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It was not supposed to happen this way. The declaration of an independent Palestinian state has been, since 1993, the end goal of a well-established peace process in which both Israel and the Palestinians are first expected to make series of concessions, sacrifices and mutual understandings.
So when most of the nations of the world voted in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to recognize Palestine as a symbolic member state, many saw the move as a pre-emption of that peace process and a provocation that would only drive the two parties further into conflict.
That seemed to be confirmed this weekend, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at the Palestinians, announcing the confiscation of their tax revenues and authorizing the construction of illegal settlements in the most sensitive Palestinian regions. In exchange, Britain and France summoned the Israeli ambassadors to their countries and threatened to break off diplomatic relations with the Jewish state entirely.
Yet there is a growing understanding in the capitals of most Western countries (with the notable exception of Canada) that the unilateral declaration of statehood was not just inevitable, but, given the dark and violent state of Israel-Palestinian relations, was largely a beneficial move. This is why most countries, including extremely pro-Israeli governments such as Britain's, chose not to vote against the resolution. While it won't do anything for people living in Gaza, Ramallah, Jerusalem or Tel Aviv (and doesn't even make Palestine a state in any meaningful way), the statehood resolution offers three small but potentially useful benefits:
A small break in the deadlock
The years before 2009 saw some encouraging signs of progress toward a two-state resolution of the conflict, including Israel's expulsion of its illegal settlers in Gaza and a dramatic and risky set of offers by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. But that all came crashing to a halt with the election of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During his three years in office, Mr. Netanyahu has actively resisted any meaningful efforts toward a resolution; instead, he has allowed settlements to expand dramatically beyond Israel's borders, allowed the intolerant views of extremist parties a place in his cabinet, and rejected U.S. efforts to broker a deal, instead humiliating Mr. Abbas and effectively handing power to Hamas, the extremist group that governs Gaza and engages in rocket attacks against Israel. The Palestinians, for their part, are starkly divided between an increasingly marginal Mr. Abbas and a resurgent Hamas.
Something had to end this lethal deadlock. The statehood declaration at least provided a small starting point – in part by shaking up the old, dormant peace process and offering some new openings.
For one thing, Europe's wholesale rejection of Mr. Netanyahu's position provides an opening. One of the Israeli government's key ambitions is to join the European Union, which is its main and crucial trading partner. By ending complacent acceptance of Israel's lassitude, the Middle East analyst Juan Cole notes , Europe now has "the opportunity to play the kind of honest broker between the two sides that the U.S. pretended to be but almost never did."
In other words, writes Sharon Pardo of Ben-Gurion University, "Europe could offer Israelis and Palestinians the sweetest carrot in its arsenal in the form of a European vision, including perhaps eventual EU membership. Europe would have to condition such a vision on a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement."
Even some conservatives who sometimes support Mr. Netanyahu saw the declaration as a minor breakthrough. "It was striking to me," David Frum wrote , that Mr. Abbas's speech to the UN "was conciliatory, not provocative… it is a much more explicit statement of co-existence than was ever offered from a UN rostrum by Abbas's predecessor… Abbas spoke for legality and democracy in a future Palestinian state."
This, Mr. Frum noted, puts Israel in a corner, one that is best escaped by reciprocating the gesture: "Israel, too, has reason to show a friendly face to the word. If Abbas talks peace, let Israel talk peace. If Abbas expresses a wish for a two-state agreement, let Israel do the same."
A win for Mr. Abbas
No Palestinian leader has ever done as much toward a workable two-state solution as Mahmoud Abbas. As documents leaked in 2011 revealed , the Palestinian leader had offered large-scale border concessions, an end to the "right of return," a generous compromise on Jerusalem and deals around Jewish-Muslim holy sites – all of which was rejected outright by Israel.
This had the unfortunate effect of making Mr. Abbas appear to many Palestinians to be weak, ineffectual and compromised by the Israelis – at the precise moment that Hamas, renewed by support from Islamists in Egypt and elsewhere, was seemingly showing strength and pride by firing rockets into Israel.
So a victory for Mr. Abbas, even a symbolic one, was badly needed for him to have any hope of reclaiming the balance of power in the occupied territories.
Voting for Palestinian statehood in the UN, the former Israeli justice minister Yossi Beilin wrote , was a way for the world "to express support for the Palestinian party that recognizes Israel, seeks to avoid violence, and genuinely wishes to reach a peace agreement in which a Palestinian state exists alongside – not instead of – Israel."
