>>>Lot of churches now have gyms and rec. center to play sports and games.
>
>>Ah... didn't know that. Good PR.
>
>Oh stop. Behave.... :)

It was noticed back in communist times in my country, when religions were just tolerated (not suppressed, but then also not allowed to take part in political life), that when there was an area lacking sport facilities or dance halls or whatever, all of a sudden a nearby church would sprout one.

>You don't watch sports? that's Unamerican! :)

I didn't come here to find whether there's any committee for un-American activities still active. Came to live normally... which in my case means not watching any sports. Didn't watch them at home either.

Actually it's better here, I passed about four Olympic games without noticing them, which was quite impossible back home. This last time, though, I noticed that all the police series I'm watching were showing re-runs during those two weeks. I'm disgusted with the practice, but hey, it builds my self-esteem knowing that I'm again swimming upstream.

>But I do give to a good cause.

I somehow prefer solidarity over charity. The whole concept of charity smacks of "I'll get all the money I need, and more, and then I'll decide who deserves to get some of it". At the same time, the same people whose donations get publicized are paying the politicians to pass bills that will generate more charity recipients.

But haven't heard the word solidarity mentioned here ever since we came.