Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A brief mixed bag this evening.

1. If It Bleeds, It Leads - Syria definitely qualifies under this header. My question is why Assad ultimately deserves any better fate than his pals Saddam, Osama and Khadaffi. While personally, I would not shed any tears if he took one in the noggin like Khadaffi or Osama, it would be better if he was tried by his own people and then faced a "short drop and a sudden stop" (to quote that leading intellectual Captain Jack Sparrow...).

Now it looks like the rats are jumping ship - there have been massive defections from the Syrian military and these defectors have attacked their former comrades. Here are a variety of links:

• The View from Inside the Syrian Crackdown : The New Yorker
• First Signs of Hope—and Civil War—in Syria - Max Fisher - International - The Atlantic
• Syrian army defectors hit intel complex - activists | Reuters
• Obama Must Help Facilitate Collapse of Assad Regime « Commentary Magazine
• Syrian Opposition Deepens Turkish Ties, Awaits Arab League Recognition
• Noose Tightens on Assad

2. Who Forgot To Buy The Anti-Virus Program? Moron......Iran claims defence computer systems hit by another 'supervirus' - Telegraph Also see - Iran: America’s Options - Jim Lacey - National Review Online

3. UNESCO - it's actually pronounced "hy-poc-ri-sy". Or "dou-ble stan-dards". You get the point:

• UNESCO: Israel Cartoon Showing Pilots Bombing Agency Endangers Lives
• UN Watch Briefing - UNESCO
• The Palestinization of UNESCO > Bat Ye'or
• The Associated Press: UNESCO reprimands Israel over newspaper cartoon

4. Hamas - I agree with this article - we have all simply misunderstood Hamas - I Was Wrong About Hamas (great sarcasm!!). On the topic of these bloodthirsty, racist, misogynistic, terrorist murderers - Hamas Representative Addresses Tunisian Political Rally : Tunisia Live. But maybe things will change soon - There's An Adult In Charge. And on a related topic - The Muslim Brotherhood Spring

5. Peace? - Not unless both sides talk to one another - Palestinians must come to the table - BostonHerald.com. Also see - gulfnews : PLO to drop land swap formula from talks

6. Israeli Arabs - Why Don't Israeli Arabs Have Better Representatives?

7. Also Under Siege - Michael Totten » The Christians of Egypt, Part I

8. Round, Round Get Around (I Get Around) - with apologies to The Beach Boys:

9. You Want Us To Apologize To You? France summons Israeli envoy over... JPost - Diplomacy & Politics - I thought the French wanted to apologize for Sarkozy's undiplomatic behavior last week. Also - double standard alert.

10. Oh Puh-lease - this foolishness follows the Remembrance Day foolishness noted as the last item in Monday's post - Citing safety, Toronto school takes brave stand against balls Full Comment National Post.

11. Odds and Sods - a variety of links:

• Our national-security amateur hour (well said)
• Canadian immigration: Adopting Canadian values should be a condition of being accepted into the country, poll suggests News National Post (good idea)
• Nothing gives you that 'right' (also well said)
• Art Restitution and Picasso: One Jewish Family's Battle with a Munich Museum - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
• Fighting For Their Lives | The Jewish Week
• Reading Isaac Babel in Criminal Odessa – Tablet Magazine
• Late to Shul, On Time for Kiddush – Forward.com
• Licensed to Kvell: The Return of Oy Oy Seven - JPost - Jewish World - Jewish Features

12. C'mon Man! - This is a segment on the lead-in to Monday Night Football where the various panelists focus on the crazy and stupid things that often happen in the NFL. This is a segment from the 2010 season that is absolutely hilarious (at least to me).