text:
A Satire That Hits Home
Hats off to American Thinker for this delicious albeit dead accurate bit of satire. Read it and then share it please – email it to five people you know and ask them to do the same!
June 18, 2010
Israel breathes; world condemnation instantaneous
Andrew Pessin
Israel breathed this morning. There was a quick intake of air, and then a gentle exhalation.
Finally, A Voice Of Sanity
At a time when the most egregious lies about Israel are being devoured eagerly by most of the world, here is a voice of reason. Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, writing in The Times this week, said:
If Israel goes down, we all go down
By José María Aznar
For far too long now it has been unfashionable in Europe to speak up for Israel. In the wake of the recent incident on board a ship full of anti-Israeli activists in the Mediterranean, it is hard to think of a more unpopular cause to champion.
In an ideal world, the assault by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara would not have ended up with nine dead and a score wounded. In an ideal world, the soldiers would have been peacefully welcomed on to the ship.
In an ideal world, no state, let alone a recent ally of Israel such as Turkey, would have sponsored and organised a flotilla whose sole purpose was to create an impossible situation for Israel: making it choose between giving up its security policy and the naval blockade, or risking the wrath of the world.
In our dealings with Israel, we must blow away the red mists of anger that too often cloud our judgment. A reasonable and balanced approach should encapsulate the following realities: first, the state of Israel was created by a decision of the UN.
Its legitimacy, therefore, should not be in question. Israel is a nation with deeply rooted democratic institutions. It is a dynamic and open society that has repeatedly excelled in culture, science and technology.
Second, owing to its roots, history, and values, Israel is a fully fledged Western nation. Indeed, it is a normal Western nation, but one confronted by abnormal circumstances.
Uniquely in the West, it is the only democracy whose very existence has been questioned since its inception. In the first instance, it was attacked by its neighbours using the conventional weapons of war. Then it faced terrorism culminating in wave after wave of suicide attacks. Now, at the behest of radical Islamists and their sympathisers, it faces a campaign of delegitimisation through international law and diplomacy.
Sixty-two years after its creation, Israel is still fighting for its very survival. Punished with missiles raining from north and south, threatened with destruction by an Iran aiming to acquire nuclear weapons and pressed upon by friend and foe, Israel, it seems, is never to have a moment's peace.
For years, the focus of Western attention has understandably been on the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. But if Israel is in danger today and the whole region is slipping towards a worryingly problematic future, it is not due to the lack of understanding between the parties on how to solve this conflict. The parameters of any prospective peace agreement are clear, however difficult it may seem for the two sides to make the final push for a settlement.
The real threats to regional stability, however, are to be found in the rise of a radical Islamism which sees Israel's destruction as the fulfilment of its religious destiny and, simultaneously in the case of Iran, as an expression of its ambitions for regional hegemony. Both phenomena are threats that affect not only Israel, but also the wider West and the world at large.
The core of the problem lies in the ambiguous and often erroneous manner in which too many Western countries are now reacting to this situation. It is easy to blame Israel for all the evils in the Middle East.
Some even act and talk as if a new understanding with the Muslim world could be achieved if only we were prepared to sacrifice the Jewish state on the altar. This would be folly.
Israel is our first line of defence in a turbulent region that is constantly at risk of descending into chaos; a region vital to our energy security owing to our overdependence on Middle Eastern oil; a region that forms the front line in the fight against extremism. If Israel goes down, we all go down.
To defend Israel's right to exist in peace, within secure borders, requires a degree of moral and strategic clarity that too often seems to have disappeared in Europe. The United States shows worrying signs of heading in the same direction.
The West is going through a period of confusion over the shape of the world's future. To a great extent, this confusion is caused by a kind of masochistic self-doubt over our own identity; by the rule of political correctness; by a multiculturalism that forces us to our knees before others; and by a secularism which, irony of ironies, blinds us even when we are confronted by jihadis promoting the most fanatical incarnation of their faith.
To abandon Israel to its fate, at this moment of all moments, would merely serve to illustrate how far we have sunk and how inexorable our decline now appears.
This cannot be allowed to happen. Motivated by the need to rebuild our own Western values, expressing deep concern about the wave of aggression against Israel, and mindful that Israel's strength is our strength and Israel's weakness is our weakness, I have decided to promote a new Friends of Israel initiative with the help of some prominent people, including David Trimble, Andrew Roberts, John Bolton, Alejandro Toledo (the former President of Peru), Marcello Pera (philosopher and former President of the Italian Senate), Fiamma Nirenstein (the Italian author and politician), the financier Robert Agostinelli and the Catholic intellectual George Weigel.
It is not our intention to defend any specific policy or any particular Israeli government. The sponsors of this initiative are certain to disagree at times with decisions taken by Jerusalem. We are democrats, and we believe in diversity.
What binds us, however, is our unyielding support for Israel's right to exist and to defend itself. For Western countries to side with those who question Israel's legitimacy, for them to play games in international bodies with Israel's vital security issues, for them to appease those who oppose Western values rather than robustly to stand up in defence of those values, is not only a grave moral mistake, but a strategic error of the first magnitude.
Israel is a fundamental part of the West. The West is what it is thanks to its Judeo-Christian roots. If the Jewish element of those roots is upturned and Israel is lost, then we are lost too. Whether we like it or not, our fate is inextricably intertwined.
José María Aznar was prime minister of Spain between 1996 and 2004.
Prime Example Of Media Lies About Israel
Is it any wonder that so many people dislike Israel, when they are bombarded with false information about the Jewish state?
The story below, courtesy of Honest Reporting Canada, is a prime example of the strange…let's call it carelessness which seems to permeate so much of the new coverage about Israel.
More often than not, the errors and lies are allowed to stand – below is a rare instance of one such 'mistake' being corrected:
CBC National Corrects Gaza Infant Mortality Rate Error
June 16, 2010
By: Mike Fegelman, Executive Director
Dear HonestReporting Canada Subscriber,
Did CBC falsely imply that Israel was responsible for the death of Gaza babies?
Respected Mideast professor and director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center (GLORIA) asked this very question regarding a June 1 CBC National report which saw Chief Correspondent, Peter Mansbridge, erroneously refer to the Gaza Strip as having "an infant mortality rate among the highest in the world."
Writing on his blog "Rubin Reports," Professor Rubin expounded on this misstatement:
"Here's an example of the insanity and profound anti-Israel bias currently gripping mass media.
On June 1, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) anchorman Peter Mansbridge stated that the Gaza Strip "has one of the world's highest infant mortality rates" The obvious implication: it is Israel's fault because of its sanctions.
In fact, the Gaza Strip has a lower infant mortality rate than Turkey, which has been a modern republic with full independence for about 80 years, and Iran, which enjoys the "benefits" of the kind of Islamist government which Hamas and the current Turkish government applaud.
According to the CIA World Factbook, regarded as a definitive source, the Infant Mortality Rate in the Gaza Strip is 17.71 deaths per 1000 births, about the same as Mexico and below that of Brazil, Romania, and many other countries. In neighboring Egypt, the number is 26.2, in Turkey, 24.8, and Iran, 34.7.
The kind of coverage given to living standards in the Gaza Strip seems an example of what sometimes seems a principle of Western journalism: Third World suffering is only of interest if it can be blamed on the West. Third World suffering is the world's lead news story only if it can be blamed on Israel."
HonestReporting Canada (HRC) communicated our concerns to senior editors at the CBC requesting that a review be conducted and that an on-air correction be issued promptly to remedy this error.
In a written response that was sent to HRC by the CBC, a senior editor said that the mistake was more than just problematic: "In an effort to give viewers a clearer picture of the Gaza Strip, the introduction to the report that night from Washington included statistics about Gaza's area, population, unemployment and infant mortality rates. However, in one instance, we inadvertently included inaccurate information. In fact – and as Mr. Rubin pointed out – according to the CIA World Factbook, a highly regarded source for such information, Gaza is about half way in a ranking of over 200 countries or regions, (109 out of 224) with an infant mortality rate of almost 18 per thousand live births, a little over four times Israel's. We regret the error. The Friday night (June 11) editions of The National included an on-air note offering viewers correct information."
Ms. Hiscox stated the following: "Earlier this month we reported the Gaza Strip has an infant mortality rate among the highest in the world, but according to the CIA World Factbook, Gaza ranks 109 out of 224 regions in the world, with an infant mortality rate of almost 18 deaths per thousand live births."
While we appreciate and commend the fact that the CBC was quick to investigate this matter and to take the appropriate action in correcting this mistake, with that said, there was no indication given about how this error had occurred and how it had gotten past the trained eyes of the CBC's most veteran editors. Many questions still remain unanswered such as: What was the source of this original erroneous information? It certainly wasn't the CIA World Factbook, was it Amnesty International's (AI) error, as this CBC report attributed various statistics as being derived from AI?
Was this just gross incompetence or intentional subterfuge? And finally, since when did the Palestinians achieve statehood? Why is it that this CBC report included a graphic which referred to the West Bank and Gaza as "Palestine" instead of the Palestinian territories?
We trust that this intervention will serve as a teachable moment for the CBC's reporters and editors who are keenly aware that their Mideast reporting is being vigilantly watched and scrutinized.
REUTERS Crops Photos Which Show 'aid workers' With Knives, And Injured Israelis
Hat tip to 'hellosnackbar' for sending me the link to this. You can find a lot more detail on the Little Green Footballs site.
Below is one of the stories; all photos and commentary are from Little Green Footballs:
Another Cropped Reuters Photo Deletes Another Knife – And a Pool of Blood
OK, come on now. I mean, really.
One picture cropped to remove a knife might be explained as incompetence or a simple mistake.
But now we have two pictures from the "peace activists" that were cropped by someone at Reuters to remove knives in the hands of the activists, as they attempted to take soldiers hostage.
Reuters has published this picture from the activists:
The picture is a cropped version of this photo from the IHH website (IHH is the Islamist group whose members rioted aboard the Mavi Marmara):
What did the Reuters photo editor crop out? A big knife and a big pool of blood.
