tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59316007650998619312024-03-14T02:47:16.102+00:00John Glenn's ThoughtsSundry thoughts Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.comBlogger1164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-21530388896131834962021-11-25T08:50:00.000+01:002021-11-25T08:50:14.836+01:00Opuscula Door code uselessWhen everyone Shares the sequence<P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cewgs0k2D9E/YZ8_m3iqnrI/AAAAAAAAEf4/oAAu8pAugzs6rsxg1lWk78EE3ZBdN5gXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s394/KEYPAD.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="301" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cewgs0k2D9E/YZ8_m3iqnrI/AAAAAAAAEf4/oAAu8pAugzs6rsxg1lWk78EE3ZBdN5gXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/KEYPAD.jpg"/></a></div><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I LIVE IN A BUILDING THAT REQUIRES A SECURITY CODE to enter.
</P><P>There are 26 apartments in the building; there is one entry code.
</P><P>Most of the apartments have multiple residents.
</P><P>So far so good.</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>THE PROBLEM IS, that each of the residents <I>share</I> the code
</P><P><UL>With delivery people
</P><P>With visitors
</P><P>With contractors
</P><P>With their kid’s friends</UL>
</P><P>I am guilty of sharing the code with my daughter and her family.
</P><P>I did <B>not</B> share the code with the guys who delivered products to the door — they managed to get in anyway.
</P><P>My grand-daughter who, at age 11, knows “everything” (just ask her), said there is an emergency code known to emergency responders — and 11 year old girls.
</P><P>Actually, THAT makes sense.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Code = Password</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>To my Edward Bear mind, the entry code should be treated like a password.
</P><P>Protected.
</P><P>Shared only on rare occasions.
</P><P>Changed frequently.
</P><P>Alternatively, perhaps tenants could be — as happened in one Florida gated community — given swipe cards or similar to open doors and gates.
</P><P>Most people already carry a bevy of cards: driver’s license, credit, employer ID, medical, etc. Adding one more card should not be that onerous — unless of course the person is toting multiple packages and the weather is not conducive to fumbling for a card.
</P><P>Fashion may dictate that cards on lanyards or retractable strings are undesirable, especially for the ladies.
</P><P>Children, especially active small children (elementary school age) can be rough on any type card; they, then, are the “weak link” in having a physical entry option.
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</P><P><B>MEANWHILE</B> despite the good intent, the desired security remains in the realm of “desire.” It <B>LOOKS</B> good, seeing the keypad close to the main door, but since the code is known, apparently, by everyone and his brother, it is next to useless.</FONT>
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</P><P></P><P><font size=11 face=helvetica arial sans serif>The sign of a closed mind is the inability to see a different point of view.</font>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P></P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P></P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P></P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Communications failure">Comment on Communications failure</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-32724994091858075852021-11-22T13:18:00.001+01:002021-11-23T10:53:29.774+01:00Opuscula It can be Confusing: This way or that? <P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Moving around the world can be confusing.
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>FOR INSTANCE, when we lived in Hollywood FL USA, in order to get mail (sometimes) delivered to my street side mailbox, it had to include “Hollywood FL 33312-7901.”
</P><P>Failing to put the full nine-digit ZIP and the missive went to Never-Neverland.
</P><P>It seems the USPS, in its bureaucratic wisdom, decided my address belonged to Fort Lauderdale.
</P><P>To be fair, at one point my neighborhood was in unincorporated Broward County; Hollywood annexed the land.
</P><P>USPS apparently was unable to update its computers.
</P><P>The County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) Office had a similar problem. The county has a new SOE so maybe things now will improve.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Dating</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>In the U.S., dates <I>usually</I> are written <I>DD/MM/YYYY</I>.
</P><P>In Israel and, I understand, most of the rest of the world, dates are written <I>MM/DD/YYYY</I>.
</P><P>Actually, <b>my</B> preferred method is <I>DD MONTH ABBREVIATION YYYY</I> so the first of April of 2022 will read 1 APR 2022.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Time on her hands</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Most people in the U.S. deal with a 12-hour clock; a.m. and p.m.
</P><P>In Israel, the clock is the 24-hour variety: 0000 to 2359
</P><P>Possibly because I was in the (U.S.) military, I never had a problem with either clock.
</P><P>It simply is a matter of elementary arithmetic.
</P><P>1500 is 1200 (noon) plus 3 hours or 3 p.m.
</P><P>Going the other way, 2200 is two hours shy of midnight; ergo 10 p.m. I confess that all <I>my</I> time pieces are set for 12 hours. When the Spouse asks “What time is it?” I know she wants the 12-hour clock time.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Slashing confusion</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>I suspect the majority of people in Israel live in apartments or condominiums, which are the same thing except apartments usually are rented while condos are owned.
</P><P>Over the years I have lived in both.
</P><P>In the U.S., my first address (c 1943) was 39 East 9th Street, Apartment 508.
</P><P>Note “Apartment 508” followed the street address.
</P><P>In Israel, my <I>building</I> address is Street Name Number 9. Our unit number is 7.
</P><P>Unlike in the U.S., writing the address uses a slash (/) between building number and unit number, ergo Street Name 9/7.
</P><P>Except that for some people, it shows up as Street Name Unit Number/Building Number.
</P><P>Which explains why the gas company called the other day asking why we failed to pay the bill.
</P><P>“What bill? We never GOT a bill.”
</P><P>The clerk agreed to send the statement to my email where I <I>think</I> I saw the problem. The bill went to Building 7, Unit 9 (versus Building 9, Unit 7).
</P><P>All of this could be avoided if whoever set up the addressing software would have it read <UL>Street Name Building Number - Apartment Number.</UL> In the U.S., “apartment” is abbreviated to “apt.” In Israel, the word for “apartment” only is 4 letters long, hardly worth an abbreviation although Israelis DO abbreviate it with the letter dalet.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Abbreviations</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>For many years I was an honest reporter and editor in the Several States.
</P><P>In the U.S., reporters were instructed to “spell it out on first reference” unless the abbreviation was so common (e.g., SCUBA, F, C, a.m., p.m.) that almost everyone knew it.
</P><P>Before I could write about POTUS, I had to spell out “President Of The United States.”
</P><P>Hebrew is replete with abbreviations. Worse, many of the abbreviations have several meanings. Worse yet, writers apparently have no obligation to “spell it out on first reference.” Even native Hebrew speakers (I am not) sometimes are at a loss to decipher the “code”
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Show me</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>When I first was in Israel (mid-1970s), the Army invited me to join in its fun and games.
</P><P>In order to do that, I had to undergo a simple physical.
</P><P>There was a fellow in front of me who knew even less Hebrew than I. The nurse told him to take a deep breath and hold it while she operated an xray (Röntgen) machine..
</P><P>He failed to understand.
</P><P>She tried again, louder, and slightly angry.
</P><P>After her third try, I caught the guy’s attention and <I>showed</I> him what she wanted him to do.
</P><P>He did. She got her chest xray, and I moved with the line.
</P><P>Recently I was a guest at an Israeli government hospital. A Russian nurse told me to “cough” while she performed a procedure.
</P><P>I was unfamiliar with the word. (I should have known, but “forgot.”)
</P><P>The woman said she only spoke Hebrew (not true, her native language was Russian), so I suggested she do as I did: mime.
</P><P>Her reaction was not positive, but she did take it to heart.
</P><P>The next time she asked me to do something and got a blank stare in return, she knew to mime the action.
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</P><P><B>Nothing is simple, but it surely can be interesting.</B></FONT>
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</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P></P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P></P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P></P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Confusing">Comment on Confusing</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-18733644458159482972021-11-21T14:38:00.001+01:002021-11-23T10:39:49.997+01:00Opuscula Trial by media Threats by massesNew “justice” in US?<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people and shot another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted Friday of first-degree intentional homicide and four other felony charges. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/4ukmbjsk</SUP>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>I WAS NOT IN KENOSHA when the event occurred.
</P><P>All I know about the Rittenhouse trial I learned from tv and “social media.”
</P><P>I DO know that some of the media convicted Rittenhouse before he even set foot into the courtroom.
</P><P>I DO know that some people threatened to burn down communities <I>across the U.S.</I>; communities that had nothing to do with either the shootings or the trial.
</P><P>I am given to understand the prosecution was inept.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd9DSH-j22s/YZy16M4_NwI/AAAAAAAAEfY/ZjsfS1VrdTUWHwIK2RopBJhe66tAZDYowCLcBGAsYHQ/s682/MEDIA.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="682" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd9DSH-j22s/YZy16M4_NwI/AAAAAAAAEfY/ZjsfS1VrdTUWHwIK2RopBJhe66tAZDYowCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/MEDIA.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Gary Varvel editorial cartoon for 23 Nov 2021 (https://tinyurl.com/pnfy9wza)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Not in dispute</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>What I learned today is that the people Rittenhouse shot were caucasians.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0thqOdSp41E/YZpJhTyRgEI/AAAAAAAAEfE/-qkeJoxf4okYXCX6Dn-aOyPY36us_Z0aACLcBGAsYHQ/s836/ALL%2BWHITE.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="836" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0thqOdSp41E/YZpJhTyRgEI/AAAAAAAAEfE/-qkeJoxf4okYXCX6Dn-aOyPY36us_Z0aACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/ALL%2BWHITE.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>The 3 men Rittenhouse shot: Anthony Huber, Joseph Rosenbaum, and Gaige Grosskreutz (CNN composite: https://tinyurl.com/3f2k48h8)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>According to the BBC <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/m5usypz4</SUP>, “Rittenhouse, then aged 17, had traveled to the city (Kenosha) from his home in Illinois. Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, he said he sought to help protect property from unrest."
</P><P>Wikipedia <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/338v6zxb</SUP> writers contend that “On August 25, 2020, during the unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, fatally shot two men and wounded another during three confrontations. Rittenhouse had armed himself with a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle and said he was in Kenosha to protect a car dealership from being vandalized and to provide medical aid.”
</P><P>It is unclear Rittenhouse’s interest in a car dealership in another state. Equally unclear is Rittenhouse's medical training and if, in addition to the rifle, he also carried medical supplies..
</P><P>Apparently someone fired a shot that apparently hit no one, but Rittenhouse turned on Joseph Rosenbaum, who according to a witness, lunged at Rittenhouse and tried to take his rifle. <SUP>Wikipedia, ibid.</SUP>
</P><P>Based on Rosenbaum’s action, Rittenhouse’s legal counsel decided on a self-defense plea.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Consider</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Rittenhouse, an Illinois resident, takes his gun and goes to Kenosha Wisconsin to protect a car dealership.
</P><P><UL>He is not a trained and sworn law enforcement officer.
</P><P>He was not in Wisconsin’s National Guard that might have been called out to protect citizen’s property.
</P><P>He was walking around with a loaded semi-automatic rifle in a highly tense situation.</UL>
</P><P>If he had stayed in Illinois or even left the rifle home, the likelihood of being attacked by Rosenbaum would have been infinitesimal.
</P><P>The prosecution apparently tried to take away the self-defense plea by pointing out that Rittenhouse came to a tense town with his loaded rifle.
</P><P>The jury apparently disagreed.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvL-NF35BqQ/YZy2aPzntfI/AAAAAAAAEfg/ayga99OFKjsx3Ja2pVpMOCjSUw5T53MQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s670/Stay%2Bhome.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="670" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvL-NF35BqQ/YZy2aPzntfI/AAAAAAAAEfg/ayga99OFKjsx3Ja2pVpMOCjSUw5T53MQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Stay%2Bhome.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
Steve Carlson editorial cartoon for 22 Nov 2021 (https://tinyurl.com/3n7r8mk7)
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Justice served</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Was justice served.
</P><P>It depends on your political leanings.
</P><P>Per the BBC <SUP>BBC, ibid.</SUP> Reactions from politicians on Friday highlighted divisions over the case.
</P><P>Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, a Democrat, was among those to denounce the verdict.
</P><P>Lame duck <I>New York</I> Mayor Bill de Blasio went further, in a tweet describing the verdict as "disgusting".
</P><P>Facebook, Twitter and GoFundMe removed content supporting Rittenhouse, <B>BEFORE THE TRIAL</B> citing rules banning praise or support of mass shooters or glorification of violence. Facebook further disabled searches for "Kyle Rittenhouse" on its website, with a spokesperson saying "We've designated this shooting as a mass murder and have removed the shooter's accounts from Facebook and Instagram"
</P><P>President Biden reportedly said "While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken... I know that we're not going to heal our country's wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law."<SUP>Wikipedia, ibid.</SUP>
</P><P>Wisconsin's Governor Tony Evers said it was "time to move forward, together".</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=New “justice” in US?">Comment on New “justice” in US?</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-15118746221247444912021-11-19T11:11:00.001+01:002021-11-19T11:16:59.153+01:00Opuscula Dems energy Activities Do not compute <P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>ACCORDING TO BloombergQuint <sup>https://tinyurl.com/n2edtczh</sup>, the <UL>U.S. Is Already Exporting Oil From Strategic Reserve at Record Pace</I>
</P><P><B>YET</B>, the Democrats are kowtowing to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to sell oil to the U.S. <B>BECAUSE</B> the Democrats are shutting down oil and natural gas pipelines.<UL>
</P><P>Anyone remember what happened when the U.S. was dependent on OPEC oil in the 1970s? VA (!) guaranteed mortgages were at 21%.</UL></FONT>
</P><P> <font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>I AM <B>NOT</B> BLAMING the Democrats energy stupidity on POTUS.
</P><P>Based on too many appearances, it seems the gentleman is not fully cognizant. Someone in the party IS pulling his strings.
</P><P>The Democrats are promoting clean air — that means getting rid of fossil fuels: coal, oil, natural gas, and, although I have not heard it mentioned, nuclear.
</P><P>All well and good. </P><P><B>HOWEVER</B> the Democrats are putting the cart in front of the horse. (Horses also are on the Democrats’ hit list. <I>About 44 percent of livestock emissions are in the form of methane (CH4). The remaining part is almost equally shared between Nitrous Oxide (N2O, 29 percent) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2, 27 percent)</I>) <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/b46jtyps</SUP>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A6-GilLxuOE/YZd2XjbPT7I/AAAAAAAAEew/oDsVtQyA5tIhIZC43_1CFPZ9Za4IE_y9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s704/CART%2BN%2BHORSE.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="704" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A6-GilLxuOE/YZd2XjbPT7I/AAAAAAAAEew/oDsVtQyA5tIhIZC43_1CFPZ9Za4IE_y9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/CART%2BN%2BHORSE.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Gary Varvel cartoon in The Times Examiner (Greenville, SC) , 11/11/2020 (https://tinyurl.com/ecphb4t6)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>The problem is simple: there is almost zero infrastructure to <I>replace</I> fossil fuels.There is TALK about wind farms and solar collectors.
</P><P>Unfortunately, these are not ready for “prime time” in most locations. (Florida seems an exception; Florida Power and Light (FPL) — <b>not the government</B> — is investing heavily in solar collectors to supplement other resources, including nuclear.)
</P><P>The push for electric-powered vehicles is slowed by the lack of charging stations. Unlike ubiquitous gas stations, charging stations are (relatively) few and far between, at least in the U.S. (Israel, being smaller, is far ahead of the U.S. in making charging stations available.)
</P><P>How will the charging stations be powered?
</P><P>Electricity from a fossil-fuel plant? Solar? Other? And how will power be delivered to the charging stations?
</P><P>What no one seems to consider is (a) battery life and (b) tire life.
</P><P>Owners of Toyota’s Prius report the car’s batteries have about a 10-year life before they must be replaced. They also claim that tires wear out much faster than on a lighter gasoline-powered vehicle.
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Ignoring public transportation</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Railroad tracks cris-cross the U.S.
</P><P>Most of the rails are for freight trains and almost none are suitable for high-speed rail travel. As “developed countries” are rated, rail travel in America is third world, laughable. Admittedly, the U.S. is larger than most European countries so rail travel in the U.S would need to be very fast and very comfortable.
<UL>Airplanes are fast, but no longer are comfortable; private cars are slow, but may offer some comforts. Buses have the disadvantages of both airplanes and private cars.
</P><P>Meanwhile, with the Democrats selling American oil to Asia (and coal to China), prices at pump inevitably will go up … and up as the supply-and-demand balance shifts. That applies to <I>all</I> conveyances — cars, trucks, trains, planes, ships.</UL>
</P><P>As fuel prices increase, so too prices to move people and goods from Point A to Point B. This will exacerbate the supply chain issues.
</P><P><UL>POTUS once claimed no one can define “Supply Chain.”
</P><P>Without stating he is wrong (again), in simple terms (even POTUS can comprehend), the supply chain is:
</P><P>* Moving raw materials to production
</P><P>* Moving the finished product to a transportation medium (ship, train, truck, inter-modal)
</P><P>* Moving the product to the seller (wholesaler, retailer)
</P><P>* Moving the product to the purchaser </UL>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uL3wwFKu56k/YZd2PZzF90I/AAAAAAAAEeo/uhUTlOwbcVUPanBW0BlWm2tmHQzYomuQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s790/simple%2Bsupply%2Bchain.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="790" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uL3wwFKu56k/YZd2PZzF90I/AAAAAAAAEeo/uhUTlOwbcVUPanBW0BlWm2tmHQzYomuQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/simple%2Bsupply%2Bchain.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Simplified supply chain (https://tinyurl.com/kk8v5u3v)
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4q3CTJLK3A/YZd2F09SOmI/AAAAAAAAEek/xLjU2zJYOygJkkRH3ZCjKlQKFtjPwPgYACLcBGAsYHQ/s900/Wally%2BSupply%2BChain.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="900" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4q3CTJLK3A/YZd2F09SOmI/AAAAAAAAEek/xLjU2zJYOygJkkRH3ZCjKlQKFtjPwPgYACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Wally%2BSupply%2BChain.gif"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Scott Adams "Dilbert" cartoon for 25 Sep 2021 (https://dilbert.com/strip/2021-09-25)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Plans don't compute">Comment on Plans don't compute</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-32940021997449537442021-11-14T20:06:00.000+01:002021-11-14T20:06:42.200+01:00Opuscula Appalled, Ashamed By ignorance<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I WATCHED AS A FOX TV personality questioned random people on the streets of New York City, asking them questions about U.S. history.
</P><P>I can understand a visitor to America not knowing U.S. history, but not a naturalized citizen and certainly not a product of the U.S. educational system (never mind CRT, “new math,” and Ebonics).
</P><P><UL>As it happens, my Spouse, who was watching with me, knew 90% of the answers; she <I>had</I> to know then to gain her U.S. citizenship back in the 1970s.</UL>
</P><P>The Fox guy asked an assortment of people — different ages, different races (albeit all “human”). There was one gentleman of my generation who knew ALL the answers to ALL the questions.