And it is equally encouraging that major Western countries are taking diplomatic action against Israel's retaliation. As Mr. Beilin added: "If American and Israeli opposition to a Palestinian bid continues, it could serve as a mortal blow to Mr. Abbas, and end up being a prize that enhances the power and legitimacy of Hamas."
Indeed, the aftermath of the UN vote seemed to create a wave of popularity for Mr. Abbas's Fatah party in Gaza – forcing the militant Hamas to make concessions to Fatah and allow its officials back into Gaza. It's not clear yet whether Mr. Abbas's political future could be saved by the UN resolution, but it's the best hope he's had in years.
A loss for Mr. Netanyahu
Israeli elections will be held on January 22, and polls have been showing a re-election victory for Mr. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition – a result that would be tragic for Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs, both of whom have been hurt badly by the ugly confrontation his political positions have provoked.
To make matters worse, Mr. Netanyahu's military campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza, Operation Pillar of Defence, may have helped his coalition in the polls (and certainly did not hurt it).
So it was encouraging to see Mr. Netanyahu coming under attack within Israel – including from some members of the right – for creating a situation at the UN where Israel had only Washington and seven other relatively unimportant countries (including Canada) on its side. While polls this weekend still showed his right-wing coalition in the lead, they would govern with a smaller plurality than they hold in the current Knesset.
And the humiliation at the UN, though it isn't registering among voters yet, has become the main theme of the election this week, with popular politicians attacking the prime minister for it.
"The decision to build thousands of housing units as punishment to the Palestinians," former foreign minister and opposition leader Tzipi Livni said, "only punishes Israel, and only isolates Israel further."
And this weekend, former prime minister Ehud Olmert – hardly a dove himself – used a speech in Washington to accuse Mr. Netanyahu of having delivered "the worst possible slap in the face you can give to the [U.S.] President" and utterly failing to pursue peace.
By turning the Israeli political spectrum against Mr. Netanyahu and handing victory to Mr. Abbas over Hamas, the UN vote has already accomplished something. Whether it can do more, in this dark moment, is not likely – but it was certainly better than nothing.
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Holiday gift guide: Headphones under $100
We've rounded up some great headphones that cost less than $100
A pair of headphones can be a great gift to go along with a new MP3 player or digital radio. If you're looking for a pair of headphones this Christmas and are on a budget, then take a look at our roundup of headphones available for under $100.
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The t-JAYS One earphones are loud, produce excellent clarity and bass, and, best of all, they are very small. Even though they are designed to plug in to your ear, they are very comfortable. However, you have to make sure you use the correct rubber sleeve size. The bottom line is, these earphones should be at the top of your shopping list if you value excellent audio quality and portability.
- Review Date:
- Reviewer:
- Manufacturer:
- 9th Aug., 2010
- Elias Plastiras
- Jays
- Rating:
- Price:
- Pros:
- Loud, excellent bass response, clear and vibrant audio
- Cons:
- Can be uncomfortable if you use the wrong sleeves, packaging can be a danger to the cables

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Kunleng discusses the recent and sudden increase in reports on the Tibet self-immolations in Chinese media directed both at the domestic and international audience. Guest: Kalsang Gyaltsen Bapa, a China analyst based in Dharamsala.


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Offical ACL Late Night Show
Haim, MS MR
Antone's - NEW LOCATION
2015 East Riverside
Bldg 4
Austin, TX, 78741
Doors 10:00 PM / Show 11:00 PM
Hailing from the San Fernando Valley, HAIM consists of, "Three sisters, and a mister" that has been shaking things up in the city of Los Angeles for the past four years. It is truly a family affair for the band which prides themselves on being able to switch from instrument to instrument with complete confidence and ease, and all while singing in three part harmony.
The sisters, Este, Danielle, and Alana, grew up playing classic rock songs with their parents in a family band, called "Rockinhaim," which played for charity events and street fairs. After years of playing with their parents, the girls decided to strike out on their own, and began writing their own material. Este, the eldest of the three, plays bass guitar and found time in between touring to graduate from UCLA with a degree in Music. Danielle, the 22 year old lead guitar player, who previously toured with Jenny Lewis, Cee-lo Green, and Julian Casablancas. Alana, the youngest in the band, plays rhythm guitar, keyboard, and percussion. Rounding out the group is Dash Hutton, who previously played drums for LA bands Wires on Fire and Slang Chickens. Over the past few years, the band has opened up for Julian Casablancas, Cold War Kids, Ke$ha, Group Love, No Age, The Bird and the Bee, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Chief and The Henry Clay People. In February 2012, HAIM released a three song EP titled Forever, which is also the title track on the record. It can be downloaded for free at Haimtheband.com.
