Where'd they get the expression "Devil-may-care"?

They're big in the Hispanic communities. They call them telenovelas; we call them soap operas. Interesting - they're on in the evenings, 5 nights a week, on the Spanish-language stations, while US networks run theirs during the day, although a huge chunk of the viewers watch them later, time-shifting with digital video recorders and the occasional VCR.

But on a story called “Más Sabe el Diablo,” (“The Devil Knows Best,”) the US Census people are getting involved, supplying props and writing assistance to help weave into the story line a reassuring strand about how important it is for the Latino population to be sure to be counted in the 2010 Census. There's been a tradition of ducking the censustaker for fear that information given will then be used in less-than-pleasant means. The government wishes to get an accurate decennial snapshot of the population of the nation, and the people who run the Telemundo network - part of the GE/NBC megapower - can claim they are doing this to help that effort, but it also stands to reason that the ability to show a larger potential audience for their niche programming will mean more money rolling in for them. Which suits me fine, because they can always use it to give Keith Olbermann all the money he can wheel to the bank, if he'll only keep appearing on TV to lay out truths both witty and wise.

But Peggy and I had one of those philosophical discussions tonight, ranging from Who Created God so that He could create the world, and how it must have felt to be the Virgin Mary. I don't like to postulate about things we can't know on this plane; I believe in the teachings I was given as a child and I don't question them. What could be less definite than people on earth discussing what they know about the afterlife? We have faithful hope, but I bet it's gonna be way different than what a lot of people think.

Don't look for me to be invited to deliver the commencement address at any divinity schools this year. I consider myself religious, and I love being that way, but I don't know a whole lot. Just like plumbing and electricity. I count on them being there for me all the time, so why question beyond that?

And I do know that I'd like to avoid going to hell. Any place that's hot as hell would not be for me.