"I can't take it anymore! If I gotta choke down on one more of those moldy, disgusting crackers... Bam! Whack!"

I was sent this by my good friend Elliot and I couldn't stop laughing at the pure stupidity

shabbat shalom

J.


a letter in this week's Yated Ne'eman (yes, it's for real)


===========================================

BEARS AND ELEPHANTS

Dear Editor, Poschim b'chvod achsanyah. My family loves reading this wonderful newspaper, as it is the only newspaper that truly belongs in a Torah home. I would like to share with you an experience that I recently had, one that I found very disturbing. I opened up a box of heimishe-brand animal crackers and was terribly dismayed to see that a whole array of non-kosher animals are featured! What are we teaching our children, to eat treife animals?! Are we chas v'shalom teaching our children to eat bears and elephants? Wishing to hear a response. I remain, F. O. G.



Below are three letters that the Yated published in response to last week's
letter about the animal crackers: =================================================

HEIMISHE ANIMAL CRACKERS

Dear Editor, I read last week with consternation, A letter written with righteous indignation. The writer was appalled, As he recalled, A cracker unbecoming to his nation! He picked up a snack, And in the pack, Were animals that are taboo. An elephant, a tiger and a monkey too. And so a letter he sent to you! How dare this company so heimish, Perpetrate an act "beheimish." To ensnare his child to actually chew, Something prohibited to every Jew. And then it hit me with a thud! Takeh a shandeh! Takeh ah shud! Though I only eat, The kosher species of that treat, And save the treife ones for a goy… I still am in trouble, oy vavoy! You see I bit the leg last week, Of a cow-shaped cracker in my feast. And now, I'm stuck, I cannot lie. I ate an eiver, min hachai! And now before I eat, I check, To carefully slice off the neck,
And way before I'll eat, I halt, And make sure to sprinkle salt, Lest it would look, At least to some… I did not rid the cow of "dum". And when there are two crackers, That were put in the box by packers, Perhaps an ox along with its calf. We have a problem, Please don't laugh. Because the Torah tells us NO! Do not shecht 'Osoh v'es b'noh'! So thank you reader, Oh so ehrlich, Who saved me from something so geferlich. And listen up all animal snackers, You can even learn halacha from simple crackers! A Grateful Yated Fan

ELBOW MACARONI AND ZEBRA COOKIES

Dear Editor, I would like to address the author of the letter titled "Bears and Elephants", who wrote last week how "very distressing" it was to recently open a box of heimishe-brand animal cookies and that he was "deeply dismayed" to find non-kosher shaped animals. To think that someone notices something as silly as this and then actually allows this to bother him is shocking and
troubling. Based on these concerns, should we eliminate 'horse'radish on the Shabbos table, 'ham'burgers at barbecues, and gummy bears from our children's pekalach? Should we prohibit our children from calling their tante an "aunt" and should we remove beer from our shalom zachor menus? Should we cross off ladyfingers from our Pesach orders? Are we now concerned that eating elbow macaroni together with cheese promotes aiver min hachai and bosor b'cholov? Should we say no to zebra cookies? The "concern" that allowing bear or elephant shaped cookies into your home "teaches our children to eat treife animals" is about as likely as a black and white cookie showing support for affirmative action or being concerned that eating a Napoleon pastry promotes cannibalism. Yossi G. Highland Park, N.J.


WORRYING ABOUT WHAT COMES OUT

Dear Editor, In response to F.O.G.'s "Bears and Elephants" letter: I think we should start worrying about what comes out of our
mouths as much as we worry about what goes in. I remain, N.H.B.



Quote is from Aladdin (1992)

------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security"

– Benjamin Franklin

"My job takes me all over the world. Lebanon, Nicaragua... Newark. You name it, I'm in there. Always where the action is."

Nice article from Abe Foxman

J.

Proportionality in the War in Lebanon
By Abraham H. Foxman

Israel's case before the world in its military conflict against Hezbollah is as strong as the nation has ever had. Not occupying territory from whence the aggression came, facing a foe which is recognized by the international community as terrorist and illegitimately in control of the southern part of Lebanon, being the victim of an unprovoked attack and kidnapping by the terrorist group, Israel is seen even by the usual knee-jerk critics of the Jewish state as having the right of self-defense.

