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By Bonnie K. Goodman
Ms. Goodman is the Editor of History Musings. She has a BA in History & Art History & a Masters in Library and Information Studies from McGill University, and has done graduate work in history at Concordia University.
- Obama to AIPAC: Israelis, Palestinians should negotiate a new border: President Obama said his call for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations based on the pre-1967 lines did not mean the future state of Palestine would have those exact borders.
"By definition, it means that the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967," Obama said on Sunday morning to the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "It is a well-known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation. It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 44 years, including the new demographic realities on the ground and the needs of both sides."
Last week, Obama said Israeli-Palestinian peace talks should be based on the pre-'67 lines, with mutually agreed swaps. He also said the difficult issues of Jerusalem and the right of return for Palestinian refugees should be deferred for later. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called such borders "indefensible."
"If there is a controversy, it's not based on substance," Obama said Sunday. "What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately."… – JTA, 5-22-11
- Obama Challenges Israel to Make Hard Choices: President Obama struck back at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in a speech to a pro-Israel lobbying group on Sunday, defending his stance that talks over a Palestinian state should be focused on Israel's pre-1967 borders, along with negotiated land swaps, and challenging Israel to "make the hard choices" necessary to bring about a stable peace.
Mr. Obama, speaking before a conference of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee, offered familiar assurances that the United States' commitment to Israel's long-term security was "ironclad." But citing the rising political upheaval near Israel's borders, he presented his peace plan as the best chance Israel has to avoid growing isolation.
"We cannot afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades, to achieve peace," Mr. Obama said. The world, he said, "is moving too fast."
Administration officials said it would be up to Mr. Obama, during an economic summit in Paris next weekend, to try to talk his European counterparts out of endorsing Palestinian statehood in a coming United Nations vote, a prospect that would deeply embarrass Israel. Some French officials have already indicated that they are leaning toward such an endorsement.
"He basically said, 'I can continue defending you to the hilt, but if you give me nothing to work with, even America can't save you,' " said Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator and a fellow at the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan research group.
The appearance by Mr. Obama on Sunday punctuated a tense week in which he and Mr. Netanyahu made their separate cases about Palestinian statehood to American audiences. Mr. Netanyahu will address the same group on Monday and will speak before Congress on Tuesday at the invitation of Republican lawmakers…. – NYT, 5-22-11
- Obama seeks to reassure Israel on Mideast policy in speech at AIPAC conference: President Obama sought to reassure Israel and its supporters of "ironclad" U.S. support Sunday in a speech to a Jewish lobbying group that also warned that time could be running out for a peace accord with Palestinians.
Obama, wading afresh into a topic that evoked anger from Israeli leaders last week, insisted again that 1967 boundary lines should be the starting point for talks on a new Palestinian state. But he allowed that the dividing line would be negotiated to accommodate Israeli settlements and security needs.
"Israelis and Palestinians will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967," Obama told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) at its annual conference in Washington.
While sticking to the views he outlined in a Middle East policy speech Thursday, Obama more clearly aligned his position on borders to one espoused by the George W. Bush administration in 2004. The Bush White House had concluded that a return to the precise boundaries that existed before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War was "not realistic," because of the presence of large Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Acknowledging that Israel faced "hard choices" and security risks, Obama argued that stalling on peace negotiations posed even greater dangers for the country's survival. The Arab Spring movement and changing demographic forces — including growing numbers of Palestinians west of the Jordan River — present long-term challenges to Israel that will be resolved only by the creation of separate homelands for Jews and Palestinians, he said.
"No matter how hard it may be to start meaningful negotiations under current circumstances, we must acknowledge that a failure to try is not an option," he said. "The status quo is unsustainable."
"No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organization sworn to its destruction," he said.
Obama said he was not surprised by the uproar over his Thursday speech but added that "if there is controversy, it is not based on substance."
"What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately," he said. "I've done so because we can't afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades to achieve peace. The world is moving too fast. The extraordinary challenges facing Israel will only grow. Delay will undermine Israel's security and the peace that the Israeli people deserve.:"… – WaPo, 5-22-11
- Obama to AIPAC: I won't back down on Israel-Palestine border issue: Speaking to AIPAC Sunday, President Obama repeated his position that Israel-Palestine peace negotiations must acknowledge the 1967 borders as a starting point. But he also emphasized that US commitment to Israel's security is 'ironclad.'
President Obama is not backing down on how to solve the Israel-Palestine border issue in achieving peace in the Middle East.
Speaking Sunday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – which identifies itself as America's leading pro-Israel lobby – Obama reiterated his stance: Any negotiation has to begin by acknowledging the 1967 borders before the Six-Day War in which Israel occupied land in Jordan, Syria, and Egypt.
Speaking to AIPAC Sunday, Obama sought to clarify what he had meant on Thursday regarding the 1967 borders.
"By definition, it means that the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967," Obama said. "It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 44 years. It allows the parties themselves to take account of those changes, including the new demographic realities on the ground, and the needs of both sides."
"The ultimate goal is two states for two people," he said, "Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people – and the State of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people – each state in joined self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace."… – CS Monitor, 5-22-11
- Mideast Obama restates call for '1967 lines' in Israeli-Palestinian talks: Unwilling to retreat from Benjamin Netanyahu's angry outbursts, Barack Obama warned thousands of ardent pro-Israelis that finding a lasting peace with Palestinians begins with Israel's pre-1967 frontiers.
The U.S. President's tone was soothing and his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee placatory, but he didn't budge from his statement last week that has sparked a furor and the remarkable spectacle of an Israeli prime minister publicly disputing an American president in the Oval Office.
As Mr. Obama reiterated Sunday, it remains the obvious – if not explicitly stated position by any previous president – that negotiating boundaries for a Palestinian state begins with Israel's frontiers before the lightning war of June 1967, when Israel defeated Egypt, Syria and Jordan, seizing and occupying the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the revered walled city of old Jerusalem.
"If there is a controversy, then, it's not based in substance," Mr. Obama said, added that he has said nothing new or startling, although his reference to "1967 lines" drew scattered boos from the audience that has been explicitly told to respectively receive speakers, even if they disagree.
"It was my reference to the 1967 lines – with mutually agreed swaps – that received the lion's share of the attention, including just now," Mr. Obama said. He said his position has been "misrepresented" although he didn't call out Mr. Netanyahu – who will deliver his own version of the way forward Monday to the 10,000-plus AIPAC at the most powerful pro-Israeli group's annual convention. (The blunt-speaking Israeli leader – whose relationship with Mr. Obama has ranged from distant to frosty – will give a speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress.)
"What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately," Mr. Obama said. "I've done so because we can't afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades to achieve peace." "Delay will undermine security," he added…. – The Globe & Mail, 5-22-11
- Obama Quotes Talmud at AIPAC, Tells Hamas "Release Shalit": In an address aimed at placating his disgruntled Jewish supporters, President Barack Obama told his audience of over 10,000 at the annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington, D.C. on Sunday that "a strong and secure Israel is in the interest of the United States and the bond between our two vibrant democracies must be nurtured."
He maintained that he did not say anything fundamentally new in his Thursday speech, when he mentioned the "1967 borders" as a basis for future peace
Taking intense criticism from pro-Israel supporters since then, when he called for Israel to negotiate a future Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, he sought to heal wounds by enumerating actions taken by the US to foster Israel's security…. – Virtual Jerusalem Post, 5-22-11
- Obama, at AIPAC, takes on the 1967 borders issue: An interesting morning at the AIPAC policy conference. Then again, how could it not be with President Barack Obama addressing more than 10,000 participants only days after giving a major policy address on the Middle East?
I half expected a purely political speech, reaffirming his strong support for Israel, using key slogans like Israel's qualitative military edge and banging away at Iran, and avoiding his call the other day for peace negotiations kith the Palestinians based on the 1967, with negotiated land swaps.
In an almost stern tone, he referred to how his comments have been "misrepresented" – presumably by those pro-Israel activists who say he called for a return to the exact borders of 1967, which polite critics call "indefensible" and less polite ones call "Auschwitz borders."
He said that "1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps" means that "the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. It is a well known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation. It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last forty-four years, including the new demographic realities on the ground and the needs of both sides. The ultimate goal is two states for two peoples. Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people, and the state of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people; each state enjoying self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace."
Then, an almost chiding tone: "If there's a controversy, then, it's not based in substance. What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately. I have done so because we cannot afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades, to achieve peace. The world is moving too fast. The extraordinary challenges facing Israel would only grow. Delay will undermine Israel's security and the peace that the Israeli people deserve."
His core argument: with the winds of change sweeping across the Arab world, with growing attempts to delegitimize Israel – which he promised his administration would "steadfastly" oppose – and with the Palestinian effort to bypass direct negotiations with its UN General Assembly gambit, the "status quo is unsustainable" and time is running out…. – The NY Jewish Week, 5-22-11
- Protests Break Out at AIPAC During Obama's Speech: KnightNews.com has a crew in Washington D.C. where protests against Israeli and US foreign policy are breaking out outside the AIPAC convention.
