of casino greeter swaggering quality that draws people to him. He already has an excellent sense of humor and a keen ear for mimicry. He sings and dances. He has eyes like chocolate chips, a sweet smile, and he's a good phone date. The other day I

My gravel-voiced stepfather, who never stays up past 10 p.m. unless he's out on the town at some cabaret or show, walks into the kitchen the morning after the Oscars. "How were the Academy Awards, babe?" he asks my mother.She says, "They were pretty good, but we were really disappointed that Crash won for Best Picture."He pours himself a cup of coffee."Oh, Crash. Was that that picture about

I just got an e-mail offer for a year's subscription to both Allure and Glamour for only TWENNY BUCKS!!!I am so tempted.I love the photos. I love that I can get lost in serious, serious discernment about face creams for thirty minutes when one of those things comes in the mail. I love the ridiculous outfits and the inspiration for my own fashionable-fat-girl sartorial efforts. I love that I

What fresh hell is this? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11726024/ A couple of college buddies from the University of Alabama set five church fires as A JOKE?And then that "joke" got kinda out of hand? I suppose the next thing I'm going to hear is how these sociopaths are "really great kids." Lord have mercy. Hold me back.

So the South Dakota guv has signed a bill effectively outlawing abortion in his state.The Chicago Tribune writes about it here:http://tinyurl.com/epfukI've heard an awful lot of hand-wringing and conservative-hating and doom forecast by women of my acquaintance over this one. And I say to all of them, "Yes, and what have you done in the past ten years to stem this tide, aside from tsk-tsking

I just hope we've seen the end of the geriatric hair do's among Hollywood starlets. I don't think I can take another year of Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon in demure granny buns. Jon Stewart, thank you for mercilessly mocking the Hollywood hypocrites, even though they'll never ask you back. Best lines:(after a series of clips showing big moments from social justice-themed films):"And none

For awhile there I was devouring the Christian Century from cover to cover the minute it arrived. Of late, though, the issues have been very uninteresting. I'm so disappointed.Are others feeling the same way?

I can't tell you how pleasant it is, and how great for my bronchitis, that my heat went out 24 hours ago.I do have heat in the kitchen and in the two guest bedrooms, so the cat and I will be bunking down on a twin bed tonight. Oh joy.P.S. The Albuterol isn't really working that well at all. I'm going to have to do Nyquil tonight.

Very clever, although the comments section is lame:http://tinyurl.com/nulgmHuffington was cute on the Stephen Colbert Report, and he was in rare form. Did you catch it?

To think that dreck like "Crash" gets nominated for Best Picture while something like "The 40-Year Old Virgin" gets bupkus just confirms my sense that Hollywood people are impossibly self-important schmucks who have no appreciation for the art of comedy.Speaking of which, I am so afraid of the new "Pink Panther" remake with Steve Martin that I shudder to think it might end up in my Netflix queue

Albuterol Originally uploaded by Peacebang. So I sez to the doc, "Doc, ya gotta help me. All I do is cough. I cough so hard my eyeballs pop out. I cough all night long. My coughing keeps all the dogs in the neighborhood up. I'm shaking loose my guts, doc. I get no rest. I'm like an old lady now. I can't put on my eyeliner straight, I'm coughing so much."So the doc says, "You got

I was in Trader Joe's the other night when I heard one of the workers complain that he had been called up for jury duty. I thought to myself, "Boy am I glad that's not ME!" and then wondered if I would finally get summonsed (not "summoned," but "summonsed") since I never have had that honor before.The next day I got the bloody summonses in the mail.*groan*That's just how I want to spend my day

(1) Memorize the words of thanksgiving over the ashes. I was so glad I did, and I took them from our own King's Chapel Prayerbook, which says something like,"Almighty God, who maketh us to know that dust we are, and to dust we shall return, make us also to know that we are temples of thy holy Spirit, and recipients of thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord."(2) You will have to use your left

I appreciate all the comments on the notion of "the third place," an expression coined by Ray Oldenburg. We're talking about it here:http://peacebang.blogspot.com/2006/03/third-place.html#commentsKim asks, if there was a third place, would we know what to do there?It's a legitimate question: do we know how to sit around and strike up conversations with strangers anymore -- strangers who might

This brought on a fit of laughing so hard that now I have to go collect bits of my lungs from all over the room:http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45814Mr. Twinkles and Oliver, omg.

