Happy New Year!

Well, it's already started off with a bang in Gaza City. Palestinian gunman bombed a UN club. So the biggest, most influential entity that is the second (to the PA) biggest employer in Gaza, an entity which has done nothing but blow sunshine up the PA's collective asses, shit on Israelis and thumbed their nose at the US, wasn't even safe from their bloodthirsty taste for death?!

Do you get it now, UN? Appeasement, groveling and shunning the moral highground in a futile attempt to save your miserable tushes -- DIDN'T! To quote a good pal, 'the comic book death cult' doesn't care about you. They laugh at you. And they don't care if they kidnap you, rape your women or blow up your bars. You are nothing.

But don't worry, maybe 2006 will be the year that all your dhimmitude will pay off. And if you believe that, have I got a bridge to sell to you!

The Doors Were Correct: People Are Strange

OK, now I have seen everything.

Some Good Reading

Sorry I haven't been able to visit your sites, never mind answer comments here, but I should be able to this weekend. In the meantime, here is something I found intriguing:

Towards Palestinian Elections: The Democracy of the Rifles
Brig. Gen. (res.) Shalom Harari.

Israeli Humor

Received this in an email. Made me giggle.

As the El Al plane settled down at Ben Gurion airport, the voice of the captain came on: "Please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until this plane is at a complete standstill and the seat belt signs have been turned off. We also wish to remind you that using cell phones on board this aircraft is strictly prohibited."

"To those who are seated, we wish you a Merry Christmas, and hope that you enjoy your stay.....and to those of you standing in the aisles and talking on your cell phones, we wish you a Happy Chanukah, and welcome back home."

Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas

I don't know this dog, Lola, but she was on an animal slideshow that's on my local CBS affiliate's Web site. I thought she truly captured the spirit of what I was trying to get across. Outside the Blogway would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate.

Rabbi Marvin Hier On Munich

Hat tip to StandWithUs. In his article, Munich: The Missing Conversation, Rabbi Marvin Hier from the Simon Wiesenthal Center makes some excellent points about Spielberg's movie.

He talks about a conversation between the Israeli leader of the mission, Avner, and his handler, Ephraim, in which they discuss how Avner doesn't want to be a part of the 'cycle' any more.

He [Ephraim] could have started by reminding him what he said when he first sent him on his mission: “You are not terrorists throwing hand grenades at buses or machine-gunning people in the theater lobby.... There will be 11 [terrorist] names on your list. If you get only three, we will be disappointed, but you did nothing wrong. If you get no one, your mission would be a failure, but still you’ve done nothing wrong. If you get them all, but you also hurt one innocent person, you will have done wrong. Remember this.” (This is not in the film but appears in the book, “Vengeance,” on which "Munich” was based.)

This conversation is not in the film??? I guess SS didn't want to show any humanity in the Israelis. Unreal. Hier continues on this thread with another salient point.

I would have wanted to pursue the conversation further in light of what has happened since Munich, asking Avner, how should we confront terrorists? Should we wait for the U.N. General Assembly? You know how many times they have condemned Israel, but not a single time have they condemned a Palestinian terrorist organization?

If we didn’t go after the terrorists and their leaders, tens of thousands of civilians could be slaughtered. The late Golda Meir used to say that if that happened to Israel, she was sure that the eulogies would be profound, but she would prefer that the State of Israel live.

I'm with Golda. And Hier. But I guess that doesn't fit in with Spielberg's leftist fantasies. Hier knowingly points out that if daily terror attacks were happening in the US, France or England, we all know they wouldn't think twice about going after the terrorists. No kidding. I can't imagine that Spielberg would have a problem with that. Yet he and so many others begrudge little Israel from doing the same. Why do Jews have to roll over and take the punches? And why would Spielberg, who knows something about the phrase, "never again," expect or want them to do so? It doesn't make sense. Perhaps I'm expecting too much by thinking he should make sense. Hier realizes the frivolity of this expectation.

After the Holocaust, there are not that many Jews left in the world to sacrifice. I can’t wait for Islamic fundamentalist jihadists to begin treating Jews as human beings.

By the way, from what I know of the Bible, one never loses his righteousness by confronting evil. We learn that from Moses himself: “And Moses turned this way and that way [in our time, its meaning could be to the United Nations and to the European community], but he saw that there was no man, [no one was willing to confront the evil taskmaster] so he struck down the Egyptian....” (Exodus 2:12).

No one loses righteousness by confronting evil....exactly. And this is something the far left would be smart to realize as they try to handicap Israel and our own administration from doing everything they can to protect their people.

