Saturday, October 31, 2009

Today is Halloween - not one of my favorite secular holidays because it tends (like so much else) to get overblown - see the very end of today's blog for more on this. For anyone not familiar with the event, one of its themes is scary stuff - ghost, goblins, skeletons and the like (though sometimes there are funny things - like these dog costumes).


If that is the case, then in the world today, every day is Halloween, because there is some very scary stuff indeed going on each and every day - especially regarding Iran. Below is a list, in no particular order, of some of the very scary things going on in today's world.

1. Scary Thing #1 - The Goldstone Report - like some sort of evil spirit, this will be hard to kill, even with garlic or a wooden spike....

2. Scary Thing #2 - Iran. 'Nuff said. Here are a variety of articles:

3. Scary Thing #3 - Crazy, Extreme, Ultra, Ultra, Ultra Orthodox Jews - and this is not a shot at all haredim (I have other issues with them, but I do not accuse tar them all with the brush of this article) - 'Woman who wouldn't walk on other side of street assaulted' | Israel Palestine-Gaza Conflict | Jerusalem Post

4. Scary Thing #4 - Hezbollah and Israel's northern border. Unhindered by UNIFIL and in clear contravention of Resolution 1701, Hezbollah has rearmed and then some. Now there is a rearmed crazy Iranian proxy organization sitting on Israel's northern border, with thousands of missiles and the ability and willingness to launch them at Israel's population centers. 'Every village in S. Lebanon has a Hizbullah arms depot' | Middle East Conflict


5. Scary Thing #5 - Hamas and Gaza - There is a crazy Iranian proxy organization sitting on Israel's Gaza border, with missiles and the ability and willingness to launch them at Israel's population centers.

6. Scary Thing #6 - Lousy Hasbara - Hasbara can be translated a variety of ways - I believe that its exact translation is "explanation", but it refers to propaganda, public relations, public diplomacy, advocacy - you get the idea. For a variety of reasons, Israel has always lagged behind its enemies in this area of combat. Though efforts are being made to narrow the hasbara gap, it is still a problem - American Thinker: Losing Israel.



7. Scary Thing #7 - The Useless Nations. When even Shimon Peres complains....Shimon Peres: We have no chance against UN built-in majority | Israel Palestine-Gaza Conflict | Jerusalem Post

8. Scary Thing #8 - Security At the Useless Nations Buildings in New York - Steven Edwards: Sneaking into the UN is finger-lickin' easy - Full Comment - this is actually scary funny - and the impostor (or even the dead Colonel Sanders) would probably make a good Secretary-General (or at least, not a worse one).


9. Scary Thing #9 - Hugo Chavez - Another leftist dictatorial thug who represses his own people and hates Jews - and who is loved by many of the left wing types - 'Chavez could stop anti-Semitic agitation, but won't' | Jewish News | Jerusalem Post



11. Scary Thing #11 - Arab Anti-Israelism - Peace lovers all - Report: Bahrain parliament outlaws contacts with Israel | Middle East Conflict

12. Scary Thing #12 - New Right Wing Nuts - Pajamas Media » Britain’s New Star on the Far, Far Right


13. Scary Thing #13 - CBC News - This column is doubly scary, since I think I actually agree with Rick Salutin on something - anything.



15. Scary Thing #15 - Radical Islamic Extremism - Islamist Extremism and the Murder of Daniel Pearl

16. Scary Thing #16 - The Threat of Assimilation - Straight-Talk About Assimilation: An Exchange – Forward.com


18. Scary Thing #18 - Blaming the Victim and Political Correctness - Toronto man charged for catching thief has day in court - The Globe and Mail


PS - on the subject of overdoing holidays - check out this letter to today's Halifax newspaper that sums up things quite well:

Never too early? - It is wonderful to see the Christmas decorations up on the utility poles in downtown Dartmouth before Remembrance Day, before Halloween, before the leaves have fallen, before the time change. I was starting to worry the lights wouldn’t be up for Christmas. It’s important to use as much energy as we can while it is still available. Gregg Yeadon, HRM

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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 2, 2009 at 3:57 PM

    The story about the woman who refused to cross the street was disrespectful and unnecessarily provocative. Her political views aside she ventured into a territory which has rules. Common sense should have prevailed because she knew where she was walking. She wasn't physically harmed but she was offensive, and clearly intolerant of his religious convictions. She therefore set him up knowingly, and thus acted like an "agent provocateur" . AS an authority I'd fine her for religious intolerance. A.S.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 2, 2009 at 4:01 PM

    Were you aware that Sean Penn, who has a Jewish father, actually supports Chavez?A.S.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 2, 2009 at 4:34 PM

    16. The article about Fear Of Assimilation is right on target and describes the Haligonian Jewish community to a tee. I am disgusted and appalled at the unwillingness of our own community to act in an inclusive manner. You Marc are from here and we are from away. The same recycled people sit on most committees and do things the same old way. Before we moved here we were warned that those "from away" are not accepted until their 20th year. It has been 14 years for us. I must tell you that I lived in Montreal,Quebec city, Basel -Switzerland, Paris-France, and we were welcomed in every place but here. I never met a colder more detached Jewish community. Does this hurt your feelings? This isn't about us being anti-social and this isn't just about how we feel or the failings of our interactions Most of us "from away" are treated like strangers. My sister lived in Hong Kong, Seoul -Korea, Beijing -China, and in Bangkok-Thailand and the Jews everywhere but here acted like an extended family. We have a single son who has no chance of meeting anyone Jewish here because making Jewish connections whether for dating or employment opportunities is non-existant here. Being Jewish and reaching out has never been a real priority, unlike other cities. Jewish activity is limited and exclusive to a select few. Inviting opinions outside of the "inner circle" is the way of life here and has never been high on the AJC list. There is something wrong with this picture. A.S.

    ReplyDelete

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