Sometimes a straight answer helps

A pointer on metaquotes somehow turned into a more-heat-than-light discussion of circumcision. Somewhere in there, someone asked the reason for the Jewish custom of circumcision, and wanted to know whether it was in the Torah.

I decided they might be serious, and said yes it is and mentioned Abraham and Isaac. They thanked me. Apparently, despite knowing the word "Torah", they had never heard that story.

There's an awful lot to know--thousands of years of history, culture, technology, myth, science, and general weirdness inevitably lead to that--which in turn means that there's probably nothing that everyone knows.

Sometimes a straight answer helps

A pointer on metaquotes somehow turned into a more-heat-than-light discussion of circumcision. Somewhere in there, someone asked the reason for the Jewish custom of circumcision, and wanted to know whether it was in the Torah.

I decided they might be serious, and said yes it is and mentioned Abraham and Isaac. They thanked me. Apparently, despite knowing the word "Torah", they had never heard that story.

There's an awful lot to know--thousands of years of history, culture, technology, myth, science, and general weirdness inevitably lead to that--which in turn means that there's probably nothing that everyone knows.

(no subject)

Hot chocolate is good for hobbits.

Proper hot chocolate: good cocoa powder, sugar, and (all optional, mix as you like) vanilla extract, orange extract, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, in good hot milk.

(no subject)

Hot chocolate is good for hobbits.

Proper hot chocolate: good cocoa powder, sugar, and (all optional, mix as you like) vanilla extract, orange extract, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, in good hot milk.

My birthday gift

(Since I may not get around to a proper review, and over at Electrolite PNH just asked people what we're reading:) I just finished (as in, about 20 minutes ago) Ursula Le Guin's Gifts, which Harcourt is billing as a YA (it's labeled "ages 12 and up"). Good fantasy, whose characters as well as author care about magic for what it can do, and what it can do to its users, not just as a convenient device to drive a plot.

My birthday gift

(Since I may not get around to a proper review, and over at Electrolite PNH just asked people what we're reading:) I just finished (as in, about 20 minutes ago) Ursula Le Guin's Gifts, which Harcourt is billing as a YA (it's labeled "ages 12 and up"). Good fantasy, whose characters as well as author care about magic for what it can do, and what it can do to its users, not just as a convenient device to drive a plot.