16 Ṭeveth 5769: National Clean Off Your Desk Day

Greetings.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Human Shields in Gaza”, the point of which (among other things) is also noted in this video:
  
  
• “Facts Update: Israel and the Situation in Gaza: 9 Common Allegations”
  
• “Peanut butter may be to blame for salmonella outbreak”
  
• “Can HIV Infection Be Prevented with a Once-Daily Pill?”: Submitted by Barry.
  
• “E-Waste Not”
  

Today’s weird thing is “How to make a Stable Plasmoid ( Ball Lightning ) with the GMR ( Graphite Microwave Resonator )” by Jean-Louis Naudin. Note: I have not tried this myself, so I cannot personally vouch that this works. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

15 Ṭeveth 5769: International Thank You Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Reject Admiral Blair for Director of National Intelligence because of East Timor massacres”, “Obama's plan under attack”, “Drop Opposition to Arms Trade Treaty”, “Help Wildlife Affected by Global Warming”, and “Open Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research”. I would also like to encourage everyone who can to give blood. (I did on Thursday.) The Red Cross is suffering from a shortage this time of year and can use every pint it can get. Remember: giving blood may be a pain in the arm, but it is a much easier and safer way to save a life than running into a burning building. Give blood and be a hero.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Big old lobster avoids date with NYC dinner plate” and “PETA: Spearfish school should be called Sea Kitten”: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have some strange priorities. That first article discusses PETA’s efforts to save a lobster. I have to wonder why they do not put their efforts into saving creatures on the mental level which are slaughtered in large numbers by humans with impunity: insects. Why lobsters should be more worthy of saving than cockroaches, ants, and termites is beyond me. That second article notes an attempt by PETA to get people to refer to fish as “sea kittens” in a blatant propaganda move to make people eat less fish, trying to transfer feelings about one animal to another. This does not really address the question about whether it is moral to eat either kittens or fish. I find the idea of eating locusts repugnant, despite the fact that my religion actually permits it, because I have been raised in a culture in which insects are normally not considered food; despite this learned disgust, I have no reason to impugn the righteousness of those who do eat locusts. Similarly, feelings of disgust or sentimentality have no place in discussing the question whether it is moral to eat any living organism unless one bases one’s moral system on disgust or sentimentality. Note also that if this propaganda stunt actually works (which is doubtful), one has to ask why it could not potentially backfire, with people transferring their feelings about fish to kittens and feeling indifferent about their suffering, death, and consumption.
   
2. “Voodoo priests pray for Israel-Palestinian peace”: I appreciate Voodoo priests wanting the Israeli-Arab War to end and their hatred of all war. However, I am not clear that they actually understand what the situation actually is. As it is written:

   "All wars, which we deplore, have their origin for the most part in religious misunderstandings," said Dah Aligbonon.

   First of all, I am not clear on whether this is true of war in general; if anyone with expertise in history is reading this, please fill me in. Secondly, I do not believe religious misunderstanding is the cause of the Arab-Israeli War. Israel is part of the war because it has no choice; it has to either defend itself or be destroyed. Lack of understanding Islam probably contribute to certain political blunders, but they are not the cause of the war. The Arab involvement in the war has nothing to do with Arabs misunderstanding Judaism. Even if Arabs in general displayed any real understanding of what Judaism is, that would make no difference, and that is because this war is about how the Arabs understand Islam. According to Islam, everyone is supposed to either be a Muslim or kowtow to Muslims. The State of Israel is an abomination to Islam because according to Islam, non-Muslims are not supposed to have dominion anywhere, certainly not without acknowledging the supremacy of Islam; thus Israel’s continued existence as an independent non-Muslim state in the heart of the Muslim world is a source of dishonor to serious Muslims. It is not merely lack of understanding Judaism that is irrelevant to the Arabs, but even the fact that Israelis are mostly Jews is irrelevant.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “14 Percent of U.S. Adults Can't Read”: Submitted by Barry. This is disturbing.
  
• “A Scourge of Childhood Reemerges as Polio Spreads in Western Africa”: Vaccine paranoia causes suffering. This is an example.
  
