The Catholic Church downtown here isn't much like my church in Chicago...

If you looked around at the parishioners in my Chicago neighborhood, you'd notice that we're not the fanciest bunch. Where I come from, the answer to the question "WWJD?" is clearly, "wear sandals everywhere, grow a long beard, and drink lots of wine." Most of the men at my church look like they're participating in a Bill Belichick look-a-like contest.



It's kind of a place where you come as you are...and I'm not sure that there's anything wrong with that.

The church here is markedly different. A lot of the people are fairly well-to-do, and some of the ladies look like they're going straight to Ascot after the service...


I felt naked without a hat.

None of that really has any point except to say this...

last week when I went to church with me mum (she was in town), there was a little girl (probably about 9 years old) sitting in front of us. She had a cute little purple charm bracelet with several trinkets on it...including...The Little Mermaid, Spongebob Squarepants, and THE REPUBLICAN ELEPHANT SYMBOL.

Hello!? I'm all for encouraging children to get excited about the democratic process (it's awesome to learn those things and plant seeds of responsible citizenship)...but to encourage them to make party affiliations? That's just creepy.

Or maybe she just likes Young Republicans for the same reason I did...

they attract the cutest boys.