KnightNews.com ilive streamed video of the protests, and we have concluded the live stream to go inside the conference and get video interviews with the other side. An updated video story with both sides will be posted as soon as possible. The protests came before, during and after US President Barack Obama spoke at the conference…. – Knight News, 5-22-11
- '67 lines not top Mideast peace hurdle: US lawmaker: Palestinian refusal to accept Israel's right to exist remains the primary impasse for Mideast peace, and not the recently revised dispute over territorial lines, the Republican US House majority leader said Sunday.
Representative Eric Cantor, the most senior Jewish member in House history, also told the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference that it was time for the Arab world and Palestinians in particular to stop "scapegoating" Israel and to earn their statehood by renouncing violence.
A Palestinian "culture infused with resentment and hatred" over the Jewish state is stymieing the peace process, which has all but frozen in recent months, and whose future is in turmoil with the Palestinian Authority recently signing a unity pact with Hamas, which Washington considers a terrorist group.
"It is this culture that underlies the Palestinians' and the broader Arab world's refusal to accept Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state," Cantor said told some 10,000 delegates at AIPAC's annual policy conference.
"This is the root of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It is not about the '67 lines," he said to a rousing standing ovation.
"And until Israel's enemies come to terms with this reality, a true peace will be impossible."… – AFP, 5-22-11
- Several GOP presidential hopefuls to attend AIPAC Conference: As President Barack Obama's Mideast speech this week came under fire from many in the Republican Party for not being supportive enough of Israel, several GOP prospective presidential candidates will be appearing this week at a major event sponsored by a key American Israeli lobbying organization.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain and former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman will attend a policy conference of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, Ari Goldberg, a spokesman for the group, confirmed to CNN.
Obama will be making his first appearance as president before an AIPAC event when he addresses the conference Sunday morning. Several leading members of Congress are also scheduled to speak at the event…. – CNN, 5-21-11
- Palin slams Obama, supports Israel: Former Alaska governor says US should defend Israel against enemies, adds her primary goal is to make sure Obama not reelected
Former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin slammed Barack Obama's Mideast policy speech, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "does not need to be lectured by President Obama on the importance of peace. He understands it."
In an interview for Fox News on Saturday, Palin went on to speak in support of the Jewish state: "Anyone who studies history, studies the Old Testament, studies geography understands that Israel now is surrounded by enemies at all times," she said. "It should be now that America takes a stand in defending our enemies in Israel.
"More than ever we should be standing strong with Israel and saying 'No, you don't have to divide Jerusalem, you don't have to divide your capital city,'" she added.
She continued to attack Obama, saying his foreign policy "really makes no sense."
"I'm going to call him our temporary leader because my goal is to make sure that President Obama is not reelected in 2012," she said.
Palin, who has yet to decide whether to run for president in the coming elections, wasn't the only Republican to express disapproval of Obama following his tense weekend meeting with Netanyahu.
Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a prominent contender for the Republican presidential nomination, said that Obama "threw Israel under the bus."
"He has disrespected Israel and undermined its ability to negotiate peace," Romney said.
Tim Pawlenty, another Republican presidential hopeful, called Obama's demand for Israel to return to 1967 borders a "disaster waiting to happen."… – YNet News, 5-22-11
- Ottawa won't back Obama's Mideast peace proposal: The Harper government is refusing to join the United States in calling for a return to 1967 borders as a starting point for Mideast peace, a position that has drawn sharp criticism from Canada's staunch ally Israel.
At a briefing ahead of the upcoming G8 summit in France, federal officials said the basis for the negotiations must be mutually agreed upon.
Israel quickly rejected U.S. President Barack Obama's proposal for the talks to be guided by the 1967 borders, with mutually agreed land swaps.
"What the government of Canada supports is basically a two-state solution that is negotiated," a senior federal official said. "If it's border, if it's others issues, it has to be negotiated, it cannot be unilateral action."
Pressed by reporters, federal officials said both the Israelis and the Palestinians have to decide on their bottom lines, which the Israelis have said will not include a return to the 1967 border.
"If the two parties are of the view that this is a starting point, that is fine for them," said the federal official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Prime Minister's director of communications, Dimitri Soudas, added that Canada's position continues to be the search for a two-state solution.
"No solution, ultimately, is possible without both parties sitting down, negotiating and agreeing on what that final outcome will look like," he said…. – The Globe & Mail, 5-22-11
- Israel 'approves new West Bank settler homes': Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has approved the construction of 294 new homes in Beitar Ilit settlement on the occupied West Bank, anti-settlement NGO Peace Now reported on Sunday.
It also said that work had started on more than 2,000 settler homes since the end in September of Israel's 10-month freeze on Jewish construction on Palestinian land.
Peace Now made its announcement as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington preparing to address the US Congress and a powerful pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
It said Barak has also approved building of homes for the elderly and a shopping centre in the settlement of Efrat…. – AFP, 5-22-11
- Remarks by the President at the AIPAC Policy Conference 2011 Walter E. Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C.: THE PRESIDENT: ….Now, I'm not here to subject you to a long policy speech. I gave one on Thursday in which I said that the United States sees the historic changes sweeping the Middle East and North Africa as a moment of great challenge, but also a moment of opportunity for greater peace and security for the entire region, including the State of Israel.
On Friday, I was joined at the White House by Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we reaffirmed — (applause) — we reaffirmed that fundamental truth that has guided our presidents and prime ministers for more than 60 years — that even while we may at times disagree, as friends sometimes will, the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable — (applause) — and the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad. (Applause.)
A strong and secure Israel is in the national security interest of the United States not simply because we share strategic interests, although we do both seek a region where families and children can live free from the threat of violence. It's not simply because we face common dangers, although there can be no denying that terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons are grave threats to both our nations.
America's commitment to Israel's security flows from a deeper place — and that's the values we share. As two people who struggled to win our freedom against overwhelming odds, we understand that preserving the security for which our forefathers — and foremothers — fought must be the work of every generation. As two vibrant democracies, we recognize that the liberties and freedoms we cherish must be constantly nurtured. And as the nation that recognized the State of Israel moments after its independence, we have a profound commitment to its survival as a strong, secure homeland for the Jewish people. (Applause.)
We also know how difficult that search for security can be, especially for a small nation like Israel living in a very tough neighborhood. I've seen it firsthand. When I touched my hand against the Western Wall and placed my prayer between its ancient stones, I thought of all the centuries that the children of Israel had longed to return to their ancient homeland. When I went to Sderot and saw the daily struggle to survive in the eyes of an eight-year-old boy who lost his leg to a Hamas rocket, and when I walked among the Hall of Names at Yad Vashem, I was reminded of the existential fear of Israelis when a modern dictator seeks nuclear weapons and threatens to wipe Israel off the face of the map — face of the Earth.
Because we understand the challenges Israel faces, I and my administration have made the security of Israel a priority. It's why we've increased cooperation between our militaries to unprecedented levels. It's why we're making our most advanced technologies available to our Israeli allies. (Applause.) It's why, despite tough fiscal times, we've increased foreign military financing to record levels. (Applause.) And that includes additional support –- beyond regular military aid -– for the Iron Dome anti-rocket system. (Applause.) A powerful example of American-Israeli cooperation — a powerful example of American-Israeli cooperation which has already intercepted rockets from Gaza and helped saved Israeli lives. So make no mistake, we will maintain Israel's qualitative military edge. (Applause.)
You also see our commitment to our shared security in our determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. (Applause.) Here in the United States, we've imposed the toughest sanctions ever on the Iranian regime. (Applause.) At the United Nations, under our leadership, we've secured the most comprehensive international sanctions on the regime, which have been joined by allies and partners around the world. Today, Iran is virtually cut off from large parts of the international financial system, and we're going to keep up the pressure. So let me be absolutely clear –- we remain committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. (Applause.)
Its illicit nuclear program is just one challenge that Iran poses. As I said on Thursday, the Iranian government has shown its hypocrisy by claiming to support the rights of protesters while treating its own people with brutality. Moreover, Iran continues to support terrorism across the region, including providing weapons and funds to terrorist organizations. So we will continue to work to prevent these actions, and we will stand up to groups like Hezbollah, who exercise political assassination and seek to impose their will through rockets and car bombs.
You also see our commitment to Israel's security in our steadfast opposition to any attempt to de-legitimize the State of Israel. (Applause.) As I said at the United Nations last year, "Israel's existence must not be a subject for debate," and "efforts to chip away at Israel's legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States." (Applause.)
So when the Durban Review Conference advanced anti-Israel sentiment, we withdrew. In the wake of the Goldstone Report, we stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend itself. (Applause.) When an effort was made to insert the United Nations into matters that should be resolved through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, we vetoed it. (Applause.)
And so, in both word and deed, we have been unwavering in our support of Israel's security. (Applause.) And it is precisely because of our commitment to Israel's long-term security that we have worked to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians. (Applause.)
Now, I have said repeatedly that core issues can only be negotiated in direct talks between the parties. (Applause.) And I indicated on Thursday that the recent agreement between Fatah and Hamas poses an enormous obstacle to peace. (Applause.) No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organization sworn to its destruction. (Applause.) And we will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace, including recognizing Israel's right to exist and rejecting violence and adhering to all existing agreements. (Applause.) And we once again call on Hamas to release Gilad Shalit, who has been kept from his family for five long years. (Applause.)
