Congratulations Dana Perino

President Bush has chosen Dana Perino, left, to replace Tony Snow as White House Press Secretary. Excellent choice. We have known Ms. Perino for years and we think she is great. President Bush will be well served by Ms. Perino. She has always been responsive to us and helpful when she could be. She is also very good and knowledgeable on energy and environmental issues. We first met Ms. Perino when she served as the Director of Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Again, congratulations Dana. We promise not to bother you too much. We bet now 'one of your people' will get back to us instead of a personal return call.

(Partial) Table of Contents for the Palestine Exploration Quarterly on-line

I recently uploaded a table of contents from 1937 to present for the Palestine Exploration Quarterly. If anyone can help with data for volumes 1 - 68 (1869-1936) please let me know. I am in the process of contacting some of authors with a view to putting more of the articles on-line.

Transactions of the Victoria Institute Table of Contents updated

With the help of the staff of Dr. Williams' Library (who patiently photocopied the tables of contents of the first 77 volumes for me) I have been able to complete the on-line table of contents of the Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute. The version was based on the published indexes that seem to have contained a good number of errors. The finished version provides the pagination for each article (as near as I can judge).

Yehuda Bauer and ‘Failed Messiah’

Yehuda Bauer, a renowned Holocaust historian, professor emeritus at Hebrew University and a veteran of the socialist-Zionist Mapam and now a supporter of Meretz, recently wrote this op-ed in Haaretz. I recently read his book of essays, which was first published in 2001, Rethinking the Holocaust, and I was enormously impressed. He is one of our most incisive thinkers.

The blogger, “Failed Messish,” summarizes and reflects upon his words:

... There are ... two "states," so-to-speak, the first a Western democracy [Israel within the Green Line], the second a primarily religious state governed by extremism [the West Bank].
If a peace deal is ever reached that calls for evacuation of significant parts of the West Bank or of eastern Jerusalem, the second "state" will clash with the first. [There is a real risk of civil war.] ...

Bauer closes as follows:
…There is no truth to the well-known tradition that the Second Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred or internecine rivalry. The Temple was destroyed because religious, messianic extremists forced the nation to rebel against a global empire that it had no chance of defeating. [A time may come] in which a radical religious minority thwarts peace because the fanatic political assassins of the Second Temple period have found worthy successors.
Failed Messiah seems worth a further look.

DOE Awards Nuclear Power Research Funding To Colleges

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $3.8 Million in funding to 38 U.S. Universities for advancing nuclear power research. DOE awarded $100,000 to 38 universities to enhance nuclear research and development (R&D) under President Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). The one-time GNEP University Readiness awards total $3.8 million in funding and will include upgrading laboratories; improving reactor facilities; purchasing state-of-the-art equipment; providing increased faculty support and further enhancing nuclear-related curricula. GNEP is part of a President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative and aims to close the nuclear fuel cycle by reducing proliferation risks, reducing waste and further increasing energy security around the world.

The grants are designed to increase research expertise and improve infrastructure at America's universities. Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis Spurgeon runs the DOE's GNEP. The GNEP University Readiness awards will directly enable a university to compete in future GNEP R&D solicitations and contribute to a new generation of engineers and scientists necessary for expanding nuclear power - a safe, reliable source of emissions-free energy. These GNEP University Readiness awards follow the Department's funding opportunity announcement in March and DOE's thorough review of all applications since the June deadline. This funding is part of $15.2 million that DOE has awarded to universities that provide nuclear energy programs in fiscal year 2007.

The universities receiving awards include:

Clemson, University Colorado School of Mines, Cornell University, Georgia Tech, Idaho State University, Kansas State University, Livingstone College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, Oregon State University, Pennsylvania State University, Prairie View A&M University, Purdue University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center, South Carolina State University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cincinnati, University of Florida, University of Idaho, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, University of Michigan, University of Missouri, Columbia, University of Missouri-Rolla, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of New Mexico, University of Pittsburgh, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, University of Texas at Austin, University of Utah, University of Wisconsin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Read additional information on this announcement, GNEP and nuclear R&D programs.
Media contact(s): Angela Hill, (202) 586-4940 (Historically Black Colleges in bold)

Summer’s coming to a close

The end of summer is looming and I can neither believe it’s almost over nor am I ready for it to be over.

It seems like it was just a few days ago when we were shopping for our new camper and planning a two-week excursion in our new home on wheels. But it wasn’t just yesterday and it really is almost the end of summer – at least unofficially.

After this Labor Day holiday weekend, kids who haven’t already returned to school will do so and many families will pack away their RVs and campers until next spring.

I both love and hate this time of year. While I really love the crisp days of fall and the cool evenings, as well as my son’s high school football games, I really miss the carefree days of summer and the more frequent camping trips.

We do have some fall camping planned, but it won’t be on as regular a schedule as our summer camping. Maybe just a couple of times out, and likely near home because of late Friday night games.

But that will be for a future note. Right now I’m planning for our last big hurrah weekend of camping.

We’re going to Gordon's Camping Resort, just a few miles north of Kendallville in northern Indiana, about an hour from our home. The 75-acre campground doesn’t take reservations and has never turned a camper away, but we’re taking our camper up Thursday night just to be safe.

We have that Friday night football thing to deal with, so we didn’t want to lose out on our choice site by waiting until late Friday or early Saturday to get there.

The campground has sites for almost any preference, from open lawns, to wooded and shaded sites, and all with water, electricity and 20/30/50 AMP electrical connections.

But it’s not just the sites that have us interested. I’ve heard from people for many years that this is a nice place to go and we just haven’t made the outing, but with the list of activities, I think we’re going to have a great time.

My daughter and her friend – both nearly 13 – will have a grand time with all of the events planned, from kids Bingo, to hay rides, to a dance, the two girls should have a wonderful weekend. The heated swimming pool will be nice for the lazy afternoons, as well.

And our son, who will join us after work on Saturday, will be bringing a friend to admire the local scenery as they put it. And to get that last long weekend of doing nothing before the really intenseness of the senior year of high school sets in.

Even the weatherman is cooperating. He’s calling for sunny days and warm skies, but not the horrible heat we’ve been having. Now, if we could just get the gas stations to cooperate, but staying fairly close to home should keep our costs down.

AAA is calling for a flat holiday weekend with travel growing only .02 percent, even with the average fuel price at around $2.79 per gallon – lower than last year. AAA estimates that 34.6 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, almost the exact same number that traveled last Labor Day. According to the Travel Industry Association (TIA), travelers' perception of higher costs for fuel, lodging and airfares have resulted in the small growth in Labor Day travelers from 2006.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get out in the RV. While the gas may cost you, the lodging is reasonable and so is the entertainment. Firewood is inexpensive, and you have to eat even if you are at home.

So, pull up a camp chair, grab a hotdog stick and let’s go camping!

