Elessar78

I'll speak for myself as someone who has loosely identified as "Catholic" as an adult—not sure what to think: Is The Message wrong because the messengers have been flawed? I say loosely because I was raised non-demoninational Protestant (through my dad) until ~age 12. We dabbled in Southern Baptist and Methodist through my teen years. After my parents got divorced, my mom went back to the Catholic church (she was raised Catholic and is now a practicing Catholic). I made a decision in college to go to Catholic mass. I still see myself as mostly non-denominational Christian, because we all worship the same God (as Judaism and Islam too, in fact). The differences are mainly temporal and human. The main rules apply: respect God, be kind to others, don't screw anyone over, help those in need (pretty much true for the 3 monotheistic religions)

^^^Background info: This IS why zoony hates Olive Garden

NYT: Gay Priests speak out https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/17/us/it-is-not-a-closet-it-is-a-cage-gay-catholic-priests-speak-out.html Fewer than about 10 priests in the United States have dared to come out publicly. But gay men likely make up at least 30 to 40 percent of the American Catholic clergy, according to dozens of estimates from gay priests themselves and researchers. Some priests say the number is closer to 75 percent. One priest in Wisconsin said he assumed every priest is gay unless he knows for a fact he is not. A priest in Florida put it this way: “A third are gay, a third are straight, and a third don’t know what the hell they are.”

Sadly don’t know. I’d like to think he was only a victim but that’s weird in itself. I don’t think it’s the ignored witness variety. he had a long term girlfriend after he left the seminary, so there’s that. Means something and nothing at the same time.

To tie in... learned today that wife’s cousin was a seminarian in DC. He was very devout and wanted to be a priest since he was a kid. He left the seminary abruptly a few years ago. Word is that it’s related to all this. Crazy.

Probably true. Anecdotally, men I've worked with aren't much better. People in sales usually are, but the engineers are numbnuts about compensation negotiations. I don't think pay inequity is a conscious thing. I do think employers need to actively check against subconscious low-ball offers to female candidates. Also, I wonder--do female HR/compensation personnel offer more or less for female candidates?

****. I just looked at the list of inmates. Al Qaeda/ISIS and the cartels could team up and get a bunch of their guys out. Also Peterson air base is right there, they could scramble jets to catch any chopper. Unless, the chopper was a diversion and El Chapo was getting away in an uber or the world's longest tunnel to Mexico.

We should ask Doc's coworker. He got snuggled out last night.

Chew, El Chapo is headed for you. Not that I want anyone to get hurt, but it'd be Hollywood **** for the Cartel(s) to try and break El Chapo out of Supermax.

Our boy is going to become a man tonight!!! Flowers for Valentine’s is super cliche and unimaginative for a made up Holiday. I just see suckers everywhere every Holiday.

Refunds are 9% lower than they were last year, so far. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/02/14/irs-says-average-tax-refund-is-down-percent-so-far-this-year/?utm_term=.73b602580e1d

I've seen the stat that refunds are down 9% so far this year. I haven't seen/found a stat of what how much everyone's effective tax rate has risen/gone down.

Hot Fuzz is one of the best comedies ever.