They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom for trying to change the system from within

[thorne_scratch]

Sneaking in a quick link post because the links are timely. You may have heard something about health care recently!

Comments

[thorne_scratch]

No worries. Just the fact you got to see how another country operates through your friends there is at least another perspective on the issue. I like pumping Flidget about the health care system in the UK. (Hers sounds pretty cool, though we both agreed that the upside of the US health care system is that we have the cough syrup that can get you higher than a kite, plus sundry other drugs with fun side-effects. Still, Canada seems to be at the top of the list in terms of Places You Should Be If You Intend To Get Hit By A Car Or Something.)

Twelve straight years of private Catholic education has left at least the basic dogma entrenched in my brain, though I admit, my lingering loyalty to Catholicism is mostly because we're a religion that's into a lot of shiny bling and rituals. I am fond of the pope in the abstract-not so much the actual dude, who has done or condoned some things I consider to be pretty bad. And he condemns things I do not, so… it is pretty much a relationship where I inflict my own fanon. Does the pope count as a fandom?

MARU! :D "I Am Maru" is pretty much my favorite blog ever. I can waste hours watching that cat do nothing more than parade around with a bag on his head. He is one of my life's joys. There was even fic about him in this year's Yuletide.

[iapetusneume]

Well, that and I had a lot of political conversations with total strangers. I was an American and this was a novelty, so they wanted the "inside scoop" on what people thought. Most common question I got asked (after "where are you from?") was "What do Americans think of Obama?"

But I digress.

Yeah, the papacy's history is a bit of a mixed bag (to which I hear Dante beyond the grave go, "no duh). And I think you can totally make the Pope a fandom. There's shiny bling, rituals, the popemobile, crazy hats...

My brother found that video a few days ago, and he was like: "...omg, Becky, you must see this." And wow, he even has a fic? This is one cool cat!

[thorne_scratch]

Really? Cool. What did you tell them? (When I was in Italy, I got asked, "What do you think of Bush? Did you vote for him?" like, ten times. Though the most common thing the Czechs asked while they were here tended to be "can I take a picture of that, or will the security guards get angry?" or "what does [American slang, often vulgar] mean?" Good times for all.)

The hats are a major draw. I often think about establishing a hat-based religion.

Seriously, it is the best blog ever. After you browse around it a little, you'll have the full benefit of the story.