Monday, December 18, 2006

Granddaughter walking


Angela reports on Saturday, 12/16:

...Kaitlin took 10 unassisted consecutive steps this morning!!! She is what we can officially call a walker!

And by Sunday, 12/17, she's traipsing all over the Christmas tree lot. (photo by Darryl)

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Robin turns sixty


Robin’s 60th birthday. When she got home from work at 7:30, James and I took her to breakfast at Paradise Cove, and got her back home in time for Kris’ surprise arrival from Davis.


Then, while Kris took her mom out for a manicure, James and I decorated the house, and the food arrived from Brent’s Deli. By the time Robin and Kris got home, the first guests were arriving for her surprise party. Guests: David, Kenlyn, Rachel, and Ryan; Liz, Gary, and Devyn; Darryl, Angela, and Kaitlin; Liz’s Aunt Jeanne; Steve & Veronica Winston; Burt & Charlene Weinstein; Roger Eaton & Sandy Chaves; Peter Rashkin & Camilla; Steve, Celina, and Gideon Shutman.

Sunday, March 5, 2006

White House Going After Journalists

Re: Huffington Post article "White House Going After Journalists And Their Govt. Sources..."

It's difficult for me to understand how stories like this can surface, day after day, year after year, without the public rising up to throw these scumbags out on their collective asses. In a reasonable, just, world, the Bush regime and its currupt, cronie-laden Republican supporting apparatus would be impeached, hooted out of office – and Bush and Cheney would have their sorry asses hauled into court and charged with war crimes, along with Rumsfield, Rowe, Wolfowitz, and their ilk.

Monday, January 30, 2006

Hamas wins Palestinian elections

My reaction to the recent news that Hamas, the radical “terrorist” faction, has swept the Palestinian elections:

I can only hope that (a) the vote was indeed a reflection of disgust with the corruption and lack of progress with the long standing party of record, and (b) there will be some kind of “Nixon goes to China” effect – that Hamas will be able to compromise without the charge of being weak, etc.

I’ve thought for a long time that settling this issue would be the greatest achievement of our era, and that the U. S. could be the catalyst in pulling it off. Here’s where our use of “force” would be justified – not in Iraq, not in Iran, but in Israel. And we could do it without any direct military action. I say we should tell both sides that…

1) Enough is enough: The world recognizes that you both have legitimate claims, concerns, and grievances that go back countless centuries. But your continued squabbling, and failure to settle your dispute, is disrupting the entire world.

2) Israel, you need to cede the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinians for creation of a state of Palestine. Not an “autonomous region”, but a completely independent, sovereign state. If you don’t, we will cut off all support, both military and financial. No kidding. But if you do, the U.S. will guarantee your security with the full force of its military.

3) Hamas, or whoever currently represents the Palestinian people, this is the best deal you’re going to get. You need to accept the existence of Israel and get on with your lives, building a society of your own, in your own newly sovereign state.

For a country that currently preaches “preemptive” military invasions, our failure to apply power where it might really make a difference is inexplicable.