Interesting Concept Gone Awry

I'm a bit bummed. My friend Renee sent me the following article about a teacher in New Hampshire trying to teach his students about the Holocaust. They were to make yellow Jewish stars and wear them. Sadly, many kids missed the point and protested. They even wore post-its saying, "I'm not Jewish." And one charming student thought "outside the box" and wore a Swastika, which was okay because they were "understanding the power of symbols." Glad I didn't go to school there.

Have Some Cake On Us

The Blogway is one year old today. Hard to believe I've been blogging only a year. Oh right... I've been complaining for so much longer, I guess it just blended.

I'm so grateful to all of you who come by to see what Rory and I have to share. We really appreciate it. But I must thank Gindy for being one of my first commenters, if not the first, which opened me up to "meeting" so many of you. Now help yourself to the cake.

I'm Still Laughing

OK, maybe I’m the last one to see this but I laughed my ass off. For those who are sick of the assault on poor Christmas or just want to giggle, you must check this out.

Are We In A Sept. 10 State Of Mind?

This is a subject discussed by Daniel Pipes in his latest article. He wrote that he'd feared this after 9/11, despite the great show of commitment:

"Are Americans truly ready to sacrifice liberties and lives to prosecute seriously the war against militant Islam? I worry about US constancy and purpose."

How right he was for many reasons.

* The USA Patriot Act, a landmark of post-September 11 cooperation between the military and law enforcement, passed in the Senate 98-1 in October 2001. Last week, the same bill stalled in the Senate.

* The mainstream press does not take Islamist aspirations seriously and sees the war on terror basically as over, as shown by Maureen Dowd's comment in the New York Times that the Bush administration is trying "to frighten people with talk of Al Qaeda's dream of a new Islamic caliphate."

* Harvard and Georgetown universities each accepted $20 million for Islamic studies from a Saudi prince who overtly promotes his government's Wahhabi outlook, Alwaleed bin Talal.

* A Florida jury somehow managed to overlook the massive evidence of Sami Al-Arian's leading role in Palestinian Islamic Jihad and acquitted him on this charge.

* One leading Islamist organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, boasts an endorsement from Wells Fargo Bank, an invitation from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and a letter of congratulations from the president's brother, Jeb Bush. Another, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, hosted representatives of the departments of Justice and State at a conference last week.

He also goes on to list American foreign policy as well as international setbacks, which I'm sure many of us could list ourselves. He then said that others who also worry include Rudy Giuliani and Steven Emerson. And like us, he worries that even another attack here in the US wouldn't be enough to put us back on the track we need to be on if we want life as we know it to continue. It's scary how many people just don't get it.

If You're Feeling A Bit Down...

Had a bad day? Feeling a bit crappy? Well, if friend to the Blogway, Rachy, can manage to greet each new day, you have no excuse. Please read her latest post, send her some love and appreciate your life.

Violence in Australia

Don't believe everything you're seeing on the news. To get the lowdown from people who are there, visit Democracy Frontline.

In My Prayers

Ariel Sharon has been taken to the hospital. Why he is there isn't known yet.

UPDATE:
Some reports say he lost consciousness and so was taken to the hospital. Now they're reporting he had a minor stroke. An MRI is being taken to check the extent of damage. They are saying he's in stable condition and conscious. Palestinians are celebrating in the streets passing out sweets. Charming.

This Makes Me Very Sad

While I've had a love/hate relationship with the political show, The West Wing, I've always loved John Spencer as Leo McGarry, the former Chief-of-Staff to President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) and current Vice Presidential candidate (alongside Spencer's former L.A. Law co-star, Jimmy Smits).

John Spencer passed away today in an L.A. hospital of a heart attack. His character had a heart attack on the show in a past season, and it was incredibly horrifying to watch (that's what a great actor the Emmy winner was). I can't even imagine what it was like for him to play it out for real. My condolences to the cast, his friends and family. He was only 58 years old.

Christmas For Katrina

I received an email from my friend, Alex's mom, who many of our regular readers know volunteered recently in Louisana/Mississippi, that is very touching and a plea to help those suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Please take a moment to read it.

I think most of you know that I spent 2 weeks last month as a Hurricane Katrina relief volunteer - and it was the best thing I've ever done in my life. I spent my first week at Hilltop Rescue and Relief in Slidell, Louisiana, and it was the most amazing experience. I've never worked so hard (at physical labor) but I cannot begin to explain the rewards and blessings of being able to give someone who had lost everything back some hope because people (who they'd never met, from all over the country) cared about them and were willing to roll up their sleeves and help them when they were so overwhelmed that they didn't know where to start. I wish you could all witness the difference it makes in someones life when the only question they're asked is: What do you need? How can we help you? (and not, how much money do you have, do you have insurance, can you pay for this...)

