Turkish president answered my question!

Some time ago, after a fresh Turkish ultimatum to Syria, delivered by Mr Erdogan, where he demanded that Baby Assad stop the bloodshed in 10 to 15 days, I have asked:

Or what?

Yesterday, Mr Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, decided that 18 days that passed since are enough waiting for me and answered:

We are really very sad.

I think that being sad at Syria without prior notice is a cruel and unusual punishment that should be covered by some convention.

Yes, I've had sex with Rick Perry! And so have you - try to remember...

This is a public service, offered free of charge by this here blog and should be regarded as such.

Rumors about an interesting experiment in applied sociology reached yours truly today.

Robert Morrow, a conspiracy theorist who believes that George H.W. Bush was involved in the Kennedy assassination, bought a full-page ad in the Austin Chronicle (editor’s note: not related to the Houston Chronicle) this week inviting anyone to step forward to “publicize your direct dealings with a Christian-buzzwords-spouting, ‘family values’ hypocrite and fraud.”

Morrow is a Princeton-educated, self-employed investor in Austin who, as you might suspect, takes a dim view of the Texas governor’s presidential campaign.

As a person deeply uninvolved in internal US politics, I was, nevertheless, somewhat excited and even touched by this fresh approach, unrestrained by any norms of clinically acceptable behavior and, to tell the truth, looking like a source of some good clean fun.

The good Mr Morrow, though, limited his target audience:

“Are you a stripper, an escort, or just a ‘young hottie’ impressed by an arrogant, entitled governor of Texas?” the ad asks. Morrow said he’s confident that some women will step forward to discuss their alleged relationships with Perry (the fine print also invites gay men to step forward).

I have decided that we must go a step further: to apply to the sense of fair play of a much larger audience and to avoid possible lawsuits by ACLU.

To this end I have created a Facebook cause:

Fess up that you have had sex with Rick Perry

Every person, not matter what age, color, citizenship, occupation, education, culinary or sexual preferences is invited to sign up.

Let's fess up and start with a clean slate. And have some fun doing so!

Does British Labour need a new candidate for London Mayor?

And all these other rhetorical questions like the Pope pooping in the woods, Cinderella eating a pumpkin pie etc... Anyway, there is a good selection of references in that article in Engage.

The only detail I would like to draw your attention to is that quote from Red Ken:

It’s a simple choice between good and evil – I don’t think it’s been so clear since the great struggle between Churchill and Hitler.

This re his next year’s battle against Boris Johnson for Mayor.

I know that Red Ken isn't and will never be even a flea on the tail of Churchill's dog (if the old man had a dog - I'm not sure) and Red Ken knows it. But why does he want to imagine himself as the other one?

Beats me.

Ed Schultz against Rick Perry's racism: hilarious!

I only hope Jimmy Carter watched this and, if possible, learned something:

And you still think it's all about the borders and the settlements?

Check this out then:

It takes 20 seconds for Nabil Shaath, PLO's Head of Foreign Relations, to reveal the "secret" in an interview in Arabic to Lebanon's ANB TV, on 13 July, 2011

Yup. Yasser is long gone but the double-tongued manner is deeply rooted in Palestinian discourse. Compare with:

PA says tired of 'Israel's lies'

Pot... kettle...

Ron Paul 2012 and Paultards

This is a subject I always feel uneasy writing about. After all, discussing (and sometimes dissing) running US presidential candidates is an internal affair and should be restricted to the citizens involved.

That one is somewhat exceptional, so I reluctantly break my own rule. While my sympathies are with the libertarian cause, Ron Paul is taking the cause in the direction that (given he wins, which is, as far as my friends tell me, a low probability outcome) is sure to bring the country to its demise. And I am not talking about the small government/low taxes part, but about the isolationism he preaches.

Non-involvement in the outside world affairs may work - for a while. As it worked for Rome, Japan, China and other places that decided to put themselves in enforced isolation. But then the moment will inevitably come when the big bad wolf is already huffing and puffing at your door, and unfortunately you don't have firewood to boil the water. I am afraid that with Ron Paul at the helm that moment will come sooner rather than later, taking into account his exceptional lack of knowledge and understanding of the world outside USA and his monochrome "let's all be friends" mantra used to respond to any worrisome phenomenon in that world. Or his responses like "CIA Tells Me Iran Not Working on Nuclear Weapon". Naive? Trusting? Interesting how this most naive and trusting person will interpret something like this:

Today Zionists are completely surrounded by the Mujahedin of Islam and we advise them (Zionists) to return to the countries of their origin soon to save their lives.

Something a la Juan Cole, I wonder? By the way, the plans Mahmoud the Mad nurtures re United States are not very much different, but of course one can make allowances for sanity in this case, I guess.

