Israeli leaders offer peace (at least some of them, anyhow)

best peace deal israel has offered in years - good point of departure for peace talks.  I esp like the return of Golan to Syria.  this might be the best beginning of peace in a long time.  I dont think it can get better than this, given current Israeli leadership (self serving politicians) and the uncertainty of arab regimes.  this might also help Syria and Assads popularity with his own people (return of Golan, fresh apples, and peace).  not sure if Hamas will go along with this, or Hezbollah, or many of Israel's leaders, but hey, its a positive move.

I think future generations would praise current middle east leaders if this goes forth.

here is Tom Waits song, Road to Peace

Snooki-Mania! Don't mess with girls from Jersey Shore -

Here is my dream angel, Snooki, taking names and kickin butt on wrestle mania -

Jar City

Great film from Iceland, a murder detective movie. very dark. very existential. i get the impression that icelanders are very existential people, always waiting for that next earthquake, the next avalanche, the next volcano.

day after tomorrow by tom waits

wow. what a song. tom waits is poet laureate of USA.

oakmont begins train service to slippery rock via pittsburgh

Spak Bros pizza best in burgh

Spak Bros pizza is fantastic! They have lots of veggie and vegan choices. Only place i have heard of that serves veggie sausage pizza. Sauce is sweet, crust is NY style, cheese is ..well...healthy, so it doesnt melt like unhealthy cheese. The program with pizza is the fat in the cheese, so you cant have healthy pizza without losing some of the fat. anyway this is great place here is menu and address.

SNL and Ahmadinejad - love song

here it is, another andy samberg song this time about his love for Ahmadinejad

Tom Waits Christmas Carol

here it is, tom waits singing his yule tide favorite, Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis

PITT has a new football coach...no wait....they dont..

So Dave Wannstedt is out, didnt win the big east championship (which is in itself no big deal) he had a decent team, but they went nowhere, much like last year. Moments of brilliance, but then horrible embarrassing losses. So the coach is staying on as asst AD, and he is coaching the final game against Kentucky in the punk ass bowl or whatever it is called. College football is big money - successful teams in BCS bowls like PITT and PennState, can make millions of dollars. it also helps recruitment (believe it or not). Wannstedt wasnt making that much. Then again, you want a great team, you better get used to getting football players first and students ah...second? Fourth? not at all? I think Coach Wannstedt should have had a great season next year, but now, some great recruits have already jumped to other colleges. and now the new coach Haywood has self destructed, arrested for felony assault - I thought he had problems with his ex girlfriend before - so now Haywood is out, before he was really in. Soooooo, no coach, PITT administrators look like idiots, the team will suffer, and Wannstedt will be around next year anyhow. My suggestion: fire the AD at PITT, make Wannstedt AD, let Wannstedt recruit new coach.

st Catherine's monastery in Sinai, Egypt

St Catherine's monastery in the Sinai desert, Egypt, has the original burning bush mentioned by Moses in Exodus. This monastery is sacred to judaism, christianity and Islam. Mohammed (bless his name) gave it protection during the crusade wars. It is untouched, from the 5th and 6th centuries, best collection of icons. remarkable.

I might join up.

God awful Liza Minnelli ding a ling xmas song

I think this is worse than the tro lo lo video, you decide. Liza has had her great moments, but for gods sake, this is really bad. her problem is that she blew her talent on dumb stuff like this, like her sainted mother did also. Judy Garland is a saint: she died for the sins of hollywood. bless you Judy, you tried hard.

and liza: try to live out your last years in happiness, ok?

Isabelle Caro

Isabelle died from anorexia. she had a successful modeling career but her illness became severe, she made public service ads about her illness, these ads were banned by some countries due to the disturbing images (Italy). She tried to warn women (and men) about the disease, the images that fashion portrays that is unhealthy, but in the end she herself died. very sad. god bless. very sad.

anorexia is a common yet poorly understood disease. It kills, It ruins lives, and it is based on the unreal images of women that are portrayed in the media. i was at mall today, and Nicole Kidman had a poster everywhere about something (her cologne?) and her billboard was obviously photo enhanced, cleaned up, she is middle aged, and has had cosmetic surgery, but the image was unreal, not the way she really looks. Women (and men) are given unreal images to imitate, and the result is unhappy women (young girls) who want to be thin, lanky, "sexy" and unhealthy. I once dated a young women in college who thought she was overweight (she wasnt) and she dieted (stopped eating) become very thin (like the 1960 model Twiggy) and she became sick, and no longer had a menstrual period. Wrong message, bad health.

Isabelle is a saint. bless her.

