I disagree with you on the "Zionists are all squatters" and related bits, but on the whole you've characterized alot of what is happening correctly. I can not accept though that 1930s and 40s Jewish Europeans seeking refuge amongst an existing community of Jewish Palestinians was the 'invasion' that Arab narratives claim it as.


That's also largely academic in the sense of what will happen. Israel is NOT so dominant that they can easily defeat Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan or Saudi Arabia individually, let alone should they join forces. Perhaps more importantly, regardless of what the true comparison of military strength is, the neighbouring nations mentioned are NOT convinced. Al Jazeera spent the first two weeks after the attack crowing about how this proved how weak and ineffective Israel truly is and harolded the beginning of the end for them.

My two predictions:
1. Israel will continue to do anything they deem necessary to ensure the attack in October is viewed by Iran and the Arab world as another Naqba, rather than a victory.
2. Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran and to lesser degrees Jordan and Saudi will continue channeling weapons and support to any and all militant groups near Israel(mostly Palestine) to encourage and ensure they continue launching attacks into Israeli territory in the same continuous effort they have for the last decades.

The worst losers in it, as have been for the last decades you've noted, will continue to be the Palestinian people. Angry young Palestinians will be armed , trained and recruited with foreign money to attack the Israeli 'aggressor'. Thus leading to Israeli reprisal, more dead Palestinians and more angry young recruits.


I think my biggest point of difference with you is I'm not content to ignore the absolutely enormous role of other nations than Israel in the plight of the Palestinian people.

*scifi *90s *history

"Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts, or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs.

Of course, this week's movie is one of the HUGE HITS we're talking about, with Groundhog Day being a top-tier classic in Bill Murray's filmography. Brilliantly directed by the late Harold Ramis, this is a movie that's spawned many imitators (including the recent Palm Springs) but, in the minds of many, will never truly be equaled..."

It’s very important to note that drawing direct parallels between countries when it comes to crime is very murky, as these difference could be due to differences in laws, the way the criminal justice system is set up, how policing is done, how crimes are reported, and much more.

Quoting this: Harold Pollack, co-director of the University of Chicago's Crime Lab, called Zimring and Hawkins's book "an excellent source." In a 2015 phone interview, he pointed to a number of more recent studies that fit the pattern it identified.

"There's no question the United States faces a number of distinctive social policy challenges, some of which affect the crime rate. But many other OECD countries face their own distinctive problems that affect their crime rate," he told me. Western Europe, for example, has a major problem with drug use. Canadian cities have "very high" rates of property crime like car theft. And yet, the US still stands out on murders.

"I think that Americans have this view of Western Europe, or Toronto for that matter, which is very stereotypical and doesn't take into account the challenges that many of peer industrial democracy problems face," he points out. "There's a lot of drug sale, a lot of ethnic stratification and conflict, there's a lot of just general crime."

Crime rates in Canada aren't that much lower than the USA, there are just fewer violent crimes, like homicides.

In addition to this, a major factor might be considered in regards to Canada. Population and population density. Canada is lower than the USA across the board, 36.71 million to 325.7 million and density of 3.9 people per km to almost 90 people per mile (last census data).

I don't support the NRA, btw. I think they are idiots. I do support logical gun laws. I don't care for fake news.

I also think I was civil in my response to your original comment. I have tried to remain that way even though one could classify your response to mine as hostile and provocatory.

White Castle was a real letdown. I've lived on the west coast my whole life and had only heard about them, then about 10 years ago I had a chance to go to Atlanta for my job. After picking up the rental, I was headed to the hotel when I saw a White Castle. "Hell yeah", I thought. I finally get to try a Harold and Kumar burger. So I get a slider combo and...... yeah, they wern't very good. Turns out I don't like steamed hamburger.

They were watching Harold and Kumar
https://youtu.be/0yg2Ys9y36g?t=1m15s

Your video, Harold Thomas Marti - A New Snowden?, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

Credit to Harold McGee would have been nice.

I have 1990 edition of his book which documents the 'searing meat' myth.

2009 Cooking pasta in a smaller pot
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?_r=0

I think improv and sketch comedy groups are all springboards from stage to radio, radio to stage, stage yo television, radio to television, television to radio, to other television and ultimately the big screen. Any good YouTube sketch comedy? I've yet to really explore that, I guess Vine is funny sketch comedy. A bit too fast, over and done for me though. Cyanide and Happiness count? Web comics? Cracked? Anyway, on to television, which remains the fascination:

The first years of SNL are phenomenal with Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner. And before that a lot of those guys were together on the National Lampoon Radio. (Speaking of radio, Dr. Demento?)

And there's also SCTV, jesus -- John Candy, Martin Short, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, and Joe Flaherty. Flaherty's vampire killed me as a kid. So funny, but really I haven't watched it since I was a youngster.