But you know what: even Paul's attitude to Israel sometimes makes sense. I wouldn't reject this statement lightly:

I am not the only one who can see the absurdities of our foreign policy. We give $3 billion to Israel and $12 billion to her enemies. Most Americans know that makes no sense.

I have always been a fan of the idea that cutting this $3B umbilical cord that, in a way, is twisted around our necks, is a good deed, no matter that a few new holes will have to be made in our collective belt. Only, of course, it's not about the money as much as about the military purchases made with it. And I am quite certain that Mr Paul hasn't said all he thinks yet, hiding - among other things - his thoughts about these purchases. To be fair, here is a WND article by a lady who claims to be "a principled libertarian and an unapologetic Zionist" that tries to prove that Ron Paul is good for Israel. Could be. I strongly doubt it for some reason.

The other way to judge a man is to check who his friends are. Friends there are aplenty, and I am sure that many of them are nice, libertarian kind of hard-working people who (like I, by the way), would like to see less of the Big Brother, more of their own money and more say in what to do with their own lives. However, not all of Paul supporters are of that kind. And here comes the crunch: tell me who your friends are...

The tolerance Ron Paul displays of his anti-Zionist (if not outright antisemitic) supporters was already noted. So is his tolerance of openly antisemitic ones. Many of these characters appear on a site Daily Paul, which usually revs up at crucial election or primary times.  Then all kinds of odious "supporters" crawl out from the woodwork - the conspiracy freaks, members of this or another militia, the intrepid fighters against the New World Order, white supremacy knights etc. Among them, of course, your garden variety "anti-Zionists". Daily Paul takes care to allow Paul a step or two back from what is going on in its articles and, especially, comments.

Recently I've seen another shining example of a Ron Paul's supporter going all out in his "anti-Zionism". Somebody with a moniker James_Madison_Lives discloses a frightful Zionist propaganda conspiracy. Well, not really a conspiracy when its chief protagonists willingly tell all to anyone, but why not present it as something sinister and secret? What is interesting in this article is the support material used by the author. To start with, the plainly anti-Zionist Israeli Occupation Magazine. To continue: Counterpunch - as anti-Semitic as they come, with Jonathan Cooke, the British Palestinian. And to top that, one Greg Felton, charitably characterized by Terry Glavin as "Jew-obsessed, conspiracist, Hamas-praising, Ahmedinejad-admiring, medication-needing". More on Greg Felton, if you wish, but get your barf bags ready.

Just one example of many, and if you have a few hours to spend - especially if you feel that you lean toward voting for that man - visit the Daily Paul Liberty Forum. Then decide if you are going to join the company of these ladies and gentlemen. Or, if you want a shortcut, just check out the comments to one short piece. The reason I put so much stress on Daily Paul and its branches is simple: the place identifies itself with Paul (save that disclaimer) and I don't doubt that a phone call from Ron Paul would have changed the contents and the tone of that ridiculous site. Still year after year it consistently churns out all matter of sick bullshit and the telephone just doesn't ring...  so something isn't right there, and it's not just Daily Paul management.

Yes, all that besides the esteemed candidate himself rejecting the evolution theory and nurturing conspiracy theories instead. 

So - you decide.

Thanks to Judeopundit for some background material.

Steinitz to Histadrut: If you want to talk, let's talk

Well, it's one way to do it.

On the other hand...

Scott D’Amboise or how to get high while running for Senate

Introductory afterword

This really should have been an afterword, but I had to put it in the beginning, otherwise the meaning of all these footnotes will be lost on the reader. You see, my dear reader, while writing this post I have been high*, that without ingesting or inhaling any mind-altering substances. The cause of my exalted state shall be explained later, in the body of that post. But, while re-reading the post, I have discovered that several statements in it require a footnote. So there.

(*) After yet more R and R, I see that there is a need to correct that. I wasn't really high, rather somewhat elevated. Compared to the main protagonist, Mr D’Amboise and the man who caused his high, I was on a relatively low level.

Main part

You may remember a run-in that Andrew Ian Dodge (AID), a candidate for senate from Main, had with one Steve Martin (SM) - not the comedian. SM, being a man of strict principles (but so many of them that he gets confused trying to stick to) and impeccable moral position (which he lost in the Maine woods and can't find since), "outed" AID as: Libertarian, libertine, closet Marxist-Leninist, non-citizen, Wiccan warlock, sexual deviant, barfly, lounge lizard, running lackey dog of the world government - all that simultaneously (1). If we add to this list hard rock, writing and other AID's favorite occupations, the list as a whole certainly witnesses a stellar activity level and a unique variety of talents.

I have been looking lately at SM, being interested in the life according to this, definitely unorthodox and turbulent person. Life according to SM is a deadly maze of conspiracies, starting with the main one: the "bankers" (if you are with it, you know who is meant):

The "system" isn't broken. We just don't use it anymore. We've allowed our Constitutional Republic to be taken over by a corporate criminal syndicate, working at the behest of the Rockefellers and the oilogarchy that they control.

