Forum posts made by flytoomuch

Ostrovnoy (Murmansk, Russia)

Thumbs Up looks good! I'm easy.......whatever it looks like, I'm sure all us scribblers will aspire to one.

Congratulations to the top 5, well done!

Well it's wonderful for a woman to be a virgin and to share that with a special man. For the man it is a sacred obligation to make sure it is AMAZING for her. As "first time" stories demonstrate it can be wonderful.

Nice to know the Aussie's have outlawed socks & sandals. Civilization may be clinging by a thread, but Australia is fighting back!!

Well in honor of all the gorgeous Australian women I went "Aussie" the other night. A huge tasty Aussie Rib Eye roast, rare, paired with a 98' and 02' "Dead Arm" Shiraz. Hard to say which bottle was better. The nose is so lush and rich with lots of black currant and eucalyptus. Both amazing wines and I have to respect D'Arenberg for not raising the price even though they keep getting outstanding ratings from Parker. Hard to find a better wine for US$50 if you ask me.

Age differences like racial and ethnic differences can bring energy and stimulation to a relationship. Celebrate the differences....especially by writing Lush stories about them.

Does regulating the use of guns work? Well Canada's homicide rate is some 300%+ lower than the USA's and Japan (which has even more restrictive rules) is like a few thousand percent less. Hmmm I guess guns do actually kill people. Who would'a thunk that?

Penfolds Grange is probably the nicest drop I've had out of Australia (best use the company account for that one...). Another Australian winemaker I like is D'Arenberg, with The Footbolt Shiraz perhaps being my favourite (reasonably priced too).


Now you see it, now you don't. Isn't it funny how quickly the "company account" credit card disappears when someone expresses genuine enthusiasm for a Magnum of 1990 Grange? Haha well better see which of my clients I can stuff that little gem into? You certainly are a woman of contrasts jumping from Grange straight into Footbolt? A man would certainly be kept on his toes with you around to confuse him. I totally agree however. Different wines for different occasions and if a wine is good, pull the cork (or in the case of modern Australia...twist the cap) and pour the wine out. You don't drink the price tag and since there are so many well made wines at a reasonable price, why forego all that lingerie you could buy with the money you save?? I guess I'll wait until I'm with someone who really wants to show off their black credit card and then I'll softly suggest that a wine expert I know in Australia by the name of Nicola highly recommends Penfold's Grange and see if he falls for it.

When Nicola drops in and "name drops" a "GRANGE" bomb.......haha we're talking serious coin gentlemen??? Let's assume our date is wearing a Roberto Cavalli "Little Black Dress" and some nice Cartier jewelry? Grange? Seriously? For me it is over-priced. I'm going to suggest we go for a 1996 D'Arenberg "Dead Arm" and spend the money we saved on her new lingerie outfit? Hey that's just me. Oh Nicola's treat on the CORPORATE ACCOUNT? Really? Okay, let's order a Magnum of 1990 Grange then? Otherwise let's order the "Dead Arm" and shop for lingerie.

http://www.bidforwine.co.uk/photos/0003/0426/005.JPG?1343307606

Ummmmmm? No, it's idiotic.

Well I don't know about putting her in the stocks? She is an IDIOT however and as Gulfcoaster has pointed out she was endangering lives. If she had killed your child perhaps you might be less objective about the whole matter? I have had few "close calls" in my life driving and I hate IDIOT drivers who endanger other people's lives. I don't know what the law allows, but aside from the sign she got off very easily.

Haha Buz well "winning" is a relative concept. The Middle East has a VERY long history and is littered with the flotsam of "victorious" societies such as Imperial Rome, the Ottoman Empire, Phoenicians, etc. The USA and Israel have been riding the wave for a relative microsecond compared to these civilizations. We'll see what the future holds. Today is simply yesterday's "tomorrow". I feel it incumbent upon myself to live a decent life so your philosophy of "the dominant will win" has no attraction for me. It is true minds are rarely changed, but history moves and history changes. Sometimes the shifts are subtle, but once they happen huge changes can occur: the Berlin Wall can fall, slavery can end, women can vote, science can advance and medicines can be invented. I've led a life dictated by my own compass and my own values and I want all people to be treated with dignity and fairness. Naive and laughable I know. "Might is right" would be a shallow dark place for me to inhabit and I'd never fall in love with books like the Life of Pi if I lived there.

