uganda sex death

via http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/05/ugandas-kill-the-gay.html

You don't have to be queer to deserve death under Uganda's proposed homophobic hate law. If you are a straight Ugandan citizen convicted more than once of failing to rat out your gay friends, you too can be executed by the state for "aggravated homosexuality," because those two strikes make you a "serial offender."

jesus in baghdad

By Jill Dougherty 
CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- From a distance, it looks like an apparition: a huge multi-colored hot-air balloon floating in the Baghdad sky, bearing a large poster of Jesus Christ. Below it, an Iraqi flag.

Iraqi children dress like Santa's elves for the Christmas party.

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Welcome to the first-ever public Christmas celebration in Baghdad, held Saturday and sponsored by the Iraqi Interior Ministry. Once thought to be infiltrated by death squads, the Ministry now is trying to root out sectarian violence -- as well as improve its P.R. image.

The event takes place in a public park in eastern Baghdad, ringed with security checkpoints. Interior Ministry forces deployed on surrounding rooftops peer down at the scene: a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and tinsel; a red-costumed Santa Claus waving to the crowd, an Iraqi flag draped over his shoulders; a red-and-black-uniformed military band playing stirring martial music, not Christmas carols.

On a large stage, children dressed in costumes representing Iraq's many ethnic and religious groups -- Kurds, Turkmen, Yazidis, Christians, Arab Muslims not defined as Sunni or Shiite -- hold their hands aloft and sing "We are building Iraq!" Two young boys, a mini-policeman and a mini-soldier sporting painted-on mustaches, march stiffly and salute.

ramadan, lent

I went into my favorite spot for Lebanese food this evening, picked up some maza and falafel to go. Tomorrow starts Ramadan, shopkeep said, so there'll be a special evening menu throughout the month. We chatted for a bit. His mom is Muslim, his dad Christian. He fasts for Ramadan and Lent. I feel such affection for Islam during Ramadan. May we all break our fasts together one day, En'shallah.

Some Ramadan blogs:
http://ramadankareem.blogspot.com/
http://thehijablog.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/ramadan-kareem/
http://jewaira.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/ramadan-blessings/
http://www.maryams.net/dervish/2008/08/31/ramadan-mubarak/

this green and pleasant land

http://englishheretic.blogspot.com/2008/06/cult-of-ku.html

'

I was dismayed to read in Dave Evans’ recent book “The History Of British Magick After Crowley” a section in which he doubted the sources of Kenneth Grant’s fascinating discoveries of a form of Oriental black magick known as Ku. The gist of Evans’ argument was that he had contacted the University of Pennsylvania (from where Grant stated the Journal was published) and that they had never heard of the journal that Grant mentions in Hecate’s Fountain . So I decided to do a search myself. The journal and article is referenced at the back of a number of Grant’s books – as attributed to two authors: Shyrock and Feng. After a small amount of ‘googling’, I am delighted to say the article not only exists, but that the secretary of the American Oriental Society was kind enough to furnish me with a pdf of the article. Rather than freely disseminate the pdf, which would be doing a disservice to the AOS, I would suggest anybody with a real interest in obtaining a copy can email me and I'll provide details on how to obtain the journal article.'

Borg: a way, the way

Christianity as "a way": Marcus Borg (via apprising). "The cross is both personal and political."

Song of Songs

Text analysis homonculi of poetry is at fleshmap.com.
Here is The Song of Songs.

It's not all just sex, but it is mighty sensual.

heidi montag: kinda baptist

Tuesday, Jul. 01, 2008

Jesus was persecuted, and I'm going to get persecuted, ya know?

• HEIDI MONTAG,
• The Hills star, who describes herself as "kind of nondenominational Baptist"

Photo: Frazer Harrison / Getty | Source: AP