If I were a scion of Rothschild family, I would be insulted by this modification of the ancient formula, but let's leave this alone for now.  SM, of course is also concerned about the black helicopters of the world government (It is certain that he suspects AID of being able to fly one of these, although he didn't mention it publicly - add another one to the list of AID's talents).

Other complementary beliefs SM holds dear:

On the 9/11 terrorist attacks: The official story is a “fairy tale,” perpetrated by “the obvious winners of 9/11: the globalists, people who want to form a world government.” (3/15/2011) “Al-Qaeda is a CIA creation.” (11/1/2010)

On Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: “He’s going to be on the ark when the flood comes. He’s a bought and paid for new world order stooge, just like the ones at the U.N., just like the ones inside the beltway. And he definitely knows. You don’t get that high without knowing.” (10/4/2010)

         (Emphasis mine - getting high is a key point in this post)

On Aroostook Watchmen’s role in the media: “Really the point that we’re trying to make with this program is that there truly is a cosmic struggle between good and evil and we’re merely pointing out to you how that struggle is playing out locally and in America. The conspiracy that is seeking to bring down this nation, because it was the only nation founded on Christian values, through and through, is the Devil’s conspiracy.” (12/15/2010)

Indeed - you don’t get that high without knowing. Or vice versa, both versions are applicable where SM is concerned, I hope you understand it by now.

SM belongs to a group of folks (grass-root all, but on what grass do they grow and thrive(2)?) that calls itself Aroostook Watchmen and ask the ominous question:

If you are willing to die for your country are you willing to kill for it(3)? It is easy to die but it is a very different thing to fight for the preservation of our country and sad to say there may be a time when you will have to kill to save our country.

Sad to say? The author of this text sounds rather willing and even kind of happy to me(4). Meanwhile, before all that dying and killing starts, Aroostook Watchmen try to make the best of it, sponsoring some strange products, such as (but not limited to):

Ganoderma Healthy Coffee - Healthy Coffee For LifeTM. This coffee contains Ganoderma Lucidum (Red Mushroom)... oops, this could be it! I shall certainly order some, to get to that highest level of awareness.

OXYSILVER™ pioneers a new class of mineral waters (sic!). Must be good after (or during) partaking of the Ganoderma Healthy Coffee, I guess.

ZeroPoint Red NaturaLaser Pointer. This one is special for me, since it is supported by extra-strong scientific evidence: "...light has been shown to be one of the most efficient conduits of energy ever harnessed. It’s why fiber optic wire was chosen for the world’s most critical communications platforms, sending pulses of information-laden light around the world in milliseconds." Mmm... not clear where one should stick that pointer before activating it, but I gather it's good against every malady.

And more, but let's not take over the lucrative business of sponsoring. I just thought it is worth mentioning. After all, good old snake oil wouldn't feed you indefinitely these days, good and old as it may be.

His self-defined goal is:

Educating the people of Maine about the threat of world government as represented by the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderburg Group, and the Council on Foreign Relations and the close ties between our two Democratic senators and these treasonous groups.

Yes, SM is aiming high, but then we have established to our satisfaction that he is flying high. High as kite doesn't even start to describe it - he is somewhere close to the Moon (Luna may be the more suitable term in this case, I suggest) (6). My exploration of his teachings got me only slightly elevated (6), and even this was enough of a revelation to me. A few days after this event I still have mercifully short but still powerful relapses - thus I am trying not to blink, so don't get spooked if you see me this side of 2011.

While being negative about AID challenging the incumbent Maine senator Olympia Snowe, SM is supporting  another candidate: one Scott D’Amboise (SDA). The good SDA's fate was a sad example of SM's mind-altering influence. Probably starting like I, with perusing SM's body of work, SDA proceeded next to phone conversations with SM (bad mistake), sliding further down the chute. And then the inevitable happened, and SDA started his fateful descent(7) into the SM's world. Whether SM did use some mind-altering mushrooms (the Ganoderma coffee, I wonder?) on SDA, or was SDA affectedby something similar to secondary smoking, I wouldn't even try to guess. The fact is, SDA has definitely reached the altitude where SM resides more or less permanently:

Martin: Right now, of course, everything’s mandatory and you have all of this false pursuit of people for political reasons. You have the IRS ‘siced’ on people for political reasons.

D’Amboise: Right.

Martin: We could talk about our good friend Eric Hoven who went to jail because he was so good at exposing the fallacies of the evolutionists.

D’Amboise: Right.

Martin: Well, the vice chairman who served with him, a guy named Kaufman, has now come out as a queer and joined the Democrats, so that should tell you something about where the Republican Party has been recently.

D’Amboise: Exactly, exactly.

