I’m safe and sound in central NJ at my friend’s apartment, but there was a pretty scary moment on I-95 today. It’s funny, I had a bad feeling about the drive all morning.

I hit traffic as soon as I got off the Beltway and onto 95. I was trying to decide whether to take 301 all the way up, and Sarah convinced me that 95 wouldn’t be too bad. It was around Baltimore, though. But after some miles of truly aggravating stop-and-then-do-65 mph, I finally cleared Baltimore, and cleared all the traffic, and all three lanes were doing about 75. I was in the left-hand lane, doing 74 (I always stay that one mile under the ten miles over, for points and dollars’ sake). All of a sudden, and I do mean all of a sudden, EVERYONE slammed on their brakes. Apparently, only moments before, some idiots got into a crash and wound up blocking the left and center lanes. It happened so quickly that I could see the police car backing up from the shoulder on the southbound side. But that was after I slammed on the brakes, my car swerved onto the shoulder, I turned the wheel into the swerve (and think I must have moved the steering wheel leftward out of sheer self-protection, though I did stop before coming in contact with the car in front of me), and saw that the car behind me had also gone on the shoulder, and thought, “Asshole, why are you following me? You’re going to hit me!”). Luckily, he didn’t.

Anyway. We were very, very fortunate. There were no other crashes, and it didn’t look like the two cars involved in the accident sustained much damage, either. I was wondering if it was the schmuck in the silver sedan that I saw cut someone off earlier.

I was literally gasping like I’d run a mile, that much adrenaline got pumped into my veins. Took me a long time to calm down.

I am so glad I wasn’t talking on the cell, or changing a tape, or grabbing something out of the cooler at that moment. I am very thankful to have missed a big one.

Of course, when Mom asked me how was the drive: “Oh, the usual. No real problems.”

I learned a long time ago not to tell her things like this.

I’m off to NJ this morning for a family get-together this weekend. Behave yourselves while I’m gone, and if you want a laugh, go see what Aaron has done now that HM has finally un-hacked his site.

I may not be receiving all of my email. Only about half the comments are being emailed to me, and Jay thinks it’s not SK2. If you’ve sent something that required an answer, and have not received it, in the past week, let me know. Because I’m not ignoring you. I’m not getting your mail.

Also, the Amazon tipjar is finally working again, so those of you who were going to use it for donations (you can leave anonymous donations with it, as opposed to PayPal) can now do so.

I know this is going to shock all of my readers, but Hamas is not sticking to the truce, as the media tells us it is.

The Shin Bet security service lifted on Thursday a gag order on an April 14th arrest of two Hamas members that infiltrated into Israel with the intent of carrying out attacks and kidnapping soldiers.

The two, Palestinians from the Jabalya refugee camp, infiltrated the southern Negev through Sinai. They were in possession of firearms and grenades, as well as money intended for funding the establishment of a West Bank terrorist cell.

Shocking, I know.

The kassams are still hitting Israel, even though Hamas called for an end to them. So did Mahmoud Abbas.

Shocking, I know.

The new Hamas terrorist “police force” is ready for action. You know, the one with the wanted terrorist as the head cop.

“It’s like hiring a mob boss as chief of police,” Asi Shariv, spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said of Samadana.

“If Hamas wants to be taken seriously, it must first renounce terrorism… and looking at the people they are putting in these positions is discouraging,” said Stewart Tuttle, the US Embassy spokesman in Tel Aviv.

Shocking, I know.

In the weekly anti-fence “peace” protests, 150 demonstrators attacked Israeli troops at Be’ilin.

Shocking, I know.

Well, no, not really.

In spite of the lies the media is feeding us, Hamas’ leaders will not stop giving the lie to reports that they are moderating:

Hamas leader Khaled Meshal said Thursday that Hamas and Fatah should unite and fight Israel rather than fighting each other.

Speaking at the end of a two-day conference in Qatar, Meshal, who is based in Damascus, said Hamas could close ranks with Fatah on the platform of “liberating Palestine, not recognizing Israel and adopting the path of jihad [holy war] and resistance.”

Okay. What part of that statement gives us the impression that they are “edging towars recognition of Israel“? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

That’s right. None of it.

The conference - a gathering of Islamic scholars to discuss the Palestinian question - issued a final statement supporting “the right of the Palestinian people … to wage holy war to regain all their homeland and liberate their land from the river to the sea.”

Once again, what part of “Hamas will never moderate” does the media not understand?

Oh, right. All of it.

Hold onto your hats, and look at the bullshit the AP is trying to spread now. Read the headline. Read the first sentence. Then read the rest of the lead, and someone tell me where the “edging toward recognition” is coming, because I’m seeing none. Nada. Zip. Even the effing AP says so. (H/T: Bryan L.)

Hamas edges toward recognition of Israel
Hamas edged toward recognition of Israel, a key international demand, in an agreement worked out by Hamas and Fatah leaders in an Israeli prison, mentioning a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza while refusing to renounce violence.

Israel refused to comment on the document on Thursday, and the Hamas leadership in Damascus were also silent but there was little reason to believe either would welcome it.

Hamas leaders in Gaza and the West Bank have hinted they might abandon the group’s call for the destruction of Israel, but Khaled Mashaal, the Syria-based leader of Hamas, has rejected any suggestion of moderation.

Can you say, “Anti-Israel media bias?” I knew you could.