Emergency preparedness is always important to be working on. You never know when something awful could happen which could render you helpless after a blackout, a flooded home or any disaster for that matter. Being prepared for such a time can sometimes be overwhelming to think about, but regardless of that it is still very important. I think this little trick is really neat and could really be useful if you have just a few of these household items on hand (which I think most houses would).
A super awesome candle made out of an orange, and some cooking oil.
The original site says to use an orange removing the peel from the flesh of the fruit, and then adding a little oil to the bottom of the peel "bowl", ( it can be any kind of oil example: olive, veggie, canola etc.). You then light the orange peel stem (that comes from inside the orange) and that becomes your wick. They then cut the center out of the other half of the orange and used it at a "lid".
**See website for full directions, this is just a paraphrase.**
Ashley tried out this pin, following all the directions and using veggie oil, and here is her Pinstrosity.
The Pinstrosity
Fire!
After reading the directions and not seeing really anything that Ashley did wrong, there is one thing I can think of. On the comments from the Instructables page about this, someone mentioned that you really need to make sure that there aren't remnants of the white part that grows between the orange flesh and the peel left on the peel. Addendum: If the hole in your lid is too small, oxygen can't get in and your fire will go out, if your hole is too big however there is too much oxygen and therefore lots of fuel, which produces a larger flame. As seen above.
One way to avoid this problem is to not put a lid on it. With that being said it might be smart to put this one on a glass plate like Ashley did above, or put it in a bowl, or a candle holder that has sides.
I must also do my mandatory safety speech, never leave this lit while you are not home, not attentive to the fire, or in reach of children or animals. Fire is hot, the orange will probably get hot and the oil is definitely really hot. Please take caution when doing this.
Now that that is out of the way I can say that if there ever arises a need for a candle and you don't have one on hand, this is a good alternative. I found a good how to video here as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-LeCp1u3J4
Happy Friday Pinstrosipeeps! Have a great weekend, and stay tuned for Marquette's post tomorrow!
The leader of the Tunisian Islamist party that rose to power after the first Arab Spring uprising last year said this week that Islamist movements would eventually emerge triumphant throughout the Arab world after a difficult transition period.
Rached al-Ghannouchi, whose Ennahda party governs with two junior leftist partners, said secular groups should join forces with Islamists to manage the first phase after autocratic rulers were removed.
But in the end, Islam will be the “reference point.”
“The Arab world is going through a transition phase which needs coalitions to govern, which brings together Islamist and secular trends,” Ghannouchi said in an interview during a trip to London where he spoke at Chatham House.
“These coalitions will lead to eventual rapprochement between the Islamists and the secularists.”
However, he added Islamists would have the upper hand.
“There’s a true way that Islam represents the common ground for everyone … Eventually Islam becomes a reference point for everyone,” he said.
"Media naturally gravitate toward dramatic and highly visual stories. Reports of 5.5 million Israelis gathered nightly in bomb shelters scarcely compete with the Palestinian father interviewed after losing his son. Both are, of course, newsworthy, but the first tells a more complete story while the second stirs emotions. This is precisely what Hamas wants. It seeks to instill a visceral disgust for any Israeli act of self-defense, even one taken after years of unprovoked aggression."
"The terrorists thought that hiding in a civilian building and using international journalists as human shields would ensure their safety. Once IDF Intelligence learned of their location, the IDF surgically targeted their hiding place. A direct hit was confirmed."
"The real question raised by Mr. Carr’s column is whether a station that is ideologically motivated and subsidized by a terrorist organization deserves the same treatment as CNN or The New York Times. Moreover, should a Hamas commander who painted the words “TV” on his car be considered a journalist? Mr. Carr is quick to incriminate the Israel Defense Forces for targeting journalists, but he does not mention that terrorists are actively exploiting journalists as shields.Mr. Carr is worried about freedom of the press and rightly so. However, when terrorist organizations exploit reporters, either by posing as them or by hiding behind them, they are the immediate threat to freedom of the press.Such terrorists, who hold cameras and notebooks in their hands, are no different from their colleagues who fire rockets aimed at Israeli cities and cannot enjoy the rights and protection afforded to legitimate journalists."
"Prior to discovering the footage posted below, which shows the funeral of Ahmed, BBC Watch says they contacted the IDF who confirmed that he was a known terrorist. The blog also writes that the al-Qassam Brigades wrote of his death on their English-language website. Additionally, as you can see in the picture above, he is wrapped in a green Hamas flag at the funeral."
There's no reason for surprise that TA bus bomb suspect is Palestinian given citizenship under "family reunion." "There was no reason for the shocked reactions in Israel following the disclosure that the suspected perpetrator of the bus bombing in Tel Aviv last week was a Palestinian Arab who had been granted Israeli citizenship to facilitate a “family reunion.”