Martin: I’ve had people like best-selling author John Perkins come on the show here recently telling me that there’s probably only, Scott, 6,000 total in the so-called Anglo-American elite and they call the shots for the other 6 billion people on the planet.

D’Amboise: They do, they do. And it’s sad that we’ve allowed it to get to that situation.

I suspect that if at this stage of the discussion SM had postulated that the Earth is flat (which it is, as any straight-minded person would agree), SDA would have readily agreed to this, such tremendous was the altitude he reached. Of course, later he disavowed all that, probably in a rare moment of lucidity, but is there a way  back to the pedestrian level for him now? I seriously doubt it, and my doubts are based on additional reports.

The most prominent Republican challenging Olympia Snowe in the Senate GOP primary in Maine says President Obama is “exercising a lot of Muslim faith” and doesn’t believe he is a Christian.

Or this:

It isn’t about the birth, it’s about the birth certificate, and whether they can prove it or not, I think we can take our energy and use it in different areas of trying to get this country back.

(Is there such thing as a half-birther, I wonder? After all, there are halfwits.) Anyhow, I fear that the brain damage caused by the mysterious influence of SM and his Aroostook Watchers to be irreparable. 

But of course, if you are into illogical, impulsive and senseless acts of charity, you can still vote for him, you know... it's a democracy, after all.

You can also join the fine Aroostook Watchmen and go with them out there to the forests of Maine, wearing the camo, drinking Ganoderma Healthy Coffee and OXYSILVER™ mineral waters (at the same time), lighting your way in the darkness by the famous ZeroPoint Red NaturaLaser Pointer (unless you have it stuck elsewhere for medicinal purposes) and watching out for azure, baby pink and green lobsters hiding up there in the crowns of the trees(8).

And the best of luck to you.

Yeah, them footnotes

(1) Only after penning this old post, I have found out that SM also added another facet of AID's busy life: "British socialist". This is a real heavy hit, there is only one more severe accusation one may level at a person, that of British... no, I can't do it here.
(2) I am asking this question because all kinds of mind-altering substances are associated in my mind with hot and humid climates, such as these of South America with all these jungles and stuff. Maine doesn't look to me as a place where one will go to get some interesting looking/tasting mushrooms and what not(5). Unless, of course, it's all about Ganoderma Healthy Coffee.
(3) People, when they are high, should generally avoid carrying and,especially, using arms. It may be hazardous for their health, I suggest.
(4) While re-reading this I have asked myself: how come that people who are that high and, as it goes with people who got to this level of high, should be exceedingly mellow, so how come that the Aroostook Watchmen sound so militant. I understand that militia members should be tough, non-nonsense and overall manly, but...
(5) But maybe Aroostook Watchmen found some other new recipe, like grounding and smoking the lobster carapaces? Or pine cones?
(6) In the hindsight I recognize this point in my reading of SM's website as one where my state of mind was altered. I definitely remember the moment when my, usually flat and two-dimensional screen, opened for me to get a glimpse of the horrors waiting in another dimension, like Bilderburg gang (not to be confused with Bilderberg one), Spaghetti Monster, ZioMasonic reptilians and much, much more.
(7) Surely you understand that "descent" is a totally wrong word for the powerful experience of getting high in the company of such an uplifting personality as SM. Apologies for using that cliche.
(8) It is obvious by now that I am still experiencing  flashbacks. Potent stuff, that...

BDS and the unbearable lightness of lawmaking

To avoid unnecessary explanations later: this here blog has no time for the BDS creepy-crawly activists. However, saying this, I have to add that this here blog doesn't have any time for tsunamis, bubonic plague, droughts and many other wonders of nature as well. It will be safe to guess that most of the citizens share most of the above mentioned sentiments.

But what I don't understand and even take an exception to is the steadily increasing tendency of our lawmakers (or Knesset in other words) to cope with any phenomenon that is not to their liking by promoting a law that will forbid it. Such was the fate of the infamous BDS.

The bill makes publicly calling for a boycott that could harm Israel “economically, culturally or academically” a civil violation, which may carry a fine.

Additionally, anyone who calls for a boycott can be rejected from working for the state, and an organization that boycotts the state may not be considered a public institution for purposes of receiving state funding or tax breaks.

Do you get it? BDS, a campaign upheld by all kinds of foreign folks and causing some minor economic harm and heartburn, is outlawed now. In Israel itself, of all places. Unless, of course, our Knesset, in its infinite wisdom, has found a way to fine Naomi Klein (to take one example) and/or deny her some tax breaks.

Yes, there are some local supporters of BDS, unfortunately. These ones, however, aside of some vague and vacuous noise, don't really divest and sanction - producing only noise. As do many of the esteemed MKs. Noise of that kind, let's be frank with ourselves, no matter how annoying, is usually protected in all self-respecting democratic countries. Freedom of speech they call it, and I am not going now to delve into the murky waters of legal definition of speech. Or freedom, for that matter.

