I was reading an article on Katherine Hepburn in the Times, and came across a word I didn’t know. I double-clicked it, intending to copy/paste it into my dictionary.com toolbar. But I didn’t have to. The double-click set off the Times’ internal dictionary pop-up.

Now that’s service.

I take back all of the bad things I said and thought about the Times for, oh, the last month. Tabula rasa for them, at least until their next anti-Israel editorial.

Oh. The word is chiaroscuro.

Update: They actually tell you about the feature at the very bottom of each page. Like I read the small print. But still—it’s there. I found it more amazing not to have been tipped off.

Post anything about tonight’s episode but spoilers in the comments.

On the subject of TV shows, I caught up on the Lost episode that I missed on Wednesday (taped it, but did not watch, due to creating my Mother’s Day movie and a heavy workload). I’d write a parody of the episode, but Lost is now parodying itself. Then again, I did warn people. It’s a J.J. Abrams creation. He’s the man who gave us Felicity and Alias. At least X-Files took seven years before I started saying, “That was a really stupid episode.” Lost has taken only three.

Feel free to discuss Lost in the comments, too, what with my just doing it. (Retitling post before saving.)

Looks like the anti-Israel groups in Britain aren’t as influential as they think.

The British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) launched the pamphlet at a reception in Parliament last week. Turnout at the launch was very poor, however, with only around 10 people attending, leading Jenny Tonge, an ardent critic of Israel, to ask why the turnout was so low.

Poor Jenny. She’s just getting hit right and left. My heart bleeds. Well, no, it doesn’t. I’m thinking schadenfreude goes right about here.

However, pro-Israel groups doubted the call for a boycott would have much impact, particularly because of the increasing desire by British academics to work with outstanding Israeli universities.

Cue Nelson.

My brother he unquestionably is. Ronald Kasrils‘ surname, if my skimpy knowledge of Yiddish does not lead me astray, has a lot to do with the unforgettable Kasrlilevke by unforgettable Sholom Aleichem. (To make the reference to Kasrilevke clearer to the readers - it is a Jewish equivalent of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha, and I love them both with a blue-steel determination of a bookworm.) Anyhow, Ronnie and I could have been friends, neighbors or just accidental users of the same local pub somewhere, have our lives taken some other geographic turns.

Ronnie K.’s biography reads as a thriller and the man deserves a lot of gratitude from the people of South Africa. It is really heartwarming to know that a Jew has done so much for the elimination of the apartheid scourge in Africa and it is no less heartwarming to know that South Africa recognizes his contribution to the true cause and that he is an important and useful member of the ruling circle in the fledgling country. After all, not everyone is made South Africa’s Minister for Intelligence Services. Which is Ronnie’s current position, and more power to him.

Or not…

You see, there is one problem - as much as Ronnie has done for the native South Africans, he is not satisfied by his achievements. He just has to prove to the world that he is one impartial Joo, for whom well-being of his fellow Jooz in Israel is a thorn in backside. He is doing everything in his considerable power to make Israel looking bad, no matter the ways and the means. Take, for instance, his last interview to JP.

Hamas has accepted previous agreements reached between the Palestinian Authority and Israel and has in effect renounced violence, while the Jewish state continues to take measures akin to state terrorism, South Africa’s Minister for Intelligence Services Ronnie Kasrils told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend.

Says JP: “The agreements the minister was referring to were actually made between Israel and the PLO.” No need to comment, is there?

Speaking on the sidelines of a UN meeting in South Africa on the situation in the PA, Kasrils said South Africa’s townships had never been attacked by helicopter gunships and tanks, in contrast to IDF actions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

“The analogy between apartheid and Israel’s occupation of Palestine is often made. It is not the same thing. The occupation is absolutely worse,” Kasrils told reporters.

First of all, the analogy between apartheid and Israel’s occupation of Palestine is often made by people of the same ilk - Ronnie’s spiritual siblings, so to say. Secondly, I do not recall the townships in South Africa lobbing rockets at white enclaves or sending waves of suicide bombers to Johannesburg or Pretoria - do you, Ronnie?