The latest anti-terror arrest in the Hevron region unveiled a weapons storehouse in a private home. "The IDF has been stepping up its fight against Hamas in Judea and Samaria (Shomron) in wake of the recent open battle with Hamas in Gaza. Earlier this week troops went to arrest a terror suspect in Hevron and ended up finding a weapons warehouse in a private home."
Well, it seems that they failed to mention one quite significant element of the UN resolution (which passed with 33 votes in favor, 13 against, 10 abstentions and one absent). Res. 181 not only called for the creation of a Jewish state, but the creation of an Arab one as well.
"CST’s 2011 Report on Antisemitic Discourse clearly demonstrates the Guardian’s continuing antisemitic sins of ‘commission and, just as dangerous, ‘omission’: their silence in the face of clear evidence of antisemitism when covering a story. "
"Such journalist activists – whether they’re at the Guardian or the BBC – are risking more than their own reputations. If Guardian and BBC editors continually allow their journalists to make such egregious errors with impunity, and report the news in a manner resembling political advocacy rather than professional journalism, whatever remaining credibility they may have will continue to erode."
"When you hear Arab accounts of so-called Israeli “massacres” and “bestiality,” remember that the Arab foes of Israel have perfected a modern literary motif known as “the Arab atrocity story” which usually turns out to be a contrived work of fiction."
"Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad have sent children into combat and used boys as young as 14 to transport weapons and supplies, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday."
"The Syrian government has shut down the internet across the country and cut mobile phone services in select areas as rebels and government troops waged fierce battles near the capital's airport. International airlines were forced to suspend flights."
FIFA to Rebuild Gaza Soccer Stadium Used Against Israel by Hamas "The soccer association, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), is pledging to rebuild the Gaza stadium that Israeli defense forces targeted after Hamas rockets were fired from it."
Norwegian youth leader seen encouraging anti-Semitic speech "Aspiring Norwegian politician Khalid Haji Ahmed said he was only joking when he wished “best of luck eight times over” to activists who wrote on Facebook that they wished Adolf Hitler could kill more Jews."
Let’s stop demonizing Israel. The new analogy I invite Arabs to use can be rendered: “Israel Is a Sister.” "As a researcher in cognitive linguistics and critical discourse analysis, I can say that the reason bad analogies are so dangerous is that they can constrain and direct our policies. The above analogy, for example, highlights that Israel is a killer of innocence, suppressing the fact that Hamas fires rockets at innocent Israeli civilians. Importantly, depicting Israel as a demon implies that there can be no peace with it. If this were the case, how can Egypt play the role of peace broker between Israel and Palestine?"
"Here's Councillor Richard Humphreys (Labour) speaking on 25 November at a pro-Israel rally in Dublin. While by no means unsympatheti to the Palestinians, he calls for a more balanced approach in Ireland to the Middle East situation, and pays tribute not only to Israel but to the Jewish presence in Ireland."
Al Arabiya reports on an Arab network that obtained a copy of an internal Iranian report that is very pessimistic about the situation there.
According to the report, Iranian officials privately admit the country is not in a good position to meet external challenges, especially with regard to Syria ansd the nuclear issue, although Tehran is trying to show a united front in the statements of its officials.
The report says Iran is currently facing the most serious crisis since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1980. According to the report, the cause of these concerns is the combination of economic mismanagement by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and severe sanctions imposed on Iran after failing to convince the world that its nuclear program has no military dimensions. The report added that this would lead to social unrest on a large scale in the country.
Iran faces major problems in securing imports of agricultural materials and food, as a result of tough sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe on the economy, including a ban on imports of Iranian oil and the prohibition of financial transactions and banking with Tehran.
The report says that the Iranian government is currently struggling to meet their need to import more than 10 million tons of wheat per month, and they have been forced to bring in stocks of lower-quality grain. Prominent Iranian leaders are also concerned of a potential government inability to pay the salaries of its staff, warning that this in particular would be a flashpoint to trigger demonstrations and unrest throughout the country.
Some senior officials hope the election of a new president in the next year will improve the situation, but this seems unlikely as long as the sanctions for Iran's refusal to comply with its nuclear obligations and to cease its enrichment activities continues.
The greatest impact of the sanctions on Iran came after the European Union's decision to stop importing Iranian oil from July, according to the report.
Al Mesryoon reports that The Grand Sheikh Mustafa Atfy an undersecretary of the Ministry of [Islamic] Endowments in Egypt, has called for a "jihad" to "liberate Jerusalem."
he said that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred in Islam; it is not merely a historic or archaeological shrine, but a sacred Islamic place.
Al-Atfy added that Jerusalem is not just occupied, but a basic Islamic issue. He stressed that its "liberation from the hands of the usurper Jews" would affirm its sanctity and "jihad for the liberation of Jerusalem is an Islamic duty for every Muslim."
