Distortions
I’m not Jewish, but the distortions in the Nov. 27 letter “Hope for Israel” denigrating that nation demand correction by someone.
The nation of Israel was created by the United Nations in 1947 as a permanent home for the Jewish people. When the new nation was attacked by the surrounding Arab countries, most non-Jewish inhabitants of the area quickly fled to escape as the Israelis battled the invaders. It is well documented that few were “forced out of their homes” by the Jews as the letter writer contends. In fact, after hostilities ended, Israel welcomed back those former inhabitants of the area who desired to live and work in the new nation in peace. Arabs now make up about 20 percent of the population.
Almost from the time the Gaza strip was ceded by Israel to the Palestinian Arabs, they have used it as a base from which to wage a war of terror against the Jewish people, killing scores and physically and mentally wounding thousands of men, women and children with daily rocket and mortar attacks launched not at military targets, but at civilians. To hinder Israeli attempts to destroy their munitions and weapons, the Palestinians hid them in schools, hospitals, mosques and private homes, and used many of these sites to launch their attacks, using civilians as shields against the Israelis’ air strikes to take out the rocket launchers and mortars. Given this cowardly tactic, Palestinian civilian casualties were inevitable, despite continuing Israeli efforts to prevent them.
RICHARD CHASE
Pfafftown
Not a cartoon
The past presidential race and upcoming showdowns over the “fiscal cliff” sadly remind me of the Road Runner cartoons I have always enjoyed. The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote are recognizable enough that corporations such as TimeWarner and GEICO use them in their marketing and advertising.
Wile E. Coyote (Republican candidates) was always trying to beat the Road Runner (President Obama) with his “wile” and latest gadget from the Acme Co., but invariably he would go off a cliff, hover a few seconds in mid-air, and then drop to the bottom of the deep canyon and disappear in a tiny puff of dust. But he always survived to hatch a new scheme. Nobody ever really gets hurt in a cartoon.
Now, I'm not a big fan of the president, as I consider myself to be right-of-center politically, but I'm afraid that the Republicans still have too many Wile E. Coyotes among their ranks in the House. Now it seems that Obama and his opposition on deficit reform are both willing to go over the cliff to win. The word “cliff” is an abstraction here, but the consequences of going over will be real — immediate or down-the-road financial and economic chaos.
The president may be full of confidence after his reelection, but he should understand that road runners don't fly very well. There's no “beep-beep” at the bottom of the canyon. Deficit reduction is not a cartoon.
JAMES BEDSWORTH
Winston-Salem
Sacred space
Whoever wrote the headline “Holy Roller” (Nov. 30) for the story about the old St. Philip’s Episcopal Church being moved to Chapel Hill should be ashamed. Making jokes about a church’s sacred space is very disrespectful.
This church was very important to the people who continued to use it until 1980 and still have fond memories of it. I read in your story that some church members were able to keep 10 pews from the old church and will receive some old prayer books and things that were kept there. I hope they find a place to use them. Even without the structure, God can move among his people.
NELL HARTIS
Winston-Salem
Overwhelming vote
The overwhelming United Nations vote to recognize Palestine as a state is a step in the right direction (“Palestinians win upgrade in UN status,” Nov. 30).
In the U.N. General Assembly, 138 nations voted in favor of the resolution; the U.S. and Israel voted “no” along with seven other nations. But many organizations and individuals in the U.S. and Israel recognize the desire of all people to control their own destinies. Those favoring an end to Israeli occupation and control in Palestine include the Jewish Voice for Peace and writer Stéphane Hessel, a 94-year old survivor of Nazi concentration camps.
Even though the Palestinian Authority was given only non-member observer status, this small step may lead to an independent Palestinian state. That result will reduce the threat of terrorism in Israel and the rest of the Middle East.
CHARLES E. WILSON
Winston-Salem
Overwhelming vote. Understand that the vast majority of that mob that makes up the UN has more in common with the properly dead Yasser Arafat than they do with America. It is true that many agree with this observer status of the PA and desire for a state. An end to something does not mean that the beginning of the next phase is going to be improved as well as new. A new "Palestinian" state may reduce the threat of terrorism against Israel and across the Middle East? This is wishful thinking on a good day and naive to the point of breathlessness.