War for Oil UPDATE

So much for platitudes about liberating the Iraqi people. Seems we were really out to liberate Iraqi natural resources for American oil companies.

Who knew?

Porter ties U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to $9 gasoline

WASHINGTON -- Gasoline prices could rise to about $9 per gallon if the United States withdraws troops from Iraq prematurely, Rep. Jon Porter said he was told on a trip to Iraq that ended this week.

The Nevada Republican, who returned Tuesday from his fourth trip to Iraq, met with U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Iraqi Deputy President Tariq al-Hashimi and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh.

"To a person, they said there would be genocide, gas prices in the U.S. would rise to eight or nine dollars a gallon, al-Qaida would continue its expansion, and Iran would take over that portion of the world if we leave," Porter said Wednesday in a phone interview from Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Review Journal

How did OUR oil end up under Iraqi soil in the first place?

Wall Street Journal pétanque

After a.o. the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune here's the Wall Street Journal with an elaborate article with video clip about pétanque!
Kudos and thanks to Max Colchester for the accurate research. Just a pity that on the video he sounds as if had a boule in his mouth ;-). Or is it my hearing?
I had the opportunity to chat with Bruno L.B. in La Ciotat. A cool and friendly dude and yes, he's very interested to cross the Atlantic for a tournament next year.




Sport of Pétanque, A French Passion, Anoints a New King
WSJ Online - Aug 30, 2007

Wall Street Journal pétanque

After a.o. the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune here's the Wall Street Journal with an elaborate article with video clip about pétanque!
Kudos and thanks to Max Colchester for the accurate research. Just a pity that on the video he sounds as if had a boule in his mouth ;-). Or is it my hearing?
I had the opportunity to chat with Bruno L.B. in La Ciotat. A cool and friendly dude and yes, he's very interested to cross the Atlantic for a tournament next year.




Sport of Pétanque, A French Passion, Anoints a New King
WSJ Online - Aug 30, 2007

The Campground Can Break an Outing

Camping with family and friends just doesn’t get any better than when you find the perfect campsite and have wonderful weather. However, the weather will be what it will be, so make sure the site works for you.

On a recent camping excursion we caught up with my dad and mom, sister and her family, brother and his family, and two grown nephews and their fiancé/girlfriend to do some camping at a state park in northern Michigan. Since this is near where I grew up and this is a state park my grandma took me to for many day trips as a kid – and we’ve camped there in the past, quite a while ago and several popup campers ago – I thought this would be great. Things sure change over time!

The state park camping facilities, like many state parks, need some updating attention. With trees in the way and very uneven sites, it isn’t easy maneuvering into a site, especially from the narrow roads. While we don’t have a mammoth trailer, at 29 feet, it does use up it’s own space.

Finally, we were in our space and since my family was there and the weather was decent, we could claim a successful trip. But wait, that was before we visited the lake and beach area that I grew up loving!

No longer is there a lifeguard on duty and the beach is not what I remember. And what happened to the HUGE swing set and merry-go-round? And what, no cotton candy or snow cones in the concession? Apparently, a new concessionaire has taken over and decided to trim down the offerings, both in food and in the souvenir shop. There’s nothing worse than realizing you can’t go back!

But wait, there’s more. I took my 3-year-old twin nieces to the lake to swim. They were catching minnows, splashing around and having fun, and because I’ve never been bothered before, we ignored the swimmer’s itch sign and went in anyway. I’ve still never had a reaction, but one of my nieces did and she suffered tremendously from the itching!

Maybe that’s why the once crowded beach had room for any visitor, and then some.

Now, just so you don’t think I’m condemning this place, I have many happy memories here from my childhood. But I think there used to be more care given to the facilities and the operations.

This is the campground where we got squirrels to run up our legs and take peanuts from our hands when I was probably 10. This is also the park where I spent long days swimming, playing and running with newfound friends as my grandma lounged in the shaded area when we took that special day off from the farm to spend a day at the beach. So, I have not ill feelings about the park. And I’ve stayed in beautiful state parks, so I don’t dislike them.

Now fast-forward a couple of weeks later to a private park just 20 minutes from there, just a few miles from my family’s farm in Mesick, and there you have a park that offers large, roomy sites for bigger campers and easy access roads.

While the attractions are still mainly the natural waterways and outdoor recreation, there is more attention to detail here.

This is also a park that brings back memories. I grew up swimming at the beach and few choice spots with swinging ropes at this Manistee River backwaters. I also spent some camping trips here with just my sister and me and my parent’s popup camper when we were teenagers. Yes, we were good – my dad could show up any time, and he did.

My family’s also camped here several times in the past 15 years. This was my daughter’s favorite place to make “dirt angels” when she was 3.

Since it’s early years, it has had groomed hiking trails added, which are great for runners or hikers. I’ve jogged the trails many times, and even searched them for my daughter once when she went too far with a puppy.

Northern Exposure Campground for this trek was one of relaxation. With sites right on the water, and large enough to easily accommodate our 29-foot trailer and it’s small slide, things were already much better.

The weather also seemed to cooperate more this weekend. No rain in sight!

Being able to easily back in the camper and set it up is the best way to start a weekend – that is if no pull-thru sites are available. My husband is much happier when he doesn’t have to make strategic maneuvers to make the camper fit. And since I didn’t think we bought that big of a camper, I’m always amazed when it can’t be accommodated, and that’s often at public campgrounds, state parks and even national parks.

So, listening to the frogs and crickets is made so much nicer when you didn’t have to work up a sweat to set up camp.

And visiting with neighbors who had just as easy a time is also good.

My dad did his usual talking with neighbors, which did help give us vital information about a new tow vehicle. We’re looking at a heavy-duty truck and now will likely go with the diesel after my dad’s conversation with an engineer from GM. We’re GM people anyway, but now we’ve done our homework and talked to the pros.

My husband is so happy – a new camper and now a new truck – life is good!

Now, sit back and relax!

Research Associate in Access to Information

The Constitution Unit are advertising the following job vacancy:

The Constitution Unit plays a leading role in the research of freedom of information in the UK. We are looking for a new Research Associate to lead and develop our work in this area. The Associate’s main task will be leading an ESRC-funded evaluative study of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, exploring whether the act has met the objectives set out for it and how it has impacted the Whitehall model. The Associate will also be in charge of coordinating an annual conference for FOI practitioners.

The post is funded from the research grant that funds the aforementioned project, profits from the annual conference, and income from consultancy work. In order to ensure the viability of the position, the Associate will be expected to write research proposals and submit them to research funding organisations. Future research topics could include local government and FOI; FOI and Parliament; FOI and public procurement; etc. There is also opportunity for bidding for consultancy projects, most of which are offered by public sector organisations. Successful bids would be carried out by the Associate, a Research Assistant and members of a team of ten FOI consultants affiliated with the Unit who are interested in information policy.

