I saw most of this Spike Lee documentary the other night on HBO. If you get a chance, I hope you'll see it.The way I felt watching it reminded me of the way I feel when Lena Horne sings "Stormy Weather" in her "Lena Horne: A Lady And Her Music" Broadway recording. Something about the beauty in righteous rage that makes you cry and feel hopeful all at once. I can't really explain it, but please

It's one of those seasons (Easter is the other one) when Unitarian Universalists are most prone to practice extreme Terminal Uniqueness in their worship and conversations:"People say that Jesus was the Son of God, but UUs believe that...""Advent is a time when Christians wait for the coming of the Christ child. But for Unitarian Universalists...""Jewish people celebrate the festival of lights,

http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1413.htmlGorgeous, gorgeous stuff. And there I was thinking that our own Richard Gilbert originated the phrase, "Practicing the Scales of Rejoicing!"Google is a wondrous thing.

Since 1984, when I graduated high school, I have lived in the following locations:Evanston, IL (4 different dwellings in five years)Oak Park, IL (one apt. for two years)Minneapolis, Minnesota (one apartment for a few months)St. Paul, Minnesota (two different apartments in 1.5 years)Rochester, NY (one house for one year)Somerville, MA (one house for three years)Berwyn, PA (one apartment for two

BANJO!Originally uploaded by Peacebang. As you know, I took up the BANJO a few months ago. The idea was that I would give my brain a new challenge at the age of 40, fulfill my dream of strumming along with a Dixieland band, and just be stupid with my BANJO.When I went in to buy a 4-string, tenor banjo, I thought the nice kid at the best music store in the area sold me one, but when I got home I

This week in Beauty Tips for Ministers:caftans and muumuus!summer preaching garb!summer pantyhose!scarf abuse!Lisa Welchel!side-swept bangs!more frumpy shoes!why suits rock!the perils of self-tanner!men in color!Come on by!http://www.beautytipsforministers.blogspot.com

the sentinelOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. She fell asleep on the modem, I fell asleep on the love seat in the parlor.Could someone maybe take a big gun and SHOOT this pollen out of my head? Please? And have you EVER SEEN such cute nibbly popcorn toes?

Well, I failed this miserably. How did you do?http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf

PeaceBangers, Friends, Countrymen,I have made a reservation for 25 at Mirasol tapas restaurant for 5:30 p.m., Friday, June 23rd. We have five tables in our own room in the back.Thus far, I have the following people as confirmed:CK (1)Ron Robinson (and family?)ChaliceChick and Linguist Friend (2)Philocrites (1)Rev Thom (1)Bret, Errant Frog (1)Clyde G (tentative)PeaceBang (1)Those above, please

David Lee Roth quoted in the Boston Globe:"It's not rocket surgery, people."Snort!

I was thinking of writing a new "Welcome To Our Church" letter that goes to new families in the area, but my mind is so pollen-fogged that all I can do is stare at the computer and drool and try to keep my eyes open.I did come up with one usable concept, but I can't write today for monkey doo-doo. Care to wordsmith this for me, blog geniuses? It's just two big run-on sentences right now. Help.

Neither.Bleh.As I said to BoyInTheBands over the phone tonight as "Idol" played in the background, if you want to hear genuinely moving, gorgeous singing get an Eva Cassidy album.

I know I've already posted enough today for the entire week, but Kim told a story in the comments of "What Are Violent Movies For?" that's got me thinking.Read her story and think about how numb you've become to seeing violent scenes on the screen. I certainly have, even though I don't consume a lot of on-screen violence intentionally.But Kim reminds me that not only is visual violence spewed at

crucified madge Originally uploaded by Peacebang. My friends, as we can see from this photo taken last night at the first concert of her "Confessions Tour," Madonna has officially jumped the shark.