</P><P>Was school so much different, better, “then” than it is today?</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE GEORGIA SERIF><UL>Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the aphorism, “<i>Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,</i>” while British statesman Winston Churchill wrote, “<i>Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.</i>” <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/ufx kpya</SUP></ul> </FONT>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEVArZTpZs0/YZFbFBXEblI/AAAAAAAAEd0/uZTMK96nRoAyCA4PHcmBFbechaGsDiVCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1021/SANTAYANA.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1021" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEVArZTpZs0/YZFbFBXEblI/AAAAAAAAEd0/uZTMK96nRoAyCA4PHcmBFbechaGsDiVCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/SANTAYANA.jpg"/></a></div> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Santayana on education (https://tinyurl.com/56b5z2jc) </FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Short Sampler</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>What country helped the U.S. in the Revolutionary War?
</P><P>From what country did the U.S. want to separate?
</P><P>When was the Revolutionary War fought?</B>
</P><P>Answers:
</P><P><UL>France, already at war with England.
</P><P>Many Americans wanted to be rid of England’s king (some wanted to stay with England)
</P><P>The war officially commenced in 1775 and ended in 1776. (Bonus: The U.S. Marines were founded in 1775.)</UL>
</P><P>Who were America’s enemies during World War 2?
</P><P>When did the U.S. enter the war?
</P><P>What was the Lend-Lease Act?
</P><P>Answers:
</P><P><UL>Germany, Italy, and Japan
</P><P>December 7, 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii before declaring war
</P><P>The Act provided war materials to Russia and England before the U.S. officially entered the war.</UL>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O36TyHHBXo0/YZFbNIf4knI/AAAAAAAAEd4/ocxAOak3-QMMOLflNaAMDDSnCs-0dziQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s630/CIVIL%2BWAR.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O36TyHHBXo0/YZFbNIf4knI/AAAAAAAAEd4/ocxAOak3-QMMOLflNaAMDDSnCs-0dziQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/CIVIL%2BWAR.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Civil War: Kin against kin (https://tinyurl.com/297etb5v) </FONT></DIV>
</P><P>Americans fought a “civil” war (brother against brother, father against son).
</P><P>When did the war officially commence and end?
</P><P>Why was the war fought?
</P><P>Who won the war?
</P><P>Answers:
</P><P><UL>1861 to 1865
</P><P>The war was fought to “preserve the Union.” (The Emancipation Proclamation came well after hostilities commenced and applied <B>only</B> to slaves in secessionist states.)
</P><P>The Federal government, with its industry, prevailed.</UL>
</P><P>What are “U.S. highways?
</P><P>Answers:
</P><P><UL>All highways with “U.S.” numbers (e.g. US 1, US 41) are STATE roads that receive some Federal money for their maintenance.
</P><P>The <B>only</B> “U.S.” roads are on Federal lands (forests, parks, military installations, etc.)
</P><P>The Interstate System was created under the Eisenhower administration as a way to rapidly move military equipment and troops. Each Interstate highway had to have two-mile straight stretches every so often to allow B-52 bombers to land, load, and take off.</UL>
</P><P>What U.S. president instituted Social Security?
</P><P>Answer:
</P><P><UL>Franklin Delano Roosevelt
</P><P>President Harry S Truman integrated the U.S. military
</P><P>President Eisenhower integrated public schools
</P><P>President Lyndon B. Johnson initiated Head Start</UL>
</P><P>What was the last war the U.S. won?
</P><P><UL>World War 2.
</P><P>It managed a cease fire in Korea
</P><P>It followed the French out of Vietnam
</P><P>It declared premature victory in Iraq
</P><P>It ignobly left Afghanistan after more than 20 years</UL>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OyQdX4AMPLs/YZFbUgwzPYI/AAAAAAAAEeA/UmrgA4bdX54XpE831w7jYL97r4s2z3iNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/GROUCHO.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OyQdX4AMPLs/YZFbUgwzPYI/AAAAAAAAEeA/UmrgA4bdX54XpE831w7jYL97r4s2z3iNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/GROUCHO.jpg"/></a></div>Now the easy one.
</P><P>Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (right) (no relation to Karl) used to ask this question of people who did poorly on his popular radio and tv show “<I>You Bet Your Life</I>”: Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?
</P><P><UL>U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant</UL></FONT>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Ashamed">Comment on Ashamed</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-43795254721103232132021-11-12T09:55:00.000+01:002021-11-12T09:55:49.540+01:00Opuscula Human or humanoid? Who is asleep In the White House? <P>
<font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>WHO STOLE AMERICA’S PRESIDENT?
</P><P>The man who “hid out” during the recent presidential primaries and general election — yet still managed to be elected U.S. Chief Executive — apparently is a humanoid robot similar to, but perhaps not as “smart,” as Sophia. <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/25majm3a</SUP>
</P><P>The person known as POTUS (President Of The United States), among other polite and impolite titles, simply cannot be for real.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>No thinking person would
</P><P><UL>• Try to force a country to host a U.S. consulate for a non-state sworn to the host state’s demise — <I>despite the action being illegal under U.S. law</I>
</P><P>• Try to force two warring factions of the aggressor non-states to join forces against a common enemy, the only democracy and solid U.S. ally in the region
</P><P>• Attempting to get into bed with a nation that has threatened to physically destroy the U.S.
</P><P>• Kowtow to a country that considers America a “paper tiger” and beneath contempt
</P><P>• Issue executive fiats that are beyond the scope of the office and the U.S. Constitution</UL>
</P><P>Yet the person or humanoid robot posing as POTUS is doing all of those things.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Sleepy Joe</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Some of his political rivals refer to POTUS as “Sleepy Joe.” That is one of the nicer sobriquets applied to him.
</P><P>Deserved?
</P><P>POTUS often seems to be mentally “elsewhere” during press presentations; he rarely answers even “easy” questions, preferring to have his minions chase the media — media generally friendly to POTUS — from the room.
</P><P><UL>In one instance, a visiting dignitary was willing to respond to questions from the media and POTUS shut him up: “No questions.”</UL>
</P><P>When he DOES answer a reporter’s question, e.g., is the U.S. going to give illegal aliens $450,000 each as compensation” for breaking the law?
</P><P>No, he replied; that’s “garbage.”
</P><P>The next day, having been advised by people supposedly reporting to him and following his lead, he began back-tracking. As this is keyed, no one knows how much will be paid — the whole process now is secret — and what percentage of the “compensation” will go to the lawyers representing the criminals. (Let’s see. 40% of $450,000 is “only” $180,000 per litigant, adult and child.)
</P><P><I>For the record, it was Democrat Obama that established the “cages” for captured illegals. Trump gets the blame for an Obama/Biden administration action.</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Tasks ignored</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Similar to Jacob Rodney Cohen <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/4d5cbb3n</SUP>, POTUS apparently gets no respect from his staff.
</P><P>He appointed his vice president as the point person for the border issue.
</P><P>The vice president has visited borders in central America <I>and in Europe</I>, but carefully <B>avoided</B> visiting the U.S.-Mexican border where criminals are crossing as freely as ants to a picnic basket.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb-dvgdXVYY/YY4kxM3o66I/AAAAAAAAEdQ/o43QELWgFpEJob31lzey56RgWz37DlxVACLcBGAsYHQ/s683/ANTS%2BAT%2BPICNIC.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="683" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb-dvgdXVYY/YY4kxM3o66I/AAAAAAAAEdQ/o43QELWgFpEJob31lzey56RgWz37DlxVACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/ANTS%2BAT%2BPICNIC.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Cartoon of ants raiding picnic</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>POTUS’ point person on the supply chain issue has managed to avoid visiting West Coast ports where, as this is keyed, more than 100 vessels are waiting to discharge cargo.
</P><P><I>Conversely, his predecessor in the White House was encouraging, perhaps coercing, U.S. companies to “bring manufacturing back to the States.” He had some success.</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Take down the flag</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>POTUS has embarrassed the U.S. and shown the U.S.’ “friends” that they cannot depend on the nation to keep its promises.
</P><P>An agreement to exit the Afghanistan quagmire was inked by the previous administration. It came with several requirements that the Taliban was required to honor else the agreement was void.
</P><P>The Taliban breached the agreement, but POTUS went ahead and pulled out most U.S. troops, but not all (as the body count reflects) and he abandoned many Afghans who had been working for the U.S. to the hands of the “new’ Taliban, an entity that is strikingly similar to the “old” Taliban.
</P><P>The U.S. has gone, since POTUS was sworn in, from energy independence to begging OPEC, the folks who brought the U.S. outrageous inflation in the mid-1970s, to sell us oil products.
</P><P>Because he is controlled by a faction that would allow Americans to freeze rather than warm themselves with — gasp — fossil fuel (oil, gas, coal) in the cause of clean air, he is shutting down oil and gas pipelines. (Oil via tankers from OPEC apparently are exempt.)
</P><P>Unfortunately, the U.S. lacks the infrastructure to replace fossil fuels with wind, solar, and water power. Even these non-fossil fuel substitutes have an environmental impact.
</P><P>These shut-downs are no surprise. One of his first actions was to cancel the Keystone pipeline, following in Obama’s footsteps.
</P><P>Meanwhile, the U.S. is selling coal (as it has been doing for several years) to China so that China can continue to develop war materiel to use against the U.S. while leading the world in air pollution.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFUCePUoE1A/YY4k6zhw_YI/AAAAAAAAEdU/Sgj8e5gj1kkDfo4ddfR18KimqbvehhWJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s767/BIDEN%2BBEGS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="767" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFUCePUoE1A/YY4k6zhw_YI/AAAAAAAAEdU/Sgj8e5gj1kkDfo4ddfR18KimqbvehhWJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BIDEN%2BBEGS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Illustration by Gary Varvel for Creators Syndicate (https://tinyurl.com/ahrcm74m)
</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Private jets, motorcades to save earth</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The recent UN’s COP26 in Paris and its follow-up in Glasgow saw politicians and “environmentalists” flying in to the venues, many in private jets. Once on the ground, they were escorted in motorcades. In the case of POTUS, the motorcade allegedly was 80-vehicles long, and of those vehicles, many were mammoth SUVs (GM Escalades, Ford Excursions) made even less environmentally “friendly” by being armored.
</P><P>China and Russia were notably absent.
</P><P>POTUS led the way by promising to spend billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars not only to reduce the U.S.’ environmental impact, but to help developing nations (not defined) avoid negatively impacting the environment.
</P><P>The <I>problem</I> for POTUS is that Congress must appropriate the money.
</P><P>Such promises in the past have proven empty since the executive cannot force the legislative to do its bidding on all things.
</P><P><UL>Given the economy of the U.S. in late 2021, and the fact that mid-term elections are nigh, POTUS’ pledge is just words, hot air.</UL>
</P><P>POTUS’ promotion of electric cars apparently fails to take into account
</P><P><UL>The cost and inability of the “Average Joe” to afford one
</P><P>The environmental impact or replacing limited lifetime batteries and tires that wear out faster
</P><P>The lack of charging stations across the country and the infrastructure to get electrical power to those stations</UL>
</P><P>Nothing is without challenges.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>States’ rights</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>While it may not lead to another civil war, POTUS’ fiats and executive orders are trampling on states’ rights.
</P><P>POTUS has decided that all employers of 100 or more people <B>must</B> have 100 percent COVID vaccinated staff. The health benefits are still out on that.
</P><P>The questions:
</P><P><UL>Does POTUS have the <I>authority</I> to mandate vaccinations nationwide?
</P><P>When did the Federal government supplant states in areas <B>not</B> granted to it by the Constitution and its several Amendments.
</P><P><I>Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution is commonly referred to as the Supremacy Clause.</I></UL>
</P><P>This should not be a prerogative of any government for a malady of the COVID variety. Mandating smallpox vaccinations is another matter. Polio vaccinations, pneumonia vaccinations, and even seasonable influenza vaccinations have been, and should remain, individual decisions.
</P><P><UL>For the record, this scrivener IS vaccinated, <I>including</I> the booster.</UL>
</P><P>POTUS also has decided that dock workers and most auto workers <B>must</B> be union members.
</P><P>The problem is, many states have freedom of choice — “Right to Work” laws.
</P><P>Despite Article VI, Paragraph 2 (ibid.), the several States in most cases cannot be coerced into accepting a presidential fiat. Insisting on implementing a presidential whim first results in court cases. The vaccination fiat already is slated to be heard by several Federal District courts.</FONT>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Human or humanoid?">Comment on Human or humanoid?</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-83253903972186065082021-11-08T09:36:00.000+01:002021-11-08T09:36:45.806+01:00Opuscula Some things In Israel areLike “Kansas”<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>YESTERDAY (8 November 2021) I COMPLAINED that “we’re not in Kansas anymore.”<SUP>https://tinyurl.com/dy2rdjvk</SUP>
</P><P>Some things seem “universal.”
</FONT>
<P><P>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YvXSYlhHeR8/YYjfY1GoEwI/AAAAAAAAEc0/ufUTtJZE7Ycbn2y2Z-PcOoRLSVHqlK2_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s543/WAIT%2BTIME%2B-%2B1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YvXSYlhHeR8/YYjfY1GoEwI/AAAAAAAAEc0/ufUTtJZE7Ycbn2y2Z-PcOoRLSVHqlK2_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/WAIT%2BTIME%2B-%2B1.jpg"/></a></div>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Yesterday I had a 6:45 p.m. appointment with a vascular specialist.
</P><P>When we arrived at the office by 6:30 we discovered that my 6:45 appointment was actually slated for 7 p.m.
</P><P>I finally saw the doctor only one hour after my initially scheduled appointment.
</P><P>Our first PCP in Hollywood was excellent. I credit being here keying this to his diagnostic skills.
</P><P>Great guy. Personable, albeit talkative.<sup>1</sup>
</P><P>At one point he was <B>three hours</B> behind schedule.
</P><P>When I had my own transportation, if a doctor made me wait more than an hour sans announcement to the waiting room as to <I>why</I> the delay (e.g., emergency surgery), I left.
</P><P>Twice in my years I have had ophthalmologist appointments that went over my time limit.
</P><P>The first time, no one told me until after the fact that the physician was tending to an emergency at a nearby hospital. I walked.
</P><P>The second time, the doctor’s staff advised those in the waiting room that the doctor was dealing with an emergency. I waited until he was able to see me.<sup>2</sup>
</P><P>My last PCP in Hollywood was, like the first, a personable fellow, but also managed to run late.
</P><P>Even as the first patient of the day, he was late.
</P><P>On one visit I cooled my heels in the waiting from for more than a half hour, then in an examining room for another 20 minuets.
</P><P>At that point I left.
</P><P>As I was leaving the doctor came by. “Where are you going?”
</P><P>“Home,” I replied. “I’ve waited long enough.”
</P><P>After that we had an understanding. <I>One hour maximum from the appointed time <B>sans notice</B> and this patient walks.</I>
</P><P>As a <B>patient</B> you have to love a practitioner who tosses the recommended 15-minute visit limitation out the window.
</P><P>I’ve known several who, because they either owned the clinic or carefully scheduled patients, frankly stated: “We’ll take as long as it takes.” One <SUP>3</SUP> even had after-hours “get acquainted” appointments.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>The problem in Israel</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The problem in Israel is too few qualified practitioners.
</P><P>Israel has six medical schools accredited by the government:
<UL>Faculty of Medicine, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
</P><P>Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University
</P><P>Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
</P><P>Faculty of Medicine, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa
</P><P>Faculty of Medicine in Zefat, Bar-Ilan University
</P><P>School of Health Sciences, Ariel University</UL>
<I>Against that, there were 85 hospitals in Israel in 2014.</I><SUP>4</SUP>
</P><P>The institutions, as they are in the U.S., are exceedingly selective. My current Family Doctor is a Sackler/Tel Aviv University graduate.
</P><P>As in the U.S., many doctors go abroad to study. When they return to Israel, they must undergo rigorous examinations. (One told me she was approved to practice in Israel and the U.S. That was comforting.)
</P><P><B>Back in the day</B> when the “Russians” managed to escape to Israel, the government discovered that in “Russia,” there were different levels of doctors.
</P><P>For example, a “Russian” dentist might be
<UL>A tooth puller
</P><P>A “real” dentist as in the U.S.
</P><P>An orthodontist/dental surgeon</UL>
<I>Why quotes around “Russian”? Because “back in the day,” anyone who came from the (former) Soviet Union was labeled a Russian; never mind it they came from Georgia or the Ukraine or any other “republic.”</I>
</P><P>In addition to being selective, Israel apparently has a quota system. Each school must accept a percentage of Arab candidates; reverse discrimination. (So much for “ethnic cleansing” and “apartheid.”) On the other hand, an Arab graduate of an Israel medical school is as qualified as a non-Arab graduate. (<I>Getting in is one thing; <B>staying</B> in and graduating is another.</I>)
<UL>At one point in the U.S. I had an older Lebanese Muslim ophthalmologist who spoke Hebrew better than I spoke Hebrew. I asked him how a Muslim from Lebanon knew Hebrew. His reply: He studied at Hadassah in Jerusalem.</UL>
Health care in Israel is, as it is in the U.S., “hit or miss.”
</P><P>Patients may find excellent doctors and/or they may find some practitioners who give them pause. I have encountered both over my nearly 80 years in the U.S. and Israel.
</P><P>Some things change — the burden of paperwork — and some do not — on-time appointments.
</P><P>No, “it’s not Kansas anymore,” but maybe still the flatlands.</FONT>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwa9eIqscfA/YYjfsf0ACgI/AAAAAAAAEc8/FrrtexJrCrs-liIC7Tg-A8wLDGXj5XUfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/wait%2Btime%2B-%2B2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="852" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwa9eIqscfA/YYjfsf0ACgI/AAAAAAAAEc8/FrrtexJrCrs-liIC7Tg-A8wLDGXj5XUfACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/wait%2Btime%2B-%2B2.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
Cartoon by Val Jones, MD</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Notes</B>
</P><P>1. Dr. Eduardo Perez-Stable (https://tinyurl.com/268kebe7)
</P><P>2. Dr. Alan D Mendelsohn (https://tinyurl.com/4984dhfn)
</P><P>3. Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein (https://tinyurl.com/e7m69rs2)
</P><P>4. Hospitals in Israel (https://tinyurl.com/yshdbnds)</FONT>
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</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Somethings like Kansas">Comment on Somethings like Kansa</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-82606509803433718972021-11-07T10:25:00.000+01:002021-11-07T10:25:01.376+01:00Opuscula Not Kansas anymore: Customer Service Unknown in Israel <P>
<font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>ALMOST EVERY DAY BRINGS another unpleasant reminder that we are “not in Kansas anymore.” <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/ystnhe27</SUP>
</P><P>Here, bureaucracy is rampant on a field of papers and telephone answering systems. A 20-minute wait to get to a “real” person — usually a clerk who would like to help but cannot — is more common than not.</FONT>
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NqmADOt15iU/YYeH2bxbeuI/AAAAAAAAEcU/6N-gquxLqTc1w4Jl2mXIpm20hS7Fku8IQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/NOT%2BKANSAS-1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NqmADOt15iU/YYeH2bxbeuI/AAAAAAAAEcU/6N-gquxLqTc1w4Jl2mXIpm20hS7Fku8IQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/NOT%2BKANSAS-1.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Cast of the Wizard of Oz movie (https://tinyurl.com/dm4n79ed)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>CASE IN POINT: My wife got a new cell phone from an Israeli store (מחסני חשמל).
