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My Latest Experience
Hello ( Read more... ) -
A Visit to America
Please note: this contains some naughty four-letter words ( Read more... ) -
The God Delusion
I’m having a great old time, reading The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, a very recent book. It’s proof positive, that if you are self-obsessed enough, and sarcastic enough, and selective in your data, you can ‘prove’ almost anything ( Read more... ) -
ETHICAL SLUT?
At the behest of a friend, I read, or attempted to read: “The Ethical Slut: A guide to infinite sexual possibilities”, by Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt ( Read more... ) -
Kaddish
My father died five months ago. Jewish tradition is for the mourner to say kaddish every day for eleven months after the funeral. (There are several other religious practices). For those who do not know, Kaddish is a dirge-like mantra, written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. The meaning of the words has to do neither with mourning nor with comfort ( Read more... ) -
stuff and nonsense
My religious movement (Conservative Judaism) today approved the full integration of gay people into the movement, but condemned anal sex.
I want to know if they're going to give all members or potential rabbis and cantors a questionnaire, like the one you get when you donate blood. What about prohibited heterosexual sex? The movement was quick to ( Read more... ) -
a tragedy
On Tuesday, I received this message, from a wonderful teenager from Australia, whom I have been helping:-
Hey Ian..
Just Passin Thru And Saying Goodbye.
Thanx For Being There For Me.
Love U Like My Own Dad.
Ben xx
Today, I learned that Ben, aged sixteen, committed suicide. You can read more about him at Read more... ) -
Borat
On Saturday night, my friend John and I went to see Borat , Judy being away at a conference in Montreal. I enjoyed it at various levels. There were many hysterically funny scenes, but intellectually, it had somewhat of an effect, too.
Sacha Baron Cohen is a very clever man. Being an obvious boor is one way of exposing the futility of bigotry and ( Read more... ) -
An Open Letter to President Putin
Let's look at a scenario:-
Let us suppose that Romania and Russia are deadly enemies, for whatever reason. Romania's ally is Moldova, which is weak, and borders on Russia. Moldova is full of anti-Russian militia, well-armed and financially supported by Romania. After a nasty, prolonged confrontation, during which Russia invades Moldova, Russia and ( Read more... ) -
Is this a surprize?
Your Political Profile:Overall: 20% Conservative, 80% LiberalSocial Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% LiberalPersonal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% LiberalFiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% LiberalEthics: 0% Conservative, 100% LiberalDefense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal
How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?