This is not only a preacher, but an Egyptian government official essentially calling for holy war against Israel.
Not that the mainstream media will be bothered by this one bit.
Six today and his world is all about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Angry Birds, Superheroes. Where did his love of animals go? I am sure it will resurface soon. The skinniest kid alive but the sweetest. He is his Phil's biggest fan and vice versa.
Next week is Ray Bradbury week. Hope you all will join us to celebrate one of the greatest writers of our time.
Ed Gorman is the author of the Dev Conrad and Sam McCain series of crime fiction novels. You can find him right here.here
I've written here before about Richard Neely. He wrote non-series crime novels that pretty much covered the entire range of dark suspense. I mentioned that in the best of them the weapon of choice is not poison, bullets or garrote. He always prefered sexual betrayl.
Plastic is a good example. Using amnesia as the central device Dan Mariotte must reconstruct his life. Learning that the beautiful woman at his bedside all these months in the hospital--his wife--may have tried to kill him in a car accident is only the first of many surprises shared by Mariotte and the reader alike.
What gives the novel grit is Neely's take on the privileged class. He frequently wrote about very successful men (he was a very successful adverts man himself) and their women. The time was the Seventies. Private clubs, privte planes, private lives. But for all the sparkle of their lives there was in Neely's people a despair that could only be assauged (briefly) by sex. Preferably illicit sex. Betrayl sex. Men betrayed women and women betrayed men. It was Jackie Collins only for real.
Plastic is a snapshot of a certain period, the Seventies when the Fortune 500 dudes wore sideburns and faux hippie clothes and flashed the peace sign almost as often as they flashed their American Express Gold cards. Johny Carson hipsters. The counter culture co-opted by the pigs.
The end is a stunner, which is why I can say little about the plot. Neely knew what he was doing and I'm glad to see his book back in print. Watching Nerely work is always a pleasure.
ROADSIDE PICNIC by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (Review by Deb)
Recently, a tape from the 1980s surfaced of the late Steve Jobs discussing—in amazingly prescient detail—the future of computers.At a time when few people even had a home computer, Jobs was already talking about cloud computing, hand-held delivery devices, and the i-pod prototype.As Jon Stewart of the Daily Show observed after Jobs's death, it’s like we had a visit from an extraterrestrial who left before he could explain how everything is supposed to work.
This is exactly the position of humans in ROADSIDE PICNIC (first published in the Soviet Union in 1971, and anthologized in the west in 1977): It has been a number of years since extraterrestrials visited the Earth, an event referred to as the “visitation.”They landed simultaneously in six places, stayed for a couple of days (as one scientist puts it, almost as if they had a roadside picnic), and then left—never to return, but leaving behind an assortment of debris and areas of uninhabitable land called “forbidden zones.”(As a side note, it’s indicative of how effective anti-littering campaigns have been in the last 40 years that we probably now find it hard to imagine leaving a picnic site without picking up our trash—so the “roadside picnic” analogy, with debris strewn far and wide, isn’t immediately recognizable to us.)
Scientists (and black-market scavengers called “stalkers”) periodically visit these forbidden zones to retrieve the material left behind.No one is really sure how the aliens used these items, but many are bent to human purposes, such as sparkling bracelets that ease pain and disc-like batteries that replace fossil fuel in cars.However, there is also great danger in the zones—mine explosions, sudden violent winds, searing heat, gravity-defying earth shifts, and a deadly quicksand-like “slime”—so that most countries have completely shut down access to them.The only zone that is relatively accessible is in the city of Harmont, which is where ROADSIDE PICNIC takes place.
The book is essentially a series of inter-connected vignettes, most of them featuring a stalker named Red Schuhart, that take place over a number of years following the visitation.Red’s steely nerves and extrasensory awareness of danger have made it possible for him to make successful excursions into the zone. He is considered one of the best stalkers and is even occasionally employed in a semi-official capacity by the government to retrieve items for scientific study—although there is far more money to be made selling the items illegally on the black market. But Red’s luck starts to run out when a scientist dies after he returns with Red from an official visit to the zone.Later, during an illegal foray into the zone, Red’s partner, a stalker named Burbridge, sinks into the slime. Red could have left Burbridge to die, but instead helps him get out.(It is honorable acts such as his rescue of Burbridge that set Red apart from other stalkers and make us like and admire him despite his dangerous and criminal activities in the forbidden zone.)As a result, Burbridge survives but loses his legs, and Red ends up in prison—requesting that his share of contraband profit go to support his pregnant girlfriend, Guta.