</P><P>The cell has a THREE YEAR guarantee.
</P><P>It “broke” within 6 months.
</P><P>In “Kansas” (U.S.A.), she would take the phone back to the store where it was bought and the store would either
</P><P><UL> Replace the device
</P><P>Send it off to a facility to be checked/fixed/returned or replaced</UL>
</P><P>Although there is a store relatively close by, here she must take the phone to another town to be checked/fixed/returned or replaced.
</P><P>Since we live in a relatively small town (Yavne — it only has been around since well before Johanan ben Zakkai established an Academy here in 70 CE) it lacks stores and services of a bigger community such as Tel Aviv and Ashdod, cities to the north and south of Yavne.
</P><P><I>This also is painfully true of medical care; no hospitals in town, although there ARE clinics and urgent care centers.</I>
</P><P>Adding to her woe, we (so far) have to depend on taxis to get from point-to-point. While the reality is that taxis may, in the long run, be more economical than buying and maintaining a car (insurance, etc.), it is — at least for Americans — an inconvenience.
</P><P>I have whined in the past <SUP>https://tinyurl.com/yzn9nrhw</SUP> about the paperwork with which a <I>patient</I> has to deal versus the patient’s doctor’s office making arrangements.
</P><P>Here, the doctor writes an order for the patient to see a specialist.
</P><P>If the specialist is <B>not</B> on the patient’s health plan — think Medicare Advantage — the specialist requires a “Tofes 17” — a guarantee of payment — from the health plan.
</P><P>The patient then has to go to the health plan to get the magic “Tofes 17.”
</P><P>In “Kansas,” the doctor’s office deals with the health care company. If the specialist fails to appear on the company’s approved list, the doctor’s office and the company work together to get the patient to the specialist he needs. The patient, who presumably has enough to worry about, is not involved until all the arrangements are in place.
</P><P>Another “minor” issue is that rather than issue a “Tofes 17” that covers the primary procedure <I>and all follow on related procedures</I>, a new guarantee must be requested <B>for each individual procedure</B>.
</P><P>In my case, that means a new “Tofes 17”
</P><P><UL>For initial surgery/biopsy
</P><P>Second surgery to partially eliminate cancer
</P><P>Third surgery for further eliminate cancer
</P><P>Six weekly chemical treatments to further eliminate cancer *
</P><P>Fourth surgery to <I>finally</I> eliminate cancer
</P><P>Post-op follow-up</UL>
</P><P>all of which does <B>not</B> include related tests and interviews with specialists (e.g., cardiologists, vascular surgeon).
</P><P><UL>* To be fair, one “Tofes 17” sufficed for the six weekly chemical treatments.</UL>
</P><P>In “Kansas,” I had an open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, a “Triple A.”
</P><P>Under my Advantage plan, my initial visit to the specialist was covered and all following related procedures, including a hospital stay and post-op follow-up with the surgeon.
</P><P>As a patient, my only obligation was to show up.
</P><P>My PCP’s office, the specialist’s office, and the Advantage provider took care of all the paperwork.
</P><P>The same process was true for a hernia repair and a fempop bypass.
</P><P>For several years I have had balance problems; unless there is a handy wall, I tend to fall.
</P><P>Thanks to my former Medicare Advantage carrier and my former PCP’s excellent referral people, I have a mobility scooter (no cost). I can “scooter” to my local PCP’s office or a more distant office as needed.
</P><P>Not so my Spouse.
</P><P>Incidentally, if I needed a scooter here in Israel, it would be out of my pocket. To be fair, some health care is less expensive here (no co-pays for out-patient services) and some (equipment such as scooters) is more expensive.
</P><P>Bottom line: It’s not Kansas anymore.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qatLtiPr6w/YYeH-uihZnI/AAAAAAAAEcY/YkCSGol8XYkqVzeESZ2UiYdw645UnzbgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/NOT%2BKANSAS-2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qatLtiPr6w/YYeH-uihZnI/AAAAAAAAEcY/YkCSGol8XYkqVzeESZ2UiYdw645UnzbgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/NOT%2BKANSAS-2.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Main characters in original Wizard of Oz film</FONT></DIV>
</FONT>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Not Kansas anymore">Comment on Not Kansas anymore</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-11375786237465941402021-10-11T14:34:00.000+01:002021-10-11T14:34:44.386+01:00Opuscula Long hours mean Poor medicine For hospital patients <P>
</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>
</P><P>Residency or postgraduate training is specifically a stage of graduate medical education. It refers to a qualified physician (one who holds the degree of MD, DO, DPM, MBBS, MBChB) who practices medicine, usually in a hospital or clinic, under the direct or indirect supervision of a senior medical clinician registered in that specialty. <SUP>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residency_(medicine)</SUP>
</P><P></P><P><hr width="80%" SHADE=4 COLOR=navy SIZE=6>
</P><P></P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>MEDICAL RESIDENTS typically pull 24-to-30 hour shifts for the duration of their residency.
</P><P>A residency can last from a year to 10 years, depending on specialty,
</P><P>A resident <I>may</I> find time to catch 40 winks, but there is no guarantee.
</P><P>A tired resident’s mental capacity is diminished.
</P><P>A tired resident is, therefore, unable to provide the high level of medical care the patient deserves.</FONT>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8OflI1R8W2A/YWQ7idQcLyI/AAAAAAAAEbc/OLa_1iFQuUEL0aWVTX6x7FaXhP_Zu9IsACLcBGAsYHQ/s395/SLEEPY%2BRESIDENT.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="395" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8OflI1R8W2A/YWQ7idQcLyI/AAAAAAAAEbc/OLa_1iFQuUEL0aWVTX6x7FaXhP_Zu9IsACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/SLEEPY%2BRESIDENT.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1><I>Israel Hayom</I> editorial cartoon by Shlomo Cohen for Monday, 11 October 2021</FONT></DIV>
</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Ever since I was 17 year old airman and pulled all night duty after a full day — and then was expected to function 100% at my job the <b>next</B> day — I have looked askance at very extended shifts.
</P><P>Ten hours? OK. Twelve, maybe.
</P><P>But not 24 of more, <I><B>especially</B></I> when dealing with people’s lives.
</P><P>In the military, personnel expect to have an occasional long day.
</P><P>I write from experience.
</P><P>You catch a nap whenever possible, in any position possible.
</P><P>But, as I wrote above, an 8-hour shift followed by a sleepless 12-hour shift, followed by yet another 8-hour shift reduces a person’s cognitive and motor abilities.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>17 was a long time ago</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>This scrivener is now well past 17 – more than 60 years past 17.
</P><P>I am a frequent “guest” at a local hospital.
</P><P>Most of my care is supervised by residents. I <I>rarely</I> see a “real” doctor.
</P><P>To be honest, the residents ARE “real doctors,” they simply have not completed their specialty training.
</P><P>It is my experience that a well-rested senior resident is generally capable to handle more or less routine issues. (Hopefully the residents know their limits and ask the “senior medical clinician registered in that specialty” for guidance.)
</P><P>In any event, many of the residents at the hospital I frequent (too frequently) “resigned.”
</P><P>The government pays their salaries and makes the demand for very extended tours of duty.
</P><P>According to the residents, the government has agreed to improve their condition — reducing maximum on-duty hours to only 26 (!) — and engaging more medical school graduates in the residency programs.
</P><P>Unfortunately, as with most things “government,” all this will take some time and “depend on the budget.”
</P><P>Meanwhile, more patient care falls on the nurses (both male and female).
</P><P>I have a six-week-long out-patient procedure that requires cauterization.
</P><P>The hospital rules — for whatever reason — that only a male can catheterize a male.
</P><P>Modesty?
</P><P>Hardly.
</P><P>The (female) nurse (a) gets the patient ready, (b) once the catheter is inserted, she administers the Rx, then (c) removes the cath.
</P><P>In any event, in my case, the male nurse was “out” that morning and the nurses had to corral a doctor. The doctor, a senior resident, and I were previously acquainted. (Think “old home week.”)
</P><P>Fortunately, here, residents are pressed into tasks most doctors forget once they get their medical degree.
</P><P><I>I was half hoping my surgeon, a Very Senior Doctor and genuinely nice guy, would get “stuck” with the job, but the senior resident probably was a better choice. I doubt the surgeon has inserted a cath on a non-sedated patient in some time.</I>
</P><P><B>Bottom Line:</B> If the hospital’s medical residents are compelled to work more than 12 hours sans a several-hours-long break, if you have the option, consider another hospital. </FONT>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6></FONT>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Poor medicine">Comment on Poor medicine</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-36625241601615537262021-08-30T12:00:00.000+01:002021-08-30T12:00:58.648+01:00Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity, COOP The person you called Is on vacation No one can help you<P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dgnb1Bnw50Q/YSy5Fc-fpzI/AAAAAAAAEaI/NCaypAY4iM4qZEb5ztmy-4Cj9MvYAsLOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s612/HANDSET.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dgnb1Bnw50Q/YSy5Fc-fpzI/AAAAAAAAEaI/NCaypAY4iM4qZEb5ztmy-4Cj9MvYAsLOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/HANDSET.jpg"/></a></div><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I SEEM TO BE GETTING A LOT of “Sorry, the only person who can help you/answer the question is (pick one) on vacation, out of the office, in a meeting. Call back when the person returns and can take your call.”
</P><P>I get this from banks.
</P><P>I get this from health care organizations.
</P><P>I even get this from hospitals.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>IT SEEMS TO MY EDWARD BEAR mind that if a position is critical sufficient to staff it, it should be considered critical enough to have someone trained to “fill in” if the person normally in the position is absent.
</P><P>This is <I>especially</I> true if the position is “client facing.”
</P><P>Except for (U.S.) presidents and their vice presidents, <I>most</I> executives are smart enough to have someone able to fill in when they are unavailable.
</P><P><UL>Presidents, at least up through FDR’s reign, made a point to keep their vice presidents in the dark as much as possible.</UL>
</P><P>Perhaps it is lack of confidence in themselves that keeps some critical personnel from training a stand-in.
</P><P>Perhaps the critical person feels he or she is invincible; that they will live forever.
</P><P>Fred Rose and Hank Williams were on the mark when they wrote <I>"I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" </I><sup>https://tinyurl.com/mzjj6kz9</sup>
</P><P>Even sans the Grim Reaper at the door, people are absent. People go on vacations. They tend to others. They are promoted. They are transferred.
</P><P><I>”Things”</I> happen. <I>”Things”</I> change.
</P><P>Admittedly, not everyone is able or ready to “step into another’s shoes.”
</P><P>But, I suspect, with encouragement and training, most people can be confident that they can fill in for another “in a pinch.”
</P><P>Besides, it seems to me it is just good business sense to have someone who can step in as needed.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZILbIn_oY78/YSy5YEjNR2I/AAAAAAAAEaQ/nUKIA5hzOkMAOxVwkEpLTjv8R41iJKVcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s489/ERNESTINE.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="338" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZILbIn_oY78/YSy5YEjNR2I/AAAAAAAAEaQ/nUKIA5hzOkMAOxVwkEpLTjv8R41iJKVcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ERNESTINE.jpg"/></a></div>I once worked for a PBX manufacturer. The company moved across town and the new switchboard was temporally unattended.
</P><P>Having once used a plug board (think Lily Tomlin (right) as <I>Ernestine the Telephone Operator</I>) I rashly manned the switchboard (console). Not my job, but I wrote the operator’s manual so I figured I could “get by.” I did (but was relieved to be relieved).
</P><P>Granted, my stint on the switchboard was not planned, but I was capable.
</P><P>If anyone thinks a receptionist job is less important than, say, a general manager, let them call into a business when the receptionist is on a break.
</P><P><I>One ringy dingy, two ringy-dangies . . . </I>
</P><P>The <I>responsibilities</I> are different, but I suggest that the receptionist’s job is <I>at least</I> as important to the organization’s success as the GM’s.
</P><P>Filling in for an absent coworker is not something normally to be “thrust” upon a person.
</P><P>In other words, it is something that should be planned and implemented in stages, <I>before</I> the task needs to be performed.
</P><P>Likewise, several people can — perhaps should — be trained to “assume the position” when it become necessary.
</P><P>In the military, they call it “cross-training,” being able to function in another job.
</P><P>Perhaps, as with this scrivener, not as well as the regular receptionists answering calls, but “good enough” to keep from losing a customer for lack of a response.
</P><P>C-levels who are afraid to train someone to <I>confidently</I> fill in for a brief period need to be replaced; they are a detriment to the organization.
</P><P>As an Enterprise Risk Management practitioner, I <B>know</B> I’m right.
</P><P>I also know that people who fear for their jobs are people who ignore my warnings and admonishments.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Out of office">Comment on Out of office</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-81893843009156480322021-08-25T10:11:00.000+01:002021-08-25T10:11:09.936+01:00Opuscula Is Afghanistan ‘Nam over again? <P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>IMAGES OF AFGHANS TRYING TO LEAVE Afghanistan before the Taliban assumes full control. Afghanistan’s former president earlier abandoned his country to avoid “transition issues.”
Something unique in U.S. foreign policy history?
Hardly.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kLJb3vUaQJ4/YSYCAxjNt5I/AAAAAAAAEZM/dbVb3VDvLNcHU3J3bgFMR--00WuuWqBzACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/DRY%2BBONES-AFGHANISTAN.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kLJb3vUaQJ4/YSYCAxjNt5I/AAAAAAAAEZM/dbVb3VDvLNcHU3J3bgFMR--00WuuWqBzACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/DRY%2BBONES-AFGHANISTAN.png"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Dry Bones cartoon</FONT></DIV>
</P><P><I>Is it any wonder the U.S.’ “allies” are suspicious of Washington’s promises? Rhetorical question.</I>
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<DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>San Diego Union-Tribune Image by Neal Ulevich - AP (https://tinyurl.com/3k7nerdw)</FONT></DIV</td>
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<DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>The Print Twitter screengrab <BR>(https://tinyurl.com/zru98mu8)</FONT></DIV><td align=bottom width=50%></td></TR>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>AFGHANISTAN SEEMS TO BE VIETNAM all over again.
</P><P>Aside from the fact that the U.S. <I>never</I> had a policy to <B>win</B> a war in Afghanistan — or Vietnam, or Korea, or Iraq, or Cuba, or — there are many similarities with earlier excursions on behalf of “democracy and the American way.”
</P><P>The U.S. president who got American troops out of the Vietnam quagmire was a Republican (Richard M. Nixon). The president who ended the U.S.’ 20-year involvement in Afghanistan is a Democrat (Jos. Biden), although to give credit where it is due, under a deal signed last year between the militants and then-President Donald Trump, foreign forces were to have left by 1 May. (http://tinyurl.com/27muz8yn)
</P><P>In both cases, when the troops came home — from a politically unpopular war in the Far East and when they returned from what appeared to be a never-ending conflict in Afghanistan, — the military people returned sans war materiel, left behind for the victors.
</P><P>When the troops returned to the States, they abandoned locals who supported the war effort.
</P><P>In Vietnam, some managed to get a flight out — primarily those who worked directly for the U.S. government.
</P><P>For many of those left behind, the victorious Communists had a place for them: re-education camps. (Such “camps” are popular with the Vietnamese’ masters, Communist China.)
</P><P>Will the Taliban have “re-education” camps a la Vietnam?
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>U.S. fails to learn from others</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>The U.S. failed to learn the lesson the Vietnamese taught the French.
</P><P>They warred against the French until the French tired of the fighting and left Vietnam.
</P><P>President (ex-5-star general) Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in a limited number of U.S. troops as “Military Advisory Groups” (MAGs). His successors, Democrats JFK and LBJ massively increased the U.S. presence in Vietnam on a piecemeal basis — as troops were wounded or killed, they were replaced by green personnel.
</P><P>Vietnam was <B >NOT</B> the first war in which Americans refused to fight. <I>That</I> “honor” goes back to the War for Southern Independence (a/k/a U.S. Civil War) when people could, and did, “buy their way out” by paying for stand-ins.
</P><P><UL>The Enrollment Act of 1863 provided that a draftee could pay a “substitute” enrollee the sum of $300 (about $5,000 in today’s terms) in order to enlist in his place. Such famous Americans as Grover Cleveland and John D. Rockefeller took advantage of this provision, in effect buying their way out of service. (https://tinyurl.com/9thvtsaw) </UL>
</P><P>Actually, after the first skirmishes of the Revolutionary War many new Americans had other things to do rather than engage the English.
</P><P>In Afghanistan, the U.S. started supporting the Afghans in their effort to oust the Soviets.
</p><P>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FHbqWyTeikU/YSYEjyy_qII/AAAAAAAAEZ0/3EWX_HNJ6oQQNa8jDpiiYled7jOXsf9gACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Afghan-revolving%2Bdoor.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FHbqWyTeikU/YSYEjyy_qII/AAAAAAAAEZ0/3EWX_HNJ6oQQNa8jDpiiYled7jOXsf9gACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Afghan-revolving%2Bdoor.jpg"/></a></div> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Revolving door (a la Vietnam)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P>It was very much the CIA’s covert war with a program to arm and finance the mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan prior to and during the military intervention by the Soviet Union. (https://tinyurl.com/2t355rsy)
</P><P>After 9-11-2001 — the day Muslim terrorists flew four U.S. airliners into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and into a field in Pennsylvania; in the the latter high jackers, were overcome by the flight’s passengers and crew — the CIA directed its efforts in Afghanistan to attacking the Taliban and its leader, Osama bin Laden. (https://tinyurl.com/2wbyes84)
</P><P>According to a New York Times article (https://tinyurl.com/5b9ya9bk), the FBI knew well in advance of 9-11 that Muslims were buying flight training. Anecdotal stories claim that the “students” were not interested in <I>landing</I> the commercial airliners.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>They won’t fight</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>According to Biden, the Afghans lack the will to defend their nation, despite the fact that — with substantial U.S. CIA aid — <I>some</I> Afghanis did take up arms against the former Soviet Union.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMR0bBF_RqE/YSYC7Q8BCkI/AAAAAAAAEZk/uJlmmYiHfHg-d7hvSvE7TlRT2I2wpOPYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s836/Afghan%2Bgueralla.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="836" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMR0bBF_RqE/YSYC7Q8BCkI/AAAAAAAAEZk/uJlmmYiHfHg-d7hvSvE7TlRT2I2wpOPYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Afghan%2Bgueralla.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>An Afghan guerrilla handles a U.S.-made Stinger anti-aircraft missile (https://tinyurl.com/y466xn5m)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>Afghan borders Taliban ally Pakistan and the western world’s nemesis, Iran. (See map, below).
</P><P>All are Muslim countries and while they often disagree, <I>the enemy of my friend is my enemy.</I> In this case, since the western world is deemed by Iran’s despots to be an enemy, Afghanistan is, by default, Iran’s friend (as is Pakistan).