UPDATE at 6/6/10 4:20:27 pm:
And it gets worse. I took the photo into Photoshop and increased the exposure to lighten the dark areas, and discovered that they didn't just crop out the knife and blood — they also cropped out another badly injured Israeli soldier lying on the floor.
You Couldn't Make It Up
Even given that we live in an insane world, the following story beggars belief. Apparently Yahoo! and Apple have decided that they get to decide the fate of Jerusalem.
Yep. Never mind that Jerusalem had a Jewish majority long before Islam even existed.
Never mind that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel both legally, and morally.
Never mind that when Jordan controlled Jerusalem, it turned holy Jewish sites into horse stables.
Never mind any of that. Apparently Yahoo! and Apple feel that they - not international law, not the Israeli government, and certainly not Jews – get to determine what is part of the Jewish capital of the Jewish nation, and what is not.
Read it and weep, folks:
by Hana Levi Julian
Internet giant Yahoo! and the Apple computer firm have apparently decided to pre-empt those pesky Israel-Palestinian Authority negotiations and divide the holy city of Jerusalem on their own.
Yahoo! — which runs the weather software application for the slick Apple iPhone — last month removed Israel's capital city from its list of international locations from which to view weather conditions.
Instead, one must now choose between East Jerusalem or West Jerusalem in order to figure out what the weather is going to be in the city.
The latitude and longitude coordinates for both locations are exactly the same, as is the temperature and other weather details.
On the Yahoo! weather page, which is linked to The Weather Channel, one is offered two Middle East options when requesting weather information for Jerusalem – Jerusalem, Yerushalayim (IL), Jerusalem, and Palestinian Occupied Territories > West Bank, Jerusalem (PS).
Clearly Yahoo! and Apple executives have decided to recognize the Palestinian State long before direct negotiations have even been contemplated by the parties themselves, let alone conducted to determine actual borders.
Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, expressed his disappointment with the fact that "Jerusalem, which has been united for 43 years, has been divided by the computer giant and the popular search engine."
Oren sent a letter of protest to both Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz and Apple CEO Steve Jobbs. He added that he and the rest of the Israel Embassy staff use the iPhone.
Readers may write to both to protest as well at the following emails: to Yahoo!'s Carol Bartz, care of: email@example.com and to Apple's Steve Jobbs through filling out the customer feedback form by clicking here.
Flotilla Farce Redux
As I write this, the British media is falling over itself to condemn Israel anew. Yesterday a boat bearing terrorists attempted to reach Israeli shores; Israel managed to reach them first and opened fire. As would the defence forces of any sane, democratic nation on our planet.
Of course, the BBC and the Daily Mail, among others, are horrified at this event – what, Jews, defending themselves against terrorism? Whatever next?!
The Mail suggests that this latest terror threat doesn't actually exist, while the BBC persists in referring to the Islamic militants on board the flotilla as 'aid workers'.
The British media should be anti terrorism – and as a result should have the decency to at least put forward Israeli responses. After all, it wasn't so long ago that Brits themselves were being slaughtered by the same terrorists who this week are so cheerfully running rings about both Israel and the court of world opinion.
Here is Melanie Phillips – do note the edits at the end of her article, both of which are significant.
Peace convoy'? This was an Islamist terror ambush
As the international community rushes to condemn Israel for the violence on board one of the ships in the Gaza flotilla, which left a reported 10 people dead and dozens injured, it is now obvious that the real purpose of this 'armada of hate' was not merely the further delegitimisation of Israel but something far worse.
Gaza's markets are full of produce, thousands of tons of supplies are travelling into Gaza every week through the Israeli-controlled border crossings, and there is no starvation or humanitarian crisis.
It was always obvious that the flotilla was not the humanitarian exercise it was said to be. Here is footage of the IDF offering to dock the Marmara — the main flotilla ship — at Ashdod and transfer its supplies and being told 'Negative, negative, our destination is Gaza'.
And now we can see that the real purpose of this invasion — backed by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), a radical Islamic organization outlawed by Israel in 2008 for allegedly serving as a major component in Hamas's global fund-raising machine — was to incite a violent uprising in the Middle East and across the Islamic world. As I write, reports are coming in of Arab rioting in Jerusalem.
The notion – uncritically swallowed by the lazy, ignorant and bigoted BBC and other western media – that the flotilla organisers are 'peace activists' is simply ludicrous. This research by the Danish Institute for International Studies details the part played by the IHH in Islamist terror in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Chechnya.
According to the French magistrate Jean-Louis Bruguiere testifying at the Seattle trial of would-be al Qaeda Millenium bomber Ahmed Ressamin, the IHH had played '[a]n important role' in the al Qaeda Millenium bomb plot targeting Los Angeles airport. It was also involved in weapons trafficking, and played in addition a key role in galvanizing anti-Western sentiment among Turkish Muslims in the lead-up to the 2003 war in Iraq. 'Peace activists' these people most certainly are not.
And this flotilla was but the latest jihadi attack, deploying the Islamists' signature strategy of violence and media manipulation.
Here from MEMRI (via Just Journalism) is a clip showing the hysteria against Israel being whipped up on board before the ships set sail, with the chanting of intifada songs about 'Khaybar' – the iconic slaughter of Jews by Muslims in the 7th century which is used as a rallying cry to kill the Jews today — and threats of 'martyrdom'. This was not merely a propaganda stunt, but a terrorist attack.
This is what the Jerusalem Post reported earlier today about what happened last night:
According to the IDF, the international activists 'prepared a lynch' for the soldiers who boarded the ships at about 2 a.m. Monday morning after calling on them to stop, or follow them to the Ashdod Port several hours earlier.
… Upon boarding the ships, the soldiers encountered fierce resistance from the passengers who were armed with knives, bats and metal pipes. The soldiers used non-lethal measures to disperse the crowd. The activists, according to an IDF report, succeeded in stealing two handguns from soldiers and opened fire, leading to an escalation in violence.
Also in the Jerusalem Post, David Horowitz wrote:
Benayahu said soldiers, who had been dispatched to block the flotilla because of fears that it was carrying weaponry and other highly dangerous cargo into the Hamas-controlled Strip, were attacked with knives and bars and sharpened metal implements.
Benayahu said two pistols that had been fired were subsequently found aboard the one ship, the Marmara, on which the violence erupted. And, most dramatically, he said that one IDF soldier had his weapon snatched away by one of the 'peace activists' on board, that this weapon was then turned against the IDF soldiers, who came under fire, and that they had no choice but to shoot back in self-defense.
… What seems urgent now is to make publicly available footage that shows exactly what did unfold. In early afternoon, video footage screened on Israel's Channel 2 appeared to show one of those aboard the Marmara stabbing an IDF soldier. Any such footage should have been made available hours earlier. Critically, if footage showing a soldier's weapon being snatched and turned on the IDF troops exists, it should be broadcast, and the sooner the better.
Some of this footage is now available on the web but much of it is hard to follow: as ever, the Israelis have been far too slow in making the most telling images and information available in comprehensible form (including in English rather than in Hebrew, for heaven's sake!).
This clip appears to show masked and armed flotilla activists beating Israeli soldiers (although here is the BBC report accompanying that footage, in which the voiceover appears to be claiming, perversely, that the people in masks were Israeli soldiers. That said, the report on Radio Four's World at One was fair and balanced).
This clip shows an Israeli soldier being stabbed. This IDF clip and this one show attacks on the commandoes including throwing one off the deck, attacking others with a metal pole and a firebomb and an attempted kidnap of another.
It is also becoming clearer as the day wears on that, far from storming the boats in order to attack those on board, the Israelis were hopelessly ill-prepared for the violence they encountered. Israel's Channel 10 and IDF radio have reported that the Israeli naval commandos were equipped with paint ball rifles to ensure minimum casualties among the flotilla terrorists, with their hand guns to be used only as a last resort.
The terrorists tried connecting the steel cables from the overhead helicopters to the boat's antenna, in order to cause the helicopters to crash. Only when the terrorists beat the soldiers with iron rods, stabbed them with knives and tried to lynch them did the soldiers respond. The Israeli commandoes were pushed down stairs, thrown overboard, and shot at.
Here is a report by an Israel army radio reporter on board:
'The activists had many things ready for an attack on the soldiers,' Lev-Rom said, 'including, for instance, a box of 20-30 slingshots with metal balls; these can kill. There were also all sorts of knives and many similar things. These are what they call "cold" weapons, as opposed to live fire. It was quite clear that a lynch had been prepared.'
Lev-Rom said, however, that it appears the army, 'even though it prepared for many different scenarios, was not ready for this one. The army seems not to have known what type of people were there and what type of weapons they had. It was hard for Israel to conceive that the ship, sponsored by the country of Turkey, would have such weapons. Israel was prepared to deal with anarchists, and instead had to deal with terrorists – that's the feeling here.'
Here** is an even more vivid account showing how unprepared the Israeli soldiers were:
Navy commandoes slid down to the vessel one by one, yet then the unexpected occurred: The passengers that awaited them on the deck pulled out bats, clubs, and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked. The fighters were nabbed one by one and were beaten up badly, yet they attempted to fight back.
However, to their misfortune, they were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other 'don't shoot, don't shoot,' even though they sustained numerous blows.
The Navy commandoes were prepared to mostly encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, rather than trained street fighters. The soldiers were told they were to verbally convince activists who offer resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.
The planned rush towards the vessel's bridge became impossible, even when a second chopper was brought in with another crew of soldiers. 'Throw stun grenades,' shouted Flotilla 13's commander who monitored the operation. The Navy chief was not too far, on board a speedboat belonging to Flotilla 13, along with forces who attempted to climb into the back of the ship.
The forces hurled stun grenades, yet the rioters on the top deck, whose number swelled up to 30 by that time, kept on beating up about 30 commandoes who kept gliding their way one by one from the helicopter. At one point, the attackers nabbed one commando, wrested away his handgun, and threw him down from the top deck to the lower deck, 30 feet below. The soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost his consciousness.
