Palestine

 Pacifism and Peace in Palestine, People!

Why is Palestine fighting?   The Palestinian conflict started in 1948.   There have been 15 wars since then, between Israel and Palestinians.   They're different religions, basically.   And the Palestinians were made into refugees.  Israel has all the power, money, and military.   It's the strong vs. the weak.  It's a fight between brothers, though.   Ishmael and Jacob, or something.   Since Oct. 7 (2023):  48,400+ Palestinians have been killed.   1700+ Israelis.   The October 7 attack killed like 1200 Israelis, with like 250 abductions.  Israel has lost 400+ troops in the fighting.   At least 110,000 people have been injured in the war.   1 in 20 Palestinians.  Israel is basically like, fuck with us, we're going to retaliate 7 fold, and plus some.   We'll kill you, your people, and your grandmother, too.   So leave us alone.  But Palestine is like, fuck this shit, stop bombing us, tear down the wall, and let's share the land and live in peace.

Sodom and Gomorroh are cities in the Bible that were destroyed by God for their evil, wickedness, and sin.    They're also in the Quran.   Gaza and the West Bank is not S&G.   Personally, I think individuals are depraved, not entire cities.   And not that many of us, either.

sodomy, by the way, is anal sex.   It can also mean oral sex,  but people don't use it that way.

Gomorrah reminds me of Sonora, and gonorrhea.

Please stop fighting.   Please.   Be kind.   Share.   We're family.

Obviously, it's complicated, and there's nuance, and it's not that simple (is peace really fiendishly complex, though?).   This is what I feel, and the world needs goodwill and prayer (and skilled diplomacy).  Amen.   The IDF response has been couched in terms of security, not retaliation, and they certainly don't want the world to think they're targeting grandmothers, but fuck are they pissed.   God help the Middle East.   Leave the Jews alone.   Let Gaza be.  Can't we all just get along?  Just return the freaking hostages, already.  Then build back better.    Easy for me to say.

Numbers and words:   3332.   92.   IT.

(what we do)a.   read watch listen, eat exercise sleep,  write talk create,  work play.

(deity categories)b. Father Son HolySpirit, creator preserver destroyer,  good bad neutral,   love hate.

Pacifist WHARFISM.     God seeks peace, but gets mad.   Really, really, REALLY mad.    Anger, Hatred, Rage, Wrath, Fury, Ire, Spite, Malice.    That's 8 shades of MEANing.   SINonyms.   Not just absurd words if the antipathy defeats sympathy, and the fighting gets biting, and the malice reaches the palace, and God's breath turns into death, and the lying turns into dying.    Anger has fangs.  Rage can last for ages.  Wrath has an aftermath, and bloodbath.  Pure fury causes insane pain.  Ire gets dire, with fire and fury.   Spite can feel quite right.   Peace is action, not attitude, so your mom says to stay calm.

cash, money, cheddar, cabbage, dolla dolla billz, dead prez, ice in my teeth keep the crystale cold, word.

words like serility and gadaxity

Los Mochi! Yum

Geografía Mexicana

Piedras Negras and the black rock desert of Nevada

Paraíso and Paradise, CA (and all the saints in Todos Santos)...but sinful in Sinaloa (ver a cruz)

Kangaroos from Quintana Roo?  A pack of Chihuahuas invading from Chihuahua?   Raccoons from Cancún?  Lions from León and Nuevo León,   Hawks from Oaxaca :-)

Amazing Mazatlán, glad ha in Guadalajara, Summer Camp in Campeche,  it's pretty in Hermosillo, peaceful in La Paz,  snoring in Sonora

Mitch from Michoacán, Tammy from Tamaulipas and Tampico, Dua Lipa from Tamaulipas

Matamoros (kill muslims??) (braggart),  Slapped in SLP (San Luis Potosí),  and warriors from Guerrero

Pleased bellies in Belize!  Chuy Stu

In the Top 7%

 Richard says, I'm Rich!

I get SSA, SSI, Medicare, Medi-cal, free Dental, my brother pays my phone service, I have an ideal rent-controlled apartment in Berkeley CA, and there are things like free libraries, wifi, and food pantries...

(791+412) x 12 = 14,436/year.    The health insurance (and medications) are worth x.   An income of say, $18,500 happens to be the average farm-worker salary, in the Bay Area.  That's $50.70/d.    Only 7% of the world earns $50+/d.  

85% of the world (6.5B) earns less than $30/d.  71% earns less then $10/d.  50% earns less than $5.50/d.