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uAig6t4YP6Q/YSYDIkiOx5I/AAAAAAAAEZo/u6T7CIwDmWsSnXxLA19nTHk6PKPwC_hNACLcBGAsYHQ/s1330/Afghan%2Bmap.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1330" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uAig6t4YP6Q/YSYDIkiOx5I/AAAAAAAAEZo/u6T7CIwDmWsSnXxLA19nTHk6PKPwC_hNACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Afghan%2Bmap.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Map of Afghanistan and its neighbors</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>The Taliban, Afghanistan’s rulers-du-jour, are infamous for being misogynistic.
</P><P>They demanded women to be covered from head to toe according to their ideas of sharia law.
</P><P>They banned education for females.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>The “new” Taliban</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>According to reports making the media, the “new” Taliban will treat females with respect and they will allow females to be educated, unlike the “old” Taliban. (https://tinyurl.com/ye8jzawt)
</P><P>The “new” Taliban promised to respect others religions, unlike the “old” Taliban of 2001 that blew up two statues of Buddah in the Bamyan valley of central Afghanistan. (https://tinyurl.com/qjuwbed)
</P><P>The Taliban claimed the Buddhas violated Islam's prohibition on idolatry.
</P><P>According to <I>The Indian Express</I> (https://tinyurl.com/yfbq8w24), “The Taliban have promised a new era of peace and security, saying they will forgive those who fought against them and grant women full rights under Islamic law, without elaborating. But many Afghans are deeply skeptical of the group, especially those who remember its previous rule, when it imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law. “
</P><P>Still, the “new” Taliban apparently retains elements of the “old” Taliban.
</P><P><I>The Indian Express</I> (ibid.) reports that “The Taliban have blown up the statue of a Shiite militia leader who had fought against them during Afghanistan’s civil war in the 1990s, according to photos circulating on social media Wednesday.
</P><P>“The statue depicted Abdul Ali Mazari, a militia leader killed by the Taliban in 1996, when the Islamic militants seized power from rival warlords. Mazari was a champion of Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority, Shiites who were persecuted under the Sunni Taliban’s earlier rule.”
</P><P>So much for forgiving those who fought against them.
</P><P>Some of the “old” Taliban’s actions remain to haunt them.
</P><P>A video now being circulated of a woman being murdered, apparently by the Taliban on an Afghan street, actually dates from 2015, according to the <I>India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) </I> (https://tinyurl.com/yenpt6yx)
</P><P>On the other hand, the England’s <I>ITV</I> (https://tinyurl.com/rn2v4ar8) reported on 17 August 2021 that “Abdul Qadir Jalil, an Afghan-born Manchester (England) resident, traveled to Afghanistan around three weeks ago to get married.
</P><P>“Mr Jalil says the Taliban has ransacked his home in Kabul, and executed people in his street.
</P><P>"Last night, the Taliban was trying to attack and search every house in the street," he told ITV News. They are searching for smart phones because they are trying to wipe social media evidence.“</FONT>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Vietnam again?">Comment on Vietnam again?</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-72784847246711359342021-08-19T19:22:00.000+01:002021-08-19T19:22:31.245+01:00Opuscula Media giants invited To assign reporters To Hamas target areas <P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>THIS IS A <i>SPECIAL INVITATION</I>
to reporters and photographers employed by The Major Media Outlets, e.g., <UL>ABC
</P><P>BBC
</P><P>CBS
</P><P>CNN
</P><P>LA Times
</P><P>MSNBC
</P><P>NY Times
</P><P>The Guardian
</P><P>Washington Post</UL>
</P><P>to name but a few of the purveyors of half truths and outright lies to come to Israel and set up shop close to the Gaza border.
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>If that is too close for comfort, let them rent quarters in Ashkelon, Ashdod, Holon, even Tel Aviv.
</P><P>I might even be willing to let a reporter stay in our guest room in Yavne, but he — or she — will <b>not</B> have safe room privileges.
</P><P>The reporter then can get a feel for what Israelis already know.
</P><P>The sirens.
</P><P>The booms.
</P><P>The falling debris if the Iron Dome takes out a missile, or the explosion as a missile hits if the Iron Dome somehow misses its target.
</P><P>The terrified children and pets.
</P><P>The traumatized adults.
</P><P>The reporter can sit on the balcony and watch for unguided missiles from Gaza.
</P><P>Perhaps the reporter’s credentials and PRESS vest will offer all needed protection.
<UL>An aside.</P><P>When I was in elementary school, we had bomb drills because “The Russians are coming” with atomic weapons.
</P><P>In Indiana, we raced — I tumbled — down flights of stairs to the basement.
</P><P>In Florida, we hid under our desks, as if THAT would do any good.
</P><P>We built and stocked bomb shelters where we could.
</P><P>Later, in Israel I learned that my new pals from the Ukraine were doing basically the same thing because “The Americans are coming.”
</P><P>In America I was a reporter and editor. When something happened, good or bad, I had to be in the thick of things. Foolish? Perhaps.
</P><P>But I reported from “Ground Zero.”
</P><P>That’s all I am asking of the reporters and photographers covering Gaza’s terror attacks.</UL>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Censorship</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>It is my <I>understanding</I> that reporters and photographers in Gaza have their work heavily censored. If they displease the powers that be, they will be prevented from transmitting their copy to “the world.”
</P><P>I have no doubt that Israeli censors can be as severe, but Israel is <B>not</B> known for abusing media people, even those biased against Israel.
</P><P>Moreover, a reporter or photographer can trot his or her stuff to an embassy or consulate representing the employer’s country and file from there.
</P><P>Few countries have a diplomatic presence in Gaza.
</P><P>Hamas and “friends” have reporters who see Hamas (and Islamic Jihad and …) in action.
</P><P>They might even see missiles being removed from UN schools and hospitals and fired from heavily populated civilian areas.
</P><P>They might even report on these things <I>assuming</I> they get out of Gaza with their stories and photos and <I>assuming</I> they won’t have to go back into Gaza.
</P><P>It is bad enough when people who never have <B >BEEN</b> to Israel repeat lies about the country, but when reporters and photographers fail to report accurately what is transpiring — they may as well be on Hamas’ payroll.
</P><P><I>Some reporters and photographers try to be fair, but editorial boards often demand that material be slanted to suit management’s political point of view.</I></FONT>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9BLxgbAl_Y0/YR6fzXgmgDI/AAAAAAAAEYk/BHtkIfK36KoQS80KofheQbmSKG_xsXk0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1025/LIARS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="1025" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9BLxgbAl_Y0/YR6fzXgmgDI/AAAAAAAAEYk/BHtkIfK36KoQS80KofheQbmSKG_xsXk0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/LIARS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Hitler (left) and Goebbels (right): infamous liars</FONT></DIV></P><P>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Media invitation">Comment on Media invitation</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-42021754588911783642021-08-12T11:46:00.000+01:002021-08-12T11:46:07.963+01:00Opuscula Put consulate In RamallahFor PLO/PFLP/Hamas </P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>AMERICA’S POLITICIANS ARE <b>S-T-U-P-I-D</B>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybWZMG34_n0/YRT5sqPb3uI/AAAAAAAAEYQ/zcB-NsjagHk9NV40s2XkPIyCSUNPZxw6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s641/SCARECROW.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybWZMG34_n0/YRT5sqPb3uI/AAAAAAAAEYQ/zcB-NsjagHk9NV40s2XkPIyCSUNPZxw6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/SCARECROW.jpg"/></a></div></P><P>U.S. President Biden and his VP, Harris-Emhoff, along with the U.S. State Department — apparently staffed by people with less brains than either Winnie the Pooh or the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz — are trying <I>to force Israel, an independent country and ally</I> to set up a consulate <B>for an enemy non-state</B> (run by the PLO/PFLP and Hamas) in Israel’s capital, Jerusalem.
</P><P>It is not enough that the U.S. <I>repeatedly</I> has interfered with Israel's elections, NOW the U.S. powers-that-be want Israel to accommodate people <I>sworn to obliterate Israel and slaughter its Jewish citizens (and maybe some Arab and other citizens as well)</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT SIZE=+6 COLOR=RED><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><B>C-H-U-T-Z-P-A-H !</B></DIV></FONT>
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</P><P></P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ShCB4u0dco/YRTzWErvFCI/AAAAAAAAEYE/_abBFNI5s9UWXuy_C90vC8AOdBAZv9CbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s542/TWO-FACE%2BJOE.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="542" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ShCB4u0dco/YRTzWErvFCI/AAAAAAAAEYE/_abBFNI5s9UWXuy_C90vC8AOdBAZv9CbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/TWO-FACE%2BJOE.jpg"/></a></div>
<font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>The Biden/Harris-Emhoff State Department, <I><U>despite empty words pledging support for Israel</U></I>, is doing everything it can to prove its loyalties — as much as the U.S. government <I>has</I> loyalties, albeit with little trust value — to Israel’s sworn enemies: PLO/PFLP, Hamas, Hezbollah, and their master, Iran.
</P><P>Why would a <B>sane</B> person or government insist that another, independent government — allegedly <B>an ally</B> — demand that the ally’s government host a consulate for — again — an entity sworn to the ally’s destruction?
</P><P>The PLO/PFLP and Hamas <B>do not have a state</B>.
</P><P>The PLO/PFLP and Hamas <B>DO</B> have a central government center.
</P><P>The center is Ramallah.
</P><P>In order for a person under the PLO/PFLP or Hamas’ thumb to reach ANY U.S. facility in Jerusalem, that person must pass through Israeli/PLO, etc. check points and <I>have permission to enter Israel.</I>
</P><P>If the U.S. in its “wisdom,” wants to put a consulate someplace, let that place be Ramallah — and being generous, in Gaza City (since the PLO/PFLP and Hamas barely communicate with each other).
</P><P>Granted, there <I><U>used</U></I> to be a U.S. consulate in eastern Jerusalem, an area heavily populated by Muslim Israeli residents — vs. citizens — loyal to the PLO/PFLP and Hamas; in other words, people sworn to Israel’s destruction.
</P><P>That consulate was assigned to <B>JORDAN</B> that, until Jordan attacked Israel in 1967, “owned” what now commonly is called “The West Bank and East Jerusalem,” or more properly, Yehuda and Shimron, or <I>Yesha</I>. Jordan lost that land as the price for attacking Israel — even after Israeli leaders pleaded with Jordan’s king to stay out of the war. Jerusalem was again united after the war and open to people of ALL religions.
</P><P><I>Apparently, much like Egypt and Gaza, Jordan did not want the land returned in a peace deal with Israel. (There is more or less quiet between the two countries.) Egypt, despite appeals from Israel, refused to accept Gaza in its peace deal with Israel. )</I> Think about THAT for a minute. Neither Egypt nor Jordan wanted the “Palestinians” Israel inherited following Muslim wars of aggression.
</P><P>Legally, a host country (e.g., Israel) may refuse to host a consulate for another entity — “Palestine” is not a state despite Abu Mazen’s pipe dreams.
</P><P>It is not likely that Israel will accept the U.S. fiat, even with a government leaning to the left.
</P><P>Allowing a U.S. consulate for “Palestinians” in Jerusalem divides Israel’s capital both de facto and de jure essentially telling the world that the U.S. recognizes “Palestine” as a real, legitimate nation.
</P><P>There <B>IS</B> a “Palestine.” On the map it is shown as “Jordan.”
</P><P>That Jordan attacked Israel and lost land to Israel does not make a nation of the lost land.
</P><P>If Biden/Harris-Emhoff et al want to create a three “state” arrangement:
</P><P><UL>Israel
</P><P>PLO/PFLP plus Jordan
</P><P>Gaza plus Egypt</UL>
</P><P>good luck.
</P><P>A “two state” solution, i.e., Israel and “Palestine,” <B><I>will not work</I></B>.
</P><P>There is no land connection between the area controlled by the PLO/PFLP and the area controlled by Hamas (Gaza).
</P><P>When Hamas finally takes over the area currently controlled by the PLO/PFLP, as seems inevitable, the <I>seat</I> of government will be in Ramallah; still no land link to Gaza.
</P><P><UL>Even if the U.S. succeeds in browbeating Israel into allowing a consulate in the eastern part of Jerusalem, Gaza residents and those outside of Jerusalem <I>still</I> will need Israeli permission to access the consulate.</UL>
</P><P>If the U.S. insists on putting one or more consulates for “Palestinians,” the proper location(s) are Ramallah and Gaza City, <B>NOT</B> Jerusalem.
</P><P>If the PLO/PFLP loyalists in residence of Jerusalem need U.S. services, they can go to the U.S. embassy (without crossing any borders) or a consulate in PLO/PFLP or Hamas-controlled areas. That this means border crossings are an easily surmountable non-issue.
</P><P>Language is not a problem. Many in the embassy speak Arabic or Hebrew (or both) and English.
</P><P>“East Jerusalem” is no more.
</P><P>It is history.
</P><P>Jerusalem is whole.
</P><P>The U.S. administration and State Department should wake up, smell the coffee, and act accordingly.
</P><P>It is, after all, supposed to be a “woke” administration — whatever THAT means.<FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Consulate">Comment on Consulate</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-24461979361445064592021-08-06T09:05:00.001+01:002021-08-12T14:29:52.435+01:00Opuscula Democrat Beggars: Dumb and dumber </P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>TODAY I RECEIVED A NICE EMAIL with <I>Reaching out to you personally, John...</I> as the Subject line.
<UL>I do not recall giving license to address me so informally, but </UL>
</p><p>The email was from marketeers for Florida U.S. Senate candidate Val Demings (info@electdemocraticwomen.org) who is running (assuming she survives the primaries) against incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (assuming he survives the primaries).
</p><p>Ms. Demings is not the first dumocrat to seek my vote.Previously, candidates in Ohio and Michigan ask for my vote and begged for my money.
</p><p>I am a registered <B>Republican in Florida</B>.
</p><p>At least Ms. Demings is running in Florida.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>I’LL GIVE Ms. Demings marketeers credit (no cash): they get right to the point, i.e., my wallet.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-etX0so4VE/YQzpkg76D2I/AAAAAAAAEXY/71OicKNlH7Q00YU5kblorP4Lj4oMT8mEACLcBGAsYHQ/s629/Begging-1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="629" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-etX0so4VE/YQzpkg76D2I/AAAAAAAAEXY/71OicKNlH7Q00YU5kblorP4Lj4oMT8mEACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Begging-1.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Screen capture from dumocrat candidate’s begging email</FONT></DIV>
</p><p>Because I am a nice guy, I wrote Ms. Deming a nice letter explaining that I never support leftists/socialists in the mode of (Hillary) Clinton/Obama/Harris-Emhoff.
</p><p>I suggested that the people of her party (it was her marketeers, but as the last decent Democrat said<SUP>1</SUP>, “The Buck Stops Here” so it is <I>her</I> responsibility to monitor the marketeer’s actions)
</p><p>Were they “<I>(a) too lazy to check voter registration lists? I am a registered Republican. </p><p>Or (b) to ignorant to READ the registration lists? </p><p>Or (c) just too stupid to know asking for donations from a long-time Republican is a waste of bits and bytes. </p><p>Or (d) -- as I suspect. -- ALL OF THE ABOVE.</I>”
</p><p>I wonder if the dumocrats would beg for my dollars if they had to waste postage. (Ms. Demings, who currently represents Florida’s 10th Congressional District has franking — free postage — privileges.)
</p><p>
</p><p><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>The Response</FONT></H2></p><p></B><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2u6_3onYGs/YQzpzQGOtRI/AAAAAAAAEXc/2_-K5bqZjuUzsO9TIDkF_1EIls7K6uGCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s777/DUMBOCRRAT%2BWOMEN.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="777" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2u6_3onYGs/YQzpzQGOtRI/AAAAAAAAEXc/2_-K5bqZjuUzsO9TIDkF_1EIls7K6uGCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DUMBOCRRAT%2BWOMEN.jpg"/></a></div>
In response to my email (in response to the begging letter), I received in short order the following auto-response (right).
</p><p>My comments should be obvious.
</p><p>On 8/6/2021 7:29 AM, <b>Info Elect Democratic <FONT SIZE=+2 COLOR=RED>Woemn</FONT></b>
</p><p>– This is an automated response -
</p><p>Thanks for reaching out!
</P><P>Elect Democratic Women is a grassroots organization committed to taking back Congress for Democrats by electing more pro-choice women. Elect Democratic Women was formed by Democratic Congresswomen who understand that Congress cannot and will not address the urgent needs facing women and their families by a Congress where less than one in five representatives are women.
</p><p>If you’d like to support our movement, please consider making a contribution. Just $1 goes a long way: <BR>https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_edw_fr_2018_homepage <B>WORKS OK</B>
</p><p>If you'd like to receive less emails and only our most important emails, please use this form <BR>https://go.electdemocraticwomen.org/page/s/less-emails <B>DOES <FONT COLOR=RED>NOT</FONT> WORK</B>
</p><p>If you’d no longer like to receive emails about our mission, you can unsubscribe from our list here: <BR>https://go.electdemocraticwomen.org/page/unsubscribe <B>DOES <FONT COLOR=RED>NOT</FONT> WORK</B>
</p><p>If you're having an issue with an online donation you've made or are trying to make, please contact ActBlue immediately: <BR>info@actblue.com <B>DOES <FONT COLOR=RED>NOT</FONT> WORK</B>
</p><p><hr width="70%" SHADE=4 COLOR=NAVY SIZE=6 align=center>
</p><p>I tried each of the links.
</p><p>The <B>only</B> link that worked was the one to make a donation.
</p><p>Being a nice guy, I returned the email with the boldface comments shown above.
</p><p>If anyone cares to try, cut-n-paste the links in your favorite browser and see if anyone <BR>Read my response (probably not) <BR>Acted on the response (fixed the links) — again, probably not.
</p><p>
</p><p><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>What is “ActBlue”?</FONT></H2></B>
</p><p>Just for “kicks” I did a web search for “actblue.”
</p><p>According to its self-identification on Twitter (which, unlike former President Trump is not banned), <I>We're a nonprofit fundraising platform for campaigns and organizations and the small-dollar donors who support them! #IamASmallDollarDonor</I> (https://twitter.com/actblue)
</p><p>There is a caveat for actblue that <I>Contributions or gifts to ActBlue are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.</I> (https://secure.actblue.com/signin)
</p><p>I did <b>not</B> see this disclaimer on Ms. Demings’ beg missive; perhaps it does not apply to <I>political</I> contributions.
</P><P>It is, for me, a non-issue.
</p><p>Actblue advertises itself (ibid.) <I>As a nonprofit, we’re driven by the belief that our democracy works better when more people participate in civic life and when our campaigns and nonprofits are powered by the people they serve. <B>That’s why we’ve built a powerful online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, progressive organizations</B>, and nonprofits. Our tools make it possible for anyone to build a grassroots campaign or movement and give donors an easy and secure way to support their favorite candidates and causes </I>
</p><p>
</p><p><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>On the other hand . . .</FONT></H2></B>
</p><p>Axios Media (https://www.axios.com/) reports <I>Dem fundraising platform ActBlue boots Cuomo</I> (https://tinyurl.com/wypjszk)<I>
</p><p>The Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue has removed a donation page that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's campaign committee used to solicit contributions, the company confirmed to Axios.