A cool guy named Matt Stone commented on PeaceBang on May 20, asking me where I thought my journey was going.I looked him up and it turns out he has this cool blog, which he is apparently moving, but these posts are quite terrific:http://circleofdionysius.blogspot.com/Plus, he has a really cute new baby. Congratulations to you and your wife, Matt.So, where do I think my journey is going?I think

I don't get it. Please explain this.Film critic Ken Tucker explains in the recent issue of "Entertainment Weekly" that we should watch the brutally violent films of Michael Haneke because "Haneke doesn't splatter the screen or make stupid dead co-ed jokes."Hey, that's a reason to watch a film about a young man slaughtering a girl like a pig if I ever heard one.Tucker praises another Haneke

Forgiveness is one subject that a preacher can address at least once a year and no one will complain.I tend to preach on the subject around Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement, when I'm not preaching on my favorite subject, SIN!One of the favorite sermons I ever gave was called "Who Are We To Forgive," with a double meaning on who are we to forgive, and who are we to forgive (as in, how can we ethically

MotherBang and I saw John Patrick Shanley's magnificent play "Doubt" at the Walter Kerr Theatre in NYC last Thursday evening.Here's a review of the cast we saw: http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/Doubt2.htmlI had read the play a few months ago and was struck by its spare dialogue, its comfort with ambiguity, and the main character, Sister Aloysius (please, Mr. Producer, can I play this part

As you know, I attended the commencement exercises at Union Theological Seminary on Friday afternoon.My pal, L'il Flava, Ph.D., invited me to share a champagne toast up at her professor's apartment on the fifth floor (we had to walk down several cement basement corridors to get to the elevator, and my friend Eddie and I played "Titanic" and "Poseidon Adventure" all the way there, slamming our

You've probably seen this if you read the lefty politico-blogs, but SisterBang forwarded to me and I was most impressed:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jean-rohe/why-i-spoke-up_b_21358.htmlGo ahead and burst my bubble if you have to, smartyheads.

As soon as I got in from NYC I went to the concert of a women's vocal ensemble because I promised one of my dear congregants that I would.Most of their songs are goddess oriented and I loved a lot of them, but I wondered why a few of them made me a little bit itchy when they very intentionally avoided any male imagery for God while naming the Holy in one female image after another.Why would this

times squareOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. PeaceBang is headed to the Big Apple for various professional reasons, but mostly so she can see MotherBang and SisterBang and stay up way too late giggling in an overpriced hotel room. See you in a few days.

Speaking of tapas,PeaceBang, MotherBang and SisterBang will be converging at Bobby Flay's tapas joint in NYC on Friday night at 8 pm:http://www.bolorestaurant.com/Does this not look swoonable?Alert the society pages, ya'll. PeaceBang does NOT support bolo ties, but she supports Bolo the restaurant.

We have a location, my friends:http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=319626&eb=False&rn=&cs=&ne=&nv=1&pg=&bsp=0&qty=4Mirasol, a sexy Nuevo Latino restaurant on Del Mar Avenue, apparently mere steps away from public transportation.Philocrites, I need your help with this: how many should we reserve for?And what time?

I saw this special last night on PBS:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bataan/What got to me most of all was how one P.O.W. described how the Japanese censors worked over the prisoners' postcards home so that they contained no taint of the horrible truth. The man choked up when he remembered how his mother told him she knew he was alive only because the handwriting was his, even if nothing in the

The Second Coming Of The DaVinci CodeOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. Oh God, it's coming any day now, and we can't stop it.Dan Brown's craptastic novel will undoubtedly make a craptastic movie --it's got Tom Hanks starring and Ron Howard directing, after all -- and we all need to go see it together to share the pain.I saw "The Passion of the Christ" seated between the UU Enforcer and our friend

Another reason to be disgusted by Mitt Romney. What would it have cost him to issue a formal apology to Fred on behalf of the Commonwealth before Fred died?http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/05/11/champion_of_the_state_boys/

Two things that made me sniffly today:1. A congregant gave me a mother's day card &2. MotherBang popped off an e-mail that ended, "I'm glad I was chosen to be your mom xoxoxoxo"

PeaceBang's empire expands!http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPublishedPlaylist?id=836946

SisterBang got me this book for Christmas and it is sheer fabulosity:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0028610105/102-7791653-9284122?v=glance&n=283155I learned how to make fiddleheads from this guy.I learned how to make the most delicious savory white beans from this guy (the Southern kind of beans, I learned how to make from BoyInTheBands).I learned from this book just yesterday that you