When I was growing up PBS played a lot of BBC television. Benny Hill amongst them, such a naughty show. I think I was barely allowed watch. But I enjoy the show as much as its mostly about old horny men and women with big tits.

What do I think about Upright Citizen Brigade? I would choose to be an Agent of U.C.B. before S.H.I.E.L.D. Great as both an improv group and sketch comedy for television. Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz are awesome, and I love them on SNL as well. Assssscat

Cast transfers, right? Sketch comedy groups are like sports teams. Mark McKinney on SNL, etc. Daily Show anchors from Upright Citizens Brigade. SCTV to SNL, etc. Every sketch comedy floods into SNL. Did you watch Nickelodeon's All That? Kenan and Kell.

Mr Show is on my to watch list. I love David Cross in his stand up, as Tobias Funke on Arrested Dev, and as Todd Margaret, which is fucking RIDICULOUS if you haven't seen it. It's not sketch comedy but it might as well be. It's like a British comedy with brash Americans thrown into the mix. Chaos ensues and many, many, many laws are broken, including the usage of weapons of mass destruction and murder. Dark comedy.

Oh, I know a good dark sort of sketch comedy: The League of Gentlemen? It's sort of like if Simon Pegg produced Monty Python. They say things like "Rape our dead mouths". Psychopaths, murderers and crossdressers.

Now that we've ventured off the beaten path, what are your thoughts about the short run comedy central show Stella? Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. All three from a funny sketch comedy series called the State. I think I've sifted or promoted some sketches from that series.

And I can't not mention MadTV, you know what? Uh uh, a list about sketch comed without MadTV, ridiculous. I'm running out of steam though, because I'm typing too much, but MO Collins, Orlando Jones, Bobby Lee, Phil LaMar (who does DC comics cartoon voice over work), Aries Spears, and Will Sasso. Damn.

And lest we forget (Thanks, Rudyard), Little Britain -- Britain, Britain, Britain, if it weren't for Little Britain I would scarcely know of the country.

I'm sure I've left off some other great sketch (In Living Color!!), but these came to mind and as I started to think of my favorite cast members and comedians, I began to realize how they all fit in the grand scheme of things. I'm going to watch some Fire Marshall Bill clips now.

According to Harold Ramis himself, 33 years is within the range he thought Phil was stuck.

wtf? Harold and Kumar 3??

http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Import-Rosenhaus-Peeler-Carbon/dp/B000UT69MY/

"Workers in debt are slaves to their employers..."

I'm looking at you, student loans... *promote.

For those who don't know this man (I didn't) he spent 50 years in and out of the British Parliament.

"Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), the former 2nd Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1950 to 2001 (with two short breaks) and a cabinet minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan." /wiki

His wife probably came home and he was like "Hey Honey check out what I made!" and she was like "Oh My GOD! I can't get in the fucking kitchen to put the groceries away, what the hell have you done? I almost killed myself coming in the door! Jesus Christ! Would you think for once?" and He was like "But 241 grain cars! 19 engines...endless loop..." and she was like "How am I supposed to get to the couch to watch Wheel of Fortune? Turn that damn thing off I can't hear over the clacking! Wait how much did all of this cost?!" and he's like " I got them on discount for the hobby store in town that is closing. They had 245 grain cars and 20 engines, but I told them no I wanted to maintain a 1 meter gap in the trains. So I only bought 241 cars and 19 engines." and she's like "You could have built the damn thing in the basement. Did you think at all when you were building this? Did you think about the fact that your wife is going to come home and need to get over to the couch that we bought just before our wedding in 1968? No. You didn't. Because in 46 years of marriage, you haven't thought of me once! That's it, I'm tired of begging you to pay attention to me. I'm going to my sisters. Make your own damn dinner and play with your damn train. But when I come home tonight it had better be put away or I'm going to leave you Harold. Turn that Fucking thing off! I said if that is still out when I get back, I'm leaving!" and he says "yes dear...sorry honey. I'll pick it up and I'll miss you while your gone."

I suppose they kind of already did that with This Is The End (James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen), not Harold and Kumar but it sounds like it would be in the same neighborhood.

Speaking about series that drag on FOREVER... how about the dumbest, most popular television series on AMC: Walking Dead, which advances the plot towards... what exactly?

I think the last episode I watched was about being 17 and wanting to get wasted for the first time in the apocalypse -- which would be a funny ass movie if it played out more like Harold and Kumar.

HOLY FUCK -- how about Harold and Kumar Face the Apocalypse? Anyone? Anyone?

(At least we have the fast paced Game of Thrones to show how it's fucking done. Plot advancement AND character development at LIGHT SPEED.)