• “Beetle juice: Is your food bugged”
  
• “CMV: A virus in search of a vaccine”
  
• “Influenza drug Tamiflu ineffective against most U.S. infection”
  
• “New Study: Autism Linked to Environment”
  
• “Israel at War - Day 15”
  

Today’s weird thing is “How to Start Your Own Country”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

13 Ṭeveth 5769: National Static Electricity Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Help put global warming at the top of the agenda for the Obama Administration”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Nepal's Maoist rulers rile Hindus”: I have to side with the Hindus on this one: it makes no sense for atheists to meddle in the running of a Hindu temple.
   
2. “Woman suspected of witchcraft burned alive”: General rule: Before you kill anyone, make sure they are actually guilty of something worthy of death!/ The consequences of not being sure can be catastrophic.
   
3. “US Says Kyrgyz Law Would Restrict Religious Freedom”: Apparently arbitrary government restrictions on religion is epidemic in the former Soviet Union. Kyrgyzstan is getting into the act.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Israel Breaks the Rules”
  
• “More salmonella: U.S. searching for origin of latest, widespread outbreak”
  
• “A perk for coffee lovers: Java may lower oral cancer risk”
  
• “Obama and Spider-Man appear in comic together”: Submitted by Barry.
  

Today’s weird thing is the Random Recipe Generator, which may be useful for anyone insufficiently creative to create an original disaster in the kitchen. Enjoy, share the weirdness, and Shabbath shalom.

Aaron

12 Ṭeveth 5769: Postal Day/Show and Tell Day at Work/World Literacy Day/National Clean-off-your-desk Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Take Action for Green Jobs and Wildlife”.

Other worthy cause of the day:  “Take Action: Sign the New Year's Resolution: Internet for Everyone”.

Other other worthy cause of the day: “Tell Congress: Ban Shark Finning”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:  This has me annoyed:   “The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center's Great American Think-Off.”  Every year they choose a question for people to submit answers to, and then the writers of the two best submissions get to debate the question live.   This year’s question is one that defies logic:   “Is It Ever Wrong to do the Right Thing?”  The answer is conclusively “no”, and here is why:

Given any moral, ethical, or legal system, let us define:

1) An action which is meritorious or obligatory is considered right.

2) An action which is forbidden is considered wrong.

Notice that “right” and “wrong” are two mutually exclusive categories; they do no overlap.  Because they do not overlap, it is impossible for the right thing to be the wrong thing.   QED.

I am well aware that actions may be morally/ethically/legally neutral, in which case such actions are neither right nor wrong.  How moral/ethical/legal an action is may fall on a continuum between purely right and purely wrong, but there is no difficulty so long each action has one and only one moral/ethical/legal status.  Some actions may have a status which is contingent on context, e.g., returning lost property is generally the right thing, but not when said property is a sharp knife and the owner a psychopathic killer.  There may also be doubt as to whether an action is right or wrong, especially if the consequences of the action are unclear.  In some cases, there may be no desirable outcome, only a choice between different undesirable outcomes, making finding the right action an exercise in finding the least undesirable action.  But in no case do “right” and “wrong” actually overlap.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Trapping the Terrorists (1982)”
  
• “Reflected Light Disrupts Animal Behavior”

Today’s weird thing, submitted by Barry, is a list of clichés. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

11 Ṭeveth 5769: I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Tell Congress: Support equal pay for women”, “Bush: Take Responsibility for the Financial Crisis”, and “Send a Soldier a Smile”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “In a quiet church rebellion, Massachusetts parishioners keep the faith”: I admire the dedication of these Catholic parishioners trying to keep their favored church from being closed down and sold. It is not everyone who is willing to take part in a scheme to occupy a building nonstop, four years on.
   
2. “NAGORNO-KARABAKH: Repressive new Religion Law signed”: Yet another state in the former Soviet Union, the internationally unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, is getting into the act in interfering with freedom of religion. Shame on the government!
   
3. “Church of England pens prayer for the redundant”
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Palestinian Victims”
  
• “What is third-hand smoke? Is it hazardous?”: Yet another reason to get around to doing something which should be obviously a good idea for public health: banning tobacco
  
• “This is your brain on love: Lasting romance makes an impression--literally”
  
• “Mile-high tower wars: How tall is too tall?”: Some people in architecture apparently have nothing better to design and build. Maybe they ought to try build buildings with as many subbasements as possible just for a change.
  
