Red Tigress' Lair

U.S. Hands Power to Iraqis Two Days Early 06.28.04 (10:27 am)   [edit]
In case you havn't heard ...
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[b]1 hour, 10 minutes ago
[i]By TAREK EL-TABLAWY, Associated Press Writer [/b][/i]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S.-led coalition transferred sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government two days early Monday in a surprise move that apparently caught insurgents off guard, averting a feared campaign of attacks to sabotage the historic step toward self-rule.

Legal documents transferring sovereignty were handed over by U.S. governor L. Paul Bremer to chief justice Midhat al-Mahmood in a small ceremony in the heavily guarded Green Zone. Bremer took charge in Iraq about a year ago.

"This is a historical day ... a day that all Iraqis have been looking forward to," said Iraqi President Ghazi Al-Yawer. "This is a day we are going to take our country back into the international forum."

Militants had conducted a campaign of car bombings, kidnappings and other violence that killed hundreds of Iraqis in recent weeks and was designed to disrupt the transfer, announced by the Bush administration late last year. Intially, the Americans were thought to have planned for about one more year of occupation.

The response in Baghdad was mixed.

"Iraqis are happy inside, but their happiness is marred by fear and melancholy," said artist Qassim al-Sabti. "Of course I feel I'm still occupied. You can't find anywhere in the world people who would accept occupation. America these days, is like death. Nobody can escape from it."

Two hours after the ceremony Bremer left Iraq on a U.S. Air Force C-130, said Robert Tappan, an official of the former coalition occupation authority. Bremer was accompanied by coalition spokesman Dan Senor and close members of his staff. Bremer's destination was not given, but an aide said he was "going home."

The new interim government was sworn in six hours after the handover ceremony, which Western governments largely hailed as a necessary next step. The Arab world voiced cautious optimism, but maintained calls for the U.S. military to leave the country quickly.

Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi delivered a sweeping speech sketching out some of his goals for the country, urging people not to be afraid of the "outlaws" fighting against "Islam and Muslims," assuring them that "God is with us."

"I warn the forces of terror once again," he said. "We will not forget who stood with us and against us in this crisis."

Members of Allawi's Cabinet each stepped forward to place their right hand on the Quran and pledged to accept their new duties with sincerity and impartiality. Behind them, a bank of Iraqi flags lined the podium.

"Before us is a challenge and a burden and we ask God almighty to give us the patience and guide us to take this country whose people deserves all goodness," said President Ghazi al-Yawer after taking his oath. "May God protect Iraq and its citizens."

Although Iraqis are now supposed to be in charge, American security officers prevented reporters from talking with willing Iraqi ministers after the swearing-in ceremony, hustling journalists away even after the new government officials had stopped to chat with them.

Several staffers from the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Communications are now serving as media advisers to Allawi.

The NATO alliance quickly said it would begin training the Iraqi military, which faces a daunting task in putting down the growing insurgency threatening the country.

President Bush marked the transfer with a whispered comment and a handshake with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, gathered with world leaders around a table at a NATO summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

Stealing a glance at his watch to make sure the transfer had occurred, Bush put his hand over his mouth to guard his remarks, leaned toward Blair and then reached out to shake hands. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, a row behind the president, beamed.

Bush was briefed Sunday that the Allawi government was ready to take power early.

The early transfer had been under discussion between Allawi and U.S. officials for at least a week, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bremer's last moments in Iraq were spent in a meeting with Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top American commander in the country.

John Negroponte, the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, arrived in Baghdad late Monday. Bush named Negroponte, 64, as ambassador to Iraq on April 19.

With Negroponte in Baghdad, "the Department of State is taking the lead now," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said.

"We will be the dominant voice," Armitage said.

U.S. plans call for a U.S. Embassy that probably will be the largest in the world, with some 1,000 Americans assisted by hundreds of Iraqis. Negroponte will be assisted by a handful of U.S. ambassadors who volunteered for duty in Baghdad.

Although the interim government will have full sovereignty, it will operate under major restrictions — some of them imposed at the urging of the influential Shiite clergy which sought to limit the powers of an unelected administration.

For example, the interim government will only hold power seven months until, as directed by a United Nations Security Council resolution, there must be elections "in no case later than" Jan. 31. The Americans will still hold responsibility for security. And the interim government will not be able to amend the interim constitution. That document outlines many civil liberties guarantees that would make problematic a declaration of emergency.

As Iraq's highest authority, Bremer had issued more than 100 orders and regulations, many of them Western-style laws governing everything from bankruptcy and traffic, to restrictions on child labor and copying movies.

Some are likely to be ignored. One law requires at least a month in jail for people caught driving without a license — something many Iraqis do not have. Another demands that drivers stay in a single lane, a rule widely ignored in Iraq's chaotic streets.

Others are more controversial. On Saturday, Bremer signed an edict that gave U.S. and other Western civilian contractors immunity from Iraqi law while performing their jobs in Iraq. The idea outrages many Iraqis who said the law allows foreigners to act with impunity even after the occupation.

A Bremer elections law restricts certain candidates from running for office, banning parties with links to militias, for instance.

The Coalition Provisional Authority's laws remain in effect after the occupation ends unless rescinded or revised by the interim government, a task that another Bremer-signed law allows, but only after a difficult process.

The new government's major tasks will be to prepare for elections, handle the day-to-day running of the country and work along with the U.S.-led multinational force, which is responsible for security. The Iraqis can in principle ask the foreign troops to leave — although that is unlikely.

With the transfer, the Iraqis now face the daunting task of securing law and order with the help of about 135,000 U.S. troops and about 20,000 more from other coalition countries.

The handover ceremony took place in a formal room with Louis XIV furniture in an office in the building formerly used by the Iraqi Governing Council. Officials were seated in gilded chairs around a table, in the center of which was a bowl of flowers with a small Iraqi flag in it.

Just before the handover, everyone stood up, and documents were passed to the chief justice at 10:26 a.m. local time — at that point, legal sovereignty was passed.

Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the coalition deputy operations chief, was the only U.S. military official present.

"We'd like to express our thanks to the coalition," al-Yawer said. "There is no way to turn back now."

Bremer, wearing a dark suit and a blue tie with small white dots, read the transfer document, which was inside a blue folder. With a laugh, he referred to himself as the "ex-administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority."

Allawi stood on his right and al-Yawer on his left.

"The Iraqi government is determined to hold elections at the scheduled date, which is January next year," Allawi said in Arabic. He had told CBS television network that the election might be delayed if the security situation did not improve.

There was little initial public reaction to the near-secret transfer ceremony, which was broadcast on Iraqi and Arabic satellite television stations. There was no celebratory gunfire — which rattles through Baghdad when Iraq's national soccer team defeats foreign clubs.

Workers were cleaning the area on Firdous Square where the statue of Saddam Hussein was hauled down on April 9, 2003, when Baghdad fell. More police were seen in the streets.

Coalition officials said Bush had already sent a letter to al-Yawer formally requesting diplomatic relations.

"You have said, and we agreed, that you are ready for sovereignty," Bremer said in the ceremony. "I will leave Iraq confident in its future."
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Let freedom reign!

Jewish Calif. Teen Alleges Discrimination 06.25.04 (5:05 pm)   [edit]
LOS ANGELES - A Jewish high school student has sued his former coach and his school district for discrimination, alleging he was called degrading names, sidelined during games, and that school officials did little to stop the abuse.

Samuel Goldstein, now 16, is seeking unspecified monetary damages in the federal suit against John Marsden, his former baseball coach at Newbury Park High School, and the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

According to the lawsuit, Marsden yelled obscenities at Goldstein in front of his teammates and said "God didn't like him because he was a Jew."

The suit also charges that Marsden kept the student from playing for most of a season after the boy's mother confronted him about the abuse, which allegedly began when Goldstein was a freshman in fall 2002.

Marsden has denied the claims, the boy's family said. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The teenager's mother, Lori Goldstein, said the district "took no action" after she complained to Steven Lepire, assistant principal at the Thousand Oaks, Calif., school. He conducted an investigation in May 2003 and said Marsden was disciplined, according to the suit.

But the abuse continued and Marsden made "childish and cruel remarks, including jokes about the Ku Klux Klan and gays," the lawsuit states.

District Superintendent Robert Fraisse told the Los Angeles Times that Marsden no longer works for the district. He wouldn't comment further on the suit. Phone calls by the Associated Press to Fraisse were not immediately returned Thursday.

Goldstein quit the baseball team in February and he may attend a new school, his family said.

D'var Torah for Chukat

06.25.04 (4:29 pm)   [edit]
In this week's Parsha (weekly portion), Chukat, there are three distinct concepts/events that take place. The first concept is the Para Adumah (Red Cow), which was used to purify all those that had come in contact with dead bodies, but while the person sprinkling the ashes becomes impure, the person being sprinkled is purified. The second and third seemingly unrelated events are the deaths of both Miriam and Aaron.

Commentaries note that when Miriam died the water supply dried, and the Jews had to ask for water, while when Aaron died the cloud that led the Jews also went away. Although these seem like random facts, there is one common theme that we can actually use to improve our approach to life.

There are three ways view the world: The simplest way is to see what we have, and attribute it to its source. The perfect example is water, which is easily traced to its origin, be it an ocean or river. The next level is to KNOW where something came from, even though you don't see the source firsthand. An example of this is a cloud, which we know is formed through evaporation, but we can't visually follow the source back to its creation. The third way is to know something WITHOUT understanding its origin.

The example the Torah gives us is the laws of the Para Adumah (Red Cow), which apparently make no sense, but one that we follow anyways. With these levels in mind, we still need to know why all these concepts are linked together in the Parsha through death (of Aaron and Miriam). The answer is because death has all three elements of knowledge: You can determine what causes the death, you can sometimes know what caused the illness, yet you don't always know why it happened.

Our challenge is to realize that although we think we know what goes on in our lives, and how these things happen, we never really know WHY they're really happening! And just when we think we have life figured out, something happens to remind us that there's still an element that we'll never understand. We never fully understand all the "why's" of life and of the Torah, but learning to live our lives using the Torah as "The Guidebook of All How's And Most Why's", we'll surely look back at a life well-spent.

Have a purifying Shabbos!

Liberal Academia

06.25.04 (4:13 pm)   [edit]
Way back a few weeks ago, I posted a news article about a UCLA student by the name of Ben Shapiro who has recently written a book about the Liberal Bias and Brainwashing on today's college campuses. If you missed the article, you can find it here: http://www.tblog.com/template...

I just got a message from [url=http://jimdoney.tblog.com]JimDoney[/url] that included some interesting findings on the two parties' (Republican & Democrat) donations to various colleges.

[url=http://www.steveverdon.com/ar...]Here's the Site Jim sent[/url]

Interesting, no? Would it be safe to say that those who give more money have more influence on what faculty and staff teach, even who the faculty and staff is that gets hired?

Here's some highlights from these interesting findings on that site ...

[u][b]University of California[/b] [my school is included there -Tigress][/u]
80% of the donors are Democrats
20% are Republican
[That explains it! -Tigress]

VS.

[u][b]Career College Assn [/b][/u]
47% Democrats
53% Republicans

and finally, this one amazed me ...

[u][b]College of William & Mary [/b][/u]
100% Democrats
0% Republicans

Wow. What does that make me think? Well, in my mind the only solution to balancing this out is for Republicans to start giving more monitary donations to College Campuses and balance out the "brainwashing effect" this may have on the students.

Big thanks to Jim.! People really need to know about this!

Gay Marriage

06.24.04 (2:41 pm)   [edit]
By popular demand after my last post below, entitled [url=http://www.tblog.com/template...]"Polygamy"[/url], people wanted me to help them to better understand my stance on Gay Marriage. While the point of "Polygamy" wasn't to really discuss Gay Marriage but rather explore the idea of polygamy and expose the fact that the polygamy argument against Gay Marriage is weak and illogical, I suppose it sparked some deeper curiosity as to where I stand since I did mention I am against it.

In order to get my point accross, I must communicate how I feel about homosexuality itself.

Well, to put it plainly, I feel that we must seperate two things. It is one thing to have urges and yearnings. It's another to act upon them. In the Torah it states that intercourse between members of the same sex is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). This refers to the action. It is against Jewish law for a man to lie with another man as he would a women (and to a lesser degree, the same applies to women as well).

I realize that some people feel they are attracted to only members of the same sex. That, in itself, is not a sin. To act upon it and not control your physical urge in that respect, is a sin. This is according to Jewish law.

Do I accept homosexuals? Well, it depends on what you mean by that. I have many gay and lesbian friends. Our friendships are not sexuality based and so we do not discuss the intricacies of our highly personal experiences and so on, just like I wouldn't do so with my straight friends. I care for my gay and lesbian friends. I feel they are human beings, deserving of friendship, love, and kindness. Am I responsible for their actions? No. They are responsible for themselves. It's all between them and God, just as whatever I may do is between me and God. It's their life.

What I really hate is when people stand on street corners and flail their crosses and bible's and yell about how the 'fags' are going to burn in hell. In who's mind is that productive? How does that work on kindness and human expressions of care for one another? I'll tell you, it does nothing for either. Those same people, by the way, would probably stand on a street-corner with their crosses and bibles screaming about how the 'kikes' are going to burn in hellfire as well. Be they yelling about 'fags' or yelling about 'kikes', I see both of those actions as the same, either one just as disgusting as the other.

All I'm saying is, here's the information ('x') of don't do 'y'. If you choose to do 'y', that's your problem. I've done all I can by providing the information from 'x'. You are still made in God's image.

That said, let's bring it back to Gay Marriage. Since I do not accept the action that is homosexuality, I do not endorse it by calling Gay Marriage a valid or acceptable lifestyle. At a vote, I will vote against Gay Marriage given my feelings as illustrated above. It's my belief, it's how I feel. Does that mean disrespecting a Gay person? No. Disagreeing doesn't mean disrespecting. The two do NOT go hand and hand. They should never.

What it comes down to is the vote of the people. I am just one of many voting people. I give my vote and my voice as well as my opinion. I deserve the same respect as anyone else for that. I am only one. That is where I stand. Where do you?

[i]*Update: I would also just like to point out that I do believe I am being very fair here and trying my darndest to be respectful to all peoples while holding reverence for my own culture and traditions near and dear. Also, in case anyone was wondering, I am friends with about 5 Gay and Lesbian people whom I attended/attend school with. These close friends of mine who happen to be Gay and Lesbian are aware of where I stand and they are able to respect it, as I respect them, and our friendships are closer and stronger for it.[/i]

Polygamy

06.24.04 (1:43 pm)   [edit]
Lately there's been much talk about the subject of Gay Marriage. Many of those in opposition to Gay Marriage cite that if we allow that to go through and change the institution of marriage itself, then that opens the door to polygamy, incest, or marriage to animals.

My goal here isn't really to talk about Gay Marriage. That's another blog entirely. I'm also really not interested in discussing incest or marriage to animals here today. What I do want us to take a look at is Polygamy.

I would just like to note here that though I have my own opinions on Gay Marriage (that being against), I do think the above hypothetical argument is incredibly weak. Which I guess is why I am writing this. What is so wrong with Polygamy??

Let's start with a rough definition, for those not in the know as to what this practice is about:

[i]Polygamy (po·lyg·a·me)
Function: noun: marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time -- compare[/i]
(Thanks to [url=http://m-w.com]Merriam-Webster Online[/url])

Now that we have this out of the way, let's take a look at the history of this rarely occurrent (in the United States) practice. The beginnings of Polygamy can be traced back to Biblical times. Abraham, the first forefather of the Jewish people and the father of Monotheism, had a wife Sarah and her hand maid Hagaar. He had children with both. Going further down the line on the family tree, we have Jacob who had Rachel and Leah as wives.

To shy away from the Jewish tree, we have tribes in Africa and Asia who have had multiple wives and continue to do so to this day. Tribes in South America have female dominant societies where the women have many husbands. Many Muslims practice multiple wives. In the U.S.A., we have Mormons (mostly in Utah) who practice this form of family (though illegally).

It seems that many people in the ancient as well as modern world practice this polygamy.

So, then, why is it that if one form of different marriage is introduced and then Polygamy becomes a possibility, that is so bad?

It has become practice in the Western World to have only one spouse at one time. There are many reasons for this. In Judaism, the Rabbis had made a decree that for a certain amount of years, the practice of Polygamy is forbidden. (I have heard differing opinions that say the ban has been lifted due to the end of the 1,000 years or so in which the decree was designated to. As far as the rest of the Western world, I'm not sure where they are coming from so I won't make any assumptions. I'm stating it from the point of view that my culture comes from, or at least how I have come to understand it.)

Now, personally, I wouldn't want to participate in such a practice as polygamy. Let it suffice to say, I'm merely territorial. I suppose it is a tiger trait (just kidding). In any case, I can understand how someone might want to have more than one spouse.

In the communities where such conduct is considered acceptable to the point of normality, strong familial bonds and structured families are found. Studies have shown that in the African tribes that practice polygamy, the women who belong to one husband are bonded together and look after eachothers' children as if they were their own. Families are stronger and solid, generally speaking, in families that have more than one spouse. It is even safe to say that the children who come from polygamous homes have faired better than children who came from homes in which the parents are divorced or single.

So it leads me to wonder, would the legalization of polygamy be the end of the world?

Ok, one more quiz ...

06.24.04 (1:04 am)   [edit]
... and now I'm off to bed!






Nemesis


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

Cooincidentally, first time I took this test, I got matched with Athena. I guess it all depends on what kind of a mood one is in. And also, whether or not they had a trying day like I have had.

'Nite!

Israel Has Major Role in Olympic Security 06.24.04 (12:17 am)   [edit]
[i][b]By STEVE WEIZMAN, Associated Press Writer[/b][/i]

JERUSALEM - Israel will play a major role in securing the Athens Olympics, with its navy patrolling the Greek coast and military and intelligence officers working closely with the Greek armed forces, the U.S. Army and NATO.

Israel also is advising Greece on how to seal its airspace and coastal waters in the event of a terror attack, Israeli military officials said Tuesday.

A seven-nation security task force, including the United States, Britain and Israel, is part of the $1.2 billion security plans for the Aug. 13-29 games.

There already are ties involving the Israeli navy, its Greek counterpart, the U.S. 6th Fleet and the relevant air forces. Greece, the U.S. Army and NATO also are in close contact with Israeli intelligence, the officials said.

Israel expects one of its senior officers to be at NATO's southern command headquarters in Naples, Italy, during the games. NATO is still undecided on such close Israeli involvement, the officials added.

Private Israeli firms will also contribute to the Greek security effort, supplying patrol boats for the Greek navy, closed-circuit TV and other monitoring systems for the streets of Athens and other services.

Israel's Shin Bet security agency will protect the Israeli team, guarding Israeli quarters in the Olympic village, sites Israeli athletes may visit and sailing events off the Greek coast. The agency has provided such protection since the 1972 killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

The Olympic guard detail will be Israel's largest because of intelligence estimates of a potential terrorism against Israelis at the Athens Games, officials said.

Greek officials said the foreign security agents will not be allowed to carry firearms.

Islamic Leader Lauds Bush Mideast Policies 06.24.04 (12:10 am)   [edit]
Well, then. I find this a bit interesting. This is certainly a change from the percieved norm. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Have a look...
[line]
[b]Wed Jun 23, 5:02 PM ET
[i]By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer[/b][/i]

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the world's largest Islamic organization praised the Bush administration Wednesday for backing Palestinian statehood.

Syed Hamid Albar, who heads the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, said he had a "very good, productive, very constructive" meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Syed Hamid said Powell assured him that the administration would keep working for a negotiated settlement that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

"We are very happy with the way the United States is handling the issue," Syed Hamid, who also is Malaysia's foreign minister, told reporters.

Specifically, Syed Hamid said Powell had reassured him and Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat that the Bush administration will go ahead with its "roadmap" for peacemaking even if Israel withdraws from Gaza and yields the territory it has held for 37 years to the Palestinians.

"I think this reassurance to us is important so we will be able to send a clear message to the Islamic countries that a roadmap is still there and the final status has to be negotiated between the Palestinians and Israelis," he said.

Erekat said, meanwhile, he had asked Powell for help in stopping Israel from expanding "settlements" on the West Bank and in Jerusalem.

"We want to see an action plan specifying that the end game is ending Israeli occupation," the Palestinian minister said.

Islamo-Facists and their love of beheading

06.22.04 (5:25 pm)   [edit]
[b]"When you encounter those [infidels] who deny [the Truth=Islam] then strike [their] necks" (Qur'an sura 47, verse 4)[/b]

Sound familiar to anyone?

Thanks to [url=http://www.swornenemy.org]Sworn Enemy[/url] (Trackback -- http://www.swornenemy.org/hts... ), I found this article from [i]Front Page Magazine[/i] which is from May, but it's still definatly got relevence, unfortunatly. You really gotta read this!
[line]
[b]The Sacred Muslim Practice of Beheading
[i]By Andrew G. Bostom[/i]
FrontPageMagazine.com
May 13, 2004[/b]

Reactions to the grotesque jihadist decapitation of yet another "infidel Jew," Mr. Berg, make clear that our intelligentsia are either dangerously uninformed, or simply unwilling to come to terms with this ugly reality: such murders are consistent with sacred jihad practices, as well as Islamic attitudes towards all non-Muslim infidels, in particular, Jews, which date back to the 7th century, and the Prophet Muhammad's own example.

According to Muhammad’s sacralized biography by Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad himself sanctioned the massacre of the Qurayza, a vanquished Jewish tribe. He appointed an "arbiter" who soon rendered this concise verdict: the men were to be put to death, the women and children sold into slavery, the spoils to be divided among the Muslims. Muhammad ratified this judgment stating that it was a decree of God pronounced from above the Seven Heavens. Thus some 600 to 900 men from the Qurayza were lead on Muhammad’s order to the Market of Medina. Trenches were dug and the men were beheaded, and their decapitated corpses buried in the trenches while Muhammad watched in attendance. Women and children were sold into slavery, a number of them being distributed as gifts among Muhammad’s companions, and Muhammad chose one of the Qurayza women (Rayhana) for himself. The Qurayza’s property and other possessions (including weapons) were also divided up as additional "booty" among the Muslims, to support further jihad campaigns.

The classical Muslim jurist al-Mawardi (a Shafi’ite jurist, d. 1058) from Baghdad was a seminal, prolific scholar who lived during the so-called Islamic "Golden Age" of the Abbasid-Baghdadian Caliphate. He wrote the following, based on widely accepted interpretations of the Qur'an and Sunna (i.e., the recorded words and deeds of Muhammad), regarding infidel prisoners of jihad campaigns:

“As for the captives, the amir [ruler] has the choice of taking the most beneficial action of four possibilities: the first to put them to death by cutting their necks; the second, to enslave them and apply the laws of slavery regarding their sale and manumission; the third, to ransom them in exchange for goods or prisoners; and fourth, to show favor to them and pardon them. Allah, may he be exalted, says, 'When you encounter those [infidels] who deny [the Truth=Islam] then strike [their] necks' (Qur'an sura 47, verse 4)”....Abu’l-Hasan al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah." [The Laws of Islamic Governance, trans. by Dr. Asadullah Yate, (London), Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd., 1996, p. 192. Emphasis added.]

Indeed such odious “rules” were iterated by all four classical schools of Islamic jurisprudence, across the vast Muslim empire.

For centuries, from the Iberian peninsula to the Indian subcontinent, jihad campaigns waged by Muslim armies against infidel Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Hindus, were punctuated by massacres, including mass throat slittings and beheadings. During the period of “enlightened” Muslim rule, the Christians of Iberian Toledo, who had first submitted to their Arab Muslim invaders in 711 or 712, revolted in 713. In the harsh Muslim reprisal that ensued, Toledo was pillaged, and all the Christian notables had their throats cut. On the Indian subcontinent, Babur (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire, who is revered as a paragon of Muslim tolerance by modern revisionist historians, recorded the following in his autobiographical “Baburnama,” about infidel prisoners of a jihad campaign:

"Those who were brought in alive [having surrendered] were ordered beheaded, after which a tower of skulls was erected in the camp." [The Baburnama -Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor, translated and edited by Wheeler M. Thacktson, Oxford University Press,1996, p. 188. Emphasis added.]

Recent jihad-inspired decapitations of infidels by Muslims have occurred across the globe- Christians in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nigeria; Hindu priests and "unveiled" Hindu women in Kashmir; Wall Street Journal reporter, and Jew, Daniel Pearl. We should not be surprised that these contemporary paroxysms of jihad violence are accompanied by ritualized beheadings. Such gruesome acts are in fact sanctioned by core Islamic sacred texts, and classical Muslim jurisprudence. Empty claims that jihad decapitations are somehow "alien to true Islam," however well-intentioned, undermine serious efforts to reform and desacralize Islamic doctrine. This process will only begin with frank discussion, both between non-Muslims and Muslims, and within the Muslim community.

[i]Andrew G. Bostom, MD, MS is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Brown University Medical School, and occasional contributor to Frontpage Magazine. He is the editor of a forthcoming essay collection entitled, "The Legacy of Jihad".[/i]

Some funny quizzes

06.22.04 (4:59 pm)   [edit]
LoL, this ain't accurate ... much

Which internet subculture do I belong to? [CLICK] You are a Trekkie! It's a geek, Jim! You probably have a starfleet uniform and a tricorder. Bonus points if you speak klingon. One day you will walk down the aisle with your buttertroll trekkie partner, humming to the Yoyager theme. More Quizzes at Go-Quiz.com

youre edward scissorhands


what johnny depp movie are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

South Korean hostage executed 06.22.04 (4:14 pm)   [edit]
These monsters must not be given satisfaction!
[line]
[i][b]NBC News and news services[/i][/b]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi militant group believed to be linked to al-Qaida beheaded a South Korean hostage after the Seoul government refused to remove its soldiers from Iraq.

U.S. soldiers on a routine patrol found the body of the man, Kim Sun-il, 33, between Baghdad and Fallujah, 22 miles west of the capital, about noon (4 a.m. ET), military officials told NBC News. They said that Kim’s body was booby-trapped with explosives but that the explosives did not go off.

The South Korean Embassy in Baghdad confirmed that the body was Kim’s by studying a picture of the remains it received by e-mail, Shin said. South Korean television showed Kim’s distraught family members weeping and rocking back and forth with grief at their home in the southeastern port city of Busan.

President Bush condemned the execution and said he remained confident that South Korea would go ahead with plans to send 3,000 troops to Iraq. “The free world cannot be intimidated by the brutal actions of these barbaric people,” he said in Washington.

U.S. forces launched an airstrike in Fallujah on a safehouse used by followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian terrorist whose al-Qaida-linked group, Monotheism and Jihad, was believed to have snatched and killed Kim.

The Arabic-language satellite television channel Al-Jazeera reported that three people were killed and that six others were wounded, while witnesses and a hospital official told Reuters that four people were killed.

Statement read on new video
Kim worked for Gana General Trading Co., a South Korean company supplying the U.S. military in Iraq. He was abducted last week, according to the South Korean government.

A videotape, apparently made shortly before his death and aired on Al-Jazeera, showed Kim kneeling, blindfolded and wearing an orange jumpsuit similar to those issued to prisoners at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Five hooded men stood behind Kim, one reading a statement and gesturing with his right hand. Another captor had a big knife slipped in his belt.

One of the masked men said the message was intended for the Korean people: “This is what your hands have committed. Your army has not come here for the sake of Iraqis, but for cursed America.”

The video did not say when Kim was killed. A spokesman for Al-Jazeera said the tape went on to show one of the men cutting off Kim’s head with a knife, which the station did not air.

Al-Jazeera said the video claimed that the execution was carried out by al-Zarqawi’s organization, which also claimed responsibility for the decapitation of U.S. businessman Nicholas Berg last month on a videotape that was posted on an al-Qaida-linked Web site. U.S. officials believe al-Zarqawi himself wielded the knife in Berg’s killing.

In Saudi Arabia, Paul M. Johnson Jr., 49, a U.S. helicopter technician, was kidnapped by al-Qaida militants who followed through on a threat to kill him if the kingdom did not release its al-Qaida prisoners. An al-Qaida group claiming responsibility posted an Internet message that showed photographs of Johnson’s severed head.

Kim’s kidnappers had initially threatened to kill him at sundown Monday unless South Korea canceled its troop deployment to Iraq. The government rejected the demand, standing firm with plans to dispatch 3,000 soldiers starting in August.

In a dispatch from Baghdad, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted an “informed source” as saying negotiations with the kidnappers collapsed over the South Korean government’s refusal to comply.

S. Korea to evacuate 22 nationals
South Korea convened its National Security Council shortly after Kim’s death was confirmed and reiterated its decision to send more troops to Iraq. “Our government’s basic spirit and position has not changed,” a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said.

The government had already said that it would evacuate the last of its 22 nationals in Iraq by early next month because of concern over reprisals for the deployment. It also warned its citizens not to travel to Iraq for the same reason.

Kim was believed to have been kidnapped about 10 days ago. A videotape broadcast Sunday by Al-Jazeera showed him pleading for his life.

Kim, described as a devout Christian, studied Arabic as well as English in South Korea. His parents said he went to Iraq because he dreamed of becoming a missionary in the Arab world, the Seoul newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported. A South Korean television news station, YTN, said he had been in Iraq for about eight months.

Recent abductions and attacks appear aimed at undermining the interim government that is set to take power June 30, when the U.S.-led occupation formally ends. U.S. and Iraqi officials have vowed to go ahead with the transfer.

Dan Senor, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, said that by week’s end, all Iraqi government ministries would be under full Iraqi control.

[i]NBC’s Scott Foster, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.[/i]

Stuff as I see it, by RED TIGRESS

06.22.04 (2:52 pm)   [edit]
"I am not a pacifist nor am I partisan." -Jon Stewart, the [i]Daily Show[/i]

That pretty much sums it up. I heard the above quote while watching one of my favourite shows, the [i]Daily Show with Jon Stewart[/i]. Jon has it right on the money there. I don't believe in war all the time. One would have to be completely [b]daft[/b] to want to war all the time. Anyone would have to be daft to even want war at all. But, as with everything, there is a time and a place.

If someone is trying to kill you, you have a moral obligation to protect yourself and your family. That is pure and simple truth. Now, the semantics on whether or not someone is really trying to kill you is something that must be thoroughly thought out and truly found. Measures must be taken so that mistakes are not made. It would be more immoral to go after someone who was no real threat! There in lies the mandatory measure of thinking things through before acting.

The way I see things; Hamas, Hizbolla, Fatah, Al Aqsa, and Al Quaida all want to kill not just me but other Jews. Specifically, all of us. Where do I get this? From their own mouths, from their own literature, from their own very [b]actions[/b]! I listen to what these groups say, and it's all about hate with them. They want to kill us! It is important to, once again, note that this does not serve true for all Arabs or Muslims. On the contrary, there are many good people in the Arab/Muslim community who do want the violence to stop and they do want peace between their Jewish brothers and sisters.

That said, it is my feeling that these good people need to own their ideals and turn out the ones who perpetuate the violence against others and their own people. It can only start with them.

Until then, it is the right of Israel to protect itself. What does that intail? Ah, here comes the talk about partisanship.

Whether or not you are right or left or middle of the road or republican or democrat or green or you don't care, the truth is; You have to protect yourself and those you love. What is Israel doing?

Well, they're cracking down on terror hideouts and building a security barrier. In my humble opinion, this is good for Palestinians and good for Israel. The reason being, if Israel cracks down on terror, that's less people being killed by blowing themselves up. Less children being sent to become martyrs.

If Israel builds a security barrier, then that allows Palestinians to start making way for their new state. They can focus on their own self-betterment. They can still come into Israel and work if they wish, but they are given the freedom to make that choice and make it safely. They don't have to worry about blowing up or getting shot at a checkpoint. They can just come to work.

If Palestinians have their own country, that means they can have their own economy! That means they can live in better conditions and thrive as a peaceful nation, void of hatred and terror.

I believe there is a time and a place for war and action. And even though I am a republican, I am in no way partisan in my thoughts and feelings as a human. I am republican because that is the party whose ideals I identify most with. That is not to say I'd not vote for a Democratic president or not have a left leaning idea in my head.

It is time we all look at the facts and make a decision based on logic, not allegiances. It is time we be realistic.

SHABBAT CHESED

06.22.04 (1:02 pm)   [edit]
This is so sad. I wanted to post this in case anyone can help or would like to participate!
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[b]Message from Daniel & Halana Rosenfield - Worldwide SHABBAT CHESED[/b]

We got up from Shiva just last week for our special Chani. As many of you know, our 3-year old Chani was diagnosed 1 and a half years ago with Cancer (Stage IV Neuroblastoma). Chani lived a good life and knew how to enjoy and appreciate every moment, with a smile and a laugh at all times. I remember her not only hooked up to an IV pole - but RIDING the IV pole around the hospital with a big smile, making all of the children and parents laugh and bringing joy and chessed to other patients and families.

One person who visited the Shiva recalled a time when he offered Chani a lollipop once in shul on Shabbat. He gave Chani a purple lollipop and she looked up at him and said, "Purple is my favorite color". Lilach, Chani's big sister, then came over and wanted a purple lollipop too, except there were no more purple lollipops, only yellow ones. Chani gave her purple lollipop to Lilach. As Chani took a yellow lollipop, she turned up to him and said, "Yellow is my favorite color".

Chani taught others to appreciate every moment in life. She was so good-natured and happy. On one occasion when she was only 1 and a half, she had to have an IV inserted in the middle of the night. After many tries at stabbing and jabbing to get the IV in and much crying, Chani turned up to the nurse and gave her a kiss. This is who Chani was. She took everything in stride and with a smile, always looking to make others happy.

Also, as my neighbor in Ramat Bet Shemesh told me at the shiva: what gedolim and roshei yeshiva try to inspire people around the world to greater heights of tefilla, chesed and unity, Chani was able to accomplish in her short 3 years.