Only after this injury did Flotilla 13 troops ask for permission to use live fire. The commander approved it: You can go ahead and fire. The soldiers pulled out their handguns and started shooting at the rioters' legs, a move that ultimately neutralized them. Meanwhile, the rioters started to fire back at the commandoes.
It is becoming ever more clear that Islamist terror attacks like this are fiendishly staged theatrical events in which the western media – and beyond them, western governments — play an absolutely essential role in the drama.
If those media and governments refused to swallow the lies and instead called operations like this and the players behind it for what they actually are, such terrorist operations would not happen. The Islamist strategy of war against Israel is carefully calibrated to deploy the most effective weapon in its armoury in the cause of jihadi violence – the western media.
Right on cue, western governments accordingly deliver their own script in condemning the victims of terror for defending themselves. And so, courtesy of the west's fifth columnists, yet another nail is driven into the west's own coffin.
Let's see whether this time the western elites show any signs of waking from their lethal trance.
Update: I am told that the Jewish Chronicle website was taken down earlier (now restored) by a massive denial of service, apparently to shut down its balanced coverage of the Ashdod flotilla incident. The JC's teccies, and the server hosts, say this hasn't been caused by just one or tw908o people — it's clearly now co-ordinated and growing.
**Update 2: The journalist who wrote this account, Ron Ben-Yishai, cannot be accused of being an Israel government stooge: it was Ben-Yishai who in 1982 was first into the Palestinian refugee camps at Sabra and Shatila in Beirut and blew the whistle on the massacre there that had been perpetrated by the Phalangists while Ariel Sharon looked the other way.
Facts The World Forgets
http://www.box.net/shared/ osmxla2tal/1/43740080
- British naval and counter-terrorism expert Peter Cook on the #flotilla: Israelis with paintball guns were lynched, take a look and. (Channel 4 – UK):
- Footage from the Gaza Flotilla – How Violence Breaks Out:
- Flotilla Passengers Fire Live Ammunition at IDF Soldiers:
- The Turkish boat activists meant violence – watch how they use hoses, stun grenades and metal rods against the Israelis – remember, 5 of the 6 boats docked peacefully – those on the 6th were aggressive:
- "Daniel in the Lions Den": Violence of Flotilla activist supporters in LA:
And here are some vital facts:
Reproduced from: Standwithus.com
- Israel transfers about 15,000 tons of supplies and humanitarian aid every week to the people of Gaza.
- Lawyers representing the family of Gilad Shalit, the kidnapped Israeli soldier held in isolation, had asked the protestors to take aid for him, they refused.
- Israel offered the ship to dock in Ashdod port and they would transfer the aid to Gaza. This offer was made again and again – they refused.
- Israel has said that it will deliver any humanitarian aid that was in the boats to Gaza, as it does daily.
- Israel left Gaza in hopes of peace in 2005 and in return received more than 10,000 rockets and terrorist attacks. Israel has sought peace and compromise with its neighbors for all of its 62 years and it will continue to do so.
- Israel maintains a maritime blockade to ensure that weapons are not brought in by Hamas to use in attacks against Israel.
- In the past, terrorist sympathizers have used aid deliveries to smuggle items like potassium nitrate in sugar sacks and used it to make bombs. Israel cannot afford to let goods get to Hamas unchecked.
- Five boats were boarded, the protestors complied and they were safely let to shore.
- One boat – the Mavi Marmara – did not comply. That is the boat where the violence took place.
- This was meant to provoke – it was funded and organized by a Turkish Islamist organization (IHH) that has links to fundamentalist jihadi groups. The ship was flying under the Turkish flag.
- Those on board carried out pre-planned violence, armed with knives and metal bars, each soldier being attacked by a mob of a dozen extremists. They threw one soldier off the top deck of the ship.
- The Israeli government maintains that allowing the illegal flotilla to reach Hamas would have opened a corridor of smuggling of weapons to Gaza and resulting in civilian deaths.
- Using the Arabic term 'intifada,' Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said "We call on all Arabs and Muslims to rise up in front of Zionist embassies across the whole world.
- As the flotilla made its way to meet him in Gaza, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said this week: "If the ships reach Gaza it is a victory; if they are intercepted, it will be a victory too".
- Turkey permitted the Marmara to fly under its flag. Turkey knew that the IHH (Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation) had organized the Flotilla, and supports the genocidal terrorist organization Hamas, several Jihadist organizations in Bosina, Syria, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere, and has ties with Al Qaeda.
- But Turkey did not prevent the Flotilla from disembarking and attacking Israel's sovereign right to protect itself from terrorists attempting to enter Gaza.
- Now Turkey is condemning Israel for the unfortunate casualties, and is leading the charge to condemn Israel at the U.N. It is Turkey that should be condemned by the United Nations for its role in this brutal trap set for Israelis.
- Hamas is responsible for the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis. Their racist charter calls for Islamic domination; their stance is unchanged and they repress any Palestinians that try and counter their regime.
- Any police force in the world would respond to aggression; the provocation is the reason for this regrettable outcome. No country would allow illegal entry of any vessel into their waters without a security check.
Please, help to get these FACTS out there!
In Defence Of Israel's Right To Self Defence!
And so the lunacy continues. As I write this, Israel is now being accused of – wait for it – piracy!
Wouldn't you love to see what Egypt would have done if faced with a ship full of rabid enemies determined to ram her shores…? But of course, these 'innocent aid workers' wouldn't dream of trying a stunt like this with the Egyptians. And we all know it.
If you only read one article on the latest events, then make it this one by Daniel Greenfield, over at the superb Sultan Knish blog.
All photos courtesy of Sultan Knish.
The Non-Violent Murder of Jews
"The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."
Al Bukhari, quoted in the Hamas Charter
Let there be no mistake about it. This is about genocide. This is what it has always been about generations back, when Hamas forefather, Hassan al Banna was writing fan letters to Hitler.
|A Non-violent Gaza Flotilla Activist
This in a single paragraph is Hamas. This is what it stands for. And this is what anyone who talks about "the People of Gaza" really supports.
The "People of Gaza" is a euphemism for Hamas which won the last PA election and rules with popular support in Gaza. Israel responded to this takeover by a genocidal terrorist group by closing its border with Gaza. Hamas cynically responded by lying and claiming to be out of power and starving. That allowed their supporters to try and pass off their pro-Hamas agenda as a humanitarian agenda.
But real humanitarians don't sympathize with only one side in a conflict where civilians on both sides are dying. Real humanitarians don't bring guns and knives on a humanitarian mission. And real humanitarians don't chant calls for the murder of Jews calling themselves "The Army of Mohammed".
That's what the pack of racist Islamist killers hiding behind their Western useful idiots did. And the Western useful idiots conducting a propaganda mission on behalf of a terrorist organization are no better than the murderers who exploited them.
The Hamas charter begins with a quote from Hassan al Banna calling for the destruction of Israel. Hassan al Banna was an ally of Hitler whose movement distributed Arabic translations of Mein KampfGaza Flotilla was as cynical an expedition as if a bunch of Nazi supporters had gotten in a boat to bring supplies to Berlin in 1944.
The Hamas supporters on board the Gaza flotilla called themselves the Freedom Flotilla. A brilliantly Orwellian name, considering that they were headed to support an organization that had eliminated what little freedom there had been in Gaza. Hamas had banned music, outlawing the piano, the flute and the violin because they weren't in the Koran.
It banned mixed sex music festivals and jeans. It imposed a curfew on public gatherings It banned male hairdressers and women riding on motorcycles. Its morality police have carried out brutal murders of women they decided were immoral. The lack of freedom in Gaza had one common denominator. Hamas. And the Anti-Freedom Flotilla were there to give Hamas a propaganda victory.
Israel sent aboard soldiers armed with paintball guns and stun grenades expecting token resistance from entitled Western left wing protesters. Instead the Westerners were serving as beards for Turkish Islamic radicals.
The IDF force functioned under strict rules of engagement that prevented them from defending themselves until the situation escalated so badly that soldiers were suffering serious injuries including gunshot wounds. Only then did the Israeli soldiers return fire with live ammunition. Long after any military or police force would have done so.
|Hamas leader Haniyeh speaks under Turkish flag
Turkey's Islamist regime of Erdogan which recently vowed to repeat the Armenian Genocide, if the Armenians continued to protest about it, lost no time in staging protest rallies and delivering self-righteous condemnations.
Over a violent encounter that their own people deliberately staged with exactly this intended outcome. And the hypocritical double standard of a world community that gave Erdogan a pass for openly threatening ethnic cleansing, even as he seeks to join the EU, will now begin their usual howls of hypocritical outrage. "Massacre". "Genocide." "Human Rights."
The truth is that there is hardly a regime in the Muslim world that could spell "Human Rights" if those magic words weren't a useful weapon against those damned infidels.
Turkey's Erdogan in addition to his genocidal threats is busy jailing opposition politicians, raiding synagogues and imposing religiouswhich jailed Western backpackers for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, have done to a ship filled with radicals trying to kill its soldiers?
What would Saudi Arabia do, which doesn't even allow Westerners into Mecca unless they're there to suppress a domestic uprising? Both countries are Hamas backers. And this is how Hamas treats resistance. By throwing them off roofs.
But genocide and massacres don't even merit a sigh when carried out by Muslim regimes. But when those countries arm and fund a genocidal Islamist group inspired by the Nazis, the liars and phonies demand that Israel open up its borders to its terrorists.
And when Israel intercepts a ship carrying out a mission of propaganda for Hamas, those same liars and phonies start shrieking, "Massacre," "Genocide" and "Human Rights".
You want to see massacres, genocide and human rights– take a weekend trip to Tehran, try to buy a bus ticket to Mecca, run for office in Ankara or try to be a Christian in Karachi.
|Turkish group on Flotilla burns US flag
This is about genocide. The Muslim massacre and ethnic cleansing of Jews. A history that goes back to Mohammed, who ethnically cleansed Jews from the Arabian Peninsula.