Apparently our MKs, when they are annoyed, tend to forget the little and inconsequential detail which is that word "democratic". Zealots tend to do it from time to time. I only hope that, as it inevitably happens with such idiotic attempts of gutsy lawmaking, this law will be stricken by the High Court of Justice as well. And that with passage of time we'll be able to forget the embarrassing situation.

Now about the wonders of nature to outlaw: what is your opinion about mosquitoes? This year the freaking monsters are really ruining my life, encroaching on many of my civil rights. So why not...

P.S. To give you  a sense of proportion: some of the lawmakers behind the bill consider Glenn Beck to be a softie and leftie. So there.

Danny Seaman is out, but...

Yes, the The Government Press Office (GPO) got a new chief last September: Oren Helman, a former political adviser to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu who most recently worked for a lobbying firm. Whatever, you would say, nothing could possibly be worse than the ex-chief, Danny Seaman. While the appointment of Mr Helman caused some waves in the media, as could be gathered from the linked above JP article, subsequent press on the man was much more positive. I quietly hoped that the whole GPO business could be considered closed and forgotten.

Apparently not:

Israel's Government Press Office issued a letter Sunday to foreign journalists, warning them that participating in the upcoming flotilla sailing to Gaza is illegal under Israeli law, and could result in anyone who joins the convoy being barred from Israel for up to 10 years.

The letter, signed by GPO director Oren Helman, states that the flotilla "is a dangerous provocation that is being organized by western and Islamic extremist elements to aid Hamas."

So, after all the spirit of Danny Seaman is still strong in GPO office, ain't it? Punishing reporters for doing their job is a typical Seaman's act, making GPO and, by extension, Israel, an easy target for "sympathetic" foreign press. Here is an example from The Guardian. Enjoy.

But, on the other hand, we have a quick reversal of the idea.

The Israeli government has dropped threats to deport foreign journalists and to impose a 10-year ban on those journalists traveling to Gaza on an activist flotilla, said a statement from the prime minister's office Monday.

So it very well could be that Oren Helman was made a victim of another trial balloon sent out by Bibi, his chief (GPO reports directly to PM), who is past master of zigging and zagging depending on the press he gets.

No matter who was pulling the ropes, it still stinks to high heaven.

South Sudan: where Jimmy Carter treads

The strife in Southern Sudan reaches new peak:

As many as 40,000 people may have fled fighting in Sudan's South Kordofan state, the UN has said.

"Of the Kadugli population, estimated at 60,000, between 30,000 to 40,000 people are now believed to have fled the town," Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

Another 100,000 people, most of them ethnically southern Dinka Ngok farmers, have fled to the south from the contested Abyei border region nearby since it was overrun by northern troops on May 21, according to UN estimates.

So, in the midst of the war, who is going to remember the prophetic (as usual) words:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, meanwhile, said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir told him that Southern Sudan should not have to shoulder Sudan's debt should it secede from the county. The question of how to split Sudan's debt is one of several issues that would have to be resolved if the south votes for independence, as is widely expected.

The man is really casting a deathly shadow on all the places he visits.

Putin vs. E. coli: 0:1

As it is reported:

The European Union has told Russia that the ban contradicts the spirit of the World Trade Organization. But Putin retorted, "We can't poison our people for the sake of some spirit."

Not strictly true, Vladimir Vladimirovich - there is one such spirit, at least:

 Right?

Another smoking ban: Big Brother strikes again

After resolving all other Israel's problems, our lawmakers took a deep breath and decided to polish off the last remaining issue: smoking.

The new regulations approved by the cabinet on Sunday include a ban on smoking at train and bus station platforms, as well as limitingsmoking areas in restaurants to 15 square meters.

Right. I have been smoking for more years than I care to report here. I've never been an aggressive smoker, avoiding lighting up near non-smokers, kids etc and certainly trying to accommodate anyone who asked me not to smoke - even in places that allow this pastime. Moreover, I am aware of the need to reduce or eliminate this unhealthy habit where our kids are concerned and I agree that much remains to be done.

However, the senseless* passion for heavy handed and illogical (hysterical, if you will) attacks on the smoking via idiotic legislation, esp. attempts to prevent smoking in open air, pisses me off. Anyone who claims that his/her health is endangered by someone smoking ten or twenty meters away is already a good candidate for a health check. At least where her/his mental health is concerned.

And what will be the contribution of a ban on automated cigarette machines to cleanliness of our air? Yes, sure, it will prevent kids from getting their grubby paws on cigarettes. Makes one suspect that our legislators never passed through that, normally inescapable stage of human development...

Apparently the saying that "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" is applicable to our Knesset, whose main tool is legislature. But of course, there is another habit, which is blindly following most of the health-related (but not only health-related) measures undertaken by the Big Satan.

