Tig’s been the star of the show lately, and Miss Gracie is getting jealous.

Here’s my beautiful girl sneaking a peek at me over her shoulder. See that large bare spot on her right haunch? That’s where she’s been licking herself bare. One of the spots, I should say. It’s growing back now, as is her belly. But she’s not done trying. Strangely, she’s going for her elbows.

I’m pretty convinced it’s just nerves. She needs to go to the kitty spa. All the petting you can ask for, plus tuna, catnip, and lots of flying insects to chase. Yes, that’d be heaven for Gracie. Alas, she’s stuck with me. And Tig.

Project for the morning: Try to get the two of them in a morning shot. I’ll put the camera on the nighttable. They’ve switched spots. Tig’s sleeping in Gracie’s spot on the bottom of the bed, so she’s been surprising me by sleeping on the pillow next to me each night. A couple of days ago, they were sleeping about a foot apart. It’s a rare double, and I’m hoping to catch it on disk tomorrow morning.

May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. I wouldn’t have noticed at all, except for the fact that one of Sarah’s twins, Max, has CF. If you’re looking for a new charity to give a few bucks to, CF is a good thing. They’re very, very close to a cure.

This world would be a much duller place without the sweet, funny little guy I spend nearly every Thursday lunchtime with. A few weeks ago, he entertained us by telling us about “that Voldemort dude.” I am constantly in awe of how he has thoroughly adjusted to his illness, even more as he gets older. He needs to take enzymes at every meal to help him digest food. If you offer him a snack, he’ll say, “First I need to have my enzymes.”

He is four and a half. And since we want him to reach a ripe old age, it’d be a mitzvah if you would do or give a little something for CF Awareness Month.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Max:

It’s from a past EATAPETA Day, and he did that all on his own, with no prompting.

The House of Representatives is voting today on whether to cut aid to the Hamas-controlled Palesitnian Authority:

The House votes Tuesday to further choke off the flow of U.S. aid to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority, drawing the displeasure of the Bush administration and dividing the pro- Israel lobbying community.

The measure, expected to pass easily, would cut off aid to non-governmental groups working in the West Bank and Gaza except for health programs and would deny visas to members of the Palestinian Authority.

It also would ban contacts with Hamas because of its classification as a terrorist organization and limit the president’s authority to waive the aid bans.

The HR 4681 bill appears to have passed with the usual suspects (Jim McDermott, Cynthia McKinney, John Conyers, Nick Rahall, “Shrimp” Kucinich, Maurice Hinchey, Jim Moran…) siding with the terrorist-controlled Palestinian Authority.

Although it’s nice to see crooks on both sides of the aisle (DeLay of Texas and Jefferson of Louisiana) finding common ground here.

The Detroit News carries an op-ed by Glenn R. Plummer, co-chairman and chief executive of a new group called Fellowship of Israel and Black America, which is a partnership with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. It’s about why African-Americans and Jews should join forces and create friendships, and it’s a welcome voice of support amidst the many shrieks of anger towards Israel and Jews these days.

And it echoes almost exactly a conversation I had with a friend of mine while I was installing her hardware for her new Vonage phone. Her son got a football scholarship to whichever Florida school has the Hurricanes, and will be number 18. I told her that was chai, and what it meant, and that she could even get him a necklace for it, as I know it’s become fashionable for African-Americans to wear Stars of David. I didn’t get that, I said. “It’s about God,” she told me. She said many African-Americans have a great respect for the Jews. Then we started discussing our common roots, the Civil Rights movement, and how Jews sing “Let My People Go” on Passover. I mentioned Farrakhan and his anti-Semitism, and she made a scornful noise with a disgusted look on her face. (We’re in full agreement there.)

So it is a delight to see another African-American write these words:

As an African-American, I identify with Israel. Black America’s history has a wonderful, yet strange parallel with Jewish people. We were both slaves for hundreds of years. Many black American slaves likened the end of slavery to the biblical Exodus of the Jews. Some Negro spirituals like “Crossing over Jordan” and “Moses, Lead Your People Out” attested to that fact.

It is no surprise that blacks and Jews stood arm in arm during the civil rights struggle in the United States. Blacks and Jews together founded the NAACP, the Urban League and other civil rights organizations. Fifty percent of all attorneys representing the civil rights movement were Jewish. The deep friendship that existed 40 years ago between blacks and Jews is thankfully rekindling once again.