To read Halana and my hespedim (eulogies), please go to http://www.chanaliora.com

Many of you have been diligently davening and doing good deeds for Chani's refuah. As I mentioned at the levaya (funeral), please do not stop your tefillot and mitzvot (prayers and good deeds). Chani would have wanted you to keep davening and doing good for her friends, the special sick children in the hospitals around the world.

A number of months ago I heard a powerful story from Rabbi Yissochor Frand:

In a boys school in Cleveland, a teacher gave his students an assignment to complete a portion of Torah and present a siyum to the class. For this special occasion each boy's father was invited to attend his son's presentation.

The day arrived for David's time in the spotlight. That morning, David's teacher reminded David to invite his father to come hear him. David made his beautiful presentation, but the rebbe noticed that David's father was missing. After the presentation, he approached David and said, " I told you to invite your father. You couldn't even allow your father to schep a little bit of nachas!?" Little David turned to his teacher and answered simply, " I knew that next week is Moishe's turn to present, and Moishe is an orphan, and he will be the only one without his father there. So, out of consideration for Moishe, I decided I wouldn't invite my father either, so Moishe wouldn't be the only one."

This boy David, in his little way, looked beyond his own Daled Amot, to recognize that another person is in need. In what should have rightly been his moment to shine, David modeled for us the importance of showing great sensitivity towards others. We each are naturally busy with our own everyday challenges of work, family, and well, just, life. The challenge we are each faced with is - how can I overcome all of this and look beyond my own craziness, beyond my own cholent of life, and see how we can make a difference in someone else's life.

A number of months ago we initiated an effort to try and find little 4-year old Bracha Naomi Mandelbaum a bone marrow match. Bracha Naomi and our Chani shared a hospital room in Hadassa hospital in Jerusalem. Many of you were instrumental in organizing drives, volunteering, raising funds, or just being tested. You looked out for someone else in need. Had you told me that in one crazy and urgent week, we would organize and run 9 bone marrow drives, raise over $140,000, and test close to 2000 people for bone marrow - I would have told you that there was no way - impossible. But together we put our minds to it, and each of us looked beyond our own craziness of life, to try and do some chesed and help someone else in need.

Unfortunately, both Bracha Naomi and our Chani succumbed to their respective illnesses and we tragically mourn their loss, while we cherish the memories of the beautiful children that they were.

The world is a wondrous place, and you never know the impact of your actions.

The day after we got up from Shiva I received a call of condolences from Eddie Feinberg (Jay's brother) of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation. If I was not still in Aveilus (mourning), I would have shouted out a Shehecheyanu V'kiymanu V'higiyanu la'zman hazeh. Why? Eddie shared with me the most unbelievable and joyous news: of the close to 2000 people that we tested for bone marrow for Bracha Naomi, we have already found a match for 2 other people. There are 2 other people who have received bone marrow transplants from people we tested, and are walking the world today, enjoying life and their family. What a simcha! I immediately called Shmuli Mandelbaum (Bracha Naomi's father) and told him. I said that symbolically, 1 of the matches is for Bracha Naomi and 1 for Chani. To imagine that just months after the drives, we are already saving lives! And the people tested will stay in the registry until age 60, so there is great potential for saving many more lives for many years to come (though, G-d willing we shouldn't need it).

As I said, the world is a wondrous place, and you never know the impact of your actions.

With this inspiration, I present to you for the first time our newest project. As part of the Shloshim commemorations for Chani, we are initiating a special:

[b]WORLDWIDE: SHABBAT CHESED - Sabbath of Kindness[/b]

The weekend following Chani's Shloshim (Friday-Shabbat-Sunday July 2, 3, 4th, 14th of Tamuz, Shabbat Parashat Balak), kehillot, batei knesset, bungallow colonies, and camps worldwide will be dedicating the weekend to Chesed (Loving Kindness), in memory of Chani.

This is a chesed lishma project, for the sole purpose of bringing kindness into the world - lishma, also means in her name, in Chani's memory.

[b]What does this mean? And what does this mean for you individually?[/b]

The following is a short list of suggestions for you to initiate in your own community on that special weekend. Please feel free to initiate other Chessed ideas that are not listed here. As we are trying to make this as user friendly and tangible as possible, we have attached some links to educational material as well as chesed organizations that you can utilize:

* Ensure that your Rabbi will dedicate his drasha, sermon, and shiurim to Chesed, and to spreading awareness of the importance of helping others. Torah Sources are available in [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/MEKORO T_ENGLISH.HTM]English[/url] ( [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/MEKORO T2_ENGLISH.HTM]English 2[/url]) and [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/MEKORO T_HEBREW.HTM]Hebrew[/url] .
* Arrange for your camp or youth program to run informal educational programming and tochniyot on Chesed. Programming ideas are available in ([url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/TOCHNI YOT_ENGLISH.HTM]English[/url] [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/PEULOT _ENGLISH.DOC]English 2[/url], [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/PEULOT 2_ENGLISH.HTM]English 3[/url] ) and [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/TOCHNI YOT_HEBREW.HTM]Hebrew[/url] .
* Invite people who are new to the community over for meals
* Check that your community has g'machim set up to meet all needs. Check [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/GMACHI M_ENGLISH.HTM]Olam Hachesed's full list of ideas & gmachim[/url], and for help in setting one up in your community (also available in [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/GMACHI M_HEBREW.HTM]Hebrew[/url]).
* Arrange trips to visit the sick in hospitals, and home-bound elderly
* Donate Bone Marrow or Organize a bone marrow drive in your community. In America & Canada contact Eddie Feinberg at Gift of Life, 1-800-9MARROW, http://www.giftoflife.org .. In Israel contact Ezer Mitziyon at http://www.ezer-mizion.org.il... . For all other countries visit http://www.bmdw.org for the name and contact info of your local bone marrow registry.
* Donate Blood at your local hospital or blood bank, or organize a blood drive in your community
* Make Arts & Crafts Packages with children for chayalim (soldiers) or for children in hospitals.
* Organize a toy drive and donate to Zichron Menachem in Israel at tel: 02-643-3001, email: info@zichron.org , http://www.zichronmenachem.or..., and to Chai Lifeline in the US at bbaida@chailifeline.org , http://www.chailifeline.org . (Other ideas include: toys, books, cd's, dvd's, computer and video games, software, sweets, cakes for birthdays, hair donations, drivers to take children to and from hospital, etc.)
* Run a food can drive or help collect leftover food from simchas or events; or to volunteer on Friday June 2nd to pick-up and deliver food packages: In Israel contact Table to Table, Joseph Gitler at joseph@tabletotable.org.il, 052-876-3516, http://www.tabletotable.org.i... . In the US contact City Harvest at http://www.cityharvest.org to get involved.
* Arrange to repair or paint rundown areas of the elderly community, or offer to go shopping for home-bound elderly
* Help clean up and preserve the sanctity of a local cemetery
* To get involved in chessed projects in Toronto in hospitals or in long term care facilities, please contact Laila Friedman 416-638-7800 ext 287, lfriedman@jfandcs.com , or Rabbi Weiss at 416-638-7800 ext 217, rweiss@jfandcs.com
* Donate Tzedaka to worthy causes. Some organizations that have helped us personally can be found on Chani's website - http://www.chanaliora.com .
* Seek new ways to be involved in chesed - visit http://www.chesed.info
* For more ideas and ways to get involved in chesed, contact Daniel Rothner, 212-813-2950, daniel@areyvut.org , http://www.areyvut.org . Check out a more comprehensive list of Chesed ideas (prepared by Areyvut).
* Join the Israel Premiere of SPIDERMAN II - Charity Performance for Hadassah Hospital's Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Unit: "Linda's Activity Centre", Sunday July 4th at 7pm at Rav Chen Cinema, Talpiot, Jerusalem. Call Caroline Ofstein 02-999 6128 or Deborah Kaufmann 054 566 5001 for tickets (in advance), donations & more details.
* Shalva-the center for mentally and physically challenged children in Israel. For all those who wish to do chesed and help these children and their families, please visit the website at http://www.shalva.org
* To get involved in Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel, in local chesed and tzedaka, contact David Morris at 02-999-1553, info@lemaanachai.org http://www.lemaanachai.org .
* Chesed opportunities in Ramat Bet Shemesh include: Food Rescue call Marla Braun at 02-999-7956. To offer rides for down syndrome babies to therapy in Tzora call Rochel Leah Dubovik at 02-999-5925. To offer rides for sick children to and from hospitals, call Leah Resnick at 02-999-6328, or call Krishevsky at 02-991-0047. To help make heavy half hour food deliveries Thursday evenings to needy families call Shraga Rosenberg at 02-9996479.

Please make a decision to make a difference. Please continue your unwavering commitment to davening and doing Chesed that you showed for Chani's refuah. The success of this Shabbat Chesed is contingent on you individually stepping up and saying I am not going to wait for someone else to make the difference. What better way to memorialize Chani, than continuing in the way she taught us to look out for others.

How can you help?

Call your local Rabbi. Urge them to speak about Chesed on the Shabbat of July 3, and to promote Chesed programs.

Forward this e-mail to your friends, shuls, camps, etc. Call any contacts in organizations, newspapers, radio shows, weekly prarasha publications, e-mail lists, and ask them to publicize the Worldwide Shabbat Chesed. To help you facilitate the advertising, you can forward on the [url=HTTP://CHANALIORA.MAMASH.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/PRESSR ELEASE_ENGLISH.DOC]Press Release/Article[/url] ( [url=HTTP://CHANALIORA.MAMASH.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/PRESSR ELEASE_HEBREW.DOC]Hebrew version[/url] available) ready to be included in your local newspaper or organization e-mail list.

Post a [url=HTTP://CHANALIORA.MAMASH.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/FLIER_ ENGLISH.DOC]Shabbat Chesed flier[/url] ( [url=HTTP://CHANALIORA.MAMASH.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/FLIER_ HEBREW.DOC]Hebrew version[/url] available) to be filled in and posted in your community.

Important: As part of the special Shabbat Chesed program, please let us know what your community/camp/shul will be taking on for the Shabbat Chesed, and your contact info for people to join your local program by filling out the form below. Please also let us know if you have ensured that your Rabbi will be speaking about Chesed. We will post the various communities and projects undertaken worldwide, on Chani's website www.chanaliora.com

tell us
Name:
Location (City, State/Country):
Email:
Phone:
What chesed will you perform?

Tell us (and others) what community events you have planned for Worldwide: Shabbat Chesed. [This will also allow other people to get involved and help out with your chesed program.]

For some communities worldwide we have arranged [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/REPRES ENTATIVES.HTM]local representatives who can help you with ideas[/url], and implementation of your ideas, or can just tell you how you can get involved. If you are interested in being a representative for your area please [url=HTTP://WWW.CHANALIORA.COM/SHABBAT_CHESED/REPRES ENTATIVES.HTM]let us know[/url] .

To share inspiring stories of Chesed that have been done in the world, please e-mail us at shabbat-chesed@mamash.com .. These will be posted to http://www.chanaliora.com

To send us names, pictures, and stories of other sick children around the world who are in need of our tefillot, please e-mail us at shabbat-chesed@mamash.com. These will be posted to www.chanaliora.com for people around the world to continue davening for them.

Thank you in advance for your initiative and efforts in bringing greater Chesed and awareness of loving kindness into the world, and continuing the teachings of our dear Chani.

=http://chanaliora.mamash.com/...
[b]Chani Rosenfield[/b]

Email: Let Madonna — OOPS! I mean ‘Esther’ — take the blame!

06.22.04 (11:53 am)   [edit]
This came to me from [url=http://www.jeffdunetz.com]Jeff Dunetz.[/url] I figured I'd pass it around and show it off here. This is a must read...
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Folks

many of you may have read that Madonna has taken on Kaballah and changed her name to Esther. This leads to the age old question; is it good for the Jews. Well Maybe. This article takes a tongue in cheek look at thing like Madonna's Kaballah craze and other "Pseudo-Jews" and what it means for the Jewish People.

You can find it @ http://jewishworldreview.com/...

Please enjoy. and If you Like it please pass it around.

Thanks

Jeff

http://www.jeffdunetz.com" title="http://www.jeffdunetz.com" target="_blank"http://www.jeffdunetz.com
[line]
And the article goes a little something like this:
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[i][b]She's changed her name from the mother of the Christian savior to the Queen of the Jews, and that can be a great thing for the world's Hebrews[/b][/i]

[b]Let Madonna — OOPS! I mean ‘Esther’ — take the blame[/b]
Jewish World Review June 21, 2004 / 2 Tamuz, 5764
[i]By Jeff Dunetz[/i]
http://www.jewishworldreview.com" title="http://www.jewishworldreview.com" target="_blank"http://www.jewishworldreview....

As the great comedian, Jimmy Durante used to say "Everybody wants ta geddin ta de act!"


These days it seems like non-Jews all over the place are trying to take a piece of Jewish learning or history and make it their own. The problem is that in a lot of cases they are copying Jews who just don't understand the Torah foundation supporting the traditions; like the "Faux Mitzvah", a party for 13 year old Gentile children, that skips the mitzvah part, or in some cases are being duped; like Hollywood's Kabbalah fad which turn sacred texts into nothing more than red string bracelets and "holy water".


There are those of the Jewish faith who will tell you that this quasi-Jewish observance is dangerous. That it is trends that at best causes horrible confusion about Judaism and Jewish values, or even worse accelerate assimilation. Some even call it blasphemy.


The more I think about it, the more I realize that this trend toward pseudo-Judaism may actually be a good thing. I will go so far as suggesting that Jews should be encouraging these practices — with one quid pro quo.


If people want to pick up Jewish traditions without Torah learning or observance — let them pick up the blame. You know what I am talking about — the Malaysian Prime Minister/ Pat Buchanan libel kind of blame.


See how it could help? Take for example the Hollywood Kabbalah cult. Now I was always taught that Kabbalah was advanced Jewish study, before I could truly understand what it was all about, I would have to know Torah backward and forward. Yet the Hollywood Cult went strait to the Zohar (the sacred text that teaches Kabbalah). I say let them. But before Madonna, I mean "Esther", straps on her Tefillin, douses herself with Kabbalah water, or makes another music video singing about Kaballah while acting, ahem, inappropriately with another woman, she has to have a little press conference. She has to tell the press that it is she that controls the media. It's a believable concept. Let's face it anybody who has seen some of her last few movies will believe that she had to have some degree of control to get them made.


Or take Madonna's Kabbalah protégée, Brittany Spears. Brittany has recently announced that she has given up Jell-O because it's not Kosher. And keeping Kosher has made her so healthy. She also announced that she has tattooed one of the 72 names of G-d on the nape of her neck. Two bads: Tattooed and G-d's name in vain …I wonder if they work like a double negative — becoming a positive. Well I suggest we call it that, but first we make Brittany call up Fritz Hollings and Pat Buchanan, and she has to convince them that the war in Iraq is being waged so that Bush will get the teenybopper vote.


Lavish Parties do not make a B'nai Mitzvah crass. Crassness enters the picture when the child and their family forget what the party is celebrating; a level of Torah learning, the child accepting the gift of Torah responsibility. By its definition the "Faux-Mitzvah" is meant to be crass — big party — lavish gifts —no Torah responsibility — no mitzvah. These crass parties can be a good thing as long as each invitation mentions that this party can only be afforded because it is the pseudo-Jews that control the banks.


The shifting of some Anti-Semitic libel can even help with the Middle East peace process. For years the Palestinians have been trying their darnedest to de-legitimize Jewish historical claims to the holy land. They even say that there was never a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. I think that as part of any peace deal, we should let the Palestinians claim the mount, but first they have to call up Mel Gibson and his father and explain that 2,000 years ago it was the Palestinians that killed Jesus. Of course they might refuse…denying that libel, instead they might want to explain the historical fact that there were no Palestinians around 2000 years ago.


Come to think of it, that wouldn’t be a bad thing, either.

PA CONFIRMS TERROR TIES 06.21.04 (8:28 pm)   [edit]
In February, [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]HonestReporting documented[/url] the media's failure to describe the close relationship between the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades ― one of the [url=http://www.us-israel.org/jsou...]most deadly[/url] Palestinian terrorist organizations ― and Yassir Arafat's ruling Fatah party. While major news outlets regularly claimed mere 'loose ties' between the two groups, the overwhelming evidence indicated a strong, and highly troubling, bond.

This problem continues ― an [url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/ne...]AFP[/url] wire report on June 13 described the Al Aqsa Brigades as 'a radical and largely autonomous offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement,' and [url=http://www.omaha.com/index.ph...]AP[/url] (June 15) described them as a 'violent offshoot of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.'

But yesterday (June 20), Palestinian Prime Minister [url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/...]Ahmad Qurei[/url] openly acknowledged that the Al Aqsa Brigades are no mere 'offshoot'. In an interview with the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Qurei said:

[b][i]"We have clearly declared that the Aksa Martyrs Brigades are part of Fatah... We are committed to them and Fatah bears full responsibility for the group."[/i][/b]

So most media outlets have had it dead wrong for some time. HonestReporting has [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]stated[/url] that this is not a mere semantic matter, but rather cuts to the very heart of the conflict:

[b][i]The close ties that bond the Fatah-led PA to terrorist groups are the fundamental problem that prevents progress toward peaceful reconciliation. The dominant political party in the PA remains a direct sponsor of ongoing terrorism ― the ruling politicians and the terrorists are one and the same.[/i][/b]

With Qurei's open admission of a Fatah-Al Aqsa Brigades bond, any media outlet whose copy continues to deny that bond is blatantly misrepresenting Palestinian reality. As such, their readership cannot possibly understand the tough line Israel must take with the current PA, which is in clear violation of the [url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs...]road map's[/url] demand for dismantling terrorist organizations ― not promoting them from within.

For good measure, [url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/...]Qurei[/url] also admitted that Yassir Arafat continues to call all the shots ― road map violation #2:

[i][b]"There is nothing called 'prime minister' and 'interior minister,'" [Qurei] said. "There is a Palestinian establishment called the Palestinian Authority and it is headed by President Yasser Arafat."[/b][/i]

HonestReporting encourages subscribers to monitor your local media for ongoing denial of the bond between the ruling Palestinian Fatah party and the Al Aqsa Brigades ― responsible for 23 [url=http://www.us-israel.org/jsou...]major terrorist attacks[/url] in the past three years, and labeled a terrorist organization by the [url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls...]U.S. State Department.[/url]

Moreover, shouldn't Qurei's statement be making headlines? Write to news agencies, urging coverage of the PA's confirmation that it 'bears full responsibility' for the Al Aqsa terror organization:

● Contact info for [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]print news media[/url]

● Contact info for [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]TV & radio news media[/url]


[i]Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.

HonestReporting[/i]

BBC RADIO FARCE

06.20.04 (4:50 pm)   [edit]
When a media outlet is confronted with overwhelming evidence that its Mideast coverage is consistently biased against Israel, the outlet generally chooses one of two responses ― to correct the mistakes (e.g. [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]Reuters [/url] on Hamas terminology), or to simply ignore the evidence (unfortunately, the more common approach).

The BBC has now produced a third, almost farcical response. After nearly four years of relentless worldwide protest against its egregiously anti-Israel coverage (see for example HonestReporting critiques [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]here[/url], [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]here[/url] and [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]here[/url], and the [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]2001 Dishonest Reporting Award[/url]), including an official Israeli government [url=http://www.ananova.com/news/s...]boycott[/url] of the network, BBC Radio has lately served up some fictional drama. The format: BBC talk-shows that ostensibly tackle the central problems of news coverage of the Mideast conflict, but include only on-air 'experts' who [b]vindicate the BBC[/b], or even accuse BBC of being [b]too pro-Israel[/b]. Consider:

● The June 15 BBC Radio 3 'Night Waves' program focused on misleading media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ― [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/s...]listen to it here[/url] (RealPlayer, first 13 minutes).

The program includes three guests: Two BBC editors, and Professor Greg Philo of Glasgow University, who recently produced a [url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/departme...]study[/url] claiming anti-Palestinian media bias in news coverage of the conflict. (Philo is a notorious anti-Israeli ideologue, whose biggest fans seem to be [url=http://www.zmag.org/sustainer...]John Pilger[/url] and [url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/departme...]Noam Chomsky[/url].)

The BBC editors defend their work against Philo's claims, but the show provides no legitimate counter-voice. A prime candidate for such a counter-voice, London attorney Trevor Asserson, has produced no less than three influential and [url=http://www.bbcwatch.com/]exhaustive studies[/url] on BBC anti-Israel bias, but Asserson informs HonestReporting that he has never been asked by the BBC to come down to a studio to present his findings.

● On March 18, BBC Radio 4's 'Today' show produced a session on a topic central to [url=http://www.honestreporting.co...]HonestReporting's campaign[/url] for fair media description of Palestinian terrorism: 'What's the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter?' ― [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/t...]listen to it here.[/url]

Again, the BBC Radio guests are not interested in challenging the BBC's own untenable position ― in this case, that Hamas et al should not be called 'terrorists.' Whom did BBC Radio bring on the show to 'debate' this important issue? None other than Palestinian hijacker and hostage-taker Leila Khaled, and IRA publicity head Danny Morrison.

Claims Khaled: 'There is a very big difference between the struggle of [Palestinian] people for liberation, and acts of terror.'

After listening in, British journalist [url=http://www.melaniephillips.co...]Melanie Phillips[/url] was outraged:

[b][i]This is the BBC's idea of balance ― two apologists for terror, in earnest discussion. And this is the organisation the public nevertheless still appears to trust and venerates as an icon.[/i][/b]

[b]A DEFUSING TACTIC?[/b]

These two recent and highly tilted BBC Radio shows may reveal a disturbing tactic on the Beeb's part ― to defuse the controversy over their anti-Israel bias not by addressing it head-on, but rather by allowing far-out radicals to suggest the Beeb is actually too pro-Israel.

It's instructive to note that one of the main pro-Palestinian media watch groups ― [url=http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/me...]Palestine Media Watch[/url] ― has had almost no complaints about BBC coverage for the past three years. In fact, in [url=http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/ca...]April 2002[/url] PMW listed BBC among those news outlets that are explicitly favorable to the Palestinian camp: 'anyone who is lucky enough to watch the BBC, Al-Jazeera, or even the Canadian CBC,' PMW claimed, gets the true 'version of reality.'

Yet in the face of well-documented anti-Israel media bias, BBC Radio chooses to expose itself to the likes of Greg Philo, leaving the listener thinking that, if anything, BBC has been remiss and needs to be more sympathetic to Palestinians in its coverage.

Given the BBC's sudden openness to questioning these matters, it is imperative that voices such as Mr. Asserson's be granted on-air time as well. After all, BBC's own new [url=http://backspin.typepad.com/b...]'Mideast policeman'[/url] acknowledges that his role is to question if the BBC is 'systemically biased.' The BBC's latest charade makes the answer to that question painfully clear.

Comments to BBC Radio 3: [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/c...]click here[/url]
Comments to BBC Radio 4: [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/f...]click here[/url]

[i]Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.
HonestReporting[/i]

Saudi Arabia Officials Claim Militants Have No Support & Yet Act as If They Do

06.20.04 (4:29 pm)   [edit]
[b]NEWSWEEK: The Paradox in Saudi Arabia Is That Officials Claim Militants Have No Support and Yet Act as If They Do, Writes Zakaria[/b]

Sunday June 20, 12:33 pm ET

'It Is Because the Regime Has Begun Fighting These Terrorist That They Have Been Lashing Out in Response,' Says One Saudi Official of the Violence in His Country

# NEW YORK, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The images of a beheaded Paul Johnson are gruesome, but for Saudi Arabia it has been more than a year of grim images, writes Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria. In search of answers to the fundamental problems in Saudi Arabia and whether recent attacks there could signal the beginning of a civil war, Zakaria traveled through the country last month talking to princes, preachers, businessmen and dissidents.(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bi...)

If the Saudi regime were to mount a sustained campaign on all these fronts, it would almost certainly be able to defeat the terrorists, he writes in the June 28 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, June 21). "Experts and Saudi officials both conclude that the militants do not have broad popular support, and whatever support they did have has been dwindling since the recent terror attacks." He adds that the paradox in Saudi Arabia, is that Saudi officials claim the militants have no support and yet constantly act as if they do. Officials cite a recent (secret) government poll that showed 49 percent support for Osama bin Laden's ideas. They speak of the need to move "slowly and carefully." While still sensitive on this topic, educated Saudis will now admit that parts of their society have become dangerously extreme.

Zakaria reports that many of the Saudis he met were defensive about the country's problems, angry with American foreign policy and enraged about the "demonizing" of Saudi Arabia. But they were all shaken by the events of the last year. "Let me be honest: 9/11 meant nothing in Saudi Arabia," a young writer, Mshari Al-Thaydi tells him. "Some didn't believe that any Saudis were involved in it; others thought it was a conspiracy or was deserved because of America's support for Israel or whatever." But the more recent attacks -- particularly the May 12, 2003 bombings (three car bombs exploded at a residential compound in Riyadh, killing 35 people and wounding 200) -- shook people out of their complacency. "May 12 was our 9/11. Since then Saudis have had to recognize that Al Qaeda is not a fantasy. It is here."

And after years of inaction and obfuscation, the regime is beginning to move forcefully. Saudi officials believe that the recent killing of Abdelaziz al-Muqrin, the leader of the group that murdered Johnson, will stop much of the domestic terror. "His group, with 50 to 60 members, was the one that planned almost all recent attacks. It's now leaderless," said one official. His killing, they argue, is the culmination of months of similar efforts. "It is because the regime has begun fighting these terrorist that they have been lashing out in response," said the official. The Riyadh government has even admitted that some of the kingdom's clerics have been preaching messages of hatred, and it has begun to "discipline" and "re-educate" some of them.

One of the people Zakaria met during his travels was Abdullah Bijad al- Oteibi, who was once an Islamic radical and some years ago turned away from that worldview. "The problems don't simply come from the outside. Our biggest problem is that our founding creed, Wahhabism, is itself an extreme ideology. It is revolutionary and was used to revolt against the Ottoman Empire. In a sense, bin Laden is using Wahhabi ideology in this original, revolutionary form against the Saudi state." Oteibi described Saudi Arabia as having two parallel ideologies now. "One says, 'Follow the ruler,' the other says, 'Only a narrow, pure Islam is good.' But there is an internal contradiction." Oteibi also said emphatically, "Saudis are pious, they are conservative, but they did not create this extremism. It's politics. This version of religion comes from the religious establishment. The regime supports the imams, judges and teachers. And people don't hear anything other than the imams' voices. People are barely aware that other, more tolerant forms of Islam exist."

This depth of this created culture of extremism is most evident regarding tolerance for non-Muslims -- a crucial matter for the outside world, reports Zakaria. The Saudi religious establishment has until recently almost always referred to almost all non-Wahhabis (included the Shia, Sufis and all other Muslim sects) in derogatory terms. Non-Muslims are, of course, rank infidels. Saudi Arabia does not allow any churches, temples or synagogues in the country and has no plans to allow any -- despite having 6 million foreign workers in the country. The only way to effectively combat religious extremism -- whether by terrorists or government clerics -- is for the government to have its own source of credibility, Zakaria writes. And you earn authority in the modern world through good, clean, responsive government.

(Read Newsweek's news releases at http://www.Newsweek.com .
Click "Pressroom.")

The Jewish Definition of God

06.20.04 (4:08 pm)   [edit]
It was dragonbait22 whom asked me about this and I had promised her that I'd get to writing it. After a long time of waiting, I hope that she won't be disappointed :)

The concept of God as being omniscient, omnipresent, and all-powerful is fundamental to Judaism, as is God's Oneness. In other words, the Jewish idea of God is that He is the source of ethical monotheism. The Torah talks about the creation man in God's image. What that means is that people should emulate God's attributes of love & kindness, mercy, and holiness.

Along with the basic Jewish conception of God is the sharp antagonism to any idea of an anthropomorphic (or humanlike) God. The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides, in his [i]13 Principles of Faith[/i], stressed that God has no form.

Monotheism (the belief in one God) seems to have originated in Judaism with Abraham, the first of the patriarchs. The concept has been taken over by most religious groups in the West. The largest two being Christianity and Islam. Judaism sees God as one unifying creator of the universe, who wishes to see all humans on earth to live in peace, harmony, justice, and plenty. The Jewish God is also in position to punish the wicked. However, God is most notable for being compassionate beyond measure with profound insights into the weaknesses and foibles of humans.

The belief in God's oneness is so strong in Judaism that the well-known prayer: [i]Sh'ma Yisrael; HaShem Elokainu, Hashem Echad (Hear O Israel; Hashem, our God is One and Only)[/i] is taught to children from a young age and forms the traditional declaration of a person who feels he is dying. It is also a high point in Jewish liturgy.

Although God is considered to know everything, Judaism nevertheless takes an unequivocal stand maintaining that people have complete freedom of choice. The Jewish Sages and Rabbis explained this seeming contradiction by asserting that God's knowledge of all events that will transpire does not remove the choice that confronts each and every person: to live ethically or to lead a life of sinfulness. A Talmudic saying sums it up best: "Everything is in god's hands, except the fear of God." The Talmud also notes that "man has the power to defile himself and to keep himself pure."

Zionism as Racism

06.18.04 (6:30 pm)   [edit]
[b][i]Is Zionism a form of racism?[/i][/b]

* "[the false equation of Zionism with racism is] simply an Arab ploy to take the focus off of the real enemies of humanity. Zionism is a healthy form of nationalism." - Edward H. Brown, Jr., chief United Nations representative for the Congress of Racial Equality

* For the first time in history, thousands of black people are being brought to a country not in chains but in dignity, not as slaves but as citizens. - William Safire, in the New York Times (January 7, 1985) after Operation Moses, the secret rescue of Ethiopian Jews, was revealed.

* Zionism Is Not Racism

In 1975, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution slandering Zionism by equating it with racism. Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, which holds that Jews, like any other nation, are entitled to a homeland.

History has demonstrated the need to ensure Jewish security through a national homeland. Zionism recognizes that Jewishness is defined by shared origin, religion, culture and history.

The realization of the Zionist dream is exemplified by more than four million Jews, from more than 100 countries, including dark­skinned Jews from Ethiopia, Yemen and India, who are Israeli citizens. Approximately 1,000,000 Muslim and Christian Arabs, Druze, Baha'is, Circassians and other ethnic groups also are represented in Israel's population.

Many Christians have traditionally supported the goals and ideals of Zionism. Israel's open and democratic character and its scrupulous protection of the religious and political rights of Christians and Muslims rebut the charge of exclusivity.

The Arab states define citizenship strictly by native parentage. It is almost impossible to become a naturalized citizen in many Arab states, especially Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Several Arab nations have laws that facilitate the naturalization of foreign Arabs, with the specific exception of Palestinians. Jordan, on the other hand, instituted its own "law of return" in 1954, according citizenship to all former residents of Palestine, except for Jews.

The presence of thousands of black Jews in Israel is the best refutation of the calumny against Zionism. In a series of historic airlifts, labeled Moses (1984), Joshua (1985) and Solomon (1991), Israel rescued almost 42,000 members of the ancient Ethiopian Jewish community.

* Israel is only one of many ethnic democracies (such as Finland, Norway, Korea, etc. etc), that have one ethnic majority and one or several minorities that do not share ownership of the national territory. Israel's identity as a Jewish nation is no less democratic than any other of these countries. Almost all of the ethnic democracies also have an official state religion, just as Judaism is the official national religion of Israel. An official state religion, along with a dominant ethnic majority, are fundamental features of many democratic nations. - from The Religious-Secular Conflict in Israel, by Shlomo Sharan and Ervin Birnbaum, Ariel Center for Policy Research

* Theodor Herzl on Africa

There is still one other question arising out of the disaster of nations which remains unsolved to this day, and whose profound tragedy, only a Jew can comprehend. This is the African question. Just call to mind all those terrible episodes of the slave trade, of human beings who, merely because they were black, were stolen like cattle, taken prisoner, captured and sold. Their children grew up in strange lands, the objects of contempt and hostility because their complexions were different. I am not ashamed to say, though I may expose myself to ridicule for saying so, that once I have witnessed the redemption of the Jews, my people, I wish also to assist in the redemption of the Africans.. - Theodor Herzl, founder of modern Zionism. Source: Golda Meir, My Life, (NY: Dell Publishing Co., 1975), pp. 308-309 [see JSource]
[line]
Source: http://www.yahoodi.com/peace/...

Al-Arabiya television reports that Johnson has been beheaded 06.18.04 (10:14 am)   [edit]
I think we needed to go into Saudi Arabia before Iraq! I think we need to go in there NOW!
[line]
(06-18) 10:40 PDT RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) --

Al-Arabiya television reported Friday that American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr. has been beheaded.

Reached by telephone, an official from Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya in Dubai told The Associated Press that the news of Johnson's death had been reported by the network's correspondent in the Saudi capital.

CNN reported that Al-Arabiya had a video of the killing, but the network official said there was no video.

Johnson was kidnapped last weekend by militants who threatened to kill him by Friday if the kingdom did not release its al-Qaida prisoners.

D'var Torah for Korach

06.18.04 (9:48 am)   [edit]
In Parshat Korach, we find Korach complaining about being overlooked for a priestly position. Rashi explains that Korach had a whole theory as to why he should have been the next priest. If you look at the words of the Torah, though, one thing doesn't fit. It says that Korach 'took' himself, along with his 250 followers, and complained (16:1).

What is the significance of that term?

Onkelus translates 'took' to mean 'separated', which is what Korach did to himself by arguing - he separated himself from the Jewish community. Rav Salant explains this on an even deeper level. He says that although Korach sinned, he was still rewarded with having Shmuel (Samuel) as a descendant, because through this argument, and because he was punished with eternal hell, many people were stirred to do Teshuva (repent) for their sins.

So in a strange way some good came out of this. BUT...the Torah tells us that he still separated himself from society, and the Torah way. It may have helped a select few, but he still distanced himself from the way things should be done, and for that he was punished.

It's important for us to realize that there are many ways to accomplish goals, especially those spiritual in nature. The Torah is telling us that doing things your own way can be dangerous. Not impossible, and not wrong, but if we separate too much from society, it can potentially be dangerous. Should we blaze our own trail if someone took the time and effort to pave a road to reach the very same goal?