The problem for Israel lies beyond first causes, in the now oft-repeated accusation that Israel is engaged in a "disproportionate" response.

Sometimes this charge takes the form of accusing Israel of destroying Lebanon just to redeem two soldiers. Sometimes it takes the form of comparing the ratio of the civilian death toll, about ten Lebanese for every Israeli. Or other times it appears in the comment that Lebanon had finally begun to emerge from three decades of war, division and destruction, and now Israel was setting the country back irreparably.

These are serious charges. Israel does have a responsibility to itself and the international community to avoid, if possible, civilian casualties and destruction of Lebanese infrastructure. However, the accusation against Israel completely fails to recognize the context out of which this conflict has come to pass.

Israel did not go to war because of kidnapped soldiers, though the redemption of these soldiers is and must remain a priority. The war came because of Israel's need to eliminate the missile attacks on its population in the north and incursions into its territory from Hezbollah.

Israel's northern cities and towns have continuously been under threat of missile attacks, especially as Hezbollah amassed an arsenal in the years since Israel left southern Lebanon. If not dealt with by Israel, Hezbollah would have evolved into a far greater threat to the fundamental security of the State of Israel.

Because the international community did nothing about Hezbollah's control of southern Lebanon despite the Security Council passing UN resolution 1559, the terrorist group had already accumulated an estimated thirteen thousand rockets, some reportedly with a range of 125 miles. Had Israel not acted when it did, Damascus and Tehran would have undoubtedly proceeded to elevate the quantity, quality and range of missiles, with chemically-tipped weapons surely part of the future mix.

So when the issue of proportionality is raised, one must consider the size of the threat of a semi-autonomous, terrorist entity in southern Lebanon, committed to Israel's destruction, and with an open-ended supply of ever more sophisticated weapons from Syria and Iran.

Moreover, the Hezbollah infrastructure within Lebanon is significant. It would be a difficult enough task for Israel to deal with rocket launchers, thousands of missiles, logistical support and media outlets in different parts of the country. It is made even more difficult by the fact that Hezbollah places its missiles in civilian locations, that it is continually looking for re-supply through Damascus and is being egged on and armed by Tehran. In other words, Hezbollah is a big and complex operation that poses a big threat.

Also, let us not forget that the international community has known for a number of years exactly what was going on. Resolution 1559, demanding the dismantling of Hezbollah and its replacement in the south by the Lebanese army, understood this was hardly a small matter, but a big deal that would have involved major actions and confrontations. In the end, unfortunately, neither the Lebanese government nor the international community implemented 1559 seeing it as too big a job. So proportionate to what?

Additionally, as Alan Dershowitz pointed out in the Wall Street Journal on July 18, the element of proportionality which comes into play because of civilian deaths and infrastructure damage must take into consideration Hezbollah's sinister strategy. By deliberately targeting Israeli civilians with its admittedly inaccurate missiles while making it well-nigh impossible for Israel to hit its military infrastructure and arms without harming civilians; they calculatedly put Israel in an impossible dilemma: avoid imposing civilian casualties in Lebanon by leaving Hezbollah missiles intact, putting Israeli citizens in a vulnerable position, or taking out Hezbollah missiles with civilian casualties, leaving Israel condemned by the international community.

In the end, Israel won't allow itself to be paralyzed by this conundrum. It observes the first responsibility of a state - to protect its people from outside attack. And, in the process tries its best to minimize the damage to the Lebanese. The results may be mixed in this regard but this is not only the moral posture to assume but the wisest, since Israel needs to avoid alienating the Lebanese people who must fill the vacuum when Israel defeats Hezbollah.

Finally, the proportionality accusation is presented in the context of a Lebanon which was returning to normalcy prior to this conflict. On many levels this is true and it is sad what has occurred, though it is Hezbollah that is ultimately responsible for what has happened. On a deeper level, however, it must be stated that it was an illusion to talk about a normal, independent Lebanon as long as a terrorist group, armed to the teeth by two of the most dangerous states on the planet, held sway in the southern part of the country.

