Snow in Amman - expected tomorrow

Quiet ride in Italy by Kathryn Stats

Last five minutes by Marc Hansen

From the Guardian - Gaza

'If you bottle up 1.5 million people in a territory 25 miles long and six miles wide, and turn off the lights, as Israel has done in Gaza, the bottle will burst. This is what happened yesterday when tens of thousands of Gazans poured into Egypt to buy food, fuel and supplies after militants destroyed two-thirds of the wall separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt. It was the biggest jail break in history.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2245703,00.html

Candles for Gaza - In Solidarity

Photos are courtsy of Alfalasteeniya site.

Blakout in besieged Gaza City

The Gaza Strip’s only power plant has shut down as Israel’s blockade has dried up fuel supplies. Tonight Gazans are living in darkness as the second of the plant's two working turbines was switched off on the third day of a crippling Israeli blockade of the territory. At least 800,000 people are now in darkness.

Sunday’s shutdown has prompted fears of a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.This catastrophe is affecting hospitals, medical clinics, water wells, sewage treatment plants, water facilities, factories, homes— all aspects of life. Palestinians said the worst affected could be the health sector, with hospitals failing to provide services in the absence of electricity.

Food supplies have dwindled, thanks to Israel’s blockade. And now there is no bread. Bakeries stopped operating because they did not have power or flour. Gazans are protesting in the streets—asking for bread.

Israel’s targeting of a Palestinian government office on Jan. 18, which caused serious casualties at a nearby wedding party was a “war crime” and those responsible should be punished, a United Nations official said yesterday. John Dugard, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied territories, slammed the killing of Palestinians in other attacks and the closing of border crossings.

“The killing of some 40 Palestinians in Gaza in the past week, the targeting of a government office near a wedding party venue with what must have been foreseen loss of life and injury to many civilians, and the closure of all crossings into Gaza raise very serious questions about Israel’s respect for international law and its commitment to the peace process,” Dugard said in a statement.

“Those responsible for such cowardly action are guilty of serious war crimes and should be prosecuted and punished for their crimes,” Dugard said.

Israel seals Gaza, continues attacks on trapped Palestinian popultion

Three days after killing at least 30 Palestinians in helicopter and tank attacks on the Gaza Strip—and just one week after President George W. Bush met in Israel with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other top officials—Israel on Friday, Jan. 18 ordered all border crossings into Gaza temporarily closed as it continued its deadly attacks on more than 1.5 million Palestinians already denied food, clean water, electricity and medical supplies. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced that the transfer of medicines and humanitarian aid into Gaza now will be allowed “only in exceptional circumstances.”

James Neil Hollingsworth art

Is this a real Cherry Can? Are these real Cherries? Wrong. This is Oil on Canvas.

Karen Hollingsworth art

Fantastic. Feel the wind and note the tenderness of the cloth. Observe the light shades. God damn, this is Oil on Canvas.

أجمل الكلام

إذا لم تعلم أين تذهب، فكل الطرق تفي بالغرض

لا تطعن في ذوق زوجتك، فقد اختارتك أولا

من يطارد عصفورين يفقدهما جميعاً

المرأة هي نصف المجتمع وهي التي تلد و تربي النصف الآخر

كلما ارتفع الإنسان ، تكاثفت حوله الغيوم والمحن

The Human Mind

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Tallulah Bankhead quote

If I could return to youth, I would commit all those errors again, but a bit earlier.

Goldman Sachs says the US is in a recession

This is one of the serious news articles that I read today. It is Goldman Sachs judgement. It might not be correct but such an institution is professioal and the statement will have a number of implications. Goldman Sachs says the US is in a recession

Henry Paulson's old company, Goldman Sachs is yet another high profile, highly successful business that sees a US recession.

"Over the past few months, we have become increasingly concerned that the US housing and credit market downturn would trigger not just a growth slowdown and substantial Fed easing -- our long-standing view -- but also an outright recession," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients Wednesday. "The latest data suggest that recession has now arrived, or will very shortly."The recent rise in unemployment is particularly worrisome, Goldman indicated.

Inspirational

Inspirational

The Secret of a Happy Life

A walker noticed an old lady sitting on her front step, so he walked up to her and said, "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look! What is your secret for such a long, happy life?"

"I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food. On week-ends, I pop pills and do no exercise at all."

"That is absolutely amazing at your age!", says the walker. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four," she replied.

2008

This is a nice picture I received from a friend on this New Year start.

2007 was a good year on a personal level. However, I am optimistic that 2008 will be a better year than 2007 at least on the World politics level.