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magicJack is a VoIP home phone device that has been allowing people to call and connect to their loved ones from all over the world for many years. The latest version of magicJack, released by...
iTalkBB vs CrazyCall
Compare iTalkBB vs CrazyCall. Find out whether iTalkBB or CrazyCall is better for your VoIP business or home needs. The experts at VoipReview have analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of iTalkBB and CrazyCall and detailed analysis of the comparison can be found below.
User Ratings & Reviews
- 12 Reviews
iTalkBB is a popular home phone service provider for VoIP phone calls between the United States and Canada and China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
CrazyCall is a web-based telephone that operates as a free call center platform. It provides a business's customer support and sales team with the support they need. What makes this software interesting is that it uses the local phone numbers for...
Provider Info
- Website: www.italkbb.com/
- Headquater Country: Ontario
- Founder Year: 2004
- Website: CrazyCall.com
- Headquater Country: United States
- Founder Year: 2014
Plans Available*
Users Average Rating
Recent User Reviews
iTalkBB should feel honored to received one star! Because they deserve zero star!! I have been in the US for more than 17 years. I have to say iTalkBB has been the worst companies I have ever dealt with. They gave you the warmest welcome when you sign up. But you will expect the most greedy goodbye experiences when you cancel. I transferred my number to Verizon in 4/18 2017, and thought italkbb service will be automatic be canceled. However, just want to confirm, I called iTalkBB in 4/20 to confirm. They tried every methods letting me to stay with their services. After they realized I will definitely go, they changed. I insist that don't charge me any more. They agreed. Two months later, I found they charged my credit card for $29.97 for the service of 4/20 - 5/19. I called them, they said you called at the first day of the billing cycle, we have to charge the whole month!. I said my number was already transferred to Verizon in 4/18, how did you provide the service for me for 4/20-5/19? they refuse to refund!! To all who want to sign up iTalkbb: Please, not only their service are really bad!! but also you have much much better options: Use Skype to do international phone call!! For international calling to landline or cell phone in China from your cell phone in the US, 400 minutes/$2.99, 1000 minutes/$4.99. Very convenient, and crystal clear!! For all iTalkBB users, dump this company, and run away as soon as you can to same 90% of your international call of Talkbb, and get much better signals and much better services in Skype!!
If less than Zero rating were possible, I would give such a rating! This is the worst company I have ever worked with. I used their iTalkBB TV box so that my mother could watch Chinese programs. First, I had to pay $49.99/year for Renting the box, in addition to $10/mo for the phone service. I told them that I don't need the phone service, only the TV box for Chinese programs, then I was told that I would pay $15/mo if I don't use their phone service! Blood suckers! I had to keep the phone service even though the phone service has never been used. Fast forward, at the first day of the second year, I was charged another $49.99 for renting the TV box for the whole year. Within one month, I needed to cancel the TV service, since my mother had left for travel. I was told, not only do I need to pay another month of phone service which has never been used, but I won't get any refund of the $49.99 charge for the whole year, even though, I had only used it for less than a month. Additionally, I need to return the box to them within 15 days, or I'll be charged $75! This company is all about finding ways to charge you more fees, rather than providing good customer service, and a good customer experience. I will never, ever, do business with this company again, nor will I ever recommend this company to anyone I know. Avoid this company like the plague.


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Although I am back in Doha there are some summer things I can't seem to get off my mind. Work on the beach house, mainly the exterior (more on that next week), will be happening while we are away this year. I figured the unexpected outside work would use up all the kitchen renovation money we had been hoarding, but in that magical way that bundling multiple projects tends to make each individual project much less expensive (at least in terms of the contractors' fees) I find it may just be possible to do both. On that note, I saw a beautiful apothecary/shop/printers cabinet at one of my favorite local antique stores this summer. The color and the patina were just lovely, the size was right and even better, so was the price. It had just the kind of feel I want for the kitchen, evident in past posts and a few Pinterest boards (here and here). The only problem with it is a lack of functionality. Thirty-two tiny drawers don't hold much, now do they?
There are a host of kitchens out in the stratosphere that feature an apothecary style or shop counter style piece as a center point in the kitchen. A few spring right to mind, including this one…
…and this one. Both have been pinned endlessly and would be perfect spaces in our beach cottage. But what both of these kitchens have going for them that you can't tell from the photos is that they are in very large rooms and offer just adjunct storage and workspace. It doesn't hurt that the drawers are actually quite a bit larger and somewhat useful.
The same holds true for one of my be all and end all kitchens, written about extensively before, that belonged to Peri Wolfman and Charles Good. Their Soho loft kitchen (and eponymous shop) sparked a revolution in kitchen design. They used a large shop counter as a divider, but as you see, space was never an issue.
This grainy photo from Pinterest gives you a closer view. Sorry, my scanner is down, so I can't offer a better picture.
So back to my cabinet. Here it is in all its simple glory. Yes, I know the knobs are not original (you can see the old tack holes of the original handles) but they have certainly been on there for quite some time and I think they are adorable. Yes, I know the bottom left hand drawer is painted a darker color, but that seems to be part of its charm.
In order to get opinions, its important to see the space where the cabinet would go. Voila! We had been planning to get rid of a piece of cabinetry in this spot in lieu of a small island, but the chest above is narrow enough that it could work. We could also put a larger top on it and use it as the island itself. I think to truly understand the space it would probably help to read earlier posts on the kitchen renovation, like this one and this one, but imagine dark wood floors, gray, white marble, natural brass.
So? What say you all? Form or function? Should I just buy it for insurance either way? I will tell you I have a very large pantry in the kitchen and some of the existing cabinets are not at all full.
For an incredible look at one of the most creative uses of an antique shop counter used in a kitchen, be sure to click over to Steve's blog An Urban Cottage. Some of the best posts can be found here, here, here and here, but his whole blog is terrific!
Related Posts:
Beach House Kitchen Diary Part 4…Full Reno Inspiration
Beach House Kitchen Diary Part 2…What I Wish Was Here Originally
What's Cooking? Peri Wolfman's Kitchens Through the Years and That Marble-Topped Bakers Table
Still Dreaming of a French Marble Bakers Table
Ingenious Repurposing…Unusual Kitchen Islands and Printers Drawers
My Kitchen Island is Back on the Table
Opportunity Knocks…Shopping, Storing and Saving Stuff for Later
Other Posts in the Form Versus Function Kitchen Series