• “Mark Steyn: Gaza has its version of rocket scientists”
  
• “Eco-Gadgets: Exploiting the Shame Meter”: High-technology guilt-tripping in a good cause
  
• “Branding Tap Water to Replace the Plastic Bottle”: Another form of social engineering
  
• “About those text message fees...”: Submitted by Barry. This article makes me thankful that I do not have a cellular telephone or use text messaging.
  
• “UN School: Media Absolves Hamas”
  

Today’s weird thing is “Snow Dalek”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

10 Ṭeveth 5769: Fast of Ṭeveth/World Asthma Day/World Day for War Orphans/Three Kings Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Take Action: Preserve the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument” and “Pass the Obama jobs and recovery plan NOW!”.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Gaza (1988)”
  
• “Coming Soon? Hamas' Media Massacre”
  
• “Update: Gaza by the Numbers”
  
• “Milky Way Now in Larger Size!”
  
• “Dirty money: Can the flu be passed on dollar bills?”
  

Because this is a fast day, specifically remembering Nevukhadhneṣṣar’s siege of Jerusalem (Qiṣṣur Shulḥan ‘Arukh 121:3; may YHWH save us from anything like that happening ever again!), there is no weird thing today. If you are fasting, may it be an easy fast.

Aaron

9 Ṭeveth 5769: National Thank God It’s Monday! Day/World Habitat Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Advocate for Microfinance at the 2009 World Economic Forum”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions: “BELARUS: Four Catholic priests and three nuns banned”: Yet another Former Soviet Union country stomps on freedom of religion under the cover of pathetic excuses.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “the Chess Player”
  
• “Israel at War - Canadian Media Coverage Deconstructed”
  
• An editorial cartoon by Michael Ramirez
  
• “International law is not a suicide pact”
  

Today’s weird thing is what may be the strangest Star Trek fanfic ever, “Roadrunner”. Enjoy, share the weirdness, live long, and prosper.

Aaron

8 Ṭeveth 5769: Trivia Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Don't Let the Bush Administration Restrict Access to Health Care” and “Help Save America's Fisheries”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “400 dress as Jesus to put Christ back in Christmas”: This is an interesting variation on imitatio Dei.
   
2. “KAZAKHSTAN: 'We will wait until after the New Year, and then seize his property'”, “KAZAKHSTAN: Government attacks human rights defenders for criticising draft Law”, “RUSSIA: Who can and cannot conduct religious education?”, “RUSSIA: Chill begins to bite for Moscow Pentecostals”, and “WorldWide Religious News-TAJIKISTAN: Restrictive President-backed Religion Law reaches Parliament”: Some governments in the former Soviet Union still have no clue when it comes to freedom of religion and are prepared to make highly transparent excuses to get in its way.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Damned If You Do . . .”
  
• “The Secret Origins of Clippy: Microsoft’s Bizarre Animated Character Patents”
  
• “Thousands of shoes tie up Miami freeway traffic”
  

Today’s weird thing is “An Engineer's Guide to Cats”.

Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

6 Ṭeveth 5769: Happy Mew Year for Cats Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Stop Bush's Cuts to the Endangered Species Act”.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Iranian Fist Fight”
  
• “Israel at War - Day 6”
  
• The Lake Superior State University 2009 Banished Words List
  

It seems like everyone gets annoyed at their computer at some time, and many of us yell at them.  (I am guilty of this myself.)  One might think yelling at a computer would be a harmless way of blowing off steam, but today’s weird thing, “Shouting in the Datacenter”, suggests otherwise.

Enjoy, share the weirdness, and Shabbath shalom.

Aaron

5 Ṭeveth 5769: Gregorian New Year/Kwanzaa

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Stop Female Genital Cutting”.

I am finding myself wondering what the Gregorian/Catholic New Year actually celebrates, if anything.  The only explanation I have ever heard is that it celebrates the circumcision of Jesus of Nazareth.  (If Jesus really had been born on December 25, then his circumcision, having to be on the eighth day, would have to be on January 1.)  If anyone has a better explanation, please let me know.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “New Years Day (1979)”
  
• “15 Evolutionary Gems”
  
• “California sues Bush administration to protect endangered species”
  
• “Communicating Medical News -- Pitfalls of Health Care Journalism”
  
• “Study finds sharks have wimpy bites”
  
• “The Environmental Problem of Phone Books--Is There a Solution?”
  

