I wonder at the reactions of some to the current war. They are horrified, shocked, angry etc. All perfectly reasonable reactions to war, in my opinion. But…I wonder what they expected? What do they think war is all about?

Too, this “disproportionate” business…what is proportionate in war? To understand that we need to understand the goal of war, I suppose. So far as I know, it’s to win. To come out ahead, to triumph over one’s enemies. I don’t think this is a particularly new concept.

What puzzles me about this now is that people are acting as if what is happening is something new, something more heinous than ever before, something that is particular to this war.

It is not.

I wonder, too, how many of the people (Americans) who are shocked and dismayed and angry over the war in Lebanon/Israel feel about the war in Iraq? Is that somehow different? I have heard Americans say that it is. I’m trying to work my head around that. The answer, I guess, is simple enough. When “you” believe it’s the right thing to do, then go for it, hell with the consequences. When “you” believe it’s wrong, everything then takes on a negative, sinister, “out of proportion” aspect.

This would define hypocrisy to me. I honestly do not see any difference between Lebanon and Iraq.

Is it that some of the people who are so outraged are too young to remember past wars? Or is it that past wars have built up a loathing in them to the point that any war is going to be unacceptable?

I pray it is the latter and that we, as a planet, are inspired to strive to prevent all wars. However, I don’t see that happening any time soon. Hasn’t happened in the course of our long history and I don’t see it happening now.

Too many people are “right”.

Even when they are wrong.

Did the marketing this morning (morning for a change) and it was a zoo. We were actually there by 1030 and it was a trick finding a place to park. Of course that wouldn’t have been such a problem if people could just learn how to park. I ought to have taken some photos (which would likely have embarassed Himself something fierce) of how so many people parked but I will just describe how one woman “parked”.

For her, “parking” apparently means aim your car and then stop it when you think it “looks good”. She was driving a rather smallish car and had found a space on the end of a row. This meant that she didn’t have to worry about wedging into the mysteriously narrow but l-o-n-g parking spaces that seem normal around here. She had plenty of room to get in there straight.

Nope.

She did the all-too-common deal of taking up two spaces…only by a little mind you, just enough to prevent someone else from using the second space.

This happens often. Really often. It’s something that causes me to grit my teeth especially when parking is at a premium as it often is at the markets.

It will be some time before I forget the day I parked in between two cars in a bank parking lot whilst Himself conducted some business. I remained in the car (this was back when doing so didn’t guarantee immediate brain meltage). BOTH those cars were crooked. Shortly someone came out and vacated a space to the left of me. I was reading and not minding too much what was going on around me when the next thing I know, someone is *yelling* at me in a form of German that I couldn’t quite make out (well, not that I’m very good at it but I can usually get some of the words). There was a lot of handwaving and gesturing and it finally dawned on me he was hollering at me because I was parked crooked.

My inability to speak German well is a large source of frustration but rarely moreso than on that day. Whilst I empathised with him, oh did I, the irony was supreme. I meekly, started the car, backed up, parked perfectly and he was able to then park his car (not that he couldn’t have done so anyway).

I think he had just reached his limit in dealing with selfish parkers.

It was crazy inside Edeka this morning…almost like it is before a snow-storm or a holiday. This was compounded by the highly annoying insistance of these stores for their staff to be stocking shelves in the middle of the busiest times. With large trolleys, the kind that flats and cases of goods fit on.

Now this, to me, is one of those things that I just don’t get about Germany. High unemployment. Plenty of people wanting to work. Short store hours and, worse, no “work after hours”. This would be a great time to get a second shift of people on board so that the cleaning (lovely to be trying to see what’s the freshest bit of produce whilst inhaling the aroma of some cleaning fluid in the mop bucket being vigorously applied), stocking and, even better, rearranging of the entire store could be done without incoveniencing the, you know, paying customer!

Yeah, happy customers, more folks employed. What a concept eh? Well this is something that may start happening as recently laws were passed that allow folks to decided the opening hours of their own business establishments. Good idea huh!

When I first got here stores rarely stayed open past 5 or 6 p.m., closed by 2 p.m. on Saturdays and were not open on Sundays at all (aside from florists and bakeries for a short hours early Sunday a.m.) as well as half days on Wednesday. In just 3 years, we now see most of the groceries open until 8 p.m. six days a week. Some of the smaller shops are extending their hours too and even foregoing the half day on Wednesday (I was recently gobstopped to notice not one but two of the Apotheke shops open on a Wednesday afternoon). Some aren’t. That’s fine though, because it’s their choice. I don’t even mind the Sunday closures. Drove me wonky at first but I have come to think of it as a good idea. Nice to have a day where you are pretty much forced to relax, slow down, spend time with family or just veg.