Poor Alison wrote in the comments section,"After we found our basement flooded this morning, I decided to look up the 10-day forecast to find some hope. But it said the next non-rainy day in Boston is a week from Tuesday! Please kill me now."Well Alison, I do belong to an organization called Compassion & Choices which advocates for death with dignity and end-of-life choiceshttp://

This is molto bizarro.For absolutely no reason whatsoever, this page came up on my blog just now as I was shutting down the computer:http://peacebang.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_peacebang_archive.htmlThis page, as I am printing out my Mother's Day service and thinking how close we are to summer. Very, very strange and inexplicable. Is there a God of Blogs?

1. What makes something "cute?" How do we really define cute, and does it include a component of humor? I think it must, because things I think of as really cute always make me laugh a little.2. How do people without access to de-greasing dish soap really get their pots and pans clean? And does it matter?3. When I thoroughly rinse out all my bottles and cans for recycling purposes, is all the

Just for you, PeaceBangers, 3 minutes and 43 seconds of unintentionally hilarious musical hell from Finland...http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8610362188397291938&pl=trueWhich one is Armi and which one is Danny?What do I love most about this video?Extreme Nordic blondenessThe wankiest dance moves since Olivia Newton John tried to keep up with John Travolta doing "The Hand Jive"Tight satin

I always wondered what became of this product...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJy5zuNT8Wk&search=fipileleI actually remember these commercials from the 80's.I wonder how much Joan Kelly regrets wearing that powder blue leotard get-up to this day?And I think that Linda Parker might have had a lobotomy along with her weight loss.Best line: " The appetite surpressant in AYDS is not a stimulant!"

I was walking to my car in the T parking garage tonight after a concert --feeling "wicked tired" as we say in Boston, when a woman drove up in one of those ginormous Ford Behemoths and asked me if she was in the right spot to pick up passengers from the T.Well, no, I told her, and then patiently explained how she was going to have to leave the parking garage, kiss $3.50 goodbye, and drive back

An excerpt from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter Sermon this year. It sums up quite perfectly how I feel about Easter:"For the Church does not exist just to transmit a message across the centuries through a duly constituted hierarchy that arbitrarily lays down what people must believe; it exists so that people in this and every century may encounter Jesus of Nazareth as a living contemporary

Stephen Colbert has notoriously brutal former NY Times theatre critic (and now op-ed columnist) Frank Rich on his show right now and Rich is actually giggling and muffing all over the place. He just said that President Bush isn't doing much right now, "he's just sitting around lactating." LOL!It's hilarious. He's nervous! But Colbert, an actor himself, just asked a great question. He said, "

I wanted to love this book, which I read at the store yesterday,http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23077I love the idea, but I found the book itself to be misogynist. All of the women are cruel stereotypes, especially the big, fat, overbearing queen mother.

Simon Cowell and I have disagreed for the first time!! Not that I watch this show often (like twice or three times a year), but I generally LOVE Simon!I am on the couch curled in the fetal position and whimpering.P.S. Katherine McPhee, you were NOT "manic and shrieky." You killed in that first Elvis montage, and that last dance move was brazilliant! I didn't even care when you ran out of breath

L'il Flava graduates from Union Theological Seminary with her Ph.D. two weeks from now. I will be there, proud as a mama and wearing 4" Kenneth Cole cork sandals. I got a message from her today. She's flying all over the place singing and interviewing and God knows what else. Giving papers at conferences."Hi, it's me. Calling to tell you that I played to a crowd of 10,00 in the Anaheim Arena.

