Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states homosexuality to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.
www-users.cs.york.ac.uk

I've been "planning" to go on a healthier diet for ages now, although without any real intention to go through with it. I don't know how it happened, but a week ago I decided to stop planning and just do it. I've been in a funk as of late, and I thought what the hell, maybe finally getting in shape will snap me out of it. BOY was I right!!!

It's incredible how much better I feel - I feel happy, energetic, confident, pretty... nothing can ruin my mood! Not my mother, not the boy, not exams, nothin'!!!

It's also amazing how my figure is already starting to look amazing. I can't believe people think you can only get skinny by starving yourself. All it takes is portion control, trading in junk food for some veggies or fruit, and a lot of exercise - AND systematicness. 

NO, I'm not perving - I mean traditional acupressure Chinese cupping. It's a method that's been around in Polish culture for a long time, only I've never been subjected to it. To those unfamiliar with the process, cupping is applying glass, rubber or plastic cups to the body and creating a vacuum which suctions the skin. Basically, self-inflicted hickeys.

Now, I've heard varying opinions regarding the actual medical effectiveness of cupping. Some defend it, claiming it's a perfect subsitute for antibiotics, while others say it's nothing more than a tradition and a placebo. 

According to the cupping enthusiasts, the cup is supposed to "suck" the blood out of my vein and thus increase my body's immunity and blood circulation. HOWEVER, according to the antagonists, cupping's benefits for the human organism aren't scientifically proven, and while not harmful, certainly not beneficial. 

The reason for my interest is that my mother plans on sticking these glass leeches on me tomorrow! She tells me terrible things, such as: "If I put de cups on you and you leave de house, you vill DIE!" So, naturally I'm a bit concerned and a tad curious.

I'm researching the thing, but I'm met with conflicting opinions. Does anyone know anything about this treatment?

   By no means do I consider myself a wordly connoisseur, but I can honestly say I'd prefer attending an art gallery or theater to the mall (as a matter of fact, I'd prefer just about ANYTHING to the mall). Pop cultural has worn me out, which is why I've decided to isolate myself from the stupid and inane world of celebrity rumors, mediocre radio music and fashion tips, and begin to explore the world of art, theater and literature. 

    This month's play "Griga" by Anton Czekhov was interesting: I've read Czekhov's works before, so I wasn't surprised by the satyrical, cynical tone. There was a very noticeable duality: depending on how you looked at it, the play was either a tragedy and a comedy.
   The action took place in Russia, specifically in a barren room. The title character, Griga, is a washed out, college drop-out drunk who is celebrating his Namesake Day with his two friends Sonia and Pietia. There's some embarrasing interraction with the audience - I was in the front row and almost got kissed by one of the actors. There was also a bottle of vodka that was given to the audience (I don't think it ever made it back, actually. Dissapeared somewhere in the middle rows). The dominating theme of the play is alcohol, no doubt about it. The satyrical blade is obviously directed towards the extremely high vodka consumption in Russia. As the story progresses, the characters get more and more intoxicated, veering from wildly amusing antics (such as mistaking their pants for jackets and attempting to put them on their arms) to heartbreaking confessions (Sonia is a depressed actress, craving true love. Pietia is left by his wife, whom he cannot live without, Griga is thrown out of college). Of course, admitting their problems just entails more alcohol. This is an important detail, as it suggests a never ending cycle of escaping from your problems, and not doing anything to fix them.



 

Man, I freaking LOVE getting an A and an F in the same day! Stands for "Ah, Fuckit". ;)

World War II has always been a subject that both fascinated and horrified me. While I absolutely believe that everyone should be at least generally educated on the subject, digging too deeply into WWII themes leaves me feeling drained and sad and very, very pissed off at the human race.

The first time I heard about the Katyn Massacre was during a history lesson in my sixth grade, and from then on hearing about it causes a whirlwind of emotion - outrage and horror being the dominate. And, which is rare for me, an unexpected burst of patriotism. 

There is so much more to the Katyn Massacre than a mass killing of Polish officers and intellectuals in a forest - the scale of this crime is huge. In 1940 Soviet authorities murdered 22,000 of Polish Intelligence: doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, writers, professors as well as Polish officers with a single gunshot to the back of the head.
The Katyn Massacre was a horrendous crime, which has been covered up by Soviet authorities for many years, spreading propaganda which stated the German army had committed the mass execution. 

"Katyn" directed by Andrzej Wajda.

