My mother is making me watch "The Blind Side," because she says this is such a good movie and I just have to see it and be inspired. We're an hour in, and I'm still not even interested, certainly not inspired. I think I'm missing whatever emotional thing makes people like this movie.

My family is being incredibly loud per usual. I just read the same paragraph 4 times before giving up on the book I was trying to read.

I probably shouldn't complain that I look fat in all the beach pics if I'm sitting here eating Cheez-Its out of the box while I look at them, huh?

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed "The Blind Side" but if you don't like it an hour in, then why not just stop watching it?

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed "The Blind Side" but if you don't like it an hour in, then why not just stop watching it?

Because I'm visiting my parents, and my mother keeps telling me how much she wants to see my reaction. Plus, leaving the room where they're watching it would mean leaving the comfy couch.

We're doing watching it now. It was OK, I guess. Just not the "Ooooh, this was the greatest movie ever" that my mom's been saying.

I'm not sure if the water filters are on the banned list, Typo Boy. As for the "Children are dying of diseases in Gaza because supplies to repair the water and sewage systems are not allowed in" argument: yes. And that happens in other parts of the world which aren't on Israel territory/under Israel's control as well. And I don't see flotillas to Africa or rural areas of post-colonial/Soviet regimes.

The problem with cement, as much as I know, is the (somewhat based fear from past experience) fear that it will be used for building fortifications. That's why the need for "where does the cement exactly goes?" inquiry. Because Hamas government still puts military action in higher priority than their subjects' lives.

And the siege is not going to be lifted by letters to the editor.

Not by this sort of flotilla either, IMHO. Also, once you'll end the siege like this? Well hello, exploding buses, all over again. And while I believe the siege isn't the way and it isn't right, I don't want to be blown to pieces to make an argument as well. And just as a reminder: rockets are still being shot at Israeli territories by Hamas - though, much less, "thanks" to the siege. That doesn't exactly bring love and trust into the hearts and minds of people, for some reason.

What was against the policy of the flotilla was fighting back. I don't know if attacking in international waters was piracy legally but it was certainly wrong. But the whole point of non-violent resistance against a violent and brutal enemy is you resist non-violently. You don't throw people to the ground or defend yourself with knifes and belaying pins or whatever the heck the fought back against the Israeli attack with.

Indeed. If so, they shouldn't have sent IDF. All that happened was that Israel was forced to acknowledge that it is controlling Gaza Strip (interesting fact: no one of the dozens of people I heard and talked with today knew if we declared siege officially, if we declared war officially, but presumed we're on constant fighting zone which justify these sorts of action. Mind that they didn't say that the implementation was just of successful, but that the act of saying what goes in or out of Gaza/Israel's territory is just for a sovereign state).

I hope the Israeli peace movement will support comparatively non-violent means like Flotillas, like Boycott, Divest and Sanction. These things beat the heck out of suicide bombings and rocket attacks.

There is a clear, yet little, voice for these. I'm just not sure how effective they will be in Israel's case. Because soon as the Western world will sort out the Israeli example in this way or another (the Palestinians raising and butchering all of us, or we become a totalitarian immoral state [and oh, we're right on our way there!]), it'll be used as a moral to all: be just and execution yourself, or kill your potential enemies and declare independence. And in a world with totalitarian regimes which couldn't care less about human rights - we're gonna see more extremists from so-called democratic states. Like one of the women in my volunteering said about refugees/work immigrants who are escaping to Israel: "who is our competition? Darfur? Egypt? Eritrea? They know they'll be executed there without any questions whatsoever, so while they won't be citizens with full protection and rights here, they'll continue to come. But how low can we go and make their lives more miserable?".

I'm not saying that the situation is black or white. My country does every effort to make sure it'll look this way and will be discussed this way, and that's why I fear that these measures will only make it more extreme: because really, what is the other alternative (which isn't peace talks. We stopped even mentioning it few months back)? By making Israel feel weaker, you won't bring any trust nor tolerance or readiness to peaceful acts.

There's a great commentary by Yossi Melman on Haartez, but only in Hebrew. I hope they'll translate it into English, but basically: we just revived Exodus' tale, with us as the British.

ION: it's 23:54.

My neighbor decided it's the perfect time to blow some steam on the punch beg. And shouting when hitting it.

Assholes: don't you hate them?

Indeed. If so, they shouldn't have sent IDF. All that happened was that Israel was forced to acknowledge that it is controlling Gaza Strip

That is important. Because once Israel acknowledges it controls the Gaza strip then it acknowledges it is responsible for restoring the sewers, feeding the people (not one quarter of needs but actual food needs). So far Israel has had it both ways - all the power but no responsibility. Any humanitarian aid it lets through has just been a matter of being nice guys, not a matter of obligation. If Israel has to admit it still controls Gaza and actually begins fulfilling the responsibilities of an occupying power that will be a huge step forward. And while I'm somewhat critical of the small minority of people on the ship who fought back it is a tactical criticism not a moral criticism. If (as Israel did) you jump off of helicopters onto an unarmed ship of a country you are not at war with in International waters, the people on that ship have a moral right to defend themselves. It was unwise to excercise that right, just as when defenders of American apartheid in South in 50's and 60's turned dogs and fire hoses on demonstrators they wisely did not defend themselves but used their suffering as a weapon. But if someone had unwisely defended themselves they would have been tactically wrong. They would have been morally wrong in a way, because they would have been underming the hard work of lots of people. But at the same time, it would not have justified the defenders of Jim Crow who were useing violence against those resisting it.

In terms of concrete as weapon. That is an excuse for everything. You cannot bring pipes into Gaza or steel rods or anything that could repair buildings. You can't bring filters or tractors or bicycles. Basically nothing but food and weapons. For a while Israel banned pasta until John Kerry asked them what military value pasta had to Hamas.

In terms of the rocket attackts. It is worth remembering that Hamas actually managed to enforce a halt to attacks before the latest invastion and only started again after a number of provcations and when the siege still failed to end. Israel had a chance to trade an end to the siege for an end to the rocket attacks. They decided they did not have to keep their end. That opportunity may still be open. But I just as Israel managed to undermine Fatah ability to control Hamas, Israel may have now undermined the ability of Hamas to control Islamic Jihad. So maybe no deal, even of the "we back away from each other for a bit" is on the table any more.

Anyway off to a "Free Gaza" demonstration.

We're travelling home, and the further north we go the more smoke we're seeing from the fire in Quebec. Weird.

we used to use Swheat Scoop (wheat) but we haven't found it here yet.

Swheat Scoop dealer locator:

[link]