Message to the UN

Washingon Post Columnist, Richard Cohen, tells the UN to "put up or shut up":

"...So, I offer my own U.N. resolution. I want the United Nations to condemn Palestinian terrorism, specifically suicide bombers and, most specifically, the use of confused and sad kids for that purpose. It's pretty simple: If you cannot condemn the murder of innocents, especially by children, then you have no business condemning anything else. In the undiplomatic language of my old neighborhood, put up or shut up."

Awakening to a Dream

"I want to wake up and read that President Bush has decided to offer a real alternative to the stalled Kyoto Protocol to reduce global warming. I want to wake up and read that 10,000 Palestinian mothers marched on Hamas headquarters to demand that their sons and daughters never again be recruited for suicide bombings. I want to wake up and read that Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia invited Ariel Sharon to his home in Riyadh to personally hand him the Abdullah peace plan and Mr. Sharon responded by freezing Israeli settlements as a good-will gesture.
...
I want to wake up and read that General Motors has decided it will no longer make gas-guzzling Hummers and President Bush has decided to replace his limousine with an armor-plated Toyota Prius, a hybrid car that gets over 40 miles to the gallon.

I want to wake up and read that Dick Cheney has apologized to the U.N. and all our allies for being wrong about W.M.D. in Iraq, but then appealed to our allies to join with the U.S. in an even more important project — helping Iraqis build some kind of democratic framework. I want to wake up and read that Tom DeLay called for a tax hike on the rich in order to save Social Security and Medicare for the next generation and to finance all our underfunded education programs.
...
Most of all, I want to wake up and read that John Kerry just asked John McCain to be his vice president, because if Mr. Kerry wins he intends not to waste his four years avoiding America's hardest problems — health care, deficits, energy, education — but to tackle them, and that can only be done with a bipartisan spirit and bipartisan team. "

weekend highlights

Friday- Dinner at Esperpento, more sangria after at the Art Barn(?)--love that they have heatlamps outside. We sat outside, and we were so comfortable, it was almost as if we weren't in SF.

Saturday- Ferry Building Farmer's Market, lunch in North Beach, Lucias birthday debauchery at Anne's Lounge (?)--which is surrounded by Bail Bond places--random. Late-night eats at Sparky's--always seems like a good idea at the time, never seems to be in retrospect...

Sunday- Tennis with the usual suspects at Buena Vista Park. The incredibly beautiful view of Marin, and the Golden Gate Bridge from the park, never ceases to amaze me.

Shaili

Congratulations to Manish, on the birth of his niece Shaili (pronounced shay-lee). It's an Indian name (Gujrati?) and it means "tradition". Cool.

A quote from the new, and proud uncle:

"I know I'm biased, but she is cuter than most babies are, and doesn't have that wrinkly face/pug thing that a lot of newborns have."

The price to become a Martyr

In case you're wondering what it costs to be a martyr for the Palestinian cause, it's a real bargain these days. Just $22 (or 100 Sheckels). That's what Husam Abdu, the boy seized by Israeli soldiers at a West Bank check-point the other day was paid to strap a vest full of explosives to himself. What kind of person pays a kid to turn himself into a human bomb?

When I read the NY Times article reporting this story, my eyes couldnt help but be drawn to the two photos on the side, the first of the boy standing with his hands in the air, before the vest was removed. The fear that it might actually detonate so plain to see. And the second picture of him kneeling on the ground, stripped down to his underwear (he was forced to undress so as to be sure there weren't other explosives hidden beneath his cloths) scared of what almost happened (so-called "martrydom"), and very likely scared of what might happen when those who sent him find out the mission was not carried out.

What kind of person does this to a child? For all those critisizing Israel for taking out Ahmed Yassin, just remember, he created the culture of human killing machines. He'd be very proud of young Husam Abdu, if only he'd carried out his mission.

Turning Over a New Leaf?

I know a lot of people don't give much credit to this, but I think it's cause for cautious optimism, when Palestinian Officials call on militants to lay down arms.

"Over 60 prominent Palestinian officials and intellectuals Thursday urged the public to refrain from retaliation for Israel's assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, saying it would ignite a new round of bloodshed that would only hurt Palestinian aspirations for independence.

A half-page advertisement in the PLO's Al-Ayyam newspaper called on Palestinians to lay down their arms and turn to peaceful means of protest to end Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The ad reflected apparently growing sentiment among many Palestinian leaders and intellectuals that military struggle is not helping the Palestinian cause."

More on Yassin

Bret Stephens, presents his thoughts on the Yassin assasination in a very unemotionally charged way.

He's Finally Gone

Sheik Yassin, founder and leader of the military wing of Hamas was nailed by Israel.

I'm so glad they got him. He's responsible for countless terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.

Mideastweb.org highlights the "best of" of Hamas' charter:

"Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."

"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. "

"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."

Now might be a good time for Hamas to re-think their objectives.

Every Grateful Dead recording to be available on iTunes

This is very exciting news!

The Grateful Dead is finalizing a deal with Apple to make every live note they've ever recorded available for download, according to Rocky Mountain News: "'The band has recorded all of its live shows since the late '60s, at first 'just so we could listen back, see what it sounded like and make any changes.'...And compared to most music at iTunes, the Dead's jams are a bargain, he says with a laugh. 'At 99 cents a tune, it's a pretty decent price, because most of our tunes are pretty long.'"

Coincidence?

This article points out that the Madrid attack happened exactly 911 days after 9-11.

International Solidarity Movement (ISM) Dissected

Reading between the lines of the ISM's FAQs.

Why Spain?

This article sheds some light on a possible answer to the question of why Spain was targeted. via Andrew Sullivan.

Also via Andrew, according to a Debka file report:

According to data gathered by our experts, from December 2002, three months before the US invasion of Iraq, al Qaeda began issuing a stream of fatwas designating its main operating theatres in Europe. Spain was on the list, but not the first.
1. Turkey was first. Islamic fundamentalists were constrained to recover the honor and glory of the Ottoman caliphates which were trampled by Christian forces in 1917 in the last days of World War I.
2. Spain followed. There, al Qaeda set Muslims the goal of recovering their lost kingdom in Andalusia.
3. Italy and its capital were third. Muslim fundamentalists view Rome as a world center of heresy because of the Vatican and the Pope.
4. Vienna came next because the advancing Muslim armies were defeated there in 1683 before they could engulf the heart of Europe.

We saw the carnage in Turkey a few months ago, and now Madrid. My heart goes out to the people of Spain, just as I felt for Turks a few months back. I sincerely hope this isn't a preview of what's to come for Rome and Vienna.

Once again...

Yet another terror attack in Israel. This time a double suicide bombing in Ashdod.
Get to know some of the victims of today's attack.

God Hates Shrimp

This is great.

"Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, all these are an abomination before the Lord, just as gays are an abomination. Why stop at protesting gay marriage? Bring all of God's law unto the heathens and the sodomites. We call upon all Christians to join the crusade against Long John Silver's and Red Lobster. Yea, even Popeye's shall be cleansed. The name of Bubba shall be anathema. We must stop the unbelievers from destroying the sanctity of our restaurants."

Iraq vs. Haiti

Interesting article on TechCentral Station regarding UN support for sending troops to Haiti vs. opposition to sending troops to Iraq.

Happy National Panic Day

According to my Worst-Case Scenario Survival Calender, today is National Panic Day. In honor, or rather as a precaution, I limited my caffiene intake today.