I understand that in smaller towns and villages people might not want the noise and traffic all the time and that’s cool. Still many of these stores and shops are not in residential areas and it wouldn’t harm anyone for them to keep longer hours. Truly I think it would help by getting more people working, and preventing the annoyances of having to step over stockers or wiggle one’s cart through a veritable minefield of cartons and crates whilst trying to get to the pasta.

But never, ever expect Germans to accept a change quickly. It just isn’t going to happen.

Weather
I’m told that we live in a bubble here. No, not the kind of bubble where we are unaware of what goes on around us, but a meteorological bubble. Down here in southern Germany right up on the Lake of Constance apparently the geography causes a phenomena which results in a microcosm. Our weather can vastly differ from that around us and often does. Like now.

Stuttgart (approx. 80 miles/126km from here) is flooded from heavy rains. Have we seen a drop? Nope. Watching the weather satellite for the past week (in vain hope of cooling rain) has proved an exercise in frustration. Nearly daily we see signifcant cells forming to the north, south, east and west. They fizzle when they get here.

Of course this is nice in the winter when everyone around is cold and snowy and we’re “moderate”. We rarely get much below freezing and snow, while it happens, doesn’t often amount to much of anything. In the three winters I’ve been here we’ve really only had one significant snow. Oh would I like to see some snow right about now. I love snow! I love the cold, fresh air of winter. Bring it on!
From what the weather reports are saying, we’re supposed to actually get storms today/tonight and a break from the horrible heat. I guess that’s a bit subjective (whinge, bitch, moan) but I’ll take what we can get. It’s down to 84f in here which is a change from the 91f it peaked at yesterday and that’s with turning off the leaky a/c overnight so as not to find water al over the floor. For some reason this a/c despite its system of draining water into a container, leaks. It’s not consistent, but when it does it, it’s about a quart or two all over the floor. Himself rearranged it so that the drain tube no longer goes into the built-in reservoir but now drains into a bucket. That has improved but not abolished the problem.

Anyway, it’s “only” 72f at 0800 but it was much cooler sleeping last night after having a breeze kick up around midnight. I slept well for about 5 hours which is a record since this damnable heat started. The forecast (may it hold) calls for a *high* tomorrow of 70f. Hopefully we get some rain. We need it so badly.
News

This morning’s headlines bring reports of Israel calling up an additional 30k reservists but a remark that they are not going to expand their objective. Not quite sure what that means. Otherwise seems to be the same as it has been. Ground fighting on the Lebanese border, rockets being lobbed back and forth. People dying. Y’know…war. Didn’t see anything more on either the U.N. outpost or from the lunatic Islamic fundamentalists. It’s early yet. Plenty of time for waging war left in the day.

Misc.

About two-thirds done on an acrylic scarf. Turning out decently and I’ll feel all noble about having gotten a bit more of the ill-advised purchase of acrylic used up.

Well off to get some coffee and the obligatory half-litre of water so as to get a start on the day. Need to do marketing today and I hope Himself is up before 1700 so we can get it done before the heat sets in and also not have just the leavings. I am craving veggies and salad. Would love, love, love some ranch dressing but having discovered Reichnau (I think that’s right and am too lazy to go check) which is something like Green Goddess, only not, I’m content.

Found this regarding the U.N. post hit by Israeli fire recently.

Aside from more commentary about what was known shortly after it happened, haven’t seen anything further.

Too tired to write much else aside from a blessed wind has come up here just at midnight. It’s not particularly cool (still 75f outside) but at least the air is moving and it is clearing out the stagnent hot air that has built up. The temperature in here has actually gone down to 86f.

Break out the sweaters, lest we take a chill.

Yesterday brought a bitter fight to our household which really has given me something to think about. In a discussion about the war between Israel & Hezbollah my husband apparently misunderstood some things I said and came to the conclusion that I support this war.

Well no. I don’t support ANY war. I’ve always been anti-war and about the only change to that is now I can see where there are times when it is necessary. Deplorable, awful, sad, etc. but necessary. To my thinking this isn’t equal to “support”.

But the really disturbing bit was that he could, after knowing me since the mid-90s believe that I could suddenly change that much.

What was said? I opined that it is understandable what Israel is doing. That they have the right, need and duty to defend themselves as does any sovereign nation.