When Red is released from prison several years later, the city of Harmont is in visible decline. Despite constant vigilance, the government can’t stop a criminal syndicate (under the direction of the legless Burbridge) from making frequent excursions into the zone, flooding the market with artifacts, many of which cause harm or are used in a dangerous way by the shadowy underworld figures who buy them.In addition, the dead of Harmont are rising from their graves and wandering back to their homes.This phenomenon is not presented in a spooky, zombie apocalypse way, but in a matter-of-fact tone that makes it easy to accept that Red’s dead father is now living in the apartment with Red, Guta, and their daughter.The daughter, never called any name but “Monkey” because her body is entirely covered with hair, is suffering from such severe genetic mutations that doctors determine she is not actually human. These mutations are undoubtedly the result of Red’s visits to the zone, but he repeatedly returns there, unable to resist the lure of both the money and the adrenaline rush that the visits provide.
Eventually, Burbridge persuades Red to venture once more into the zone, along with Burbridge’s rather naive and idealistic son, to retrieve the Golden Sphere, an almost mythic item that supposedly grants wishes. Red knows that either he or Burbridge’s son must die in order for the survivor to reach the Sphere—although whether Burbridge or his son realizes this is left somewhat ambiguous.The last few pages of the book are unbearably tense as the men approach the Sphere while attempting to dodge horrific phenomena, such as skin-blistering heat and a booby-trap known, for reasons that soon become sickeningly obvious, as “the meat grinder.”The ending can be seen as hopeful, cynical, nihilistic, or all three, depending on your perspective and how you interpret the final paragraph.
If you plan to read ROADSIDE PICNIC, I strongly recommend the 2012 edition, which includes an informative introduction by Ursula K. Le Guin and a long afterword by Boris Strugatsky in which he details the fight the brothers had with the Soviet censorship apparatus.It took years of tweaking and constant demands for minor word and text alterations before authorities finally approved the book for publication in 1971; it would be another 20 years before the book appeared as the brothers originally wrote it.Boris Strugatsky’s recent death (Arcady died in 1991) makes his afterword even more poignant.Strugatsky writes that for decades he kept the hundreds of letters and memos that went back and forth between the brothers and the censors.He had intended to eventually publish a book documenting the nonsensical, Kafkaesque changes that the bureaucrats required to deem ROADSIDE PICNIC acceptable.But by the mid-1990s, Strugatsky realized that it was unlikely that anyone would still be interested in the petty squabbles and in-fighting of the now-defunct Soviet bureaucracy and gave up the idea of developing the book.So ROADSIDE PICNIC stands alone—a testament to the writers’ stubborn refusal to surrender in the face of almost overwhelming government opposition to a simple idea, encapsulated in a rather ironic way by the book’s final wish:Happiness for everybody, free, and no one will go away unsatisfied!
The Elizabeth Stories, Isabel Huggan
Eight stories tracing the growth of the child Elizabeth Kessler over a ten-year period (7-17) during the 1950s was published as The Elizabeth Stories by Oberon Press in 1984, and in 1987 by Viking Penguin in Great Britain and the United States, where it won the Quality Paperback New Voice Award in 1988 as well as the Best Fiction Prize from the Denver Quarterly. Huggan has won many awards for her writing.
I read the book in 1988 and enjoyed these stories about a girlhood in a small Ontario town very much. Elizabethhas a difficult mother who regards propriety as overly important. She is often misunderstood, often plays a subsidiary role in these stories but never plays a victim. I see this book is now categorized as YA but I don't remember it as anything other than a book of related stories about growing up. Are we not meant to take childhood seriously as adults? Huggan is a lovely writer and this is a model on how to write related stories.
Palestinian Arab TV refused to show Israel's UN ambassador Ron Prosor's excellent response to Mahmoud Abbas' hate-filled speech at the UN yesterday, so it makes sense to ensure that it is widely available: Today I stand before you tall and proud because I represent the world’s one and only Jewish state. A state built in the Jewish people’s ancient homeland, with its eternal capital Jerusalem as its beating heart.
We are a nation with deep roots in the past and bright hopes for the future. We are a nation that values idealism, but acts with pragmatism. Israel is a nation that never hesitates to defend itself, but will always extend its hand for peace.
Peace is a central value of Israeli society. The bible calls on us:
“seek peace and pursue it.”
Peace fills our art and poetry. It is taught in our schools. It has been the goal of the Israeli people and every Israeli leader since Israel was re-established 64 years ago.
Israel’s Declaration of Independence states, “We extend our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help…”
This week was the 35th anniversary of President Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem. In a speech just before that visit, President Sadat famously stood in the Egyptian parliament in Cairo and stated that he would go “to the ends of the earth” to make peace with Israel. Israel’s Prime Minister at the time, Menachem Begin, welcomed President Sadat to Israel, and paved the way for peace. This morning Prime Minister Netanyahu stood at the Menachem Begin Center at said this about the resolution that you are about to vote on: ”Israel is prepared to live in peace with a Palestinian state, but for peace to endure, Israel’s security must be protected. The Palestinians must recognize the Jewish State and they must be prepared to end the conflict with Israel once and for all.