And yet, no matter how hard it may be to start meaningful negotiations under current circumstances, we must acknowledge that a failure to try is not an option. The status quo is unsustainable. And that is why on Thursday I stated publicly the principles that the United States believes can provide a foundation for negotiations toward an agreement to end the conflict and all claims — the broad outlines of which have been known for many years, and have been the template for discussions between the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians since at least the Clinton administration.
I know that stating these principles — on the issues of territory and security — generated some controversy over the past few days. (Laughter.) I wasn't surprised. I know very well that the easy thing to do, particularly for a President preparing for reelection, is to avoid any controversy. I don't need Rahm to tell me that. Don't need Axelrod to tell me that. But I said to Prime Minister Netanyahu, I believe that the current situation in the Middle East does not allow for procrastination. I also believe that real friends talk openly and honestly with one another. (Applause.) So I want to share with you some of what I said to the Prime Minister.
Here are the facts we all must confront. First, the number of Palestinians living west of the Jordan River is growing rapidly and fundamentally reshaping the demographic realities of both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. This will make it harder and harder — without a peace deal — to maintain Israel as both a Jewish state and a democratic state.
Second, technology will make it harder for Israel to defend itself in the absence of a genuine peace.
Third, a new generation of Arabs is reshaping the region. A just and lasting peace can no longer be forged with one or two Arab leaders. Going forward, millions of Arab citizens have to see that peace is possible for that peace to be sustained.
And just as the context has changed in the Middle East, so too has it been changing in the international community over the last several years. There's a reason why the Palestinians are pursuing their interests at the United Nations. They recognize that there is an impatience with the peace process, or the absence of one, not just in the Arab World — in Latin America, in Asia, and in Europe. And that impatience is growing, and it's already manifesting itself in capitals around the world.
And those are the facts. I firmly believe, and I repeated on Thursday, that peace cannot be imposed on the parties to the conflict. No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state. And the United States will stand up against efforts to single Israel out at the United Nations or in any international forum. (Applause.) Israel's legitimacy is not a matter for debate. That is my commitment; that is my pledge to all of you. (Applause.)
Moreover, we know that peace demands a partner –- which is why I said that Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with Palestinians who do not recognize its right to exist. (Applause.) And we will hold the Palestinians accountable for their actions and for their rhetoric. (Applause.)
But the march to isolate Israel internationally — and the impulse of the Palestinians to abandon negotiations –- will continue to gain momentum in the absence of a credible peace process and alternative. And for us to have leverage with the Palestinians, to have leverage with the Arab States and with the international community, the basis for negotiations has to hold out the prospect of success. And so, in advance of a five-day trip to Europe in which the Middle East will be a topic of acute interest, I chose to speak about what peace will require.
There was nothing particularly original in my proposal; this basic framework for negotiations has long been the basis for discussions among the parties, including previous U.S. administrations. Since questions have been raised, let me repeat what I actually said on Thursday — not what I was reported to have said.
I said that the United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps — (applause) — so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.
As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself –- by itself -– against any threat. (Applause.) Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism, to stop the infiltration of weapons, and to provide effective border security. (Applause.) And a full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign and non-militarized state. (Applause.) And the duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated. (Applause.)
Now, that is what I said. And it was my reference to the 1967 lines — with mutually agreed swaps — that received the lion's share of the attention, including just now. And since my position has been misrepresented several times, let me reaffirm what "1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps" means.
By definition, it means that the parties themselves -– Israelis and Palestinians -– will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. (Applause.) That's what mutually agreed-upon swaps means. It is a well-known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation. It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last 44 years. (Applause.) It allows the parties themselves to take account of those changes, including the new demographic realities on the ground, and the needs of both sides. The ultimate goal is two states for two people: Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people — (applause) — and the State of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people — each state in joined self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace. (Applause.)
If there is a controversy, then, it's not based in substance. What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately. I've done so because we can't afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades to achieve peace. (Applause.) The world is moving too fast. The world is moving too fast. The extraordinary challenges facing Israel will only grow. Delay will undermine Israel's security and the peace that the Israeli people deserve.
Now, I know that some of you will disagree with this assessment. I respect that. And as fellow Americans and friends of Israel, I know we can have this discussion.
Ultimately, it is the right and the responsibility of the Israeli government to make the hard choices that are necessary to protect a Jewish and democratic state for which so many generations have sacrificed. (Applause.) And as a friend of Israel, I'm committed to doing our part to see that this goal is realized. And I will call not just on Israel, but on the Palestinians, on the Arab States, and the international community to join us in this effort, because the burden of making hard choices must not be Israel's alone. (Applause.)
But even as we do all that's necessary to ensure Israel's security, even as we are clear-eyed about the difficult challenges before us, and even as we pledge to stand by Israel through whatever tough days lie ahead, I hope we do not give up on that vision of peace. For if history teaches us anything, if the story of Israel teaches us anything, it is that with courage and resolve, progress is possible. Peace is possible.
The Talmud teaches us that, "So long as a person still has life, they should never abandon faith." And that lesson seems especially fitting today.
For so long as there are those across the Middle East and beyond who are standing up for the legitimate rights and freedoms which have been denied by their governments, the United States will never abandon our support for those rights that are universal.
And so long as there are those who long for a better future, we will never abandon our pursuit of a just and lasting peace that ends this conflict with two states living side by side in peace and security. This is not idealism; it is not naïveté. It is a hard-headed recognition that a genuine peace is the only path that will ultimately provide for a peaceful Palestine as the homeland of the Palestinian people and a Jewish state of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. (Applause.) That is my goal, and I look forward to continuing to work with AIPAC to achieve that goal.
Thank you. God bless you. God bless Israel, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.) Thank you. – Transcript
- Gene Simmons Slams President Obama's Israel Policy: 'He Has No F-Ing Idea What The World Is Like' – Breitbart, 5-22-11
- Sarah Palin Criticizes Obama on Israel; Calls Him 'Temporary Leader': In an interview with Fox News' Judge Jeanine on Saturday, Palin spoke in support of the Jewish state, saying, "Anyone who studies history, studies the Old Testament, studies geography understands that Israel now is surrounded by enemies at all times.
"It should be now that America takes a stand in defending our friends in Israel."
Obama has been drawing fire from Republicans after delivering a major speech on Thursday. In it, he stated, "The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."
Also rejecting Obama's stance, Palin stated on Fox, "To tell Israel that now they have to pull back from their homeland, that they have to concede even more, and that they have to negotiate with terrorists, with Hamas, having been a part now joining in the unity government under Palestinian authority, we're flirting with disaster under President Obama's very clouded, very murky foreign policy as it applies to Israel."
What the U.S. should be doing more than ever is "standing strong with Israel and saying, 'No, you don't have to divide Jerusalem, you don't have to divide your capital city,'" she continued.
Palin commented, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not need to be lectured by President Obama on the importance of peace. He understands it."
"I'm going to call him a temporary leader, because my goal is to make sure that President Obama is not reelected in 2012," she said on Fox.
"We the people need to rise up, saying we'll take a stand for Israel. We'll be on their side, no matter if our 'temporary leader' sides with terrorists and demands Israel negotiate with terrorists.
"Until President Obama is replaced by a president who understands the importance of treating our friends right and being strong against our enemies – until that happens – it's 'We the People' who have to rise up and make sure that Israel knows they have friends here."… – Christian Post, 5-21-11
- Newt Gingrich Leads Criticism on Obama's Israel-Palestine Remarks: Republican presidential hopeful and Catholic convert Newt Gingrich has labeled President Obama's Israeli-Palestinian policy a "disaster" during Sunday's CBS program "Face the Nation."
Outspoken Gingrich said Obama's remarks were "extraordinarily dangerous," and further stated that "a president who can't control his own border probably shouldn't lecture Israel about their border."
Gingrich was referring to Obama's comments this week that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations be based on border demarcations from before the six-day war in 1967, in which Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza Strip among other territories. Furthermore, he stated that potential agreements should include land swap deals to reflect changes over recent decades.
Gingrich said on "Face the Nation:" "I think that defining the 1967 border would be an act of suicide for Israel. They are totally non-defensible.
"You have Hamas, which is a terrorist organization whose stated goal is the destruction of Israel. The idea that somehow we're supposed to be neutral between Hamas and Israel is fundamentally flawed and I do not believe that we should have any pressure on Israel as long as Hamas' policy is the destruction of Israel and as long as missiles are being fired into Israel and terrorists are preparing to try to kill Israelis."
Gingrich is not the only one condemning Obama's stance towards Israel; Congressman Ron Paul has also issued a blistering critique of Obama's recent proposals.
"Unlike this President, I do not believe it is our place to dictate how Israel runs her affairs," the Texas Republican said in a press statement.
"There can only be peace in the region if those sides work out their differences among one another. We should respect Israel's sovereignty and not try to dictate her policy from Washington," he added…. – Christian Post, 5-22-11
- MK Katz Warns AIPAC, 'Obama Put a Gun to Israel's Head': "Don't fall for U.S. President Barack Obama's magical oratory. He put a gun to Israel's head and asked it to commit suicide," National Union chairman and Knesset Member Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz MK wrote the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Sunday.