Half the world earns $6.85/d ($2500/yr or less).   9.2% of the world lives on $1.90/d ($700/yr)

SSA?  Social Security Administration.  Or, Sub-Saharan Africa.  60% of the global poor live in the SSA.

Israel, is riled up

 Israelis and Palestinians

Yahweh vs. Allah, lol

j/k

Stupid, stupid, stupid, if you ask me

There should have been a single state solution

Then, there should have been a two-state solution

Now?   There’s a no state solution

Everyone’s fuct

Pray to God all you want

God doesn’t care

Only soldiers should be killed, in my opinion

And Israel should give the option to opt out of joining the IDF

God is a pacifist

Thou shalt not kill

If you join the fight, then you risk death.  Them’s the rules.

Everybody else should be safe.

How does this end?  How long will there be war?   Too much hatred.   People as pawns.   Leaders sacrificing their youth.   Is it too much to hope all the malice can be vented, leaving everyone sated?  No.   That’s a stupid idea.   That’s not how it works.  Resentments and spite will only grow with every killing.   Forgiveness between entire societies seems like it would be a miracle.   But it IS the holy land, so one can still hope for the miraculous.   I don’t believe in miracles, though.   

The only solution?  Clear out everybody.  Nobody deserves the land, now.   Give it to an entirely new group, and evict all the Israelis AND all the Palestinians.   Otherwise, there will be enmity forever, no end in sight.

Have al lottery of religions.

Everybody but the muslims and jews.   

Hm, the christians - should they have a chance at it?

They had their chance to make peace, 

  to let them know we are christians by our love, and such.

Maybe just as good a chance as the Pastafarians, lol.

Give another religion a chance.

No, nevermind.   That’s a stupid idea, too.

Let history start fresh, a new beginning.

A land for everybody, all religions, maybe.

A holy land that is a giant melting pot for the entire world.

I like that idea.   A land without laws, an anarchist country?

All the world’s criminals, sent to start over?  Like Australia was?

Or, whoever wins this war, take all.

So, probably Israel.   No more Palestine.

Pretty dumb move to start this shit, if you ask me.  

The sooner one side gives up, the better.

Whichever side is less heinous, (the laws of war), will have goodwill on their side.  “God” you could say.  The underdog is the Palestinians...  

War is not the answer.   What was the question?

I admit, I am an idiot, too.   It's in the hands of God!  (me?)

I'm not choosing sides. I like everybody.

It's a mess, and cleanliness is next to godliness! 

Maybe it will work out for the better, who's to say?

Yahweh - ah = Hewy = Huey = Huey Lewis and the News

Allah - ah = All! = 7 = Y’weh, also

7 vs. 7.   Like a gay spat.   A sword fight.

Holy Land and Hannibal Lecter and Huey Lewis

Heavenly love or hating life, HL = hell

Is wry elle, pal uh stein

Ellen having a beer

Or Ben Stein reading Elle magazine

War is hell, hell is other people, ‘other people’ is a short story by Neil Gaiman

God is a man of war, thou shalt not kill is a commandment

Leave the killing to me (old age!)

Wry wit and a riot, A laugh riot, Quiet riot, It’s it, buy it

Israel, Israeli (1), Palestine, Jew (2), Palestinian (3)

and so on and so forth, etc., and such, yada

digging holes in the earth in the holy land

dropping charges against those who planted depth charges

Negotiate immediately, for a two state solution, is my two cents.

Stop calling each other savages, and pre-empt the violence with a granting of sovereign territory.    Easy for me to say, right?  Well?   Why not?  In exchange for imprisonment of war criminals, say.   And maybe tearing down the walls.  Counter-intuitive, but a shocking response, almost like turning the other cheek, say.   No?

NM within NM

 Good Morning!   Happy Friday.  I finished my mushroom coffee;  but there are a couple coffee shops nearby I could go to.  The pastries are expensive, so I can go to 7-11 instead for that.  I think 7-11 has coffee, too, actually.   WHRB jazz, brushed teeth, vitamins, and checked my blog.  I made the bed.  It’s raining (lightly) outside.  I didn’t oversleep (much).  The gang returns tomorrow.  I’ll try and read a book of short stories by then.  I pulled 3 other books from the shelves, but one is ambitious enough.  Felix had breakfast (2 yummy wriggling mealworms!).  Asa is crying downstairs.  The “magic lamp”  is on high, illuminating the living room.  BM’s at her spot, on the couch.  And I like the leather armchair.   After 4p, I’ll go to Bollywood Theater and spend the last of my $50 giftcard, today.  I’ve spent $30 on Korean bbq, $15 on thai, $50 on groceries, 150+23 on Amtrak, and $5 on a coffee and pastry; plus some food on the train ($9).  I spent $18 at Subway, before I boarded, in Emeryville.   I spent $3 on mealworms.  So about a hundred on food and 175 on transportation.  

