<b>Much Ado About the Lawn</b>
As a Greek Orthodox church prepared to plant a community garden earlier this month they were "shocked" to discover their 1-acre plot had been <a href="http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x362991935/Vandals-cut-satanic-symbol-into-grass-next-to-church">vandalized</a>. A pentagram had been cut into the lawn with a lawn mower. As far as vandalism goes, pretty harmless but boy what a <a href="http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-satanicsymbol-txt,0,3348096.story?track=rss">hullabaloo</a>. However, they will continue undaunted, as if a Pagan fertility symbol would daunt their efforts to plant a garden, and purify the land and carry on. Or I guess they could just mow the rest of the lawn...
<b>Archaeologists Ponder Old Stuff and New Old Stuff</b>
I am obsessed with Anthropology and Archaeology and I just love sites like Vesuvius. I had the opportunity to visit once and let me tell you, it cannot be described. You must go there. Unfortunately, a lot of what was there is no longer there. <a href="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25468053-12332,00.html?from=public_rss">As this article points out</a>, much of the site was stripped of anything valuable by collectors before the scientists got to it.
In other, perhaps less redundant Archaeology news, Archaeologists in Germany believe they have found the oldest man-made human figure. <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1688745/archeologists_find_oldest_representation_of_a_female_body/index.html?source=r_science">Of course she's a woman</a>.
<b>Obama, Sex, Babies and Catholics</b>
Has pragmatism really come to Washington? Obama has done stuff I don't like, and stuff I like. I am not dancing with joy over his budget (I don't know that he is either) but I am glad that it seeks to end annoying and harmful programs like <a href="http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/05/07/the-end-of-abstinence-only/?xid=rss-topstories">abstinence only sex education</a>.
In related news, his invitation to deliver the commencement speech at Notre Dame <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/437/story/1200827.html">sent the Catholic pro-Life folks into a tizzy</a> leading them to decide it was appropriate to interfere with one of the great milestones in the lives of thousands of students to show off pictures of aborted fetuses and otherwise display their complete lack of respect for everyone present. I'm all about free speech. But there is a time and a place. But I also get that I don't get it. R<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/17/obama-notre-dame-speech-f_n_204387.html">ead his speech</a> and see where he stands on the issue (he thinks we need to focus on preventing abortions.)
<b>Various Freedom of Religion Ruckuses (Ruckusi?)</b>
Dorchester County Council in South Carolina <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/may/05/religion_causes_ruckus81080/">had a disagreement</a> over whether to characterize America as a Christian Nation.
Meanwhile, an Ohio school board has been notified that it should lay off the <a href="http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20090519/NEWS01/905190304/1002/rss01">prayers in its graduation ceremonies</a>. Wow. So much graduation drama.
<b>Faith and Healing</b>
<a href="http://www.wickedlocal.com/falmouth/news/x407214895/Falmouth-girl-recovering-from-cancer-helps-others">Here's a heartwarming story</a> about a young cancer survivor and her family who is working to bring healing to others. Why am I including this in a Pagan blog? Because they happen to be Wiccan and use energetic and holistic healing methods.
<b>Gay Pagans?</b>
A Q&A column out of Jacksonville, Florida asks the question, "Do Pagans think it's Okay to be Gay?" <a href="http://www.jacksonville.com/lifestyles/columnists/phillip_milano/2009-05-20/story/dare_to_ask_do_pagans_say_its_ok_to_be_gay">See what people had to say about it</a>. I was down with pretty much all of it until M. Macha Nightmare started rambling about the Law of 3-Fold Return, which a good chuck of us (Pagans) completely reject as being foolishness (one-fold I can see, threefold makes no logical sense.) and doesn't relate to the question anyway.
What do you think about these stories? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these and your input on more I haven't found.
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