Random Comic of the Day

Source: my friend Arin's Google Reader, but really xkcd

Lenten Puns

I'm so glad I am Episcopalian. It's Catholic-lite which means I don't have to fast today. (I may or may not have to give something up for Lent, but I definitely was not paying attention to that section of confirmation classes). Unlike some people who must kick off their 40 days of repenting with a nice big fast. Now, observe the following IM conversation I just had with a co-worker* who sits mere feet away.

*For the sake of protecting her "anonymity" she shall henceforth be known as Tuna in this here blog.

Tuna:
i'm hungry.
(Then she announces: "I'm not supposed to say it out loud!"
Me:
haha
you can do it
Tuna:
that's why i IM'ed it!
Me:
ha
Tuna:
nothing in the bible about IM-ing
Me:
nope
Tuna:
except for, "Here I M, Lord"

Of Note

I just read an LA Times story that JetBlue and Virgin America are dramatically reducing prices of cross country flights. So I went to check out a flight to New York this spring/summer and started to type "virgin" into my web browser, and you know how when you do that a drop-down menu appears and you can choose from previous links? Well I figured that Virgin America might be the first I would see. But NOPE--it was either a link to the Holy Qur'an or to the NRSV Bible (that's New Revised Standard Version for you non-Religion students) which reminds me that I used to spend a lot of time writing papers for various religion classes. Ah school, those were the days.

(What, you were thinking with "virgin" I was going somewhere dirty, huh? COME ON!)

Are you interested in bible prophecy?

Stop whatever you are doing and go to http://jawwiredshut.logspot.com/.

Take a moment.


Come back.


INCREDIBLE.

How did this happen? Well in my usual attempt at self-promotion I was directing a new friend, J.Le (that's pronounced JAY LAY... don't ask) to Jaw Wired Shut (which, btw, seems to be malfunctioning on the simple WORLD WIDE WEB URL--http://www.jawwiredshut.com/--thingy domain whozeewhatsee I purchased last year, so if anyone can offer up any suggestions that would be much appreciated--just think of all the suckers with my business cards!) and somehow she found this "logspot" place that appears to be the MEGA site of Bible studies.

This suspicious site claims:

(1) On this page an INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY of a former doubter of the bible.
(2) “PROOF” THE BIBLE IS TRUE + What the future holds
(3) GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION & bible reading guidelines.
(4) PERSECUTIONS AND PROBLEMS a born-again Christian can expect.

WOAH.


Some thoughts:
I am glad it is the MEGA site. Because big, large, grand or amazing would not do.
I AM THRILLED TO READ SOME INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY.
I enjoy the use of sporadic ALL CAPS. LIKE ME!
I happen to be a religion minor. Coincidence?
In a (strange?) twist, I am of Christian orientation. Mayhaps this is God's way of being like "hey, Stamos, keep up the good work" or "F-U Stamos I'm using your low-trafficked site to get some more people interested in the Bible. And ME."
The above point might be considered blasphemous.
I don't really care much about blasphemy.
I would enjoy talking about heresy because I think that's a more exciting adjective to label someone with: HERETICS.
I am very full from lunch.
I'm tired.
Diet Coke is refreshing in the afternoon.
I need to find a new deodorant.

I don't even know how to address this...

Some days I kind of wish I'd chosen Jew over Episcopalian (am I even spelling that correctly?)

You know, if at the ripe age of 14 when I decided to do all my religion shopping I had gone with Judaism, I might be enjoying a day off from work right now. Actually, I probably wouldn’t enjoy it (it’s Yom Kippur which means fasting to repent for your sins—blech), but you get what I mean. Every now and then I do wonder if rather than a late Baptism, a whole shit-ton of confirmation classes, and a big ceremony where I CONFIRMED my Episcopalian values, I might have been better off in Hollywood following the half of my lineage that’s Jewish.

When I was younger I milked being half Christian, half Jewish for all it is worth. I would persuade my mother to buy me things in mid-December claiming it was Hanukkah (note: she was the Christian one). At the time I wouldn’t have known the difference between Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Purim or Passover, despite my dad’s family being larger in number. Considering we lived in Maine, and my half-Jewishness made me a little bit of diversity, it’s not surprising I ended up taking the Christian route. And, I guess you could say I was a little more materialistic as a child. (Eight days of gift giving? Heck Yes). Thanks to a Religion minor in college, I now recognize the folly of my ignorant ways, although, seeing as I am a baptized, confirmed, and sporadically practicing member of the Episcopal Church, it’s not so kosher (a pun?) for me to dabble in multiple religions as I did when I was a little girl. (On a side note—I now realize how strange it was that I was so religion obsessed in my tween years). Thing is, I might now be pretty standard when it comes to Episcopalians, but I have plenty of Jewish guilt.

It’s funny though, because in Hollywood, there definitely appears to be a high percentage of practicing Jews. So much so that once after I first moved here someone told me to emphasize my Jewish lineage (so, not wear the silver cross my mother gave me when I turned 20?) So much so that at my previous job I would be goaded a bit for not thinking Jewish. Example:

Me, after spelling a last name incorrectly: “Hey LB (boss) I can’t find a listing for Ingall.”
LB: You’re such a WASP. Take off your WASP hat and put on your Jewish one. That’s not how you spell it.”

While it’d be nice to think bossman said this in a joking tone, sadly, not so much (if only there had been an HR...).

Ultimately, I still get the benefits of Judaism—the majority of the town is either off or having a half-day today. Halleluiah. Or something.



To all my religious friends who might read this: No offense intended. (And don't take yourselves so seriously!)