Greta Christina has been writing professionally since 1989, on topics including atheism, sexuality and sex-positivity, LGBT issues, politics, culture, and whatever crosses her mind. She is author of
The Way of the Heathen: Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life, of
Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God, of
Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why, of
Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless, and of
Bending: Dirty Kinky Stories About Pain, Power, Religion, Unicorns, & More, and is editor of
Paying For It: A Guide by Sex Workers for Their Clients. She has been a public speaker for many years, and many of her talks can be seen on YouTube. Her writing has appeared in multiple magazines and newspapers, including Ms., Penthouse, Chicago Sun-Times, On Our Backs, and Skeptical Inquirer, and numerous anthologies, including
Everything You Know About God Is Wrong and three volumes of
Best American Erotica. (Any views she expresses in this blog are solely hers, and do not necessarily represent this organizations.) She lives in San Francisco with her wife, Ingrid. You can email her at gretachristina (at) gmail (dot) com, or follow her on
Facebook.
That. Is. Adorable.
We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
Cause’ your friend don’t dance,
and if they don’t dance,
Well they’re no friends of mine. . .
Do they do that stick-bashing thing, too? I’m not coordinated enough to participate in the stick-bashing, either for my own safety or anyone else’s. Maybe if I was the only one with a stick, and moved waaaaay over there away from anyone else, or anything breakable (that someone didn’t actually want broken).
You married an ACCORDIAN PLAYER?! She must be pretty special, to love her despite such a glaring flaw of character.
(Just kidding. Mostly.)
I saw a Morris dance troupe from the Bay Area perform a few years ago at Folklife here in Seattle; can’t say if it was this group, but they were pretty good. For those of you who are interested, Berkeley Morris has a website.
Are they playing “Another One Rides the Bus” by Weird Al?
This is so nifty. Also, though it’s not the focus, I approve of any picture that involves a mandolin.
You really got a winner if you landed an accordion player.
And that’s when the mosh pit started forming…
Your Name’s not Bruce? @ #3: Yes. Yes, they do.
Shoutout to Bookshop Santa Cruz! That takes me back. 🙂
Best bumper sticker I ever saw:
“I PLAY THE ACCORDION AND I VOTE”
p.s. Greta, it looks like you got a keeper.
Well, yeah, you’ve gotta lock that down.
I didn’t realize that Ingrid played accordion. If M finds that out, you’re never gonna get rid of her. She played accordion before her stroke, and has developed quite the fetish for it.
And-twist-and-jump-and-hop-and-turn-and-kill…
You know the difference between and accordion and an onion?
No one cries when you cut up an accordion.
(I was told that joke by an accordion player…please don’t hate me…)
You all are cracking me right up. Especially Zinc Avenger.
To be pedantic for a moment, the instrument I play is called a melodeon (though some blasphemers refer to it as a “button accordion”).
And hey, the stick-bashing is the best part! And only occasionally dangerous.
@Zinc Avenger #13 – Ho! Ha ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust! *Thunk!*
I married an accordion player thirty three years ago and we’re deliriously happy together. Mine has a great smile, too.
Gregory in Seattle:
I love me some Daffy Duck.
I was going to say the same thing. We tend to refer to them here as a “Box”.
Is this the time and place to start a war on the validity of Women Morris Men? (Speaking as a former member of Plenty Morris (Mixed) and the Britannia Morris Men, both of Melbourne Australia)
Foot Up!
Tuppy Glossop, it just so happens that my Morris mentor wrote her Master’s thesis on the history of women dancing Morris. What her research showed is that wherever you find a record of Morris dancing, you will find that at least some women were dancing it.
Foot down!
Mama’s got a squeeze box! Daddy never sleeps at night!
@Ingrid – Has your side ever come to Seattle for Folklife (the big folk/world/everything festival on Memorial Day weekend)? Your costumes really do look familiar.
That’s so cool! I love watching the Morris dancers at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival every year.
If we’re doing accordion jokes, I’ve got one: You know the difference between an accordion and a trampoline? You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.
Gregory, not that I can recall. I’m trying to think what other sides from the Bay Area have gone recently.
Ah yes, but have you danced the Dark Morris?
*snerk*
Are the White Rats still active? (We miss you, Leigh Ann!)
That is awesome, Greta. I would wish for ALL couples to have the level of happiness and contentment that you and Ingrid have.
Eclectic, the Rats are still around, but not dancing as frequently as they used to.
Are you referring to the “Other” Morris?
You don’t call it a button accordion? I guess my dad, who’s been playing the damned thing since before I was a twinkle in mom’s eye, is a blasphemer then.
My contribution to the accordion jokes:
Q: What’s the best thing about accordions?
A: They come pre-scored for slicing.
SallyStrange, is your dad Irish, or does he play Irish tunes? I think they are more likely to call it a button accordion or button box.
Awesome kit!
I know an accordion joke too … I left an accordion in the boot of my car the other day and when I got back someone had broken in and left three more there.
But that is totally a melodeon, not an accordion. It’s not got a keyboard.
My dad plays in the New England tradition–plenty of Irish, yes, but mostly French Canadian. Actually, folks in this circle are likely to call them “accordions,” as distinct from “piano accordions.” I’ve never heard anyone call it a button box.
In Quebec a harmonica is called accordĂ©on Ă bouche–literally, “mouth accordion.”
Wonderful. Life gives us unlimited opportunities. Love gives us someone to share them with.