Friday, August 26, 2005

What's News?

Periodically I wonder about important things like whether there are “pervious” materials. It only makes sense, if we have impervious materials that there must be pervious ones too.

This morning it was raining. I had my window open, and though the temperature was comfortable, it was definitely a bit humid. I watched my Beta (fish) “Spaz,” swimming around in his bowl, darting through the roots of his plant. I started to wonder if fish feel humidity?

Have you noticed the news lately… unfortunately? Everyday seems to be the most violent day yet in Iraq. The next news story will likely be, oil prices reached a new record high today! Then they will have some really enlightening news about smoking causing cancer, or eating causing obesity. Why don’t they talk about how humidity affects fish?

I was reading the Beer News this morning, and it talked about how an official from Belgium cancelled his lunch with an Iranian official, because the Iranian insisted that beer not be served, because it is offensive to Islam. First off, what doesn’t offend Islam, and second, why does the visiting diplomat think he can pull beer off the menu in another country? If a woman visited Iran, she would be forced to wear a veil whether she found it offensive or not. As a matter-of-fact, this same Beer News story mentioned another Muslim diplomat who refused to shake the hand of another Belgian diplomat –simply because she was female. Doesn’t this sound a bit prehistoric in the 21st century? Are they afraid of “girl-germs?” Why is prejudice/discrimination legal and practiced in the “peaceful” culture of Islam? In the news media, where it is hoped not to offend anyone, an American could never be allowed to be prejudice, but as long as it is a part of someone’s religion, it is fine…Basically, it makes about as much sense as a fish feeling humidity.

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