(no subject)

Stolen Borrowed from hadesgirl, jlsjlsjls, timcharmorbien and likely others:

( one of these things is not like the others )

Had a fantastic time fencing last night! Somehow it all came together - I didn't win every bout but did substantially better than I have in the past against some very difficult opponents. Note to self: constant footwork up and down the strip really throws off the other guy - sweet :)

However, all this scrabbling about like a fiddler crab has left me with very sore legs, and though it helped at the time probably hasn't helped my back in the long run :/ Think I'm going to lay down with an ice pack.

I finished "The Watchmen", and I do think it's one I'm going to have to return to some time in the future. Surprise ending, and so many multiple threads, references, and self-references that I don't think it can all be taken in in one sitting.

I managed to get into one of my "normal-sized" pairs of jeans today - still a bit snug, but I wasn't in fear that they'd split up the back seam when I sat down! Must continue behaving, because it seems to be working :)

news of the weird (?): Clubbing for Jesus

I couldn't make this up: "I thought I would have to be single forever and live in Africa and wear unflattering tops. I was totally not up for it." (spring for the free day pass - you'll want to).

I'm not surprised that "evangelical raving" came out of Europe; electronic music is more "mainstream" there so perhaps the idea isn't as radical as it would be here (U.S.). As it is, most fundie kids I knew growing up were much too uptight to do something as hedonistic as dance all night, let alone nice enough to spend the evening handing out fruit to passers by, so their willingness to stay up late and get on down represents a favorable evolution, IMHO!

Reading this article, I'm not sure what to think. If the quotes in the article are representative, these kids (I shouldn't say that - most are in their early-mid twenties, technically not children by any country's legal standard) aren't cynically trying to gain converts, they're really earnest and I find it sweet, in an eerie, zealously wide-eyed sort of way.

I do question the ethics/effectiveness of preaching to the tweaked: I can't help but think it's unfair to press someone high as a kite into religious conversion (espeically when they'd happily find a bit of heaven inside their own skull, if left to their own devices).

Givng away free fruit and candy is nice - hell, my friends and I used to do that many moons ago when I was a raver - but we did it because we liked to, not as the opening pitch to try and save someone's soul. The idea that someone is only being nice to me in order to gently shove their views down my throat is frankly offensive. Besides, to me the whole "rave ethic" was one of tolerance and respect, not interference/attempted manipulation in your fellows' personal beliefs.

Putting this in my gray box for now. An interesting development in both the raving/clubbing population and in evangelical Christianity, at any rate.