In O: The Oprah magazine, there's an ad featuring the big, shiny headed Dr. Phil. The copy reads thusly:"WISE MEN ONCE FOLLOWED A STAR.NOW WISE WOMEN DO THE SAME THING... EVERY DAY.Wise women have always known the importance of good advice. Now wonder they've been turning to Dr. Phil since day one. This holiday season, follow your own star. It's easy to find him... just check local listings."I

http://www.panexa.com/

Ya'll, Li'l Flavahttp://peacebang.blogspot.com/2005_02_20_peacebang_archive.htmljust sent off her Ph.D. dissertation. First draft DOWN.She says she wept as she pushed the "send" button.I am so gosh danged proud on her. I can't wait to go to graduation in May. This girl has been in school since Hector was a pup.

I just sent out another five or six flirty e-mails to men in Yahoo.com personals. I am not giving up just because the last five or six I sent went totally ignored. I am bound and determined to have at least one date in 2005!!I have over 40 days left. I know I can do it. And I know you can help. Feel free to fly in friends from around the country. We can achieve this goal.

http://www.heartquotes.net/Einstein.html

This is my idea of beauty...http://www.derutashop.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=10_22_107You have to find to animals section. Francesco got me the cat tile, and I am just ecstatic! Newfound lust for Italian ceramics! Just when I thought I was over it.

Can one be a humanist agnostic Christian? (That's a rhetorical question. I'm not actually seeking anyone's permission to use whatever labels I like to describe my theological orientation today).Fran and I were talking last night and I explained that my Christian faith isn't entirely a "me and the Jeez" kind of arrangement, but is based very much in my belief that although there's a powerful lot

Are Men NecessaryOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. I'm pretty sure I would hate this book. In it, Maureen Dowd reportedly argues that hetero men all want to marry and date "beneath" them, ie, women who are younger, less educated, less accomplished, more easily controlled, with lower expectations of them than a woman of equal accomplishments would be.Since my own experience in past years is that

kate bushOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. Kate Bush has a new album coming out; her first in a decade. I used to love her -- and still think that "This Woman's Work" is one of the most haunting songs of that era. It was used to great effect in the surprisingly touching "She's Having a Baby" starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. (hey! where's she been lately, anyway?)Anyway, "The Kick

I love the smell of napalm in the morning.http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20051109051509990013&ncid=NWS00010000000001(thanks to mikey for the good news)

I've been wanting to write about this one for awhile, and I saw it again this morning on CNN.Scenario: a beautiful, traditional church, handsome groom and lovely bride standing before a clergyman. Emotional mamas and papas in the front row.The minister says, "Do you, Ambrose [Snottyname] Finch, take this woman to be your wife?"So we know immediately that the woman isn't worth being named.Ambrose

Bad 80's MemoriesOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. Two things happened today that made me feel ancient.First, I was on the elliptical cross-trainer at the health club listening to oldies radio when "Whip It" by Devo came on, and there I was sweating away and laughing, singing as loud as you please:WHIP IT!into shapeshape it upGet straightGo forwardMove aheadTry to detect itIt's not too lateto

I have become one of those people who buys three boxes of Calgon, six bottles of contact lens solution and four extra toothbrushes at a time, who stocks the pantry with ten cans of white beans, and who has brand loyalty to a certain type of paper towel. I have become the kind of person who calls Target to inquire after a brand of kitty litter that the cat prefers and which I have not been able

There's a sermon in this. The poor soul.http://www.universalistchurch.net/boyinthebands/archives/richard-a-lenz/

Dearest PeaceBangers who are acquainted with the beautiful country of Spain, I ask you to advise.I am going to fly to Madrid in January and head immediately to Seville for a 3-day cooking class (local friends, start salivating now!). I will head back to Madrid for two days where my #1 goal is to see the Hieronymous Bosch paintings at the Prado.Then I intend to fly to Barcelona for five nights,

My HeroOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. When I was in the 4th grade, my Dad ran the Carter campaign in our county. We were always out passing out brochures and leafleting, and attending some Democratic Party thing or another. I remember it well, mostly because we lived in an overwhelmingly old-money Yankee Republican area, and my little friends thought I was doubly weird for my Carter-fever (