When the "non-violent killers" on board the flotilla chanted, "Remember Khaibar, Khaibar, Oh Jews. The Army of Mohammed will Return!", they were invoking an ugly history of over a thousand years of Muslim oppression and butchery of the region's Jews. Those non-Muslims on board were collaborators in the latest phase of that genocide.
There is no such thing as the non-violent murder of Jews. Supporting the murder of Jews is not a "humanitarian mission", unless your ideas of humanitarian mission match those of Hitler, Hassan al Banna and Hamas.
This is indeed about our freedom and genocide. Our right to be free of those who carry out their fanatical dreams of mass murder, whether they happen to be Austrian painters, Hamas politicians or Irish Nobel Prize winners.
The State of Israel will not serve the same purpose that Jews have always served for 2000 years, to be the whipping boy of hypocritical moralists. Nor will we apologize for refusing to be murdered. And if you want to kill us, expect us to fight back. Fight us with words, and we will fight back with words. Fight us with knives and guns, and we will do the same. We will not be murdered. We will not be driven into the sea. We will not die. Get used to it.
Well, the chances are against it and the odds are slim
That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him
'Cause there's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back
And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac
Neighborhood Bully, Bob Dylan
Since When Do 'innocent aid workers' STAB people?
Let's be crystal clear on this: what happened was not a conflict between 'innocent aid workers' and Israeli soldiers. It was between armed, violent, gagging-to-fight Hamas supporters and the Israeli army.
Here, posted by the always vigilant Elder Of Ziyon, is footage of one of these 'aid workers' STABBING an Israeli:
Jewish Blood Doesn't Sell Newspapers
Let's say it like it is: Jewish blood doesn't make good headlines.
Nobody gives a damn when young Israeli soldiers are attacked and all but killed by 'aid workers' and 'peace activists'. The only story that sells is when Jews fight – or to be accurate, fight back.
Thus the world media is revelling in the latest clash between Israel and Hamas – and yes, it is between these two factions. Every single person present on that flotilla supported Hamas and its openly stated aim of destroying Israel.
For more detailed and accurate reporting than you'll get anywhere else, here's a briefing from the excellent Honest Reporting:
Connected to Terror: Who is Behind the Flotilla?
The organizations and passengers behind the Gaza flotilla have been variously described as "peace activists" and "humanitarian organizations". This could not be further from the truth. The primary objective of this flotilla was not to deliver aid packages to Gaza but to spread anti-Israel propaganda in cooperation with Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Playing a central role in the flotilla is the Turkish IHH organization, which besides its legitimate philanthropic activities is also, according to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, a supporter of radical Islamic networks, including Hamas, and at least in the past, even global jihad elements.
See here and here for detailed information on the IHH.
Amongst the other organizations involved in the flotilla is the International Solidarity Movement. The ISM has a shameful record of placing foreign nationals in danger through encouraging 'direct action', which resulted in the death of American citizen Rachel Corrie. In 2003, ISM's extreme ideology was underscored when terrorists, originating from the UK, used ISM as a cover to attack Mike's Place, while an ISM activist has been jailed in the US, charged with "giving about $20,000 to a group he knew supported Hamas."
An Al-Jazeera report from May 28, translated below by PMW, shows activists on board before departing for Gaza, chanting Intifada songs aimed at Jews and praising martyrdom. Chants include "Intifada, intifada, intifada! Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews! The army of Mohammed will return!" relating to a seventh century massacre of Jews in Khaybar by early Muslims.
"Peace" Activists Used Deadly Violence
Despite claims that the activists on board were only prepared to resist the IDF peacefully, the reality was quite the opposite. Upon boarding the Marmara, owned and operated by the extremist IHH, Israeli naval personnel were attacked by activists who had prepared themselves with weapons including knives and clubs. This, despite the following statement from a Free Gaza spokesperson:
We were not going to pose any violent resistance. The only resistance that there might be would be passive resistance such as physically blocking the steering room, or blocking the engine room downstairs, so that they couldn't get taken over. But that was just symbolic resistance.
Is the clip below showing an IDF soldier being attacked with a crowbar "symbolic resistance"?
In addition, IDF forces apprehended two activists holding pistols. The activists took these pistols from IDF forces and apparently opened fire on the soldiers as evident by the empty pistol magazines. This goes some way to explaining the number of casualties as live fire was exchanged as IDF forces found themselves under severe threat as evidenced by the number of injured Israeli soldiers and the types of injuries.
One soldier suffered a serious head injury, two others were injured by gunshots and one more was stabbed. A total of seven soldiers were wounded – four soldiers were moderately wounded, of which two were initially in critical condition, as well as an additional three soldiers who were lightly wounded.
A First-Hand Account
Israeli journalist Ron Ben-Yishai gives a first-hand account of the incident:
Navy commandoes slid down to the vessel one by one, yet then the unexpected occurred: The passengers that awaited them on the deck pulled out bats, clubs, and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked. The fighters were nabbed one by one and were beaten up badly, yet they attempted to fight back.
However, to their misfortune, they were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other "don't shoot, don't shoot," even though they sustained numerous blows….
During the commotion, another commando was stabbed with a knife. In a later search aboard the Marmara, soldiers found caches of bats, clubs, knives, and slingshots used by the rioters ahead of the IDF takeover. It appeared the activists were well prepared for a fight.
Read the full account here.
See the IDF video footage taken from above the boarded vessel, showing Israeli soldiers under attack by clicking on the image below.
See more at the IDF's YouTube channel.
Propaganda Not Humanitarianism
If there was any doubt that these organizations were unconcerned with universal human rights, this was confirmed by the rejection of a request from the family of Gilad Shalit for activists to pressure Hamas to allow international organizations to bring letters and food packages to the kidnapped soldier in exchange for the family's support for the international expedition's attempt to dock in Gaza.
In fact, Israel offered to transfer the supplies on the flotilla to Gaza from Ashdod port through official channels, an offer that was rejected in favor of confrontation on the part of the anti-Israel activists. As flotilla organizer Greta Berlin stated: "this mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it's about breaking Israel's siege."
The flotilla was clearly warned by the Israeli Navy in advance of the boarding and the offer repeated by the IDF.
A Legitimate and Legal Operation
IMRA asked Hebrew University international law expert Dr. Robbie Sabel about the legality of the IDF action in international waters.
Dr. Sabel explained that a state, in a time of conflict, can impose an embargo, and while it cannot carry out embargo activities in the territorial waters of a third party, it can carry out embargo activities in international waters.
Within this framework it is legal to detain a civilian vessel trying to break an embargo and if in the course of detaining the vessel, force is used against the forces carrying out the detention then that force has every right to act in self defense.
Dr. Sabel noted that there is a long history of embargo activities in international waters.
Indeed, according to the San Remo Manual that governs international humanitarian law, it is permissible under rule 67(a) to attack neutral vessels on the high seas when the vessels "are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture."
Election Result Blues
To be clear: I loathe all the British political parties equally. I break out in an allergic rash every time Gordon Brown appears on T.V. I can't stand Nick Clegg, the tiny twit who would have us embrace Proportional Representation and thus make it far easier for parties such as the neo Nazi BNP to gain power. As for David Cameron…he didn't come over brilliantly in the live debates and if anything, he's probably just the best of a terrible bunch.
One thing is for sure though, the potential calamity that awaits us is a coalition government made up of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Yes, that's right – the two parties who were categorically rejected by the British electorate could yet make some sort of deal and emerge as our new 'government'. That is a nightmare scenario and one can only pray it doesn't come to pass. As I write this, Labour heavyweights are lining up to choose a new leader, while Cameron & Clegg (I mean, come on, they even sound like some sort of comic duo) are desperately trying to thrash out some kind of deal that both can get their own parties to accept.
Only one phrase comes to mind that satisfactorily sums up my present feelings about the state of affairs in Britain – and that's a loud, passionate and plaintive 'Oy Vey…..!
Reindeers Aren't Just For Christmas
Come on, say it with me: 'Oh, he's so cuuuuuuuuute……..!' I refer of course, to Blue, the new born son of proud parents Prancer and Rudolph (what else?). Little Blue is thought to be the first reindeer born in England for 10,000 years.
The 8lb calf was born to a small herd in a 750-acre Cornwall estate.
Reindeer did exist in Britain during the last Ice Age, which was roughly 10,000 years ago. But they then headed north and vanished as the weather warmed up. Now they are only found in Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland.
Reindeer handler Ellie Pearce said: 'It was incredibly exciting waiting for the first birth. I arrived in one morning and there he was on the hay looking absolutely beautiful.
'Since then he's put on a pound a day and he's become incredibly friendly and inquisitive.
'He can actually outrun me already but he doesn't tend to stray far from his mother as she is very protective.'
The calf, which currently stands at little over a 1ft tall, is being fed by his mother but is already developing a taste for grazing in a specially designed pen.
He will soon be introduced to the rest of the herd and allowed to gaze in front of visitors to the 750-acre estate which dates back to 1246 and houses 70 acres of historic gardens as well as the National Museum of Gardening.
Trevarno's general manager Richard Cox said: 'We're obviously delighted with the new addition. He really is a gorgeous little fellow and everyone here has fallen in love with him.'
Makes a change from all the depressing stories about elections etc, doesn't it…?
Time and time again in this country, doctors and various other 'experts' make decisions that are obvious lunacy to anyone with a normal, functioning brain. And inevitably, it's never these morons who end up paying the price but rather, innocent members of the public.
In yet another such incident, a pregnant woman has been murdered by a psychiatric patient who was released after doctors decided he was 'exaggerating' his mental problems.
Alan McMullan, 54, stabbed 21-year-old Claire Wilson to death as she walked to work on a Sunday afternoon.
She screamed and collapsed as her attacker walked away, a jury has now heard.