Good luck with your whole "the dominant win" approach, it's not for me. I'm an underdog sort of guy.

Lord Byron, thanks again for your cogent and on-point contribution. I agree it's appropriate to bring up the King David Hotel bombing and the USS Liberty as a couple of examples, but there are many others. However the idea that Israel represents USA interests or ideals in the Middle East is fallacious on a much broader scale than simply these incidents.

As a factual matter Palestinians are a Semitic people (Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic, Ge'ez, Maltese, Canaanite/Phoenician, Amorite, Eblaite, Ugaritic, Sutean, Chaldean, Mandaic, Ahlamu, Amharic, Tigre and Tigrinya among others are all Semitic peoples) so the whole "racial theory" underpinning Israel is a bunch of hogwash as is the often mis-used term "anti-semitic". This also means if Lady X is correct and Palestinians have a racial predilection for violence then Israelis share the same genetic gene.

It was my exact point that Lady X's gratuitous description of Palestinians as "terrorists" does not move us any closer to a resolution. Rather than intending to be helpful or informative Lady X's post was clearly intended to be provocative. The "State" violence of occupation and dispossession imposed by Israel is is far worse than anything the Palestinians have been able to inflict in return. As Lord Byron correctly points out the Palestinians are REACTING to violence inflicted on them, not acting. They are the victims. They need assistance from the world community, not demonization.

The USA and many of its people/media outlets tend to have very short selective memories. Let's look at another group of "terrorists" that America opposed along with Israel. The ANC and Nelson Mandela were labeled by the USA as terrorists:

http://www.salon.com/2011/02/05/ronald_reagan_apartheid_south_africa/

Nelson Mandela was, of course, a co-founder of the MK Group and engaged in an armed struggle against apartheid South Africa (I supported them 100%). The United States labeled the ANC and Nelson Mandela "terrorists" and claimed they "would never deal with them"?? Really? The key ally and supplier of military hardware to apartheid South Africa? Yes, you guessed it: Israel. It was the rest of the world EX-USA/Israel that led the way against apartheid South Africa with the USA only joining in the struggle very late. Today Nelson Mandela is a revered leader worldwide and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. As an interesting side note, Nelson Mandela is a strong supporter of the Palestinian people. Now here is someone who knows just a tiny bit about "racism". Mr. Mandela's comments on Israel are well known and are perhaps more convincing than mine.

If Lady X and her supporters refuse to talk or negotiate with the Palestinians because of alleged "terrorism" then there can never be any settlement. Likewise if the Palestinians refused to talk to Israel because of Israeli violence then nothing can be achieved. As a matter of reality Britain talked to the IRA, America talks to "terrorists" every day and people need to accept and move forward. The Palestinians and the entire Arab world have made this offer to Israel several times. Every time they have been rebuffed and ignored. The blockage to peace is neither the PLO or Hamas, the blockage to peace is Israel's clear policy of colonizing the West Bank and retaining the entire "Holy Israel" and the USA election system/media which holds the USA lock-step with the Israeli position. The rest of the world views the conflict entirely differently than the USA as has been made clear by the UN vote. On this issue the USA stands virtually alone. Many American allies deal with Hamas, fund Hamas and work with Hamas to develop strategies towards a solution to the conflict which will benefit the entire region, including the people of Israel.

If I were as dogmatic and closed minded as Lady X then I would say to Palestinians "don't talk to those nasty Israelis". I don't take this position because I understand you need to have dialogue even with your worst enemy if you want to solve the core issues. Sometimes these parties need outside help and guidance to overcome their own internal radical constituencies, this is true of both Israel and the Palestinians. The USA's lack of creative responses and input is one of the key factors that has allowed Israel to manipulate the USA and has prevented the USA from playing an effective role. The USA needs to stop being Israel's stooge and become the world leader it claims to be.

