(no subject)

[quesarah]

Happy Thursday all, and Happy Veterans Day to US folks. Celebrate our servicemen and women, even as the assault on Fallujah continues...

Random post today, 'cause my brain is full of the randomness. Does anyone think Arafat's death is going to have any effect on the Mideast peace process? I'm honestly unsure if it will; even if it would I fear that Bushie would fuck up any chance for a lasting peace. But please, share your thoughts and ideas; I love to read them.

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New journal layout. The old one is too buggy, the display freaks out almost every time someone posts a meme. Annoying, especially since I like that layout. But until such time as someone debugs it, I will switch. Ah well, at least I have some pretty purple on my page.

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My friend/mentor Denise is a real world traveler, and has spent time in many beautiful and exotic locations. I have enjoyed her photos and stories of every place, but never felt terribly jealous. Until now. She just came back from a tour of the Galapagos, which is every biologist's Mecca and Club Med rolled into one! She sent a quick email with a photo of her next to a giant tortoise. A giant Galapagos tortoise! How brilliant! I must see her slide show, hopefully very soon.

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Lastly, since my post on the topic spurred such great responses I've decided to post bits of lyrics with good visuals as I come across them. Hope you enjoy.

Can you see in my handwriting,
the curve of my "g,"
the longing?

PJ Harvey, "The Letter"

Comments

[warlordkittens.livejournal.com]

OMG GIANT TORTOISE!

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yes, Go look! (http://members.cox.net/biogeekgrrl/icons/Tortoise1.jpg)

[warlordkittens.livejournal.com]

THAT IS SO COOL

p.s. i am a sea turtle.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

ps. Me too. Maybe that is why we play well together.

[virginmartyr1.livejournal.com]

see that is coool. :o)

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, isn't it? *bounces*

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

what peace process?

I do not think it will have any affect at all as he has been virtually imprisoned in ramalla for so long, which I think suited the new palestinian leadership, as well as the Israeli government just fine.

[warlordkittens.livejournal.com]

i think a GIANT TORTOISE can have an affect on peace process omg!

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

So, you think everything Bush has said about Arafat being a hindrance to peace is hooey? I kind of think so too. At least, a little.

What do predict will happen next? Bush has been trumpeting how he supports the formation of a Palestinian state. What chance do you see of that happening?

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

Well I think in the past, back during the times of Rabin and Barak he was a hindrance, but was in no position to be one recently, and anyway Bibi and Sharon were enough of a hindrance to make whether he was or was not irrellevant.

What next, I really do not know. I was hoping Kerry would come along and make Peace her a priority, I just do not see Bush doing so. Well, in the meanwhile it really does look like we are going to withdraw from Gaza and uproot all the settlers there, which is a good step. I never believed Sharon capable of this, but seems he is. That is surely not enough, and I hope we go all the way to a two state solution, for I am sick and tired of being an occupier. I feel like yelling NOT IN MY NAME whenever i see the news.

[virginmartyr1.livejournal.com]

I am sick and tired of being an occupier. I feel like yelling NOT IN MY NAME whenever i see the news.

i realize that the situation between israel and palestine is totally and completely different than between the US and Iraq, but i can't help but feel the same way.

[warlordkittens.livejournal.com]

I feel like yelling NOT IN MY NAME whenever i see the news.

will be so much harder to do for me when i'm in the army.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't see Bush ever making peace a real priority, unless it reaps Halliburton et al fiscal rewards. Meanwhile, I'm very encouraged at the Gaza pullout and hope it bodes well for the future.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I think everything Bush has said about Arafat being a hindrance is hooey. Bush is a very simple man, and when he found out that Arafat was economical with the truth with regards his links to terrorist groups, Bush found out, and from then, decided that Arafat was Evil Incarnate for having lied to him (Black and white, john Wayne world-view), and had nothing at all to do with him.

It's possible Bush could work with somebody else. But, he won't. He has no interest in the middle east peace protest. He might, if Tony Blair pushes him hard enough on it. I don't rule it out. But, in this day and age. I think it's more likely we'll see the concentration camps for political dissidents and sexually 'deviant' persons springing up in America first.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

I think you have a point about Bush's worldview and his priorities. Any movement forward isn't going to come from him.

As for the concentration camps, I realize that Gitmo has frightened the hell out of everyone, but we are not going down without a fight. I don't care what it takes.

[nightxade.livejournal.com]

I agree that Arafat has been kept out of any kind of significant power in the past while that there's been nothing left for him to do but die and get out of the way. If anyone's been a hinderance to the peace process, it's been the constant kissing of Sharon's ass and his "What? They bombed us with stones, we'll hit them with rockets cuz it's our right" attitude.

Meh. I'm so out of touch with news and what's happening where though that my statements and opinions are likely outdated. I think we need another rain of fire and brimstone, or a flood so we can start over. It takes us several decades before we start to fuck things up each time. So during that time, all the good people who have taken refuge in Canada will have a chance to hang out, tie each other up, eat cookies, whatever.

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

I am the first person to say that we have no business in the occupied territories, and am against Sharon's actions there, but there is no need to call everything that is done by the Palestiniansthrowing stones. Just from 2000-2002, 603 Israeli civilians were killed by terrorists attacks. I want to stress that I am not justifying the actions Israel has taken in response, not from a tactical or a moral viewpoint, but that is not to say that Palestinian terror is no less deadly or any more justified.

[virginmartyr1.livejournal.com]

w. i have no idea what will or won't affect the mid-east peace process...it's one of those things that i really don't know what could work. i think sharon is a big problem. i think it depends on the new palestinian leadership. but, yes, it also worries me greatly that bush is in office while this transition will happen.

2. i am slowly getting used to the new layout and think i will be ok with the whole "change" thing. makes sense. stupid buggy memes.

3. while i am not a biologist (or anything even remotely close) i think the Galopogos would be a COOOL place to go. so how bout this, when i'm wealthy, i'll take you guys and we can play with giant tortoises...don't laugh. it'll happen.

4. nice. :o)

btw, nice to see the cheerful mood. supastar.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

1. Personally, I think Bush himself is a greater hindrance to the peace process than Arafat has been. So. Yeah. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

2. There there. I know you don't adapt well to change, and that I should have rolled this out incrementally, but I'm happy to see that you're adjusting nonetheless. You're so brave!

3. OMG I would so owe you. No lie. *squee*

4. Yeah, the Peej is oh so groovy. ::le sigh::

btw: well, I'm working on it. Thx for the encouragement. :)

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

I think in the long run,incrementally it will be positive.

Bush and his ilk want a peaceful stable Isreal so they can get on with the second coming, you know. So in some twisted way, I think he will work for peace there.

I'd like to go to the Galopogos!

I'm going to have to go get PJ from the library; any recomendations?

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Two of my faves are To Bring You My Love and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. But it's hard to go wrong.

[joebanks.livejournal.com]

thanks.

[zazuomgwtf.livejournal.com]

Hate to break the news, but for the second coming Armageddon is what is needed, so not so peaceful. The evangelists that LOOOOOOVE Israel so much just are waiting for a third wold war here and everyone to die, to fulfill the prophenc. :(

[woe2you.livejournal.com]

Oh, and the Adversary's rule on earth too for a while. That happens, as far as I can recall. Interesting how there've been Battles of Megiddo in various wars; I wonder if the doom and gloom were dragged out then?