I hope Sara had a nice birthday.   Her instagram has some pics, from PV.  I looked at the pics on the Wikipedia article for PV.  I feel bad for the folks in Syria and Turkey.   I should really not spend too much, so I can contribute to relief.   Feeling good about helping would be worth it, I think.  What a goddamn nightmare*, huh?  Nightmares within nightmares...  How much good can Buddhism do for suffering when you're homeless and starving and cold and surrounded by death and dying?  Ugh.   (well, maybe a lot)

*a night "mare" has nothing to do with a female horse; the etymology is from a mythological demon or goblin that torments sleepers with frightening dreams.

god, goblin or demon (!)

     good old days, good orderly direction, 

     gold oil diamonds, get outdoors, get on down

10: does Satan frighten Aten?

winter storm on top of earthquake, war, covid

God is like an operating system.  It keeps updating, improving.

There's no word for "better-than-God".   I could of course invent one.

But most theologians I assume, think God is 

     perfect, most high, best (already, and by definition)

Some of us find fault, however.  Those of us who think. 

God 8.6.0 or something;  Ubergod!

mejorquedios

"you've reached the law firm of Penis, Prick, Pecker & Snatch: how may I help you?"

Travel

World, Dimensions, Time

spacetime, teleportation
cosmonaut, going through portals (front doors?)
reading, jumping around into different virtual worlds, author's heads
culture shock, different languages
   dreams, videogames, programming

like in:

The Long Earth, Terry Pratchett
Terminator
Harry Potter, JK Rowling
The Magicians, Lev Grossman
Time Bandits
Star Trek
Being John Malkovich
Groundhog Day
Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
      etc.

drugs, too.  "psychonaut"

Geography Gets Personal

embedded names

(30!)
nick in nicaragua, ana in guyana, tina in argentina
barb in barbuda, barbados
suri in suriname, malia in somalia, cameron in cameroon
rocco in morocco, al in algeria, maury/tanya, molly, chad, sue, dan
peggy and libby in egypt and libya, ben in benin
ken in kenya, bob in zimbabwe
   sara and leone in sierra leone
george in georgia, lots of stans, phillip in philippines
monty in montenegro, don in macedonia
sam in samoa, solomon has his own islands
beck in uzbekistan

Oaxaca!

My 5 day trip abroad
with Sara, Pierre, and Augustus (Augie)

I'm just back (returned last night) from a trip to southern Mexico, 2 flights each way (SFO to Mexico City, then Mexico City to Oaxaca), where the 4 of us stayed at a lovely  BNB house (with pool) in San Pablo Etla, overlooking a valley, 25 minutes from Central Oaxaca.  We rented a car (white jetta), and went on excursions to Monte Alban (pyramid), Mitla (petrified waterfall and pools of Hierve (bubbling) de Agua, with pre-columbian channels carved into the rock), and of course the Zocalo, with two impressive churches (St. Dominic of Guzman, especially) DoG!.  I bought a figurine of a high priest/scribe, at Alban.  And I bought a keychain of a painted jaguar head, from the museum shop.  I could have done more X-mas shopping, but I'm mostly through with that, already.  The second leg of our flight in was rushed, and we dashed through the airport, but made the flight in good time.

The meals were fantastic, and I had a Tlayuda (a traditional Oaxacan dish, recommended by a roommate); a yellow mole (Oaxaca (pronounced wuh-hawk-uh) is called the "land of 9 moles", I think); chocolate beverage, lots of tacos, and three beers (victoria and corona).  Sara made egg sandwiches a few times.  I did lots of translating, and had a few satisfying experiences of almost total comprehension.  I brought 2 spanish-english dictionaries (easy/with sample sentences, and comprehensive), as well as "2001 modismos/idioms", an Economist, and a book of "best buddhist writing" (which was nice, on the plane).  I have a long way to go before fluency, but knowing the numbers helped with paying meal and parking bills.  We also stopped at an ATM (agave tequila mezcal) fabrica, and sampled Espadin, the recommended variety. 

