The complexities of the world of soap are not to be underestimated.Last timeI was talking about harmony. Today I want to introduce you to the concept of counterpoint, but in soapish form. The subject of this technical disquisition is a bar we received as a gift on Christmas Eve,Le Petit Marseillais Savon Brut(Sans parfum). It is a very creamy soap, so creamy that you feel that your skin is being enriched with every touch, that every new lathering takes you a step further towards glowing health.

The thing is, though, that when you first start out with the Savon Brut, it's so big, you feel like you're holding a brick. And that's where the counterpoint kicks in. Who ever heard of a creamy brick? If you're wielding a brick in the bath, are you intending violence? But if the brick is enriching your skin and doing heaven knows what to your pores, how can you be anything other than a man or woman of peace? This is a bar, consequently, that teaches you the meaning of worldly dissonance and even occasional contradiction. Clean as you may be stepping out of the tub, that is never a wasted lesson. (Thanks:@bombaylychee.)

[For links to the rest of the series go to thethe soap dish.]

Nick Cohen'sYou Can't Read This Bookwas published last month, its theme censorship and free speech. There's a short interview with himhere:

Do you see a correlation between religion and censorship?

No. I don't think religion poisons everything. My argument in the book, however, is that respect for religion is different from tolerance. I think the problems arise when religion claims dominion over men's and women's bodies. It's like saying, about a political creed, you must respect it and not criticise its fundamentals. That is what every dictator in the world does.
.....
Which country holds the best laws on free speech?

As I say at the end of my book, if you have a chance to pass one piece of legislation in any country, make it the US First Amendment. It separates church from state, which is vitally important; it also gives freedom from religion, freedom of speech and freedom of press. Even that doesn't guarantee you anything, but it means that the ground rules are established...

Not only do I agree with him; I defend his right to say it. There!