So far Lady X has never responded and explained how Americans would act if they were invaded and occupied for decades? I maintain that citizens of the USA, good god fearing gun-totting people that they are, would be entirely more violent in their response than the poor Palestinians.

It wouldn't post my link, so I re-posted below.

Hmm? I haven't noticed that I react differently? I'll try to pay attention in the future since this is an interesting question. I'm more concerned with the quality of the writing and the connection I get with the story. Generally I thought men were no good at writing and then I read Jaymal and Frank Lee and......oh.......I guess guys can write? Oh yeah, Hemingway was a guy wasn't he? Tolstoy was a guy too? But what about Jane Austen? Okay I counter Jane Austen with Lawrence Durrell. Oh you counter with Virginia Woolf. Okay I trump Virginia Woolf with Charles Dickens. Oh, you're playing the Mary Shelley card? Shit this is complicated?

I recently had a dinner where I was introduced to the new wines by Marchese Lodovico Antinori, founder of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, a chateau named Tenuta di Biserno. The wine I had was named Insoglio del Cinghiale and it is the foundation wine of Tenuta di Biserno. NOT EXPENSIVE AT ALL and extremely well made. I had the 2008 which RP gave 91 Points. The wine's name was inspired by one of the well-known works of Eugenio Cecconi, "La caccia al cinghiale nel padule di Burano," which means, "the boar shooting in the Burano marsh." Cecconi, a celebrated Italian post-impressionist, was a personal friend of Lodovico Antinori's grandfather, Piero Antinori. The Antinori family are, of course, renown in Italy for their exceptional wines. Cinghiale is especially meaningful to Tuscans because it has been a staple in the Tuscan diet for centuries, and, not surprisingly, a wonderful match for the rich, robust taste of Insoglio del Cinghiale.

Concentrated ruby color with purple hues. The nose is intensely fruity with a hint of spicy oak. The palate is balanced and harmonious, with rich fruit and a good backbone of tannins. Insoglio del Cinghiale will gain in complexity over the years if you store it, but it is certainly smooth and silky enough to drink a 2008 or 2009 now.

I really liked this wine and the price is a steal for the quality.

Varietal Composition: 35% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot

Homemade coconut ice-cream at the Sala Rim Naam restaurant in the Oriental Hotel, Bangkok. Served inside a young coconut with candied palm seeds on top and then some shavings of dry coconut sprinkled over it.

Listen.

Love Hardy and yes, love the book.

Wow....so many and it's like Sophie's Choice, how do you pick? Perhaps Across the Universe, Norwegian Wood (Murakami may have something to do with it haha), Hey Jude.....oh shit this is a LIST not a favorite?

Hey everyone....I'm leaving the front lines to have a bath and pick out my Christmas tree (a 7ft Noble Fir). John ducks and dodges the "in-coming" right wing Israeli insults and heads for the bathroom. It's been fun. I'm off to the boat show and to enjoy a sunny day in Hong Kong. Josh hold the front during my absence haha.

Oh shit, is that Lady X's drone outside my house. FUCK!! John runs!!! (CNN reports loud explosion in Hong Kong) Funeral dirge plays and eulogies for John are shown on Al Jazeera, but not on FOX News.

It's been a blast gang.

Lady X I think you might actually benefit from sitting on a plane for 13 hours and having a chance to have dialogue with Mr. Tutu. Unlike Obama and other fake leaders he has put himself on the line and stood up to violence and ignorance and racism. He does not curry favor or wealth or power and he speaks the truth. He is an example of what we all need to do in the smaller circle of our lives. I can do little, but I do refuse to purchase anything that I know has been made in Israel. This is my tiny little symbolic act. It is more than you do when you actively post and give comfort to the violent oppressor. Hamas arose because of US policy and intransigence, not the other way around. You then proceed to "set up" Hamas as your "argument" or "reason" as why you are incapable of offering a just solution. This is a fallacious argument without logic or factual foundation. Hamas is your American creation. Your facts and your interpretation of history leaves me baffled. Israel and America are the greatest military powers in the region by a multiple of 100's. The so called "security" of Israel and of the Palestinians can easily be guaranteed. There is simply no political will to oppose the Israeli right and the USA media machine they manipulate.