Today’s weird thing is Turn Your Name Into a Face. This site allows you to take any name and transmute it into a face that will almost inevitably look nothing in particularly like the person whose name was input. E.g., this is what this site produced in response to my name, “Aaron Solomon Adelman”:

Go figure. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

4 Ṭeveth 5769: Gregorian New Year’s Eve/Kwanzaa

Greetings.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions: “Pious Frauds”: Media Backspin correctly notes Muslims trying to hold Israel to an unrealistic, allegedly higher moral standard than Ḥamas in the Arab-Israeli War.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Double Standard”
  
• “Some Moderate Proposals”
  

Today’s weird thing, submitted by Barry, is “The Legend of Master Legend”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

3 Ṭeveth 5769: Global Family Day/Oh My! Day/Kwanzaa

Greetings.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Making money at any price”:  If you can read this, thank a teacher.  As Rav Boteach correctly points out, Jewish educators are frequently undervalued, and I am certain this is correct for educators in general.
   
2. “Virginity Pledge Doesn’t Stop Teen Sex”:  I am all for people remaining celibate until marriage, but at least some ways of trying to prevent premarital sex do not work. Apparently a pledge is among these, and the consequences can be dangerous.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “The Savoy Hotel (1975)”
  
• “Israel at War: A Primer”
  
• “Diluting homeopathy”
  
• “Leap second: More time added to 2008”
  
• “Bad recycling: Pay stub used as bank robbery note”
  
• “Man carrying over $70 chooses jail over $1.57 soda”
  

Today’s weird thing, submitted by Barry, is “Nuking the Fridge: The Most Ridiculous Movie Moments of 2008”. This made me feel glad that the only movie I saw in a theater in the past year was The Dark Knight. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

2 Ṭeveth 5769: Ḥanukkah, day 8/Tick Tock Day/Islamic New Year/Kwanzaa

Greetings.

Sorry about that mysterious, incomplete post some of you got in the mail. My computer did something stupid.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Israel Hits Back” and “Thoughts On Israel's Air Strikes”: Barry asked for something on the current Israel-Ḥamas battle in Gaza. Considering that Ḥamas has launched thousands of rockets at Israel after Israel pulled out of Gaza, the only surprising thing is that it took this long for ’Olmerṭ do anything.
  
• “Gaza War Diary II - Who speaks for the Gazans?”: Claiming to support someone is something distinct from actually supporting him/her.
  
• “Child maid trafficking spreads from Africa to US”: Submitted by Barry. This is shocking.
  
• “Had a bad year? '08 memories get shredded in NYC”
  

Today’s weird thing is the weird sentence “That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is”, which I am sure one person will complain about. Enjoy, share the weirdness, and happy Ḥanukkah.

Aaron

1 Ṭeveth 5769: Ḥanukkah, day 7/Kwanzaa/Pledge of Allegiance Day/Card Playing Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Tell Congress: HUNGER HURTS Hard-Working Families!”

Today’s news and commentary:

• “The robbery & murder behind the story of Hanukka”
  
• “The 'realist' fantasy”: Interesting political perspective.
  
• “Gaza War: 4 Media Myths to Be Wary Of”
  
• “MP3 player guides rescuers to lost tourists”: No, I am not making this up.
  
• “7 (Stupid) People Who Sued the Scientific Method”
  
• “NYC man sells bubbly calendars for popping fans”
  

Today’s weird thing is Servo Squirter, a computer-controlled do-it-yourself project which should be useful if your computer is ever attacked by the Wicked Witch of the West. Enjoy, share the weirdness, happy new month, and happy Ḥanukkah.

Aaron

Special weird update!

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day (while I am at it): “Ask Obama to Support the World's Poorest People”.

Late breaking news relevant to Divine Misconceptions which I feel compelled to share: “Ahmadinejad says Jesus would be on his side”: For once Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tells the truth, though it is most certainly not what the title of the article is. As it is written:

"If Christ were on Earth today, undoubtedly he would stand with the people in opposition to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers," said Ahmadinejad in the message, according to Agence France Presse. "If Christ were on Earth today, undoubtedly he would hoist the banner of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over."

Now, which states are the ones actually fulfilling his conditions?  Which states bully everyone else on the planet?  Which states are ill-tempered?  Which states are trying to expand its influence beyond its own borders and expand their own borders?  Which states act as warmongers, inciting people to commit genocide?  Which states occupy territory promised to another people?  Which states are responsible for a huge fraction of terrorism on this planet?  Thank you, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for admitting that most of the Islamic states, including your own, would be opposed by Jesus of Nazareth.  You probably did not intend to say this, but you put your foot in your mouth, as you have done many times before, and you have no one to blame but yourself if people laugh at you for condemning yourself.

Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

29 Kislew 5769: Ḥanukkah, day 5/Boxing Day/Kwanzaa/St. Stephen’s Day

Greetings.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Goodbye 2008”
  
• “Blind man "sees," cruising through obstacle course without a hitch”
  
• “Story In Tears”
  
• “Amateurs are trying genetic engineering at home”: I cannot make something like this up. It was inevitable, though.
  

Today’s weird thing is “Princess Bride Lightsaber Battle”:

And for those for whom this is not their cup of tea, I present two LOLcat pictures sent to me by Emily:


Enjoy, share the weirdness, happy Ḥanukkah, and Shabbath shalom.

Aaron

28 Kislew 5769: Ḥanukkah, day 4/Christmas/National Pumpkin Pie Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day:

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Report details abuse of Christians”: Still Christians in Iraq are being treated horribly by their Muslim countrymen. Exactly why are we helping prop up a government which is not stopping this?
   
2. About 3 years ago, I published on this blog a review by Barry of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This movie was broadcast on television last night, and I watched it. And so having now seen it myself, I would like to make some additional comments on it:
   1. Professor Digory Kirke’s epistemology for why Lucy should be believed about there being Narnia on the other side of the wardrobe is faulty. That Lucy is the sister of the other Pevensie children, she is not lying, and she is not mad is insufficient reason. The possibility that she is mistaken is not suggested. E.g., she could be mistaking a dream for reality or have hallucinated Narnia in the wardrobe. The obvious empirical test of going in the closet far enough and checking, even just to humor Lucy, is also not suggested.
      
   2. The producers screwed up on depicting Narnia as being freezing under the reign of the Jadis the White Witch. The Pevensie children walk around with their coats open, their ears and noses do not turn pink, and their exposed hands do not get numb or frostbitten. We do not see fog condensing out of anyone’s breath. (Now I feel an urge to watch The Empire Strikes Back to see if they did a better job depicting cold on the frozen planet of Hoth. Wait a minute... I think they filmed part of that portion of the movie in actual cold and snow.) Add to this that much of the computer-generated imagery looks fake.
      
   3. The White Witch’s outfits are not only padded to hide her figure, but they look even stranger than the impression Barry gave. Her hairdos are also hideous. So much for the cliché that villains have great fashion sense.
      
   4. Come to think of it, how is a near-Terran ecosystem supposed to survive 100 years of continuous winter?  Terran life is geared for an annual cycle of seasons.  While it is probable that some life would survive, one would expect many creatures to go extinct.  Beings adapted for life in permanently cold temperatures, such as polar bears and reindeer, might do OK, assuming an adequate food supply.  Temperate beings might have a harder time.  Beings with life cycles linked too closely to the seasons, such as non-polar bears, would probably go extinct quickly.  Plant survival could be a serious problem, though maybe evergreen trees might make it.  Plant reproduction, on the other hand, would be out of the question; I am not aware of any plant which flowers in the snow.
      
   5. Aslan claims that “deep magic” defines right and wrong. This would be the most creative way of defining morality of which I have ever heard.
      
   6. When Peter slays the wolf Maugrim, how come there is no blood?
      
   7. In defense of Edmund, he appears to be terrified and acting stupidly because of it. This may not be deep or noble, but it is human. At least he does repent his stupidity.
      
   8. In defense of Aslan and the White Witch, the ways of deities and angels are mysterious and may well be beyond human understanding. However, the ways of C. S. Lewis are entirely within the realm of human comprehension, and as the creator of Aslan and all Narnia, he could have done a better job of setting up his world so that the rules make more sense. At least some of the oddness of the plot reflects the fact that this is Christian fiction. Given that Aslan reflects Jesus and Jadis Satan, the absence of Aslan from Narnia for 100 years reflects that Jesus did not come into the world until well after creation, and the Sacrifice of Aslan comes off as an extremely dualistic variant on the Crucifixion. That Aslan willingly allowed himself to be sacrificed is only natural; Jesus allowed himself to be captured and crucified by Pontius Pilate, even though he knew in advance he was a wanted man and had the opportunity to flee. That such behavior is suicidal is of no consequence; people who behaved in such a way in real life have been made saints by the Church.
      