May we all identify our own personal goals, and learn to reach them together!

Have an achievment of a Shabbos!

Testimony Ends in Trial of Imam in Ohio 06.18.04 (9:38 am)   [edit]
I smell deportatin! This is why we have a legal system set up to protect our citizens of the US from terrorism. People can't just come here when ever they wish, for why ever they wish. It has to be regulated to make sure that criminals are kept out for YOUR protection. We have boarders and we have laws for immigration. So why is it that Israel is just supposed to not have any boarder walls (like the US does, not to mention most countries) and is supposed to just allow people to come over willi-nilli at whim? It's called a double standard and a wish for the demise of the Jewish State. Enjoy the article.
[line]
[b]Wed Jun 16, 7:53 PM ET
[i]By JOE MILICIA, Associated Press Writer[/i][/b]

AKRON, Ohio - Testimony in the trial of an Islamic cleric accused of lying on his application for U.S. citizenship ended Wednesday after federal prosecutors showed video footage of the defendant raising money for a suspected terrorist group.

Fawaz Damra, the Palestinian-born imam of the Islamic Center of Cleveland, is charged with lying about his connections to terrorist organizations when he applied for citizenship in 1994.

Damra, 41, has pleaded innocent. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, stripped of his citizenship and deported.

Jurors watched a 1991 video of Damra speaking at the Beit Hanina Club in Cleveland, a social group for Palestinians, urging the audience to donate money for the Islamic Committee for Palestine, which he described as an "active arm of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in America."

Matthew Levitt, senior fellow in terrorism studies at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, testified that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been listed as a major terrorist group by the State Department since 1989.

In several of the videos, Damra [b]referred to Jews as "the sons of monkeys and pigs" and shouted that "terrorism and terrorism alone is the path to liberation." At one of the fund-raisers, children sat on a stage singing songs and a young girl chanted in Arabic, "Death to Israel."[/b]

Damra's defense team did not call any witnesses. Attorney John Cline told jurors Tuesday that Damra may have supported certain groups, but he did not consider himself a member or affiliate of them.

Cline asked U.S. District Judge James Gwin for an acquittal based on insufficient evidence. The judge said he would consider the request after the jury reached a verdict.

Closing arguments were scheduled for Thursday.

Israel Launches Gaza Moat Plan 06.18.04 (9:30 am)   [edit]
It's different than a wall...
[line]
[b]Thu Jun 17,10:01 AM ET
[i]By Jeffrey Heller[/b][/i]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel set in motion a plan Thursday to dig a moat along the Gaza-Egypt border, inviting contractor bids for the project meant to prevent arms reaching Palestinian militants through tunnels.

The Defense Ministry published the bid notice 11 days after the cabinet approved in principle a Gaza withdrawal plan, under which Israel would keep a narrow corridor on the Egyptian frontier pending possible security arrangements with Cairo.

Inviting bids by July 12, the ministry said the southern Gaza Strip "canal" would be 15 meters (50 ft) to 25 meters (80 ft) deep and stretch four kilometers (2.5 miles).

The notice, in Israeli newspapers, did not give the width of the canal -- a figure crucial to determining whether any Palestinian homes along the "Philadelphi Corridor" buffer zone adjacent to Rafah refugee camp would need to be demolished.

It was not clear whether the moat would be filled with water, as Israeli military sources had suggested last month, or would be a dry moat.

The ministry invited contractors to tour the project site and said one-year contracts would be issued, renewable for an additional 12 months.

Israel's Defense Ministry and the army declined to elaborate on the project. But Israel radio's military affairs correspondent quoted defense sources as saying the moat would be built along the Philadelphi strip.

The multi-million dollar plan was floated last month by the Israeli military as a way to reduce weapons smuggling into southern Gaza after 13 soldiers were killed in three ambushes.

Palestinian officials have said such a project would lead to more houses being bulldozed in the Rafah camp, the scene of a six-day Israeli army operation in May which the U.N. relief agency UNRWA said made 575 people homeless.

The army has said it found and destroyed more than 80 tunnels used by militants in the past three years and commanders have voiced fears the Palestinians could seek to bring in longer-range weapons to fire at Israeli cities.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to "disengage" from the Palestinians envisages the removal by the end of 2005 of all 21 Jewish settlements in occupied Gaza and four of the 120 Israel has built in the West Bank.

In a compromise with right-wing hard-liners in his cabinet, Sharon agreed to put off any evacuations until a further ministerial vote in nine months' time.

One More Before I'm Off To Bed!

06.17.04 (12:18 am)   [edit]
Stolen from [url=http://shespecies.tblog.com]SheSpecies[/url] ... !

How to make a RedTigress

Ingredients: 5 parts intelligence 1 part humour 5 parts ego

Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Add a little wisdom if desired!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Bribery Case Against Sharon Is Closed 06.16.04 (11:43 pm)   [edit]
Just a follow-up for the [url=http://www.tblog.com/template...]last entry[/url] so that people know what I'm talking about exactly. Don't forget to leave your vote for the entry below and explain it!
[line]
[b][i]By Laura King Times Staff Writer[/i]
Los Angeles Times [/b]

JERUSALEM — Israel's attorney general announced Tuesday that there was insufficient evidence to indict Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on bribery charges, a decision likely to give fresh political impetus to the Israeli leader's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

With the threat of indictment hanging over his head in recent months, Sharon has been unable to forge an alliance with the left-leaning Labor Party, which supports his plan to pull Israeli troops and Jewish settlers out of Gaza but did not want to formally join forces unless the bribery case was dropped.

The decision by Atty. Gen. Menachem Mazuz against indicting the prime minister sets the stage for a possible reshuffling of Sharon's coalition.

The Israeli leader, who was left presiding over a minority government after firing two right-wing ministers and seeing a third resign over the Gaza plan, has been limping through parliamentary no-confidence votes and staving off attacks from within his own Cabinet over the initiative to withdraw from the seaside territory.

The attorney general's decision, following two months of deliberations, was telegraphed well in advance through news reports based on leaks from Mazuz's office. In the end, he opted to reject a recommendation from state prosecutor Edna Arbel that Sharon stand trial.

The exoneration was a qualified one, however. Rather than proclaiming the prime minister's innocence, the attorney general declared that the proof at hand did not justify propelling the case forward.

"The evidence in this case does not bring us even remotely close to the reasonable possibility of conviction," Mazuz said in his 80-page decision, parts of which he read aloud at a televised news conference.

Mazuz delivered word of his decision to the prime minister prior to making it public. Israeli media reported that Sharon said only: "Thank you."

An indictment could have not only scuttled the Gaza initiative but ended Sharon's tenure as well. The 76-year-old leader never promised to step down if the case moved forward, but political analysts had said it would be difficult for him to remain in office in such an eventuality.

The bribery allegations stemmed from a complicated case dating to the late 1990s, when Sharon was foreign minister. Real-estate magnate David Appel allegedly paid Sharon's son Gilad hundreds of thousands of dollars to serve as a consultant in the development of an island resort in Greece, even though the younger Sharon had little or no relevant experience.

Sharon and his son denied any wrongdoing. The resort was never built.

With the threat of indictment removed, the prime minister and Labor were expected to embark on mutual overtures. But Labor leader Shimon Peres said an agreement to join Sharon's coalition was by no means assured.

"We are not in anyone's pocket," Peres told Army Radio.

Israeli news reports have said that Labor's terms for joining Sharon's government would probably include a demand that the post of foreign minister go to Peres.

Sharon's political opponents on the left and right expressed disappointment over the attorney general's decision. Lawmaker Zvi Hendel, who lives in a settlement in Gaza, suggested that Mazuz was afraid of being seen as the man who derailed the prime minister's pullout plan.

The leftist Yahad party said it would ask the Supreme Court to overturn the attorney general's ruling. Justice Minister Tommy Lapid, however, said he considered the attorney general's ruling "the end of the affair."

The prime minister still faces other corruption-related allegations, though they are not expected to cloud the political horizon any time soon.

Israeli authorities are looking into whether a 2001 loan made by a South African businessman, Cyril Kern, amounted to an illegal campaign contribution.

The prime minister envisions a pullout from Gaza, where 7,500 Jewish settlers live among more than 1.2 million Palestinians, that would be completed by the end of next year. Bowing to pressure from opponents, Sharon modified his plan to stipulate that the withdrawal would be carried out in four phases, each one requiring Cabinet approval.

Commentators called the prime minister's shaking off of his legal woes a blow to foes within his party, particularly Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Sharon has a good tailwind now," said pollster Hanan Kristal.

In concert with the dismantling of the 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza, the prime minister is seeking to cement Israel's hold on large West Bank settlement blocks. Sharon's government has indicated that some of those uprooted from Gaza could be transplanted to the West Bank.

Israeli media said Tuesday that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz had drawn up plans to build hundreds of homes in the Gush Etzion settlement block, 12 miles south of Jerusalem, to house Gaza settlers. That would be in defiance of calls by the United States and others to halt new settlement construction.

Hrm. This was interesting.

06.16.04 (11:35 pm)   [edit]
Was lookin' 'round the [url=http://jpost.com]Jerusalem Post[/url] and I came accross the current poll. These were the results after I added my vote:

Was the decision not to indict Sharon correct?
Yes 74%
No 26%
TOTAL VOTES: 1182

I find that very interesting indeed. I'm not sure what to make of that. I'll share my vote with you. Personally, I think it was an incorrect decision because that definatly needed to come to the surface and be fully investigated.

That's just what I think though.

What do you think? Should Ariel Sharon have been indicted on the charges that faced him? Should he not have been? Why?

I'm just curious to get a better demographic and see who feels what way. I'm not sure who these 1182 people were, but I'd like to know if they were all Jews, mostly Jews, if they were Israeli Jews or outsiders ... just put it more in perspective, you know?

Let me know what you think.

Israel Ballet celebrates its new home 06.16.04 (11:27 pm)   [edit]
[i][b]By HADAS KROITORU[/b][/i]

The Israel Ballet's newly built studio offers a more spacious home.

At the opening night of the Israel Ballet's most recent production the audience was focused more on the surrounding architecture and decor, high ceilings and marble interior than on the laced leotards and pointed toes of the dancers.

The event was held to inaugurate the company's new home, the Rose Cooper Center of the Israel Ballet. A crowd of about 80 supporters and VIP guests, including Education Minister Limor Livnat and Mayor of Tel Aviv Ron Huldai, gathered to get a glimpse of the new premises.

"We have waited for this for such a long time. This year is the most exciting year in my whole life," said founding artistic director Berta Yampolsky, whose efforts and dedication made the center a reality against outstanding odds. "We were thrown from one place to another. And we thought, if we don't have a place of our own, we don't have a future."

It has taken 37 years for the national ballet company to secure a home for itself.

The Rose Cooper Center is located in Tel Aviv, just blocks from Kikar Hamedina, above the old gymnasium where the ballet previously rehearsed.

The new center is a four-floor studio complex, complete with an 800 sq. meter main studio, two rehearsal studios, a cafeteria, a dressing room, costume workshop, and administration offices. The center will also house a new school of ballet, which will help ensure the future of ballet in Israel.

And finally, the building itself makes a stunning architectural and cultural contribution to the city of Tel Aviv.

"I've been many places around the world, and this is like nothing I have ever seen," said Hungarian dancer Mate Moray, a nine-year veteran of the company.

Founded in 1967 by Yampolsky and her husband Hillel Markman, the Israel Ballet is the only national classical ballet company in Israel, and is dedicated to developing and nurturing an appreciation of the art and showcasing young talent. With 35 dancers today, the company performs throughout Israel and has toured Europe, the US and the Far East.

Over the years, the company has moved from one temporary facility to another. While the center was being built, dancers rehearsed in a gymnasium shared by a school for children with learning disabilities.

"I always say the place doesn't make the art; the artist makes the art. But the fact was, we didn't even have an adequate place to rehearse," explained Yampolsky.

The custom-designed floors and large studio space may even improve the dancers' performances, allowing them to better handle big theater stages.

Architects Heidi Arad and Yacobbi are responsible for the modern yet mature look of the complex, which has created "a feeling here in this house of professionalism," according to dancer Tamara Baitelman-Rubin, who has also been with the company for nine years.

"We want to give more than our best. It's going to make us dance better than we ever have before."

After an initial donation three years ago from Rose Cooper, Yampolsky began the challenging campaign of finding more funding to cover the NIS 7 million cost of the project.

"It is those who really opened their hearts and purses who helped us build a beautiful building, and we are so thankful," she said.

Yampolsky is particularly grateful to Carnival Cruise heiress Shari Arison, and acknoweldged that "without her help, we would not even have a roof."

The Tel Aviv Ministry of Culture also provided funding, yet "when it comes to money, we still have big problems," Yampolsky admits.

Despite the city's continued support, "whatever our budget is now is a joke."

With the aim of paying off remaining debts, Yampolsky hopes that the city will increase its financial contribution.

The Israel Ballet will begin its new season in September 2004 with a program celebrating the George Balanchine centennial, and later in the season will tour Hungary, Spain and Germany.

An Ill Fit In Israel

06.16.04 (11:23 pm)   [edit]
This, I found very interesting. I hope you'll enjoy!
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[i][b]by Irwin Mansdorf[/b][/i]

Is Modern Orthodoxy the “great white hope” for the Jewish world?

A recent study in Israel showed about 35 percent of secular Israeli youth expressing a desire to leave Israel. Among their more Orthodox and traditional counterparts, the percentages were far lower. This would suggest that conventional religious values have a protective effect against assimilationist tendencies, a preventive medicine of sorts against a loss of one’s national identity. For Israelis, there may be a message here.

But Orthodoxy in Jewish America revolves around a different type of identity. Divorced from concerns regarding national character, American Orthodoxy today has developed into a force that has truly assimilated into the modern world.

One world with which American Orthodoxy has not totally assimilated itself, however, is Israel. While Orthodox Jews appear to reflexively and enthusiastically support political positions that mirror the Israeli far right, this does not always appear to be out of an educated understanding of the issues involved. However zealous the American Orthodox community is in expressing this fervor, it falls short when it comes to effectively educating its youth in a fundamental aspect of the modern Jewish personality.

What few dare to speak of publicly or admit is the relative failure of Modern Orthodoxy in America today to inculcate its youth with a functional and articulate Zionist identity. With some notable exceptions, the same youth that routinely profess undying love of “Eretz Yisrael” do not speak passable Hebrew, have little knowledge of contemporary Israeli society and do not have the skills or knowledge to effectively advocate for Israel.

An impressive percentage of these young adults eventually do make their way to Israel, where many spend a post-high school yeshiva year or two with, for the most part, the same peers with whom they have grown up. They have minimal exposure to “real” Israelis and leave the country without understanding what is written in a newspaper or broadcast on radio news. Their exposure to Israeli society is often limited to a 10-square-block area in downtown Jerusalem, where they learn which restaurants have the best steaks and which hotels their families prefer. They set themselves apart from Israeli youth not only by segregating themselves in dress, language and habits, but also in attitude.

Israelis their age take buses; they do not. Israelis their age think of national service or the army; they (with a few notable exceptions) do not. While Israelis their age make life-and-death choices over what army unit to join, their biggest dilemma is whether to attend college this year or next, and what subject to major in.

No doubt many Modern Orthodox students leave after a year in Israel with a stronger religious identity, a deeper knowledge of Torah and a more “frum” lifestyle. But what does this mean in practical terms as far as Israel is concerned? Does this newly embellished religiosity translate into a real sense of stronger Jewish national identity, or does it only mean that these students will become more religious Americans?

As for knowledge of Zionist history, a recent study found graduates of even the elite of Modern Orthodox yeshivot in the U.S. woefully ignorant of basic facts, with only half able to identify Yitzchak Rabin as having fought for Israel in the 1948 war — the other choices were Bibi Netanyahu, Natan Sharansky and Ehud Barak.

Modern Orthodox leaders in the United States justifiably pride themselves in pointing out that the overwhelming majority of North American olim are from the Orthodox community. What they do not say is that the actual number of Modern Orthodox olim is meager, representing only a small fraction of the community. In real terms, more Modern Orthodox families would rather spend Passover in Florida than move to Israel.

Take a walk today in a typical American Orthodox community and you will see beautiful synagogues built of Jerusalem stone, just like in Israel. Sirens sound before Shabbat, just like in Israel. Rabbis pronounce the prayer for Israeli soldiers, just like in Israel. But unlike Israel, where Orthodox youth walk out of the synagogues into a world of living Judaism, American Orthodoxy may be ignoring the lessons of history. For many, Eretz Yisrael is a concept and not a reality that manifests itself in a thriving, problematic and challenging country called Israel.

The difficult and often formidable choice to move to Israel is not the central issue here. Without understanding modern Hebrew, without knowing Israeli history and without understanding the social issues challenging Zionism today, young Jews will not be able to become meaningful participants in the future of the Jewish people.

In this generation, Modern Orthodoxy in America may be keeping the youth committed to religious Judaism. Whether or not this commitment will ever include seeing life in Israel as a priority as important as building a synagogue in America of Jerusalem stone, however, remains to be seen. n

[i]Dr. Irwin J. (Yitzchak) Mansdorf, a psychologist active in issues related to Israel advocacy, directs the Jerusalem Project for Democracy in the Middle East (http://www.JPDME.org).[/i]

Israel arrests Palestinian girls 06.16.04 (5:30 pm)   [edit]
This is just sad.
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AP - Israeli forces have arrested two young girls from the West Bank city of Nablus who were planning a suicide bomb attack, Israeli security officials said.

The girls, 14 and 15 years old, were arrested by Israeli forces, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Their fathers were also taken into custody.

Relatives said the Israelis arrested Majid Kuhan, 15, and her schoolmate Atzeel Hindi, 14. The families said they were not aware that the girls were involved in any militant or political activity.

Palestinian militant groups have been trying to recruit women and teenagers to ferry explosives and carry out attacks, because an Israeli barrier going up along the West Bank and stepped up security measures have made it increasingly difficult for men to operate.

During nearly four years of conflict, dozens of Palestinians have infiltrated into Israel to carry out suicide bombings, killing hundreds. However, the last suicide bombing in Israel that originated in the West Bank was in February.

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The Israelis said they learned of the plot with the arrest on Tuesday of a 20-year-old militant from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. He identified the 15-year-old as the bomber and the 14-year-old as the recruiter, the officials said, without referring to the names of the girls.

During interrogation, the would-be bomber said she had changed her mind about the attack because she was frightened, the Israelis said.

They would be among the youngest Palestinians accused of involvement in a planned suicide bombing, and the youngest girls.

In the past, Palestinian human rights activists and relatives have harshly criticised militant groups for recruiting children as attackers.

Japan Eyes Internet as Culprit for School Killing 06.16.04 (5:21 pm)   [edit]
More from below entry's topic...
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[b][i]By George Nishiyama[/i][/b]

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese media have turned to the Internet as a culprit in the shocking killing of a 12-year-old girl by her classmate this week, as trouble over messages posted on a Web site emerged as a possible motive.


The 11-year-old girl who killed Satomi Mitarai by slashing her throat at their primary school in southern Japan on Tuesday told police she killed her friend because she was angry about a message posted on a Web site, newspapers said.


Media reports on Thursday said both girls had their own Web sites and took part in online chatrooms, the use of which is proliferating in Japan even among primary school students.


The Internet has already become a part of life for Japanese children. Almost all public schools have access to the Web and government data shows that over 60 percent of children aged between six and 12 use the Internet.


Experts say communicating via the Internet can stimulate emotional reactions and warn that users should take extra care not needed in face-to-face conversations.


"When you talk with your friends in the classroom, you look at their faces. So you can tell if they're serious or joking, or angry or laughing, from their expressions or tone of voice," the Internet Association Japan, a non-profit organization, says in its "Rules and Manners for Children using the Internet."


"But with the Internet, you can't hear your friends' voices or see their faces... What you wrote as a joke can make your friend angry."


Media said the 11-year-old had told investigators she asked Satomi not to write messages about her appearance on an Internet bulletin board, but that her friend had refused to stop.


HIGH-TECH SCAPEGOAT?


Satomi died from loss of blood after her classmate slashed her throat with a knife during the lunch break on Tuesday at their school in Sasebo, 980 km (610 miles) southwest of Tokyo.


"I tried to blindfold her with a towel, but she refused, so I covered her eyes with my hand," Kyodo news agency quoted the girl as telling investigators.


Some experts, however, said the Internet was being wrongly blamed for what is the latest in a series of high-profile juvenile crimes that have shocked Japan and forced it to search for answers.


"It is true that the Internet can be a factor in increasing emotional reactions, but the more basic problem is that of an inability to communicate skillfully with another human being," said Tatsuo Inamasu, a professor at Tokyo's Hosei University.


"The reports say that the trigger was a comment on the Internet, but there must have been a lot that went before."


Inamasu, who specializes in media studies, also said many parents and teachers put the blame on computers as they do not understand well how to use them.


"I don't think we can blame computers for causing a murder."


The 11-year-old will appear before a family court, which could send her to a special reformatory. Children under 14 cannot be prosecuted in Japan. (Additional reporting by Linda Sieg)
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sidenote: my friend who sent me this article said (in refference to weblogs and fighting on the internet), "It's all fun and games until someone gets stabbed in Japan."

Japan Shocked by Brutal School Murder 06.16.04 (5:14 pm)   [edit]
Wow. Just, WOW. I know not what else to say to this.
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Posted: June 1, 2004 at 12:09 p.m.

TOKYO (AP) -- An 11-year-old girl led a fellow sixth-grader to an empty classroom during their school lunch hour Tuesday, slit her throat and slashed arms with a box-cutter and left her to bleed to death.

The grisly slaying at an ordinary elementary school in southern Japan sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many asking how such a tragedy could occur.

The body of Satomi Mitarai, 12, was found by a teacher after the girl who attacked her returned to class in bloody clothes. The teacher called police.

Mitarai died of blood loss after being slashed in the neck and arms with a retractable knife used to cut paper and boxes, police said.

Her father rushed to Okubo Elementary School in Sasebo, 650 miles southwest of Tokyo, after receiving a call that his daughter was hurt.

"When I arrived, Satomi was already lying there collapsed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Kyoji Mitarai, the head of the Sasebo bureau of the Mainichi newspaper.

"I can't put in words what I'm feeling right now. I can't understand it at all. I don't have a clue," he said.

He said his daughter never spoke of disagreements with her classmates and appeared to get along well with them.

Authorities took the suspected attacker into custody for questioning. Police called her "Girl A," in accordance with Japanese legal protections that prohibit identifying juvenile offenders.

"Girl A" had called Mitarai out of their classroom as lunch time was beginning and took her to a nearby room. In Japan, lunch is commonly eaten in classrooms.

The girls' teacher said she first noticed something was wrong when the two were missing, public broadcaster NHK reported. Shortly afterward, "Girl A" returned, smeared with blood.

Police said she confessed to the murder and said, sobbing, "I have done a bad thing." Authorities said they have not found a motive.

Mitarai's body was discovered by a teacher who called police. Emergency medical workers said they arrived to find her lying face down on the floor. She wasn't breathing and her heart had stopped, said Kazuyoshi Tominaga of the Sasebo Central Fire Department.

Serious juvenile crimes have become a rising concern in Japan in recent years.

Last July, a 12-year-old boy in Nagasaki -- a city just north of Sasebo -- was accused of kidnapping, molesting and murdering a 4-year-old by shoving him off the roof of a car garage.

In the same month, a 14-year-old boy was arrested for beating a 13-year-old classmate to death in Okinawa.

Just three years ago, lawmakers lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 14 from 16 amid public outrage over the brutal beheading of a 10-year-old boy by a 14-year-old in 1997. Last year's murder in Nagasaki prompted many to wonder whether the line should be redrawn.

Violent juvenile crimes remain rare, however. The 1,986 "heinous crimes" -- murder, robbery, arson and rape -- committed by minors in 2002 represented just 1.4 percent of all youth offenses, according to the National Police Agency.

Japan's justice system emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment for minors. The boy who beheaded the 10-year-old in 1997 was freed from custody in March at age 21.

Education officials said schools would be offering students counseling after the Sasebo slashing.

"Doctors and school counselors will offer help if needed," said Koichi Tsurusaki, the head of the Sasebo Education Committee. "Many asked for help after last year's Nagasaki incident, so we'd like the counselors to direct the response."

Satomi's father said he would continue to seek an explanation.

"I don't know what went on between the two. She is the same grade in school as my daughter, so I don't know how much she understands," he said. "But when things settle down, I'd like for her to explain what happened."

[i](Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)[/i]

A pig-headed verdict

06.16.04 (4:33 pm)   [edit]
A follow up to the news story that's below. I have to say, I agree with Mr. Freund.
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[i][b]By MICHAEL FREUND, The Jerusalem Post[/i][/b]

It was a decision as predictable as it was disheartening.

Monday's ruling by the High Court of Justice in favor of allowing the sale of pork in Israel is nothing less than a slap in the face to Jewish history, tradition and culture.

It marks yet another milestone in the campaign by certain sectors of society to de-Judaize the Jewish state and strip away any remaining vestiges of our collective heritage.

Only a jurist with the most tenuous of attachments to our past could possibly countenance such a decree. Indeed, there is something distasteful, even distressing, about the sight of nine Jewish justices sitting in Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people, and issuing such a ruling.
Sure, at first glance the court's decision might appear eminently reasonable.

After all, from a purely free-market perspective, why should the state interfere in the marketplace? Proponents will argue that those opposed to the sale of pork can use all the tools available to them in a free society to persuade consumers of pig flesh to change their ways.

And yet, deep down, we know that while this approach may suit your average Western democracy, it just doesn't cut it when it comes to Israel. For goodness' sake, this is supposed to be a Jewish state. If we eliminate all our unique national customs and beliefs we run the risk of diluting, and possibly even undermining, our collective sense of identity as a people.

Every society has its norms, its conventions and its habits, and the Jewish people are no different. Strictly speaking, there is no difference as far as Jewish law is concerned between eating a ham sandwich, dining on steamed lobster, or downing a plate of shrimp. All are prohibited.

But, as we all know, refraining from pork has become a symbol – not just of fidelity to Jewish law, but of maintaining an attachment, however fragile or precarious, to the Jewish people.

Over 2,000 years ago, when the wicked Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus Epiphanes of the Hanukka story ruled over the Land of Israel, it was decreed that eating pig would serve as a test of the Jews' loyalty. Indeed, according to the Second Book of Maccabees (6:18-31), there were Jews who chose death rather than be forced to eat "the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life."

In the Middle Ages, Spanish inquisitorial courts would often find people guilty of being "secret Jews" on the grounds that they refused to eat pork, thus suggesting that they covertly remained faithful to the ways of their forefathers. In the eyes of the Inquisition, declining to eat pig was considered sufficient reason to condemn a person to burn at the stake.

And so, by overturning regulations in three Israeli municipalities against the sale of pork, the High Court is essentially assaulting one of the most emotive symbols of Jewish faith and martyrdom.

DON'T BE fooled by assertions that this is all about individual rights or personal freedoms. That is just a convenient cover for what is really at work here, which is nothing less than an all-out assault on the Jewish character of the state.
Across the board, a concerted effort has been made in recent years to tear away the Jewish symbols of public life. Whether it is proposals to change the national anthem or abolish the chief rabbinate, the goal is the same: to transform Israel into "just another country" cut off from its distinctive past and oblivious to its eternal heritage.

The High Court's pig-headed ruling, whether by intent or not, will help to bring this dubious goal one step closer to fruition.

Needless to say, the court sees little problem with the fact that restrictions are commonly imposed on the sale of various products for a variety of reasons ranging from firearms to alcohol to prescription drugs to certain kinds of pets. Nor does it seem troubled that the Communications Ministry limits the sale in Israel of particular models of fax machines it deems unacceptable.

But when it comes to outlawing pig and showing a modicum of respect for Jewish tradition, the justices suddenly insist on invoking the principle of individual autonomy. How convenient.

Ironically enough, on the very same day that Israel's High Court was declaring war on the Divine, the US Supreme Court was reaffirming respect for it. In a unanimous ruling, eight US justices overturned a lower court's decision, thereby preserving the phrase "one nation, under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The case involved a California atheist who had sued the government, seeking to ban the recitation of the pledge in his daughter's school because it made reference to God.

While the US Supreme Court's decision was based on a technicality and did not address the underlying constitutional issues at stake, the result nonetheless was the same: America decided not to turn its back on its religious and cultural heritage, which it proudly and unabashedly embraces.

If only our esteemed judges in Jerusalem would learn from their example and no longer be ashamed to assert a little Jewish pride.

Pork has no place in Israel's supermarkets or on its shelves, nor on the High Court's agenda. This is, after all, a Jewish country, and that is what it must remain.

[i]The writer served as deputy director of communications & policy planning in the Prime Minister's Office under Binyamin Netanyahu.[/i]

Madonna and the deafening silence

06.16.04 (3:54 pm)   [edit]
Also, if you're looking for more on this kind of topic, it'd be a good idea to check out my article that I wrote entitled [url=http://www.tblog.com/template...]'Chauvanism'[/url].
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[b][i]By SHMULEY BOTEACH[/i][/b]

The recent passing of Ronald Reagan highlighted the death of Marxism and communism. But to the list of "isms" that met their end in the late 20th century, we must surely now add feminism.

Any rational evaluation of American culture would have to conclude that the movement that sought to have women taken seriously has failed. For every one positive female role model that uses her mind to advance her career – think Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton – there are hundreds more who are famous for exposing their bodies and catering to male lechery. Never in the history of the American republic have so many semi-naked women filled our magazines and television screens, and the growing defilement of America's women meets with barely a murmur of protest from those who claim to be feminist leaders.

Three weeks ago in these pages I strongly criticized the Kabbala Center for allowing Madonna to be its poster girl. I made the simple point that a woman who became famous by simulating sex in front of teenagers and children on MTV, and who continues her vulgar displays by kissing Brittney Spears on stage and going completely naked in her films, cannot front a religious movement.

If Richard Gere, America's most high-profile Buddhist, began doing a nude review at the Crazy Horse Saloon, surely the Dalai Lama would distance himself from his prot g . Fortunately for the Dalai Lama, Gere has shown that his adherence to Buddhism has ennobled his character and he no longer plays roles like American Gigolo. If only such change were visible in Madonna.

But Madonna's PR agent Liz Rosenberg attacked me, calling my comments frightening. She added, "Rabbi Boteach's vile attacks on Madonna's character and as an artist are staggering for someone who professes to be a religious person."

What is truly frightening, however, is that for more than two decades, Madonna has been allowed to destroy the female recording industry by erasing the line that separates music from pornography. Before Madonna, it was possible for women more famous for their voices than their cleavage, like the beautiful Ella Fitzgerald and the divinely talented Barbra Streisand, to emerge as music superstars. But in the post-Madonna universe, even highly original performers like Janet Jackson now feel the pressure to expose their bodies on TV in order to sell albums. This in turn has spawned the lascivious careers of copycats Brittney Spears and Christina Aguilera who, together with Madonna, comprise modern-day music's axis of evil.

SIXTY YEARS ago feminism rightly demanded that women cease being treated as a collection of body parts. It demanded that women be treated with dignity. But Madonna and her ilk have spawned a tragic world where, according to Time magazine, 40 percent of American teenage girls now wear thongs, many with the strap showing above their jeans, and thousands of college girls lift their shirts on Girls Gone Wild videos in exchange for a T-shirt.

In other words, even educated women have learned that to get ahead, they'd better get naked.

American television especially has become a sewer spewing misogyny. Some of the most recent hits include The Swan, wherein "17 average women who never believed they could compete in a beauty pageant are cut apart by plastic surgeons who transform them from ugly ducklings into swans."

It has become a crime in America for a woman to be "unattractive." Coming up in the fall, we can look forward to such edifying offerings as Desperate Housewives and Wife Swap, which the ABC television network promises will "tap into America's voyeuristic tendencies."

None of these programs are on the Playboy Channel or cable. All are on mainstream, commercial television, watched by millions of youngsters. The message that young boys take from these shows is that women are brainless bimbos and mindless nymphomaniacs, created by God for naught but male entertainment.

If Jews were continually portrayed on television as money-grubbers, or African-Americans as criminals, surely the leadership of the Jewish and African-American communities would howl in protest. So why won't feminist leaders speak out against the incessant portrayal of women on American reality TV as publicity-seeking prostitutes?

Why would an accomplished woman like Liz Rosenbaum attack me, rather than Madonna, as vile? Because feminists mistakenly believe that a woman's right to simulate masturbation at a concert is empowering. It's all part of the women's rights movement, translated as a woman's right to do whatever she damn well pleases. But since when is behaving like a man's sex slave a form of empowerment?

Israeli Supreme Court Clears Pork Sales 06.15.04 (7:22 pm)   [edit]
This is very interesting. Secularists certainly rejoice.
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[i][b]By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press Writer[/b][/i]

JERUSALEM - The Israeli Supreme Court decided Monday that Israeli municipalities must permit the sale of pork where a majority of residents demand it — a ruling hailed as a victory by secular rights activists.

Orthodox Jews warned that the decision would undermine the nation's Jewish identity. The consumption of pork is forbidden under Jewish law.

The battle between observant Jews and secular Israelis over the role of religion in daily life has become heated in recent years.

Areas of friction include Jewish Sabbath observances — much of Israel still shuts down from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday — and the exemptions from compulsory military service granted to many ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Under a 1956 law, it is up to municipalities to decide whether to permit the sale of pork. Several towns have tried to limit the sale of pork or have banned it altogether.

Monday's decision came in a case brought against three municipalities that bar the sale of pork. The nine-judge panel annulled existing local laws and said new regulations must be devised to reflect the true wishes of residents.

Pork sales must be allowed in neighborhoods where a majority of residents want to buy it, the judges said. In areas where pork-buying residents are a minority, they must be able to have easy access to neighborhoods where it is sold, the judges ruled.

In areas where the makeup of the neighborhood is not clear, the city must determine the opinion of the residents, the judges said.