Candidates must be knowledgeable about and interested in freedom of information. They should also be familiar with data protection, information policy in general, e-government and records management. The successful candidate may have worked in FOI in an academic or professional capacity. Ability to generate research, conference, and consultancy income is essential, as is initiative, and the ability to work with the Unit’s team of FOI consultants. Secondments welcome.

Continuation of the post is dependent on generating sufficient revenue. Salary is in the Grade 7 range of £26,666 – 32,796 plus £2,572 London allowance per annum.

Closing date: Monday 17 September at 5.00pm. Interviews will be held at UCL in the week 24 to 28 September.

Please see the job description for further details on our website www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Applications should be sent to Victoria Spence at v.spence@ucl.ac.uk (0207 679 4977). Informal enquiries should be addressed to Sarah Holsen on 0207 679 4974.

Arab and Jewish theme schools

Curiously, two public schools dedicated separately to Hebrew and Arab language and culture, in Florida and New York respectively, have simultaneously made news . Our journalist friend, Doug Chandler, co-authored this story on the Arab school controversy. The following quote from a NY Times article bothered me because the concern expressed is factually flawed:

Opponents say that it is impossible to teach Hebrew — and aspects of Jewish culture — outside a religious context, and that Ben Gamla, billed as the nation's first Hebrew-English charter school, violates one of its paramount legal and political boundaries.

One can indeed teach Hebrew, or any language, outside of a religious context. It's also true that because its emphasis is on language, this school cannot be replicated by Christian groups. But I wonder if public schools should be in the business of imparting ethnic culture – which is also why I question the Arab school in New York. But teaching the Hebrew and Arabic languages (as well as social studies classes that cover Middle Eastern cultures) are proper course offerings for youngsters in public schools.

Critics on the school board in South Florida disregard the extent to which public schools in much if not most of America are infused with Christian religious themes. The very idea of Christmas parties and overtly religious Christmas carols – something I remember very clearly from my school days, even when the schools I attended had mostly Jewish students – stamp the public schools with the sense of a majority Christian identity. I think that this is a more serious issue, because it's so prevalent, than are worries over a Jewish or an Arab curriculum here or there.

Crandall Canyon Coal Mine Accident

The Aug 6 Crandall Canyon mine accident near Huntington, Utah killed six miners and three more (2 miners & a federal safety worker) in a cave in on Aug 16. Six others were also injured in the rescue attempt, which was called off after the rescue accident. Two men have become the faces of the disaster and will have to answer to Congress and other federal officials. The mine's owner is Robert E. Murray and the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which regulates mine safety, is Richard (Dick) E. Stickler.

Americans need electricity and coal is used to produce 50 percent of it. There will be mine accidents in the future just as there will be airline accidents. In 1923 there were 863,000 miners and one in 350 died in mine accidents. In 2006 there were 119,000 miners and 47 miners, one in 2,500 died in mine accidents. The median age of a miner is 46, 54% have high school diploma, 5 percent have college degrees and the average annual salary is $55,000. The five largest mining states are Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming and Texas. (Sources: Dept of Labor, Nat'l Mining Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Washington Post)

"The Utah mining accident has illustrated the way increasing numbers of Hispanic immigrants are working the mines in this heavily white, mostly Mormon state. Three of the six men trapped in Monday's cave-in are from Mexico, according to the Mexican Consulate." (Wash Post)

NDR Energy - - Black-Owned Natural Gas Company

NDR Energy of Upper Marlboro, Maryland is a firm that sells natural gas to more than 15 utility companies in the USA. Its top suppliers are Total Eagle Energy Partners and Anadarko Petroleum Corp located in Houston, Texas. Customers in the DC Metro Area include Washington Gas and Baltimore Gas and Electric. According to Black Enterprise magazine NDR Energy had $108 million in sales in 2006 (#40 on BE top 110 black-owned industrial/service companies).

The company was founded by Rickey R. Hart in 2000. He now resides in North Carolina. (The Gazette)

Ground Zero Workers Plagued With Asthma

Almost 1,000 of the approximately 26,000 rescue workers at Ground Zero have developed asthma. This represents almost 4 percent of the rescue workers. Those who worked more than 90 days at the site represent 7 percent of the rescue workers. The average nation asthma rate if 0.3 percent. (New York Post 82807)

Courtesy: New York Post, Sunday, Aug 26, 2007 www.nypost.com

Black Balloons

Click To Play

Reader Survey: "My Commute"

Carfree USA blog wants to know.

How do you get to work?

- What part of the USA you live in?
- Describe your journey to work each day (include length, time, joys, dreads.)

What could make it better?

Share your story in the comments.

Training is fun!

Posted by Salim Parak, Google Enterprise Training Team

While it is simple and easy to configure your Google Search Appliance or Google Mini to crawl content and serve search results, our engineers are hard at work adding more and more functionality. Why not learn about how to take advantage of these features?

Everyone has a different learning style, whether it be self-exploration or in the classroom. You can select the content delivery option that fits your need best:

Browse our library of self-paced training videos (current customers only)
Explore the online tutorials
Take an instructor led class from our certified training partner

Also note, Google partner Fig Leaf Software will be delivering courses in San Francisco this September. For our Mini customers, they are offering an introductory special on their new Google Mini 1 day course.

Stay tuned, we are working on offering more instructor led content in locations closer to you.

Americans Even Fatter

But it has nothing to do with driving everywhere, right?

USA Today

Providing the Ultimate Search Experience - Part I

Posted by Cyrus Mistry, Enterprise Product Manager

So, for those of you that have unwrapped your blue or yellow box with excitement and are wearing the Google T-shirt proudly, the fun is just beginning... As promised in my 'How to take your Enterprise Search to the next level' blog post from a few weeks ago, I plan to continue this series of posts by introducing best practices that will provide your searchers with the ultimate search experience.

First, the Google Mini and the Google Search Appliance make it very easy to stay current on our software. As part of your support agreement, you can download all software updates and releases right from our support site.

Unlike more bulky enterprise search solutions, staying current on Google software is a built-in feature of the version manager within the appliance so there's no reason not to do it!

Here are the top 10 reasons to make sure you are running the latest release (4.6.4 G70) today!

1. Integration with Google Analytics
2. Google Sitemaps export
3. Enhanced security - support for NTLMv2
4. Query expansion in multiple languages
5. New crawl reporting
6. New reboot and shutdown buttons
7. Source Biasing - you can let the appliance know which URL patterns are more authoritative (GSA only)
   
8. Preview of Dynamic Result Clustering (GSA only)
   
9. Google products are always fast - but we've made this release even faster!
10. So you can follow along with these blogs and get the most out of your search appliance!
    