subset: commoncrawl


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Nor is it Armed Forces Day, which we just had. It isn't even Memorial Day any more, really. And, it wasn't to start with, either! Huh??
So where did it come from? Unlike many holidays, there is no centuries-old background here. The background there is will help not only understanding Memorial Day for what it is and isn't, but our secular holidays as a whole, and provide some eye-openers on the political scene.
The Original Memorial Day.
On 5 May 1868 General John A Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, designated 30 May 1868 "for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion". Not only for that, but also to "renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon the Nation's gratitude—the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan". The designation was for 1868 only, but it expressed "the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades".
What does this mean?
The above words, from the proclamation itself, General Orders No.11 from G.A.R. headquarters, make it clear that the reference is to the Civil War. So who is Logan and what is the G.A.R.?
The latter was not a unit in the Civil War. It was a group founded 6 April 1866 by Benjamin F Stephenson MD in Decatur IL for veterans of the U.S. Army who had served in the Civil War. He himself had served as surgeon of the 14th Illinois Infantry with the rank of Major. The unit was a regiment with the Army of the Tennessee for a three year term ending 24 June 1864, after which he returned to Springfield IL, the state capital, to resume medical practice.
Among the notable commanding officers of the Army of the Tennessee are its first, Ulysses S Grant, and its second, William T Sherman, who arranged for John A Logan to be its fifth and last after the war was actually over. There's a story there. The third commander, James B McPherson, was killed in action 22 July 1864 during the Battle of Atlanta, and Logan temporarily replaced him, but command went to another, Oliver O Howard from the Army of the Cumberland. Howard, like Sherman, was West Point; Logan wasn't. However, Sherman arranged for Logan to become commander so he could lead the army in the Grand Review to kind of make up for being passed over. It disbanded 1 August 1865.
And what was the Grand Review? An event on 23 and 24 May 1865, whose full name is Grand Review of the Armies, in Washington DC to celebrate the end of the war. On 23 May, Major General George Meade of the Army of the Potomac, who had won over General Lee at Gettysburg, led about 80,000 of its men in a six hour parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, and the following day Sherman led about 65,000 men combined from the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of Georgia in another six hour parade, Howard riding with Sherman and Logan leading the Army of the Tennessee.
Post Civil War Memorial Days.
General Logan served as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 1st Illinois Infantry during the Mexican-American War -- during which he learned to speak Spanish -- graduated in law from the University of Louisville in 1851, practiced law and rose in a political career from county clerk to the Illinois state house of representatives and was serving as a member of the US House of Representatives, Democrat from Illinois, at the outset of the war. He was a volunteer at Bull Run, or Manassas, after which he resigned his congressional seat and organised the 31st Illinois Volunteers, with the rank of Colonel. After the war he switched parties, was a Representative and then Senator from Illinois, and ran as the Vice Presidential candidate on the Republican ticket with James G Blaine in the election of 1884, which lost to Democrat Grover Cleveland.
There's another story. Cleveland, whose Civil War service was paying a Polish immigrant to serve in his place when he was drafted -- legal under the Conscription Act of 1863 -- was a classic liberal, "liberal" being as unrelated to what the term means now as "Democrat". He opposed taxes, supported the gold standard and lowering tariffs imposed on imports to protect domestic products, worked for reduction and limitation of government, and opposed government intervention in the welfare of individuals. In vetoing a measure to provide a "bail out" for Texas farmers ruined by drought, he said the veto was " to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that, though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people. The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow-citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood". Not a lot of that kind of talk from Democrats lately.
The election was hard fought. The Democrats accused Blaine of influencing legislation to benefit railroads whose bonds he owned, which was long denied until letters were discovered making it a little harder to deny, some of them ending "Burn this letter", which in turn gave rise to the campaign slogan "Blaine, Blaine, James G Blaine, the continental liar from the state of Maine". The Republicans in turn tried to sully Cleveland's image when a woman named him the father of her illegitimate child, and Cleveland admitted he did pay her child support. She however was known to have, so to speak, played the field, including with Cleveland's law partner, for whom the child was named, and while Cleveland himself actually did not know who the father was, being the only bachelor among the possibilities, took responsibility, leading to the campaign slogan "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa?"
And you thought politics only got rough and dirty lately! It gets worse. Blaine, whose mother was Irish Catholic, was hoping for support from that community, not typically known for supporting Republicans, but then one of Blaine's supporters denounced the Democrats as the party of "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" (the party of Lincoln not being popular in the South) which lost him a ton of votes in swing states to Cleveland, who won the popular vote by less than 1%, though being swing states the electoral college vote was decisive. After Cleveland won, the slogan was turned around to "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa, gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha!".
It gets worse yet. In 1888 he was renominated and ran again, and the Republicans ran Benjamin Harrison, Republican Senator from Indiana, against him instead of Logan -- oh yeah, Logan, we'll get back to him -- for high tariffs and big government -- yes, you read it right, that was the Republican position, big government -- and while Cleveland did not win all the swing states as before, what did him in was, guess what, vote fraud by the Republicans in, guess where, Indiana, where Cleveland narrowly lost, however, it gave Harrison the electoral votes to win although he lost the national popular vote. And you thought politics only got rough and dirty lately!
Cleveland came back though. Harrison's high tariffs, and big budgets -- he was the first President to have a billion dollar budget, yes Republicans for a big budget -- and support for backing currency with silver as well as gold -- why was that a problem, because silver wasn't worth as much as its legal gold equivalent -- with taxpayers paying in silver, cheap money to "help the poor", but the government's creditors required payment in gold, the economy went to hell. With the Republicans losing supporters of free silver to the new Populist Party, Cleveland was elected President again in 1892. He thus became the only President (so far) to serve non continuous terms, and will, btw, therefore have two coins in the Presidential Dollar series.
Oh yeah, Logan. Had the Blaine/Logan ticket won, he would have died in office. He died 26 December 1886. Staunchly Republican, he became Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1868 and continued in that position until 1871 when he became a US Senator. He was always active in veteran's affairs, and public education -- the non West Pointer. A GAR endorsement was essential to winning a Republican nomination for President for decades. The GAR also was influential in the establishment of Old Soldiers' Homes, which became the basis for the present US Department of Veterans Affairs. At its peak in 1890, the GAR had 490,000 members, but, realising numbers must eventually decline, in 1881 the GAR founded the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) to eventually carry on.
And so they did: the last encampment, as national meetings were called, was in 1949, and the last surviving member, named Albert Woolson, died 2 August 1956 at age 109, it was thought, though census records now indicate 106. There's a story there too. He was from New York state. His father was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and taken to a military hospital in Windom, Minnesota, where he and his mother moved, though his father later died of his wounds. Whereupon Albert enlisted in Company C of the 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment as a drummer, which is not just for parades and stuff like now. Then, as for centuries before, there was no motorised transport, and drummers were key in both setting marching pace and boosting morale during combat. Albert enlisted 10 October 1864 just months before the war's end and the unit did not see action. He returned to Minnesota, lived out his life as a carpenter, and died in Duluth.
General Eisenhower, President at the time said of his passing " "The American people have lost the last personal link with the Union Army ... His passing brings sorrow to the hearts of all of us who cherished the memory of the brave men on both sides of the War Between the States". The recognition of both sides was not new; at the first Memorial Day graves from both sides were decorated.
Modern Memorial Day Evolves.
With his death, the GAR ceased to exist. Memorial Day did not. More or less. The original name was Decoration Day, from the original proclamation for the decorating of veterans' graves of the Civil War, which also, in 1868, envisioned its existence until the last survivor was gone, which was 1956, 88 years later. It's expanded a bit. After World War One, it had become a Federal holiday observed on the original date, 30 May, and was expanded to included the decoration of the graves of all who died in any US military engagement. The alternate name for Decoration Day, Memorial Day, was first used in 1882, and after World War Two, which gave many more to be remembered and whose graves to be decorated, became the more common name, and was made the official name in 1967.
The following year, the Uniform Holidays Bill changed its observance along with Veterans' Day (11 November, on which this blog also posts annually) and Washington's Birthday (22 February) to create three three-day-long weekends to take effect in 1971. None of these observances were instituted to give people a three-day week-end, with an extra day off and cook-outs and sports and big sales at the stores, but to remember as a nation particular people and things.
Washington's Birthday was chosen to commemorate the commander of the Continental Army in the war for independence and the unanimous choice of the Electoral College to be the first President, a unifying figure for the new nation and model for its future Presidents, often called "the father of his country", on his, well, birthday, 22 February. Veterans Day is now called that to commemorate all veterans, and was originally to commemorate the armistice which ended World War One starting on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 11 November. Decoration Day was chosen to commemorate Civil War dead on 30 May precisely because that date is not connected with any particular battle or other event of the Civil War, not because the flowers are in full bloom as some (the current President for example) have said.
The dates mean something, closing up shop for a particular commemoration of a particular something on a particular date, not an opportunity to take the 3rd Monday in February, the 4th Monday of October, and the last Monday in May off from work to do other things, or stay at work to boost business from big sales attracting those off work. The outcry over this loss of the meaning of the day, and acquiring meanings unrelated to it, was enough that Veterans Day was moved back to its original date in 1978, but with the provision that if that date fell on a Sunday it could be observed the following Monday, or if on a Saturday either on that Saturday or the Friday before.
In the 1980s advertisers began the push to boost sales on the new day for Washington's Birthday as "Presidents Day" including Lincoln whose birthday is 12 February. So now we have Washington's Birthday, which is still the official name of the holiday, not on Washington's birthday, not altogether about Washington, not generally known under its name but an advertising nickname, and not really about presidents either but time off work and buying stuff.
As to Memorial Day, it is for no other purpose than to take time from our normal pursuits to commemorate those who gave their lives in the armed forces of this country that we might have the freedom to go about those pursuits. It's not for the dead per se -- the church provides that with All Saints Day on 1 November, and other religions have similar observances for the dead -- not for living veterans and current service members, both of which groups have their own commemorations, which are observed on this blog, and certainly not to provide a three day kick off for Summer.
For us Lutherans, and for all others, their sacrifice has given us a country where we need not wrestle with local, regional and national governments to hold our beliefs, or have our services in the only place where services are going to be, the state church, or at least be tolerated by it. We are free to form our churches according to our understanding of God, as are others according to their understandings, as are others who choose not to participate. Nor do we need to re-create here church structure that emerged in the old countries where that was not the case and church officials were state officials too. What an incredibly precious gift.
The VFW noted in its Memorial Day statement of 2002: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." Efforts continue to return Memorial Day to its original date of observance.
But we can return the observance itself to what it is, as General Logan said, to commemorate those who have died defending their country, AND to renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon the Nation's gratitude—the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.
+ Samuel, Judge and Prophet + - 20 August, Old Testament [image: Samuel and Eli]Samuel was the final Old Testament judge. Besides Deborah and an anonymous man in Judges 6:7-10, he is the ...
1 year ago


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1967 International Travelall - International AppealPosted in Project Vehicles on December 1, 2008
Time can do amazing things. It can turn new parts old, make you forget where you put your keys, and transform what was once an ordinary vehicle into a truly unique classic. After owning the '67 International Travelall for more than three decades, Gregory Wiley decided it was finally time to change things up a bit. Enlisting the help of the crew at Off Road Evolution, his plan was simple-build it tough and functional, and more importantly give it power! Created for the diversified wheeling that Southern California has to offer, it's not unusual to find the big green beast utilizing the 8.1L to the fullest of its potential and making the 42-inch Iroks shoot out the earth from beneath its feet. Built with simplicity and style and large enough to pack in an entire month's worth of supplies and enough camping gear for 10 people, this is one International that really can travel all.
3PhotosView Slideshow
Cool Fact
1967 was a special year for International as it celebrated its 60th year as a truck manufacturer.
Tech Specs
1967 International Travelall
Engine: 8.1L Vortec
Transmission: Allison
Transfer case: NP205
Front Axle: Dana 60, Dynatrac hubs, Detroit Locker, 5.13 gears
Rear Axle: 14-bolt, ORD disc conversion, Detroit Locker, 5.13 gears
Springs & Such: Custom 10-inch Alcan springs
Steering: PSC hydraulic assist, custom high steer
Tires & Wheels: 42x14 Iroks on 17x10 Welds
Other Stuff: Original paint and bumperstickers, custom rear traction bar, Optima YellowTop, K&N intake