Letterman's fuck you Christmas guy is back!

here is my blog from last year about the fuck you guy on Letterman really sums up my feelings about this commercial hellscream holiday.

strangest christmas elf yet

this is shopping mall in catalonia, spain, where tradition is behind display of crapping elf. Some think this symbolizes fertility, preparing the soil for spring crops during the winter, or maybe its just someone's idea of what christmas means to them. especially in a mall.

Fox News: propaganda and lots of bare legs (sexy!)

Here are some of the things Fox News viewers believe, in a recent poll:

91% believe that the stimulus has resulted in a loss of jobs

60% believe that climate change is no occurring

49% believe that federal income taxes have increased

56% believe that Obama initiated the GM_Chyrsler "bail out" (which is really a loan not a bail out and it was initiated by Bush)

63% believe Obama was not born in the US (including the medical doctor and Army major who is currently in jail because he refuses to obey deployment orders given by a President who has not proved he was born in this country)

In my American Gov class i discuss (I try at least) how media is biased in US to market their news to target audiences selected through marketing and focus groups. I give example like Fox, and CNN (which has become more conservative due to competition with Fox). CNN went along with official press conferences during Iraq war build up and initial occupation because they were afraid of losing more viewers to the patriotic Fox network and appearing "unpatriotic." If you remember, during the first Gulf war, CNN and former AP reporter Peter Arnett was portrayed as guilty of just about sedition due to his reporting of the Iraq war, including the bombing of a baby formula factory that the administration said was biological weapons lab (WMD - does it sound familiar?) After ward, it was determined that it was in fact a baby formula lab. His other reports on Vietnam were also attacked, and later proved accurate. This isnt about news, its about viewship, and viewers will not watch a program that is deemed unpatriotic or seditious by other networks or the US gov. So during the second gulf war, the networks completely threw out any pretense of "investigative journalism."

And that is why Fox is successful in dumbing down the nation - its good business. Also, women's shapely legs are also good for viewership - Fox shows more legs than any other network. in fact most networks only show shoulders and heads, Fox shows the whole female body including the shapely legs.e

What is with this Trololo stuf?

I didnt get this video until i watched this one. Turns out, the Trololo guy is from the 1970's in old Soviet Union (as in boris badinov and Rocky and Bullwinkle) and was supposed to sing on a winter holiday special on soviet tv. however his song was an American folk song about some guy riding a horse from kentucky to Tennessee to see his girlfriend and the soviet censors didnt like the glorification of american frontier freedom. So they told him he couldnt sing the words. So he had to go out and "sing" without lyrics. In a recent interview, he explains how hard it is to sing over two minutes without words. Given that, he did a great job. So much so, that Russians now love the so called Trololo song. He was actually singing Tra la la, but in russian, it is pronounced tro lo lo (so he explained). So once again, marxist-leninist ideologues are responsible for an other wise unexplainable phenomena - like soviet style architecture, soviet cars, and the new lands policy that transported millions of russia to siberia to "farm" (didnt work out) and now the cities they built in these isolated areas still exist but there is little or no economy for the millions of families relocated there - way to go Nikita (he was responsible for the new lands policy). or as they say in russia this time of year, Tro lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo.

greatest headline of 2010

Vatican exhibit Heinz History Museum

Vatican exhibit at the Heinz History Museum is great, but at times a little odd. The emphasis on art, especially expensive art, and its connection to the life and resurrection of Jesus is lost on me. The art was designed to communicate faith to the illiterate masses, but resulted in the masses praying to crosses, statues, and pictures. Sounds almost like the golden calf masses were praying to when Moses came down from the mountain with his stone Mitzvahs (commandments).

But the exhibit is great, amazing examples of art, over 1600 years of art from earliest church in Rome.

I really liked the Vatican shot glasses in the gift shop.

John Lennon film is GREAT!

Wow what a movie! After a stressful day i walked to the oaks theater and saw this film about John Lennon's early life, just as he met Paul and George. It analyzes his relationship with his aunt and uncle who raised him, and his mother Julia who he meets when he is a teenager. Motherless, fatherless, Lennon seems to have no future. But his uncle provides him with a harmonica, and his aunt and mother provide him with what they can, a guitar. It really captures his sardonic wit, his rebelliousness, his anger at the world. Outstanding film. Also shows the grim lives of post war Britain.

US spaceship lands

This is the X37B, a pilotless space craft launched by the Air Force in California. Mission classified. It just returned to earth, automatic pilot, the first spaceship to "land" (not crash on ground or sea) by computer program. It makes me wonder what kinds of classified aircraft and other technology we might have that ordinary citizens dont know about. Do you think Pres. Obama was briefed about the aliens we are holding at area 51 in California? just kidding...maybe

Special Guest Presentation: Please attend

Publicists picture left, Wedding Picture below !