The newest releases can always be found at http://support.google.com/enterprise and you can always find more information on the new features in our release notes located at: https://support.google.com/enterprise/doc/gsa/relnotes/relnotes_464G70_O.html#NewFeatures.

Upgrading couldn't be easier:

1. Download the system update file from the support site
2. Log in to Version Manager and Install the file you just downloaded by following the easy wizard prompts
   
3. Repeat the above steps for the software update file
4. Generate and test a new index
5. Once everything is working fine, accept the new update

The best thing about upgrading is, before you decide to switch over, you can have both versions of the software running in parallel! Your users will continue to see the older version, but you and your team can test out the newer version. Once you're satisfied that everything is working great, you can make the switch over. Google has provided a built-in QA environment right on your appliance!

To see detailed step-by-step instructions, Mini customers can visit https://support.google.com/enterprise/doc/mini/00/update_index_page.html and GSA customers can visit https://support.google.com/enterprise/doc/gsa/00/update_index_page.html .

Stay tuned for examples of how you can leverage some of these great new features!

Going Carfree in Idaho

Micah Deffries is taking the plunge.

Expanded capacity for Custom Search Business Edition

Posted by Ryan Pollock, Product Marketing

It's been more than a month since we launched Custom Search Business Edition, and already thousands of websites have adopted it for site search. When we launched, businesses could use our online checkout process to buy site search up to 50,000 web pages. A number of businesses asked us about searching more than 50,000 pages, so today we added two more options to the online Custom Search Business Edition offering. We've introduced two new plans that businesses can purchase online:

• Search up to 100,000 web pages: $850 per year
  
• Search up to 300,000 web pages: $2,250 per year

If you want to search more than 300,000 pages, contact us.

Businesses can sign up for Custom Search Business Edition in just a few minutes. If you want to learn more about Google's site search solutions, we'd also recommend you attend a webinar.

Petanque in Motown

Jeff did an amazing job organizing the first Hard Rock Open in Detroit. Everything was prepared in minute detail for the 20 teams present, even multicolor target balls.
The few morning showers didn't spoil the fun, and were rapidly forgotten once the sun appeared after lunch.
The surprise of the day were Pat & Tim who work right at Cadillac Square, recently joined Jeff for his daily lunch petanque sessions and made it all the way to the finals where they did not lose too badly against powerhouse Mamary (Philly) and Ziggy (Chicago).

A special mention for Dan & his friends from Chicago who braved 11 hrs of heavy traffic ( instead of the usual 4!) to make it to Detroit. Hats off.

It was a great, fun day. As usual, cause for lots of new friendships.

Slideshow with sound (3:20 min)

Jeff's full album with detailed captions.

Petanque in Motown

Jeff did an amazing job organizing the first Hard Rock Open in Detroit. Everything was prepared in minute detail for the 20 teams present, even multicolor target balls.
The few morning showers didn't spoil the fun, and were rapidly forgotten once the sun appeared after lunch.
The surprise of the day were Pat & Tim who work right at Cadillac Square, recently joined Jeff for his daily lunch petanque sessions and made it all the way to the finals where they did not lose too badly against powerhouse Mamary (Philly) and Ziggy (Chicago).

A special mention for Dan & his friends from Chicago who braved 11 hrs of heavy traffic ( instead of the usual 4!) to make it to Detroit. Hats off.

It was a great, fun day. As usual, cause for lots of new friendships.

Slideshow with sound (3:20 min)

Jeff's full album with detailed captions.

The Masdar Initiative - Carfree City

Abu Dhabi's proposed city of the future.

Pie in the sky or doable project?

Discuss.

(P.S. Enjoy the creepy narrator.)

Mearsheimer & Walt: 'The Wrong Guys'

If Professors Mearsheimer and Walt had simply critiqued AIPAC in an accurate way, there would have been no big uproar. There also would have been no big attention paid them, nor big sales pumped up for their forthcoming book, to be released Sept. 4 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. But they actually lump together AIPAC with virtually anyone who is pro-Israel, including peaceniks.

At last summer's conference of the World Union of Meretz, Yossi Beilin told Meretz supporters from around the world last year that he saw "hatred" in their work; I responded when given the podium that it wasn't exactly hatred but rather "animus" or hostility. Beilin went on to explain how AIPAC had actually worked against Israeli policy when he was a member of the Rabin and Barak governments — e.g., lobbying Congress against Israeli efforts to free up aid to the Palestinian Authority.

There is a disturbing parallel between Mearsheimer-Walt accusing the "Israel Lobby" of causing the war in Iraq (which is what they basically contend) with the Nazis' "The Jews stabbed us in the back" narrative about World War I. There's a hard-to-calibrate combination of obtuseness and perniciousness in M-W's entire approach, very much a departure from the high standard of scholarship that one would expect from them.

I'm especially disturbed that (according to The Forward) their book appears not to have corrected gross out-of-context misstatements and distortions in their work. While acknowledging that AIPAC and others close to it are eminently open to criticism, we should also be very forthright in finding fault with M & W. If you haven't already, you should look at this editorial in The Forward.

As The Forward indicates:

There are substantial numbers of true moderates in this country who believe deeply in the need for Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. They struggle to make their voices heard in a hostile political and communal environment, and they naturally look for spokesmen who can capture the public’s attention and help unite and mobilize the peace camp — including, most recently, scholars Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. We are sympathetic to this quest for leadership, but after firsthand experience of these scholars’ definition of “opening the debate,” we feel compelled to speak up: They’re the wrong guys.

Hard Rock Open in Detroit

Update Aug 10
Date changed to Saturday Aug 25

An open doubles tournament on Sunday August 26 Saturday Aug 25, in Cadillac Square.
See y'all there!!

Tournament details and registration


Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit has been completely re-designed with crushed stone (as in "hard rock") walkways that double perfectly as pétanque terrains.
More pictures here

Hard Rock Café Detroit

Hard Rock Open in Detroit

Update Aug 10
Date changed to Saturday Aug 25

An open doubles tournament on Sunday August 26 Saturday Aug 25, in Cadillac Square.
See y'all there!!

Tournament details and registration


Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit has been completely re-designed with crushed stone (as in "hard rock") walkways that double perfectly as pétanque terrains.
More pictures here

Hard Rock Café Detroit

Carfree Politicians

Leading by example in Oxford, England.

CA Legislature Guts Transit Budget

"It's quite disappointing that when it came down to reducing the budget, public transit really took the lion's share of cuts," said Carli Paine of the Oakland-based Transportation and Land Use Coalition. The cuts were especially disappointing since there is a major surplus in a special fuel tax fund that legislators agreed 30 years ago to reserve for public transit.

Oakland Tribune

Meretz USA mourns Carolyn Goodman

Mother of slain civil rights worker, Andrew Goodman, Carolyn Goodman served on the board of Meretz USA in the late1990s. She was a lifelong activist for human rights and justice and our condolences go out to her surviving son, Jonathan, her extended family, and everyone whose passion for justice, like hers, is universal. Click here for AP obituary.

