Up a little early this morning

Pi smiles, "Up a little early this morning, aren't we?"

Monk nods, "Pop wants me to go with him to get the groceries. He has been feeling very weak lately. Since that means my morning will be utterly lost, and since I was having trouble falling back asleep after a bathroom run, I thought I would make a five o'clock morning out of it and do my morning routine now."

Monk continues, "Besides, I wanted to begin Christopher Hitchens's "Arguably" essays. And from the opening pages I am in love."

Quote of the Day

"My grandfather has this saying. If one person calls me a jackass, no big deal. If many people call me a jackass, time to get a saddle."

-- LJer

Personally, I do not get called a jackass that often, but people really don't seem to want to hang around, either. It must mean something.

Israel Elections

“What a great surprise! Whatever the results, message to us 2 staters is NOT, as we feared, slash your wrists, but rather roll up your sleeves.”

-- Daniel Seidemann tweet

The Israeli election was not the great rightward shift that had been feared. Instead, it apparently represents a move back to the center and away from religious fundamentalism, as well as a reassertion of the two-state solution with the Palestinians.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The Israel that emerged from the vote is not the rightward-drifting, annexationist-tending, religious-lurching nation it has become fashionable to portray. The Jewish state, far from moving right, turned toward the center. It is tired of the old guard, embracing new political parties. It is impatient with the free-loading ultra-Orthodox who do not serve in the army but do soak up welfare. It has sufficient lingering interest in a two-state peace to split roughly down the middle on the issue.

-- Roger Cohen at The New York Times

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If only the Palestinians and the Muslims can accept a serious two-state solution and the existence of Israel as a Jewish state...

The Slut-o-Meter

(PolitiCartoons)

Ms. Walker

Daimon smiles, "It looks like we have a guest tonight. Romeo strikes again! Life is just trial after trial after trial, isn't it, Monk old boy?"

Monk sighs, "What is life but a slow erosion from the elements."

It's Ms. Walker. I wonder if I will have to move to the big room tonight, again. One might think that one of the advantages of Pop feeling weaker is that he would also feel less virile. But I guess there are priorities - priorities and Viagra.

Pop's cordless phone

"Shit, it could have been days!" Monk exclaims.

Pi asks, "What could have been days?"

Monk says, "Pop's cordless phone. I had put it away in the drawer and had forgotten about it. I thought Pop had it all this time. I'm pretty sure that I did not place it there yesterday; so, it had to be at least two days, but quite possibly more."

Daimon says, "You seem to be having more senior moments yourself."

Monk shakes his head, "Oh, you know I've always been this way. My great steel-trap mind. Some scholar. Let's just hope that no damage is done. But, fuck, man!"

Sarah Palin

Fox News has let go of Sarah Palin. That is good for politics and the health of the Republic, but she does have a certain entertainment value as the MILF of Republicanism. However, I suppose that without the aura of high office, the market value simply is not there. We already have the Kardashians and a hundred other reality shows. She made her splash in the history books and now it's over. Nevertheless, she will always be a fond memory for those of us who lived through this little drama.

(Source: Andrew Sullivan, "Not With A Bang But With a Whimper")

Daily Fun

Bird and squirrel sharing bread

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