We saw a large spider (the largest I've ever seen, excluding zoo tarantulas) that the gardeners eventually killed, 2 scorpions (one in the bathroom, and another in the city, on the sidewalk), an amazing caterpillar, lots of street dogs, chickens, burros, goats, cattle, and birds (a flock of black birds, a yellow bird with a black and white head, a hummingbird that bounced off a screen door), different bugs like bumblebees, honey bees (on a tree, eating sap, I think), butterflies, a strider (on the pool), a bug IN the pool, and other assorted foreign (to me, anyway) ants and beetle things.  I squished a rather large spider that was inside a house.  I expected more birds.  The state of Oaxaca has more kinds of birds than the entire US, I learned from wikipedia, beforehand.  The valley had lots of barking dogs, intermittent booming fireworks, and distant announcements on loudspeakers (political?).  Also, turkeys cats and lizards.

The city was bustling, and Pierre did an excellent job of being a well-oriented navigator.  The drive in, at night, was memorable.  There was a blackout in our neighborhood.  I was anxious about getting split up, and we had an adventure picking up items from a pharmacy, that luckily worked out perfectly fine.  Monte Alban is a unesco site, and we climbed up (and down) the pyramid.  There was a field trip of school children there, with us.  On the way to Hierve, the trip up and down the mountain, in the cab, and on the bench in back, was interesting, and memorably scenic.  Hector the Protector drove us there, and I sat in the back on the way back, which was also an experience.  I believe there were 13 of us on the way back (including the driver).  We ate at El Asador Vasco, La Olla, los Danzantes, and la Cuchilla.  I sat for Augie while S+P went to El Criollo (restaurant).  Augie fell asleep in his chair while his tablet played cartoons.  Another restaurant had a tv with Disney in Spanish, where we stopped before going to the airport.  I had a waffle, OJ, and fruit yogurt.  Honking your horn is called a 'bocinazo'.  Parking is 'estacionamiento' (e.g. No E)  Bumpiness is 'terrazeria.' We used our phones to help navigate.

I listened to a bit of radio (UU "ooh ooh"), which played American music (!), and I used my tablet and phone (the house has wifi).  Pierre and Sara both did work on their computers, while in Mexico.  I read my Economist, and surveyed the home's extensive library.  The weather was lovely.  Hector told me the rainfall was good this year.  I asked about the earthquake.  I saw lots of agave, many varieties of cactus, and some corn.  I brought two long-sleeve shirts, but ended up wearing one of Pierre's t-shirts. 

When asked, I translated bitcoin as 'moneda-mordida'.   But on second thought, it could be several things: 'moneda-bitio/moneda-bit (digital bite)', or perhaps 'moneda-mordisco' (mouth or meal bite), or as 'moneda-moneda' (bit and coin are synonyms).  I'm not sure it needs translating: the whole world can just call it 'bitcoin,' as far as I'm concerned.  It's value was of ongoing interest throughout the trip.

I brought my backpack and carry-on luggage with me, both ways.  We had to throw out my sunscreen coming in, and I was selected -on the way back- for a second baggage-screening.  We saw police and ambulance.  Policia, Ambulancia, farmacia (lots of cia!).  At the house (an idyllic xanadu!), I accidentally pulled down the mosquito net that was over my bed.  I had 4 beds to choose from.  I had enjoyably vivid dreams.  There were gardeners and housekeepers.  Sara and Pierre bought (sun) hats for the 3 of them.  I didn't see a toad river or seminary (street name translations).   I lost 9 pounds.

Augie was both fun and difficult, which is to be expected of a 3 y.o., I imagine.  Sara and Pierre got sick, toward the end.  I got overly anxious and stressed, I think.  We were tired.  I took Bart home from the airport, to Berkeley; they took a Lyft back to Oakland.  Augustus played with dinosaurs and trains.  There was ice cream/cake, suckers, and gummy candies, that he got wired on, plus yogurt and fruit.  He was excited about monsters, skeletons, zombies, and giants, and "castles" (churches).   He looked at youtube videos, and google pics of trains, dinosaurs, and peacocks.  He called the internet the "inner-not" :-).

We had a brief conversation about Mexico being "dark."   They celebrate death:  Dia de los muertos, skulls and skeletons, posada-imagery.  Santa Muerte, and (pre-columbian) Aztec sacrifice.  Anyway, the people were amable and bondadoso, and we (phew!) had no problems.  The church was singing about Dios de Piedad (piety/compassion), when I entered.   I didn't have to use my medication for "severe and sudden" diarrhea (moctezuma's revenge).  Still, I was happy to get back home.  I didn't lose track of my passport, pen, keys, wallet, watch, tablet, phone, glasses, or belt (the screening process can be rushed and a bit stressful, too).  I took notes, and a few photos, and learned about the flashlight and compass features on my phone.  We made it.  What an adventure.