The email below is from Mr. Machen - he and his wife own a house with 6 acres property and have most generously allowed Hilltop to set up their rescue camp and command center on the property. The hospilatility they've extended (and are continuing to extend for the foreseeable future) to me and all of the other volunteers is amazing.

Please take a few minutes and read the emails below. I know, especially at this time of year, there are so many worthy causes who need your support, but I can personally attest to the good work Hilltop is doing - even if you can't afford to help, or choose to give elsewhere, you can help tremendously by keeping Hilltop in your prayers and by passing this email along to everyone you know.

By the way, if I don't have a job in January (maybe you can keep that in your prayers too) , I'm still planning to go back, and would love to take all of you with me. I promise it will change your life (for the better, of course).

Much love at this holiday season,
[Alex's Mom]


-----Forwarded Message-----
From: "Robert Machen [Hilltop Rescue]"
Sent: Dec 2, 2005 4:13 PM
To: [Alex's Mom]
Subject: Christmas for Katrina

Dear [Alex's Mom],

Christmas for Katrina

Hurricane Katrina has created a humanitarian crisis unseen in America since the great depression. The children of the affected region have especially suffered great loss. In fact, Hilltop Rescue volunteers have had to remove thousands of damaged and mold- stained items from homes including toys, baseball cards, sports items, dolls, video games, clothes, trophies, books, crafts and much more. These personal, treasured items are gone forever.

At Hilltop Rescue and Relief, we realize that this will be a particularly difficult time of the year and the personal loss will be most evident. It's a perfect time for us to put a few toys back into these children's empty bedrooms. This will greatly assist in restoring hope in these families' lives.

We need your help! Over the next several weeks, we'll be collecting 'wish lists' from the children of Slidell, LA. Santa's helpers will then shop, wrap and deliver these gifts to the children. Our desire is that we can spend approximately $50 per child to make this a very special Christmas. We employ you to join with us with this special project. You can donate in one of the following ways:

(1) You and your family can donate one or more Toys-R-Us, Wal-Mart, or Target gift cards in denominations of $25. These cards should to be received by December 15th to expedite our shopping.

Please send cards to the Hilltop Field Office at:
Hilltop Rescue'Field Operations Center
1241 Magnolia
Slidell, LA 70460

(2) Click on this link: http://hilltoprescue.org/christmas.html

and donate $50 for one child or any denomination that you feel appropriate. Please reference 'Christmas Fund' in the 'Message' area of the form.

All of your tax-deductible donations to the Hilltop Christmas Fund will be used specifically for purchasing gifts, wrapping paper or other necessary costs related to this project.

Thank you so much for being a part of Hilltop and participating in the Christmas for Katrina project. We also ask that you take this opportunity to forward this message to all of your friends and family members, so they may also help the children of Southern Louisiana giving glory to God our Father, who has immeasurable compassion for these little ones. (Please read the attached message by Ray Baca-Hilltop Volunteer)

May God bless you and fill you completely this holiday season.

Robert Machen
Executive Director

============

[MESSAGE FROM RAY BACA]

Dear Friends,

Happy Holidays. I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday season. This is the time of year to help those in need. I am going back to Slidell, La to help hand deliver toys to the kids that were greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina. We are organizing a toy drive for the kids in the hard hit area of Slidell. We need your help to make this Christmas special.

Why this is so important to me:

2005 will be a year I will never forget. A year that has changed my life and the way I view the world around me. There have been events in my life in the past that have moved me to tears and made me angry, 9/11 and the Tsunami in SE Asia come to mind. I sat back like most people and watched the horrible events play out on TV in the comfort of my own living room. I thought how could one individual from NC make a difference? I jumped on my soapbox and screamed as loud as I could to make people aware of the situation and asked them for help.

2005 is a year that got me off the couch and into action. Living in NC there is always a threat that this might be the year a big hurricane hits the area. When my wife and I moved here a few years ago, we actually threw a hurricane party when Charlie came through the area. We had our hurricane glasses and mixture we got from Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans and we broke out the camcorder, invited a few friends over and 'enjoyed' the weather. My outlook sure has changed after seeing the destruction Katrina did to the gulf coast.

After watching the television coverage of hurricane Katrina, once again I got on my soapbox and started screaming. I had been a volunteer with the Red Cross for about a year and was up to date on my certifications so I thought I was a shoe-in to help in the gulf area. After a week of waiting with no clear answer on when I would be deployed, I took it upon myself to make other arrangements. I searched online for anyone that was willing to take on a volunteer to help. After a very frustrating few days I noticed a group in Slidell, La that posted messages asking for help. On Labor Day, instead of packing a cooler and heading out to the beach, I packed my car with cans of tuna, work gloves, water and other items I thought was needed in the gulf coast area. I woke up at 3am, kissed my wife, and started a trip that would change my life.

