Links are at the end, including to samples of today’s music-to-write-by.
Lactose intolerance has religious significance. (This is unrelated to the first story here; just an observation.)
Sikh recruits had to choose between Marines and beards
Marines aren’t allowed to wear beards to boot camp or into combat. The service has made limited non-religious accommodations for beards but, until the DC court of appeals ruled against them, did not recognize religiously significant Sikh beards as worthy of exception. But obviously if they were good enough for the British Empire they should be good enough for ours.1
Any religious-freedom argument is fraught, what with the possibility of it tipping into religious supremacy, but this seems good. Sikhs are not looking to rule the world or run it into Armageddon.
One argument the government seem not to have made is the slippery slope.2
Oohrah!
Just when you thought it was safe
Coffee is the subject of innumerable health studies. When last we checked, back in September of this year, coffee was lowering one’s risk of death, kidney disease, and arrhythmia, even in people with cardiovascular disease. Hurrah!3
This last week, though, we learned that coffee is bad for people with even modestly high blood pressure (130/80 or above). Intuitively, this seems more likely than the previous study findings that the beverage is good for people with cardiovascular disease, but it also seems grossly unfair. It's past time science breeds a bean that's good for everybody.4
The Moroccan spy at the heart of the Qatar investigation
We were unaware of the Qatar investigation or Morocco’s intelligence services, which seems somewhat parochial on our part.
A Moroccan secret service agent, identified as Mohamed Belahrech, has emerged as one of the key operators in the Qatar corruption scandal that has shaken the foundations of the European Parliament. His codename is M118, and he’s been running circles around European spy agencies for years.
. . .
According to Italian daily La Repubblica and the Belgian Le Soir, Belahrech is one of the links connecting former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri to the Moroccan secret service, the DGED. The Italian politician Panzeri is now in jail, facing preliminary charges of corruption in the investigation as to whether Morocco and Qatar bought influence in the European Parliament.
This is what comes of people having too much cash, at home or abroad.
Danish physicists give the gift of world’s smallest Christmas record
The record is very, very, very small; the diameter is 40 micrometers. The story doesn’t say but the logical next step is the world’s smallest violin.5
Massachusetts doctor arrested, accused of assaulting officer during breach of US Capitol
The alleged crime is punching a cop. None of those people made good decisions but at least she’s not a surgeon.6
This $23 Million Honolulu Home Fuses Japanese and American Design
The owners are selling and moving to the East Coast to shorten their commute to Paris.
“After Covid-19, we gutted the house and redid everything.”7
Sign-off, and our writing music for the day
Ikebe Shakedown, “Kings Left Behind;”8 The Heliocentrics, “The Sunshine Makers,” soundtrack to the documentary of the same name.9
And that, comrades, is what we got. If you like our stuff and you’ve not already subscribed, please consider doing so, and spreading our work far and wide. Subscriptions are free unless you want to pay.