The case pitted Orthodox Jews against secular rights activists, many of them immigrants from the former Soviet Union who arrived in the past 15 years. Tens of thousand of the immigrants are not Jewish.

"This is a nail in the coffin of the Jewish identity of the state," said Eli Yishai, leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party.

Lawmaker Yossi Yasinov from the secular Shinui Party said the ruling sets a precedent, for the first time protecting the right of Israelis to buy pork.

"We are not fighting to make people eat pork," the head of Shinui, Justice Minister Joseph Lapid, told Army Radio. "We are fighting for the rights of people to eat what they want, when they want and where they want."

The owner of a large chain of non-kosher stores, Yaakov Maniya, said he did not see why Jews could not agree among themselves on the sale of pork. Muslim Arabs, whose religion also bans the consumption of pork, don't prevent Arab Christians from eating the meat in mixed neighborhoods in Israel, he said.

Maniya said the pigs are raised on Arab-owned land in northern Israel, since Israeli law prohibits the raising of pigs on Jewish land.
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Thing is, Jewish Law also prohibits a Jew from benefitting from the pork or any other forbidden foods. Muslim law does not. Therein lies the reason why Jews can't agree. Traditionalists will stick with Halachah and secularists will just wish to do as they please.

Photographs of Local Flora and Fawna

06.15.04 (6:23 pm)   [edit]
So I went to a park today. It's a big park in town which is home to a multatude of museums, gardens, and other attractions. Beautiful sights were seen. I figured I'd share some with all of you. :)


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First up is the beautiful Fine Art Museum. Right now, they're exhibiting artwork that is on loan from the Vatacan. They dont' allow photography inside the building, so I'm afraid I have no images of the interior for you. However, the building in and of itself is a work of art worth sharing. :)

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This is from a gigantic lilly pond (one of two) that sits outside the botanical gardens.

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This is the outside of the botanical gardens. Inside there is lots of various species of plants (which I'll get to the pics of in a moment). I thought it looked sort of like the Taj Mahal.

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This is the roof on the inside of that greenhouse taj mahal structure.

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similar shot of the same.

Here are some of the flowers from inside:
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This is one of three waterfalls inside the building.

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I found this little guy outside in the lilly pond

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A lotus blossum. I think I'm going to take that photo and use it to paint a picture from it. We'll see.

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Some duckies at the pond

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This is the big fountain in front of the natural history museum. Perhaps you've seen it in between scenes on the realworld this season? LOL

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This is from the side of a building over an archway. Junipero Serra is the guy in the center and he is famous for converting a bunch of the local inhabitants to catholicism before the official founding of the city. This was like circa 1600-1700s. He was from spain.

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This is the photographic art museum. Someday, my stuff will be there!


Well, that's it! I hope you all liked it! :)

New Music & Stuff ...

06.14.04 (3:52 pm)   [edit]
So I'm trying to figure out which music I should put up next. Any Ideas? What do you think of what's up now? Decisions, decisions...


It has to be cool, that's definatly a must.

I went from Nelly Furtado to Counting Crowes so far today.

As you can also see, I change my background pic. What does everyone think of that?

We're under construction!

Militant Leader Killed in W.Bank Missile Strike 06.14.04 (3:30 pm)   [edit]
There's a few less criminals out trying to murder innocent people tonight!
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2 hours, 31 minutes ago

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israel's military killed three militants, including a local leader, in a missile attack on a car in the West Bank city of Nablus Monday, Palestinian security sources said.

Khalil Marshoud, leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and two other militants in his group were killed when an Israeli missile hit their car outside the Balata refugee camp in Nablus Monday night.

Balata is a stronghold for the brigades, an armed group in President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction.

Marshoud and a second militant were killed instantly, while a third later died in hospital of his wounds.

The Israeli army issued a statement saying the air force had targeted a vehicle carrying a senior militant.

"After repeated efforts to arrest the terrorist were to no avail, the Israeli army acted in order to thwart future attacks," it said, but did not give details.

Palestinian security officials recovered fragments of what they said was a missile from the charred remains of the car.

At the scene, rescue workers pointed to a large crater near the wreckage which they said was caused by the missile's impact.

Palestinian residents and security officials were unable to say how the missile was fired because they said electricity was cut moments before the explosion, shrouding the area in darkness. Nobody reported hearing the sound of helicopters.

Marshoud was the target of an Israeli missile strike on May 3 when three al-Aqsa brigades members were killed in a helicopter attack, al-Aqsa brigades sources said.

They said Marshoud evaded the attempt on his life as he was driving in a different vehicle at the time.

U.S. Urges Americans to Exit Saudi Arabia 06.14.04 (3:26 pm)   [edit]
But the Saudis are our friends? Yea right!
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[b]1 hour, 25 minutes ago
[i]By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer[/b] [/i]

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government renewed its call on Monday for Americans to leave Saudi Arabia after the recent terrorist attacks, saying the safety of U.S. workers was more important than any effect on oil supplies or the Saudi economy.

An estimated 35,000 Americans have been working in Saudi Arabia and it was unclear how many have left since the increase in attacks, which have come at the same time the Bush administration has been pressing the Saudis to boost oil production to help lower gas prices in the United States.

Referring to U.S. workers in Saudi Arabia, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, "We first and foremost have a responsibility to Americans. We need to give them our best advice on how to handle any particular situation overseas."

"As far as the maintenance and continued flow of oil and the economy in Saudi Arabia, that is something I think the Saudis will have to describe, what provisions they can make and how they can operate those facilities."

He would not say how many American workers had chosen to remain in Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom's huge expatriate work force.

"In this kind of situation, we feel that giving out numbers just identifies how many potential targets there might be," Boucher said.

The U.S. government is in close touch with Saudi authorities investigating the apparent kidnapping of the latest American victim, Paul M. Johnson of New Jersey, who worked on radar systems of Apache helicopters for Advanced Electronics Co., Boucher said. The Saudi firm has U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin among its customers.

By targeting foreigners' housing compounds, the attackers focus on a sizable sector of the Saudi economy. Saudi Arabia's own population is 17 million, and there are an estimated 8.8 million expatriate workers.

Westerners work in oil, banking and other high-level businesses. Some have moved up plans to leave on vacation and will decide whether to return depending on whether violence persists. Others are leaving for good.

Johnson apparently was abducted Sunday by militants who also claimed responsibility for gunning down another American from the same firm the day before. They threatened to treat the captive as U.S. troops treated Iraqi detainees, a reference to the month-old abuse controversy at Abu Ghraib prison.

Boucher said a U.S. Embassy message in Saudi Arabia "encourages Americans living there to practice good personal security procedures ... to report anything unusual to the Saudi police, and reminds them that the current travel warning ... urges U.S. citizens to depart and for visitors to defer travel."

Islamic fundamentalists apparently linked to al-Qaida have been targeting Americans and other Western interests as part of a campaign to overthrow the Saudi monarchy in power since the 1930s. They consider the Saudi establishment too hospitable to Americans and other foreign "infidels."

The U.S. government has been urging Americans to leave Saudi Arabia for two months, and White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday that Americans should "take those advisories very seriously."

THE SHEIKH'S PRESS PASS

06.14.04 (2:52 pm)   [edit]
When a large new Islamic center opened its doors in London on June 11, Sheikh Abdur-Rahman al-Sudais, imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, flew in to deliver an inaugural speech.

Under the headline, 'Saudi Imam Urges British Muslims To Promote Peace,' [url=http://www.beliefnet.com/stor...]Associated Press[/url] reports this al-Sudais statement from the event:

[b][i]The history of Islam is the best testament to how different communities can live together in peace and harmony... Muslims should exemplify the true image of Islam in their interaction with other communities and dispel any misconceptions in some parts of the media.[/i][/b]

BBC also spoke glowingly of al-Sudais as the 'world's most celebrated imam' who delivered a kindly talk promoting 'community cohesion' between Muslims and their neighbors ([url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk...]text[/url], [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/v...]video[/url] ).

While al-Sudais' London call for peaceful co-existence is certainly laudable, BBC and AP failed to inform readers of the 'second face' that al-Sudais presents to non-Western audiences. For example, [url=http://memri.org/bin/articles...]MEMRI[/url] documents al-Sudais' talks in November 2002, when he

[i][b]beseeched Allah to annihilate the Jews. He also urged the Arabs to give up peace initiatives with [Jews] because they are "the scum of the human race, the rats of the world, the violators of pacts and agreements, the murderers of the prophets, and the offspring of apes and pigs... These are the Jews, an ongoing continuum of deceit, obstinacy, licentiousness, evil, and corruption..."[/b][/i]

Due to such statements, [url=http://jewishcanada.ca/prdisp...]Canadian authorities[/url] reportedly denied al-Sudais' request to enter Canada just last month.

Arab media expert [url=http://www.nationalreview.com...]Steven Stalinsky[/url] documents that al-Sudais' hateful talks are not limited to Jew-baiting. Al-Sudais believes that

[i][b][Christian] "worshippers of the cross" and "idol-worshipping Hindus" ... should be fought. Al-Sudayyis has been consistent in calling for jihad in Kashmir and Chechnya, for Jerusalem to be liberated, and for the "occupiers in Iraq" to also be fought. He often claims that Islam is superior to Western culture.[/b][/i]

Given the Saudi imam's well-documented history of jihadist incitement, news reports welcoming his call for 'peace and harmony' in London should have at least made reference to the vitriolic anti-Semitic and anti-western ideology that he regularly promotes from Mecca ― the very heart of world Islam.

Imagine if [url=http://www.duke.org/]David Duke[/url] were to speak in London on 'peace and harmony' ― would AP and BBC even consider omitting Duke's white supremacist views from their coverage of his speech?

Comments to Associated Press: feedback@ap.org

Comments to BBC: newsonline@bbc.co.uk

(Hat tip: [url=http://hurryupharry.bloghouse...]Harry's Place[/url] )


[i]Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.

HonestReporting [/i]

I guess this is fitting! LOL

06.14.04 (12:16 pm)   [edit]
I do love my boots! :P I got this from [url=http://shespecies.tblog.com]SheSpecies[/url] ...

You Are Big Black Boots! You can be best described as: attitude You've got lots of it - and you love to give it A guy has to be pretty gusty to hit on you But if he's your type, you'll warm up... a little What Shoe Are You? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

I duno where I got this, but it's funny!


You're GI Joe with the Kung Fu Grip!! You're
strong, tough, and know how to kick some ass.
Don't forget though, no matter how manly you
think you are, you're still just a doll. God
Bless America.


What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Is The Preservation Of The Pledge Truly A Loss??

06.14.04 (10:17 am)   [edit]
Let's look at the facts here, aside from the latest from the Supreme Court. Is it [i]really so terrible[/i] to have a pledge that includes the name God? Are children [i]truly forced[/i] to recite this pledge? What about the rest of the [b]wording[/b] in the pledge? Isn't the rest of it unconstitutional then, as well?

I'll start with the first question. We, the citizens of America, are under the impression that there must be a true separation of Church and State. From where I stand, there seems to be an all right separation. But let's think about it. Christmas is a federal holiday as well as Easter. Is Yom Kippur a federal holiday? No. It should be, if Easter and Christmas are. I'd like just once to not have to walk into a class and beg my professors not to fail me because I won't be there on a test day (they almost always have an exam on Yom Kippur. I'm not sure if they're doing it on purpose or what, but it's annoying)! Unfortunately, I do not have that luxury.

It is my outsider impression that The United States of America is a Christian country. Sure, anyone is allowed to practice whatever religion they like (so long as it doesn't involve human sacrifice!) and are given equal rights and are protected under those rights, but let's be realistic here. Christian holidays are mandated federal holidays! There is a cross on a mountain in my town that is on government property. You can see it from just about everywhere in the city!

Getting back to public schools, children make Santa Claus crafts in the lower elementary grades and eggs and bunnies as well! These are classroom projects that the children are [b]graded[/b] on! I went to public school in this country (that's right, I'll admit it) and that's what we did! My younger brother, who is a considerable amount of years below me, also did the same thing. Was there Menorahs or Buddha’s or voodoo winter offering crafts being made in these schools? Are you kidding me!

Separation of Church and state means, to me, is that no one can challenge, persecute, or prosecute (etc) anyone for their faith. However, the US is a Christian country with Christian customs indoctrinated into its system. For those of us who are not Christian, we see that. It's just taken and accepted. That's the way it is.

So is it really terrible to have a pledge that includes God? No. At least it's not Jesus! We should be thankful for that.

Next thing that comes to mind is whether or not children are really [i]forced[/i] to recite this pledge. Again, I hearken back to my younger days in American public schools. We had a girl who was a Jehovah's Witness in our class. Every morning, we'd recite the pledge. She would not. Why? "It is against my religion." She was allowed to just sit out, no questions asked.

This was third grade, if my memory serves correctly. She was also a very cool girl and had a great circle of friends (myself being one); so you can't say people made fun of her for being different in that respect. The kids in the class were cool with it. She was popular, believe it or not.

Having the pledge being recited in school doesn't hinder or infringe on the rights of children (or to a lesser degree, parents). Anyone has the right to decline recitation, for whatever reason. No one is mandated to be forced.

So then; what about the rest of the pledge wording? Let's take a look at it, textually, and see what we've got here:

[b][i]I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the republic
For which it stands
One nation, under God
Indivisible
With Liberty and Justice
For All[/i][/b]

Ok, there you have it. What's wrong with it? What's right with it? Well, first off; the first stanza. Before we recite this pledge, we are to stand and face the flag. We are to place our right hands over our hearts and recite, "I pledge allegiance to the flag ..."

Well then, the flag isn't someone I am alleged to. I allege to my country, not a inanimate object. Sounds like, oh ... [i][b]IDOL WORSHIP?[/b][/i] I'm guessing this is why my Jehovah's witness friend was not to recite this pledge. Makes sense, no? During this whole pledge it seems we are in an act of worship and tribute to this piece of cloth, poorly stapled to the wall and beginning to fall off.

Ah, but then it is made less broad in the two following stanzas! "And to the Republic/For which it stands..." Ok, so it's clarified! We're not just worshiping a flag; we are also stating our allegiance to our country, of which this flag stands for. It's a metaphor. We bow to the flag as representative of our country, like how Idol worshippers bow to wooden representations of their gods in worship. If anything's wrong with the pledge of allegiance, this is where I find it.

But what is right with this pledge? You thought I had forgot! :wink:

"With Liberty and Justice/For ALL"

I'll leave that last question at the top up to you.

The Interview Wheels are Turning!

06.14.04 (9:32 am)   [edit]
Ok, so as I said before, I'm being interviewed by [url=http://jenlars.mu.nu/]Jen Lars[/url]. Now she's posted that she needs people to send in questions for her to ask me. I'm posting here again in case anyone missed this last time.

If you havn't already, Email jenlars@hotmail.com with questions to be asked in her interview of me!

Thanks to everyone for helping, reading, and loving! :)

Ooooh!

06.14.04 (12:01 am)   [edit]






Helena


Which woman of Shakespeare are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Some Questions

06.13.04 (11:34 pm)   [edit]
Got this from [url=http://drama.tblog.com]DRAMA's[/url] blog! :) The answers are my own.

[i]1. Your favorite song with the name of a city in the title or text.[/i]
”Walking in Memphis" by Marc Kohen

[i]2. A song you've listened to repeatedly when you were depressed at some point in your life.[/i]
”Dodo,” Dave Matthews

[i]3. Ever bought an entire album just for one song and wound up disliking everything but that song? Gimme that song.[/i]
"Lemon Tree" I forget the name of the band... LOL!

[i]4. A great song in a language other than English.[/i]
"Rad Halilah”

[i]5. Your least favorite song on one of your favorite albums of all time.[/i]
”Drive In Drive Out” - Dave Matthews Band (I believe the album is 'Crash')

[i]6. A song you like by someone you find physically unattractive or otherwise repellent.[/i]
"Hook", Blues Traveler

[i]7. Your favorite song that has expletives in it that's not by Liz Phair.[/i]
"Bad Habit" -Offspring

[i]8. A song that sounds as if it's by someone British but isn't.[/i]
"Cold Hard Bitch" -Jet (They're not British, they're Aussies!)

[i]9. A song you like (possibly from your past) that took you forever to finally locate a copy of. [/i]
"Killer Queen" by Queen


[i]10. A song that reminds you of spring but doesn't mention spring at all.[/i]
"Pig" -Dave Matthews Band

[i]11. A song that sounds to you like being happy feels.[/i]
"Two Step" -Dave Matthews Band

[i]12. Your favorite song from a non-soundtrack compilation album.[/i]
I usually hate those.

[i]13. A song that reminds you of high school.[/i]
"Butterfly"-CrazyTown

[i]14. A song that reminds you of college.[/i]
”Da Club" -50 cent

[i]15. A song you actually like by an artist you otherwise dislike.[/i]
"Billy Jean" -Michael Jackson.

[i]16. A song by a band that features three or more female members.[/i]
Everything by the Donnas!

[i]17. One of the earliest songs that you can remember listening to.[/i]
"How much is that doggie in the window" -The Chipmunks

[i]18. A song you've been mocked by friends for liking.[/i]
"Mr. Robato" -Styx (domo origato!)

[i]19. A really good cover version you think no one else has heard.[/i]
"imagine" -Blues Traveler

[i]20. A song that has helped cheer you up (or empowered you somehow) after a breakup or otherwise difficult situation.[/i]
"I am extraordinary (average everyday sane psycho)" -I have no idea who did that, but she rocks

Hamas Refuses to Halt Attacks After Gaza Pullout 06.13.04 (1:34 pm)   [edit]
[i][b]BIG [/b][/i]surprise! Is it safe to say that they will stop at nothing until the Jews are "throne into the sea"? That's their own words, people! Wake up and smell the chummus! Let's put it this way. The Jews are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
[line]
[i][b]By Shahdi al-Kashif [/b][/i]

GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas vowed on Saturday to continue attacks against Israel after an Israeli pullout from Gaza and refused to give a green light to Egypt to assume a security role in the coastal strip.

"Withdrawal from the Gaza Strip does not mean the end of occupation," Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, told reporters, referring to the West Bank. "Our position will remain...to continue the resistance."

Zahar spoke against the backdrop of a meeting in Gaza between Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie and militant factions, including Hamas, following the Israeli cabinet's approval in principle on Sunday of a Gaza pullout plan.

In separate remarks, Qurie praised Egypt's offer to send advisers to Gaza, a Hamas stronghold, to help train and equip the Palestinian Authority's security forces.

Egypt's involvement is widely seen as a bid to help ensure militants do not attack Israel from Gaza after a pullout, strikes likely to lead to Israeli retaliation.

Asked whether Hamas would provide Egypt or the Palestinian Authority with guarantees to stop attacks after a withdrawal, Zahar called the unilateral pullout plan "one-sided" and said the group was "against giving any security commitments."

Sworn to Israel's destruction, militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad have carried out suicide bombings and other attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis. In return, Israel has assassinated many of their leaders.

Palestinian militant groups in Lebanon said on Wednesday they planned to meet Egyptian officials to discuss a security role for Egypt in Gaza.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's pullout plan calls for the removal of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza, where 7,500 Israelis and 1.3 million Palestinians live, and four of 120 in the West Bank, home to 230,000 settlers and 2.4 million Palestinians.

The plan envisages a total pullout by the end of 2005, but in a compromise with Israeli hard-liners, Sharon agreed to hold off until March 2005 on a cabinet vote to put settlement evacuation into motion.

Israeli opponents of what Sharon terms "disengagement" from the Palestinians call it a reward for "terrorism" after more than three years of violence. Sharon argues that removing hard-to-defend settlements will bolster Israeli security.


(Additional reporting by Wafa Amr)

D'var Torah for Shlach

06.11.04 (3:59 pm)   [edit]
Parshat Shlach contains the story of the spies who were sent to scout the land that the Jews were to invade. Among the things they were instructed by Moshe to scout was "does [the land] contain tree" (13:20).

Why look for trees, and why look for one singular tree?

Rashi (commentary) explains that a "tree" is symbolic for a worthy man who would merit protection from the Jewish invaders. That would explain the singular tree, but it doesn't explain the reference to trees in general.

The Zohar explains that the tree represents the Torah, as Proverbs proclaims that Torah is a "tree of life for all who grasp it" (3:18).

So what is it about trees that lend comparisons to the Torah?

Trees grow toward the sky; bear fruits and providing shade for the benefit of those immediately around them, as well as providing us with life by giving us the oxygen we need to survive. But the most impressive aspect of the trees is that their roots are firmly grounded.

With proper grounding and rising aspirations, everyone can be compared to a tree by bearing fruits for the rest of the world to enjoy! Moshe is pointing at the trees, and telling us all to plant a proverbial "tree" of our own!

Have a fruitful Shaboos!

Chauvinism

06.11.04 (3:33 pm)   [edit]
In thinking about chauvinism (male chauvinism, to be exact), one is lead down the thought path to question, "Why does this happen?" One thinks of the thought processes that back it. Men are stronger, biologically, than women. They have had the gender role to be in control. Generally, though, what it comes down to is, "I (the man) have a penis. I have this bit of genitalia, and you (the woman) do not. Therefore, because I have this thing and you do not, I am superior."

Why do some men think this way?

They may not do it consciously, or perhaps they do, but I'd venture to day that most, if not all, men have this kind of idea. Or, at least in our American culture. There are countless other cultures that are also quite chauvinistic against women, more so than the general American mindset. Females, being exposed to this kind of "I have what you don't, so I'm better" cultural phenomenon are led to assume that they are somehow inferior also, on some level (though we'd not admit we are being made to feel this way!). Again, what it comes down to is, "They say I don't have a penis and that's what makes me lesser than them."

Now, in the modern female response to this we say, "What?! How dare you say I'm inferior!" In the past, however, because women were so dominated, they did not speak up (generally) in their own defense of worth.

It must be something ingrained. It harkens back to childhood when siblings of opposite sexes are placed in the same bathtub together for the first time! That realization by men of "I have this thing that she doesn't. She's a poo-poo head!" With so many cultural changes, if this isn't ingrained somehow, you'd think it would have been an abolished mindset long ago in our modern society.

The facts still currently state that women in employment positions make a significantly less amount of money in comparison to their male counterparts. Domestic violence is more man on women. There is still gender discrimination in the work place as well as on the street. Women in our society have their worth based greatly on looks and how nicely they can fit in a bikini! How can we counter this?

Well becoming a raging feminist, in my opinion, is not the answer. All that serves to do is feed into an archetype of (and forgive my usage of this term, I never like to put anything this way) the raging dyke.

How can we, as women, own our gender, our sexuality, our self-worth without becoming chauvinists ourselves?? Women have made great strives in our recent past. From suffrage to the lines of combat, women have started to own their world! We can't let it all get thrown away now. We need to make sure that we are not judged by "the junk in our trunk" (ass reference). We need to get educated and become beings with great minds that are worthy of love and consideration based on who we are, mentally, not so much physically.

The media doesn't help the women's cause! Have you seen some of these people in the music biz? Brittany Spears and Christina Agulera are not role-models! Yea, they can sing (well, one of them can). Yea, they have built empires and make lots of money. But what are they really? Glorified peepshow stars! Are they valued for their minds? Are they valued for who they are? NO! They're valued for being a nice "piece of ass"! Their talents just sweeten the deal. Is that what we, as women, want our daughters to grow up and emulate? Personally, if my daughter will emulate anyone in the music biz, please let her emulate a breakthrough artist with a mind first and then beauty.

Women are hard-pressed to find positive roll-models in our time. How ironic that in the most liberating time in the history of our world women, young women, and little girls cannot find a sound example of someone to properly represent our gender! Who do we have to look at? Madonna?

When women are ready to cast off the shackles of chauvinism, reject bad influences in the media that reduce us all to pretty little pieces of meat. When we females start thinking on an educated level and demand proper respect for who we are, not our bust size, that, my friends, is when we will have achieved true equality with our penile-clad counterparts.

We will have abolished chauvinism.

Conservative Author Rails Against Colleges

06.11.04 (2:41 pm)   [edit]
This is interesting. I'm going to look at his book.
[line]
[b][i]By JUSTIN POPE, AP Education Writer[/i][/b]

Ben Shapiro isn't the only conservative railing against liberalism on America's college campuses. But right now — thanks to a marketing campaign taking place mostly in cyberspace — he's the one getting the most attention.

At 20, Shapiro graduates later this month from UCLA, where he has been best known for caustic columns in the campus paper.

But Shapiro also took careful notes in class, chronicling what he viewed as a pervasive liberal bias by professors who fed mostly unwitting students a steady diet of anti-Americanism.

Now, Shapiro has assembled those notes in "Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth" — a book that has won attention even amid the flood of political tracts from both left and right that is saturating the best-seller lists.

The publisher, WND Books, will not release sales figures, and the book has not cracked any overall best-seller lists. But despite little mainstream publicity, it has been among Top 25 hardcover non-fiction best-sellers on Amazaon.com lately, spiking after appearances by the author on conservative talk radio shows.

Shapiro said the big book chains have shown less interest, though several stores said Thursday they have been ordering copies for customers.

On Amazon, customer reviews have been polarized: Fans have called it witty and eye-opening, critics say it is exploitive and unfair.

In some ways, Shapiro is following in the footsteps of William F. Buckley's "God and Man at Yale" (1951) and John LeBoutillier's "Harvard Hates America" (1978). Both, like Shapiro, delighted conservative readers by sharply criticizing the faculties at the elite universities from which the authors had recently graduated.

But in other respects, Shapiro is emblematic of a new generation of sharp-tongued and increasingly confident campus conservatives, many of whom troll Web sites like World Net Daily, freerepublic.com and townhall.com, and write for conservative campus publications.

Intellectually precocious and extremely confident, Shapiro counts better-known columnist and author Ann Coulter as a friend, says he is himself far to the right of Ariel Sharon on Israeli politics, and — in his book — calls some of his professors "as red as overripe tomatoes."

"He's fearless," said David Horowitz, a conservative intellectual who has extensively criticized colleges and universities for bias against conservatives. "Usually, there's peer group pressure when you come into a university — you're just a student — that would intimidate most people. He's part of a new generation that you can't intimidate."

Some academic groups say criticism such as Shapiro's is nothing new, though it has perhaps intensified in the recent era of blogs and exceptionally divisive politics.

Still, they say it is troubling, and they worry that conservative students are mistaking professors' attempts to teach critical thinking for propaganda.

Some students "feel they should be essentially spoon-fed a line that is recognizable to them," said Ruth Flower, director of public policy and communications at the American Association of University Professors.

An Orthodox Jew, Shapiro grew up in the Los Angeles area, skipping grades three and nine and entering UCLA at 16. He jumped quickly into campus politics, earning a column in the Daily Bruin campus paper.

That ended in the spring of 2002, after a dispute over a column that criticized campus Muslim groups for supporting terrorism. When the paper wouldn't run it, Shapiro took his case to the air on a local talk-radio show and was suspended by the newspaper.

He later began writing a syndicated column that is now picked up by a handful of outlets and Web sites. His parents had to sign his first contract, since he was only 17 at the time.



Shapiro insists his pages of footnotes prove his book is serious research, not vitriol. Still, some readers are likely to question the objectivity of some sources. And after the book came out this spring, the Daily Bruin reported that there were a number of citation errors, and that several UCLA professors claim they were misquoted.

Shapiro acknowledged a "couple of punctuation errors as far as paraphrasing," which he said would be corrected in the next edition, but said he stands by the material.

Profits from the book will help pay Shapiro's tuition next year at Harvard Law School, several of whose faculty members he has already criticized in print.

"That should be fun," he laughed. But he insists he is genuinely looking forward to learning at an institution that — despite a fairly large contingent of conservative students — is viewed by some on the right as the belly of the beast.

"I think conservatives can get a lot from a liberal education," said Shapiro, who insists he also enjoyed his time at UCLA. "If you're being assaulted on all sides you come up with good responses. I want to hear the best that the left has to offer."
[line]
On the Net:

http://benjaminshapiro.com/blog.html" title="http://benjaminshapiro.com/blog.html" target="_blank"http://benjaminshapiro.com/bl...

Robot for Spinal Surgery Receives FDA Approval 06.10.04 (1:21 pm)   [edit]
If there were no Isarel, this would not exist...
[line]
Wednesday June 9, 3:00 pm ET
Device expected to be in use in 2004

HAIFA, Israel and NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A miniature robot for fail-proof spinal procedures has received FDA approval. Named SpineAssist, the robot is the brainchild of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Professor Moshe Shoham. It will be manufactured and marketed by Mazor Surgical Technologies, the company founded by Shoham in 2001.

The robot offers surgeons improved accuracy during complicated back surgery while minimizing risks associated with spinal surgical procedures. Such risks include nerve damage, which according to industry statistics, happens in 2 to 3 percent of spine injuries. No bigger than a soda can, it is attached directly to the patient's body, pointing surgeons to the exact positioning needed for tools and implants. This is critical, says Professor Shoham, since a mistake in placement of even a few millimeters can cause irreversible nerve damage or paralysis.

"SpineAssist minimizes the risk of working free hand in sensitive regions of the spine," explains Prof. Shoham. "It conceives a plan for locating the spinal implants, but neither replaces the surgeon nor performs any operations. After examining and approving the recommendation, the surgeon inserts surgical instruments through the arm of the robot, thereby minimizing the danger of damaging vital organs."

Shoham adds that because of its high level of accuracy, SpineAssist reduces surgery time and invasiveness, expedites recovery and minimizes associated risks -- such as infection and blood loss -- of traditional spine surgery.

Mazor has already installed the first systems at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio and Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel. The company expects to install more of them at other spine centers in Europe and in the United States later this year.

The robot is being tested on a limited basis by a team led by Prof. E. Benzel and Dr. I. Lieberman at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Clinical trials are underway at Israeli spine centers located at Sheba Medical Center, Rabin Medical Center and Carmel Hospital. The locations in Israel will be the first to perform full-scale surgeries utilizing the device.

More than 500,000 spine surgeries are performed annually in the United States alone -- a number currently growing by 8 percent a year. This creates a large potential market for the SpineAssist. According to analysts' reports, the spinal industry is expected to triple its growth over the next eight years, reaching annual sales of $7 billion.

Mazor representatives predict that SpineAssist will become widely used. "The combination of precision, simplicity and performance reliability will play a key role in the success of the product and company," says Ori Hadomi, the company's CEO. Mazor will begin marketing SpineAssist in the final quarter of 2004, at an estimated cost of $100,000 per unit.

According to Hadomi, the SpineAssist technology can also be applied to brain and knee surgeries, but adds that Mazor is focusing specifically on the spinal area for now. In another project, Professor Shoham is working on a surgical robot so small that it can actually fit inside a patient's spinal cord.

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university. It commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine. The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with more than 20,000 supporters and 17 offices around the country.

Founded by Technion Professor Moshe Shoham in 2001, Mazor Surgical Technologies is located in Israel and employs 20 employees. To date, the company has raised over 9.5 Million dollars in two rounds. Several international VC funds have already invested in Mazor, including VC firm Alice Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Shalom Equity Fund, Dor Ventures, ProSeed VC Fund and Israel Technology Partners.
[line]
Source: American Technion Society

Israel to Destroy Settlers' Homes in Gaza 06.10.04 (1:19 pm)   [edit]
Comments?
[line]
[i][b]By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer[/b][/i]

WASHINGTON - Israel will destroy the homes of Jewish settlers when it withdraws from Gaza but will leave public buildings standing, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday.

Initially, the homes were to be left for Palestinians to take over after Israel withdrew all 7,500 settlers and all its troops from the territory.

In urging Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia to "seize the opportunity" presented by Sharon's plan, Secretary of State Colin Powell had welcomed Israel's turning over the Jewish homes to Palestinians as a helpful move.

But Zalman Shoval, an adviser to Sharon and a former Israeli ambassador to Washington, said the homes would be destroyed.

He also said in a speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a private research group, that office buildings would be left intact.

Construction of new homes in Gaza was frozen last Sunday, he said.

Explaining the decision to destroy homes as they were evacuated, Shoval said many Israelis did not want to see Palestinian flags flying from homes once occupied by Israeli Jews.

Shoval also said Sharon was determined to carry out his withdrawal plan, which includes abandoning four settlements on the West Bank, despite opposition within his own Likud party.

Beyond the unilateral move by Israel, the former ambassador said he could not predict what additional moves Israel might make.

However, he said, "I don't think a comprehensive peace is in the cards," adding that Israel would not give up all of the West Bank or all of the settlements there in which some 250,000 Israeli Jews live.

At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher urged Israel to dismantle "outposts," which are makeshift and temporary clusters of trailers, on the West Bank.

"That's always something we have been encouraging them to do in accordance with their commitments and in accordance with their laws," Boucher said.

WHAT'S FLYING UP NORTH

06.10.04 (1:10 pm)   [edit]
As Israel's northern region was targeted in the past few days, media coverage failed to present essential context to inform readers of ongoing Arab aggression against Israel. Here's a review of what occurred:

Israeli naval vessel on patrol 1) On June 7, a Lebanon-based Palestinian group (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) fired a number of rockets toward Israel. One nearly hit an Israeli naval vessel patrolling in Israeli territorial waters.

2) In retaliation hours later, the Israeli Air Force struck a PFLP base just south of Beirut.

3) The following day (June 8 ), in a new provocation, Hezbollah fired 20 rockets and mortars at IDF positions on Har Dov.

4) In retaliation that day, the IDF returned fire against Hezbollah.

Yet here's how the June 8 Associated Press report began:

[i]Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli troops fired rockets and shells at each other across the south Lebanon border Tuesday, a day after the deepest Israeli airstrike into Lebanon in four years.[/i]

Note that the Israeli airstrike raises readers' concern ('deepest in four years') and is mentioned in a long-term historical context, but the PFLP rocket attack that immediately preceded the Israeli airstrike and instigated this entire round of violence is omitted. AP only gets around to mentioning the instigating attack ― the PFLP rocket strike ― in the 10th paragraph of this report.

AP thereby misleads the typical reader by skirting past what is perhaps the dominant narrative of the entire Mideast conflict ― Arab rejection of, and aggression against, Israel.