I was reading "Entertainment Weekly" just now and came upon an ad that offered this tasty proposition:WOULDN'T A SOQUID* TASTE COOL RIGHT NOW?Reading that, dear PeaceBanger, you could be forgiven for thinking, as I did, "Hell NO, a squid would NOT taste cool right now! What the hell is this?"But then your eye would fall on the photos of three dishes of ice cream sprinkled with various candy, and

I had these for the first time tonight and pronounce them a TYI: Totally Yummy Item. Get 'em while they're hot,http://www.wild-harvest.com/pages/fiddlehead.htm

Wow, am I sad.Two deaths in one day -- one person I knew a bit but greatly admired, one person I did not, who was only three years old. May they rest in eternal peace.Found out that my two clergy gals pals in town will both be gone next year. Leaving only two male clergy who have made it abundantly clear they don't do fellowship with chicks of the cloth.Much pastoral sadness, carrying big things

PeaceBang has been feverishly posting fashion do's and don'ts today.Don't miss them at:http://www.beautytipsforministers.blogspot.comKiss, kiss! TGIF! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I had dinner with a colleague pal tonight and good-naturedly berated him for suggesting on Easter morning that the tomb was empty because ("some scholars think") Jesus' body was ripped apart by wild dogs before he could be buried. Me: "You did NOT. Please tell me that wasn't your main message."Him: "No, no, just an aside, I promise."Me: "It's like that movie with Meryl Streep about that dog...

Pastoral crises come in waves.I'm getting a lot better at riding the waves.It's not a thicker skin, exactly, it's a kind of protective shield that seems to come over me as I'm hearing another revelation of terrible suffering or attending to the sick or dying (or both). In the last 24 hours I've spent, by a quick count on my fingers, nine full hours in a chair being with suffering people. In my

Someone asked me today what I thought about the incredible firestorm over immigrants happening right now and I thought, "Oh damn, I was REALLY hoping to have more time to understand this issue before being asked to open my mouth about it."So I decided to use that as my answer.And it was fine.I feel a bit gobsmacked by it and I don't want to say stupid or simplistic things. What should I be

Philocrites has written a wonderful piece about Stephen Colbert's shocking 25-minute monologue at the White House Correspondent's Association Dinner the other night: http://www.philocrites.comI just watched the video tape (I suggest that you read the transcript in its entirety at http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/30/1441/59811) after having heard most of the great bits from my sister two

Why I will always, always love Stephen Colbert:http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002425363

You find chalice logos in the most unlikely and confusing places!http://www.churchofthecovenant.org/web/calendar/index.shtml

lizawithazOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. My Inner Gay Male went into paroxysms of excitement when I heard that the 1972 concert, "Liza With A 'Z'" had been restored and released on Showtime last month. I knew I'd want to see all the DVD extras, so I ordered it from Netflix and watched it last night.Good God Awmighty, Liza was a force of nature. She is without question one of the greatest

I take back every bad thing I ever said about the i-Pod:http://peacebang.blogspot.com/2005/05/mothers-little-helper.htmlYes, it can be used to tune out life, block out other people, and to provide a steady stream of blissful memories that can help us avoid our current reality. But I don't use it that way.I got mine in January and not only did it get me to and from Spain without a panic attack on

Oh, and if you care...Chris Daughtry. All the way.I was HORRIFIED by that Pickler girl's atrocious vocals and zombie eyes last week. Thank you for voting her off, America. We just can't have that.

I am addicted to looking at this eagle:http://www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/wildlife/I like to talk to it."Hi Eagle! Your feathers are so pretty right now.""If you only knew how famous you were. You're a very famous eagle.""Look at me! Look at me, eagle!" (tapping computer screen)"Goodnight, Eagle. I love you."

Don't forget about my new blog, Beauty Tips for Ministers!EVERYone can enjoy it!http://www.beautytipsforministers.blogspot.com/

Folks, it looks like "Si! Por Favor!" for a tapas meal together at GA in St. Louis. I don't think the restaurant will be near the convention center but let's just be glamorous and take cabs.Does anyone remember the name of the blogger who put together the wonderful list of St. Louis restaurants and resources? He recommended a couple of tapas joints and I want to look them up but I've plumb

I was in a group of 13 UUs today doing an exercise during which we were pretending to lead part of a funeral service. At one point the worship leader told us to join hands and recite the Lord's Prayer together. Without hesitation, we all did.It wasn't until hours later when I realized, oh my god, everyone there (including several life-long UUs) knew the Lord's Prayer by heart!So for the UU Mom

