Okay, folks. Now that I know the music in this LOTR video is from the film Requiem for a Dream, and now that I’ve listened to it about fifty times since yesterday, and now that I’ve read a bunch of reviews of the film, heard from two people at work who’ve seen it, and found out that yes, my Blockbuster carries a copy, here’s my question to those of you who have also seen the film:

Should I watch it?

One reviewer described the last 30 minutes as the most horrific moments in film. Everyone calls it “disturbing.”

I’m thinking I should just get the soundtrack and not see the movie, as I don’t do well with “disturbing.” I have a tendency to lose myself in the film, which is why I can’t stand scary or gory movies. They seem more real to me.

Thoughts, those of you who have seen the movie?

I will be extremely happy when I don’t have to give Gracie a pill twice a day.

I have tried giving it to her in the various ways everyone tells me to, and the upshot of it is she always manages to bite me. And those teeth are sharp.

IDF chief rejects findings of kidnapping probe, is one of the headlines today in Haaretz.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz rejected on Sunday significant parts of the findings of one of the committees that he himself appointed to investigate the army’s conduct during the Lebanon war.

The whole discussion could have stopped here and now and we could proceed to a satisfactory bout of name calling, but it gets much worse:

Its findings were sharply critical of IDF activity at all levels during this period, from the soldiers in the field to the General Staff. But Halutz rejected all of the criticisms aimed at officers above the level of divisional commander and demanded that Almog reexamine his findings on these issues.

This is a decision by a former commander of IAF, the part of our military known for its attention and ability to analyze its mistakes and really learning its lessons? Unbelievable. Unspeakable.

CYA - Cover Your Ass - taken to the Olympic level.

Now, when the chances for a real state commission of inquiry became nil, and the pathetic attempts of the Olmert-Halutz-Peretz troika to escape any shadow of responsibility are stinking to high heavens, the only honorable way for them is to take a quiet exit.

Go. And as soon as possible.

Cross-posted on SimplyJews

The money spigots will open very soon.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Nov 13, 2006 (AP)— A U.S.-educated professor with ties to both Hamas and the rival Fatah Party is the leading candidate for Palestinian prime minister in the emerging unity government, officials said Monday.

[...] Respected economist Salam Fayyad, meanwhile, is being considered for the post of finance minister, a job he held until the Hamas-led government took office early this year. Fayyad was credited with fighting mismanagement and cronyism, and his return to the treasury would likely go far in lifting a crippling international aid boycott.

Hamas and Fatah hope that Shabir and Fayyad will be acceptable to the international community and help persuade the West to lift economic sanctions on the Hamas-led government. Israel and Western donor nations have demanded that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Palestinian officials said the United States has already expressed backing for Shabir’s candidacy.

Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, spokeswoman of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, declined to say whether Shabir and the rest of the next Palestinian Cabinet would be acceptable to the U.S.

“When they’re announced, we’ll be looking not only at who they are but what their program platform is,” she said.

She noted that the U.S. has been in touch with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate from Fatah, during his negotiations with Hamas but said the U.S. does not approve or veto individual candidates.

Translation: The new “unity” government will be found acceptable by the Bush Administration, led by the James Baker Commission (he of the “Fuck the Jews, they don’t vote for us” persuasion). The money spigots will re-open, and the terrorists will continue to build their army and fill their weapons cache. Worst-case scenario: By next summer, there will be a three-front war, and the missiles will rain down on Israel from the north, from Gaza, and possibly from the West Bank as well.

Best-case scenario: The world sticks to its guns and grows a pair concerning the pals.

Yeah, I can’t stop laughing when I read that, either.

It’s official: Kofi Annan and the UN are blaming all the ills of the world on Israel.

ISTANBUL, Turkey Nov 13, 2006 (AP)— U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday that any effort to stop growing violence between Islamic and Western societies must include an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Annan spoke after receiving a report from a high-level group of experts on ways to alleviate Muslim-Western clashes and misunderstandings.

“We may wish to think of the Arab-Israeli conflict as just one regional conflict amongst many,” said Annan, who leaves his post at the end of the year. “It is not. No other conflict carries such a powerful symbolic and emotional charge among people far removed from the battlefield.”

Muslims murdering Christians in Thailand? It’s Israel’s fault.

Arab Muslims murdering black African Christians and Animists in Sudan? It’s Israel’s fault.

Al Qaeda flying planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Israel’s fault.

Al Qaeda blowing up commuters during rush hour in Madrid? Israel’s fault.

