Hot Pot Party / Mahjong / Religulous

So we went to visit with our friends Mark and Jasmine for our second of two Labour Day Weekend parties and we had a great time. First thing off was swimming, Mark and Jasmine are so lucky, they have a saltwater pool in the basement of their apartment building.

After our swim we returned and Mark and I watched Religulous while Pam and Jasmine retreated to the kitchen (I guess watching an American comedian making ironic remarks about religion and interviewing American fringe religious figures was just not something that excited them).

I have to say I was moderately disappointed with it. Certainly there is some viable commentary on the position of religion in 21st century America and a good juxtaposition with early American views on religion. It even makes a strong case for doubt through the course of the central portions of the movie.

However the movie had problems, the largest being a non-sequitur conclusion. Maher spends the whole movie demonstrating religion as irrational and showing how it is used to exploit the poor in the USA but then goes and says religion is going to blow up the world.

Now, I have read Christopher Hitchens and am perfectly aware of the arguments which support the conclusions Maher draws at the end of the film. The problem is that Maher does not build his film towards this conclusion. An argument in favour of reason is stronger when it doesn't make errors in structural logic. Notwithstanding this flaw it was an entertaining, irreverent movie which will probably be enjoyed by most atheists and agnostics.

After the film we played Mahjong. For some reason the tiles were strange today; a lot of unlikely combinations of tiles (frequently fortuitous) kept coming up for everyone and we went through six hands in the time one would normally expect for three. We only ever played the six though as any Mahjong game tends to run a little on the long side and by the time we got around the table once it was getting close to suppertime.

Supper was Huo Guo, a delicacy normally only found in China. This dish is made by placing raw ingredients into a hot broth made from ginger, sichuan pepper, green onion, stock, dates and chili pepper to taste. After placing chopped greens and thinly sliced pieces of vegetable and meat into the broth it is brought back to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil the food is removed again and dipped into a paste made from sesame seeds before being eaten.

After supper we hung out and talked for a while and then left. All in all a very good night.

On the novel front I managed to proof-read another two chapters. My mother blazed through the last hundred pages and has now become the first person to have read the book from cover to cover aside from myself. Next on the beta-reader list is Pam. Then Mark, Greg and or Chris will be up after her depending on whether they want an electronic version or the print copy and when they have the freedom to sit down with a good book and a critical eye.

Didn't get to read much today, what with all the other stuff I was up to so nothing more to say really about the Simon R Green book today.

Tomorrow we go to see District 9. I expect awsomeness in the nth degree.

For pictures from tonight's party (and for other pictures from our life) please read Pam's Blog.