He is taking the position that invading another country is bad. I agree! But where we differed (heatedly and nastily) is that he doesn’t consider snagging soldiers as hostages on another country’s soil to be “invasion”. I do.

With all that was said back and forth (and it was very, very ugly) I was reminded of none other than me…30 some odd years ago. It was all so black and white back then. So clear, so simple and so easily supported or rejected.

Not so anymore. Not so for me anyway.

I am quite upset about this and had a difficult time sleeping (compounded by this bloody-won’t-cease heat) what with thinking about how communication, tolerance, attempting to understand and inability to say things like “Y’know, I don’t think I understand what you mean. Could you rephrase or elaborate?” Or “Yeah, I guess that was a bit harsh. I’m sorry that I let rip like that.” can escalate, even between nations or parties.

So the lines are drawn here. What remains to be seen is if we can come to some accord. I’m trying to remember what it was like to have the, well, luxury of black and white thinking and I’m trying to forgive what he intimated.

I can only imagine how this must feel at the level of the Mideast situation.

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, ‘n’ how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it’s washed to the sea?
Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Seen on the various ‘Net newssites…Saddam Hussein is back in court today (after his hunger strike was stopped via tube feeding) and he requests that if he is convicted, he wants to be shot (as opposed to hanged).

Okay by me.

Can you tell I’m looking about for humour a LOT lately? Needed, very needed.

Blatantly stolen from Ranting of a Sandmonkey

Ouuuuccccch.

I have no idea what the rules are about wholesale quoting like I’m about to do and, if I’m in the wrong, I’ll yank it but I wanted to keep this for posterity.

From The Australian:

Mark Steyn: If only they had refused to indulge Arafat

The myth that the Muslim world’s problems are directly linked to the Palestinian question has gone up in flames, argues Mark Steyn

July 26, 2006

A FEW years back, when folks talked airily about “the Middle East peace process” and “a two-state solution”, I used to say that the trouble was the Palestinians saw a two-state solution as an interim stage en route to a one-state solution. I underestimated Islamist depravity. As we now see in Gaza and southern Lebanon, any two-state solution would be an interim stage en route to a no-state solution.

In one of the most admirably straightforward of Islamist declarations, Hussein Massawi, the Hezbollah leader behind the slaughter of US and French forces 20 years ago, put it this way: “We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you.”

Swell. But suppose he got his way, what then? Suppose every last Jew in Israel were dead or fled, what would rise in place of the Zionist entity? It would be something like the Hamas-Hezbollah terror squats in Gaza and Lebanon writ large. Hamas won a landslide in the Palestinian elections, and Hezbollah similarly won formal control of key Lebanese cabinet ministries. But they’re not Mussolini: they have no interest in making the trains run on time. And, to be honest, who can blame them?

If you’re a big-time terrorist mastermind, it’s frankly a bit of a bore to find yourself deputy under-secretary at the ministry of pensions, particularly when you’re no good at it, and no matter how lavishly the European Union throws money at you, there never seems to be any in the kitty when it comes to making the payroll. So, like a business that has over-diversified, Hamas and Hezbollah retreated to their core activity: Jew-killing.

In Causeries du Lundi, Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve recalls a Parisian dramatist watching the revolutionary mob rampaging through the street below and beaming: “See my pageant passing!” That’s how opportunist Arabs and indulgent Europeans looked on the intifada and the terrorists and the schoolgirl suicide bombers: as a kind of uber-authentic piece of performance art with which to torment the Jews and the Americans. They never paused to ask themselves: Hey, what if it doesn’t stop there?

Well, about 30 years too late, they’re asking it now. For the first quarter-century of Israel’s existence, the Arab states fought more or less conventional wars against the Zionists and kept losing. So then they figured it was easier to anoint a terrorist movement and in 1974 declared Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organisation to be the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”, which is quite a claim for an organisation then barely a decade old. Amazingly, the Arab League persuaded the UN, the EU, Bill Clinton and everyone else to go along with it and to treat the old monster as a head of state who lacked only a state to head.

It’s true that many nationalist movements have found it convenient to adopt the guise of terrorists.

But, as the Palestinian movement descended from airline hijackings to the intifada to self-detonating in pizza parlours, it never occurred to its glamorous patrons to wonder if maybe this was, in fact, a terrorist movement conveniently adopting the guise of nationalism.

