I was responding to your musings on cherry-picking.

I like your grandparents.

You are very mistaken.

I dunno. I had an acquaintance who was a monsignor, and he was one of the most magnanimous people I ever knew. He was so inviting and hospitable. Not surprisingly, before he died, his parish was one of the most racially and economically diverse congregations in the region. I think congregations can have distinct…

I’m not Catholic, but I am a feminist Christian (and gay). My protestant church encourages me to have “a living encounter” with scripture. The discipline is not to keep each of the 613 commandments, but to learn to live in grace (which cannot be deserved or earned) and to learn to love more abundantly.

Just dropping in to say that I’m openly lesbian, feminist and Christian. Methodist, to be precise. The denominations are big tents, thank God.

I know lots of Protestant feminists. Several of them are ordained and actively leading congregations.

Actually, I think we agree that technique and hitting notes aren’t the only considerations when it comes to that which makes someone a standard bearer.

I like to think I coined the term “outrage machine.” But I probably didn’t.

I respectfully disagree.

True — this is hardly important. I just happen to think great singers can be measured in terms of talent and technique, which is a thing apart from taste in voices and vocal style. I like plenty of singers who have little raw talent and no real technique to speak of.

You know what? My dad liked Little Richard as a teenager and loves his music. But my dad’s music tastes have always been broader than my mother or my sister’s. My sister went to Texas &M and graduated listening to country. (I listen to country, bluegrass and shape note choral music, so I can’t disagree with their…

Here’s the disconnect: They love The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Motown. (And Hall & Oats, who could be accused of “blacking it up.”)

You could say I got my pound of flesh. My lesbian partner of 20 years is not white.

In the context of technique and raw ability, you are wrong. Entitled to your opinion, yes. But her abilities are absolutely on par with singers who perform at The Met.

Bill Maher once challenged one of the right wingers on his show when they were bitching about Destiny’s Child. Maher said something like: “Black folks can never win with you guys. They’re shiftless nogoodnicks who don’t want to work, or they’re Beyonce, who is ‘too sensual’ because of the way she sings ‘Independent…

Tangent: My wife and I love Bey. We were chatting about some spectacular vocals she provided live. My very conservative dad and sister pipe up with their disdain of Beyonce.

No you weren’t. You saw something in my comment and expanded on it. Which is how this comment thing works. I appreciated your point. Wasn’t giving you the stink-eye for saying it.

Now I realize you’re mostly referring to vindictiveness and not legitimate fear, but still.

I know some people use their children to work out unfinished business when relationships end. But I also know a couple of dads who live in the same town as their children and don’t see them once a month.