Origins

It's foundational, but the phrase "separation of church and state" never actually appears in the U.S. Constitution. It was written by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. Key quote:

...that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state.

The author's claim that Jefferson was a man of deep religious conviction is still in dispute. But you can read the letter here.

Sarcasm: A Primer

This bit of wisdom from Gawker is one for the ages. They are referring to Chuck Klosterman, but it can be used anytime anyone misses the point of your finely honed sarcasm.

Sarcasm seems to baffle a certain set of readers. They see it as a form of detachment or removal, instead of what it really is: An expression of hostility, rage and scorn.

Yummy.

not dead yet

Welcome everyone to the new and improved Everything Ecstatic.

Version 2 will have a few changes. Basically, I'm hoping not to suck as much. I'm not going to be all over the place. I'm going to have more fun. And I'm going to move some of my old features--such as the Haiku Review--to a completely separate site. And I'll be adding some new elements, as well.

The old version of EE lasted almost an entire year. This time, I'm going for a full 11 months!

Fingers are crossed.

let's set the record straight

1. Yes, my blog posts are over-written.
2. Republicans aren't Evil, but they are evil.
3. Porn is not only not bad, it's healthy.
4. Nothing is black or white, except black and white.
5. There is no god.
6. Art can save you.