“It is important that we tell the Israeli authorities they are behaving like fascists when they do certain things, although we are not calling it a fascist state,” he said.

Thanks deity for small favors. Although - some bolder friends of Ronny consider Israel being worse than Nazis, so we shall just wait a while…

Kasrils said Hamas was moderating and becoming capable of leading the Palestinians.

Indeed… How about the (almost daily) declarations of Hamas that it will never recognize the “Zionist entity”? How about the daily spray of Qassams? How about the hateful rhetoric in mosques, on TV (including the brainwashing of a tender ages)? How about the uncounted tunnels serving weapon smugglers? Does South African intelligence service have some other, peaceful interpretation of these signs?

The relentless will of Ronnie to deceive himself and the public found a brilliant expression in the following passage from the interview:

I understand that they [Hamas] have accepted previous agreements arrived at between the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel. Contained within these agreements are the recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence.

Even if that were not the case the peacemaker should not be stubborn and obdurate, but needs to reach out across the divide and encourage the adversary.

Even if that were not the case… How far needs one’s head to be stuck up one’s backside to make one so blind to the obvious? And how do you take this:

Kasril’s interpretation of the Mecca Agreement, which set the stage for the Hamas-Fatah coalition, stands in contrast to repeated statements from Haniyeh and Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal clearly stating that Hamas has not rejected violence.

Summing up his recent visit to the PA, Kasrils called on Israel to take a series of steps to end the conflict, including taking down the security barrier and releasing Palestinian prisoners, but had no similar demands of the Palestinians.

There is one disturbing question: a man with Ronnie’s background cannot be that blind and stupid? There must be some other explanation for this bizarre behavior, methinks. And it is doubly critical to have an explanation when we are talking about a man in a position of power like Ronnie. Who knows what this unholy alliance of South African intelligence services and Hamas could bring to the world?

So, Br’er Ronnie - you are my brother by virtue of birth, but you are my enemy nonetheless, it seems. And you know what - after all your verbal shenanigans, and taking a close look at these two pictures,
I am definitely in favor of dealing with the one on the right, with all due respect. Better a cousin who tells the truth as he sees it than a brother who sticks a knife in my back.

Be well, brother - enemy. And do not count on our brotherly love no more. Brotherly love goes only so far, and you have gone over the edge long ago…

Cross-posted on SimplyJews.

Now this is just a sweet story.

HAYS, Kan. — At the age of 95, Nola Ochs is now the world’s oldest college graduate. But her studying days might not be over just yet — she’s considering a master’s degree.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I started it,” said Ochs.

Ochs received her bachelor’s degree in general studies and history during Saturday’s graduation ceremony at Fort Hays State University.

When she was handed her degree by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the crowd gave her a standing ovation, breaking a rule against applauding until all the names of all 2,176 graduates were read — including her granddaughter, Alexandra Ochs.

[...] Ochs is the matriarch of a family that includes three sons — a fourth died in 1995 — along with 13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

She started taking classes occasionally at Dodge City Community College after the 1972 death of her husband of 39 years, Vernon. After moving to Fort Hays last fall from her farm southwest of Jetmore, she completed the final 30 hours required for her degree.

Okay, so she took a while to get her degree, but still—that’s quite an accomplishment at her age. Imagine graduating with your own grandmother. I can’t. Mine were both long gone before I even got to high school.

A 95-year-old college grad. I’m guessing she won’t be staying up late for the graduation party, though.

Israel’s top brass is undergoing an evaluation today to see if they’ve learned anything from the debacle of the second Lebanon war.

The drill came as a surprise, so that real-time decision making of the higher ranks could be assessed.

Several military facilities will be operated, as they would be in emergency. However, no soldiers, air craft or weapons will be deployed.

Only officers from the General Staff, the different branches and the various commands will participate in the exercise. They will have to respond to various scenarios, most of which will not be disclosed prior to the drill. Their task will be to determine, on paper, how things should be run in the field.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and his deputy Ephraim Sneh will also take part in the training to give them another opportunity to experience war-time decision making.