Stefi Kirschner, former director of the Givat Haviva Educational Foundation, wrote upon hearing of her passing:

Carolyn Goodman was indeed a lady, an activist in her own right, before and after the loss of her son Andy. She was an amazing woman, intelligent, caring and a wonderful friend and mentor to many who came to know her.

She served on the board of the Givat Haviva Educational Foundation for many years, certainly during my entire tenure from 1981 to 1991, but I know from the time Dov Sheba began coming to the States in the '50s, he befriended Carolyn. Carolyn hosted every shaliach from the Kibbutz Artzi Federation, opening her home, her address book and of course she was a generous supporter as well.

She was a brilliant, caring, warm, wonderful lady, with a great sense of humor, a special touch, the ability to connect with all from different walks of life, different cultures, etc. She holds a special place in my heart; I will remember her always as I have continued to tell stories of Carolyn to my family.

General Motors giving payola to Limbaugh?

Nader's letter to the Federal Communications Commission cited a report in the August 6 edition of Automotive News that said GM was buying ads, loaning cars and offering other incentives to national and local radio hosts in exchange for the promotions.

FCC rules require broadcasters to say if content has been aired in exchange for money or other considerations.

GM has provided free use of vehicles and bought advertising time hoping for on-air endorsements from program hosts, according to a GM spokesman.

"We think this is a good way to build relationships with some of the talent and to get the word out about our great vehicles," the spokesman said.

Consumer Affairs

UPDATE: Other radio personalities implicated...

Automotive News, a Detroit-based trade publication, also said GM was soliciting endorsements from Bill O'Reilly, Laura Schlessinger, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hannity, Ed Schultz, Bill Press and Ryan Seacrest...The FCC has cracked down on payola in the U.S. radio industry in recent years. The agency announced in April that four of the largest U.S. radio companies agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle claims their stations took money and gifts to play certain songs.

Allentown Morning Call

Primo Levi’s so-called ‘Journey’

The New York Times was far kinder in its very brief review of “The Journey of Primo Levi” than I will be. Film director, Davide Ferrario, lives in Primo Levi’s hometown of Turin, but his documentary production is misnamed. It is only partially about Levi, the world-renowned Italian-Jewish writer and Auschwitz survivor who is thought to have taken his own life in 1987. And, although it tracks his circuitous route from Poland back home to Turin after being liberated by the Soviet Army in 1945, it is not really about Levi’s journey.

For no discernible reason, Levi and 800 of his fellow Italian ex-prisoners are transported by train hundreds of miles north and east, rather than directly repatriated west and south to Italy. Their return trip lasted eight months.

Mr. Ferrario has devised a conceit to retrace their path through much of Eastern Europe 60 years later, matching his film crew’s journey in 2005 with geographically appropriate selections of Levi’s words read from his 1963 memoir, “The Truce” (published in the US as “The Reawakening”), by the distinguished American actor, Chris Cooper. We occasionally view the author on stock film footage — this intense, physically slight individual, visiting his former place of imprisonment at Auschwitz or walking alone, pensive, often smoking in unidentified places.

We ache for more of these glimpses of Primo Levi and to hear his soulful words recited by Mr. Cooper. Instead, we are distracted – sometimes engagingly, sometimes tediously – by stories and images from contemporary Eastern Europe or even from 20-30 years before. In the process, the viewer learns more about the decade and a half since the end of Communist rule and the fall of the Soviet Union than about Primo Levi.

After leaving the grounds of Auschwitz, except for one passage read by Chris Cooper, not a single scene refers to Jews. The filmmaker is expropriating the symbolism of Levi’s journey to depict the desolation and dislocation of post-Soviet Eastern Europe as a parallel to the greater human and material detritus left in the wake of World War II.

Read more detailed version of this review at New Jersey Jewish News Web site.

Less Driving Makes Cities Richer

Because Portland-Vancouver drivers log 20 percent fewer miles a day than most U.S. urban dwellers and spend less on cars and gasoline as a result, the region's economy saves $2.6 billion a year, or about 3 percent of the area's annual economic output, according to a new study for the Chicago-based CEOs for Cities.

And most of that money, which otherwise would go to far-flung car makers and oil companies, appears to go instead to housing, entertainment and food in the Portland-area economy.

Oregonian

Mike Huckabee Is Very Good on Environment & Energy

We are glad that Mike Huckabee did well in the Iowa straw poll by coming in second place. We like Huckabee's conservative values and his efficient way of communicating his views. This world view is applied to energy and environmental issues in The Wall Street Journal (81907). And we like his Fair Tax proposal to replace the federal income tax with a sales tax of either 24% or 30%.

Climate change: "We have allowed it to become a political issue rather than an issue about being responsible inhabitants of earth....Anything we do that does in fact curb and contain CO2 emissions is a good thing...My first thought is that a tax is not the ideal way to try to change behaviors....[and] this whole idea of carbon credits, it seems to me a bit like buying indulgences...I think every citizen can take some steps. flex fuel car, fluorescents. I'm from an agricultural state (Arkansas) so I tend to like biofuels. But I think the answer's going to be a combination of many sources: solar, nuclear, hydrogen, hydrogen cells and wind. The best thing the government could do is eliminate any type of penalties on productivity and innovation.

The case FOR congestion zones

Washington Post

P.S. Congestion pricing went permanent in Stockholm on August 1 and now enjoys wide support from the public.

London Freewheel Sept 23

Finally, a ciclovia for London.

Carfree (and plane free) travel across the USA

It can be done.

What an adventure!

Streetsblog

Holyrood Magazine’s 5th Freedom of Information Conference

A Culture of Openness: Freedom of Information moving into a new era
25 October 2007, Edinburgh

Chair:
Iain Macwhirter, Journalist and Political commentator

Keynote Speakers:
Kevin Dunion, Scottish Information Commissioner
Maurice Frankel, Director, Campaign for Freedom of Information
Marie Anderson, Assistant Information Commissioner, Northern Ireland
Rob Evans, Investigative Journalist, The Guardian

This conference will examine the next challenge for Freedom of Information under the new administration at Holyrood. How will the public’s right to information change, what is the potential for extending the range of organisations covered and how can public authorities better develop their response?

Full details here.

FOI Podcast - Episode 7

Episode 7 of Ibrahim Hasan's FOI podcast is available:

In May and June 2007 the Information Commissioner published fifty seven FOI decisions whilst the Information Tribunal published six. Ibrahim Hasan guides you through the some of these. Amongst other things, in this episode he examines decisions about disclosure of information on:

• Empty properties
• Job evaluation criteria
• A councils vehicle towing policy
• A hospitals audit report
• The retirement packages of senior officers
• AND details of premium bond winners

Ibrahim also has comment and analysis from Andrew Maughan, of the London Borough of Bexley, who recently represented his council in an appeal to the Information Tribunal.