None of these vital interests, these vital interests of peace, none of them appear in the resolution that will be put forward before the General Assembly today and that is why Israel cannot accept it. The only way to achieve peace is through agreements that are reached by the parties and not through U.N. resolutions that completely ignore Israel’s vital security and national interests. And because this resolution is so one-sided, it doesn’t advance peace, it pushes it backwards.
As for the rights of Jewish people in this land, I have a simple message for those people gathered in the General Assembly today, no decision by the U.N. can break the 4000 year old bond between the people of Israel and the land of Israel.”
Mr. President, The People of Israel wait for a Palestinian leader that is willing to follow in the path of President Sadat. The world waits for President Abbas to speak the truth that peace can only be achieved through negotiations by recognizing Israel as a Jewish State. It waits for him to tell them that peace must also address Israel’s security needs and end the conflict once and for all.
For as long as President Abbas prefers symbolism over reality, as long as he prefers to travel to New York for UN resolutions, rather than travel to Jerusalem for genuine dialogue, any hope of peace will be out of reach.
Mr. President, Israel has always extended its hand for peace and will always extend its hand for peace. When we faced an Arab leader who wanted peace, we made peace. That was the case with Egypt. That was the case with Jordan.
Time and again, we have sought peace with the Palestinians. Time and again, we have been met by rejection of our offers, denial of our rights, and terrorism targeting our citizens.
President Abbas described today’s proceedings as “historic”. But the only thing historic about his speech is how much it ignored history. The truth is that 65 years ago today, the United Nations voted to partition the British Mandate into two states: a Jewish state, and an Arab state. Two states for two peoples.
Israel accepted this plan. The Palestinians and Arab nations around us rejected it and launched a war of annihilation to throw the “Jews into the sea”.
The truth is that from 1948 until 1967, the West Bank was ruled by Jordan, and Gaza was ruled by Egypt. The Arab states did not lift a finger to create a Palestinian state. Instead they sought Israel’s destruction, and were joined by newly formed Palestinian terrorist organizations.
The truth is that at Camp David in 2000, and again at Annapolis in 2008, Israeli leaders made far-reaching offers for peace. Those offers were met by rejection, evasion, and even terrorism.
The truth is that to advance peace, in 2005 Israel dismantled entire communities and uprooted thousands of people from their homes in the Gaza Strip. And rather than use this opportunity to build a peaceful future, the Palestinians turned Gaza into an Iranian terror base, from which thousands of rockets were fired into Israeli cities. As we were reminded just last week, the area has been turned into a launching pad for rockets into Israeli cities, a haven for global terrorists, and an ammunition dump for Iranian weapons.
Time after time, the Palestinian leadership refused to accept responsibility. They refused to make the tough decisions for peace.
Israel remains committed to peace, but we will not establish another Iranian terror base in the heart of our country.
We need a peace that will ensure a secure future for Israel. Three months ago, Israel’s Prime Minister stood in this very hall and extended his hand in peace to President Abbas. He reiterated that his goal was to create a solution of two-states for two-peoples—where a demilitarized Palestinian state will recognize Israel as a Jewish State.
That’s right. Two states for two peoples.
In fact, President Abbas, I did not hear you use the phrase “two states for two peoples” this afternoon. In fact, I have never heard you say the phrase “two states for two peoples”. Because the Palestinian leadership has never recognized that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people.
They have never been willing to accept what this very body recognized 65 years ago. Israel is the Jewish state.
In fact, today you asked the world to recognize a Palestinian state, but you still refuse to recognize the Jewish state.
Not only do you not recognize the Jewish state, you are also trying to erase Jewish history. This year, you even tried to erase the connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem. You said that Jews were trying to alter the historic character of Jerusalem. You said that we are trying to “Judaize Jerusalem”.
President Abbas, the truth is that Jerusalem had a Jewish character long before most cities in the world had any character! Three thousand years ago King David ruled from Jerusalem and Jews have lived in Jerusalem ever since.
President Abbas, instead of revising history, it is time that you started making history by making peace with Israel.
Mr. President,
This resolution will not advance peace.
This resolution will not change the situation on the ground. It will not change the fact that the Palestinian Authority has no control over Gaza. That is forty percent of the territory he claims to represent! President Abbas, you can’t even visit nearly half the territory of the state you claim to represent.
That territory is controlled by Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization that rains missiles on Israel’s civilians. This is the same Hamas that fired more than 1,300 rockets into the heart of Israel’s major cities this month.
This resolution will not confer statehood on the Palestinian Authority, which clearly fails to meet the criteria for statehood.
This resolution will not enable the Palestinians Authority to join international treaties, organizations, or conferences as a state.