In 1971, in the lobby of the Cairo Sheraton, Palestinian terrorists shot Wasfi al-Tal, the prime minister of Jordan, at point-blank range. As he fell to the floor dying, one of his killers began drinking the blood gushing from his wounds. Doesn’t that strike you as a little, um, overwrought? Three decades later, when bombs went off in Bali, killing hundreds of tourists plus local waiters and barmen, Bruce Haigh, a former Aussie diplomat in Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, had no doubt where to put the blame. As he told Australia’s Nine Network: “The root cause of this issue has been America’s backing of Israel on Palestine.”

Suppose this were true: that terrorists blew up Australian honeymooners and Scandinavian stoners in Balinese nightclubs because of “the Palestinian question”. Doesn’t this suggest that these people are, at a certain level, nuts? After all, there are plenty of Irish Republican Army sympathisers across the world (try making the Ulster Unionist case in a Boston bar), yet they never thought to protest against British rule in Northern Ireland by blowing up, say, German tourists in Thailand.

Yet the more the thin skein of Palestinian grievance was stretched to justify atrocities halfway around the world, the more the Arab League big-shot emirs and EU foreign ministers looked down from their windows and cooed, “See my parade passing!”

They’ve now belatedly realised they’re at that stage in the creature feature where the monster has mutated into something bigger and crazier. Until the remarkably kinda-robust statement by the Group of Eight and the unprecedented denunciation of Hezbollah by the Arab League, the rule in any conflict in which Israel is involved - Israel v PLO, Israel v Lebanon, Israel v (Your Team Here) - is that the Jews are to blame. But Saudi-Egyptian-Jordanian opportunism on Palestine has caught up with them: it has finally dawned on them that a strategy of consciously avoiding resolution of the Palestinian question has helped deliver Gaza and Lebanon and Syria into the hands of a regime that’s a far bigger threat to the Arab world than the Zionist entity.

Cairo and co grew so accustomed to whining about the Palestinian pseudo-crisis decade in, decade out, that it never occurred to them that they might face a real crisis one day: a Middle East dominated by an apocalyptic Iran and its local enforcers, in which Arab self-rule turns out to have been a mere interlude between the Ottoman sultans and the eternal eclipse of a Persian nuclear umbrella.

The Zionists got out of Gaza and it’s now Talibanistan redux. The Zionists got out of Lebanon and the most powerful force in the country (with an ever-growing demographic advantage) are Iran’s Shia enforcers. There haven’t been any Zionists anywhere near Damascus in 60 years and Syria is in effect Iran’s first Sunni Arab prison bitch. For the other regimes in the region, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria are dead states that have risen as vampires.

Meanwhile, Kofi Annan in a remarkable display of urgency (at least when compared with Sudan, Rwanda, Congo and others) is proposing apropos Israel and Hezbollah that UN peacekeepers go in to keep the peace not between two sovereign states but between a sovereign state and a usurper terrorist gang. Contemptible as he is, the secretary-general shows a shrewd understanding of the way the world is heading: already, non-state actors have more sophisticated rocketry than many EU nations; and if Iran has its way, its proxies will be implied nuclear powers. Maybe we should put them on the UN Security Council.

So, what is in reality Israel’s first non-Arab war is a glimpse of the world the day after tomorrow: the EU and the Arab League won’t quite spell it out but, to modify that Le Monde headline, they are all Jews now.

Mark Steyn, a Canadian and US columnist, is a regular contributor to The Australian’s opinion page. He will address the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney on August 14 and the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne on August 17.

URL to the article in full, just in case I have committed a heinous sin and must delete the whole thing.

This from Chayyei Sarah via Allison Kaplan-Sommer’s excellent site:

Hezballah: poke-poke-poke

Israel: Cut it out!

Hezballah: poke-poke-poke

Israel: I’m serious, cut it out!

Hezballah: poke-poke-poke

[Israel slaps Hezballah]

Hezballah to Lebanon: Mom! He hit me!

Lebanon: Stop whining. I have other things to deal with.

Hezballah: poke-poke-poke

[Israel slaps Hezballah again]

Hezballah: You wanna piece of me? Come and get it.

America: Stop that fighting back there! Hezballah, try to stop poking, OK? You’re bothering your mum. And you, Israel, keep your hands to yourself.

Israel: Yes, dad.

Hezballah: poke-poke-poke

[Israel slaps Hezballah again]

Hezballah: Mom! He hit me again!

Lebanon [distracted]: mm hmm

Hezballah: poke-poke-poke

[Israel punches Hezballah in the face, drawing blood]

Hezballah, touching his nose and then staring at the blood: Oh Sh*t! What did you do that for?

I think that sounds about right.

From this link we see the above statement. Okay, folks, this is something that has irritated me since the 60s. This tap-dancing around using the word “war”. Are we all fooled? Nope. It’s pretty obvious that when there are two or more factions killing one and other with full intention of winning that we have…a war.