The legislator continued, "I urge you not to be captured by his magic tongue because he actually is asking you for your votes and your money."
MK Katz wrote to AIPAC committee members, "The People of Israel, in the Diaspora for 2,000 years, developed a sense of who loves us and who hates us. President Obama knows very well that former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban described the 1967 borders as 'Auschwitz borders.'"
"The People of Israel will not fall for the false charm of posters, slogans, cellophane wrappers of sweetened drugs of death", he concluded. – Israel National News, 5-22-11
- Livni on Obama speech: US and Israel have shared interests: Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Sunday commented on US President Barack Obama's speech to AIPAC earlier, saying "The principle of Israel's security and the need to arrive at a two-state solution, one of which is the State of Israel, is first of all an Israeli interest. Therefore, we need to be going in this direction in our partnership with the US."
"It's important to understand that the entire world looks at the relationship between Israel and the United States, especially those who still do not accept our existence here. And part of Israel's deterrence capability comes from the understanding that we are working together [with the US]. Therefore, there is a very important message coming from Washington these days," Livni said.
She stressed, "The things that Obama mentioned represent a long-standing American policy. We have shared interests. This is very important to Israel, so that it can once and for all advance the process to prevent unilateral moves at the United Nations." – JPost, 5-22-11
- Eric Cantor: Israel is America's Most Loyal Ally: Republican Eric Cantor, the GOP majority leader in the House of Representatives, addressed the attendees of the annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
Speaking of his immigrant roots and of his pride of being Jewish, Cantor told the audience that "America needs Israel as it is our most stable and loyal ally," adding that "America must do everything in its power to protect Israel. It is okay to vilify Israel but it is not okay to scapegoat Israel."
He addressed the conflict between Israelis and Arabs and said that the root of the conflict is not the so-called 1967 lines (the 1949 armistice lines which defense experts have said would be indefensible), but rather the refusal of the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel. Israel wants to live in peace, said Cantor, but PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has to stop promoting hate and should come to the negotiating table. Until that happens, noted Cantor, there can be no peace, particularly with Hamas being part of the PA government…. Israel National News, 5-22-11
- Gil Troy: Despite the talk about "Obama's Mideast speech" Thursday, I actually heard two separate addresses. In the first, President Barack Obama offered vague nostrums about the "Arab spring," best summarized in three words: Democracy is good. Obama transitioned awkwardly to the second speech, about Israelis and Palestinians, saying: "Let me conclude by talking about another cornerstone of our approach to the region, and that relates to the pursuit of peace." In this section, the professorial president turned from airy abstractions to problematic particulars. Although it was impossible to predict America's next move in the Arab world from the speech's first part, we now know exactly how an Israel-Palestine peace treaty would look if Obama could dictate it and those annoying people who live there would just follow….
Even more problematic was his call for "the borders of Israel and Palestine" to "be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps." These words not only seem to contradict George W. Bush's vow to Ariel Sharon based on decades of American policy, but the deification of 1967 boundaries lacks historical nuance in a region obsessed with nuance and history.
The logical starting point in advocating a two-state solution comes by acknowledging that in the region particular borders shifted and populations moved. Anyone who talks about people frozen in place for centuries or borders as if they were permamarked on a map is either a fool or a fanatic. Bible-based Israelis must admit that the boundaries of Biblical land of Israel, varied, just as passionate Palestinians must admit that the boundaries of Palestine-Israel in the twentieth-century alone shifted repeatedly.
We cannot undo history and we must move forward, from 2011, trying to minimize disruptions to populations while maximizing satisfaction on both sides. Rather than trying to freeze one random moment in historical time, demography and the current status quo should be our guides, tempered by sensitivity, creativity, and a touch but not too much historicity. Obama's overlooked line about the "growing number of Palestinians [who] live west of the Jordan River," explains why each of the two clashing people should have a state. Peace will work if it passes the test of what Obama called populism, working logically for many people today, not at some random point from the past.
Obama did speak beautifully about "a choice between hate and hope; between the shackles of the past and the promise of the future." Alas, this speech did not do enough to buttress the forces of hope over hate, and by feeding the 1967 obsession, Obama himself was too shackled to one unhelpful perspective on the past.


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NOTICE: Many events listed here have been canceled or postponed due to the Covid-19 emergency. It is best to call ahead or check with organizer's websites to verify the status of any local event.
December 4, 2020
Luis Gerardo Méndez, Connor Del Rio, Juan Pablo Espinosa
Renato, a successful Mexican aviation executive, is shocked to discover he has an American half brother he never knew about -- the free-spirited As... read more
November 25, 2020 | 1 hr, 35 min.
Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds
Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, th... read more
November 13, 2020 | 1 hr, 41 min.
Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran
Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes th... read more
November 6, 2020 | 1 hr, 54 min.
Critic Review:
3/4 stars
Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter
Following the loss of their son, a retired sheriff and his wife leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of a dan... read more
October 30, 2020 | 1 hr, 36 min.
Critic Review:
2.5/4 stars
Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr.
Parents fight to save their son when a mysterious creature uses his electronic devices to break into our world. read more
October 9, 2020 | 1 hr, 34 min.
Critic Review:
2/4 stars
Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle
Peter and his grandpa used to be very close, but when Grandpa Jack moves in with the family, Peter is forced to give up his most prized possession:... read more
June 2, 2017 | 2 hr, 21 min.
Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen
Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered isla... read more
February 5, 2010 | 1 hr, 33 min.
Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers
As a winter storm approaches, three people become stranded on a chairlift high above the ground after a ski resort closes for the night. read more
December 1, 1989 | 1 hr, 37 min.
Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), ... read more
July 15, 1988 | 2 hr, 11 min.
Critic Review:
3.5/4 stars
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins he... read more
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...is Elinor Montoya, the character from my debut novel, Snowdance!
Reading that Elinor has been chosen as the heroine who was this reviewer's favorite was a heart-stopping moment for me. Really, truly, an almost fall-off-my-seat moment!
You see, I peek in at Book Utopia every morning. Yesterday (apparently before the Best Heroines of 2007 List was posted) I saw the beautiful covers that had been chosen for the Best Covers of 2007 List. I was pleased for everyone involved in those covers and books, and thought it was great they had been chosen.
This morning when I saw the list focused on heroines, I smiled. I never thought my book would be on the list. I just smiled because I was pleased for those who were chosen and honestly, curious to see who had been picked.
I saw Annie Dean's name, and thought I'd probably want to read that one. No doubt. Then, Karen Welss. I'm not familiar with her work but the cover and what was said about it makes me think I'll want to read that one, too. Then, as I scrolled down to First Runner-Up, I smiled again, thinking about how great it must feel to be on a list like this one. Someday, I thought. Maybe someday one of my books will make a list like this. Then I saw Friday Maxwell in Shadow Vision by Samantha Storm. What a great title! I knew I had to read this one, too, if only to see the spunky heroine for myself and read what comes after a title like that.
And then I scrolled all the way down. And my heart stopped. I swear, I think it did. Really, truly, it stopped, if only for a second.
This is what I saw:
Elinor Montoya
Thank you for this honor, Book Utopia. I am overwhelmed, completely thrilled.
Congratulations too, Annie, Karen and Samantha! I look forward to reading these books, and meeting their heroines! It feels great to be in such talented company!
The full post can be found here.
I'm going to see if I can try and make my hands stop shaking. Maybe I'll be able to eventually wipe the grin from my face. Maybe not.
If you see me today, I'll be the scarfless, grinning one. :)


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Brian Austin Green and Harold Perrineau To Star in TBS Pilot of THE WEDDING BAND
Brian Austin Green, long known for his role in the iconic hit Beverly Hills, 90120, and Harold Perrineau, of Lost and Oz fame, will lead the cast for TBS's pilot of THE WEDDING BAND. The project comes to TBS from FremantleMedia, executive produced by Tollin Productions (Smallville, Arli$$). Josh Lobis (South Park) and Darin Moiselle (South Park) wrote the pilot and serve as co-executive producers. Bryan Gordon (Curb Your Enthusiasm) is set to direct and co-executive-produce the pilot.
THE WEDDING BAND is an hour-long, scripted comedy that follows a group of guys who try to escape the stress and craziness of their lives by performing in a wedding band. Anchored by lifelong best friends - one a perennial bachelor and the other a married father of two - the band will stop at nothing to make every wedding, birthday or bar mitzvah a concert to remember. In addition to Green and Perrineau, the pilot stars Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles) and Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend).
After making his mark with Beverly Hills, 90210, Green landed in several high-profile series, most recently Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and the current season of Desperate Housewives.
Perrineau, who scored big in such series as Oz, Lost and I'll Fly Away, turned in a memorable, scene-stealing performance as Mercutio in Baz Luhrmann's Shakespeare adaptation, Romeo + Juliet. Perrineau also co-starred in the second and third films in The Matrix trilogy. Most recently, Perrineau co-starred in the offbeat crime drama The Unusuals.
Cambor co-starred in the comedy Notes from the Underbelly before being cast in the series NCIS: Los Angeles. Miller is an accomplished improv comedy actor whose credits include the series Secret Girlfriend and a recurring role on Scrubs.
