Thoughtless for the Day

Apparently, someone has gone to the trouble of breeding tiny pigs with the intention of marketing them as pets. Genius! Not so much the pets angle, which is gonna sink like Rush Limbaugh and Rosie O'Donnell sharing and inner tube, but as a way for Fundamentalist Christians to spot Jews and Moslems (AKA "Hook-nosed defilers of Gentile women" and "Islamofascists" *)

So, why do Jews and Moslems have an aversion to pigs in the first place? Well, in the case of the Moslems the answer is simple: the Moslems are imitating Jewish Law. Where that Jewish Law demanding the shunning of swine flesh comes from is a little complicated. For a full explanation, we'll need to turn to Marvin Harris' excellent book Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches.

Now you might think that the Ancient Jews kept away from pork for strictly health reasons, namely trichinosis. But, as Marvin Harris points out, there are plenty of other nasty diseases that humans can get cattle and sheep: anthrax for example, which, by the way, cannot be transmitted by pigs. So why then, if not for heath concerns, the prohibition on pork?

As it turns out, there may have been economic reasons for this little piggy being a no-no. Pigs thrive in forests and along riverbanks; conversely, it takes a lot of resources to raise pigs in a hot, arid environment. Is it really worth risking the economic ruination of your entire tribe just on the slim chance that you might end up with a rack of pork ribs? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't roll those dice – and neither would the authors of Genesis and Leviticus.

Next time, Marvin Harris will help us understand why witches rode broomsticks and why the Church changed its mind about the existence of flying witches.

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My dinner with Dumbledore???

Speaking of Dietary Laws, Sen. Larry Craig's (R, The Closet) recipe for the "Super Tuber" is now available. Highlights include:

"Wash and dry potato. Rub with shortening or butter. With an apple corer or small knife, core out the potato center (end to end). Push hot dog through the center"

* That guy over at youaredumb.net has coined the term "Islamopantshits" to describe anyone who "craps themselves every time they see a turban".