What a lovely returning gift–81 comments, most in verse!

I will likely be scarce for a little bit–my back is threatening to secede from the rest of my body. Driving is not natural for invertebrates, and I have done much driving and much sleeping on couches since you last heard from me, and I have not yet found the combination of heat, ice, narcotics, massage, or amputation to alleviate the pain.

I did find the perfect radio strategy for staying awake, though–I listen to Christian radio! I found out, from the Catholic Radio Network, that Protestants have chosen to ignore part of God’s word, and (from another network) that Catholics are not true believers. I heard a guy who spent several days sitting in Jesus’s lap, communing with God himself (he learned much more than he could tell us, but if we want to buy his book and CDs…); he prayed for us both in English and in spirit language, and healed a bunch of people over the radio. Not my back, though. It is very clear that there is no such thing as “Christianity” as a unitary category; the false front united against atheists is only visible a few times a year, during the War Against Christmas and whenever Michael Newdow goes to court. Other than that, it would appear that Christian sects fight like cats in a sack.

Oh, and Christian praise music has got to be the easiest way to earn a paycheck.

So there I am, listening to Christian radio, and I am kept fully awake by the steam coming out of my ears. Even better than political radio.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to walk the dogs, mow the grass, weed the garden, wash the car, prep my fall courses, and have my right shoulder surgically removed.