Nukes and NK

America is hypocritical

I believe NO countries should have nuclear weapons.  Because if EVERY country can't have them, then none should.  Mutually Assured Destruction is MAD, and I believe it is in fact truly insane, even if it appears to have worked, so far.   Does it take one to know one?  Well, I am in fact insane.  If any leader has the power to push the button, then all leaders can claim that right.  The current system of nation-states and international law respects national sovereignty, right?  Is it international policy to have might make right?  Is the golden rule, he who has the gold, makes the rules?  Shouldn't we all be equal?

I believe every human being on earth should have the same human rights.   It is evil to make the people suffer for the policies of their government, especially if unelected.  Even if a leader is elected, however, he doesn't represent everybody, or even necessarily a majority.   How can America demand denuclearization without offering to disarm itself?  The cover of the Economist says "it could happen."  If the "unthinkable" is possible, it's time to re-think our defense policy.   I suspect Trump is at least as crazy as Kim Jong-Un, and the world does not need two leaders comparing the sizes of their...missiles.  

We must all agree to serve humanity, not just our own countries, and make progress toward the reduction of suffering, and increase the peace, love, happiness, morality, and progress of all of us.  We are all just human beings on Earth.   I am a humanist before I am an American, and I consider North Koreans as much my brothers and sisters, as those in America.   And even if there are 1,826 billionaires in the world (with 7 trillion dollars between them*), as well as more than 3 billion people living on less than $2.50/day*, we are still all equal in the eyes of God.

There's a lot to be mad about, but killing is not the answer, and especially not nukes.  

*according to Forbes 2015
*more than 1.3 billion live in "extreme" poverty, less than $1.25/day
(according to UNICEF, 22 thousand children die each day, due to poverty)

Let's get real, folks.  God is all of us.  Every single one of us, the devil inside.  Do the right thing.

Belize

Back in Berkeley

It was really nice.  More than nice:
Lovely, beautiful, relaxing,  needed.

I got a sunburn (shoulders), though.
That, and a tweaked (right) elbow,
and blisters on a thumb and toe.

un-Belize-able.  Kenya Belize it?
I didn't go to Kenya, but I have a hat
I bought a t-shirt and a basket
(and brought home some shells, too)
I miss it already!
(but it's nice to be home, as well)

We (Sara, Pierre, Augustus, and I) went to Caye Caulker
pronounced Key Cocker
there are 3 theories how the island got its name:
sailers actually caulking their boats
"corker" - sailers getting cork for their casks
and the anglicization of "hicaco" (the coconut plum)
(so that's why it's not mentioned in Wikipedia)

Belize used to  be British Honduras
They speak English
The gvt, (but not the people, actually, I'm told)
wanted independence, which they got in 1981 (recent!)
They use BZD (belize dollars 2bzd:1 american dollar)
both currencies are used.

The motto there (in CC) is: Go Slow
which I've taken to heart, and brought home with me.
We ate well, and I spent like $300+
I ran out of money, actually, and made it simpler,
by putting things on my "tab" (to SPA)
which was not strictly tabulated,
but i'm told is around $150
I bought gnc omega 3, and muttivitamins before i left, too.

I have a dogwalk today (at 1p, Orion)

so ya, Pierre and I went kayaking, and saw
some big fish (turbot?), some divebombing pelicans, jumping fish
(and of course i single handedly fought off an alligator
while P got speared by a swordfish!)
we also biked around the island, and saw
the cemetery, catholic church, wildlife sanctuary, rasta church,
asemblea de dios, casa de dios.
I was told not to poke around the cemetery.
hopefully i didn't get zika, but all of us got bit.
the 4 of us came in by water taxi from Belize City (where we spent a night).

(belize of the beast)
cheap food, panty-rippers
We ate well, ate italian twice, met Dutch travelers
(I learned Holland is a province in Netherlands)
The two taxi drivers (from, to the airport) were helpful
There's drugs, corruption, cronyism, "bosses"
 but also
swimming in the ocean with Augustus,
swinging in hammocks
riding in golf carts
and seeing shad, needlenose gar, melodious blackbird,
red-throated frigate bird, miniature crabs (and sand-mites!)
there were pigeons, petrels(?), a humming bird, ants
and we saw a small jellyfish, pulsing
as well as globs of jelly (kinda egg shaped) (ambergris??)
(I recently learned ambergris is "whale vomit")
Lots of stray and wandering free dogs (including Ipu (e-poo))
we didn't see seahorse, or sea turtle, or sharks
(because we didn't scuba or snorkel out by the reef)
there were little ant-hills in the sand in the shallows, underwater
We stayed at Wish Willy's (air b and b house, i think)
we saw wild lizards and (grey) iguanas
(my belize t-shirt has a (green) iguana on it)
it was hot and we kept the fans on.
SPA all went out swimming while it was raining.
I thought of enya (caribbean blue), and madonna ("tropical the island breeze")
reggae was popular