You can listen to the podcast at : www.informationlaw.org.uk

Meretz USA News Analysis - Aug. 17, 2007

Return of the Peace Process?

Once upon a time, in a decade not long ago (the 1990s, to be exact), the exchanges that took place between Israelis and Palestinians were known 'round the world as the "peace process," not "the conflict." Sadly, over the last seven years, since Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary compound and the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Israeli-Palestinian arena has seemed to generate only one depressing headline after another - with just the rarest bits of hopeful news scattered here and there.

Lately, however, a scent of change has been wafting in the air. The good vibes emanating from Israel-Palestine have been multiplying. The buds of progress seem to be sprouting. The bad news hasn't disappeared, mind you, but it's no longer the only news in town.

Note, if you will, the following developments (both symbolic and substantive) that have been reported in the press over the last several weeks:

* Israeli Prime Minister Olmert went to the West Bank to meet with the Palestinian President (Abbas) for the first time since the beginning of the Second Intifada.

* Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, announced that Olmert had promised Abbas to release a list of major roadblocks in the West Bank slated for removal.

* Israel has allowed the Palestinian police to resume their activity in the sections of the West Bank known as "Area B" - where, under the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority has been given control over law enforcement.

* The IDF halted its incendiary practice of staging training exercises within West Bank Palestinian villages.

* The "grand old man" of Israeli politics, President Shimon Peres, has reportedly submitted a peace plan under which "Israel will propose transferring to the Palestinian state areas equivalent to 100 percent of the territories conquered in 1967."

* Indeed, various Israeli politicians have begun competing, not over who can sound most pugnacious vis-à-vis the Palestinians, but over whose framework for diplomatic progress is most viable.

* Finally, and most notably, the weekend papers in Israel are filled with items suggesting that Olmert and Abbas have been doing much more serious negotiating over the last few weeks than was commonly believed. Indeed, the Yediot newspaper reports Olmert's optimism that the two sides can reach agreement on the principles of a permanent settlement ahead of this fall's projected peace conference in Washington.

Several Israeli commentators have ascribed the growing signs of flexibility emanating from Ehud Olmert's office to the Prime Minister's need to retool his political reputation following last year's Lebanon War and amid the multiple criminal investigations he is facing. However, Steve Erlanger of the New York Times today offers a less simplistic interpretation, suggesting that an "alliance of fear" (fear of Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas) is pushing the US, Israel, Egypt, Palestinian moderates, Saudi Arabia and others towards this renewed diplomatic push. As an unnamed US official told the paper, the Bush administration has finally come to realize that the current status quo is unsustainable.

But not everyone is optimistic. Haaretz's Aluf Benn argues that, although all the signs seem good, Abbas and his Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, are simply too weak to enforce security in the West Bank and thereby allow a meaningful Israeli withdrawal. Hence, Benn concludes, what we are witnessing is a make-believe negotiation over a "Play Station Palestine."

Labor Party Chairman/Defense Minister Ehud Barak is not joining the diplomatic revelry either. In a series of private pronouncements over the last several weeks, Barak has intoned that those who talk about a peace agreement with the Palestinians are indulging in "a fantasy." Staking out a position which many see as further to the right than the centrist Ehud Olmert, Barak has suggested that he would not support a deal with the Palestinians until Israel had a proper rocket and missile defense system in place - a process that could take up to five years. Indeed, Haaretz reported today that funding for this system, known as "Iron Dome," has been inconsistent and that, as a result, its development has been slow.

The hard line that Barak has been pushing has not enamored him to Secretary of State Rice. According to Akiva Eldar of Haaretz, "Rice is of the opinion that in the war against terrorism, technological advantage holds no special significance," and that, "when security considerations alone dictate policy, those people not involved in violence join in the cycle of violence." Rice is especially concerned that Barak's negative remarks about the peace process will undermine Palestinian confidence in the Israeli side and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Haaretz, too, has roundly criticized Barak's approach, as well as the Defense Ministry's continued leniency toward the illegal outposts. The paper has called on the Prime Minister to, "Restrain the defense minister."

Martin Indyk, the ex-Clinton Administration official and former ambassador to Israel, appears to strike a middle ground between exaggerated optimism and "Barakish" skepticism. "If Rice goes for final status she'll drive it into the ground," Indyk told the New York Times. He argues that Israel lacks sufficient confidence in the Palestinians to withdraw from large sections of the West Bank, since it fears this would lead to rocket fire on Ben-Gurion Airport and elsewhere in central Israel.

Instead, Indyk suggests a two-pronged approach: Tony Blair will work with the Palestinians to help them build properly functioning state institutions; in parallel, Condoleezza Rice will push the Israelis and Palestinians to reach agreement on the principles of a final settlement - "not the final settlement itself, which will be carried out over many years", according to Indyk.

Last, but not least: Haggai Alon, who was a senior adviser to former Defense Minister Amir Peretz, importantly reminds readers that it will certainly be hard to generate any movement towards peace when the pressures of occupation continue to weigh so heavily on average Palestinians. In order to strengthen President Abbas in the eyes of his own people, Alon argues that Israel must allow the Palestinians, "a modicum of civil dignity and human rights, as expressed through law, order and freedom of movement." Alon implores the Israeli government to remove many of the roadblocks, dismantle unauthorized outposts, and cease the IDF's incessant raids into Palestinian towns and cities.

Radical Greens Threaten Utilities & Banking

PRESIDENT'S CORNER. By Norris McDonald. I recently thought I was going on a simple camping vacation in the woods of North Carolina with my son. Instead I stumbled into a personal and professional snake pit. Upon being asked to leave a gathering of extremist greens, I believe I was successful in preventing the protest against Progress Energy's Asheville power plant. It was my first time defending a coal facility, but I disagree with the call of the wild greens to shut down all coal, nuclear and natural gas electricity plants. These facilities generate about 90% of the electricity in the United States. Working to shut down this important American infrastructure amounts to anarchy. Most Americans do not want to live without electricity.

I must also admit to being disturbed by hearing about acts of sabotage against power plants. There was bragging in the woods at a roundtable about the theft of 60 boxes of documents from Watts Bar nuclear power plant. Quite disturbing indeed.

I just wish I could have helped the Bank of America. They ended up being the soft target once the Progress Energy protest was scratched. This cowardly protest against an undefended branch of this financial institution was right up there with being abusive towards my son. The radicals targeted the Bank of America becasue they provide financing for needed American energy infrastructure. They whined when five of them were arrested for violating a banking institution. Yet the radicals in the woods were intolerant of dissent. I apologize to the Bank of America. I wish I could have assisted in protecting you from intolerance. You provide a great service in financing needed energy infrastructure. Keep up the good work.

