What's everyone up to right now?

[Jello]

I just got ID'd trying to buy paracetamol.

I think New Year's Day should be the one day a year where they can let you buy paracetamol without an ID

[Crossless2.0]

Talk about ambivalence!

My wife, who was adopted into a family in which the father was a secular Jew and the mother a Pentecostal Christian, has been watching a lot of the local Catholic channel on TV these past several months and has come to the conclusion that she wants to check out Catholicism. I don't know how serious she is or how well it's going to "take" if she does dig into it since she has rather Protestant ideas about the Eucharist, to take but one example. But what the hell.

In an effort to be supportive of her, I was the one who suggested attending a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (to her surprised delight), and we went. Prior to the service, I was walking her through what to expect, since it was the first Catholic Mass she had attended in person. She was blown away that I knew the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds ("I thought you were an atheist!" -- lol). She didn't know how to cross herself properly, had never genuflected, etc. -- so the atheist had to show her that, too.

Since I'm a glutton for punishment and am morbidly fascinated by the thought of this Orange County Crystal Cathedral cafeteria Christian who has never read the Bible possibly converting to Catholicism, I also suggested that I would attend this morning's Mass with her if she wanted to go. She was beside herself with happiness at the prospect but then pulled the plug on me this morning because she isn't feeling well (no, it's not the New Year's "flu" but rather Xanax withdrawal). So there I was all dressed up and nowhere to go, so I decided, "Fuck it, maybe I can get some information for her," and went there myself. I didn't stay for the service but did pace around the grounds until I saw an elderly priest making his way to the entrance. I button-holed him, explained my wife's situation, made sure he know where I was coming from, and ended up sitting with him alone for about 20 minutes for a nice chat while he ran down for me what the process might look like if my wife decides to acquaint herself with Catholicism prior to taking actual steps to conversion.

Yes, I am happy to support her in her quest, though obviously I look askance at the particular path she is on. So, yeah, ambivalent. I don't plan to make a habit of going to church with her, but it seems like a small sacrifice in the short term. I'm really in this to help her find a way out of her addiction, and if that means substituting one "drug" for another, then so be it.

That's what I've been up to this morning.

[Angrboda]

Watching the Bears / Vikings game. So far we're winning.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

[Joods]

Talk about ambivalence!

My wife, who was adopted into a family in which the father was a secular Jew and the mother a Pentecostal Christian, has been watching a lot of the local Catholic channel on TV these past several months and has come to the conclusion that she wants to check out Catholicism. I don't know how serious she is or how well it's going to "take" if she does dig into it since she has rather Protestant ideas about the Eucharist, to take but one example. But what the hell.

In an effort to be supportive of her, I was the one who suggested attending a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (to her surprised delight), and we went. Prior to the service, I was walking her through what to expect, since it was the first Catholic Mass she had attended in person. She was blown away that I knew the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds ("I thought you were an atheist!" -- lol). She didn't know how to cross herself properly, had never genuflected, etc. -- so the atheist had to show her that, too.

Since I'm a glutton for punishment and am morbidly fascinated by the thought of this Orange County Crystal Cathedral cafeteria Christian who has never read the Bible possibly converting to Catholicism, I also suggested that I would attend this morning's Mass with her if she wanted to go. She was beside herself with happiness at the prospect but then pulled the plug on me this morning because she isn't feeling well (no, it's not the New Year's "flu" but rather Xanax withdrawal). So there I was all dressed up and nowhere to go, so I decided, "Fuck it, maybe I can get some information for her," and went there myself. I didn't stay for the service but did pace around the grounds until I saw an elderly priest making his way to the entrance. I button-holed him, explained my wife's situation, made sure he know where I was coming from, and ended up sitting with him alone for about 20 minutes for a nice chat while he ran down for me what the process might look like if my wife decides to acquaint herself with Catholicism prior to taking actual steps to conversion.

Yes, I am happy to support her in her quest, though obviously I look askance at the particular path she is on. So, yeah, ambivalent. I don't plan to make a habit of going to church with her, but it seems like a small sacrifice in the short term. I'm really in this to help her find a way out of her addiction, and if that means substituting one "drug" for another, then so be it.

That's what I've been up to this morning.

I have to commend you for your efforts in wanting to help your wife. This is the thing that religious people don't see about atheists. All some religiousfolkss want to see is how evil and misguided they think we are.

Not all religious people think this way, of course, but many do.

[Autumnlicious]

I have an uncle who used to be an alcoholic. He drank, raged and assaulted his loved ones.

Then he found "God" and replaced one addiction with another.

What did that result in?

His daughters were pulled out of school and repurposed to be only wives for the church. My uncle and aunt were educated yet they denied that for their progeny. One of his daughters suffered a breakdown from postpartum depression and a toxic husband - her treatment consisted of the church telling her to wait it out and resume being a good wife.

Be mighty careful of replacing addictions. He has a strong addiction, so it manifests in harmful practices that culminated in the intellectual and cultural sabotage of his kids.

You don't simply displace the bad parts of an addiction - it only transforms.

[Angrboda]

Watching the Packers and Lions football game. Go Lions!

[Astreja]

Embroidering, and despairing of ever clearing up the mess on my desk.  There are skeins and loose pieces of red, black, white and grey embroidery floss in and around the laser printer, and a total hodgepodge of other items, including:

• Pair of glasses
  
• Digital SLR camera
  
• Metronome
  
• Emergency flashlight
  
• 3 bright yellow tennis balls
  
• USB key
  
• USB cable
  
• 2 pairs of scissors
  
• Coffee cup full of assorted items, including a carpet knife and a clarinet-oiling swab
  
• Empty teacup
  

Send help.

Or a big-ass wastebasket.

[Crossless2.0]

I have an uncle who used to be an alcoholic. He drank, raged and assaulted his loved ones.

Then he found "God" and replaced one addiction with another.

What did that result in?

His daughters were pulled out of school and repurposed to be only wives for the church. My uncle and aunt were educated yet they denied that for their progeny. One of his daughters suffered a breakdown from postpartum depression and a toxic husband - her treatment consisted of the church telling her to wait it out and resume being a good wife.

Be mighty careful of replacing addictions. He has a strong addiction, so it manifests in harmful practices that culminated in the intellectual and cultural sabotage of his kids.

You don't simply displace the bad parts of an addiction - it only transforms.

Your point is well taken. But she's already a theist so it's not as though she'd be picking up something new -- just changing jerseys. If an imaginary friend and a regimen of prayer or meditation is what it takes for her to get off the addictions likely to kill her, then I'll take it.

Besides, our "kids" are two dogs who can't be pulled out of school or intellectually and culturally sabotaged. And they'd make awful wives for the church unless the church wants to relieve me of my duty of picking up their shit every day.

[Regina]

baked discussions with the bestie

"Why is Europe... 'Europe'? Yknow... not 'Western Asia'? ".