You have chosen to ignore the whole issue of how Americans would act in a situation such as the one the Palestinians are in? Put yourself and your other gun-totting freedom loving American citizens in the shoes of a Palestinian watching their house being demolished. What would YOU do and how would YOU react? Imagine your child being murdered by a man wearing a nice uniform? If you are not prepared to walk in the other person's shoes then I would suggest you are living in a glass house. The "car bomb-fest" as you choose to describe it is a REACTION, not an "action". A curious person might want to ask themselves, what in the world could possibly cause people to behave like this?? That curious person would then start a journey to understand how the Palestinians have arrived where they are. That curious person would NOT have made the post you made or hold the opinions you hold.

You can make fun of me for being well informed and for having actually been to Ramallah and Jerusalem and Petra and having met with and spoken to UN Observers, Palestinian people and Israelis, but this is typical again of Americans. Deride those who disagree with you and satirize them. Ignore history and facts and just plough ahead with your own opinions no matter how warped they may be. That's pretty much my impression of America. Haha I don't want to be "racist" but there are a terribly great number of Americans who have no health care, poor educations and a total ignorance of the wider world. You spend so much of your precious national wealth (or borrowed wealth from China) on weapons (which you then proceed to give away to Israel and miscellaneous dictators) that you can't actually afford proper health care or education for your own people (or so your politicians tell you). So sad.

Anyways Lady X I am very disappointed in your arguments and your opinions. Your lack of empathy or curiosity about important world events is rather shocking. Oh well c'est la vie. Carry on as an Israeli right wing cheerleader. It's not as if they lack applicants. As Lord Byron rightly points out the true Israeli cohort in America is not actually Jewish people it is wacko evangelical Christians. Accordingly you are not in this debate dealing with "facts" or rational debate. You are dealing with religious fanatics in both Israel and America. This religious fanaticism has engendered its own reactionary response in the Palestinian people. How surprising?

Haha I LOVE Ron Burgundy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For Lord Byron: "And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent." One of my favorite poems. The world could do with a few additional innocent hearts unfortunately.

Thanks Lord Byron for a cogent post that pretty much nails current Israel. It is important for observers to accept and understand that there is no viable peaceful way forward for the Palestinians with the radical right in Israel. These parties and leaders in Israel who embrace "Holy Israel" as a political imperative and that means the current and past governments are NOT nice people. I'm all for Freedom and Liberty for ALL and so a one-state solution is fine with me LB. I don't accept the subjugation of any peoples and that includes Egyptians under an American stooge or under the Muslim Brotherhood (yes Lady X I've been to Egypt too), the people of Saudi Arabia under a US stooge, the Gulf State peoples under US supported dictators, etc. America today lectures Syria on democracy while supporting some of the most brutal dictatorships around the world. The hypocrisy and double standards are not lost on the world. If America didn't like the pluralistic society of Syria (under a dictator) where women were free to go to university and work, if Syria is "tyranny" then for god's sake why are you selling weapons, fighter jets and crowd control technology to the Al Saud Family and the Al Thani Family???