</p><p>Driving the news: ActBlue is the lifeblood of grassroots Democratic fundraising. Its decision to cut off Cuomo following damning allegations of sexual harassment and assault deals a body blow to what's left of his political future.
</p><p>ActBlue donation pages for Cuomo's campaign and PAC were no longer active on Thursday afternoon.</I>
</p><p>Apparently, if the beggar falls out of grace with the company’s philosophy, ActBlue, drops the client like the proverbial hot potato.
</p><p>Granted Cuomo fils has been facing complaints of indiscriminate behavior toward women for several years. Cuomo called for the investigation leading to the cited report.<SUP>2</SUP>
</p><p>The Cuomo flap suggests — at last to this scrivener — that Ms. Demings <I>probably</I> is the mold of Clinton/Obama/Harris-Emhoff, a mold that won’t work for me.
</p><p>I just wish the dumocrats would remove my email from their beggars’ lists.
</p><p>I complain, but apparently ignoring people of a different point of view is a growing dumocrat trait.
</p><p>That bodes ill for America.</FONT>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. Harry S Truman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman)</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jErsuWMBcwo/YQzpQLM356I/AAAAAAAAEXQ/QwJUCF0dk7oDnxLsM_8-gWWtznqqzpHfACLcBGAsYHQ/s619/TRUMAN%2BBUCK%2BSTOPS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="405" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jErsuWMBcwo/YQzpQLM356I/AAAAAAAAEXQ/QwJUCF0dk7oDnxLsM_8-gWWtznqqzpHfACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/TRUMAN%2BBUCK%2BSTOPS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Harry S Truman and “The Buck Stops Here” desk plaque. <BR>(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman)</FONT></DIV>
2. NPR: Sexual Harassment Charges Against Gov. Cuomo Are Detailed In Scathing 165-Page Report (https://tinyurl.com/dpurzeyf)</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=/Democrat Beggars">Comment on Democrat Beggars</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-62674876849868459092021-08-01T11:51:00.001+01:002021-08-01T14:24:10.135+01:00Opuscula Will Unilever learn Boycotting Israel Is a risk to business ?<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>IT STARTED SIMPLY ENOUGH, Ben & Jerry’s social conscience board, led by “<I>I am not an anti-Semite</I>” Anuradha Mittal wanted to boycott Israel.
</P><P>Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s current owner — it bought Ben & Jerry’s AND the social conscience board from Nestle — was agreeable to boycotting only Ben and Jerry products in what the social conscience board calls “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” a/k/a OPT.
</P><P>Ben & Jerry’s Israeli franchise owner intends to continue selling his product wherever there is a market, and that includes all of Israel.
</P><P>Unilever intended to cancel the contract with the Israeli franchise in December 2022, but due to the various boards’ actions, the franchise may be terminated sooner rather than later.;
</P><P>Ben and Jerry, the original owners, are fine with “not an anti-Semite” Anuradha Mittal’s proposal to boycott all of Israel.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><B>THE PROBLEM</B> for Ms. Mittal and England’s Unilever is that boycotts are less and less popular.
</P><P>In the U.S., where Unilever has a major presence, a number of states have laws banning investment by boycotting companies as well as banning products from those boycotting companies.
</P><P>As for Israel, it has enough local ice cream producers to keep it’s citizens happy, plus it also imports ice cream — <I>including other Unilever products (see table, below).</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>What is Unilever risking?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Unilever lists all its products at https://www.unilever.com/
</P><P>A good many of the products are sold in Israel and in the United States.
</P><P>The following table lists a sampling of Unilever’s products.
</P><P><TABLE WIDTH=100% BORDER=2>
</P><P><TH WIDTH=33%>Product</TH><TH WIDTH=33%>Product</TH><TH WIDTH=33%>Product</TH>
<TR><TD>
Ben & Jerry's
</TD><TD>
Helmann's
</TD><TD>
Day 2
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
Breyers
</TD><TD>
Knorr
</TD><TD>
Dove
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
Carte d'Or
</TD><TD>
Lipton
</TD><TD>
Lifebouy
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
Klondike
</TD><TD>
Popsicle
</TD><TD>
Lux
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
Magnum
</TD><TD>
Alberto Balsam
</TD><TD>
Q-tips
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
Viennetta
</TD><TD>
Axe
</TD><TD>
Camel
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
Cornetto
</TD><TD>
Brut
</TD><TD>
Winston
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
</P><P>
</P><P>Unilever seems to invest in a lot of tea and ice cream companies. The first six in Col. 1 all are ice cream. (I thought about including Popsicle, but “real” Popsciles are frozen flavored water on a stick — I happen to LIKE Popscicles.)
</P><P>Interesting that the English company also invests heavily in soaps and deodorants.
</P><P>The table is just a partial list of Unilever products; many are found only in Europe.
</P><P>A number of stores around the world have pulled Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from their shelves.
</P><P>If the stores extend their discontent to <I>all</I> Unilever products, image the impact on the company and its stockholders.
</P><P>Will Unilever stockholders tolerate a Ben & Jerry’s dictatorship on the value of their shares?
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PBzb8Fz_mgY/YQZzZOEK8SI/AAAAAAAAEW0/mvh8gJEG8V4mlRkoQD8q_ps64bnjQ431wCLcBGAsYHQ/s607/Your%2BChoice.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="607" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PBzb8Fz_mgY/YQZzZOEK8SI/AAAAAAAAEW0/mvh8gJEG8V4mlRkoQD8q_ps64bnjQ431wCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Your%2BChoice.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Diner’s choice: Skimpy burger or Filling Swarma (Internet images)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Gold plated arches</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Meanwhile, Israeli media (and maybe elsewhere, too) “discovered” that the so-called OPT also lack a McDonalds.
</P><P>The McDonald’s franchisee is an Israel leftist who may avoid putting Golden Arches in all parts of Israel, but, <i>apparently</I> McDonald’s HQ limits where the Israeli can open stores. According to Israeli media, the hamburger chain fails to include all of Israel in the Israeli’s franchise.
</P><P>There are about 180 copies of the Golden Arches in Israel, of which less than a third are under Kosher supervision.
</P><P>While I do not dine at McDonalds, even “kosher” McDonalds, I have seen Ronald’s hamburgers; small nothings. One of my son’s, visiting Israel, tried the McDonald’s in Bet Shean; it was a novelty — a kosher McDonald’s — nothing more. He did not return.
</P><P>There are better burgers everywhere.
</P><P>Burgers are <B>not</B> the typical Israeli’s fare. Shwarma, even falafel is more often the choice for a quick meal. McDonald’s advertising beings in the kid’s business once or twice, but as their diets expand, the Golden Arches prove less and less appealing.
</P><P>Should McDonald’s be avoided? Is Burger King a better option for a chain burger? What about other possibilities in the neighborhood?
</P><P>The question for the places that want to punish companies for boycotting all or parts of Israel: is the boycott blatant, a la Ben & Jerry’s, or concealed as in the case of McDonalds.
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Israeli’s problem</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Foregoing — dare I write “boycotting — Ben & Jerry’s in Israel, or McDonalds in Israel means that <I>Israelis</I> — Arabs, Jews, others — will be out of a job.
</P><P>The Israeli Ben & Jerry’s franchise employs about 160 Israelis.
</P><P>Add to those employees the organizations that sell raw materials to Ben & Jerry’s; local dairy farms lead the list of providers.
</P><P>Israel, while ahead of most of the world, still is recovering from the Chinese virus and its latest variation.
</P><P>The national budget has been hard hit. Putting more people on the dole puts more strain on the budget.
</P><P>Whether it is Ben & Jerry’s or McDonalds, Israelis cannot afford to boycott Israeli enterprises, regardless of corporate misbehavior.
</P><P>Such “I am not an anti-Semite” behavior must be punished by places that won’t put people on the unemployment line.
</P><P>Misbehavior also can be punished by fund managers who refuse to accept the offender’s money; who remove the offenders from retirement funds (and similar) and their benefits.
</P><P>As for this scrivener, I will enjoy better ice cream and shwarma elsewhere.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Unilever">Comment on Unilever</a></B></P></FONT>
Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-7536182226075550232021-07-30T10:54:00.000+01:002021-07-30T10:54:32.944+01:00Opuscula On being Politically Correct (or not)<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>IT SEEMS “THE WORLD” HAS TAKEN “political correctness” to the extreme.
</P><P>I read that “the Muslim’s attack on 11 September 2002” and realized that it failed the “political correctness” test.
</P><P>True, Muslims <B>DID</B>
</P><P><UL>Bring down the World Trade Center towers in New York murdering 2,958 innocent people <SUP>1</SUP> <BR>Flew a plane into the Pentagon in Northern Virginia, murdering another 125 people, <SUP>2</sup> and finally <BR>Causing the deaths of 40 innocents when they tried to overpower their plane’s Muslim hijackers. <SUP>3</SUP></UL>
</P><P>Also true, not ALL Muslims were involved.
</P><P>Likewise true, in many Muslim-dominated countries there were celebrations over the "heroic” shahids to murdered 5,916 innocent people.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P></P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><B>TELL ME WHY</B> it is politically wrong to call a spade (Muslim) a spade (Muslim)?
</P><P>When we study history, will we say “There was a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor by some people who didn’t like the U.S.? ” Or will still be able to say “Japan attacked Pearl Harbor without warning on 7 December 1941”?
</P><P>Not <B>ALL</B> Japanese attacked Pearl; indeed, some Japanese in the U.S. volunteered to serve in the U.S. military to defend their country. Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent <B>120,000</B> Japanese-Americans — seniors, women, children — to concentration camps guarded by U.S. military. <SUP>4</SUP>
</P><P>To be fair, Roosevelt also sent a handful of American nazis and fascists to camps as well. But the Japanese — they looked “different.”
</P><P>Since FDR is a (<I>the</I>) Democrat god (with feet of clay), perhaps to be “politically correct” his actions against the Japanese-Americans — and his inactions on behalf of Europe’s Jews, Roma, and others — should be swept under the rug of political correctness.
</P><P>Obviously Democrat supremacy.
</P><P>Harry S Truman, in order to shorten the war, ordered atomic bombs dropped on two Japanese cities. Roosevelt had talked of this, albeit not to his vice president, but the “polls,” by which everything he did was done, still were less than he wanted.
</P><P>FDR died.
</P><P>Truman ended the war.
</P><P>Harry S obviously was a white supremacist. From a Southern state, Truman integrated the armed forces, thereby allowing blacks to serve along side, and die with, white soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
</P><P>Every “woke” person <I>knows</I> Truman’s true intent.
</P><P>Other liberal demigods are the Kennedys. JFK, in FDR’s tradition, was a womanizer despite having a wife.
</P><P>Abraham Lincoln’s only freed <I>some</I> slaves to act as a fifth column in Southern states and to serve as cannon fodder for his armies — <B>always</B> under white officers. (Lincoln did <B><font color=red>NOT</font></B> emancipate slaves in states that remained in the union.)
</P><P>Obviously Lincoln statues must be tumbled and turned into rubble now that the “woke generation” knows his true colors. (Obviously another white supremacist; he just did not don a KKK robe.)
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Liberals are the “true” egalitarians</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Were that the heading was true.
</P><P>Liberals, leftists, are the true supremacists.
</P><P>Most are white and live safely away from the neighborhoods targeted by the liberals’ proxies, such as Black Lives Matter (except for blacks who kill other blacks for no apparent reason).
</P><P>Not all leftists are white. Some, such as several members of the U.S. congress, are “people of color”; one claimed to be an American Indian (but was outed).
</P><P>Back in the days of “block busting,” in which a black family would buy into a “white” neighborhood, it was the liberals who sold to the blacks and promptly moved to another lily white neighborhood.
</P><P>These were the same people when schools were integrated, quickly started private schools that effectively protected their children from the “scourge of integration.” (This was not “just” a southern thing; northern states acted equally to protect their delicate children and to avoid busing.)
</P><P>The liberals scream to “defund the police.” Inside their gated communities, they can afford to defund the police. However, other people — the people the liberals <I>claim</I> to care about, remain victims of drive by shootings, burglaries, rape, and mayhem because there are not enough police to protect them.
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="70%" ALIGN=LEFT SHADE=4 COLOR=GOLD SIZE=6>
</P><P>
</P><P><B>How to avoid “police brutality</B> Simple. Do what the cop says. If the cop is wrong, the court will resolve the issue. Don’t fight with the cop. Don’t threaten the cop. Comply with the cop’s instructions. It may be hard to “keep cool,” but that is the only way to avoid a confrontation with consequences.
</P><P>
</P><P></P><P><hr width="70%" ALIGN=RIGHT SHADE=4 COLOR=GOLD SIZE=6>
</P><P>
</P><P>Anyone who denies there are bad cops is a fool. There are. The communities that hire them need to find ways to get them off the force.
</P><P>By the same token, there are good cops who simply are pushed too far. Cops are, after all, only human.
</P><P>There also are good reporters — reporters who endeavor to report ALL the facts — and bad reporters, who report only what they want their audience to know. A good reporter puts personal leanings — liberal, conservative — aside for the sake of honest, complete reporting.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><I>Truth in blogging. This scrivener’s first born is a cop. He neither is a bully nor a patsy.</I>
</P><P></FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. Twin Towers: https://tinyurl.com/uceavaz6
</P><P>2. Pentagon: https://tinyurl.com/y2kmw57s
</P><P>3. Pennsylvania: https://tinyurl.com/t3dr94jk
</P><P>4. FDR: https://tinyurl.com/9whnv3mw </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Communications failure">Comment on Communications failure</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-55920938089506536732021-07-29T12:07:00.001+01:002021-07-29T12:18:12.319+01:00Opuscula Not anti-Semite’s Public posts belie Truth she would hide<P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uRIOF-IvB7g/YQKJu6hiHFI/AAAAAAAAEWQ/obWlXiFPBX46BDDTFgnl1_gWQpFhGAyXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s393/NOT%2BANTISEMITE%2BHAH.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="393" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uRIOF-IvB7g/YQKJu6hiHFI/AAAAAAAAEWQ/obWlXiFPBX46BDDTFgnl1_gWQpFhGAyXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/NOT%2BANTISEMITE%2BHAH.png"/></a></div><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif><B>‘I’m a victim of online hate, I’m not anti-Semitic’</b> complains Anuradha Mittal, the chair of Ben & Jerry’s board of directors.
</P><P>Apparently her desire to have Ben & Jerry’s boycott Israel — watered down by Ben & Jerry’s corporate owner, England’s Unilever to “just” the Jewish settlements across the so-called “green line” has brought a plethora of uncomplimentary comments, ergo the whine: “‘I’m a victim of online hate.”</FONT>
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</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><B>THE PROBLEM MS. MITTAL FACES</B> is that there is an abundance of evidence that she is, indeed, either anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, if one is to split hairs. Or, to take a positive spin on her position, she is an ignorant booster of the PLO/PFLP and Hamas.
</P><P>According to an article in Israel National News (https://tinyurl.com/7n9se3kp) — obviously a biased, untrustworthy source — citing <I>Stop Anti-Semitism</I>, Mittal has racked up no less than 100 tweets in recent years specifically criticizing Israel, including one which referred to the birth of the country as a “catastrophe.”
</P><P>The Israeli source notes that <I>During May 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, Mittal responded to a statement by President Joe Biden which said Israel had the right to defend itself.
</P><P><B>“Defend itself against what? Stop condoning war crimes and apartheid,”</B> she wrote.</I>
</P><P>It is blatantly obvious that Ms. Mittal knows nothing about war crimes <B>or</B> apartheid.
</P><P><UL>Never mind that the war crimes were <B>committed by Hamas</B> firing missiles at Israeli civilians — and managing to <I>indiscriminately</I> kill both non-combatant Arabs and Jews without declaring war on Israel — both prohibited by international conventions. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_crime)
</P><P>As far <B>apartheid</B>, it does not exist in Israel. There is zero government support or approval of discrimination due to religion, race, or sex, a requirement for apartheid by any definition. There is personal prejudice against this group or that group, but it is just that, “personal.” It is neither sanctioned nor condoned by the government.
</P><P>There are jobs that Muslims (vs. Arabs in general) have limited opportunities. Such jobs typically involve national security. On the other hand, non-Muslim Arabs have found work everywhere in Israel since its founding.</UL>
</P><P>Last week, Mittal told NBC News that Ben & Jerry’s had planned a full-blown boycott of Israel, but their parent company, Unilever, intervened and changed the statement at the last minute to read that their products would still be available in Israel “proper.”
</P><P>She insinuated that Unilever’s business decision to continue operating in Israel, despite Ben & Jerry’s objections, was inherently racist and sexist.
</P><P>“I can’t stop thinking that this is what happens when you have a board with all women and people of color who have been pushing to do the right thing,” she said.
</P><P><B>DOES NOT COMPUTE</b>
</P><P>Ben & Jerry’s board is “all women and people of color.” The way she phrased her words, it <I>appears</I> that “this is what happens when you have a board with all women and people of color who have been pushing to do the right thing,” that the “right thing” to do is <B>NOT</B> boycott Israel.
</P><P>I understand she is pillorying the English company’s management for preventing her from a total boycott of the Israeli Ben & Jerry’s franchise with her convoluted sentence.
</P><P>Unilever might have been spared conflict with the governments of several U.S. states as well as the federal government; it could have had <I>all</I> Unilever products banned in certain states had Ms. Mittal succeeded in her ignorance.
</P><P>AS IT HAPPENS, The Israeli Ben & Jerry’s franchise promises to continue selling to all markets (her action may have voided the franchise contract in any case), and Israel has an abundance of local ice cream manufacturers and also imports ice creams — there is no shortage of ice cream in Israel. (There are some Israelis who prefer another local brand, claiming it is better than Ben & Jerry’s.)
</P><P>I understand the “democratic” PLO/PFLP — which has not had an election for the top job in 15 years! — and its leftist sycophants appealed to Ms. Mittal to initiate the boycott.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Question for Ms. Mittal</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>When was the last time <I><U>you</U></I> were in Israel? Were you <I><U>ever</U></I> in a PLO/PFLP or Hamas-controlled community?
</P><P>Is there any reason Ben & Jerry’s, with help from its owner-du-jour, cannot help the “Palestinians” set up their own Ben & Jerry’s franchise.
</P><P>The Israeli franchise employs about 160 people — how many are Arabs, how many are Jews — and it buys raw materials from local farmers.
</P><P><B >Rather than illegally boycott a franchise that turns a profit for Unilever, set up a “Palestinian”-owned franchise in territory-controlled by the PLO/PFLP or Hamas; put “Palestinians” to work; support “Palestinian” dairy farmers.</B>
</P><P>But understand, that in the PLO/PFLP or Hamas territories, there <B>IS</B> apartheid. A Jew enters these area at the risk of his or her life. A Jew cannot buy land in either territory. A Jew cannot work at any job in the territory and most assuredly cannot hold a government or elected position.
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</P><P><B><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>NOW THAT’S APARTHEID</FONT></B>
</P><P>
</P><P>How do I know this.
</P><P>I have eyes to see and ears to hear.
