My cousin is an Arab. Well, that is not literally true, but I bet that it got your attention. What is literally true is that Jews and Arabs share many of the same roots, both cultually and genetically. Both are Semetic peoples and if you accept the Bible, both are descended from the Patriarch Abraham. But there is another element that we have in common. Both are victims of stereotyping. I watched author Jack Shaheen speak today and he makes many good points. He has writtem several boks ...

Jose Luis Zapatero was elected just days after the terrorist bombing killed 200 Spanish citizens, in large measure because of his promise to withdraw Spanish troops from the multi-national force in Iraq. Yet today he seemed angered at charges of cowardice. At a Socialist Party conference today, the Prime-Minister Elect said ""No Spanish government has given into terror and no government will do that." He continued "My priority is to fight every type of terrorism. Terrorists are going to fi...

Terrorist attacks by Hamas have taken a new and ugly turn, with unwilling Palestinian children having bombs strapped to their bodies. In two separate incidents in Israel, the bomb carriers have been teenage boys who were terrified at what they were being forced to do. Near Nablus, Israeli soldiers stopped a 14-year old boy with a bomb vest strapped to his body. The entire incidenet was caught on videotape. To quote the referenced article: "In dramatic images caught on camera, the teenag...

A while ago I posted a humorous (well, I always think that I am funny) article on WinCustomize entitled "Och, aye, Scotland." It was a tribute to my good friends in the skinning community - Hippy and Voodoo Freak. If you are not familiar with their works of art, get over to WinCustomize and check it out. Wait! Finish reading this first (I need the points!) Today, I learned that among other wonderful artists having their roots in Scotland is none other than Elvis Presley, the King. Don't be...

A while ago I posted a humorous (well, I always think that I am funny) article on WinCustomize entitled "Och, aye, Scotland." It was a tribute to my good friends in the skinning community - Hippy and Voodoo Freak. If you are not familiar with their works of art, get over to WinCustomize and check it out. Wait! Finish reading this first (I need the points!) Today, I learned that among other wonderful artists having their roots in Scotland is none other than Elvis Presley, the King. Don't be...

But first....a joke. Two men walk into a laundry owned by a Chinese family. The first man asks for his shirts, but is unable to provide the ticket that he received when he dropped them off. The laundry owner explains that without the ticket, there is no way to determine which shirts belong to the fellow. Upon exiting the store, the first man says to the second "Those damn Jews!" The second fellow responds "But that man was Chinese!" The first fellow replies "I know, those are the worst ...

But first....a joke. Two men walk into a laundry owned by a Chinese family. The first man asks for his shirts, but is unable to provide the ticket that he received when he dropped them off. The laundry owner explains that without the ticket, there is no way to determine which shirts belong to the fellow. Upon exiting the store, the first man says to the second "Those damn Jews!" The second fellow responds "But that man was Chinese!" The first fellow replies "I know, those are the worst ...

In an online document, Al Qaeda posted their plan to use terrorist acts to influence the Spanish government and force a withdrawal from Iraq. This document was posted months before the bombings last week. What is astonishing is that Al Qaeda was able to execute the plan to perfection and get exactly the desired results. Posted in December on a message board, the Al Qaeda document predicted the Spanish reaction to terrorist acts: "We think the Spanish government will not stand more than t...

The French Communist party has leveled new allegations of the use of torture by the French in Algeria. In what has become for most of the world a forgotten war, France is widely believed to have used Nazi-style torture techniques in it's war against Algeria. Algeria was once occupied by France and France fought a war against Islamic rebels from 1954 to 1962. Current French President Chirac was a captain in the French army there. Recenty a senior officer admitted to have personally conduc...

This past Sunday, just days after the bombing in Madrid, two Palestinian teenagers armed with bombs attempted to detonate the toxic chemicals stored in the Israeli port of Ashdod. The terrorists fell short of their goal, setting off their bombs prematurely, but managed to kill 11 civilian workers at the dock. The story was overshadowed in terms of media coverage by the carnage in Madrid. Before news of the mission's strategic failure had spread, exultant Palestinians had begun victory parad...

My heart goes out to the victims of the bombings. As of this time, the death toll stands at 192 dead and 1400 wounded. An awful, awful tragedy. I must ask, what manner of creature would plan and execute such an action? How could they possibly feel that such an action was justified? This attack was not against military targets, but against civilians (if such a term is relevant anymore.) How many of the innocents were children? Less than 24 hours ago, I was posting my feelings about te...

I admire fairness. The truth is, it is hard to be fair when its not in your best interests. It can be hard to say that someone you usually disagree with is right, particuarly if you don't like them. That is why I find Rush Limbaugh's commentary on Howard Stern so pleasing. Rush doesn't like the Porn Jock (is Shock Jock the right term?) but he defended Howard Stern today. Rush's defense was motivated by Clear Channel Communications suspending Howard Stern for indecency. rush isn't a fan of S...

Like millions of others, I have been watching the reviews and previews of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ." I haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, but I fully intend to. I have heard Mel Gibson speak about the film and respond to the charges that the film is anti-Semitic and may create or exacerbate the rift between Christians and Jews. The core issue is, of course, what was the role of the Jews in the death of Jesus and what are the consequences. I am going to try to be ...

That George W. Bush did not serve in Vietnam, but rather was a member of the National Guard is an acknowledged fact. How he came to be in the Guard is questionable, but I haven't seen any damning evidence that his father broke the law to keep his son safe. If, however, the President did not report to duty when he was transferred , at his request, from Houston to Alabama that to me means that he is no longer qualified to be the Commander and Chief. Quoting from the article linked above, we f...

So, Dean is done. Amazing that so many, including me, hailed him as the candidate. He didn't win one primary. He did galvanize the party and attract a lot of interest, but in the end didn't have "the right stuff." It now appears that Kerry will go into Super Tuesday as the Candidate Apparent. Interestingly, with both Clark and Dean out of the race, Edwards seems to have picked up momentum. In one poll, 75% of the Wisconsin voters that voted for Edwards said that they had made up their minds i...