Indeed, this week's provocations from Lebanon were in blatant violation of the Lebanese-Israeli border (the 'Blue Line') that the United Nations defined following Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000. Since then, despite Israeli commitment to the Blue Line, Hezbollah and Palestinian groups in Lebanon have killed six Israeli civilians and eleven IDF soldiers through an ongoing barrage of unprovoked attacks:

- 105 anti-aircraft attacks
- 42 anti-tank missile attacks
- 5 Katyusha rocket attacks
- 7 shooting attacks
- 10 explosive device attacks
- 14 infiltration attempts

By failing to put this week's violence in proper context, Associated Press extends an all-too-familiar pattern of 'tit-for-tat, cycle of violence' coverage ― emphasizing the latest Israeli strike, while downplaying the fact that Israel was merely responding to unprovoked violence.

Comments to AP: feedback@ap.org

[i]Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.

HonestReporting.com[/i]

Israel Offers Cash Advances to Settlers 06.10.04 (1:03 pm)   [edit]
This was just something interesting in the news...
[line]
[b][i]By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Writer[/i][/b]

JERUSALEM - The Israeli government plans to offer financial incentives, including cash advances, to Israeli settlers who leave the Gaza Strip voluntarily, officials said Thursday, in a sign that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants to complete much of the pullout well before a September 2005 deadline.

Officials said many of Gaza's 7,500 settlers are interested in leaving the volatile area, a claim denied by settler representatives who said they'd put up a tough fight against a withdrawal.

Sharon wants to dismantle all 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza as well as four in the West Bank by 2005. Earlier this week, the Cabinet approved the plan in principle, but in a compromise with hard-liners, Sharon agreed to hold a separate vote before taking down settlements.

However, a proposed withdrawal timetable obtained by The Associated Press showed that most preparations for dismantling settlements would be completed well before the next Cabinet vote, set for February.

Starting in August, settlers could begin leaving their homes voluntarily and sign up for compensation "We agreed that those who want to leave voluntarily will receive advances as part of compensation," Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. He would not say how much money was being offered.

Full compensation would only be paid once appropriate compensation has been passed. The target for compensation legislation is November.

The timetable gives settlers until Sept. 1, 2005 to leave voluntarily. Those who don't leave on their own would be removed forcibly by Sept. 15, 2005.

The government is considering a cash bonus for those who leave on their own, as one of several options, officials said.

Preparations on a compensation package have already begun, officials said. "Hundreds of settlers have turned to us and said, 'The decision has been made. Why should we wait a whole year? We want to get on with our lives," a government official said on condition of anonymity.

Sharon appears to be trying to get as much of his pullout completed before the next Cabinet vote. This week's vote bitterly divided his government and resignations of hard-liners deprived him of his parliamentary majority.

Sharon's security advisers have been calculating the cost of relocating settlers for months, former Finance Minister Avraham Shochat said.

Shochat, who worked on a similar study about Golan Heights settlers when Israel was pursuing a peace treaty with Syria in the late 1990s, said he had forwarded his material to Sharon's team. "The numbers and the types of populations are not similar," he said, "but they can learn from the system."

It is unclear how many settlers are ready to leave. Many of them are ideologically committed to keeping the land and have pledged to put up a fight.

"Everyone who thinks that they will buy us with money is going to have a very big surprise," said Yigal Kirshenzaft, who lives in the Neve Dekalim settlement in Gaza. "When they come to remove us, they will be surprised at the strong resistance."

Josh Hasten, a spokesman for the Yesha Council, which represents the settlers, said his group believes the "overwhelming majority" will reject compensation offers.

Opponents of the withdrawal accused Sharon of violating the recent Cabinet compromise.

Sharon is now relying on the opposition Labor Party to keep him in power. Labor is already blocking attempts to topple Sharon in parliament, and government officials expect Labor to join the coalition in the coming months.

In other developments, an extremist Jewish settler from the West Bank city of Hebron was released from prison Thursday after being held for more than eight months without charges.

Noam Federman was arrested by Israel's internal Shin Bet security service last year and held in so-called administrative detention, a security measure usually reserved for suspected Palestinian militants. Federman was active in the outlawed anti-Arab Kach movement.

More Stats about the Intifada for those of you with those casualty counters ...

06.09.04 (2:46 pm)   [edit]
So this seems to be from the first intifada (9 Dec., 1987) untill the end of May 2003.


http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/To tal_Casualties.asp" title="http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/To tal_Casualties.asp" target="_blank"http://www.btselem.org/Englis...

Enjoy! This will be yet another source to contend with. If you want to know what I'm talking about, check out my prior posts about this issue:

http://www.tblog.com/templates/index.php?bid=redtigress&static =198562" title="http://www.tblog.com/templates/index.php?bid=redtigress&static =198562" target="_blank"http://www.tblog.com/template...

http://www.tblog.com/templates/index.php?bid=redtigress&static =198553" title="http://www.tblog.com/templates/index.php?bid=redtigress&static =198553" target="_blank"http://www.tblog.com/template...

I hope you have enjoyed this dose of [i]REALITY![/i]

What is the evidence for the Mount Sinai Event that is so difficult to dispute?

06.09.04 (2:36 pm)   [edit]
First, let’s differentiate between “difficult to dispute” and “indisputable.” I don’t believe there’s indisputable evidence for any event of history. All we can do is apply the same criteria we apply to everyday situations. When we sit in the dentist’s chair, we don’t demand “indisputable proof” that he’s a dentist. There’s the possibility that he’s not. Really—it’s happened. But that’s how life goes—you take the most likely scenario.

The MSE is the most likely scenario to explain the Jewish people. Any other scenario is **very** difficult.

The evidence for the MSE has been discussed by many classic Jewish writers. The best known—but not the only—proof is that stated by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi in his book known as the Kuzari: “The Mount Sinai Event is the central event of Jewish history, theology and consciousness. It is the shared memory of an entire people who claim to have heard the Creator of the Universe speaking to them en masse. It’s far too outrageous to be a myth—how could you possibly convince an entire nation of such an event if it never happened? People would say, ”Why did my father never tell me any of this?” The very fact that no other people ever came up with anything like it screams out its veracity.”

This means that historical events involving masses of people are very difficult to make up. That’s why legends and mythology are always about private or “biographical” events. For example, a certain person, or small group of people, were told something by G-d (or “the gods”). Or a great hero wrestled a monster before a handful of villagers. Those things are easy to make up. But to come to a people and say, “Guess what! Your father and mother may never have told you this, but all of our ancestors experienced this cataclysmic event that forged our entire history ever since!” You’ve got a hard sell.

Why would you want to make such a sale? So that people will obey these commandments, I suppose. Which leaves a very good question: If this is such a good way to get people to follow the laws of your society, why didn’t any other people come up with the idea? Why does everybody else either claim their laws were handed to a single individual or small group, or simply admit that they were made by human beings? For the reason I gave above: It’s too difficult to convince people of an historical event of this sort that never happened.

You might say, “Well, maybe they took some minor event and just kept exaggerating it over the centuries?” This could happen. People love to add on to stories.

However, when this occurs we inevitably end up with highly diverse, multiple versions of the story—sometimes so diverse they are no longer recognizable as the same story. In our case, there is only one version of the story, accepted by not only all Jews until recent times, but also the ancient Romans and all Christians and Moslems. This can only be attributed to the preservation of a consistent written account.

But, as I wrote, the **real** problem for most people is not the evidence or lack thereof, but the difficulty they have in conceiving such an event. It simply does not fit into their normative realm of experience. That is why I wrote what I wrote—simply to relate it more to that which we know and understand.

[i]Rabbi Tzvi Freeman[/i]

Israeli letter spells out pledges to US

06.09.04 (2:28 pm)   [edit]
People really need to pay attention to this stuff!
[line]
[b][i]By DAVID RUDGE, The Jerusalem Post[/b][/i]

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his cabinet Sunday an Israeli team will meet in the next few days with US Ambassador Dan Kurtzer to define where construction will be allowed in the settlements.

The establishment of this team is one of a number of points spelled out in a letter Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weisglass presented US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice last week in Washington reaffirming a number of previous Israeli commitments.

Israeli diplomatic officials said the work of this team with Kurtzer will be guided by the principle that construction will be allowed within the built-up areas of settlements.

The Weisglass letter, along with a document spelling out the disengagement plan, accompanied the exchange of letters between Sharon and US President George W. Bush last week.

The government released the Weisglass letter on Sunday. The letter, which deals with issues such as settlements, roadblocks, and Palestinian tax revenue held by Israel, reads as follows:
"Dear Dr. Rice, On behalf of the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Mr. Ariel Sharon, I wish to reconfirm the following understanding, which had been reached between us:

1. Restrictions on settlement growth: within the agreed principles of settlement activities, an effort will be made in the next few days to have a better definition of the construction line of settlements in Judea and Samaria. An Israeli team, in conjunction with Ambassador Kurtzer, will review aerial photos of settlements and will jointly define the construction line of each of the settlements.

2. Removal of unauthorized outposts: the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense [Shaul Mofaz], jointly, will prepare a list of unauthorized outposts with indicative dates of their removal; the Israeli Defense Forces and/or the Israeli Police will take continuous action to remove those outposts in the targeted dates. The said list will be presented to Ambassador Kurtzer within 30 days.

3. Mobility restrictions in Judea & Samaria: the Minister of Defense will provide Ambassador Kurtzer with a map indicating roadblocks and other transportation barriers posed across Judea & Samaria. A list of barriers already removed and a timetable for further removals will be included in this list. Needless to say, the matter of the existence of transportation barriers fully depends on the current security situation and might be changed accordingly.

4. Legal attachments of Palestinian revenues: the matter is pending in various courts of law in Israel, awaiting judicial decisions. We will urge the State Attorney's office to take any possible legal measure to expedite the rendering of those decisions.

5. The Government of Israel extends to the Government of the United States the following assurances:

a. The Israeli government remains committed to the two-state solution – Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security – as the key to peace in the Middle East.

b. The Israeli government remains committed to the road map as the only route to achieving the two-state solution.

c. The Israeli government believes that its disengagement plan and related steps on the West Bank concerning settlement growth, unauthorized outposts, and easing of restrictions on the movement of Palestinians not engaged in terror are consistent with the road map and, in many cases, are steps actually called for in certain phases of the road map.

d. The Israeli government believes that further steps by it, even if consistent with the road map, cannot be taken absent the emergence of a Palestinian partner committed to peace, democratic reform, and the fight against terror.

e. Once such a Palestinian partner emerges, the Israeli government will perform its obligations, as called for in the road map, as part of the performance-based plan set out in the road map for reaching a negotiated final status agreement.

f. The Israeli government remains committed to the negotiation between the parties of a final status resolution of all outstanding issues.

g. The Government of Israel supports the United States' efforts to reform the Palestinian security services to meet their road map obligations to fight terror. Israel also supports the American efforts, working with the international community, to promote the reform process, build institutions, and improve the economy of the Palestinian Authority and to enhance the welfare of its people, in the hope that a new Palestinian leadership will prove able to fulfill its obligations under the road map. The Israeli Government will take all reasonable actions requested by these parties to facilitate these efforts.

h. As the Government of Israel has stated, the barrier being erected by Israel should be a security rather than a political barrier, should be temporary rather than permanent, and therefore not prejudice any final status issues including final borders, and its route should take into account, consistent with security needs, its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist activities."

Minister Quits Sharon Cabinet in Gaza Pullout Crisis 06.09.04 (2:03 pm)   [edit]
Just keepin' you posted on what's going on...
[line]
[b][i]By Matt Spetalnick[/i][/b]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lost his parliamentary majority Tuesday but appeared to be in no immediate danger of being toppled after the head of a pro-settler party quit the cabinet over a Gaza pullout plan.

Housing Minister Effi Eitam, leader of the National Religious Party, and deputy minister Yitzhak Levy of the NRP tendered their resignations to Sharon, who controlled 61 of parliament's 120 seats before they abandoned their former ally.

The NRP's four other legislators, however, made no immediate decision to bolt the coalition and were weighing a compromise to keep the party in the government for at least three more months.

That would grant Sharon, a former general once considered godfather of the settler movement the NRP also championed, a temporary reprieve from total breakdown of his coalition, which would force him to reshape his government or call elections.

"From this moment on, we have 59 Knesset members in the coalition," Gideon Saar, the head of Sharon's Likud faction in parliament, told Channel One television.

But Saar noted there was still no unified bloc in parliament able to muster the 61 votes required to bring down the government in a no-confidence vote.

Israeli political commentators said the pro-withdrawal Labor Party led by Shimon Peres was likely to spread a safety net under Sharon, backing him in parliament from the opposition benches, to ensure plans for a Gaza pullout moved ahead.

In a boost to Sharon, Labor withdrew a no-confidence motion Monday, a day after the cabinet approved in principle the proposal to remove all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four of the 120 in the West Bank.

NO REWARD FOR "TERROR"

"As a comrade in arms, a cabinet colleague and a brother of the Jewish people, I call upon you Mr. Prime Minister: 'Stop! don't hand the country over to terror,"' Eitam, a former army officer, wrote in his resignation letter.

Sharon's government has been in the grips of a political crisis since his cabinet Sunday voted 14-7 in favor of a watered-down version of his U.S.-backed proposal to "disengage" from conflict with the Palestinians.

Palestinians welcome any Israeli withdrawal but fear Sharon is trying to trade impoverished Gaza for large swathes of the West Bank where most of the 240,000 settlers live.

Sharon pushed the plan through the cabinet only after firing two ultranationalist ministers and placating Likud dissidents by agreeing not to evacuate settlements for at least nine months and then in four phases, each requiring a vote.

Opponents of the withdrawal say it would only reward "Palestinian terror" after more then three years of bloodshed.

If the plan is carried out, it would mark Israel's first removal of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Polls show a majority of Israelis willing to part with Gaza's hard-to-defend settlements, where 7,500 Jews live cloistered from 1.3 million Palestinians. But Sharon's Likud rejected his pullout plan in a May 2 referendum.

Under the revised Gaza plan, Israel said it intends to close its main industrial zone on the Gaza border, leaving thousands of Palestinians jobless. No date was given for the closure.

I'm being interviewed!

06.08.04 (3:58 pm)   [edit]
Ok, so [url=http://jenlars.mu.nu/]Jen Lars[/url] is going to do an interview of me on her website. She has a bunch of other interviews she's done and now I'm next on her list.

Why am I mentioning this?

Well, aside from vanity, I was suggested to post this and ask people to email her some questions that they might want asked of me in the interview. So, if you want me to answer something, email: jenlars@hotmail.com

She's on haitus this week, but will hopefully be back next week and I'm pretty sure all will go forward after that.

Meantime, take a look at the site that I have my weekly column on: [url=http://www.behindenemyheadlin...]BehindEnemyHeadlines.com![/url]

Stay tuned! :)

Racism From San Fran!

06.08.04 (3:27 pm)   [edit]
Photo from San Francisco's anti-Iraq war protest:



=http://img19.photobucket.com/...

Hrmmm, wait a minute! How is that about Iraq? Wow, he's really avant guarde! What's missing from this picture? Oh right! All he needs is a little black mustache or a white sheet over his head. What's more, this was supposed to be a PEACE protest!

Thanks to [url=http://www.motnews.blogspot.c...]MOTNEWS[/url] for the photo! :)

Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism

06.08.04 (3:04 pm)   [edit]
For more information and resources, as well as statistics, visit:



[url=http://www.ict.org.il/]ICT.org.il[/url]

And, you can find the resources from the statistics in the entry below this one ( http://www.tblog.com/template... ) there as well!

More resources for the below entry include:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it &u=http" title="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it &u=http" target="_blank"http://translate.google.com/t...://italy.indymedia.org/news/2002/09/81356.php&prev=/search%3Fq%3Den gineered%2Btragedy%26hl%3 Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8 -- This is in Italian, I put it through a translation thing for non Italian speakers.

http://www.tzemachdovid.org/Facts/index.html" title="http://www.tzemachdovid.org/Facts/index.html" target="_blank"http://www.tzemachdovid.org/F... -- This is REALLY good! Includes direct IDF dispatch!

http://www.pseudotheos.com/view_object.php?object_id=933" title="http://www.pseudotheos.com/view_object.php?object_id=933" target="_blank"http://www.pseudotheos.com/vi... -- this is good too. It talks directly about the ICT report.

Enjoy! I hope you have had fun durring this daily dose of [i]REALITY![/i]

For those of you with those Israeli/Palestinian casualty counters ...

06.08.04 (2:47 pm)   [edit]
... You might want to take a look at this!
[line]
[b]Study Refutes Reporting Of Intifada Casualties
Says Nearly 80% Of Israelis Killed Are Non-Combatants
[i]By Jon Dougherty[/i]
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com[/b]

An Israeli counter-terrorism research group claims in a new study that Palestinian and Israeli death tolls from the "Al-Aqsa Intifada" are being grossly misrepresented, most likely for political gain.

The http://www.ict.org.il International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, or ICT, is calling the latest Palestinian intifada - begun in September 2000 - an "engineered tragedy," because death toll figures being utilized by the Palestinians are creating "an image of lopsided slaughter, with Israel cast as the villain."

Since the violence began, the ICT says around 1,450 Palestinians have been killed, compared to about 525 Israelis. Though on the surface the figures appear to indicate rampant Israeli violence against helpless Palestinian civilians, the figures actually "lump combatants in with noncombatants, suicide bombers with innocent civilians, and report Palestinian 'collaborators' murdered by their own compatriots as if they had been killed by Israel."

"More meaningful figures show that Israel is responsible for around 568 Palestinian noncombatant deaths, while Palestinians have killed more than 420 Israeli noncombatants," said the study. "Over 50 percent of the Palestinians killed were actively involved in fighting - and this does not include stone-throwers or 'unknowns.'"

Furthermore, researchers found that "Palestinians are directly responsible for the deaths of at least 185 of their own number - one out of every eight Palestinians killed" in the conflict thus far.

Don Radlauer, an associate researcher with ICT, said he and his colleagues did an in-depth statistical study of fatalities on both sides of the conflict to reach their conclusions. Researchers broke down fatalities in terms of age, sex and whether or not they were combatants.

In so doing, Radlauer said, the ICT found that "while Israeli fatalities in the conflict have consisted of almost 80 percent noncombatants (and over 80 percent before the substantial IDF casualties suffered during the Jenin incursion of April 2002), Palestinian fatalities have consisted of more combatants than noncombatants."

The proportion of Israeli women killed was relatively low when the conflict broke out, but has risen to about 30 percent at present.

"Since June 2001, this proportion has remained fairly stable," the study said. "Palestinian fatalities, in contrast, have been consistently and overwhelmingly male," to the tune of around 95 percent.

"If we include combatants and fatalities for whom responsibility is unclear, 61 Palestinian females have been killed; the corresponding Israeli figure is 170," researchers said.

Officials at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not return phone calls seeking comment. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza City did not return a request for comment before press time.

Meanwhile, ICT researchers said the main reason why the number of Palestinian "civilians" killed may seem out of proportion is because of the nature of the conflict and the combatants battling it out in the streets.

"In any conflict between a country with conventionally organized military and police forces and an opposing force mostly composed of non-uniformed 'irregulars,' the uniformed forces cannot avoid killing a disproportionate number of 'civilians,'" said the study, "since even their most deadly opponents are usually not members of an official military, and in many cases have perfectly respectable 'day jobs.'"

In terms of classifying Israeli casualties, the study said it should be easier to do, but in many cases was not because "a substantial number of Israeli fatalities, especially those killed inside 'Israel proper,' have been members of the civil police or noncombatant members of the Israel Defense Forces - such as office workers and mechanics."

Yesterday, a 70-year-old Palestinian man was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire between a Palestinian gunman and Israeli police.

The Jerusalem Post said the gunman was being identified by Shin Bet security forces when he pulled out a pistol and shot a police officer. Witnesses said the gunman fled as 20 other police officers engaged him in gunfire.

Initially, Israeli sources said the Palestinian man was killed by the gunman, but the Post said that version of events is still being investigated.

ICT researchers found that "while overall Palestinian deaths outnumber Israeli deaths by almost three to one, Israeli 'mature noncombatant' deaths are almost double the equivalent Palestinian fatalities."

Also, researchers say the evidence argues against accusations that the Israeli military is intentionally targeting Palestinian civilians.

"The fact that Palestinian deaths caused by Israeli actions do not, as a rule, follow the same pattern would seem to undermine claims that Israel deliberately targets Palestinian civilians," the study said.
[line]
source: http://www.rense.com/general2...
Please note, these findings are from 2002. Since then, of course, the numbers have risen and the political ploy has become more apparant, as evidenced by some peoples' little counters on this server. AP reported that those numbers were wrong as well in another unrelated report.

Wow, I'd feel dirty if I was exploiting a political agenda that gross.

Egypt, Israel Near Border Security Deal 06.08.04 (2:34 pm)   [edit]
What is important is that we all work together to help make safer boarders for all!
[line]
[b]Mon Jun 7, 8:36 PM ET
[i]By NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD, Associated Press Writer[/i][/b]

CAIRO, Egypt - Israel and Egypt are close to an agreement on Egyptian security presence along their border as Israelis prepare to remove settlements from Gaza and return the area to Palestinian control, officials said Monday.

Under a proposal, Egypt would send 200 Egyptian military experts into the Gaza Strip to aid Palestinian officials, said the Israeli officials who visited Egypt.

"We're now very close to implement this understanding between Israel and Egypt," Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told reporters Monday — a day after the Israeli Cabinet approved in principle Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip by 2005.

Amira Aron, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official, told The Associated Press that the agreement would put an additional 100 Egyptian police along the Egyptian side of the border.

The agreement, she said, also involved Egypt sending 200 military experts into Gaza to help Palestinians in organizing their security services.

Mohammed Bassiouni, a former Egyptian ambassador to Israel, told AP that what Aron referred to as 100 additional police officers would likely be soldiers or special forces carrying heavier weapons than the light arms now carried by Egyptian policemen in the border region.

Bassiouni, a member of Egypt's parliament, said Egypt has 19,000 soldiers and 3,000 policemen in Sinai.

Egyptian officials familiar with the talks said discussions centered on shifting 1,000 border guards already in the Sinai peninsula north, closer to the border.

The Egyptians also want an international presence in Gaza, the nature of which is under discussion, the Egyptian officials said on condition of anonymity.

After meeting with Shalom, Egyptian presidential adviser Osama El-Baz said: "We have a certain vision about the role that Egypt could take to improve the situation so there would be stability in the Palestinian territories."

Egyptians and other Arabs, frustrated by violence in the Palestinian areas, have criticized Egypt for working with Israel on security issues.

"What is exactly going on?" Abdallah El-Senawi, editor of the Egyptian opposition weekly Al-Arabi, wrote on Sunday.

Egypt withdrew its ambassador from Tel Aviv shortly after intense Palestinian-Israeli clashes erupted in late 2000, accusing Israel of unnecessarily harsh measures against the Palestinians. The ambassador has yet to return.
[line]
EDITOR'S NOTE: Cairo-based Associated Press reporter Salah Nasrawi contributed to this story.

Hezbollah and Israeli Forces Clash 06.08.04 (2:24 pm)   [edit]
This can't be good news...
[line]
[b]Tue Jun 8,12:55 PM ET
[i]By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer[/b][/i]

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli troops fired rockets and shells at each other across the south Lebanon border Tuesday, a day after the deepest Israeli airstrike into Lebanon in four years.

Lebanese security officials said the guerrillas attacked Israeli positions in the disputed Chebaa Farms area. Hezbollah issued a statement saying the attack was in retaliation for "the latest Israeli aggression," a reference to the Monday airstrike on a Palestinian base south of Beirut.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli military confirmed the attack, and said one officer was lightly wounded.

Israeli artillery responded by striking the hills above the village of Kfar Chouba in southeast Lebanon, the Lebanese officials said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

Later, Israeli planes flew over the area but did not attack. Hezbollah fired a surface-to-air missile at the planes but missed, the officials said.

A U.N. spokesman said the U.N. peacekeeping force on the border had contacted both parties to prevent a further escalation.

Lebanon complained to the United Nations on Tuesday about Israel's airstrike, calling it a "dangerous aggression" and saying Lebanon reserved the right to request a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss it.

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura called on Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday to exercise "utmost restraint and live up to their responsibilities in order to avoid further acts of hostility."

On Monday night, Israeli planes fired at least four rockets at a base of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in the hills of Naameh, about five miles south of Beirut. It was Israel's deepest airstrike in Lebanon since Israeli troops withdrew from south Lebanon in May 2000.

Israel said the strike was retaliation for a rocket attack from south Lebanon on an Israeli naval boat earlier Monday.

On Tuesday, an Israeli defense ministry official said the airstrike was intended to make the Lebanese government rein in militants.

"This signal, which was sent ... by the air force, was aimed at Lebanon," Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim told Israel Radio.

A spokesman for the PFLP-GC said the planes attacked a clinic and humanitarian facilities at their Naameh base, causing damage but no casualties.

A second PFLP-GC official, Abu Rushdi, said the base no longer had a military purpose and the staff had left hours before the strike.

Californians Pay Final Respects to Reagan 06.07.04 (5:00 pm)   [edit]
[i][b]By JEFF WILSON [/b][/i]


SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - Nancy Reagan touched her cheek to the flag-covered casket, then made way for Americans by the thousands to pay respects Monday to Ronald Reagan before a cross-country journey to a state funeral in Washington.

A steady, near-silent stream of people - some saluting, some praying - circled through the rotunda of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where the body of the nation's 40th president will lie in repose through Tuesday before traveling to Washington. After Friday's state funeral, the body will return to California for a hilltop burial service at sunset.

A Marine Corps band played "Hail to the Chief" as eight armed forces members carried the casket into the presidential library, past a 10-foot-tall sculpture titled "After the Ride" depicting Reagan as a smiling cowboy with a Stetson in his hand.

The journey began at a Santa Monica funeral home, where the mahogany casket was placed aboard a hearse for a 40-mile drive to the library in Simi Valley.

Clusters of people watched from overpasses and roadsides as the motorcade headed north, then west on the Ronald Reagan Freeway, its path cleared by motorcycle officers. One banner hung along the route declared, "God bless you Ronald & Nancy." Another proclaimed, "God bless the Gipper."

Flags at half-staff fluttered under an overcast sky as the casket was carried into the library rotunda before a brief family service.

"As we were in procession, I couldn't help but think of the love and the outpouring that has begun in the nation for a great president, a great world leader and a faithful servant of almighty God," said the Rev. Michael Wenning, retired senior pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, where Reagan had worshipped.

When the service ended, Mrs. Reagan, dressed in a black suit and pearls, walked to the casket, placing her left cheek against the flag's field of stars. Her daughter, Patti Davis, hugged her tightly and other family members joined them, placing hands on the casket.

Soon after the family departed, the first of many chartered buses arrived, bringing members of the public who had been waiting - in some cases for hours - for a chance to pay respects to Reagan, who died on Saturday after a 10-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

The library was prepared to have 2,000 people an hour move past the casket for 30 hours. Twenty-seven buses shuttled mourners about five miles from a college, which was shut down to provide parking.

Among the early arrivals were Arnold Schwarzenegger, like Reagan an actor-turned-governor, and California's first lady, Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan. Both crossed themselves.

Mourners, including many children, stood quietly in line as they waited to enter the library, then moved rapidly past the casket flanked by an honor guard representing all branches of the military. Some people carried carnations or tiny U.S. flags; dress ranged from dark suits and ties to Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses.

Mauchese Franklin, 31, from Laverne, said he had wanted to visit Reagan's library for years and was sad that his trip resulted from the former president's death.

Standing with his 8-year-old son, Franklin recalled that as a boy he stayed up late to listen to election returns from Reagan's presidential campaign.

"I couldn't wait to turn 18 to be able to vote," he said. "I can actually say he's the reason I am a registered Republican, even though everyone else in my family is a Democrat."

Mrs. Reagan, accompanied by Patti and son Ron, had paused earlier on her way into the funeral home as she passed a display of impromptu remembrances. American flags, flowers and jars of jelly beans - Reagan's favorite treat - were left along with notes, stuffed animals and candles in the spontaneous shrine.

Mrs. Reagan, 82, read some of the messages.

"Thank you for changing the world," said one handwritten note.

Roxanne Kubicek, 42, gave officers guarding the mortuary a card for Mrs. Reagan.

"I just wished her lots and lots of love," she said. "I admired the beautiful love that they have. I told her that their love will last for all eternity."

Peggy Sheffey, 85, said she drove to the funeral home from the nearby Mar Vista area to "just feel closer" to the man she had never seen in person.

"He's a wonderful man," she said, choking back tears. "He was so real, absolutely real. Down to earth. He didn't just think of himself. He thought of everybody else."

Besides Mrs. Reagan, Ron and Patti, others attending the service at the library included Reagan's son, Michael, and his family; Dennis Revell, husband of Reagan's late daughter Maureen; and Merv Griffin, the veteran entertainer and family friend.

On Wednesday, the former president's body is to be flown to Washington, D.C. Following a ceremony Wednesday night in the Capitol Rotunda, the body will lie in state there.

Friday will be a national day of mourning, with all federal offices and major financial markets closed. The state funeral will be held at Washington National Cathedral; President Bush will deliver a eulogy and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will be among the mourners.

The body will then be returned to Reagan's library in Simi Valley for a private burial service Friday evening. Reagan will be buried in a crypt beneath a memorial site at the library some 45 miles north of Los Angeles.

Praise for Reagan, and condolences to his family, streamed in from across the world. In a jarring contrast, a Cuban government radio station assailed Reagan's policies and said he "never should have been born."

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Reagan "will be remembered for his leadership and resolve during a period of momentous change in world affairs, as well as for the warmth, grace and humor with which he conducted affairs of state."
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On the Net:

http://www.ronaldreaganmemorial.com" title="http://www.ronaldreaganmemorial.com" target="_blank"http://www.ronaldreaganmemori...

India rejects Palestinians mediation request 06.07.04 (3:38 pm)   [edit]
LOL! India to Palestinians: "We ain't touchin' this one with a ten foot pole!"
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[b]Cold shoulders PA request with warm words.
[i]Maariv International[/b][/i]

India has politely rejected a Palestinian request to play an active role in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

PA ambassador to India Osama Mussa said yesterday (Sunday) that Delhi should appoint an envoy to join international mediation efforts. He said India could play a constructive role, as it enjoys the trust and goodwill of both sides.

Indian diplomatic sources have said that it is highly unlikely India would ever agree to take on such a role. “This is beyond India’s self declared diplomatic boundaries, they said, adding, “having the US, the quartet and Egypt involved is more than sufficient”.

They said that India has always supported the Palestinian cause for an independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel, and would continue to do so. India, they said values its relations with both Israel and the Arab world.

Prof. Kumarswarmy, a leading Indian political science professor at Delhi’s prestigious JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) told Maariv International that contrary to recent reports he expects to see a gradual change in the current Indian-Israeli honeymoon. “The change will be gradual and incremental, nothing drastic, but in say 2-3 years time we will look back and realize some degree of change has taken place, cooling off from the current infatuation into a regular diplomatic friendship”.

He said that the main problems were the over-emphasis of the military aspects of the Indian-Israeli relationship, and the fact that it is perceived by many in India as being more a “Likud-BJP love affair than a bilateral relationship between two countries”.

However he made it clear that he did not expect any major changes, and that some degree of Indian-Israeli strategic cooperation would continue, as it served the basic geo-political interests of both sides.

(2004-06-08 00:05:26.0)

Canada Closes Its Doors To Pro-Israel Advocate 06.07.04 (1:49 pm)   [edit]
Courdesy of the [url=http://www.hasidicgentile.org...]Hasidic Gentile[/url].
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A former PLO terrorist who is now pro-Israel was not allowed to enter Canada - but he spoke to his scheduled audience anyway, via live video link.

A former PLO terrorist who is now pro-Israel was not allowed to enter Canada - but he spoke to his scheduled audience anyway, via live video link.

Walid Shoebat, formerly of a village near Bethlehem and now a resident of northern California, was scheduled to speak in Vancouver yesterday against terrorism - but was turned away by Canadian immigration officials at a California airport. Organizers held the event anyway, arranging a live video link with the Italian Cultural Center in Vancouver. Reports varied - between 400 and 1,000 - as to how many people attended the event, but the crowd was said to be "elated" and "riveted," and frequently "enthusiastically applauded" Shoebat.

Gabriel Patrich, of the Israel Action Committee in Vancouver - one of three Jewish and Christian groups that organized the event - told the Vancouver Sun that he was "very disappointed" by Canada's refusal to admit Shoebat. "This is against free speech. We thought our government would do the right thing. We look at it as if they're taking sides."

The Sun reported that Canadian immigration spokeswoman Simone MacAndrew couldn't comment on the specifics of the case. Shoebat said that the airport officials "gave me some excuse that I have a background in terrorism."

Shoebat has openly admitted his involvement in terrorist activities as a teenager, but now speaks out against terrorism in all forms.

Keith Davies, a publicist for Shoebat, blames Palestinian terrorist elements for pressuring the Canadian government not to allow Shoebat into Canada: "The bottom line is that the Palestinians, by making this ridiculous protest, handed us our greatest victory... [They] did not prevent Walid from being heard. The whole world is starting to know Walid Shoebat. Thank you, PLO activists."

[url=http://www.israelnn.com/metaf...]An interview with Walid Shoebat - "Terrorist Turned Zionist"[/url] - can be heard on an archived Tovia Singer Show on IsraelNationalRadio.

Awww

06.07.04 (1:39 pm)   [edit]





kiss on the lips - you're sweet and simple but
quite daring. you move for the kill confidently
knowing the other person wants the same thing.


What Sign of Affection Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Militants Threaten Israel Over Barghouthi Life Term 06.07.04 (12:42 pm)   [edit]
Now, wait a tic. First off, I thought the "Zionist court" wasn't recognized by these people? If that's true, then what do they have to be upset about. He was sentanced to a life term in a fake (in their mind) court! Also, since when was Israel [i]not[/i] being threatened by these people? So to recap, this is what Hamas is saying: "Ooooh! You better not sentance this mass murderer of ours to life in your fake court or else we'll, uh, keep trying to kill you! Yes!"

