Yet another serious world issue which is far too complicated, and far too divisive, for me to take a stand either way. I wonder if the residents of Lisbon would like to weigh in on this one.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24386702/

Lambrou said the word lesbian has only been linked with gay women in the past few decades. "But we have been Lesbians for thousands of years," said Lambrou, who publishes a small magazine on ancient Greek religion and technology that frequently criticizes the Christian Church.

A really good article on the differences between American-style charity and the Canadian sense of the common good:

Oprah's Big Give began with 10 contestants, one eliminated each week for failing to pull in enough money for charity and the biggest winner receiving a surprise $1 million purse. Its philosophy is simple, and American: Philanthropy and the private sector, it suggests, can best provide services and solve problems, with the added bonus – and this is important – that they cause no loss of personal liberty.
....
In this country, Canadians still cling – under duress and escalating pressure – to the notion we can be a progressive society through our collective tax dollars. It's an idea being eroded as effectively as the Arctic ice cap and yet, together, we try to offer quality education and medical care, maintain the country's infrastructure and service the citizenry.
....
Although Canadian taxes, particularly corporate taxes, have fallen under both Liberal and Conservative governments, statistics still mark the differences. In 2006, OECD calculations pegged taxes as a portion of GDP at 33.6 per cent in Canada and 25.9 per cent in the U.S. Indices show you get what you pay for. Poverty rates are higher per capita in America, as is infant mortality, while the incomes of the elderly are lower and life expectancy is shorter, etc., etc.

Ya know, I really hate stereotypes. Not making stereotypes, of course. Using stereotypes is much quicker and easier than trying to get to know a whole group of people and judge them all individually. What I hate is when people live up to stereotypes, when you can look at a person and accurately say "you're a lesbian" or "your'e Italian" or something like that.

I don't know why I just thought of that....

Well, I guess we can get that gun now...

And I found this interesting as well:

In what could have been Heston's most audacious Jewish role, the FBI recruited the actor amid the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff involving David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. Heston was to have played the Voice of God to facilitate negotiations with Koresh, however the plan was never used.

In the interest of killing the last 15 minutes of a Friday, I feel I should share the following story, which is all too true, and happened not so long ago:

So, I'm practically falling asleep at my desk and I decide to get up and go make myself a cup of tea. I go into the kitchen, where we have automated machines - just insert your packet and go - I mean, who's got time to boil water? But I digress. I reached into the drawer containing the English breakfast teas, put it in the machine and waited for 21st century technology bring me the taste of England, all at the touch of a button. As I waited I started to smell something foul, something offensive, something I should not have been smelling - something that I soon realized was nothing but my nemesis - Earl Grey, whose black heart (optimistically dubbed 'Grey' by his legion of supporters) has been marring tea drinking for centuries.

Yes, you heard me, somebody had put packets containing this foul, putrid weed where the English breakfast tea should be. And because both packets are green, I didn't notice until it was, alas too late - for the cup, at least, though thank heavens I managed to stop this horrible process before accidentally tasting the vile drink.

Right now you're probably thinking, "But Michael, how on earth did you resolve the situation? And did you ever get the tea you wanted?" Yes, yes, I managed to survive this scrape with Earl Grey, and I even managed to escape with a cup of English breakfast tea, but that story will have to wait for another day, as writing this has already taken me sufficiently close to five o'clock.

Oww. I mean, how does a person survive this?

And on a slighly related note, there was a big NATO meeting in Romania this week. President Bush gave a speech that honoured the Romanian troops fighting in Iraq for naming their base camp with the necessary symbolism to bring to the forefront the morality of the mission they're currently fighting:

At this moment, 10 NATO nations have forces supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom -- including the "Black Wolves" of Romania's 151st Infantry. This battalion has given their base in Iraq a fearsome name: "Camp Dracula."

I guess this is the kind of image he wants to get across to the Iraqis:

No word yet on how the Germans' camp Hitler is progressing in Afghanistan.