From the article:

“Israel is still not legally at war with Lebanon, even though it is conducting large-scale ground operations on Lebanese territory, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said yesterday.

According to Mazuz, the correct definition of Israel’s current offensive is “military operations” not war, as he defined it in a previous opinion 10 days ago.

“The attorney general’s position regarding the definition of these operations has not changed,” the Justice Ministry told Haaretz. “The Israel Defense Forces’ operations in Lebanon are covered by the relevant principles of international law, and the operations are carried out under the close supervision of the military prosecution.”

Okay, here it appears that the word “legally” is the key. Here’s where my ignorance once again kicks in. What does “legally” have to do with it? Is there some sort of benefit from refusing to call war…war? Can parties be sued if it’s a legally declared war?

I have a feeling this is something that would make better sense if I had all the information, so I will try to find it.

And I’ll continue to knit. I’ve tossed aside and will THROW-FREAKING-OUT the chenille. No matter what I do with it it looks as though a drunken monkey did the work. I can knit perfectly fine with just about any other fibre I’ve laid hands to but not this dreck. So, now delving into the bulky acrylic (sigh) to get it destashed and into yet another scarf. Hopefully I’ll be able to lay hands on some good stuff for holiday gifts next month.

Back to reading and knitting and trying to ignore the fact that it’s already 90f (only, hah, 86f in here).

I’m still trying to understand why Koffi Annan would say such a thing, EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE. This gentleman is a professional diplomat and that remark last night was out of line. I can’t sort out, yet, if it was intentional or not and I think it bears serious investigation, indeed. I am just astounded that Mr. Annan would say such a thing so early on. The only explanation that I can see is that he knows something the rest of us don’t and, if so, he’d better start talking. Otherwise he has indulged in highly unprofessional behaviour.

Further I’m trying to sort out why Israel would intentionally flatten U.N. observers. They would have to know that given the climate such an action would be used fully against them in the court of world opinion. I don’t think that they are stupid and surely not *that* stupid. Or that bloodthirsty. What would they gain?

That’s something I think we should all think about. Yes, even you, Mr. Annan.

There are so many different “takes” and viewpoints regarding the mess in the Mideast just now that it’s boggling my mind. I’ve been reading comments over on Haaretz’s site and it has been another demonstration of how people can see the same thing and arrive at different conclusions.

Even here, in my own home, there are differing viewpoints. My husband and I don’t see eye-to-eye on this. He believes that Israel is indulging in a reaction that is out of proportion. I asked him what he would consider “in proportion” and really didn’t get an answer. Indeed, what would be proportionate here? It distills down to hatred and I’ve yet to see a situation wherein hatred was influenced by rationality or consideration because once things devolve to the point of hatred, it’s too late. It comes down to the goal of the conflict. What is each side hoping to accomplish? I get the idea that Israel just wants to be left to be, well, Israel. I get the impression that the organisations such as Hamas, Hezboallah and the Palestinians want Israel gone. Now, how is Israel supposed to deal with that? “Okie doke, give us a bit here, we’ll pack it up and slope on outta here.”?

Sure. Even if Israel could and did, do any of us suppose it would end there? Nope. These extremists will not be satisfied until everyone and anyone who does not think or believe precisely as they do are eliminated. Therein lies the danger, I think.

Outside influences can *perhaps* mediate but once hatred is in there, it’s a slog.

It’s interesting how much knee-jerking is going on. I’m reading and reading and reading to try and make sure my knees aren’t jerking either. I don’t think they are but there’s much I don’t know about, yet. I keep coming back to the bottom line of “what can any country do if it’s attacked?”. The U.N. is pretty toothless these days thanks to the actions of the U.S. just prior to invading Iraq. NATO? That’s an area where I need to do more research before I opine much. The Arab states? What are they doing? World opinion? It’s as divided as the “man on the street”.

One interesting comment I just read (paraphrased): How is it that Lebanon can talk about mobilising an army to fight the IDF but it couldn’t manage to do the same against Hezboallah’s occupation of their country? Interesting point that.

Another interesting ‘Net surfing discovery that I am still mulling over.

Blogging, ‘Net surfing…accompanied by knitting, a whole lot of knitting. I just finished up a wool scarf that came out to be 2 meters long. No idea who’ll get it but it’s done (well ‘cept for the ends being woven in, a task I abhor). I read, I think, I knit. I guess the plus here is that a lot of knitting is getting done. Aimless though it is but it’s clearing out the ill-advised yarns. If nothing else, charity. Next up, slogging through the evil that is “chenille” yarn. Nasty, worming stuff that it is.