Hilltop Rescue and Relief is based out of a home in Slidell, La. Louise and Richard Machen with the help of their sons, opened up their hearts and home to help the people that lost almost every thing they owned. They are some of the most amazing people. We set up a volunteer camp and at our height of operation had 70 volunteers scattered throughout the city cleaning homes, cutting down trees and being there for anyone that needed a hug and support. Currently we are closer to 15 a night, but we are still working hard to clean up and rebuild Slidell.

What is still left to do:

For those of you that have been to Slidell and have helped in our camp, thank you. You are the ones that have experienced the sights and smells of the devastating effect a hurricane can have on a community. There really isn't a way to describe the horrible conditions. In Slidell, many, many homes and businesses had water damage, some up to 12 feet. Almost everything inside these homes had to be thrown away furniture, clothes, pictures and toys. Imagine if everything you have worked so hard to buy and collect was destroyed in a matter of hours. Here is your chance to help again. If you are looking to help with this project, we have room for about 30 more volunteers, so please come back.

I believe if All of us do a little we can make a HUGE difference. We have seen the conditions these people are living in. This is America. These people are our neighbors, our relatives and friends.

This is what we are about, giving hope and a chance at a normal life again. The kids deserve better, it is up to us to help. Feel free to forward this email to your family or friends that would be excited to help.

Ray

* Hilltop Rescue is an orgazination designed to be Not for Profit. Your support is always greatly appreciated and utilized to serve those in need.

Academia...Or Big Business?

This is actually Rory's post. For those of us who've held America's universities in high esteem, the past several years have provided a rude awakening. A huge influx of Saudi petrodollars has resulted in a completely unbalanced presentation of events in the Middle East, from the Iraq War to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict by many of those professors who are the beneficiaries of the Saudis' largesse.

We're now faced with a situation where our future leaders and opinion-makers are being force- fed a diet of extreme left-wing propaganda being fueled by large infusions of cash from reactionary anti-democratic regimes like the one in Saudi Arabia. At best, students are being deprived of the opportunity to hear all sides of the argument. At worst, they're being psychologically intimidated by professors who broach no opinions contrary to their own, and, on occasion, physically intimated by members of student organizations who, in their infantile inability to win the argument by persuasion, have resorted to violence. Certainly, anyone who has a son or daughter of college age cannot afford to ignore what's happening on our campuses. But neither can the rest of us. Their protests to the contrary notwithstanding, the Saudi regime is no friend to the United States. Their Wahabi form of Islam produced the hijackers of 9/11 and the acolytes of Osama bin Laden worldwide. They're buying their way into our universities, they're influencing our media, and they're radicalizing our mosques. And we're the ones who are buying the rope with which they're trying to hang us.

Do You Have 1 Hour To Help Katrina Victims?

I received this email today. In case anyone has been looking for some way they can help and you have an hour a day available:

Mary Miller is heading up a vital team of volunteers to assist Best Friends reunion staff in working through the backlog of requests from people trying to locate their lost Katrina Pets.

This is incredibly important work because we are coming to end of the first 90 day foster hold period. If you are internet savvy and can devote some time on a regular basis from home or work, please contact Mary Miller at:

lostandfoundvol@bestfriends.org

More On Munich

Sorry, life is busy at the moment. Found this and thought it might be of interest: Spielberg Is No Friend Of Israel.

My Open Letter To Barbra Streisand

Dear Barbra...

You have been an Icon to every young Jewish girl born since the 1960s. We wanted to be like you, to know you, to be as talented as you, to be as influential as you... to be just like you. But now I find myself asking... what in the world has happened to you? When did you abandon Israel? Because your silence on the subject has been deafening. Surely you've realized that Israel is in a fight for her very existence. Not only that, anti-Semitism is rising everywhere -- even in this country. Yet many of those people who have those tendencies or have a predisposition to have them -- in this country -- still admire you. You could make a real difference.

The LA Times has been spewing anti-Israel rhetoric for years now. Did that motivate you to cancel your subscription? No. Yet when they fired their columnist Richard Scheer, who is known to not be a great friend to Israel, you spring into action. I can't tell you how betrayed (on Israel's behalf) I felt by that action.

I thought, maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe people aren't covering your statements. So if you had made any, I figured they'd probably be on your personal Web site. Yet, as I searched your site, nary a word was said about Israel. Plenty against our president, our war against Islamists (my word, not yours) that it's painfully obvious you don't understand -- as well as any left-wing cause that could probably survive without your two cents' worth.