ReplyDeleteproperly dead? Do you see where Arafat's body was being exhumed to test whether or not he had been poisoned? His death was quite sudden and mysterious even though he was old.
DeleteI saw. He did die suddenly it seemed...but like a dead rattlesnake--how it got dead is of no concern.
DeleteNot a cartoon. In a way it is. To bad Mel Blanc isn't around to animate the new cast of characters. My favorite cartoon character was always "fog horn leg horn". Obama and his politburo are very willing to go over the cliff as they see political advantage. I note that the loser, Mitt Romney, has landed a job with Marriott again. That means Romney has a job he knows how to do while Obama continues in a job he never has had a clue how to do. Maybe the "fiscal cliff" will be a wakeup for America as a taste of what can come when the day of reckoning comes for our flagging currency, dying entitlements, unemployed/underemployed masses etc. We need a burst of neo Federalism instead of this filthy neo feudalism we are in.
ReplyDelete"Boy, I say, boy, you're as sharp as a bowling ball."
DeleteBlack female prosecutor tries to minimize Zimmerman photo.
ReplyDelete___________
“That's really one of my frustrations. They originally submitted a black and white photo so we asked for a color copy. They then submitted a color photo copy that was drab," said Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara to Foxnews.com.
"We kept asking for a digital copy and then we had to file a motion [in court] to have it submitted."
O'Mara says that the discovery phase has been rife with issues.
"It just seems like it's been pulling teeth for discovery in this case," he said.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/03/newly-released-photo-shows-bloodied-george-zimmerman-from-night-trayvon-martin/#ixzz2E5btRR00
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It's like getting the truth out of our favorite forum NW. It's damn near impossible.
Mr. Bedsworth:
ReplyDeleteIf it weren't so serious, your buy-in to the liberal slant on things would be humorous. The Democrats want to keep spending based on the president's most recent proposal, further throwing our national debt out of control. Republicans, on the other hand, put forth a balance approach which included by spending cuts and taxes (A/K/A revenue in Democratic circles-word-political gamesmanship)
War on women, throw granny out the door, let poor people die, and liberal TV station's take on Obama's budgetary proposals. All liberal HS...like most of Rush's gibberish.
Poll: GOP to blame if "fiscal cliff" talks fail
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57557007-10391739/poll-gop-to-blame-if-fiscal-cliff-talks-fail/
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Let 'er crash! The Reps will get the blame no matter what happens.
LTE #1 – So Mr. Chase will replace the previous “distortions” with his own. How charming.
ReplyDelete1. The Jewish claim to Palestine is based upon a work of fiction, which promised the land to the Israelites, a Semitic people who have no genetic or hereditary relationship to the Europeans who seized the land and built the modern state of Israel.
2. The state of Israel was created by over half a century of Zionist terrorism, after which the cowardly British, who were charged with overseeing Palestine, threw up their hands and abandoned ship.
3. The Arabs currently residing in Israel are descendants of those who stayed during the original war started by the Zionists. Israel has never allowed anyone who left to return and has systematically erased all physical evidence of the villages that they lived in.
4. Gaza was not ceded by anyone. It was occupied and administered by Egypt from 1948 to 1967.It was conquered by Israel in 1967, and controlled by them through 2005.
5. The rocket attacks from Gaza have been scattered and sporadic and almost always triggered by some act of the Israelis. The vast majority of the rockets are limited by range to land that the Israelis are illegally occupying
6. As to casualties, the minimum ratio of Palestinians killed and wounded to Israels is 10-1, although it is more likely 20 or 25-1.
LTE #2 – Not a cartoon? True. Time to get down to business.
LTE #3 – Once the Episcopal Diocese put the church on wheels, it abandoned its “sacred space” and became just another building. The removal is a mistake, but is required by the doctrinaire leadership which does not allow itself the flexibility to think through a specific situation.
LTE #4 – The Israeli response to the UN action is exactly what everyone who actually pays attention expected…stick out your little lip, stamp your little foot and say NO!!!