About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television's top-rated comedy network and is available in 100.8 million households. It serves as home to such original comedy series as Glory Daze, Are We There Yet? and Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns; the late-night series CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien, and Lopez Tonight, starring George Lopez; hot contemporary comedies like Family Guy and The Office; special events, including star-studded comedy festivals in Chicago; blockbuster movies; hosted movie showcases; and championship sports.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.


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| 4.9°C Belfast
TSB will return to the stock market for the first time in nearly two decades next month after taxpayer-backed owner Lloyds Banking Group announced its long-awaited flotation.
The offer comes with a sweetener for ordinary retail investors with the pledge that they will receive one free share for every 20 they hold on to for a year - up to the value of £2,000.
Lloyds is selling about a quarter of the business, with up to a fifth of this chunk expected to be sold to retail investors and the rest likely to be snapped up by City institutions. A prospectus for the sale will be published in mid-June.
TSB, famous for its 1980s slogan "the bank that likes to say yes", traces its history back more than 200 years. It was floated in 1986 and merged with Lloyds in 1995.
A taxpayer rescue of the group during the financial crisis - following which the Treasury still owns a 25% stake in Lloyds - meant that it was obliged to spin off hundreds of branches under EU rules on state aid.
The collapse of a deal to sell them to the Co-op saw the revival of the TSB brand, which re-launched last September with former Virgin Money boss Paul Pester at the helm, and which is splitting off to become a new "challenger bank" to larger rivals.
With 4.5 million customers and 631 branches, it is the seventh largest high street bank in the UK and the chief executive said it plans to expand its balance sheet by half as it expands mortgage lending and extends its share of the current account market.
But Mr Pester warned there would be no "significant dividend" until 2017.
Details of the pricing of next month's offer have yet to be announced but reports put the book value of TSB at about £1.5 billion.
The announcement comes at an uncertain time for stock market flotations, with fashion retailer FatFace abandoning a shares offer and over-50s holidays-to-insurance group Saga selling stock at the bottom end of an expected price range.
But Mr Pester said there was a "strong appetite" from investors for the TSB offer, with optimism from the UK and overseas over the strength of Britain's economic recovery. He expected 15%-20% of the shares in the float to go to retail investors.
Further tranches will be sold off later as Lloyds must dispose of its holdings in the business by the end of next year.
Its attractions include being free from scandals of past years which have continued to haunt rival banks, such as the payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling affair which has cost billions in compensation and whose shadow still hangs over lenders.
TSB will be protected from the legacy by Lloyds, which will be liable for any claims up to the date of next month's float, and Mr Pester said the revived bank had no intention of repeating the mistakes of the past.
"We have no intention at all of creating the conduct tail that other banks have suffered from," he said.
Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio said: "The decision to proceed with an initial public offering of TSB is an important further step for the group as we act to meet our commitments to the European Commission.
"TSB has a national network of branches, a strong balance sheet and significant economic protection against legacy issues.
"It is already operating on the UK high street and is proving to be a strong and effective challenger, further enhancing competition in the UK banking sector."
Mr Pester said: "Today is a significant milestone on our journey to create a major new competitive force in UK banking."
TSB holds £23.3 billion of customer deposits and £19.7 billion in assets.
It aims to increase its share of the current account market from 4.2% to 6% over the next four to five years and grow its balance sheet by 40%-50% over five years.
Mr Pester said it had already seen four to five as many people opening accounts every week since the TSB brand was re-launched last September than it had before.
Growth plans will also see its mortgages becoming available through brokers again from the start of next year.
TSB says it can trace its heritage back to the foundation of a self-supporting savings bank in 1810 by the Reverend Henry Duncan in Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire.
Ed Salvesen, deputy head of equity research at Brewin Dolphin wealth management, said: "This is a good step forward for Lloyds; however, it is difficult to gain more of an insight until we know more about the valuation.
"If it is sold at lower than tangible book value, this will be disappointing in terms of the capital position of Lloyds but we do not expect it to change the investment case."
Lloyds shares rose 1%.


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Location, Location, Location
Location is one of the single biggest factors in a home's value, both on the open market and to you as a buyer. Fortunately, there are ways to make sure you're paying the right amount for the right location.
Use the Drive-By Checklist to help you assess whether a neighborhood is a good fit for you - clean; attractive; convenient to your work and essential services like grocery stores, gas stations and shopping centers ; a place you could come home to.
If the neighborhood's a good fit for you, I'll take a look at how it fits into the market. Some of the areas I'll analyze for you are:
Hot or not:
Are homes in this area hot sellers? Or, do they stay on the market for longer than average?
Are new developments cropping up in the area, or has growth reached a plateau?
School quality is an important part of a home's value, even if you don't have kids. Good schools build good neighborhoods and strong home-resale values.
Median prices:
How much do homes in this neighborhood typically cost?
Comparable-home prices:
How much do homes like the one you're interested in sell for in this neighborhood?


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Reality television has turned the spotlight on to people with excessive behaviors like hoarding and stockpiling. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, controlling the chaotic environment may be one of the biggest factors in helping people stop.
"We propose that people in a disorganized environment experience a threat to their sense of personal control--and being surrounded by chaos ultimately impairs their ability to perform other tasks requiring 'brain' power," write authors Boyoun (Grace) Chae (University of British Columbia) and Rui (Juliet) Zhu (Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business).
Through a series of four studies, the authors observed people's behavior when placed in a disorganized environment versus an orderly environment. They were looking for changes in behavior like impulse spending as well as poor mental performance or reduced stamina on tasks that require advanced thinking skills.
In one study, participants were placed in a room that was either well organized or poorly organized. All participants were asked how they felt about paying for a variety of products ranging from an HDTV to movie tickets. The authors found that people in the cluttered room said they were more likely to purchase the products compared to the people placed in the organized room.
In another study, the researchers placed participants in rooms that were either confined (tight) or a normal office size. The rooms were either cluttered or organized. Participants in all four rooms were asked to answer questions on a computer screen. The authors found that participants in the organized spaces performed better than those in the cluttered rooms and that room size was less of a factor than environmental disorder.
"Our research has crucial practical implications concerning public health and consumer well-being," the authors conclude. "Participants in our studies were exposed to disorganized environments set by us. We expect that if an individual creates a messy environment, their surroundings would be more mentally depleting and lead to an even lower sense of personal control."
Boyoun (Grace) Chae and Rui (Juliet) Zhu. "Environmental Disorder Leads to Self-Regulatory Failure." Journal of Consumer Research: April 2014. For more information, contact Juliet Zhu (firstname.lastname@example.com) or visit http://ejcr.


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Fine stout strong cherry tomato seedling grown by Jessica of Bountiful Backyard!
You went to the Seed Swap, have gotten your seeds from the catalog or nursery, and are itching for the right temps to plant!
Planning now is important because not all spring/summer plants are installed at the same time. Planting in the right places now makes a difference. Zucchini, cool tolerant tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and corn can be started now, by seed, in the ground. March is a little warmer and early variety plants get a better start. April is most everything – cucumber, pepper, squash, beans, more tomatoes, watermelon. May is the true heat lovers, cantaloupe, okra (June may be better yet), eggplant. Some gardeners wait to plant tomatoes until May and June to avoid the soil fungi of earlier months. I hold that space by planting something temporary there in March. June is good for okra, eggplant and long beans!
Summer garden planning tips emphasizing needing less water! Companions!
- If you are not going to be canning, indeterminate tomatoes are the excellent choice! These are the vining tomatoes that produce all summer! This saves time and water because determinate, bush tomatoes produce quickly, all at once, then you have to replant and wait for more production. determinate toms do produce sooner, so for an earlier table production, plant them to hold you until your indeterminates are producing. Also, for earlier production, plant cherry tomatoes! Yum! Basil is great with tomatoes, and a pack of dandelions!
- Choose more prolific plants and varieties of them so you get more production for less water.
- Plant tall plants to the North unless you anticipate a scorching summer. If you think it will be HOT, plant tall to the west to shade shorter plants, keep your soil cooler, use less water.
- Plan to put cucumbers up on trellises to keep them disease free and clean, and so they ripen evenly all the way around. Co-plant with beans! Beans above, cukes below. Japanese Long cukes give a generous supply per water used!
- Next, intermingle mid height plants, bush beans, determinate tomatoes, tall peppers like Big Jim Anaheim or Polanos, zucchini – try the prolific heirloom, star shaped Costata Romanesco! Potatoes with Zucchini to repel squash bugs. Plant Radish ahead of cukes & zukes to repel cucumber beetles. Eat a few, but let several grow up by and through the plants you are protecting.
- Leave a winter broccoli or two for salad side shoots. Mulch well under your brocs right now! We want to keep these cool loving plants in cool. They help repel cucumber beetles, so push the mulch back, plant cucumbers underneath them. The mulch does double duty, keeping the cukes clean off the soil and insect free above the bug zone!
- Leave a couple of winter kale to provide over summer. Heat tolerant 1000 Headed Kale is a prolific choice that harbors less aphids on its FLAT leaves. Plant lettuces on the sunny side under your brocs and kale.
