Qatar news: CMU faculty, humidity, rain, temporary wives

[qatarperegrine]

• This week both faculty and student orientation are taking place at CMU, so suddenly there is life in the hallways again! It is most wonderful. The Peninsula published a list of our new faculty: Carnegie Mellon appoints new faculty members.


• In less good news, the weather shifted this weekend. June and July are the hottest months in Doha, but August is more humid. So it's down to around 110, but now with 90% humidity. Residents hit by high humidity. (Check out the accompanying picture if nothing else.)


• So what does Qatar do when it's dissatisfied with its natural environment? Silly question; the answer is always We do exactly what Dubai does: MMAA plans to bring artificial rain to Qatar.


• And, finally, the Peninsula decries the trend of married men entering temporary marriages in order to have a summer fling: Wife for vacation: Qataris marry poor women just for the holidays! I love how the social worker blames temporary marriages on "the mushrooming of TV channels and information explosion." While American TV may be responsible for much evil in this world, it does seem a bit sketchy to blame Western cable for a form of polygamy sanctioned by Islam and outlawed in the West.

Comments

Re: reading the koran

[qatar.livejournal.com]

Hi again!

If you've read my other posts you know that I'm a pacifist, so I'm not going to defend carpet-bombing by EITHER side in World War II. I'm confused by what you mean when you say "why to believe that they were so good guys?" I wouldn't be at all surprised that prostitution was rampant in Germany after WWII. However, I do not think it is true that a Protestant youth conference suggested polygamy as an answer.

Polygamy wasn't actually that common in Jesus' lifetime, but you're right that he never spoke against it. Actually, there's nothing in the Bible that condemns polygamy among laypeople.

I think the question of paternity is probably why there haven't been many polyandrous cultures through history. (And, in those that exist, women usually marry pairs or sets of brothers.) But, again, I'm talking about modern times. None of my polyamorous female friends are trying to get pregnant, so the issue of fatherhood doesn't come up.

Re: reading the koran

[(Anonymous)]

I am happy to read that you are pacifist . I have just found your blog two weeks ago - so i do not know too much about you ,.
I do not have any proof for that protestant youth conference which had suggested polygamy as an answer .But how can you be so sure that it had not happen ?
None of your poly-amorous friends are trying to get pregnant ? Is it so simple ?
Alma wad

Re: reading the koran

[(Anonymous)]

hello ! have you ever heard of the pearl index ? It shows the chances a woman gets pregnant while using different birth-control methods . have a look : * Oral contraceptives - 0.16%
* IUDs - 1-2%
* Rhythm method - 1-47% (strongly dependent on the regularity of the cycle)
* Billings method (based on cervical mucus) - 3%
* Symptothermal method (combination of periovulatory signs and temperature) - 0.8%[2]
it means during a one-year period .
Is it really depending on our own intention that we become pregnant or not ?