And here's the part that will make you seethe: one year earlier the killer had on not one, not two, but on three occasions handed himself into police while armed with a knife, claiming to hear voices commanding him to murder someone!
Each time he was admitted to hospital – and later released after treatment. On the third occasion doctors decided he was 'exaggerating his symptoms to gain admission to hospital', Hull Crown Court has heard.
After committing the murder, McMullan told police he was angry he had not been given 'appropriate treatment' by the authorities.
Miss Wilson, the victim, was six months pregnant, when she was stabbed to death on June 7 last year.
Personally, I think that every single 'doctor' who opted to release this man into the general community, should be struck off and then charged with reckless endangerment, if we have such a category of crime here in the UK.
Sequence of events:
McMullan went to the police on June 2, 2008.
He was carrying a knife, complained of feeling unwell and mentioned the possibility of killing somebody.
He was admitted under the Mental Health Act and seen by a consultant psychiatrist.
McMullan was discharged from Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby after 14 days, told to stop drinking, continue with his medication and attend an outpatient appointment.
On June 19 the same thing happened again. This time he was admitted for 21 days and released with medication.
The third time he was admitted to the psychiatric unit was July 21 and this time doctors decided he was 'exaggerating'.
The trial continues.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1276389/Knifeman-went-police-times-saying-going-kill–released-murder-waitress-random-attack.html#ixzz0ncJDqlwd
Brunettes Rule!
Jew With A View doesn't usually blog about, well, trivia, but just this once… Great to see that the men of Great Britain recognise the beauty of The Brunette. With the media ever enthralled by bottle-blondes, a recent survey by lad's mag FHM has voted brunette bombshell Cheryl Cole as 'The World's Sexiest Woman' – for the second year running!
Other brunette beauties also featured in the magazine's poll, including: actress Anne Hathaway, and former Commonweath Games champion Hayley Lewis, to name but two.
In an age where far too many women spend numerous hours with their heads covered in silver foil and dripping in peroxide, in a bid to go blonde, it's good to have this reminder that – and yes, as one myself I'm biased – Brunettes Rule!
Exodus – French Jews Forced To Flee
For several years now, the number of French Jews has been shrinking. Increased violence against them has led to many leaving and moving to Israel. And it doesn't look as though things are set to improve.
Two violent attacks have taken place in as many days, in fact. On Sunday night, an elderly Jewish man outside a French Synagogue was set upon by three younger men – they sprayed him with tear gas.
And according to the Sunday Telegraph in London, anti semitic slogans were daubed on a nearby wall by the three men.
The attackers, still at-large, launched the attack as the man, described as being in his 80s, was waiting outside to attend daily prayer services. The attack happened in Nimes, in southern France.
And on Friday night, assailants brutally attacked a 42-year-old man in Strasbourg, hitting him across the back of the head with a metal rod and stabbing him in the chest. Authorities later charged a 38-yer-old man for attempted murder.
As many of you will recall, it was a mere three years ago that a French Muslim gang tortured and killed Ilan Halimi, a young French Jew, in a Paris suburb.
Looks like the writing is on the wall – literally in the case of the first attack outside the Synagogue.
sources: Sunday Telegraph
& Israel National News


text:
Hedrick Program Grant for Teaching Innovation
The Faculty Development Office in the Center for Teaching and Learning annually funds an award of up to $5,000 for a project that supports innovations in teaching at the program level. Proposals are due Wednesday, May 15, 2014 at 12 noon, and must be emailed as a Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF attachment to email@example.com.
Eligibility: The Primary Investigator (PI) must be a tenured or tenure-track full-time faculty member in any department or college that reports to Academic Affairs. Administrators at the rank of Dean or above may not apply.
Submission: Each proposal should not exceed three single-spaced, typed pages, and must include the following:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Castaic Lake SRA
State Recreation Area
Castaic Lake State Recreation Area is a reservoir of the State Water Project. It is one of the Project's largest recreational lakes and the terminal of its west branch. The site includes 29 miles of shoreline. A major attraction is the 425-foot tall Castaic Dam.
Castaic Lake has two bodies of water. Lower lake is for non-power boating and canoeing. Swimming season on lower lake runs from mid-May to mid-September. Upper lake is for sailing, power boating, water and jet skiing, and fishing. The lake is stocked with bass, trout and catfish. Boat rentals and a tackle bait shop are available.
Other recreational activities include hiking, biking trails, picnic areas and playgrounds. Rental group picnic areas are available for up to 600 persons.
Location - Directions
The recreation area can be reached by exiting Interstate 5 at Hughes Lake Road, 41 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. From Ventura, it is 51 miles to Castaic Lake via Highway 126 and Interstate 5.
Latitude/Longitude: 34.5347 / -118.6108
Los Angeles County operates Castaic Lake SRA -- please visit their website for additional information.
Park Information
- Hours of Operation:
Sunrise to Sunset
- Park Office Telephone:
(661) 257-4050
Los Angeles CountyCounty
Los Angeles
- Purchase Annual Passes
Related Pages
Contact Los Angeles
County for information:
Local 661-257-4050
District 818-880-0350
32132 Ridge Route Road
Castaic, CA 91310
Operating Hours
Sunrise to Sunset
Vehicle entry fees
First-come, first-served camping.
Contact the park directly for information.
Please be advised, Castaic Lake SRA is one of the few California State Parks that does not accept the Annual State Parks Pass.


text:
The Texas A&M Aggies erased a four-run deficit to take the first game of a doubleheader against the Alabama Crimson Tide, 13-8, Saturday afternoon on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Click here for the original story.
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Read a match report from Horley vs a Cherwell League XI here
The rearranged Cherwell League XI vs OCA XI is now confirmed for Sunday 7th September
Click here for on-line entry for the league 6-a-side competion in August
Div 1: Buckingham Town 1
Div 2: Leighton Buzzard Town 1
Div 3: Sandford St Martin 1
Div 4: Horley 1
Div 5: Brackley 1
Div 6: Long Marston 2
Div 7: Horley 2
Div 8: Horspath 4
Div 9: Aston Rowant 4
Div 10: Twyford 3
The Cherwell League would like to thank all its supporters
Banbury captain Jimmy Phillips believes they are well-placed for another decent run in the ECB National Club Twenty20 competition.
Chris Watling says there is no panic in the Aston Rowant camp, despite being just one place above the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 1 relegation zone.
Horspath captain Will Eason says it would be remarkable achievement if they can secure promotion from Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2.
SHRIVENHAM 2nd captain Martin Hammond was rueing his side's chronic availability after seeing them bow-led out for just nine runs in their Division 6 match at home to Faringdon 2nd.
BEN Rae smashed an unbeaten century as Westbury stretched their lead at the top with a 69-run win at Minster Lovell, writes David Quinn.
Oxfordshire had 22 balls at Dorset's last pair but could not quite force victory in a thrilling West Division encounter which ended in a draw at Bournemouth.
CAREER-BEST figures of 7-78 from captain Luke Ryan have given Oxfordshire a golden chance of recording their first Western Division victory of the season against Dorset at Bournemouth.
A spectacular innings from Harry Smith yesterday blasted Great & Little Tew to within one victory of a Lord's final.
Banbury face a double-header this weekend which could prove a pivotal one in the club's pursuit of silverware.
An unbeaten century from Ben Rae helped OCA division one leaders Westbury to beat third-placed Minster Lovell.
Danny Smith picked another six wicket haul as Sandford St Martin maintained their division three title challenge with a another crucial victory in Saturday's Cherwell League programme.
Great Tew are just one step away from their first ever appearance at Lord's following a stunning success in the last eight of the Davidstow Village Cup.
Banbury's Home Counties Premier League title challenge received a setback in Saturday's seven wicket defeat at reigning champions Henley.
Jimmy Phillips believes Banbury have more to offer in the second half of the Home Counties Premier League Division One campaign.
Having seen his side reach the regional finals of the NatWest T20 Cup, Banbury captain Jimmy Phillips now wants his players to focus on the Home Counties Premier League.
Danny Smith snapped up six wickets as Sandford St Martin beat Great Tew II to maintain the edge over their rivals in the Cherwell League.
This weather forecast is generated by the Met Office Weather Widget


text:
RALEIGH — Once again, the state Senate approved a measure Tuesday to trim income taxes and limit government spending. And once again, it may not matter.
Gov. Pat McCrory and House Speaker Thom Tillis remain hesitant about the legislation crafted by their Republican brethren, with neither willing to endorse what the Senate calls its final offer in the months-long tax negotiations on a key legislative issue.
The Senates 32-15 preliminary vote, mostly along party lines, came as a new fiscal analysis showed that the average North Carolina family would get a modest income tax break while wealthy taxpayers are likely to see a significant cut.
A married couple with two children making $40,000 would see an estimated $30 tax cut, while the same family making $250,000 would get a roughly $3,800 tax break, the legislative analysis showed.
One segment a family of four earning $20,000 would pay slightly more income taxes. But all married couples with no children, single parents and single filers would see a significant tax cut, with those earning more than $100,000 getting the largest breaks.
Even with the income tax cuts, everyone will pay more in sales taxes. The Senate bill increases the sales taxes on electricity and repeals tax breaks on service contracts, movie tickets and other items.
Democratic lawmakers opposed to the measure focused on the shift in tax burden in the hourlong debate.
This bill is not tax reform, said Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat. This bill is a tax cut for the wealthy and large out-of-state corporations on the back of middle-class taxpayers and working families.
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said the Democrats were engaging in class warfare. Along with other Republican supporters, Berger emphasized the need to shrink the states high personal and corporate income tax rates to spur economic development, even though a UNC economist recently suggested such claims were exaggerated.
It is my belief ... that passing this substantial tax reform and substantial tax reduction to allow the people of North Carolina and the businesses of North Carolina to keep more of their money is going to have a substantial positive impact on our economy and a substantial positive impact on job creation, Berger said.
Cost to North Carolina
Under the legislation, the tiered income tax system that requires higher earners pay more would be replaced by a flat 5.75 percent rate. The states 6.9 percent corporate tax, the highest in the region, would be phased out entirely.
