Oh! I almost forgot, Tep.

Emmett made me buy a bag of Funyons yesterday.

I only indulged him as a tribute to you.

Hopefully they at least hit some targets that will reduce/stop the rocket firing for a little while. Which will hopefully mean that they will re-open humanitarian supplies.

Oh, I've found that my country has inexhaustible resources of targets. You think that enough "targets" (people, even if they're terrorists, are still people) got hit, and apparently my country can always find more. And as far as it's been posted in Israeli press, the gates opened everyday for humanitarian supplies.

The Egyptians have agreed to stop tolerating the tunnels and to take U.S. help in finding them.

That's the thing. Every few hours some "source" in the Egyptian parliament said that it can't be done. So I'm not that hopeful about it.

And it seems like IDF will be staying in the Strip for a while. Don't know for how long, I'll read more news later.

Edit: Mel explains it. My God, so they basically took the "cease fire" term and made it into "more fighting"?

And as far as it's been posted in Israeli press, the gates opened everyday for humanitarian supplies.

Never as much as needed. Basically cut off all economic activity then let in some crumbs. From what I heard the tunnels carried food, medicine and even bottled water than weapons. Not that they were not used to smuggle weapons, and stuff to make weapons. Just that people need more feeding than weapons. Food for hundreds of thousands weighs more than weapons for thousands or tens of thousands. Both before and during the fighting the UN always said not nearly as many humanitarian supplies were let in as needed. And it was not like the supplies were not there. Israel kept out food, medicine, medical supplies, medical equipment that were ready to go in. Israel kept out doctors who wanted to enter.

Never as much as needed

Obviously. However, I read more than one report about how it's not the hunger that kills the Gazans, and I've heard the opposite about the weapons/food+medicine ratio at times.

Not that this makes it OK, and I'd still like to see my friends out of there ASAP, but I'd also like to go and see my parents without being on constant alert to run to the nearest shelter/flight of stairs.

Right, but as we agree this invasion did nothing about protecting your parents.

Tell me about it.

Apparently, according to the Israeli cabinet, we're now also closer to free Gilad Shalit.

A-ha. Right. Next, they'll tell me they're a step closer to world peace.

And I've realized that when it comes to food+medicine/weapons ratios now point in arguing. Because nobody who would be objective gets near the tunnels. Of course the smugglers will say they mainly smuggle food & medicine. And of course IDF sources will say smugglers mainly smuggle weapons, and war supplies. And both have motives for lying. And both Hamas and the IDF have been caught lying plenty of time. So really we have no objective source.

It does seem to me that food is generally bulkier and heavier than weapons. Even if it only went to fights, materials to make a thousand rockets a day would be lighter than food for many times than number of fighters, and support for fighters. (In military terms, doesn't each combatant require several military non-combantants for support?) And then in addition Hamas gains popular support by feeding civilians, so it is probably supplying civilians in numbers that are some multiple of its fighters. So arithmetic suggest that food & medicine should outweigh weapons. Does not change that the tunnels are primarily military.

But it suggest a path to stop the rockets. Forget this unilateral truce. But as awful as Hamas, seperate their proposal from the people who made it and accept a reasonable offer. End the siege let supplies in, in return for an end to the rockets. That was the Hamas offer from the beginning.

Want pictures of Matilda on the trapeez!

I love Robot Chicken. That clip is a particular favorite.

It's not trapeez act, but Liv dressed up and was grumpy.

Want pictures of Matilda on the trapeez!

It's a good picture too. She's grinning and Emmett's in the background wearing his Venture Bros. t-shirt.

It's not trapeez act, but Liv dressed up and was grumpy.

You were totally not respecting her space. But man I surely recognize that grumpy walk. She told you what for!

Yes, that was Hamas offer from the beginning.

Like, way beginning, way before that current bloody round started. Again - nothing really changed, just more distraction and death.

And I don't know about your food weight theory. But just as a reminder, Hamas did try, more than once, blow up the gates and enter Israel.

I don't blame them, but all I'm saying that in order to end the siege, there are probably better tactics than this. It's a wonder how both sides didn't get it that more killing isn't the solution.