Halal-to do about something...

A posting on the slightly more serious side (for verysmalltalk, anyway)... this very interesting post by Robyn Eckhardt at EatingAsia, a wonderful and award-winning travel and food blog that Robyn and her husband Dave Hagerman author together. In this posting, Robyn observes how in some countries, like Thailand and Indonesia, halal and non-halal food stalls coexist side by side in the marketplace, but in Malaysia, the non-halal stalls are generally hidden away. There is a very interesting discussion about religion, politics, and national identity which follows her posting. Check it out!

image: http://www.iconceptbiz.com

Support for Gay Marriages... or Funerals

A growing number of Americans describe themselves as "atheist."  And among secular Americans, support for gay marriage runs around 75% - greater even than President Obama's approval rating.  So it's not entirely surprising that now, for the first time, it seems that more Americans support gay marriage than oppose it.  

However, it's worth a moment to remember that not everyone approves of gays - much less gay marriage.  Once-tolerant attitudes in Senegal, for example, are becoming less tolerant.  The body of a man thought to be gay has been dug up from the grave twice after his family attempted to bury him.  Some people did not want the man to be buried where he was.