So, I guess, the next step will be to enact a law, sheer idiocy of which is beyond a mere human's ability to grasp:

New smoking laws will take effect in New York City Monday, prohibiting smokers from lighting up in certain public places. Come Monday the city’s sweeping ban kicks in at parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas, like in Times Square.

Oh what the heck, it's their problem. But mind you, it will be coming here soon if we don't do anything about it. The penchant of the people we choose for governing our food, our drinks, our smoking should be stopped before it spreads further in all its well-intentioned nincompoopery.

(*) I call this passion senseless, but it's true only from a citizen's point of view. If you look at the politicos, for them the good fight against smoking provides an easy target, zero resistance and exposure. What better to hide one's impotence in the issues that really matter?

P.S. Another example of stupid legislative activism: an amazing law (by Jameel @ The Muqata):

On January 31, 2005, the Knesset enacted a law that forbids the use of mobile phones in gas stations, with a whopping fine of NIS 12000 ($3260) for the criminals who dare to flagrantly endanger public safety.

More about this.

Bi Bi Pro Americano

Aw, so cool... enjoy!



And, of course, thanks to Noy Alooshe.

Mahmoud the Mad's real problem and it's solution

Haaretz on-line edition goes out of its way today to promote a news item of, frankly, doubtful value. Using a huge font size for the purpose. Something like this:

Ahmadinejad: U.S. plotting to sow divisions among Arab states and save Israel

They have also decided to add Mahmoud's picture of better than usual quality:

And do you know what this picture brought to my, admittedly skewed, mind of the Elder? Not the US, nor the Arab states and not even Israel. Even plotting would be a wrong answer. Here is what went through my mind:

Fights dandruff from the 1st wash; With 2% selenium sulfide to help prevent itching, scaling, irritation, and redness associated with dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Clean, Manageable Hair Everyday: Keeps hair clean and manageable; Gentle and pH balanced for everyday use - even on permed or color-treated hair.

To be helpful, I linked to Google Shopping. Of course, the S and H could be stiff, but if you order the stuff by crates, which seems to be indicated, I think it will even out in the end.

Take care, Mahmoud, and mind all that itching and irritation...

More here (NSFW).

Dominique Strauss-Kahn: two versions of the story

The official (NYPD) one:

The head of the International Monetary Fund was arrested early Sunday in connection with an alleged sexual assault of a New York hotel housekeeping employee, police said.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 62, has been charged with criminal sexual act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment, his attorney Benjamin Brafman said in an e-mail early Sunday....

Hours earlier, Browne said, Strauss-Kahn emerged naked when the 32-year-old hotel employee entered his room to clean it around 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sofitel hotel.

The other one, as heard on the radio today, has a conspiracy theory aftertaste: according to it, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, if he decided to run for the post of president of France, is the only person who can possibly dislodge Sarkozy from the throne. Thus the housekeeping employee was sent to the hotel suite to incriminate the gentleman... does it sound as far-fetched to you as it does to me?

Whatever the story, there must be a law somewhere that you don't enter a room with a naked Frenchman* in it, if you are a person of female persuasion. And if there ain't a law like that yet, it must be invented.

(*) Even one of Jewish origins. It is in the water** they drink there. 

(**) Evian? There must be something special in it if you pay a buck per bottle.

Bibi: not anyone's darling anymore

The last time that the skies smiled at Binyamin Netanyahu was, probably, when Shimon Peres asked him to form the next government, after Tzipi Livni had despaired of her chances to win the support of the Knesset majority.

Since that day it all went downhill for him. Overtaken by the events, outmaneuvered on the right and (less) on the left by his frisky coalition partners, Bibi seems to be continuously surprised by what is happening in the world in general and in the Middle East in particular. Since his Bar Ilan speech, where Bibi announced his support for two state solution, which in fact wasn't the first time for an Israeli leader (Sharon has already done it) and was made under pressure coming loud and clear from the White House, Bibi is drifting with the flow of the current events, all his moves no more than feeble responses to the outside irritants.

So far the Palestinian leadership appears to be much more adept and sophisticated in manipulating the world's public opinion as well as in gaining the all around political and diplomatic support. The growing number of the governments that recognized the Palestinian state is the best indication of the failure of Bibi's "wait and respond" behavior.

The latest development, namely the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas has done an excellent job of magnifying the folly of the "reactive management" displayed by Bibi during his term in the office. Overexcited by the revolts in the neighboring Arab states, enamored by the opportunity to prove to the world that there is no way to make and to support peace with our neighbors, Bibi and his men totally missed an event that will bedevil them for months to come. So far this event was a total failure of Israeli government - both on the intelligence and the political fronts.