Looking at the conflict from this angle, as a big picture, Israel's response is not out of proportion at all. Fortunately, the Bush Administration understands this and supports Israel in its historic, proportional struggle.

This article originally appeared in Ha'aretz on July 23, 2006.

Quote is from Deal of the Century (1983)


------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security"

– Benjamin Franklin

"Heaven knows we haven't lost our sense of humor!...do we EVER LOSE OUR SENSE OF HUMOR?"

I received these quotes and this picture by email and thought that its important to look on the lighter side, once in a while too.

J.

Israel sent warplanes into Lebanon Monday to bomb Hezbollah rocket launchers in the hills and hideouts in Beirut. Diplomacy is not impossible. Hezbollah's sworn goal is the destruction of Israel, but they have some flexibility on the exact date. (Argus Hamilton)



Syria declared Friday they support Hezbollah against the Israelis.

It's hard for Americans to keep track of these groups. Hezbollah supports the destruction of Israel and the Islamic takeover of the United States, and they are the moderates. (Argus Hamilton)



Israel says its goal is to "disband" Hezbollah. If Israel is successful, most Hezbollah members will likely be picked up as free agents by al Qaeda or chosen by other terror organizations in the annual amateur draft. (Jake Novak)



A lot of people are complaining about how long it's taking to evacuate Americans from Lebanon. Lebanon? We couldn't even evacuate Americans from New Orleans. (Jay Leno)



The United States is trying to evacuate 5,000 of our citizens from Lebanon, but the Pentagon says it's hard to move people across the border without any paperwork. You know what we should do? Ask the Mexican government to help. They moved 12 million people over the border with no paperwork. (Jay Leno)



There was one embarrassing moment today for President Bush when they phoned the Pentagon about evacuating Lebanese-Americans. He said, "I didn't even know Dick Cheney's daughter was over there." (Jay Leno)



A lot of military experts are wondering how the U.S can stop Israel from getting bombed. Israel? We can't even stop Pete Coors from getting bombed. (Jay Leno)



Hezbollah rockets killed 8 people in the Israeli city of Haifa this morning. The U.N. is castigating the victims for not restraining themselves from dying. (Jake Novak)



More rockets were fired into Israel today. Israel responded by bombing more targets inside Lebanon. Now there's talk the US might send some troops over there to help with border security. See, that's how you know the people over there are in trouble when they start asking our advice on border security. (Jay Leno)



Lebanon asked President Bush to intervene Sunday and halt the war that broke out last week. Lebanon is a French possession, like Vietnam and Haiti. Being an ally of France is a lot like having a brother-in-law with a gambling problem and no car. (Argus Hamilton)



Hezbollah guerrillas launched long-range rockets Sunday which carried all the way down to Nazareth in central Israel. It's the boyhood home of Jesus. To anger more Americans they would have to shell the North Pole and kill Santa Claus. (Argus Hamilton)

Quote is from Wild Wild West(1999)
------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security"

– Benjamin Franklin

"I am not a computer nerd. I prefer to be called a hacker!"

Israeli Hackers Join The War Vs. Palestinian Sites




Israeli hackers have decided to help and join the war against the Palestine.

The hackers group that calls itself "IDF" (which also means Israeli Defence Force) hacked dozen of sites by now, erased the site content and left it running with a picture of the Lebanon destruction that is made by Israeli Defence Force as an answer for the Palestinian terror in the past few days. Above the picture they left a text saying "You touch Israel, We touch you"