You've all heard by now, I presume, about some of the bone-headed e-mails being sent by erstwhile FEMA chief Michael Brown in the days following Katrina?The very essence of maturity, I'd say. I especially like his wry observations about his "fashion god" wardrobe. Shut up and get to work, Brownie. And don't tell us you didn't know the levee was breached. Now we know that you knew.PeaceBang

exercising Originally uploaded by Peacebang. What's scary is that I find that I actually love exercising. I hate getting there and I hate all the changing and unchanging and showering nonsense but I am starting to really look forward to my Hamster Time, where I get to turn the brain mostly off and scramble around on the human equivalent of the big metal wheel.I also secretly love plomping

http://www.wearesmall.com/CENSUS/html/329.html

His ratings have even gone down among the canines...(thanks to Fran for the hilarious photo)

roman_holiday04Originally uploaded by Peacebang. I just saw "Roman Holiday" on the Turner Classics channel. Sigh. Air kisses to William Wyler for directing this gem, and for the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo for penning the screenplay.What is there to say about this perfect film?Audrey Hepburn is just the most luminous creature ever. Let me be Will Ferrell as James Lipton for a moment, leaning

CalgonTakeMeAway Originally uploaded by Peacebang. I don't have one official meeting tomorrow afternoon or evening. I can't remember the last time this happened.Now, will I withstand the temptation to fill that space with 1,000 things?

Like every other blue state liberal, I began reading George Lakoff's works about a year ago. His idea is that all social policy boils down to a sort of family model, and that conservatives and liberals have very different ideas of what a healthy family looks like, with conservatives embracing the "tough daddy in charge" model while liberals dig the "nurturant co-parenting" model.Unlike most

Training for Faith Originally uploaded by Peacebang. Last week in my doctoral seminar I was trying to explain to the room of mostly very conservative Christians about Unitarian Universalists, and presenting my plan to write a dissertation on the relevance of covenant to our contemporary congregations.People tried to be respectful but when I initially described our theological pluralism,

I've been making apple crisps unsuccessfully for years, and tonight I thought I finally had it! I thought the trick was to pour vanilla sauce over the whole works before the final 20 minutes of baking. It finally LOOKED like apple crisp should look.I don't know if it's because I had to resort to using soy milk for one cup of the two cups of milk called for (I only had one cup of cow milk in the

First of all, he should have been indicted just for having the name "Scooter Libby."I'm not naive. I know that the kids in the Big Sandbox play nasty, and that such shenanigans are not limited to one party or another. However, this is so much more sinister. This one has the blood of 2,000 American soldiers on it, and the blood of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. This isn't just, "Nya nya,

turkeyOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. It's time to get out the Thanksgiving Binder, a serious compilation of gravy-spattered recipes from my first years hosting Thanksgiving in the parsonage. I make it sound like it was eons ago when this is actually only my 4th time playing Pearl Mesta of the South Shore.I'm thrilled to know that I'll have a full house of out-of-towners, who can keep each

A few years ago I was walking down JFK Street in Harvard Square when I saw a fairly large bird struggling along with a broken wing. The poor thing was in obvious agony and also very frightened, as its avenue of escape from meddling humans was totally debilitated. I stopped traffic for it as it fluttered and staggered across the street to a little park.As I stood wringing my hands and watching the

I don't have one of those sidebars listing all my favorite blogs -- it's just because I'm too technically impaired to know how to do it -- but I do want to tell you about a new favorite:http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/Never Say No To Your Traveling Self. All hail, La Reina Cobre!

I had an experience today in my doctoral seminar that cemented my commitment to Unitarian Universalism afresh.I'll tell you later.

