"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research provides further evidence that substances in kale, spinach and other green vegetables help protect aging eyes from cataracts."
Read the link above for the full story. I hate Brussel Sprouts.
Who Wears the Wrong Size Condom?
"BERLIN (Reuters) - Most German men wear condoms of the wrong size, a condom distributor said on Wednesday, after asking more than 2,500 men to measure their erect penis.
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"People measure their feet when they buy shoes. Why shouldn't they measure their penises? A man would not wear children's shoes," said Jan Vinzenz Krause of Vinico, which released the study's findings on World AIDS (news - web sites) Day.
Most condom boxes in Germany indicated size but men, due to embarrassment or vanity, rarely checked or just bought those marked "extra large," he said.
Vinico's survey recommended various brands to be used -- depending on the endowment of the wearer.
The study found the average erect penis size was 14.7 cm (5-3/4 inches), with 40 percent of participants reporting lengths between 12 and 15 cm (4-3/4 and 5-7/8 inches).
When compared with the condoms normally used by the participants, the results showed only 18 percent wore the right size, with nearly half squeezing into condoms that were too small and 34 percent trying to use those that were too big."
How embarrassing would it be to have the condom slip off because it was too big. Oy.
Interfaith marriage
I am going to piss some of you off and that is just fine with me. If you are involved in an interfaith marriage I want you to know in advance that this may be the kind of op-ed piece that you find to be upsetting.
This is something that I have some issues with. It is not an easy topic to cover, it is not entirely comfortable to discuss and it has a lot of rough edges but is very important. In principle I believe that the most important marriages are those in which two people have a real and lasting love, something that does not necessarily require common faith.
However, just because it may not require common faith, it does not preclude the advantages and benefits of sharing one. But let's not waste any time with that and jump right in.
My primary issue is with those households who try and raise families that observe Judaism and Christianity. While there may be some intersection of beliefs, the core are not compatible and you are never going to find Jews who believe that the messiah has already come. You cannot believe in Jesus as a deity and still Jewish. It is like being partially pregnant, impossible.
So when you have children and you place them in the position of having to choose what to believe you place upon them a burden that many adults cannot handle. Children do not have the life experience and or critical reasoning to make this kind of decision. It is an adult decision and it is unfair to place it upon them. It is like giving them the option of going to school, you cannot do it.
As a proud Jewish man I am going to be an advocate for these couples to select Judaism as the faith that they raise their children in. But just so that it is clear, I'd rather see the children raised to be Christians than in a household that attempts to merge the two.
This is similar to my position on gay marriage. I see no reason why it should not be legal, but if I had to choose what I consider to be the ideal environment for raising children it would be with a man and a woman. That being said I would rather see children raised in by loving gay parents than a dysfunctional traditional marriage.
Returning to the topic, I recently read statistics that were used by an interfaith couple to try and justify their position on a holiday card business they started. I am going to comment on a few things. I'll list them next to the line items.
Interfaith marriage statistical tends and opinion poll summary:
This is something that I have some issues with. It is not an easy topic to cover, it is not entirely comfortable to discuss and it has a lot of rough edges but is very important. In principle I believe that the most important marriages are those in which two people have a real and lasting love, something that does not necessarily require common faith.
However, just because it may not require common faith, it does not preclude the advantages and benefits of sharing one. But let's not waste any time with that and jump right in.
My primary issue is with those households who try and raise families that observe Judaism and Christianity. While there may be some intersection of beliefs, the core are not compatible and you are never going to find Jews who believe that the messiah has already come. You cannot believe in Jesus as a deity and still Jewish. It is like being partially pregnant, impossible.
So when you have children and you place them in the position of having to choose what to believe you place upon them a burden that many adults cannot handle. Children do not have the life experience and or critical reasoning to make this kind of decision. It is an adult decision and it is unfair to place it upon them. It is like giving them the option of going to school, you cannot do it.
