(no subject)

Sometimes I worry that I might be a bad person. Then I read stuff like this and can sleep the sleep of the righteous knowing that whatever I do or say, I can't sink that low. (Thanks to ginmar and feministing.com for the link.)

Viaticum

Even though I've been teaching English for a couple of decades now, I still get to learn new words, and my word for today, this being the feast of St. Barbara, is "viaticum". I thought it sounded like one of those invented elements; e.g. the element that is to the Vatican what kryptonite is to Krypton, or maybe the active element in Viagra. But no, it is the eucharist given to those close to death.