What they propose to do they are already doing…so there is no difference in violating international law now and in the future.
And don't forget the Gaza blockade -- people in Gaza are dying because of it, and no one in this country gives a damn. It's just really sad. Confirmation bias...people only see what they want to see.
DeleteGood afternoon folks! Beans were noted yesterday for their gas inducing property. I discovered yesterday that having a colonoscopy is another gas inducing vehicle. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: Mr. Chase is not Jewish, but he plays one on tv? As usual, the truth most likely lies between the evil/saintly portraits of Israel and Palestine. The Israeli govt is not as benevolent as Mr. Chase pretends it to be.
LTE 2: Loved The RoadRunner. Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc were absolute geniuses. Interesting incorporation of The RoadRunner in an analogy on the current doings in DC. I've been filing on-line for quite some time, but I do recall the IRS publication coming in the mail shortly after Christmas. It will throw a big wrench into the tax season not to mention tax planning to not have any idea what the new tax laws and rates will be from one day to the next.
LTE 3: I'm having a difficult time feeling sorry for the folks who don't have that church around anymore. If it was so "very important to the people who continued to use it until 1980 and still have fond memories of it", then why was it not used for the past 30 years? It's like seeing an ad for a 20 y.o. Ferrari with 1000 miles on it. Why did you get the car if you weren't going to drive it? Cars are meant to be driven, not stared at. Churches are meant to be used, not stared at.
LTE 4: It may be a step in the right direction, but in the ME, any step in the right direction tends to be followed by multiple steps in the wrong direction. It's still not going to make "the boys" play nice with each other.
The pre colonoscopy beverage is a thing of wonder isn't it? That is the worst stuff. The "giggle shot" they give you and the actual proceedure are easy. I asked if they could pipe in some Hendrix for me as I went under. And then POOF...you are at home somehow!
DeleteI got a powder which was mixed with 64 oz of Gatorade and to be drunk 8 oz at a time 20 minutes apart. It started off well, but that pitcher seemed to add more as I went along. I swear that 64 oz tuned into 90. The next morning, I had to drink 10 oz of magnesium citrate (I got the grape flavor-not bad!) which also started out ok considering I wasn't feeling terribly well, but also labored mightily to finish as that bottle never seemed to end. The morning was even worse than the night before, as I was going even after I was at the doctor's office and putting on the robe.
DeleteThe procedure itself didn't even exist for me. The sleep doctor told me nice dreams, and the next thing I knew I was waking up and it was all over. I would have to say the worst part for me was taking off that evil, skin eating, hair ripping bandage from the IV.
You did have it bad with the beverage. Did they tell you to begin several days earlier and stop anything fibrous? They did me and it helped.
DeleteThey told me to go low-fiber starting on Thursday, then drink plenty of liquids on Saturday followed by all liquid on Sunday. Guess I had more cleaning to do than normal? The instructions were to avoid just about everything I normally eat.
ReplyDeleteColonoscopy: I forgot my instructions regarding the cleaning, thought I could start after I arrived home from work, a little after 8PM. But in checking the instructions the day before, I realized I had to drink the half gallon of swill starting at 6PM. I could not leave work till 8. Fortunately, my seat in my very large work area is the closest to the men's room. Nevertheless, I got plenty of exercise. My best friend at work, a middle-aged African-American woman named Brenda, laughed herself breathless as I arose cursing every few minutes to deal with the intestinal tsunami, a couple of times aborting my return to my desk, and hastily and profanely at that. When I left at 8, I drove straight home, took about 8 minutes. I arrived with 2 minutes to spare.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't all bad. I had been fasting as ordered, but clear liquids were OK. Fortunately, beer is a clear liquid and somewhat fillign. When our friend Bob picked me up the next AM to take me to my appointment, I was mildly hung over, a condition that the sedatives remedied.
Jeez, I go off for a little while and return to find a colon fest.
ReplyDeletePlease guys, cease and desist. Imagine what you are doing to my poor pal Buckboy. He is probably in a catatonic state right now, imagining himself as the probe.
Such cruelty is simply shameful, I say, shameful.
It's like an assisted care home around here...we'll talk about anything. Especially since the ladies appear to be out of the room.