Edward Scissorhands. The board game Operation. Sonic Youth. Claudia Schiffer? Plastic monkeys! These are among the pop-culture artifacts that appear in the epilepsy-inducing slideshow video for "Hurricane," the first single from MS MR. Until recently shrouded in anonymity, the atmospheric indie-pop duo from New York City has proven universally intriguing, earning breathless attention from Pitchfork, Forbes, and Perez Hilton alike.
In the trip-hoppy "Hurricane," smoky-voiced Lizzy Plapinger sings, "Welcome to the inner workings of my mind/So dark and foul I can't disguise," while a push-and-pull of echoey strings and staccato percussion (courtesy of the producer stylings of Ms Mr other half Max Hershenow) envelop her voice. Technically, the song, which hit No. 1 on Hype Machine, is about Hurricane Irene, which careened towards Gotham last year. The video? Not so much.
"I see something different every time I watch it," concedes Max. "The video is sort of a cross section of the images we've collected on Tumblr, which we essentially use as an ongoing mood board." If there's one philosophy driving MS MR (pronounced "miss mister") —dabblers in chaos theory who're as goofy as they are thoughtful—it's media-theorist Marshall McLuhan's famous observation that the medium is the message. MS MR are so committed to that sentiment they handpicked each "Hurricane" image themselves.
"We're interested in exploring the nature of mixed media and collage," says Lizzy, "and how music transcends all these various platforms." Chief among them: MS MR's lively—if thoroughly mystifying—Tumblr page, which they unprecedentedly used to debut their second EP, the critically acclaimed Candy Bar Creep Show, song-by-song. (Their first release, Ghost City USA, was a self-released collection of demos.)
The EP, which sets the foundation for MS MR's still-untitled album (out early next spring), references everything from '80s to'90s pop, doo-wop to country. That kitchen-sink aesthetic won the attention of vintage-sound wiz Tom Elmhirst (Adele, Amy Winehouse), who mixed and did some additional production on it at the legendary Electric Lady Studios. "Tom helped us more fully realize the album as we imagined it" says Max. "He responds to music more emotionally and viscerally than anyone I've ever met. It was the perfect match."
The aural Jenga that is MS MR was born of Lizzy and Max's vast inspirations. "We both listen to a lot of different music from all different genres and time periods," says Max. "So we like to approach each song as its own project and experiment with combining unexpected elements."
It's a stroke of serendipity that Lizzy and Max are even making music together. They may giggle uncontrollably and complete each other's thoughts, but these Vassar alums never really knew each other during college. Lizzy was a media-studies major, releasing records under her burgeoning imprint Neon Gold. (She's gone on to release records by artists such as Passion Pit and Ellie Goulding.) Max was an urban-studies major with a concentration in modern dance, and started composing music for his choreographies. They met fleetingly through friends. But really connected after they graduated, when Lizzy needed an unbiased sounding board for her secret project, and Max was looking for new artists to collaborate with.
"There was sort of an element of Internet dating to it," Max says, laughing. "Throw caution to the wind! Send someone an email, hope for the best." He liked what he heard, which only terrified Lizzy more. "I was nervous because I had never sung in front of anyone before, so when he told me he was interested I actually put it off for a few months."
They finally connected three months later in December 2010. To find their footing as collaborators, they recorded a sweeping cover of Patrick Wolf's "Time of My Life" in Max's closet-turned-studio. Curious to see where else the music could take them, they decided to give it another go and try their hand at some original material. This led to the swelling, mercurial tune we know now as "Bones." "It's quite a personal song and definitely set a tone for the band," says Lizzy. "In person, we're quite upbeat and bubbly, but the music is a much more honest space and outlet for us."
Only now, it's become public. MS MR finally unveiled their live personae in March with a rocked-out gig at Brooklyn's respected Glasslands Gallery. "I think people maybe expected two people on stage with a laptop, but we were adamant from the beginning that we would never do that!" says Lizzy. "We wanted the live show to do the recoded tracks justice," continues Max, "so we perform as a band to give it the lushness and energy we aim for while recording." Since their Glasslands show, they've moved on to bigger venues while touring with Marina and the Diamonds, an outing they affectionately refer to as their "training-wheels tour."
"Really," continues Max, "this whole experience has been about discovering undiscovered parts of ourselves."