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What makes a family? Is it blood that makes someone family? Well, kinda I guess. It makes them related. But being family needs more. A family needs love. A family needs respect. A family needs support of each other thru thick and thin. When you are troubled, family will be there to pick you up.
I have people that Im related to by blood that I love dearly. I know if I need them they are just a phone call away. I'm writing this in reference to my raider family.
My raider family consists of men, women, boys and girls. Old, young and in between. Black, white and everything in between. Some may disagree with each other, some may even fight each other. But when faced with a mutual enemy, all stand as one. We come together. Standing side by side. Staring the enemy in the face. No body blinking. Daring the other to make the first move. Other schools have teams. We have family. Other schools have cliques. We have family.
Whenever a teacher or administrator leaves our school, we feel as if a beloved aunt, uncle or grandparent has moved away. Whenever one is threatened, we all stand as one to fight for what is right.
It doesn't matter if you have lived in this community all your life, or just recently joined the raider family. Once you wear the black and gold, you are a raider. Once a raider, always a raider.
That's where some of our foes fail to realize. They think we stand alone. They think that we are backwards rednecks who don't know how to fight for what we feel is right. We have proven that over and over again in fighting for our school and our community.
You fight with one, you fight with all. (205852)
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The weather has been so amazing the past few days, and it's finally time to switch up our shoes. This open pump is the great shoe for right now as we get into the full swing of spring. It has a great pop of color, a trendy silver tip, and sexy cut to give your foot an elongated and slimmed appearance. Best of all, the heel isn't too high so you can enjoy a walk during lunch. The shoe comes in a wide variety of colors and mediums so you can pick the perfect combo whether it be bright, neautral, or animal print. Do you love them or what?
$159, Dolce Vita
Want more from Krystyna? Follow her on Twitter @Krysty_C


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How I Got Started in the Horoscope Writing Business
The Televisionary Oracle"I'VE SEEN THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN LITERATURE AND ITS NAME IS ROB BREZSNY."
--TOM ROBBINS (author of Another Roadside Attraction, Jitterbug Perfume, Skinny Legs and All, and Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates)
"The Televisionary Oracle is a book so weird it might drive you stark raving sane."
--Robert Anton Wilson
"Like a mutant love-child of Jack Kerouac and Anais Nin, Rob Brezsny writes with devilish humor, spiritual audacity, and erotic intensity. The Televisionary Oracle is a kick-ass gnostic tale. Prepare to be astonished."
--Jay Kinney (author, Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions
There are two main protagonists in THE TELEVISIONARY ORACLE, a male named Rockstar and a female named Rapunzel Blavatsky. One-third of the chapters are narrated by Rockstar in the first-person, and another one-third of the chapters are narrated by Rapunzel in the third person.
The rest of the chapters are "Televisionary Oracles" -- programs broadcast by a sacred infotainment cabal which resembles what the television industry might be if it were a source of wisdom, integrity, and blessings instead of propaganda, degradation, and junk food for thought.
Rockstar is an aging rock star who has been plugging away at his trade for 20 years with very modest success. He's a legend in his own mind, a fiery bard who leads his band in pagan rituals disguised as rock and roll shows. The story that Rockstar tells revolves around his encounter with Rapunzel Blavatsky. It seems that she and her gang intend to begin initiating certain selected men -- maybe even him -- into the mysteries of menstruation.
Rapunzel is the chief shamanatrix of a Goddess-inflamed mystery school called the Menstrual Temple of the Funky Grail. She might be the pranksterish reincarnation of Mary Magdalene and the time-traveling possessor of a ten-million-year-old television -- or else maybe just a foxy, jive-talking babe with delusions of grandeur. Her goal? To "kill the apocalypse" in the most enjoyable ways possible.
To accomplish this noble aim, Rapunzel and her crew employ countless tricks that reside on the borderline between wacky performance art and sacred, kick-ass rituals.
Given her high-concept mission, Rapunzel might be expected to cast herself in the role of an intellectual femme fatale. And yet her thoughtful, tender narrative reveals her to be anything but that. Compassionate, humble, lyrical in her drive to live a life that is both moral and beautiful, she is a lovable mystery.
And what about those "Televisionary Oracles"? Any more hints about them? Let's just say that they're love spells designed to aid readers in debugging the black magic they've inadvertently practiced on themselves.
QUESTION. Rumor has it that the original title of your book was A Feminist Man's Guide to Picking Up Women. Is the material that tempted you to use that title still in the text?
ANSWER. A lot of it, yes. As the widely published witch Starhawk commented, "This book effectively poses the question, 'Can a really horny guy achieve feminist consciousness'"? One of my goals was to create a character who embodies all the most beautiful and positive aspects of lusty virility while at the same time being a sensitive nurturer with a deep respect and reverence for women. In other words, a macho feminist.
QUESTION. What do you mean when you talk about the "genocide of the imagination"?
ANSWER. The word "imagination" doesn't get much respect. For many people, it connotes "make-believe," the province of children and artists. But I believe the imagination is the most important asset we all possess; it's the power to form mental pictures of things that don't exist yet. As such, it's what we use to shape our future.
That's why it's so disturbing to realize that the imagination is increasingly becoming a vestigial organ. It's being pummeled into dysfunction by the numbing onslaught of generic and nihilistic images that endlessly flood from the mass media. How can you generate your own images or ask your own questions if your mind's eye is swarming with dazzling yet inane creations crafted by news and entertainment companies that possess what amounts to sleek multimillion-dollar propaganda machines?
To get a sense of the growing devastation, wander around a grade school at recess. Kids' conversations will overflow with the regurgitation of stories that have been blast-furnaced into their sensitive psyches by movies, TV shows, and video games.
QUESTION. Short of a medical textbook, there's probably never been a book written by a man that has dealt so extensively with the subject of menstruation. Do you have some weird fetish?
ANSWER. While I am probably more at ease with actual physical menstruation than any man I know, my primary interest is in its poetic and mythic meanings. For instance, I sincerely believe that everyone, men and women alike, would reap lush rewards by honoring the menstrual cycle and dropping out of the frenetic routine for four days every month. The menstrual huts of indigenous culture were a recognition of this profound human need. They honored the value of regular escapes.
QUESTION. Why is it so important to the future of daffodils and sea urchins and the jet stream, as you assert in your book, that childbirth be shown regularly in prime time?
ANSWER. Giving people constant graphic reminders of the single most astounding act of creation is one of the best ways to kill the apocalypse. Keep in mind how well-hidden it is now. Compared to the easy availability of televised murders and porn on the Internet, the mysterious miracle of a child being born is an invisible taboo.
QUESTION. Is your coinage of "killing the apocalypse" meant to sound like a joke?
ANSWER. You make it seem like that would be a bad thing. My philosophy holds that one of the most effective weapons against evil is humor. That's why all the major religions are useless to me: At best they all regard laughter as irrelevant to the spiritual quest, whereas I give it a central place.
QUESTION. But how can you "kill" the apocalypse without reinforcing the very hateful, adversarial attitudes that contribute to the possibility of apocalypse?
ANSWER. You're neglecting to state the principle in its fullness. The point is to kill the apocalypse with love and beauty and truth.
QUESTION. Everyone has a secret agenda. What's yours?
ANSWER. To show what a moral vision would look like if it were rooted in the quest for beauty, truth, love, pleasure, and liberation instead of order, control, politeness, fear, and self-denial.
Chapter 1
© 1995-2013 -- Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved


