I had one of those “Oh, so THAT’s how you do it!” moments tonight.

Found the Firefox extension Video Downloader, and immediately downloaded my current obsessions off YouTube. (Obsession number one is “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin” number from Scrubs episode 213, which, come to think of it, I shall embed below.)

There, that’s better. Anyway, that one, and the Ofra Haza version of “Jerusalem of Gold,” which I intend to teach to my new class come fall so they can present it at my bat mitzvah, if they wish to do so. Rahel has already kindly agreed to help teach them via GoogleTalk lessons.

Anyway. Obsessions. Yes, I get them from time to time, and right now, it’s a Scrubs obsession. I put all the seasons on my wishlist, if some of my “invisibles” are feeling particularly generous. You can send them to me without identifying yourself, you shy boys and girls.

Funny, Scrubs has always made music—and characters singing and dancing—a huge part of its presence, so when you think about the Scrubs musical episode from this year (that would be Obsession Number Two, but I have it on tape from its repeat and can watch it whenever I like until season six comes out on DVD, anyway), it’s a natural progression. Between Ted and his late-night barbershop quartet, Turk’s dances, and J.D.’s many imaginary musical numbers, the musical episode was to be expected.

I cannot explain why I am currently obsessing over them. I wouldn’t know. All I know is that it will wear off eventually. But I have been watching since sometime in the first season. It’s a good show. I’m glad they decided to re-up for another year.

And technology—well, it just rocks. YouTube clips come and go, particularly clips of NBC shows. But downloading is forever. At least until I buy the DVDs.

When you are not quite awake, and watching the spam run through your mailbox before your brain gets into full gear, you see a spam header running through your email that says this:

Your koan approval

What is the sound of one spam deleting?

The new UN Secretary General, picking up where Kofi Annan left off (Kofi did this too around the same time last year, about the council’s predecessor), essentially frowned in the Human Wrongs Council’s general direction.

The Secretary-General is disappointed at the Council’s decision to single out only one specific regional item, given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world.

As regards the removal of mandates relating to two Member States, he wishes to emphasize the need to consider all situations of possible human rights violations equally and he notes that not having a Special Rapporteur assigned to a particular country does not absolve that country from its obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and every other human rights treaty.

The Secretary-General trusts that members of the Council will take seriously their responsibilities and continue to seek out ways to improve the Council’s work in the months and years ahead.

The pursuit of human rights for every citizen of the world lies at the heart of the mission of the United Nations.

Hoo-wee, that is one strongly-worded statement! He is “disappointed.” He “trusts that members of the Council will take seriously their responsibilities.” They do take their responsibilities seriously. They set out to criticize Israel, and they have done so. Many times. And now, in perpetuity, what with naming Israel an annual human rights violator, or something.

Every time I read a news article about a statement from the SecGen, I go straight to the source to see how ineffective it truly is. I am rarely disappointed. Way to go, Ban ol’ buddy. At this rate, you’ll have had twice the approbation of the Council that Kofi had, in half the time.

The British are standing pat on the Rushdie knighthood. Good for them.

Britain will not apologize for its decision to bestow a knighthood on writer Salman Rushdie, the home secretary said Wednesday, highlighting the need to protect freedom of expression in literature and politics.

[...] Pakistan’s religious affairs minister, Ejaz ul-Haq, told lawmakers on Monday that “if someone exploded a bomb on his body he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the ’sir’ title.”

But Home Secretary John Reid defended Britain’s decision to honor Rushdie, one of the most prominent novelists of the late 20th century whose 13 books have won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize for “Midnight’s Children” in 1981.

“We have a set of values that accrues people honors for their contribution to literature even when they don’t agree with our point of view,” Reid said after a speech to business leaders in New York. “We have a right to express opinions and a tolerance of other people’s point of view, and we don’t apologize for that.”

Yeah, it’s about time the Brits remembered that they have the right of free speech over there, too.

So, when one terrorist group calls another terrorist group terrorists, does it truly mean anything? I mean, come on—Fatah’s got its own branch of plausible-deniability terrorists (yeah, that would be Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade).

Anyway, it is rather fun to see it happen.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday harshly criticized the Islamic Hamas movement for seizing control in the Gaza Strip last week, and branded its members as “murderous terrorists” who carried out a “coup.”

Speaking Wednesday in a televised address to the Palestinian people, Abbas accused Hamas of attacking national symbols during its takeover of Gaza.

[...] Abbas said Hamas had replaced the national project with its project of darkness, attacking the symbols of government in Gaza, including the house of the late leader Yasser Arafat.

“There is no dialogue with those murderous terrorists,” Abbas said.

The Hamas response: Basically, “I know you are, but what am I?”

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri hotly rejected Abbas’ statements. “What he said was disgusting and not appropriate for the Palestinian president,” the Hamas official said. “The president [Abbas] has harmed himself with his words.”

This part is to laugh out loud over:

Last week, in a lighting military-style operation, Hamas militias routed the numerically superior Fatah security forces and took over their bases, leaving Abbas’ Fatah in control of the West Bank.

It was freaking terrorist tactics. Tunnels were dug under buildings, which were then blown up. Thugs were thrown off of buildings. Women were executed in the street. Captured prisoners were executed out-of-hand. How, exactly, is that a “lightning military-style operation”?

Oh, yeah. This is written by the same people who think the IDF is going to be devastated by Hamas.

Well, at least I get to use the “Palestinian politics” category again. I haven’t had a chance to use that much lately.

Let’s do yet another compare and contrast.

Compare Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians taking refuge in the Erez Crossing:

Hamas came by to deliver bullets and hand grenades, killing one and wounding many. Israel sent ambulances and health-care professionals. The Justice Minister got in on the process to make sure the Pals were taken care of. The new IDF Defense Minister ordered the wounded sent to Israeli hospitals. Israel sent tanks to protect the Palestinians in the tunnel from their Hamas benefactors. Now, Israel sent the Palestinians to safety in Egypt.

Meanwhile, Hamas is not allowing any Palestinians to flee from Gaza to Egypt. Not that the world media will pick up on that little fact.

And Palestinian doctors? Wow, what a great bunch of healers they are. Check this out:

At least 200 of the patients were treated for bullet wounds to the knee cap and lower limbs, with many amputations, said Dr. Loui al-Khalidi, a surgeon at the hospital.

“I had wished for some of them to die. It is such a shame to live with such a defect inflicted by their own people,” al-Khalidi said.

It’s good to know the surgeon who operates on you is hoping for you to die. Gives you such hope, doesn’t it? Death before dishonor, and all that. Wow, what a great culture, to produce medical men like him.

Unbelievable. Israeli doctors have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists, and still, they try to save Palestinian lives. Compare and contrast, indeed.