Short and Controversial

A few months ago I went to a lecture at Little House in Menlo Park on Islam, given by an American Islamic organization whose goal of the moment was to try to reduce anti-Islamic feelings in the US by spreading the word of what a lovely peaceful, giving religion Islam is. They gave me a DVD on the life of Muhammad, which I saved till Christmas week to watch, since I'm just ironic that way.

Turned out to be a PBS production, extremely well photographed with lots of location shots and lots of close-up interviews with American Muslims, a large percentage of them converts, and Islamic scholars.

It was made very soon after 9/11, and its goal was to tell America that the terrorists were breaking Islamic law by doing what they did, and not to fear women in those distinctive head wrappings.

At the end of the movie, they show an Islamic woman making a speech in a mosque, explaining how she and her co-religionists had been going to churches and temples to try to allay the fears of Americans regarding the Muslims in our midst. She implied that it was not working, and wondered out loud what more they could possibly do.

What more you can do, lady, is take your message to Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Libya, etc. and tell them Islam forbids acts of terror. Because it's not American Muslims who are the terrorists. And if anyone could stop anti-American terror from Islamic extremists, it would be other Muslims.

TGIF

Quiet day at work, finished the first pass of a giant spreadsheet project and went to the lab to try checking bit rates on HDTV videos. That's one of those "set it up & wait" projects so I read some LJ postings in the gaps. It promises to be busier at work next year.

Home, made some pigs 'n' blankets for farmount's party, baked some apple turnovers because I keep forgetting I need to lose weight, and watched the Maryland Sprets coast to a win over some utterly forgettable team with P on their helmets. The rest of the helmet is golden, which makes one think the P stands for "showers". That was the Champs Bowl. On what is normally the NFL replay station, they were showing a truly amazing Insight Bowl game between the Golden Gophers and the Red Raiders.  When I tuned in, Minnesota was 31 points ahead of Texas Tech, it was the second half, and Texas came back to tie the game, and won it in overtime. I understand the Oregon Beavers did the same thing in the Sun Bowl the other day.

Watched a DVD on Muhammad, did the laundry, played with the cats.

Tomorrow:
No real plans. scendan, you up for a visit?
May go to Thai Silks in Los Altos to see if they have any material I want. I'm especially interested in something to do my own silk wrap nails, now that I have seen it done enough. And I like silk, and maybe I'll get to flirt in Thai.
May go to a party at the BASFA treasurer's house in Fremont, depends on how the day goes.

I think I'll put my laundry away. Pumpkin will be miffed at my disturbing his nesting.

Personals

Was reading the personals, and way too many ads from women were looking for man who "knows how to treat a lady".

I know how to treat a lady:

Scotchguard^®


If Bill Clinton had known how to treat a lady, he would never have gotten into all that trouble.