Are we here?

Weather - sunshine, showers, the usual. It was actually a lot warmer than it first appeared when I peeked out into the early morning gloom.

We seem to be in the middle of an invasion of giant spiders (hopefully not from Metabelis 3) at the moment. For two nights in a row now, a spider has appeared from under the TV and on both occasions I have fetched a large glass and duly trapped said beastie before setting it free outside across the other side of the road. I don't know if it's the same one coming back - I wonder if it will reappear tonight as well?



Work today has been a sprint to the finish to get the code out of the door, hampered only by the several hours that the consultant spent testing the wrong bit of code. Cue a heavy sigh and much rolling of eyes.

Further to my rantette the other day, let us conduct a little thought experiment. If swivel eyed fundie loon Terry Jones does decide to burn a Koran, and if in response there is a riot in Afghanistan or Pakistan that ends up with people being injured or killed, whose fault will it be? Does any amount of offence, no matter how crass or insensitive the original cause, justify going out on the streets to commit violence? Thinking back further to the riots that followed the publication of the Satanic Verses and the Motoons, were the rioters justified in their actions, and who was ultimately responsible for the people (mostly Muslims) who died as a result? Does anything that a writer or a cartoonist puts down on a sheet of paper justify a violent response?

If the Muslims truly believed the words of the Koran, shouldn't their response to somebody burning it be to simply shrug their shoulders and say 'God is Great' safe in the knowledge that they will go to paradise? Similarly, shouldn't the response of Christians be to turn the other cheek and take comfort in their eternal place in heaven? The fact that neither side is capable of acting with any level of maturity beyond that of a spoilt toddler having a tantrum should tell you something about how secure they actually are in their beliefs.

I've said it before, but no matter how 'deeply held' your beliefs you do not have a right not to be offended by somebody of contrary beliefs, or none at all. The best response to somebody holding up an offensive sign is to stand behind them with a funnier one.

And on that note, I declare this Friday night to be well and truly open!