</P><P>I am an U.S. citizen by birth. I also am an Israeli who returned after a 42-year stint in the States.
</P><P>I live in Israel.
</P><P>I have been hospitalized in Israel where I was attended by Jewish and Muslim doctors, nurses, technicians, and aides.
</P><P>I shop at markets that employ Jews and Muslims — at equal pay for equal work.
</P><P>In other words, <B>un</B>like Ms. Mittal, I have first hand knowledge of life in Israel.
</P><P>It is <B>NOT</B> the canard Ms. Mittal would have other ignorant people believe.
</P><P>Who she is parroting is known only to her and her like-minded ignoramuses. </FONT>
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8nKtjXlHQQA/YQKJhnM023I/AAAAAAAAEWM/XVLXWys5dB8AVxKnEJpEbDDaGo5M6RvlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s300/3%2BPARROTS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8nKtjXlHQQA/YQKJhnM023I/AAAAAAAAEWM/XVLXWys5dB8AVxKnEJpEbDDaGo5M6RvlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/3%2BPARROTS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</P><P>Three parrots – do they “parrot” each other?</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Not anti-Semite">Comment on Not anti-Semite</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-12641328165802483752021-07-27T14:35:00.001+01:002021-07-27T14:59:19.911+01:00Opuscula Before accusing, Personally check Facts you espouse<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>IT IS BEYOND MY KEN how people parrot “facts” that are indeed lies.
</P><P>Israel is an “apartheid state.”
</P><P>Israel oppresses Arabs.
</P><P>Israel is racist.
</P><P>Those canards are, in two words, <B>BOVINE EXCREMENT</B>
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DD1Zw6XjHIY/YP_o9Rf3YAI/AAAAAAAAEVs/dAiK4WfOD8IGRlzzkWXUiW2xeJ-iWFUTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s190/BS%2BMETER.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="190" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DD1Zw6XjHIY/YP_o9Rf3YAI/AAAAAAAAEVs/dAiK4WfOD8IGRlzzkWXUiW2xeJ-iWFUTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BS%2BMETER.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Bovine Excrement meter from WWW</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>QUICK QUESTION</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Have any of the people making these claims ever BEEN to Israel. Do any of these people have <I>first hand</I> knowledge of life in Israel?</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>HONESTY IN BLOGGING: I live in Yavne, Israel, within range of Hamas’ missiles targeting civilian sites.
</P><P>I am being treated at a Tel Aviv hospital because my family doctor feared to send me to Ashdod, south of Yavne, because of Hamas’ missiles.
</P><P>I have been confined to a roughly 10*12 “safe room” with three other adults, three children, and a large dog because of Hamas’ rockets.
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</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Apartheid</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>First, define “apartheid.”
</P><P>Wikipedia does this at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid
</P><P>Britannica defines it at https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid
</P><P>Merriam-Webster lists it at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apartheid
</P><P>Collins Dictionary explains it at https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/apartheid
</P><P>Dictionary.com offers a succinct definition at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/apartheid:
</P><P><UL>(in the Republic of South Africa) a rigid former policy of segregating and economically and politically oppressing the nonwhite population. <BR>any system or practice that separates people according to color, ethnicity, caste, etc. </UL>
</P><P>All definitions basically are the same; some offer more commentary, but the “bottom line” is segregation and economic restrictions.
</P><P><B>APARTHEID DOES <FONT COLOR=RED>NOT</FONT> EXIST IN ISRAEL</B>
</P><P>True, there are predominately Jewish neighborhoods.
</P><P>Likewise, there are predominately Muslim neighborhoods.
</P><P>There also are — fewer now following recent riots — mixed neighborhoods. (https://tinyurl.com/wvvt2kcp)
</P><P>By law, any Israeli citizen — Arab (Druze, Muslim, etc.), Jew, and “other” — can live any place he or she can afford.
</P><P>Most people tend to prefer living close to people of similar background; that’s human nature. Call it “natural” social apartheid.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Economic apartheid</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>There <I>IS</I> economic apartheid in Israel.
</P><P>Muslims rarely are found in positions where national security is an issue.
</P><P>Rarely, but not absolutely.
</P><P>Arabs — whenever “Arab” appears on this blog, the word refers to Arabs <I>regardless</I> of their religion, or lack of it — are everywhere:
</P><P><UL>Courts <BR>
</P><P>Knesset <BR>
</P><P>Medicine, <BR>
</P><P>Military <BR>
</P><P>Municipal governments <BR>
</P><P>Police <BR>
</P><P>Universities and schools </UL>
</P><P>There are <B>NO</B> Arab-free occupations (except perhaps the rabbinate).
</P><P>There <B>ARE</B> some “Muslim-free” occupations when national security is concerned.
</P><P><UL>Communists once were banned from employment by the U.S. government. Communists once also were banned from Congress. Apartheid? Or common sense?</UL>
</P><P>I recently spent far too many days in an Israeli hospital.
</P><P>I was checked by Jewish and Muslim doctors.
</P><P>I was “observed” by Jewish and Muslim medical students trailing their professor on rounds.
</P><P>I had blood drawn (repeatedly) by Jewish and Muslim technicians.
</P><P>Jewish and Muslim nurses attended to my care.
</P><P>Jewish and Muslim aides were a constant.
</P><P>I shared space with an Arab.
</P><P>What was absent was animosity, at least as far as patient care was concerned.
</P><P>In other words, no apartheid at the hospital (or the associated university).
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Occupation</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>When your country is <I>repeatedly</I> attacked by your neighbors, you try to keep the neighbor at bay.
</P><P>The so-called West Bank was captured by Jordan in 1948.
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</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OUdfBKpE8Xg/YP_pd29sXnI/AAAAAAAAEV0/AOOZ_7vU1nc02J0YfL5vMuZHUkSh03IfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1106/1947%2BPartition%2Bmap.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="756" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OUdfBKpE8Xg/YP_pd29sXnI/AAAAAAAAEV0/AOOZ_7vU1nc02J0YfL5vMuZHUkSh03IfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/1947%2BPartition%2Bmap.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>1947 Partition and 1948 Arab aggression map(https://tinyurl.com/mfr8umvy)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P>The so-called West Bank was reclaimed from Jordan after the 1967 (6-Day) war in which Israeli implored Jordan <B>not</B> to enter.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h7tGFYYR25U/YP_poCwec1I/AAAAAAAAEV4/vphWNsEhFxojzXA0pXu8I6DiJcKIGLsZACLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Before%2Band%2BAfter%2Bmap.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h7tGFYYR25U/YP_poCwec1I/AAAAAAAAEV4/vphWNsEhFxojzXA0pXu8I6DiJcKIGLsZACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Before%2Band%2BAfter%2Bmap.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Before and after 1967 (6-Day) War (BBC @ https://tinyurl.com/u7ye8s)</FONT></DIV>
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</P><P>Even after defeating the invading Arab armies (again) and gaining control of Israel’s historic capital (Jerusalem), Israel allowed the Muslim Waqf to maintain jurisdiction over Judaism’s holiest site — only Number 3 to Muslims — making the Temple Mount a place Jews cannot pray.
</P><P><I>Talk about apartheid!</I>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Check points</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>What is the purpose of border check points?
</P><P>According to Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/34vr9m62), <I>A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travelers or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. ... To prevent entrance of goods that are illegal or subject to restriction, or to collect tariffs.</I>
</P><P>Arabs from the PLO/PFLP and Hamas occupied territories are obliged to go through check points to enter Israel.
</P><P>(Israelis enter these areas at the risk of their lives. Now THAT’s apartheid.)
</P><P>Arabs from Hamas-controlled Gaza also must pass through an Egyptian check point — when the border portal is open.
</P><P>U.S. citizens visiting Canada are required to pass Canadian border security inspection. On their return, U.S. citizens (now) need to provide a U.S. passport and a declaration statement.
</P><P>Only illegal aliens crossing the U.S. southern border are exempt from these onerous inconveniences.
</P><P>Residents of both PLO/PFLP and Hamas have been known to sneak weapons into Israel to murder Israelis — Arabs, Jews, and “others.” Most security-conscious people would consider a border check point a wise endeavor.
</P><P>Despite the fact that too many people from the PLO/PFLP and Hamas-controlled areas have tried, and sometimes succeeded, to murder Israels, their masters complain about the inconvenience.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Racism</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Is there racism in Israel?
</P><P>Yes.
</P><P>Although they have been in Israel since King David, the swarthy Israeli is looked down on by Euro-Jews, recent arrivals (c 1890).
</P><P>These is the same culture that brought racism to the U.S.
</P><P>The U.S. inherited racism from the English who not only are racists but classists (snobs) as well.
</P><P><I>It might be considered “fair” since the first Jews in North America were Spanish-Portuguese (Sefardi). The Sefardim were less than welcoming when the German Jews arrived. (The Germans then snubbed Jews who came later.)</I>
</P><P>Israel is a nation of color.
</P><P>White as snow to black as night.
</P><P>There are no restrictions on where any Jew (or Arab citizen, for that matter) may reside, but as noted above, people tend to prefer to live with others of a like mind.
</P><P>Likewise, there are no restrictions regarding employment.
</P><P>There is a requirement for a university degree to get any good paying job in Israel; no paper, no prestigious job. It’s not <B>what</B> you know but what piece of paper you have. (Another left over from the English.)
</P><P>The Ethiopians are the newest immigrants. As the “new kid on the block,” and lacking higher education, they currently are working mostly as unskilled labor.
</P><P>BUT, they are gaining education and as others before them, they too will move up.
</P><P>It’s not “racism,” it’s “paper-ism.”</FONT>
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</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Check facts">Comment on Check facts</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-30291210616257690872021-07-21T10:02:00.000+01:002021-07-21T10:02:14.376+01:00opuscula World power’s End caused By no win wars? <P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>Donald Trump started it.
</P><P>Joe Biden and Harris-Emhoff will finish it.
</P><P>“It” is America’s exit from Afghanistan.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>Right or wrong, American soldiers have been involved in Afghanistan since 2001 following the Muslim attack on 11 SEP 2001 that brought down two buildings in New York, punched a massive hole in the Pentagon in Virginia, and — thanks to brave passengers — plowed a furrow in a Pennsylvania field. (https://tinyurl.com/4chsxesb)
</P><P>Over the more than two decades of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, more than 2,300 U.S. military personnel have been killed. (https://tinyurl.com/3t2nutmz)
</P><P>Since World War 2, the U.S. has gone from war (Korea) to war (Vietnam) to war (Iraq 1 & 2) and numerous skirmishes.
</P><P>All of the wars since WW2 were “no win” for the U.S. and its occasional allies.
</P><P><UL>True, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was eliminated, but Iranians and their proxies soon filled the vacuum, a vacuum left by the Geo. H.W. Bush presidency. (https://tinyurl.com/6khnm2cm)
</P><P>More than 4.500 U.S. military personnel lost their lives in Iraq between 2003 and 2020. (https://tinyurl.com/fetx49hu)</UL>
</P><P>Americans are tired of “no win” wars.
</P><P>Americans are tired of being the “world’s policemen.”
</P><P>It is not fear; most of the men and women in uniform are brave enough.
</P><P>It is simply knowing that the politicians allegedly “running” the wars don’t finish the job.
</P><P>Harry S Truman was the last president to “finish the job.” (https://tinyurl.com/nxbn28jy)
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>”Allies” worried</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>America’s “allies” and “friends,” especially the Muslims, are concerned that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will allow the Taliban to recover and, in turn, will help the so-called Islamic State, in its various incarnations, to reconstitute, therefore threatening the U.S.’ Muslim “fair weather friends.”
</P><P>In addition, China (https://tinyurl.com/4dtnuyd6), England (https://tinyurl.com/4r7mekpy), and Pakistan (https://tinyurl.com/khh7a4e6) must be concerned about the resurgence of Islamic State.
</P><P>Islamic State had operations in Muslim-dominated countries around the world.
</P><P>In Iraq and Syria, it used many of those countries' existing governorate boundaries to subdivide territory it conquered and claimed; it called these divisions wilayah or provinces. By June 2015, IS had also established official "provinces" in Libya, Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and the North Caucasus. It received pledges of allegiance and published media releases via groups in Somalia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, but it has not announced any further official branches, instead identifying new affiliates as simply "soldiers of the caliphate". (https://tinyurl.com/59fdj4)
</P><P>The question remains: As Islamic State reconstitutes on fertile ground (ibid.), will U.S. politicians volunteer Americans to contest Islamic State and its followers?
</P><P>The alternative <I>seems</I> to be China.
</P><P>That begs the question: Will the Biden/Harris-Emhoff regime allow China to spread its hegemony in an area the U.S. has for many years considered, rightly or wrongly, is own sphere of influence. Biden allegedly already has a financial stake in China.
</P><P><UL>In an opinion piece by the Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board, the publication contends that <I>A May 2017 email thread that includes a discussion about “remuneration packages” for six people as part of a business deal with a now-defunct Chinese energy titan, CEFC China Energy. The Chinese company was international news a few years ago, after the U.S. government charged a CEFC-funded organization with money laundering, and its CEO was detained by Chinese authorities. CNN reported in 2018 that “at its height” CEFC was “hard to distinguish” from the Chinese government.
</P><P>According to the emails, both Bidens were in line in 2017 to benefit from a deal with CEFC. One email appears to identify Hunter Biden as “Chair/Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC.” It also refers to financial payments in terms of “20” for “H” and “10 held by H for the big guy?</I> (https://tinyurl.com/zjx2tcep) </UL>
</P><P>China currently has a <I>“One Belt, One Road" Initiative</I> that extends, via land and sea, between China and Europe (see map, below). Toward that end, China is buying control of marine ports and offering to build railroads that would eventually expedite shipment of goods to and from China — as well as giving the Communists a financial and political foothold in all the nations on its routes.
</P><P><UL>What this might imply for U.S. military and naval operations is anyone’s guess.</UL>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTd2LZM5wyk/YPfhGOByoQI/AAAAAAAAEVA/H8PEZenrIU0JGU-9VY1UXAJc2ERCwuVSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/One%2BRoaad.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="750" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTd2LZM5wyk/YPfhGOByoQI/AAAAAAAAEVA/H8PEZenrIU0JGU-9VY1UXAJc2ERCwuVSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/One%2BRoaad.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Map of China's "One Belt, One Road" Initiative (https://tinyurl.com/53kzztry) </FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>America passe’?</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>There is a notion that a nation can remain a “power” for a finite number of years.
</P><P><UL>British Empire (1707 – 1914) <br>Greek rule (776 BCE to 323 BCE)<BR>Roman Empire ( 27 BCE – 476 BC ) </UL>
</P><P>While the U.S. was “just another country” until World War 1, it has been a “world power” only since 1917.
</P><P>Will the withdrawal from Afghanistan and reneging on agreements, combined with the emergence of China as a contender, and the demise of the Soviet Union and Russia’s influence, signal the beginning of the end for U.S. influence around the globe.
</P><P>Will the renminbi (RMB) with an image of Mao Zedong replace U.S. dollars bearing the features of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln?
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZY8MiVnB7g/YPfg1UmSyfI/AAAAAAAAEU4/t8qoiPcRYuYNo8fcVfqbq-jQlPV596F8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s332/currency.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZY8MiVnB7g/YPfg1UmSyfI/AAAAAAAAEU4/t8qoiPcRYuYNo8fcVfqbq-jQlPV596F8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/currency.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Chinese renminbi and U.S. $2 bill</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>Wars contributed to the demise of former powers.
</P><P>No win wars may prove to lead to the demise of the United States as a world power.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=No win wars">Comment on No win wars</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-36020555754057527842021-07-18T14:03:00.001+01:002021-07-19T16:43:57.894+01:00Enterprise Risk Management Wanted: Mascot To promoteRisk management<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>BEING VAIN AND HAVING A LITTLE time on my hands, I revisited some entries on this blog site.
</P><P>Early on it was dedicated to Enterprise Risk Management, a/k/a business continuity, COOP, and even disaster recovery.
</P><P>In the entry for Sunday, January 4, 2009, I wrote that
</P><P><UL>Smokey, the senior spokes-cartoon, has been around since 1944 - the Bear is almost old enough to file for full social security and probably older than most of this blog's readers. Many of you grew up with Smokey or Sparky, Smokey's urban counterpart. Today's kids, unfortunately, also have - and need - an anti-crime mascot, McGruff who "takes a bite out of crime." </UL></font>
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4NeKU3oTUw/YPQkuN7v1MI/AAAAAAAAEUc/utHMPLKV3rokrXnsLYZOVch4VAG6Ga5DACLcBGAsYHQ/s786/THREE%2BMASCOTS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="786" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4NeKU3oTUw/YPQkuN7v1MI/AAAAAAAAEUc/utHMPLKV3rokrXnsLYZOVch4VAG6Ga5DACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/THREE%2BMASCOTS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Three mascots</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><UL>Smokey, more than the others, pops up in places you would expect—at the entrances to federal and state parks and forests—and in places you might not expect - on a subway in a major metro area.
</P><P>He is almost ubiquitous.
</P><P>That's what we need - a message, or perhaps a messenger associated with a specific message - that "is almost ubiquitous" and one we collectively are introduced to at an early age. </UL>
</P><P>Of three mascots mentioned above, only one comes from a cartoonist's mind. The others are based on actual animals, particularly Smokey. The suggestion is that whatever image carries our message, it has to be one able to span the generations with minimal change (think of Aunt Jemima who "slimmed down" and, I think, lost a great deal of her appeal). This is not a job for Joe Camel or the Marlboro Man.
</P><P>The nice thing about animals - at least those that look like "the real thing" (e.g., Smokey and Sparky vs. Joe Camel or the Pink Panther) is that they are based on something we can see, albeit perhaps only in a zoo or picture book, and these animals, unlike people (e.g., Uncle Sam and Aunt Jemima) are free of any racial connection; they are almost "politically correct." (I have a little black bunny named Franklyn who would volunteer and I'm sure he could "beat the drum" for self-preservation at least as good as that obnoxious battery bunny.)
</P><P>I've done a bit marketing in my day, but I think selection of a suitable mascot for self-preservation needs to be "discovered" by advertising pros and approved by the experts in kindergarten - these experts are, after all, the ones who will carry the message to their parents and, later as parents themselves, will share it with their children. </UL>
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jVHlsfj1MnI/YPQklDtJKJI/AAAAAAAAEUU/6GXe8PFDFV8zGDnesA_rVmQtmqF4KragQCLcBGAsYHQ/s396/FRANKLYN%2BRECLINIING.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="396" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jVHlsfj1MnI/YPQklDtJKJI/AAAAAAAAEUU/6GXe8PFDFV8zGDnesA_rVmQtmqF4KragQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/FRANKLYN%2BRECLINIING.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</P><P>Spokes rabbit candidate Franklyn</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>The <I>problem</I> with Franklyn is that he may be too “laid back.”
</P><P>On the other hand, knowing he has a valid, tested, maintained, and regularly exercised enterprise risk management plan at hand, he <I>may be justified</I> in his laid back attitude.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>On the other hand</FONT></H2></B>
.4</P><P>On the other had, managers who refuse to take enterprise risk management seriously might be represented by a horse (that can be led to water but won’t drink), or an ostrich, with its head in the sand.