I feel so lucky to live in an area of the United States that has four distinct seasons. Last year we pretty much skipped from winter to summer, and I'm still frowny about it. After all that snow, no warm, sexy air to tease us back into life, just 50 degree rainy days in May and then BLAM, Hades temps.When I wonder why I tolerate unfriendly Bostonians, the atrocious traffic, the lack of joie de

I'm writing my sermon at home and Fausto's at work, and he calls me because he knows I'm obsessed with www.litterboxcam.com and have never seen the cats, not ever, and he has JUST SEEN A CAT.So he calls to let me know, then sends an e-mail, and I miss the cats by like one second.I am ready to throw myself under a train so he sends me a photo of what he thinks is one of the cats eating kibble but

**"American Roots" Concert Comes to The Village Church**"Sweet the Sound," a musical project focusing on American sacred "roots"music (bluegrass, gospel, old time country, shape note, etc.) will perform at the Village Church on Saturday night, November 19, at 7:30pm. (Wellesley Hills, MA)The project takes its name from the lyrics of "Amazing Grace," perhaps "the most famous song in American

RexSmith Originally uploaded by Peacebang. Well, apparently some of them become realtors.He still looks great, no?I remember seeing Rex on Broadway in "The Pirates of Penzance" in the late 80's. He was cute but I only had eyes for Treat Williams as the Pirate King. What a fun show. It's one of the few I've done twice and would happily do again. It's just a big piece of candy set to music.

One of my worst vices is guessing the ends of suspense films as soon as I'm able, which is usually within the first half hour of the film. I had guessed the ending of "The Sixth Sense" within the first twenty minutes. Very few films with a "twist" ending are very twisty to me.So my new favorite website is going to be www.themoviespoiler.com. What's more relaxing on a Sunday afternoon after an

T-Man Sam called the other day in a blaze of artistic hysteria because he's preparing a big art show in Toronto for the beginning of November and also showing in some galleries in his own hometown of Ottawa:http://www.foyergallery.com/artists/t_sametz.htmHis great big giant artistic brain inspired him to create an enormous pisanki, which is a Ukranian Easter Egg for you non-Bohunks out there.

I received an e-mail invitation to a Harvard Alumni Dinner on November 20th. President Larry Summers to give the keynote address. My reply, verbatim:"My opinion of President Summers is less than fond. I attended the HDS Convocation in 2004 and was treated to the sight of our eminent preacher, the Rev. Dr. Peter Gomes, giving a brilliant address while Larry Summers sat slouched down in his

Tevye Takes a New Wife, and This One Is TV FamousBy BEN BRANTLEYPublished: October 14, 2005Here are instructions for transforming yourself into a Jewish matriarch in provincial Russia in 1905, inspired by Rosie O'Donnell's performance in "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Minskoff Theater. Feel free to try this at home.1. Plant yourself on the floor as if you were an oak.2. Puff out your chest.3. Place

I'm so tired my eyes burn, and it's been raining for four straight days. I've unpacked and caught up on all the laundry and phone calls but I haven't hauled my carcass out for any grocery shopping yet, which means I'm foraging for nuts and berries in the crevasses of the cabinet. I know I have some frozen items but I don't even feel like microwaving anything.When Elizabeth picked me up from the

He told me about this but I ditn't believe him.Do you dare me to make this for Thanksgiving?http://www.cajuntaste.com/Turducken.htmlI am wickedly tempted.

marzipan babies Originally uploaded by Peacebang. Now you really CAN eat your young!!Why did I know that there would be some "Precious Moments"-oriented sentimental Christianity thing along with this artwork (or should I say, "artwork").The e-mail containing dozens of shots of these sugary tots started, "Look at the talent that God gave this amazing artist."Meanwhile, I just want to carry

As far as I'm concerned, everyone gets Preservation Hall Jazz Band recordings for Christmas, hoo yea!http://www.preservationhall.com/2.0/donate.phpYou can make a donation to their musician's support fund on the site, too.If you never had a chance to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play in New Orleans, I'm sorry you missed them. If you love Dixieland jazz, you'll love their recordings.

Sister Of PeaceBang tells me that she's sent out some packages to the shelters and that Cousin Of PeaceBang and others have also done so. This makes me exceedingly grateful and so happy. I hated leaving before accomplishing much of anything relative to the tremendous need for community organizing and transportation of supplies.If any of you are wondering where to send dollars or donations, I'd

I'm sorry I don't have photos of the really meaningful things I saw in Baton Rouge, like Allen Chapel and the River Center Red Cross shelter, but I was trying to be sensitive to people's dignity and privacy. I just didn't think it would be compassionate or appropriate to whip out my camera and take photos of people's misery but Volunteer Steve told me that actually, the little kids at the

Outside of Broux Bridge Originally uploaded by Peacebang. When we drove out to Avery Island on Saturday to visit the Tabasco factory, we saw some of the residual damage from Hurricane Rita, who was terribly upstaged by her terrible sister, Katrina. Those two bitches.

