The Coalition Of The Swilling

“I Did Not Come To Praise The Pope…”

…but to, er, drool on myself.
Courtesy of Arthur Chrenkoff is this wonderful essay by a professor of ‘cultural theory’ at Manchester University.

Word of the Day

yawp \YAWP\ verb
1 : to make a raucous noise : squawk
*2 : clamor, complain
Example sentence:
Bob was unpopular with the office supervisors because he was always yawping loudly about his working conditions.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

In our house, it simply means ‘yes‘, as in:
Did you feed the dog yet? Yawp

Smash….

could use some prayers for Mrs. Smash.

Uncategorized | Crusader | 11:19 am | Comments Off on Smash….

100 Common Sense Rules…

…for a dangerous world. Ten years old, but as valid as the day they were written. A few of the ‘easy-to-follow’ truisms:

34. I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
42. When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.
85. I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. “Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse.” Instead it will be more along the lines of “Push the button.”
90. I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door.

Axioms to live by and no red ink. Brought to you because we care.

Fun | tree hugging sister | 11:05 am | Comments (2)

I Know Where My Dial Won’t Be

Current
Gorezilla is Chairman of the Board. That tells you all you need to know about how hip and happening, how current, this new network will be.

Thanks Bill

Oral Sex Safe and Not Really Sex, Say U.S. Teens.
Hey, if it works for the President…
A case of beer to the first fella who convinces his wife of this.

Morality | Mr. Bingley | 2:12 pm | Comments (13)

…not seeing red. Apparently there is another excuse I can employee vis á vis the origins of my twisted sisterness. I am a smidge off plumb not only because of my parents, but because of my BASTARDly teachers and their development impairing, ‘feelings-of-inadequacy’ inducing corrections in RED INK.

“My generation was brought up on right or wrong with no in between, and red was always in your face,” Kazmark said. “It’s abrasive to me. Purple is just a little bit more gentle. Part of my job is to be attuned to what kids respond to, and red is not one of those colors.”
Three top pen and marker manufacturers – Bic, Pilot Pen and Sanford, which produces Papermate and Sharpie – are making more purple pens in response to rising sales. School leaders and teachers are largely driving that demand, company representatives say.
“They’re trying to be positive and reinforcing rather than being harsh,” said Robert Silberman, Pilot Pen’s vice president of marketing. “Teachers are taking that to heart.”
The disillusionment with red is part of broader shift in grading, said Vanessa Powell, a fifth-grade teacher at Snowshoe Elementary School in Wasilla, Alaska.
“It’s taken a turn from ‘Here’s what you need to improve on’ to ‘Here’s what you’ve done right,'” Powell said. “It’s not that we’re not pointing out mistakes, it’s just that the method in which it’s delivered is more positive

I only wish someone had thought of this and saved me from myself. It’s the formative years that count, folks, so a little kinder-gentler please. NJSue, when you reach for that red pen, take a moment. And just say no. Do it for them. Do it for our future…

Nanny State | tree hugging sister | 1:09 pm | Comments (13)

John Paul Is Desperately Ill

I hope he gets through this, but it’s raining outside and I’m crying inside. For all my earthmotherspook ways, I adore the man. Like the song says, “I say a little prayer for you…”
**An Update: Italian news services are reporting that there is no more hope. The crowds are beginning to gather in St. Peter’s Square.

“This evening or this night, Christ opens the door to the Pope.”