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Baseball America posted their Best Tools List, as voted on by the respective league managers. Here's how it shakes out in relation to Houston:
Pacific Coast League
Best Defensive Shortstop: Jonathan Villar
Best Infield Arm: Jonathan Villar
Most Exciting Player: George Springer
Texas League
Best Batting Prospect: George Springer
Best Power Prospect: George Springer
Best Pitching Prospect: Mike Foltynewicz
Best Fastball: Mike Foltynewicz
Best Breaking Pitch: Mike Foltynewicz
Best Control: David Martinez
Best Defensive Catcher: Rene Garcia
Best Defensive 3B: Jonathan Meyer
Best Infield Arm: Jonathan Meyer
Best Defensive OF: George Springer
Most Exciting Player: George Springer
California League
Best Strike Zone Judgment: Nolan Fontana
Midwest League
Best Breaking Pitch: Lance McCullers
Best Defensive SS: Carlos Correa
Best Infield Arm: Carlos Correa
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Baseball America's Best Tools
2 comments:
So who is the best tool in the milb?
- August 6, 2013 at 4:56 PM
- OremLK said...
Best tools overall? Probably Byron Buxton.
- August 6, 2013 at 5:46 PM
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Here's a heretical thought that wouldn\'t go down well in Athens.
If Greece ends up leaving the euro zone, as the nonstop flow of "Grexit" rumors suggest might just happen, Turkey should take its place.
Now, there are all sorts of historical reasons—wars and outright hatred and whatnot—for why the Aegean neighborhood would not take kindly to such musical chairs.
But on paper, at least, it's an attractive idea.
Europe, as we're consistently told, needs more economic growth, not just this Teutonic hardline fiscal austerity stuff.
And Greece, as we all know, doesn't have much of the growth factor.
In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Tuesday that Greece's economy will be in hock to growth by just over 5% in 2012.
Turkey, on the other hand, has quite a lot of growth. A very China-looking amount in 2011 at 8.5%, actually. Crisis defines Poland, Turkey appeal
That's going to cool off somewhat in the next year or two, but it's an expansion rate that you'd have to think that most of Europe would rub its collective hands in glee over. MarketWatch Special Report: The New Tigers
Turkey's status as a Muslim-world power throws up some hurdles for the xenophobes in Berlin and Paris, admittedly, but they might be willing to overlook that once they realized that the average age in Turkey is hovering around the 28-and-change level, far below the European average.
With a German-sized population of nearly 80 million, that's a lot of fresh blood to pay for Europe's aging, pension-taking citizenry.
As the chief executive of Turkcell, Süreyya Ciliv, put it to me recently in Istanbul: "We have a tremendous [economic] engine here . . . It's [EU ascension for Turkey] a win-win scenario. For them. And us. Even now."
As European leaders in Brussels this evening embark on yet another dinnertime summit, they might do well to look up from their soup and reach for the Turkish delight.
Follow @khjelmgaard


text: Skaneateles Festival Since 1980, the Skaneateles Festival has brought world-class musicians to this charming lakeside community for four weeks of chamber music, chamber orchestra and children's concerts in the late summer. The informal setting, innovative programming and community involvement make this an especially nurturing spot for performers who are eager to return again and again, and who are warmly embraced (and fed and housed) by the Festival audience. And the listeners, in turn, are richly rewarded by breathtaking, one-time-only performances by ensembles which have just been formed this week in this magical place. For more information please visit the Skaneateles Festival website.


text: HomeOverseas property for sale Property Details Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2 Habitable space: 122 m2 Features Communal Pool Full Description Spacious detached villa with separate apartment in VillamartinThis property is situated within a quiet location close to 3 golf courses and to amenities. It is furnished and offers 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, 2 lounges, a/c, fireplace, terraces, solarium, off-road parking, a nice garden and a large community pool area. HomeEspaña is an independent real estate agent covering the Costa Blanca, Alicante, Murcia and Valencia regions of Spain. With seven showrooms and thousands of happy clients since we first opened our doors in 2002, we have unrivalled knowledge of the property market here in Spain, plus the largest selection of homes for sale - from great value apartments near the sea, to rustic fincas with real Spanish character. Whether it's a townhouse in Torrevieja for €85,000, or a luxury pool villa in Javea for €350,000, we have something to suit almost all tastes and budgets! We know buying a house in Spain is a big decision, but our friendly team will guide you through every step of the process and answer any questions you might have – about where to buy, what to buy, the legal process, tax, mortgages, healthcare and schools. Contact HomeEspaña now. We'll help you find the right home, at the right price for you. more Make an enquiry This property listing (ref: HE-04VM321) is an advertisement supplied by HomeEspana La Zenia and does not constitute property particulars. While aplaceinthesun.com (APITS Ltd.) requests all advertisers supply correct details, it does not carry out checks on the information supplied and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. Aplaceinthesun.com recommends seeking independent legal advice prior to any overseas property purchase.


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Media E-commerce Templates
We have a collection of 10 designs in this area!
These media e-commerce templates deal with all sorts of media such as movies, radio, music, television, Internet, cable, telephone, and other networking tools. If you are a media company, provide media related services, or you're even just someone with a large collection of movies you like to write about, there's a few media e-commerce templates here that can work for you.
Our media E-commerce Templates consist of designs for four different PHP engines: Magento, osCommerce, CRE Loaded, and ZenCart. These are the media templates you should use if you want to have an online store ready to go. These e-commerce engines and our media templates are compabitble with most hosting companies and may be used for a wide variety of online stores. These systems all have built in catalogs, new products, bestsellers, search, shopping carts, checkout pages, and integrated payment systems through 3rd party gateways such as Paypal, 2CheckOut, Authorize.Net, ChronoPay, iPayment, PSiGate, SECPay, PayNova, and more. Each system also comes with an administrative panel to add, edit, and manage products, payments, and etc.


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7PM-Flower Power
Enjoy 2 free beverages and snacks, relax and have fun with family or friends recreating the colorful and fun portrait "Flower Power" you can call your own masterpiece.
Please fill out booking form below, you must fill in attendee field even if you are reserving a seat just for yourself or for multiple reservations. After you click Book Now you will be redirected to PayPal for final checkout.
To redeem gift certificates or credit vouchers please input the certificate number in the coupon code field in the booking form. Please note: certificate numbers are case sensitive. If there are any questions please call 401-440-8508 and we'll be happy to help! Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to session start time, as we start painting at the scheduled time listed and so you may get seated and order your beverages. Enjoy and thank you for choosing Paint the Town Studios!
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Class credit will be granted if you need to cancel and the studio receives a 48 hour notice of cancellation. No credit will be given to no shows.
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Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein (58 kiloDaltons) that is generally found in a variety of cells of mesenchymal origin and is developmentally regulated. Unlike most other proteins that comprise intermediate filaments, vimentin is expressed during the initial stages of cellular development, but is typically substituted with other tissue-specific intermediate filament proteins later in the developmental process. Vimentin has proven useful in the differential detection of undifferentiated neoplasms and is thought be involved in the communication and transport between the surface of a cell and its nucleus. An entire family of intermediate filaments, usually termed vimentin-like or, more simply, vimentin filaments, are named after the polypeptide. Vimentin-like intermediate filaments may also be composed of other proteins, however, such as desmin, peripherin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which are closely homologous to vimentin.
The proximity of intermediate filaments and the cytoskeletal filamentous actin network was visualized by treating the fixed and permeabilized culture of rat thoracic aorta cells presented above with mouse anti-vimentin primary antibodies followed by goat anti-mouse secondary antibodies (IgG) conjugated to Texas Red-X. F-actin was subsequently labeled with Alexa Fluor 350 conjugated to phalloidin, and the nuclei were counterstained with SYTOX Green. Images were recorded in grayscale with a QImaging Retiga Fast-EXi camera system coupled to an Olympus BX-51 microscope equipped with bandpass emission fluorescence filter optical blocks provided by Omega Optical. During the processing stage, individual image channels were pseudocolored with RGB values corresponding to each of the fluorophore emission spectral profiles.
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Contact: Kyle Patterson, (970) 586-1363
Trail Ridge Road will be closed for through travel on Tuesday, July 23, from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The road will be closed at the Bowen/Baker Trailhead which is located just south of Timber Creek Campground on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. A culvert will be replaced during the closure of the road.
Other work along Trail Ridge Road on the west side will take place at two additional locations but will not impact access on the road. The Farview Curve overlook and adjacent parking area will be temporarily closed beginning July 17. Rocks will be placed to prevent high water flows from undercutting the structure. This work should take approximately one week to complete.
Work will also occur near Milner Pass, the week of July 29, in a recurring mud slide area. During heavy snow melt, large volumes of debris flow over the road toward Poudre Lake, blocking the road. A deflection berm will be built to adjust the direction of the flow of debris. The small pullout area near this location will be closed for staging equipment and materials. This project will not impact the Milner Pass parking area.
For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park's Information Office at (970) 586-1206.