Crick's RisinOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. This is the little post outside Avery Island. The man who waved us through told us that the yellow tape marks how high the flood waters rose after Rita. "And last big one that came through here," he said, "Only came but halfway as high. Not even."I don't want to give you the impression that we were in Louisiana sight-seeing. Saturday was the only

Lake Martin, LousianaOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. After having an iced latte in Broux Bridge (!) and visiting the Tabasco factory, we drove around this gorgeous lake, or rather Volunteer Steve drove and I hung out the passenger side window trying to spot alligators. I was very committed to seeing some gators on my trip, for which people teased me. They kept insisting I should just ORDER some

The trip back to Boston was just as bad as the trip out to Lousiana was.(You can blame my grammar and incoherence today on sleep deprivation)I awoke yesterday at 4:50 a.m., drove to the Baton Rouge airport, returned my car and boarded the 8:30 flight.I arrived in Dallas/Fort Worth at 10:30 and grabbed a sandwich to take on my 10:45 a.m. flight.I heard that our flight was delayed and sat around

anorexic barbie Originally uploaded by Peacebang. Does she come with a cocaine habit and with Wilmer Valderrama's phone number already programmed into her Sidekick?(Is that his name? Valderrama? Or did I make that up?)

Last night I dreamed that I was standing, arms outflung, in front of the ocean. It was dark and waters were rising foul and warm all around me. I was with my community and I reached on each side of me for hands and said, "Take my hand so that none of us need die alone."The waters rose very fast and I drowned, and as I died, I thought, "That was all I could do. And I am not dying alone."I awoke

Listen up, ya'll.I just came back from Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in Baton Rouge.They are hosting 67 individuals there right now, including lots of children, in a NON Red Cross, impromptu shelter. People are geting placed from there into some kind of housing, or being re-located. They needpotspanshousewares: silverware, dish towels, toasters, blenders, etc.CLEANING SUPPLIES (for those returning

When I got up on Tuesday morning I thought it was terrifically convenient that Expedia.com had sent me an e-mail informing me that my flight from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Baton Rouge was going to be a later one, and I did not need to do anything but show up at the appointed time. I hate flying anyway, so I was fine having an extra hour in the airport to decompress before climbing back on a big

One more thing about the funeral:I did fine in the choking up department until I walked out of the chapel behind the cadet who was holding Marvin's ashes. I felt under control but found that my breath came in little sobs, which irritated me as the videographer was right in front of me and I thought, "Give me a break, you exploitative bastard, and point that camera somewhere else." I know my face

It doesn't help that the cat is being excessively adorable, extending her animatronic Toonces paw around the side of the computer and batting at me while I type, all the while purring up a storm. She has a miniscule red scab near the bald spot on her ear that has me worried since I'm leaving for Baton Rouge in the morning and can't take her to the vet. What if it gets HUGE and takes over her

Days later, I'm still inexplicably, unreasonably happy every time I look at that angry, cranky, stormy-eyed baby picture of myself.It just validates everything I suspected about what it was like to be a baby.I give that kid the power salute, man. I feel you, baby.

I don't know why you'd need experience as a judge to serve on the Supreme COURT or anything:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/03/politics/politicsspecial1/03cnd-scotus.html?ex=1129003200&en=6648ec9839edaf1a&ei=5009&partner=MSN_NYTHOMEI guess it was okay for William Rehnquist, so it's gonna have to be okay for Harriet Miers.I wish I'd known about this. I would have had my close personal friends

jowls Originally uploaded by Peacebang. I just tried an experiment. I took a photo of myself just sitting there, making no effor to have a facial expression. I wondered what I really look like in repose.The answer is, I look like a tired, slightly jowly, approaching-middle-age woman.The Mac lipgloss helps some, but there it is.I look like a woman who has slightly less time to suffer fools

Ladies and gentlemen, courtesy of my friend Michael, this heinous little ditty from Destiny's Child:Baby, I see you workin' hardWanna let you know that I'm proudWanna let you know I admire what you doDon't know if I need to reassure youMy life would be purposeless without youIf I want it (you got it)If I ask you (you provide it) You inspire me to be better (ooh)You challenge me for the better (

daddys and sons Originally uploaded by Peacebang. The men in my family are toughies. My dad and his brothers were. Their father and his brothers were. And my cousins are tough with their kinder.But looking over these images from Marvin's funeral, I can't help but notice: wotta bunch of total mush-hearts.I can hardly stand it.

