27 Ṭeveth 5769: Measure Your Feet Day/National Handwriting Day/Buy Nothing Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Urge Interior Secretary Salazar to Rescue the Polar Bear”, “Tell President Obama, "Thank you!"”, and “Pandas' Existence Threatened by Global Warming”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. Even more countries have no clue when it comes to freedom of religion: “Eritrea: Christian Deaths Mount In Prisons”, “TAJIKISTAN: 'No rights to organise prayers'”, and “Christian monastery in Turkey fights to keep land”.
   
2. Some people have no clue when it comes to separation of church and state: “ACLU to sue Twin Cities charter school that caters to Muslims”.
   
3. And some people have no clue that when it comes to freedom of speech: “Islam film Dutch MP to be charged”. One may not like or approve of Geert Wilders’s Fitna, but all he really did is disapprove of the Qur’an, something covered under freedom of religion.
   
4. Self-promotion which will be going on for another two weeks: 2009 Darwin Week in Charleston | February 09-15.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Back in 2009”
  
• “Antarctic ice shelf set to collapse due to warming”
  
• “Gaza Doctor Says Death Toll Inflated”
  
• “Clean air equals longer life, study says”
  
• “BPA-Free Baby Bottle Alternatives”
  
• “The NGO Front in the Gaza War: Exploitation of International Law”
  

Today’s weird thing is the Klingon Keyboard. Enjoy, share the weirdness, and Shabbath shalom.

Aaron

26 Ṭeveth 5769: National Blonde Brownie Day/Answer Your Cat’s Question Day

Greetings.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. Even more countries fail at freedom of religion: “Jehovah's Witnesses members detained in western Azerbaijan” and “RUSSIA: Banned "extremist" religious literature – who's next?”
   
2. “Busy people grab a dose of God on the go”: This The One-Minute Bible concept worries me. While I am all for fitting religious study into one’s schedule, even at odd times, being able to fit in only a single minute a day is a sign of an overloaded schedule and bad prioritizing. Would it be too difficult to fit in 15 minutes?
   
3. I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in Darwin Week at the College of Charleston.  On February 10, I will be part of a panel discussing Ben Stein’s alleged documentary Expelled:  No Intelligence Allowed.  Expelled is pure propaganda for the “intelligent design” movement, and we will be dissecting its claims.  My role is to focus on the religious aspects of the film.  People who want some idea in advance what is wrong with Expelled are advised to visit Expelled Exposed: Why Expelled Flunks, which covers the bases.  I am planning on taking my religious commentary in directions not covered on this site or in any review I have read.  Everyone is invited to attend, including anyone wishing to give me critical commentary on my commentary on Expelled.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Arafat (1994)”
  
• “Maras Ayin and Kosher”: This is an accessible article on the fact that appearances do count for something in Jewish law, including kashruth.
  
• “Maybe we can too”
  
• “Gallery devoted to presidential losers grows by 1”
  

Today’s weird thing, submitted by Barry, is “Kitteh of teh Opera”.

Enjoy and share the weirdness with the cat you love.

Aaron

25 Ṭeveth 5769: National Hugging Day/Granola Bar Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Thank President Obama” and “President Obama / We're Ready For Reform”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. More countries having trouble with the concept of freedom of religion: “Members of U.S. Congress Press for Religious Freedom in China”, “Kazakhstan: Tougher Religion Law Under Constitutional Review”, “Iranian media report Baha'i missionary arrests”, and “Christian killed in northern Iraqi city”.
   
2. “As atheists roll out London ads, believers unruffled”: This business about atheistic bus ads takes a turn Richard Dawkins did not expect: Some Christians, rather than getting angry, look upon them as an opportunity to get people to think about what they actually believe.
   
3. “Man refuses to drive 'No God' bus”: Meanwhile, at least one bus driver agrees with me that the idea of there being no god is bleak and dreadful, regardless of whether it is true or not. Atheist Hanne Stinson shows no understanding of why anyone might feel this way. The moral of this incident: it is not enough to tell people that something is great; tell them why it is great.
   
4. “'Islam' bus ads draw criticism”: As it is written:

   Fifty of Broward County's 290-bus fleet have been rolling for the past several weeks with a message that might seem more oblique than inflammatory. Black letters on a white backdrop proclaim, ``ISLAM: The Way of Life of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.''

   As far as I know, this is a genuine Muslim belief. However, it is also one that naturally draws criticism, as it is what one might call “claim-jumping”, trying to claim that figures of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament were actually Muslims. As such, it is to be expected that Jews and Christians would find such ads offensive, and they are entitled to be offended. After all, there is no political right to freedom to force others to accept one’s beliefs or freedom from criticism. It is also notable that historical and archaeological evidence is on the side of Jews and Christians. Open up any issue of Biblical Archaeology Review or any decent book on Biblical archaeology. You will notice the abundance of Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish artifacts in Israel and the severe lack of Arabic/Islamic artifacts from any time before the Arabs started their jihad post-Muḥammad. The spat over whether supporters or critics of the ads are shilling for terrorists is a two-way ad hominem.
   