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by Michael Caruso
My calendar of concert going offered me the opportunity of spending Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon in Chestnut Hill. I heard Donald Nally and The Crossing in concert in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill Saturday night and then took in a solo piano recital at Woodmere Art Museum Sunday afternoon. Nally and his choir continued their exploration of the best of contemporary classical music while Di Wu gave thrilling renditions of music by Brahms, Ravel and Liszt.
Saturday night's concert by The Crossing leaned heavily in the direction of things Italian, both texturally and musically. The program opened with "Three Motets" by Bruno Bettinelli, one of the most famous 20th century teachers at Milan's Conservatory. Among his students were conductors Riccardo Muti, Riccardo Chailly and Claudio Abbado and pianist Maurizio Pollini. Bettinelli was also a highly regarded composer, and shortly before his death in 2004, he composed a series of motets and madrigals, investing these late Medieval and Renaissance forms with eloquence and passion.
"Bone pastor" (Good Shepherd), "Respice in me" (Look on me) and "Ave verum corpus" (Hail true body) are concise evocations of the spirit of medieval chant. "Bone pastor" offers haunting melodies supported by lush harmonies and imitative counterpoint that sounds as though waves of sound were pouring in and over each other.
Nally, who is both the founder/director of The Crossing as well as the interim music director at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church elicited stunning singing from his choir in these unaccompanied motets. Pitch was perfect, balance was flawless, blend was immaculate, the Latin diction was unimpeachable, and the choir's projection of the spirit behind the texts was palpable.
These Bettinelli masterpieces were followed by what was only the second performance of Haverford College composer Curt Cacioppo's "Sequence of Vermilion Vespers: Cantata of the Angels." Cacioppo's music is a masterful amalgam of styles that combine the ancient with the modern, the traditional with the innovative. There are movements (and passages within movements) that hark back to Palestrina and the Renaissance, to J.S. Bach and the baroque and to Verdi and Puccini in their operatic opulence. And it all comes together in a musical continuum that may be a tad too extended at its conclusion but that nonetheless makes a powerful aural impact and a telling emotional impression.
Saturday evening's performance was riveting. The choir sang splendidly. The church's magnificent Mander pipe organ was played spectacularly by Ken Lovett. Formerly the director of music at the Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Lovett is now interim organist at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill.
Chinese-born pianist Di Wu played a recital program consisting of Brahms' "Piano Sonata No. 3" (Une barque sur l'ocean) and "Alborado del gracioso" from Ravel's "Mirroirs" and Liszt's "Valse de l'opera" (Faust).
A graduate of both Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music and New York's Juilliard School of Music, Wu's finest playing was heard after intermission in the two Ravel selections and Liszt's operatic paraphrase. In the first, she beautifully balanced shimmering splashes of notes high up in the piano's register to capture the sight of sprays of water set against darkly embossed melodies in the instrument's middle and lower registers to evoke the image of a boat moving along the ocean's waters. It wasn't merely an example of voicing — highlighting through the use of varied dynamic levels — but of true coloring, contrasting the timbres of tone by varying the fingers' touch on the keys. In the second, she delineated the music's naughty exuberance by playing the score's myriad repeated notes in a buzz of stuttering brilliance.
Wu played Brahms' Third Piano Sonata with technical command and stylistic consistency, but her interpretation was a trifle weak on the side of projecting the lyrical, German lieder foundation of all the composer's piano music. Her playing was more impressive than touching.
The Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Chestnut Hill will present a recital featuring soprano Krystiane Cooper and pianist Erik Meyer at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 20. Meyer is the church's director of music, and Cooper is the soprano soloist in its choir. Their program will consist of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" by West Chester's Samuel Barber, the "Airs Chantes" by Francis Poulenc and Robert Schumann's song cycle, "Dichterliebe."
St. Martin's Church is located at the intersection of Willow Grove Avenue and St. Martin's Lane. Call 215-247-7466 or visit www.stmartinec.org for more information.


text: Human rights groups are demanding an investigation into the failure of U.N. forces to prevent a raid in which nearly 200 women were systematically gang raped in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in late July. The U.K.'s Cardinal Keith O'Brien accused the BBC of institutional bias against "Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular," charging that its news coverage is contaminated by "a radically secular and socially liberal mindset." ♦ A French physician and professor of bioethics, Father Bruno Cadore, was elected superior general of the Dominicans Sept. 5. ♦ Churches and human rights groups in South Africa are expressing concern over the South African government's decision to withdraw a special permit granted that had allowed thousands of Zimbabweans to reside in the country without documents. ♦ GuideStar, which tracks performance in the non-profit sector, reports that 40 percent of charities saw a year-over-year decrease in donations between January and May. ♦ Condemning triple suicide bombings that killed 30 at a Shiite religious ceremony in Pakistan, Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore said the Sept. 1 attacks, committed as "thousands of flood victims await international support, [were] cowardly."


text: Need some advise. I think my viewsonic 19" PF790 is dying and I'm going to need a new monitor. It will be use almost entirely for games but maybe some surfing. I have about $400 maybe tad more to spend. Really like LCD's but know their not the best for games. Any advise?


