Beware of virtual bonfires

Greetings.

Jewish date: 18 ’Iyyar 5769.

Today’s holiday: Day 33 of the ‘Omer (Lagh ba‘Omer).

Today’s quasi-holiday: International Nurses Day.

Worthy causes of the day: “Put Single Payer Health Care On The Table Now” and “The Human Face of Climate Change”. I would also like to encourage everyone out there who can to give blood. (I did a week ago.) Remember: it is a very safe and easy way to save a life and be a hero.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “EU criticizes Jewish boycott of religion meeting”: Let’s see... We have some Muslim delegates being anti-Semitic. This is not conducive to dialog with Jews. Why should anyone expect Jews to bother participating?
2. “Saudi judge: It's OK to slap spendthrift wives”: Here we have an instance of “blame the victim”.
3. “Woman accused of witchcraft shot dead”: Yet another instance of witchcraft paranoia. I am getting sick of reporting these.
   
4. More intolerance, this time very cowardly: “Bomb attack targets Cairo church, no one injured”.
5. Interesting Jewish legend: “Was there a Jewish pope?”.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Bibi Meets Mubarak”
• “Our Planet's Leaky Atmosphere”
• “Cat scans PET scan”
• “Islands of species richness”
• “HIV co-discovers Gallo and Montagnier unite to push for renewed focus on HIV/AIDS”
• “Drug company schwag sways med students”
• “Math: The Eyes Have It”

There is a custom of lighting bonfires on Lagh ba‘Omer. Therefore, today’s weird things are the Ethereal.Org Screensavers. One of them, Inferno, displays a blazing fire. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron