Haiti

Just got an email from the team leader for our little jaunt to Haiti next week. On the “things to pack” list, the first item is “a bible!” What have I gotten myself into? Jen says it’s okay to pack my new copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead instead.

Snottiness aside, for all the bad press that Christians get, they (and other religious organizations) represent the *vast* majority of the people who are organizing trips to help some of the poorest and most downtrodden people in the world. As we looked for a group with whom we could go to do a weeks worth of international volunteerism, nearly all of the organizations are at the very least “faith based.” Doctors without borders are a notable exception, but those people are *crazy*. Like “running in, unarmed, where guns are being shot” crazy.

It brings to mind an old joke or Onion article, wherein the libertarian / atheist will defend to the death his right to sit on his ass and do nothing.

In other news, the squirrels are still being defeated by the new feeder. They climb the pole, get on top of the feeder, and fall off. Then they do it again. It’s awesome. I’ve decided on a full campaign to get some of these fat little bastards to move on. They dig up and kill my plants. To that end, I spread blood meal around the various beds and the garden. Apparently, small mammals do not like the smell of dried blood on the ground. Go figure. It’s also the most insanely nitrogen rich fertilizer around. Yes, the blood of my slain enemies would probably be slightly better, but there are ancillary problems with that.

My brother is in Lebanon (Beirut) for a month, living with the parents of a friend. Apparently, a large part of the plan includes playing backgammon with old Lebanese men, while sitting in small cafes drinking insanely strong coffee. He attempted to grow a beard before leaving (on being told that he looked “12”), which, for those of you familiar with my limited success at such things, may or may not be amusing. Then, he’ll be off to Berlin for a month to do something of the same. He truly is a rock star. Hey, styroboots, are you anywhere near Berlin?