Peace process: solved!

In a Washington Post op-ed piece this morning, Mahmoud al-Zahar, the founder of Hamas, explains what the Israelis need to do for peace:

A “peace process” with Palestinians cannot take even its first tiny step until Israel first withdraws to the borders of 1967; dismantles all settlements; removes all soldiers from Gaza and the West Bank; repudiates its illegal annexation of Jerusalem; releases all prisoners; and ends its blockade of our international borders, our coastline and our airspace permanently. This would provide the starting point for just negotiations and would lay the groundwork for the return of millions of refugees. Given what we have lost, it is the only basis by which we can start to be whole again.

Note that this would constitute the starting point for negotiations. At least al-Zahar makes a concession that the Holocaust actually happened, remarking, “Sixty-five years ago, the courageous Jews of the Warsaw ghetto rose in defense of their people.”

His big threat seems to be “demographics”; that is, that the Palestinians will out-breed the Israelis. But that notion seems to be undercut when he points out how many of his own kids and sons-in-law have been blown up.

The official newspaper of Gil Roth

Recently, we began receiving the New York Sun, I think as an add-on to our Wall Street Journal subscription. I’m not entirely sure. I mean, I do know that the owner of our company canceled our office subscription to the New York Times a few years ago because he, um, disagreed with its political agenda.

Anyway, I was reading the Arts+ section of the Sun at the lunchtable today when I discovered that the section’s editor is actually . . . my alter ego!

How else can we explain the page 18 & 19 spread of today’s paper featuring this double-whammy:

Mysticism in Youth – Barbara Probst Solomon’s review of the early diaries of Jewish mystic & scholar Gershom Scholem

With Gasol, Lakers Now Look Unstoppable – John Hollinger’s weekly power rankings of the NBA

Toss in a front-page piece on Louis I. Kahn’s travel sketches, and the only conclusion to draw is that my lack of sleep is merely a cover for Tyler Durden-like plot to redefine arts & leisure in my own demented image.

Crystal Mess

In my e-mail box this morning, from Macy’s:

Waterford crystal NY Giants football

Sadly, the odds are that someone in my office will buy this.

What it is: 2/4/08

What I’m reading: Sophocles’ Ajax, and Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha, Vol. 5

What I’m listening to: The Last Post, by Carbon / Silicon

What I’m watching: we finished with the first season of The Wire and caught The Corpse Bride and half (okay, maybe a third) of The Return of the King

What I’m drinking: Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale (because the position of the skeleton on the side of the six-pack made it look like Pogue, and I thought that was funny)

Where I’m going: We didn’t get up to Providence this weekend. Next week, I’ve got a  trip to Belfast to visit a client. I’ll have Sunday & Monday on my own, so if you have any suggestions for sights to see in Belfast & environs (I’m thinking of day-tripping up to the coast to see Giants Causeway), mention it in the comments!

What I’m happy about: THE GIANTS WON THE SUPER BOWL!

What I’m sad about: NOTHING! SEE ABOVE!

What I’m pondering: The relationship of men and their gods. Here’s a passage from Sophocles between Athena and Odysseus, after Ajax goes insane and believes that he’s killed Odysseus and the other generals:

   ATH: Do you see, Odysseus, how great the gods’ power is?

Who was more full of foresight than this man,

Or abler, do you think, to act with judgment?

    ODY: None that I know of. Yet I pity

His wretchedness, though he is my enemy,

For the terrible yoke of blindness that is on him.

I think of him, yet also of myself;

For I see the true state of all us that live —

We are dim shapes, no more, and weightless shadow.

    ATH: Look well at this, and speak no towering word

Yourself against the gods, nor walk too grandly

Because your hand is weightier than another’s,

Or your great wealth deeper founded. One short day

Inclines the balance of all human things

To sink or rise again. Know that the gods

Love men of steady sense and hate the proud.

Scenes from a weekend

Sorry for the lack of a post on Sunday; I did resolve to post something every day, although I didn’t make any resolutions about the quality of those posts.

Anyway, it was a pretty relaxed weekend. Amy & I drove down to Manalapan on Sunday for her friend Naomi’s wedding. It was a traditional Jewish wedding, with various celebrations that I sorta figure were traditional to Russian Jews. I’m sure Amy’ll write about it this week.

Me, I’m gonna send you over to a small set of pix from the weekend, including Santa In Chains:

Santa in Chains

And, for your edification — or your imagination — the secret and partially fictive history of the revolving door.