it seems like part of the argument is that, if they say that Jewishness is not a race or ethnicity, then that will set a precedent that antisemitic acts can't be prosecuted under the laws against racial or ethnic discrimination.

I would think the final arbiter of that would be whether the person committing the antisemitic act was intending to target Jewish people, not whether the victim was officially Jewish.

Megan, what's the November Nine?

My skin is KILLING me today. We're having the godawfulest weather (90 degrees and dry.... but only 90 degrees for like 30 minutes... when I go to work, it's closer to 50 degrees and I end up wearing a wool sweater all day). I need a new moisturizer, I think. I've been wearing Origins for years and I love it but... I don't know. I guess I'm craving change.

Any suggestions for moderately dry skin face moisturizers?

I swear by Aveeno.

November Nine = Final table at the World Series of Poker.

Bathing in olive oil? OK, not helpful. I manage with a strong salici-whatever moisturizer for my face and occasional straight up vaseline on parts that dry too much.

My body skin is beginning to act up from the pool + running the heat. Bad when mild soap stings hitting your back. Not much to be done, and I can only reach so much of my back...

I have used to good ends both Neutrogena's non-comedogenic face lotion and Mario Badescu's buttermilk lotion.

I also need special hand lotion and my nails are cracking all to hell.

Is this the universe's way of saying drink more milk, wipe with less bleach?

(Not really related, I had a student in my Advanced Comp class tell me he couldn't complete his rough draft on the death penalty -- he is for it strongly -- because he couldn't find enough outside research to support his claim.... I told him it was perhaps the universe inviting him to consider a change of opinion. He disagreed.)

OHHHH Since I'm bitching about students. I have a kid who is latino (and whose father, I think may have been armenian... the kid is 15 and has "Armenia" tattooed on the back of his neck, thus pissing off the latinos and offending the aremnians). He's a gangbanger and a tool and just a little shit. His girlfriend is pregnant. At what point do you look at this idiot, who only attends school because and I quote "The gov'ment makes me" (to which I replied, "do you really care what the government thinks? All evidence points to no") and think, "He's a great baby daddy candidate!"

Kat, my nephew didn't get past ninth grade, got his GED in juvie jail at 17. He's a convicted felon. He's an pill popper who hasn't held a job for longer than three months in his life. He's had a least one overdose. His 17 year old girlfriend had his first daughter and then two weeks later, some other stupid girl had his second daughter.

Cash, I know. The story of this kid is NOT unique. In fact, I have another girl who is on her second pregnancy (at least with the same guy) and can't wait to marry him. Yet he's an abusive ass as a 17-year-old, steals stuff at school and in general is a tool. What makes him a great candidate to have kids with, to the point where you get pregnant not once but twice before you finish high school?

I love teaching high school. This part of it enrages me.