Paradox of Women in Islam

Thursday December 2

7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

ATS Auditorium

Asra Q. Nomani

Asra Q. Nomani, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, has also written for the Washington Post, New York Times, and Time magazine on Islam, and has covered the war in Afghanistan for Salon.com. She has spoken about women’s rights in Islam on CNN, PBS, NPR, and the BBC. A Muslim born in India, Nomani was raised in the foothills of West Virginia, and currently lives in Morgantown with her son, Shibli. Her latest book is Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam.

The real Flo, very funny

Here is Stephanie Courtney, the real Flo, from her standup act couple years ago. very funny. I guess the progressive insurance bit pays the bills. I think she is wasting her talent, she really has good standup material.

focus group

example apple focus group

apple's 1984 superbowl ad

UMich panel study

cross sectional analysis civilian deaths Iraq

Walter Breuning, 114 yrs old: "Let us be kind to one another"

Walter Bruening is now the world's oldest human, 114 yrs old.

He recalled "the dark ages," when his family moved to South Dakota in 1901 and lived for 11 years without electricity, water or plumbing.

"Carry the water in. Heat it on the stove. That's what you took your bath with. Wake up in the dark. Go to bed in the dark. That's not very pleasant," he said.

He said men and women may be able to enjoy life, but they can't be content without a belief or faith. His parting message to the crowd was one of tolerance.

"With all the hatred in this world, in this good world, let us be kind to one another," Breuning said. Wow. Strong message. Now if we could just get the world to listen....

Three Rivers Film Festival Coming Up!

Dont be square, be spherical and plan to visit the 3 Rivers Film festival. Watch this space for more info.

Movie: Vanishing Point, the end of the 1960's

Hard Days Night part one (kinda) here.

This is the beginnings of the 1960's, the youth decade, long hair, music, fashion, singing about love and dancing, and happiness.

Then, after JFK was assassinated, 1967 riots, MLK 's assassination, and then Bobby Kennedy's assassination, then Nixon's election, the polarization of the nation, and finally the 1960's "vanished."

Thats what the movie Vanishing Point is about: then end of the youth decade, gone forever, along with the optimism and youthful dreams.

"Gilda Texter On a rather ironic note, though her primary occupation is costume and wardrobe, her feature film debut was completely naked and on a motorcycle in the cult classic, Vanishing Point (1971)."

Barry Newman as Kowalski, Cleavon Little as the DJ (also starred in Blazing Saddles), Dean Jagger as the prospector, and Charlotte Rampling as hitchhiker.

Soundtrack includes Delany Bonnie and Friends (which included Eric Clapton at one point), Kim Carnes and Mountain.

Pictures oakmont jogging route

here are a few of the beautiful homes in Oakmont that i pass by while i walk/jog. Oakmont known for its front porches and gardens, and brick streets. Victorian homes are common, a few earlier farm houses not so common but are scattered along my route. Oakmont cemetery also on my route, incredible history. Also Oakmont Civil War cemetery, in need of repair but very haunting, beautiful. Great place to live, good schools too, and homes for every price range.

Great political ads

Willie Horton ad 1988, Mike Dukakis' running mate

1964 Daisy girl ad, vote for Lyndon Johnson or die

Nancy Pelosi, wicked witch of 2010

My opponent is a demon sheep ad 2010

Dale Peterson is taking names and kicking butt ad 2010

Pamela Gorman machine gun

Nathaniel's Euro trip pictures

Here is the picasa link for nathaniel's pictures of Switzerland and Franceland.

Movie: Shutter Island

Wow what a great movie! Reading the book but now i finished the movie so the book is ruined, i guess, but the movie was great. Leonardo was great, script great, edited great, ending fantastic. Still trying to figure it out. I go along with the obvious movie ending, but there are alternative interpretations. great movie. disturbing, but great. definitely not a chick flick date movie.

wyclef Jean for President of Haiti

Wyclef is running for Pres of Haiti - this will be a challenge. First he has no background in politics or administration. Second, haiti is a very corrupt nation, and the corruption is not just haitians, but the UN and the US and all sorts of shadowy aid organizations. Lots of money when there is foreign aid, esp after a disaster like earthquake.

I think he is a great guy, modest, profoundly talented artistically, perhaps he can make a difference. I would love working for him just for room and board. maybe i just volunteer my modest political and administrative skills.

He made the brilliant statement (i mean seriously brilliant) that to help Haiti about 1.5 million people should be taken off island and relocated somewhere else - and that was BEFORE the earthquake. he is right, too many people on that island, too few resources, he said the right thing, something needed to be heard.

God bless you Wyclef and we need to support you.