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Do you want free online CPR certification? Yes, you can have it. You need not pay a single centavo for your certificate, but you must take free online CPR class first. To find one that will suit your requirement, make a few phone calls or use the search tools of the internet. Look for sites that offer free online CPR certification after completion of the course. These sites are only a click away.
For online classes prior to your having a free online CPR certification, you may call and sign up with a local Red Cross chapter. The American Red Cross (ARC) is very well known for disaster response and for keeping the citizens of the community safe everyday. Some training centers approved by the American Heart Association (AHA) are also worth looking into. The AHA is presently the frontrunner in heart ailment and conduct free online classes. You may also consider calling the Fire Department and even some private companies in your area.
Although online classes are available nationwide and ready to take you in, it is advisable to check first which will give you a credible online CPR certification. Your card should have one hundred percent acceptability. In looking for a job, your certificate will give you better chances because this card will prove that you got the skill they need. Your online CPR certification will also make you confident to react in any given emergency situation, and that you can positively say that you can save a life whenever and wherever you need to.
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With 59 cruise missiles, US sends message to the world: We're back
After two days of uncertainty from the US administration, following a chemical attack by the Bashar Assad regime, the Americans sent a message to the world on Thursday night in the least subtle way possible: with 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired straight at a Syrian air base.Benjamin Netanyahu's Told-You-So Moment
It was a message directed toward Assad and the people of Syria, to allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia, foes like Iran and North Korea, the US's great frenemy Russia, and to the American public back at home.
Internationally, the 59 Raytheon Co. missiles fired from the USS Ross and USS Porter told American partners — and enemies — that despite the "America First" rhetoric, the US is again very much a factor on the world stage. Domestically, it was a sign that US President Donald Trump, whose administration has seen false-starts, failures and pushback, would take decisive action when he deemed it necessary.
"They are telling their allies in the Middle East: You are not alone," said Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser and IDF general, in a phone briefing on Friday organized by the Israel Project.
Breaking from the naval gazing so prevalent in this part of the world, the strike on Syria should also be at least briefly considered in the context of North Korea, which has been antagonizing the United States with nuclear and ballistic missile tests — vide the strike occurring during Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who holds considerable cachet over Pyongyang.
Benjamin Netanyahu will never be popular in America's major newsrooms. Or among most of the think-tankers who set the tone and parameters of foreign-policy debate. His name is a curse on college campuses. So it's worth asking whose vision of the Middle East has held up better under the press of recent events.Israeli Arab Newscaster on Syria Crisis: 'Where Is the Arab Leadership? Where Are You, Traitors? Have You Forgotten Your Own People?'
His or theirs?
The question comes to mind as Western governments confront this week's chemical atrocity in Syria, and as footage of children's bodies convulsing in agony once more unsettles the world's conscience. Even President Trump, who generally lacks a moral language, was moved. On Friday U.S forces fired nearly 60 cruise missiles at a Syrian air base, punishing the Assad regime for its chemical crimes.
His predecessor had a rich moral vocabulary and a coterie of award-winning moralizers like Samantha Power on staff. But President Obama refused to act when Bashar Assad crossed his chemical red line. He wanted to extricate Washington from the region, and he saw a nuclear deal with Mr. Assad's Iranian patrons as the exit ramp.
Such a deal came within grasp when Hassan Rouhani launched his presidential campaign in Iran four years ago this month. The smiling, self-proclaimed "moderate" was the Iranian interlocutor the Obamaians had been waiting for. Mr. Netanyahu posed the main obstacle.
Israeli Arab newscaster Lucy Aharish issued an impassioned rebuke on Wednesday of regional heads of state over their failure to halt the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Referring to the suspected chemical weapons attack earlier this week in Syria — believed to have been carried out by President Bashar Assad's regime — in which dozens of civilians, including children, were killed, Aharish said, in English remarks broadcast on Channel 2, "The images that once again struck us yesterday are no fake news, but rather old news."
She continued, "There is one question that repeats itself — where is the Arab leadership? Where are you, traitors? Have you forgotten your own people?"
In December, Aharish aired an English statement in which she called the situation in Aleppo a "holocaust."
"I am ashamed as a human being that we chose leaders who are incapable of being articulate in their condemnation and powerful in their action," she said at the time. "I am ashamed that the Arab world is being taken hostage by terrorists and murderers and that we are not doing anything. I am ashamed that the peaceful majority of humanity is irrelevant once again."
Netanyahu: I support Trump's decision to bomb Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his support for the US air strike in Syria, Friday morning.Israeli leaders offer wall-to-wall praise for US strike on Syria
In the strike five dozen American Tomahawk missiles were fired from the Mediterranean Sea at Syria's al-Shayrat airfield.
The airbase played host to the very planes which on Tuesday laid chemical siege to a civilian town in Idlib province, killing 74 people and incapacitating over 550. It was not immediately clear whether Trump would order additional strikes.
"In words and actions President Trump sent a strong and clear response: The use of chemical weapons is unacceptable," Netanyahu stated.
"Israel fully and unequivocally supports the presidents decision and hopes the clear message will reverberate not only in Damascus but also in Tehran, Pyongyang and other places."
President Reuven Rivlin echoed Netanyahu' statement calling the US airstrike a "fitting and appropriate response" to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called the Tomahawk missile strike "an important, necessary and moral message by the free world, led by the United States."Dr. Mordechai Kedar: The missile, the poison gas and the sheer effrontery
The attack on the Syrian airfield shows that the world "will not tolerate the war crimes of the horrific regime of Bashar Assad," Liberman said.
"The American update to the IDF and security establishment before the attack in Syria is further proof of the strength of the relationship and depth of the connection between Israel and its largest ally, the United States," Liberman added.
President Reuven Rivlin said the US move was a "fitting response to such unthinkable brutality, and an example to the entire free world."
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog on Friday also hailed the strike, saying it came at the "right time and in the right place."
The strike "is an important message to the butcher from Damascus," Herzog said on Twitter.
A string of high-level Israeli officials have condemned the Tuesday chemical attack and urged international action.
A credible threat of his nature will get the entire world to its feet with one question: "What is going to happen if Assad does not give in to the threat and ignores Trump's ultimatum? Putin will have to either enter into a confrontation with the United States or convince Assad to "take a short leave" in Moscow until Trump calms down. The North Koreans will wait impatiently to see the results of Russia's threats, because they are next in line after Assad to be threatened similarly by Trump about their military nuclear plans. Iran will also be on alert during those fateful 48 hours after Trump's speech because Iran's rulers know exactly what Trump thinks of them and of the nuclear agreement Obama had them sign in 2015.JPosts Editorial: Syrian imperative
An ultimatum of this nature could give the United States deterrent power once again after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Obama, the human rights knight in shining armor, intentionally and purposefully made it disappear. If Assad gives in to the ultmatum, Trump will come out a real winner. If Assad refuses to leave and an American operation eliminates him - Trump will be an even greater winner. I do not expect Putin to battle Trump to keep Assad in power, because Russian interests are not dependent on Assad the man but on the Alawite ethnic group and the ports Russia has taken over in Syria. Russia is also interested in what becomes of the natural gas on the bottom of the sea facing Syria's coast. Syria's gas resources are much larger than those of Israel.
The Syrian catastrophe has to teach Israel one important lesson: No one will stand by Israel's side if the country suffers a CBW attack. Assad certainly won't care about Israel's citizens any more than he cares for his own. Israel must face Assad, his friends and supporters fom the, north and east. and present them with a credible threat, backed by clear American support saying that any harm to any Israeli citizen by Syria will lead him straight to hell. Although Israel does not have to take part in the Syrian chaos, it must make its point crystal clear, and stand guard carefully, with not only a finger, but a whole hand, on Syria's pulse.
No human being can remain indifferent to the atrocities perpetrated by the Assad regime – apparently with Russian and Iranian support – in the town of Khan Sheikhoun.Tzipi Livni: Syria proves that 'Never Again' has not been learned
Initial reports and eyewitnesses testimonies coming from the Idlib province in Syria say that Assad's forces used sarin gas against civilians, including infants and young children.
Assad has a clear interest in spurring a mass exodus from one of the last remaining strongholds of opposition.
And Assad and Putin seem to believe that the world will do nothing beyond issuing outraged declarations, particularly if the two deny any connection with the incident, as they have done in the best tradition of cynical dictators.
It hasn't escaped Trump's critics that the attack comes just days after the Trump administration made it clear that replacing Assad as leader of Syria as part of any future arrangement there "is not a priority." Clearly Assad has little to lose by once again crossing a theoretical redline.
The moral answer to this atrocity is a swift, decisive and debilitating military attack that would wipe the self-satisfied smirk off the faces of Assad and Putin. Former IDF Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin was speaking from his gut when he said this week in an interview on Army Radio that Israel should launch a missile attack against Syrian warplanes in response.
So let's talk not only about or moral obligation, but also about interests — because taking action in Syria is also in our interest. It is the common interest of the free world to free its citizens from the threats of terror and violence. Rogue states and terrorist actors are watching what is happening – and the message that world is sending them will influence their behavior, no less than direct action against them.Trump Blows Up Obama's Foreign Policy Straw Men
When the world demands, and rightly so, that North Korea and Iran abide by its rules regarding unconventional weapons, it is critical that it simultaneously act against unconventional weapons elsewhere.
People die in wars, but even in wars there are laws, rules of engagement, and things that are not done. Unconventional weapons are beyond the pale and unlike collateral damage in a battle, what we see in Syria is a deliberate attack on civilians, war crimes that have the makings of crimes against humanity. Silence and complacency give not only Assad a license to kill, but all radical terrorist actors in the region. An international coalition must address the situation; its immediate task is completing the removal of Syria's chemical weapons.
The children of Syria are the children of the world - and they are looking at us. Will the world stand idly by as their blood is shed? Can moderate elements still expect that in times of trouble there will be those who will end the horror — or is it better to be on the side of evil? Now is a moment when interests and morality fuse: it is time to act accordingly.
President Trump did more than retaliate for Bashar al-Assad's illegal and inhumane use of nerve agents against civilians when he ordered the launch of 59 Tomahawk missiles to destroy al-Shayrat airbase in Syria. He also detonated a few shibboleths of his predecessor's foreign policy.Amidror: US attack in Syria shows Iran that military option is indeed 'on the table'
First is the idea that President Obama's 2013 deal to remove Assad's weapons of mass destruction was a success. Susan Rice and John Kerry have lauded the agreement with Russia to supervise the extraction and destruction of Assad's weapons stockpiles as recently as the last year. But Assad's brazen attack on civilians in Idlib Province exposed their celebrations as premature. Trump's swift, decisive, and limited response ended more than a half decade of vacillation toward's Assad's behavior. Obama diplomacy failed, but hard power may yet deter Assad from using weapons banned for almost a century.