- Snuggle eggplant among tall chards, maybe some curly leaf kale! Radishes with eggplants/cucumbers as a trap plant for flea beetles.
- Lowest are the 'littles' or fillers! Mindful of companions, scatter beets and carrots, lettuce, radish, here and there among, alongside, under larger plants on their sunny side. Bunch onions away from beans. Some of them will be done before the bigger plants leaf out. When the bigger plant leaves start shading out the littles, harvest strategic large lower leaves. There isn't really a need to allot separate space for littles except strawberries! They need a separate patch with more acidic soil to keep them healthy and be more prolific producers!
- If you love cabbages, plant a few more, but they take up a fair footprint for what they produce and they take quite awhile to do it. Plant quick maturing mini varieties.
- SEED SAVING SPACE! Leave room for some arugula, cilantro, chamomile, a carrot or two, and a celery to go to flower to bring bees and beneficials! Besides being beautiful and having lovely scents, let them seed out for seeds for next plantings. Carrots love being with cilantro and chamomile!
- Pumpkin, melon, winter squash vines require some thoughtfulness. Pumpkin and winter squash vine leaves get as huge as healthy zucchini leaves, easily a foot wide! Mini melons have dainty 2″ wide little leaves, can be trellised, are definitely low to the ground, can be quite smaller than strawberry plants! A healthy winter squash vine can easily be 3′ to 4′ wide, 30′ long plus side vines, and produce a major supply of squash! You can use them as a border, as a backdrop along a fenceline. In SoCal, unless you are a squash lover, or won't be gardening in winter, there is question as to why you would grow winter squash at all. Greens of all kinds grow prolifically here all winter long, giving a fresh and beautiful supply of Vitamin A.
Super use of your space! As winter plants finish, in spaces needing to be held for later, ie if you are planting okra in June, grow plants that are quick and prolific producers grown for their leaves, until it's the right time to plant those heat lovers! They produce continuously, and can be removed when you want the space. You will have lush harvests while you are waiting. Think of kales, chard, lettuce, beets, crops grown for their leaves, even mini dwarf cabbages. Perhaps you will leave some of them as understory plants and plant taller peppers like Poblanos or Big Jim Anaheims, and tomatoes among them. When the larger plants overtake the understory, either harvest the smaller plants, or remove or harvest lower leaves of larger plants and let the smaller ones get enough sun to keep producing.
Hardly anyone can resist planting early tomatoes! In this early cooler time, plant your leafies to the sunny side of where the toms will be planted. Pop your tomato seeds in when soil temps are good, or put your transplants in as you get them. That way you have table food soonest and your heart is happy too! Here are a couple tips from James M Stephens at Florida University Extension: Tomato plants 4–5 weeks old grow and yield better than older transplants. He also says when setting your transplant into the soil, do not compress the soil around the roots; gently pour water into the hole to settle the soil around the roots. After the transplanting water has dried a bit, cover the wet spot with dry soil to reduce evaporation. Check! See Tomatoes at Cornell!
Choose early cold tolerant varieties. Ones with northern names, in SoCal that could be Oregon Spring, or Siberian. Stupice from Czechoslovakia is very early! Bellstar, from Ontario Canada, is larger and earlier than other plum tomatoes. Early Girl is a favorite! And SunGold cherry tomatoes are almost always a winner! Cherry toms are small and will ripen when other tomatoes just stay green for the longest!
Hopefully, the weather will warm rapidly. It's been COLD in Santa Barbara area! The January 30 9 AM ground temp at Rancheria was 48 degrees. Though the soil may become fairly warm quickly in days to come, day length is still important. No matter how early you plant some plants, they still won't produce fruit until they have enough hours of sun, and for some, warmth including day and/or night and/or ground temps. If they miss their window, they may never produce at all…better to pull and replant. Keep growing those leafy producers – lettuce, chard, kale – in that space and plant the right plants at the right good time! See Best Soil Temps
Start seedlings indoors now for March/April plantings. If seeds and tending seedlings aren't for you, just wait, get transplants and pop them right in the ground per their right times!
Right now, from seed in the ground, sow beets, caraway, celery, carrots, chard, chervil, chives, collards, cilantro (coriander), dill, endive, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, mustards, green onions, bulb onion sets, flat-leafed parsley, peas – mildew resistant varieties, white potatoes, radishes, shallots, spinach, and turnips. Get bolt resistant/slow bolt varieties, and especially heat and drought tolerant varieties.
Along with deciding plant locations, get ready for Summer Gardening!
- Install gopher barriers.
- Get netting or bendable wire like aviary or 1/2″ hardware cloth for bird protection.
- Install or repair pathways, berms. Lay in straw, boards, pallets, stepping stones.
- Waffle Garden, basins & windbreaks, Water Garden. Excellent drought choices.
- Gather cages & trellises
- Terrace slopes to prevent water runoff and topsoil loss
- Build raised beds, Hugelkultur
- Get new containers
- Setup Compost areas – enclosures, area to compost in place
- Organize where you will keep straw bales for summer mulch, compost layers
Spring planting soil prep! Add all your amendments at the same time! See more
- Compost! The amount of compost to use varies, depending on your soil's condition, plant selection, compost quality, and availability. A guideline offered by Cornell University (veggies – bottom of Pg 4) says use 3 inches over the surface worked into the top 3-6 inches of soil!
- Add well aged manure as appropriate. Less in spring because you want fruit production, not leaf, unless it is a plant grown for its leaves, like lettuce, kale or cabbage! None for carrots, peas or beans.
- Add 25% worm castings. As little as 10% works. They are potent – increase germination, faster seedling growth, help with plant immunities to disease.
- Adding guanos high in P, Phosphorus, at planting time helps your plants continue to bloom LATE in the season! Jamaican bat is high P phosphorus (blooms) 1-10-0.2.
- Sprinkle with a tad of coffee grounds to reduce fungal rots and wilts!! Grounds are more potent than they have a right to be! 0.5%, that's 1/2 a %, or less is all that is needed or wanted!
- Don't cover with mulch unless you need it for erosion control. Covered soil is cooler. Let your winter cool soil warm up. Do mulch under broccoli and kale you will be keeping over summer. They do best with cool conditions.
- Water your prepped areas when you water your other veggies. Moist, not flooded, soil is rampant with soil organisms enriching your soil for free!
Keep COMPOSTING! You are going to need it for summer plants! Soil building is the single-most important thing you can do for your garden. Compost keeps your soil aerated, has great water holding capacity, soil organisms flourish, it feeds just perfectly! And if you made it, you know what's in it! Make it HOT, Cold, or In place! Dry is dead, so be sure it is always slightly moist. See more
One more round of green manure is doable where you will plant late April, May. Grow it where you will grow heavy summer feeders like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, chilis, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, and corn; hungry stalk vegetables like celery, fennel, rhubarb, and artichokes; or continually producing green, leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard. Green manure can be beautiful favas, bell beans, or a vetch mix to boost soil Nitrogen. Favas are big and you get a lot of green manure per square foot. With our warming weather, longer days, your green manure will grow quickly! As soon as it begins to flower, whack it down, chop into small bits and turn under. It's more tender to chop while it's smaller. Taller is not better. It takes 2 to 2 1/2 months to grow. Cut and turn. Wait two to three weeks then plant, plant, plant!
Sidedressing! Hard working plants need fuel and water. As broccoli starts to head, give it a fish/kelp tonic or compost/casting/manure tea! After the main head is cut, your side shoots will flourish!Pests!
When you put in seeds, sprinkle a bit of Sluggo type stuff around immediately to keep snails and slugs from vanishing upcoming seedlings overnight, making you think they never came up! No, they didn't let you down. Killing off the creatures ahead of time saves the babies. It stops new transplants from being seriously damaged or entirely eaten while they are small. Do this a few times, to knock off the generations, and there will be no tiny vegetarian predators for a while.
Pull away those blotchy sections the leafminers make on chard and beet leaves. Remove whole leaves that are too funky for rescue. Harvest the bigger outer lower leaves more often to stay ahead of the miners. Rather than row plant, interplant here and there. Water a tad less so leaves are less soft and inviting.
Aphids Watch for leaves unnaturally curled along the length of the leaf, particularly broccolis, cauliflowers, kale, cabbages. Hose aphids off chard, kale and brocs. Keep doing it for a few days to catch the ones you missed. A little less water.
- For hard to get at places, down the centers of chard, crinkly kale leaves, get out that spray bottle! Treat once, wait a couple days, treat the ones that got away and newborns.
- I tried it, it WORKS! The simplest is to spray with 2 Parts alcohol, 2 parts water, 1 part soap. DO NOT use on seedlings, it will kill some of them. Spritz lightly rather than drenching or you may kill your bigger plant too!
White flies Flush away, especially under the leaves. Remove any yellowing leaves, especially on your Brassicas, that attract white fly. Again, a little less water.Prevention A frustrating typical disease is Powdery mildew. It's common on Curly Leaf kales. Plant leaving plenty of space for air circulation. Apply your baking soda mix. Drench under and upper sides of the foliage of young plants to get them off to a great start! Do this the same or next day if transplanting. A super combo is 1 regular Aspirin dissolved, a 1/4 cup nonfat powdered milk, heaping tablespoon of baking soda, a teaspoon liquid dish soap per gallon/watering can. Reapply every 10 days or so, and after significant rains. Not only is prevention so much better than after mildew has set in, but this mix stimulates your plant's growth! See Aspirin Solution.
