I don’t know much about the politics of the various sects of Judaism in Israel, but this NPR story about the demands of the ultra-Orthodox was eye-opening. (I’m not going to recount the story; it’s too detailed. I highly recommend reading the article. It’s short and interesting.) The description “Taliban-like” does indeed fit these zealots, not just because their demands are borne of insane religiosity that they wish to impose on everyone else by force, but because the particular demands (e.g. for “modesty” and segregation of women) are so similar to those instituted by radical Muslims. According to the article, these ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel are becoming more radicalized — and more insistent in their demands on everyone else.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, ever-more people are taking the irrational demands of their religion ever-more seriously — and threatening the rest of us with earthly punishments if we fail to submit. Given the way of Islam and Christianity, I’m not surprised to see this trend in Judaism. Still, it’s downright frightening.

(Via iFeminists.net weekly newsletter.)

Over the past few months, ARI speakers have occasionally endured some crazed heckling from conspiracy-mongering LaRouchites. (The LaRouchites seem to be completely deranged and insensitive to reality, not to mention thoroughly uncivilized.) Since I hadn’t heard about LaRouche for some years, I was curious. I poked around Wikipedia for information about Lyndon LaRouche and his LaRouche Youth Movement. The most interesting source I found was this lengthy article from the Washington Post. If you might run into one of these loonies, it’s worth reading in full. Personally, I hope to never see one again.

If you’re interested in keeping up with news about the battle over sex, marriage, and abortion between religionists and secularists in America today, I’d recommend subscribing to the weekly newsletter of Ifeminists.net. (After registering at the site, you need to subscribe yourself to the newsletter with the “subscribe” button at the bottom of the left-hand column.)

The newsletter consists of a listing of noteworthy news stories and opinion essays on sexual issues, each well-summarized in a paragraph. For example:

Tenn. proposes death certificate for aborted fetuses
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.5764

Rep. Stacey Campfield, a Republican, said his bill would provide a way to track how many abortions are performed. He predicted it would pass in the Republican-controlled Senate but would have a hard time making it through the Democratic House. The number of abortions reported to the state Office of Vital Records is already publicly available. The office collects records _ but not death certificates _ on abortions and the deaths of fetuses after 22 weeks gestation or weighing about 1 pound. (02/14/07)

Lovely, no? (The links from the newsletter all go through the ifeminist site, perhaps as a way of circumventing censorship.)

While I have no personal familiarity with LePort Schools, I’ve heard good things. They are looking for teachers:

LePort Schools is seeking full- and part-time teachers for a variety of subjects in our upper elementary and junior high division (Grades 4 – 8) to join our staff in September, 2007.

A thriving private school with 200 students, LePort Schools operates three campuses in beautiful Southern California. Our website is www.LePortSchools.com.

LePort Schools is a warm learning environment that attracts bright, well-mannered students and informed parents. The right candidate can anticipate training and on-going mentoring; a well-prepared, stimulating curriculum; and small class sizes. LePort Schools offers health and dental coverage, generous vacation time, and competitive salaries.

Ideal candidates will possess:

• An interest in mastering a rigorous academic curriculum
• A desire to convey knowledge to young minds
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• An enthusiastic and productive work ethic

Teaching certification is not required, but preference will be given to candidates who have experience working with children.

Familiarity with Objectivism is also preferred, but not required.

While all applicants are thanked for their interest, only those chosen for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Resumes and cover letters should be emailed to:

Lindsay Journo
Executive Director, LePort Schools’ Upper Elementary and Junior High
E-mail: [email protected]

I am presently watching Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus. It is painfully, unbearable slow. I’ve lost track of the number of scenes in which ten seconds is spent watching people walk into a room from a still camera. And oh, the montages! The slave army hard at work. The slave army in inclement weather. The slave army training for battle. The slave army marching through the mountains. The slave army marching through a field. The slave army enjoying wholesome fun.

Apparently, living the brutal and degraded existence of a gladiator-in-training is good for the soul. Although they go a bit wild in their initial revolt, after about two minutes of exhortation by Spartacus, all the gladiators become paragons of respectable virtue. The same is true of the other freed slaves. As a result, camp life is perfectly harmonious and productive.

Apart from a few good but anachronistic lines about slavery and freedom, the characters are utterly dull. Kirk Douglas, the supposed hero, is particularly awful. His acting is wooden, he’s far too old for the role, and his face is painfully ugly.

I think I have about another hour to watch. Ah well, at least my suffering will be over soon. At this point, I might just have to cheer for the scheming, decadent Romans. At least they’re interesting.