I brought Moby Dick to read, but didn't
Didn't go into the jungle (but the flight in came over a lot)
so no howler monkeys, jaguars, toucans, or climbing pyramid
i'm told the pyramid is rebuilt, not authentic.
the cave-tubing was praised by Joy, next to me, on the flight to Houston.
We considered taking the "manatee madness" tour.
global warming, the island was hotter than usual (but i liked it)
balmy breeze (say cheese! -ha, a reference to brie)
maybe next time! You better Belize it!

Two State Solution

Palrael and Israstine!

I think there shouldn't be any conflict (anywhere on earth, actually)

Like the U.S., the Middle East is a "melting pot"- if there were ONE country of diverse languages and religions, then any conflict would be crime, not war.  It's seems to me they should tear down the walls, permit everybody everywhere, and let the chips fall where they may.  Who would bomb their own country?  Mix it up!  It seems to me crime is preferable to war, with it's missiles and tanks, incredibly expensive hardware that enriches the military-industrial complex and arms dealers, and kills so many more people.   There's enough room for everybody, and no need for the crowded population density in the west bank and gaza, that results in destruction of homes, and innocent non-combatant civilian death, when Israel gets paranoid and invades a vastly poorer and weaker territory that has been made resentful by Israel's own oppressive policies of settlement incursions and economic strangulation.  A richer society helps everyone!  Israel is oppressing itself, its own people, and its own economy.  Pink Floyd and Ronald Reagan were right: tear down the wall!  Us and Them thinking is just stupid, in my opinion.

Speaking truth to power, Israel is the oppressor, and Palestinians -it seems to me- are mostly just trying to get by, having been shafted by Hitler almost as much as the Jews were, by consequence of the Zionism after world war two that rewarded Jews with the "promised land" as recompense for the holocaust, which displaced the Palestinians from their homeland, too.

Honestly, what would happen if there were no borders (anywhere on earth).  I think this is a hypothetical that should be addressed by academic geographers, if not the U.N.   Like I said, isn't crime VASTLY superior to war?

The Pledge of Allegiance

a revised, updated, modern version

I pledge allegiance
to the flag
of the United States of the World
and to the Unity
for which it stands
One Planet
under God (or "over God", if you prefer)
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

(don't worry, I still love America)

"Dark" literature

from the Berkeley library

1)The Weird, a compendium of strange and dark stories (new)
2)The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (14th annual collection)
3)the elements of aikido, greg o' connor
4)The secret art of pressure point fighting, Morris
5)Box like the pros, smokin' joe frazier
6)The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts training guide (techniques for fitness, self defense & competition)
7)American Shaolin, Matthew Polly

in other news,
3 movies i have (but haven't seen yet), are
1)Valentine's Day (don't call it VD!)
2)Love Actually, the ultimate romantic comedy
3)The Princess Bride (Nikki's favorite movie)

Syria stats

an ugly situation (of course, it's a civil war)

not so civil-

from the economist:
70,000 lives lost
10's of thousands missing
150-200 thousand locked up
2m homeless (inside Syria)
almost 1m living in squalor, over the borders (JLT, my initials: Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey)
4m + lack fuel, electricity, telephone, and food
thousands of homes, factories, schools, and hospitals razed

Bashar al Assad, the dictator, has 50k loyal, well-armed troops
the opposition is not united, and occasionally fight one another, too.

What to do, what to do

Developing Countries
help your fellow man
"If you're bored, you're boring"

Developing Countries (but there's room for improvement everywhere)
Pick a card, any card...
Afghanistan ; Ashraf Ghani's TED talk (finance minister).
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Czech Republic
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Estonia
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Indonesia
India
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Republic of Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Samoa
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Developing Countries without economy
Cuba
North Korea
Developing Countries with economy, but not listed by IMF
Palestine

some thoughts:
Be Good. Do Good. Think and Say Good. (only) God is good.
Each location, each person in fact, deserves a customized response....
Development: We must seek growth, not perfection
(not just economic growth, silly -it's a personal improvement mantra)
St. Ignatius motto: Be a man for others.
Boy Scout slogan: Do a good turn daily.
Song lyric: One world is enough for all of us.
(not 3rd, 4th, 5th worlds) -d.e. quote