Here are some of the hacked websites:

http://www.attilaortho.com
http://aboualisina.com/
http://azarmabna.com/
http://abrahgostar.com/
http://airsystemco.com/
http://ajandriz.com/
http://anahitco.com/
http://ariadisc-co.com/
http://www.armanchemie.net/
http://www.arsiarakhshanfar.com/
http://www.asiaautopart.com/
http://www.asiaelectronics2000.com/
http://bararpour.com
http://bahador-ameri.com
http://www.attilaortho.com
http://irantrader.net/
http://www.oitc.ir/
http://anahitco.com
http://ajandriz.com
http://airsystemco.com
http://abrahgostar.com
http://azarmabna.com
http://aboualisina.com/Main/Default.asp
http://www.armanchemie.net
http://www.armanchemie.net
http://www.asiaelectronics2000.com
http://www.asiaautopart.com
http://www.arsiarakhshanfar.com
http://www.armanchemie.net
http://bargsoft.com
http://www.attilaortho.com/
http://bahador-ameri.com/
http://bararpour.com/
http://bargsoft.com/
http://ww.hizbollah.org
http://www.arab-book.com/
http://www.tana.ir/
http://qassim-health.com/
http://www.iran2world.net/
http://www.iranbehkar.com/
http://iranseptaco.com/

Quote is from Jurassic Park (1993)
------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security"

– Benjamin Franklin

That's where the real fun is 'cause these days it's all about the trial...I'll get Dershowitz or Cochran to represent me."

This amazing op-ed appeared in a number of newspapers including the Wall Street Journal yesterday.

Enjoy

J.

Arithmetic of Pain

By ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ
July 19, 2006; Page A12

There is no democracy in the world that should tolerate missiles being fired at its cities without taking every reasonable step to stop the attacks. The big question raised by Israel's military actions in Lebanon is what is "reasonable." The answer, according to the laws of war, is that it is reasonable to attack military targets, so long as every effort is made to reduce civilian casualties. If the objectives cannot be achieved without some civilian casualties, these must be "proportional" to the civilian casualties that would be prevented by the military action.

This is all well and good for democratic nations that deliberately locate their military bases away from civilian population centers. Israel has its air force, nuclear facilities and large army bases in locations as remote as anything can be in that country. It is possible for an enemy to attack Israeli military targets without inflicting "collateral damage" on its civilian population. Hezbollah and Hamas, by contrast, deliberately operate military wings out of densely populated areas. They launch antipersonnel missiles with ball-bearing shrapnel, designed by Syria and Iran to maximize civilian casualties, and then hide from retaliation by living among civilians. If Israel decides not to go after them for fear of harming civilians, the terrorists win by continuing to have free rein in attacking civilians with rockets. If Israel does attack, and causes civilian casualties, the terrorists win a propaganda victory: The international community pounces on Israel for its "disproportionate" response. This chorus of condemnation actually encourages the terrorists to operate from civilian areas.

While Israel does everything reasonable to minimize civilian casualties -- not always with success -- Hezbollah and Hamas want to maximize civilian casualties on both sides. Islamic terrorists, a diplomat commented years ago, "have mastered the harsh arithmetic of pain. . . . Palestinian casualties play in their favor and Israeli casualties play in their favor." These are groups that send children to die as suicide bombers, sometimes without the child knowing that he is being sacrificed. Two years ago, an 11-year-old was paid to take a parcel through Israeli security. Unbeknownst to him, it contained a bomb that was to be detonated remotely. (Fortunately the plot was foiled.)

This misuse of civilians as shields and swords requires a reassessment of the laws of war. The distinction between combatants and civilians -- easy when combatants were uniformed members of armies that fought on battlefields distant from civilian centers -- is more difficult in the present context. Now, there is a continuum of "civilianality": Near the most civilian end of this continuum are the pure innocents -- babies, hostages and others completely uninvolved; at the more combatant end are civilians who willingly harbor terrorists, provide material resources and serve as human shields; in the middle are those who support the terrorists politically, or spiritually.

The laws of war and the rules of morality must adapt to these realities. An analogy to domestic criminal law is instructive: A bank robber who takes a teller hostage and fires at police from behind his human shield is guilty of murder if they, in an effort to stop the robber from shooting, accidentally kill the hostage. The same should be true of terrorists who use civilians as shields from behind whom they fire their rockets. The terrorists must be held legally and morally responsible for the deaths of the civilians, even if the direct physical cause was an Israeli rocket aimed at those targeting Israeli citizens.