I went to the Andover-Newton library today to obtain a copy of Henry Ware, Jr.'s famous essay on the connection (or, as he writes, "connexion") between the pulpit and the pastoral role. After the library assistant handed me the ancient book and I flipped through it, I realized to my great and hysterical delight that it contained the entire pamphlet war between Andrews Norton and George Ripley

I finished reading The State Boys' Rebellion tonight at dinner and then drove to see Freddie in the nursing home. He was really lucid for awhile and was just as lovely and gracious as can be. He gave me two cute stuffed puppies from his carnival concession: prizes he won't be able to use now since he'll never be back on the circuit again.I am so sad sad sad sad sad.Fred had the worst childhood I

I'm almost finished reading The State Boys' Rebellion by Michael D'Antonio and just sick about it:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743245121/002-8173977-1299232?v=glance&n=283155http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/29/60minutes/main614728.shtmlIts protaganist, Freddie Boyce, is in the end stages of colon cancer. I had the honor of meeting him last week. I cannot urge you passionately enough to

I blessed about thirty dogs today, sometimes by the armful (e.g., two placid mini dachsunds with the brownest eyes you ever saw).I blessed a fat, peach-colored hamster, and two white mice (whose little boy solemnly told me, "If you want to take the mice out of the cage to bless them, um, you shouldn't because they always poop on your finger!" I said I would just touch them on the top of their

First of all, if you're interested in this issue you should read all the smarty-pants comments and recommendations in the previous post.I've got a lot of good summer reading to add to the pile, including Dorrien's essay.So I'm puzzling through this, and I suspect some of the recommended readings will help me. It also helps me to consider what both Philocrites and Fausto have said: namely, that

As I was watching a PBS special on Dietrich Bonhoeffer last night, followed by a special about Auschwitz (or perhaps documentary would be a better word, as the terms "special" and "Auschwitz" should never appear in the same sentence together), it occurred to me why my theology has become more and more Calvinistic over the years: I just don't think we can't be trusted with just plain Self-Culture

Brooke Shields and Katie Holmes had their baby girls on the same day.http://www.delmarvaheadlines.com/deweybeach/stories/20050803/2187169.htmlReportedly, Suri means "princess" in Hebrew and "red rose" in Persian. It apparently means "pickpocket" in Japanese. (Betcha Tom didn't think of that!)Gawker.com sez it's not a Hebrew name at all, but means "Lord Krishna." I'm all confused, but that's how

Philocrites and Boy In the Bands and all kinds of UU bloggers are talking about it and commenting on it.I will too, as soon as I get some time.I grew up in a Unitarian Universalism without the Seven Principles. I think they've been a help to us in the past ten years, and have become a hindrance in the past five or six. Why? Because too many overly-earnest UUs have adopted them as a quasi-creed,

I'm sorry that we won't be having any sheep this morning. Just us, and I'm so glad to see you all.We've just heard [our DRE] read the story of the original Easter morning, when Jesus' dear friend Mary of Magdala, and another friend named Mary, went to his tomb where they had the sad task of burying him. That was woman's work back in the ancient times. But, as you know, they found the tomb empty,

I was sad to see the posting on UU Easter at Ethan's blog, "Jehovah's Fitness:"http://jehovahsfitness.wordpress.com/2006/04/14/easter/I'm afraid many people think the way he does, and as a minister who pours heart and soul into composing a relevant resurrection-themed Easter message every year, I'm sorry that it may irritate anyone.I don't think that the problem is that Ethan's not listening

Because of extensive prodding and egging on by Sister Of PeaceBang, PeaceBang would like to announce the presence of her new blog,Beauty Tips for Ministershttp://www.beautytipsforministers.blogspot.comAnd now I'm going to have a pious Good Friday, and wish you one as well.