To offset the plans cost, the state sales tax on electricity would increase from 3 percent to 4.75 percent, generating more than $400 million in new revenue a year. But at the bottom line, it represents a significant reduction in tax revenues, starting at $174 million in the first year and reaching more than $1 billion at full implementation in 2018.
Much of the debate Tuesday focused on whether the state can afford such a tax cut and still pay for necessary government services such as education and health care. The plan trims state spending growth from the current 4.5 percent rate to 3 percent in the first year, and then gradually increasing to 4 percent.
To keep cutting and cutting and cutting on the backs of people who are hurting ... we are putting our state in a less competitive position, said Sen. Floyd McKissick, a Durham Democrat.
Berger responded by saying the plan puts government spending at a more responsible rate.
Republicans divided
The plans price remains a sticking point. McCrory expressed concern recently about the Senates desire to cut taxes so deeply. The Houses tax cut is about half the size.
McCrory has yet to comment on the latest Senate bill. Even though it moves closer to the House position, Tillis said differences remain. The House Republican Caucus will review the bill when it comes to our chamber, and we will continue to work with the Senate and the governor to address concerns that remain, he said.
But Rep. Mike Hager, a top Tillis lieutenant, said the plan looks pretty good.
Only one Republican senator broke ranks to vote against the bill Tuesday. Sen. Bob Rucho of Charlotte led the tax overhaul effort earlier this year but resigned his post as Finance Committee chairman in a rare display of public disgust when his more far-reaching plan was rejected. He did not respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday.
The Senate will vote a final time on the legislation Wednesday.
Frank: 919-829-4698


text:
Service World Chinatown (Chin Swee) Hostel Reviews
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THE WORST HOSTEL 1. NO RECEPTION! 2 hours to check in. A girl sleeping there, who did not speaks English, answered our knocks at the door and called her "boss" (the owner of the hotel) on her mobile. Terrible. 2. NO SECURITY! It is in a building and the rooms are in different places. Accessible to everyone. As there is no reception, we could'n have a key for the locker room. 3. BAD LOCALIZATION. Singapore has an amazing transport system. Chinatown is dirty with rude people. DONT STAY THERE
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text:
2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Contact: Leilani J. Johnson, Ed.D., Director
Location: Lowry Campus
Telephone: 303.365.7688
Website: www.unco.edu/doit
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; http://ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of two parts:
Program Description:
The American Sign Language-English Interpretation (ASLEI) baccalaureate degree program is offered in two ways; either, online (with summer onsite requirements) or onsite at the UNC Denver Center @ Lowry. The ASLEI program prepares majors to provide competent interpreting services between individuals who are deaf and use ASL as their primary means of communication, and individuals who are not deaf and do not know sign language. Graduates of this program will be prepared to interpret in a range of low-risk settings with professional autonomy and be work- and/or certification-ready.
Program Admission Requirements:
Program specific requirements. See Website: www.unco.edu/doit
Program Requirements:
A "B" grade in each of the courses taken as part of this major is required for graduation.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
Take all of the following courses:
There is a core of 62 credits that all students of the major must take. Students will select an area of concentration (18 credits) in educational, legal, or community-based interpreting.
Take 18 credits
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Re: So... What Do We All Think?stayfrosty70 May 1, 2012 6:57 PM (in response to zman6776)
Im with ya . but this looks like bs . my opinion it looks like it may suck .
Re: So... What Do We All Think?zman6776 May 1, 2012 7:00 PM (in response to stayfrosty70)
I don't care what they do with SP, but if MP is like this...... damn. But I don't think Treyarch would take such a leap.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?iidarkshadowoo May 11, 2012 12:43 PM (in response to zman6776)
I'm fairly interested, as much as I would have been a little while back because Call of Duty games are still pretty similar in the end.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?Hockeyrock9 May 1, 2012 7:03 PM (in response to zman6776)
Treyarch: A team that has shown that they bring call of duty almost anywhere and bring generations of history directly into a person's room at any given time. They have amazing ideas, and far more creative than their call of duty counterparts. While Black ops multiplayer was not amazing, it was also their first real push into the front-line, and they can probably learn more from their mistakes than IW. Let's put a little trust in 3arch...
Re: So... What Do We All Think?jewz May 1, 2012 7:56 PM (in response to Hockeyrock9)
black ops had a much better multiplayer than MW2 and 3. It was very balanced
Re: So... What Do We All Think?MUPHinATHONG May 1, 2012 7:04 PM (in response to zman6776)
I too enjoyed Black Ops... This game looks retarded. It doesn't look realistic (graphics) and it doesn't seem realistic (13 years in the future). It seems like a cartoon video game. I am very disappointed in the concept. And on top of that.. Black Ops 2? SMH. I'm definitely going to rent it before I spend 60 dollars on it.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?nicedrewishfela May 1, 2012 7:12 PM (in response to zman6776)
I know exactly how you are feeling on this, but I am in the camp of "Play it before you judge it".
I have never liked the futuristic games. Halo did nothing for me. The Ghost Recon games don't interest me one bit. Heck, I resisted getting CoD4 for the longest time, as I was so into WWII action in WaW. Black Ops, to me, was the best leap forward the series ever took. It was so innovative (Not every innovation worked, but at least you could see they tried). The level of detail in the maps is so incredible, the MW3 maps are laughable in comparison.
I am a little worried about going into the future on this, but I can't wait to give it a try. I hate to say it, but I think this could be the make it or break it release for the CoD series. If Treyarch can produce something innovative and as infinitely playable as Black Ops, it may draw some turned off by MW3 back to the series. If its more of the same.... I think we'll all be disappointed.
That being said, cooler heads should prevail until we get more information on the game, and until we get it in our hands and start playing.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?whatdoyouwanthere May 1, 2012 9:23 PM (in response to nicedrewishfela)
I agree Black Ops is the Best...I wouldn't wrote off the "futuristic" portion of it to fast...If they do it even as good as Black Ops it would be great...like an extension... another future storyline
Re: So... What Do We All Think?gnomkot May 1, 2012 7:15 PM (in response to zman6776)
Just like with Halo 4, I'm not so sure about this game yet.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?Bops2Sniping May 1, 2012 7:36 PM (in response to zman6776)
I'm concerned about the sniping. What will it be like? Will there be quickscoping? Will there be trickshotting?
IF so, how will it be? I hope to get some answers.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?jewz May 1, 2012 7:58 PM (in response to Bops2Sniping)
there wont be any quickscoping just like black ops. some of the leaked info that got removed said that they were further reducing aim and bullet assist on sniper rifles to make them more balanced. Sniping in black ops was much better than all the modern warfares
Re: So... What Do We All Think?Run_N_Gunning_Camper May 1, 2012 7:41 PM (in response to zman6776)
What I think?
Take my money, Treyarch!
This game will be awesome and it feels like we're breaking into a new series with a new direction. I'm really excited and it feels like MW1 once again. People had doubts back then and it all turned out fine. History is repeating itself.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?infernoraph May 1, 2012 7:53 PM (in response to zman6776)
To be honest, Black ops is my favorite CoD too, and at first this trailor didn't appeal to me. Mainly I liked it for it's historical acurracy, and when I looked a little deeper into the trailor i realized that they based it entirely on weapondry that is currently under development. It also appears that it might dable back into the previous game mainly because there's a silhouetted man holding an M16A1 rifle during the trailor, so things might get interesting with that. Onother issue i have though is that Woods looks like a healthy old man. Forgive me if I'm wrong but didn't he take like 5 frag grenades killing Kravchenko? Personally a little dissformation of the face or the body really would make the trailor more convincing that he lived. I still feel iffy about the quality of the game just like you, but I'll definitely check it out when it comes out.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?2014631 May 1, 2012 7:47 PM (in response to zman6776)
If you're not sure if this game will be good or not, just look at Treyarch's previous Call of Duty games. They are BY FAR the best developers on Earth. This is coming from a guy who loves Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3, Assasin's Creed, Fallout, Halo, etc. And I have never been dissapointed by Treyarch before. Why start now? Buy the game, then decide whether or not you like it.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?rodsirloin May 1, 2012 8:02 PM (in response to zman6776)
Looks stupid
Re: So... What Do We All Think?2014631 May 1, 2012 7:50 PM (in response to rodsirloin)
Leave. Now. Get out. Nobody likes you. Now. Leave. Get out.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?MrHondaDealer May 1, 2012 7:52 PM (in response to zman6776)
I don't understand how you can judge the entire game on one trailer that pretty much only showed that it will take place in the future. This is a CAMPAIGN trailer so unless you are buying the game only for campaign, don't complain.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?Run_N_Gunning_Camper May 1, 2012 8:00 PM (in response to MrHondaDealer)
Agreed. There are some things that were in SP but never made it on MP like the MW3 mortar on SP and the 9Bang. That 4-legged war machine might not make it on multiplayer.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?whatdoyouwanthere May 1, 2012 9:25 PM (in response to Run_N_Gunning_Camper)
Those four legged machines could be some kind of Killstreak too...what do ya think?
Re: So... What Do We All Think?Run_N_Gunning_Camper May 2, 2012 7:49 AM (in response to whatdoyouwanthere)
That four legged machine looks small and could be air dropped. I think it's the size of a Mini with a cannon in the front and a Gatling gun on top. Perhaps it will be the new Assault Drone but I still have doubts it will be a killstreak. If it is a killstreak then it will be the biggest land based killstreak but then we don't know how big the maps will be. It could work if the maps were the size of Homefront maps.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?funman131313 May 1, 2012 7:55 PM (in response to zman6776)
look like its either going to be a Great hit on a total Fail in my mind
Re: So... What Do We All Think?jewz May 1, 2012 8:01 PM (in response to zman6776)
This game looks good. Treyarch puts a ton of detail and time into their games, the graphics do look like the same engine as BLOPS though but honestly i love black ops and still play it over MW3. Infinity ward is increidlby lazy. treyarch has a lot of detail and thought in all of their games. This is what the future of warfare is going to be like. Infinity ward made a mistake of saying that the MW's were so far into the future when they are only using current technology with nothing that is a prototype besides the XM25 which is already being phased into to some US army squads.