Please, tell me something you havn't said before, Hamas. Meantime, we'll just lock up your muderer friend and throw away the key. In the words of John Kerry and Pres. Bush, "BRING IT ON!"
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GAZA (Reuters) - Militants in Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement threatened Monday to kidnap and execute Israeli soldiers and civilians to avenge a life prison term given to uprising leader Marwan Barghouthi.

"We urge all our fighters to kidnap Zionists, children, women and soldiers and sentence them to death," the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said in a statement faxed to Reuters after an Israeli court sentenced Barghouthi on murder convictions.

Barghouthi, 45, who headed Fatah in the West Bank before his 2002 arrest and is seen as a possible successor to Arafat, was sentenced to consecutive life sentences for the killings of five people by Fatah militants.

He said he was only a political leader of "resistance" to Israel's grip on occupied territories and denied involvement in deadly attacks by militant groups.

Calling the ruling handed down Sunday "unjust, illegal and wrong," the Brigades warned that their "response will be painful against the Zionist enemy.

"We call on all our cells in all the Palestine homeland to kidnap Israeli soldiers and civilians and execute them," and to "strike the Zionist enemy wherever it exists in our homeland," the statement said.
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So what else is new!?

Did He Do The Right Thing?

06.07.04 (12:32 pm)   [edit]
There seems to be a substantial school of thought that wants to rip President Bush's heart out for taking a position advocating that Palestinians would have a "right of return," but only in a Palestinian state and not in Israel. They seem to feel that this drags the United States farther into the Israeli-Palestinian problem and lowers the United States' standing in the Arab world. Bush didn't endear himself to the Arab world by indicating that they had to "recognize the new realities on the ground" in the West Bank, without regard to the notion that those "new realities" were built without regard to US policy in the past.

First of all, it must be recognized that the idea of lowering the United States' position in the Arab world is somewhat ridiculous. Our position in the Arab world couldn't get any lower than this! What are the other Arab nations doing about any of this? Saudi Arabia came up with a peace plan once a while back, which lasted about a day! That's about it! There's been little contribution from them since.

President Bush has thrown the whole issue into some disoder and confustion, but what's done is done. Let's look at some of the aspects in the future we really need to concern ourselves with. ...

There is already a significant ideological split in Israel, and PM Sharon needs to work to win the backing of the population. The Likud party's referendum on this plan has already gone down to defeat, although only a small percentage even bothered to vote.

Can Sharon win the hearts and minds of the majority? Will the United States become involved in any fashion to assure that Israel actually lives up to its promises and withdraws from Gaza and parts of the West Bank? This would mean that the Bush administration would actually have to involve itself in some follow-up -- and they don't do that so well. Think of Iraq and what's going on there.

As Thomas Friedman said in a New York Times piece on April 18 (can you believe I'm quoting him?), "it usually interferes with their domestic political agenda." Clearly, if Israel does pull out of Gaza, the Palestinians will have a wonderful opportunity to re-define themselves in the eyes of the Israelis and the world. They will have a chance to build a state in Gaza and prove that they are capable of living as decent neighbors to Israel. If they can begin to prove they are capable of this, it would go a long way in assuring Israel that giving up more of the West Bank wouldn't be dangerous and it would do more than all the Hamas terror or any statements by President Bush.

I wish them the best of luck with what seems to have gotten another start by President Bush's statements. Did President Bush do the right thing with those statements? I would say emphatically: YES!

An open letter to Arik Sharon.

06.07.04 (12:06 pm)   [edit]
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

Let's see what happens to a person's powers of judgment when he or she fails to utilize the age-old wisdom of Torah:

Akiva Eldar writes in today's Haaretz, "On September 1, 1982, Reagan published his Middle East peace plan, which proposed autonomy for the Palestinians in the West Bank, as part of a federation with Jordan. Ariel Sharon was defense minister in Menachem Begin's government, which ripped the Reagan plan to shreds because, among other reasons, of its demand to freeze settlements. Rejection of the plan led, five years later, to a parting gift from the Reagan administration - the first official dialogue between the United States and the Palestine Liberation Organization. From there, it was a short road to the Madrid Conference and the Oslo Accord, the Wye agreement and the road map."

So you see, Mr. Prime Minister, you - with your own two hands - fumbled the ball behind the PLO goal line; you put Arafat on the scoreboard!

When I read Eldar's article, my hands went clammy. On the very day when Regan announced his peace plan - Sept. 1, 1982 - a small but very special unit of the IDF identified and surrounded the villa in Beirut where arch-villian Arafat was holed up. Yassir's ugly puss was smack in the middle of their telescopic sites. The mission commander asked for an OK from HQ to pull the trigger. You, then Defense Minister Sharon, denied permission. Why? Only you know the answer, Mr. Prime Minister.

The pattern in Jewish history repeats itself. The minute one is compassionate with the cruel, one ends up being cruel with the compassionate. King Saul lost the kingdom because he took pity on the cruel and wicked king Agag of Amalek, Haman and Hitler's greatgrandfather. Ultimately, King Saul was cruel to the compassionate, by executing the Cohanim (priests) of Nob and by persecuting David.

Mr. Prime Minister, you have spared Arafat's life on more than one occasion; now, you are decreeing that 8,000 of the most beautiful families in Israel lose their homes. Be honest - you have no answers to a myriad of worst-case scenarios the day after an Israeli pullout from Gush Katif. When you're kind to the cruel you end up being cruel to the kind.

Mr. Prime Minister, you let the wolves of the antireligious parties chew away at child support, old age pensions, and Torah education. As a result, the wolves in your own den are waiting to eat you alive. Don't you realize that you've lost control? Some democracy, when you don't listen to your own party referendum and when you fire ministers to approve a decision. Yet, you're slave to a tiny but sinister political mafia the pulls your strings like a puppet on a wire. Admit that you're boxed in.

You can get out of the jam, Mr. Prime Minister. When a person loses all hope, and feels the cold edge of a sharp sword on his or her neck, all they have to do is to belay their foolish pride and cry out G-d's name. It's not too late, even for an old warhorse like you. Ask Hashem for help and guidance, he won't let you down. Call Rabbi Ovadiah Yossef, the Gerrer Rebbe, or Rav Leib Steinman and ask their advice. Better yet, call all three. Only the wisdom of Torah can get our beloved wagon out of the mud.

Most respectfully yours, Lazer Brody
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For more words of wisdom from the beloved Rabbi Rambo, please check out [url=http://www.lazerbrody.com]The Lazer Beam[/url]!

Getting Set for Sharon’s Exit

06.06.04 (8:27 pm)   [edit]
[url=http://www.debka.com]DEBKAfile[/url] Special Analysis
June 6, 2004, 1:32 AM (GMT+02:00)

All the politicians who count for anything are looking actively past the Sharon era and well past the prime minister’s office’s farcical attempts to sack the two anti-disengagement National Union ministers who didn’t want to go. Transport minister Avigdor Lieberman was handed his pink slip in good time Friday, June 5, while exercising in the gym; tourism minister Benny Eilon made himself scarce to avoid accepting the letter 48 hours ahead of the cabinet meeting. He promises to be there and vote against the prime minister’s disengagement plan. If kept out, he will fight his dismissal through the courts.

A hectic scramble for post-Sharon positions is running parallel to the wheeling and dealing over the formulations to be presented to the crucial cabinet vote on Sunday, June 6.

With the two far right ministers out of the way, prime minister Sharon hopes his disengagement plan will squeak through the cabinet by a majority of one. To achieve this he had to bend somewhat. Go-between immigration minister Tsipi Livni hammered out one compromise after another. She aimed at separating the outline – to be voted on by the cabinet Sunday – from the actual evacuations of all the Gaza Strip settlements and four on the West Bank. The removals were to be approved piecemeal starting from nine months hence.

However, Saturday night, June 6, Sharon demanded an extra clause be inserted, a freeze on building and development in the locations to be evacuated - unless decreed otherwise by a special committee.

That proviso proved the sticking point for the National Religious Party. But, in any case, the haggling will go on up to the last minute before the ministers cast their votes.

This event happens to coincide with a key date in Israeli annals, the 37th anniversary of the Six Day War which ended in Israel’s capture in as many days of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Sinai, Golan and historic Jerusalem from Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

Sharon’s plan has the symbolic effect of turning the clock back to June 5, 1967. Therefore, even if he gets a mechanical majority for a pretty emasculated plan, his success may turn out to be Pyrrhic. Sharon will go into the history books as the first Israeli prime minister willing to remove Israeli settlements, for which he has won a gold mark from the Bush White House. He may well have created a precedent in Middle East terms. However, in the short term, the plan is likely to be crushed in the stampede to overthrow the Sharon government.

Labor and the ultra-religious Shas opposition parties are sharpening their no-confidence motions for Monday, June 7, depending on what happens in the cabinet. They may be pre-empted by the Likud parliamentary faction, the largest in the Knesset. An estimated 24 out of its 38 members no longer support Sharon’s leadership. The worst fissure the party has ever known is already visible. It no longer has much to do with the way the finance minister Binyamin Netanyahu, education minister Limor Livnat and foreign minister Silvan Shalom, who lead the dissident camp, vote. The fact remains that eight out of the 14 Likud ministers are at odds with their leader’s policy turn towards unilateral land concessions to the Palestinians and the wholesale uprooting of Jewish locations with no quid pro quo. The Livni compromise formula will provide the feuding Likud camps with a pause for reflection – not a common denominator.

The two camps, whatever happens, are wooing the NRP.

For Sharon it is a matter of survival. After firing the two right wing ministers, he must show he is not completely alienated from the pro-settlement movement if he means to extend the days of his government and put off the evil moment of a split in Likud.

While the Labor parliamentary net for Sharon and his disengagement plan is being hotly debated, Netanyahu and Labor leader Shimon Peres are already talking. The finance minister estimates as better than fair his chances of setting up an alternative administration with a comfortably majority based on his Likud following, the NRP, the National Union, and the two ultra-religious parties, Shas and Agudat Israel. However, Netanyahu would prefer not to be labeled far right and is therefore looking at three additional options:

1. To replicate the Sharon coalition. 2. A narrow coalition made up of the Likud majority that deserts Sharon, the NRP and the ultra-religious parties. Aware that the anti-religious Shinui would not join this lineup, Netanyahu had a long talk Thursday night, June 3, with Shinui leader justice minister Tommy Lapid, after which Option 3 took shape: His Likud supporters, Shinui, Labor, the NRP, and the two ultra-religious parties – a broad front that could be presented as a national emergency government for digging the county out of its political crisis. Most of all, this coalition would be tasked with sustaining the early steps of economic recovery from the recession generated by the war against Palestinian terror, for the sake of which an early general election must be avoided at all costs.

If Sharon manages to cling to the prime minister’s office, a general election this year may be unpreventable.

Lapid, knowing Sharon has lost most of his power base, would not say no to an alternative offer, especially if Shinui could keep interior and justice plus an important economic ministry, such as trade and industry which Ehud Olmert, as the minister closest to Sharon, would have to vacate. However, Shinui cannot afford to be seen by its voters single-handedly propping up an administration dominated by right-wingers and ultra-religious groupings. Co-opting Labor would solve this dilemma. For the octogenarian Peres, this would be a golden chance to get back into government. He would sell the notion to his own party dissenters as a power-sharing arrangement with Likud, similar to his rotation pact with a former Likud prime minister, Yizhak Shamir in the 1980s. He would stress most of all that Labor would be reviving its traditional partnership between Labor and the religious bloc. As long as that alliance persisted, Labor and its predecessor, Mapai held the center of government.

Not all of Shinui supports Lapid’s line. Parts of this party, whose meteoric rise to 17 Knesset seats and solid place at the cabinet table in the Sharon government, was largely at the expense of Labor’s decline, will do their utmost to stall the revival of this alliance and Labor’s resurgence.

Labor too has its contrarians. Parliamentary party leader Dalia Itzik made it clear in a radio interview Saturday that she would a general election as soon as possible is the best way out of the crisis. Her object would be to block Peres’s path back into government and force a pre-election leadership contest.

All these maneuvers are well in motion, almost as though Sharon has become the invisible man. It is always possible that this flurry of activity is premature and the would be office holders have run ahead of themselves.

CAUTION: Too much science will make you religious!

06.06.04 (8:20 pm)   [edit]
This is a great article!
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[i][b]by Velvl Greene[/b][/i]

Before birth, a baby lives in its mother’s womb surrounded by water. It doesn’t breathe. Its lungs are collapsed, folded between the two upper chambers of the heart. There’s a hole in its heart so the blood circulates. And there’s a tube connecting the aorta to the pulmonary artery.

Within ten minutes of birth, its lungs have to expand, the hole in its heart has to heal, the tube has to seal off.

In fact, 67 different steps have to happen in sequence so that the baby can go from a creature that lives in water to an oxygen-breathing baby. Miraculously, these things take place routinely every minute of every day.

That is science, when we understand what happens. And we know that no human being or scientist could have developed or engineered this sequence. If a company tried to build it, it wouldn’t work.

Indeed, if we knew what goes on in our very own lives, if we knew what goes on in the birth of a baby, we would get on our knees and thank G-d forever. All of the vast scientific studies that have been made over the past hundred years keep pointing to the concept of order and sequence, and therefore, in my opinion, a creator.

A professor of mathematics came into my study one day. He was a real atheist, agnostic. He said to me, “I’ve just calculated that it’s impossible to have the human eye evolving in the five billion years that they give us.” He said, “The person who believes in evolution, that is the person making the leap of faith.”

ABCScience doesn’t contradict the Torah. Science teaches us that when the Torah says, “I have created the world,” “I will care for you,” “I will heal you,” and “I will provide,” you know what? G-d was right. 1998 is the first time in human history that enough food has been grown to feed every living person on the planet. Theoretically, no one on this earth should have to starve. And there’s a statement in Psalms that says, “You open your hands and you give to all living things its need.” G-d has provided. And that’s what science says. When a baby is born, you know what? He was right. And science says that when the doctor heals a patient, you know what? He was right. G-d has provided.

There has never been a rabbi who has ever said to a scientist, “stop searching.” There’s never been a rabbi who has said to him, “quit looking.” Because the ultimate believer of truth, and the Torah is all truth, will ultimately believe that anything you find in nature that is true will reflect and react to the glory of G-d.

When I was younger, I worked for the NASA program. And I looked for life on Mars. We spent hundreds of millions of dollars looking for life on Mars—for which, if you haven’t been thanked as taxpayers before, let me thank you. During that time I asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe, “Is this right? Can I really do this? Other religions say you shouldn’t search. And the Torah doesn’t say there’s life on Mars.” The Rebbe replied in Yiddish, “Professor Green, you should look for life on Mars. And if you don’t find it there, you should look elsewhere. And if you don’t find it there, you should look elsewhere. Because for you to sit here and say that G-d didn't create life elsewhere is to put limits on G-d, and no one can do that.”

[i]Velvl Greene is Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at Ben Gurion University and directs the Lord Jacobovitz Center for Jewish Medical Ethics. A former Fulbright Scholar and an original participant in NASA’s Exobiology program, he served as Professor of Public Health and Microbiology at the University of Minnesota for 27 years. [/i]

Germany's Greens Apologize to Israel Over Poster 06.06.04 (11:40 am)   [edit]
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's junior coalition partners, the Greens, have apologized to Israel for accidentally issuing an election poster that features a peace demonstrator carrying a banner saying "Victory to the Intifada."


A spokeswoman for the Greens said Friday the party had sent a letter of apology to Israel's ambassador to Germany, Shimon Stein, after it failed to recall all 5,000 blown-up photos of a London peace rally in which the pro-Palestinian slogan was visible.


"We noticed the slogan and ordered a complete recall," the spokeswoman said. "Unfortunately, some had already been hung up before the order got through, so we couldn't get them all."


She said the Greens had also withdrawn an unspecified number of flyers featuring another photograph where a banner calling for a boycott of Israel could be seen.


The material was conceived as part of the Greens' campaign for the June 13 European Parliamentary elections.

Palestinian Revolt Leader Gets Life in Israel Jail 06.06.04 (11:28 am)   [edit]
Most excellent! This criminal deserves it! Murderer! He is lucky Israel doesn't use the death penalty! Now is it wrong that this man be jailed? Is it? Should he be allowed to run free and kill more? In any civilized country, this man would be put away!
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[i][b]By Gwen Ackerman [/b][/i]

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - An Israeli court Sunday sentenced Marwan Barghouthi, the charismatic Palestinian revolt leader seen as a potential successor to President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites), to life in prison on murder convictions.

"The (Israeli) occupation is going to end one day. It is dying," Barghouthi, 45, said before the Tel Aviv court handed down consecutive life sentences for murder in the killings of five people by militants in his Fatah faction.

Barghouthi, who denied involvement in militant ambushes, received another 20 years for attempted murder and a further 20 for activity in a "terror group" -- 165 years in total -- in a high-profile case that Palestinians denounced as a show trial.

"This is a courageous decision by the court that had a difficult task finding justice for victims while the Barghouthi side tried to turn it into a political trial," said Daniel Taub, the Israeli foreign ministry's spokesman on legal affairs.

A fiery and articulate Palestinian lawmaker, Barghouthi did not recognize the jurisdiction of the court that convicted him of murder last month but acquitted him in 21 other killings, citing insufficient evidence.

Supporters said Barghouthi had no intention of appealing against the verdict or asking the court for a reduced sentence.

Israeli Arab parliamentarians shook Barghouthi's hand and kissed him before he entered the courtroom, where he flashed a V-for-victory sign.

There were brief disturbances outside the court as relatives of 20 slain Israelis screamed at the Israeli Arab lawmakers: "You're garbage! Peace will come when terrorism ends!"

Barghouthi, Fatah's West Bank leader, said during the trial he opposed the killing of innocents in the revolt against Israel's grip on lands taken in the 1967 Middle East war where Palestinians now seek statehood.


CONVICTED OF FIVE KILLINGS IN WEST BANK, ISRAEL


The court found Barghouthi guilty of murder and complicity in attacks that killed a Greek Orthodox monk in the West Bank in 2001, an Israeli at the Jewish settlement of Givat Zeev in 2002 and three people at a Tel Aviv restaurant in 2002.

The court said the latter attack was carried out in Israel against the orders of Barghouthi, who it said wanted a West Bank Jewish settlement to be the target. Still, it said he was culpable for the result since he had ordered an attack.

Legal experts called the acquittals a blow to Israel's bid to pin total blame on Palestinian leaders for suicide bombings and other attacks by militants.

"The continuation of the intifada (uprising) is the only way to independence," Barghouthi said in a five-minute statement after sentencing. "No matter how many (Israel) arrests and kills, they will not break our people's determination."

Barghouthi, who speaks good Hebrew and English, was the internationally known grassroots voice of the revolt for a Palestinian state after negotiations with Israel collapsed in 2000. But he also favored an eventual peace accord with Israel.

His supporters said his imprisonment would heighten his status among Palestinians for whom he is second in popularity only to Arafat, the elderly Palestinian president.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah where Barghouthi was captured in an April 2002 Israeli commando raid, supporters rallied in a big tent. His wife, Fadwa, said the court's decision was meant to stifle the uprising but would fail.

"The minute the court accepted the theory that Barghouthi was not a leader of his people, but a terrorist, this (verdict) was expected," said Jamal Boulus, who served on Barghouthi's defense team.

Boulus called Barghouthi "a realistic, pragmatic leader who could lead his people and Israel to a just peace."

Condoms for Israel!

06.04.04 (5:29 pm)   [edit]
[i]A pair of UCSD students come up with a novel way to reach apathetic college students: Zionist prophylactics.[/i]

[i][b]by Alexandra Fisch [/b][/i]

A condom is a powerful piece of rubber. It can prevent a pregnancy. Or it can give birth to a firestorm.

Two third-year UCSD students found that out firsthand when they gave out thousands of condoms emblazoned with the words "Israel: It's still safe to come" this past spring. Each condom came with a card pointing out that Israel is the only country in the Middle East with full rights for women and gays. "We were trying to educate people about how open and democratic Israel is," says Eddie Cohen, co-creator of the project.

Their target? The massively apathetic Jewish college-age demographic, 80 percent of whom, according to Republican pollster Frank Luntz, "have no connection to the life of the Jewish community or Israel." But as with all acts involving condoms, there were unintended consequences.

Papers from Israel's Ha'aretz to San Francisco's Jewish Bulletin of Northern California picked up the story. Supporters were alternately enthusiastic and outraged. Long-time donors to Hillel withdrew their support. "People had these enormous overreactions," says Neta Retter, Cohen's partner-in-controversy.

"We weren't handing out condoms at temple, we weren't handing out condoms to older people," explains Retter, "we were handing out condoms to college students."

On the day of the campaign Daniel Mikelberg, program director for Hillel, and Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, executive director of Hillel of San Diego, tried to pull the campaign, asking Cohen and Retter to change the slogan to "Israel: It's still safe to go." "What," responded Retter, "and have [the slogan] attached to a toilet seat?"

Retter and Cohen came up with the idea after attending the Hillel Israel Advocacy Mission in May 2002, where someone at the conference mentioned the slogan. A year later, with funding from the Avi Chai Foundation, they launched the campaign. "We needed something that will get attention," says Cohen.

Cohen and Retter also used the Avi Chai grant to fund "Got Israel?," a campaign that taught students about common-place products that are made or originate in Israel. They placed signs around campus saying "Got Polio Vaccine?" and "Got Instant Messenger?," which led to a booth that revealed other Israeli inventions. "It was an effort to get people to understand why they should feel a connection to Israel. Why should they care, or how Israel actually effects their lives," says Retter.

Retter was born in Israel. Her family moved to the Bay area when she was five. She is now majoring in electrical engineering at UCSD. Despite some of the responses to the condom campaign, her parents support her. "My parents were thrilled," she says. "They wanted a condom right away."

As a child, Retter spent most of her summers with her grandfather in Israel, usually flying alone to see him. "To me all this violence, what it means is that my grandpa is afraid for me to come and that I can't go to Israel," Retter says. "I take this on a very personal level." Eventually, she says she wants to return to volunteer for Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross ("Magen David Adom" is literally "Red Star of David.").

Cohen's mother was born in Israel, and Eddie retains a strong attachment to the Holy Land. "My cousin is in the army [in Israel] and I feel guilty everyday when I think about that I'm not there fighting for Israel on that front," he says. "I feel the least I could do is fight intellectually the battle here."

Cohen was in Israel this August with the group Caravan for Democracy, meeting speakers and taking part in seminars to increase his own knowledge about Israel. After he graduates in 2004, he plans to teach Hebrew at Congregation Beth Am in Carmel Valley.

Together, Cohen and Retter make a great team. Since meeting in the dorms at UCSD, they have worked with AIPAC (the American-Israel Political Action Committee) and the San Diego Israel Alliance. Hillel, which they both actively support, has brought Knesset member Dr. Ephraim Sneh to speak, hosted Israeli movie nights and had several different Israel-themed cultural evenings.

Cohen and Retter have begun to sell their t-shirts and condoms online ($1 a pop), with most of the proceeds going to Pups for Peace, an organization that trains dogs for bomb sniffing purposes.

The Avi Chai foundation has re-issued its grant, making it available to Cohen and Retter to use in the coming school year. They have already begun to make plans with the money. Cohen wants Dore Gold, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, to come speak.

"When I tell people I'm from Israel, a lot of the time they say, 'Israel? Oh, its pretty crazy over there,'" says Retter. "I think that's such a tragic comment. Its sad, and its horrible, and it's a million different things, but crazy? It's really not."

No crazier than a Zionist prophylactic.



To purchase a t-shirt or condom, go to Cohen and Retter's website: http://hometown.aol.com/yedid...

"'Cuz this life is to short to live it just for you ... !"

06.04.04 (4:20 pm)   [edit]
"... So when you feel powerless, what are you going to do? SAY WHAT YOU WANT!"

This is Nelly Furtado's "Powerless". What do you think? I love this song and I think it fits with the whole idea here. I hope you like it! Let me know! :) Here's the words!


[u][b]"Powerless (Say What You Want)"[/b][/u]

Paint my face in your magazines
Make it look whiter than it seems
Paint me over with your dreams
Shove away my ethnicity
Burn every notion that I may have a flame inside to fight
And say just what is on my mind
Without offending your might

Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
So say what you want
Say what you want

I saw her face outside today
Weatherworn, looking all the rage
They took her passion and her gaze and made a poster
Now it’s moccasins we sport
We take the culture and contort
Perhaps only to distort what we are hiding

Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
But say what you want
Say what you want

Hey you, the one, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in, get in
Hey you, the one that don’t fit in, how ya, how ya gonna get in
Hey you, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in with your
Broken teeth, broken jaw, broken mojo
Yeah, this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do

Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do
Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do
Say what you want, say what you want, say, say, say

Cuz this life is too short,
just for you

HAHA! This is great!

06.04.04 (3:48 pm)   [edit]
Bwahahahaha!

Your Homicidal Rampage! by crash_and_burn
Your name:
Weapon of Choice:	Bazooka
Your Favorite Target:	Elderly women
Your Kill Count:	582,260,008
Your Battle Cry:	"Mutha fuckaaaaaaas!"
Years You Spend in Jail:	35
How Much Money In Damages You Cause:	$137,599,582,229,709
Your Homocidal Insanity Level:: 71%
Created with the ORIGINAL MemeGen!

Muslims in Lucknow bar US, UK and Israeli citizens from shrines 06.04.04 (2:10 pm)   [edit]
Can anyone say, "Jim Crowe"? Maybe it's just another zionists conspiracy!
[line]
Lucknow | June 04, 2004 8:24:10 PM IST

Muslims here have put a ban on the entry of US, UK and Israeli citizens in their religious shrines, blaming them for the alleged atrocities committed on the Iraqis.

The Muslims accuse these nationals of an evil nexus against the Muslims across the world, Iraq in particular.

Led by clerics, the Muslims in the city carried out a protest against the troika, blaming them for showing no respect to the Muslims. "The issue is that the Americans respect their citizens but they are torturing our Muslim brothers all over the world. See the case of Palestine where the Muslims are harassed," said Syed Abid Hussain Baidi, one of the protestors.

The clerics have announced a complete boycott of products made in US, UK or Israel, apart from banning their entry to religious shrines in the city. Syed Fazl-e-Rahman, Imam and Khateeb, Jama Masjid, said: "We have decided that at no cost we are going to use the products made by them and we will not even allow the tourists coming from those countries to enter our sacred places."

Considering the threat perception, the local administration has tightened security in the city. "Considering the placards which were seen today, we have alerted our officials to augment security measures so that there is no loss of life and property," said Kamal Saxena, Lucknow SSP.

Muslims in India have been consistently voicing their concern on the US-led war last year to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and say the prisoner abuse was only a small example of what they termed as America's hegemony.(ANI)

Perspective: Some Choice Headlines From Around the World

06.04.04 (2:07 pm)   [edit]
[b]Muslim shouting Allah is Great attacked group of Jewish students with a knife near Makor Yisrael yeshiva seminary in northern Paris, France. Student Israel Yifrach seriously injured in stable condition.

[b]Palestinian leader Arafat calls India's ruling party head Sonia[/b]
(Updated at 2355 PST)
[i]NEW DELHI: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat called India's ruling Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi Friday and congratulated her on the party's victory in last month's elections, official sources said.[/i]

[b]Kerry says he won't negotiate with Arafat[/b]
[i]US Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry said he would not negotiate with Palestinian Administration chairman Yasser Arafat, the US newspaper USA Today reported Friday.[/i]

[b]Israel fears suicide bomb attack[/b]
[i]From correspondents in Jerusalem
04jun04
ISRAELI police went on high alert today, fearing an imminent suicide bombing in Jerusalem, police sources said.[/i]

[b]U.N.: Some Palestinians return to Iraq[/b]
[i]Washington, DC, Jun. 4 (UPI) -- The United Nations began helping refugees return to Iraq this week after shutting down operations in April.[/i]

Headlines courtesy of: [url=http://www.debka.com]DebkaFile[/url], [url=http://www.jang.com.pk/thenew...]Jang Group[/url], [url=http://jpost.com]Jerusaelem Post[/url], [url=http://townsvillebulleti n.new...]Townsville Bulletin[/url], [url=http://www.washtimes.com/]Washington Times[/url].

Sharon Sacks Two Cabinet Foes to Pass Gaza Plan 06.04.04 (1:07 pm)   [edit]
I hope snap elections come soon. This is unacceptable.
[line]
[b]Fri Jun 4, 3:19 AM ET
[i]By Matt Spetalnick[/i][/b]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sacked two hardline opponents of his Gaza pullout plan from his cabinet on Friday, giving him a slim majority to pass the proposal, political sources said.

The cabinet shake-up, following a breakdown in talks on a possible compromise, added a new twist to a political crisis that threatens to bring down Sharon's government, raising the prospect of snap elections within months.

Sharon summoned ministers from the National Union party, a far-right coalition partner, to his office to fire them, but when they failed to show up he sent messengers to deliver dismissal letters, the sources said.

The move should secure a victory for Sharon in a cabinet vote on Sunday on his U.S.-backed plan to "disengage" from conflict with Palestinians by evacuating 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank by the end of 2005.

Sharon's decision came after he failed to reach a face-saving deal with Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other rebellious members of their rightist Likud party who oppose ceding land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Polls show most Israelis support a withdrawal from Gaza's hard-to-defend settlements, where 7,500 settlers live cloistered from 1.3 million Palestinians. But Sharon's Likud rejected his plan in a May 2 referendum as rewarding "Palestinian terror."

A source close to Sharon, a former general with a taste for political brinkmanship, said there was still a chance of a last-minute resolution of differences before Sunday's vote. The dismissals would not officially take effect for 48 hours.

But there were no signs of fresh negotiations.

"I didn't ignore the attempts to reach a compromise but there were some things I couldn't give in to and I didn't," Sharon told the Haaretz daily. "I need a majority on Sunday."

Tourism Minister Benny Elon, a staunch opponent of the plan and one of those fired, accused Sharon of trying "to create an artificial majority." Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman was also sacked. Their aides called the move "anti-democratic."

Before firing the two ministers, Sharon had 11 cabinet members supporting his four-stage plan and 12 opposing it. The dismissals of two "no" votes should guarantee him a one-vote victory in the coming cabinet session.

COALITION IN DANGER

With National Union's departure, the fate of Sharon's government will rest on a second small ultra-nationalist coalition partner, the pro-settler National Religious Party, which has threatened to bolt if the Gaza plan is passed.

That could leave Sharon shy of a parliamentary majority and force him to reshape his government, opening the possibility of a "national unity" partnership with the center-left Labour Party or a call for early elections. A Sharon confidant said the premier hoped to avoid a national ballot.

Talks over a compromise bogged down late on Thursday over hard-liners' demands for settlements in Gaza to continue to receive state funding for construction even after the disengagement plan is approved, political sources said.

Sharon and dissident ministers had been working toward a deal that called for the cabinet to approve his plan "in principle" while agreeing to hold off on any settlement evacuation until a second vote in six months.

The United States has pressed for Sharon's full plan to be implemented instead of a watered-down version backed by some opponents.

Sharon has vowed to bring his plan to a vote no matter what happens. He called off a vote last Sunday when his defeat appeared inevitable.

Palestinians would welcome withdrawal from any of the land they seek for a state, but they suspect Sharon's unilateral plan is just a ruse to strengthen Israel's hold on chunks of the West Bank where the bulk of Jewish settlements have been built.

D'var Torah for Beha'alotcha

06.03.04 (8:30 pm)   [edit]
Parshat Beha'alotcha begins with the instructions of making and lighting the Menorah (candelabra), and then tells us that Aaron did as he was told (8:3). The Sifri explains that the Torah is telling us that Aaron did as he was told, and didn't deviate from it. Then, almost a whole chapter later, the Torah tells us that God showed the Jews where to camp, and for how long (sometimes for a long time), and that the Jews adhered to those directions, and didn't travel when they shouldn't have (9:18-23).

If God told Aaron how to make the Menorah, isn't it obvious that Aaron followed those instructions? And if God showed the Jews when and where to travel, isn't it obvious that they'd listen?

The Lekach Tov explains these with a story of 3 people that were afflicted with the same disease. They all saw experts, and they all got the same remedy. The first person did everything the doctor ordered, and was cured. The second patient had some knowledge about medicine, and researched the medicine he was given, taking only the ones he recognized. Eventually, the disease overtook him, and he died. The third patient also understood medicine, and also researched what he was taking, but took the medicine despite not yet understanding their effects. He too was cured.

The Torah is attesting to the fact that although Moshe was there to help explain God's commandments (Mitzvot), the Jews did as they were told despite not yet understanding why they were told to do so. We too are "diseased" with influences of today's world, and are lucky enough to have a code of morality and truth to live by.

The Torah expects us to accept its written and oral laws, and expects us to diligently work to understand them all. Limiting our performance to those laws that we can understand would be like having the cure to a happy, fulfilling life, but failing to take the pills. Perhaps we can all swallow those two tablets we call the Torah, and commit to reading the instructions on how to use them best!

Have a medicinal Shabbos!

F#@% Al Sharpton

06.03.04 (6:30 pm)   [edit]
So in relation to an earlier article where the prisoner who stabbed a Jew in the crown hights race-riots was released, I mentioned that I thought I heard something about Al Sharpton being involved in those riots. Well, thanks to [url=http://larryconley.tblog.com]Larry Conley[/url], my memory lapse has been confirmed as being not a lapse at all! Yes, people, Al Sharpton (the bigoted racist antisemite) was involved in the Crown Hights race riots. And he helped flame the fires. Read on and become disgusted! Civil rights activist, my ass!
[line]
[b][u]School's Out for Sharpton[/u]
[i]By Charles Ganske
FrontPageMagazine.com | February 12, 2003[/i][/b]

On Thursday, February 13 at 1:30, students at Miller High School in Corpus Christi, TX will have the privilege of missing an hour of class in order to be subjected to an anti-war harangue by Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton.