5. “Vatican says Jewish prayer complaints excessive”: Exactly how does the Vatican expect Jews not to consider a prayer asking for the conversion of the Jews to Christianity offensive? The Vatican can either hold that it is OK for Jews to be Jews or hold that Jews should all convert to Catholicism, hopefully being as respectful as possible in their disagreement with Jews on this theological issue. Trying to hold by both views simultaneously is not consistent and thus does not go over well.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “President Obama”: The comments are more interesting than the cartoon. Some people have the strangest paranoia about Barack Obama, and a few give the odd impression that they believe that having a stupid, ignorant leader is a good thing.
  
• “Ind. man, 72, shaves shaggy eyebrows for charity”
  
• “Bacteria Can Use Viruses to Spread Toxin Gene”
  

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

Aaron

24 Ṭeveth 5769: Inauguration Day (US)/Basketball Day

Greetings.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “A New President (1988)”
  
• “Toronto Sun Columnist Eric Margolis Must Go
  
• “$5,000 Paper House is the World's Swankiest Hobo Pad”: Submitted by Barry.
  
• “Smallest known exoplanet may actually be Earth-mass”
  

Whereas today is Inauguration Day, I hereby declare that today’s weird thing is one of the strangest leaders the United States has ever had, Emperor Norton. Therefore, go forth and enjoy this site and share the weirdness.

Emperor Aaron I of this blog

23 Ṭeveth 5769: Martin Luther King Jr. Day/Tin Can Day/Archery Day/National Popcorn Day/Marathon Monday/Robert E. Lee’s Birthday

Greetings.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “The Naive Newsman”
  
• “Holding Fire: IDF Withdraws From Gaza”, which cites (among other things) this cruel parody of BBC reporting in Israel:
  
  
• “Science News / A Prayer For Archimedes”
  
• “Failing hard drive sounds”: If you hear any of these sounds, you know your hard drive is in big trouble.
  
• “FDA warning: do not eat peanut butter products”
  
• “Tuskegee Airmen over Auschwitz”
  
• “Tapping the Earth for home heating and cooling”
  

Today’s weird thing is SnowmanCam.Com. (It had to happen sooner or later.) Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

22 Ṭeveth 5769: Jazz Day/Pooh Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “ Protect the Arctic from Industrial Fishing”, “Keep Loaded Guns Out of Our National Parks”, and “Support the Unplanned Pregnancy Prevention Bill”.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. “"No God" bus ads banned in Italian city”: As it is written:

   Italian atheists have lost a bid to run "no God" advertisements on city buses after strong opposition from conservative political parties, a member of the group said on Saturday.

   The ads reading "The bad news is that God doesn't exist. The good news is that you don't need him" were to have been put on buses in the northern city of Genoa, home to the Catholic cardinal who is head of the Italian Bishops Conference.

   My (sarcastic) comment on the ad text: No God? ARGH! All life is totally meaningless! There’s no afterlife, and all life is going to end in dismal oblivion! What a horrible, horrible situation! How the gezornenblat are we going to handle something so terrible?  How can we possibly not need a god to get us out of such a situation?
   
   Major rule: One person’s good news is another person’s bad news.  Also:  Bus ads are too short to make convincing arguments.
   
2. A very different sort of bad idea: “Lithuanian firm hires witch to hunt debt dodgers”: You know, I would be willing to do nothing useful to collect debts for half of what the witch is charging...

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Can a simple checklist prevent surgical errors?”
  
• “Historic NYC diner will get hauled to Alabama”
  
• “New study: Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are genetically linked”
  
• “Combating the Rising Cost of Heating Your Home”
  
• “Bailed-Out Firms Have Offshore Tax Havens, GAO Report Finds”
  
• “How to save $225 million dollars”
  
• “Bush: Gray wolves aren't endangered any more”: Shame on Bush!
  
• “Shoplifter gets run over twice by her getaway car”: Interesting variant on poetic justice.
  
• “What Your Supermarket Won't Tell You”
  

Today’s weird thing is “Abby Normal? Nope: Psychiatrist knits anatomically correct brain”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

20 Ṭeveth 5769: National Nothing Day/Appreciate a Dragon Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “No Bailout for AT&T, Comcast and Verizon”

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Palestinian Pit Bull”
  
• “Media 'War Crimes'”
  
• “When Used Cars Are More Ecofriendly Than New Cars”
  
• “Feds fail to use effective drug treatment plans in prison”
  
• “Honey, we shrunk the food -- really, really fast”: This is evolution in action.
  
• “How far away is the horizon?”
  
• “How Is Alternative Medicine Like Earmark Spending?”
  
• “Exploring Consciousness through the Study of Bees”: I had no idea insects could be so mentally advanced.
  