   9. I was under the impression that not all animals in Narnia were intelligent and able to speak. Perhaps it is the stupid, dumb animals which are eaten by the carnivores.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Hanukka (1978)”
  
• “Outrage: Ahmadinejad's Channel 4 Christmas Message”: No, I am not making this up.
  
• “World War I Christmas Truce”: This was a moment when people let their religion make them better people.
  
• “Giant snowman rises again in Alaska — mysteriously”
  
• “Magpies Recognize Their Faces in the Mirror”
  
• “Toxic Ash Pond Collapses in Tennessee” and “Coal war: Can the fossil fuel be cleaned up?”: All a very shameful business.
  

Today’s weird thing is Science Cartoons Plus Christmas cartoons. Enjoy, share the weirdness, and have a happy Ḥanukkah or whatever holiday you are observing today.

Aaron

Some job application forms are badly designed

Greetings.

This is just a bit of complaining about the job application form I just filled in. Whoever put it together did a sloppy, poorly thought out job.  

1. When the applicant must give only one of two possible choices, it should not be possible to select both choices.  The easiest way to do this is to use radio buttons, which are a standard part of modern graphical user interfaces.  This would have saved the Web programmer the trouble of adding extra code to complain about an illogical selection.
2. If a piece of information is required, it should be marked as such.  It is hypocritical to give the impression that a field is optional and then complain when it is not filled in.
3. Applicants put together CVs and résumés so that all the information potential employers want is in one convenient place.  Asking applicants to fill in all that information through tedious forms and fields gives the message “We care more about making things convenient for our data bases than for human beings.”

I think that is enough for now.

Aaron

27 Kislew 5769: Ḥanukkah, day 3/National Eggnog Day/Christmas Eve

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: Free Pollard Now (a truly pro-Israel president would pardon Jonathan Pollard).

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “Police probe assault on 50 "witches"”: Major rule: First, collect evidence. If there is evidence, then hold a fair trial. Only if the verdict is guilty does punishment make sense. Anything else in a situation which is not an emergency (e.g., a psychopathic killer chasing someone down the street with a sharp knife) is stands a good chance of hurting someone innocent.
   
2. “US Postal Service won't send "any matter containing religious materials contrary to Islamic faith" to overseas military post offices”: Trust the Bush administration to have a regulation in violation of freedom of religion.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Distorted Body Images: A Quick and Easy Way to Reduce Pain”
  
• “One World, Many Minds: Intelligence in the Animal Kingdom”
  
• “Indoctrinating Palestinian Children to Genocidal Hate
  
• “Incest may not be best, but marriage bans should be rolled back, scientists say
  
• “BBC's Christmas Odyssey”
  
• “Nothing Personal, You're Just Not My Type”
  
• “Six Legged Cinema”

These days, around this time of year some people panic at the multiplicity of holidays, fearing that Christmas will be toned down or lost in the shuffle. (Which is pretty strange, considering that at any time of year there are bound to be multiple holidays, both religious and what pass for “secular holidays”, yet there is much less multiple holiday panic. I would also like to note that “holiday” in any compound, such as “holiday season” or “holiday tree” comes off as a way of referring to Christmas without actually saying “Christmas”, and judging from the paucity of non-Christmas holiday specials on TV compared to the abundance of Christmas specials, I doubt anyone has any rational reason to fear about Christmas being lost in the shuffle.) Today’s weird thing is a classic parody roaming the Internet of the consequences of trying to treat this time of year as a “holiday season”, “Holiday Party”. Enjoy, share the weirdness, and happy Ḥanukkah or whatever other holiday you celebrate around this time of year.

Aaron

26 Kislew 5769: Ḥanukkah, day 2/Festivus

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Send a message to the people of Zimbabwe”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions: “Madoff and Rubashkin: A contrast in two scandals”.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Happy Hanukka (1988)”
  
• A cartoon someone named “Gene” sent me a link to
  
• “Reproduction of 2,100-year-old calculator deepens mystery”
  
• “More? What the Dickens are you talking about?”
  
• “Put your fears in perspective”
  

Today’s weird thing is an item which anyone should be able to recognize as being an attempt at combining two incompatible holidays, the Santa Dreidel. Enjoy (or be scared or something), share the weirdness, and happy Ḥanukkah.

Aaron