Israel must be allowed to finish the fight that Hamas and Hezbollah started, even if that means civilian casualties in Gaza and Lebanon. A democracy is entitled to prefer the lives of its own innocents over the lives of the civilians of an aggressor, especially if the latter group contains many who are complicit in terrorism. Israel will -- and should -- take every precaution to minimize civilian casualties on the other side. On July 16, Hasan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, announced there will be new "surprises," and the Aska Martyrs Brigade said that it had developed chemical and biological weapons that could be added to its rockets. Should Israel not be allowed to pre-empt their use?

Israel left Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005. These are not "occupied" territories. Yet they serve as launching pads for attacks on Israeli civilians. Occupation does not cause terrorism, then, but terrorism seems to cause occupation. If Israel is not to reoccupy to prevent terrorism, the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority must ensure that these regions cease to be terrorist safe havens.

Mr. Dershowitz is a professor of law at Harvard.

Quote is from Scream 2 (1997)

------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security"

– Benjamin Franklin

"Why don't you say it in the microphone. I got a backup mike right here."

Once again, yesterday George was caught being George. (all pics besides the one with Blair have no connection to the current story)

Thanks to sobersubmrnr for the tip

Enjoy the laugh.

J.

Bush Curses Hezbollah on Live Microphone

By JEANNINE AVERSA
AP Economics Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia

It wasn't meant to be overheard. Private luncheon conversations among world leaders, picked up by a microphone, provided a rare window into both banter and substance _ including President Bush cursing Hezbollah's attacks against Israel.

Bush expressed his frustration with the United Nations and his disgust with the militant Islamic group and its backers in Syria as he talked to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the closing lunch at the Group of Eight summit.

"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s--- and it's over," Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll.

He told Blair he felt like telling U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the gathered leaders, to get on the phone with Syrian President Bashar Assad to "make something happen." He suggested Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might visit the region soon.

The unscripted comments came during a photo opportunity at the lunch. The leaders clearly did not realize that a live microphone was picking up their discussion.

Asked about the microphone mishap during his final briefing of the summit, Blair quipped that it was "all about transparent government." He smiled and tapped the microphone in front of him.

Bush "sort of rolled his eyes and laughed" when told the comments had been audible and a copy had been made, said Press Secretary Tony Snow. "Actually his reaction first was, 'What did it say?' So we showed him the transcript, then he rolled his eyes and laughed."

Bush also spoke to other leaders, and his unscripted comments ranged from the serious topic of escalating violence in the Mideast to light banter about his preference for Diet Coke and a gift he received from another leader.

Blair, whose remarks were not as clearly heard, appeared to be pressing Bush about the importance of getting international peacekeepers into the region.

Bush expresses amazement that it will take some leaders as many as eight hours to fly home _ about the same time it will take Air Force One with Bush aboard to return to Washington.

"You eight hours? Me, too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country," Bush said, at one point telling a waiter he wanted Diet Coke. "Takes him eight hours to fly home. Russia's big and so is China. Yeah Blair, what're you doing? Are you leaving."

Bush thanked Blair for the gift of a sweater and joked that he knew Blair had picked it out personally. "Absolutely," Blair responded, with a laugh.

A stickler for keeping to his schedule, Bush could also be heard telling Russian President Vladimir Putin, "We've got to keep this thing moving. I have to leave at 2:15. They want me out of town so to free up your security forces."

Bush also remarked that some speakers at the meeting talk too long.

It was the second time in less than a month that remarks at a G-8 event in Russia ended up being heard over an audio system officials thought was off.

Last month, an inadvertent audio feed from a closed-door lunch in Moscow between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov exposed their sometimes testy discussion about the security situation in Iraq.

Quote is from Joe Dirt(2001)
------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security" Benjamin Franklin

– Benjamin Franklin

"There are many kinds of victory...for us to remain in uniform - that is our victory...the world is not going to get rid of us after all."

Saw this on The Muqata.

I think you will all enjoy sharing in the pride and courage of our soldiers and pilots fighting the terrorists in the north and in Gaza.



Stay Safe.

J.