Basic 'good"
Meet Basic Needs for all: food, shelter, clothing.
(tasty, nutritious, enough)
(protect from the elements, warmth, comfortable, style)
-look good-feel good

Positive atmosphere: Safety & Security, Comfort, Health, (mental and physical)
(peace, no war or conflict, conflict resolution, peace officers, properly sized social units -1 world, working together, no militaries, wasteful military expenditure, economy structured to protect against starvation, homelessness, that provides new shoes or whatever, and provides peace of mind, human right to healthcare).

mental health:
PLUS: Friendship, Companionship, Relationships, Community
(if loners prefer isolation, they should not suffer psychically, however)(community spirit, everybody about helping everybody out, all for one, one for all)

silly sayings
You only need peace when the world is in pieces? Inner peace.
May the rest of your life be the best of your life: continual growth, betterment, improvement.

(We all live in a yellow submarine, we're all in the same boat, it's a global village, spaceship earth. Live together, or die separately). Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. (Let it be gin?) Make love, not war. All you need is love. Just say no. Go climb a rock.

*One of my professor's recommendations: Pick a place, learn the language and culture and history, and go make yourself indispensable to your country.

I say: You're God, throw your weight around. Make a better world.
Some say: hello; I say heaveno. Kinda dumb. Forgive me, oh gods, for I have sinned.

Israelis vs. Palestinians, AGAIN

And vice versa, of course.

Geez, it sucks over there.

Before I start quoting the article and giving my opinion, I have to say that I'm certain the Palestinians have had a raw deal, and I'm highly sympathetic to their frustration with not having a happy, developed society anywhere near like Israel does, on land they have just as good a claim to. Also, I disapprove of that damn wall. I don't like borders, anywhere, but that kind of isolating madness isn't human, it just keeps people from relating to each other on a personal level.

(Take a breath) That said, here's my solution.

Keep in mind, the same caveat as India, Kashmir, and Pakistan from before still stands.

But, I AM God, lol. I must say that both Israelis and Palestinians are my people. That's cuz I'm down for everybody. And I don't call myself either YHWH or Allah (but you can, if you want): I'm Jesse. You can call me anything you want, I really don't care. Words...

Okay, to me it sounds like Resentment vs. Conditioning. to be a bit psychologically simplistic.

Hamas being resentful and Israel being conditioning.

The cycle of violence has to end. Escalation is just stupid. A mutually satisfactory solution is possible. Everyone can be happy. We're all human and we all want the same things. History is full of indignities and injustice, and we have to just forgive, if not forget, and move on, for the sake of the future, which if we got our heads out of our asses, could basically be tomorrow. Everybody just stop attacking each other and start mutually developing, if not unifying too.

ANYway, if you didn't know, here's the update: Israel has attacked Gaza, killing at least 225, injuring around 400, and the hornet's nest is abuzz. There was just a cease-fire, and each is accusing the other of being the first to break it, I think. They both feel wronged, and justified in aggression, is the usual story. God is a man of war, the bible says, and they take it literally over there. No psy war for peace...just the old tried and true guns and ammunition business. At the moment, anyway. Well actually, I'm sure there's still the old psy war game happening.

For the land of Jesus, shouldn't one side (or both) end things by turning the other cheek? In any case, I feel as if both sides probably have their own versions of the truth, which in reality is probably pretty messy. So, for progress to occur, both sides have to learn to live with each other. Israel, it sounds like, is basically throwing a hissy fit and saying it's had enough of the (fairly innocuous, it sounds like) rocket attacks, which keep them psychologically at edge. I completely understand. I wouldn't want to live like that, either. Both sides need to simply stop attacking the other, and start mutually supporting each other for progress and development and understanding. It's just so obvious. A few bad apples can really f- things up for the vast majority of citizenry who I assume have goodwill.

Alan Dershowitz said, "These anticivilian rockets have also injured and traumatized countless children." Um, for being a Harvard lawyer, he seems rather imprecise. It's not countless, for one. And secondly, if you say that, you should say AND/OR. Otherwise, he's saying Hamas has injured countless children. Countless means uncountable (for being such a large number), not uncounted, by the way, too. Anyway, here's his article in the christian science monitor.

Also, I heard Mitt Romney this morning (Jan. 4) say the number of rockets fired into Israel was like 4600, and that Hamas has spent millions of it's urgently needed dollars on these weapons. Which, not to belabor the point, maybe Alan Dershowitz could have mentioned.