Of course, Bibi's first automatic response was to slam the Ramallah's leaders for signing the agreement with the Gazan terrorists. There was nothing wrong in what he's said, by the way, and all of his righteous indignation is to the point. The only problem is that the point, as many other points Bibi is carrying in his ample storage of speeches, failed to impress anyone, not being of interest at this stage. Unfortunately, Bibi's mastery of English and penetrating look cannot make up for the fact that he is playing catchup with the events in the surrounding world and eating dust obligingly raised for him by his enemies.

So what was Bibi's next step? He loads a planefull of journalists, staff and Sarah (but of course) and takes off for Paris and London to persuade Sarkozy and Cameron that they should reject the newly found(ed) Hamas-Fatah unity on the spot:

He believes the unity agreement between the Western-backed Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and the militant Islamic movement which rules Gaza should set international alarm bells ringing.

Expectations of the experts weren't too optimistic:

When Netanyahu puts his case to British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday and to French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday, analysts expect his hosts to listen politely but reserve immediate judgment.

"They have a lot on their plate in any case with regard to Libya and with regard to Syria," said Jonathan Spyer, research fellow in international relations at the Interdisciplinary Centre near Tel Aviv.

But even this, fairly reserved prediction was too optimistic. Both Sarkozy and Cameron told Bibi, in no uncertain terms, what his two remaining options are: to restart the peace negotiations with Palestinians ASAP or to watch France and Britain voting for recognition of Palestinian state in September. And there are multiple signs that US, the only remaining staunch supporter of Israel, might possibly decide to do the same. While not a face slap (yet), the reaction in Paris and London is at least an equivalent of a cup of hot coffee spilled (accidentally and diplomatically, of course) in one's lap.

Colloquial English and sincere look into the heart of TV camera just don't cut it anymore, even when the speaker is truthful - for a change. It appears that there is such thing as outdated truth, no longer relevant or interesting to the listeners. Caroline Glick may laud Bibi's stance on Hamas-Fatah rapprochement as much as she likes, but the point is that she (like Bibi) is missing the point. Which is that Bibi is barking up a wrong tree. The possum has run away a long time ago, and it will be of benefit to everyone concerned to find where it is hiding now.

Nor does our internal opposition do much better. Tzipi Livni, who woke up again for a short while from her parliamentary slumber, puts her hopes on the altar of new elections, which no one in the coalition needs or wants, meaning that the chances of such elections being called are nil. Not that the elections, even if by some miracle allowed to happen, are going to change the political map of the Knesset. What is Ms Livni trying to achieve with this pathetic idea is unclear.

Meanwhile the above mentioned possum is moving again. In order to increase the European community warm and fuzzy feeling re the rapprochement, Hamas chieftains, not being stupid at all, are making overtures that sound exactly like what Europeans want to hear:

Head of Hamas politburo says in Wall Street Journal interview that nature of struggle against Israel to be determined by Palestinian consensus. Fatah official: Hamas willing to adopt nonviolent resistance.

Of course, anyone who believes this is a fool, as we have learned to our expense. But is anyone who wants to hear this a fool as well? I doubt it. Of course, our establishment has already produced a standard response:

"We don't buy that. (Mashaal's) actions prove otherwise and Hamas's charter clearly calls for the destruction of Israel and all-out jihad," said the official.

But other people, while not buying it, like what the possum has to offer, even if the offering is somewhat smelly:

White House officials told the Wall Street Journal that Washington is studying Mashaal's comments. The officials stressed that the US is willing to involve Hamas in the Middle East peace process on condition that it renounces violence and recognizes the State of Israel.

And Europeans went a long step farther than Washington:

The European Union agrees to provide extra money to cover the salaries of essential workers and support families in need; move comes after Israel blocked transfer of 105 million dollars in tax funds to PA due to Hamas-Fatah reconciliation.

This came as close to a slap in the face as humanly possible...

Bibi's stock is as low as it ever was, save the final days/weeks of his previous term in the office. Granted, his coalition is pretty stable with no one challenging his rule and every coalition member holding tight to his/her chair. But, as far as the international agenda and international support are concerned, Bibi is at the rock bottom. And no oysters there, not to mention kosher fishes.

So what will he do to resolve the conundrum or, at least, make it go away for a while? Just as a coincidence, the appearance of the former Mossad chief, Meir Dagan, where he says that Israeli airstrike on Iran nuclear installations could be the "stupidest thing I have ever heard", made me wondering.

What if? Could it be that...

Nah...

Disraeli, move over, Bibi is coming. And more about some women.

As they say, behind every successful man there is a clever woman. While "successful" would be stretching the reality a bit, Bibi is our PM, there is no denying it. However, Dr. Orit Galili, Bibi's adviser, surely exaggerated somewhat saying:

Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu were like Benjamin and Mary Anne Disraeli, noting that the 19th-century British prime minister’s wife helped him edit his books and speeches.

