Maybe I shouldn't bring my dagger collection with me to Sydney, then. I wonder how airport security would deal with my defense of, "But I'd never use them for violence, they're too pretty and it'd get them all scuffed and dirty!"

But Madrigal, then what will you use to kill and skin the kangaroos for your dinner?

To know if the prayer works we need to isolate the effect of prayer from the effect of knowing about the prayer. Those studies show no effect.

What were the prayers? Who were they offered to? Who were they offered by?

I'm not so much atheist, not so much agnostic -- I mostly don't care about the existence of a deity. However I can't but feel that efforts to prove or disprove the existence of most gods are so incredibly flawed that I can't believe anyone spends time on them. What sorts of controls can you even use?

For the hopelessly gentile among us, what's a Succoth?

Jilli, how about looking them in the eye and saying "and I'll hope (or pray, if you do that sort of thing) that you stop judging people based on appearance"

then what will you use to kill and skin the kangaroos for your dinner?

You use a big knife for Roo killing, not some wimpy dagger.

What's that got to be like, praying for a total stranger, who has no idea you're praying? I would have a hard time taking such a duty seriously, which, you know, par for the course of me. But it's got to be easier to pray for somebody you actually know and care about, right?

Who pulls for the Milwaukee Brewers except people from the upper midwest?

What is the proper response when a complete stranger comes up to you and says, in a very earnest and friendly tone, "I'm going to pray for you."

"Okay. I'll eat a block of cheese, that you may come to know the light of our One True God, Lord Snarky. Unless.... Are you lactose intolerant? In which case, DIE, SINNER! DIE! DIE!"

For the hopelessly gentile among us, what's a Succoth?

Succoth (or Sukkot) is the Jewish holiday that immediately follows Yom Kippur. Jews traditionally sit in a Sukkah which is a type of ceremonial hut to eat (and some also sleep in it) for seven days. [link]

P.S. A Succoth is a treehouse made of fir branches. It is a Jewish holiday in the fall, and involves Essrogs somehow. (I don't remember how, I just always like that word.) There are fruits involved, too. It is sort of like an outside Thanksgiving, only earlier so as to avoid snow. Also, no turkey or football.

[link]

edit: trust me to be x-posted. Alas, it turns out that my spelling is off, and they are etrogs, and those ARE the fruits.

Oh, dear.

An Air France flight from Paris to Toronto has skidded off the runway during landing and burst into flames. Sounds pretty dire.