Arafat Had Chance To Be A Hero

Yasser Arafat died today. Unlike the plans of the Israeli governemnt, I don't intend to put out a propoganda campaign against him. Anyone who looks at the facts knows Arafat was no hero. He could have been, but ultimately, his distrust was his undoing.

In July of 2000, Arafat could have had what the Palestinians had always wanted. Their own state. They were closer than ever before. The proposal was there on the table at Camp David. Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza strip and 95 percent of the west bank. Arab control of East Jerusalem and the controversial Temple Mount. Arab refugees allowed back to their homes. Everything was there for the taking-- hell, Clinton was even offering a Monica BJ-- and Arafat said no.

Two months later, the second Palestinian infantada began, and Arafat didn't stop it.

The Washington Post has a fair minded account of Arafat's life: Arafat's Dream

If Arafat had signed that deal, there would be a Palestinian state and we probably wouldn't have had a 9/11. We probably wouldn't be in Iraq right now. Sometimes the future of the world can be decided by just one man.

Hopefully now, a leader can step into the void and dedicate the PLO to peace-- so we can finally bring an end to the conflict, and have an Israel and a Palestine, side by side.

Weird World

So I went to Macy's today in Herald Square on my lunch break to buy some winter clothes. Of course, I didn't realize that the store is completely for women. By the time I had ridden the escalators all the way to the 5th floor, I had gathered, from the racks of women's clothes that continued to confront me at every turn, that I had made a horrible mistake, and I was the only guy, surrounded by woman shoppers.

And I couldn't find my way out. Everywhere I looked were racks upon racks of pantsuits, blouses, skirts. 15% to 20% off. Every escalator continued to go up, where, I imagined, there existed about thirty other floors of wall to wall women's wear.

I was panicked. I had only ten minutes to get back to work and I was starting to get dizzy from the maddening floral perfume that was holding the air hostage.

Finally, after a diligent search (of course I didn't ask directions), I found a way down. As I was about to step onto the escalator, I heard a voice. "Excuse me."

I turned and saw a girl, probably not much younger than me. "Excuse me, could you help me?"

I wasn't sure if she thought I was a salesperson, or if she simply assumed, being that I was the only guy around, that I knew something about women's clothes.

"Yeah?"

"Could you help me up the escalator?"

I looked at her. She appeared healthy.

"Uh..."

"Please---"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," she replied.

So we went over to the escalator up.

"Hold my hand?"

So I did.

We headed up, and I desperately tried to make some sort of small talk to make the situation less awkward.

"So... you don't like escalators?"

"Yeah."

Awkward.

"Why are you here?" she asked me.

"Shopping," I replied.

"In the women's section?"

"Um, I'm shopping for a friend."

"I'm shopping for my mother, but I don't know what she likes."

"Well, what does she usually wear?"

"Stripes," the girl said. "She wears a lot of stripes."

"I'm not sure where the stripes are," I said.

After helping her up the escalator, she realized that it was the wrong floor, and I helped her back down the escalator, holding her hand. At the bottom, we parted ways.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem."

The ride back down to the jewelry and cosmetics was uneventful. I just kept thinking about what had happened. SO strange. So odd.

Then, on my way out, I saw a midget woman pushing a baby stroller.

I am never shopping at Macy's again.

Save The Babies... (and the eggs and sperm)

Pharmacists Refuse To Give Out The Pill"

So its not bad enough that these so-called moral people want mothers to die from pregnancy complications and rape victims to suffer-- they also want to promote teenage pregnancy and world overpopulation!!!!

I thought life started at conception. Now it apparently starts the moment of penetration. Of course, if this trend of moving the moment of life backwards continues, it will soon be illegal to wear pants, because they get in the way of "creating life."

Of course, the pantsless masses must never EVER touch each other before marriage. That would be a sin.

And once theyre together, they can't EVER be apart. No divorce anymore. Even in cases of abuse!

You see, it doesn't stop. It doesn't ever stop with these people. I don't mean to be alarmist, but I work at a magazine where i read letters from readers saying we're going to hell because a girl's shirt is too tight.

So I'm scared.