Unfortunately, the Presbyterian Church USA voted two years ago to explore phased, selective divestment from certain companies dealing with Israel. This summer, the Presbyterian Church USA meets in Birmingham, Ala., with the debate and profound disagreement over these policies intensifying.

The call for “disinvestment” of Israel is nothing more than a modern-day act of racism. Black America will see it for what it is and stand with Israel.

[...] In a day when Israel needs friends, I unapologetically declare my friendship and loyalty with Israel and the Jewish people. Shalom.

Read the whole thing.

Hamas has just lost a pretty big fish to the Israeli security forces.

After an eight-year manhunt, Israeli security forces early Tuesday seized the Ramallah-area commander of Hamas’ military wing, Israel’s most wanted man in the West Bank.

Sheikh Ibrahim Hamed, 41, has been wanted since 1998 for terror attacks that claimed the lives of 78 Israeli civilians and soldiers.

[...] Among the attacks Hamed is believed to have helped plan and direct were:

• A car bombing in Zion Square in the heart of Jerusalem five years ago, an attack which killed 11 people.
• A March 2002 suicide bombing at the Moment coffee house adjacent to the Prime Minister’s official residence in the city, in which 12 people were killed.
• A double suicide bombing in September 2003, which killed a total of 17 people at the Hillel cafe in Jerusalem’s German colony, and adjacent to the Tsrifin IDF base.
• A December 2001 double suicide bombing in Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, in which 11 people died.
• A July 2002 bombing at the cafeteria of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem that killed five Americans and four Israelis.

The IDF colonel who led the capture said Hamas would have trouble replacing Hamed.

“What made him special was his creativity in finding very complex ways to attack Israelis,” the colonel told Army Radio.

What’s running in the back of my mind since this happened is whether Hamas will use this as a pretext to end the so-called “truce” that everyone pretends they are abiding by. I think it’s entirely possible they may authorize their people to clandestinely help PIJ or another group set off a suicide bombing in “revenge” for Israel’s arresting this mass-murderer.

And I’m sure that Lair Simon is actually not completely happy with this arrest. If Hamed had gone down fighting, Lair would finally have a Bingo and could send pizza to the IDF.

Noam the Master Mind has fulfilled his dream of visiting Lebanon. Every youngster has a list of coveted destinations better left for the golden years of retirement, and here it came for Chomsky.

Unfortunately, Chomsky decided that there must be a political payment made to his graceful hosts, and the hosts happened to be the nice folks of Hezbolla.

And here he is, ingratiating his regal self to the group that even the Lebanese themselves despise and fear:

I think Nasrallah has a reasoned argument and persuasive argument that they should be in the hands of Hezbollah (the arms) as a deterrent to potential aggression, and there is plenty of background reasons for that. So until, I think his position reporting it correctly and it seems to me reasonable position, is that until there is a general political settlement in the region, the threat of aggression and violence is reduced or eliminated there has to be a deterrent, and the Lebanese army can’t be a deterrent.

So says the mastermind. “Potential aggression” - from where? One guess (and it is not Switzerland). But the Lebanese know better.

Another third observer said “Chomsky showed poor judgment in jumping to this quick conclusion about the Hezbollah arms. Chomsky he added “does not know that the Hezbollah arms scare the Lebanese people more than the Israelis.”

Chomsky obviously doesn’’t know that Hezbollah and its allies fought the Cedar Revolution by aligning themselves with the Syrian regime.

The above comes from a source that even a prejudiced observer will not be able to blame in sympathy to Zionists. And that source has more to say:

“Chomsky needs to live here for a while to understand what happened during the past 30 years and why most Lebanese are against the Hezbollah arms.”

One of Chomsky’s stated objectives in visiting Lebanon is to learn about the country. Many political observers feel that if all Chomsky learnt was for Hezbollah to keep its arms, then he didn’’t learn much during his short trip.

No worries, folks. The Master Mind does not “learn” things, he deduces them. For many years Noam disregards facts that are either inconvenient or too bothersome for his brain, preferring instead to pelt the defenseles humanity by his decrees. The list of what Chomsky does not know (but has a fully informed opinion about) is endless, and it has never interfered with his ability to put forth the most ridiculous postulates.

It seems that in his professional life the things are not much better (although I have to confess that I know nothing about the subject). See here.

They say that denial is not a river. Shall Noam take heed?

Ilyka tipped me to new federal guidelines for women’s health. I can’t believe I missed this last week. Hold onto your hats, girls. No, actually, hold onto your uteri.

New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves — and to be treated by the health care system — as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon.

Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control.

Why? I’m so glad you asked.

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