Do not compost diseased or infested leaves or plants.
Soil Checks! Especially after our recent rains, check beets, carrots, radish, potatoes, turnips, in general, for low soil. Soil naturally compacts with watering. Some of these veggies naturally push right up above ground as they grow. Planting their seeds deeper doesn't compensate. It's the nature of the veggie! Never hurts to put a handy little pile of extra soil near where you plant them. Cover their exposed shoulders to keep them from drying, getting tough, needing peeling, losing the nutrients in their skins. Uncovered carrot shoulders don't ripen but stay green. Same with potatoes.
Watering & Weeding is important after rains. Winds dry soil quickly and short rooted plants like peas, or seedlings, need to be kept moist.
- Thinning is a form of weeding! Thin plants that need it, like beets that naturally start in foursomes! Thin plants you intentionally over planted – carrots, beets, turnips, kale, chard, mustard! If you planted too close together, take out shorter, smaller weaker plants. They are all great in your salads along with small tender Brassica leaves.
- Dust Mulching, cultivation, breaks up the soil surface, keeps water from wicking to the surface and evaporating. If you use a hula hoe you do two things at once! Just a half to one inch depth cuts off weed sprouts. Indeed, it turns the soil a tad, all that's needed. More weeds will follow, but it's quick and easy to repeat the process. Two, three times, a few days apart, and there will be little weeds after that for awhile. Get 'em while they are small and easy to do. Smart gardening.
When grass has those frilly little green tops, it is blooming and seeding! Remove it ASAP. Better yet is to remove weeds before they seed! If at the seeding stage, gently pull, don't shake the soil loose from the roots and spread seeds all over, and don't put them in your compost!
Have a wonderful February! May your seedlings grow well!
See the entire February Newsletter! (Sign up for it if you like!)
February – Final Plans, Preps, 1st Spring Plantings!
Calendula ~ Edible, Medicinal, Good for Your Garden, Easy to Grow!
January, February Seeds or Transplants, Pros & Cons
Other Community Gardens – Virginia Avenue Community Garden, Washington DC
Events! CEC EARTH DAY Celebration 2017!
The Green Bean Connection started as correspondence for the Santa Barbara CA USA Pilgrim Terrace Community Garden. All three of Santa Barbara's community gardens are very coastal. During late spring/summer we are often in a fog belt/marine layer most years, locally referred to as the May grays, June glooms and August fogusts. Keep that in mind compared to the microclimate niche where your veggie garden is. Bless you for being such a wonderful Earth Steward!
Love your Mother! Plant bird & bee food! Think grey water! Grow organic!


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On the Road – Brandon Belt
I'm in Colorado Springs with the Grizzlies, and it's actually snowing. Not sure we'll get the game in today.
It's been about 10 days since the Giants sent me down to Triple A Fresno. It was kind of a blow at first because you dream about getting to the major leagues your whole life and you make the team and in less than a month you're back in the minors. The veteran guys – DeRosa, Aubrey, Aaron Rowand, Pat – were really encouraging. They told me that 95 percent of the players in the clubhouse had been sent down at some point. They reminded me that so much of baseball is about failure and that you just have to see these setbacks as part of the process and make the appropriate adjustments.
"Find your swing and get ready to come back up,'' they told me before I left.
I took two days off before I joined the Grizzlies. That was the best thing I could have done. I needed to clear my head and figure out how to move forward. I knew there was something wrong at the plate but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. I talked to my dad a little bit and talked to Haylee. But mostly I just rolled things around in my head.
I realized I wasn't comfortable in the batter's box. I was physically uncomfortable and mentally uncomfortable. It started when I tried to stop yanking my front shoulder. I had been opening the front shoulder too much. To fix it, I overcompensated by over-rotating my upper body backward. As a consequence, I was straining my neck to look forward. My neck was hurting, and body felt out of sorts.
So I decided the key to getting my swing back was, first, to just be comfortable in the box. Keep my body relaxed. Stop thinking about my mechanics. Just feel comfortable.
As soon as I got comfortable in the box, the minor mechanical adjustments I had to make just came to me. When I was over-rotating, I couldn't really fix the other mechanical problems. My body wouldn't allow me to. So when I got physically comfortable I was able to make those other tweaks and everything started falling into place.
Since my first game with Fresno on April 23, I've hit .458 with 8 RBI and 2 homers. I'm 8-for-14 over the past four games.
When you get back on track, you get that feeling back of, "I'm out here having fun playing ball.'' You get that confidence back. And you're able to do things you're not able to do when you have no confidence at all. It's just a totally different mindset.
The confidence at the plate has helped in the field, too. I've been playing outfield here, a position I've never played regularly. I was a pitcher and part-time outfielder in high school. Didn't play it at all in college. And played a dozen or so games in the outfield in the minors last year. I don't feel too bad out there, though I'm not where I want to be yet. When you're playing corner outfield positions, the ball slides away from you a lot and it's hard for me to remember that sometimes. And I'm learning how to play the ball off the walls a little better. But you learn that stuff the longer you play the position.
While I'm in Colorado Springs, Haylee is in San Francisco picking up the rest of our stuff from the apartment we were renting. We had to scramble for an apartment in Fresno and found one we could share with another player on the Grizzlies. He has an extra bedroom. But a couple days ago someone broke into the car belonging to the wife of another player, who lives a floor below us. Then yesterday someone parked in Haylee's parking spot at the Fresno apartment building – and that car was broken into, too. So I don't feel comfortable with Haylee staying there when I'm out of town. Which means we are now looking for another apartment. That's the part of baseball you don't hear about much. It's not a huge deal, and believe me I'm not complaining, but packing up and moving, then packing up and moving again, can be rough on spouses. You might just get settled in somewhere and suddenly you're on the move again. We know now to whittle our belongings down to whatever fits in the car.
Thanks for reading. Hope it stops snowing so we can get out on the field.
19 Comments
Glad to hear you're getting your confidence and your swing back. I'm sure the vets are right and you'll be back up before you know it. Can't wait to see you play again!
We can't wait to get you back in SF again- it was a pleasure watching you play!
We're so happy to hear that you're feeling more confident. Good luck finding an apartment! We miss you in SF. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! 🙂
Glad you're figuring things out…sorry it took all this hassle to make it happen. Look forward to your return to the bigs. Till then, keep crushing the ball in Fresno.
You're doing a great job in Fresno. Keep it up and you'll be back soon
BB, I live in Fresno and live in a very queit apartment complez on the North end of town. Let me know if you want any info.
So glad to hear the vets took time to reassure you of the process and your talent. Praying for your wife — living in CA myself all my life, I understand it's quite the adventure. Stay strong, especially in your faith. It'll be a solid foundation for your marriage and career. As fans we're spoiled and want wins now — whatever it takes. Thanks for reminding us of the human side to this game. We're cheering for you whichever level you're playing as it's only a matter of time we'll see you in SF again. Hopefully soon.
With Say-Hey's B-day in a couple of days, just remember that he was sent back to the minors in his rookie season … turned out pretty well. Good Luck!
Way to persevere Brandon! It's gotta be tough competing and traveling while you have "life stuff" to deal with. Hang in and best of luck! Glad you're a Giant!
Brandon, I have always told my 14 yr old son that baseball is more failure than success. Just look at how a "good" hitter gets ONLY 3 hits every 10 at bats! I saw you play in the spring and again when you all went back to Phx. I enjoyed watching you play and don't doubt that you'll be called up soon. Your arm during batting practice amazed me and I personally think you can make the Giants stronger by playing RF and leaving Aubrey at 1st. Just keep it between us but he killed us a couple of games early in the season out there! BEST OF LUCK and we'll see you in the bigs real soon
hi brandon, well hopefully you won't be living in fresno very long – we miss you and need you back in sf!
BB-you should rent a house in Fresno, its the same price as an apartment and you will have the peace of mind your wife is a lot safer in a neighborhood with decent homes. I know of one available with a pool!
Keep your head up, man! You're an amazing player with tons of talent and even more potential. Focus on your love of the game, and everything else will fall right into place. I know we'll see you again on the shores of McCovey Cove. Definitely not a matter of IF…but a matter of WHEN.
See you really soon.
Hey keep your head up and your dreams alive. I am glad you were able to quickly transition for your short stay in AAA. It sure is good to have a good woman by your side to help you along, isn't it? Especially when she has to go and pack up your apartment in short order. But not to worry. Someday you will laugh over that stuff. Enjoy yourself for the moment and get ready to come back up. You obviously have a ton of passion for the game and it isn't leaving you anytime soon!
Brandon, I remember the first day I saw you play. My husband pointed your way and told me, "That kid is going to be huge some day." I believed it then and I believe it now. Be patient and work hard – your journey is just beginning, enjoy every step of the way.
I hope you and your wife can get settled soon, it's hard when things are out of kilter. But love and patience see you through it, I'm sure 🙂
We live in a great complex… not far from the stadium. Would love to give you guys some info if you still need a new place!


