Pat Robertson withdraws remarks about Sharon after Israeli Tourism Ministry withdraws offer of $50m theme park deal:

Mr Robertson wrote to Mr Sharon's son Omri to say he now realised his remarks were "inappropriate and insensitive".

He asked for forgiveness, but there is no suggestion the Israeli authorities will overturn a decision to block a tourism deal with the preacher.

Israel said on Wednesday it would no longer sign a $50m contract with him.

"My concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness," said Mr Robertson's letter.

Tourism Ministry official Ram Levi said Israel remained "outraged" by the remarks.

Earlier this week, the ministry's spokesman Ido Hartuv said Israel would no longer be signing a contract with Mr Robertson to build a biblical theme park by the Sea of Galilee.

The centre was expected to cover nearly 35 acres (14 hectares) north-east of the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus is believed to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

It would have had a park, an auditorium, a Holy Land exhibition, outdoor amphitheatres, information centre and a media studio.

The Israeli government had tentatively agreed to provide land and infrastructure for the centre in the hope of generating millions of dollars from tourism.

But relations soured when Mr Robertson said God wanted Israel to be whole and undivided and had therefore punished Mr Sharon for Israel's pull-out from the Gaza Strip last year.

"You read the Bible: This is my land, and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he's going to carve it up and give it away, God says no, this is mine," he said last week.

Mr Hartuv insisted Israel had not rejected outright the idea of building the centre.

"The contract is still open - just not with Mr Robertson," he said.

From the "If Real Life Were Like Cartoons" file:

I wish an anvil would fall on Pat Robertson's head.

I wish an anvil would fall on Pat Robertson's head.

Yeah, but he did lose out on a 50 million dollar deal. Maybe not quite as appropriate as an anvil, but....

And it's nice to finally see someone holding him accountable for the nonsense he spews....

I prefer the Lot's wife treatment - less room for misinterpretation.

Plei, if you're still here -- did you see the pictures of Smarty Jones' first foal?

I hadn't, but what a cute girl!

Gronk gronk.

Somehow, on the bus while contemplating the smallness of my wardrobe, streams crossed and my brain started writing a Batverse Lord King Bad Fic, an Elseworld requiring that I hit Every. Single. Regency. Cliche. Ever. and now I can't think of anything else, while occasionally fighting off the urge to fact check.

I'm trying to decide just how many characters I can work into this, given that the plot really only requires about four. If I start writing J'onn as a French aristocrat in exile, please shoot me.

If I start writing J'onn as a French aristocrat in exile, please shoot me.

No. But I might just blackmail you.

my brain started writing a Batverse Lord King Bad Fic, an Elseworld requiring that I hit Every. Single. Regency. Cliche. Ever. and now I can't think of anything else, while occasionally fighting off the urge to fact check.

I'm trying to decide just how many characters I can work into this, given that the plot really only requires about four. If I start writing J'onn as a French aristocrat in exile, please shoot me.

Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

I have a low tolerance for stupidity today, and an even lower standard for what constitutes stupidity.

It's Friday the 13th and there's a full moon tonight. The Stupid People and the Freaky People are out in full force.

CURSES.

There was inane radio chatter this morning by two DJs interviewing a woman who got married on a Friday 13th to a guy she met on Sept. 11 (2004). Spooooooky. So I guess these morons are going to cower in their homes behind drawn curtains on the anniversary of the date every year, since any meeting or event on that day is forever cursed. @@

A pox on passive aggressiveness.

No, really.