Quote is from Battle of the Bulge(1965)


------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

Thanks to Jameel and the whole Muqata crew

I have been a bit busy and have had little time lately to post, so I just want to say a big thanks to Jameel for his constant updates on what's been goin on.

Kol Hakavod to the Muqata gang.

BTW, I found a more appropriate quote for my tag, so goodbye (for now) Abe (lincoln) and welcome Ben (Franklin)

Keep safe.

J.





------------------------------------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
deserve neither liberty or security" Benjamin Franklin

– Benjamin Franklin

"You take someone to the airport, its clearly the beginning of the relationship. That's why I have never taken anyone to the airport at the beginning

Full Quote: "You take someone to the airport, its clearly the beginning of the relationship. That's why I have never taken anyone to the airport at the beginning of a relationship."

I know this is a fake picture, but I thought it was funny



J.

Where is this quote from? The quote from Monday was from St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

This just in!!!

Israeli confirms Hizballah TV al Manar report of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped to trade for prisoners in Hizballah cross-border raid Wednesday morning

July 12, 2006, 11:16 AM (GMT+02:00)

Hizballah covered the abduction with heavy rocket-mortar fire into Israel, in which 11 Israeli civilians injured. Israeli air force is bombing bridges and Hizballah command posts in south Lebanon to block path of the Hizballah raiders with Israeli hostages. Israeli troops injured in earlier exchanges of fire on both sides of the borfer. The civilians were wounded in Lebanese rocket attacks on Zarit and Shetula. Northern Galilee residents ordered to bomb shelters.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Last update - 11:01 12/07/2006
Hezbollah claims to have kidnapped 2 IDF soldiers during clashes on Israel-Lebanon border
By Amos Harel and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents

Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station claimed on Wednesday morning that the Lebanese-militia had kidnapped two Israel Defense Forces soldiers on the northern border in the midst of massive shelling attacks on Israel's north.

The IDF said it has "serious concern" about fate of the two soldiers.

Two other Israelis were wounded when gunmen in Lebanon began pounding IDF positions along the border starting around 9 A.M.

The two Israelis were wounded by projectiles that slammed into Moshav Zarit. One was lightly to moderately wounded and the second was lightly wounded. Two other people suffered from shock. The wounded were evacuated to hospital in Nahariya.

Northern residents reported hearing massive sounds of gunfire and explosions. Residents of the northern were ordered to enter bomb shelters as heavy exchanges of fire were reported in the western sector of the border area.

Israel Defense Forces responded to the attacks from Lebanon with heavy artillery and tank fire. Al-Manar, the Hezbollah TV station, reported that IDF artillery was pounding the fringes of the villages of Aita el-Shaab, Ramieh and Yaroun in the hills east of the coastal border port of Naqoura. Israel Air Force aircraft were also striking Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

The fighting apparently began when at least two rockets fired from south Lebanon exploded near Shlomi, located about 15 kilometers east of the Mediterranean coast, Reuters reported. Hezbollah guerrillas also attacked IDF positions in the Shaba Farms area to the east, Lebanese security sources said.

The exchanges of fire are the biggest upsurge of fighting on the Lebanese-Israeli border since May 28.

The possibility of border clashes in the north was raised during security situation meetings over the past two weeks since the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit next to the Gaza Strip.
------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

"He's operating on his own. He's cut off from his chain of command. He's showing signs of pressure-induced psychosis and he's got a nuclear weapon"

Looks like our good friends the Iranians are back in the news...

Saw this on the Jpost

A series of technical problems at the central Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz appear to have slowed down its nuclear fuel-enrichment program and put on hold plans to expand it, it was reported on Tuesday.

In April, Iran succeeded in operating a cascade of 164 centrifuges, an amount sufficient to fuel nuclear power plants, but far short of the threshold of several thousand needed to build a nuclear bomb. A second round of feeding uranium into centrifuge enrichment machines began on June 6.

According to one diplomat, several unconfirmed reports state that the first cascade, basis for Iranian plans to install 3,000 centrifuges by 2007, had a failure rate of up to 50 percent, Channel 2 reported.

