I encountered a blog this week that has caused me great confusion. I cannot tell whether this is the work of a paranoid lunatic, or a piece of performance art. I strongly suspect it is the latter -- a great joke on the technorati, hoping to sucker people like me into offering unneeded reassurance and helpful advice.

http://www.tagmeme.com/exmachina/subhack/

If it is a joke, it is one of the most elaborate I have ever encountered, and she suckered me in completely. If it is not a joke, then the author needs some professional counselling and a better grade of drugs.

You decide.

I have two comments about the reaction of the radical Muslim world to the Danish cartoons of Mohammed.

My first comment is to repeat that gem of grade school, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." You're entitled to dislike those depictions. You're even entitled to be offended by them. But let us remember that no one was harmed, no one was killed, and no property was destroyed by the publication of the cartoons.

My second comment is to point out the utter irony of the reaction. Those radical fundamentalists who are rioting, pillaging, threatening, and encouraging harm and death are doing nothing more than validating the depiction in the cartoon. When someone sees you or depicts you in a particular way, and you find that depiction disagreeable, the proper reaction is to step back and ask yourself, "Why do they think that? Are they wrong, or am I actually showing to the world a face that I do not want to show?" When Mr. A says to Mr. B, "you're too violent", and Mr. B responds by knocking Mr. A to the ground, Mr. B has not done a very good job of contradicting Mr. A's assertion.