"The chocolate coating makes it go down easier."

When you see the way the sun moves through the clouds here, it's not so hard to imagine why three major religions have their roots in the Holy Land. The writing on the wall? It's written everywhere, in the play of light and shadows.

I managed (of course) to get into a theological debate in the office the other day - what, really, constitutes a miracle? Can there be man-made miracles, or must they be directly at the hands of God? Of course, the validity of the entire debate requires acceptance of the existence of God, which was something I didn't really want to get into, as I don't have an answer.

I suppose it comes down to the way one views the world - is there any fundamental difference between a burning bush and a shining skyscraper? Or between fire and brimstone and nuclear warheads? Perhaps the difference lies not in the physical manifestation of "miracles," but in the wisdom of when to use them.

Speaking of fire and brimstone, did you know that Sodom and Gomorrah are supposed to have been where the Dead Sea is now? In a vaguely related miracle, the Israelis have pulled out of Jericho - I'd like to go back there once a little time has passed, and see whether Lazarus' miracle can be replayed with a town as old as Abraham.