As a proud Jewish man I am going to be an advocate for these couples to select Judaism as the faith that they raise their children in. But just so that it is clear, I'd rather see the children raised to be Christians than in a household that attempts to merge the two.
This is similar to my position on gay marriage. I see no reason why it should not be legal, but if I had to choose what I consider to be the ideal environment for raising children it would be with a man and a woman. That being said I would rather see children raised in by loving gay parents than a dysfunctional traditional marriage.
Returning to the topic, I recently read statistics that were used by an interfaith couple to try and justify their position on a holiday card business they started. I am going to comment on a few things. I'll list them next to the line items.
Interfaith marriage statistical tends and opinion poll summary:
- Nearly half of American Jews married since 1996 married non-Jews.
- Nearly 1/3rd of all married American Jews have non-Jewish spouses.
This doesn't say what is being practied in the home. Just filler material
- The highest level of intermarraige among married Jews are in the Western states - 42%; the lowest in the Northeast - 25%.
More filler material.
- 56 % of Jewish Americans surveyed were supportive or neutral about intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews.
This is a very broad question that doesn't really address the topic. It doesn't provide real insight into their feelings, pro or con about this.
- 32% of Jewish Americans surveyed believe intermarriage is a great threat to Jewish life.
Only one third of those surveyed were concerned about the potential impact on Jewish life. Very troubling.
- 50% of Jewish Americans surveyed agreed with the statement "It is racist to oppose Jewish-gentile marriages."
This is a knee-jerk type reaction. The issue is not about whether gentiles are good people. They are and many are the finest examples of humanity. The issue is a little deeper and a little more complex.
It doesn't have to be a case of saying that you are completely opposed to it. The other spouse could convert. Beyond that what is wrong with wanting to maintain the line and connection with a tradition and people that extends thousands of years. What is wrong in wanting to celebrate that, to ensure it's continuation.
I wonder if these people observe holidays like Thanksgiving.
- High Profile British Rabbi Dr. Johnathan Romain of Maindenhead Reform Synagogue has come out to express his support for Chrismukkah.com. On 11/12/04 The London Times quotes him saying: "It is a a very useful way of getting round the delicate religious problem of what greeting card to send a Jewish-Christian couple without upsetting either. The only surprise is that such cards have not been on the market before in view of the high number of mixed-faith marriages in Britain today."
This is kind of like the statement that 3 out of 5 dentists advise using Trident. How many did they interview? It might have only been 5 in which case it is too small a sample to be significant.
One of the things I enjoy about blogging is that this is similar to holding a conversation in my living room. These argument s may not be very polished and there are likely multiple holes in them, but I am interested in hearing the responses.
This does not have to be a zero sum game and it is not how I view it. I do not look at Jews as being superior to others just by virtue of being Jewish. We have our share of jerks just like any other group.
I think that there are a couple of things that drive my frustration here. I know so many Jews who will fight to free Tibet, who marched to end apartheid in South Africa, but when it comes to their own tradition and background it is as if they are looking at an alien civilization.
Why is it that they celebrate diversity until it comes to their own lives in which they suddenly have to be just like everyone else.
- Nearly 1/3rd of all married American Jews have non-Jewish spouses.
This doesn't say what is being practied in the home. Just filler material
- The highest level of intermarraige among married Jews are in the Western states - 42%; the lowest in the Northeast - 25%.
More filler material.
- 56 % of Jewish Americans surveyed were supportive or neutral about intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews.
This is a very broad question that doesn't really address the topic. It doesn't provide real insight into their feelings, pro or con about this.
- 32% of Jewish Americans surveyed believe intermarriage is a great threat to Jewish life.
Only one third of those surveyed were concerned about the potential impact on Jewish life. Very troubling.
- 50% of Jewish Americans surveyed agreed with the statement "It is racist to oppose Jewish-gentile marriages."
This is a knee-jerk type reaction. The issue is not about whether gentiles are good people. They are and many are the finest examples of humanity. The issue is a little deeper and a little more complex.