Linda Brown, the Texas spokesperson for Sharpton's National Action Network, said that all of the high school's students from grades 9-12 will be required to attend the assembly. She said Sharpton will discuss "issues germane to youth and his position on the war in Iraq."

Sharpton will lead an anti-war rally in Corpus Christi at a location Brown said had not been determined. Brown noted that Sharpton chose to visit Corpus Christi, a Texas city on the Gulf of Mexico with a population of 300,000, because "there is a factory there that builds artillery or tanks." Corpus Christi is also home for flyers from the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force training at the nearby naval air station. Some of these pilots' children may be sitting in Sharpton's captive audience.

Edward Blum, Director of Legal Affairs for the American Civil Rights Institute, stated, "It is outrageous that high school students will be pulled out of class and made a captive audience to the anti-war ravings of Al Sharpton. It is inappropriate for any public high school to suspend classes and hold an assembly promoting any presidential candidate, but it is especially galling that they would do so for Sharpton to deliver an anti-war, anti-Bush diatribe, with no one there to provide a rebuttal. If public schools are going to interrupt classes for a discussion of current events topics such as the war, at least both sides of the debate should be represented."

Blum also argued, "Al Sharpton is one of the most incendiary and divisive figures in American politics today. Given his long record of anti-Semitism and race-baiting, it is almost a hate crime to force impressionable students to be subjected to him. This school is turning the National Action Network into the National Indoctrination Network. Jesus Chavez, the superintendent of the Corpus Christi School District, ought to order Miller High School to cancel the assembly for Sharpton."

Sharpton first earned national notoriety for promoting the false claims of Tawana Brawley, a black teenager who in 1987 alleged she had been abducted and raped by a gang of white youths. Sharpton inflamed a race riot over the incident, but a New York grand jury found no evidence of any crime against Brawley and it is now widely acknowledged that she concocted the allegation. Steve Pagones, a prosecutor whom Sharpton blamed for the false incident, won a $345,000 verdict against Sharpton for defamation.

A January 16, 2003, column by Jeff Jacoby in the Boston Globe recounted Sharpton's involvement in the infamous 1991 Crown Heights riots. Jacoby described the episode as follows:

"A Hasidic Jewish driver in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section accidentally kills Gavin Cato, a 7-year-old black child, and anti-Semitic riots erupt. Sharpton races to pour gasoline on the fire. At Gavin's funeral he rails against the 'diamond merchants' - code for Jews - with 'the blood of innocent babies' on their hands. He mobilizes hundreds of demonstrators to march through the Jewish neighborhood, chanting, 'No justice, no peace.' A rabbinical student, Yankel Rosenbaum, is surrounded by a mob shouting 'Kill the Jews!' and stabbed to death."

Jacoby noted that Sharpton's racial arson campaign continued in 1995 with the Freddy's Fashion Mart fiasco:

"When the United House of Prayer, a large black landlord in Harlem, raises the rent on Freddy's Fashion Mart, Freddy's white Jewish owner is forced to raise the rent on his subtenant, a black-owned music store. A landlord-tenant dispute ensues; Sharpton uses it to incite racial hatred. 'We will not stand by,' he warns malignantly, 'and allow them to move this brother so that some white interloper can expand his business.' Sharpton's National Action Network sets up picket lines; customers going into Freddy's are spat on and cursed. 'We're going to see that this cracker suffers,' says Sharpton's colleague Morris Powell. On Dec. 8, one of the protesters bursts into Freddy's, shoots four employees point-blank, then sets the store on fire. Seven employees die in the inferno."

Yolanda Gonzalez, Principal of Miller High School, did not return a call requesting comment on the Sharpton school assembly. Gonzalez can be contacted at YFGonzalez@miller.corpus-christi.k12.tx.us. The school's phone number is (361) 884-4963. Superintendent Chavez can be reached at (361) 886-9003 and dgybarra@admin.corpus-christi.k12.tx.us.

Brown said the Sharpton assembly will be held in the school's auditorium or gym and that Sharpton will take questions if the venue permits. She said the assembly will be open to the media.

Sharpton's visit to Corpus Christi is sponsored by the local chapter of 100 Black Men, "an organization designed to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other minorities."

Brown said Sharpton is planning to make many more appearances in Texas and would like to lecture at other schools as well.

[i]Charles Ganske, a student at the University of Texas, is an editor of The Austin Review (www.austinreview.com) and contributor to The Houston Review (www.houstonreview.com). He can be reached at cdganske@hotmail.com[/i]

Crown Heights Riot Convict Out of Prison 06.03.04 (12:43 pm)   [edit]
Didn't I hear something about Al Sharpton being invovled in this riot? Hrmmmm, I don't remember. I shall have to look up my sources and see if I can back that up. Meantime, what do you think about this story?
[line]
Wed Jun 2, 2:12 PM ET

BEAUMONT, Texas - A man convicted of stabbing a Jewish man during the 1991 Crown Heights race riots in New York was released Wednesday from a federal prison in Texas.

Lemrick Nelson, who was 16 at the time of the attack, will spend the next nine months at a halfway house in New Jersey, said Eileen Kelly, an official with the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of New York.

The rioting in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood started Aug. 19, 1991, after 7-year-old Gavin Cato, who was black, was struck and killed by a driver belonging to an ultra-Orthodox community. Three hours later, a gang of angry blacks shouting "Get the Jew!" fatally stabbed Yankel Rosenbaum.

A jury last year convicted Nelson of violating Rosenbaum's civil rights by stabbing him, but jurors also found the government failed to prove the attack caused his death. In August, a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

During the 1990s, Nelson was acquitted of state murder charges but convicted of federal civil rights charges. That conviction was later overturned.

Based on time already served for the overturned conviction, Nelson finished his sentence Wednesday.

Defense lawyers did not deny Nelson stabbed the 29-year-old Rosenbaum. His attorneys contended the slaying had nothing to do with the fact the victim was Jewish — a key element needed for a conviction.
[line]
[u]My take:[/u] Moral of this story; if a black man brutally murders a Jew, he should walk!

Remarks by President Bush at the United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony 06.03.04 (12:27 pm)   [edit]
... Just in case you missed it!
[line]
Wednesday June 2, 3:31 pm ET

WASHINGTON, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of remarks by President Bush at the United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony:

Falcon Stadium
United States Air Force Academy

11:17 A.M. MDT


THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Roche and General Jumper, General Rosa, Attorney General Ashcroft, Congresswoman Heather Wilson -- Air Force Academy graduate 1982 -- Academy staff and faculty, distinguished guests, officers, cadets, members of the graduating class, and your families: Thank you for the warm welcome. (Applause.) And thank you for the honor to visit the United States Air Force Academy on your 50th anniversary. (Applause.)

You've worked hard to get to this moment. You survived "Beast," spent seven months eating your meals at attention, carried boulders from Cathedral rock, and endured countless hours in "Jack's Valley." In four years, you've been transformed from "basics" and "smacks" -- (laughter) -- to proud officers and airmen, worthy of the degree and the commission you receive. Congratulations on a great achievement. (Applause.)

Your superintendent has made a positive difference in a short time. I thank him for helping to restore the Academy's tradition of honor, which applies to every man and woman, without exception. (Applause.) I thank the superb faculty for your high standards and dedication to preparing Air Force officers. And I thank the parents here today for standing behind your sons and daughters as they step forward to serve America. (Applause.)

This is a week of remembrance for our country. On Saturday we dedicated the World War II Memorial in Washington, in the company of veterans who fought and flew at places like Midway, and Iwo Jima and Normandy. This weekend I will go to France for the ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day, at a place where the fate of millions turned on the courage of thousands. In these events we recall a time of peril, and national unity, and individual courage. We honor a generation of Americans who served this country and saved the liberty of the world. (Applause.)

On this day in 1944, General Eisenhower sat down at his headquarters in the English countryside, and wrote out a message to the troops who would soon invade Normandy. "Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force," he wrote, "the eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

Each of you receiving a commission today in the United States military will also carry the hopes of free people everywhere. (Applause.) As your generation assumes its own duties during a global conflict that will define your careers, you will be called upon to take brave action and serve with honor. In some ways, this struggle we're in is unique. In other ways, it resembles the great clashes of the last century -- between those who put their trust in tyrants and those who put their trust in liberty. Our goal, the goal of this generation, is the same: We will secure our nation and defend the peace through the forward march of freedom.

Like the Second World War, our present conflict began with a ruthless, surprise attack on the United States. We will not forget that treachery, and we will accept nothing less than victory over the enemy.

Like the murderous ideologies of the 20th century, the ideology of terrorism reaches across boarders, and seeks recruits in every country. So we're fighting these enemies wherever they hide across the earth.

Like other totalitarian movements, the terrorists seek to impose a grim vision in which dissent is crushed, and every man and woman must think and live in colorless conformity. So to the oppressed peoples everywhere, we are offering the great alternative of human liberty.

Like enemies of the past, the terrorists underestimate the strength of free peoples. The terrorists believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent, and with a few hard blows will collapse in weakness and in panic. The enemy has learned that America is strong and determined, because of the steady resolve of our citizens, and because of the skill and strength of the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and the United States Air Force. (Applause.)

And like the aggressive ideologies that rose up in the early 1900s, our enemies have clearly and proudly stated their intentions: Here are the words of al Qaeda's self-described military spokesman in Europe, on a tape claiming responsibility for the Madrid bombings. He said, "We choose death, while you choose life. If you do not stop your injustices, more and more blood will flow and these attacks will seem very small compared to what can occur in what you call terrorism."

Here are the words of another al Qaeda spokesman, Suleiman Abu Gheith. Last year, in an article published on an al Qaeda website, he said, "We have the right to kill four million Americans -- two million of them children -- and to exile twice as many and wound and cripple hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, it is our right to fight them with chemical and biological weapons."

In all these threats, we hear the echoes of other enemies in other times -- that same swagger and demented logic of the fanatic. Like their kind in the past, these murderers have left scars and suffering. And like their kind in the past, they will flame and fail and suffer defeat by free men and women. (Applause.)

The enemies of freedom are opposed by a great and growing alliance. Nations that won the Cold War, nations once behind an Iron Curtain, and nations on every continent see this threat clearly. We're cooperating at every level of our military, law enforcement and intelligence to meet the danger. The war on terror is civilization's fight. And, as in the struggles of the last century, civilized nations are waging this fight together.

The terrorists of our day are, in some ways, unlike the enemies of the past. The terrorist ideology has not yet taken control of a great power like Germany or the Soviet Union. And so the terrorists have adopted a strategy different from the gathering of vast and standing armies. They seek, instead, to demoralize free nations with dramatic acts of murder. They seek to wear down our resolve and will by killing the innocent and spreading fear and anarchy. And they seek weapons of mass destruction, so they can threaten or attack even the most powerful nations.

Fighting this kind of enemy is a complex mission that will require all your skill and resourcefulness. Our enemies have no capital or nation-state to defend. They share a vision and operate as a network of dozens of violent extremist groups around the world, striking separately and in concert. Al Qaeda is the vanguard of these loosely affiliated groups, and we estimate that over the years many thousands of recruits have passed through its training camps. Al Qaeda has been wounded by losing nearly two-thirds of its known leadership, and most of its important sanctuaries. Yet many of the terrorists it trained are still active in hidden cells or in other groups. Home-grown extremists, incited by al Qaeda's example, are at work in many nations.

And since September the 11th, we've seen terrorist violence in an arc from Morocco to Spain to Turkey to Russia to Uzbekistan to Pakistan to India to Thailand to Indonesia. Yet the center of the conflict, the platform for their global expansion, the region they seek to remake in their image, is the broader Middle East.

Just as events in Europe determined the outcome of the Cold War, events in the Middle East will set the course of our current struggle. If that region is abandoned to dictators and terrorists, it will be a constant source of violence andd alarm, exporting killers of increasing destructive power to attack America and other free nations. If that region grows in democracy and prosperity and hope, the terrorist movement will lose its sponsors, lose its recruits, and lose the festering grievances that keep terrorists in business. The stakes of this struggle are high. The security and peace of our country are at stake, and success in this struggle is our only option. (Applause.)

This is the great challenge of our time, the storm in which we fly. History is once again witnessing a great clash. This is not a clash of civilizations. The civilization of Islam, with its humane traditions of learning and tolerance, has no place for this violent sect of killers and aspiring tyrants. This is not a clash of religions. The faith of Islam teaches moral responsibility that enobles men and women, and forbids the shedding of innocent blood. Instead, this is a clash of political visions.

In the terrorists' vision of the world, the Middle East must fall under the rule of radical governments, moderate Arab states must be overthrown, nonbelievers must be expelled from Muslim lands, and the harshest practice of extremist rule must be universally enforced. In this vision, books are burned, terrorists are sheltered, women are whipped, and children are schooled in hatred and murder and suicide.

Our vision is completely different. We believe that every person has a right to think and pray and live in obedience to God and conscience, not in frightened submission to despots. (Applause.) We believe that societies find their greatness by encouraging the creative gifts of their people, not in controlling their lives and feeding their resentments. And we have confidence that people share this vision of dignity and freedom in every culture because liberty is not the invention of Western culture, liberty is the deepest need and hope of all humanity. The vast majority of men and women in Muslim societies reject the domination of extremists like Osama bin Laden. They're looking to the world's free nations to support them in their struggle against the violent minority who want to impose a future of darkness across the Middle East. We will not abandon them to the designs of evil men. We will stand with the people of that region as they seek their future in freedom. (Applause.)

We bring more than a vision to this conflict -- we bring a strategy that will lead to victory. And that strategy has four commitments:

First, we are using every available tool to dismantle, disrupt and destroy terrorists and their organizations. With all the skill of our law enforcement, all the stealth of our special forces, and all the global reach of our air power, we will strike the terrorists before they can strike our people. The best way to protect America is to stay on the offensive. (Applause.)

Secondly, we are denying terrorists places of sanctuary or support. The power of terrorists is multiplied when they have safe havens to gather and train recruits. Terrorist havens are found within states that have difficulty controlling areas of their own territory. So we're helping governments like the Philippines and Kenya to enforce anti-terrorist laws, through information sharing and joint training.

Terrorists also find support and safe haven within outlaw regimes. So I have set a clear doctrine that the sponsors of terror will be held equally accountable for the acts of terrorists. (Applause.) Regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan learned that providing support and sanctuary to terrorists carries with it enormous costs -- while Libya has discovered that abandoning the pursuit of weapons of mass murder has opened a better path to relations with the free world.

Terrorists find their ultimate support and sanctuary when they gain control of governments and countries. We saw the terrible harm that terrorists did by taking effective control over the government of Afghanistan -- a terrorist victory that led directly to the attacks of September the 11th. And terrorists have similar designs on Iraq, on Pakistan, on Saudi Arabia and many other regional governments they regard as illegitimate. We can only imagine the scale of terrorist crimes were they to gain control of states with weapons of mass murder or vast oil revenues. So we will not retreat. We will prevent the emergence of terrorist-controlled states.

Third, we are using all elements of our national power to deny terrorists the chemical, biological and nuclear weapons they seek. Because this global threat requires a global response, we are working to strengthen international institutions charged with opposing proliferation. We are working with regional powers and international partners to confront the threats of North Korea and Iran. We have joined with 14 other nations in the Proliferation Security Initiative to interdict -- on sea, on land, or in the air -- shipments of weapons of mass destruction, components to build those weapons, and the means to deliver them. Our country must never allow mass murderers to gain hold of weapons of mass destruction. We will lead the world and keep unrelenting pressure on the enemy. (Applause.)

Fourth and finally, we are denying the terrorists the ideological victories they seek by working for freedom and reform in the broader Middle East. Fighting terror is not just a matter of killing or capturing terrorists. To stop the flow of recruits into terrorist movement, young people in the region must see a real and hopeful alternative -- a society that rewards their talent and turns their energies to constructive purpose. And here the vision of freedom has great advantages. Terrorists incite young men and women to strap bombs on their bodies and dedicate their deaths to the death of others. Free societies inspire young men and women to work, and achieve, and dedicate their lives to the life of their country. And in the long run, I have great faith that the appeal of freedom and life is stronger than the lure of hatred and death.

Freedom's advance in the Middle East will have another very practical effect. The terrorist movement feeds on the appearance of inevitability. It claims to rise on the currents of history, using past America withdrawals from Somalia and Beirut to sustain this myth and to gain new followers. The success of free and stable governments in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere will shatter the myth and discredit the radicals. (Applause.) And as the entire region sees the promise of freedom in its midst, the terrorist ideology will become more and more irrelevant, until that day when it is viewed with contempt or ignored altogether. (Applause.)

For decades, free nations tolerated oppression in the Middle East for the sake of stability. In practice, this approach brought little stability, and much oppression. So I have changed this policy. In the short-term, we will work with every government in the Middle East dedicated to destroying the terrorist networks. In the longer-term, we will expect a higher standard of reform and democracy from our friends in the region. (Applause.) Democracy and reform will make those nations stronger and more stable, and make the world more secure by undermining terrorism at it source. Democratic institutions in the Middle East will not grow overnight; in America, they grew over generations. Yet the nations of the Middle East will find, as we have found, the only path to true progress is the path of freedom and justice and democracy. (Applause.)

America is pursuing our forward strategy for freedom in the broader Middle East in many ways. Voices in that region are increasingly demanding reform and democratic change. So we are working with courageous leaders like President Karzai of Afghanistan, who is ushering in a new era of freedom for the Afghan people. We're taking aside reformers, and we're standing for human rights and political freedom, often at great personal risk. We're encouraging economic opportunity and the rule of law and government reform and the expansion of liberty throughout the region.

And we're working toward the goal of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace. (Applause.) Prime Minister Sharon's plan to remove all settlements from Gaza and several from the West Bank is a courageous step toward peace. (Applause.) His decision provides an historic moment of opportunity to begin building a future Palestinian state. This initiative can stimulate progress toward peace by setting the parties back on the road map, the most reliable guide to ending the occupation that began in 1967. This success will require reform-minded Palestinians to step forward and lead and meet their road map obligations. And the United States of America stands ready to help those dedicated to peace, those willing to fight violence, find a new state so we can realize peace in the greater Middle East. (Applause.)

Some who call themselves "realists" question whether the spread of democracy in the Middle East should be any concern of ours. But the realists in this case have lost contact with a fundamental reality. America has always been less secure when freedom is in retreat. America is always more secure when freedom is on the march.

All our commitments in the Middle East -- all of the four commitments of our strategy -- are now being tested in Iraq. We have removed a state-sponsor of terror with a history of using weapons of mass destruction. And the whole world is better off with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell. (Applause.) We now face al Qaeda associates like the terrorist Zarqawi, who seek to hijack the future of that nation. We are fighting enemies who want us to retreat, and leave Iraq to tyranny, so they can claim an ideological victory over America. They would use that victory to gather new strength, and take their violence directly to America and to our friends.

Yet our coalition is determined, and the Iraqi people have made clear: Iraq will remain in the camp of free nations. (Applause.)

The Iraqi people are moving forward, in clear, steady steps, with our support, to achieve democracy. Iraq now has a designated Prime Minister, Ayad Allawi, a respected Iraqi patriot once targeted by Saddam Hussein's assassins. I spoke with the Prime Minister yesterday. He recognized the sacrifice of brave Americans who have given their lives in Iraq, and he pledged that his country would be a friend and ally of America in peace. (Applause.)

Along with a president and two deputy presidents, Prime Minister Allawi will lead a government of 33 ministers, which take office immediately, and begin preparing for the transfer of full sovereignty by June the 30th. America and Great Britain are now working with the United Nations Security Council and Iraq's new leaders on a resolution that will endorse the sovereign government of Iraq, and urge other nations to actively support it.

The Iraqi people are looking to us for help, and we will provide it. Many fine civilian professionals are now working in that country, helping Iraqis to rebuild their infrastructure and build the institutions of a free country. Along with the United Nations, we will help Iraq's new government to prepare for national elections by January of 2005. This free election is what the terrorists in the country fear most. Free elections are exactly what they are going to see.

Our military is performing with skill and courage, and our nation is proud of the United States military. (Applause.) Many brave Iraqis have stepped forward to fight for their own freedom, and we are working closely with them to disband and destroy the illegal militia, to defeat the terrorists, and to secure the safe arrival of Iraqi democracy. We're stepping up our efforts to train effective Iraqi security forces that will eventually defend the liberty of their own country.

At every stage of this process, before and after the transition to Iraqi sovereignty, the enemy is likely to be active and brutal. They know the stakes as well as we do. But our coalition is prepared, our will is strong, and neither Iraq's new leadership nor the United States will be intimidated by thugs and assassins.

As we fight the war on terror in Iraq and on other fronts, we must keep in mind the nature of the enemy. No act of America explains terrorist violence, and no concession of America could appease it. The terrorists who attacked our country on September the 11th, 2001 were not protesting our policies. They were protesting our existence. Some say that by fighting the terrorists abroad since September the 11th, we only stir up a hornet's nest. But the terrorists who struck that day were stirred up already. (Applause.) If America were not fighting terrorists in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and elsewhere, what would these thousands of killers do, suddenly begin leading productive lives of service and charity? (Laughter.) Would the terrorists who beheaded an American on camera just be quiet, peaceful citizens if America had not liberated Iraq? We are dealing here with killers who have made the death of Americans the calling of their lives. And America has made a decision about these terrorists: Instead of waiting for them to strike again in our midst, we will take this fight to the enemy. (Applause.)

We are confident of our cause in Iraq, but the struggle we have entered will not end with success in Iraq. Overcoming terrorism, and bringing greater freedom to the nations of the Middle East, is the work of decades. To prevail, America will need the swift and able transformed military you will help to build and lead. America will need a generation of Arab linguists, and experts on Middle Eastern history and culture. America will need improved intelligence capabilities to track threats and expose the plans of unseen enemies.

Above all, America will need perseverance. This conflict will take many turns, with setbacks on the course to victory. Through it all, our confidence comes from one unshakable belief: We believe, in Ronald Reagan's words, that "the future belongs to the free." (Applause.) And we've seen the appeal of liberty with our own eyes. We have seen freedom firmly established in former enemies like Japan and Germany. We have seen freedom arrive, on waves of unstoppable progress, to nations in Latin America, and Asia, and Africa, and Eastern Europe. Now freedom is stirring in the Middle East, and no one should bet against it. (Applause.)

In the years immediately after World War II ended, our nation faced more adversity and danger with the rise of imperial communism. In 1947, communist forces were pressing a civil war in Greece, and threatening Turkey. More than two years after the Nazi surrender, there was still starvation in Germany, reconstruction seemed to be faltering, and the Marshall Plan had not yet begun. In 1948, Berlin was blockaded on the orders of Josef Stalin. In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded a nuclear weapon, and communists in China won their revolution.

All of this took place in the first four years of the Cold War. If that generation of Americans had lost its nerve, there would have been no "long twilight struggle," only a long twilight. But the United States and our allies kept faith with captive peoples, and stayed true to the vision of a democratic Europe. And that perseverance gave all the world a lesson in the power of liberty. (Applause.)

We are now about three years into the war against terrorism. We have overcome great challenges, we face many today, and there are more ahead. This is no time for impatience and self-defeating pessimism. These times demand the kind of courage and confidence that Americans have shown before. Our enemy can only succeed if we lose our will and faith in our own values. And ladies and gentlemen, our will is strong. We know our duty. By keeping our word, and holding firm to our values, this generation will show the world the power of liberty once again. (Applause.)

For four years, you have trained and studied and worked for this moment. And now it has come. You are the ones who will defeat the enemies of freedom. Your country is depending on your courage and your dedication to duty. The eyes of the world are upon you. You leave this place at a historic time, and you enter this struggle ahead with the full confidence of your Commander-in- Chief. I thank each of you for accepting the hardships and high honor of service in the United States military. And I congratulate every member of the Rickenbacker Class of 2004. (Applause.)

May God bless you. (Applause.)

END 12:04 P.M. MDT

Two Senior Palestinian Militants Arrested 06.03.04 (12:21 pm)   [edit]
So I bet someone will be upset that they even arrested these people. Should these murderers be allowed to go free? You don't like it when Israel assasinates these people, you don't like it when they arrest them. Ok, so what is Israel supposed to do? Oh, right, I forgot. Hatemongers out there who support the terrorist cause would rather Israel roll over and die. They all make me sick!
[line]
Thu Jun 3, 2:17 AM ET

JERUSALEM (AP)- Israeli troops arrested two senior Palestinian militants who were hiding in a secret compartment in a four-story building in the West Bank city of Nablus Thursday, military officials said.

Jamal Nablusi and Sultan Tashtush, leaders of the Al Aqsa Brigades, carried out deadly attacks in Israel, the officials said on condition of anonymity. The two were arrested by soldiers under cover of darkness in Nablus' Old City, Israeli radios reported.

Troops searched the entire building and found the compartment on the fourth floor, Israel Radio reported. After calling on anyone inside to come out, they threw a grenade into the hiding place. It exploded but did not injure Nablusi and Tastush, who emerged soon after, the radio said.

The two suspects were allegedly responsible for preparing explosives belts for suicide bombers, who they sent on attacks in Israel, Army Radio reported.

Nablusi had served 15 years in Israeli jails for militant activity.

In all, 21 Palestinian suspects were arrested overnight in the West Bank, Israel Radio said. Israeli troops nightly carry out arrest operations in West Bank towns, often detaining dozens of Palestinians at a time.

Historic Jewish cemetery in Quebec City vandalized, headstones knocked over 06.03.04 (12:10 pm)   [edit]
You know, if I were a vandal or a hatemonger, I'd not bother the cemetaries. What? You think you'll make the dead people irate? This is sick! Honestly, can anyone tell me what exactly is accomplished by defacing a historic place for the deceased??? These people are cowards. They can't face the living people head-on and in a peaceful manner, so they go after the headstones of their dead. These vandals are nothing more than verman or cocheroaches; the lowest form of life there is!
[line]
[b]2 hours, 32 minutes ago[/b]

QUEBEC (CP) - Police were investigating vandalism at a Jewish cemetery designated as a national historic site where about 20 headstones were found toppled early Thursday.

The Beth Israel cemetery has been vandalized several times in the last two years. Quebec City police said although some headstones were knocked over they weren't defaced. There were no witnesses and no suspects, police said. "For now, it's still early to link these facts with the fact that the cemetery is Jewish," said police spokesman Jean Minguy.

Simon Jacobs, a member of the city's dwindling Jewish community, called the vandalism shocking, "especially in such a small community."

"One has to wonder why," Jacobs said.

The cemetery was designated as a national historic site by the federal Heritage Department last year and dates back about 150 years.

In Montreal, a Jewish elementary school was firebombed, destroying its library in early April. Three people have been arrested.

The Montreal police hate-crimes unit was investigating after someone recently scrawled swastikas on several tombstones at a Jewish cemetery.

In Ontario, a Jewish cemetery was recently desecrated in Kitchener, west of Toronto.

A Jewish cemetery was also vandalized in Toronto and there were a string of attacks on Toronto-area Jewish homes and a synagogue this spring.

WARNING!

06.02.04 (6:02 pm)   [edit]
Heehee, this is cool . . . !

NOTE: z

No smoking around RedTigress. Thankyou for your co-operation.

Username:

From Go-Quiz.com

This is an amazing poem!

06.02.04 (4:26 pm)   [edit]
This came from [url=http://petalpower.tblog.com]petalpower[/url]. This is such a great poem! Wow!
[line]
Hey so she is not my Venus,
An aphrodite no more,
No daughter of Neptune
not ascended from the sea floor

Well shes no Helen of Troy
whos beauty did astound
and began the war of Trojans
well save for the horsing around

But these are just myths
tales of ancient lands
or just idle daydreams
in lessons unplanned

So no longer to be compared
to those godesses of old
Do i bide my time well?
or do both hearts turn cold?
[line]
I just love the classical imagry!

LOL!

06.02.04 (2:12 pm)   [edit]
I promis, cmaze, I'm really not copying your quiz pattern...much! LOL!





Take the What
animal best portrays your sexual appetite?? Quiz


I wonder if tiger fits the same catagory? LOL!

The Fast of 17 Tammuz

06.02.04 (1:39 pm)   [edit]
The fast of the Seventeenth of Tamuz (Shiva Assar b'Tamuz) commemorates five sad events which occurred on this date:

1. Moses broke the tablets upon seeing the Golden Calf.

2. They ceased to offer the daily sacrifices in the First Holy Temple because there were no cattle in Jerusalem. This was during the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem which eventually lead to the destruction of the Temple.

3. Apustmus burned the holy Torah. The historians have long debated when this occurred; some maintain that Apustmus was a Roman general during the Roman reign over Israel, and others contend that he lived years earlier and was an officer during the Greek occupation of the Holy Land.

4. An idol was placed in the Holy Temple. This even is also shrouded in controversy; some say that this too was done by Apustmus and others say that this was done by King Manasseh of Judea.

5. The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans after a lengthy siege. Three weeks later, after the Jews put up a valiant struggle, they destroyed the second Holy Temple. [The Jerusalem Talmud maintains that the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem, on the way to destroying the First Temple, also on this date.]

Quizes from cmaze's blog ;P

06.02.04 (12:24 pm)   [edit]
Ha! Thing is, I don't even want to be a hippie! LOL!

I AM 27% HIPPIE! I need to step away from the tie-dye. I smell too good to be a hippie and my dad is probably a cop. Being a hippie is not a fashion craze, man. It was a way of life, in the 60’s, man. Take the HIPPIE test at Fuali.com

This one is the nail on the head...

I AM 46% TORTURED ARTIST! I have some artistic ability, but it is probably a hobby and doesn't drive my life into a dark abysmal hole were I am alone and against the world. Take the TORTURED ARTIST test at Fuali.com

LOL...

I AM 54% INTERNET ADDICT! I am pretty addicted, but there is hope. I think I'm just well connected to the internet and technology, but it's really a start of a drug-like addiction. I must act now! Unplug this computer! Take the INTERNET ADDICT test at Fuali.com

The Land of Israel

06.02.04 (12:02 pm)   [edit]
[i][b]What is the Biblical, rabbinical understanding of the Land of Israel?[/i][/b]

The Land of Israel was promised to our father Abraham and to his son, Isaac, who was born from his first wife Sarah. The Torah tells us that "In Isaac you will have seed" (Genesis 21:12). Shortly after that, G-d told Abraham to listen to his wife: to send Ishmael away from his household together with his Egyptian mother Hagar (ibid. 21:14 and on), which Abraham did. This was so Isaac, not Ishmael, would inherit the Holy Land.

The Torah tells us that Ishmael settled in the Paran Desert, and that his wife was from Egypt (ibid. 21:21; the Paran Desert is in Egypt, see Gen. 25:18 concerning the location and the fact that Ishmael went to live amongst his brothers in Egypt). The Torah also tells us that G-d repeated his promise regarding the land to Jacob (Isaac’s son) and his descendants (Genesis 28:13), and to Moses (Isaac’s great-grandchild) (Exodus 3:8 ).

The Jewish claim to the Holy Land is much older then that of our Arab cousins. It has been our homeland for 3,000 years, and until the first Arab invaders arrived in the 700s, no descendants of Ishmael ever claimed any part of the land for themselves. Islam was established only 1300 years ago, more then 1700 years AFTER Jews made Jerusalem their capital! The Land of Israel is mentioned 2521 times in the Torah by its name “Israel”; other names such as Zion are mentioned thousands of times more. The city of Jerusalem is mentioned 821 times in the Torah by its name Jerusalem and is referred to thousands of times by other names. The land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem are NEVER mentioned in the Quran, the book held holiest by Ishmael's descendants—not as “Palestine,” not as “Israel” and not by ANY other name!

The Torah tells us of the limits of the Holy Land. As promised to Abraham, it is described as "…from the river of Egypt until the great river, the River Euphrates" (Gen. 15:18). (For details of the actual borders told to Moses, see Numbers 34:2-15).

The borders of the Holy Land extend beyond the current borders of the State of Israel. Two of Jacob’s children, Dan and Naphtali, are buried in the Lebanese city of Sidon, and the remains of the oldest Jewish synagogue—dating back 2500 years—were uncovered in the Golan Heights. The ancient city of Jericho, which Joshua conquered (see Joshua 6:20), hosts the very famous Shalom Al Israel synagogue, dating to the First Century. Some parts of the Kingdom of Jordan were settled by two-and-a-half of the Twelve Tribes, and Gaza (which has its own ancient synagogue) is ALL part of our Holy land of Israel. Our people actually lived and flourished in these sites for hundreds and thousands of years. Our right to the land did not expire because we were FORCED to leave.

However, some parts of the MODERN State of Israel are not holy since they are NOT part of our ancestors’ land, such as the Negev Desert and the city of Eilat.

We are required to PROTECT ourselves from danger, and cutting the land into pieces and giving OUR land away to people who are trying to destroy us (using the weapons WE provided them and the cities we gave them), are CLEARLY opposed by Jewish law. We are not permitted to give away land so that terrorism can be cultivated! In Jewish law, a Jew is not allowed to hand over ANY parts of the Holy Land to a non-Jew. Giving the land away only brings more danger upon our people, as we witness these days.

[i]Rabbi Mendy Chitrik[/i]

Hawken Middle School Student Earns International Honors 06.02.04 (11:34 am)   [edit]
LYNDHURST, Ohio, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Current seventh-grade Hawken School student Samuel Milner was recognized internationally for two recent achievements.

Samuel was one of 55 Jewish teenagers from 28 countries to participate in the International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth, which is held annually in Israel as a televised event for Israel Independence Day. His score on the 2003 English division examination for grades 6-8 earned him an all-expense-paid trip to Israel for the 2004 international exam. In addition to exercising his Biblical knowledge, Samuel dined with President Moshe Katsav, attended a press conference with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and met the head of the Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Moshe Ya'alon.

He also finished in first place on the National Latin Exam, and the American Classical League National Exam Committee recognized him for a perfect score. Seventeen-thousand students in the United States participated in the exam.