Here's little tiny PeaceBang out on the boat at a very tender age, with Uncle Marvin.I'm thinking I'm about three minutes from barfing on Uncle Marv. He won't be smiling like that when I do.PeaceBang has no sea legs at all.This picture is making me happier than anything else today, pretty much. Sister of PB found it, and some other old dandies, and brought them to the funeral. Which was really an

RSCN1777Originally uploaded by Peacebang. It was a lovely gathering and a beautiful service for Uncle Marv.Every single one of the cousins was there; all twelve of us. And 8 of our 17 children (the "little cousins") were also there, which was great. There was a lot of this going on:And this, which is just so tender I can hardly stand it. It's one of the littlest cousins and his great uncle:And

It's been a big week full of serious learning.This is the first time in my nine years of ministry that I have suffered serious grief (except for stupid break-ups with jerks), and the first time I have been asked to officiate at the funeral of a family member. While I feel honored to do so, there was that little mewling brat in me who rebelled, whining that I don't WANT to be set apart on that day

http://socinian.blogspot.com/2005/09/reinterpreting-john-146.html

Much to my surprise, my sermon for today turned out to be mostly about global warming. As a Unitarian Universalist I have been fed on a steady diet of "current events" sermons, for which I generally have very little appreciation or patience, but there I was living into my own joke about "preaching on global warming."I connected it to the symbol of water and the grieving of our country and other

A terrible thing happened this morning. I was making an omelette and turned on the burner on the stove, not realizing that a Daddy Long Legs was hanging out right in that burner.I singed two of his legs before I realized he was there. I turned off the flame as fast as I could but the shock and pain killed him.I know you'll think it silly but my God, what a terrible death.Do spiders have nervous

Not only did Nightmare Wedding Guest steer entirely clear of me today, I had my heart stolen by the two flower girls who were the cutest thing you've ever seen since Rainbow Brite came mincing down the pike.They were Sophie and Hannah, 3 and 6 years old, looking angelic in simple white princess dresses with blush pink roses on the neckline and hem. Not only did they drop the petals with special

Also from the NY Times Arts section...http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/24/arts/music/24mill.htmlWell, good for you, Aprile Milo!The diva apparently cancelled what was to be a "cross-over" concert when she found out that she would be asked to do some rock-and-roll stuff. I mean, there's cross-over and then there's just ridiculous.Even though she used to be plain old April Miles (this according to

Remember The Gates?http://peacebang.blogspot.com/2005_02_20_peacebang_archive.htmlWell, you gotta see this, sent by Li'l Flava in NYC:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/24/arts/design/24isla.html?ex=1128225600&en=efe56443c4344b33&ei=5070&emc=eta1The picture alone gave me an ear-splitting grin for hours.Favorite quote: "I got my own job, ya know what I mean?"I don't know how it will hit you but I feel

I found this poem while looking for another one I'm going to use in the service on Sunday...THE RUINS OF ROMEBy Michael Bledsoe*after a trip to Rome in November 2003the ruins of Rome rustlebut the shell of the beetle remains averse to timeas it traverses across column and stonethe wind howls past the bony thumb of powerthe souls which once resided heresleep beneath shattered trees, ruined

According to this test, I'm a Socialist.http://www.okcupid.com/politics

PeaceBangers, you in your infinite wisdom can help me.I am singing some of the old gospel song "Didn't It Rain" (sometimes called "Oh! Didn't It Rain") in my sermon on Sunday. I have been haunted by it lately and humming it all the while I'm drafting, so it clearly wants to get in there. I have the Mahalia Jackson version and although she sings like an angel, I can't understand a derned word

PeaceBangers, please do not think that I would have let a major celebrity-oriented cultural event go by without commenting on it!I did watch the last 45 minutes of the Emmys on Sunday night. I did have witty, trenchant observations. I did hold my hand over my mouth in horror over Patricia Arquette's bad Andrew Sisters hair-do: http://static.flickr.com/27/45297485_bc2ae77e8b_o.jpgI did throw my