Scene: A bedroom in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.My brother puts his two baby sons down to sleep in their cribs. He tells them to go to sleep, it's bedtime.As soon as he closes the door he hears them giggling and chirping to each other in their little baby language (and what I wouldn't give for a recording!).He opens the door. Stern. "Boys, go. to. sleep. Nicholas, you go to sleep."As he softly

I finally saw "Capote" a couple of weeks ago and was disappointed. I don't know why. Maybe I'm too old and have seen too many movies. Maybe I wanted Harper Lee to be more fabulously Southern than the wan Catherine Keener managed to make her (and I LOVE Catherine Keener!). Maybe I was too distracted by the technicality of Philip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance (I LOVE PSH! But I would

I saw the tour of "Wicked" tonight and found it to be a disappointment. The most heartening thing about the show wasn't the production, but the presence of thousands of young theatre-goers in the audience who were clearly in love with the show and adored every bit of it. I'm happy for them. I had Endora; they have Elphaba. She's even more cool because she sings. And she's green.I'm sorry I walked

Congratulations to my super talented Ex, who just won a hugely competitive $48,000 Bush grant for artists!! He's going to do a one-man show about FAITH!And who do you think helped him develop THAT idea!?Just because you don't marry a guy doesn't mean you can't stay on his staff as Muse.SO proud of ya, Davy Wavy.

So I go to the church in town to give my big lecture and one of the minister hosts comes up to me and tells me about the pulpit and the microphones and all that jazz, and then she says, "How do you do your lips? They're so great." And of course I am BEYOND thrilled -- I figure now even if my lecture stinks I will have brought the Good News of CoverGirl to yet another colleague, and I say, "It's

Probably half a dozen people told me about this in church. They were so excited!Although I have my cynicism and doubts (http://www.peregrinato.com/), I always love it when laypeople get into any religion story. When they say, "HEY, would you preach on this!?" so much the better. Speaking of which, why oh why can't ministers understand the power of the catchy sermon title? Sure it may be cheap

I got into bed last night at 10:00 p.m. with my beloved friend Carl Scovel's lovely little book, Never Far From Home. I read it for about half an hour and then fell asleep until 7 a.m. at which hour the cat threw herself full length against my side, which she only does when I'm having an anxiety attack. I woke up and felt the familiar tingle starting at my legs, and the sensation I refer to as "

Does anyone out there own a hybrid car? I'm thinking of buying a used one for my next vehicle.My questions:(1) Do they feel fast and safe enough to zip around in treacherous Boston traffic, where everyone rides up high and fantasizes that they're in their own private NASCAR?(2) Are they user-friendly, or am I going to wind up leaving my lights on all the time by accident?(3) Is it impossible to

Still chortling...http://www.theonion.com/content/node/46971

As anyone who has used the on-line personal ads knows, the sites are a goldmine of superfluous quotation marks and misplaced apostophes. Some guy just contacted me, but because he's a gentleman who seek's a special lady, I just can't get excited about his blurry photos and cliched self-description. I can't help it -- inappropriate apostrophes chill me. I am a former English teacher, after all. A

Taking a break this afternoon I read an article in the recent Boston magazine about a family who bought an old elementary school in Cambridge, MA and tricked it out as a private home. This after the locals protested the construction of condos in the space and it stood empty for six years when development offer after offer fell through.As a result, a family of five -- three of whom are teenagers

I attended the first of a three-part lecture series last night in town and was very impressed. There was a nice crowd present and the speakers were excellent.This all filled me with abject terror, as I am one of the speakers at next Tuesday's second part of the lecture series. So you won't be hearing much from me until then.Today is the 23rd anniversary of my father's death. Of blessed

Orange Is the New Black Originally uploaded by Peacebang. I want to think that Hollywood's penchant for orange skin is a form of anti-racist activism, as in "If we can't get along as different races, maybe we can find the middle ground in a new race -- the ORANGE race! A commitment which I myself am boldy prepared to make!"But I somehow don't think so.Photo courtesy of

I awoke this morning at 6:00 a.m. to find myself in the throes of BAD springtime allergies.I grabbed a Kleenex and headed off to find last year's Claritin in the medicine cabinet.I took one (NON-DROWSY, they said. NON-DROWSY!) and returned to bed to read Carl Scovel's lovely little book of essays, Never Far From Home, hoping to relax and get drowsy enough to go back to sleep. Success! I got

I just reread a favorite book from my childhood, Anne and the Sand Dobbies, written by John Coburn and published by Seabury Press in 1964.It's the story of an eleven year-old boy whose baby sister dies, and then his beloved dog Bonnie dies.Death is treated as a painful reality, but not something that totally incapacitates us or our families. The family in this story is real and lovely: they argue

