Saturday, September 5, 2009 - Motzei Shabbat

1. Wow, Here's a Switch - Someone please call the United Church - CAMERA: ELCA Rejects Extremism, Expresses Concern for Both Palestinians and Israelis.


2. TIFF tiff - sorry, could not resist - but that's all that is amusing about this. A group of self-righteous morons (the list includes some of the usual suspects - Jane Fonda, Naomi Klein and Judy Rebick. It also includes Danny Glover - who I used to like but who must have spent too much time with the idiot Mel Gibson making those Lethal Weapon movies - and Wallace Shawn - the Vizzini character from the Princess Bride, as well as a smattering of Israeli and Palestinian artists and others) are at it again - Film fest's focus on Israel 'propaganda,' artists say - The Globe and Mail. Here's a good suggestion - Mideast reality tour offered to filmmaker. Also see Charles Lewis: Boycotting the Israel boycotters - Full Comment and Ostracizing Israel.


3. Maybe The TIFF Boycotters Should Talk to Madonna - I am far from a Madonna fan, but I will give her credit for staying with the kabbalah thing and for her tour stop in Israel. The enlightened Madonna | Jewish Features | Jerusalem Post






7. A Business Deal? - Please.....UK minister: Oil deal considered in Lockerbie release - CNN.com. Maybe FM Straw and PM Brown should get their act together.

8. An Arrogant, Misguided SOB - Pajamas Media » Pat Buchanan: Knave and Fool.


9. The Idiot Continues - Chavez: Israeli government is 'genocidal' | International | Jerusalem Post - we can expect this type of trash at every stop on his Mideast Thuggery and Dictatorship Tour - oh, and we can expect no condemnation.....











18. Beatles Rock Band Commercial - very cool -

Friday, September 4, 2009

1. A Lesson for Today? - The Road to World War II: How Appeasement Failed to Stop Hitler - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International


2. A Holocaust Expert? - Are you kidding me - Spanish newspaper to publish David Irving interview - Telegraph - maybe the editors of the paper should read "History on Trial" about the Deborah Lipstadt/David Irving libel trial or "Telling Lies About Hitler" by Richard J. Evans to see what kind of "expert" David Irving really is.


Professor Evans was the prime historical expert witness for Ms. Lipstadt, and his testimony absolutely tore Irving apart. If you have the time, you should read the recent trilogy about Nazi Germany that Professor Evans just published - absolutely riveting reading.



3. I Don't Even Know What to Say About This - Pictured: Hitler playing chess with Lenin - Telegraph. If this is a true story, then just think how much misery could have been avoided with two simple gunshots.

4. Oh, I Cannot Wait For This Report - I'm sure this will be a shining example of transparency, impartiality, model evidentiary procedures and the like - PA to probe 'IDF organ harvesting' - Israel News, Ynetnews - if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you, cheap....



6. Speaking of The Good Colonel (Khaddafi, not Sanders) - ANSAmed. (the following picture may have been doctored):


7. Tell "Scotland the Compassionate" About This - Former 'Manson family' member denied parole - CNN.com - I have less than no compassion for this sorry excuse for a "human being" - I don't care how sick she is, I don't care what a good prisoner she was - she is lucky not to have been executed - I hope she dies a slow agonizing death in prison and as every second passes, is haunted to the point of madness by images of Sharon Tate - have I been clear enough on this point?



9. Canadian Human Rights Commission Update - Hate speech law unconstitutional: rights tribunal. The National Post likes the decision - National Post editorial board: End the human rights witch hunts for good - Full Comment, but the Canadian Jewish Congress does not - CJC - Canadian Jewish Congress.

10. "It's Nice to Be Nice to the Nice" - but come on - I'm sorry, the President is over the top on this one - President Obama praises US Muslims in Ramadan meal | International | Jerusalem Post. By the way, speaking of Muhammad Ali - a justifiably famous and courageous person - here is an interesting story that sheds light on his real roots - and they aren't in the Middle East.

11. Cool Story, Ha Ha - Celebrating Shabbat With the Frozen Chosen – Forward.com. Can they see Russia from their houses?

12. Pavlov's Baby? For NCAA College Football fans out there (like me!), you are probably aware of the current problems being experienced by one of the game's traditional powerhouses - The University of Michigan. The problems may be very deeply rooted - see what happens every time this baby hears the Michigan fight song!

Back in the 'fax - Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Back on the ground again - and it's been a very busy week. Some of these postings will be "catch-up", so I apologize if you have already had enough of these items.

1. A Sad Anniversary - Today marks the 70th anniversary of Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, a date which many historians use as the starting date of World War II. Here is a piece from Der Spiegel - The Road to World War II: Why Wasn't Hitler Stopped? - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International. Many people forget that the Russians (who were party to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany - perhaps the utmost illustration of political expediency) invaded the eastern part of Poland some two weeks later on September 17th, thereby dismembering Poland. In any event, each of these totalitarian regimes imposed brutal conditions on "their part" of Poland - brutalizing and murdering potential resistance leaders - not to mention the commencement by the Nazis of the Holocaust in the western part of Poland, and which was soon to spread to the eastern part of Poland and the Soviet Union itself after June 22, 1941.



2. Speaking of the Holocaust - which of course is made up........Hamas slams UN over Holocaust classes in Gaza| Reuters and Hamas says UN schools to add holocaust to curriculum | Middle East | Jerusalem Post. Is there any limit to what people can make up, and is there any other nation or people against whom so many outright lies have been leveled?