It doesn't have to be a case of saying that you are completely opposed to it. The other spouse could convert. Beyond that what is wrong with wanting to maintain the line and connection with a tradition and people that extends thousands of years. What is wrong in wanting to celebrate that, to ensure it's continuation.
I wonder if these people observe holidays like Thanksgiving.
- High Profile British Rabbi Dr. Johnathan Romain of Maindenhead Reform Synagogue has come out to express his support for Chrismukkah.com. On 11/12/04 The London Times quotes him saying: "It is a a very useful way of getting round the delicate religious problem of what greeting card to send a Jewish-Christian couple without upsetting either. The only surprise is that such cards have not been on the market before in view of the high number of mixed-faith marriages in Britain today."
This is kind of like the statement that 3 out of 5 dentists advise using Trident. How many did they interview? It might have only been 5 in which case it is too small a sample to be significant.
One of the things I enjoy about blogging is that this is similar to holding a conversation in my living room. These argument s may not be very polished and there are likely multiple holes in them, but I am interested in hearing the responses.
This does not have to be a zero sum game and it is not how I view it. I do not look at Jews as being superior to others just by virtue of being Jewish. We have our share of jerks just like any other group.
I think that there are a couple of things that drive my frustration here. I know so many Jews who will fight to free Tibet, who marched to end apartheid in South Africa, but when it comes to their own tradition and background it is as if they are looking at an alien civilization.
Why is it that they celebrate diversity until it comes to their own lives in which they suddenly have to be just like everyone else.
Writing is a Skill
I am feeling a little frustrated with the quality of my writing. It has been a struggle to produce many of these posts and it irritates me.
I am irritated because the process has been a little grueling and I am just not used to struggling to find the right words. Writing is a skill that requires practice, especially if you want to be a good writer.
One of the many reasons that I enjoy blogging is the opportunity to practice my writing as well as the chance to see what others are doing. There are some very fine writers in cyberspace and I am very impressed by their skills as wordsmiths.
Some of them produce work that comes across as having been effortless, the pieces are eloquent and elegant. It is the kind of writing that I wish to be able to produce consistently. One of my big challenges in hitting the mark is that I do not like to review and polish my work. Once it is on screen I am content to let it sit there and speak for itself.
In part it is laziness and in part ego. I know that most of what I produce is solid, but it could be better. It can always be better, there are more descriptive words that can be used, words that really impact the reader and express the intent and desire of the author.
I am trying to teach my children to always set the bar higher, to reach for the ring that seems to be just out of reach. And yet here I am admitting to my own laziness, a bit hypocritical, but.........
I am irritated because the process has been a little grueling and I am just not used to struggling to find the right words. Writing is a skill that requires practice, especially if you want to be a good writer.
One of the many reasons that I enjoy blogging is the opportunity to practice my writing as well as the chance to see what others are doing. There are some very fine writers in cyberspace and I am very impressed by their skills as wordsmiths.
Some of them produce work that comes across as having been effortless, the pieces are eloquent and elegant. It is the kind of writing that I wish to be able to produce consistently. One of my big challenges in hitting the mark is that I do not like to review and polish my work. Once it is on screen I am content to let it sit there and speak for itself.
In part it is laziness and in part ego. I know that most of what I produce is solid, but it could be better. It can always be better, there are more descriptive words that can be used, words that really impact the reader and express the intent and desire of the author.
I am trying to teach my children to always set the bar higher, to reach for the ring that seems to be just out of reach. And yet here I am admitting to my own laziness, a bit hypocritical, but.........
U.S. Needs To Learn Patience [in Iraq]
"In a petition to the Iraqi electoral commission, an array of Sunni and Kurdish political parties and individuals on November 26 called for a six-month delay in Iraq's national elections for two reasons: "To address the current security situation and to complete the necessary administrative, technical, and systematic arrangements."
The interim Iraqi government, with American support, quickly rejected this appeal and a spokesman for the Shiites insisted that the planned date of January 30, 2005, is "non-negotiable." But there are good reasons to postpone the vote until Iraq is truly ready for it, even if that is months or years away.