Oh dear, it appears that the IDF managed to bomb a U.N. post. This’ll go over well.

Enough for one day…I’m going to go dive into The Lady of Avalon which makes a nice bit of escapism.

I just got finished reading this article in which the following was stated:

The law of war requires you to distinguish between soldiers and civilians, so when you are using an outdated, unreliable weapon in a populated area, it is likely that the attack violates international humanitarian law

Bonnie Docherty
Human Rights Watch

I am nearly hopping up and down in my chair here (which would be a bad thing given the extreme heat…meh) over this one. Law of War? Does this woman actually think that the Hizboallah pays the first bit of attention to such niceties as the “Law of War”? Well, obviously she thinks that it should be adhered to and, in principle, I would agree but this aspect (Geneva Conventions, Laws of War, all things meant to keep war within “civilised boundaries…hah, as if) is gone. It’s done. It’s an ex-policy/concept. It isn’t happening any more and to expect that it will is to completely not understand the “evolution” (devolution?) of war.

I would love to sit down with Ms. Docherty and discuss this. We are dealing with terrorism. We are dealing with peoples who have absolutely NO intention of “fighting fair”. Indeed by their own actions have shown that “fighting fair” is the last thing they want to do. Their intent is to instill terror, to erode and destroy those they perceive as enemies and they have utterly, absolutely NO interest in such an approach. To expect those dealing with terrorists to adhere to the conventions of war is to hobble them terribly.

This is of course, terrible. It makes these conflicts, wars all the more horrific but there you have it. That “they” have a “bigger stick” is essentially what war is all about. By the time things get to the point of war, it is down to “the stick”.

Who was adhering to the “law of war” when airplanes were flown into the WTC? Who was adhering to the “law of war” when nightclubs all over the world are being blown up by suicide bombers? Who was adhering to the “law of war” when civilians are exploded into bits by the same?

Right. “Law of War” indeed.

That there is so much empahsis being put on the civilian casualties inflicted by Israel in Lebanon? Why is it that somehow the numbers make a difference. There are civilian casualties on both sides. NONE of which is “acceptable”. I was about to say that I don’t think anyone considers civilian casualties “acceptable” but I begin to wonder. I wonder when I see terrorists hiding in and amongst civilians. Epitome of cowardice. No doubt in my mind about that. Fight the war, if you must, but do it with courage and don’t hide behind the helpless.

I have seen some completely horrific photos on the ‘Net of Lebanese casualties. They are just awful, no doubt. They are the face of war. Look at them, people. ALL of us need to see that THIS is war. However I haven’t seen the graphic shots of Israeli injured and dead. I’m going to keep looking, not because I want to see this sort of thing but because I see another difference in the very perspective of the “sides”. Yes, propaganda has long been a part of warfare and with our ability to present images, words etc. so promptly these days it has even more impact. However it seems to me to simply be proving what I think many (but not enough) people understand: War is hell.

The bickering about which side is inflicting worse damage seems to me to be avoiding the main issue. Cause. Why is this happening? Because when the cause is addressed there is the possibility that such measures (beating each other over the heads in any way possible) wouldn’t be necessary. Of course war will always happen. Humans are just too shitty at communicating and end up resorting to hitting one and other. Yes, that’ll solve everything. Right. All that leads to is whomever has the most technological power, money and balls will triumph. That does not always translate to who was “right”.

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs, opinion pieces and other news sources and I am getting irritated at the anti-Israeli slant. I keep thinking: What is Israel meant to do? What would be considered a “reasonable response”? What? I’m still looking for a definition of that one. Only “x” amount of bombs per day? Let the Hizboallah carry on with their puppet-like obeyance of their true masters (oh and all this business about pride and dignity…traits which I absolutely can relate to and yet…they are doing the bidding of countries who really don’t have their welfare at stake. They are being used by Syria and Iran to achieve goals that Syria and Iran don’t have the balls to undertake on their own.)? Work with agencies to affect peaceful compromises (been there, did that, got the Katyushkas on the head.)?

So let’s not, as humans, be distracted by the horrific images we’re being presented with. We must understand that THAT is the result of war. ANY war. To be shocked by these images is to demonstrate that we have no clue as to what war is about. It is not only about who “wins”, it is about who loses…and that usually is folk who have little or nothing to do with the issues leading to the war.

