now that's awesome!

Remember the stink about Ellison (the first Muslim elected to Congress) opting to be sworn in on a Quran rather than the xtian Bible? Well, he's clearly not just an articulate and thoughtful person (judging by his track record) but also pretty damn savvy...

Ellison to be sworn in using Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson
by Fred Frommer, Associated Press, January 3, 2007

Washington D.C. — (AP) - Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, will use a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson during his ceremonial swearing-in Thursday.

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from minnesota public radio

spare the crutch and break the rod

In the past two months (or so), it seems like a lot of us on my flist have been hit with some heavy-duty changes, difficulties, and just plain wake-up points where we knew it was time to Do Something. Which is all well and good, but in some changes there's a definite stigma (whether we get it from outside and have accepted this, or fight against it), and rather than run around saying it elsewhere, I thought if I said it here, that might be better.

Let's take the most common (if equally one of the most debilitating) illnesses that can hit your brain: depression.

I've seen a lot of fussing about 'dependence' on taking a medication, reluctance to take it, and the usual (and I see this in myself) hope that eventually it will 'be fixed' and the medication can be ended. Depression may end, or just lighten, or come back full-throttle, but it's not like taking antibiotics to get over strep throat. First, that analogy only works if you had to go through anywhere from one to eight different types of antibiotics to find the one that works for your strep throat (if any), and second, if by having strep throat you increased your risk of having it again.

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