The second casualty of the U.S. strike was the absurd Obama line that the only alternatives available to a president are inaction on one hand and a massive ground invasion and occupation on the other. Obama and the architects of his echo chamber would slam any advocate of military measures as a bloodthirsty warmonger ready to repeat the worst mistakes of the U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the reality has always been that there are a range of intermediary steps America can take to pursue her objectives and enforce the standards of Western civilization. The destruction of al-Shayrat is an example of coercive diplomacy similar to the airstrikes President Reagan deployed against Muammar Qaddafi and President Clinton deployed against Slobodan Milosevic. The immediate aim is punitive, to deter the further use of nerve gas against civilians. The longer-term goal is to remove Assad from power and reach a settlement that would in all likelihood partition Syria into sectarian zones of influence. Both objectives are impossible through diplomacy alone. Only through the introduction of force might we frighten the Syrians and their supporters into giving up Assad—if not the Alawite power structure—and winding down his war machine.
Iran, more than any other country in the world, is carefully taking note of the US missile attack in Syria overnight, former National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror said Friday.In Israeli eyes, Trump's Tomahawks correct the course of history
"More than any place in the world, the decision makers in Iran are learning the reaction of the Americans, taking into account that if they don't behave, the military option is on the table, unlike the previous administration," Amidror said during a conference call organized by The Israel Project.
Amidror, a fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, said that Iran bears responsible for Syrian President Bashar Assad's actions, since they and Hezbollah have given him unqualified support over the years regardless of his brutality. Amidror said that Iran supported Assad after his previous use of chemical weapons, and that there was no question that even if they did not have prior knowledge of the attack in Idlib, they are "morally responsible."
Regarding whether Israel itself will take military action in Syria, as former head of military intelligence Amos Yadlin suggested earlier this week, Amidror said that Israel would remain "on the sidelines" but provide both humanitarian aid to the Syrians, and intelligence assistance to its allies acting inside Syria.
From an Israeli perspective, US President Donald Trump corrected the course of history in ordering airstrikes against the Syrian regime late Thursday.Trump's strike signals to Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Assad: The party's over
The mere fact that the global superpower took action in the face of Bashar Assad's use of chemical weapons against civilians — regardless of what military goals the operation accomplished — sends a powerful message that will reverberate beyond Syria, leaders and officials in Jerusalem said.
"In both word and action, President Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement backing the airstrikes on the regime-held Shayrat Airfield, north of Damascus. "Israel fully supports President Trump's decision and hopes that this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime's horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere."
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called the missile strike "an important, necessary and moral message by the free world, led by the United States," that shows it "will not tolerate the war crimes of the horrific regime of Bashar Assad."
Chiming in, Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz also praised the attack, delivered via some 60 Tomahawk missiles fired from two US destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea, as "an important step both morally and strategically and a clear signal to the axis led by Iran."
The Israel Defense Forces released its own statement, saying it, too, supported the cruise missile strike and had informed Washington of its backing.
Israel's security establishment was updated by the US ahead of the missile strike, officials said.
Through a single, limited strike, Trump's overnight resort to force signaled to the Shi'ite actors, and to Russia, that the rules of the game have now changed: From now on, there will be a price to be paid for invading, massacring, carrying out terror attacks, using non-conventional weapons.So You Want To Go To War In Syria To Depose Assad. Can You Answer These 14 Questions First?
Such a message ought to have been delivered long ago, years ago. But Barack Obama opted not to do so. And as a consequence, the United States became perceived as weak, as afraid, as a nation that abandoned its allies in the Middle East. The overnight attack sent a very different message, especially to Assad's opposition.
Moscow's rapid, angry reaction, and the immediate messages of support from Saudi Arabia and from the Syrian opposition, underline how successful the single US strike has been in impacting all the necessary places.
Not just the physical impact, either. Russia will now have to reassess its handling of the Syrian crisis. And as for Iran, Assad and Hezbollah, they will all have to weigh their next moves in what was once greater
Here are 14 questions that proponents of war in Syria must answer before anyone considers whether military intervention to remove Assad is the best course of action for the American people.Putin slams Netanyahu over 'unfounded accusations' on Syria
1) What national security interest, rather than pure humanitarian interest, is served by the use of American military power to depose Assad's regime?
2) How will deposing Assad make America safer?
3) What does final political victory in Syria look like (be specific), and how long will it take for that political victory to be achieved? Do you consider victory to be destabilization of Assad, the removal of Assad, the creation of a stable government that can protect itself and its people without additional assistance from the United States, etc.?
4) What military resources (e.g., ground troops), diplomatic resources, and financial resources will be required to achieve this political victory?
5) How long will it take to achieve political victory?
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the "unfounded accusations" from Israel over the "incident with chemical weapons" in Syria.Corbyn Condemns Trump Strike
In a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday, Putin "underlined that it's unacceptable to make unfounded accusations against anyone until after a thorough and unbiased international investigation," the Kremlin said.
"There was an exchange of opinions over the incident with chemical weapons that took place in the Syrian province of Idlib on April 4," Moscow said in a statement.
"Putin in particular underlined the unacceptability of making unfounded accusations against anyone before a thorough and impartial international investigation is carried out," it said.
Netanyahu's office confirmed he spoke with Putin, but didn't comment on the reported scolding he received.
Corbyn criticises Trump, no condemnation of Assad or Russia:
"The US missile attack on a Syrian government air base risks escalating the war in Syria still further.
"Tuesday's horrific chemical attack was a war crime which requires urgent independent UN investigation and those responsible must be held to account.
"But unilateral military action without legal authorisation or independent verification risks intensifying a multi-sided conflict that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people.
"What is needed instead is to urgently reconvene the Geneva peace talks and unrelenting international pressure for a negotiated settlement of the conflict.
PreOccupiedTerritory: What I Find Most Offensive About The Syria Strike Is The Cultural Appropriation Of The 'Tomahawk' Missile By Holia Thanthow (satire)
Unfortunately, such behavior is nothing new from the US, before or after the election of Donald Trump. The Apache helicopter, developed in the 1970's and 80's, is named for a group of Native American tribes, but the US defense establishment had no problem turning their noble legacy into an airborne antitank weapon – and then supplied them and their Hellfire missiles to Israel, which callously loosed those weapons on the innocent Islamic terrorists of the Gaza Strip.Amb. Dore Gold: Is the Terror Against Europe Different from the Terror Against Israel?
My peers and I long for the relatively enlightened Obama era, when the president had enough cultural sensitivity to understand that chemical weapons, barrel bombs, and other tactics considered crude or illegal by arrogant Westerners might be perfectly appropriate in the cultural context of the Levant – as long as they are deployed by the indigenous peoples of the Levant. Obama understood the fraught implications of insisting that the duly unelected leaders of the region follow modes of behavior at odds with the native culture.
Notice that Obama never employed the Tomahawk even once, and blocked further supply of Apaches to Israel because of the system's use against Palestinians – regardless of those Palestinians' involvement in so-called "terrorism" against Israelis. We can rest assured he would never have approved such an offensive move as employing a weapon with an appropriated name.
We need another march on Washington to combat this scourge, which strikes at the very foundations of the progressive ethos. But I worry that, as in Berkeley, the fascist Trumpian authorities will use tear gas and pepper spray against us, behavior that we can only accept from Middle East fascist authorities.
There is one area in which many European diplomats connect the terror against Israel and the activities of the jihadist movements like ISIS. For decades it has been broadly assumed that if Israel would only solve the Palestinian problem, then one of the grievances driving the jihadi movements would be removed and the West would be more secure. This thesis has been proven to be false time and time again.Stockholm crash that killed at least 3 people was 'act of terror,' says Swedish PM
Looking back at the 1990s, the first major breakthrough between Israel and the Palestinians was reached with the signing of the 1993 Declaration of Principles, also known as the Oslo Accords. In the years that followed, a series of implementation agreements were signed like the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement, the 1995 Interim Agreement, the 1997 Hebron Agreement, and the 1998 Wye River Memorandum.
But looking in the same parallel period, there was no correlation between Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy and the reduction of the hostility from the jihadist threat. For in those very years, al-Qaeda's threats on the West seemed to only worsen: in 1993, the first World Trade Center attack took place; in 1995 was the first al-Qaeda attack in Saudi Arabia; followed in 1998 with the attacks against the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; in 2000, the USS Cole was attacked in Yemen; and finally in 2001, the United States was struck in the 9/11 attacks.
Arab-Israeli diplomacy did not ameliorate this growing problem. There simply is no correlation between Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the attacks by al-Qaeda against the West. The negotiations that Israel undertook had their own value, but its concessions were not in any way a panacea for the strikes of the jihadi movements against the U.S. or its European allies. To neutralize this challenge a cohesive military strategy is needed for the West, the Arab states that are threatened, and Israel. It thus stands to reason that, just as all three face similar threats, the models developed in Israel for dealing with terror merit attention in Europe and beyond.
A truck crashed into an upscale department store in central Stockholm on Friday, killing at least two people, according to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who said all indications were that it was a terror attack. One person was arrested.Andreea Cristea: woman who fell in the Thames during the Westminster attack dies in hospital
Swedish radio put the death toll at three.
"There are deaths, and many injured," Nina Odermalm Schei, a spokeswoman for Swedish intelligence agency Sapo, told AFP, without giving a precise figure.
"Sweden has been attacked," Lofven said. "This indicates that it is an act of terror."
Swedish broadcaster SVT said shots were fired at the scene, though it wasn't clear by whom and police said they could not confirm that.
Andreea Cristea, who plunged into the Thames as Khalid Masood rammed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge during the recent terror attack, has died.The PA conundrum
The 31-year-old Romanian woman passed away while in hospital being treated for her injuries, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.
She had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn on Thursday, 6 April.
Ms Cristea was in London for a short break with her boyfriend, Andrei Burnaz, who was discharged from hospital shortly after the attack.
Her partner had planned to propose to her during their trip to London.
After the attack, she remained unconscious in hospital until life support was withdrawn.
That should be a powerful incentive to the PA to cease paying for terror. But support for violence against Jews and the delegitimization of Israel is deeply embedded in the Palestinian political culture. Cutting off the terrorists would involve considerable risk for Abbas. Considering his unwillingness to accept even the most generous Israeli offers of statehood, there is little chance he is willing to risk a backlash from the clear majority of Palestinians who agree that terrorists are heroes.What does Jerusalem expect from the 'new sheriff' at the UN?
This situation continues because Abbas thinks his foreign sugar daddies have no leverage over him. PA leaders and their families have stolen billions in aid they received during the last two decades without ever being held accountable. More to the point, the PA would collapse if it could not continue doling out salaries to supporters for the no show and no work jobs that are the basis of its political power. The costly and unpopular Israeli involvement in Palestinian life that might result from that collapse are why the Netanyahu government continues to tacitly support the continued flow of foreign funds to the PA though it deplores how the money is spent.
