The choice is clear

Once again, the stale argument that those of us (uh, most of the world) who are not part of the insider's "club" of Roman Catholicism can't really understand the internal workings of this ancient and holy institution is pealing from the steeple of Rome.

Who cares? We see what we see. And what we see, this time, is a Pope willing to lend an air of legitimacy (by lifting an excommunication) to antisemitism. It's really as simple as that. Canon law, schmannon law......

For an institution to be able to say that there is a distinction between someone's opinions about non-canonical issues and those that are canonical is like saying "it's OK if he's a liar, as long as he keeps the rules about church doctrine." This, I'm fairly certain, flies in the face of "The truth will set you free."

And there you have it. There is no freedom in this ancient and venerable institution, only captivity--something many of us have known for some time.

Tsk tsk, your Holiness, you've (once again) missed an opportunity to tell the truth.

On worry

So what IS the point?

These days it's hard to avoid the negativity. Open the paper and there's news of more layoffs. Read the blogs and you might be convinced the end is near. Listen to the pundits and we'll all be dead within the year from something: lousy healthcare, melting icecaps, selfish capitalists...

That's not to say there isn't truth to it all...we DO have a crappy healthcare system (that needs work!) and the polar icecaps ARE melting (which is a grave concern) and capitalists ARE selfish (do we need to argue on that?). But none of these things is actually new. What is new, or rather en vogue is the focus on negativity.

"The tone makes the music," my grandmother used to say. What kind of a song are we singing? With so much collective harping on the negative, are we planting seeds for positive change? Or are we bogging ourselves down with so much worry (which amounts to ZERO progress) that we are frozen in terror, afraid to ask for whipped cream on our venti latte for fear we can't afford it?

These times are ripe for positive thinking, and for positive ACTION. What are you doing to make the world a better place? Now that we've had our collective eyes opened to the plight of the unfortunate, and to the results of unbridled marketplace greed, what are we doing to make a difference and ensure a positive future for ALL people?

Sign of the Times

75 cents?

My blank stare must have given me away this morning. I just didn't comprehend. But the guy behind the counter at the 7-Eleven wasn't lying. They raised the price as of Monday.

Funny, he must have told me when I bought the paper on Monday, but I paid him the old price anyway. Today I went back and made up the difference for both days.

I was kind of deflated...what else is going to change? Is the paper WORTH 75 cents? Do I want to pay that, or is this the tipping point where I say I'm getting my news online? I love to do the crossword puzzle, but maybe I can just print out the crossword puzzle and not pay for the whole paper.

Cramps my style, of course...I don't like changes. But maybe in the end I'll consume less paper, more trees will survive, and the world will be a better place.

Maybe.

As for them....

If no one listens, those who are in the business of shocking us (mostly for the purposes of self-promotion and personal enrichment) will fail.

Don't listen. Don't buy. Simple as that.

Butts in the streets

OK, so forgive the rant...but the other day I was driving in LA and a woman two cars ahead of me threw her cigarette package wrapping out the window of her moving car, and then as she smoked she flicked the ashes out too.

I was beside myself, though that didn't help anyone. So I decided I should state something here for anyone who may be reading: PLEASE DON'T LITTER! Your cigarette ashes and butts are LITTER, they are disgusting, and when they are improperly disposed of (like when you throw them out your car window) they are polluting the world in which we ALL live.

So cut it out! If you MUST smoke, put ashes and butts in an ashtray, and stop using OUR city for your personal waste dump.

Thanks!