my neighbors think i'm hell-bound, but it is not too late to turn it around

So, I mean, not MY neighbors, but my parent's neighbors who came over for Thanksgiving. They gave me three books as a kind of belated-graduation-slash-(dash?)-early-Christmas present. Titles? "Don't Waste Your Life" with a bonus DVD, "Your Work Matters to God," and of course, the "Your Work Matters to God Study Guide," because I'm not supposed to just read the book -- I am supposed to pore over the contents and do problem sets so I do well on the "Your Work Matters to God Final."

If I were depressed enough to need these books, would I have the energy to make it through the study guide?

On a vaguely related note, I watched Constantine last night. The movie was so terrible, I almost turned it off. However, there was one scene that made the entire movie worthwhile: the set-up is that Neo is depressed, has lung cancer, fights demons, is damned to hell, and has just killed himself. The devil is about to drag his ass away, when all of a sudden God's light shines all over the place and Neo starts floating up to heaven. With the devil there shouting, "No, he's mine," and angelic mood-music playing to make the audience believe this is An Important Scene, Neo gives Lucifer the finger. As he is floating up to heaven. With his body laid out like Christ on the cross.

In a movie that has not had a single moment of comic relief, the director chose to completely break the mood at the climax of the entire film. It was stunning. I know somebody who needs to read up on plot devices, or perhaps spend some time contemplating "Your Work Matters to God."

Wow. Thanksgiving is the best gravy-smothered holiday of the year. At least my family and I pigged like the parents in Spirited Away.

dls