Petanque in Salt Lake City

Michael & friends have now fully adopted the bocce courts of Utah's Bocce Association at Liberty Park. Play time Thursdays at 6:30pm.
Look on the Petanque in the USA Map for directions.

It's a similar setup to what we have in Winston-Salem, NC. Bocce courts on one side, horsehoes courts on the other. And what do you see? People playing pétanque... ;-)

Petanque in Salt Lake City

Michael & friends have now fully adopted the bocce courts of Utah's Bocce Association at Liberty Park. Play time Thursdays at 6:30pm.
Look on the Petanque in the USA Map for directions.

It's a similar setup to what we have in Winston-Salem, NC. Bocce courts on one side, horsehoes courts on the other. And what do you see? People playing pétanque... ;-)

"Rally put together by a public relations firm"

The made-for-TV-cameras rally put together by a public relations firm -- the first of at least two by the Detroit Three and the United Auto Workers -- garnered about 20 reporters, including 9 TV crews. Organizers conducted about 25 radio interviews as they sought to push the message that a rival fuel economy bill that gives automakers more time and is less severe would improve gas mileage but not at the expense of auto jobs...During the 30-minute rally, a group of three Boy Scouts, a Girl Scout and a scoutmaster piled out of a Ford Expedition to demonstrate ways Americans need larger vehicles -- i.e. on camping trips, said Jeff Kunst, 52, a scoutmaster from Troop 697 in Lowell, Ind.

Detroit News

What amazing bullshit. Rather than calling for more environmentally-friendly cars, which are selling like hotcakes in the USA, the UAW is being used by the Detroit Three as propaganda stooges to fight against a strong miles-per-gallon standard.

We are reminded of Edward Bernays' greatest stunt, the Torches of Freedom (1929), when Lucky Strike hired models, dressed as Suffragettes, to rally demanding the freedom of cigarettes.

Fresno club born

Yesterday Tim and his friends got together and formally started the "Fresno Petanque Club", affiliated with FPUSA.
Already 17 members, congratulations!

On the picture you see a bunch of them on a recent visit to Oakhurst Petanque Club.
Just like LAPC helped Oakhurst to get started, they now in turn assisted Fresno.
This will be the 13th club in California - Modesto being # 12.
In pétanque definitely a lucky number!

Fresno club born

Yesterday Tim and his friends got together and formally started the "Fresno Petanque Club", affiliated with FPUSA.
Already 17 members, congratulations!

On the picture you see a bunch of them on a recent visit to Oakhurst Petanque Club.
Just like LAPC helped Oakhurst to get started, they now in turn assisted Fresno.
This will be the 13th club in California - Modesto being # 12.
In pétanque definitely a lucky number!

Taking Grandma for a Ride

Clever Cycles (Portland) has the story.

Why be Jewish? Part 2

The recent death of Cardinal Lustiger, the “Jewish” French cleric, provides a postscript to my earlier posting about Jewishness, “Why be Jewish? If you have to ask. ...” A convert to Catholicism who was born Jewish and all his life continued to proclaim his Jewishness, Lustiger reminds us of the complexity of Jewish identity. He was a child Holocaust survivor, a native Yiddish speaker and insisted on regarding himself as a Jew, even as a leading prince of the Roman Catholic Church. Until tapped for promotion to archbishop and then cardinal by Pope John Paul II (a personal friend), Lustiger considered retiring and making Aliya.

But if Israel and its supreme court stuck to precedent, Lustiger would not have been granted immediate citizenship under the Law of Return. The precedent was the famous case of a Catholic monk, Jewish by blood like Lustiger, who sued for rights under the Law of Return that were denied by virtue of his obvious Catholic faith. (If I remember correctly, the monk was eventually granted citizenship under the naturalization process that is available to non-Jewish immigrants.)

As a left Zionist with a humanistic religious bent, I would be gratified with the success of Zionism in radically transforming Jewish identity into an ethnic or cultural classification, rather than the mainly religious association that it continues to project to most Jews and non-Jews alike. Pioneering Zionism was primarily a non-religious, largely even an anti-religious movement; alas, the religious right has ascended to a powerful influence in Zionist institutions and ideology. And, in this light, my notion of Jewish identity divorced from religious attachment seems very radical. If someone like Lustiger, with unmistakable Jewish roots but of non-Jewish faith, continues to regard himself as a Jew, I am loath to deny his self definition.

The Jewish people is one of the oldest on earth, with origins going back as much as 3500 years. In the current era, similarly ancient peoples – such as Chinese, Indians and Greeks – (with the exception of extremists) do not cast out people who have embraced a non-native individual creed. Even though the lack of strong religious conviction among most of world Jewry is a well-known fact, we alone among the world’s peoples continue to maintain an unnaturally rigid linkage between our aboriginal religious faith and our identity as a people.

AAEA Comments At Nuclear Regulatory Commission Hearing

AAEA participated in a Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing on the Environment Report for the Unistar/Constellation Combined License Application on Aug 14, 2007. The hearing was held in Solomons, Maryland a few miles south of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, which is located in Lusby, MD. AAEA also submitted a written statement for the record.

AAEA President Norris McDonald Addresses NRC Officials

Addtional information about the facility can be found at this link and The Washington Post also published an article about the hearing. We are sure that Post reporter Dan Morse submitted a quote from AAEA but it must have been cut by the editors. Oh well, AAEA rendered invisible again. Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, we can get our message out to the public.

AAEA Parent Opens Hong Kong Office

We could not wait to announce this important development. The website and blog are still being developed but our expansion into Asia is very exciting. The Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy is the parent to AAEA. We will introduce the new Director soon.

The Center has opened a Hong Kong office to enhance our work in Southeast Asia. The Hong Kong Office will work closely with our Mainland China Office. There are unique issues in Hong Kong due to its unique history. And although it has reunited with the Mainland, there are many environmentaland energy issues that will have to be addressed. The Center plans to provide its expertise to assist with practical solutions to global warming and the many other environmental issues facing all countries.

Detroit plans dinosaur rally

"Corporate rallies" will oppose miles-per-gallon increase being proposed by Congress.

Amazing stupidity.

Gordon D. Fee on the Inauthenticity of John 5:3b-4.

The following article is now available on-line in PDF:

Gordon D. Fee, "On the Inauthenticity of John 5:3b-4," The Evangelical Quarterly 54.4 (Oct.-Dec. 1982): 207-218.

John 5:3-4 reads in the King James Version:

"In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down out at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatever disease he had."

The authenticity of most of this passage has long been rejected by textual critics, but this is the first article to explain why it is not accepted written for the general reader. Very helpful.

William B. Badke: Was Jesus the John the Baptist's disciple?

The following article is now available on-line:

William B. Badke, "Was Jesus a Disciple of John?" The Evangelical Quarterly 62 3 (1990): 195-204.