From Wikipedia
Hamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase حركة المقاومة الاسلامية, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or “Islamic Resistance Movement”. The word formed by the acronym corresponds to an Arabic word meaning “enthusiasm, fire, ardor, fervor, zeal, fanaticism.” ^[7] The name has bad connotations to Jews and Israelis, because in Hebrew it means “violence, injustice, harsh wrong” (Oxford University Press Hebrew-English dictionary). This word is quite common in the Hebrew Bible, such as in Genesis 6:11, “…the earth was filled with violence”.

I have long wondered why it is that the Arab countries who back, strongly and openly, the Palestinian cause don’t do what would seem to be the most obvious thing: Give the Palestinians land.

Yes. For all the fighting, warring, terrorising, stance-taking, why has this not happened? Syria could surely spare a bit or Jordan? Iraq? Iran? Egypt? Lebanon?

Why does it have to be Israel? Why is it that Israel must give up their country?

If we’re going down the road of “Israel was illegally given to the Jews” well then I would counter that there are many, many countries in this world whose “birth” is not necessarily on the “right side of the blanket”.

Another somewhat tangental but wryly amusing thing to me is the giving of the land which now constitutes Israel by the U.K. which now seems to, in large part, have a distaste for Israel. And how did the U.K. come to “own” that land? Right.

So, c’mon, Arab world, pony up, give the Palestinians a home. They do need one and, the bloody, awful, heinous terrorists aside, it would be a good thing. But lets leave off taking the small bit of land away from Israel. Surely there is enough land to spare for the Palestinians?

Of course, I realise this wouldn’t resolve the core issues which are well beyond “land”. There is a basic, viscerall, being-made-worse-as-each-day-passes dichotomy here. I can’t help but think (hope?) that if the Palestinians did have their own land things just might improve and maybe, just maybe one of the many layers that is the “onion” of Mideast “tensions” (how polite a way to describe the situation is that!) could be shed and things would move closer to a permanent resolution.

I can dream, right?

I am struggling to understand the distaste for Israel that I’m picking up from so many Europeans. Perhaps “distaste” is even a bit too mild. I simply don’t understand it. It may be because I’m rather uninformed (something I am currently attempting to rectify) or maybe it’s due to my “American views”. I don’t know. Maybe I’m seeing this too simplistically (ala “hey if someone is murdering your citizens, terrorising them and refusing to leave off those activities, what else do you expect?”).

I loathe war. I don’t even remember a time when I didn’t have negative views about war. Even as a young child I considered war to be the failure of adults to work things out rationally. Coming of age in the 60s in America with the whole Viet Nam thing obviously impacted me, strongly.

I am offended, yes offended, at the U.S. stance in the current Israel vs. Hizbollah matter. That the U.S. could be calling for a ceasefire when all one needs to do is take a look at Iraq boggles me.  Of course anyone with any sense deplores the violence, the deaths, the injuries, the losses big and small. War is never a good thing. Ever. Even when it is necessary it, to me, still represents an intrinsic failure on the part of humanity to deal productively with disagreements. Still, understanding human nature and having grown far more cynical than that young, idealistic girl from the 60s, I accept that war will always happen. It’s the nature of humans and until we learn to rise about hitting each other when we disagree, it will be part of life.

I’m having trouble articulating. It’s hot, I’m procrastinating houswork but more importantly, I’m struggling with a lot of “sides”. So I’ll just leave this:

War-Edwin Starr

War! - huh- yeah-
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Uh-huh

                        War! – huh – yeah-
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Say it again y’all

                        War! – huh – good God
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Listen to me…

                        Ohhh… War! I despise
                        Because it means destruction’
                        Of innocent lives

                        War means tears
                        to thousands of mothers eyes
                        When their sons go to fight
                        and lose their lives

                        I said - War! Huh – Good God y’all
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Say it again

                        War! Whoa, Lord
                        What is it good for
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Listen to me…

                        War! It ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
                        War! Friend only to the undertaker
                        War! It’s an enemy to all mankind
                        The thought of war blows my mind

                        War has caused unrest in the younger generation
                        Induction then destruction-
                        Who wants to die?

