Wikipedia informs us that thanks to the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day in 1582 does not exist in the history of Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Seeing that reminded me of how looking for something else at Snopes.com, I learned of the internet rumor that NASA found a lost day in time… The former lost day is of course simply the product of ordering a calendar. The later a pitch for biblical literalism. Lost days are interesting things.... Read more

Okay, I liked what I saw of the new PBS God in America series… What I didn’t like was what I didn’t see… What they showed was well researched and interesting. But it didn’t show the range of American religion and in fact gave an ultimately false view of American religious history. For instance, the foundations of the Republic are found in the Enlightenment, deism, and the foment that birthed American Unitarianism. Except for a reference to the watchmaker’s god... Read more

The great singer, not the Zen teacher… A pure voice. A loss… Read more

Ed Wood was born on this day in 1924. Arguably the worst filmmaker ever, his memory should be honored among those glorious failures, who most of us are more closely related to than the great and famous… Read more

John Lennon should have turned seventy today… Should have Could have Would have So, it is for all of us… Read more

The Nobel prize for Peace goes to Chinese dissident and democracy activist Liu Xiaobo who currently languishes in prison for that work. The text of the citation from Norway, published at the Washington Post: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2010 to Liu Xiaobo for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace.... Read more

NPR had a great segment on Woody Guthrie’s beautiful “This Land is Your Land…” “America’s national anthem that we actually know the words to…” How rich it is and how complex, I was unaware of how it has been used by some to exclude rather than to include… Hard not think of the human condition… What a piece of work is man… What a piece of work is woman… We humans, so near the angels, and so close to the... Read more

In talking with people from our congregation I’m deeply impressed how so many have embraced a strong public stance in favor of the BGLTQ community, and in particular the drive for marriage equality in the lovely little state of Rhode Island. And every once in a while someone does ask if we’re on our way to being a gay church? My quick response is “I certainly hope so.” It is a bit glib. Of course. I would like us to... Read more

On this day in 1877 Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce surrender in the face of General Miles’ army… Read more

Some days are more important than others… Read more