I get obsessive-compulsive about school every damn year: for the past two and a half hours I've been perfecting my homework, until every last little nuance is exactly as it should be. Eventually, this unhealthy attention to detail fades slightly, but I'm still capable of ripping out a page in my notebook I find unsatisfactory and re-writing the whole thing over again. I know it's stupid and pointless... but it makes me feel less lost and inadequate. And I've learned over time that teachers are prone to forgive a few mistakes in your homework assignment if it looks like you put a lot of work into it... so I guess my craziness is good, and it keeps me from getting sloppy with my work. Makes me fingers ache like hell, though. And it isn't just about aestheticts - I usually slooth sleuth (ha, now you can all learn from my mistakes...) until I find every bit of information I can. Some time in the middle of the year I start getting lazy and I'm not as precise... but right now I feel an annoying, niggling worry in my head when I feel like I hadn't done enough.

School is tough and I've barely even started. European education hurts.

I needed a good babble. Done now.

Oooohhhh, it's so good to be home and have my dungeon room back. I feel kindof 'meh' about my last four days of summer - I spent them at a spa in the snoozy little town Naleczow. Sounds charming, doesn't it? It would be charming if one extracted two factors: my parents. Traveling with them is Hell. My dad turns into a raving lunatic behind the wheel where he screams obscenities at every passing car, and my mom is in a perpetual bad mood that entails snapping at everyone (mostly me) and calling everyone a dirty Atheist (mostly me). But I tried being a good little brainless Catholic girl, so they mostly left me to my own devices. There were a few happy daughter-parents moments that I'll remember (if I conveniently forget the fights that usually followed them), so for my family's standards, I can say that it was a good trip.

The spa itself was nice - I mostly hung out in the sauna and mud baths and avoided the creepy old fat men that sauntered around and looked way too interested in me. Weird tibit from my life: I seem to be attractive for creepy old fat men, never the cute younger guys. I guess it's punishment for being a dirty Atheist. 

Enough bitching. I'm in such a bad mood I feel like boxing. 

Fear me.

You know I'm fucking desperate for company when I agree to spend a whole day out in a field. I'm a pretty self-entertaining person, and I can easily spend days and days with just myself for company, but eventually I start feeling that gnaw of loneliness... and then I'll agree to anything as long as I can just talk with someone - hence, the field. It wasn't the best time I've had in my life, but it was surprisingly relaxing and peaceful... we (meaning Maya and I) took long walks around it, watching the wild grass ripple in the wind... it wasn't very sunny, as the sky was obscured by voluminous clouds. And then, I felt it. A hot, burning sensation starting at the back of my neck, which slowly spread to my collar bone. I tentatively touched the skin, which felt feverish and oddly flaky... which is when I realized: it's a sunburn! 

I cannot put enough emphasis on how much I HATE HATE HATE sunburns. Because I never just tan, oh no. I burn a bright, angry red, then the skin starts peeling, and whatever hadn't peeled starts to darken and bronze, and then I'm stuck with these ugly brown blotches on my skin for the rest of the YEAR! 

Next time someone has the bright idea of hanging in a field, I'm slathering myself in sunblock and I'm bringing an umbrella. Ella ella eh eh.

For the past week I've been struggling to be a decent aunt to my seven year old nephew Michael. I'm not really doing a good job. I've never been comfortable with children - their boundless energy usually entails a lot of screaming, running, thrashing and destroying of my possessions. I can appreciate their cuteness and innocence (from a safe distance, preferably from across the room), but when it comes to interacting with them I'm at a loss. 

My nephew is an easily entertained child, which is both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate, because he can amuse himself with anything from a spoon to his video games (and I can stalk off to my room for some peace), unfortunate because he often goes completely insane with hilarity (and this is usually followed by aforementioned screaming, running and thrashing). Not to mention his overjoyment at throwing his dirty underwear at my head.

But, even though he often bugs the hell out of me, even though he throws dirty particles of clothing at my face, even though he screams like his skin is being ripped off slowly and excruciatingly, I still love that kid and I'm glad he's here.

Being bilingual is sometimes really weird. When I came to the US this year, for about a week I couldn't get a proper English sentence out without stumbling over the words - my mouth would suddenly become lax and uncontrollable. Now that I'm back in Poland I can't get a proper Polish sentence out! I've even acquired a tiny English accent that my parents have noticed. It's interesting that even though I occasionally have trouble with English, I've never in my life had a Polish accent. I guess that means that even though I've always thought the two languages were equal to me, English is still my stronger tongue. All the more reason to move out of Poland. ;) Now if I could only motivate myself to get better grades in German...

I hadn't realized how much I had missed my friend Maya until I talked to her today... even though she didn't understand why I was so sad about leaving San Francisco, she did everything to lift my mood and offer her support. She stayed over for the night and I didn't feel so alone anymore. Even though we are astronomically different people, she's still a great friend to have. I now feel like I've taken her for granted all these years. I realize now that people don't necessarily have to share your interests, your tastes, your opinions or your style to be your friends.