A central problem I have with some of the posts above is the definition and description of "violence" as a one-sided affair seemingly limited to Palestinian resistance. The concept of Cuba lobbing missiles on the USA has been posed as a "comparable" situation. Actually it is simply NOT comparable. Violence is not simply guns and rockets. Violence takes many forms. For Americans let me put it this way: if Mexicans or Germans or some foreigners came to invade and take part of Texas, to annex part of American land, and got a UN "resolution" to legitimize their invasion (say Resolution 181?) how would Americans feel? Then Americans fought back and lost and the invaders occupied MORE American land with a large population of Americans (let's call these parts of Louisiana the "Occupied Territories") Then the invaders "legally declared" certain neighborhoods of these "Occupied Territories" in Louisiana "defense zones" and they proceeded to bulldoze American houses en-masse and expropriate American family's property what would be the response be from Americans? Americans would shoot the invaders, shoot the invader children, bomb them, burn down the invader's schools and buildings and Americans would form "illegal" American "terrorist gangs" of like-minded armed American citizens and AMERICANS WOULD FIGHT BACK tooth and nail! Inventive Americans in the Occupied Territories would smuggle in goods from Alabama, perhaps rockets provided by Canada?, and these very same Americans would lob those rockets into the invader cities. These American rockets would kill many Germans indiscriminately, but this would be okay for Americans because, in their minds they were the victims. After all the whole world was standing back doing nothing. Meanwhile the invaders would form courts, pass laws, create roads, expropriate land and create the infrastructure of a new state where the Americans who originally lived there for generations were second class citizens. Would Americans concern themselves unduly with which invaders and foreign attackers they were killing? I think not. The USA dropped the atomic bomb after all.

The violence of stealing a people's land and bulldozing a person's home is pretty primal and basic. I don't know about you, but if someone stole my home, bulldozed my building and harmed my children, I'd fucking kill them. But Hey, that's just me Lady X?

For those who don't quite grasp the concept yet, the Palestinians are RESISTING OCCUPATION. They are not the "invader" they are the "invaded party". Yes Israel relies on Resolution 181 to claim a legal patina to their violent Zionist invasion and occupation of Palestine, but at the end of the day it was the violent taking of a people's land by force. Conveniently and again with the current resolution Israel has ignored all subsequent UN Resolutions? I guess when you have the biggest fucking army you can PICK AND CHOOSE your legal justifications right?

Anyways, I'm done with this issue. The Palestinian people are used to being demonized by uninformed people like those who posted on here. I hold out little hope for peace since the United States, as in all matters, acts in its own short-term self interest. Israel, due to its own political dynamics, is incapable of moving towards peace and resolution. Israel will keep beating on the Palestinians, abusing them, dispossessing them and every once in a while the Palestinians will lash back at the violence inflicted upon them.

The world needs to step in, separate the parties and compensate the settlers for being moved out and settle this terrible situation once and for all. Why don't they do it? It would be (so people think?) political suicide for a US President to take firm action in this regard. Quite simply that's why people are dying, the USA political leadership is paralyzed on this issue and bound hand and foot by a radical theological sect of Israelis.

To Lady X: Israel today announced they would build “thousands of new homes for settles” in the occupied West Bank (Reuters 7 minutes ago). So what do you propose the Palestinians do Lady X? Beg? Cry? Throw a temper tantrum? It has been a few decades and this is the same story, more and more illegal settlements taking more and more Palestinian land. You seem to think this is okay?

So then let’s pose the historical corollary: was Jewish resistance to German occupation of Poland terrorism? Were the Irgun and Haganah “terrorist organizations” under the British Mandate? Any opinion on the bombing of the King David Hotel or the Dir Yassin Massacre? How about the massacres in Southern Lebanon? How about the leveling of Quneitra and towns in the Golan Heights? Israeli’s today celebrate these events and revere those who carried them out? Put simply Lady X the Israelis who did these acts WERE ALL TERRORISTS. Yet Israeli’s think they were heroes? History is funny that way since if you “win” you get to change the language. Will Hamas revere their heroes in the same historical prism of language as the Israelis?

Yes Lady X it suits your purposes to sweep the historical context of the conflict under the carpet. However it is not so easy for a Palestinian under occupation TODAY. I know from how you write that you have never been to Palestine and you have never seen a person murdered by a soldier in uniform in front of your eyes let alone a child. Is the state sanctioned violence of the Israeli army in some way more palatable to you Lady X? You write about “terrorism” and the Palestinian struggle in such a blasé and one-sided manner. For most of the objective observers in the world it is the Israeli soldiers and the Israeli government who are the real “terrorists” and not the Palestinian victims.

So for you do you define “Israel today” as Ariel Sharon’s Israel or Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel? Is there any difference? The Royal Family of Saudi Arabia made a unilateral offer of peace to Israel that Netanyahu has failed to respond to?? Why? Answer: They have NO INTENTION of giving any land to the Palestinians.