This resolution cannot serve as an acceptable terms of reference for peace negotiations with Israel. Because this resolution says nothing about Israel’s security needs. It does not call on the Palestinians to recognize Israel as the Jewish State. It does not demand an end of conflict and a termination of all claims.
Let me tell you what this resolution does do.
This resolution violates a fundamental binding commitment. This is a commitment that many of the states here today were themselves witness to. It was a commitment that all outstanding issues in the peace process would only be resolved in direct negotiations.
This resolution sends a message that the international community is willing to turn a blind eye to peace agreements. For the people of Israel, it raises a simple question: why continue to make painful sacrifices for peace, in exchange for pieces of paper that the other side will not honor?
It will make a negotiated peace settlement less likely, as Palestinians continue to harden their positions and place further obstacles and preconditions to negotiations and peace.
And unfortunately, it will raise expectations that cannot be met, which has always proven to be a recipe for conflict and instability.
There is only one route to Palestinian statehood. And that route does not run through this chamber in New York. That route runs through direct negotiations between Jerusalem and Ramallah that will lead to a secure and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
There are no shortcuts. No quick fixes. No instant solutions. As President Obama, said in 2010, “Peace cannot be imposed from the outside.”
The real message of this resolution for the people of Israel is that the international community will turn a blind eye to violations of these agreements by the Palestinians.
Mr. President, In submitting this resolution, the Palestinian leadership is once again making the wrong choice.
65 years ago the Palestinians could have chosen to live side-by-side with the Jewish State of Israel. 65 years ago they could have chosen to accept the solution of two states for two peoples. They rejected it then, and they are rejecting it again today.
The international community should not encourage this rejection. It should not encourage the Palestinian leadership to drive forward recklessly with both feet pressing down on the gas, no hands on the wheel, and no eyes on the road.
Instead it should encourage the Palestinians to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions in order to achieve an historic peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state.
Mr. President, Winston Churchill said, “The truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it … ignorance may deride it … malice may distort it … but there it is.” The truth is that Israel wants peace, and the Palestinians are avoiding peace.
Those who are supporting the resolution today are not advancing peace. They are undermining peace.
The UN was founded to advance the cause of peace. Today the Palestinians are turning their back on peace. Don’t let history record that today the UN helped them along on their march of folly.
Hamas' military wing said one of its fighters was killed early Friday when remnants of Israeli weaponry from the latest Gaza assault exploded in the northern Gaza Strip.
Mustafa Ahmad Hijazi, 25, was killed in the explosion at a military site in Jabalia camp, the Al-Qassam Brigades said.
Eight other were wounded in the blast, including two in a serious condition, the group said.
On Thursday, an Al-Qassam fighter died of his wounds from the eight-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip. More than 170 Palestinians were killed in the assault which ended last Wednesday.
Ah, the old "leftover rocket" excuse.
Isn't it interesting that this supposedly unexploded Israeli ordnance killed an Al Qassam Brigades terrorist, and not a child at a playground?
Isn't it interesting that it was at a "military site" - where there are no doubt tons of Hamas weapons and explosives?
Inflating the number of people supposedly killed by Israel is good business - not just for Hamas but also for Israel-hating leftists.
And Egyptians are back again to protest in Tahrir square in another day of protest against not only the constitutional declaration but also the constitution draft. The numbers currently in Tahrir square are not that big as it is expected.The secret word is "The rallies". There will be several rallies after Friday prayers from major squares and mosques in Cairo and Giza that will head to Tahrir square. Now to the street vendors are invading in Tahrir square as it is a big attraction now. Ok Mohamed Mahmoud street is now peaceful , the Tahrir security committees set up barbed wires in the street. The Lycée Bab El Luk is coming out of a war movie. I took some photos it is terrible. I am thinking of some post about the lycée only. Simon Bolivar square is being cleaned now yet the smell of tear gas grenades is extremely powerful. The entrances to Tahrir square from the square is being blocked by barbed wires too. Kasr El Dobra palace is extremely damaged The Friday speech slammed the Muslim brotherhood and Salafists. There will be rallies headed by ElBaradei , Sabbahi, Moses and others from Mostafa Mahmoud and Shubra.
@3:18 PM
Ok there is one main stage of Omar Makram for different political powers. As soon as this stage announced what happened to Morsi during Friday prayer in New Cairo , the protesters cheered. More people being to show and to come after the prayer , different ages and class as well backgrounds. There are security towers set up in the different entrances of the square. It is worth to mention that I received some tips mostly for people close to MB claiming that the former Mubarak regime will create trouble again in Tahrir square as well in front of the FJP and MB HQs.
