the pants command me!

Thursday, Jun. 03, 2004 @ 4:41 p.m.

Pet peeve of the day:

People who say that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute.

She was not a prostitute, you bunch of twats! Have you actually read the Bible?!

You may be surprised that I’m bothered by that, seeing as how I’m an atheist and all. But I like history and mythology and it bugs me when it gets screwed up. Much as I loved Xena: Warrior Princess, I used to frequently choke with rage at the casual butchering of Greek mythology that they routinely engaged in on that show. It was even worse when they went to India. I mean, Greek mythology, okay, no one but college professors and nerds like me are going to care. But there’s like 20 million Hindus in the world, so maybe you should tread a bit more lightly? Strive for some accuracy??

Anyway, back to Mary: Most of the confusion comes from the fact that Mary Magdalene is first mentioned immediately after the story of the sinning woman (who is never identified as a prostitute) who washes Jesus’ feet, but this woman isn’t Mary Magdalene. Nor was she the woman who Jesus saved from being stoned.

According to most educated sources, Mary Magdalene almost certainly came from a wealthy, land-owning, upper-class Jewish family. In the middle ages Christian dogma began to teach that these weren’t 3 separate women, but there’s absolutely nothing in the text to indicate so. It was easier to think of Mary as a repentant sinner than as a strong, independent-minded woman who walked away from her cushy life to help Jesus spread his message.

So give Mary her due! Don’t refer to her as a prostitute!

Thursday, Jun. 03, 2004 @ 2:25 p.m.

I got the cross-stitches from Mom a few days ago, but I haven’t got the Zapp’s yet. I don’t know why she didn’t just send them together.

She had said that Madeleine said the design was too hard for her, and she’s been cross-stitching longer than I’ve been alive, so I was expecting something really insane. The chart is pretty ghetto, it’s some regional brand I never heard of and it’s like a poor quality Xerox of something hand-drawn, but I don’t think it’s necessarily complicated. It’s big, though. I think Madeleine was just being lazy!

Anyway, it’s a picture of a heron on a lakeshore and Mom says it’s just like the view from their backyard.

She also sent me a design she thought I’d like for myself. It’s of a ceramic coffee pitcher, creamer, sugar bowl, and a plate of beignets. Hee. Mom knows me pretty well.

Thursday, Jun. 03, 2004 @ 11:57 a.m.

Adding another book to my summer reading list:

A Chance Meeting: Intertwined Lives of American Writers and Artists, 1854-1967, by Rachel Cohen.

My brother recommended this to me a while back, and he's never been wrong before. The Barbary Plague, The Devil in the White City, and The Perfect Storm were all David-endorsed, and I enjoyed them all.

Plus I was a little light on the non-fiction anyway.

I'm also thinking of re-reading The Tale of Genji, but that's so long that I might wait until fall instead of adding it to the summer list.

Again, feel free to make suggestions.

Thursday, Jun. 03, 2004 @ 10:22 a.m.

The Thursday Threesome: "When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do." - Walt Disney

Onesome: When you're curious- Is there a specific subject you're especially curious about? A person? A region of the world? An animal? A field of study? Oh, so many things!

I'm curious about all different kinds of history, I like finding out why certain things happened and not something entirely different. I love reading about the small things that changed the world (like how cod fueled the exploration of the new world and the American Revolution).

I'm curious about other cultures, the foods they eat, the clothes they wear, their religion. I especially admire the Heian era of Japan (around 1000 CE) and like reading the literature of the time because it goes into such detail about everyday life.

I'm curious about science, especially astronomy and space exploration. I have space.com and NASA's website bookmarked and check them at least a couple of times a week. At the moment I am especially curious about the Cassini-Huygens mission to the Saturn system.

I'm curious about current events and politics. I have no patience with apathetic people who don't even know what's going on around them. Every day history is being made, and most people just ignore it.

I swear I haven't been bored in more than a decade, because I never run out of things that interest me.

Twosome: you find lots of interesting- What do you consider your most interesting trait/ feature? Physically I would say my hair, which is very thick, glossy, and smooth and a beautiful red-brown color. Personality-wise, I would say my intelligence. Bring up any subject and I could have a conversation with you about it. It makes it very easy to meet people and talk to them. And it's fun at parties!

Threesome: things to do- What's on your list of things to do everyday, whether you want to or not? Filing, phone calls, homework, chasing around after kiddos, cooking, cleaning, etc. A lot of stuff, because I need routine to function or I get all discomboobled.

I shower every day, and that always includes washing my hair and shaving my legs. I always play with Junebug in the evenings, when she's most active. I drink coffee. I eat fruit. I make the futon. I try to do at least one square of whatever cross-stitch I am working on and read one chapter in whichever book I am reading.

frozen + fresh