It’s like Bizarro-Kosovo/Serbia. 

     One day, one of the folks from the small house moves over into the bigger house.  It doesn’t matter who, let’s just say it was one of the husbands in the extended family.

     The man now lives in the big house.  This brash move surprises the family, but they understand that the small house is a little crowded and not quite as nice, and the fellow is quite decent, so they lodge a couple oblique objections and complaints, but take no action. 

      The man gets a job, goes to work every day, and even stocks the fridge with beer (okay, it’s Milwaukee’s Best and not remotely anything German).  After a few weeks he brings his wife and his 2.6 kids, and they keep their room nice and clean (lets face it, bachelors of any stripe just can’t match a good family team for cleanliness).  The family is doing okay in the big house, and they sometimes hand some of the Milwaukee’s Best over the fence to the rest of the family in the small house. 

     The only problem here is that the family from the small house wasn’t invited. 

     What does the family from the big house do? They could ask the intruding family to go home, but this is where the analogy breaks down because it’s a simple matter for the family to walk next door in the story, it’s not quite as practical in the real world; let’s just say small-house family won’t leave if asked, they’re too comfortable in the big house.  The big-house family could call the police to evict the other family, this would cause angst and aggravation all around.  Or they could ignore the problem and let life continue.  Maybe more families from the small house will move into the other spare rooms in the big house.  Maybe not. 

     If we could rewind life, the big-house family could have invited the small-house family over to rent one of the spare rooms.  That way they would have had a clean spare room, a little spare cash from rent, and extra beer in the ‘fridge. 

     Instead, big-house family is stuck with an awkward position where if they take no action, they’re spineless; but if they overreact, they’re mean.  And it’s nearly a digital difference between spineless and mean. 

    Maybe there’s a way for big-house family to run next door and help make the small house more livable?

     If I were as smart as Travis Patriquin, I’d make a clever PowerPoint presentation explaining the dilemma.  Alas!

     Where will we find some hope for Pakistan?

     Thank you to everyone who offered to help, whether it was advice on Kyrgystan or praying for her safety! I just thank God she’s back with her family and her country!

    Here’s some good thinking to get your 2007 underway. 

    Okay, so a nuclear weapon isn’t necessarily the latest sign of an impending apocalypse.  Still, methinks it’s not a good sign.   

 11/0515L Oct 2006 Update:  Doubts surface as to the veracity of North Korea’s claim.  But on the other hand, the "Chonger" seems to be volunteering to test another one more openly.  Notice he doesn’t bother telling publicly where he plans to launch his missile.  I suspect that if he’s weaponized a missile, he’ll probably have it launched into the ocean for a spectacular airburst.  I just hope he mentions where its going so we can divert sea and air traffic! Of course, this brings up the possibility of testing the ABM system as well. . . .

     Occassionally we’ll discuss world events, and since the Middle East is nearly always in turmoil, it tends to come up as a good topic.  I tend to talk at length about the unsettled Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how and why it is often central to the problems that occur there. 

     Typically, my German counterparts will dance around the issue a little.  If they do offer an opinion, I generally forcefully advance and defend my opinions (often too bluntly, I’m told).  Most often, they will eventually offer that they don’t understand why their opinions about Israel don’t carry weight in discussions, from the personal level all the way to the United Nations. 

     I’ll leave that question open to the floor.  I may share my opinion later.

     Here’s some additional reading on modern European anti-Semitism.  Please be aware this is from the Center for Jewish Community Studies, just so you know where the biases lie. 

     Of course, it’s not really fair to analyze one side only without pointing out that there’s been at least some attempt to do something about the recognized problem. 

     For even more information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I recommend reading Fawaz Turki’s The Disinherited:  Journal of a Palestinian Exile, and Alan Dershowitz’s The Case for Israel. 

     He called for a Muslim boycott of American goods.  Let’s see, a short list of American exports could consist of food, airplanes, medical technology, computer operating systems, and Hollywood movies.  A Muslim boycott of food? Good luck growing your own out there in the desert, fellas!  A Muslim boycott of airplanes or airlines? I’m thinking I don’t even need to touch that one.  A Muslim boycott of medical technology? Hey! Who am I to stop you from wanting to keep living in the 18th century? A Muslim boycott of Windows, Mac OS, Unix, and various strains of Linux? That’s okay, you can depend on Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese goods if you like to get your messages out on the Internet and television.  They’re all good allies of ours, we don’t mind if you make them richer, as we can buy stock in their companies and keep our 401(k)  portfolios afloat.  A Muslim boycott of Hollywood movies? That hardly matters, as Muslim countries are as bad as China when it comes to bootlegging movies and DVDs.  Overall, a general Muslim boycott of American goods would be a Pyrrhic victory for you. 

     Osama, you may boycott away! It’s not like you were having much success getting anywhere you could access American goods anyway, and that makes me happy.  I don’t want you putting your filthy paws on anything made by people who are far better than you. 
 

    On the Return of History. 

    When Cynicism Meets Fanaticism. 

    Hopefully, if Rahman decides to try to continue living in Afghanistan, he’ll be left alone.   I rather expect he’ll have to relocate to a non-muslim country, rather like one Mr. Rushdie.