We in the Western world are in a war for our very survival. Granted, you can't save us. Obviously you don't have that power. But if you spoke up for Israel, even visited, it could go a long way to helping Israel's reputation in this country. If Israel, as the Western country most on the frontline of this war, can remain alive and vibrant, maybe there's hope for the rest of us.

Steven Spielberg's Munich

Gindy has a review. Check it out.

No Surprise -- UN Morally Bankrupt... Again

The UN will be silent about the bombing in Netanya. According to John Bolton, we have Algeria to thank. They've blocked the release of a statement from the Security Council. Figures.

Show Your Love For Israel

Okay, our friends from outside the United States are off the hook BUT if you live in the US -- please consider this for how you spend March 5-7, 2006. On the right side of this blog is a link to the next AIPAC Policy Confernce. You have no idea how important your presence, not just your money, is there as a show of support for Israel. Let me explain why this is.

The conference is attended by so many of our congressmen and women, as well as our senators, and they need to see a strong showing of support for Israel. That means bodies in the hall. It's not enough to just send money. Your actual presence in the building is of vital importance. But trust me, you will get so much in return.

It is an overwhelming experience to be in a room with over 5,000 people who love Israel. Positively empowering. Add to that hearing speeches from people in power like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Ariel Sharon!

You will learn more about what's going on in the Middle East than you hear in the media (which I know isn't exactly hard). meet some incredible people and just have an all around amazing experience that I obviously can't recommend more. If you want to go, there is currently an early bird special ($100 off) of $399. I'm not sure when it turns to $499, but it will probably be reasonably soon. I hope that I'll see you there.

Great New Blog!

Longtime readers of the Blogway should recognize the name Felis, who has sadly been blog-less for a little while -- but this is no longer the case! He has created Democracy Frontline, along with fellow travelers Gravelrash, Elmers Brother and Skylark -- all terrific writers. I find this excellent site to already be must-reading each day, if not a few times per day. Please go check it out -- and then bookmark it.

American Judicial System Subverted; War On Terror Lost?

Florida professor/terrorist Sami al-Arian has been found not guilty. What hope is there for us?

Ceasefire My Ass

By now you have all heard about the five lives lost in a Natanya suicide bombing, courtesy of Islamic Jihad, that took place on Monday. My blood boils when I hear newscasters say that this puts a "strain" on the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the PA. As we always say, "What ceasefire??" How can the media be so clueless, at best, and so complicit at worst? For anyone who thinks Israel is not at war, I say open your eyes. And while you're at it, read this about the five victims of the "peace" happening in Israel.

Voice Of Reason From Iraq

Major K has a great post about how our military is viewed by the different factions in Iraq. He cuts through the MSM/Dems baloney.

Interview with a Terrorist

I just saw radio talk show host Rusty Humphries being interviewed on FOX News' Hannity & Colmes show. The guy interviewed members of Fatah in Israel. His summary was that they were nice (and he didn't offer any follow up to their lying rhetoric). They served him tea, they were cordial. Of course, when he describes what he went through to have it, it sounds scarily similar to what Daniel Pearl went through. The guy knows Aaron Klein from World Net Daily, who also wrote about it, so he obviously knows the score but still... Anyway, here's the gist of what he said on their show (it's only a small portion of his interview). You can find out more from that link above.

What do you want to accomplish?
Defending Palestine.

Should we be afraid of you?
You're here safe and calm. We are defending our rights. We want our land occupied since 1948 [note that he didn't say since 1967; he means with the creation of Israel, again making clear they don't want a state next to Israel but in place of it.]. We are fighting back for our rights.

Suicide terrorism scares people. Ever think of stopping it?
We wanted to. We declared a cease fire. But Israelis don't help us to maintain it. They daily kill Palestinians. They come into our villages. They came a few hours ago. We had clashes and blood. We don't go to their camps. Koran says use violence against those who use violence against you.

How does it stop?
Let them stop. Who comes to who? It's the Israelis who come to our cities. Or am I the one who goes? not us going into theirs.

How did Arafat die? Naturally or poison?
Poison. Everyone knows that.

What about the rumors that he died of AIDS?
Cut off head to anyone who says that to my face.

72 Virgins? Is it true?
Yes, it's in the Koran. (He asked to see the verse. They could never find the verse. A little embarrassing for them, he said.)

Final thoughts...
Monica was sent to the White House so Jews could control the country. Everyone knows that.
Said nothing is their fault. It's Israel's, America's, George Bush's.