Especiales de la Cocina

Where Are the Blogs?

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:55:36 -0500

Thanks for stopping over to read my blog! I normally try to do 3 or 4 posts a month, unfortunately that number is going to drop off to zero for the immediate future. But don't despair! It's for a very good reason.

I'm busy trying to learn about some new software that we're going to be using to help bring some exciting changes to The Magical Buffet! I would love to tell you all about it, but I'm trying to keep it as a surprise. So stay tuned and be patient, some cool stuff is on the way!

~Rebecca

Even a Stopped Clock is Right Twice a Day (You Can Decide Who the Clock in Question Is)

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:11:07 -0500

Look, it’s finally happening…the me and Billy Graham blog! I almost bumped it again because of the “Evangelical Manifesto” press conference, but then I thought maybe I should actually read the manifesto before writing about it.

Perhaps it’s hard to imagine, but I recently came across some advice Rev. Billy Graham gave someone, and I kind of agree. I know, spooky.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has an Ask Dr. Graham section, weird but true. The column I read involved a Mrs. N.D. writing to Graham about her recently passed husband. Her friend says she knows a psychic that can put her in touch with a loved one who has passed, and asks if there is any reason to not visit this psychic.

Well, Graham advises against it, of course. First he explains that much of what passes for psychic activity is actually fraudulent, so she would be wasting her money. Then he goes on to play the usual song of “Let no one be found among you who…is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.” Party poopers.

If Mrs. N.D. had asked me, I would have also advised her against it. I truly believe there are people with psychic abilities, but I also believe that the profession of psychic is a nebulous one that is rife for abuse. When you visit most psychics they emphasize that it’s “for entertainment purposes only” and although I try not to make light of psychic readings I do try to put them into a perspective. I would not let anyone’s opinion, regardless of how informed; blindly tell me how to live my life or what to believe. Sure, a psychic may knows things that you don’t, but you know, my Mom does too and I don’t let her tell me what to do (much). I view the advice of a psychic the same as I view advice from my Mom, well intended.

And then there is the matter of who she wanted to speak to. That’s risky business in my book. Penn Juliette kind of sums it up on his show “Penn & Teller: Bullshit”. He talks about how when someone dies, you have the memories of them. Some are good, some are bad, but they are all 100% true and real memories. When you ask a psychic to communicate with that person after they passed, whatever that psychic tells you rewrites your history of that person and your relationship with them. In my opinion, that’s too big of a chance to take. I would talk to a psychic about my love life, or my career, but I don’t think I would trust a stranger with the memory of someone I loved. Maybe that’s just me.

So, there you have it, Graham and I would actually have given this woman the same advice. For different reasons, but still, we agreed. Yep, definitely scary.

Malaysia is Back Baby!

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:10:05 -0500

Yep, I’m sidelining the “me agreeing with Billy Graham” blog again! That’s because there is some tentatively exciting news out of Malaysia! Yes, it’s back to Malaysia! Those of you who haven’t been reading my blog for very long may not realize that almost a year ago I wrote a lengthy blog, called “The Malaysian Conundrum”, which detailed how Lina Joy, a Malay Muslim wasn’t allowed to officially convert from Islam to Christianity. Take a minute to read it and refresh yourself on the topic. I’ll wait.

Back? Good! Hold onto your hats folks because on May 8, 2008 a Malaysian religious court granted a woman’s wish to formally renounce Islam! So, how did Siti Fatimah get so lucky? It might have helped that she wasn’t originally a Muslim. She converted to Islam so she could marry her Muslim boyfriend, because in Malaysia non-Muslims must convert to Islam before they are allowed to legally marry a Muslim. Their marriage ended in 2006, and she requested to have her conversion annulled saying that she had only converted for marriage and had never been an actual practicing Muslim.

And it worked! “It’s a landmark case”, the attorney who represented Fatimah is quoted telling Reuters.UK. Unfortunately, Reuters explains that Islamic affairs are governed at state level, so the ruling does not necessarily set a precedent for sharia courts in Malaysia’s other states. The Penang religious council has already signaled that it is likely to appeal the ruling.

That’s why I had to write about this so quickly…the victory may be short lived.

The Not So Big News Out of Turkey

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:47:48 -0500

I was planning on posting a wonderful blog about me and Rev. Billy Graham actually agreeing on something, but that will have to wait because BIG NEWS is coming out of Turkey. At least it seemed like big news when I got the under one minute sum up on BBC World News yesterday morning. Then I made the mistake of looking into it a little more and I have to say…I’m unimpressed.