Religion is a great, powerful force, which has the capacity for great altruism, justice, truth, and compassion. What scares me is the evidence that it is being hijacked by those using it as a tool of hate, fear, and oppression.

This should be as much an outrage to the religious as it is the secular. Because once the fundamentalists grab hold, they're going to be harder to break. They have more kids than us. They indoctrinate their kids and keep them from society. These people will grow if we give them enough water.

We deeply need more spirituality, more religion; but we need the religion to lift up the world, and honor that we are all creations on this planet, worthy of our opinions and beliefs. We need religion to be a light that comforts us, not a hammer that beats us down. Otherwise, religion becomes another word, a word more sinister in its intent: Theocracy.

We don't need to become an Iran to become a nation of morality.

What we need is freedom. "Free to fall," and free to rise.

We're best when we compromise for the better of all. Not when we protheletize our own sense of right and wrong.

Its moral to save people.
Its immoral to punish them.

Missing The Point

"Many people of religious faith know someone who is gay. Opponents to gay marriage are not all bigots. They just believe that gay marriage defies centuries of history, culture and even natural law. They do not feel the Democratic Party is even open to their arguments -- much less actually sharing their concerns." -Brian Healy, CBS News, Bullshit Here

I read this today and wondered who Brian Healy is. Because someone this brain dead should not be working for CBS News.

Ok, so gay marriage defies centuries of history? So does the whole concept that black people are the same as white people. Of course, many of the people who oppose gay marriage were the same people resisting that.

Defies culture? The American divorce rate is close to 50%. That defies our culture, pre-1950's. So lets outlaw that.

Oh, also something that defied our culture- integration.

Defies Natural Law? Were gay people made in test tubes? Was this some scientific experiment to piss religious people off? What are homosexuals if not made by the same creator as us? Was God breaking the law when he made Elton John?

Someone give me an argument. Someone show me some figures that show gay marriage will destroy the world. Someone show me where the bible says, in these exact words: "Gay people should not be married." I know for a fact that gay marriage is not outlawed in the bible. Gay sex may be condemned (depending on your interpretation), but the bible writers never said they couldn't get married. So let them get married and we'll just assume they're being celibate. Kinda like how we imagine our parents as being.

I also seriously question whether the people who advocate the ban on gay marriage "know" gay people. You don't "know" gay people by watching "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

Not bigoted? I can't even tell you how rediculous that is.

Brian Healy?

You don't get it.

Of course the Democratic party isn't open to their arguments.

They have none.

It Begins

Creationism in Schools!!!
Lets Force Our Bigotry On Schoolchildren!!!

Yeah, well, that Darwin guy was a nut anyway. And the "dinosaurs" are just part of a liberal baby killing conspiracy.

And now the Republicans are attacking their own. Arlen Specter is being put down on Fox News daily for his comments about confirming Bush's Supreme Court nominees. All he said was that Bush might have a hard time winning over Democrats on a anti-abortion nominee.

Specter

Of course, anything that smells like dissent in the ranks causes Republicans to flip inside out, exposing their tiny, tiny hearts to the elements. So they were upset.

My theory is that the Republicans would have no problem with Specter's comments had he been, say, Strom Thurmond.

Why?

Because Spector is Jewish.

Yeah yeah, I know what you're gonna say. No, its not about that. This isn't an anti-semitic thing. Bullshit. I'm not like Uncle Leo from Seinfeld. But I honestly think the Republicans think a pro-choice, northeastern jew must be a democrat. Because Specter is Jewish, the Republicans hear words that sound close to a warning and they yell "Democrat!!!" despite the fact that Bush campaigned strongly for Specter in his reelection bid.

If Specter was a southern senator and say, his name was Jim Bunnings, I bet those guys would go a little easier on him. Or defend him at least when the "Right to Life (except for the mother!) Committee urges putting his head on a pike.

I applaud Specter for not letting his party affiliation poison his sense of decency.

It's funny, because Bush in his campaign said he wouldn't apply a litmus test for a Supreme Court nominee. The Fox News guys repeated it often. No one actually believed him, but he said it. Now that Specter says that Bush shouldn't have a litmus test, the Republicans go ape?

Yet another sad display of how Bush lies.