A senior Hamas spokesman said, "We will stand up, we will defend our own people, we will defend our land, and we will not give up." (In other words, the exact opposite of what Israel says they want, which is for the rocket attacks to stop -now they 're mad as hell, I would guess).

I think the Israelis need to stop bombarding, because it's simply not realistic to expect Hamas to say "okay, whatever you want, we promise to be nice from now on, we're sorry, and we won't hurt or scare you anymore" written down, and signed by all of Palestine, lol. I think the Israelis know this, and are being tactical, if not sadistic. They're manipulating the powerful opinions of people from afar who don't know what the reality on the ground is? Which is, if you start attacking, everybody will get all riled up, and one side will come out on top, and Israel thinks it will be them, because they chose their timing, and have the resources to "win it all" if it escalates (whatever that might mean to them). I'm guessing that's what's going on.

Another Palestinian, a legislator, said, "This is certainly a very cruel escalation, a relentless bombardment of a captive civilian population that has already been under siege for months, that has been deprived of basic requirements like food and medicines and fuel and power," she said from Ramallah in the West Bank.

That's the last word, for me. F- you, whoever made the command decision to bomb Gaza. If you don't have food, of course you're going to be resentful and fight. What the hell is "Israel" thinking? It's all realpolitik and chess for them, while for Palestine it's desperation, frustration, and misery.

ANSWER: Integrate Israel and Palestine, call it something else, and develop everybody so everyone's happy, and make it a secular state, with freedom of religion, so it's not so damn us and them anymore, get it?? If anything, God's people are the Palestinians, I would have to say, because he sticks up for the little guy.

Why is that?

Israel is vowing a war "to the bitter end" with Hamas.

Anyway, to quote msn, "Hamas remains strong. It has up to 20,000 well-trained and well-armed, highly motivated fighters who have been preparing to repel an Israeli ground assault for a year. It still has plenty (thousands) of anti-tank rockets, secret tunnels and booby-traps. The price could be high on both sides. Hamas has (god knows how many) suicide bombers ready to attack, and the support of its 1.5M people in Gaza strip's congested cities and refugee camps. Israel will overwhelm Hamas, but could yet suffer some nasty surprises."

I think it looks like it could get ugly (as if it doesn't already). I think the whole thing is immensely stupid.

The worry, right now, is if Hizbollah, up North, will join in the fray.

Ever since the 2006 war in Lebanon, Israel and Hizbullah have been training and rearming in feverish preparation for a second round. Since Hizbullah enjoys close links with both Syria and Iran, that could light the fuse for a wider regional war.

What's Hezbollah?

Hezbollah (Arabic: حزب الله‎ ḥizbu-'llāh(i), literally "party of God") is a Shi'a Islamic political and paramilitary organisation based in Lebanon. It is a significant force in Lebanese politics, providing social services, which operate schools, hospitals, and agricultural services for thousands of Lebanese Shiites. It is regarded as a legitimate resistance movement throughout much of the Arab and Muslim world. However the group is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel, among others.

Um, you tell me who's terrorist:

Deaths: More than 375 Palestinians, most of them Hamas militants, Palestinian medical sources said Tuesday. At least 60 civilians have been killed in Gaza, U.N. officials said. About 650 people have been wounded there, according to the Palestinian medical sources. Israelis? 6 dead. 5 of them civilians. Hmm.

scary response

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei urged the world's Muslim populations to unite against Israel's attacks on Hamas in Gaza. "All true believers in the world of Islam and Palestinian fighters are duty-bound to defend the defenseless women and children in Gaza Strip and those giving their lives in carrying out such a divine duty are 'martyrs,' " Khamenei said through Iran's official news agency IRNA.

another view

"This is not a war on Hamas; it is a war on the Palestinian people," he said. "The Israeli politicians are using this bloodbath, which is the worst since 1967, for their election campaigns. This is insane." Indeed, Ehud Barak's (the defense minister) party has seen a spike in the polls.

Nuts? I must say I agree.

Here's a nutty idea: the internet should make it easy for posted stats to change (such as when cited on blogs), by allowing links to authoritative sources that would update the data. I.e., if I quote 375 Palestinians, it should be updated, when known, (in real time?), what the new numbers are.

Here's some more info I found interesting: "The attack (the word used in Peter Byrne's article is shoah, Hebrew for holocaust) that the Israelis have brought to Gaza is being carried out with our phosphorous bombs, our DIME fusion bombs, and our high-rocketry purchased with our 3B a year in foreign aid...The homemade missiles Hamas sporadically lobs into territory swiped by Isreael from already displaced Palestinian farmers in 1967 are spitballs compared to the Israeli arsenal."