The big news is that Turkey’s parliament has approved a proposal to amend Article 301 of the Turkish penal code. This was been lauded as a huge step to free speech reform, and that’s what Turkey wants us all to think. Unfortunately for them, some of us will actually take the time to read about it on websites such as Aljazeera.Net. Curse us pesky news readers. Let’s break it down, shall we?

Article 301, according to the folks at Wikipedia.Org, covers:

A person who publicly denigrates Turkishness, the Republic or the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and three years.

A person who publicly denigrates the Government of the Republic of Turkey, the judicial institutions of the State, the military or security organizations shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and two years.

In cases where denigration of Turkishness is committed by a Turkish citizen in another country the punishment shall be increased by one third.

Expressions of thought intended to criticize shall not constitute a crime.

(For those of you like me that were going, what the heck does denigrates mean, it’s like defaming, bashing, bad mouthing, etc.)

Now it’s nice that “Expressions of thought intended to criticize shall not constitute a crime”, but who decides the difference between criticism and bashing? Obviously many scholars and journalists have been hauled into court thanks to Article 301. Many people have been critical of Article 301, including the folks at the European Union.

Yes, Turkey would love to reap the benefits of EU membership and has been doing the dance to become a full member since 2005. One of the things that would prove a commitment to political reform would be easing restrictions on free speech. So, the heavens opened up and an amendment was born. This is sure to have a huge impact on things, right? I mean, the EU isn’t going to be impressed by some half-assed gesture, are they? Apparently Turkey thinks they will because the amendment changes very little.

After everything is said and done it will be a crime to insult the Turkish nation, rather than Turkishness (again, what’s an insult and what’s criticism, and for that matter, what is Turkishness verses the Turkish nation) and the maximum sentence will drop from three years to two. And let’s not forget that the amendment has to be approved by the president before it can go into effect.

Suddenly the landmark amendment for free speech reform in Turkey seems pretty much like business as usual.

Which Religion has the Best Cell Phone?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:37:52 -0500

In the land of “bling” (as the kids say), you see all kinds of stuff getting the “bling” treatment. Diamond encrusted jewelry, tricked out cars, and super snazzy cell phones are all items to denote wealth and status. Which is why I was intrigued to see Computerworld.com’s headline, “Which religion has the best cell phone?” The column by Mike Elgan is an entertaining look at the ins and outs of cell phones for the faithful.

Like Elgan, I was shocked to learn that there may be no Christian cell phones. There are accessories galore for the cell phone savvy Christian to get their phone on, but no 100 percent Christian phones. He was also unable to find Hindu or Sikh cell phones, which is a bummer because I might give up my crappy pay as you go phone if I could get a cool looking cell with Kali on it.

So who were the big three? Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists.

In third place was the Jewish cell phone. This essentially is a phone about denial to help Orthodox Jews be good boys and girls. In second was the Muslim cell phone. This is genius because if you’re Muslim stuck in a foreign city, how do you know exactly when to pray and which direction Mecca is in? Well, with the phones listed in the article they will remind you to pray, help you locate a mosque, and will point you towards Mecca! I have to admit, despite not being Muslim I wouldn’t mind having a phone that would point towards Mecca…that’s just cool! With the way things are going these days, I’m guessing it would come with a government listening device already installed for everyone’s convenience!

Finally, Elgan gave first place to the Buddhist cell phone. I’m not sure what Buddha would think of it, but if this gold-plated, jade accented bad boy was available in the U.S. you would see it in every hip hop video on MTV. To get a good look at this Nokia, check out this Trendhunter.com article.

Fun with Pew

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:54:09 -0500

From May 8 to August 13, 2007 the Pew Forum conducted a nationwide survey of 35,000 adults to put together the Pew Forum’s Religious Landscape Survey. The Pew Forum website lays out the data in all sorts of fun interactive ways. You can view the overall results, you can select a single religion and view the demographic characteristics of the faith, you can compare key characteristics of the faiths, and my favorite, you can bring up a map of the United States and it will show you each state’s population for different faiths.

I found the results shocking. I know that Christianity is the dominant faith in the U.S., but I was not prepared to see that Jewish (which included Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Other) accounted for only 1.7%. I find that really hard to believe. Even harder for me to wrap my brain around is Muslim, what I thought was a fairly widely found faith, made up only 0.6%, and that includes Sunni, Shia, and Other! The map function seemed like a function in stereotyping. The bulk of the Jewish population is to be found in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida…you know, where Jews go when they retire. Just like the south was the heart of the spreading Evangelical movement and Mormons are all in Utah. Does our nation really conform to what I was thought were terrible stereotypes? According to Pew, yes, yes it does.

