Hope you had an easy fast and were sealed in the Book of Life for a sweet, happy & healthy 5772!!
1. Did You Know That "Koufax" Is A Verb? - Sandy Koufax very famously elected to sit out a Los Angeles-Minnesota World Series game in 1965 that fell on Yom Kippur - leading to a great anecdote - as related in the link - when non-Jewish Dodger pitcher Don Drysdale (who was a pretty darn good Hall of Fame pitcher in his own right) was shelled in the game and was lifted by Dodger manager Walter Alston, Drysdale said, "...bet you wish I was Jewish today"
For a great analysis of the significance of Koufax's decision, you should read the biography Sandy Koufax - A Lefty's Legacy, written by Jane Leavy.
“I just feel like I owe it to a lot of people that mean a lot to me,” he said. “It’s almost to uphold their beliefs as well, to honor them and do things that serve as an example for them, and for other people.”
2. Feel Free to Fight Among Yourselves - use guns, knives, clubs and rocks if necessary. Knock yourselves out. Wipe each other out. And leave Israel alone.
"The fact is that Israel has stayed out of the ups and downs (and ins and outs) of the Arab Spring. But Assad’s menacing of the Jewish State in this circumstance is evidence of how hazardous any Israeli-Arab frontier line is. If I were an Israeli strategist I wouldn’t give up the Golan Heights for anything. And I surely wouldn’t go back to the 1949 lines either. Nor, for that matter, would I surrender the Jordan River (which is not “deep and wide,” despite what the folk song says, though it may be “chilly and cold”) either to the Hashemite kingdom or to the Palestinian rump.
The failure of the Arab Spring is only the last chapter in the long-time failure of Arabs to tolerate, to make peace among themselves, to learn from others, to accept that a belief is not always or even usually a fact, to recognize that a mirage is a mirage."
12. Simon & Garfunkel - The other evening, I concluded with a post about Paul Simon. This week, I happened to see "The Harmony Game", a new documentary about the making of the classic album "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as well as a November 30, 1969 TV special (directed by Charles Grodin) called "Songs of America" - if you like Simon & Garfunkel, if you like learning the stories behind famous albums, or if you like the music of the 1960s and 1970s, this is a "must see". Here is a brief trailer, as well as some other classic Simon & Garfunkel music (including two of my S&G faves - Wednesday Morning 3AM and A Song For The Asking) .
1. Yom Kippur War - today is the 38th anniversary of the treacherous start of the Yom Kippur War, in which Israel fought yet again for her very survival. We should reflect on the enormous sacrifices made by the IDF in defense of the State of Israel, as well as the tremendous skill and adaptability exhibited by the IDF in overcoming the shock of the initial attacks and the deployment of new weapons and tactics by Egypt and Syria.
2. Gee, I Never Expected This- I think the saying is "when economic times get tough, blame the Jews." Thankfully, there was a knuckle-dragging graduate of Redneck University on hand to explain everything (where did they get this guy - central casting?). But it really does not matter if it is crude or "sophisticated" - better get ready for a lot of nasty Jew-bashing (which is already at very high levels).
5.The Damn Amish Are At It Again - Truck bomb in Mogadishu kills at least 70 - The Globe and Mail - I did not know that the Amish were behind al-Qaida. Seriously. I did not know that. Because it sure wouldn't be radical Islamists - to even think that would be Islamophibic!
5. Speaking Of Media Bias - well, maybe not this time - Syrian army battles defectors in rebel town as 11 more protesters killed | World news | The Guardian - but how the heck did The Guardian publish a story without implicating Israel? Are the editors aware of this? 6. Reason To Be Vigilant - The Halifax newspaper published this letter (look at the third one down) the other day - just look at the themes it hits - alleged control over the US Government by Israeli "lobbyists", references to apartheid and complete ignorance of not only international law (& the Palmer Report in particular), but who the genocidal racist maniacs are that run Gaza, and what their stated goals are. Whether said out of ignorance or deliberately it does not matter - these kinds of things simply have to be confronted promptly and factually (though I have to admit that this time, the letter in reply I submitted was quite sarcastic and likely won't be published- there are times that I let my diplomacy shield down). Suffice it to say that the point I made was that if it is time to take a stand against anything, it is against radical political Islamism. 7. Because In Case You Did Not Know..... - The world blames Israel - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews 8. Quick Hitters - here's just 3 reasons to oppose a Palestinian State....and how to be pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian at the same time.
10. C'mon Man! - OK - time to lighten up - ESPN has not posted tonight's version (about yesterday's NFL games), but some enterprising person posted a pretty good copy on YouTube.
1. Jewish New Year - so the year 5772 was ushered in by Jews around the world starting last Wednesday evening. I wish a Good and Sweet Year (שנה טובה ומתוקה) to all Jewish readers, and hope that 5772 will bring health and happiness to you and your families, as well as peace and security to Israel and her citizens. And for non-Jewish readers, I hope that our year 5772, which will correspond to the balance of 2011 and part of 2012, will similarly bring health and happiness to you and your families.
One important additional note - I recently attended a talk given by a non-Jewish media personality who recently visited Israel for the first time. Among the many things that impressed him, and one could easily sense the emotion with which he said this, was the maturity and sense of purpose he observed in the young male and female soldiers his group met at Har Bental (in the Golan, overlooking the "Valley of Tears" and the Syrian border. Thinking of that reminds me to add this special prayer for the members of the Israel Defense Forces, who protect Israel in extremely difficult circumstances from the Galil and the Golan to Eilat and all points in between.