$20 - $23
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Written on: 08/02/2013 by Tommygunn (1 review written)
just WOW didn't think i would be able to use this(not the most technical person there is !) but i have just stored 250GB of data from my laptop with complete ease! The website is easy to navigate and everything is as simple as it sounds. I have already recommended this to my friends. value for money and just a simple easy product.


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The Kiwanis Club of Athens will have a unique distinction later this month when it celebrates a member's 100th birthday at the group's weekly meeting. On Nov. 29, when club member Fred Birchmore turns 100, the Athens civic organization can boast two centenarian members.
The 39-member group honored member Stan Singleton's 101st birthday just last month at the Oct. 25 meeting.
"I don't have a way to substantiate it, but I suspect no other civic club in Athens has two members who are centenarians and have a combined membership of nearly 125 years," said Larry Dendy, who has been a member of the group for 35 years. "And I bet there's not another Kiwanis club in Georgia, or only one or two, that has two members over 100 years old."
Kiwanis Club of Athens President Hugh Bowles said he attends statewide meetings regularly and hasn't ever heard other club presidents mention having centenarian members.
Birchmore, known as "Mr. Kiwanis" by the other members, joined the Kiwanis Club of Athens in 1932, just after his undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia. He remains active in the club 79 years later.
"I don't miss any meetings," Birchmore said.
Both Birchmore and Singleton — a member for 49 years — maintain active senior memberships, which requires paying dues and participation, at least by attending meetings, Dendy said. Birchmore makes every meeting, and Singleton, who lives at the Talmage Terrace retirement village, attends frequently, because the meetings are held there.
"It is just magnificent to have that much experience of years in the Kiwanis that they have," Bowles said. "Fred's leadership and guidance for all of us has been an important factor in making our club a success, and Stan has been a leader in all he has done in the UGA school of education as well as the Kiwanis."
Birchmore has served as president and lieutenant governor of the Kiwanis' state division that includes the Athens chapter and seven others in the region.
His leadership never was more evident than when he served as the division head for the 1979-80 year, Bowles said.
"When he was lieutenant governor for our division, all the clubs in his division were deemed outstanding, which is just a phenomenal event," Bowles said.
"Fred is known as Mr. Kiwanis because of his experience and participation and his spirit," Dendy said. "He epitomizes good will and the spirit of Kiwanis in all he does, and has always been an inspiration for everyone at the club."
At each meeting, Birchmore goes table to table greeting each person with a smile, Dendy said.
Singleton, a retired UGA College of Education professor, is more low-key than Birchmore, but "in his own quiet way has been a very strong supporter of the Kiwanis," Dendy said.
Working with others who do a lot of volunteer work has been one of Singleton's most enjoyable endeavors with the Kiwanis, Singleton said.
He knows from personal experience that the Kiwanis Club's service to the community has enriched people's lives. Singleton volunteered with the Kiwanis' effort to help Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic) record books for the visually impaired.
Now Singleton himself is using talking books from Learning Ally because his eyesight is failing him.
The Kiwanis Club of Athens members also volunteer with Stroud Elementary School, reading to students and helping with academic and citizenship awards. They raise money for the Kiwanis global mission project to provide neonatal tetanus immunizations around the world.
Birchmore, who years ago was presented a medal as the longest-serving active Kiwanis member in the world, likes the organization's focus on children, helping eliminate diseases, preventing starvation and providing them a chance to become contributing adults.
"One of the main goals is getting children while young and helping bring them up right," Birchmore said.
Asked why he thinks the Kiwanis is so important, Birchmore responds, "I feel you can sleep better if you're trying to give some help to other people."
The civic group has another member, Elaine Brown, who turned 92 in July and has been in the club 26 years, Dendy said.
"So between Stan, Fred and Elaine, we have a combined 140 years of membership. Pretty amazing," Dendy said.


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Jay Cutler Will Not Be TradedMarch 23, 2009
Since all the drama surrounding Jay Cutler first occured last month, there have been non-stop rumors and speculation on where he'll be traded, or if he'll be traded.
All the rumors have to stop now.
There is no way the Broncos are trading Jay Cutler!
Only a poor general manager would trade a franchise quarterback, and it is well-publicized that Cutler is head coach Josh McDaniels' man.
In a recent interview with the NFL Network airing Monday night, McDaniels said once again that Cutler "is my quarter back."
This whole nonsense situation is reminiscent of Chad Johnson last year, and will probably end the same way.
Johnson wasn't traded and Cutler won't be either.