Aside from rocking my world, what is the purpose of the Pew Forum survey? Well, there is much to be learned from the data collected, such as religious trends in our country, cultural influence, etc. For instance, the survey shows that our younger citizens are turning away from the religious beliefs of their parents. “The survey finds that the number of people who say they are unaffiliated with any particular faith today (16.1%) is more than double the number who say they were not affiliated with any particular religion as children. Among Americans ages 18-29, one-in-four say they are not currently affiliated with any particular religion.”

Some other interesting tidbits from the report:

~Men are significantly more likely than women to claim no religious affiliation. Nearly one-in-five men say they have no formal religious affiliation, compared with roughly 13% of women.

~The Midwest most closely resembles the religious makeup of the overall population.

~In sharp contrast to Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism in the U.S. is primarily made up of native-born adherents, whites and converts. Only one-in-three American Buddhists describe their race as Asian, while nearly three-in-four Buddhists say they are converts to Buddhism.

~Of all the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States, black Americans are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation. Even among those blacks who are unaffiliated, three-in-four belong to the "religious unaffiliated" category (that is, they say that religion is either somewhat or very important in their lives), compared with slightly more than one-third of the unaffiliated population overall.

If you find yourself with a little time, I encourage you to visit the site and view some of the survey and play with some of the neat features. It’s an eye-opening experience.

I Beat MTV....I Rock.

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:07:31 -0500

That’s right, I beat MTV. In Issue 14 I interviewed Raven Digitalis. At the end of March MTV did a piece featuring the author. I beat them by months…months I say! Raven is an awesome guy and a lot of fun so I thought I would post the link to the article here, and I’ll even post the one to my interview too.

MTV article here.

Magical Buffet interview.

Archaeologists Dig Stonehenge

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:29:54 -0500

From March 31, 2008 until April 11, 2008 archaeologists will be working at Stonehenge. To get a brief overview of what's happening, click here. Note that they even got the project okayed with the local Druid population.

If you want to follow the project day by day, click here. The BBC is doing a diary of the dig.

The Difference Between Staten Island and Cohoes, NY

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:51:40 -0500

If you live in New York you can probably start ticking off the differences quite easily. Before you get to into it, this blog isn’t about the differences between the towns, but between the instances of harassment based on religious belief between my May 2007 blog about Patricia Gardner who lives in Cohoes, NY and this current blog about a family in Annadale, NY.

Those of you who missed the “For My Neighbor” blog about Patricia Gardner, take a moment and refresh yourself. Now, to get caught up to speed on the family in Annadale, NY, click here. They’re both quick reads. I’ll wait for you.

All caught up? Good.

I’m going to take a stance that may make me unpopular with some of my Wiccan friends, but Annadale is about being bad neighbors, and perhaps even the worse crime of inciting “persecution”. There, I said it. Sure, perhaps some of the people are weirded out by their openly Wiccan neighbors, but if the Wiccans were in fact putting fliers on people’s cars, etc. saying they were putting spells on people and sending threatening letters…well, what is a neighbor to think? Suddenly the neighbors are offended, and it’s all because they’re dealing with Wiccans? How about because behavior like that is unacceptable in any community.

Patricia Gardner’s story was different. First, the vandalism was obviously motivated by religious beliefs. Biblical quotes tend to tip you off. Also, having personally visited Gardner’s home, on a night when her Coven was meeting, I can say that they were a respectful bunch. To the point where they asked if I could park my car somewhere else, as to not take up one of her neighbor’s favorite parking spots. It’s certainly a far cry from the alleged harassing behavior of the Wiccans in Annadale.

Of course, maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps the Annadale Wiccans are being persecuted because of their faith, but speaking from experience of living on top of annoying neighbors, I suspect they are being persecuted, but because of their behavior not their faith. Honestly, I don’t care what my neighbors do behind closed doors…as long as I don’t have to hear about it.

Some of the best Wiccans I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with all realize that to be Wiccan means you have something to prove. Now many Wiccans, Pagans, etc. that I have dealt with feel they have something to prove. And in doing so, they push their faith in the faces of friends, family, co-workers, etc. and demand acceptance of their faith. Now the Wiccans that inspire me, Lady Passion of Coven Oldenwilde for instance, know that what they have to prove isn’t that they’re different, but that they’re the same. That although their faith is a large part of who they are, it isn’t all they are. The path to acceptance is to set a good example within the community they live in. Many Covens, and solitaries, are active within community charities. They keep tidy homes. Take an active role in their child’s school. They are model citizens, respected parents, and they are Wiccan.