Okay Lady X, Israel “today”, here it goes: The occupation continues decade after decade and Palestinians have no rights; Gaza is a prison camp under a merciless deadly embargo; the land grab in the West Bank continues day by day (see todays news) without respite; illegal “settlement” expansion continues on a daily basis; new illegal settlements are being created each month; Palestinian’s face humiliating and stifling roadblocks daily preventing commerce or free movement; Palestinians are forced onto “Palestinian Roads” on their own land and excluded from “Jewish Roads”; Palestinian farmers are denied water while virtually all water is diverted to “Jewish farms”; collective punishment is inflicted on Palestinians on a continual basis; hundreds of Palestinians waste away under arbitrary imprisonment without trial for years; shall I continue?

Israel has created a racist state, which affords rights and privileges based on race and religion. It actively engages in the racist collective suppression of the Palestinian people and is undeniably driving them from their own land TODAY (i.e. RIGHT NOW!!). This is the very definition of a racist state.

Lady X you made comments that implied a “racial” quality to the Palestinian resistance. You made the direct suggestion of a racial predilection for violence and this suggestion IS RACIST. I don’t think you even know any Palestinians?? Such racist allegations are ignorant and stupid and should be beneath you.

Israel is a terrible aggressive and violently militaristic society that is funded and armed by the United States. Israel is aggressively pursuing legal constructs and military policies to annex and colonize the Palestinian territories, such little area that remains. I don’t presume to suggest, notwithstanding the evidence, that Jews have a racial tendency towards such violence. You similarly should not characterize Palestinians as gross caricatures; they are human beings who have suffered incredibly under occupation for decades. Many Jews oppose Israel’s actions and many Jews historically directly opposed the entire concept of Zionism. Accordingly I don’t characterize all Israelis as violent racists and you are wrong to have accused the victim for attempting to resist the on-going brutal occupation.

Lady X. As for "racism" I quote: "They can't help themselves from committing terrorism, firing rockets, bombing buses, you name it. It's what they do." This is an ignorant and clearly RACIST comment. You should be ashamed. My next post will deal with the rest of your arguments. This is the "racist" part of your comment, which Josh was quite correct to have been shocked by.

As for your opinions being "your own" then I am even further shocked. If you genuinely believe such simplistic drivel as you have written then I am shocked. I just assumed you had not read much history and had little exposure to the conflict and the suffering of the Palestinian people other than what is provided by the USA based media. USA media is so biased for Israel and peddles so much false and misleading information on the conflict I was hoping to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you have read about the history of the conflict and you still do not understand that the Palestinians are the VICTIMS here then what can I say?

Thanks Josh and it is quite correct as you point out that any review of a map of the West Bank from 1967 till now delineating the Israeli illegal settlements will pretty well tell the entire story of what has happened under the occupation. Such a map only shows the land grab. It does not give you any sense of the daily fear and humiliation Palestinians are subjected to (and worse) by the Israeli military and the obnoxious radical Jewish so-called "Settlers". Israel is very adept also at using "legal" methods of dispossession, subjugation and humiliation. Israel have a well trained and well oiled PR machine to "explain" everything in very politically correct language on the readily available USA "news" outlets. I put "news" in brackets intentionally.

UN recognition in the General Assembly means little actually. So long as the USA President walks lock-step with the intransigent Israeli politicians nothing will move forward. Israel has no intention of implementing a two-state solution. When peaceful negotiations are not possible what is left for the Palestinians? Many of them are already living in a large prison camp and have been in this situation for decades? "Security" concerns are the constant refrain from Israel. This is a straw man argument. The Saudi Government and royal family have already offered peace and recognition on behalf of the Arab League if Israel agrees to the two-state solution. The Palestinian authority has also agreed and Hamas has made the same position known to all through back channels. It is Israel who has refused. They refuse because they are politically incapable of accepting the solution in their convoluted domestic fragmented political chaos where hardline parties run the show. Also they benefit economically from having a "state of war" exist. It gives Israel access to massive
amounts of USA and European aid, military gifts and massive funds wired by world-wide supporters.

