Travels with a Donkey

Claire and I are reading through a book, with the title in the subject above, by Robert Louis Stevenson. There are many gems in this book-- tonight we came across this one about how Scottish churches raise money to evangelize French Roman Catholics and French Roman Catholics raise money to evangelize the Scots:

"Thus, to the high entertainment of the angels, do we pelt one another with evangelists like schoolboys bickering in the snow."

Hopefully this isn't a "you had to be there" kind of thing.

Technique

Here's a technique for dealing with opposition that I heard from a prominent radio personality:

Step 1: When someone ("Lib" according to the source) says something that you find laughable or frustrating, laugh and ask them if they are serious.
Step 2: Once, they are clearly ready to seriously defend what you were laughing at, begin a substantive discussion in the "power position." You get to ask questions, steer the discussion, and generally be in charge.

Sound simple and effective. Is it ethical?

Dishes and Fishes

I realized a couple things recently-- that I like to wash dishes, and that washing dishes is like gutting fish.