This Just In?

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:00:45 -0500

Celebrated spiritual leader Starhawk was allegedly deported by the Israeli government, the International Middle East Media Center is reporting. According to IMEMC, Starhawk was there to teach a permaculture course in the northern West Bank and to work with earth activists to develop a project in the Bethlehem area.

Really? Come on, what’s she going to do? Make you listen to rhythmic drumming until your country collapses? Starhawk may be a powerful Witch, but somehow I don’t see that happening.

Of course, the validity of this news story is in question, at least in my opinion. As far as I’ve seen, there is no mention of the incident in any other news outlets. Also, the Middle East is not listed in her schedule on her website. If anyone has a confirmation of this piece, please let us know.

Who is Starhawk? Click here.

My First Amendment Right to be a Pet Owner

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:58:16 -0500

First Amendment –Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This is the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. It guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition for redress of grievances. Got that?

Well, a recent Associated Press article discusses a study done by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum that shows only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five guaranteed freedoms of the First Amendment. More than half the people surveyed could name at least two members of The Simpsons. More people could name the three American Idol judges than could name three First Amendment rights. One in five people surveyed thought the First Amendment guaranteed the right to own a pet!

This telephone survey was of 1000 random adults.

No wonder so many people don’t realize how many of our fundamental rights we’re losing in America. For crying out loud, they think the First Amendment guarantees them the right to own a pet! You’re right, our founding fathers were concerned with freedom speech, the right to bear arms, and the promise that every American has a cute little purse dog for a pet!

Go back to the top of this blog. Read it, learn it, and force our lawmakers to respect it!

Ghost Walks

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:52:05 -0500

Have you ever heard of a “ghost walk”? Sometimes they’re called “ghost tours” or “haunted tours”. These are tours of areas that generally have some kind of history of haunting. At their best, they are a blend of history, folklore, urban legend, and ghosts. Of course, like any tour, quality can vary. If you’re ever interested in trying one it’s always best to ask around and see if anyone has done the tour you’re considering or have a different one to recommend. Other things to consider are how much walking is involved and the time of year. If you hate the cold, like me, and the tour is on foot, avoid the fall season. If you have problems with walking for long periods, it’s best to do a tour where they bus you from location to location. A few minutes of research can help eliminate a lot of discomfort.

If you go to Google, or any other internet search engine, and type in the words ghost walk+your city, state you’ll be rewarded with lots of options. Again, a little research goes a long way. Keep in mind, these are for entertainment, and like any recreational endeavors, never spend more money than you’re comfortable with. It’s hard to enjoy a walking tour, or pretty much any activity, if you’re going to spend the whole time worrying about whether the experience will live up to the money you spent.

Now I meant for this blog to just be about plugging a ghost tour in my hometown of Macomb, Illinois, but it has inadvertently become a bit of a primer about ghost tours in general. I’ve never had the experience of doing A Midwest Haunting’s ghost walk, but I try to keep up with the group because they go to places that I remember from my youth. They recently got some press in my hometown newspaper, The Macomb Journal, for adding locations at Western Illinois University, and starting their tour season in March. If any of my readers from the area try the tour, I would love to hear about your experiences!

Freeze! It’s the Vice Squad! Part 3: The Saudi Arabian Edition.

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:01:16 -0500

On February 13, 2008 the organization Human Rights Watch sent a letter to King Abdullah bin Abd al-‘Aziz Al Saud on behalf of Fawza Falih, who has been sentenced to death by beheading for the alleged crimes of “witchcraft, recourse to jinn, and slaughter of animals”.

The letter highlights in aggravating detail the gaping flaws in the Saudi Arabian justice system. It starts with her being held in detention at the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for “witchcraft”. Does this mean Saudi Arabia has their own Vice Squad? You know, like this or this? What did this wily “witch” do? According to my pals with the Vice Squad a man allegedly became impotent after being “bewitched” and a divorced woman (Can there be divorced women in Iran? With the way the Vice guys are going I just assumed they wouldn’t allow divorces anymore.) reportedly returned to her ex-husband during the month predicted by the witch said to have cast the spell.

Misery loves company. Read the letter so you can feel my pain. I’ve got to say, Christoph Wilcke, the letter’s author, has laid out a rational argument for a pardon for Fawza Falih. Let’s hope it helps.