Only the USA can force a compromise solution. This requires a second term president with some real moral fibre. So far this has been a non-existent commodity.

To confuse Americans and those who throw the word "terrorist" around so readily let's just look at who supports radical fanatical Islam? Was it the moderate Hashemite Palestinians with plural urban societies that included Moslems, Christians and Jews for centuries? I think not. How about the crazies, I mean the real crazies. Yes the Salafi/Wahhabi crazies. Yes the Al Saud Family and the rest of the Gulf State wako's. Oh who put them in power and is their ally? OH DEAR, it's the good old USA. Yes, George Bush held hands with old man Al Saud. Want to cut off hands? Want to oppress women? Visit America's allies. Isn't it funny how many threads lead back to the White House? Saudi's funded and trained the people who committed 9/11. Saudi's fund the radical Islamic schools in Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia has oil. George Bush holds hands with the Al Saud Family? Got that FOX News?

Friday = Roast Beef and my special family Angel Cake. Friends visiting from Bangkok. Nice wine too.

Yes, congratulations to the winners. Well done!! So many entries this time which was incredible. I was happy to finally FINISH a story in time. Haha.

Hmmm let's add just a tiny bit of historical context here. The Israelis started out as "terrorists" (pictures on posters and everything....yes REALLY) and were guilty and continue to be guilty of their fair share of obnoxious shit. I think one-sided clearly vehement political posturing is NOT helpful in moving towards a peaceful solution to this historical injustice? The Palestinian people have been beaten on long enough and this shit has to end. God did not give this land to the Israeli's, they took it by force. It is time the world stepped in and stopped the racist occupation of a people that Britain abandoned.

This uninformed post is clear evidence that people may be capable of writing good stories, but in their spare time they might be main-lining too much FOX News. The global instability created by illegal Israeli occupation destabilizes the entire world and puts us all at risk. The USA for the sake of the votes of NY, NJ and Florida is putting the entire world in an untenable position by supporting an aggressive illegal occupation of Palestine. I applaud France and the other countries who finally stood up to the USA and I deplore my own country Canada for their racist stand on this issue. I do not and will never accept a racist state such as that of Israel. Racism must be stamped out around the world.

As a further embellishment of the above, I have actually been to Palestine and Israel and have seen facts on the ground with my own eyes. I have also read the history of the Middle East, have been to Deir Yassin and Quneitra and walked the Golan Heights. I have sipped a glass of wine in the Bekka Valley, visited Baalbeck and walked the ancient Umayyad streets of Anjar. I have shared many cups of coffee in the ancient souk of Lawrence's "Damascus". I am not exactly ignorant on the history of the formation of Israel or its shameful treatment of the Palestinian people.

Americans like to throw around the word "terrorism" a great deal. I can, should you wish, recite volumes of "terrorist" acts planned and perpetrated by the Government of the USA. The fact that you in the USA have the most massive military in the world (and consequently owe us here in China trillions of dollars HAHA-- the joke is on YOU) does not make you MORALLY CORRECT or justified in your political posturing. The Palestinian people were a western looking European people who peacefully sought self-government under the British mandate. The British lied to them and tricked them and imprisoned, exiled or murdered their political leaders. Palestine had a passport, stamps and a civil government in place before large scale jewish immigration was forced upon them. The "radicalization" of the Palestinian people has developed over the decades and has been a direct result of their brutal occupation and merciless treatment by Israel. Israel's intransigent and voraciously land grabbing radical Israeli right wing successive governments have radicalized Palestine, full stop.

I am sad that Lady X's post is so racist and so ill-informed on the historical origins of the current struggle by Palestinians for justice. I had a chance to ride with Desmond Tutu on a flight to NYC and speak with him about Palestine. The entire world (ex-USA) understands the truth about Palestine and great moral leaders like Mr. Tutu are the visible voice of justice for Palestinians. I participated in the boycott against South Africa and I similarly call on fair minded people around the world to boycott Israeli products. The world does not need more wars and injustice. America is simply (for domestic political reasons) plain WRONG on this issue.