Al Qaeda-inspired terrorists blowing up British commuters? Israel’s fault.

The Taliban taking over Afghanistan and turning it into a medieval theocracy that forbids kite-flying, women’s education, or any kind of Western influence? Israel’s fault.

All of these could have been prevented, if only there had been a palestinian state next to Israel. Of course. If only we had known that that is what it took, we could have worked harder!

Of course, in the next breath, Kofi Annan also denies that there is a religious war going on. It’s all politics, you see.

ISTANBUL, Turkey Nov 13, 2006 (AP)— Political tensions, rather than religious differences, are the source of the rift between the West and the Muslim world, and any resolution must include an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday.

“We should start by reaffirming and demonstrating that the problem is not the Quran or the Torah or the Bible,” Annan said after receiving a report by an international group of scholars that proposes ways to overcome the divide. “The problem is never the faith, it is the faithful and how they behave toward each other.”

With brilliant insight like this, you can see how the UN, under Kofi’s rule, has done so much to reduce conflict in the world. (Why, yes, that was sarcasm, why do you ask?)

Oh, yes. And it’s also the West’s fault.

Annan, who will relinquish his post to Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1, said violence was fueled by fear and misunderstandings, economic disparities, wars by Western powers in Muslim countries and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“Wars by Western powers in Muslim countries”—why, it’s practically the Al Qaeda talking points. Do you think he means Iraq 1 or Iraq 2? Iraq 1, you may remember, is what sparked Osama bin Laden to start his war against America. I guess Kofi was just fine with letting Saddam have Kuwait, and would have turned a blind eye towards his taking Saudi Arabia. Wait, around that time, wasn’t Kofi ignoring or about to ignore the massacres in Rwanda? I wonder if he thinks those were Israel’s fault, too.

By the way, that “high-level group of experts” that put together the report? Two renowned Israel-haters were among them.

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and South African activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, are among 20 members of the group. The report said the Arab-Israeli conflict is a critical symbol of the deepening rift between the West and Islam, and calls for the resumption of the Middle East peace process.

Are we surprised at the findings? No. Are we glad Kofi Annan is leaving the UN? Party time, dudes. The cats are getting tunafish on the day he leaves.

I suspect I will have more on this later.

It was a two-cat night last night. Gracie came into bed and stayed next to me for most of the night, something she never used to do when she was healthy. She was a blanket cave kitty for a while, then settled for having the blanket cover about half of her. Meantime, Tig was on his usual spot to my right. I don’t think I moved much at all in my sleep. I usually don’t, but I didn’t want to hurt Gracie.

She is eating regularly, but is still just a pale shadow of herself. She has yet to feel well enough to demand a major petting session. No imperious mews have been heard in this apartment for weeks. But hey, a two-bedcat night almost makes up for it.

Hokay. My birthday approaches. (Wednesday, if you must know.) As I am no longer as young as I was, I tend to try to do things on my birthdays that challenge me and make me feel younger. For instance, a few years ago, I went indoor rock climbing. I am terrified of heights. It led to my getting a job there and climbing regularly.

Next year, I am having my adult Bat Mitzvah.

This year, I don’t really know what to do. I was thinking maybe Laser Tag, which was quite a hoot at Jake’s birthday last year (and exercise, too!). But it’s not really leaping out and grabbing me.

It’s too cold to go rafting or kayaking. I no longer drink more than a glass of wine or so, so partying all night is out. Boy, is it out.

I had this problem last year, too. I need to look through the Yellow Pages and see what’s around.

Do they have a listing for “Fun”?

Anti-Semitism is up worldwide since the Lebanon war. Why? Could it have anything to do with the demonization of Israel by the mass media, the EU, the UN, and assorted other groups?

Let’s see. Up in Venezuela. (Wave to Hugo Chavez, who fanned its flames.)

Up in New York.

Up in Europe.

The WJC blames Iran for fueling the latest world-wide Jew hatred. The fact that he constantly discusses the destruction of Israel, and his calls for her destruction remain mostly unanswered by the world, might have been our first clue.

Conference presenters drew a clear connection between increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

When he says he wants to kill Jews, we should believe him said president of the Committee Representing the Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) Roger Kukerman.

He’s using the same words as Hitler, he added, with the difference being that he’s suspected of having nuclear weapons that Hitler didn’t have.

But the big problem on everyone’s plate? “Islamophobia.” And the palestinians. Yeah. Mein Kampf is a best-seller in the Arab and Muslim world, and it’s Islamophobia that’s the problem. Well, take out the phobia, and we might have something.