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Egg Salad Gribiche
The Frenchy take on egg salad, loaded with herbs and Dijon mustard.
Here we've combined the elements of a traditional sauce gribiche, a classic French cold sauce made with hard-cooked eggs, capers, cornichons, and fines herbes, to create an elegant take on egg salad. It works well as an accompaniment to poultry or fish, or on our grilled vegetable sandwich.... Read More
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At this time of year, I usually begin my column by grousing about how greedy we've become around the holidays, and how Christmas is so hopelessly commercialized that I can barely turn on the TV or pass Kay Jewelers without whimpering, and yadda yadda yadda, but my complaints tend to turn off the reader, and I want to make sure that the focus of this column isn't buried at the end.
This is my sort-of annual appeal to social service agencies to send me a wish list of stuff you need for the holidays. It's also an appeal for readers to step up and help.
Let me note from the get-go that the idea for this column was inspired by — and indeed plagiarized from — my inimitable and popular predecessor, Paul Della Valle. I say this partly because I'm an ethical journalist, but mostly because if I didn't credit Paul, his eyes would bug out of his head and spittle would fly from his mouth and he'd write me a nasty email and also an angry letter to the People's Forum, and I'm trying to spare him the outrage because he's old now and I fear he'd keel over.
If you don't believe me, one time I wrote a column about a cat, and Paul complained that he, too, had written a column about a cat and I thus stole his idea. Maybe I did; Paul was a terrific columnist who frequently used this pulpit to help others in the community, where I pretty much reserve this space to make readers laugh, angry, cry or threaten to cancel their newspaper subscriptions.
The wish list first ran here in 1990, and this is how it works: I'm requesting a list from local shelters, human services agencies, group homes, soup kitchens, churches, and any legitimate group that reaches out to the needy (The Church of the End Times need not apply). Send me a list of things you need — clothes, appliances, furniture, toys, food, etc. Don't hold back, and be specific. Include your address, email address and phone number. Please respond by Dec. 2 to email@example.com and write "wish list" in the subject line.
I'll publish the list, and let our readers do the rest. They always seem to come through, especially around the holidays, and many have remarked that the sweaters they bought for Friendly House kids made them feel better than the automatic wine opener they bought for Uncle Ted.
Every year I'm gobsmacked by the stress surrounding the holidays, stemming mainly from everyone running around to buy useless gifts for people who don't need them, who in turn are forced to buy gifts for the people buying gifts for them. This ritual would perhaps be considered normal, if not for all the carping that accompanies it. I know of few gift-buyers who truly enjoy holiday shopping. Rather, all I hear are complaints.
And don't even get me started on the crazed shoppers who head out at midnight for the Black Friday sales. Call me a Grinch, but I would wait in a cold, dark line to save $10 on a Vivitar DVR 508 HD camcorder at the precise moment that monkeys fly out of my pants.
My suggestion is to knock it off. Why not divert the money you'd spend on Aunt Sue to something on the wish list? Why not take the time you'd spend shopping to instead meet the recipients for dinner, or, better yet, host a little gathering? I feel lucky around the holidays, as long ago I secured agreements from loved ones to forgo the annual gift-giving frenzy, unless children are in the mix. The exception: I typically host a Yankee Swap for a small group of friends, but the gifts are mainly an excuse to get together and celebrate the holiday. And it was easy to secure a no-gift pact from family members, as they happen to be exceedingly practical and yes, cheap.
That's my annual festive holiday plea. Let's be happy this year, rather than hectic. And let's be generous with the gift giving — for people who truly need help.


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3rd-seeded Stosur withdraws at Family Circle Cup
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Young Canadian Eugenie Bouchard didn't care why she was dominating a Grand Slam winner and top-10 player, only that she had finally broken through for the biggest win of her career.
Bouchard, 19, defeated her highest-ranked opponent ever when former U.S. Open champ Samantha Stosur withdrew midmatch with apparent right leg problems.
Bouchard, the reigning Wimbledon Junior singles champion, took a big lead on the hurting Stosur, who retired from the match trailing 6-1, 2-0.
Bouchard noticed the wrap on Stosur's leg and that her accomplished opponent wasn't chasing down several balls she normally would reach easily. Still, Bouchard felt she'd played a brand of tennis up to any challenge.
"I believe that I can beat these players," Bouchard said. "It's time to happen."
The ninth-ranked Stosur was out of sorts against Bouchard from the start. The Australian had her right leg wrapped and spoke with a trainer between sets before going back out. But two games in, the former U.S. Open champ called her opponent over, wished her well and ended the match.
An earlier rain delay of nearly 7½ hours washed out matches of the tournament's top draws: Serena Williams and her sister Venus.
Serena, riding an 11-match winning streak here, was scheduled to play American qualifier Mallory Burdette. Venus will take on Varvara Lepchenko for a spot in the quarterfinals. Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki moved on without hitting a shot when opponent Andrea Petkovic withdrew with a calf injury a few hours before their scheduled match.
The rain fell steadily at the Family Circle Tennis Center until dinnertime, when crews were finally able to start drying the large puddles on the gloppy, green clay surfaces.
Once play began, ninth-seeded Jelena Jankovic — the 2007 champion here — needed just 64 minutes to oust 19-year-old American Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-4. Pegula, whose father Terry owns the Buffalo Sabres, won the first two professional matches of her career this week before falling to the former world No. 1.
Stefanie Voegele defeated 10th-seeded Julia Goerges, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
The delay means the year's first clay-court event has some ground to make up to finish by Sunday. Without more rain, there would still be four round-of-16 matches to be played on Friday before the quarterfinals were set.
Serena Williams, who was not sharp despite winning her opening match over Camila Giorgi on Tuesday, will have waited almost three days to play again. Venus defeated 19-year-old Monica Puig in three sets Wednesday night. The sisters would both double up Friday if they won early matches.
Win a second time and it would mean a Williams' sister semifinal Saturday. They have not met in a tournament since 2009.
Both have enjoyed championship moments at the Family Circle. Serena won titles in 2008 and 2012. Venus won the crown in 2004 and last September clinched the winning points as the Washington Kastles took the World Team Tennis title on Billie Jean King Court.
Others who had matches delayed were sixth-seeded Lucie Safarova against 11th-seeded Sorana Cirstea and the all-American match of Madison Keys and Betthanie Mattek-Sands.
Cirstea, like Serena Williams, hasn't played since winning on Tuesday.
It took tournament crews more than three hours to dry the stadium court enough for Stosur and Bouchard to close the chilly, damp night. Tournament director Bob Moran said the clay surface sopped up plenty of water during the steady rain. "Our court maintenance team worked extremely hard to get the court ready and suitable for play," he said.
Jankovic said it was difficult keeping sharp and loose as the delay stretched through the afternoon. "I wanted to take a nap, but I couldn't," she said. "We joked that if they rained it out, we have a go-shopping day."
Instead, Jankovic felt fortunate to move to the quarterfinals when so many other competitors will likely have to play twice Friday. "At the end of the day, I was lucky," she said. "I came out and played quite well."
Jankovic will face Bouchard on Friday for a spot in the semifinals. Wozniacki takes on Voegele, the Dane trying for her eighth consecutive match win here.
Petkovic was Jankovic's doubles partner this week. Jankovic had enjoyed the pairing so far and looked forward to seeing what they could to here. Instead, Petkovic said in a statement she might do more damage to her leg if she competed.
"It is a very beautiful tournament and I loved every part of it here," Petkovic said. "So I hope to come back under better conditions."
News from The Associated Press, and a taste of the great journalism produced by AP members and customers. Managed 24/7 by these editors: apne.ws/APSocial Read more ›


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It was only a few months ago that Dell gave Cisco a powerful smack to the face by publicly denouncing the network giants' big Unified Computing System pitch as a vendor lock-in scheme when unveiling a set of servers, storage systems, and third-party network technologies it called an "open" alternative.*
Well, Cisco remembers. And Cisco clearly neither forgives nor forgets.
The network giant's plan to make a version of its Nexus family of switches that tucks inside Dell's M1000e blade chassis has reportedly just received a last-minute kiss of death.
According to CRN, which claims to have obtained a leaked internal Dell email, Cisco's Nexus 4001d blade switch due next month has been canceled. Also on the chopping block is the Nexus Fabric Extender blade switch that was planned for a summer release.
Cisco said it could not immediately verify the report due to most everyone being out of the office celebrating the US President's Day holiday.
To be perfectly fair, it was Cisco that first ruffled feathers of its formerly amiable server vendor partners Dell, HP, and IBM by announcing its toe-stomping play into the server racket in early 2009. Yet despite any hard feelings, Cisco still managed to kiss and make up with IBM by rolling out the Cisco Nexus 4001I switch module for IBM BladeCenter systems.
And with the existing UCS outreach to IBM, it makes the cancellation of Dell support a bit suspicious - but not surprising, mind you. Cisco doesn't necessarily need Dell now that it has its own architecture to peddle. The business reasoning behind the drop is more than Cisco's wounded heart due to Dell's taunts and counter-measures. ®
* Dell went as far as quoting a customer a customer who dubbed UCS "Unbelievably Costly Systems" in their pitch. That's stone cold, Dell. Amusing, but stone cold.