I had to get this off my chest.

Ehud Olmert, Caretaker Prime Minister of Israel (due to his having stepped down because he is under police investigation for corruption) boasts (as part of an election campaign, which campaign only conspiracy theorists consider might be linked to his decision to invade the world's biggest prison, and only the deeply cynical could possibly think was an abuse of thousands of conscripts reservists and national servicemen in what amounts to a massive campaign stunt) that he called up George W. Bush, summoned him peremptorally out of a speech, and flat out told him how the US was to vote in a UN Security Council resolution, and they did.


A man under police investigation for corruption[1][2] calls up your sovereign executive and instructs him how to vote in an international forum, and his instructions are obeyed.

So, given that you have surrendered your foreign policy to the control of another country, at what point does pointing this out stop being “anti-Semitic”?



[1] Yes, Israel actually has processes where the executive can be investigated by the police, where Gaza is run by the very corrupt thugs who would be the first in gaol in a civilised country, but forget that. Given that the police have officially started corruption proceedings against this man, why are you not outraged that he is giving pre-emptive orders to your Commander-in-Chief, and being obeyed? If you believe him, of course. I eagerly await the White House statement that no such phone call was made and Olmert is simply a blowhard liar. And would then point out that it was at his command that families are being bombed in their beds and shelters.
[2] Yeah, presumption of innocence is a wonderful thing, but if a charge is serious enough to prompt resignation from a post, then why in the love of Herself is he then allowed to keep acting in the position, and prosecute a war massacre which has managed to prompt attacks from two other countries now (first from Hizbollah, now from Syria)?

Surely a ‘caretaker’ would have limitations on what he can do? Or was his ‘resignation’ made with his fingers crossed or something?



(Insert standard “Yes, Hamas are evil, bloodthirsty fucking sons-of-bitches, it shouldn't need to be said, why is it not possible for anyone to mention that Israel might be wrong without a complete reiteration of how evil Hamas are if they don't want to be dismissed with ‘you are anti-Semitic and love Hamas and are filth’, for fuck's sake, can't I make a point about Israel without having to make the ‘are you now or have you ever been a Hamas-loving anti-Semite’ affirmation in its entirety again” statement here.)

On a lighter note

Back from Adelaide. Several days with Mum and K.

The drive there and the drive back were exhausting, as they always are. The return today was made more interesting by a burst of heat, which looks to continue tomorrow. Looks like an inside day until the change...

We went to the Adelaide Zoo on Friday, which fits a lot into its postage-stamp acreage. The girls loved everything, and were particularly impressed by feeding time for the hippopotamuses.

Swimming on Saturday, which left us all sunburnt to some degree or other. The sun really is hotter over there. The girls loved paddling, going out as deep as they dared, and walking along the beach looking for shells.

Port Adelaide on Sunday, to visit the Seahorse Farm (the girls patted a Port Jackson shark), and then to the Port Adelaide Market. Like Camberwell Market, but under cover. Antiques, second-hand, new, treasures, tschotschkes, craft, stuff. Lots of stuff.

Quick trip to McLaren Vale on Monday, got some mead, dropped into the Olive Grove.

Written down like that, it doesn't sound like much. But there was lots of chasing (and carrying) of girls, of being with mum and K, of hanging out, of chatting, of being quiet, of threatening physical violence against my sister in retaliation for her buying a bamboo sort-of-recorder, each in sort-of-tune, which they both went around the house blowing the one note in the rhythm of “twinkle twinkle little star”, until we put on a DVD to shut them up. Lots of “Auntie Kat, can we have a practice on your ‘tuba’?” Lots of snuggles. Lots and lots of Farmers' Union Iced Coffee.

When we were driving away, Abi asked, “why are we going home? I'm going to miss Nanna and Auntie Kat.”
We convinced her that she would appreciate her own bed (and I know mimdancer and I will appreciate our own beds tonight), and that she would also miss Ninna (her other grandmother) and her other Auntie.

It is always hard to drive away, though. It's just too hard to do this any more often.