</P><P><UL>By the way, according to Science Focus (https://tinyurl.com/2k759pb7) <I>As flightless birds, ostriches are unable to build nests in trees, so they lay their eggs in holes dug in the ground. To make sure that the eggs are evenly heated, they occasionally stick their heads into the nest to rotate the eggs, which makes it look like they’re trying to hide – hence the myth.</I></UL>
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h2pcjPRyXe4/YPQkarkZLlI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/IWRPKteim5kH2WEaBPRCsUIpJEQ526wqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s484/OSTRICH.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h2pcjPRyXe4/YPQkarkZLlI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/IWRPKteim5kH2WEaBPRCsUIpJEQ526wqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/OSTRICH.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Ostrich checking eggs (https://tinyurl.com/2k759pb7)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>Images of events — e.g., Rome burning, the attacks in Pearl Harbor (7 DEC 1941) and the Twin Towers (11 SEP 2011), floods and forest fires — are limited to one risk. Even a cartoon of the Chinese virus has limited application.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Frankie’s advantage</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Since a mascot that is <I>less likely</I> to offend is racially and sexually neutral, the current mascots — Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog, and McGraw the “Take a bite out of crime” Dog — all seem to be males, someone most assuredly will object to their use (if objections have not already been raised).
</P><P>While Franklyn the rabbit is a male, it is not an easily visible attribute, at least not in the manner of the current mascots.
</P><P>Someone might take umbrage because he is black or because he is a Polish dwarf rabbit. But he has relatives who are other colors — sometimes several colors in spots and patches — and relatives who have different ancestry — it’s easy to tell by their ears.
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk4Y1L1pBVM/YPQjpfSxYWI/AAAAAAAAEUI/zN-7Fn3ui6koFNawI6dQIXEPRGrh4Mt6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/JESSICA%2BRABBIT.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="189" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk4Y1L1pBVM/YPQjpfSxYWI/AAAAAAAAEUI/zN-7Fn3ui6koFNawI6dQIXEPRGrh4Mt6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/JESSICA%2BRABBIT.jpg"/></a></div>Franklyn <I>appears</I> to be a passive bunny, but he had his aggressive moments. Looks, in this rabbit’s case, can be deceiving.
</P><P>On the other hand, Franklyn is not obnoxious, unlike the battery bunny, nor does he lay eggs as the Cadbury claims (no one wants to “lay an egg” if, when a plan is needed, it fails). Uncle Remus’ Br'r Rabbit might be suitable, but he is a conniver: “Don’t throw me into that brier patch.” Besides, Uncle Remus and his tales are unacceptable to the “woke” generation. The Trix cereal rabbit is too flighty while Jessica Rabbit (right) simply is “too much.” It’s hard to take Chuck Jones and Warner Brothers’ Bugs Bunny seriously, even though the Warners and Bugs "teamed up" to defeat Hitler. (https://tinyurl.com/ka5x2ym9).
</P><P>
</P><P>My vote goes for Franklyn as the Enterprise Risk Management mascot. (Jessica Rabbit gets my vote as First Runner Up; but I know NOW and other ladies’ leagues will object.
</P><P>In his 14 years as my roomie, I never saw him loose his cool.
</P><P>He did kick up his heels on occasion, but he always showed up when needed.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com? subject=ERM Mascot">Comment on ERM Mascot</a></B></P></FONT>
Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-54914255895042628412021-07-17T19:49:00.001+01:002021-07-17T19:49:21.914+01:00Opuscula Latin America Se habla Español Aliens: Head south<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>JUST A THOUGHT.
</P><P>People from Spanish-speaking countries (e.g., alphabetically, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua) come to the U.S. primarily for economics. No one faults the <B>LEGAL</B> immigrants, those people who follow the law and suffer the most when the illegals take their place in line.
</P><P>But why the ILLEGALS head north is beyond my ken.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXpv8FyJvAk/YPMkOWH7XDI/AAAAAAAAETs/uxi4oNVYKkM4Jcj-LWL7laVkp_ftT1PLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s506/CENTRAL%2BAMEERICA%2BMAP.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="506" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXpv8FyJvAk/YPMkOWH7XDI/AAAAAAAAETs/uxi4oNVYKkM4Jcj-LWL7laVkp_ftT1PLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/CENTRAL%2BAMEERICA%2BMAP.gif"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</P><P>Infoplease Central America Map <BR>(https://tinyurl.com/429nxzwv)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>There are a number of disadvantages for illegal aliens from the south.
</P><P><UL><B>LANGUAGE</B> English is <B>not</B> an easy language to learn. Even many “born-in-America” citizens have problems with the language. (Just listen to tv talking heads abuse the language.)
</P><P><B>JOBS</B> While illegals can get jobs from the U.S. criminals<SUP>1</SUP> that hire them, their wages are well below minimum wage for citizens and green card holders. Most of the jobs are “dead end” jobs from which the illegal aliens never can extricate themselves.
</P><P>Let the government sweep down (as it should) and demand I-9s for all an organization’s employees — even domestics — and let the courts levy heavy fines for hiring illegals and watch how many jobs disappear.
</P><P>(If there were no jobs, most <I>non-criminal</I> illegals — that is, the ones who are not smuggling weapons or drugs into the U.S. — would go elsewhere.)
</P><P><B>ICE</B> Despite the Biden/Harris-Emhoff administration’s best efforts to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ICE, at least for now, remains in business. It might only be an inconvenience for an illegal alien, but it <I>could</I> separate members of a family. “Cages” for children were introduced <B>NOT</B> by Donald Trump but by Barack Obama and continue under his former vice president.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Better alternatives</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Latinos looking for a better life should look <B>SOUTH</B> rather than north.
</P><P>First, there are many countries in South America that have Spanish as their national language. In addition to South America, there also is Spain and, in Africa, Equatorial Guinea.
</P><P>Bottom line: There is no shortage of countries where Spanish, or a variation of it, is the national language.
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3vJ-HOrzWUg/YPMkdTOvagI/AAAAAAAAETw/Rxw1NUJ8yQsPQsaWNk4JWLf3OXxMO3dAACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SPANISH%2BSPEAKERS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3vJ-HOrzWUg/YPMkdTOvagI/AAAAAAAAETw/Rxw1NUJ8yQsPQsaWNk4JWLf3OXxMO3dAACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/SPANISH%2BSPEAKERS.jpg"/></a></div>S<DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Map of Spanish-Speaking Countries <BR>(https://tinyurl.com/uvs3pzh9)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>Having the language, if not the citizenship, is a start.
</P><P>It means it will be easier to find a job if a person is willing to work.
</P><P>It means that it is easier to <B>hide</B> from authorities if the country is an unwilling host.
</P><P>It is possible to get from the north (Mexico) to, say Santiago Chile, by air, bus, or private vehicle.
</P><P>
</P><P>The economy in South America measured in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compares favorably with the U.S. According to the World Bank (https://tinyurl.com/ff7wabr4), the GDP for the U.S. in 2020 was 20,936,600. By comparison, the World Bank lists South American countries, some of which have HIGHER GDP than the U.S.!
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzZenHmgWWg/YPMkqK3Z2aI/AAAAAAAAET4/30dvtVS3FOcT48O3fwLmINx74hDct4W2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s771/WORLD%2BBANK.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="771" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzZenHmgWWg/YPMkqK3Z2aI/AAAAAAAAET4/30dvtVS3FOcT48O3fwLmINx74hDct4W2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/WORLD%2BBANK.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>World Bank GDP for South American <BR>nations (https://tinyurl.com/52bp7jjf)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Does not compute</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>Realistically why would anyone from Latin America <B>want</B> to come to the U.S,
</P><P>They will forever be looking over their shoulders for ICE and the IRS.
</P><P>They have the disadvantage of language.
</P><P>They are severely limited in the jobs they can hold and the people who will hire them.
</P><P>Salaries for illegals are well below minimum wage — what choice does the illegal have?
</P><P>They can’t go home unless they are prepared to start over again.
</P><P>They may have to pay a steep price for a “guide” to get them across the border — and they take a chance that they will die of heat or thirst before arrival.
</P><P>America <I>IS</I> the land of opportunity <I>for legal immigrants.</I>
</P><P>The only “opportunity for illegals is the opportunity to be arrested and deported.
</P><P>(The current administration in Washington is “subject to change,” and a new administration and congress might drastically revise today’s lackadaisical immigration enforcement.)</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
</P><P>1. by definition, hiring an illegal alien is a crime; therefore, employers of illegal aliens are criminals and should be prosecuted accordingly.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
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Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-45698572906482646472021-07-12T15:30:00.001+01:002021-07-12T16:27:27.877+01:00Opuscula Is Biden killing Abraham accords To spite Trump ?<P>
</p><p><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>WHILE “APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING,” it <I>appears</I> that the Biden – Harris Emhoff administration is doing its best to dismantle the Abraham Accords.</FONT>
</p><p>
</p><p><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>IN ORDER TO GET some of Israel’s political foes to the table, former president Trump offered the Arabs a carrot salad they couldn’t refuse.
</p><p>
</p><p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dBLGRCfzDQM/YOxQz1xO4kI/AAAAAAAAETY/K24rBN5wFdQrITH3yaoFUZv6bwv5N4iqACLcBGAsYHQ/s938/CARROT%2BAND%2BSTICK%2BGUARDIAN.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="938" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dBLGRCfzDQM/YOxQz1xO4kI/AAAAAAAAETY/K24rBN5wFdQrITH3yaoFUZv6bwv5N4iqACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/CARROT%2BAND%2BSTICK%2BGUARDIAN.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>
</p><p>Carrot & stick cartoon by Berger & Wyse (https://tinyurl.com/33fwu25z)</FONT></DIV>
</p><p>
</p><p>Along comes Biden & Friends and suddenly
</p><p><UL>(a) the Abraham Accords carrots “disappear”
</p><p>(b) The sticks the PLO/PFLP and Hamas feared are replaced by America’s open wallet
</p><p>(c) Iran is free to develop a nuclear arsenal to use against Israel, the U.S., and Iran’s Muslim neighbors
</p><p>(d) China is given free access to American technology </UL>
</p><p>
</p><p><B>QUICK</B> What is the difference between the U.S. giving money to Israel and giving money to terrorists?
</p><p><UL>1. Israel is an ally, not a terrorist; just ask the U.S. State Department, no friend of Israel.
</p><p>2. Israel is obliged to “Buy American” — to spend U.S. dollars to prop up the U.S. defense industry; a gift with not just a “string,” but a “hawser.”<SUP>1</SUP>
</p><p>3. The PLO/PFLP and Hamas use <b>the NON-REFUNDABLE dollars</B> to teach hate, to buy war materiel from Iran , China, and Russia — the U.S. enjoys zero ROI.</UL>
</p><p>
</p><p>Basically, Biden & Friends are busy UNDOING everything positive that Trump accomplished.
</p><p>Biden’s master had a problem with former Israeli prime minister Netanyahu. Netanyahu is gone (but Biden’s master remains coaching from the wings.)
</p><p>Perhaps Biden’s plan is to encourage Iran’s bomb building and convince the PLO/PFLP, Hamas, and Hezbollah that Trump was just a bad dream; they can go back to doing what their charters demand: the destruction of Israel — with America’s blessing.
</p><p>Since Israel primarily uses Made in America weapons, the U.S. military-industrial complex will have a live proving ground for its products. No Americans soldiers will be put in the line of fire. A win-win for Washington.
</p><p>With the U.S. Congress controlled by “woke” Democrats, Biden’s folly goes unchecked.
</p><p>Trump may have been a bull in a china shop and his tweets were often embarrassing to those who supported him, but he <B>DID</B> accomplish a great deal toward world peace; he did restore the U.S. to a position of strength.
</p><p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eMuJitNGuEY/YOxQ-sgQskI/AAAAAAAAETc/k8SjnD4WnbAqyHz6-kSdTfJ4AKcwi9yvACLcBGAsYHQ/s179/SHADOW%2BKNOWS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="119" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eMuJitNGuEY/YOxQ-sgQskI/AAAAAAAAETc/k8SjnD4WnbAqyHz6-kSdTfJ4AKcwi9yvACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SHADOW%2BKNOWS.jpg"/></a></div>Biden is destroying everything Trump accomplished; he is trying to make 2016-2020 “disappear” as if they never happened.
</p><p>
</p><p><B>THE QUESTION</B> Will the Abraham Accords survive Biden, Harris-Emhoff, and the sycophants surrounding them.
</p><p>
</p><p>Maybe The Shadow knows (right).
</p><p><I>Time</I> (the magazine) won’t tell.</FONT>
</p><p></P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P>
</P><P><FONT FACE=HELVETICA ARIAL SIZE=+1><b>Sources</B>
1. Hawser: https://pekasis.com/en/jetty-topside/mooring-hawser/
</P><P></FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Biden erasing Abraham Accords">Comment on Biden erasing Abraham Accords</a></B></P></FONT>
Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-54661406423867110742021-06-29T20:10:00.000+01:002021-06-29T20:10:47.810+01:00Opuscula There is A difference<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>WHEN I WAS A KID, from six years old to teen years, I went to summer camps.
</P><P>As a six year old, I learned to ride (and care for) horses and shoot a single-shot .22 rifle.
</P><P>Later, as a teen member of Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP’s) Miami Composite Squadron 2, I went to camp at Eglin AFB in Florida’s panhandle. </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>AT THE “DUDE RANCH”, our weapons of choice were cap pistols and the “enemy” varied — sometimes “bad guys” (e.g., the Daltons), sometimes guys in the next tent.
While “Cowboys and Indians” were popular on radio and tv, I don’t recall — 70-plus years later — that indians ever were the enemy. It would have been more likely that the “enemy” would be Germans or Japanese; this was c 1948 and World War Two was not far removed.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Gatling guns and M-1s</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>At Elgin AFB, we <I>heard</I> 10-second bursts of “Gatling” guns (currently the GAU-19/B .50 caliber Gatling – see video at https://tinyurl.com/3kaubs43) being test fired on Air Force F-104 fighters.
</P><P>I vaguely recall firing an M-1 Garand rifle, but any fire arms training was limited and only in passing. We were <B>not</B> trained to be combat soldiers.
</P><P>As a CAP cadet we wore military style uniforms, but we studied flying-related subjects: weather, navigation, search-and-rescue functions, and two-way radio operation among others. CAP in many ways is similar to Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, or JROTC. No bayonet drills, no bomb making, but lots of close order marching.
</P><P><UL>Later, as a 17-year-old enlistee in the Air Force, I fired an M-1 Carbine that had more cosmoline than bullets — the Air Force is not famous for maintaining training rifles.</UL>
</P><P>Bottom line: We were <B>not</B> trained to be soldiers and certainly not shahids (martyrs). We were more likely to hear Gen. Geo. Patton’s famous admonition:
</P><P><UL>No dumb bastard ever won a war by going out and dying for his country. He won it by making some other dumb bastard die for his country.” (https://tinyurl.com/55vaadxc) </UL>
</P><P>than to be encouraged to go gung ho into an unknown situation.
</P><P>We were not trained as children and teens to volunteer to die for flag or apple pie.
</P><P>We <B>were</B> trained in schools, from first grade to graduation, to protect ourselves from the “Russians” who were coming. Hiding in a school basement or under a desk (a totally useless exercise in a nuclear attack) were regular drills.
</P><P><UL>Later I got to know some contemporaries from the Ukraine. We shared stories that turned out to be basically the same; the only thing that changed was the name of the attacking nation: in the U.S., “the Russians are coming”; in the Ukraine, “the Americans are coming.” It seems <I>most</I> “Russians” wanted to avoid war as much as <I>most</I> Americans.</UL>
</P><P>I probably got more actual survival training in the Cub and Boy Scouts (back when the Boy Scouts were for boys).
</P><P>Not being trained to die for the flag is not the same as being trained as pacifists. There never was a suggestion that we should dodge the draft (although may of my generation did, some due to conscientious beliefs, and some for other reasons).
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>In Israel</FONT></H2></B>
</P><P>I have three grandchildren, ages 10 and 6 (twin boys).
</P><P>None are playing soldier, alhough all know they may have to do their time with the military. Their father did his time, as do most Israelis, male and female.
</P><P><B >Despite</B> being forced to repeatedly run to a safe room as mortars were fired from Gaza, the children are not playing “Israelis and Gazans.” Armed with water guns, the victims are brother and sister.
</P><P>When they go to summer camp, they learn thngs children need to know — how to swim being a primary lesson. Singing and dancing are a big part of camp life, be it day camp or overnight camp.
</P><P>Learning to die for country is <b >not</B> part of the curriculum.
</P><P>Golda Meyer (nee Goldie Mabovitch, later Myerson) is famously quoted saying: “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5XEjlzMVCs/YNttoCUypeI/AAAAAAAAESw/G5fA6vuhvBg6DLcGNgF6VaVyudvu3AdKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s512/GOLDAS%2BWORDS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5XEjlzMVCs/YNttoCUypeI/AAAAAAAAESw/G5fA6vuhvBg6DLcGNgF6VaVyudvu3AdKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/GOLDAS%2BWORDS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Golda Meyer quote</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>
</P><P>Given what the world knows — albeit hates to admit — Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and other Iranian proxies apparently are not ready to love their own children, instead teaching them to hate Israel and Jews and preparing them to be shadids — martyrs for a senseless cause.
</P><P><UL>The PLO/PFLP has numerous times been offered — <B>and refused</B > — opportunities to have <I>another</I> “Palestinian” state. (Jordan is, according to the 1947 partition plan, the “real” Palestinian state and the majority of its population are people who claim to be Palestinians.)</UL>
</P><P>The United Nations, in the form of the <I>United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East</I> a/k/a UNRWA , allows its facilities to be used to promote hate against Israel and Jews in general.
</P><P>UNRWA buildings have been used as missile launch sites and UNRWA schools are used as storage areas for war materiel.
</P><P>UNRWA summer camps are run by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to train children to murder Israelis. (https://tinyurl.com/fnvxsy66)
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JdgK5tUT1i8/YNtt5VS68SI/AAAAAAAAES4/f-NpmcuSBsMKpFnCBB0ymVrDm5IJohzogCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/DIFFERENCE-BONES.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JdgK5tUT1i8/YNtt5VS68SI/AAAAAAAAES4/f-NpmcuSBsMKpFnCBB0ymVrDm5IJohzogCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/DIFFERENCE-BONES.png"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Editorial cartoon by Yaakov Kirschen (https://tinyurl.com/mczb7b2v)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>This training is on-going and blatant.
</P><P>It is <B>not</B> like summer camp in any democracy.
</P><P>It <B>IS</B> a summer camp that trains children to sacrifice their lives (while their masters hide safely far from the conflict).
</P><P>It <B>IS</B> a summer camp that trains children to murder others.
