Non Fluffy Wicca

United States: A Wiccan family is looking for a new home to escape persecution by some charming, intelligent neighbours:

We have been harassed and tormented by a misconception. Until somebody bigoted faces criminal charges, I don't think it's going to stop, Wiccan shop owner Margie Allen said.

Allen and her daughters practice Wicca. They owned a small store in Kingsland. Allen says their problem started when unwelcome visitors targeted the store last year.

It was a big commotion, started yelling, 'Satanism, Satanism.' There were four or five of them all together. One was doing the yelling. Trying to get them to stop so I could explain, Allen said.

Wiccans Looking For A Safe Home - KXAN, 23rd February 2004.

Posted by mikki at 12:13 PM | Permalink

For the first time that I know of, a President of the United States has proposed amending the Constitution of our nation in order to take away rights from a segment of our society. While trying to give non citizens who are ILLEGALLY in the United States, the right to work here and obtain benefits, he simultaneously attempts to prohibit American citizens from the fundamental right of choosing their own partners to marry. And, of course, one of the reasons he gives for this is religion.

The irony of changing the Constitution - a document that ensures that the minority will not be trampled by the majority, and a document that prohibits the establishment of a state religion to prohibit rights in the name of religion, should not be lost. We must tell him so by voting him out of office.

Posted by mikki at 11:10 AM | Permalink

For anyone who knew her, Shiro the Umbrella Cockatoo, was a funny and fantastic friend. Intelligent, mischievous, and full of life, Shiro was my little bird who we gave to Doug Humphrey and became the mascot of Digex, which he co-founded. Shiro was loved by just about everyone, as only a cockatoo can be.

Shiro died this morning when a housekeeper used a teflon pan on high heat. As bird owners know, the fumes given off by non stick cookware are toxic to birds. Doug didn't have any in his house, and neither do I. The housekeeper brought her own pan it seems, with tragic results.

Shiro died in Doug's arms on the way to the vet. She was about 15 years old.

She will be sorely missed. Doug talks more about Shiro here .

Posted by mikki at 02:34 PM | Permalink

I personally HATE html'ized email. It causes havoc to many email programs, sends tons of unnecessary programming stuff, and can be dangerous. While many feel that sending email with cute little pictures, music, etc. adds something to an email, it drives many people to delete first and ask questions later. Attempting to explain this, and to explain how to turn html off in certain email programs has been problematic. However, a wonderful new website does it VERY well.

If you'd like to get rid of that horrid html'ized email from your in box, or to refrain from sending it, use this wonderful handy link.

Posted by mikki at 02:15 PM | Permalink

Israel: Nobody likes being badgered by a happy, shiny, vacant god-bother with a conversion quota to fill. That includes the Israeli Tourism Minister, who suggested that the current flock of evangelical missionaries bugger off and harass the Moslems instead.

[Tourism Minister Benny] Elon told the Christians that Israel would not accept any missionary attempts to convert Jews, but suggested they turn their attention to Muslim militants in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

Go to mosques and bring the light to the Muslims. Remind all the Muslim killers that thou shall not kill. Make them good Christians and good people, Elon was quoted as saying in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

Rotenberg confirmed the minister's comments, but said Elon was referring only to Muslims who preach to kill.

Posted by mikki at 07:42 AM | Permalink

How would you feel if the person entrusted with the safety of all "souls" on board an airline flight, announced that you were crazy if you weren't a Christian?

CNN reported today that an American Airlines pilot asked all Christians to identify themselves, and if you aren't Christian, you're crazy.

The story reports that nobody raised their hands.

Passengers were told to use their 4 1/2 hour flight "wisely" or just "sit back and watch the movie."

Apparently, passengers were so nervous after this, that they grabbed their cell phones, and the in flight phones to call loved ones, because they didn't know if this meant that their pilot was going to plow the airplane into a building or something.

What a way to raise the comfort level of passengers who are likely already a bit more nervous now than pre 9/11 about taking an airline flight. No captive audience should be put through that type of non-consensual nonsense. I wonder how the non-Christians felt on that flight.

Keep this in mind when you choose your airline carrier.

Posted by mikki at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We should all light candles for Carlie Brucia, in hopes she finds peace after her horrible murder in Sarasota, Florida. This strikes especially home for those of us who have children in that age group. We must unfortunately educate our children to be suspicious and distrustful of "strangers" regardless of what type of story they might tell in hopes of leading them away.

May she and her family find peace and may justice be done.

Posted by mikki at 09:14 AM | Permalink

Guess I'm not the only one who has to deal with comment spam. Oh joy, oh rapture

What a sad situation Mel Gibson is in. Sensible Christians and Jewish organisations have condemned your new (barking mad fundie) movie. Even God doesn't like it and keeps trying to bump off the crew. Only that senile old nutter, the Pope, seems to like it. What is a superstitious idiot to do? Well, he need not worry, because the noble, upstanding comment spammers are on his side and spamming LiveJournals with gruesome images from his œuvre.

Posted by mikki at 09:39 AM | Permalink