Bibi surely is not Disraeli and I doubt he will ever qualify for such comparison. But I guess, being Bibi's adviser, Ms Galili, just as Bibi's spouse, would like to be a part of something great. Well, duh...

As an aside: I personally don't have any problems with Sara helping out her hubby with some speeches. Anything is better than seeing and hearing Bibi pathetically repeating his "we'll bring the supertanker to solve [substitute here the current problem]" or supporting his vaporous ideas by intricate hand movements. Please be more involved, Sara, it may do some good yet, who knows?

On the other hand, being Bibi's adviser should, I guess, go together with some highly developed sense of discretion. After all, the fact that Sara is doing some of Bibi's homework was supposed to be one of the better kept state secrets:

“It was astounding. Ms. Galili came and ruined a strategy we used for years,” one close Netanyahu associate told Haaretz. “What are we going to do now, say that we lied every time we said she doesn’t intervene?”

Off hand, I would say yes: when you are caught with your pants down, you can blame the manufacturer of your suspenders (or your belt), but your pants are still down, so...

So, four clever women involved in that single story: Ms Disraeli, Ms Netanyahu, Ms Galili and Ms Mualem, who penned this Haaretz article. Good.

And now to something completely different: Aussie Dave, aka Israellycool, has written about Lauren Booth’s Latest Libel. While this post shows Ms Booth for what she is indeed, Dave has omitted one major characteristic of Ms Booth, namely her stupidity. It is not that she doesn't fit these other characteristics in Dave's post, but stupidity is really a great part of her journalistic (at least) body of work. I sometimes wonder whether the famous "Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence" attributed to Napoleon, shouldn't apply to the lady in question. Of course, it's not that Ms Booth lacks malice, far from being so, but her incompetence (or, better, imbecility) is staggering (another reminder).

Much as I hate to say it: yes, she is a blonde under her recently acquired new garb...

I should clarify here: Lauren Booth wasn't the first to accuse the accursed Zionists of Arrigoni and Mer murders. She, however, was the most verbose and the most vituperative of the celebs on the Zionist case in this matter. Of course, she is considered a kind of celeb only due to her brother in law, but still...

And what do you know: Ms Booth is not alone out there in the stupid celebs ecological niche. Here comes one Inge Höger, German MP of something called "Left party":

The Left party by itself is worth a gander, but apparently Ms Höger is somewhat exceptional even in that team. This time she wasn't very inventive, adopting some quotes from Ms Booth's body of work:

The question one must pose is: Who profits from this terrible crime? First of all, now two of the activists most ‘dangerous’ for Israel, because they were the most engaged, wellknown and noted, are eliminated. The murders of Vittorio and Juliano could also be a means of dealing a serious blow to the international solidarity movement – especially given the upcoming second flotilla and the fact that international activists still won’t let themselves be prevented from going to Palestine.

Not very original, what after all the links above, but being a political figure, she doesn't have to be. As for German daily Die Welt calling Höger a “flawless anti-Semite”: I really wouldn't know, it may be going one step too far. Besides, isn't “flawless anti-Semite” an oxymoron? Like "flawless pimple" or "beautiful turd"?

You tell me. In conclusion: we have four women in the first part of this story and two in the second. I shall stick with the first group, not that there is a choice... oh well.

Ehud MuBarak must go. Now.

Not because it turns out that, in terms of Middle East peace, he finished the job that Yigal Amir started. Not because he's unrepentantly clueless, boastfully devious, pathologically incapable of human interaction. Not because, if an election were held today, a grand total of four Israelis might – might - vote for him, and only because they, Orit Noked, Einat Wilf, Vilnai and Shalom Simhon, wouldn't trust him not to dismantle the ballot-box lock to check to see if they, in fact, had done what they promised.

I am not in tune with Bradly Burston sometimes. This time, however, I'm ready to sign under every word in this piece.

Christianity: is it Western or what?

According to Vatican Radio, there was a powwow with the diplomats in Rome, where "Pope Benedict spoke about religious freedom, and lamented the violence against Christians in many Muslim countries." Of course, a wily Brit (who else) had him an idea about how to sweeten the pill in discourse on Christianity with all kinds of Eastern heathens. Here is the gist of Mr Bedford's (or is it The Hon. Ambassador, the heck I know...) idea:

He added there Is a danger in presenting Christianity as too closely associated with the West. “That could, if the West took the concept of Christianity under its umbrella, provide a reason for extremists to continue to divide those societies…we would seek to avoid that, if possible,” he said.

I wanted to help and had me an even better idea: why not blame the Jooz Zionists in all that Christianity brouhaha? Firstly it's true; secondly, the interested party will accept it wholeheartedly, what with their blaming the Jooz habitually; and lastly, it will point them heathens in the right direction, if and when, you know...

Oh, and of course, them Zionists are not in the West, which helps a lot too.

Feel free, folks.

Hat tip: Blazing Cat Fur.