Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford? (Why do I think that Sarah Palin could do a mean Joan Crawford impression?)

That's one John Waters that I haven't seen, I'm ashamed to say. But I would vote for JW for just about any public office, believe me. The man is a quality universe unto himself.

It's dangerous to use pop references sometimes - I'm always making mistakes as such, finding out that the quote I so cleverly interpolated was different than I remembered. Thank god for google. But what I really need on Salon is spell-chack.

Ah John Waters, the humane of the humane. I know it's late Waters, but I will never be able to erase the memory of Pecker's grandma's statue -

"Full of grace. Full of grace."

on the Simpsons was one of the best prime-time advertisements ever of the glories and generosity of being gay.

So what happened? Did you marry him anyway, purple hair and all?

Can anyone think of a solid right-winger who embodies the qualities Timothy just listed for John Waters? There's got to be a few.

Timothy - the Clash ruled. I moved to L.A. just as American punk/new-ish wave was breaking - saw Black Flag, X, The Suburban Lawns (with Sue Tissue singing, "Oh my janitor, oh my genitals"), the GoGos. What was the San Francisco band with the large, beautiful, heavy-set woman singing lead?

That's it - thanks. Were you in SF during the 70's-80's?

Isn't it wonderful that Catholics will marry anyone? I mean, we're serious outreach types, historically and psychically speaking.

That sounds lovely. Before we lose you - let's try this again next Friday evening, maybe we can get Joan too. It's really nice getting to talk to all of you, and meeting people whose posts I admire.

As E.M. Forster wrote, "Only connect."

"I've got a six-pack and nothing to do, I've got a six-pack and I don't need YOU!"

I'm dying, that's the best song lyric I've ever heard!! You have made my day!

Catholic don't think so much about different religions - we're "Catholic", in all its senses. It comes I think from being the dominant western religion for so long. I suspect the Church still doesn't realize it doesn't control the upper part of the western hemisphere. Catholics are generally a lot of fun, cause we can party and repent on a weekly basis. Efficient system when you think about it.

The best American films for me were done up to the eighties (sorry guys). I greatly admire Spielberg but he's generally credited with being one of the main reasons that blockbusters have muscled out almost anything else as a viable money-maker. There are still lots of good independent films, but in the 60's and 60's you didn't have to search for them - they just appeared on every screen, and everyone was taking about them.

Midnight Cowboy is a case in point. It was heartfelt, challenging, pushed some envelopes and was a big success. That doesn't happen so much any more, unfortunately, thanks to the inflated expectations of the marketplace.

spell-chack!!

Their last recourse is "leap of faith". Of course you can do that in any religion, so it kind of undermines the argument. But it is THE closing line, and I just wish I could use it more often!. Glad you got you own back. I think it's pretty hard to be a Catholic over the age of 12-13 and NOT be ambivalent. I just miss the Latin - you could think about anything cause there was this beautiful bubble of sound cushioning you from any real religious messages. Except - damn, that incense is cool.

D'accord! It was ever thus. And don't forget the greatest cinema verite drug song, Heroin by the Velvet Underground. "And I guess that I just don't know."

Except for New Orleans (an only part of it) much of Louisiana is the same as you say Idaho is (although the food might be a tad better). My folks are still there and I go back often, may be even moving there. It's a real change from California, but I know that if I can influence anyone even slightly to question the lock-step of Fox News and Rush, I've done a good deed for the day.

Another way is to give up abstinence. You can slide that by almost anyone.

New Orleans food - don't get anyone from there started. But you can eat very well without shellfish. Chorizo is kind of a substitute for various Cajun hot sausages. Creoles use Boudin, which is milder, more subtle. Difference between Creole and Cajun, in case anyone asks, is Creole is city food, Cajun is country. But they mix in terms of ingredients and cooking techniques. New Orleans is French, Spanish, African, German, Italian, Irish, and now Vietnamese and Central American. Also a small Filipino population, descended from sailors who jumped ship at the mouth of the Mississippi in the 60's. And Indian, both East and West. Now I'm all hungry again.

Episcopal is the American arm of Anglican isn't it? And Anglican is basically the English Catholic Church after Henry VIII had to leave the Roman Catholic Church to get remarried. So there isn't much of a dogma difference, as opposed to Protestantism, which was a clean break. Is that correct?

Interesting about the Virgin Mary, didn't know that. But who could blame Henry for not wanting to listen to the Pope?! BTW, we've had good popes and bad ones, but the current one is worst. pope. ever. Uselessly dogmatic, seriously disconnected, arrogant and divisive. And that's just his wardrobe.