El Fatah Mosque rally entered the square , it was quite big and colorful full of flags. The flags of Constitution Party , April 6 Youth , Socialist popular alliance party , Revolutionary socialist and Strong Egypt party were all there. The rally was led by Khaled Ali "who has become known to average Egyptians more and more", Abdel Hakim Gamal Abdel Nasser and Kamel Khalil. Khalil chanted against Morsi in the rally with all his strength while he was being held over shoulders. Shady El Ghazli Harb was there too with his family "his wife and kids" , a lady standing besides kept saying when she saw him " do not let them "MB" fool ya Shady like the military". Mamdouh Hamza was there since early Morning , I asked him about what he thought about the draft constitution and he told me that it was like a midnight robbery. I found him later speaking at the old retired military stage speaking about how those military veterans gave their life for restoring Sinai and yet Morsi lost it !!
@8:27 PM
Ok back home from 3 hours ago. The Tahrir square was full when I left as the rallies from all over Cairo and Giza reached to the square. The biggest rally I believe was the one coming from Mostafa Mahmoud as usual. The square was packed by middle class and Upper middle class holding Egyptian flags chanting "Down with the Supreme guide's rule".
I saw the moment Hamdeen Sabbahi appeared on the podium and was received like a rock star or to be accurate as a leader. In fact some chanted "The president , the president" when he appeared on the stage among a group of TV hosts, actors and political activists.
He spoke for about 15 minutes. "We will continue in our sit in till Morsi cancel his constitution declaration" He said adding he and other political parties and parties standing against the constitutional declaration as well the draft constitution are not standing Islam or Sharia. I recorded the whole speech. You may see it on Monday with the rate of speed I am currently uploading back in Cairo !!
Right after that I read that the main podium that ElBaradei would arrive soon. It was about 5 PM , I left. When I returned home I knew that ElBaradei arrived and announced that he will join the sit in at Tahrir square. oh yes El Bob is getting furious and he tweet this tonight.
If you are speaking about ironies, I missed the moment that Siyad Badawy of New Al Wafd Party when he held the poster of Nasser on the stage !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the slap on his neck affected his brain for real !!
Anyhow several newspapers and TV channels announced that they will be off next Tuesday for one day.
Here are the photos I uploaded so far , turtle speed indeed
We have probably all seen the movie version of this with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor where the book's subtext of Brick's homosexuality is submerged beneath illusions of something else. We saw it in 1992 at the Hilberry Theater, which is the graduate repertory theater associated with Wayne State University in Detroit. A young actor, Thorsten Kaye, played Brick, the Newman role. I thought it would be fun to see whether he had any success after his years in Detroit and see he is currently on the tv show SMASH. He seems to have had steady if not spectacular success since 1992.
Here is a clip from the original Broadway version with Ben Gazarra and Barbara Bel Geddes
During the past week I noted that both Robert Serry, the UN's envoy to the Middle East, and Richard Falk, United Nations Special Rapporteur, claimed that Hamas was ready to recognize Israel after a Palestinian Arab state was established.
They follow in the footsteps of Ethan Bronner of the NYT, Karl Vick of Time magazine, and a host of so-called Middle East "experts" who refuse to believe Hamas' leaders clear statements they speak in Arabic, and instead overlay their own biases and hopes on top of purposefully ambiguous statements made in English - specifically to fool the West.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh confirmed his support for any political achievement earned by the Palestinian people "on the road to grab the state." Haniyeh stressed in a statement received by "Palestine Today" on Thursday evening, 29/11/2012, that any political achievement must be "on the basis of lack of recognition of the occupier or compromise of our strategy and our principles, first and foremost the right of return."
Haniyeh's words correspond with what Hamas Political Bureau head Khaled Meshaal said previously, as he stressed the "need to be a move in the context of a vision and a national strategy keeps the principles and national rights, and based on the strength of our Palestinian people, especially the resistance."
Member of the political bureau of Hamas Ezzat Rishq earlier said that [the PLO should] go to the United Nations to get the label of observer State, but without giving up or compromising any inch of Palestinian land from the sea to the river. Rishq said: "We support any achievement won by our people and our Palestinian national cause in all forums so as to maintain the rights of our people."
It is really hard to misinterpret such clear statements. Yet clueless Westerners do it every single day. (And the people interviewing them are equally clueless to challenge them when they spew their nonsense.)
It's not like it is news that Palestinian Arabs talk deceptively in English and tell the truth in Arabic. Arafat did it for decades. But some people refuse to believe it - because they would prefer to bet Israel's existence on Arab lies.
I know, I already posted today...but there's just so many great Christmas submissions and Christmas is coming up fast, so I'll be squeezing extras in to help give you ideas, to troubleshoot projects, and to just give you a holiday chuckle.
