Hamas, Hudna, and Hope?

We love democracy.

Unless the wrong guy wins.

Hamas is a troubling organization, sure, but they aren't al qaeda, they aren't people that can't be dealt with, and they don't (seem) to be a creation of an interested foriegn government. Hamas has been observing a truce for some time now, and they have been able to enforce the truce within their own ranks successfully.

The big sticking point is the whole "drive the zionist entity into the sea" business.

Its very hard to trust somebody who's only willing to make a "temporary peace" with you and declares your very existence to be unacceptable.

But having to administer a nation may moderate the men, if not the rhetoric. It would be ludicrous to expect a PA government led by Hamas to suddenly attack Israel, in fact, Hamas has had better discipline than any other party in the region in controlling its partisans, and has proved that when it gives the cease fire order, their people actually follow it.

Israel, the United States, and Europe all demand that Hamas recognize Israel. This is fair, everybody mentioned has already recognized the right of the Palestinian people to have an independent state, so it seems fair to them that Hamas should recognize Israel and give up the "drive them into the sea" stuff.

The fact that they don't do this immediately is not a cause for panic. Hamas, if treated as the legitimate, elected leaders that they are, will more likely than not be a better "partner for peace" than the disorganized, corrupt gang of thugs in Fatah.

We in the west should be watchful, but also patient. The situation is not helped by trying to drive Hamas back out of office. This is not a time for "regime change" the regime has changed and if we don't accept the outcome of this election, we are basically telling the entire world, and especially the Muslim world that the US talks about democracy, but has no respect for real democratic change.

So give them a chance, stop all this panic, lets see what they do. Keep Israel on a short leash, (especially right now while they're in a leadership crisis of their own) and see what happens. A few months of relative calm will do a lot to build trust. And it isn't certain that Hamas can survive palestinian politics for long without us trying to drive them out, so let's back off shall we?

It is just too bad that Condi doesnt read my blog anymore.

schlattwhapper

Schlattwhapper, n.:
 The window shade that allows itself to be pulled down,
hesitates for a second, then snaps up in your face.
  -- Rich Hall, "Sniglets"

Wal mart forced to provide contraception pill

I don't know what to think about this one.

Of course, I am happy that women in Massechusets can get birth control, but I have a problem with forcing any business to provide a specific product. Pharmacies should have the right not to carry medicines they don't want to, whether it's narcotic drugs that make them a target for robbery or birth control that interferes with their morality.

I feel my inner liberal saying, "What if it's the only pharmacy in town?"

This is America, there's a walgreens on every corner.

"What if no pharmacy will stand up to religious protesters and provide the medicine?"

Then you may have a legitimate greivance. But if I have a shop, and someone tells me I have to sell crucifixes, I'm gonna say no. That's my right, I own a shop, I can sell what I want. If you want something I don't have, suing me isn't the right way to get it. Go buy it somewhere else.

"But medicines are different from other goods, they're regulated, and it's not that easy to open a pharmacy, you have to have a DEA license, a pharmacist license, you know the drill."

You're right, I guess we don't have 'free markets' after all!

All of this would be solved if we just take the Guns N Dope party's advice and have a truly "free market" and remove all regulation of pharmacuticals. Imagine getting viagra at circle K! You could get a slurpee, condoms, viagra and cigarettes for later, all within walking distance of your neighborhood brothel!

Go free market capitalism!

But until then, I guess we have to force pharmacies to carry birth control, or the zealots will intimidate the pharmacists into submission.

Olympics

The olympics is sport for the pencil-necked geeks of the world.

People who wouldn't be caught dead at a basketball game find themselves actually cheering for a curler?

The olympics are totally ignored by the regular-guy joe-six-pack crowd that normally flock to sporting events.

Why?

Is it marketing or does figure skating actually appeal to the same people who drink microbrew beer?

Does anybody know a bookmaker that'll take bets on olympic sports?

From another dimension

Not again!

Voyeuristic intention

Here's a fun google trick:
Type this into google:
-inurl(html|htm|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size +"Funny pictures"

Of course, you can type in anything else instead of "funny pictures" like "secret recipes" or "reasons to live"

Whatever, what you get is un-indexed directories on the web. Most of this stuff is people's personal stuff they saved on a web page at work or school. Some is stuff that really ought to be protected, some is just dumb, see above.

Insomnia

Up all night again, waiting for sleep to overtake me. I've got another day of the same old soul-sucking job tomorrow, its hard to sleep when you don't want to get up in the morning.

They pulled the "crucifixins" scene from Will and Grace!
How? How is it that anybody with a show about homosexuals can be intimidated by the religious right? Aren't they already boycotting your sponsors? Your show is already cancelled, grow a pair!

Insane god-drunk-wackos: Oooh you offended us, you have to stop!
typical liberal response: Oh gosh sorry, we didn't mean to upset you, we'll stop right away.

Liberals (again): Excuse me, um, when you said that Democrats were um, doomed to eternal hellfire, um well, that was um, a little offensive to us, um could you tone it down?

Insane g0d-drunk-wackos: No, and how dare you try to censor us!

Is it any wonder they're always kicking our asses?