“Graffiti Win”

Greetings.

Jewish date:  13 Nisan 5769.

Today’s quasi-holidays:  World Health Day, No Housework Day.  The latter is ironic since today is a major cleaning day before Pesaḥ.

Worthy cause of the day:  “Support the Global Eradication of Polio”.  Remember, once we wipe out the polio virus, no one will ever get it again, thus saving future generations from one cause of needless suffering.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Happy Easter (1989)”:  This cartoon is correct.  Wishing someone a happy holiday, whatever that holiday is, is only a wish for that person to have a happy holiday.  E.g., if I wish a Christian a “Merry Christmas”, it is only a wish that the person should have a merry Christmas.  It is not a pro-Christian statement, since it merely acknowledges the holiday and hopes the hearer finds it pleasant, without any actual endorsement.  Neither is it an anti-non-Christian statement, since there is no denial of other holidays and certainly no wish that non-Christians should have a rotten December 25th.  There is also no implicit political agenda in the statement; celebration of Christmas is not limited to any political group, as there are Christians found in a wide variety of political parties.  All a wish like “Merry Christmas” is is a polite wish and nothing more.  Do note that one can (and some do) wish that others have happy holidays from a variety of religions or even for holidays specific to the religion of the person being addressed.
   
2. More freedom of religion disasters:  “Five Christians killed as Kirkuk archbishop questions US withdrawal” and “Orissa: murderer of missionary Graham Staines runs for election”.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Rwandan genocide: Never again?”:  Feeling horror at genocide is cheap.  Taking action to stop or prevent it is a different matter altogether.
  
• “How similar was Neandertal behavior to that of modern humans?”
  
• “Nine Words You Might Think Came from Science but Which Are Really from Science Fiction
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• “Muhammad al-Dura: Theater of the Absurd?”
  

Today’s weird thing, submitted by Barry, is “Graffiti Win”.

Enjoy, share the weirdness, and happy Pesaḥ, Easter, or whatever holiday you may be celebrating soon.

Aaron