I'm embarrassed to admit that I get a lot of my news updates from the filthy-mouthed Rude Pundit: http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/The thing is, he has excellent links. I go for the links. It's a quick way to get hooked into the hot issues, like the immigration bill and protests in CA.I used to think The Rude Pundit was a contemporary Marquis de Sade but now I don't. I get the point: he's

I'm too tired to read all of this now, but the first few paragraphs made me laugh out loud:http://tinyurl.com/9afkr

I went to the mall (the maul) tonight to scout some clothes and was amazed at how ugly everything was. Macy's: ugly. Lord & Taylor: ugly. Lane Bryant: ugly.Not just ugly, depressing. The colors for spring seem to be something I would call Vomitous Autumnal Hues. It's even worse than two years ago's lime green trend.There are these hideous capri pants everywhere, just the right length for

It's getting hot up in here, ya'll!http://peacebang.blogspot.com/2006/03/universalism-and-gods-forgiveness.html#comments

So after I got home from my DATE last night......I opened my mail to find that a friend had sent me a passel of programs from recent cultural outings and among them was the Baltimore Opera Company's program of the new opera "Dead Man Walking," based on Sister Helen Prejean's book, and of course, you all saw the movie with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, right? And you felt shattered by it? I know I

Pardon me, but I can't blog any more right now because I HAVE A DATE.

First of all, let me say that I'm so glad I took roll call yesterday, as it has been fascinating, rewarding and humbling to hear about ya'll out there in PeaceBang Land. For those who know me in Real Life and find the PB persona a bit irreverent and salty-tongued, I appreciate your understanding. I apologize for the cuss words. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you to find that God would

My "hit" counter is very misleading, and I have determined that very few people are actually reading this blog. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop using it as a healthy release for my mania, but it does make me think a bit.These are the people I assume might be reading this blog on a fairly regular basis (in no particular order):Boy In the Bands - Philocrites - Peregrinato - Chalice Chick -

Julian of NorwichOriginally uploaded by Peacebang. Peregrinato posted this... and I can't help but think this:The mouth isn't white enough, but the toes are identical!

I discovered a very old conversation over at belief.net featuring some of my favorite UU bloggers. They were debating whether or not UUA President Bill Sinkford's statement on choice constitutes a creed or not.It's from 2004 and it's here: http://tinyurl.com/q66bj(not to open old wounds or anything)It's actually a great conversation, and given that the public conversation on choice is heating up

A legendary thing happened in church today. Well, I thought it was legendary.The setting: a Union Service in a beautiful, historic New England church attended by five UU congregations and choirs and led by four of their ministers.The theme: Justice Sunday. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's focus this year is on Worker's Rights, and the Living Wage Campaign.The time: Three-quarters of

Oh wow!PeaceBang is ecstatic!I've had several e-mails off line asking for make-up tips for those women who never ever wear the stuff. I clap my hands with glee! I'm still waiting for the hate mail from women who will accuse me of being in league with the patriarchy, or at worst, with the ghost of Estee Lauder. But really, you have to understand that on rainy days when I was little, Mother of

I had occasion to talk about dressing for the ministry with a group of seminarians recently, which was a kind of fulfillment of my secret desire to host a show like "What Not To Wear." You've seen it, right? You trust and love Stacy and Clinton, right?I was a bit nervous about leading this session because I did not want to come across as hopelessly shallow and/or judgmental, because who am I?

I came home last night after class and a sushi dinner and bombed out on the couch. Too tired to even read.So I watched about ten minutes of "Will and Grace" (lame, and what happened to Deborah Messing's looks? They're coasting by on famous guest stars but listen, they could have Jesus of Nazareth on as Jack's new boyfriend and I still wouldn't watch) and then happened upon the most wonderful,

I have done something terrible to my cat.Yesterday we were in the kitchen and I brought out her carrying case in preparation for a trip to the vet. I know she hates being in it and makes the most terrible noises when I put her in it, as though I'm poking her with hot pincers and cutting off her tail in little slices. So I said this to her and started imitating her terrible Tortured Kitty noises.I