</P><P>It assures that another generation will be raised to hate, will be prepared to die for a senseless cause, a cause that <B><I>could have been resolved peacefully in 1948.</I></B >
</P><P>
</P><P>And the UN looks the other way.</FONT>
</P><P></P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Difference">Comment on Difference</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-6659533869134978762021-06-27T16:27:00.000+01:002021-06-27T16:27:48.638+01:00Opuscula Hospital departments Can’t share data; Patient’s patience gone<P>
</P><P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>I DON’T KNOW IF <I>ALL</I> HOSPITALS in Israel are alike, but departments in a hospital in which I recently was a patient don’t share information.
</P><P>In a country that is as technologically advanced as Israel, this comes as a shock.
</P><P><B>All</B> my medical information at a Florida hospital where I had several stays could be accessed by all departments, the patient’s personal doctor, <I>and</I> the patient. That hospital is “semi-private”; that is it gets some taxpayer dollars. It is not associated with a university. The Israeli hospital is funded by the Israeli government and foreign donations and is a training hospital for a central Israel university/
</P><P>When I was a young Air Force enlisted man, I hand-carried my medical records from base to base. This was c 1960, before computers were ubiquitous. </FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF>THIS RANT STRICTLY IS ABOUT inter-department communications at one Israeli hospital. I don’t know if other facilities are as bad, but this lack of inter-department communication is dangerous to a patient’s well being.
</P><P>For the record, this hospital <I>used to be</I> in Time magazines’ Top 10; it has fallen to the Top 20 worldwide (but the Top Ten brag still hangs at the entrance).
</P><P>
</P><P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgDKsI-3woE/YNiWe0mu88I/AAAAAAAAESY/Uevz9q0E7hMWLGw7QD95-IwL-sI71PxAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s261/disconnect-2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="193" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgDKsI-3woE/YNiWe0mu88I/AAAAAAAAESY/Uevz9q0E7hMWLGw7QD95-IwL-sI71PxAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/disconnect-2.jpg"/></a></div> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Tesla Kawakami cartoon (https://tinyurl.com/y52x9cay)</FONT></DIV>
</P><P>Because I first was admitted for “observation,” I was lodged in one department.
</P><P>Aside from the fact that the food was inedible and no one bothered to test for blood sugar after a meal — despite being on a diabetic meal plan — things were “OK.” The personnel were good to great.
</P><P>I got a 25 hour pass and had to return to a different department.
</P><P>My records (apparently) never left the first department. There was no continuity.
</P><P><I>To be fair, almost all my test results have been promptly forwarded to my PCP; when he fails to receive an expected report, he chases it down.</I>
</P><P>A specialist determined that I needed an operation to remove a blockage in my left ureter. (https://tinyurl.com/93b6jnze)
</P><P>When he was unable to do what he assured me he could do, he managed a biopsy on the blockage and discovered it was malignant.
</P><P>I was told to do some tests and get back to his secretary.
</P><P>We did.
</P><P>We were instructed to see a kidney specialist. We did. She was not part of the hospital so the initial surgeon may, or may not, have received her report. My family doctor, a/k/a PCP, did.
</P><P>The surgeon’s secretary said he wanted another test, an MRU<SUP>(cq)</SUP> for the next cutter; hopefully one who will remove the cancer.
</P><P>My wife contacted the hospital to arrange for the MRU.
</P><P>Hospital: We don’t have an order from a radiologist.
</P><P>Wife: The test was ordered by the surgeon.
</P><P>Hospital: We don’t have an order from a radiologist.
</P><P>This closed loop continued for several minutes before the clerk wisely escalated the issue to her boss.
</P><P>Someday we will get an SMS that the test is authorized by someone and meanwhile, there is this cancer in my left ureter. (As this is keyed, we <B><I>still</I></B> are waiting.)
</P><P>I had an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood FL. PCP orders ultra sound. Ultrasound tech comes to the PCP’s office the next morning. Ultrasound confirms the PCP’s suspicion. PCP sends me to a vascular surgeon. Surgeon sends me to the hospital for a test to see exactly how big is the aneurysm and its exact location. Next day, the surgeon and the patient decide how to deal with the “bubble.” Shortly thereafter, the patient is recovering from surgery. One hospital. All records in one place, even the surgeon’s. The PCP can see all the records. I can see all the records. My insurance company can see all the records.
</P><P>Not so in Israel.
</P><P>First there are multiple departments, each needing its own tests (since nothing is shared). This necessitates numerous trips to labs and xray facilities, then to an EKG location, and finally, to wherever the MRU may be done.
</P><P><I>In Hollywood, if I needed an MRI, an EKG, xray, or similar test that did not require an overnight hospital stay, the test was performed at a stand-alone diagnostic center. A few doctors’ offices also could provide some testing. Blood could be drawn at a doctor’s office or at a local lab.</I>
</P><P>Israel <I>needs</I> stand-alone diagnostic centers. (https://tinyurl.com/ahyjraj9) There are a few but most are limited to xrays and EKGs.
</P><P>
</P><P><B>SURPRISE</b>
</P><P>In the effort to get the MRU authorized by a radiologist (whom I’ve never seen), we discovered that the insurance carrier <I>limits the number of referrals</I> over a specified time period.
</P><P>We also learned that once referred to a specialist, we can self-refer to that specialist, skipping the family doctor. <I>Hopefully</I> the specialists will keep the family practitioner informed. (So far, this has been the case for doctors in my health plan — but <B>NOT</B> for physicians at the hospital.)
</P><P>Before anyone comments “Yep, that’s socialized medicine,” realize that almost every place you go, including the USA, you have, or are getting “socialized medicine.” For seniors, it’s called Medicare. It <B>WAS</B> easier to navigate for this scrivener.
</P><P>
</P><P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>One number for everything</FONT></H2></B
</P><P>The really disappointing thing with Israel’s health care system is that every Israeli has a unique ID. It is used for <b>EVERYTHING</b>, including ALL government offices AND the hospital.
</P><P>Go into any government office, recite your ID number (like your phone number, it’s “memorable”) and no matter in what office your sitting, the clerk can almost instantly call up all government-related information . Own a car. The government knows. Own property, even a postage-stamp apartment, the government knows. Have a family? The government knows the names of your spouse and children.
</P><P>Americans would go ballistic if they realized how much the U.S. government knows about them; Israelis seem to take it in stride.
</P><P>In any event, the government seems technologically aware and the departments are interconnected.
</P><P>It boggles my mind that a hospital, even one with multiple buildings on a huge campus, cannot get a patient's records from Point A to Point B, and one specialist seems unable to communicate with another specialist.
</P><P>When I first lived in Israel (1975-79), I <I>thought</I> first level care was bad and hospital care was good. I had experience with the former, but not the latter.
</P><P>Now I know that, for the most part, first level care is as good as the family doctor, and hospital level care, at least with this particular hospital, is, IMO, sub-standard.
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=Navy SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P><P><B>TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR</B>, most of the medical and ancillary staff are highly competent and personable. That includes everyone from senior doctors to cleaning crews. The demerits all came due to the lack of inter-departmental communication.</FONT>
</P><P>
</P><P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
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</P><P>
</P><P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P><P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P><P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P><P>
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</P><P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=Communications failure">Comment on Communications failure</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931600765099861931.post-37727146163017606812021-06-24T13:22:00.004+01:002021-06-25T14:39:47.393+01:00Opuscula FRUSTRATING<P>
</P></P><font size=+1 face=helvetica arial sans serif>IT MUST BE FRUSTRATING for groups such as <I>Honest Reporting</I> and <I>CAMERA</I> to constantly read/see that Israel
</P></P>✡ Is apartheid <BR>✡ Kills children <BR>✡ Fails to provide “Palestinians” medical care <BR>✡ Maintains "humiliating" checkpoints at borders
</P></P>and a multitude of other canards.</FONT>
</P></P>
</P></P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=navy SIZE=6>
<font size=+1 face=MS Comic Sans sans serif>
</P><P></P><P><B>Late addition — cannibalism?</B>
</P><P>On May 26, Dr. Fidaa Wishah wrote a post saying, “We will uncover your thirst to kill our Palestinian children. … We sense your fear. The fear of your collapse. A state based on atrocity, inhumanity, racism and cannibalism never last long! Hey #israel … your end is coming sooner than you think.” (https://tinyurl.com/ydttj59k/)</FONT>
</P></P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=navy SIZE=6>
</P></P><font SIZE=+1 FACE BOOKMAN OLD STYLE SERIF><I>HONEST REPORTING</I> (https://honestreporting.com/) and the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, a/k/a CAMERA (https://www.camera.org/) have full time jobs for full-time staffs to read publications from all corners and to watch videos from around the world, all for one purpose: to identify and publicize errors and outright lies about Israel.
</P></P>I live in Yavne, a community south of Tel Aviv and north of Gaza.
</P></P>Being a geezer — I’m only 78 years old — with some medical issues, I have spent far too many days in Israeli hospitals.
</P></P>I mention that because the doctors, nurses, and aides are a mix of Jews and Arabs, some Muslims, some not. There are Jews who report to Arabs and Arabs who report to Jews.
</P></P>Cleaning crews generally are new immigrant Ethiopian Jews who came to Israel sans education. They are getting educated and they are, to borrow a line from <I>The Jefferson’s</I> tv program, “<I>movin’ on up.</I>”
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>In the beginning</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>There have been Arabs — again, Muslim and non-Muslim — in Israel’s parliament (Knesset) since 1948 !
</P></P>There is an Arab party (Ra’am ) <B>whose leaders promote destruction of Israel</B> in the government. What other country would be so stupid to permit people who are sworn to the state’s destruction to sit in the government. Would the U.S. have allowed Communists to even <I>run</I> for congress back in the days of the “Cold War”? Admittedly there were pro-nazis in high positions during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s reign, but to the best of my limited knowledge, no one in congress was a nazi sympathizer. Granted, today’s congress has its share of members who support anti-American causes and America’s sworn enemies, but so far they have not called for America’s destruction or an end to its democracy.
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Ubiquitous</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>In Israel, Arabs — Muslims and non-Muslims — are ubiquitous: on the courts, including the highest court, in the national police, in almost every ministry (government department), in schools through university, in medicine, even in the military. There are newspapers in Arabic (as well as Yiddish, English, and a host of other languages.)
</P></P>All Israeli <I>citizens</I> have the vote.
</P></P>Arabs can live wherever they can afford to buy. (Buying a small apartment in Israel is nearly <B>two times</B> more expensive than buying a 3/2 private residence on a quarter-acre in most U.S. communities. (<I>Personal experience.</I>)
</P></P>In Israel, Arabs and non-Arabs ride the same buses. (There once was an Arab-owned bus service between Haifa and Nazareth [Natzeret] — I rode it c 1977 — apparently it is no more.
</P></P>There <B>ARE</B> buses where Arabs (from the PLO/PFLP-controlled areas) ride to jobs in Israel.
</P></P>Keep in mind that some Arabs have been known to (try to) blow up buses with their passengers and to ride a bus to a town to murder civilians. (https://tinyurl.com/kvwcp24k)
</P></P>So much for the “apartheid” claim.
</P></P>
</P></P><B>ON THE OTHER HAND</B>, there IS apartheid in Gaza and in the PLO/PFLP-controlled areas.
</P></P>A Jew cannot freely go into either area. An Arab citizen faces a <I>death sentence</I> if he sells property to a Jew.
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>War Crimes</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>The PLO/PFLP, Hamas, and leftists worldwide have convinced the International Criminal Court (ICC) that Israel has committed either/both war crimes or crimes against humanity.
</P></P>For what constitutes a “war crime” see The Washington Post (https://tinyurl.com/exrsj674).
</P></P>Hamas, and Hezbollah in Lebanon/Syria commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. Samples include: (https://tinyurl.com/yc24haa2)
<UL>
☠ Attack directed against any civilian population (missiles from Gaza and Lebanon/Syria)
</P></P> ☠ Attack prior to declaration of war
</P></P> ☠ Send civilians, including young children to the border with Israel while Hamas and Islamic Jihad “soldiers” stand behind the human shields
</P></P> ☠ Send civilians, including young children, to protect launch sites
</P></P> ☠ Use civilian buildings (e.g., AP and Al Jazeera offices) as command centers
</P></P> ☠ Use of non-military facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals, mosques) to store war materiel
</UL>
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Photo propaganda</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>The “world” is inundated with images of child causalities of war thanks to both “professional” (e.g., newspapers, tv) and “social” media.
</P></P><B>Unfortunately</B>, many times the images were not made (https://tinyurl.com/h2xx2aw2)
<UL>
</P></P>When claimed
</P></P>Where claimed
</UL>
</P></P>The media, “professional” and “social,” have been duped again and again, largely because editors/bloggers are too lazy, or as they will claim, too busy, to check available sources.
</P></P>
</P></P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7k328taiAw/YNR0Lhpy6zI/AAAAAAAAERw/MpYXBkW11HUUu8xm8dNoz4zqba_y5TF3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1479/FAKE%2BPLANE.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1479" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7k328taiAw/YNR0Lhpy6zI/AAAAAAAAERw/MpYXBkW11HUUu8xm8dNoz4zqba_y5TF3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/FAKE%2BPLANE.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1><I>Logical Indian</I> discovers fake (https://tinyurl.com/hpp256kz)</FONT></DIV>
</P></P><B>One that checked</B> The <I>Logical Indian</I> (https://tinyurl.com/hpp256kz) did a Google reverse image search of the viral image and found the same image was uploaded by a Quora user Lin Xieyi on April 2, 2020, with a caption, "J-10C". In this image, Soumya is not embossed on the fighter jet.
</P></P>The same image also was published by the Chinese website <I>Gushiciku.cn</I>. The image is captioned as, "<I>As the J-10C adopts new standards, its craftsmanship is also the best besides the J-20 stealth fighter; this point can be experienced in detail from the J-10B that has been publicly displayed many times.</I>" The aircraft belongs to the Chinese air force.
</P></P>
</P></P>The same effort should apply to reporters’ copy, with one caveat: In some locations (e.g., Gaza), outgoing news (allegedly) is censored. Reporters who report stories less than favorable to Hamas, et al, soon find themselves (a) unable to transmit copy to their bosses and/or (b) persona non grata.
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Borders</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>Pity the poor “Palestinian” who has to traverse an Israeli check point to come to/return from work In Israel.
</P></P>According to a news reports,
<UL>Hundreds of Palestinians staged demonstrations at the entrance to the Erez border (Gaza) crossing into Israel yesterday to denounce severe security measures imposed by the Israeli authorities, witnesses said. (https://tinyurl.com/64raks56)
</P></P>Construction of a new pedestrian terminal on the Palestinian (PLO/PFLP area) side of the crossing has worsened the conditions for Palestinians, who must use temporarily use a narrow passage in which thousands push and shove each other. The construction of the new pedestrian passage which has harmed the flow of traffic at the crossing was initiated by the Palestinian Civil Administration. (https://tinyurl.com/2jcmyun3)</UL>
</P></P><B>Consider</B>, Hamas and other Gaza-based terror organizations use <I>ambulances</I> and other “non-threatening” vehicles to sneak armed men and women into Israel to murder civilians. Would any country that tries to protect its citizens allow everyone to freely enter?</P></P>Note it is <B>not</B> Israel that delays entry from the PLO/PFLP areas but the PLO/PFLP.</P></P>An Israeli bus company provides transportation from the border crossing to major transfer points in Israel for the “Palestinians” who come to Israel for jobs and better compensation.
</P></P>What is the problem with border checkpoints?
</P></P>The United States has border checkpoints with Canada and Mexico. Americans are obliged to go through passport checks after visiting a neighboring country (e.g., Jamaica, Bermuda, Belize) or even taking a cruise.
</P></P>The inconvenience of border checks is a fact of life any time any national border is crossed.</P></P>Why should the “Palestinians” — especially with their penchant to (try to) murder Israelis — be given a free pass?
</P></P>Beyond documentation control, there also is (again/still) concerns about the Chinese virus.
</P></P>
</P></P><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LsT5fj7WYAo/YNR0kDiBzYI/AAAAAAAAER4/ALgcoJ-4jz0I09dElakXHdTdlwemmzHYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1305/BORDERS.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LsT5fj7WYAo/YNR0kDiBzYI/AAAAAAAAER4/ALgcoJ-4jz0I09dElakXHdTdlwemmzHYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/BORDERS.jpg"/></a></div><DIV ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=-1>Top: U.S. border with Canada (left) and Mexico (Right) <BR>Bottom: Israel border with PLO/PFLP (left) and Gaza (right)</FONT></DIV>
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Health & Oslo</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>The media claims that
<ul>Israel is responsible for the health and welfare of the “Palestinians”
</P></P>Israel refused to give “Palestinians” some of the Pfizer vaccines
</P></P>Israel was willing to give the “Palestinians” outdated vaccines</ul>
</P></P>False, false, and false again.
</P></P>The <I>”Palestinians</I>” insisted they would take care of their own and they made this part of the so-called “Oslo accord,” and “accord” that was broken almost before the signatures were dry. Is is not, by “Palestinian” fiat, Israel’s responsibility to provide care for “Palestinians.”
</P></P><B>However</B>, “Palestinians, <I>especially well-connected “Palestinians</I>,” have access to Israeli medical care. When allowed by “Palestinian” authorities, <I>all</I> “Palestinians” have access to the same medical care as Israeli citizens.
</P></P>It might be noted that Qatar sent not one but <B>two</B> jumbo jets loaded with medical supplies to the PLO/PFLP.
</P></P><B>Both</B> planeloads were <B>rejected by the PLO/PFLP authorities</B> since the Qatari planes landed at Lod, Israel’s major international airport. “Palestine” lacks an airport capable of accommodating jumbo jets.
</P><P>"Palestinians" rejected Israel's offer of Pfizer vaccine that was nearing expiration.
</P><P>Later, when other countries contacted Israel for its surplus vaccine, the PLO/PFLP had a change of heart and decided to accept the vaccine.
</P></P>
</P></P><B><H2><FONT FACE=ARIAL HELVETICA SIZE=+2>Audience</FONT></H2></B>
</P></P>Honest Reporting (ibid.) does a considerable amount of Arabic translations.
</P></P>This is interesting because what is said in Arabic for local consumption often is drastically different in translation.
</P></P>Bottom line: Propaganda, a/k/a Public Relations or, in Hebrew, Hasbara, is tailored to the audience.
</P></P>It pays to know what <b>really</B> was said to the locals; is it closer to the truth? (Usually.)</FONT>
</P></P>
</P></P><hr width="60%" SHADE=4 COLOR=red SIZE=6><!Not for Yohanon>
</P></P> </P></P>
</P></P><font SIZE=-1 FACE=Courier><a href="http://thelawdictionary.org/plagiarism/" title="PLAGIARISM">PLAGIARISM</a> is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and <u>passing them off as the product of one’s own mind</u>.
</P></P><a HREF=”https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html”>Truth is an absolute defense to defamation.</A> Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
</P></P>
</P></P>Web sites (URLs) beginning <u>https://tinyurl.com/</U> are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.
</P></P>
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</P></P><b><a href="mailto:bcplanner@gmail.com?subject=FRUSTRATING">Comment on FRUSTRATING</a></B></P></FONT>Bcplannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499458727913967175noreply@blogger.com0