2008...You Dirty Rat!

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:29:34 -0500

For those of you playing along at home, the Chinese New Year is February 7, 2008, and we are about to enter the Year of the Rat.

The Chinese lunar calendar is cyclic, with the same 12 representative animals going around and around. We’re about to leave the Year of the Pig behind us. Then, it will be all about the Rat, the first in the 12 year cycle of animals. So, what does it mean to be in the Year of the Rat?

According to the anonymous posters at Wikipedia, “Rat is associated with aggression, wealth, charm, and order, yet also associated with death, war, the occult, pestilence, and atrocities.” For any expecting parents out there, a child born between February 7, 2008 and January 25, 2009 is a Rat. Again, according to the folks at Wikipedia, you have the following to look forward to.

“Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat's natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.

Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way. Rats need to learn to relax sometimes, as they can be quite obsessed with detail, intolerant and strict, demanding order, obedience, and perfection.

Rats consider others before themselves, at least sometimes, and avoid forcing their ideas onto others. Rats are fair in their dealings and expect the same from others in return, and can be deeply affronted if they feel they have been deceived or that their trust has been abused. Sometimes they set their targets too high, whether in relation to their friends or in their career. But as the years pass, they will become more idealistic and tolerant. If they can develop their sense of self and realize it leaves room for others in their life as well, Rats can find true happiness.

According to tradition, Rats often carry heavy karma and at some point in life may face an identity crisis or some kind of feeling of guilt. Rats are said to often have to work very long and hard for everything they may earn or have in life. However, a Rat born during the day is said to have things a bit easier than those who are born at night. Traditionally, Rats born during the night may face extreme hardships and suffering throughout life. Rats in general should guard themselves against hedonism, as it may lead to self-destruction. Gambling, alcohol and drugs tend to be great temptations to Rat natives.

Professions include espionage, psychiatry, psychology, writing, politics, law, engineering, accounting, detective work, acting, and pathology.”

To learn more about the Chinese New Year, check out the Wikipedia entry. For more ratty details, check out the rat specific entry.

A Blog About the Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant. Yes, You're Reading the Title Correctly.

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:28:37 -0500

I’ve never been to Toronto Canada. It’s on the “to do” list. Everyone I know that has gone there has had nothing but nice things to say. They tell me how clean it is, how nice the malls are, and that the dining is excellent. My friend Greg, from What Greg Eats, tells me when speaking of Toronto to you guys I should be sure to mention the Valhalla Inn. He says, “It’s one way to visit Valhalla without the whole dying a glorious death in battle thing.” Anyway, Toronto has always seemed cool to me.

Recently I came across a frustrating story in the Toronto Star about Stephanie Conover and the Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant. Conover, last year’s winner of the Miss Canada Plus Pageant, was invited to be a judge at the upcoming Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant being held today, February 2. She agreed, and submitted a biography for the event. According to Conover she said she was an entertainer, singer, and dancer. That she was involved in charitable works. She also listed her hobbies of songwriting, knitting, painting, yoga, reiki, and tarot.

After receiving her bio, Karen Murray, the pageant’s director, revoked their offer. The Toronto Star quoted Murray as saying, “We just got her bio a week ago and we don’t agree with it. We want someone down to earth, not someone into the dark side or the occult. Our board of directors has eliminated her as a judge as tarot card reading and reiki are the occult and is not acceptable by God, Jews, Muslims or Christians. Tarot card reading is witchcraft and is used by witches, spiritists and mediums to consult the dark world."

In a letter to Conover from Murray and another official of the pageant they stated, “We need a judge who has an upright reputation and we would be proud to introduce to the audience.” The letter also offered some quotes from the Bible and said, “We hope that Stephanie Conover will turn from these belief systems and will repent from her practice of them.”

Seriously? I mean, seriously? As Murray points out in the article, the pageant does not receive government funding and has the right to decide who acts as a judge in their pageant. Which if that’s the case, she is correct. But come on, seriously?

Murray says that Conover must be a “very vindictive person” to go to the press with this. I’m guessing she’s a very insulted person, I know I would be. In fact, I am a very insulted person. The idea that Stephanie Conover isn’t qualified to be a beauty pageant judge because she does reiki and tarot readings seems a little silly to me. Perhaps, only those like Murray who “adhere to God’s principles” can tell if a woman looks hot in a swimsuit. I seem to recall the moving story of Moses, who parted the Red Sea to create the catwalk for the first ever Miss Egyptian Jew Pageant.