While President Bush's repeated call for a "free and democratic Iraq" is noble and correct, fixing Iraq's political system cannot be finished two months from now. Security, as the petitioners indicate, is one main reason. The logic of democratization is another."
Pipes makes sense to me. Here are some more sections that I found to be of interest.
"Polling results find that Mr. Allawi's single-mindedness matches the mood of the Iraqi public. A June survey by Oxford Research International, for example, found that while Iraqis seek democracy in the long term (meaning in about five years), in the short term, they "want a strong man to sort out security, take control of the country, and keep the nation together." The poll has two important implications: Legitimacy derives primarily from control of Iraq and the body politic realistically understands that democracy will emerge only with time and by replacing a receding autocracy.
Unfortunately, this legitimacy is diminished by the coalition forces who carry the brunt of the fighting in Fallujah and elsewhere, sparing the Iraqi authorities from having to repress the mostly Sunni insurgency. What has become, in effect, a war between the American government and the Sunnis of Iraq has spawned an unhealthy situation. As Charles Krauthammer points out, Americans "must make it clear that we will be there to support that new government. But we also have to make it clear that we are not there to lead the fight indefinitely. It is their civil war."
It really is important that coalition forces not be seen as occupiers and this is exactly what the insurgency is trying to create. The goal is force coalition forces into killing civilians and wrecking their homes so that the so-called "ordinary Iraqi citizen" is not inclined to support coalition forces.
"The central government is far from achieving control over all of Iraq and doing so could take several years. Baghdad needs to focus on this existential problem, rather than worry too soon about the complex political issues facing a nascent democratic government of Iraq. Stability now, say I, and democracy later.
Democratization: Voting does not start the democratization process but culminates and ends it. Before Iraqis can benefit from meaningful elections, they need to leave behind the bad habits of Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule and replace them with the benign ways of civil society. There are many steps ahead, such as creating voluntary institutions (political parties, lobby groups, etc.), entrenching the rule of law, establishing freedom of speech, protecting minority rights, securing property rights, and developing the notion of a loyal opposition. Elections can evolve with these good habits. Voting should start at the municipal level and gradually move up to the national level. Also, they should begin with legislatures and move to the executive branch.
These processes will take time, for it is no simple matter to bring Iraq's fractious population together or to throw off the totalitarian habits of past decades. The experience of countries such as Mexico, South Africa, Russia, China, and South Korea, shows that the road from tyranny to democracy is a long, bumpy one. This difficult undertaking cannot be rushed, much less carried out by foreigners. Iraqis alone can make these advances and they will do so with their own currency through a painful process of trial and error. Americans need to learn patience. This was the advice, in fact, that, days after September 11, the University of Chicago's Jean Bethke Elshtain gave to Mr. Bush, asking him "to teach patience to an impatient people." In Iraq, American impatience could have mortal consequences."
I agree that in essence the bottom line is that it makes sense to postpone elections to build security. In the short term it may cause some more issues, but the long term gain cannot be overstated.
An Irritating Habit
I have a friend who I love dearly, just is among my best friends in the world. But like all people there is a flaw and I have to write about it.
He/she always has to one-up whatever I say. If I say that I am busy they must be busier. If I am tired, they must be more tired. If I know a great restaurant they know one that is better.
I hate this, it grates upon my nerves but I am not sure that there is any polite way to tell them about this. And after 20 years of friendship I suspect that this is just not going to change, so I'll accept them for who they are and complain about it here.
I sure hope that I am not guilty of this too.
He/she always has to one-up whatever I say. If I say that I am busy they must be busier. If I am tired, they must be more tired. If I know a great restaurant they know one that is better.
I hate this, it grates upon my nerves but I am not sure that there is any polite way to tell them about this. And after 20 years of friendship I suspect that this is just not going to change, so I'll accept them for who they are and complain about it here.
I sure hope that I am not guilty of this too.
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