Apparently, Israel’s enemies are not the only ones who have learned something since last summer.

The officers will have to demonstrate that since the Second Lebanon War, they have improved their ability to respond effectively.

Alongside the general staff, high level reserve soldiers will also man the ranks. Some of them were assigned their positions immediately after the war, to assist the acting officers in dealing with challenges, and to make their knowledge and experience available.

Involving the reserve army was one of the conclusions made by the IDF after the war. The reserve officers had criticized the regular army for not having consulted them and their know-how.

This is the thing about Israel and the IDF: They learn from each experience. The Second Lebanon War may not have been a disaster, but disastrous things happened. Glaring weaknesses were exposed, as shown by the Winograd Commission (which hasn’t yet finished the full report of what needs to be fixed). And because Israel is a democratic society, and, well, because it’s full of Jews, the mistakes are going to be hashed and rehashed and re-rehashed, and then they’re going to be corrected.

This doesn’t mean that Syria and Iran Hezbullah and Hamas won’t be lobbing rockets into Israel in the next war. It means that Israel won’t be responding in the same way—which is how Iran is currently training Hamas and Hezbullah terrorists, as well as Syrian soldiers, to attack Israel.

In other words, Iran is fighting the last war, while Israel is preparing for the next one. And while that is not a good thought, it is a comforting one.

The U.S. Army is doing the same thing in Iraq, though judging by the press about losses, you’d never be able to tell. In fact, Americans are training with Israelis (some have actually done so inside Israel) to better prepare for Iraq, and for the terrorist tactics that are apparently here to stay.

I think it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. Army finds a way to defeat those tactics. No successful army, or nation, stands still. Drills and investigations are two of the means to improve tactics and performance. I am in no way a military analyst—but I can see the reports on adapting and changing tactics. Syria and Hamas are adapting the tactics that worked for Hezbullah—to a certain extent—last summer. But now it’s 2007. The IDF is adapting to those tactics, while Syria, Hezbullah, and the terrorists are essentially standing still.

May our enemies always be a step pr three behind.

Hassan Nasrallah, the man second-most in need of a Hellfire missile up his ass (the first would be Mahmoud Ahmedinejad) says that Hizbullah can now fire thousands of rockets per day into Israel. Oh, and that they don’t really care about UNIFIL, because UNIFIL is impotent.

Hizbullah “could launch between 1000 and 3000 rockets daily,” its secretary general Hassan Nasrallah claimed in an interview with a Dubai statellite TV station last week.

Nasrallah’s comments were reproduced on Hizbullah’s Arabic language website on Saturday, under the heading: “We could launch… 3000 rockets daily in a war in July.”

During his interview, Nasrallah boasted that Hizbullah had amassed tens of thousands of rockets since the war last summer, adding that the international UNIFIL force stationed in southern Lebanon would be unable to stop Hizbullah from attacking Israel.

“When I said Hizbullah possesses more than 12 thousand missiles and then I said that we have more than 20 thousand rockets, this means that maybe we have 30 thousand or 80 thousand rockets or maybe more,” Nasrallah told the ‘Qalam Rasas’ program on Dubai Satellite TV.

It’s good to know that the enemy is so confident that they can dis the UN force on its southern border. But then, why not, when they can do things like this right under UNIFIL’s nose?

Over the weekend, Israel’s Channel Two reported that Hizbullah had planted its flag on the Israeli-Lebanese border, before it was removed by members of the UNIFIL force. After a number of confrontations between UNIFIL and Hizbullah, Hizbullah members again planted their flag on their border.

So let’s stop and remember why UNIFIL is there. Number one, to prevent smuggling of weapons. Didn’t do that. Two, stop Hizbullah from re-arming. Didn’t do that. Three, stop Hizbullah from regrouping on the southern border. Nope, didn’t do that, either.

So what exactly is UNIFIL there for?

Why, to get in the way of the IDF when Hizbullah starts firing rockets from positions right next to UNIFIL.

The next war is going to be very, very nasty.