You can't be both Hindu and Muslim

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Islam and Hinduism's blurred lines

This BBC news story report on a community in Rajasthan that follow both Hindu and Muslim traditions. They are nominally Hindu, but follow three Muslim practices (circumcision for the newborn male children in the community, eating halal meat and burying their dead). They have done this without conflict for hundreds of years. However, tensions are rising because there is a feeling that one must be one or the other, not both. Consequently, there are people who are "converting" to one faith or another. This is crazy.

Whenever categories are formed, there is always something left over at the end. Geoff Bowker and Susan Leigh Star wrote about this in their book "Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences." They described the miscellaneous categories as "residual" and they are unavoidable. So this elimination of the hybrid Hindu and Muslim can be seen as an effort to reduce "otherness." The impetus comes from both outsiders who don't understand or want to co-opt people to their causes, and from the people themselves out of a desire to reduce ambiguity. It's often difficult to live with a queer label that challenges basic notions about how the world is organized.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Cave warning on Uganda bat virus

"The World Health Organization has warned people not to go into Ugandan caves with bats, after a Dutch tourist contracted the deadly Marburg virus."

The warning to not go into Ugandan caves with bats is an educated guess. Despite extensive investigation and monitoring, researchers were not able to find any trace of the virus in suspected caves. The placed sentinel animals (including primates) in caves for weeks and none of even caught a sniffle. However, the have been able to find anti-bodies to the virus in bats. Hence, the warning to avoid caves. But there is little evidence that avoiding caves is sufficient to avoid contracting the disease and that going into caves is sufficient to contract the disease. Avoiding caves would be a pretty conservative course of action.

Interestingly, the Marburg virus is named after a city in Germany, where laboratory technicians came down with the hemorrhagic fever after handling infected monkey tissue.

No doubt it's torture, says U.S. journalist after trying waterboarding

"Christopher Hitchens, a Washington-based journalist known for his support of the Iraq war and the U.S. war on terror, has subjected himself to waterboarding."

I have often thought about what it would take to convince someone that waterboarding was torture. My idea was to make a video where babies were subject to waterboarding. Of course, some photoshopping would have to be involved.

Then there's trying it yourself. I didn't think that anyone would actually try this. Well-known right-wing author and journalist, Christopher Hitchens did. He's an ardent defender of the war on terror and the Bush administration. After less than 10 seconds on the table, Hitchens now is convinced that waterboarding is torture. Kudos to Hitchens for being brave enough to try it and brave enough to change his mind. His story will appear in the August issue of Vanity Fair.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Group seeks Bush sewage 'tribute'

A citizens group in San Francisco wants to pay an ironic tribute to President George W Bush when he leaves office - by naming a sewage plant after him.

This is cute. I don't think anyone would argue that the world is a better place after 7.5 years of have George W. Bush in the White House. He's done tremendous damage to the reputation of the US.

Let's see if Presidential Memorial Committee of San Francisco are going to be successful.

Black Bean Salad Recipe | Simply Recipes

A fresh black bean salad recipe, perfect for a summer picnic or potluck. Tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado, black beans and corn combined to give this salad it's kick and fresh flavors.

I wanted to share this recipe with you. I found it through a simple Google search. The only ad libbing that I do is adjust the seasoning in the salad to taste once I'm done.

Every time I make this salad, it's a huge hit and people ask me for the recipe. I once made this for a pot luck lunch at church. It sat on a table right next to another black bean salad. At the end of lunch, my huge bowl of salad was nearly empty and the other one was nearly untouched. This boggled my mind, because the other salad looked pretty much the same to me.

Indian grandmother of 5 gives birth to twins

A woman in India, believed to be 70 years old, has become the world's oldest new mother after giving birth to twins in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, reports the Scotsman, an Edinburgh-based newspaper.

Pregnancy is not easy, no matter what the age. IVF is another assault entirely. The fertility treatment and carrying twins must have been very hard on the body of this 70-year-old woman.

Camisole with built-in bra at Athleta

This post is on a much less serious topic. I just wanted to tell everyone about this awesome camisole with spaghetti straps from Athleta.

I have been looking for a very long time for a camisole with a serious built-in bra, not a shelf bra, but a bra with cups. Call me old-fashioned, but I find the exposed bra strap and camisole (or tank top) not an attractive combination. Also, I'm not a spring chicken, so I need a supportive bra. I finally found it.

This top is great because it has finally allowed me to wear combinations of clothing that I have been wanting to try for a long time. I can now wear that lace jacket over a cami. I actually have something that I can wear under my blouses and dresses that are too low-cut. This cami is fantastic for other reasons too. For one, the straps don't fall down. I can't say that for all my bras. Also, it's made out of a synthetic material that keeps my torso warm. I'm one of those people who is cold all the time, so keeping my core warm has allowed me to bare my shoulders. The length is good too-- no bare midriffs and muffin tops.

I can't say enough about this cami. I'm so glad that I found it.