So-Called Watering

I twist on the sprinkler, trying to get back into the watering habit, but it's like applying a band-aid to a gaping chest wound; the ground is so dry and dead. Then, the water scarcely fountains from the sprinkler. Bleh, my piss-stream is stronger than that. It really gives you the sense of the desert. And no rain in the foreseeable future, if ever again.

So-Called Watering

I twist on the sprinkler, trying to get back into the watering habit, but it's like applying a band-aid to a gaping chest wound; the ground is so dry and dead. Then, the water scarcely fountains from the sprinkler. Bleh, my piss-stream is stronger than that. It really gives you the sense of the desert. And no rain in the foreseeable future, if ever again.

A Bucketful of Kittens

When I go outside to clear the dryer filter, I see that all three kittens are lying down together in a tipped over bucket. A tremendous case of the cutes. As I'm about to go back inside, they start meowing and coming out of the bucket, and I was right to bring out more food.

A Bucketful of Kittens

When I go outside to clear the dryer filter, I see that all three kittens are lying down together in a tipped over bucket. A tremendous case of the cutes. As I'm about to go back inside, they start meowing and coming out of the bucket, and I was right to bring out more food.

Rethinking Islam?

Now and again, we hear of efforts toward a liberalization of Islam, and in recent weeks, we have heard more about a marginalization of al-Qaida and jihadists in the larger Middle East Muslim communities. Newsweek now has a report that scholars are working in Turkey to reconsider the primary Islamic source materials, how they should be interpreted in light of time and place, and are accordingly looking at them more from the perspective of modern democratic values:

Liberal Muslim thinkers have made similar arguments in the past, but they were outliers and often not theologians. The Turkish project, on the other hand, has the quiet backing of the ruling AK Party, the world's most successful, democratically elected party with Islamist roots. The professors involved are quick to deny that their work represents some sort of Islamic Reformation—there is no Martin Luther among them, no theses are being nailed to a door. They call what they're doing a "rethinking" or a "re-understanding" of the sacred texts "according to modern concepts like democracy, human rights, women's rights and universal values," says Gormez. Yet their work has far-reaching potential, given the credibility of the source.

My favorite indication of this evolution mentioned in the article is this one on women's dress:

If a woman dresses a little immodestly by Saudi religious standards, it should be enough simply to say that without calling her a harlot, threatening her with punishment or worse. The idea is to tone down the fire and brimstone, which has inspired young Saudis to sign up for jihad in Iraq and elsewhere.

It remains to be seen whether these efforts will help to usher in a new liberal age in the Muslim world, but one always wants to be receptive to good news and postive trends. Though, with respect to women's dress, besides telling a babe that she is dressing immodestly, I don't think it would be so bad to still be able to give her a smart little spnak on her sweet ass, "Bad girl!"


(Source: Christopher Dickey and Owen Matthews for "Newsweek")

Rethinking Islam?

Now and again, we hear of efforts toward a liberalization of Islam, and in recent weeks, we have heard more about a marginalization of al-Qaida and jihadists in the larger Middle East Muslim communities. Newsweek now has a report that scholars are working in Turkey to reconsider the primary Islamic source materials, how they should be interpreted in light of time and place, and are accordingly looking at them more from the perspective of modern democratic values:

Liberal Muslim thinkers have made similar arguments in the past, but they were outliers and often not theologians. The Turkish project, on the other hand, has the quiet backing of the ruling AK Party, the world's most successful, democratically elected party with Islamist roots. The professors involved are quick to deny that their work represents some sort of Islamic Reformation—there is no Martin Luther among them, no theses are being nailed to a door. They call what they're doing a "rethinking" or a "re-understanding" of the sacred texts "according to modern concepts like democracy, human rights, women's rights and universal values," says Gormez. Yet their work has far-reaching potential, given the credibility of the source.

My favorite indication of this evolution mentioned in the article is this one on women's dress:

If a woman dresses a little immodestly by Saudi religious standards, it should be enough simply to say that without calling her a harlot, threatening her with punishment or worse. The idea is to tone down the fire and brimstone, which has inspired young Saudis to sign up for jihad in Iraq and elsewhere.

It remains to be seen whether these efforts will help to usher in a new liberal age in the Muslim world, but one always wants to be receptive to good news and postive trends. Though, with respect to women's dress, besides telling a babe that she is dressing immodestly, I don't think it would be so bad to still be able to give her a smart little spnak on her sweet ass, "Bad girl!"


(Source: Christopher Dickey and Owen Matthews for "Newsweek")