2. Palestinian Statehood - Anyone who has paid even the least attention to the international news of the last week or so should be well aware of the Palestinian bid to the United Nations to be recognized as the 194th member of that (cough, cough) "august" body. I have posted comments about this before, so I will simply refer you to the following variety of links to bring you up to date - read one, read a few, read 'em all - you pick.
3. The PLO - (The Palestinian Lies Organization) - One of the things that really strikes me about the Palestinian ploy at the UN is the complete contempt with which they regard recognized facts of history about Israel (and anything else that is an inconvenient truth).
I have no issue with the idea that two people can look at a historical event and have different interpretations of its significance. So, to use a non-Jewish example, one can have various interpretations of the significance of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. But you can't deny that the event occurred.
Apparently, unless you are Palestinian (or one of their blind, usually left-wing, supporters). In which case, you have no problem stating any number of outright lies in support of your "case". The idiots who swallow this crap should realize 2 things - (a) denying Jewish history in Israel also denies Christian history in Israel, and (b) it won't be long before they and their radical Islamic brethren deny any history but their own. Sounds like a Stalinist approach to history.
So better get ready to hear that when Winston Churchill (who apparently was a Muslim, just like Abraham (see if you can even bear to read this)) famously said that "never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few" he was not referring to the brave British (and Canadian, Polish, etc.) pilots of the RAF, but to the Muslim pilots of the RAF. Further - The New York Yankees teams that won all the World Series titles were composed of Muslims. Well, they are right in one instant - Babe Ruth was the "Sultan of Swat". Or was he?
"It's exactly what the organization needed ... We wanna look to the future, we gotta tear down the past. Babe Ruth was nothing more than a fat old man, with little-girl legs. And here's something I just found out recently. He wasn't really a sultan. Ah, what d'you make of that? " (from The Millennium episode of Seinfeld)
Back to business - after all, if you can assert that Jesus was the first Palestinian shahid (martyr) - you know, like the "martyrs" who blow up buses, pizza joints, shopping centers and Passover seders - you can pretty much assert anything.
4. I Suppose He Will Say He Was Misquoted - from the lips of Abbas Zaki, a Fatah Central Committee member, being interviewed on al-Jazeera - Clip Transcript
6. Or Their Idiotic Followers - I read this article last week in the National Post. I then made the error of reading the comments posted by other readers, which included this little gem from someone named "anthonio" (copied exactly from the comment page, though the added emphasis is mine):
"what about the THOUSANDS OF INNOCENTS israel murders every day in gaza, pfft failure zionist clowns like you only make me laugh . Palestine will be free :) deal with it. i dont kno which faction is more morally repugnant , israeli zionism or american zionism, both counts have been heavily discrediate and lambasted for there aggression towards any and all supposed 'enemy combatants' ie: innocent palestinians. Zionism fails, Hate fails, The author of this joke of an article Fails. but mostly importantly, the zionist media fails hardest above all others, as has been graphically apparent."
"Thousand of innocents" Israel murders ever day in Gaza???? Are you kidding me? And someone really believes this trash? I posted this comment in reply (the typos are mine):
"anthonio - I totally defy you to prove that Israel murders 'THOUSANDS OF INNOCENTS" every day in Gaza - that is the most uninformed and ignorant of facts comment I have read in quite some time. And if hate will fail, then that means that Hamas, Fatah, Hezbollah and IRan are doomed - have you ever read the Hams Charter (http://middleeast.about.com/od... or the Hezbollah Manifesto? Ever seen video of Fatah leaders speaking in Arabic to their own people? Ever herad anything that Mhmoud Ahmadinejad has had to say? Forget that - did you see the vidoe of the Al-Quds rally on ther steps of Queen's Park in Toronto?http://youtu.be/-Sbm00mCPPc - how's that for Hate? Get your facts straight!!"
Couldn't find any other excuse to prolong your annual excursion out of your corrupt, racist and murderous countries? Well, you are a true hero - having to wallow in New York City - the heart of the imperialist and capitalist world - boy, talk about taking one for the team!
Why don't you hold one these events in your own little rat's nests? And why not give the money spent to ferry you to New York, feed you, provide accommodations for you, as well as security (after all, the Mossad is everywhere......) to the people in your own countries that you oppress, torture and persecute. It's probably not even your own money.
I've got a better idea. Why not go to hell? Nice place - though warm - but you'll know the characters there and you'll fit right in.....
Want to meet some real heroes who are truly concerned about human rights? Then check out these links - UN Briefing and We Have A Dream.
9. "Settlements" - So when the Israelis aren't murdering thousands of Gazans every day, or any of the countless other things they are accused of by antisemites - apartheid, occupation, and so on - they are further vilified for underlying a non-existent peace process by allegedly "building settlements". Check out these articles for the truth.
11. Too Bad He Wasn't Holding Chavez' Hand - but maybe it won't matter - Hugo Chavez in hospital 'for kidney failure' - Telegraph - I also wish him a painful and excruciating death - with lots of time to think about the people he's befriended (Castro, Ahmadinejad, ...) and the people he's repressed and tortured (Venezuelans).
12. The Saudis - another group of progressive lovelies - oh, did you say they have oil? Never mind.....
18. More Rosh Hashanah Stuff - some great videos. Before I post them, however, let me wish my Jewish readers "Gmar Chatimah Tovah" and an easy fast on Yom Kippur.
