November 2009 Archives

One of the nicest things about Pagans is that in general we do not get into hot arguments about theology.  What unites our smaller communities are common practices, not common beliefs.  We are little worried if others are not Wiccans or Heathens or Celtic Reconstructionists or devotees to Orishas or whatever, because we do not believe our own tradition is necessary for salvation.  Indeed, we do not believe in the need for salvation at all.

 

Yesterday a poor crashed hard drive was removed from this computer, and a new super duper one installed in its place.  The good folks at MacAdvantage said I had replaced an economy car with a Hummer.  Most of the rest of the day went to fixing the rough edges of the transplant - like getting my email working again. 

My enforced vacation from the Net was sortta nice.  No huge hole opened up in my day and I got some other work done that was well worth doing.  I will try and make one day a week a formal "net free" day - except maybe for email.  That will probably be good for my soul.

Now I have to shift from my vacation from the computer and California back into my usual routines.  It willbe hard, since Tuesday I head off again for Thanksgiving.  But the post that will follow this one sometime today will return us to pagan religion rather than Gus's adventures.

I found a way in to post - courtesy of the error I made on my last blog post.  I'll correct it  when I leave Maine.  But again, that post that should have been there is here.  Enjoy

  It's an Open Thread for now.  I take off for the West Coast tomorrow.  Business as usual soon.  Once I get a new computer.

Meanwhile Midcoast Maine is wonderful. Crisp and chilly but sunny.

Courtesy of Balloon Juice, a very nice piece by Faun.

I spent all of yesterday crossing the country from California to Maine.   I'm taking advantage of a free ticket I got from being "bumped" on a flight months ago in order to be at my godson's birthday party up mid-coast way.

I got up a lot earlier than I like to get the flight, and  got in a lot later than was planned due to the torrential rains that have hit the east.  Even so, I made it to be by 11 pm West Coast time, only to be awakened by screaming children in the hallway at 7 East Coast time.  That's 4 am where I come from.  My affection for children took a bit of a hit - but most of my grumpy thoughts I saved for their thoughtless parents.

For this Westerner, Maine is as beautiful as any state in the West, and for me, midcoast and 'down east' are the most beautiful parts of Maine.   Even with the low and soggy sky my drive to Rockland will be wonderful, if I can just stay awake enough to enjoy it.  There is a wonderful coffee house in Wiscasset that should show up abut the time my breakfast coffee wears off, not that it feels like it every really took hold.

Even so, Hail Kaffeina!  Lady of Life!

 (I couldn't find any nice Google images of the towns, which are beautiful,  but the pics of the country around them are nice.)

More substantive posts will happen after I get some good sleep!

Some interesting comments about my "Drawing Down the Moon" piece in "12 Things..." have prompted me to offer a longer discussion, based mostly on my personal experience. ...

The anti-choice folks have struck again, holding over 60% of the country hostage to their irrational beliefs as a price for health care reform.  No health care reform unless abortion is made even more difficult than it already is.  If...

Pagans are among the newest and oldest of religions. The earliest Pagans were among the hunting and gathering peoples at the dawn of history, while today's NeoPagans arose within the modern world and work within cutting edge businesses and sciences....

Many Americans believe abortion is murder.  Bad as I believe their reasoning is, and I believe it's bad, it's a fact.  Given that fact, it is difficult to ask them to contribute their tax money for murder - though most...

The people who destroyed our economy, like CITI and Goldman Sachs, are now getting privileged access to HiNi vaccinations.  Hospitals go without, but not these jokers.  Huffington Post has more on this abomination.  While I think they were wrong, very...

On a pretty important issue the United States is on the side of the Vandals, Mongols, and Thugs.  Italy is on the side of civilization and the rule of law....

Wicca 101 class went very well the day after I returned from the Southwest - despite my having forgotten to make copies of  Tables of Correspondence, which was to be a big part of the intended lesson.  Since we had...

Matt Ygelsias over at Think Progress has posted an interesting, if confusingly colored, map showing what percentage of white men voted for Obama on a state by state basis.  He titles his headline "White Men Aren't Very Progressive."    His following...