In this manner, the PA has not only gotten away with wasting the world's charitable donations but also with policies that perpetuate the conflict their donors seek to end.
But neither Israel nor the U.S. should be so easily cowed by Abbas' threats. The PA's Fatah party leadership fears being seen as soft on the Jews or ready to end the war on Israel but it may also fear bankruptcy just as much. That's why it is high time that someone at least try to make them pay a penalty for their criminal misconduct. Doing so would create some of the leverage the West needs to make the PA behave. It can be argued that the PA is too incorrigible to be reformed even by threats. But until somebody tries, we'll never know if they can be nudged in the right direction on terror subsidies. Despite the risks, that's an unimpeachable argument for passing and enforcing the Taylor Force Act.
"By changing the definition of 'who's a Palestinian refugee?', you change the whole Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Oren said.Nikki Haley: Israel Bashing at UN Is 'Ridiculous'
In his comments to The Times of Israel, Danon, the Israeli UN ambassador, also refrained from calling for the US to slash funding for the UN, much less scrapping it. Rather, he demanded more "transparency and accountability" from the organization. "We won't accept the current reality in which known Hamas operatives are on the UNRWA payroll as they continue to incite and educate the next generation to hate Israelis," he said. "On multiple occasions we have made clear to the organization, the donor countries and the UN itself that we cannot let such a situation continue and real oversight is needed."
Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley thanks the crowd before she speaks at the 2017 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference held at the Verizon Center in Washington, Monday, March 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The coming months will show the extent to which the US administration can live up to the high expectation it created by repeatedly vowing to fight Israel's battles at the UN.
"At the US Mission, we're all about changing the culture and bringing positive energy to the United Nations," Ambassador Haley said last week in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. "People who've worked with me know that I have no tolerance for unmet promises and inaction. My team is about action, reliability and results."
The new administration has "already started to make some progress," she said, but also acknowledged that old habits die hard, especially at Turtle Bay. "Don't get me wrong. I don't have illusions about how easily an institution the size and complexity of the United Nations can be changed."
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spoke at the Women in the World Summit on Wednesday in New York, where she denounced anti-Israel bias and said the debate about Israel and the Palestinians has become a "habit" among many U.N. leaders.
"Israel and the U.N. That's been a big topic that you've been discussing in the U.N. What's your thought on that?" MSNBC anchor and moderator Greta Van Susteren asked.
"You know I had heard how bad the Israel bashing was, but when I got there, it was really bizarre," Haley said. "Because what you saw was the fact that we would have this session the Middle East. This session happens every single month and has happened for the last ten years, and all they talk about is Israel and the Palestinians."
Haley then discussed her condemnation of a U.N. report last month that compared Israel to an apartheid state.
US hits senior Hamas military commander with terror sanctions
The U.S. State Department announced Thursday that it was hitting a top Hamas commander with terrorism sanctions.Edgar Davidson: Trump: You must personally demand extradition of child murderer Ahlam Tamimi from Jordan
Abu Anas al-Ghandour, 50, was designated as a global terrorist, a move that freezes any assets in the U.S. and bars Americans from doing business with him.
Ghandour leads a Hamas brigade in northern Gaza and spent years in Israeli prison decades ago. The U.S. said he was involved in an attack on an Israeli military post on the Israel-Gaza Strip border that killed two Israeli soldiers in 2006 and led to the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit, who was freed from Hamas captivity in 2011 in a prisoner swap that saw Israel release 1,027 terrorists.
A statement posted on the State Department's website said the designation came under "Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. As a consequence of this designation, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions or dealings with Ghandour, and all of his property and interests in property subject to United States jurisdiction is frozen.
Ahlam Tamimi is the female Hamas terrorist who planned and engineered the 2001 massacre of 16 people, including 8 children, in Jerusalem's Sbarro restaurant. One of her victims was 15-year-old Malki Roth (an American citizen) and her parents maintain an incredible blog about the case here.
As a mass murderer of Jewish kids she was the most 'honoured' of all the terrorists released in the ludicrous exchange for Gilad Shalit. She became a major celebrity in the Arab world, presenting a weekly TV programme where she encouraged millions of viewers to emulate her crimes. By inciting terrorism Tamimi was subject to re-arrest under the terms of the release, but by living in Jordan the Israelis were unable to re-arrest her. However, because two of her victims were American citizens the FBI has recently put Tamimi on their most wanted terrorist list and requested her extradition from Jordan. The Jordanians, who also recently honoured child murderer Ahmad Dakamseh, have refused.
Sgt. Elchai Teharlev laid to rest: 'Now you have flown to the sky'
When the funeral was over, nobody wanted to leave.Army to seal off West Bank, Gaza for Passover holiday
Twenty-year-old Elchai Teharlev , who was posthumously promoted to sergeant, loved to sing and play music. In one of the photographs his family released after his death, he can be seen standing on the edge of a hilltop with a guitar strapped over his shoulder.
On Thursday, several thousand people stood shoulder-to-shoulder near his freshly dug grave as the sun set, singing and humming soulful religious tunes.
A friend of Elchai's stood on a stone wall above them, quietly strumming a guitar, as cold gusts of wind blew through the air above Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem.
His father, Ohad, recalled how imaginative Elchai had been as a small child. "You made yourself some wings. You wanted to jump from the window so you could fly to the sky. Now you have flown to the sky," he said in a tearful voice.
Israel will close off the West Bank and seal the crossings from the Gaza Strip on Monday night for a week as a preventative measure against attacks during the Jewish festival of Passover, the IDF announced on Friday.PMW: Fatah: Israel = ISIS
The army will impose the closure from midnight on Monday until midnight the following Monday, April 17, the army said.
Entering and exiting the West Bank and Gaza will be forbidden for Palestinians during that week, with the exception of "humanitarian, medical and exceptional cases," according to an IDF statement.
Those special cases will require the approval of the Defense Ministry's Coordinator of the Government's Activities in the Territories.
It was not immediately clear what exceptions would be made for Palestinian Christians celebrating Easter, which coincides with the final days of Passover.
A cartoon posted on the website of the Fatah Information and Culture Commission repeated the Palestinian Authority's claim that Israel is in league with ISIS.
The cartoon shows an Israeli and an ISIS terrorist with their arms around each other. The Israeli is holding a bloody hatchet, while the ISIS terrorist is holding a knife dripping with blood.
Israeli: "We will behead everyone who is against us"
ISIS terrorist: "I'm with you"
[Website of the Fatah Information and Culture Commission, March 18, 2017]
UN condemns Hamas executions of three 'collaborators'
The execution in the Gaza Strip of three Palestinians accused by Hamas of collaborating with Israel has been condemned "in the strongest terms" by the UN human rights office.With health care faltering, Gazans seek treatments in Israel
Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the executions happened despite international appeals to block the sentences and violated "Palestine's obligations under international law".
The rights office said the convictions were delivered for treason, which does not qualify among "most serious crimes".
It noted the defendants were civilians convicted by a military court, "again in contravention of international law".
The office said the trial did not appear to meet fair trial standards.
For many patients suffering from life-threatening diseases in the Gaza Strip, treatment in neighboring Israel is a much sought-after option. Israel restricts Palestinian passage from the Gaza Strip for security reasons, but Gazans seeking "life-saving or life-changing medical treatment" are exempted from these restrictions.Airplane Sales to Iran Put Under Critical Review By Trump Admin
Ashraf Qidra, a spokesman for Gaza's Health Ministry, says the Hamas-ruled enclave suffers from a chronic shortage of hospital beds, medical equipment and specialist physicians.
Egypt, Gaza's neighbor to the south, is an option for those seeking routine medical treatment, not urgent surgery, and patients who are barred from entering Israel. But the Egyptian government is at odds with Hamas and keeps its own border with the Palestinian territory largely closed. It opens the Rafah crossing once every 40 days, for a few days each time.
Qidra claims at least half of those who apply for treatment in Israel are turned down by Israeli authorities.
The Trump administration is undertaking a critical review of Obama administration-era policies permitting the sale of American airplanes to Iran, which have been used in the past to ferry weapons to terrorists and conduct other illicit activities, according to U.S. officials familiar with the situation.Restraint Not Bahrain's Problem
U.S. airline manufacturer Boeing announced on Tuesday that it had reached a memorandum of understanding with Iran guaranteeing the sale of up to 60 planes pending review by the Trump administration.
Sources who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon speculated the latest announcement, which was announced earlier in the day by Iran, could be meant to pressure U.S. officials to sign off on the deal.
While the newly installed administration had come under fire earlier this year for seeming to continue Obama-era policies meant to approve these sales, U.S. officials now tell the Free Beacon that all past and future deals are coming under review by the new administration as part of a larger assessment of the landmark Iran nuclear deal.
The review of sales between Boeing and Iran represent a first step to possibly canceling the deals, which have come under criticism by U.S. lawmakers and foreign policy experts who maintain the Islamic Republic will use the American aircraft to boost its air force and illicit weapons trade, according to multiple sources who spoke to the Free Beacon.
Putting aside the fact that the Washington Post is late to the story, the problem here is that, despite the initial blunders of Bahrain, the Bahraini government has shown restraint. In the last three years, Bahraini protestors killed 20 police officers and injured more than 3,000 others. Over the same period of time, however, Bahraini police have not killed protestors. The problem increasingly appears not to be a Bahraini tone-deafness providing inroads to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but rather the Iranian government trying to throw a wrench into Bahrain's efforts to calm the situation.Denounced by his brothers, Pakistani Jew says he's being thrown to an 'apostate lynch mob'
I accompanied Bahraini protestors in 2012, the year after the "Pearl Monument uprising" began. They had a compelling list of grievances, some of which the Bassiouni Commission acknowledged in its subsequent investigation. While with the opposition, I was tear-gassed for the first time in more than two decades, but I also witnessed opposition throwing Molotov cocktails—hardly the weapon of the non-violent—at the security forces.
It's also important to recognize that Bahraini government concern about Iranian interference was never entirely without merit. The 1981 coup attempt in Bahrain was decisively and irrefutably Iranian in origin. Nor does a survey of the graffiti in Manama leave any doubt as to what the protestors' goal is: the overthrow of the Bahraini monarchy.
With dueling allegations of "insanity" and "fear of anti-Semitism," two Pakistani men have taken to international media to disprove their brother's beliefs about their deceased mother's faith.
After a protracted legal fight to be officially recognized as Jewish in Pakistan, based upon claims that his mother was born a Jew, Fischel (Faisal) Benkhald, 29, gained international media attention last week with the announcement that Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADA) will soon issue him a new identification card. It will be the first time in decades that Pakistan registers a citizen as Jewish.
Benkhald, whose story was documented in a 2014 Times of Israel article, maintains a high profile on social media, complete with the Twitter handle @Jew_Pakistani, and has been interviewed broadly about his campaign to preserve Karachi's old Jewish cemetery.
In the lengthy 2014 interview, Benkhald described his earliest childhood memories of his mother, whom he said was born to an Iranian Jewish family. He recalled the aroma of his mother's challah baking in the oven every Friday afternoon. He said that before dusk he would watch her recite blessings over the Shabbat candles.
"When she used to put her hands over her eyes it felt so serene, as if she has no worries of worldly life, reciting the blessing welcoming the holy day. Her lovely eyes and smile looking at me are engraved in my memory, I always prayed with her," he told The Times of Israel.