Albie -- I love this column on Eugene Kemple. I like it because you make me sound smart, but that's entirely secondary. That's way beside the point.

I love your heart in this column. You're obviously deeply touched by ol' Eugene. Alas, there should be more people like him. Or maybe they're out there and I just haven't met them yet.

I think your writing skills improve, improve, improve all the time. I love how you express yourself. Second graph though "my brother and me". Not I. Kiss kiss.

I can write about trapping in Illinois and things technical and wildlifey, but you really have a personable and conversational way of expressing yourself. You even make complex or imminently boring politics (YAWN) sound interesting when you write about it.

You say stuff other people just are afraid to face, or if they've faced it, won't say out loud. Or if you think people won't agree, you speak your mind anyway. And you take a chance and show heart all the time.

I think that's courageous. And any of it would have gotten you hung by piano wire in Nazi Germany, much less by Mac Diva at Blogcritics.

Oops, I guess I shouldn't say that.

Anyway, this column is conversational and wonderful and sweet and imminently readable, with a great conclusion.

And I still wonder about that damned rainbow issue. ;-)

You must call me to hear the latest on why your godson won't be baptized Catholic. My mother -- staunch ex-Catholic -- is really p.o.ed at the church. She hardly ever says the "f" word, but she said the Pope and rest of them can go "f" themselves.

Since baptizing The Boy is purely political... to keep my parents from doing an Archie Bunker, I thought it would be nice to do a Michael Corleone and think about Moe Green while we're chanting about renouncing Satan and all his works.

See all the cultural symbolism in one baptism?

But the Catholic Church is making it really hard to "just get baptized" anymore. They don't want your foot just in the door - they want your whole body in the church. If you're not a consistent parishioner, if you're not a faithful follower, they want you to go through all these classes and weeks of training and such.

Can we say: I don't think so?! I went through religion class every day and Mass three times a week until I was 14. If that's not enough, well, we'll go be Moonies.

This is why wonderful sister "aka Calamity Jane" did NOT get married or her children b'tized in the Catholic Church. It's why Calamity's now a Methodist.

Alas our performance art baptism -- "a little water on the back of the head and the code" -- will have to take place at a Methodist establishment.

Since you're a registered, LEGITIMATE minister, mabe you and I could have our own little ceremony of sorts by our selves.

Maybe we can undo the Christian VOODOO being placed on your godson's head.

Anyway -- Let's get the family happy so they shut the hell up about it.

But back to Eugene Kemple and you. I love you dearly and wish I knew good ol' Eugene. He might have kept me a Christian longer ... probably because he would have made God look like less of an asshole than the Catholics made him look.

Call me.

xo xo

Annie Oakley

P.S. Don't write back on my email address. It's defunct. You know how to reach me.

There you have it folks - a testimonial from the woman who knows me best.

Thanks for your kind words, Ma.

Looks like the Acorn will be baptized Methodist. I was looking forward to getting to be in a good Catholic ceremony. That certainly would be a good day for my personal Moe Greens to stay home with the doors locked.

I could never understand the idea of baptizing infants, though. I understand the point of baptism being to represent a choice to accept Jesus. Obviously this is inapplicable to an infant.

In any case, I'm not worried about religious indoctrination or voodoo for our boy. He's got you for a mama - and then there's me. By about the time he's learning to read, I'll be feeling sorry for whatever poor schmuck preacher tries to program him.

This short blurb doesn't do the position justice, but the reasoning behind paedo (infant) baptism, is that as God's covenant promises were made to His people and their descendents, children are considered to be within the covenant and thus administered the convenant seal (baptism).

Howdy, I'm Eugene's oldest grandbaby. :-) Its nice to see that other people thought he was a cool guy, too...your article made me miss him again very much. And yes, he definitely made God & science seem cool (and compatible!) Since I was halfway raised by my grandpa, I can definitely relate to wishing that I could still ask him questions about...everything. He was my biggest life influence for 21 years. I still often talk about him to my friends and even my boyfriend. Yes, he did rebuke us kids, but in a sweethearted way so that we would learn from our mistakes. I am curious which one of my uncles it was that you ran into, I'm assuming it was at Moster's? Was it Uncle Mike, Joe, or Rick? Grandpa did end up cooking that kind of unleavened bread a lot...he used to make it for my dog, Trixie Sue. Old rituals die hard? And as for your rainbows...he taught me that the flood was the first time the Earth had seen rain, so it would make sense that a first rainbow would then exist if the sun was peeking out from the rain for the first time ever. :-)

Great piece Al. I also knew some kind and moderate religeous folks in my childhood, they do stay with you eh?

This is a great memorium, and the relatives dropping in to add background and life to the work... Great stuff.

This type of writing is how personal belief systems should be presented on BC. Thanks!