DeleteYou probably go to a proctologist instead of a general practitioner, because you're such a complete a-hole.
DeleteOK, WW, I get it. Since the ladies are out of the room, we can do this kind of stuff:
DeleteFoghorn Leghorn: She remi - I say, she reminds me of Paul Revere's ride. A little light in the belfry.
Foghorn Leghorn: Gal reminds me of the highway between Fort Worth and Dallas. No curves.
___Foghorn J. Leghorn
"Of Rice and Hen" (1953)
Those are good. I enjoyed ole Foghorn as a kid and even today.
DeleteWell, our parents may have been the greatest generation, but we were the luckiest generation, because we grew up in the golden age of cartoons.
Delete"Lookit here son, I say son, did ya see that hawk after those hens? He scared 'em! That Rhode Island Red turned white. Then blue. Rhode Island. Red, white, and blue. That's a joke, son. A flag waver. You're built too low. The fast ones go over your head. Ya got a hole in your glove. I keep pitchin' 'em and you keep missin' 'em. Ya gotta keep your eye on the ball. Eye. Ball. I almost had a gag, son. Joke, that is."
___Foghorn J. Leghorn
The Foghorn Leghorn (1948)
My sister and I would die laughing at the Foghorn and so many others. Just Warner Brothers (Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies) released nearly 300 cartoons during the 1950s, an average of 30 per year...Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Sylvester & Tweetie, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester Sam, you name'em.
Most Road Runner fans don't realize that Wile E. Coyote first appeared with Bugs Bunny...I remember that exactly.
We were poor folks, but my father was a fix-it genius, so we had a castoff 16mm sound projector that worked and our next door neighbor had a fabulous collection of old 16mm films scrounged from the trash heaps of the times.
We grew up on Charlie Chaplain and Tom Mix and the Marx Brothers and Abbot & Costello and W.C. Fields and all the other great comedians. And just as we finally got about the last TV in Ardmore, along came Rocky and Bullwinkle.
I credit all that for the fact that even today, my sister and I and many of our friends have a better perspective on life than most others...if you cannot laugh at it, it is not worth thinking about.
Don't forget the The Three Stooges. I really enjoy WC Fields' comedy.
DeleteHow could I forget the Three Stooges? How could anyone?
DeleteA few years ago I was on my way home from Saudi Arabia and somehow ended up in Ibiza at the height of their crazy season. We decided to go to a free movie session on the beach that night. Ibiza attracts a very sophisticated crowd.
Who were the featured artists that night? You got it. The Three Stooges. About an hour of their best. And everyone rolling on the sand laughing.
I guess that is ROTSLMAO.
Women Sue Panetta Over Combat Exclusion
ReplyDeleteNov 28, 2012
Stars and Stripes | by Jennifer Hlad
WASHINGTON -- Four women and an advocacy group are suing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, alleging that the policy excluding women from combat units is unconstitutional.
The combat exclusion policy puts women at a disadvantage and “sends a clear message to the world that women are not capable of serving their country to the same extent as men,” according to the federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in California.
Major Mary Jennings Hegar, a combat helicopter pilot in the California Air National Guard; Staff Sgt. Jennifer Hunt, a civil affairs soldier in the Army reserves; Capt. Alexandra Zoe Bedell, a logistics officer in the Marine Corps reserves; and 1st Lt. Colleen Farrell, an active-duty Marine air support control officer, are the plaintiffs in the suit, along with the Service Women’s Action Network. They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Northern California and the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.
Hegar said she knew she wanted to be an Air Force pilot at a young age and has proven she can do the job.
“The ability to serve has very little to do with gender,” she said. “It has everything to do with heart, character, ability, determination and dedication. This policy is a disservice to those women who put their lives on the line for their country.”
All four women have deployed to Afghanistan, and two were awarded Purple Hearts. Hegar was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for her actions after her helicopter was shot down in 2009 during a casualty evacuation mission.
The lawsuit alleges that all the women’s careers have been limited by the policy.
Tremble, oh ye sissies as ye cower in ye basements, surfing the loonytick web…the women are coming, the women are coming…