                        Ohhh… War – Good God Y’all
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Say it, Say it, Say it

                        War! Uh-huh – Yeah - Huh!
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Listen to me…

                        War! It ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
                        War! It’s got one friend, that’s the undertaker
                        War has shattered many a young mans dreams
                        Made him disabled bitter and mean
                        Life is much to precious to spend fighting wars these days
                        War can’t give life, it can only take it away

                        War! Huh – Good God y’all
                        What is it good for?
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Say it again

                        War! Whoa, Lord
                        What is it good for
                        Absolutely nothing
                        Listen to me…

                        War! It ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
                        War! Friend only to the undertaker
                        Peace Love and Understanding;
                        tell me, is there no place for them today?
                        They say we must fight to keep our freedom
                        But Lord knows there’s got to be a better way

                        War! Huh – Good God y’all
                        What is it good for?
                        You tell me
                        Say it, Say it, Say it
                        War! Huh – Good God y’all
                        What is it good for?
                        Stand up and shout it.
                        Nothing! geovisit();

Ten degrees cooler today than yesterday, a very good thing. Light breeze and it was lovely, the smell of the rain last night. The “storms” weren’t very strong and the rain was minimal. Unfortunately the house is well and truly heated and last night was the hottest it’s been yet in my “aerie”. So, turned about, head directly under the fan and slept actually rather well ’til about 0900 when the morning sun started to bake my brains.

The last of the gastroenteritis symptoms are just about gone. I am very glad of that. It was a rather uncomfortable deal. Not overtly painful, just uncomfortable. Still a bit leery about eating “whatever” but each day sees a bit more of normal food added back without any appreciable problems. Actually cooked this evening. Multi-coloured shell pasta which will form the basis for a panna ricotta/ham sauce for tonight’s supper as well as be used for my pea salad (bastardisation of a deli-salad I miss from back in the States). I’m craving guacamole and have a just-about-ready avocado on the window sill but I think I’ll hold off ’til it is absolutely ready and hope that my gi tract will be in sync. Mmmmm….guacamole. Also, did up cubes of Spam (yes I’m one of those folks who actually likes the stuff) to be added to the panna ricotta, the pea salad and the fried rice I’ll make tomorrow (it’s my version of fried rice which consists of basmati, bacon, scallions and whatever bits of meat I have available and since I have peas…peas). Himself isn’t a fan but he’ll have pasta leftover I’m sure.

After looking at the calendar I realised I’d better get myself going on holiday gifts if I intend to handcraft them this year. First on the agenda is to see if that nasty, scratchy wool (beautiful teal colour) will work out as a scarf. It just seems so stiff and itchy, almost like a crappy acrylic (I believe I ranted about it when I received it and then set it aside because I was so irritated that it felt so awful). So have about twelve inches of it done (plain garter) today. We’ll see how it ends up. I’m still grouchy about it.

I have visions of finding some very soft, colourful yarn (cashmerino?) to make a nice scarf for Christa and Oma. Just where is kind of up in the air. Maybe via the Web of maybe one of the not-so-LYSes. As for Roland and Martin? Not sure yet. I know Roland wears scarves but I gave him one for his birthday this year. Well, that’s why I wanted to get motivated now whilst I still have time to think about these things instead of freaking out 1 December.

Y’know, I do believe this kitchen is actually the first kitchen I’ve really been comfortable working in. It seems I’ve been cursed throughout life with having “odd” kitchens. I remember one in CT which consisted of one HUGE room (maybe 20′x15′) with nothing save the ‘fridge in it (we added table and chairs) and then everything else (sink, stove and counter, what little there was of it) crammed in a 4′x4′ cubby). Never did quite figure out how that happened. Then the one in OH which was one of those old one piece sink units which constituted the entirety of counter space (e.g. 18″ on either side of the sink), a stove and a ‘fridge. All sorts of oddments got cobbled together to try and emulate a kitchen. Eventually the sink (porcelain) started really deteriorating and we tried “porcelain paint” which worked for a bit. Other kitchens have been equally odd…either no storage space at all (maybe two cabinets on either side of a stove or a freestanding closet “near” the kitchen) and almost always no counter space. Even the kitchen we had here ’til last December was a bit of a “make-do” deal. But now, I have enough counter space (promptly filled except for one area) to easily prepare meals and the glass stove top helpfully doubles that space.

We did recently get a new microwave. I about freaked when I heard the price (Himself took a mind to get one and ordered it when one of the catalog companies solicited at the door…odd, that). Still it works very nicely and I guess it really is a good example of getting what you pay for. It actually turns out very good pizza from frozen. It’s one of those grill/microwave jobs (Sharp I think) and has all kinds of settings that actually correlate with foods that one might cook. I might even start considering using the thing for more than reheating beverages, making popcorn or reheating leftovers.

Looking to the forecast it appears I’d better enjoy the short break as we’ll be back to climbing temperatures starting tomorrow. Buggrit. I really, really dislike summer. I hope Autumn gets here and soon!