Basil Marceaux for Governor

great ad for Republican candidate for Governor Tennessee. This guy is for real. he has great ideas, see the other youtube videos.

nathaniel in switzerland

Nathaniel is in switzerland waiting for the green light to climb mt Matterhorn, weather problems, here are some hiking photos of him and his climbing partners (Nat in middle)

nathaniel at the matterhorn

Here is nathaniel at the matterhorn in switzerland, getting ready for the climb i guess. sure looks steep.

Cats that look like Hitler

cats that look like hitler, the latest cat rage. Does your cat look like Hitler?

http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/cgi-bin/seigmiaow.pl

1949 Hudson for less than $8000

here it is, probably needs engine trans taken apart and reassembled but in good shape.

Real DB IV Aston Martin james bond car for sale

or is it a DBV? anyway, this is the real car from Goldfinger, with the guns, ejector seat, whole thing. I would love to have this car. drive to work everyday, somebody cuts me off, i cut off their tires. I have an obnoxious colleague in my car, zoom! the ejector seat goes off. and the guns in the front - for terrorists! I love these aston martins, they usually go for around $300,000 or less, but not much less. maybe $150,000, if it needs work, you know, bondo, rust on floorboards (just kidding these cars are kept pristine). I love this car, classic british styling. if you watch goldfinger, you can see that it does not accelerate very well, thats because of the weight of these special effect items, really increases weight, decreases performance.

Israel is moral loser in Gaza

Israel doesn't get it - whatever it does in Gaza, it is a loser on moral grounds. The latest: Israel stops boats/ships headed for Gaza, 11 people killed one report said. Israel's response was that they thought they were boarding boats with peace activists, didn't think there would be violence. The helicopters that boarded the boats were full of Israeli commandos, armed to the teeth, so how could they say they were expecting peace? They were prepared for war. They are enforcing a blockade that has made Gaza the worst living hell on earth. So if the boats made it through the blockade, Israel loses, and if the boats don't make it through because Israeli commandos stop the boats and kill 11 people, then Israel still loses. Some would say the Gaza arabs are the ultimate losers, but they are the pawns in the games of others. Gazans (Arabs who fled when Israel was created) have been pawns manipulated by France, England, Egypt, Israel and the United States. I doubt that anyone really cares about them - they are pawns. Talk about an existential dilemma: you are trapped in Gaza, blockaded, can't get out even if you want to get out, no where to go, no country will take you, but there are plenty of countries who will give you aid to stay, among them the US and the EU. But these countries also give aid to Israel and Egypt to continue the blockade and prevent you from leaving. All this, simply because you were born in Gaza - your crime is that you came out of the womb in Gaza, instead of Amman, or Cairo, or Paris, or Buffalo NY.

Back in Tel Aviv, great day to be on the beach ! Life is great in the Bubble. (And the Bubble is Tel Aviv, New York City, Pittsburgh, anywhere people can enjoy their freedom and prosperity without having to confront the lives of the Gazans).

Pete the Moose saved !

Pete the moose was orphaned when some dogs attacked his mom. Raised in a private preserve, Pete has prospered. However, in the preserve are other animals, like non native Elk. The fear for wildlife officials is that Pete or the other elk will escape from their captivity, and spread disease among native species. Either pete and the others would be put down, or, the preserve would have to somehow become part of public protection which would cost taxpayers alot and create a precedent of having state care for orphaned animals from private estates. So, a Facebook page was made for Pete, and thousands of users petitioned to have Pete saved. Now the Vermont legislature passed a bill to allow private preserves to care for wild animals of non native species (not Pete, but his Elk friends) and also required higher fencing and prevention to stop any contact (even nose to nose) between captive and wild species. Some lawmakers think this is bad precedent, because they dont want to encourage anyone from creating private preserves for wild animals (good point). But Pete is still alive and is protected, and word has it that another moose in the preserve is carrying Pete's child - which presents another problem, which is another domestic moose that may have virus foreign to wild moose population.

Anyway, funny story, since lawmakers are usually obsessed with humans who are brain dead but should be kept alive (Terri Shiavo) or humans who want to die but we make them stay alive and suffer (Dr. Kevorkian's imprisonment). I am not sure if the Vermont leg did the right thing, but then again, Pete didnt do anything wrong other than being born so it does seem cruel to put him down simply because he was kept with some non native Elk. His protector, an older man who looks like Santa Claus (and who has cared for Pete since Pets' childhood, or Moosehood), says Pete wouldnt know one way or the other if he were dead or put down.....but I think that is not true - my experience with animals is that they do know they exist, they have their own identity, and yeah, being alive sure as hell beats being dead. I came home last night to the most beautiful sunset - its good to be alive, Pete !