3. Speaking of Making Stuff Up... - this story about Swedish "freedom of the press" certainly was very prominent over the last week or so - here are a variety of views - starting with an editorial in today's Globe & Mail (Don't blame Sweden - The Globe and Mail) and a column by Yossi Klein Halevi (hardly an aggressive right-wing type) that serves as a good rejoinder - Incitement to Murder. Other pieces includeIsraeli officials press Sweden on journalist's organ theft story | csmonitor.com, JPost.com | BlogCentral | Double Standard Watch | Sweden's refusal to condemn 'organ libel' is bogus, and Commentary » Blog Archive » The EU and Anti-Semitism.


4. More Shots at Jews - Desmond Tutu: Jewish Groups Intimidate Critics of Israel – Forward.com. As well, the World Council of Churches seems to, shall we say, strongly dislike Israel as well - the message of the outgoing head of this group refers to Israel's "sin against G-d" and Israeli "crimes" - here is a good commentary - FrontPage Magazine - Ecumenical Blast Against Israel.

5. And Israel... - Israel threatens all mankind????? From the official PA news agency???? Check this out as well - Commentary » Blog Archive » The Question Erekat Wouldn’t Answer.


7. Speaking of Making Stuff Up... Part II - Oh please......PA's chief judge: Jews have no history in Jerusalem | Middle East | Jerusalem Post. In response to which I say, Arabs have no history in the Middle East - you want proof - sorry - I said it so it's true.....



9. Iran - even the IAEA is now raising questions about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Their most recent report says in part:
"There remain a number of outstanding issues which give rise to concerns and which need to be clarified to exclude the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program..."
There is speculation that this story only came out because the IAEA was caught withholding important evidence that implicated Tehran - and now Israel suggests that the IAEA may be withholding even more - Israel: IAEA is hiding far worse evidence on Iran | Iran news | Jerusalem Post and The Associated Press: UN: Questions about military aspects on Iran nukes. Here are other Iran-related articles - Israel, Iran and Obama - WSJ.com, and John Bolton: Sanctions Won’t Work Against Iran - WSJ.com.


11. Ted Kennedy - Being in Boston last week, I observed first-hand the wall to wall coverage of Ted Kennedy's death and his funeral. I think it fair to say that the late Senator was a complex person - here are a number of views, some of which would not have been very popular in Boston - where Kennedy was more or less beloved.

In any event, I was too young to understand the JFK assassination, but remember the RFK assassination very well. Whatever you think of the Kennedy clan, there is no question in my mind that Ted Kennedy's death marks the end of an era.











18. Big Papi - When in Boston last week, I had the good fortune to attend a Red Sox game against the White Sox. David Ortiz - aka "Big Papi" - who is having a difficult year, hit a game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth after hitting a home run earlier in the game as well - what an exciting moment - check out the video!

Brief Blog from Boston - Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

I am back in Boston for a week, so my blogging will be somewhat limited over the next week. Here are today's entries:

1. What Existed Prior To The Holocaust? - I think that many people, including many Jewish people, forget the wonderful world that existed in Eastern Europe prior to the Holocaust. Here is a very interesting reminder and an inspiring story - They Called Me Mayer July: Painted Memories of Jewish Childhood.

2. Lockerbie Disgrace - One of many recent outrageous stories - what on earth entitles this man (?) to the compassion denied to his victims? U.S. condemns release of Lockerbie bomber| Reuters and Release of Lockerbie Bomber Is a Criminal Injustice - WSJ.com. As usual, Dry Bones sums up things very well in his cartoon:



4. Yeah, Right.... - What Cracker Jack box did this guy get his professorship from? Palestinian prof: No Jewish ties to Western Wall - also see Jihad Watch: Palestinian prof says Jews have no ties to Western Wall which links to the previous article but which also contains some further analysis.






9. Barney Frank - I am no Democrat and not sure what to make of Barney Frank - but I am 100% with him in this exchange with this nut......



Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

1. Always A Difficult Issue - The Holocaust's shadow over Israel's choices | csmonitor.com. Whatever one thinks about the subject, I always find it interesting to see how outsiders tell Jews and Israelis that they are too paranoid about their own survival - especially when there is a genocidal maniac in the neighborhood loudly proclaiming his intent to wipe Israel off the map. That said, and this is just a personal anecdotal observation, I think that the Israelis I have met would like nothing more to live in peace and security and not ever worry about their physical safety.



3. Though This Does (Perhaps) - Peres: Russia to reconsider missile sale to Iran - Yahoo! News

4. An Absolute Disgrace - This is one of the worst things I have read in a very long time - and it comes from Sweden - not from Gaza, the West Bank or Iran. A new version of the blood libel - Foreign Ministry aghast at Swedish report | Israel | Jerusalem Post and Deputy FM: Sweden must denounce Aftonbladet article - Israel News, Ynetnews. If this is freedom of the press, then things are just out of control. Here is an additional story reporting the story from the perspective of Swedish Jews - Swedish Jews: Aftonbladet story doesn't resonate | International | Jerusalem Post.









10. Nasrallah of the North - Of Israel, that is (or the south of Lebanon, if you prefer) - Nasrallah is scared - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews



12. Way, Way, Way, Too Much Time On Their Hands - But VERY cool.....