Back from Herat (which I will blog about, as well as two novels I've just finished), but first: two uninsightful and unrelated comments about Israel and wrestlers.
* Watching footage of the Israeli pullout of Gaza, an Israeli army spokesperson being interviewed by the BBC about the Neve Dekalim "enforced evacuation;" she commented (in perfect American-accented English with a level of articulateness that rivals most NYC lawyers) that the army is prepared to enter the synagogue at a ratio of 4 or 5 to 1 (army:settlers) to physically lift each protester out of the synagogue (with no weapons). That says A LOT about the strength and training of the Israeli army, as well as its size -- 5:1! Wow.
Is it cynical and desrespectful for me to joke that these "protestors" are really just the procrastinators who didn't take the months they had to prepare themselves to actually pack? I know if it were VC and Madame Wong, we'd be shoving silverware in tennis shoes and coming up with all KINDS of fast-move solutions at the last minute while the movers (or army, as the case may be) implored us to get gone.
By the way, can't we think of a better descriptor than "hard-line settlement"? I mean, what is that? A settlement where people are like REALLY settled? Like with beanbags and custom-made SubZero refrigerators?
On a more serious (but not necessarily more insightful) note, I am perpetually impressed by the intelligence with which Israel discusses its policies (whether I agree with them or not), and I am truly impressed (as BBC wants me to be) by the conduct of BOTH the troops and settlers. That said, I am surprised by people who can speak with no sense of irony about how it is unfair for army officers to remove settlers from their homes. Settler representative Ruthie Lieberman (currently on BBC) has said that the people are telling the soldiers: "My brother, sit down with us, come join us -- you won't be able to live with yourself after taking me and my baby from our home, knowing that the soldiers under the next government will take you from yours." Ok, but (ignoring VC's GENERAL problem with private property claims to EARTH that normally depend on arbitrary historical and financial concepts of “ownership”) don't even the most critical opponents of the Palestinian "side" acknowledge, to some degree, that whether or not the Palestinians deserve the land (in a historico-religious sense), there WERE people in their homes, with babies, who were (in a much more violent manner, in many cases) similarly expelled? If anything (VC is getting dangerously political, here) the reciprocity argument employed by Lieberman, now, seems to ring particularly true if the dialogue is recast to occur between a pre-intifadeh Palestinian and an Israeli settler. [Note: VC is not expressing support for claims/opinions in that website -- he simply likes the definition of intifadeh and the Arabic script provided on the homepage]
* Switching-up my Neve Dekalim/BBC viewing with some WWF (now WWE -- see website)wrestling on the Indian sports channel, Star Sports (pickings are SLIM on the satellite, today), I've noticed that the wrestlers give their "bring it on" intimidation speeches (always to some absent wrestler who, no doubt, threatened them in a similar forum last week) using the SAME speech-style (rhythm, breathing, etc.) as evangelical Christian ministers in the US! I wonder if they train together. I think it would really increase church attendance if ministers wore big WWF title belts rather than robes...but then again I'm not really convinced by the theatrics of wrestlers or priests, no matter what they're wearing.
Off to study Arabic vocab and gear-up to tear my buddy, Pakistani Apostate, to shreds on the squash court in an hour (followed by my first excursion EVER to expat hot-spot, Elbow Room -- take it upon yourself to ignore the rubbishy parts of the article).
VC
Edit: Check out this link about Steve "Sting" Borden -- who made the leap from pro-wrestling superstar to evangelical Christian preacher! I guess VC wasn't the first one to think of combining the two careers, after all. I particularly enjoyed the part where his wife asks him (addicted to pain killers, muscle relaxers, and alcohol): "Sting, are you on drugs or something?" LOL No, honey, your husband is a 300 pound sobbing immovable lump because of all the Ovaltine he's been drinking (she sounds like a brilliant woman, no?).