Everyone has their own Christmas decorating style. Some are into Santas, some Nativity Scenes, some snowmen, etc. Me? I love Christmas trees. If I could I'd have a forest of real trees and decorate them all, but that's not really feasible, so I'm slowly making and collecting Christmas Trees for my decorations. My Christmas Pinterest board is full of Christmas Tree ideas just waiting to get done.
If I had enough books in my house I'd seriously make this one:
The Original Pin
http://www.usfca.edu/Library/About_the_Library/
I love people's creativity! That's so fantastic. 6 High School students were working on decorating their school's library for Christmas and found this idea and went to town with the project.
The Pinstrosity
"We (a group of about 5 seniors and a junior) have been decorating our schools library for Christmas. This was the Pinterest project we were most excited about and it didn't turn out quite as expected. We ran out of the books we were using half way up and had a terrible time getting it to come to a point. All in all it isn't bad but it could've been better."
I love that they wrapped lights around the book tree, it's a fun spin off the original idea.
This project definitely takes a TON of books. I think most of us would underestimate how many books this takes. As an avid block player (I still like to see how tall of a tower I can make), I have a small idea...but I'm still sure I would underestimate the numbers. As the picture shows and as Ashley stated, they ran out of the orange and green books they were using and had to switch things up, changing the look of the tree. True, the tree would have looked a mite better if the same color scheme had been able to be continued up to the top, but it's not bad. It would have been more time and work, but I know my high school had the big rolls of colored paper...if they wanted a uniform color they could have covered all the books with the paper. And then, it's hard to find small enough books to get the tree to come to a point. There just aren't many tiny books any more. My guess would be that children's sections would have smaller books, but most high school libraries don't have a children's section I'd imagine. All in all though, I say bravo to this group of students for taking on the project and adapting it to make it work! Also, a huge thank you to the librarian who let the kids work together, brainstorm, adapt, and figure out how to build this. What a great project!
From Ian: The EU should not be complicit in Abbas's mistake The Palestinians are about to compound their 1947 UN blunder with yet another misstep at the world body. No EU country should be complicit in this mistake
"And how will violating past agreements encourage Israelis to trust Palestinians to abide by future agreements? The just-ended Hamas conflict underlined Israel’s dilemma, which in any future peace deal will have to give up territory and thus security."
“If the Palestinian Authority wishes to be regarded like a state, it must act as one,” he said. “That includes fulfilling all agreements. We will demand international guarantees from now on for any commitment the PA makes in any negotiations,” Ayalon said, considering the poor record the PA has had fulfilling previous agreements."
Defeat Hamas. There, I Said It. We must drop the assumption that there is no way to vanquish Hamas. Terrorists have been defeated before.
"What cannot be allowed to continue is this defeatist assumption that vicious terrorism needs to be bought off, that there is no way militarily and politically to defeat our enemies, and that in even attempting to do so we are committing crimes as bad as they. The ghastly doctrine of moral equivalence that lurks in those assumptions is far more dangerous than any missile that Hamas can fire at Tel Aviv, or bus-bomb it can let off."
“If we really want to take an effective stand against extremism, we should not obsess over the extremists; rather, we should tackle those who facilitate, empower and legitimize extremism. The worst culprits are particular British Members of Parliament – elected officials whom we employ to safeguard our liberties and democratic rights but who betray these duties in favor of promoting the work of terror advocates. We have given terror and its apologists a platform, while we deny truth, reason and accountability a voice.”
Ha'aretz translators are at it again: downplaying Palestinian violence for the benefit of its English readers by wrongly translating the original Hebrew article, and even inserting false information that doesn't appear in the Hebrew.
"That the editors chose to run a partisan article indicting Israel and glorifying Palestinian smugglers while ignoring the malignant role played by smugglers in Iran/Hamas' war against Israel is disturbing because it indicates that accepted journalistic standards of accuracy and balance have no place at National Geographic."
"Sickeningly, McGreal allows Nizar and Jindal the space in his piece to excuse themselves as mere victims, the implication being that the real criminals were Smadga, Amselam, Scharf and Scharf’s unborn child who weren’t “civilians”.
"It is implausible that the BBC – having filmed and broadcast Ahmed Masharawi at his funeral wrapped in a Hamas flag – is unaware of the Masharawi family’s connections to Hamas – a terror organization proscribed by the British government and many others."
"In a strongly worded statement to the committee, Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Guillermo Rishchynski, condemned Iran’s discrimination against Christians, Jews and other religious minorities, but also noted the regime’s release of 130 political prisoners and its recent engagement with the UN Human Rights Committee."
"A 57-year-old Jewish woman was brutally stabbed to death and her body mutilated on Monday by Muslim attackers in the Iranian city of Isfahan, in what her family says was a religiously motivated crime related to a property dispute, Menashe Amir, an expert on Iranian Jewry who spoke with the victim’s family, has told The Times of Israel."
.jpg)
Posted with Blogsy
