Blog post too long! Limits sought!

I was trying to make up for lost time but ranted to excess!
Also, the pain demon is here and I am feeling mean and kvetchy.
Additionally, I am reading too much news and I am steamed!

So today's post will be the soul of brevity but no less unbelievable:

Pat Robertson, a cornerstone of the Religious Right, announced on his TV show the 700 Club, that ["his good friend"] Ariel Sharon's serious condition was divine punishment for "dividing God's land", a reference to the disengagement in Gaza.
I don't know much about the bible but shouldn't peace be the most vital and godly thing? And doesn't he consider Muslim Gazans to be God's people? This guy is still on TV?

Many Arab leaders across the Middle East have also invoked divine retribution; Sharon's stroke is "God's revenge on Sharon the Butcher and God's gift for the New Year" See; NYTimes 1/6/06 p.A14.
Others acknowledge that he had adapted his ideology and the peace process will stall without him.
Sharon will ultimately be celebrated ( and emulated, halevai) as recognizing that a Palestinian state is necessary and peace is even more necessary.
Halevai: I wish, in Hebrew.

In Florida, Jeb Bush's school voucher plan was struck down, hallelujuh, and may have implications nationally.
Should we really pay more taxes to subsidize parochial schools and insure that public schools stink? Let's have more teachers, smaller classes.

The 2nd Ave. Deli in NYC ( since 1953!) has been closed because the rent was raised from $24,000 to $33,000 a month. Damn.
They served something called an "Instant Heart Attack", a pile of pastrami, tongue, etc. sandwiched between potato pancakes, for $19.95. Oy, I got heartburn just writing about it.
BTW: oi and oy are the same word, they are just spelled differently per continent.

Lastly, on Wed, the Earth reached perihelion, it's closest approach to the Sun for us in the Northern Hemisphere. It's proximity was 91.4 million miles.
In 11,000 years, Earth's orbital parameters will change and perihelion will occur in the summer, instead.
I thought you'd want to know.

Twenty ought six

I'm back, struck down by a fluish curse, but on I blog lest I disappoint my adoring readers. Our holiday was fabu. We went to three parties and never left our block. No traffic, no parking. Our house is part of about 15 attached houses, all the same. I am envious cause everyone has renovated but us. They all did it differently and it's fun to see how everyone redid theirs.
Also, all of our neighbors happen to be gourmet cooks. Snap!
We went to a great party on New Years Eve with great eats and cool music, champagne and unbelievable pastries. It was multi-level: kids downstairs, adults upstairs. There was actually dancing and we stayed up real late.
We went to a Hanukkah/New Years Day/ renovation party at the rabbi and his wife's down the block:oh baby, regular potato pancakes and spicy curried sweet potato ones, smoked fish, brie baked encroute, with currants and apricots! And Coquito, which is like a Puerto Rican super-rich egg nog.
The next day we were invited to a fancy multi-course french dinner a quatre with AM&C. They are moving soon and altho we will stay in touch we will miss them, also they are taking away their cats who we babysit. We will esp miss P-nut who, likes to hang in our backyard; he trained me to grow him pots of catnip and he lures Steve outside even in the winter, they have an unholy alliance. That's him above- how cute is he? His brother, Sevruga looks just like him.
My kitkat, Roscoe is not doing so well. He is going to be 17 and may be on his last legs, but I thought the same thing last year after Lulu died and he got stronger. He is so skinny and bony! He is the best and cutest cat in the world.

Yessiree, it's a new year and so far in the world of You cant make this up, it's not been so happy. A tragic, mis-handled, should-have-been- prevented ( why were all those citations ignored?) mining accident and why are we investing all kinds of money in coal anyway, does that seem like a practical alternative environmentally speaking?

Republicans are certainly not happy and why is it that Ambramoff is not pronounced Ambramoff , like it was in my old neighborhood? In those days, if anyone listened in your phone, it was the neighbors' party line, not the President, excuse me, the NSA.
Charities are happier tho, being the beneficiaries of hastily cast-off laundered illegal campaign funds.

George Pataki, our GOP governor who is looking to run for President, wants to cut taxes. Exactly who will pay for health care and education? And Social security? And the defense budget which is bloated, mismanged, misapprioprated, and proving to be somewhat illegally dispersed? Cut this!

A new report says that car sales are up, SUV sales are down. You think?

I am horrified and nervous about Ariel Sharon's fate. He unified Israel and made concessions for the sake of the peace process with the PA which is currently splintering into so many subgroups it's hard to imagine they will reach any concensus.I am afraid that less cool heads will prevail, namely Bibi Netanyahu who believes that more (settlements) is more and is way more militant. This is very un-good.

A related item: in the the Wall ST. Journal today they spelled Oslo, Olso.
On the front page!

In Afghanistan, a high school teacher was beheaded by suspected Taliban members as part of a "campaign against educated community leaders". It was apparently an attempt to undermine public trust in the government. Said an official, "killing one educated person is as effective as killing dozens of ordinary people." The teacher had previously received threats on his life because he taught girls.

On to France, where a law passed last year that calls for a positive portrayal of France's colonial history particularly in North Africa, in textbooks, has become contentious. Imagine. Chirac wants it modified. How sensitive.

Did y'all hear about the The Arnold Schwartzenegger Sports Stadium in Austria that changed it's name after the governor refused to pardon Tookie Williams from execution. Living in California has definitely hardened Arnold.

NYC health officials are urging Orthodox Jewish leaders to educate parents about the dangers about a type of Hasidic circumcision where the moyel sucks the blood from the circumcision wound. This process has been found to pass a herpes virus present in most adults but infectious and possibly fatal in babies, one infant has already died. Religious leaders responded by accusing the city of interfering with their constitutional rights if they launch a public service campaign. They really suck, huh?

Michelle Kwan has a groin injury and will not compete in the nationals which will hurt her chances for the Olympics. She's my reason for watching!

Monday in Brooklyn a man, 28, fatally strangled his sister, 27 in a fight over the volume of her TV. Damn. That reminds me: "Dancing with the stars" is back on TV tonight! I don't care what you say, I love it.

In a personal note: five deep ocean species of fish have been listed as endangered, including the onion-eye grenadier. Stop the madness!

I think the paragraph spaces are easier to read, non?

At long last - Sarah!!!

In honor of my brilliant, beautiful, creative niece Sarah who inspired and encouraged my humble writings, who produced the fabulous chicken-butted one and who brought us Pete the peerless, I am proud to announce that after 2 months and much assistance, I've finally inserted the link to her blog on my blog!
Please click below on "sad and beautiful world" and don't forget to look at her rather amazing pictures.
Caution: some photos may cause swooning or lightheadedness! Maybe it's just me but you are forewarned.