As long as multiplayer isnt a quadcopter fest, im completely fine with the new weapons and setting
Re: So... What Do We All Think?punishermkii May 1, 2012 8:16 PM (in response to jewz)
I was a little shocked with the future setting on my first viewing but after watching the interactive trailer I've changed my tune. Good on you Treyarch for taking leaps in a new direction for the series! I trust them to do their research and blur the lines between science fiction and science fact.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?Sh0ck3r May 1, 2012 9:45 PM (in response to zman6776)
I hope that the idea of going futuristic doesn't kill CoD like it did Battlefeild (in my opinion, Battlefeild 2142 sucked), but don't get me wrong....this game does look awesome, and besides....its only really going in the future 10 years from mw2/mw3 and it is Treyarch that did make Black Ops great, lets hope they do it again.
On a side note... OMGWTF woods is back???
Re: So... What Do We All Think?twenty620 May 1, 2012 9:53 PM (in response to zman6776)
I love it and I can't wait to play online. I will be waiting for all the multiplayer details to be reveled later this year. I know I will be surprised either way.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?TrilogyPrime May 2, 2012 3:30 AM (in response to zman6776)
I feel MW3 is the best out there as far as game quality and play. With different perks, added killstreaks, diff NUKE set up, More playlists, more special ops stuff, intuitive campaign... Im not puttin the others down but the just went to far in with the Future aspect... i dosen't even feel the same...
Some stuff i would like see is wat the perk set up will be.. if its better than 3 then i'll might buy the game
Re: So... What Do We All Think?siege566 May 2, 2012 4:00 AM (in response to zman6776)
I think the campain my be strong with a great story line and high critical points for the game play and dlc's to come next but is there going to be enough foursite into online multiplayer exspereances for the audience and spectators to pull enough croud for what call of duty realy is? this being so i cant wait to find out what's under the hood of each class set up and the installments for custimization as well as challenges through out and if so will they continue the kill cams and theater modes? as well as zombies will there be a higher player rate with the new dlcs? these and more but still interested in what a strong company like treyarch can do for us the audence thanks for listening.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?roxas3510 May 2, 2012 4:15 AM (in response to zman6776)
I think everyone is looking at this the wrong way. Me personally, I just want the MP to be as balanced as Black Ops was. I'm expecting them to keep the core gameplay that we all know to expect from CoD the same, just with a different theme. Like grenades still act the same way grenades do, but they just explode a different color because, you know, future tech. I had a good feeling that this is the way they went about it when I saw the part of the reveal with the X-47 Pegasus. It looked like a futuristic Reaper killstreak. Although the game's in the future, the look of that screen didn't seem too different than the look of the Reaper screen, except for the change in reticle and color, but basically it still seemed like you shot the missile and guided it to the ground. As long as the core gameplay remains the same, I could care less what it looks like. Hell the guns could shoot laser beams for all we know, but if it feels like I'm playing Black Ops, even with lasers, I will be satisfied.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?insaine May 2, 2012 4:29 AM (in response to zman6776)
it gave me a terminator feeling may have been the planes just reminded me of salvation the film iv never bothered with the games . you cant judge anything from that but i think we are going to see some good gun and attachment combos i hope the crossbow makes a comeback looking forward to this cod last one on the 360 i would think, i just hope it has better conection and spawns than mw3 .
Re: So... What Do We All Think?zman6776 May 2, 2012 6:20 AM (in response to insaine)
Can't wait for the MP trailer
Re: So... What Do We All Think?W7PSK May 2, 2012 7:21 AM (in response to zman6776)
Dont like the looks of it.
I was hopeful as IW has screwed up MW3 so bad I wanted 3arch to
come back with a great game.
Unfortunately This is a pass. Looks like Im done with the COD
series (I wont buy MW4 after this last IW disaster).
Re: So... What Do We All Think?evzlad95 May 2, 2012 7:35 AM (in response to zman6776)
I think the fact that they're continuing where Black Ops left off in the 1980's flashback missions is great when mixed with something completely new and different being set in 2025. I loved Black Ops and WAW and Treyarch at the moment have looked as if they've done another great job. Cannot wait to see even content being announced.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?killerinstincx May 2, 2012 7:54 AM (in response to zman6776)
I need to see real game play before I give my verdict. The trailer has way to many unanswered question. Wait & see, I guess
Re: So... What Do We All Think?commanderjst May 2, 2012 8:04 AM (in response to zman6776)
I am going to wait. I want to see the multiplayer gameplay trailer and gameplay before I decide because multiplayer might take a huge leap and depend more on the machine than running and gunning. Lets wait and see first. Single Player looks awesome from the reveal. And I cant wait to hear more about the zombie mode but multiplayer is the biggest role in gaming nowadays and if it dont appeal to me, I will just have to rent the game.
Re: So... What Do We All Think?we12we12 May 10, 2012 5:49 PM (in response to zman6776)
i thinkits gonna be awsome! every other call of duty game has rocked!!!!!!
Re: So... What Do We All Think?aodhan567 May 11, 2012 10:52 AM (in response to zman6776)
Everyone says that the game is gonna be awesome but since MW3 isnt out and trailer is then everyone says the same. Hopefully it'll be the best CoD Ever!
Re: So... What Do We All Think?avengedyesterday May 11, 2012 12:21 PM (in response to zman6776)
We wont know till they release more then a 30 second video.


text: The 1972 750 GT was more than Ducati's first twin-cylinder production model; it also established the architecture of a 90-degree V-twin in a tidy steel frame that the company still employs today. Studying the original 750 GT and the newer GT1000 cheek-by-jowl at Willow Springs, the lineage is unmistakable: a lithe, spare, air-cooled engine wrapped in minimalist bodywork offering a straightforward, gimmick-free riding experience. A bulls-eye, then and now. Ducati's first V-twin used a treasure chest full of spiral-bevel gears to drive the single overhead cams. Its 90-degree architecture charted a course the company maintains today. Ducati's first V-twin used a treasure chest full of spiral-bevel gears to drive the single Producing 50 horsepower at the rear wheel, the 750 GT wasn't a zenith of high performance in stock trim. It ran down the quarter in a lazy 13.3 seconds at 101 mph in '73, but it nevertheless had the bones of a formidable racer. Many did just that with it, including Jonathan White, an AAMRR and AMA Superbike rider from Ohio, who built a 750 GT into a racer for the '76-'78 seasons. "It had a limitless rev range for a spring-valve motor," White recalls. "But the front tire would not get hot or grip, so when you turned it in the front wheel would slide before the rear and put you down." Despite having problems turning the long wheelbase, White never had problems at high speeds. "It twitched a few times, but that's all," he allows. In those early-NHTSA days, almost anything went. The 750 GT had no kill switch, no provision for a rearview mirror, and the dashboard lights were marked "Abb," "Luci" and "Gen." Bellissimo! In those early-NHTSA days, almost anything went. The 750 GT had no kill switch, no provisi A modest disclaimer: I bought the red Duck you see here new from Jack Simmons Motorcycles in Compton, California, in '73. Compared to the push-button starting ease of the fuel-injected GT1000, the 750 is downright primitive. Its 30mm Amal carbs have ticklers to flood the float bowls, which the engine usually requires to start. It was also the only kickstart motorcycle in our group, and the scythe-like lever prefers that you stand beside the bike to use it. The loping idle is like one-quarter of a cammy V8, and there's so much flywheel weight that the revs wind up and unwind in the lazy trajectory of a javelin throw. Another departure for our group, the shifter lives on the right with a backwards shift pattern. Hefty clutch in, click up for first and the big flywheels and torque carry you away. Lacking impressive peak horsepower, the 750 GT nevertheless has a really useful powerband and could probably live happily in third gear. And it is smooth: An old story held that you could balance a coin on the crankcase and rap the engine to its 7800-rpm redline without it falling over. The bevel-driven valve train and Conti mufflers produce a tremendous amalgam of sound that suggests much more acceleration, but on the Horse Thief Mile and again on the roads, the 750 GT somehow just seems adequate. On the other hand, the handling is superb, even though the 60-inch wheelbase requires a lot of planning to turn sharply. But the marriage of big, alloy engine cases and a phalanx of steel frame tubes create terrific rigidity, making the Ducati a confident and rewarding high-speed friend. With its big 4.5-gallon fuel tank, comfy bars and broad, flat seat, it's no wonder I once rode this unit 1022 miles in one day. Showing amazing design heredity, the GT1000 features a low-rise chrome handlebar, dual meters and polished triple clamps. White-faced speedo and tach look vintage, but the 750's were black. Showing amazing design heredity, the GT1000 features a low-rise chrome handlebar, dual met Hopping off the 750 GT and onto the GT1000 is an interesting study, as some 30 years of engineering separate the two machines joined by a common design idiom. The GT1000 has a taller seat (31.8 inches vs. 30.5), more rearward foot controls and much lighter throttle, clutch and brake actuation. It awakens with a mere touch of the starter button, and thanks to EFI idles happily always. But the bigger differences emerge once it's rolling. With far less flywheel effect, the desmodromic engine simply loves to rev, delivering a much more playful riding experience, and it will race right to the rev limiter at will. But its bigger cylinders also produce significant torque pulsing at lower revs, and the tach and speedo jitterbug away on their little mounts. Developing 76.3 bhp at the rear wheel, the GT1000 is noticeably quicker than the 750 GT, but it's by no means a fast motorcycle, turning the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 112 mph. The GT1000's shorter 56.1-inch wheelbase, steeper 24-degree rake and reduced trail all play a part in its easy handling, and this geometry strikes a useful balance between responsiveness and stability. With the GT1000, Ducati really did create a bigger, better version of the original 750 GT. Though the styling is clunkier and less organic than the original bevel-drives, the dynamics make up for it, providing a machine that's useful and enjoyable for just about anything you'd want to do on a streetbike, from commuting to sport riding to touring. Like the original 750 GT, the newer GT1000 offers no dramatically high points, but the overall package is well balanced and useful, making it a logical pick for everyday use. Advantage: GT1000. THEN & NOW 1973 DUCATI 750 GT 2010 DUCATI GT1000 Price new $1964 $10,995 Dry weight 440 lbs. 436 lbs Horsepower 49.9 bhp @ 7250 rpm 76.3 bhp @ 7750 rpm 1/4-mile 13.3 sec. @ 101.1 mph 11.84 sec. @ 112.2 mph Tire size 3.25-19 front, 3.50-18 rear 120/70-17 front, 180/55-17 rear Brakes Disc front, drum rear Triple discs Wheelbase 60.0 in. 56.1 in. Dyno Ducati's 992cc 90-degree V-twin maintains 50-plus lb.-ft. of torque throughout most of its rev range, which easily adds miles per hour to any situation. A healthy top end that spreads peak power over a 2000-rpm range makes the GT1000 fun and easy to ride in a sporting fashion. Ergos The GT1000 has the most legroom by over an inch, and that broad, plush seat makes this retro-rider mighty comfortable for around-town travel. A moderate reach to that high handlebar keeps things relaxed for your top half, and there's plenty of room to tuck in. Ducati GT1000 | Price $10,995 Tech Spec Engine type: a-c 90-deg. V-twin Frame: Tubular-steel trellis Rake/trail: 24.0º/4.1 in. Valve train: SOHC, 4v Front suspension: 43mm Marzocchi fork Seat height: 31.8 in. Displacement: 992cc Rear suspension: Sachs shocks with adjustable spring preload Wheelbase: 56.1 in. Bore x stroke: 94.0 x 71.5mm Front brake: Dual Brembo two-piston calipers, 320mm discs Fuel capacity: 4.0 gal. Compression: 10.0:1 Rear brake: Brembo single-piston caliper, 245mm disc Weight (tank full/empty): 460/436 lbs. Fuel system: EFI Front tire: 120/70ZR-17 Pirelli Phantom Colors: Red, black Clutch: Wet, multi-plate Rear tire: 180-55ZR-17 Pirelli Phantom Availability: Now Transmission: 6-speed Warranty: 48 mo., unlimited mi. Measured horsepower:76.3 bhp @ 7750 rpm Contact:www.ducati.com Measured torque: 59.4 lb.-ft. @ 5750 rpm Corrected 1/4-mile: 11.84 sec. @ 112.2 mph Top-gear roll-on: 4.49 sec. Fuel mileage (high/low/avg.): 43/33/38 mpg « | 1 | 2 | View Full Article By John L. Stein Enjoyed this Post? 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text:
50 Feet From MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.
In this Aug. 28, 1963, photo, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to thousands during his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
I had not intended to join the March on Washington 50 years ago. None of my friends planned to go. Much of the white press was in ferment, fearing it would invite violence. Civil rights activists fretted that any incident would damage the cause. Congress was on edge. President John F. Kennedy had several thousand unseen troops on standby in the suburbs, and if there was a breath of incitement by hell-raisers, the authorities were primed to cut off the sound system.
Yet the closer we came to the big day, the more I felt I just had to join the people summoned to hear Martin Luther King Jr. at a mass celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The numbers turned out to be more than double the 100,000 anticipated, most of them African-Americans. So at the last moment I called some dear relatives in Washington, D.C., David and Nan Robinson, and begged a bed. "Sure, by all means" was their answer. "You're the 19th person who's called with a similar request." I was glad to sleep on their sofa, and my luck was in.
The next morning I caught a bus to an assembly point for marchers and as I exited it, I got mixed up with a small group of men and women. I ended up on a special bus being taken swiftly through the hurrying throngs. It just so happened I was in the company of a whole entourage of stars headed to the podium: Burt Lancaster, Harry Belafonte, Charlton Heston, Marlon Brando, James Garner, Diahann Carroll, Sammy Davis Jr., and other celebrities who'd jetted in from Los Angeles. When the bus emptied out near the stage, I stayed with them, not stopped by security asking who the hell I was and where did I think I was going. After all, I was just an unknown immigrant from Canada and here I was just 50 feet from King about to give a speech for the ages.
[Check out U.S. News Weekly, an insider's guide to politics and policy.]
Nearby were the icons of the civil rights movement: the tearful director A. Philip Randolph, who had the idea for the march. John Lewis, who'd been beaten and jailed in the nonviolent, early '60s student Freedom Rides campaigning for equal legal and voting rights, and who is now a Georgia congressman. And the singer Mahalia Jackson! She gave the greatest performance of any entertainer I've ever witnessed in my life. In her unique style, she brought the emotions of the masses to a single point of light as they chanted King's name. As he began to speak, she called out, "Tell 'em about the dream, Martin!" He'd been alluding to his dream off and on that summer, but that day he soared to a climax, mesmerizing us all. His words resonate with me still.
They are familiar now but I can never forget their impact in that memorable spot. He had a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream. That dream was one that I have long believed in, and one that was part of the inspiration that caused me to move from my home country to the United States. When he said that we should all "sit down together at the table of brotherhood," I found that resonated with my own experience in this country.
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Who could not be exalted by the poetry of his rhetoric as he began sentence after sentence with the phrase "I have a dream"? He talked of his hope and faith, that with this faith we would all be able to "hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope" and transform "the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood" such that our children will "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." With this faith, he said, "we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day." As he put it, at some point in the future, "all of God's children … will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.'"
Fifty years on, the words remain incandescent in cold prose; in speech, the multitudes were seized with a sudden joy by the cadences of an inspired preacher at the pinnacle of a life of sacrifice (and so soon to be martyred). Everyone knew the experience would be a part of the rest of our lives. They have remained the most inspiring words I've ever heard and nourished in me the desire to participate in the public life of America in whatever capacity I might.


text:
By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan, MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Apple Inc. slid for a third session on Thursday, closing out the first quarter 17% weaker on mounting concerns about slowing demand for its products. Its Canadian rival BlackBerry reversed gains earlier in the day to also finish lower.
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$AAPL: Apple /quotes/zigman/68270/delayed/quotes/nls/aapl AAPL -0.07% declined 2.1% on reports the iPhone maker is reducing iPad Mini shipments in the second quarter to 10 million to 12 million units. The lower estimate is in part to adjust inventory ahead of its next-generation iPad Mini expected in the third quarter, and increased competition from 7-inch Android tablets, DigiTimes reported.
DigiTimes' report comes on the heels of a similar forecast from Pacific Crest Securities.
"We are reducing our large-format iPad unit estimates going forward, which, along with modest growth expectations for iPhone, prevents a more positive view of Apple," said Andy Hargreaves at Pacific Crest Securities. He trimmed his fiscal second-quarter iPad estimate to 16.5 million units from 17 million.
Apple's Thursday closing price of $442.66 is the lowest since March 15 and marks the second quarter in a row that the stock has dropped.
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$BBRY: BlackBerry /quotes/zigman/19622165/delayed/quotes/nls/bbry BBRY -1.39% initially rallied after reporting that it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter, when Wall Street was expecting a loss. The wireless devices company also said it shipped nearly 1 million units of its highly anticipated Z10 smartphone.
But not all the news was positive. Its quarterly revenue missed estimates and the company suffered a loss of subscribers.
The stock closed down 0.9% for the day but is up 22% for the first quarter.
$S: Investors were talking about Sprint Nextel Corp. /quotes/zigman/18855261/delayed/quotes/nls/s S -0.68% on Thursday as The Wall Street Journal reported Softbank Corp.'s acquisition of the U.S. phone carrier may be aggravating U.S.-China relations . The U.S. government is reportedly trying to keep Chinese suppliers out of network-equipment purchases in the new company by seeking oversight of those purchases. Shares are up 2.8%.
$GNW: Genworth Financial Inc. /quotes/zigman/340124/delayed/quotes/nls/gnw GNW -0.53% shares were pressured 1.9% after the financial company announced Wednesday that it will sell its wealth management business for $412.5 million to a partnership of Aquiline Capital Partners and Genstar Capital. "The company will record an after-tax loss of approximately $40 million related to the sale with approximately $35 million recorded in the first quarter of 2013 and the remainder upon closing," said Genworth in a statement. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year.
Biogen Idec Inc. /quotes/zigman/91573/delayed/quotes/nls/biib BIIB -2.21% rose 5.4%. The biotechnology company said late Wednesday its Tecfidera drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.
GameStop Corp. /quotes/zigman/389699/delayed/quotes/nls/gme GME -2.03% shares climbed 5.7%. The videogame retailer said its fourth-quarter earnings jumped nearly 50% in its most important quarter of the year.
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Shares of Repros Therapeutics Inc. /quotes/zigman/621891/delayed/quotes/nls/rprx RPRX -6.92% surged 76%. The company said a study for the drug Androxal met a primary endpoint.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. /quotes/zigman/59581/delayed/quotes/nls/alxn ALXN -0.97% shares fell 1.9%, making it one of the weakest stocks in the S&P 500 /quotes/zigman/3870025/realtime SPX -0.62% . The biopharmaceutical company received a warning letter from the FDA regarding manufacturing practices at its Rhode Island manufacturing facility, according to a regulatory filing from Alexion.
Consol Energy Inc. /quotes/zigman/190880/delayed/quotes/nls/cnx CNX -0.31% shares declined 2.3%. A fire earlier this month at its Blacksville No. 2 mine is likely to impact production but Consol is still expected to meet its contractual obligations, according to a recent analyst note from Raymond James.
PVH Corp. /quotes/zigman/5785329/delayed/quotes/nls/pvh PVH -2.31% shares slid 5.3%. The apparel company on Wednesday said its fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled but issued a weak outlook for the current quarter.