Following on from an earlier article, Dr. Badke discusses Jesus' relationship with John the Baptist.

Charter for responsible FOI requests

The Information Commissioner's Office has published a charter for responsible freedom of information requests. The charter is not a legal document but is intended as a guide to help requesters make effective use of the FOI Act:

"This charter sets out how the ICO believes these rights can be used responsibly for the benefit of all involved in the freedom of information process: applicants and public authorities."

"Responsible use

Requesters should consider the following factors when making requests:

Does the request impose a significant burden on the public authority in terms of expense or distraction?
Could the request be narrowed or refocused to avoid this burden?
Can the public authority help you refocus your request?

Does the request use language that could be seen to harass the public authority?
Are you using acceptable, everyday language?
Is this the latest in a series of similar requests?

Does the request relate to a complaint on a previous grievance that has been deemed closed and fully investigated by due process?
Will a request serve any purpose when it has been demonstrated by due process that no wrong doing took place?

Does the request have a serious purpose?
Can you justify the request as having a relevant purpose or value? (this is an issue for applicants to consider for themselves, as the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations do not require you to explain your purpose)
Could you justify the request to the organisation on whose behalf you are acting?

Is the request the latest in a series of requests that have already been made?
Will another request serve any further purpose?
If the request is about a changing situation, would it be better to allow a reasonable period of time to pass before making a further request?

Could the request be regarded as part of a campaign to disrupt the work of the public authority?
Can you refocus the request for information that you genuinely require?

Have you already had very similar requests refused before?
Have circumstances changed or do you have a legitimate reason for making the request again?"

Download the complete charter (Pdf)

William B. Badke on what Paul meant by "Baptised into Moses" and "Baptsed into Christ".

The following article is available in PDF:

William B. Badke, "Baptised into Moses - Baptised into Christ: a Study in Doctrinal Development," The Evangelical Quarterly 60 (1988): 23-29.

This is a study of Paul's teaching in Romans 6:3. Dr Badke summarises his argument as follows:

It is the contention of this paper that, only if death and resurrection with Christ had not yet been connected thematically with baptism, would Paul have used the expression 'baptised into Moses'. If such a connection had not yet been made, Paul's meaning would simply be that the Israelites adhered themselves to Moses, and thus to God, through a baptism-like act. This would say nothing more than the Old Testament text already implies and would leave no implication that Moses was to be seen as a resurrected saviour leading his people into a better world and imparting to them the mysteries of God. Paul was far too careful a pastor to have allowed for such a false implication. He could use 'baptised into Moses' freely, because he himself had not yet made the connection between baptism and death-resurrection, let alone teaching it to anyone else.

Wrecking ball + car = true love

Strangely arousing, no?

A bike's eye ride through Amsterdam

Just click here and you are on your way. (Large file, worth the download .wmv)

Join Stickerguy Pete as he follows cute girls around A'dam.

Wolfie's War on Science

The Bush administration has consistently thwarted efforts by the World Bank to include global warming in its calculations when considering whether to approve major investments in industry and infrastructure, according to documents made public through a watchdog yesterday.

On one occasion, the White House's pointman at the bank, the now disgraced Paul Wolfowitz, personally intervened to remove the words "climate change" from the title of a bank progress report and ordered changes to the text of the report to shift the focus away from global warming.

The Independent (UK)

What a shameful bunch of bastards were associated with the Bush administration.

Glad he is "the now disgraced Paul Wolfowitz."

Vacationing in Israel, Part 2

Dalyat al Carmel is one of two Druse villages near Haifa. Cousins who hosted us for a few days, took us there (as is their custom whenever I visit) to buy gifts, eat and shmooze with their friends of the Halabi clan. Traffic was heavy in Dalyat, as in the neighboring Druse village.

Interestingly, I learned from these cousins that some Israeli Jews also live there. (When Prof. Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland addressed a Meretz USA board meeting a couple of years ago, he informed me that he was an Israeli Arab who had lived in Dalyat.) So much for a system of enforced segregation resembling apartheid.

The Druse (also transliterated as “Druze”) are an Arabic-speaking people who have a unique religion and a separate identity from other Arabs. Their largest communities are in Israel, Lebanon and Syria; each makes a point of fitting in politically with the majority. In Lebanon, where there is no single majority, they constitute a distinct ethnic faction safeguarding their interests in the rough and tumble of its often chaotic and violent reality. In Syria and the Golan Heights, they are loyal to the Assad regime. Across the border, they are loyal to Israel, with their 100,000-strong community willingly subject to military conscription on the same basis as Jews. The much smaller Circassian community is similarly subject to military conscription on an equal basis as Jews; the Circassians are Muslims but not Arabs.

During our stay at his home, our cousin Uzi took us to his favorite eatery (twice in four days, in my case): a falafel and shwarma place at a crossroads called Checkpost, a name left over from the British Mandate when soldiers manned a checkpoint there. I was surprised when he told me that the owner and his sons working there are Arabs; almost all of the customers were Jews.

I am informed by Daniela Cohen – a member of Kibbutz Ein Gedi who works at the resort and hosts a lovely early-morning tour of its botanical gardens – that the Arabic speakers we saw as fellow guests were Druse and not generic Israeli Arabs as I had thought. But Arabs were very much in evidence in Akko – the mixed Galilee city that was once the Crusader stronghold known as Acre. And we chatted with a family from the Arab city of Nazareth who shared the cable car ride with us at Rosh HaNikra. They asked if we had visited their town; I explained that one set of cousins had invited us to go to lunch in Nazareth but that we had already made other plans near Haifa. We have a “rain check” for that lunch in Nazareth.

We were driven to Rosh HaNikra by still another cousin who hosted us for a day and two nights at Kibbutz Kabri (or Cabri) near Naharia. Earlier, we took a swim at the kibbutz pool, where we saw many Arab families enjoying their Saturday leisure time. My cousin Gila explained that these were the families of employees at kibbutz enterprises – of which there are quite a few, including two industrial factories, a high-end gourmet restaurant (owned in part by an Arab family), guest houses and agricultural fields. There was a controversy last year in which the kibbutz was accused of racism for excluding Arabs and Druse from pool membership; the decision was then made to restrict pool use to the kibbutz community and to workers’ families.

Gila told us that outside membership had to be restricted because the facilities were not adequate to be available to all. She was satisfied that including the families of workers now allayed the charge of racism. Some of the workers we met when we toured the factories were families of Lebanese militiamen allied with Israel, who had fled when Israel withdrew from the security zone in 2000. Kibbutz Kabri housed many of these refugees and hosted the ulpan course that taught them Hebrew.

As explained previously, Israeli Arabs have reason to complain of discrimination. But under any reasonable definition of the word, they are not truly oppressed — at least not in ways that Israel’s severest critics imagine.