He said the centrifuges seemed to be showing fragility after being spun at supersonic speeds, and the nature of materials injected into them - which could involve impurities in the uranium - could be damaging too.

Meanwhile, Iran ruled out responding this week to international incentives to suspend its nuclear program, saying Tuesday that the offer contains too many "ambiguities."

Ali Larijani, Teheran's top nuclear negotiator, said after meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana that the "ambiguities must be removed first in order to have serious talks."

His comments dashed any hope that that Iran would meet a Wednesday deadline on a six-nation offer of incentives aimed at dissuading Tehran from uranium enrichment.

Foreign ministers from the six powers that crafted the proposal - the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany - are to meet Wednesday in Paris. The six are pushing for an agreement before the July 15-17 Group of Eight summit in Russia.

Iran repeatedly has said it will not respond to the offer before August and Larijani warned that talks on his country's atomic program will be a "long process."

The negotiator refused to elaborate on the nature of the perceived ambiguities, but he called on the European Union, United States, Russia and others to be patient.

"I see no reason for being skeptical. We must allow more time for negotiations to work,'' Larijani told reporters after meeting with Solana. ``All matters must be discussed and all concerns must be addressed."
Larijani warned the United States and others against sending the matter to the Security Council for possible sanctions, calling it "the wrong way" to solve the impasse.

"It is not difficult to disrupt negotiations by making harsh comments," Larijani said.

Some Western officials have threatened to restart efforts to punish Iran through possible sanctions unless Teheran stops uranium enrichment and agrees to talks by Wednesday.

Solana offered little comment on the meeting, which lasted around four hours. "We will make (an) analysis and we will see how to proceed," Solana said.

Solana had been hoping for a positive reply from Larijani on the offer of economic and trade rewards, nuclear expertise and reactors in exchange for a pledge by Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities during nuclear talks.

Quote is from The Abyss (1989)
------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

"Drunk definitely, I don't know if you could call it driving."

Here's a short video that I will dedicate to my good friend Sobersumrnr. I'm sure he's had to deal with people like this before.



While in the force, I only had to deal with a DUI once and it was an older arab guy in his late 50's early 60's. We caught him because he backed into one of those movable dividers (called New Jerseys, don't know why) and me and my partner ended up spending most of the night shift babysitting him from hospital to hospital until we got all the blood samples needed. The worst part abt it was that he was cursing himself out the whole time for being a terrible person.

J.


Who knows where this quote is from, my hint is that it's from a brat pack movie from the 80's.




------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

"Frank, were you on this religious kick at home, or did you crack up over here?"

Living in Israel has it's perks, but the kind of things that really make me feel great about living here are the ones related to feeling like a Jew. Here are four things in no particular order, that I love about being a Jew in my own country.

- Being able to open the door while having a shabbat meal and not worrying about the neighbors complianing atht you are singing too loud.

- Seeing cars parked illegally with a note on the dash stating that they are paying a shiva call and would the metermaid be kind and not cite them for parking illegally (I've actually seen cards made up to put in your windshield for these occassions)

- Being able to walk down the street on shabbat and wish everyone you pass a hearty shabbat shalom and they don't look at you as if you are crazy, even if they are clearly not dressed for shabbat.

- Having an operator wish you a shabbat shalom or a shavua tov

- Not having to use vacation days for Jewish holidays

Tell me what other reasons you love about living (or visiting) Israel.

J.

Quote is from M*A*S*H* (1970)



------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

"And Davis there... he's just dog crazy. He's a lot better."

I was sent this site by a friend.

I think some people take their Judaism too far.

I think I would be embarrased even in Israel to walk around with a dog like this:

J.

Quote is from Magnum Force (1973)


------------------------------------------------
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln

"Give me another one of those Bolshevik firecrackers. I think I fell asleep in the snow!"

Try not to fall asleep on the 4th of July.

Happy US Independence Day

J.



Here's a nice Fourth of July tribute using the song "courtesy of the red,white, and blue"



Quote is from The Eagle has Landed (1976)
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The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
– Abraham Lincoln