Hawken School is an independent, nonsectarian, coed day school of approximately 950 students, grades pre-K through 12, located on two campuses in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland. Founded in 1915, Hawken is recognized as one of the premier college preparatory schools in the nation with a diverse student body participating in a challenging program of academics, arts, and athletics that prepares them to meet the challenges of tomorrow's world
[line]
Congradulations! :)

Always Wear Sunscreen

06.02.04 (2:05 am)   [edit]
In case you don't know, I have red hair. With red hair comes the paisty-white skin. I always joke with my friends that I'm genetically engineered for a bog in Ireland. Fitting, considering that is where I am from.

Anyhow, Sunday I went out in the sun, [i]all day[/i] to clean out a storage locker. Thank God I placed sunscreen on my face. Unfortunatly, because I had weird logic, I didn't put it on my arms. You have to understand, I have driver's arm.

For those not in the know of what that is, it's when your left arm hangs out the car window while the right arm holds the wheel and the left becomes darker than the right. So, my rationale was that I would even them out in colour. Well, I accomplished that goal. It's the exact colour (being 2nd degree sunburn RED) that I wasn't striving for.

So now I have a blistering sunburn and it looks like I have leprocy (sp?). I can't go outside, I can't goof off this week like I planned. It's hard to sleep. I can't wear sleeves. I havn't had a burn this bad since I was a child!!! I'm not lovin' things right now. Therefore, I decided to spread the joy by posting a picture of my beautiful battle scar:

=http://img19.photobucket.com/...%20With%20My%20Digital%20 Camera/sunburn.jpg

Kids, always wear your sunscreen!!!

I have to say, I really feel sorry for him...

06.02.04 (1:14 am)   [edit]
I made the mistake of venturing out and commenting on someone's blog the other day. I shall refer to the person who's blog it belongs to as person #1. The person who has decided he's so threatened by me that it's now his cause to make pointless little comments at me shall be known as person #2. I really feel sorry for person #2. I mean it. I don't care what this person thinks about me and I don't care if they dislike me and call me bizarre and uncharacteristic names. This person is only here to cause fights with people and they really don't care anything about fixing the world or peace or anything like that. It's obvious. Otherwise, they'd lose the attitude and start being real. But he's not real, folks. And, yet again, I'm a "racist, facist bitch". LOL, I only wish he'd say something origional once in a while! My first comment is a direct response to person #1's entry. It's really unimportant but for only to set the stage for the entire context of this lovely conversation. I may add, this is the raw, uncut and uncensored conversation. Only the names have been changed to protect the derranged.

Enjoy!
[line]
» RedTigress Sunday 05.23.04 [1:39 pm]

So anyone who votes for bush is brain dead now? Sounds like a facist thing to say to me. Maybe I'm reading it wrong. The same could be said of the opposite, but that would be immature, not to mention untrue.
***
» "person #1" Sunday 05.23.04 [8:46 pm]

Reply to: RedTigress
Actually after waging illegal war based on lies-- torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib and other disastrous policies, anyone who would support Bush is BRAIN-DEAD OR CORRUPT.

But then you are loving this massacre of the Palestinian people, so why shouldn't I be surprised that you want more killings of the Arab peoples. I feel sorry for you for loving nazi-style killings of innocent people.

(Maybe you should write Wolfowitz: He might let you get on-top of an elderly 70 year old Palestinian, harness them and ride them like a donkey. You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you RedTigress.)
***
RedTigress Sunday 05.23.04 [1:56 pm]

Reply to: "person #1"

Wow, harsh. Where did that come from?

Once again you accuse me of something completely false and against my policy.

You really showed me who was brain dead here.

Thanks for the laughs.
***
» "person #2" Sunday 05.23.04 [9:54 pm]

Reply to: RedTigress

"Wow, harsh. Where did that come from?"

From stating the plain truth.
***
» RedTigress Monday 05.24.04 [1:09 am]

Reply to: "person #2"

LOL

you have no truth. You still have no proof that I support those things because I dont. I really don't care if you make something up or not anyhow. LOL, truth is definatly not one of your virtues.

May God guide you back to His light. :)
***
» "person #2" Monday 05.24.04 [5:53 pm]

Reply to: RedTigress

LOL indeed, coming from you, a born liar who boldface screams lies and distortion when ppl copy/paste your own words.
***
» RedTigress Tuesday 06.01.04 [6:58 pm]

Reply to: "person #2"

LOL!

You are a sad yet funny little man.
***
» "person #2" Wednesday 06.02.04 [8:37 am]

Reply to: RedTigress

Funny? Probably, lots of ppl here seem to think so. Little? Not really: 1m73. Sad? Not at all, quite happy actually.

But even if I were sad and little, I'd rather be that any day than a fascist racist bigot bitch like you.
***
» RedTigress Wednesday 06.02.04 [2:00 am]

Reply to: "person #2"

Aw, now ain't that sweet. I love you too!

*Smooch!*

Sad as in pathetic, little as in dishonerable. And yes, you fit the mold for that. Got anything better to call me, pookie? I get tired of the same old same old. Perhaps you should be more pragmatic. Though I fear you'd not be saying those lovely little sweet nothings to my face.

Ta.
***
» "person #2" Wednesday 06.02.04 [9:40 am]

Reply to: RedTigress

I only use what applies, sorry for the repetition. You main negative traits are bigot, fascist, racist and a bitch. They are not name callings for the sake of it, they are simply epitheths that apply to your behavior.

Unlike you who indeed revels in insults every time you talk to me: it's "a French bastard", or "pookie", etc, not to mention the motherfuckers and variations you gratify other people with.

"Though I fear you'd not be saying those lovely little sweet nothings to my face."

This is the second time you make a statement of physical threat to me. You also made one to SpyMaster, hence demonstrating once again the correctness of 2 of my epithets ("bitch & fascist", by threatening ppl for expressing their opinion).
***
» RedTigress Wednesday 06.02.04 [2:55 am]

Reply to: "person #2"

LOL! I always thought pookie was a true term of indearment. Guess that's the lil ol' language barrior for you. And I do believe I didn't call you a French bastard the last few times we've echanged words.

And how is "Though I fear you'd not be saying those lovely little sweet nothings to my face" a physical threat? LOL! i said nothing physical to you. I do think you'd not say it to my face. Not because I'd do something to you, but rather I think you'd be afraid to. Pluse, when the person is right in front of you, it brings a more human aspect to it, don't you think? Right now, you're all riled up, sweat beads rolling down your pointy head, because all I am to you is symbols on a computer screen. Had we been face to face, I'd like to think you'd be a more civil person.

And name calling me for having an opinion other than yours is more facist that my opinions (of which you seem to know not a thing about), otherwise you'd choose different words.

LOL, you are funny though. Not because of anything you say. No. It's more like a laughing at you than with you. However, I can only really and truly feel sorry for you.
[line]
And I really do. I hope some day you are cured of your mental illness, person #2. You must suffer from something like that to be so irate. I am truly sorry you have to act that way.

~*Update*~

» "person#2" Wednesday 06.02.04 [10:17 am]

Reply to: RedTigress

"Guess that's the lil ol' language barrior for you."

You're absolutely correct: not knowing the word and being used to be insulted by you for so long, I assumed it to be another one in your long repertoire.

Would you like me to go find all the gems you've written over the last few months, and list the insults you profer to ppl you disagree with? I warn you it's gonna be a *LONG* list.

"And I do believe I didn't call you a French bastard the last few times we've echanged words"

Wow, I'm impressed. That's really awesome.

"i said nothing physical to you."
Sure. I believe you, thousands wouldn't. Maybe a reminder of your previous similar comments might shed some light. I'll go and dig them out for so your failing memory can be refreshed and for the enlightement of others.

"Pluse, when the person is right in front of you, it brings a more human aspect to it, don't you think?"

Absolutely.

"Right now, you're all riled up, sweat beads rolling down your pointy head, because all I am to you is symbols on a computer screen."

Is this more insults, or are you simply describing what you see in your mirror? Just curious.
***
» RedTigress Wednesday 06.02.04 [3:26 am]

Reply to: "person #2"

Nope, no insults here, cutie. I'm just visualizing how you must react when you find out that I'm still here and I still am different than you. That's all it is, isn't it? I have a different opinion than you, you don't like it. Personally, I really don't care about your bitterness or your threats. You only make yourself look worse. And I think it's kind of delusions of gradure to think that thousands even know of your blog. Se levie. I think it's funny how you insist on being so bitter and angry all the time and how I just kind of want no real part of it.

I really mean it, I do feel sorry for you that you are such an unhappy person. I'm not sure what caused this in you, but it must have been something long before I came into being.

No matter what I'd ever say, you'd still find some way to dislike it. That is, in less I dropped to my knees and bowed down to every Muslim cleric on earth and then subscribed to socialism. Then again, still maybe you'd be irate. Can't please everyone, that's why I just stick to being me.

Sorry you got the wrong ideas, tootsie. It's all in what you read into things with.

::shrugs::

What tends to be the funny thing is how alike you and i are, despite our differences. I mean, look at this conversation, for example. Neither one of us is willing to cede in not having the last word. Classic, no? Perhaps under other circumstances or in another life, we'd have been friends. Unfortunatly, I'm afraid, it is all your loss, my dear.

hehe.

An Evening of Peace With Music 06.01.04 (11:40 pm)   [edit]
LA MIRADA, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, July 3, 2004 an audience in La Mirada, California will see and feel, first-hand, the power of music to bridge cultural differences. Internationally acclaimed American pianist Marvin Goldstein, the Eurovision award-winning artist Gali Atari from Israel, and the gifted Arabic Singer Najwa Gibran from Toronto will join together for one night in an unforgettable performance at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts. The concert will begin at 8:00 PM at 14900 La Mirada Blvd, La Mirada, CA.

The performance will also feature the International Peace Choir and the world-renowned Armenian Duduk player, Yegish Manoukian. The program will present Arab and Israeli music in addition to piano solos of show tunes and contemporary music. It will be the first time that Arabic music has been accompanied by the piano. The noted composer Yuval Ron wrote the piano arrangements specifically for the concert.

Tickets are available through the Peace with Music Foundation by calling, (866) MG TUNES (648-8637) and online at www.PeaceWithMusic.org. Ticket prices are $32 or $40.

"This concert will demonstrate the power of music in bringing different cultures together," said Marc Titel, Foundation President. "The audience will be treated to a spirit of peace and harmony as well as being entertained."

Marvin Goldstein travels internationally sharing his gift of music including a March 2001 concert In Jerusalem, Israel with Gali Atari. He has recorded over 30 compact discs and has published 15 piano solo arrangement books.

Gali Atari is a prominent member of the Israeli music scene. In 1979 her performance of "Hallelujah" won the Eurovision Song Contest. Atari has recorded numerous compact disks including an Israeli Gold Album in 2001. She was Israel's the "Singer of the Year" several times during the 1980's and 1990's.

Najwa Gibran is one of the best Arabic female singers living today in the west. She is an expert of the Arabic traditional folk technique in addition to the Lebanese and Bedouin folk songs. She is the lead vocalist with Canada's Arabesque Dance Company and The Yuval Ron Ensemble in Los Angeles.

The concert will also feature the International Peace Choir. This choir was founded in 1987 with a mission to promote peace in the world through music. Members of the choir are between the ages of six and seventeen and represent various ethnic, cultural and national backgrounds.

"The mission of the Peace with Music Foundation is to bring different cultures together through music," stated Joan Peterson of Starlight Creative Media, a Foundation board member. "This concert is the fulfillment of our mission. It will be a memorable and inspiring evening for the performers and the audience."
[line]
Source: Peace with Music Foundation

Name Acronym

06.01.04 (11:23 pm)   [edit]

R	Refined
E	Energetic
D	Desperate
T	Tough
I	Intelligent
G	Glitzy
R	Respectable
E	Exciting
S	Sloppy
S	Strong

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

Don't Taunt God

06.01.04 (9:00 pm)   [edit]
I saw this originally on [url=rcarter8766]rcarter8 766's blog[/url]. I thought it was hilarious so here goes...
[line]
A college professor, an avowed Atheist, was teaching his class. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated he was going to prove there was no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted:

"God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!" The lecture room fell silent.

You could have heard a pin fall. Ten minutes went by. Again the professor taunted God, saying, "Here I am, God. I'm still waiting."

His count-down got down to the last couple of minutes when a Marine just released from active duty and newly registered in the class -- walked up to the professor, hit him full force in the face, and sent him tumbling from his lofty platform to the floor. The professor was out cold!

At first, the students were shocked and babbled in confusion. The young Marine took a seat in the front row and sat silent. The class fell silent...waiting.

Eventually, the professor came to, shaken. He looked at the young Marine in the front row. When the professor regained his senses and could speak he asked: "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

"God was busy. He sent me."

The Most Beautiful Shoes in the World!

06.01.04 (6:55 pm)   [edit]
I love these shoes!



=http://img19.photobucket.com/...%20With%20My%20Digital%20 Camera/P2070001.jpg

Now I just need a matching outfit! LOL!

An Excellent Email I recieved -- The Modern Purim Story

06.01.04 (6:02 pm)   [edit]
I was checking my email before the holiday of Shavuos came in (last tues.) and a friend of mine sent me this email. I know it's a little late for all the Shavuos greetings in this message, however, there is a far more deeper point that is amazingly intelligent and well said. I felt obligated to share this hear. I hope George doesn't mind! :wink:
[line]
As I send out my Shavous greetings to odd and sundry, I realize that I never did explain the Modern Purim Story to you.

So, here it is.

Enjoy.

Again, nice website…

It is the tradition of Torah observant Jews to stay up all night learning on the holiday of Shavous.

One reason for this tradition is to affirm that it is worth staying up all night to study Torah! We are told that Torah study is regarded as the most important of all the mitzvos because it leads to the observance of all of the other mitzvos.

"The study of Torah is equal to the sum total of all other mitzvos” (Shabbos, 127a)

"You shall teach them thoroughly to your children and you shall speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise." (Devarim, 6:7)

The necessity of learning Torah; of striving to comprehend it; of devoting ourselves to its knowledge; of the need to place Torah learning as the first priority, is a constant message throughout every shiur; every lecture; every bit of Torah learning.

History says that when the Jews neglect the Torah, assimilation is almost guaranteed.

This day, today, Na’aseh, V’nishma, “We will do and we will listen,” is our watchword.

Gut Yom Tov and Happy Shavous!

I offer the following humble observation for your reading pleasure:

In this modern world we can see G-d’s Torah taking place all around us.

According to a column written by United States Senator, Fritz Hollings, President Bush invaded Iraq “to secure Israel.” It’s all about the Jews.

One of the most horrific video’s ever made for mass consumption, showed the slaughter of Nick Berg, an American Jew, by Muslim cultic murders. It’s all about the Jews.

Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah ibn Abd Al-'Aziz stated at a gathering of Saudi dignitaries, including top Muslim clerics and preachers that “It became clear to us now that Zionism is behind terrorist actions in the kingdom. I can say that I am 95% sure of that." It’s all about the Jews

The list is endless and there is literally a new story every day how everything that happens in the world is because of the Jews.

And the truth of the matter is: this is true.

However, the world believes in a Jewish conspiracy where Jews are in control and therefore events flow from the Jewish people.

The Jews know that G-d is in control and all events originate with G-d. He has promised in his Torah that we learn all night on Shavous, to honor His giving the Jews His Torah, that what happens in this world of “olam hazeh,” this material world, is because of His relationship with the Children of Israel. From Hashem’s perspective, it is all about the Jews.

And as much as the Jewish people plead "I know we're the chosen people, but, once in a while, couldn't you choose someone else?" (Tevye, “Fiddler on the Roof”), it is always going to be all about the Jews.

Both Jew and gentile are confused by this seemingly bizarre paradox every day.

But it is irrevocable and omnipresent, as can be demonstrated by the most confusing Jewish holiday of them all, Purim.

Purim is an odd holiday. It is not a major festival such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover and, it happened a long time after Passover was established. But, nonetheless, it is a time of wonders and miracles where the presence of G-d remains totally hidden. G-d demonstrates His power through by creating a puzzle which confuses both Jew and gentile alike….

The story of Purim begins with King Achashverosh, the king of Persia, married to Vashti, his queen. He throws a big party. Everybody, including all of the Jews, gets to come. After some drunken carousing and revelry, the king orders his wife to come before him and his guests, wearing nothing besides her royal crown. She refuses to come and, as all good Persian despots do, he has her executed. (Thousands of years later; the new religion of Islam; the modernity of technology; and nothing has changed.)

Queen-less, the king calls out and sequesters all of the eligible women in the land. Esther, a Jew, gets herded in with the rest of them. No one knows she is Jewish and her uncle Mordechai tells her to keep her identity secret. And, of course, from among all the women taken to the palace, the king falls in love with her and Esther becomes Queen. (But of course, it’s all about the Jews.)

The Plot thickens: King Achashverosh's top minister is a man named Haman. Haman becomes pathologically obsessed with Mordechai, the Jew, whom Haman believes is royally dissing him. So, Haman gets King Achashverosh to agree to issue a secret decree to annihilate all of the Jews of Persia on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. (Interesting idea that – kill one Jew, kill all the Jews, what’s the difference?) He decides on the best date for genocide by chance, by throwing lots which are called "purim."

Haman, believes that everything that happens on Earth is a random occurrence. He believes that everything happens by chance. (Except, of course, it’s all about the Jews.)

But, by casting lots, by creating Purim, Haman, who believes in the transcendent power of Chance, suddenly illustrates that, in fact, Nothing happens by chance.

Because, from the point that Haman shakes the dice, everything begins to change, to become topsy – turvy. Things begin to go very bad for Haman.

Haman gets called to King Achashverosh and is asked how to honor someone whom the King wishes to honor. Expecting that these honors will be for himself, he lays out a fine set of accolades and laurels only to find he, himself, forced to bestow these honors on his arch-enemy Mordechai.

Then, Haman is overjoyed to be invited along with the King to a feast given by Queen Esther, believing that he is once more being honored above all others, only to discover that the Queen is Jewish. Oops! Big, big oops for Haman!

Suddenly, Haman finds himself accused by the Queen of plotting to murder her along with her people. Oops! Ouch!

Haman begs for mercy and throws himself onto the queen's bed only to be caught by the king in this rather precarious position. Oops! Double Ouch!

Haman is accused of attempted rape. Oh my goodness gracious!

How could things have possibly gotten this turned upside down, wonders Haman. But, wait, there’s more!

Haman erected a giant gallows to hang Mordechai, whom he was just itching to kill. Unfortunately for Haman, King Achashverosh sentences Haman to die on this same gallows. This may be the origins of gallows humor (oops).

And, as for Queen Esther, Mordechai, and the Jews, whom Haman wanted to annihilate; to wipe off the face earth? Well, rather than being annihilated, they are given the king's permission to annihilate their enemies. And Mordechai is given Haman’s place as Prime Minister.

“The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.” (Megillah, The Book of Esther, VIII, 16)

Throughout the entire Book of Esther, the Megillah, the name of G-d is never mentioned.

The Hebrew word that best describes Purim is venahafoch hu, meaning "flipped over story."

The things that look bad in the Purim story; that seemed to be happening by chance were, in fact, intricately planned by G-d for the good. The lesson is that nothing happens by accident. Nothing happens by chance.

G-d conceals his presence in the world, but we see G-d’s actions in real life history.

G-d is the hidden Master who puts everything into place.

Because everything is not what it seems.

It would seem, that in G-d’s plans, it is all about the Jews.

In the year 1991, Saddam Hussein, the evil dictator of Iraq, was utterly defeated in war by a United States led coalition, led by President George Bush.

Saddam Hussein periodically promised to wipe out Israel, both before and after the first Gulf War. During the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein attacked Israel with 39 missiles for no other purpose than to murder Israelis; he wanted to annihilate the Jews.

Israel is the only nation in the modern history of the world to give absolutely no response after being viciously attacked by another nation.

The first Gulf War was the only occurrence in Israel’s history where Israel did not retaliate against an enemy that attacked them and who had sworn to destroy Israel. As far as I know, it is the only instance in the history of the world where a nation was attacked and did not defend itself.

In the year 1991, Saddam Hussein, the evil dictator of Iraq, was utterly defeated in the first Gulf War – on Purim.

His generals signed a treaty with the coalition force that defeated him, in a tent somewhere outside of Basra. According to the Jewish Calendar, that day was the 14th of Adar, 5751 – Purim.

The area that encompasses part of modern day Iraq was formerly known as Babylon. Babylon was the kingdom that destroyed the First Temple; conquered Israel; and took the Jews back to their land as slaves. Persia in turn conquered Babylon.

It is that Persia where King Achashverosh ruled over the former Babylonian Jews at the time of the original Purim, 2500 years ago.

According to the Book of Esther, from the beginning of King Achashverosh’s reign to the time that that Haman’s evil plans were overturned and Haman was destroyed was a period of twelve years.

Twelve years after President George Bush accepted Saddam Hussein’s surrender in 1991, President George [[b]W.[/b]--Tigress] Bush announced the start of a new war against Saddam Hussein. He said “Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict, commenced at a time of our choosing.”

President Bush declared war on Saddam Hussein in March of 2003, 12 years after his father made peace. It was the 14th of Adar, 5763 - Purim.

The entire twelve years, from the time President George Bush Sr. signed a treaty on Purim with the evil dictator, Saddam Hussein, who wanted to annihilate the Jews, to the time his son, President George Bush, declared war on Purim with the evil dictator, Saddam Hussein, a new, “flipped over” story was created. A modern Purim story.

This new Purim story said that Saddam Hussein was utterly defeated.

This new Purim story said Saddam was a dangerous maniac.

This new Purim story encouraged Iraqis to rebel and overthrow their dictator.

This new Purim story let the defeated Saddam Hussein defeat his rebellious subjects. This new Purim story had the defeated, dangerous, peaceful, maniacal Saddam Hussein paying terrorists to try to annihilate Israel and attack the “victorious” United States aircraft.

This new Purim story saw an “insignificant,” “defeated” Saddam Hussein bribe the world into doing whatever he wished to do and become a major threat to world peace.

This new Purim story saw Saddam Hussein grow and prosper as the evil dictator of Iraq while President George Bush was removed from office.

This new Purim story saw a new generation of President George Bush elected, ostensibly by “confused, elderly, Jewish voters” living in Florida.

Last year, on Purim, this new President Bush proclaimed that the dictator of Iraq was not defeated. The United States declared war on the only country that ever attacked Israel where Israel did not retaliate.

After twelve years of a new Purim story, Saddam Hussein and his evil sons were annihilated. Just as after 12 years, in the Megillah, Haman and his evil sons were annihilated.

On the thirteenth year of the Purim story in the Book of Esther - the Megillah tells us that the Jewish holiday of Purim was established by the authority of Queen Esther and the Prime Minister, Mordechai.

A decree of Law obligated the all Jews to remember this holiday forever.

“That is why they called these days ‘Purim’ from the word ’pur’. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and because of what they had experienced, and what had happened to them, the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselves and their descendants, and upon all who might join them, to observe these two days, without fail, in the manner prescribed, and at the proper time each year. Consequently, these days should be remembered and celebrated by every single generation, family, province, and city. And these days of Purim should never cease among the Jews, nor shall their remembrance perish from their descendants.” (Megillah, the Book of Esther, IX, 26-28)

On the thirteenth year of this new Purim story, this year, 2004, the Iraqis did not sign a new constitution. They were supposed to to sign on new constitution on Purim, but they put it off for one day. Their chief religious cleric, Sistani, deliberately postponed the signing of the new Iraqi constitution for one day.

Their new constitution, their new decree of Law that could establish a new era of peace for Iraq, was signed the following day. That date was the 15th of Adar, 5764, on the day the Jews call Shushan Purim.

“But the Jews in Shushan mustered on both the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and so rested on the fifteenth, and made it a day of feasting and merrymaking. That is why village Jews, who live in unwalled towns, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and make it a day of merrymaking and feasting, and as a holiday and an occasion for sending gifts to one another.” (Megillah, the Book of Esther, IX, 18)

The Jews that live in walled cities, such as Shusan, which, according to the Book of Esther, was the capitol of King Achashverosh during the time of the Megillah, celebrate Purim a day later. This day is called Shushan Purim.

Shushan was a walled city.

Babylon was a walled city.

And Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, is a walled city. The new Iraqi constitution was signed in Baghdad on Shusan Purim, the Purim of walled cities.

Purim is a time when the Name of G-d is hidden. When even the Hand of G-d is not revealed. But Purim is a time nothing is what it seems. Purim is a time when, in reality, Everything is manipulated for G-d’s purposes.

It is a time when G-d reveals that He is the only one in control.

George Murray
St Louis Park, Minnesota
[line]
Thank you, George! This was so beautiful and more than moving!! :D

India Hints at Continuing Israel Policy 06.01.04 (5:40 pm)   [edit]
I'm puzzled by this. This is my summery of what I think India is saying to/about Israel: "Well, thanks for supplying us with these arms and stuff that are state of the art, but we still say screw you because we side with the Palestinians." Am I reading this wrong? It seems that this article said a lot but at the same time was kind of uninformative. Anyone got any ideas?
[line]
[b]Tue Jun 1, 9:57 AM ET[/b]

NEW DELHI - India's new foreign minister said Tuesday better relations with Israel would not come at the cost of ignoring Palestinian aspirations, indicating a continuation of the policy of improving ties with Israel.

The government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, ousted in national elections last month, had strengthened diplomatic and military ties with Israel — often raising concerns in rival Pakistan.

Israel is now an important arms supplier to India. On March 5, Israel made its biggest-ever military sale, when it signed a $ 1.1 billion dollar deal for the supply of three advanced early warning systems to India. The deal is for the PHALCON, a competitor to the U.S.-made AWACS.

"We value our relations with the government of Israel. ... But our relations with Israel will not be at the expense of sacrificing the legitimate rights ... of the Palestinian people," Natwar Singh told reporters in his first major news conference after taking over last month.

Singh said he and Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the ruling coalition, had reminded Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his 2003 visit that "our ties with Palestine preceded our independence."
[line]
BTW, I'd just like to point out that Sonia Gandhi is not related by blood to the Mahatma Ghandi. Also, she is actually Italian by birth and only entered the family by marriage. Just an unrelated side note.

The attack of the killer NECKTIES!

06.01.04 (5:34 pm)   [edit]
I had to post it because it's kind of funny to me and a little scary at the same time. For us germaphobic hypocondriacs, this is the last thing we need!
[line]
[b]Study: Doctors' Neckties May Harbor Germs
Tue Jun 1, 1:16 PM ET
[i]By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Writer[/b][/i]

JERUSALEM - Your doctor's necktie may be hazardous to your health.

That's the conclusion of a new study by an American medical student who found that while neckties may look nice, they also provide a convenient nesting ground for germs.

Steven Nurkin, who is completing his medical studies at Israel's Technion University, said he came up with the idea for the study while doing an elective course at New York Hospital Queens.

Nurkin, used to the casual open-collar atmosphere at Israeli hospitals, immediately noticed that his American colleagues wore ties.

"While examining patients, they would lean over, and their neckties would swing onto the bedding or onto the patient. Often it got coughed on or came into contact with a variety of other things," said Nurkin, 27, a native of Brooklyn.

Although the doctors would wash their hands after treating patients, they would also fix their ties after drying off, potentially re-exposing them to well-known hospital bugs, Nurkin said. The fact that neckties are rarely washed adds to the potential risk, he said.

Nurkin examined 42 ties of doctors and clinical workers at the New York hospital and found that 20 of them — or 48 percent — carried at least one infectious microbe.

In comparison, he examined the ties of 10 security guards who don't come into direct contact with patients. Only one of the ties carried a disease-causing microorganism.

"A clinician's necktie provides little benefit to patient care," the study concludes. "This study brings into question whether wearing a necktie is in the best interest of our patients."

Nurkin said the study did not find direct evidence that ties can cause infections, but it showed the potential risk.

"The necktie is almost on the front lines of treating patients with infectious diseases," he said.

Nurkin, the lead author of the study, presented his research last week to a conference of the American Society of Microbiology in New Orleans.

However, Dr. James J. Rahal, director of the infectious disease section at New York Hospital Queens, cautioned against reading too much into the study.

He said there was no evidence that ties present any additional health risk, noting that all the bacteria found in the study were common and easily treated by antibiotics.

"These are not dangerous ties," he said. "These are not organisms we consider dangerous in the hospital. These were the organisms that are normally found in our environment."

Israel Steiner, a professor of neurobiology and expert in infections of the nervous system at Hebrew University, agreed that any additional risk by neckties is probably minimal. He said that doctors' clothes, medical equipment and jewelry are all exposed to germs.

"Basically, I don't think this adds to the risk of infections in hospitals," said Steiner, who conceded that he is one of the few Israeli physicians to wear a tie.



Steiner said a better study might have been a comparison of doctors' ties with other articles of clothing they wear. He said a good follow-up would be to ask a group of well-dressed doctors to work without ties for two weeks and see whether there was a change in the overall risk of infection.

Nurkin said the study was meant to raise awareness of a potential risk and help provide better quality care. Possible solutions for the problem include wearing bow ties or tie clasps, using disinfectant or even a "necktie prophylactic."

"We also can imitate the doctors in Israel, who rarely wear neckties," he said.

Israel Court to Army: Protect Palestinian Civilians 06.01.04 (5:01 pm)   [edit]
This is most excellent and important!!!
[line]
Mon May 31, 9:50 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's top court has told the army to safeguard "the lives and dignity" of Palestinian civilians in combat operations, a ruling welcomed on Monday by human-rights groups alarmed by the bloodiest Gaza raid in years.

Answering a petition by four rights groups over the army's sweep into the Rafah refugee camp, the Supreme Court said the military bore prime responsibility for civilians in areas it controlled and laid down specific humanitarian guidelines.

"When civilians enter a zone of combat...everything must be done in order to protect the dignity of the local civilian population," the court said in its ruling, issued on Sunday.

The army besieged Rafah for six days earlier this month, killing 42 Palestinians and leaving hundreds of people homeless after militants killed 13 soldiers in a string of ambushes.

Israel came under intense international criticism for its actions in Rafah, which the army said were aimed at finding and destroying arms-smuggling tunnels dug under homes.

Palestinians felt the raid was retaliation for the deadly ambushes on soldiers in troop carriers earlier in the month.

The court said the army was responsible for ensuring provision of food, water and medical supplies to the local population during such incursions and must take "all measures required" to ensure civilians' safety.

Such duties extended to the dead, the court said. It ordered the army to ensure a "dignified burial" for Palestinians killed -- an obligation it said the army had not met in Rafah.

Human-rights activists said they hoped the army would abide by the court's guidelines in future operations of the kind.

"Concerning the specific case of Rafah, it is too late," said Yoav Loeff, spokesman for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, a party to the case.

"We hope the army will learn from this ... The important part is that the court drew exactly what are the duties of army officers before and during an operation," he said.

Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said the army could best protect civilians by refraining from future raids into territories where Palestinians seek statehood.

"You cannot really ask for a clean military operation or a clean incursion," he said.

D'var Torah for Naso

06.01.04 (4:11 pm)   [edit]
Parshat Naso lists the commandment of confessing our sins as part of our Teshuva (repentance) (5:6-7). However, when the Rambam (Maimonides) lists the 613 commandments, this commandment of confession doesn't appear. Why isn't such a seemingly crucial commandment included, according to the Rambam?

Rabbi Twerski quotes the Nesivot Shalom, who explains that not confessing to a sin is in essence perpetuating the sin itself. It's wrong to assume that the act is already done, because if we don't regret it, we're continuously guilty of it. This understanding has far-reaching implications in our lives. If we ever did something wrong, it's not enough to just put it behind us and move on.

Rather, we must (1) confront our actions; or (2) decide if it was proper or not. If it wasn't proper, we need to (3) apologize for it, and (4) pledge to never do it again. Amazingly (but not surprisingly), this very formula works for business relationships, as well as personal relationships between family, friends and even with our inner selves.

When we learn to face and embrace our past, we will have learned to deal with our future!

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Jews for Judaism, established in 1985, has become the Jewish community's leading response to the multi-million dollar efforts of cults and evangelical Christians who target Jews for conversion.

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All About Zionism

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Words on Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism

Fight Antisemitism!

Stand 4 Israel On YOUR College Campus!

THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE!

NYCAT -- Counter Terrorism!

Fox News

Jihad Watch

The Arab Antisemitism Documentation Project

KolIsrael.com -- News Resources, including DebkaFile!

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee: America's Pro-Israel Lobby

Jewish World Review

Jewish Issues

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Dhimmi Watch

Palestinian Media Watch

MEMRI

Little Green Footballs

Jewish National Rights and the Road Map

Naked Republic--Conservative blogs

Homeland Security

Al Sharpton's AntiSemitism

American Jewish History Quiz!!!

Jewish Women's Archive

Am-Israel: Pro-Israel Discussion Group

FACTS of ISRAEL

ARABS FOR A FREE JEWISH STATE!

Jewish Virtual Library

In Moral Defense of Israel

Townhall.com

Republican Jewish Coalition

Nice Doggie

Written by Jeff Dunetz

Protocols!

Israel Forum

Irshad Manji: The Trouble With Islam

Victims of Palestinian Violence and Terrorism since September 2000

Terror Victim Funerals

Send Pizza to Israeli Soldiers!

Israeli Milirary Products: Israeli Army Surplus Store

American Red Magen David for Israel! Save lives in Israel!!!

Help Victims of Terror: NATAL

Israel in Crisis, Chabad in Action: Chabad's Terror Victims Project

Save Israel!

Tzedaka means "Charity." Open your heart.

54 Ways YOU Can Help Israel

Shop & Help Israel At The Same Time!

All4Israel.org

Google in Yiddish!

Jewish? Moving? Need a home in a Jewish Community? HemishHome will welcome you home!

F*** France!

The Meatrix

Need A T-Shirt To Express Yourself? TSHIRTHELL.COM!

The Earthquake Predictor

Satire Wire

The Cynic Test

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