poignant

poignant - adj - Keenly distressing to the feelings; keen or strong in mental appeal; affecting or moving the emotions; pungent to the smell.

Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind. - Evan Esar (American Humorist 1899-1995)

Guilty.

parasol

parasol - n. - a lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade

Also, think Mary Poppins.

erastian

Erastian - n - One of the followers of Thomas Erastus, a German physician and theologian of the 16th century. He held that the punishment of all offenses should be referred to the civil power, and that holy communion was open to all. In the present day, an Erastian is one who would see the church placed entirely under the control of the State.

Sounds reasonable, right? Check out the battles over homosexual adoptions recently conducted by Catholic Charities in San Francisco (needless to say, they folded like a cheap suit) and the Catholic and Anglican churches in England. It seems these institutions, all of which handle adoptions, think that sending children home with "parents" who are in violation of Christian doctrine would be a sin. There are, however, laws against homophobia in Tony Bennet's beautiful city by the bay and Tony Blair's Cool Brittania.

On a personal note, I have had it. I realize that Good Old John - that clownish figure at the end of the aisle - is easy pickings for anybody who's having a rough day, but I've finally reached my limit. It's bad enough that my beloved civilization and the country whose history has fascinated me since I was five are dying, but I can no longer stand the Death of a Thousand Cuts that is my life at Hertz. Like Dostoevsky's famous servant, I am tempted to stand up and shout, "I too am a human being!" Realistically, though, I'm not - not really. I'm just a unit in a number that's reported to the EEOC on a regular basis. Do I serve any real purpose here? Would it make any difference if I spent my days reading scripture? Answers: No and Yes (reading scripture might bring me peace.)

Do I whine? No, I'm not whining. I'm absolutely furious. I have nothing left to give, not that anybody would want it in the first place.

Sorry about the vent, but I have to do it and I'm going to let it stand. The alternative is for me to hand in my notice and take my chances, but, having a wife and children as I do, that's not an option.

Look on the bright side: It may be a rant, but I used no obscenities and never blasphemed. You may also put out of your minds any notion that I'm going to grab a gun and start shooting. At most I'll make a furious entry on my personal blog.

One more thing: This is not open to discussion.