I just watched the most disturbing documentary on the BBC. Two journalists, who are British Muslims, posed as Pakistani immigrants on a British housing estate in Bristol and documented the abuse they suffered. It was unbelievable. Since getting here I've been reading so much about the collapse of families, feral youth, extreme anti-social behavior, etc. I mean, America certainly has a terrible racial history and massive race problems today but I just don't recall reading or hearing stories to this nature at home. And the problems on the housing estates don't just deal with race. There's the terrible story of Fiona Pilkington, who killed herself and her severely mentally disabled daughter after they had suffered years of abuse on their council estate. This story was referenced by David Cameron in his speech at the Conservative party convention. I mean, I can't think of any solution to this problem. But, I think the fact that these problems are ragging out of control can only help the Conservatives win the next election. But who knows, I'm just a confused, slightly shocked outsider.

Because my Christian friend never responds to my text messages (THANKS!), I consulted google to see if Christians believe in witchcraft (though I think the answer should be obvious). And on Yahoo Answers a man named "Me Again" answered the question by writing: Any man, Christian or not, who has been divorced knows full well that witches exist.

Another post with tinges of Christianity

This morning the wonderful Pamela and I journeyed north into Angel to go to a place that we refer to as the British Baking Revolution (it's on a sign they have inside) but it's actually called Euphorium Bakery. I got an americano and an almond croissant, which was I'm pretty sure the smallest one they had. I'm hoping the mean barista didn't look at me and think that I needed the smallest one. RUDE. Or maybe it was an accurately portioned European baked good. I don't know, anyways, this isn't the point of my story.

What is the point of my story is that on the way back I was handed a Christian magazine by some people on the street. I just read through it in another effort to avoid doing things I should be doing. Besides learning that Christian's shouldn't be sperm donors, even if they stipulate that a gay couple won't get their sperm, because God doesn't like man shedding his seed unless it's in his wife (dirty!). So that was interesting, but not out of the ordinary, what was out of the ordinary was the article in the magazine about the couple who were suffering health problems and found out that a witch had caused them! God luckily saved them, but this article made me question the magazine's validity. And the validity of the organization that funds it. Ah religion, such a confusing, complicated thing.

2012!

"It is not logical to ask for proof that the 2012 doomsday is a hoax. Your questions should be to the doomsday advocates to prove that what they are saying is true, not to NASA to prove it is false. If someone claimed on the Internet that there were 50-foot tall purple elephants walking through Cleveland, would anyone expect NASA to prove this wrong?"

A while ago, over a school holiday, I don't remember if it was last year or two years ago, I became really preoccupied with 2012 and the world ending. I've kind of gotten over it, but it keeps popping up. Well, NASA's head scientist, David Morrison, who I assume is smarter than anyone I know, has posted 20 responses to questions about 2012 that he has received. Both the Questions and the responses are pretty humorous. I think I trust the head NASA Scientist more than some nut with a website.

However, what Morrison does not discuss is the possibility of a religious apocalypse occurring in 2012, which some of my super religious friends have told me is a theory. But according to my summer reading book, The New Testament, Jesus could come back at any point so I guess that's something that us non-religious folks could worry about all the time.

One of those gray London days, where the sun doesn't show up and the rain is so misty that it's a constant question of whether an umbrella is really necessary. All I want to do is lie in bed, with a mug of tea and a pile of books.