I read the news on the CNN and BBC websites before I started to write this, so I have to mention two things.

First of all, I am so sad that Sir Alec Guinness died. He was really the quintessential Actor (with a capital “A") for me. Of course, since I’m a huge Star Wars fan, I always kind of associated him with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I loved him in that role (even though he hated the role himself). But he was really brilliant in every film I ever saw him in. He always seemed to have such dignity and authority. He was utterly believable in all of his roles, and I admired him very very much. It’s not fair that he’s gone.

On a completely different note: I was looking at the CNN website because they were talking about Al Gore picking a running mate, and since I had not heard a single thing about whom Gore might be considering, I thought I should inform myself.

The article about the 4 or 5 potential candidates that Gore has lined up was fairly uninteresting, except for one thing that jumped out at me and made me really really mad. One of the people Gore is apparently considering as a running mate is Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. In regards to Lieberman, the CNN article said that, since he’s an Orthodox Jew, he’s kind of a “longshot" because his religion could prove to be “an issue” in some key states.

I can’t believe this. No, no, I can believe this, and I guess that’s why it makes me so sick. It’s the year 2000, for pity’s sake, but in regards to ignorant anti-Semitic prejudices, we may as well be back in the year 1000. Or maybe just back in 1939.

To all you people who would have a problem with Joseph Lieberman just because he is Jewish: GET OVER IT. What rock do you all live under? What raving paranoia are you prey to? What the hell is your problem? You fear some imaginary Jewish world domination or something? Well I fear your narrow-minded, completely irrational intolerance and violent rejection of anyone who is in any way different to you.

And hello, aren’t we supposed have something called separation of Church and State in America? Religion isn’t supposed to come into play in politics. Of course this doesn’t prevent people from running around ranting about how the government needs to support “Christian values.” Christian values are acceptable; Orthodox Jewish values, however, are apparently not.

And before anyone says, “But - but - America was settled by Christians following good Christian values…", I’d just like to note that America was settled by religious extremists who burned people at the stake, so I would think long and hard before singing the undying praises of the Puritans. And what are “Christian values” anyway? Forgiveness? Brotherly love? Thou shalt not kill? I would call those human values - but that’s just me.

Sometimes I think I should just move to Israel. But then I would have to put up with this guy .

Oh dear, I’ve ranted. It’s just the stress. Tomorrow is my Big Day Out at the consulate. To be honest, I’m mostly dreading the 9 hours I’m going to have to spend on the train tomorrow (4 and a half hours there, and 4 and a half back - yuck). Okay, I’m not looking forward to the “interview" either, and I’ll probably be a nervous wreck when the time rolls around - but until the time rolls around, I will do my darndest to just not think about any of it.

I’m also dreading having my wisdom teeth pulled the day after tomorrow. You know how I said that I was practically looking forward to having them pulled as a distraction? Well, that was a lie.

So, everyone, this will probably be the last update until maybe the 10th or so, depending on how I feel after the teeth are yanked. I suspect that I’m going to be a drooling, numb-mouthed mess for a bit. I just hope that I am a drooling, numb-mouthed mess with a visa for the United Kingdom in her hand.

And if I am a drooling, numb-mouthed mess who is able to type, then I will definitely post an update on how everything went. So stand by…