Today’s weird thing is Wordsplosion!, which describes itself as “Showcasing the best of the worst of the wide world of words”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

19 Ṭeveth 5769: Hat Day/Personal Firewall Day/Humanitarian Day

Greetings.

Worthy causes of the day: “Tell Congress to Make Green Jobs a Stimulus Priority”, “Welcome back your members of Congress (Tell them we can’t fix our economy if we don’t fix health care)”, and “Tell the Senate: Support equal pay for women.”

Please also note President Elect Obama’s Citizen's Briefing Book, where people can submit their ideas for better government and weigh in on other people’s ideas.

And since today is Personal Firewall Day, please remember to make sure your firewall is on to keep viruses and other malware out. In Mac OS X 10.4, you can activate your firewall from the Sharing preference pane. Under Mac OS X 10.5, the firewall can be activated from the Security preference pane. If you use a different operating system or need further help, please contact your local technical support person or E-mail me.

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:

1. Recently I watched Inherit the Wind (1960 version), a dramatization of the Scopes Trial. I have to look into how historically accurate the movie and original play are at some point, but in the meantime, I would like to note something that keeps bugging me. The Christian creationists are depicted as singing “Old Time Religion”, claiming that since “that old time religion” was good enough for several Biblical figures, it is good enough for them. The part that bugs me is that all the people mentioned (Jonah, David, the Hebrew children) are Jews from the Hebrew Bible. If Judaism is good enough for them, why are they Christians?
   
2. “China to celebrate Dalai Lama's exit from Tibet with a public holiday”: Yeah, like this is really going to convince anyone that the Dalai Lama is a horrible person. If we had special generally recognized punctuation for sarcasm, that last sentence would have had at least three sarcasm marks after it.
   
3. “Yangon, dictatorship closes Christian and Muslim houses of prayer”, “KYRGYZSTAN: President's signing of restrictive Religion Law condemned”, and “UZBEKISTAN: Children and parents threatened for attending places of worship”: Three governments show they have no respect for freedom of religion.
   
4. “Protests erupt over Maoist appointments at Nepal temple”: This is what happens when anyone tries to dictate someone else’s religion to them: they refuse to accept it.
   

Today’s news and commentary:

• “the Y2K Bug (1999)”
  
• “Can a good night's sleep prevent a cold?”
  
• “Australia, land of two-headed fish”: I cannot make something like this up.
  
• “Galileo wasn’t the first to the Moon”
  
• “Pterodactyls' Ptough Ptakeoffs”
  
• “Repairing a hut, Antarctic-style: mind the seals”
  
• “20 Worst Foods in America, 2009”: Submitted by Barry. I am so glad I keep kasher and cannot eat stuff like this.
  

Today’s weird thing is The MegaPenny Project. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

18 Ṭeveth 5769: National Dress Up Your Pet Day/Bald Eagle Day/National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day/International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “When will it end?”

Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:  These days in the United States, there is a commonly voiced view that religion is based on “faith”—specifically blind faith, which is belief without resort to reasoning and evidence.  The more I learn, the more I find this view is wrong.  Historically it is impossible to claim that the major Western religions have held that one should blindly believe in the existence of the One God.  After all, if blind faith is such a great thing, why have so many invested time and effort into creating proofs of the existence of God?  Why would anyone have bothered to try to bolster their beliefs with reasoning and evidence?  This has been going on since at least as far back as Aristotle.  Regardless of whether one agrees with the proofs or not, this is not the way of people who hold by blind faith.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “The Enemy of My Enemy”
  
• “Fact or Fiction?: Elephants Never Forget”
  
• “Where the buffalo roam, so may brucellosis”
  
• “U.S. Flunks on Tobacco Control Report Card”: As I keep saying, tobacco ought to be outright banned. There is no point in leaving it legal, given any benefits that might be gained from permitting it are greatly outweighed by the fact that it ruins people’s health, kills people, and is a pointless drain on our health care system. Note that we already regulate other potentially dangerous substances.
  

Today’s weird thing is the bizarre sentence “James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

17 Ṭeveth 5769: Bad Back Day

Greetings.

Worthy cause of the day: “Help Reverse Bush's Final Attack on Reproductive-Health Services” (standing in the way of birth control for people who need it is not virtuous), “McDonald's CEO Paid 770 Times What Workers Earn? Protect Workers' Rights!”, “Tell Congress: Children's healthcare can't wait”, “ The UN Can No Longer Be Silent About The Abuse of Children in the Gaza Strip”.

Today’s news and commentary:

• “Prisoner Release (1989)”
  
• “Media Gives Platform to Radical Doctor”
  
• “World’s first flying car prepares for take-off”: Finally! We were promised these decades ago. Now when are we getting household robots?
  
• “Judging a Book by Its Genomes”
  
• “Revealed: the environmental impact of Google searches”

Today’s weird thing is “Making science funny: Brian Malow”, with the associate site, “Brian Malow | Earth's Premier Science Comedian | Science Comedy For All Audiences”. Enjoy and share the weirdness.

Aaron

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